Híncame el diente

by Ali Hazelwood

Cuando Ethel se encuentra con su enemigo mortal, Lazlo Enyedi, sin recuerdos de quién o qué son, una caza centenaria se convierte en una oportunidad inesperada para la pasión.

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Novella, Paranormal, Vampires, Audiobook, Enemies To Lovers

193 pages, Paperback

First published September 23, 2025

About the author

I'm Ali, and I write contemporary romcom novels about women in STEM and academia. I love cats, Nutella, and side ponytails. I'm also currently learning to crochet, so as you can tell I'm a super busy gal with an intense and exciting life!

I only use Goodreads as a reader, to review and hype books that I've loved (many of these book are ARCs received from fellow authors).

Reviews

[Ayman · Rating 4 out of 5]

“i have a massive crush on you so i’m gonna hunt you down for centuries, stab you every chance i get, and kill anyone that gets in the way.” he could burn my house down, kill my family, and i’d still be in love with him. so silly, goofy, and passionate 🙂‍↕️🫶🏽✨

no but actually why am i in delirium and an euphoric state right now? this might be one of the best books i read this year. it was tender and pulled at my heart in so many ways. the themes that surround the curse that is immortality and finding the bliss in it. making the peace with it. god i could write an essay on this. that was some poetic shit. like it’s so much deeper than just a romance.

it took me about an hour and a half to read and tell me why that was the best time of my life? i need to be chased across centuries of time. those 100 pages were pure perfection.

4.5 (wish it was a whole series)

[Yun · Rating 4 out of 5]

What’s a girl to do when the only constant presence during the last millennium of her life has been a guy who’s contractually mandated to murder her?

What was it like before Ali Hazelwood came into my life? Well, for one thing, my cheeks didn't hurt so much from all that smiling and laughing, I'll tell you that.

As you'd expect, Hot for Slayer was pretty much a hoot from beginning to end. It was easy to fall into Aethelthryth's world, trying to carve out a life for herself by drinking sustainable scumbag blood and staying away from any vampire slayers. But when a slayer shows up with no memory of their rivalry, what's a vampire to do but invite the cutie over to do sudoku puzzles together and nurse him back to health?

In order for a novella to be successful, it all comes down to the characters. You have to plumb enough depth into them that they feel real and fleshed out, but you're obviously constrained by page count. And Ali Hazelwood totally gets it right with Aethelthryth and Lazlo. They're so sweet and kind and smart, you can't help but adore them.

In addition the characters, there were so many little touches that made this not just a fun read, but a memorable one. The writing was sharp, the dialogue snappy, and the situations authentic and hilarious. There were even little nods to vampire lore, which definitely added to the whole atmosphere.

Sometimes with a full-length romance, it can feel like the conflicts drag out unnecessarily, making it feel long and convoluted. And so to read a novella is quite refreshing. Every scene counts and there are no unnecessary misunderstandings or conflicts just to pad out the pages.

All in all, this was such a cute and delightful way to spend an hour or two. Thank you, Ali Hazelwood, for yet again delivering on the fun.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
The Love Hypothesis
Love on the Brain
Love, Theoretically
Deep End
Check & Mate
Two Can Play

