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Curses, Foiled Again #1
Curses, Foiled Again
Felix is a vampire--a fierce creature of the night who strikes terror into the hearts of everyone unlucky enough to become his prey. Or at least, that's what he thought was true, until he met John. John is completely unimpressed with Felix, much to his dismay. Felix becomes fixated on proving his ferocity to John--and when that doesn't work, he strives to make any impression on him at all. John is a witch, and as all witches know, vampires are notoriously stupid creatures who only have the power to hurt those who fear them. Besides, he's under a curse much more frightening than any vampire. Felix's desperate attempts to impress him annoy John at first, but gradually, they become sort of endearing. Because of his curse, John has pushed everyone in his life away. But Felix can't be hurt, so there's no harm in letting him hang around. Felix is technically dead. John has nothing left to live for. But together, they might have a shot at life. This dark and witty vampire romance for adults is complete at 100,000 words, with no cliffhanger. Despite some dark twists and turns, it ends with a solid HEA.
276 pages, Paperback
First published November 27, 2017
44 people are currently reading
399 people want to read
About the author
Sera Trevor
13 books218 followersSera Trevor is terminally curious and views the 35 book limit at her local library as a dare. She’s a little bit interested in just about everything, which is probably why she can’t pin herself to one subgenre. Her books are populated with dragons, vampire movie stars, shadow people, and internet trolls. (Not in the same book, obviously, although that would be interesting!) Her works have been nominated for several Goodreads M/M Romance Reader's Choice Awards, including Best Contemporary, Best Fantasy, and Best Debut, for which she won third prize in 2015 for her novella Consorting With Dragons.
She lives in California with her husband, two kids, and a cat the size of three cats.
She lives in California with her husband, two kids, and a cat the size of three cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
November 25, 2017
-“I am stalking you.”
-“Why?”
-“Because I’m a fierce creature of the night.”
Felix and John, a couple that actually made me laugh. I loved reading about their interactions. John was the serious one, having a curse threaten his life everyday made him antisocial and reluctant to form any kind of relationship with other people. It was so funny seeing Felix’s efforts to make John go out with him. He and John had such a nice chemistry and I loved Felix’s goofy personality.
-“So what’s your curse? Is it something really bad?”
-“No. It’s a nice curse.”
-“Ah. You’re being sarcastic.”
I also appreciated the fact that the author really put some thought in the main character’s daily life. I have noticed that in a lot of romance stories the secondary characters are almost non-existent or they are extremely underdeveloped. Also, every scene in the story is about what the main characters do when they are together. It is almost as if they don’t have a personal life outside of their relationship.
That is not the case with this book. There were plenty of moments where the reader could see Felix and John go about their daily lives separately. The story also had two amazing secondary characters. I love how Felix’s sister and John’s friend were always there to support them and offer them advice.
That being said there was still some space for improvement. Felix’s goofy personality that I liked so much, doesn’t match with the terrible things he said he did when he was human. Also, I didn’t like the fact that Felix was stalking John in the beginning. With Felix’s personality it was obvious that John was not in any kind of danger, quite the opposite, but I still think it was not okay for Felix to start stalking him until he agreed to go out with him.
Another thing that I don’t like to see in romances is when one of the main characters sleeps with someone else after they have met their love interest. In this case, Felix and John might not have known each other so well at the time, but still, I can’t help but doubt how strong John’s feelings were for Felix. Since the reader is picking up a book to read about the relationship between the main characters, I don’t see how John having a one night stand with someone else and then Felix meeting that person would add to the story.
Finally, I think the ending was too rushed and the way things resolved in the end seemed way too easy to me.
*3.5 Stars*
I voluntarily reviewed the free copy that I received.
October 13, 2023
Not one of those, "because magic," type plots. The magic system was well explored.
December 31, 2021
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 ☆
Okay, first things first: I could really do without the “raging homophobe is actually a closet case” trope. It’s the year 2000 and 17, this is doing absolutely nothing for us as a community but perpetuates bad stereotypes. When will people chill…
Apart from that? This is a truly fun book! The synopsis promises a vampire infatuated with a witch who seems totally uninterested in him & that is exactly what we’re getting. I mean, talk about a great choice of supernatural and rom-com tropes! But the fun doesn’t actually end there. We not only get more than one vampire and one witch, but also a great siblings relationship within those categories and some ridiculous yet totally endearing wooing. Throw in a curse or two and some mystery and we’re having a party!
All those cool parts wouldn’t build a fun book though if it wasn’t for the writing. It’s fairly simple but reads fast & grips the reader’s attention. And even if sometimes we are bombarded with way too detailed descriptions, it doesn’t spoil anything. Another thing I really liked about the writing, is that it’s very clear different people are speaking based on their dialogues. Granted, in some cases it was kinda over the top, but mostly? Good, solid work. I especially enjoyed Felix’s parts. He’s truly a five-year-old at heart (that he doesn’t have) & every single word out of his mouth confirms that. He’s just really open and doesn’t hide behind social conventions or worry about what people will say - he simply does what feels right at the moment.
