What do you think?
The Venom in Her Veins
Isla
The morgue is my haven, where silence and the dead speak truths the living never can. I’ve witnessed death in all its forms, but nothing prepared me for the charred, unrecognizable body on my table. With razor-sharp teeth and a strange energy beneath its skin, it defies explanation. When one of its teeth cuts me, and it begins to stir, I flee—only to realize I’m changing. Visions haunt a man in black, his voice calling from the shadows, pulling me toward a dangerous, irresistible fate.
Dorian
I’ve always outrun those who hunt my kind—until a skilled vampire hunter catches me. Waking in a morgue with blood on my lips and a hunger I can’t ignore, I find myself drawn to her. Isla. Her scent, her heartbeat—they’re irresistible. She’s human and fears me, but our bond is undeniable. I don’t know what ties us together, but I’ll claim her—no matter the cost.
The morgue is my haven, where silence and the dead speak truths the living never can. I’ve witnessed death in all its forms, but nothing prepared me for the charred, unrecognizable body on my table. With razor-sharp teeth and a strange energy beneath its skin, it defies explanation. When one of its teeth cuts me, and it begins to stir, I flee—only to realize I’m changing. Visions haunt a man in black, his voice calling from the shadows, pulling me toward a dangerous, irresistible fate.
Dorian
I’ve always outrun those who hunt my kind—until a skilled vampire hunter catches me. Waking in a morgue with blood on my lips and a hunger I can’t ignore, I find myself drawn to her. Isla. Her scent, her heartbeat—they’re irresistible. She’s human and fears me, but our bond is undeniable. I don’t know what ties us together, but I’ll claim her—no matter the cost.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 12, 2026
About the author
K.D. Martin
14 books31 followersK.D. Martin leads a dynamic professional life as a police dispatcher during the day and a prolific writer specializing in dark romance with a focus on the paranormal genre during her off-hours. Her creative pursuits delve into the intricacies of the supernatural, adding depth and intrigue to her storytelling. When she isn't engrossed in a writing project or fulfilling her duties at the police station, Kristin cherishes moments spent with her family, relishing quality time with her two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 19, 2026
Review of an advanced copy received from the author.
The Venom in Her Veins - ARC Review
(Publish date: September 2026)
(Potential series continuation)
This was my first read by K.D. Martin and I honestly believe I hyped myself up a little too much for the plot. A woman working in a morgue cuts her finger on a patient and events of the accident spiral her into chaos. Yes, please!
I gave the book 3 stars because it felt repetitive sometimes. Then the way the author describes the outdoors does NOT sound like Phoenix, Arizona (I lived in Arizona for many years and some of the scenes absolutely did not feel like the characters were living in a dry, desert city).
However, I was a bit disappointed in the plot. I wanted more chaos between the FMC, MMC, and the vampire hunter. I wanted to know more about the vampire hunter and what he was.
This is definitely a slow burn, no spice/smut novel. I loved the premise of the plot and even though the book wasn’t meant for me, I’ll still recommend it to readers.
The Venom in Her Veins - ARC Review
(Publish date: September 2026)
(Potential series continuation)
This was my first read by K.D. Martin and I honestly believe I hyped myself up a little too much for the plot. A woman working in a morgue cuts her finger on a patient and events of the accident spiral her into chaos. Yes, please!
I gave the book 3 stars because it felt repetitive sometimes. Then the way the author describes the outdoors does NOT sound like Phoenix, Arizona (I lived in Arizona for many years and some of the scenes absolutely did not feel like the characters were living in a dry, desert city).
However, I was a bit disappointed in the plot. I wanted more chaos between the FMC, MMC, and the vampire hunter. I wanted to know more about the vampire hunter and what he was.
This is definitely a slow burn, no spice/smut novel. I loved the premise of the plot and even though the book wasn’t meant for me, I’ll still recommend it to readers.
August 17, 2026
I had really high expectations for this book and it started out being really interesting but I kept losing interest because it was so slow and sometimes repetitive. Especially near the ending.
I wanted to see more of Isla other than her confusion and sudden newfound strength that didn't make all that much sense to me personally with how quick she seemed to give it back to the priest when Dorian has been fighting him for so long? Like what is he anyway? I wanted to know more about that. And I just sighed a lot in the end because the humans in this book has like 0 survival skills??
