The Devil Drinks Sweet Tea: A Bloodborn Fates Novel

by C.P. Harrow

They say the devil walks in fire and shadows… Turns out, he prefers porches, sweet tea, and one very stubborn woman. Beau Thorne is a Southern vampire with a slow drawl, a deadly temper, and a kingdom hidden beneath the magnolias of Thorne Ridge, Georgia. As leader of the Bloodborn coven, his world doesn’t allow for distractions, especially not mortal ones. But when a sharp-tongued, five-foot powerhouse of a lawyer dismisses him as an ego with a southern accent, Beau finds himself caught between his instincts and his obsession. Leah Ricci doesn’t do relationships, especially not with charming immortals who think growling counts as negotiation. She built her life on courtroom victories and independence, no man, living or dead, is going to derail that. But resisting Beau’s slow-burn pursuit becomes harder each time he shows up with his Southern charm, possessive stares, and the kind of kisses that leave bruises. As bodies start turning up in Thorne Ridge and Leah’s pulled deeper into Beau’s world of blood and shadows, she’ll have to decide if she’s ready to risk her rules, and her mortality, for a love that’s anything but safe.

Genres: Dark Romance

269 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 6, 2025

Reviews

[Jordan Blevins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you ready to meet Beau in this southern gothic VAMPIRE romance book🩸🩸?? Get ready! 12/6 is when it get released!

“They say the devil walks in fire and shadows... Turns out, he prefers porches, sweet tea, and one very stubborn woman. Beau Thorne is a Southern vampire with a slow drawl, a deadly temper, and a kingdom hidden beneath the magnolias of Thorne Ridge, Georgia. As leader of the Bloodborn coven, his world doesn't allow for distractions, especially not mortal ones. But when a sharp-tongued, five-foot powerhouse of a lawyer dismisses him as an ego with a southern accent, Beau finds himself caught between his instincts and his obsession. Leah Ricci doesn't do relationships, especially not with charming immortals who think growling counts as negotiation. She built her life on courtroom victories and independence, no man, living or dead, is going to derail that. But resisting Beau's slow-burn pursuit becomes harder each time he shows up with his Southern charm, possessive stares, and the kind of kisses that leave bruises. As bodies start turning up in Thorne Ridge and Leah's pulled deeper into Beau's world of blood and shadows, she'll have to decide if she's ready to risk her rules, and her mortality, for a love that's anything but safe.”

I love the story in this book- at first I had a hard time getting into it as it’s a different writing style that I am not use too but once I got locked in I loved this book! I’m so thankful I was able to be an ARC reader for The Devil Drinks Sweet Tea!! Keep in mind when you go to read this book it’s a SLOW BURN with a lot of tension!!

[BrewedBookDragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Devil is in Georgia and he drinks sweet tea!!! Cozy, Southern Gothic, Paranormal romance....Yes please!!

I had the pleasure of reading an advance copy...release date December 6th!!!

Beau Thorne is our MMC he is a vampire and owns the town. His voice is described like honey and bourbon with a southern drawl. There is a great line in the book that I think is the best description "The man was arrogant. Entitled. Smiled like sin and moved like he owned oxygen".

Leah Ricci is our FMC she is human, a lawyer on a mission to climb the career ladder, and 5 foot of Italian attitude and confidence wearing stilettos and drinking espresso. I loved the description in the book "...that one is all heels and ambition. You come at her sideways, she'll crack your ego like a pecan on Sunday."

The banter between these two is fantastic, sarcastic, and biting (no pun intended). The tension is thick and palpable and when it breaks.....its perfect for these two characters. There is explicit language and enough description while also still leaving something to the imagination...fade to black.

The side characters are memorable and create the found family that I want to be in....all love wrapped up in barbs and banter!! I cannot wait for this series to continue and learn more about them.

Darling you will not want to miss this, it is book 1 in the Bloodborn Fates Series!!!

[Amanda Corn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. My. Goodness. I devoured this book. A small Southern town built and protected by a vampire? Yes, please. This was such a refreshing take on vampire romance. It is dark, moody, a little dangerous, and so deliciously Southern Gothic I could practically taste the sweet tea and blood in the air.

Beau is not your typical broody, ancient vampire. And Leah, she gives as good as she gets. Their banter had me grinning like an idiot, and when she slapped him and he liked it? I swear my soul left my body. The tension, the heat, the push and pull between them… absolute perfection.

The writing was beautiful and poetic without ever dragging. Every scene felt vivid, like I was standing right there in that haunted little town. My only complaint? It’s a happy-for-now ending, and I need more. Like yesterday.