But this also brings me to my second most important negative point. While I do love the relationship between Felix & John, because of how naive Felix can be at times, it doesn’t always feel equal. There were moments when I felt like John is just humoring him instead of treating him as his equal. (I’m not even touching on the whole age difference issue as a concept but also in this particular case, because of Felix’s character, you honestly feel like John is the older one…) And speaking of their relationship, it really is a central part of the book, which I adore. Even with all the question marks of morality, it's showed as something strong and beautiful. At the same time though, the shift between nothing & something was ridiculously abrupt. It was explained and that explanation makes sense to be honest, but it was still very hastily done.
It’s not the only thing that could have used a little bit more time and a few more words. There are a lot of magical elements in this story. We get supernatural creatures, we get magic, we get curses… And while a lot of them were explained and showed from some (at least a bit) fresh perspective, we were left with just as many that kind of don’t make sense. It was a weird experience because in one scene the author would describe how something works in this world but also totally dismiss another magical thing. Why pick and choose? The worldbuilding would really benefit if we knew more about ghosts and communication with them, and curses. And basically anything that Richard was doing. His whole witchery lowkey remains a mystery to me and the climax itself didn’t help in that particular case either. Again, it was not bad per se but kind of rushed.
All in all though, this was a fun read. It’s not perfect (and the sex scenes were awkward & numerous enough to make me skip them) but I got so invested in the plot, I didn’t do anything at work until I finished. I will definitely check out more of Sera’s works.
3.5 ☆
Okay, first things first: I could really do without the “raging homophobe is actually a closet case” trope. It’s the year 2000 and 17, this is doing absolutely nothing for us as a community but perpetuates bad stereotypes. When will people chill…
Apart from that? This is a truly fun book! The synopsis promises a vampire infatuated with a witch who seems totally uninterested in him & that is exactly what we’re getting. I mean, talk about a great choice of supernatural and rom-com tropes! But the fun doesn’t actually end there. We not only get more than one vampire and one witch, but also a great siblings relationship within those categories and some ridiculous yet totally endearing wooing. Throw in a curse or two and some mystery and we’re having a party!
All those cool parts wouldn’t build a fun book though if it wasn’t for the writing. It’s fairly simple but reads fast & grips the reader’s attention. And even if sometimes we are bombarded with way too detailed descriptions, it doesn’t spoil anything. Another thing I really liked about the writing, is that it’s very clear different people are speaking based on their dialogues. Granted, in some cases it was kinda over the top, but mostly? Good, solid work. I especially enjoyed Felix’s parts. He’s truly a five-year-old at heart (that he doesn’t have) & every single word out of his mouth confirms that. He’s just really open and doesn’t hide behind social conventions or worry about what people will say - he simply does what feels right at the moment.
But this also brings me to my second most important negative point. While I do love the relationship between Felix & John, because of how naive Felix can be at times, it doesn’t always feel equal. There were moments when I felt like John is just humoring him instead of treating him as his equal. (I’m not even touching on the whole age difference issue as a concept but also in this particular case, because of Felix’s character, you honestly feel like John is the older one…) And speaking of their relationship, it really is a central part of the book, which I adore. Even with all the question marks of morality, it's showed as something strong and beautiful. At the same time though, the shift between nothing & something was ridiculously abrupt. It was explained and that explanation makes sense to be honest, but it was still very hastily done.
It’s not the only thing that could have used a little bit more time and a few more words. There are a lot of magical elements in this story. We get supernatural creatures, we get magic, we get curses… And while a lot of them were explained and showed from some (at least a bit) fresh perspective, we were left with just as many that kind of don’t make sense. It was a weird experience because in one scene the author would describe how something works in this world but also totally dismiss another magical thing. Why pick and choose? The worldbuilding would really benefit if we knew more about ghosts and communication with them, and curses. And basically anything that Richard was doing. His whole witchery lowkey remains a mystery to me and the climax itself didn’t help in that particular case either. Again, it was not bad per se but kind of rushed.
All in all though, this was a fun read. It’s not perfect (and the sex scenes were awkward & numerous enough to make me skip them) but I got so invested in the plot, I didn’t do anything at work until I finished. I will definitely check out more of Sera’s works.
October 7, 2019
I struggled not to DNF this book around 80% and it took days to finish. It started out rather adorable, if simple. I fell in love with Felix in short order, but I never warmed up to John. Lo and Cat were gems. Unfortunately it devolved into unexpected darkness and slowed to a snail’s pace. Entirely too much time was spent in preparation for the final confrontation and far too little on the actual climax. This was a very stressful read.
I want to highlight the fact the book was still well written and edited, and quite clever. It just wasn’t executed to my own satisfaction.
Fellow reader/reviewer JoAnn wrote a much better review that mirrored my thoughts. Check it out: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I want to highlight the fact the book was still well written and edited, and quite clever. It just wasn’t executed to my own satisfaction.
Fellow reader/reviewer JoAnn wrote a much better review that mirrored my thoughts. Check it out: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
February 21, 2018
Netgalley #14
Many thanks go to Sera Trevors, NinePress, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed this read. I felt like the longer the author wrote, the more emotionally vested she became in the storyline. It really flowed well. I only wish the denouement had been a bit longer in the making.