The STEMinist Novellas:
Under One Roof ✧ Stuck with You ✧ Below Zero

Amazon Original Stories:
Cruel Winter with You
~~~~~~~~~~~~

✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧

[Clace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went in thinking I'll get a dirty stake joke and oh how right I was 😭🙂‍↕️ but this was indeed 🫦 and I am desperately in need of MOREEE (pls)

Also, I see that Ali Hazelwood went to Tahereh Mafi's school of how to make mmcs yearn
__
Everyone's loving it. I miss Ali Hazelwood, and it's giving 🫦🫦 so I have to try.

[ଘRory ( semi-hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm, who ever thought a vampire slayer could be cute and solve Sudoku puzzles?

[Maddy ✨ ~The Verse Vixen {AFK}]

A Vampire Slayer, A Cursed Immortal, and the Flames in the Dark..


The Premise:

A slayer with no past. A vampire with centuries of grudges. He wakes with a past erased, a mind as empty as the grave.She should stake him.He should kill her.

Instead… he lingers in the shadows of her apartment, tracing the edges of her world, claiming her space with quiet presence, and staring at her like she’s the only flicker of light in the eternal dark.

And when his memories return?
So does the blood feud.
So does the blade.
So does the ruin
And falling for each other? That’s the deadliest curse of all.


🕸️ What Lurks Inside:

⚔️ Slayer × Vampire enemies-to-lovers (blood feud turned blood lust)
🛋️ Couch-sharing + late-night sudoku (domestic horror, but make it cute)
🧛 Forbidden obsession creeping in like fog through the graveyard
🌬️ Gothic romance: fangs, fire, and forbidden longing..
🎃 Bite-sized novella perfect for spooky season indulgence, chills & thrills
🕯️ Domesticity meets doom: puzzles, passion, and peril
🪦 A love story written in blood, bound by fate.
😼 Amnesia twist—when the memories return, so does the war
🤺 Sharp banter lit like candlelight over a coffin
🫀 A love story darker than the witching hour
⚠️ The looming question: can you crave someone whose survival demands your death?


🎬 🧛 Spooky Season Vibe Check:

Cinematic: Manhattan shadows + vampire lore + modern snark
🕸️ Forbidden tension like a blade at your throat
💀 Halloween-perfect: fangs, fire, and dangerous longing
💋 Enemies turned almost-lovers turned maybe-destroyers

The Halloween Vibe!? Pumpkins glowing. Shadows stalking.
Enemies circling closer, hearts beating faster.
A story stitched from blood, banter, and desire that refuses to stay buried..

Ali Hazelwood this time—isn’t playing fair this Halloween. She’s serving forbidden, fang-sharp romance on a silver dagger...🔥

[Ali Lockhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gender-swapped sort-of Buffy fanfiction that manages to, in fewer than 100 pages, hit the following beats: enemies-to-lovers; just one couch; fake proposal on stage; “drink from me, my love”; yes of course he’s a thousand feet tall; yes of course she had no idea that he LIKES her likes her. At this point in my life opening an Ali Hazelwood book is like slipping on a well-worn sweater: comfortable and predictable, and frankly it does the job so who cares. Too bad it wasn’t called Ethel the Vampire Layer, though.

[Emmy Rosam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I need Ali Hazelwood to keep writing more paranormal stories because this novella was not enough

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ali slays, as always!!
This was exactly what I needed, quick and lighthearted and so funny. I really enjoyed it, it was entertaining and honestly so cute!! 

I mean who doesn't love a vampire and vampire slayer romance, it's a classic. 
Him losing his memory and her lying so badly was hilarious. I loved all the little moments they shared together, her trying to cook, the sudoku, the tension, the Halloween night, everything was perfect. I love that we got insight into their background too, how it all started, all the times they fought each other..
They were both lonely and craving connection and seeing them together made me so happy. This was just the type of serotonin boost I needed. 
I wish it was longer though, Ali knows how to write a paranormal romance and this would've been so good as a full length novel..

