Those That Defy the Realm

Hidden Vampires #3

by Elle Reid

When the realm dictates who you can love would you break the rules?

Despite having to hide the fact I’m a vampire from the world, because of its illegal status, my life is stable. Then I meet Ash and Claire. Two unwise decisions later and I’m suddenly finding myself in free-fall.

Ash is a fun, free-spirited wolf shifter, who keeps pulling me into his orbit. Claire is more like me, although her heart has scars from her past keeping her more guarded.

A relationship would never work, we’re only together for the summer. Ash is exiled, by treaty, to an island hundreds of miles away. He must return before he’s discovered. Claire is human, destined to live a mortal life and pass in a mere fraction of mine and Ash’s supernatural ones.

But this ache in my chest is growing, and I can’t seem to accept the end date we’ve all agreed to. Breaking the rules means gambling with our lives, but being with them might be worth the risk.

Perfect for fans of TWILIGHT, VAMPIRE DIARIES and TRUE BLOOD. This is an interconnnected standalone following on from the Hidden Vampires Duet: Those That Don't Exist and Those That Are Lost. It can be read without reading the other two but a richer experience will be had if you do, and you meet the characters in this book during the first two.
Triggers: The FMC is dealing with the ramifications of an emotionally abusive relationship. The MMC's are total green flags towards her (although this isn't saying they aren't morally grey in other areas). This book also contains explicit violence and scenes of a sexual nature so is intended for 18+ readers only.

404 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 12, 2026

Reviews

[Heather Deffley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing book from Elle Reid! This story is amazing and I absolutely love Henry so I was really happy he got his own story! Ash and Claire are also pretty amazing.
I absolutely love a MMF and this didn't disappoint!

[BooksBooksandmoreBooks69 · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Those That Defy the Realm pulled me in with the kind of quiet urgency that only a story about forbidden connection can manage. ❤️🥹

From the first pages I felt the weight of the realm’s rigid rules pressing down on every choice the characters made, and that tension never really let up.

Henry, a vampire who has spent years perfecting the art of staying invisible, finds his carefully constructed safety unraveling the moment Ash and Claire appear. What begins as two seemingly unwise decisions quickly becomes something far more dangerous and far more necessary…. a summer that refuses to stay temporary.

Ash arrives like sunlight after a long winter, playful, restless, the free spirited wolf shifter whose presence feels almost magnetic. He keeps drawing Henry into his orbit with a warmth that feels both effortless and deliberate. Claire, by contrast, carries a quieter intensity. Her human heart has been marked by past scars, and that guardedness makes every small opening between them feel earned.

Watching the three of them circle one another, testing the edges of what they are allowed to want, created a slow building ache that settled in my chest and stayed there. The knowledge that Ash must return to his distant island exile and that Claire’s life is measured in ordinary mortal years hangs over every shared moment, turning even the lightest scenes into something bittersweet.

There is no easy rewriting of the rules, no convenient loophole that suddenly makes everything permissible. Instead the book leans into the cost of defiance, the way loving across those hard lines means gambling with lives that are already precarious.

Yet the emotional pull between the three of them is so carefully drawn that the risk begins to feel almost reasonable.

I found myself rooting for the summer to stretch longer, for the agreed upon end date to somehow soften, even while knowing that the world they inhabit will not allow it without consequence.

The writing keeps the focus tightly on the lives of the characters. The vampire’s growing inability to accept the temporary nature of their arrangement feels raw and true. The push/pull between desire and self preservation, between the safety of isolation and the terrifying possibility of belonging, is handled with a restraint that makes the emotional peaks land harder.

There is heat here, and the MMF dynamic develops with a natural chemistry that never feels forced, but the real heat comes from the way their hearts start to rearrange themselves around one another.

By the time I closed the book I was left with that particular mix of satisfaction and longing that only the best temporary romances leave behind.

