Sold At The Crimson Auction

by Ripley Quinn

Some romances begin with a kiss… theirs began with a bid.

Ruby Branstrom always believed her father was overprotective. She never imagined he was protecting his investment. After a rebellious night of fun on her twenty-first birthday, Ruby is thrust into the Crimson Auction, where the world's most powerful vampires bid for human slaves.

Now trapped in the home of the mysterious Lord Ezra, Ruby refuses to become another obedient possession. But the longer she spends with the vampire who purchased her freedom from a far darker fate, the harder it becomes to separate fear from fascination.

Because monsters aren't supposed to make your heart race for all the wrong reasons.

… are they?

About the author

Ripley Quinn is new to publishing paranormal erotica. She has written over two dozen full-length novels over the years, but her growing backlog of short stories and fantasies has sat untouched until now. Her interests are dark, mysterious, and commanding men that are mystified and often humbled by strong, stubborn women.

Reviews

[Geri • GardensandGrimoires · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sold at the Crimson Auction is a short, spicy vampire novella that's perfect if you're after something you can devour in a single sitting.

To pay off her father's debt, Ruby is sold at auction to the mysterious vampire Lord Ezra. She expects the worst, but the relationship that develops between them is far more complicated than either of them anticipated. As Ruby wrestles with the reality of being his slave, she also finds herself increasingly fascinated by the vampire who bought her.

The chemistry between Ruby and Ezra is instant, the spice arrives quickly, and despite the dark premise, the story never feels overly heavy. It's a quick, entertaining read with enough romance to leave you wanting a little more from these characters.

If you're looking for a bite-sized vampire romance with plenty of spice, this one is worth adding to your TBR.

Thank you to BookSirens and the author for the eARC.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Book Sirens and the author for sending me an advanced reader’s copy!

Sitting just under 50 pages, we’re thrown into the night Ruby finds out that her strict and conservative upbringing wasn’t due to just a strict father, but because she’s been raised as collateral for a loan her father took years ago. And now, on her 21st birthday, they’ve come to collect their payment. I can’t say much since it’s such a quick story, but it’s fast paced and 🔥

If you’re looking for a quick story with a paranormal element, this is your novelette! I would love to see the story really expanded and made into a full novel! The characters are intriguing, the story is easily buildable, and that ending definitely leaves you wanting more!

[kymagirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

His winning bid saves her life, then claims every piece of it.

Ruby has spent her life locked behind rules, convinced her father's control comes from fear. On her twenty-first birthday, one act of rebellion shatters everything she believes. Instead of facing punishment, she's handed over to repay a debt she never made and sold at a secret vampire auction.

Lord Ezra wins her with a record-breaking bid, saving her from a crueler buyer while claiming her as his own. Wealthy, powerful and composed, he expects obedience while insisting he isn't the monster she believes him to be. Ruby refuses to surrender her identity, even as every encounter blurs the line between survival and desire.

As Ruby adapts to a hidden world ruled by vampires, fear tangles with curiosity. Ezra's possessiveness, restraint, and growing obsession pull her closer, while every act of intimacy reminds her she's trapped in a life she never chose. Their connection deepens without erasing the imbalance between them, leaving Ruby to decide what parts of herself she can protect.

Captivity forces Ruby to confront fear, desire, and survival, replacing sheltered innocence with cautious resilience. Ezra views her as something he owns, yet his fascination with her defiance begins tempering his instincts with unexpected restraint. Their coercive bond shifts into a complicated mix of fear, attraction, vulnerability and reluctant emotional connection.

A dark, ultra-steamy vampire romance featuring captor captive tension, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, obsession, and coercive intimacy. It explores identity, agency, survival, trust, desire, control, and the blurred line between fear and fascination. It's about a woman fighting to hold onto herself, a monster learning restraint through obsession, and whether intimacy can exist where freedom does not.