Anyway, I liked the part where Isla was working in the morgue because it's very interesting and also the part where she started turning.
I wanted to see more of Isla other than her confusion and sudden newfound strength that didn't make all that much sense to me personally with how quick she seemed to give it back to the priest when Dorian has been fighting him for so long? Like what is he anyway? I wanted to know more about that. And I just sighed a lot in the end because the humans in this book has like 0 survival skills??
Anyway, I liked the part where Isla was working in the morgue because it's very interesting and also the part where she started turning.
June 23, 2026
The venom in her veins is an action packed, slow burn, bonded pair romance that you won’t want to miss. Our FMC never expected how much her life would change when she stayed over to help with a body at the morgue. And Dorian didn’t expect to find her when he rose from the dead.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The story had an interesting and intriguing premise that pulled me into it, and while reading got sucked into this story, almost at the cusp of riveting, and was easy to read. I kept on wanting to know what would happen next. Stepping into the paranormal world of vampire, it was great to read the depth in what comprised a vampire such as how they were formed and scientific type factors that were on the 'enlightenment' side. Things that I would not have thought of till it was exposed in a such a way. As much as there is the qualities of the story that were appealing, there was much left to be desired at the same time. What is stated above made it the 4-star rating factor.
The plot: what was it exactly? What is this book classified as? Paranormal romance? The paranormal factor is definitely present, and this love was centered more upon a physiological bond that occurred between one character centered more so on ideals, and the other very reluctant, had a relationship or rather attachment already to someone else to begin with. 'Love' was not really in the equation and where that was lacking, there wasn't even any spice which typically centers around physical attraction/pull or heady sexual tensions. (<-- that could have ramped up excitement especially at one part within the story). There was more focus on a type of 'intimacy' per se surrounding blood sucking upon one another and that 'bond' which was inadvertently created.
There was nemesis created as a 2-bit deal, maybe driving the aspect overall on the unacceptance of their kind and trying to emphasize the survival aspect in being a Vampire. The Vampire has the misnomer of being painted as the 'monster' yet it is the others within the book that end up being the true monsters. One crazed person wanting to understand and use the blood for selfish reasons end up knowing how to eradicate (the unnecessary death) of a fellow vampire, but the other one that has hunted him through centuries still wasn't able to? There were other smaller inconsistencies like overall when the vampire is near, it is cold... but then towards the end of the book there was a statement "felt the heat" from his body? Given these factors expressed has the feel of a 2–3-star rating.
And of course, the 0–1-star rating factors within this book was the overuse of as if it or like it belongs. The not this, not this, but this usage which automatically makes me cringe as I read a story. Overall, there was a big focus on the feel from the FMC in what was happening to her, however there was a lot of almost long-winded or dragged-out style explanations that overall repeated somewhat throughout the book. When switching P.O.V sometimes it was just repeating in the beginning what just occurred previously.
The plot: what was it exactly? What is this book classified as? Paranormal romance? The paranormal factor is definitely present, and this love was centered more upon a physiological bond that occurred between one character centered more so on ideals, and the other very reluctant, had a relationship or rather attachment already to someone else to begin with. 'Love' was not really in the equation and where that was lacking, there wasn't even any spice which typically centers around physical attraction/pull or heady sexual tensions. (<-- that could have ramped up excitement especially at one part within the story). There was more focus on a type of 'intimacy' per se surrounding blood sucking upon one another and that 'bond' which was inadvertently created.
There was nemesis created as a 2-bit deal, maybe driving the aspect overall on the unacceptance of their kind and trying to emphasize the survival aspect in being a Vampire. The Vampire has the misnomer of being painted as the 'monster' yet it is the others within the book that end up being the true monsters. One crazed person wanting to understand and use the blood for selfish reasons end up knowing how to eradicate (the unnecessary death) of a fellow vampire, but the other one that has hunted him through centuries still wasn't able to? There were other smaller inconsistencies like overall when the vampire is near, it is cold... but then towards the end of the book there was a statement "felt the heat" from his body? Given these factors expressed has the feel of a 2–3-star rating.
And of course, the 0–1-star rating factors within this book was the overuse of as if it or like it belongs. The not this, not this, but this usage which automatically makes me cringe as I read a story. Overall, there was a big focus on the feel from the FMC in what was happening to her, however there was a lot of almost long-winded or dragged-out style explanations that overall repeated somewhat throughout the book. When switching P.O.V sometimes it was just repeating in the beginning what just occurred previously.