If you love vampire romances with bite, sass, and Southern charm, run don’t walk and grab The Devil Drinks Sweet Tea. I’m officially obsessed and counting down the days for more from this world.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚✨ ARC Review: The Devil Drinks Sweet Tea by C.P. Harrow ✨🩸

Holy. Southern. Gothic. Charm.
This book had me clutching my pearls, fanning myself, and fully entranced from page one. 🌙🌿

Set in the magnolia-draped shadows of Thorne Ridge, Georgia, this story blends slow-burn obsession, courtroom fire, and supernatural politics in the best way. We’ve got:

🩸 A Southern vampire king with a drawl sharp enough to cut glass
⚖️ A no-nonsense lawyer who gives as good as she gets
🔥 Possessive tension, bruising kisses, and banter for days
🌙 Bodies piling up & secrets lurking beneath the moss-covered trees

Beau’s southern charm + Leah’s fiery attitude? Immediate swoon. Their chemistry walked right off the page and demanded sweet tea and sass.

⭐ 5/5 stars — The perfect blend of gothic atmosphere, tension, and spice.

If you crave paranormal romance with Southern heat and a heroine who refuses to be tamed, add this to your TBR immediately. 🤌

Would you fall for a Southern vampire king… or run the other way? 👀👇

#ARCReview #VampireRomance #SouthernGothic #Bookstagram #TheDevilDrinksSweetTea

[Geri · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like your vampires ancient, broody, fiercely protective, and laced with Southern charm, The Devil Drinks Sweet Tea is a great pick.

Leah lands in a tiny Georgia town and quickly finds herself caught between two very different men. One is dark, watchful, and dangerous. The other is smooth, sweet, and far from what he seems. Both want her, but for very different reasons…

Beau Thorne - “Dark hair swept back from a brow made for tipping hats and getting away with trouble. His eyes were the color of good bourbon lifted to a lamp, warm until the moment they weren’t.”

What really worked for me was the writing and atmosphere. The world building leans hard into its Southern setting in the best way, from the heat and storms to the food, accents, and small-town tension. It gives the story a strong sense of place and a slightly gothic edge that pairs beautifully with the vampire elements.

This is a quick, engaging read with old magic, witty banter, a touch of vampire lore, and enough mystery to keep the pages turning. If you’re in the mood for a Southern-flavoured paranormal romance with morally grey vibes and a protective vampire presence, this one hits the spot nicely.

[Ash (On Lit Wings) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Devil Drinks Sweet Tea took a bit of time to hook me, but it was an entertaining read overall! The writing style is heavy with similes and metaphors which took me out of the story, but the southern vampire vibe was fun. There were glimpses of found family woven into the story, but the side characters were still not well-known by the end of book 1. Similar to the side characters, I wish we’d gotten some more character development for the main characters. I felt like we didn’t really know anything about either one of the MCs (other than their personalities), which made it hard to emotionally connect with them. With that said, I do think this series has potential and the story/plot was interesting. I found the FMC’s pragmatic/realistic view on love and relationships to be refreshing. I’m looking forward to more character development in following books!

*eARC provided in exchange for an honest review

[Itty Biti Book Nook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beau Thorne is a southern vampire, leader of the Bloodborn coven and basically owns the town of Thorne Ridge (which he founded waaayyyy back in the day). He is navigating 2 wars… one with an abomination of an entity who is causing the mysterious deaths of his townsfolk and the other with a spicy, Italian lawyer, Leah Ricci, who is new in town and he can’t seem to leave alone. As Beau and Leah’s relationship starts to heat up a bit, those 2 wars collide when the entity becomes obsessed with Leah and Beau must protect her.

I loved this story! Beau is a sexy, tall, southern gentleman of a vampire and Leah is this tiny Italian spitfire of a human lawyer who cannot stand him initially. The tension between them is delicious and I loved seeing their relationship slowly progress. The side characters are memorable and fun and add even more dimension to the story. I can’t wait for the next book in the Bloodborn Fates series!

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an ARC review

A small Georgia town built and protected by Beau Thorne, who just happens to be a vampire with a coven living in Thorne Manor. Leah Ricci is the new lawyer in town, who has a plan to move on to bigger and better things. The last thing she wants is a man in her life. When bodies start piling up and Leah is the next target, Beau and the coven must come to the rescue.