Felix, the vampire character, seemed extremely immature to me. That rubbed me wrong a few times. He was like that puppy that's constantly hopping around tapping around your legs. In fact there is a point when Trevors writes, "If Felix had a tail, he'd be wagging it."
John's curse was a motivating catalyst. Having something one can't escape, but needing to for love is a great topic. And it is a sweet love story. The sex scenes weren't over the top. I appreciated that.
Again it was a slow start for me, but I eventually became involved in the escapades of the vampires and the witches. Really any story that has those as characters is already interesting to me.
Many thanks go to Sera Trevors, NinePress, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed this read. I felt like the longer the author wrote, the more emotionally vested she became in the storyline. It really flowed well. I only wish the denouement had been a bit longer in the making.
Felix, the vampire character, seemed extremely immature to me. That rubbed me wrong a few times. He was like that puppy that's constantly hopping around tapping around your legs. In fact there is a point when Trevors writes, "If Felix had a tail, he'd be wagging it."
John's curse was a motivating catalyst. Having something one can't escape, but needing to for love is a great topic. And it is a sweet love story. The sex scenes weren't over the top. I appreciated that.
Again it was a slow start for me, but I eventually became involved in the escapades of the vampires and the witches. Really any story that has those as characters is already interesting to me.
November 29, 2017
*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review through the M/M Romance Group DBML program
4.5 stars
Synopsis: Felix is a vampire, and has been one for 160 years. Whenever he shows himself to someone, their fear goes through the roof. Then one night, Felix, who has already eaten, smells someone very tempting, and when he shows himself to the man, he can't bite him, because apparently, people need to be scared in order for Felix to feed. Felix attempts to scare the man all the way to his apartment, but it doesn't work. Felix tries again another night, but when it doesn't work, he just tries to get the man to notice him.
John is scared, but he knows the face of the man who will kill him, due to a family curse, so anything outside of that isn't scary to him. John is a witch, which means that he knows about magic, and how to protect himself from vampires. When Felix keeps pestering him, and then asks him for a date, John sets him a task that he knows Felix will fail, because vampires aren't that bright, and don't have a long attention span. When Felix shows up months later, though, John is impressed, and they start seeing each other.
There are ghosts, evil witches, good witches, curses, vampires, and above all, love.
What I liked: I've gone on record a couple of times saying that I'm not really fond of vampires in books, for some reason. Something about how they can all compel theirprey soul mates just doesn't sit right with me, even when the match is a being other than human who has their own powers. That being said, I absolutely loved Felix. He was so sweet and honest and loving and selfless and loveable. "But, a vampire story should be dark," you say. And it is. The witches provide darkness, and Felix isn't pure and blameless; he doesn't care what his victims feel when he bites them, and never checks to see if they survive. However, once Felix meets John and is trying to get his attention, he is pretty amazing, although he *does* stalk John, to a certain extent. Felix gets called out on it, and John can definitely take care of himself around Felix, but it does happen. Felix actually reminds me, a very little bit, of Tori from "Stealing the Dragon" by Mell Eight.
John is also an interesting character. Even though he literally has a death sentence on his head, he still cared about the people that he met, and the people that Felix was eating from. I liked that he made friends in spite of himself, and couldn't help but help people who needed it.
What I didn't like: Cat and Felix's actual life never really got a lot of explanation or exposition, and it would have been interesting to see why or how they were able to circumvent some of the vampire curse.
Overall impression: this was my first story by this author, and I really enjoyed it. I'm definitely searching out more books by this author. Well edited, with nice world building and interesting characters. Told in 3rd person POV, alternating between Felix and John. The vampire lore was a little different from the typical vampire story, which was interesting. The story was probably more of a 4 star read, but I was so happy to find a vampire story that I liked, I gave it an extra half star for that.
4.5 stars
Synopsis: Felix is a vampire, and has been one for 160 years. Whenever he shows himself to someone, their fear goes through the roof. Then one night, Felix, who has already eaten, smells someone very tempting, and when he shows himself to the man, he can't bite him, because apparently, people need to be scared in order for Felix to feed. Felix attempts to scare the man all the way to his apartment, but it doesn't work. Felix tries again another night, but when it doesn't work, he just tries to get the man to notice him.
John is scared, but he knows the face of the man who will kill him, due to a family curse, so anything outside of that isn't scary to him. John is a witch, which means that he knows about magic, and how to protect himself from vampires. When Felix keeps pestering him, and then asks him for a date, John sets him a task that he knows Felix will fail, because vampires aren't that bright, and don't have a long attention span. When Felix shows up months later, though, John is impressed, and they start seeing each other.
There are ghosts, evil witches, good witches, curses, vampires, and above all, love.
What I liked: I've gone on record a couple of times saying that I'm not really fond of vampires in books, for some reason. Something about how they can all compel their
John is also an interesting character. Even though he literally has a death sentence on his head, he still cared about the people that he met, and the people that Felix was eating from. I liked that he made friends in spite of himself, and couldn't help but help people who needed it.
What I didn't like: Cat and Felix's actual life never really got a lot of explanation or exposition, and it would have been interesting to see why or how they were able to circumvent some of the vampire curse.