Those That Defy the Realm does not pretend the world will suddenly become kind. It simply asks whether three people might still choose each other anyway, and then makes us feel every reason why the answer matters.

I closed the final page still thinking about the ache in the Henry’s chest and the quiet courage it takes to keep reaching for something the realm has already decided should not exist.

Highly recommended

🦋

[VickydpBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book pulled me in with its mix of vampires, wolf shifters, forbidden love, and a relationship that feels like it’s destined to end before it’s even had a chance to begin. 🖤

I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and seeing how their connections developed. Ash’s fun, free-spirited personality brings a lot of energy to the story, while Claire is more guarded and carries the emotional scars of her past. I liked how different they were and how each of them brought something unique to the main character’s life.

One of my favourite aspects was the emotional side of the story. Knowing that their time together was limited made everything feel that much more intense, and I found myself wanting them to find a way to make things work despite all the obstacles standing in their way. The forbidden romance element added plenty of tension, especially with the rules and expectations of their world threatening to tear them apart.

I also appreciated how the book handled the FMC’s past relationship and its impact on her. Seeing her navigate those feelings while being surrounded by people who treat her with care was a lovely part of the story. Of course, this is still a paranormal romance, so there’s plenty of danger, violence, and spice to balance out the emotional moments.

Although this can be read as a standalone, I can see how reading the Hidden Vampires Duet beforehand would make the experience even richer, especially since some of the characters have already been introduced in those books.

If you enjoy paranormal romance with vampires, shifters, complicated relationships, and plenty of angst, this is definitely one to add to your TBR. Perfect for fans of Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, and True Blood!

A story about forbidden love, taking risks, and deciding whether a little time with the right people is worth risking everything for. 🩸🖤

[T || · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

Those That Defy the Realm by Elle Reid is book #3 in her Hidden Vampire series.

3.75 star rating

Ive loved this series since book #1! So to have another, I was like yassss queen.

I kinda instantly took to Henry 👀, the instant drama, antics and chaos between him & Antares had me cackling, sooo bad.

Then came Ash, and wolf packsssss yasssss... (im addicted to wolf packs, just saying)..... and insta hate for the fae.....👀

Henry and Ash??!! Can ANYONE tell me why instantly im shipping Henry & Ash. Like just, yass, do it? Wooo. Ahhhmmmmm, anyways......

Claire seems so needy on first impression....and thennnn holy shit fuck it clicked.....anyways......yup...I didnt like her as much as i liked Henry and Ash...

The worldbuilding/pace seemed alot slower in this one, and for me personally, it only started really going full pelt around the 36%/chap 14 mark.

I somehow managed to also grasp the whole plot.

This is the reason for the 3.75 stars

[Megthebookgoblin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My fave book in the series so far 😍

I absolutely adore the 3 main characters in this, their personalities, love languages and baggage are so well written and shown throughout their relationship development and I adore how they are all together but also individually and one on one.

I really enjoyed the opening of the book and the time line overlaps to the original duet which helped me place myself as a reader but then the continuation of the under lying plots and how that affects our previous main characters as well as the new main characters.

I felt the time progression and spilt into parts really helps retention attention and feel like the journey of this relationship was and is built to last.

I loved the internal monologue of Claire and and the friendships and found family.

Loved it, get reading 💙

[Minnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review

4⭐|3🌶️|16%🌶️frequency

OMG Henry 🤩
When I saw the announcement for this book and the announcement for the MCs, I screamed; I'm sure they could hear it on the moon 🤣
I already loved Henry in the previous books, and I thought that I needed a book about him. But tbh I was completely blind about his mates 🙈 I don't know if there weren't any hints or if I just didn't see them. The latter might be very high 😎

Do you need to read the previous books first? If you ask me, I would say YES. I think you wouldn't understand the whole world. The history of it, and especially you would miss everything that happened before book 3 starts. It's not set after book 2; it's more like a bit parallel, especially the things about how the MCs meet.

