First Love

Vampirica #1

by Aria Sparke

Lily Winter has never had time for boyfriends. All she has ever wanted is to be a doctor, but her life is unraveling. With the death of her father and her life coming apart at the seams, she and her mother move oceans to the watercolor world of Wicklow. In the midst of her pain, she meets Flynn Cooper—intelligent, handsome and caring. Their attraction to each other soon proves overwhelming and undeniable. Flynn’s wealthy and ancient family hide dark secrets and Lily finds herself ensnared in their strange world. After meeting Flynn’s charismatic and hypnotic father, her life becomes increasingly complicated leaving her to question everything about the universe she held as true. When the Ruberios call upon her to help their family, Lily discovers her decisions can’t be undone, entrapping her in a terrifying web.

Genres: Young Adult

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 12, 2017

Reviews

[Nikki Landis · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first love is paranormal romance. I LOVE vampire stories and can never get enough. First Love, Vampirica 1 does not disappoint. In fact, it was so good I immediately downloaded the next in the series on my Kindle!

This story starts off a little slow as we are introduced to Lily and her mother and their recent move. It's clear from the beginning things are not normal and there's way more going on that Lily doesn't know. Surrounded by danger and mystery, she is befriended by those who are sent to watch over her, including the hunky and irresistible Flynn. He's all that Lily could ever want in a guy but he has his own secrets, which are darker than she could ever imagine. Thrust into a world she never knew existed, now Lily must come to terms with who she really is and the inevitable cost of confronting her new reality.

Has this been done before? Sure, but the author has a talent for sucking you into the story and her characters are deep and interesting. I connected with Lily quickly and really enjoyed her strong and independent personality. She's flawed and real. I like that the author focuses on so many different storylines but interweaves them without difficulty. Well written and engaging, while slow at times, does build up into a great ending, and the last half of the book really picks up. I'm definitely enjoying the romance, my favorite part besides the witches, vampires, and dhampirs. I can't wait to read what happens next! 5 enthusiastic stars!

[Julie Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a surprise - I don't usually read romances or vampire stories but when I read the writing sample, I knew I would enjoy it.

This is a well-written beginning to the mysterious and magical tale of Lily and the unexpected turn of events in her life.

Moving house with her mother after the death of her father to a dreary rain-filled town, Lily has one goal; to become a doctor, however...

A very good YA read with great characters and action enough to keep the pace fast yet smooth.

Enjoyable.

[Ellie Midwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading “Vampirica” for several reasons: not only because of its well-constructed plot but also because of its mood, which wasn’t overly sweet as it sometimes is with this genre, but dark and haunting at times, sad and serious at others which befitted the subject just perfectly. Also, I connected with Lily, the main heroine, from the very first page. I loved how mature she was for a girl of her age, and how, despite the sorrow from the recent death of her father, she took care not only of her mother but never let go her goal of becoming a doctor out of her sight. Only, the new city to which they moved hides its own dark secrets and soon Lily will have to find out what role she is to play in the eternal battle between good and evil.
The setting of the Anubis College and the rain-soaked town, new mysterious friends and the first love that Lily finds, and a mystery-covered death of her mother leading to the events that any teenager would find too hard to handle, make “Vampirica” simply impossible to put down. I’m eagerly looking forward to reading the second book in the series now!

[Bill Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guess this book is aimed at a YA audience but this far maturer reader still loved the book! I like Vampire stories but don't necessarily expect them to be particularly well written but I was very impressed with the quality of this writing. I thought Lily was an excellent character, well developed, interesting and believable. The story is gripping and there are plenty of twists and turns in the plot. I look forward to reading the next in the series.

[Beth Hale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Secrets revealed and a battle waged . . . .

First Love has characters with real life flaws that I came to care for. Lily is a strong female lead, and Flynn is the perfect mysterious hero. This book has a story line that pulled me in, a flowing plot, and great detail. I especially loved the descriptions of Wicklow (the town).

I want to know more, so I'm off to buy the sequel.

[Punkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oy

The insta love And soulmates grates on my nerves. Interesting take on vampires and their distant cousins. Meh kind of story. lots of holes and where connections. No real interest in the rest of the series.

[Angela Lockwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young girl and her mother move to the town of Wicklow after her father’s death. As she struggles with High school, her rapidly falling to bits mother and her own sadness, she finds that running is the only thing keeping her sane. One night whilst out for a run, she thinks she sees a woman being assaulted. A very attractive boy; Flynn, comes to her aid and convinces her otherwise. Slowly Lily will discover that nothing seems as it appears in gloomy and rainy Wicklow and that she is surrounded by dangerous creatures that don’t like the light.
This is an entertaining paranormal young adult read. It will appeal to the fans of the twilight series and YA paranormal romance. It is a well written, exciting story that kept me entertained from start to finish. It is another different take on the vampire genre and a good introduction to the series.

[Jalpa Williby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a young adult paranormal romance which I really enjoyed. The main character is left alone in the world when her mother suddenly dies. She tries to make sense of her life with the help of a young (good looking) man she met. He's mysterious and full of secrets. I like how the story unfolds and it definitely holds my attention from the beginning. There are some moments where I was definitely holding my breath.

The author's writing is nice and smooth. She develops the characters and plot at a perfect pace. It's a great start to the series, so now, I'll have to read the sequel to find out what happens next. Recommend to all who like YA paranormal romances.

[Gordon Bickerstaff · Rating 4 out of 5]

New approach to YA vampires

'Vampirica' is a YA paranormal story with echoes of the 'Twilight' saga. Ultimately, the story centres on the eternal battle between good and evil. The story revolves around Lily as she uncovers secrets and discovers her role in the grand scheme of things. The characters are generally well formed and believable. There is a lot of exposition, which might be relevant to set off the series but it slows the pace of this story. Otherwise, an enjoyable and well-written story. Recommended.

[Johanna Craven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh man, I loved this book so much. I was reading it on a flight and was kind of disappointed when we landed... It's far more than just another vampire book- the characters are multi-layered and real and I loved the creative additions to the vampire lore. Witchcraft is also thrown into the mix via protagonist Lily and it's done in a really intelligent way.
This is Twilight meets Harry Potter and the result is an atmospheric, un-put-downable book that will appeal to both YA and adult readers. Can't wait for the next in the series!

[Max Power · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable tale set in my homeland which I always enjoy and told with a lovely pace and tone. Overall this is perhaps more YA for me than I would go for but for its target audience I would very much recommend this one. I enjoy vampire stories and my only niggle here is perhaps there might have been too much of an eye towards similar books of the genre. In some ways that’s a good thing for there is an audience for this and if you are one who enjoys the world of young love and vampires you will not go wrong with this one. A good tale well told.

[Ilene G> · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is really for teenagers. I did not finish it. If I were a teenager, I would probably like it.

[C.A. King · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Vampire stories, so it's no surprise I picked up this one - the title sucked me in (pun intended).

Lily's father has passed away and she moves with her mother ~ Little does she know how much her life is about to change.

I'm looking forward to the next in the series.