September 12, 2026
This is a new author for me. You never know what gem you’ll find by reading someone new.
Let me start by saying overall I’d give this supernatural romance five out of five stars. It held my interest from start to finish. I didn’t have the urge to skim to get to the next “good part”. All of it was good!
The plot is well thought out with interesting characters and a dark, dramatic world. Pacing is on point which helped in my reading efforts. This is a slow burn romance so if you’re looking for that instant love/attraction, you won’t find it here. It builds slowly. There are no sex scenes which is understandable given the pacing at which Isla and Dorian’s attraction grows.
The first dark element introduced is that the female main character works in a morgue. Even better? She enjoys the job. The next dark element introduced is a burned corpse which magically comes to life–meet Dorian, the main male character. You guessed it, Dorian is a vampire. Then we have the priest who I love to hate. He follows Dorian attempting to kill him in any way he can but I suspect the priest has a secret as well. Hoping more will be revealed in the second book.
I’ll definitely be looking for book two in the future. Hoping the author can publish it soon.
Overall great supernatural romance. I give it five out of five stars.
Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Let me start by saying overall I’d give this supernatural romance five out of five stars. It held my interest from start to finish. I didn’t have the urge to skim to get to the next “good part”. All of it was good!
The plot is well thought out with interesting characters and a dark, dramatic world. Pacing is on point which helped in my reading efforts. This is a slow burn romance so if you’re looking for that instant love/attraction, you won’t find it here. It builds slowly. There are no sex scenes which is understandable given the pacing at which Isla and Dorian’s attraction grows.
The first dark element introduced is that the female main character works in a morgue. Even better? She enjoys the job. The next dark element introduced is a burned corpse which magically comes to life–meet Dorian, the main male character. You guessed it, Dorian is a vampire. Then we have the priest who I love to hate. He follows Dorian attempting to kill him in any way he can but I suspect the priest has a secret as well. Hoping more will be revealed in the second book.
I’ll definitely be looking for book two in the future. Hoping the author can publish it soon.
Overall great supernatural romance. I give it five out of five stars.
Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Another vampire romance from the Queen of vampire romance!!
Our FMC Isla, working in the morgue, really interested me for some reason that I literally cannot explain! I felt like it was gonna work really well with this being a vampire story, and I was right! I found her intelligence and curiosity interesting, but after she witnesses something truly horrific, some of the decisions she makes afterward had me questioning her thought processes a bit. Dorian, our dark, dangerous vampire, has such a good and mysterious connection with Isla that makes you want so much more from them.
I was captivated by Dorian and the danger surrounding his character, but I ultimately wanted more from his development, especially more depth in his relationship with Isla. This is a very slow burn with no spice, which is something I usually need in my romance stories like this; however, the lack of spice didn’t make the story unreadable for me. The premise really fascinated me, and having read K.D. Martin’s books before, I already know she absolutely devours the vampire romances. This one was a little slower-paced than what I’m used to from her, but it still kept me interested enough to want to continue the story.
Thank you for the ARC!
Our FMC Isla, working in the morgue, really interested me for some reason that I literally cannot explain! I felt like it was gonna work really well with this being a vampire story, and I was right! I found her intelligence and curiosity interesting, but after she witnesses something truly horrific, some of the decisions she makes afterward had me questioning her thought processes a bit. Dorian, our dark, dangerous vampire, has such a good and mysterious connection with Isla that makes you want so much more from them.
I was captivated by Dorian and the danger surrounding his character, but I ultimately wanted more from his development, especially more depth in his relationship with Isla. This is a very slow burn with no spice, which is something I usually need in my romance stories like this; however, the lack of spice didn’t make the story unreadable for me. The premise really fascinated me, and having read K.D. Martin’s books before, I already know she absolutely devours the vampire romances. This one was a little slower-paced than what I’m used to from her, but it still kept me interested enough to want to continue the story.
Thank you for the ARC!
September 14, 2026
This is a dark vampire romance.
We meet Isla a human university student. Her professor recommends her for a job in the morgue.
A year later a body comes into the morgue burnt beyond recognition, with long canines. She pierces her finger on the tip of his fang. From that moment, he stalks her every night.
Dorian gives totally Damon, from Vampire Diaries, vibes. Touch her and die energy.