“𝓘 𝓶𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓶𝓮𝓶𝓫𝓮𝓻 𝓶𝔂 𝓷𝓪𝓶𝓮, 𝓸𝓻 𝓪𝓷𝔂𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝔀𝓱𝓸 𝓘 𝓪𝓶. 𝓑𝓾𝓽 𝓘 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓷𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓫𝓮 𝓷𝓮𝓪𝓻 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀 𝓮𝔁𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓵𝔂 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓶𝓮.”

.·:*¨ ¨*:·.

Since the last book I read destroyed me, I need something quick and fun to prevent me going into the worst slump I'll ever experience. I'm putting all my faith in Ali, if she can't help, nobody can..

[ashlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

sudoku + smut =peak 2025 literature

[vaishnavi ☆ﾟ⁠.⁠* · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was FANTASTIC!! Sorry, Ali Hazelwood, I have been ignoring your books 😔 I will correct this mistake soon 🩷

── .✦ pre-read 𖹭.ᐟ
is it too early to start reading books meant for spooky season? 🫣

[Kiara]

✧･ﾟPre-Read ･ﾟ✧

back to my short story era
and this one’s a little spooky 🧛

[angelinabvby ۶ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

❣️ "𝖎 𝖆𝖒 𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖊𝖗𝖌𝖎𝖈 𝖙𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖘𝖚𝖓" ❣️

haha jokes on y'all bc vampires are real and i am one



જ⁀➴ ♡ 𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉 ❣️🗡️
this better slay haha get it im so funny

[rei ‧₊˚✩彡 · Rating 4 out of 5]

╰┈➤ 4 stars!

where can i find myself a yearning vampire slayer because i need one asap

・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・

pre-read:

an ali hazelwood novella? sign me up!! ❤️

[Reads With Rachel]

This book has a line that says “Is that a stake in his pocket, or is he just glad to see me?”

[Laura Jane ♡ (semi ia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Millennials can say slay right? Whatever. Slay to this whole thing.
Only Ali can write a pathetically down bad man in less than 100 pages 😛

[Rain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your fates are already intertwined.

This might be the slowest slow burn I’ve ever read. These two have known (and tried to kill) each other for over a thousand years, and somehow Hazelwood manages to turn that into one of the most unexpectedly charming, thoughtful little stories I’ve read in a while.

I’ve known him since before the 1100s. I still remember his dumb Crusade outfits.

What really struck me was the message: being taught your whole life that someone is evil, fighting them because that’s what you’ve always believed, until one day, something makes you stop and look closer. You question what you’ve been told, do your own thinking, and realize that maybe the “enemy” is actually someone admirable, even kind. It’s such a poignant parallel to the world we live in now.

“I might not remember my name, or anything about who I am. But I could never be near you and not know exactly what you are to me.”

Tropes/themes
Vampire/vampire hunter
Enemies to lovers
Forced proximity
Amnesia/memory loss
Slow burn
PNR romance
Forbidden love
Redemption arc
The best HEA

Was it perfect? Nope. The title made me cringe, and some of the humor leaned a little childish. It’s also slow to start and definitely on the silly side at times. But overall, it was so charming, I loved it. I really wish this had been a full-length novel because I wasn’t ready to leave these two.

[Ri ♡ · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

miss hazelwood, i do not care that you’ve already published this masterpiece as a novella. please, respectfully, go back and write a 500-page novel for ethel and lazlo because they deserve it and so do we!!!

[Melanie (meltotheany) · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

✰ the collection on amazon
✰ the collection on goodreads

i really adored the set up of this one. Basically, ethel is a vampire, and lazlo is a vampire hunter that is tasked to kill ethel’s entire bloodline. they are both immortal, and have been playing a very flirty, but violent, game of cat and mouse for a thousand years! from berlin, to manhattan, we get glimpses of their chase, but their game is quickly put on hold when lazlo get amnesia and ethel chooses to take care of him. oh, and it is under the guise that she is an entomologist and he works in pest control lol. this was cute, i loved the set up, i just wish we got a little more with the ending.

