It was definetely more than 5 stars read. 5+ stars
Tropes:
- sunsine golden retriever vampire/ grumpy black cat human
- she’s a detective investigating murders… he did them
- fated mates (but make it slow-burn from her side)
- possessive but weirdly soft vampire
- secret identity chaos (he has more jobs than Barbie and bald guy from xxx)
- fangboner moments™
- emotional support cat
- unhinged but weirdly endearing stalker vibes
This book surprised the hell out of me—in the best way possible. I went in expecting broody paranormal angst and instead got a full-blown vampire romcom murder mystery mashup.Celine is exactly my type of heroine—sarcastic, guarded, and dangerously competent. She’s thrown into a serial killer case that’s equal parts horrifying and bizarre (the smiley face with fangs?? unhinged). Then Zavier appears: a sunshine-coded, centuries-old vampire with zero chill and all the cling. He’s like if Edward Cullen had ADHD and was emotionally available. The man is so obsessed with her he literally shows up as a janitor, a barista, a paramedic—whatever it takes to be near his grumpy murder-detecting soulmate. I should be creeped out, but honestly? I was cackling. He’s a menace in the most lovable way.
Their dynamic is absolute gold. It’s fated mates, sure, but Celine doesn’t just melt at first sight—thank god. She questions it, pushes back, and takes her sweet time falling. Meanwhile, Zavier is like, “Cool, I’ll just follow you everywhere until you love me.” (And weirdly? I didn’t hate it.) I also adored Ava, the whirlwind best friend, and Midnight the cat deserves their own novella.
If you like your romance a little messy, a lot funny, and dripping in vampire chaos—this one’s a must. It’s dark, ridiculous, and weirdly tender. A perfect storm of vibes for fans of Fated Mates who also want to laugh their way through the bloodshed. Aura Hayes, you’ve got a fan for life.
It was my honest opinions in exchange for ARC, big big thanks to VPR and Aura Hayes!!!