It might sound a bit funny, but Ash is such a golden retriever 🤣 What's funny about it? He's actually a wolf shifter 😎 But his behaviour is absolutely 100% golden retriever.
He's so funny. And yeah, I really see him shifted into his wolf just to get tummy scratches 🤣

I'm curious what other stories Elle will create in this world 🩷 There are still so many side characters 😉

Thanks to the author for trusting me with an ARC 🩷


Follow me on IG for more
https://www.instagram.com/minnie.love...

[Ashley (ashbash_92) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC and OMG!!
I’ve read the first two books in this series and I fell in love with the characters, the writing and the story.
Elle is an amazing story teller, she has you hooked from start to finish, she has you routing for the characters and wanting them to succeed in their mission.
This is a continuation to book one and two, but mainly follows Henry, Claire and Ash tho characters from the first two books do come into it, I highly recommend reading tho first.

This book was exactly what I thought it would be, it had love, action, mates and They fell first.

I’m so excited for the next one

[Hannah Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review from an advance reader copy!

I went into this blind as I’ve never read the first 2 and all I want to do is read the first 2 and get more back ground on the characters.

MMF romance with some great banter and still a good plot.
It all works so well!

Think rebels, fighting injustice in a terrible system while still finding time to fall in love! 😍

[Simplymetaramarie · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Yes, yes, yes this needs to be read. A paranormal, why choose romance with banter and political strife. The action makes you want to keep on reading making it readable in one day. I absolutely love this trio. The author was not afraid to tackle some heavy topics while infusing the story with both humor and spice.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a phenomenal book, and I loved Ash, Henry and Claire's story! I can't wait to read the other two to see more of this amazing world!

Every character had such a fun personality, making them all lovable and fun to read! Thank you so much for the ability to read this early!

[Susanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry Knox is a vampire, a professor, a novelist, and six foot six. He lost a leg when he was turned and now wears a prosthetic below the knee. He has also spent decades assuming he's straight, which is the kind of assumption that tends to fall over the first time a wolf shifter named Ash turns up and starts flirting.

Ash is the son of a pack alpha, a cook and a caregiver by nature, and one of six siblings. His pack was exiled to the Northern Isles by a treaty, and the whole pack gets punished if one wolf steps out of line. Meanwhile Henry has been chatting with a woman called Claire, a human interior designer who's trying to leave an emotionally controlling ex behind her. A dating app, a ghosted message, and a Solstice party later, the three of them are circling something none of them expected, and the awkward first meetings are genuinely funny.

The realm they live in doesn't help. Fae rule it, vampires are officially extinct and illegal, shifters are boxed away, and the rules about who can love whom have teeth. The question the blurb asks is whether you'd break them, and Henry, Ash and Claire spend the whole book finding out what that costs. I picked this up expecting a cozy steamy triad and I got one, with a surprising amount of politics folded in. It ends happily, with a hook in the epilogue pointing toward what's next in this universe.

Character Development
Henry has spent decades assuming he's straight, and the book lets him find out slowly. He's careful and a little stiff and way too used to being the responsible one, and his queer awakening is handled with the kind of patience I wish more books in this genre had. He doesn't lurch from "straight" to "obviously always gay." He just keeps getting caught off guard by how much he wants someone he never thought to look at. Being a professor and a writer suits him too. He thinks in sentences, which makes him funny when he's flustered. His prosthetic is treated like part of him and not like a plot obstacle, and there are small details, taking it off before a jump, where it lives in a bedroom, that made me trust the book more.

Ash is a golden retriever with a spine. He's pushy, he's loud, he feeds everyone, and he checks in on consent so often it becomes a running joke, a good one. A steamroller who asks first is a surprisingly good combination. His "I'm yours" gets said a lot, and it works, though it started to feel a bit repeated by the end. He's so busy looking after everyone else that his own fears mostly show up in passing, and I wanted a little more time inside his head for exactly that reason. His whole family of meddling wolves is a joy, and any scene with his mother, the alpha who negotiates like a general, is a good scene.