The Elevator Pitch: A sheltered young woman discovers that her father's greatest secret was never meant to protect her, but to sell her to the hidden world of vampires. Claimed by the powerful lord who wins her at a secret auction, she becomes trapped between fear, desire, and a dangerous attraction that challenges everything she believes about freedom and control. As captivity gives way to an unsettling connection, survival depends on deciding whether the monster who owns her is also the only one standing between her and something far worse.

Heat Level: 🖤🔥 Erotica / Kink-Forward

[Tyler Selling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Sold at the Crimson Auction by Ripley Quinn.

My biggest complaint? It ended way too soon.

This is one of those books that left me desperate for more. I genuinely wish it were the start of a series because I'm not ready to let these characters go. I need to know what happens next, how their relationship develops, and what their life looks like after the ending. Give me the drama, the chaos, all of it.

Lord Ezra was such a fun MMC. His arrogance had me laughing so many times, and it somehow made him even more entertaining to read. I also wish we'd gotten to see more of Velaris and especially more of his darker side. It felt like there was so much more to explore.

Elodie ended up being one of my favourite characters. She definitely wasn't a girl's girl at the beginning, but watching her grow into one made me love her even more. Her character development felt satisfying, and I found myself rooting for her the entire time.

Everything about this book worked for me. The writing, the characters, the chemistry—I was hooked from start to finish. The only thing I wanted was... more. More pages. More world-building. More Velaris. More Ezra. More Elody. Just more of everything.

If there were ever a sequel, I'd read it immediately.

[LaurAnde89 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you booksirens for the ARC

A young woman auctioned off to vampires on her 21st birthday as her dad's debt repayment. I really enjoyed this short spicy novella. It had me hooked in within the first chapter wanting to see what would happen next. The writing was solid with just enough description to bring the story to life but not feeling overwhelming in such a short story. It was interesting to see the FMC battle between understanding she's a vampire's slave and potentially catching feeling for the vampire. She maybe trusts him too much before actually getting to know them and since she's never been with anyone else it hard to imagine her knowing what's right and wrong in this situation and I can see a Stockholm syndrome situation happening in the long run. It would be interesting to see how she works everything out months or years later. Overall, a nice and quick read that kept my attention.

[Kirsty Hodgkinson-Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

* ARC review *
A short read - 43 pages of story. I'd be interested to read more of the author's other books because the writing was good, conversations and descriptions flowed naturally but honestly I found Ruby, the main character, to be somewhat unbelievable - she's been put in a scary situation basically at a vampire auction, and immediately afterwards she's not running through how to get away or figure out what happens next, she's contemplating that it could be the chance to become someone new. When dressing for a vampire who might bite you/ rape you etc, would you choose the mini dress (and there's no underwear provided) or the jeans? If you can see Ruby as young and sassy and this is her chance to break free after 21 years of being ruled by her father, you'll probably enjoy this. As I said, I enjoyed the general premise but a more believable main female character would have easily brought the rating up.

[Eef · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I had a really fun time with this one! The premise immediately hooked me, and I loved the tension between Ruby and Ezra. Their chemistry kept me turning the pages, and I was constantly curious to see where the pages would go.

The writing was engaging and easy to fly through, making this a really addictive read. My only real criticism is the ending, it felt a bit rushed for my taste. I would have loved a little more time to let everything unfold naturally, because it wrapped up so quickly that it left me wanting more.

Overall, this was a captivating vampire romance with an intriguing world, great chemistry, and plenty of tension. A slightly more fleshed-out ending would have easily made this a five-star read for me, but I would definitely recommend it!

I received this book as an ARC through BookSirens. Thank you to BookSirens and Ripley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own🫰

[Baz◇ · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a lot of strengths to this novelette - the writing was solid and engaging, the pacing was sound, and I was interested in Ruby as a character. If this were a prequel to a full novel, It probably would have rated higher for me, but as it is the weaknesses lie in its length and focus. Ezra, as the love(?) interest is not introduced until late in the book and I felt more intrigued by the relationship between Ruby and Elodie as Ezra doesn’t get a chance to develop or really be a full character. There isn’t a romance here, just the exposition for a romance, which I had not expected based on the summary. I did like the writing and I felt there was potential for so much more.
* Disclaimer: I received this story for free for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

[Marcia Gomes · Rating 1 out of 5]

1,5 ⭐️

From time to time, I feel the need to pick up a novella to get myself out of a reading slump, so I’m very used to reading short romances. Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me.