The book starts out slowly, but the intensity builds and builds. The sign of good writing is the fact that you can feel her emotions with her as she is going through these changes.
There is slow burn and yearning, but confusion and fighting against everything.
I like the evil priest; it adds an extra element to the story. But we don’t get to learn much about him other than the fact he has been hunting Dorian for a very long time. An unhuman length of time.
We meet Isla a human university student. Her professor recommends her for a job in the morgue.
A year later a body comes into the morgue burnt beyond recognition, with long canines. She pierces her finger on the tip of his fang. From that moment, he stalks her every night.
Dorian gives totally Damon, from Vampire Diaries, vibes. Touch her and die energy.
The book starts out slowly, but the intensity builds and builds. The sign of good writing is the fact that you can feel her emotions with her as she is going through these changes.
There is slow burn and yearning, but confusion and fighting against everything.
I like the evil priest; it adds an extra element to the story. But we don’t get to learn much about him other than the fact he has been hunting Dorian for a very long time. An unhuman length of time.
September 6, 2026
📚BOOK REVIEW📚
🩸The Venom in Her Veins🩸
✍️KD Martin✍️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
KD is one of my favorite indie vampire authors! I’ve read *almost* all of her novels and I love her interpretation of vampires, their powers, and lore.
The Venom in Her Veins is part one and sets up beautifully for the second installment. It is a slow burn, no spice, but heavy angst story that will keep you wanting more!
Dorian is a broody vampire, who meets his match when saved by Isla, the morgue assistant assessing his body. Isla is just trying to do her job when he “comes back from the dead” and traumatizes her in one of the most horrific ways.
They are drawn to each other from that point onward, even though Isla has a boyfriend, whose father has a secret.
🩸The Venom in Her Veins🩸
✍️KD Martin✍️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
KD is one of my favorite indie vampire authors! I’ve read *almost* all of her novels and I love her interpretation of vampires, their powers, and lore.
The Venom in Her Veins is part one and sets up beautifully for the second installment. It is a slow burn, no spice, but heavy angst story that will keep you wanting more!
Dorian is a broody vampire, who meets his match when saved by Isla, the morgue assistant assessing his body. Isla is just trying to do her job when he “comes back from the dead” and traumatizes her in one of the most horrific ways.
They are drawn to each other from that point onward, even though Isla has a boyfriend, whose father has a secret.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I'm a child of the 90's and the way this book reminded me of three of my favorite vampire movies. Nice to know I wasn't the only one who felt a certain way about Dracula 2:Ascension.
This book follows a mostly predictable vampire love story template, which I'm not complaining about. There's only so many ways you write a story like this. It didn't make the story any less enjoyable. Isla is one of the more believable characters in a vampire romance. While she accepts learned facts, accepting it's happening to her is something else entirely. Though, truthfully, the romance is more of a subplot. Dorian is the vampire MMC who views his immortality as a burden disguised as a blessing. I commend the Priest for his persistence and tenacity. And because it is a duet, that means that while there is an ending, there's still more to this story. I can't wait.
This book follows a mostly predictable vampire love story template, which I'm not complaining about. There's only so many ways you write a story like this. It didn't make the story any less enjoyable. Isla is one of the more believable characters in a vampire romance. While she accepts learned facts, accepting it's happening to her is something else entirely. Though, truthfully, the romance is more of a subplot. Dorian is the vampire MMC who views his immortality as a burden disguised as a blessing. I commend the Priest for his persistence and tenacity. And because it is a duet, that means that while there is an ending, there's still more to this story. I can't wait.
September 12, 2026
"You're not something I want to destroy," he said.
3,5 ⭐
This was fun and quick read for me. I've read so many +500 page books lately this felt short 😅
Loved Dorian and the nickname he gave to Isla ❤️ I just needed more of them together but I'm hoping the other half of this duet will contain that! Ooh and the author promised book 2 will contain lot more spice! 🤞🏼Can't wait!
I hope book 2 will also reveal more of the priest and his background.
I received this as an ARC from the author and am leaving this review willingly.
3,5 ⭐
This was fun and quick read for me. I've read so many +500 page books lately this felt short 😅
Loved Dorian and the nickname he gave to Isla ❤️ I just needed more of them together but I'm hoping the other half of this duet will contain that! Ooh and the author promised book 2 will contain lot more spice! 🤞🏼Can't wait!