Overall impression: this was my first story by this author, and I really enjoyed it. I'm definitely searching out more books by this author. Well edited, with nice world building and interesting characters. Told in 3rd person POV, alternating between Felix and John. The vampire lore was a little different from the typical vampire story, which was interesting. The story was probably more of a 4 star read, but I was so happy to find a vampire story that I liked, I gave it an extra half star for that.
November 28, 2017
I have to be honest right off the bat. I don’t normally like vampire books. They usually give me the creeps. But when the author asked me to review a copy of the book, how could I refuse when I had enjoyed one of her other books so much.
Much to my surprise, I enjoyed this book immensely, even with the whole “biting of the neck” thing. I think it was because it was initially funny and slightly slapsticky, so it eased me into the world of vampires slowly after I had started to care for Felix and his sister. Once the darker side of the story emerged – and it does emerge - I was heavily invested in both of the main characters as well a couple of the significant secondary ones. I thoroughly enjoyed the world building and the folklore around witches, vampires, and curses and how that played out through the plot.
John is a witch who is under a centuries-old curse that has darkened his life, making him unable to hope and plan for a normal future. When John is come upon late one night by Felix, a somewhat simple and naïve vampire, he is unimpressed and totally unafraid of the vampire. (I LOVED Felix!) That causes some consternation on Felix’s part, and he can’t seem to get John off his mind. He begins to stalk John in a bumbling and innocent manner, and John puts him to what he thinks will be an impossible test, knowing the attention span of a “normal” vampire. But Felix surprises him, coming through with the test, and it results in their first date and kiss. It awakens something in John that he hadn’t felt in years, and it changes Felix in a way that he didn’t think he was capable of.
Their lives are complicated with even more than just the curse hanging over John’s head when Felix’s brother-in-law becomes aware of their connection, and it’s here where a ribbon of evil starts to be woven throughout the book. From that point on, the lightheartedness of the beginning is replaced with what for me was nail-biting intensity, as John and Felix worked with their friends to thwart the manipulations and evils that were tightening around them. The only niggle I had with the book was the climatic ending, feeling somewhat let down after all the twists and turns the four central characters had to go through. Part of me was expecting another fateful twist.
But, even with that, it was definitely a 4.5 star book for me.
Much to my surprise, I enjoyed this book immensely, even with the whole “biting of the neck” thing. I think it was because it was initially funny and slightly slapsticky, so it eased me into the world of vampires slowly after I had started to care for Felix and his sister. Once the darker side of the story emerged – and it does emerge - I was heavily invested in both of the main characters as well a couple of the significant secondary ones. I thoroughly enjoyed the world building and the folklore around witches, vampires, and curses and how that played out through the plot.
John is a witch who is under a centuries-old curse that has darkened his life, making him unable to hope and plan for a normal future. When John is come upon late one night by Felix, a somewhat simple and naïve vampire, he is unimpressed and totally unafraid of the vampire. (I LOVED Felix!) That causes some consternation on Felix’s part, and he can’t seem to get John off his mind. He begins to stalk John in a bumbling and innocent manner, and John puts him to what he thinks will be an impossible test, knowing the attention span of a “normal” vampire. But Felix surprises him, coming through with the test, and it results in their first date and kiss. It awakens something in John that he hadn’t felt in years, and it changes Felix in a way that he didn’t think he was capable of.
Their lives are complicated with even more than just the curse hanging over John’s head when Felix’s brother-in-law becomes aware of their connection, and it’s here where a ribbon of evil starts to be woven throughout the book. From that point on, the lightheartedness of the beginning is replaced with what for me was nail-biting intensity, as John and Felix worked with their friends to thwart the manipulations and evils that were tightening around them. The only niggle I had with the book was the climatic ending, feeling somewhat let down after all the twists and turns the four central characters had to go through. Part of me was expecting another fateful twist.
But, even with that, it was definitely a 4.5 star book for me.
December 14, 2017
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.75 stars
Paranormal fiction is probably my favorite genre and in Curses, Foiled Again, Sera Trevor fulfills her promise to the reader of everything in the blurb. I was compelled by the idea of a romance between Felix, the naive vampire, and John, the stubborn and guarded witch; along with Richard’s manipulation and unpleasant actions; Lo’s training as a new witch; the presence of a helpful ghost; and of course, the curses that not only John, but also Felix and Cat, are trying to lift.
Unusually, in Curses, Foiled Again, it is not Felix and John who were the characters I enjoyed the most. I think that John is difficult to connect with because he appears to just be waiting to meet the man that will end his life and he refuses to allow anyone close to him. This is something that changes as the novel develops, but actually because of Richard’s influence, John becomes even less likable for a short time.
Read Kirsty’s review in its entirety here.
3.75 stars
Paranormal fiction is probably my favorite genre and in Curses, Foiled Again, Sera Trevor fulfills her promise to the reader of everything in the blurb. I was compelled by the idea of a romance between Felix, the naive vampire, and John, the stubborn and guarded witch; along with Richard’s manipulation and unpleasant actions; Lo’s training as a new witch; the presence of a helpful ghost; and of course, the curses that not only John, but also Felix and Cat, are trying to lift.