trigger + content warnings: violence, blood, childhood abandonment in past, kidnapping / captivity, amnesia, spider mention, loss of friend in past, self harm to get blood

♡ Hot for Slayer by Ali Hazelwood ★★★
♡ Falling by Christina Lauren ★★
♡ Spicy Little Curses by J.T. Geissinger ★★
♡ Space Vampire by Ruby Dixon ★★★★
♡ Beautiful Nightmare by Katee Robert ★★★
♡ My Boyfriends Are All Monsters by Kimberly Lemming ★★★★

blog | instagram | youtube | wishlist | spotify | substack

♡ The Love Hypothesis ★★★★★
♡ Love, Theoretically ★★★★
♡ Bride ★★★★
♡ Not in Love ★★
♡ Two Can Play ★★★★
♡ Cruel Winter with You ★★★★
♡ Deep End ★

[zoë ˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“sometimes the monsters aren’t the ones you should fear.”


⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚༉‧₊˚✧˚₊⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

༉‧₊˚❀ rating: 4.5/5 stars

༉‧₊˚❀ summary: in this short and steamy paranormal novella, a vampire slayer crosses paths with a vampire who might be more temptation than threat. what starts as a dangerous game quickly blurs into attraction, tension, and undeniable heat.

༉‧₊˚❀ spice rating: 3.5/5 — short but deliciously spicy toward the end

༉‧₊˚❀ thoughts:
the last vampire romance i read was twilight like a decade ago, so i honestly went into this not knowing what to expect. vampire romance is not usually my thing, but honestly… ali hazelwood could write anything and i’d pick it up immediately.

this novella was short, sweet, and surprisingly addictive. the worldbuilding is light, which worked for me since it didn’t overcomplicate things, and it let the tension between the characters really shine. i loved the banter, the push and pull, and the way the attraction built until it exploded at the end. the spice? perfectly done. not over the top, but definitely enough to satisfy.

what i appreciated most is that even though it’s a novella, the characters still had arcs. you could feel the growth, the vulnerability, and the cracks in the tough exteriors. it wasn’t just smut for the sake of smut, it had heart too.

torn between 4 and 5 stars because i really did enjoy it, but i also know i’m not about to become a vampire romance reader just because of this one novella. still, it was fun, well-written, and gave me everything i wanted in such a short package.

༉‧₊˚❀ tropes:
ꕥ enemies-to-lovers vibes
ꕥ paranormal romance
ꕥ forced alliance
ꕥ forbidden attraction
ꕥ slow build, fast burn

༉‧₊˚❀ fave quotes:
✿ “sometimes the monsters aren’t the ones you should fear.”
✿ “his smile was sharp enough to cut, but all i wanted was to lean closer.”
✿ “if this was a mistake, it was one i wanted to make again and again.”

[aira · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Nah.” His voice is dark. “That’s not it.”

HOW IS SOMEONE'S VOICE DARK?!?! I have so many questions 🥴

[꧁ ༺Minne༻ ꧂ (Back :)) · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a few 2 star detours, I genuinely thought Ali Hazelwood and I were heading for a breakup.
Then Hot for Slayer showed up like a toxic ex who somehow still knows exactly what I like. Hazelwood’s ultimate power is paranormal romance, and my ultimate downfall. I guess we’re continuing this toxic little dance 💀

Five stars for all the heartbreak I’ve had to endure in the past. Lazlo and Aethelthryth = 💗

Updates while reading ༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･

Things haven't been good between Hazelwood and I for a while...

[cherie ^_-★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

this wasn’t mind-blowing or anything, but it was a fun and quick read which was exactly what i needed! lazlo’s so hot #needthat 🫦


pre-read 🧛🏻‍♀️
i haven’t picked up a book in a few days and post-concert depression is hitting hard so i need something quick to get me back into reading 😭

[Youssra {very busy-review slumping} · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slay.

[Katie Witruk · Rating 4 out of 5]

me? liking a novella?! shocking.

[joe (hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐

Ali hazelwood, i love you. more vamp romances, pretty please🙏🏻