I felt like I was reading a one-shot on Wattpad or AO3. I know it’s only 40 pages (even though it’s listed as 80), so I wasn’t expecting a fully developed novel, but everything happened so fast that I never had the chance to get invested in the characters or their relationship.

The concept had potential, but everything felt incredibly rushed, and there wasn’t even a proper ending. It felt more like the beginning of a story than a complete one, which left me feeling unsatisfied.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[emma beresford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this ☺️
Really quick read and always drawn into any thing vampire.

Ruby has been brought up by a father that kept her home, home schooled, not allowed out and kept basically in the house... no love shown.

So are father made a deal when she was born and that is she was to be given to the vampires for auction and to be pure.

Lets Just say she meets Ezra and just maybe things are not as bad as they seem 😈😈

Fun read the author pulled me into the story and would love to read more from the author 😍 I would recommend it👌

Thank you Booksiren for sending me the book to read 🥰

My views and opinions are my own

[Katie Nielson · Rating 4 out of 5]

​As anyone who knows me can tell you, if it has vampires, I am automatically sold. 🩸✨
​Ripley Quinn delivered all the dark, seductive, and delicious vampire vibes I live for. It was fast-paced, spicy, and thoroughly entertaining from start to finish.
​My only complaint? It wasn't a full-length novel! Being a novelette, it flew by way too fast, and I was left desperately wanting more time with these characters and world.
​If you're looking for a quick, bite-sized vampire fix with plenty of heat, definitely check this one out! 🦇🔥

[Claudia Doucet · Rating 4 out of 5]

"But there are expectations in our world—expectations that you will follow."

Highlights: The premise and the "world" it leaves you pondering about.

I love a quick read that does its thing… And that is exactly what this novelette does! Dark, seductive, mysterious, it lures you in with an intriguing underground universe and while it may leave some readers craving for more, it still does exactly what it sets out to do and is a quick, spicy entertaining read.

Thanks to BookSirens and the author. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Charlotte Kane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. The story follows Ruby who discovers that her father has been shielding her because she is his way of paying off his debt. Ruby is sold at an auction and quickly learns that her buyer and 'captor' is a vampire and she will essentially become a slave for him. It was a nice quick read. I would like to see a follow up of this to see where Ruby is a few years down the line and if she can adapt to her new life.

[Christine Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read. I didn't feel a connection between Ezra and Ruby. I am not sure whether I was supposed to or not. The ending made me feel there might be more to the story, since nothing was wrapped up. It kind of just ended.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Leanne (Queen_and_the_wolf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and spicy novelette perfect for a naughty read at bedtime .
The plot was good and the pacing just right.
This little packs a punch in the few pages long that it is.

She’s bid on at an auction by a mysterious lord (with a bite) and the more times she spends with him the more intrigued she becomes .. Read on to find out more

[Melissa Castle Adkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Make sure and read your trigger warnings. This story was interesting and short. Spicy and leading. I followed along with the characters and enjoyed the sex scenes. This book was an ARC copy and this review is of my own writing.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable short story

Dark background, dry humour, passionate intimacy.
Would have happily read more of this.


(I was fortunate to receive an ARC however the above is, as ever, my own opinion.)

[Shannon Swafford]

I freaking loved this. I could not put it down!. I loved the style of writing the author did. Is there any more? Lol.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very interesting from the start. Which is important to me because if a book doesn’t catch my attention in the first chapter I put it down. The story is interesting as well as the characters. It kept me on the edge and waiting for the next chapter.

[Alysha Johnson-Rhys · Rating 4 out of 5]

📱

I want more! I want more! I want more!

Please tell me there is more to this story!

Thank you to BookSirens and Ripley Quinn for the advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.