Claire is the slowest to open up, and she should be. She has an ex who isolated her, who picked at how she dressed and who she saw, and his voice still sits in her head telling her she's doing everything wrong. The book gives her that voice as an actual device, and it's effective. What I loved is that her trust isn't rushed. Henry and Ash have to earn it, and the boundary conversations they have about possessiveness, who can say "mine" and what it means, read as grown-up writing. Those scenes stuck with me. I felt protective of her within a chapter and I stayed that way.

The power dynamic worth naming is that Henry is far older than both of them and physically enormous, and Ash is a pack alpha's son in a world where status is everything, while Claire is a human in a realm that doesn't protect humans. The book knows it, and the characters talk about it. That kept it from feeling slippery. The side cast is large, with the Froan pack, a fae detective, a couple from the earlier books, and a loud friend named Antares who is clearly being set up for something. A few of them showed up more than I needed, especially the returning couple from the earlier duet, who sometimes pull focus from the three people the book is actually about. Most of them earn their space.

Themes
Choice is the big one. The realm has already decided who vampires and wolves and humans are allowed to love, and each of the three has to decide how much of that they're willing to accept. The dedication, to people who grew up thinking they had to pick the vampire or the wolf, frames the whole book as a cheerful no to that question.

Consent is treated like a language the characters learn. They negotiate, they check in, they say what they need. It makes the steamy scenes warmer than they'd otherwise be, because you can feel that everyone involved is a little bit scared and a lot excited, and that's a good place to start from.

Recovering from controlling love is the quieter theme and for me it's the more important one. Claire's arc isn't about being rescued, it's about learning what a safe partnership feels like in her body. Henry's slow realization that he can want more than one thing, and want it without shame, sits close to this. Found family sits alongside it. Henry is a lonely man who gets handed a whole pack. Ash is a man who's never had to be anything but the caretaker and gets cared for in return. It's lovely, and sometimes more sentimental than the world can quite support, but I'll take it.

Writing Style and Effectiveness
The present tense and rotating first-person POV, Henry, Ash and Claire in turn, keep the pace brisk and put you right inside each person's head. The voices are distinct enough that I rarely needed the chapter label. Henry's is dry and a little bookish, Ash's is warm and impulsive, and Claire's is wary and observant. Short chapters help, and Henry's dry, bookish asides had me hoping each new chapter would be his. The chapter-opening History in Society excerpts are a nice touch and make the world feel more lived-in than it otherwise would. They read like short textbook entries on how the realm decided what vampires and shifters are allowed to be, and I kept noticing how dry and official they sound next to the warm mess of the actual story.

There's a lot of comfort in the prose. There's also a lot of repetition. Characters blush, gaze, and say "gods" a great deal. "Female" and "male" stand in for "woman" and "man" often enough that it began to read like a habit, and the possessive "my female" sat oddly with me even when the book had clearly set it up as a consensual kink. The middle slows down, with several explain-the-politics scenes that pause the romance for a conversation about treaties.

The late plot is where the structure shows. A conflict built on a classic soap-opera misunderstanding hits at the worst possible moment, and it's the one place I rolled my eyes. What follows moves very fast, with a lot of high-stakes events squeezed into a handful of chapters. The antagonist of that stretch is thin, and the climax and its aftermath feel rushed compared with how carefully the first two-thirds build the relationship. I wanted fewer mid-book politics scenes and more time there.

The ending still lands where it should. It's warm, it's earned on the relationship side, and the epilogue sets up trouble for the wider world without undoing the happy ending. I closed the book smiling, which for a book with a late stumble says something.

The heat is high and on the page. There are scenes for every pairing, plus the three together, a video call, and a bite scene that matters to the mythology. It's frequent, it's detailed, and it's consensual and communicative in a way that keeps it fun and a bit soft. I liked that nobody is a stranger to anyone's boundaries by the time things get steamy.