Unusually, in Curses, Foiled Again, it is not Felix and John who were the characters I enjoyed the most. I think that John is difficult to connect with because he appears to just be waiting to meet the man that will end his life and he refuses to allow anyone close to him. This is something that changes as the novel develops, but actually because of Richard’s influence, John becomes even less likable for a short time.
Read Kirsty’s review in its entirety here.
December 10, 2017
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This was way cuter and funnier than I was expecting. It was really great watching Felix try to be ~scary~ and John was just having none of it. There was also some really interesting world-building with regard to the witches and vampires, definitely a new take on vampires with some 'rules' that I haven't seen before so that was nice. Cat and Lo were really great as well, even though they don't make it into the summary.
My main problems with this were that there were two 3-month time skips that - despite being necessary to the plot - still felt a bit clunky and also that there was the dreaded ~homophobe is actually a closeted gay man~ trope. I generally give that kind of thing a very grudging pass in older books but this is 2017 and it's a really toxic trope we need to move away from. Pretending that all homophobes are actually gay takes the responsibility for homophobia away from straight people, which is where it actually belongs. Other than that it was a really fun story though.
This was way cuter and funnier than I was expecting. It was really great watching Felix try to be ~scary~ and John was just having none of it. There was also some really interesting world-building with regard to the witches and vampires, definitely a new take on vampires with some 'rules' that I haven't seen before so that was nice. Cat and Lo were really great as well, even though they don't make it into the summary.
My main problems with this were that there were two 3-month time skips that - despite being necessary to the plot - still felt a bit clunky and also that there was the dreaded ~homophobe is actually a closeted gay man~ trope. I generally give that kind of thing a very grudging pass in older books but this is 2017 and it's a really toxic trope we need to move away from. Pretending that all homophobes are actually gay takes the responsibility for homophobia away from straight people, which is where it actually belongs. Other than that it was a really fun story though.
September 15, 2019
Good
3.5 ⭐️
Enjoyable story.
I loved Felix and his naivety. He came across sometimes as kind of child like. I felt for him early on, although he is a vampire and meant to be terrifying he really didn’t handle it well when someone wasn’t afraid of him, it was quite entertaining.
John was ok too, but I didn’t feel that invested in him.
I enjoyed the storyline, although it felt like it dragged in parts and even though a lot of work was put into the ending, it seemed that more time was spent on the preparation than the actual result.
All in all a good Sunday’s read
3.5 ⭐️
Enjoyable story.
I loved Felix and his naivety. He came across sometimes as kind of child like. I felt for him early on, although he is a vampire and meant to be terrifying he really didn’t handle it well when someone wasn’t afraid of him, it was quite entertaining.
John was ok too, but I didn’t feel that invested in him.
I enjoyed the storyline, although it felt like it dragged in parts and even though a lot of work was put into the ending, it seemed that more time was spent on the preparation than the actual result.
All in all a good Sunday’s read
October 7, 2019
I don’t know what’s with me grabbing books on a whim these days. But it hasn’t worked out to well the last couple of times.
This book started out cute, some kinda innocent ott humor (which is kinda how I was expecting the whole book to be based on some of the reviews I read)
Felix felt somewhat deflated, but he soldiered on. “I am stalking you.” “Why?” “Because I’m a fierce creature of the night.”
Felix was kinda like a puppy stuck on the era of 1800, And John was the don’t give a damn cat that Felix can’t help try and get attention from.
Anyways, we get a little more serious in the middle of the book and well by the end the book was dark and depressing. It seemed the darker the story got the more dawn out and, dare I say, boring the book got.
This book started out cute, some kinda innocent ott humor (which is kinda how I was expecting the whole book to be based on some of the reviews I read)
Felix felt somewhat deflated, but he soldiered on. “I am stalking you.” “Why?” “Because I’m a fierce creature of the night.”
Felix was kinda like a puppy stuck on the era of 1800, And John was the don’t give a damn cat that Felix can’t help try and get attention from.
Anyways, we get a little more serious in the middle of the book and well by the end the book was dark and depressing. It seemed the darker the story got the more dawn out and, dare I say, boring the book got.
September 4, 2019
This is one of those moments that I wish I could give 11 stars because I've read over 100 books this year and this one was THE BEST.
Wow was it fun and emotional and snarky and hilarious and way more layered and magical than I expected. There was so much and it all came together so wonderfully. I'll be recommending this book for a long long time. So ,yeah, please read it!
Wow was it fun and emotional and snarky and hilarious and way more layered and magical than I expected. There was so much and it all came together so wonderfully. I'll be recommending this book for a long long time. So ,yeah, please read it!
November 28, 2017
3.5 Stars
Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher. This has not influenced my review.*
A fun yet dark M/M vampire book—this sounded perfect for me! And while I did have a few issues, I enjoyed it for the most part.