I hope book 2 will also reveal more of the priest and his background.
I received this as an ARC from the author and am leaving this review willingly.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I had such high hopes for this book, and I felt like I was let down a little bit.
It all seemed kind of rushed but also parts seemed very slow.
I liked that Isla worked in a morgue. For some reason that just was really cool to me lol
Certain character(s) I didn’t like and it made way more sense towards the end.
I’m not sure why they didn’t just kill the Priest when it seemed like they easily could have? Unless I missed it somewhere that vampires aren’t able to kill Hunters.
Overall, not a bad book. Maybe just not quite right for me.
It all seemed kind of rushed but also parts seemed very slow.
I liked that Isla worked in a morgue. For some reason that just was really cool to me lol
Certain character(s) I didn’t like and it made way more sense towards the end.
I’m not sure why they didn’t just kill the Priest when it seemed like they easily could have? Unless I missed it somewhere that vampires aren’t able to kill Hunters.
Overall, not a bad book. Maybe just not quite right for me.
September 12, 2026
Isla & Dorian
Isla works in a morgue and it's where she encounters Dorian, taken after being burned to death. Accidentally, while looking into his mouth, she scrapes her finger and blood is drawn, going into Dorian's mouth and waking him up. From there things unravel and they become bonded.
I liked the bond, the story behind it, but wasn't drawn to the story as much as i thought I would be. This is a duet, so maybe that will happen while reading the second half. Over all, it is still a good story. Thank you for the opportunity.
Isla works in a morgue and it's where she encounters Dorian, taken after being burned to death. Accidentally, while looking into his mouth, she scrapes her finger and blood is drawn, going into Dorian's mouth and waking him up. From there things unravel and they become bonded.
I liked the bond, the story behind it, but wasn't drawn to the story as much as i thought I would be. This is a duet, so maybe that will happen while reading the second half. Over all, it is still a good story. Thank you for the opportunity.
September 12, 2026
I read this book early. Thanks to the author. I gave this book a 3.5 star read. Because the story is good and I really liked the main characters. It was not quite a 4 star because sometimes it felt repetitive and kind of slow. That said this was a slow burn. The FMC slowly became something she did not expected and turned her life upside down. The connection with the MMC who was responsible for that change was instant and became slowly more. If you like vampires and slow burn. This is a book to read.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I had the pleasure of reading an early copy of this one and I must say, I really enjoyed it!! This one is a slower burn than this authors previous works and there’s definitely going to be a second book to this one and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the take on vampires and the way they love viciously. I liked the FMCs turmoil as she realizes things are changing within her and I can’t wait to see what happens with the priest and James in book two!!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
The first half of the book was hard to follow at times but by the second half I was in love. I try to not put spoilers in my reviews so I will just say I'm so glad a certain character died by the end, he gave me a weird feeling from the beginning. Get you a man that grounds you like the MMC does for this girl when she is losing it a little. Also how the venom is introduced is so relatable, I too would accidentally poison myself. All in all I really enjoyed this book, great job to the author!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book stared out with a bang! I loved that the main character worked in a morgue and everything about her story. I would have liked to see more development of the connection between the two main characters. To me it felt a little forced. The ending was super intense. There is definitely more to this story than what we saw so I look forward to reading the next book to see where this goes as well as get more information about some of the characters that we met in this book.
September 13, 2026
The Venom in Her Veins pulled me into its dark and mysterious world from the start. I really enjoyed the vampire elements, the atmosphere, and the connection between Isla and Dorian. Some parts felt a little slow for me, but overall, I had a great time with this story and was invested in seeing where everything would lead.
That ending has me needing book two immediately. 👀🩸 I cannot wait to see what’s next in the Shadows & Sins Duet!
That ending has me needing book two immediately. 👀🩸 I cannot wait to see what’s next in the Shadows & Sins Duet!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I really enjoyed this book exploring the transition of vampires with FMC Isla and the bonded pair theme. Definitely a slow burn novel but beautifully done. The priest was an interesting character in the book. The Venom in her veins is definitely worth a read.
Thanks to the author for allowing me to read an advanced copy of your work.