Some of the dialogue is a little too tidy, with every character talking in full emotional sentences about what they feel. It makes the communication easy to follow, and it's the reason the consent scenes work, but now and then I wished someone would just say something unfinished or wrong. Real people do. The humor helps. Ash's family bickering, Antares's loud entrances, and Henry's dry little asides break the sweetness up often enough that it never turns saccharine.

Conclusion
This is comfort reading with fangs. It takes the old Twilight question of vampire or wolf and answers it with both, and then does the less obvious work of making the three people at the center feel like they actually belong together. It's kind to its characters. The men are green flags toward Claire and the book never treats that as boring.

The weak points are the middle, which over-explains, and the final stretch, which rushes. A repeated vocabulary of blushes and "gods" didn't help either. None of that stopped me from finishing it quickly. The closest thing I can compare it to is the warm, found-family end of paranormal romance, like Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark if it traded most of the bloodshed for a lot of cooking and a very polite alpha. It's an easy book to recommend to anyone who wants to feel looked after by what they're reading. I'll be reading the next one.

Evaluation
Overall Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Writing Style: ★★★☆☆ (3/5): brisk, warm, three clear voices, held back by repetitive phrasing and a slow middle that explains too much
Characters: ★★★★☆ (4/5): Henry's awakening, Ash's careful steamrolling and Claire's slow trust are all well drawn, and the prosthetic is handled with care
World-Building: ★★★☆☆ (3/5): an interesting fae-ruled realm with real stakes, but a lot of it arrives as explanation and the villain's plot is thin
Spice Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5): frequent, explicit, and strongly consent-forward, covering several pairings and a three-way
Trigger warnings: the heroine's aftermath of an emotionally abusive prior relationship, on-page violence, and explicit sexual scenes.

Recommended for readers who want a warm, consent-forward paranormal romance with a triad at the center, who like their vampires dry-witted and their wolves meddling, and who enjoy an ensemble cast that feels like a family. If you liked True Blood for the world or the Black Dagger Brotherhood for the brotherhood, this is a gentler cousin. Less of a fit if you want a tight, high-stakes plot or can't stand repeated phrases and mid-book politics.

[Claire · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

If you like a why choose paranormal romance, that has great banter, action, political intrigue then grab a copy of this book.

You meet ? (MMC) he's an age-old vampire whose put himself in more of self-isolation in the northern islands as a teacher, yet when a close friend comes knocking on his door for help, he gets goes in support without thinking or realising that his life will never be the same! Then you have Ash (MMC) a free-spirited wolf shifter, whose full of fun & raging hormones! & finally Claire (MFC) who is a human & close friends of Rory from book 1, she's been manipulated in relationships in the past so is very cagey & prone to 'play it safe' as she doesn't want to have history repeat itself. All the characters are well rounded, with a detailed backstory that you gradually learn throughout the storyline, creating good character development.

I had a great time with this book - great fun & extremely flirty whilst also tackling serious subjects of grooming & manipulation in a paranormal setting. The pacing was the only thing for me as it did dip in a few areas, but TBH that is a me issue as I prefer fast paced thought out a book. Some great moments throughout & I'd say it will have you laughing, kicking your heels at the sweet swoon-worthy moments & getting a bit 'hot under the collar' with the spice!

Overall, I loved it, it had the right balance of spice to plot so ratio & a solid storyline - 100% recommend.