The portrayal of vampires in this book was very much a caricature, the author poking fun at certain things about the way they’re commonly portrayed. The main character, Felix, and his sister (both vampires) talked as though they weren’t caught up with the current times, they hissed at people, etc. Even the explanation of the origin of vampires and why they have the powers, strengths, weaknesses, etc. that they have was comical (but also interesting and unique). Also, Felix was totally a stalker—not a sexy stalker, just a stalker. John sprayed him with pepper spray and shooed him off with a broom at one point. But these were purposeful things done by the author, meant to humorous, and they were. This was the tone of the book for the first half of the book or so, and you have to be able to accept that if you’re going to enjoy it. I thought it was fun.
This book also had some darkness though, especially in the second half. Like the humans Felix’s brother-in-law kidnapped and used in order to fuel his own life. And Felix and Cat’s misery because of the situation they were stuck in. And all the alcohol and drugs they used to make things more bearable. And the death curse hanging over John’s head. And his isolation and seeming depression because of it. And his grief over his mother. And *SPOILER* *END SPOILER* I got teary-eyed a few times because I felt for the characters.
As for the characters themselves, one of the issues I had was that I found Felix to be a little inconsistent. He was mostly made out to be kind of an idiot and sometimes didn’t understand basic human and/or modern things, but then other times he’d suddenly show a surprising amount of intelligence and understand certain human/modern things, and he was apparently well versed in blending in as human in order to club hop and find sexual partners, even though he didn’t seem capable of blending in from what I saw. It was just a little jarring at times. His strangeness was endearing though.
The rest of the characters, on the other hand, were more consistent and developed. John was sad, kind of numb, seemingly depressed, and living in a self-imposed isolation because of the curse. He kind of just wanted to die already so that he could stop sitting around waiting for the curse to take him, until he finally found a reason to have hope. Lo was feisty, temperamental, and opinionated, but a good person and a good friend. Cat had been through so much and was so trapped that it took its toll on her, but she eventually found her will to fight again.
There was also romance in this book, between Felix and John, and it was cute, at times funny, but I didn’t really feel the chemistry between them, and that was another issue I had.
But the sibling relationship between Felix and Cat was sweet! They really cared about each other and were there for each other. The kind-of friendship that formed between Felix and Lo was surprisingly sweet too.
There was a bit of deus ex machina in the plot (mostly John’s mother’s contributions), but not so much that it ruined the book for me. The characters still had their own parts to play in addition to the help they were getting.
Overall though, I enjoyed the way the author poked fun at some vampire tropes, I enjoyed the darkness and how much more interesting things got in the second half of the book, I felt for John, and I thought the relationships among characters were sweet!
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes M/M romance, vampires, witches, humor, darkness, and hope.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher. This has not influenced my review.*
A fun yet dark M/M vampire book—this sounded perfect for me! And while I did have a few issues, I enjoyed it for the most part.
The portrayal of vampires in this book was very much a caricature, the author poking fun at certain things about the way they’re commonly portrayed. The main character, Felix, and his sister (both vampires) talked as though they weren’t caught up with the current times, they hissed at people, etc. Even the explanation of the origin of vampires and why they have the powers, strengths, weaknesses, etc. that they have was comical (but also interesting and unique). Also, Felix was totally a stalker—not a sexy stalker, just a stalker. John sprayed him with pepper spray and shooed him off with a broom at one point. But these were purposeful things done by the author, meant to humorous, and they were. This was the tone of the book for the first half of the book or so, and you have to be able to accept that if you’re going to enjoy it. I thought it was fun.
This book also had some darkness though, especially in the second half. Like the humans Felix’s brother-in-law kidnapped and used in order to fuel his own life. And Felix and Cat’s misery because of the situation they were stuck in. And all the alcohol and drugs they used to make things more bearable. And the death curse hanging over John’s head. And his isolation and seeming depression because of it. And his grief over his mother. And *SPOILER* *END SPOILER* I got teary-eyed a few times because I felt for the characters.
As for the characters themselves, one of the issues I had was that I found Felix to be a little inconsistent. He was mostly made out to be kind of an idiot and sometimes didn’t understand basic human and/or modern things, but then other times he’d suddenly show a surprising amount of intelligence and understand certain human/modern things, and he was apparently well versed in blending in as human in order to club hop and find sexual partners, even though he didn’t seem capable of blending in from what I saw. It was just a little jarring at times. His strangeness was endearing though.
The rest of the characters, on the other hand, were more consistent and developed. John was sad, kind of numb, seemingly depressed, and living in a self-imposed isolation because of the curse. He kind of just wanted to die already so that he could stop sitting around waiting for the curse to take him, until he finally found a reason to have hope. Lo was feisty, temperamental, and opinionated, but a good person and a good friend. Cat had been through so much and was so trapped that it took its toll on her, but she eventually found her will to fight again.
There was also romance in this book, between Felix and John, and it was cute, at times funny, but I didn’t really feel the chemistry between them, and that was another issue I had.
But the sibling relationship between Felix and Cat was sweet! They really cared about each other and were there for each other. The kind-of friendship that formed between Felix and Lo was surprisingly sweet too.
There was a bit of deus ex machina in the plot (mostly John’s mother’s contributions), but not so much that it ruined the book for me. The characters still had their own parts to play in addition to the help they were getting.