Thanks to the author for allowing me to read an advanced copy of your work.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The first 20 percent of this book was absolutely giving me Blade vibes, and I loved it! It was dark, it was gory, it was a perfect start to my spooky season reading list! The slow burn, the tension and the action made sure that I'll be sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for book 2 to be released!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This was a fang-tastic read! 🧛♀️ I loved this traditional take on vampires, with a slow-burn, bonded pair and nicely paced romance. The action from the hunter kept me on the edge of my seat, and I can't wait to see what happens between the priest and the vampires in the second book!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This was a nice little novel about the trials and transition of vampires. The FMC is tough and handles a lot that is thrown at her. The MMC is a tad creepy but that’s how vampires can be. lol. It was a good fun read.
August 22, 2026
𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒓: 𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒕𝒐
𝑲.𝑫 𝑴artin 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎, 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒚 𝒐𝒘𝒏
The Venom in Her Veins is the first book in the Shadow and Sins duet. It had an interesting premise with a medical student, a morgue, a charred vampire and an unexpected awakening, so I was intrigued to see where this story would take me.
Our FMC, Isla is a medical student who feels most at home in the morgue. She is intelligent, curious and drawn to the dead, but some of her choices after witnessing something horrific, left me questioning her judgement.
The MMC of this story is Dorian, a dangerous vampire with a dark history, a powerful bloodlust and an intriguing connection to Isla. His mysterious nature and the threat surrounding him had plenty of potential, though I wanted more development of his character and bond with Isla.
I liked how Isla’s love of the morgue offered her peace and had become her haven, but some of her reactions did leave me questioning her choices. After witnessing her colleague John being murdered and drained of blood by a burnt corpse that has just come back to life, she simply goes home and locks herself away rather than getting help. I needed a little more from her in those moments.
Dorian was intriguing as was his connection with Isla. His bloodlust, his history and the danger surrounding him all had potential, but unfortunately the fated mates aspect did not quite land for me. He gets a taste of Isla’s blood and suddenly knows she is his mate but I needed more development between them to really understand their bond and attraction.
My View: For me, the pacing was the biggest issue. At times it felt slow and dragged out longer than necessary, while other moments felt rushed. I also struggled with the romance because despite the tension and chemistry that should have been building, it felt rather lacklustre. The supporting characters did add some much needed depth and tension, but I was expecting a vampire romance and ultimately wanted more from Isla and Dorian’s relationship.
Overall, this wasn’t a bad story and there were definitely elements I enjoyed, but unfortunately it didn’t quite hit the mark for me and hasn’t left me feeling particularly excited to continue with the duet.
𝑲.𝑫 𝑴artin 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎, 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒚 𝒐𝒘𝒏
The Venom in Her Veins is the first book in the Shadow and Sins duet. It had an interesting premise with a medical student, a morgue, a charred vampire and an unexpected awakening, so I was intrigued to see where this story would take me.
Our FMC, Isla is a medical student who feels most at home in the morgue. She is intelligent, curious and drawn to the dead, but some of her choices after witnessing something horrific, left me questioning her judgement.
The MMC of this story is Dorian, a dangerous vampire with a dark history, a powerful bloodlust and an intriguing connection to Isla. His mysterious nature and the threat surrounding him had plenty of potential, though I wanted more development of his character and bond with Isla.
I liked how Isla’s love of the morgue offered her peace and had become her haven, but some of her reactions did leave me questioning her choices. After witnessing her colleague John being murdered and drained of blood by a burnt corpse that has just come back to life, she simply goes home and locks herself away rather than getting help. I needed a little more from her in those moments.
Dorian was intriguing as was his connection with Isla. His bloodlust, his history and the danger surrounding him all had potential, but unfortunately the fated mates aspect did not quite land for me. He gets a taste of Isla’s blood and suddenly knows she is his mate but I needed more development between them to really understand their bond and attraction.
My View: For me, the pacing was the biggest issue. At times it felt slow and dragged out longer than necessary, while other moments felt rushed. I also struggled with the romance because despite the tension and chemistry that should have been building, it felt rather lacklustre. The supporting characters did add some much needed depth and tension, but I was expecting a vampire romance and ultimately wanted more from Isla and Dorian’s relationship.
Overall, this wasn’t a bad story and there were definitely elements I enjoyed, but unfortunately it didn’t quite hit the mark for me and hasn’t left me feeling particularly excited to continue with the duet.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you for the chance to read this as an arc. Im thinking this just wasn't for me in the end. I didnt quite know where the plot was about in this book. After reading book 1 I can see where book 2 will go but still not sure what the story is about. The fmc annoyed me bc she was too wishy washy.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I enjoyed this book. I would have wished it was a bit darker and more spicy 🌶️🌶️ But I am a dark romance kinda girley, with almost no triggers. I still thought it was a good book. And I do recommend it.