⁀જ➣ just try listening to Linger (The Cranberries) and Yellow (Coldplay) in the last few chapters. This makes it 1000x better.

────୨ৎ────

update: pg 9
what's w/ all these unintelligible words. i can js imagine her spamming the keyboard and then laughing afterwards😭

[sonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars . ⊹ ･ﾟ𖥔 ₊ ˑ
⤷ This was so fun! Lighthearted, funny, and an unhealthy amount of yearning. Would have been a very happy girl with another 200 pages

[TheConnieFox · Rating 3 out of 5]

✦ My Thoughts & Review ✦

I am an Ali Hazelwood fan, so I just had to read this one. It is a novella that is fast paced, includes vampires and is full of wit. It has some spice and everything nice. I loved the enemies to lovers trope in this short story! It is a forbidden love, forced proximity storyline that I wish was longer! The banter between the two main characters was hilarious. I am not a huge fan of the amnesia trope, but it did work in this book. This does have open door spice, but not anything that is really explicit. It gave me the first book Twilight vibes, but more steamy. Overall, I give this a 3 out of 5 stars rating!

✦ FREE for Kindle Unlimited readers ✦

╰┈➤ This is part of the Amazon Original Stories “Scared Sexy Collection” and is free on Kindle Unlimited as I’m writing this. (Things could always change.) This is book #1 in the collection.

╰┈➤ Be sure to check a few content warnings.

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 • ˚《

❥ ୨⎯ Connie ⎯୧ ❥

ツ౨ৎ

[apolimia · Rating 3 out of 5]

CORONACIÓN DE GLORIA EN UN LIBRO DE ALI HAZELWOOD 🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷

[Flo Camus · Rating 2 out of 5]

[2.0⭐] 𝙃𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧 es una historia corta escrita por Ali Hazelwood y publicada en 2025. La trama nos presenta a Ethel, una vampira milenaria que, por cosas del destino (o del caos), termina teniendo que convivir con su peor enemigo: Lazlo, un cazador de vampiros que ha perdido la memoria y que, sin recordar su misión ancestral de matarla, empieza a mirarla con ternura, curiosidad y algo más.


Siento que la historia es interesante y muy original. El tropo enemies to lovers es uno de mis favoritos, así que esta dinámica entre un vampiro y un cazador de vampiros (enemigos naturales por definición) me venía de maravilla. La idea de un romance entre dos seres condenados a odiarse eternamente tiene un enorme potencial, sobre todo si se le suma el ingrediente del olvido y la convivencia forzada. Sin embargo, el gran problema fue que no me di cuenta de que era una historia corta. Pensé que era una novela más extensa y eso cambió completamente mi experiencia de lectura. Lo que podría haber sido una trama compleja, con matices, desarrollo emocional y tensión sostenida, terminó sintiéndose como un conjunto de flashes: ideas buenas, pero demasiado rápidas, sin espacio para respirar o dejar huella.

Ali Hazelwood propone un concepto muy original, pero no lo desarrolla con el tiempo ni la profundidad que merece. Hay retazos del pasado de ambos personajes que son relatados de manera fugaz, casi como si los rozáramos en lugar de vivirlos y eso frustra mucho al lector porque el material estaba ahí. A diferencia de otras novelas suyas que, honestamente, no necesitaban tantas páginas (como 𝙇𝙖 𝙦𝙪𝙞́𝙢𝙞𝙘𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙡 𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙧, a la que le sobraban fácilmente cien páginas), 𝙃𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧 pedía exactamente lo contrario: más extensión, más pausas y más tiempo para que la historia respirara. Es una trama demasiado compleja para ser tan corta y eso hace que no se disfrute como se podría.

Además, no sentí que los protagonistas tuvieran química entre ellos. La relación se siente forzada, sin chispa y más como una idea que una conexión real. En un enemies to lovers uno espera tensión, miradas cargadas, diálogos punzantes, ese tira y afloja que hace que el romance se sienta inevitable. En cambio, aquí todo pasa tan rápido que ni siquiera alcanza a haber conflicto y, cuando finalmente llega el “romance”, se siente más incómodo que apasionante.