This is a beautifully written Southern Gothic tale. The pacing is great, the fight scenes are epic and the spice is mild but well done. The banter between the MCs is great and the side characters are amazing. You've got feral Irish twins, a broody Viking, and a French scholar among others. I can't wait to see what this author does next!

Tropes: Small Town Romance, Southern Gothic, He falls first and harder, Sweet Tea

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I started this book I could not put it down. We follow Beau , a stubborn, southern vampire who thinks he has complete control over Thorne Ridge… until Leah Ricci shows up and flips his world upside down. Her sassiness winds him up in all the best ways, and the banter between these two? Pure gold.

Leah has no idea what she’s walking into, and Beau will burn the whole world down if anything threatens her. You’ll finish this book wishing you had a southern sweet-tea-drinking vampire of your own. His stubbornness and her sassiness are truly chef’s kiss.

And the side characters? C.P. Harrow wrote them SO well. I adored Simon, the perpetual Frenchman mediator and of course the silent Viking, Garin, and the absolutely feral twins Rua and Cian. They’re hilarious and unforgettable. Loved this book!!

[Dawn Smit · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Devil - Beau Thorne is a vampire with a southern drawl, arrogant, entitled, smiled like sin and moved like he owned oxygen - yes!! not sure what the question is but the answer is yes, yes, yes please 🤗

This book was such fun, the banter between Beau and Leah is fantastic and the tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife

This is a very different take on vampire romance and I thoroughly enjoyed it, the writing style is very poetic and took me a little while to get into it but once I was in I was in!! The pacing is good, the spice is mild and the side characters are great fun.

I can't wait for the next book. Thank you C.P. Harrow for the ARC opportunity 💕

[Raechel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved:

You can almost feel Beau’s accent and charm

Unique plot that toed the line between suspense and horror

Great side characters and they’ve all got stories, I could sense it.

I feel like this series could have an infinite number of books. So many different things were introduced in this one (vampires, wraiths, the hollow born, etc.) and I can’t wait to learn more about them.

Didn’t Love:

The language started out very flowery, but it either lessened or I got used to it.

I’m not a huge fan of insta-love, but considering how short this novel is, I think it was sort of necessary

As much as I liked Leah, I would have loved more of her backstory (maybe coming in future books?)

I prefer my sex scenes more drawn out but there are also great moments of yearning

many thanks to CP Harrow for the eARC!

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the ARC for this quite a bit. It definitely took me a bit to get into the writing style- I knew it was southern going in, but this was a whole new level of similes and metaphors for me! Once I got used to it though I really got into the story and liked it. Leah was my favorite part of the story- her reactions to every high handed move by Beau were so wonderful and realistic. I loved the small town southern vibes, the Gothic creepy mansion back drop, and mystery threading through the background. Definitely recommend for a fun southern vibes read!

[Lauren Curley · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5 Stars
🌶 - Spice Level

Beau Thorne and his merry band of vampire covenant residents have been protecting his southern Georgia town. Leah Ricci,an Italian lawyer, relocated to this sleepy little town and chaos ensues as she has picked up a paranormal stalker.

Beau is enamored with Leah almost from the get go. She's witty and take no prisoners, especially Beau's brand of Southern Vamp alpha hole. Remember he didn't get to Alpha status overnight. Beau is centuries old and has assimilated quite nicely in the sleepy town, but he protects it with his life and his merry band of other vampire misfits. I loved waiting to find out what was chasing Leah and the suspense kept me stuck to my eReader. There's more plot than spice, but once these two get it on the first time, it's glorious even if he later bites her. 😉😆


Thank you, author, for the arc!
Release Day: December 6, 2025

[Baileyreadsnow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a highly anticipated read for me. While the author is an amazing descriptive writer and felt like I was watching a movie in my head, it just left me wanting more. While I love Beau, was not a huge fan of the FMC. She was written to be this strong woman who wasn’t afraid of anything and it turn more into a damsel in distress. I know the author is writing the next book which I am guess is about the Viking bloodborn so I will continue the series but this one left me wanting a bit more spicy bite.

[Marie smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read. I absolutely loved it and could not put this book down. I loved both characters and how well they worked together. The ending had me wanting more. And the banter was great it had me laughing.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story is great, I enjoyed it very much, but the writing was not edited and is riddled with typos, misspellings, and punctuation errors. It was hard to read when there's a misspelling every other page.

[Lady Mae’s Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arc reader and the way I devoured this book 😍 I loved it and the character development is perfect! Def going to be purchasing a physical copy of this book once released !

[Alyssa paulk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Small town vampire book? Literally sign me up. A southern gothic romance will do it every single time!