Overall though, I enjoyed the way the author poked fun at some vampire tropes, I enjoyed the darkness and how much more interesting things got in the second half of the book, I felt for John, and I thought the relationships among characters were sweet!
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes M/M romance, vampires, witches, humor, darkness, and hope.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
November 17, 2020
“What are you doing?"
"I am stalking you."
"Why?"
"Because I'm a fierce creature of the night."
"So you think you can annoy me into being frightened of you? Is that your plan?”
Story: 9
Writing: 7
First MC: 9
Second MC: 8
Secondary characters: 6
Mystery: 4
Sexual tension: 4
Humor: 6
Hotness: 5
Product placement: 3
Ridiculousness: 2
Annoying: 2
Suspense: 8
Audio: 8 (9hr 52min)
Ending: 10
To re-read: 10
Started with a high dosage of humor with Felix "the fierce creature" and John who is so not impressed..and took a turn to the dark.
bored vampire, stalky vampire, creepy witch, gloomy witch, in-closet cook
"I am stalking you."
"Why?"
"Because I'm a fierce creature of the night."
"So you think you can annoy me into being frightened of you? Is that your plan?”
Story: 9
Writing: 7
First MC: 9
Second MC: 8
Secondary characters: 6
Mystery: 4
Sexual tension: 4
Humor: 6
Hotness: 5
Product placement: 3
Ridiculousness: 2
Annoying: 2
Suspense: 8
Audio: 8 (9hr 52min)
Ending: 10
To re-read: 10
Started with a high dosage of humor with Felix "the fierce creature" and John who is so not impressed..and took a turn to the dark.
bored vampire, stalky vampire, creepy witch, gloomy witch, in-closet cook
November 7, 2017
This was a fun read. But also angsty. If you read and liked The Troll Whisperer by the same author you'll probably enjoy it a lot. It's a paranormal/urban fantasy romance, and it's quite cracktastic, but the way the author constructs characters (who shouldn't be as likeable and adorable and yet turn out to be) felt similar.
The premise, a messed up vampire with a curious cat syndrome and a cursed, disaffected witch, was great. The lore was rich and inventive (especially the nature of vampires) and the story peppered with little secrets pulling you in and making the book quite unputdownable.
I'd have preferred a bit more even mix of humour and angst rather than a sliding scale from one to the other as the plot progresses, and maybe a less easy final victory/resolution, but even with these caveats it was an engaging and at times a surprisingly emotional read (not too overwhelming though - think later Buffy or Supernatural S3).
Bonus points for awesome secondary female characters!
TW for .
The premise, a messed up vampire with a curious cat syndrome and a cursed, disaffected witch, was great. The lore was rich and inventive (especially the nature of vampires) and the story peppered with little secrets pulling you in and making the book quite unputdownable.
I'd have preferred a bit more even mix of humour and angst rather than a sliding scale from one to the other as the plot progresses, and maybe a less easy final victory/resolution, but even with these caveats it was an engaging and at times a surprisingly emotional read (not too overwhelming though - think later Buffy or Supernatural S3).
Bonus points for awesome secondary female characters!
TW for .
January 5, 2019
How could I resist a title like this? The book proved itself to be as much fun as its handle implies, yet it’s not a complete spoof. A vampire’s attempt to terrorize a young man turns into an obsession, a very dangerous obsession. For the young man, John turns out to be a witch. Witches are trouble. Just look at Felix’s brother in law. And this particular witch is cursed. Felix is in for more than he guessed and so is John, once he finds himself dealing not just with Felix, but his entire family. On top of them, don’t even get John started about the people at work. These elements are juggled in a balance between humor and drama, with the supernatural amidst it all, along with m/m, f/f, and bisexuality expressed by the characters in their unique way, whom develop right along with the plot. All of this is mingled with a touch of Hollywood drama and Hollywood glamour brought together in this fun, yet exciting L.A. story. For all of these qualities, I give this four stars.
September 3, 2021
I mean. The first 45% was good. Felix is a character I absolutely adore and will love for the rest of my dies. He suffers a whole lot in this book, for absolutely no reason at all.
And John. John. He is ... I don't know, I don't like him. If you can have barely any character development as the protagonist, while other characters around you get some, he achieved that.
Lo and Cat were good, I liked them. Richard... Eh.
The ending was underwhelming to say the least, and Felix went through way too much for nothing. #justice4felix (thank you Vé) .
So yeah, this book had potential. That's all I can say.
Edit: rest of my life in the second sentence, but I don't want to edit it because it's strangely fitting.
And John. John. He is ... I don't know, I don't like him. If you can have barely any character development as the protagonist, while other characters around you get some, he achieved that.
Lo and Cat were good, I liked them. Richard... Eh.
The ending was underwhelming to say the least, and Felix went through way too much for nothing. #justice4felix (thank you Vé) .
So yeah, this book had potential. That's all I can say.
Edit: rest of my life in the second sentence, but I don't want to edit it because it's strangely fitting.
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August 1, 2019I had the impression from the blurb that this story would be a comic romp, but it’s really, really not. Felix (the slightly dim, but mostly good-“hearted” vampire), John’s cat, and brief, but significant Catalina outings were the only light for me here. Everyone and almost everything else is somewhat dark to very, very dark. Possible triggers: character(s) with suicidal thoughts.