I enjoyed this book. I would have wished it was a bit darker and more spicy 🌶️🌶️ But I am a dark romance kinda girley, with almost no triggers. I still thought it was a good book. And I do recommend it.
September 18, 2026
I enjoyed reading this book. If you are a fan of vampires, mystery, and romance then you wont be disappointed. It flowed nicely and the characters were diverse and well written. It was hard to put down and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
September 8, 2026
This was my first book by K.D. Martin and it was pretty good. I don't read many romantacy but I can tell KD knows what she is doing. I did love the FMC, Isla, as she works in the morgue and loves her job. One night she experiences something weird yet fascinating and scary. This is where we met the MMC, Dorian. He is not like anyone Isla has encountered, I mean he is a vampire. He craves her, she is fascinated by him, and then there is a priest that is trying to save Isla and destroy Dorian. I have a feeling there is more to the priest than we really know. It is a bit slow in the beginning but push through because the build is totally worth it.
September 12, 2026
I really enjoyed this being set in the modern world. I loved the morgue setting as well. It made me think of an episode from the American Horror Stories show. I was a bit frustrated that it took Dorian so long to locate her, but the wait was worth it. I will definitely be continuing the story to see what happens with the priest.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I give this 3.5 stars actually, not quite 4.
This was pretty good.
It moved a little slow for me. Not terribly, but a little. I felt like we were dragging the story out a little to make it longer.
I wish there had been more actual face time between Dorian and Isla. They barely had any conversation, don't know anything about each other, have not spent any time together.
And I know, the whole fated mates thing means they don't have to because they're meant to be together, but. I'm reading romance to actually get the romance.
This is book 1 of a duet, so hopefully book 2 will have all that extra romance and together-ness that this one left me craving.
I wish some of the repeated fight scenes and run-ins with the Priest had maybe been exchanged for some exposition on Isla or Dorian, or even maybe just some flashbacks or something. We hardly know anything about either of them. I wish I knew more about their past and what's led them to where they are now, what's shaped them into the creatures they are today.
One thing I really did like was the way we stuck to the tried and true, "traditional" rules of being a vampire. I'm all for taking creative liberty and skewing things to fit what we want and changing the rules of all fairytale/paranormal creatures because we simply can. But there's something about the regular old, "no sunlight, no silver, no holy water" thing. And there being no way around it, that I really like. It's almost refreshing to see a vampire have those weaknesses instead of finding a way to write those weaknesses out of existence.
Overall, I liked this. I wanted to see it through to see where things ended up, and I'll probably read the second one as well.
Definitely not a bad read, and if you like vampires and fated mates, this is a good one to try out.
No spice, but that's okay. It doesn't need it. The story moves along just fine without it.
This was pretty good.
It moved a little slow for me. Not terribly, but a little. I felt like we were dragging the story out a little to make it longer.
I wish there had been more actual face time between Dorian and Isla. They barely had any conversation, don't know anything about each other, have not spent any time together.
And I know, the whole fated mates thing means they don't have to because they're meant to be together, but. I'm reading romance to actually get the romance.
This is book 1 of a duet, so hopefully book 2 will have all that extra romance and together-ness that this one left me craving.
I wish some of the repeated fight scenes and run-ins with the Priest had maybe been exchanged for some exposition on Isla or Dorian, or even maybe just some flashbacks or something. We hardly know anything about either of them. I wish I knew more about their past and what's led them to where they are now, what's shaped them into the creatures they are today.
One thing I really did like was the way we stuck to the tried and true, "traditional" rules of being a vampire. I'm all for taking creative liberty and skewing things to fit what we want and changing the rules of all fairytale/paranormal creatures because we simply can. But there's something about the regular old, "no sunlight, no silver, no holy water" thing. And there being no way around it, that I really like. It's almost refreshing to see a vampire have those weaknesses instead of finding a way to write those weaknesses out of existence.
Overall, I liked this. I wanted to see it through to see where things ended up, and I'll probably read the second one as well.
Definitely not a bad read, and if you like vampires and fated mates, this is a good one to try out.
No spice, but that's okay. It doesn't need it. The story moves along just fine without it.
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