Run Poppy Run

by Tiffany Al-Ahmady

Poppy McNair is just your average red-headed living in Sequim, Washington. That is until she did a dare her friend suggested. Ever since setting foot on the town's local haunted house, Poppy has been visited nightly by a strange man. He stands there, just outside her house... watching. Will Poppy uncover the secrets of her stalker before he makes his move? Are his intentions malicious? Or is she just a deadly obsession?

317 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 21, 2025

Reviews

[itsme · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dark, emotional, surprisingly funny read that completely pulled me in.

I had the chance to read Run Poppy Run as a beta reader, and I’m so happy to see it out in the world now. I honestly didn’t expect to fall for it the way I did. The story starts with a few familiar vibes (hello, Twilight nods 👀), but then it takes a sharp turn into dark romance territory—and does not let up.

What really worked for me was the balance: this book has high emotional stakes, gritty moments, and real trauma—but also sharp dialogue, great banter, and moments that made me laugh out loud. It kept me hooked the whole way through. I genuinely cared about the characters, and the tension (both plot and romantic) was strong without feeling over-the-top.

If you like your romance a little unhinged, a little spicy, and full of emotion—with characters you want to root for and just the right dose of chaos—this is one to add to your list. It's dark, but not without heart.

Excited to see what the author writes next.

[Laura Lacy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can appreciate a good smutty vampire novel but this one just missed the mark. I think a lot more editing needs to be done before this book is ready to be a readable novel. Every paragraph is one to two sentences, the author uses commas and periods interchangeably and some of the wording maybe isn't grammatically wrong but doesn't flow well. The characters (whose names all came from Vampire Diaries) just have simple actions, simple thoughts, and every sentence is just a simple action. There no complexity or variation to the wording and the characters don't have depth. For me, this was a DNF because the writing made it too hard to get through the story.

[Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first paranormal dark romance and honestly? This was howls. The jokes had me kicking my feet, the smut had me fanning myself. It's unhingedness had me questioning myself.
Damian Locke is not like any vampire protagonist (or anti protagonist? His ways are ... Unhinged) I've read. The twists in the mind reading? Especially when there's smut? Brilliant.
Poppy McNair? She's a damsel but she doesn't go down quietly and I love that in a FMC.
I read this on a whim, it was suggested to me through an FB post and I'm glad I read it. Can't wait for more from this author!

[Yesenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

For aficionados of dark vampire romance interlaced with humor, suspense, and complex characters, this entrancing work is a literary marvel not to be overlooked. The narrative skillfully melds resolve and charm through Poppy's story, delivering thrilling twists. I found myself engrossed from start to end, immersing in a world of mystery and profound emotions, uncovering hidden gems with every page turn. Don't miss out on this captivating journey that will keep you spellbound till the final page!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vampires and more

This one reminded me of a blend between True Blood, Twilight and Vampire Diaries/Originals. A good read I would for sure recommend. Be prepared there is absolutely spice and a few scenes can be tough. But in the context of vampires they make sense to the story. So if you want a good vampire dark romance this should be on your list.

[Casey Meadows · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

If you like a good dark romance centered around the vampire world, this would be it. This one has lots of spice so if that is your vibe you will like this. Vibe check made me think or Klaus from the Originals and Eric from True Blood - the bad boy vampire. The story was well written and held my attention with no problem.

[Amber Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love spicy vampire novels, then this is the book for you. The author absolutely delivered with this book. And who doesn’t love a little bit of banter between the main characters and action that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

[Kyandii · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this on a Stuff Your Kindle event and didn't touch it until last week.
This was an absolute bonkers of a ride. It was funny, smutty and had me crying. Once I started it I couldn't put it down. I need more!

[Randi Zodrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely amazing I was laughing, my anxiety went up, I was feeling so many emotions. I couldn’t put this book down. I highly recommend it to everyone.

[Steffs.Chapter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Smutty Twilight

[Gill Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!! A comical dark romance that gave twilight spoof vibes with a story line that keeps you on the edge of your seat wating to read more

[Felicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

ohhhh

I freaking loved this book! If you love vamps they are in here! And holy hell the smut in here is amazing! Can we have another book please? And there we go I cried. Lol

[Fantasy Nelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

No clue what to say

Um, I don't even know what to say for a review...
It's definitely unhinged.
Needs a TON of editing.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into Run Poppy Run expecting a dark vampire romance and somehow ended up reading about a completely unhinged vampire who can commit horrific acts with a straight face and then be accidentally hilarious five minutes later.

Poppy and Damian are CHAOS together. Damian is possessive, violent, obsessive, and absolutely convinced that stalking is a perfectly reasonable form of courtship. Meanwhile, Poppy has enough personality that she doesn't just disappear underneath the “dangerous vampire MMC” trope. Their dynamic was easily my favorite part of the book because they're ridiculous together while still having genuinely emotional moments.

And this book gets DARK. There were several moments where I went, “Oh. OH WE'RE DOING THIS.” 😂 The story isn't afraid to hurt its characters, and when Poppy's storyline takes that turn, the tonal shift hits hard.

But what surprised me most was how funny it could be between the darker scenes. Damian being an apex predator and still somehow ending up involved in stupid human nonsense is exactly my flavor of humor. The man can slaughter people, stalk a woman from a motorcycle, and then get a song stuck in his head because he overheard Poppy singing it. Sir. Please maintain your dignity.

Also: Nox can go directly into the garbage disposal. 🥰

It's fast-paced, messy, violent, spicy, emotional, and unapologetically over-the-top. If you want a quiet, delicate vampire romance where everyone makes sensible decisions, this ain't it. If you want obsessive vampires, morally questionable behavior, dark humor, ridiculous situations, spice, violence, and a romance that basically screams “these two lunatics belong together,” buckle up.

And yes, I cried.