Trapped by the Blood Ruby: A Spicy Paranormal Vampire Romantasy

Arcane Artifacts #2

by Melissa Mitchell

Vampires don't exist. It's a mathematical certainty. But the mathematical reality? I'm trapped in a gothic mansion filled with them.

Laurent claims that my blood will make him the most powerful vampire alive. Which is why he kidnapped me from a college party. The real kicker? Everyone assumed it was premium party a Shadowlands reenactment complete with a damsel in distress. So when he threw me over his shoulder and carried me out the front door, the crowd went wild. Now I'm trapped in his mansion, and I refuse to be the helpless victim he expects.

When my defiance leads to drastic consequences, Laurent's desperate gamble backfires spectacularly. Now he's doing everything he can to fix his mistake—which apparently includes baking me the world's best cinnamon rolls and groveling like his immortal life depends on it. Maybe that's why I find myself helping him save his family. Vampires are disappearing and suddenly I'm in the middle of a supernatural power play.

But I'm not just fighting for my life, I'm falling for my captor. Because loving the monster who stole me away might be the most dangerous equation I'll ever solve.









Amazon Listing Blurb - Updated

Vampires don't exist. It's a mathematical certainty. But the mathematical reality? I'm trapped in a gothic mansion filled with them.

Laurent claims that my blood will make him the most powerful vampire alive. So he kidnapped me from a college party. I was supposed to be celebrating my graduation, mathematics degree and all. Instead, I became the entertainment. Everyone thought it was a staged reenactment—a live Shadowlands performance with me as the unwilling damsel in distress. Never mind that Shadowlands is my favorite show. When Laurent threw me over his shoulder and walked out the front door, the crowd actually cheered, recording every moment for their social media feeds. Now I'm trapped in this mansion, refusing to be the helpless victim he expects.

When my defiance leads to drastic consequences, Laurent's desperate gamble backfires spectacularly. Now he's doing everything he can to fix his mistake—which apparently includes baking me the world's best cinnamon rolls and groveling like his immortal life depends on it. Maybe that's why I find myself helping him save his family. Vampires are disappearing and suddenly I'm in the middle of a supernatural power play.

But I'm not just fighting for my life, I'm falling for my captor. Because loving the monster who stole me away might be the most dangerous equation I'll ever solve.

Trapped by the Blood Ruby is a steamy paranormal romance featuring groveling, supernatural artifacts, a headstrong heroine healing from trauma, and a possessive vampire who will do everything he can to protect her. Perfect for fans of KF Breene, Patricia Briggs, and Ilona Andrews who love their urban fantasy with heat, heart, and happily ever afters.

476 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 26, 2026

About the author

Melissa Mitchell is a fantasy romance author best known for her seven-book Dragonwall series.

She fell in love with fantasy at a young age after discovering The Dragonriders of Pern, and she’s been chasing dragons, magic, and epic love stories ever since. Her books often feature beloved tropes like hidden royalty, slow-burn romance, and the undeniable tension of only one bed.

When she’s not writing, Melissa holds a PhD in physics and works as an optical engineer. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, a husky, and four very spoiled bunnies. She also enjoys baking cookies, bullet journaling, and figure skating—usually while thinking about her next book.

Reviews

[Nikita · Rating 1 out of 5]

⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️/5
🧸🧸/5
😆/5
🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓/5

I did not finish the book at 60 percent because it was infuriating to me that she gave in so easily after he abused her just because she was attracted to him or horny.

Overall rating
⭐️ [1/5] = Either there were several major issues with the building blocks of this books, I DNF (did not finish) it, or I hated it with a fiery passion
⭐️⭐️ [2/5] = There were some major issues with the building blocks of this book but I found something redeemable
⭐️⭐️⭐️ [3/5] = It was alright, there were several minor issues with the building blocks of this book, but I did find enjoyment in it OR I have intensely mixed feelings about the book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ [4/5] = It had a few minor issues but otherwise I truly enjoyed it
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ [5/5] = This book was incredible and it had me on the edge of my seat unable to put it down

Spice rating (Please always read Trigger Warnings before you read a book ❤️)
🌶️ [1/5] = 1 - 2 sex scenes, not explicit, or poorly written
🌶️🌶️ [2/5] = 1 - 2 sex scenes, explicit but may not use explicit words, not necessarily full sex scenes
🌶️🌶️🌶️ [3/5] = Several sex scenes, very explicit & descriptive, uses explicit language
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ [4/5] = Several sex scenes, kinky, could/should have a long TW list
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ [5/5] = The previous description + a lot more sex scenes, extremely explicit & descriptive, has an unusual/fantastical element to it

Emotional rating
🧸 [1/5] = Didn’t really make me feel anything
🧸🧸 [2/5] = I got angry for the characters
🧸🧸🧸 [3/5] = I teared up
🧸🧸🧸🧸 [4/5] = I got emotionally involved with the characters and connected
🧸🧸🧸🧸🧸 [5/5] = Full range of feelings, fully involved with the characters and fully invested

Humor rating
😆 [1/5] = Not funny
😆😆 [2/5] = Smiled at the attempt
😆😆😆 [3/5] = Laughed internally
😆😆😆😆 [4/5] = Snickered to myself
😆😆😆😆😆 [5/5] = So funny that not only did I actually laugh out loud, when I thought about the moment later I then laughed out loud again

Gore rating (Axe-ion packed. Get it?)
🪓 [1/5] = No blood or violence
🪓🪓 [2/5] = Minor injuries, no violence, blood mentioned
🪓🪓🪓 [3/5] = Minor injuries, violence, blood mentioned
🪓🪓🪓🪓 [4/5] = Major injuries, major violence, no death
🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓 [5/5] = Major injuries, major violence, death

[jade ⋆₊˚ ᰔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

• vampire romance
• fated mates
• he falls first
• possessive / protective mmc
• supernatural politics
• magical artifacts
• trauma & healing
• slow burn
• spice

ᡣ𐭩 •｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅

while i didn’t connect with this one quite as much as the first book, melissa mitchell’s writing style continues to really work for me!! her writing feels so natural and engaging while still having so much substance, and there’s something about the way she tells a story that makes it incredibly easy to get immersed in the world. i especially love how she blends supernatural politics, magical artifacts, romance, and spice together without losing the actual plot.

i loved the tropes and overall concept, but i think my biggest disconnect came from the relationship itself. i personally wanted a little more yearning and groveling while they were repairing things between them, and without quite enough of that emotional buildup, i didn’t feel as connected to them as a couple as i wanted to. BUT getting to see bastian & elle again was such a fun little treat because i absolutely loved them in book one ♡

i’m really enjoying this series and already excited to see what book 3 brings!! (coming september 1st guys 𐙚)

[Anna Burkemper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just because you are an immortal whatever, does not mean that you do not need oxygen moving in and out of your body. Are you speaking? You're breathing. Are you using your muscles? You're breathing. Are you digesting food? You're breathing.

There are so many good things about this story, but the CONSTANT reminders that our man is a vampire and therefor does not need to breath is just a continual reminder that the author hasn't really thought this through, and that is so aggravating.

So Lilly has never been wanted, always passed from one foster family to the next, until aging out and getting herself an education that buried her in student loan debt. But she was finally doing the things she wanted and had a life she could call her own.

And then a big ol' vampire realizes that she's got magic blood and he takes her.

This is certainly a slow burn, but the time it took to get there was worth the journey. The story is pretty straight forward; once again an artifact is causing problems in the neighborhood. So they solve it and find love all at the same time. It's exactly where you knew it was going to go and I am not complaining.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read