** Thank you to Elle Reid for sending me this free e-copy of the book, I'm leaving this review voluntarily **

[Samantha Bosnick · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Please read the trigger warnings: emotional abuse, explicit violence, and scenes of a sexual nature. I would recommend this book for readers 18+.
I’ve been waiting for a new read by Elle, and this one sure didn’t disappoint me!
When the realm dictates who you can love, would you break the rules?
Our main characters are Henry, a vampire who keeps himself hidden; Ash, a wolf shifter who is a lot of fun (I absolutely loved his character!); and Claire, our FMC, who is human, quiet, and hesitant to let anyone get close to her because of her past.
You get to watch these three characters build a relationship, see their bond grow, and experience the love they give one another. It’s bittersweet knowing that their time together will have to come to an end.
Ash is in a part of the realm where he shouldn’t be. Having been exiled from his home, he is destined to remain on a distant island. They only have the summer to be together, and with the realm dictating what they can and can’t have, as well as who will survive, their time together becomes even more precious.
If you love stories featuring wolf shifters, vampires, and humans who learn to interact, communicate, and help one another work through the unspoken struggles and pain from their pasts, this is definitely a book to add to your reading list!

[Kittykat2103 · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What I’m going to say, I hope to only say once. But if you need, I shall repeat every single day. I do not give a fuck what you wear, what you eat, what you want to do with your life, you are the most beautiful female I have ever had the privilege of getting to know. You're gorgeous and I could worship your body for days, years, but you’re also the most caring, wonderful person. I only hope that I get to witness whatever it is that you’re going to achieve, and maybe be there to support it.”

This one paragraph had be completely hooked.

Such dominance.

Follow Claire's story alongside her mates a vampire & wolf shifter.

Their story is full of having time apart, distrust & helping new pack form and settle.

Distance between each of the love interest makes things more complicated but the love between them shines through. Have loved this series & the ties to the authority & registration of orphans & then them finding their true selves.

This book kept pulling me back in. I couldn't put it down.

[Kirsty · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

This book was kindly gifted to me by the author. However my opinions and review are my own.

It is so so good to be back and what a story! I absolutely love the crossover between Those That Defy The Realm and the previous 2 books in the Hidden Vampires series. Getting to see all the characters interacting and also seeing some of the storyline from Those That Are Lost from a different perspective was amazing.

Claire's story and her battle with the negative voice in her head is something many of us can probably relate to and the way it affected her relationships with the MMC's really reflected how the same has affected me. It's comforting to be able to read about a character going through similar things but with hope and a happy ending.

As usual from any Elle Reid book I was drawn in by the storyline and satiated by the intimacy and relationships discovered. The spice is delectable and well written.

Cannot wait for book 4 in the Hidden Vampires series, I have questions and hope for a full blown happy ending for everyone, they all deserve it!

[Book.Lover.Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review
This review is 100% my own thoughts and feelings and is not impacted by the author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

MMF

Henry - vampire - bi awakening when he’s faced with a cute loveable Ash, protective to the bone when it comes to the people he loves. Falls for 2 people but when all 3 of them end up in one place how will he deal with it.

Ash - werewolf - little loveable werewolf baby, that’s what comes to mind when I think of ash he is a total cinnamon roll and stubborn as ever and won’t give up till he gets what he wants.

Claire - human (or something more) - agrees to nothing more than spicy time with 2 men and belives they would be better together without her. But when she is pushed to her limits and admits the truth to herself and them can they find their HEA?

🩷 paranormal romance
💚 werewolf x vampire x human
❤️ illegal love
🩵 arranged hook up to more
🧡 ‘yours’
💙 protective MMC
💛 past abusive relationship
💜 bi-awakening

I’ve got to say I think this is my fave book in this series. I love it soo much and all these characters and seeing them develop

Plus I would just like to give a very big rest in hell to Declan! Bye bye you ass wipe. 🤣

[impulsivebookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book! It’s for the girls who struggled to choose between Edward and Jacob. Now you get both! ‘Those that defy the realm’ is a supernatural romance between a human, vampire and wolf shifter with why choose, fated mates, disability recognition, discrimination, emotional abuse etc. This book had a good plot that kept my attention. I also found that the main characters and also side characters ,such as Rory, Antares and Bree, were extremely likeable. I’m excited to hopefully hear more about Antares and his mate in the future.