Es aquí donde tengo que decirlo con toda sinceridad: las escenas sexuales no son el fuerte de Ali Hazelwood. En esta historia, en particular, sentí que sobraban, no solo porque fueron torpes, sino porque restaron más de lo que sumaron. Para lo corto que es el texto, la autora decide invertir páginas en una escena que ni emociona ni aporta nada y que incluso llega a provocar cringe. No me molestan las escenas eróticas cuando están bien escritas o son coherentes con el tono, pero aquí parecían insertadas más por cumplir con el sello “spicy” de la colección 𝙎𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙎𝙚𝙭𝙮 que por necesidad narrativa.

Eso sí, hay una frase que rescato y que me pareció muy bonita:
“Algunas vidas transcurren de forma invisible. Sin que la mayoría los detecte. Y cuando aparece una persona que ve esas vidas tal y como son, que reconoce su realidad, que recuerda a la gente que hay valor en diferentes formas de existir... Un minuto de eso vale más que mil noches con un amante. ¿No está de acuerdo?”.
Ese fragmento me recordó el porqué me gusta leer a Hazelwood cuando está inspirada: sabe crear momentos de ternura en medio de lo absurdo y, por unos segundos, me hizo sentir que el libro iba a levantar vuelo. Lamentablemente, fue un destello pasajero.

El final tampoco me gustó. Me dejó confundida, más por lo apresurado que por lo sorprendente. Todo ocurre de golpe, sin el peso emocional que debería tener. No hubo un cierre realmente impactante, ni un clímax que me hiciera pensar “valió la pena llegar hasta aquí”. Fue más bien como leer los apuntes de una historia que podría haber sido increíble, pero que se quedó a medio escribir.

Últimamente, no me están gustando mucho los libros de Ali. He intentado tres veces empezar 𝙐𝙣 𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙚 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙙𝙤 y me temo que no he pasado de las primeras páginas. Siento que algo cambió en su forma de narrar, como si estuviera más preocupada de cumplir con un calendario de lanzamientos que de enamorarnos con historias bien construidas. 𝙃𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧 confirma esa sensación que tengo: hay una buena idea, una premisa atractiva, pero una ejecución descuidada.


Finalmente, puedo decir que 𝙃𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧 tenía todos los elementos para ser una historia intensa, divertida y memorable: vampiros, cazadores, amnesia, convivencia forzada y un enemies to lovers con siglos de historia. Sin embargo, lo que entregó fue un relato acelerado, con personajes sin profundidad, romance sin química y escenas de “pasión” que solo provocan incomodidad. Me duele decirlo porque sigo teniendo cariño por el estilo de Hazelwood, pero este cuento me recordó que no siempre menos es más.

[enqi ☾⋆˚*̣̩✩ · Rating 3 out of 5]

>──⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡┊3 ★

His chest heaves. “I might not remember my name, or anything about who I am. But I could never be near you and not know exactly what you are to me.”

ALI HAZELWOOD TRULY NEVER DISAPPOINTS 🥰 I wasn't expecting much from a novella that is less than 100 pages long. Still, she managed to include the full package: obsessed pining mmc, strong and adorable fmc, off-the-charts tension that had me kicking my feet, witty banter, chemistry, characters I immediately fell in love with. Who would've known that I could've fallen for a tattooed vampire slayer who learns how to play sudoku for the first time?

My only (huge) gripe is that these novellas should be full-length stories. The end.

"Hey,” I told him with a small, amused smile. “Couldn’t bear to let someone else butcher me, huh?”
“I know what’s mine,” he muttered in his usual clipped tone.

"It was one-sided,” he tells me after he’s done chewing. “From you.”
“What?”
“The dislike.”
“I assure you, it was not.”
“And I assure you, when I look at you, I feel anything but that.”

"I know your smell. I know your skin. Your hair. It’s all familiar. I have it all memorized. And I dream of you—of this. So many dreams, all so different, we must have done it a million times, in a million different ways. Tell me what you’re hiding from me, let’s get this over with, and then let’s do it a million more times.”

"Aethelthryth, nothing would make me happier than having you with me here, or in any other place that I will call home, for as long as I live. Please, come in.”