I loved the 3 main characters in this throuple (Ash being my favourite). I was so excited about the fact that we got spicy scenes between all 3 of them but also individual couples aswell, because who doesn’t love a bit of mxm romance🤷‍♀️ Henry, Ash and Claire were just the perfect team and deserve to be together forever.

Thank you so much to Elle Reid for an ARC of book 3 in the hidden vampires series. I would highly recommend.

[Riah Tanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC Reader*

Start off with a massive thank you to Elle Reid for letting me read ‘Those That Defy The Realm’ before it was released.
I hadn’t read anything from Elle before and even though I know this can be a standalone I was lucky enough to read ‘The Hidden Vampire Duet’ before this and for me it deepens the story. So I would recommend that before hand.

Vampire and werewolf books used to be all I would read when I was younger and after a while I fell out of love with them.

That is until I saw a TikTok from Elle describing her book and I was hooked and knew I needed to read this book asap.

I loved the book and the story telling it was an easy read for me and I didn’t want to put it down. Cannot wait for the next book!

Werewolves
Vampires
Humans
And throw in a little spice 🌶️
What more could a girl ask for!!


5/5 from me must read.

Can’t wait to have a look at what else Elle has written definitely a fan girl now! X

[Samantha Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a satisfying, immersive entry in the series—easily one of my favourites so far!

The three leads are brilliantly crafted: their personalities, pasts, and how they grow together and as individuals feel so genuine, and seeing their dynamic unfold both as a group and one-on-one was such a highlight. The overlapping timeline with the original duet was cleverly done—it grounded the story perfectly while deepening the bigger picture and showing how past events shape everyone, old and new.

Splitting the story into parts gave the relationship real weight and progression, making their journey feel built to last. Claire’s inner voice and the found-family friendships were absolute heart-and-soul of the book.

A tiny handful of slower stretches kept it from being perfect for me, but this is still such a warm, vivid, beautifully written read—highly recommended! 💙

 

[Kim Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review
I really enjoyed this book. I found the flow of the relationships between the main characters adorable, and yes relationships there are 3 main characters and I fell in love with them all. The beginning of the book gave an insight into their point of view through what happened in books 1 & 2 of the series which was a delightful recap for me.
We have a vampire, a werewolf and a human who come together, following them through the barriers they need to conquer to be together. The spice was perfect and the way they communicated was so refreshing. They actually talked and told truths.
My only thing was that I wished the, let's call it the Vampires do battle part of the book, was longer, I wanted more. It was over so quick.
All in all a fab book by a fantastic author and I can't wait to see what happens next.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favourite book of the hidden vampire books by far. You definitely need to read the previous duology, as there is some overlap in the timeline between the duology and this book. It has been a while since I read the first 2 books, so to start with, I was a bit like, have I read this?!

This was definitely not as dark as the first 2 books. Yes there was angst, forbidden love, drama, action.... This really has it all.

I definitely loved that this one wasn't as dark. I loved Henry, Ash and Claire. They are so different, but they work so well. They have to work to get their HEA but it is so so worth it.

I am truly amazed with the writing from this author. She hasn't been writing long, but it feels like she has been writing forever. The writing is so good that you forget that she is a relatively new author.

Please go and read this book!

[Nina · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

This book focuses on Rory and Ty’s friends—characters we already know well from the first two books in the series. Although it’s sometimes suggested that you don’t need to read the first two books, I believe you should; the story involves a dual timeline, and the events overlap. In fact, about 40% of this book covers the same period as the previous one. If you jump straight into this book without having read the others, it can be quite frustrating.

It is truly a forbidden love between them—an impossible romance involving two supernaturals and a human. Claire also struggles significantly with self-doubt and overthinking the relationship. The greatest strength they have together is their communication.

It’s a great follow-up to the duet. It spans a very long period of time, but in the end, they find their own well-deserved HEA..

[Ratherbookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

No notes. This books storyline had everything I could possibly want in a book. Vampires, wolf shifters, illegal vampire packs, exiled wolf packs, humans hunting vampires, vampires infighting, vampire, wolf shifter and human bonded mates. 😍I absolutely loved this book. I loved the amount of detail, from the geographical descriptions as the story played out through continents, thorough history of all characters, their thoughts and feelings. I really enjoy a book I can immerse myself into and I come away remembering the characters ( there have been a few books I’ve read where that hasn’t been the case). I will definitely be reading the other 2 books in this series, I read this one (book 3) as a standalone. This book is due for release 12th Oct and I highly recommend it.

[Quinty Smits · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5-star book
I love that you get the POV of all three characters, allowing you to see what’s going on in their heads and what they’re feeling.

The story kicks off when a friend signs Henry up for a dating site, where he starts chatting with Claire. Eventually, he travels with two friends to a land inhabited by werewolves; there, he meets Ash and feels an immediate connection. The three of them come together, and a lot happens to them as you watch their relationship grow and develop.
They are also fighting for vampire rights—so they can live freely—and pushing for werewolves to gain more rights and greater freedom of action. Along the way, they uncover a lot of important information.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all thoughts are my own.
I loved this book, as an interconnected standalone of the Hidden Vampires series I could not put this book down.
The story of Claire, Henry and Ash having to overcome distance, lifestyles, the "authorites" and Claire's anxiety from her previous relationship had me hooked.
The story was well written and kept a good pace without feeling like through the passage of time parts of the story were being left out.
Thank you Elle for allowing me to read an advanced copy and I look forward to reading more of this series and others.

[Kristen Arkley · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW: I enjoyed this story. I love Ash and Henry so much, Claire was a decent character but not my favorite. Ash was just a lovebug of a wolf shifter, who loves hard and fast and doesn't care what other people say about it. Henry is such a sweetheart, he loves hard too but also sees reason in everything. Claire holds herself back do to a horrible past relationship and it takes the 2 guys a long time to get through to her. While they are fighting for eachother they are also fighting for their rights in this world. They do go through a lot to get to their HEA but it was well worth it. I highly recommend this book.

[Tanya Marron · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Advanced reader copy from the author.

I know I'm late with my review, however, this was my favourite in the series!! I loved Ash, his character was such a loving puppy dog, he loved his belly scratches from Henry.

The character development between Henry, Ash and Claire was so good, you could feel every emotion coming through from the pining of Ash and the anxiety of Claire, to the confusion from Henry.

Antares needs his own story, as he is such a cutie character too, we need to know him better.

[Pernilla Samuelsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It starts almost as a recap from what happened at the end of book 2, so if you haven’t read the previous two books I recommend that you do that first.

Political barriers, you get humor and of cours spice, it’s a why choose romance with warewolves, humans and vampires. It’s defently intense, funny, sad and full of beautiful angst.

What brought me in to this book was the diffrent from human,shifters to vampires it was diffrent and just made it so much more exiting, and to be apart watching their struggles alone and together and their development was just so beautiful written.

[Brooke Easton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book in the series and I absolutely loved how they tied in together but also could be read separately.

I loved the dynamic of all 3 characters, MMC 1 what a golden retriever you are I absolutely adore you and your one liners. MMC I love how smart and sensitive you are, and protective you are a safety net. FMC you were so sweet but reserved undeniably so. I am so happy they got their HEA, which did not come easy mind you there is a lot going on.

I can’t wait for book 4 I need to see what happens next

[Mrs P · Rating 4 out of 5]

*ARC *
Elle Reid knows how to build a love story and this third book of the hidden vampire series answered many missing moments from the first two books. I do love how Elle holds your hand as Ash,Henry and Claire find each other and negotiate their feelings to be together in a world determined to keep them apart. It's sexy, it's heartfelt, scary and I almost teared up.

Can't wait for Antares story next.