June 16, 2019
1 Star. This book was so horrible and Felix was such a stupid character. Ugh.
August 18, 2019
Audiobook review2,5 stars
A witch with a deadly curse and a vampire that’s obsessed with getting his attention, any kind of attention.
One night Felix is on the prowl for his next meal and comes across John. What he didn’t know until that night was that in order to be able to feed, his victims needed to be afraid of him. And John wasn’t, not even a little bit. That’s the starting point of Felix obsession, stalking John and doing everything and anything to get his attention. Imagine an eager puppy, bouncing around, wagging its tail, yipping and yapping. That’s Felix for you. It’s cute in a puppy, not so much in a vampire that’s supposedly more than a century old. I don’t know if the author was going down the road of ridiculousness and parody at least where Felix was concerned, but that’s where we ended up. Because cute or funny it was not – at least not to me. And if all vampires were the brainless fools that Trevor meant for them to be, then how come his sister didn’t appear as foolish?
I liked the idea and world building of the book, it was interesting and had a lot of potential; the lonely witch just waiting for the inevitable end. Only to accidentally pick up a vampire stalker begging for a date when he couldn’t kill him. Add in a fierce apprentice he didn’t mean to pick up either and the groundwork was there. Sadly it didn’t live up to my expectations in the end.
I saw somewhere that this book was described as dark, and I don’t know that I’d go that far. Or maybe that’s because I wasn’t all that invested in the book and felt anything beyond a mere interest in what was going on. There are some dark-ish moments if you think of it carefully, but they didn’t feel that way while listening.
I enjoy listening to new narrators, as it seems like most books I listen to lately are narrated by the same handful of guys. It gets repetitive after a while, so a new voice is always a treat, even if the narration as such isn’t perfect. Michael T. Bradley fell into the trap of over doing the performance. I love when narrators perform the books, where every emotion is clear and you can see the characters before you and feel what they feel. Bradly did try for that but went a step too far, so the actions and feelings didn’t seem genuine anymore. It felt like when children play, a bit over the top. I will say however, that as annoying I found Felix, Bradley absolutely nailed his narration of him. He truly captured the eager puppy that Felix was described to be.
A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
November 29, 2017
This book was provided from from the author in return for an honest review via the Goodreads’ Don’t Buy My Love program.
Let me start by saying I loved the premise of this story. A vampire who takes on the one person who isn’t frightened of him. Felix needs to feed off those who are afraid of him, and John, the witch, intrigues him, bringing him back night after night, eventually gaining friendship, trust, and…
And, I don’t want to ruin the story. Here’s what I liked about it - Number #1 - Felix and his sister, Cat. LOL. I about died reading that. Hehe. The realationship between the sibling vampires was perfect. The origins of the vampire curse itself was well written, and the world building fluid and easy to understand. There’s lots of little fun lines throughout the book which kept me on my toes. Some of the chapter titles were exceptional witty. I was happy to not see insta-love, but rather a gradual interest peaked, leading to dates and more. We also get lots of vampires, ghosts and witches in this interesting paranormal tryst of good vs evil. There’s plenty of backstory interspersed along the storyline, so the reader isn’t bogged down with huge amounts of telling dialogue.
Which brings me to the telling content… So many times, I stopped and frowned, not connecting with the characters because the emotional content wasn’t coming across. A book this length shouldn’t have taken me more than 3 days, yet it took five, meaning I had no problem putting it aside and coming back to it. Some areas of the story dragged, while others I sped through with interest.
Overall, a witty read, and worthy of your time, just take some bits with a grain of salt.
Let me start by saying I loved the premise of this story. A vampire who takes on the one person who isn’t frightened of him. Felix needs to feed off those who are afraid of him, and John, the witch, intrigues him, bringing him back night after night, eventually gaining friendship, trust, and…
And, I don’t want to ruin the story. Here’s what I liked about it - Number #1 - Felix and his sister, Cat. LOL. I about died reading that. Hehe. The realationship between the sibling vampires was perfect. The origins of the vampire curse itself was well written, and the world building fluid and easy to understand. There’s lots of little fun lines throughout the book which kept me on my toes. Some of the chapter titles were exceptional witty. I was happy to not see insta-love, but rather a gradual interest peaked, leading to dates and more. We also get lots of vampires, ghosts and witches in this interesting paranormal tryst of good vs evil. There’s plenty of backstory interspersed along the storyline, so the reader isn’t bogged down with huge amounts of telling dialogue.
Which brings me to the telling content… So many times, I stopped and frowned, not connecting with the characters because the emotional content wasn’t coming across. A book this length shouldn’t have taken me more than 3 days, yet it took five, meaning I had no problem putting it aside and coming back to it. Some areas of the story dragged, while others I sped through with interest.
Overall, a witty read, and worthy of your time, just take some bits with a grain of salt.
November 26, 2017
The first chapter is such a total train wreck that I almost DNF’d this book, but there was also something compelling enough about it that I kept reading - and I’m so glad I did! Chapter one reads like a goth teen’s unedited NaNoWriMo novel, and then the rest of the book reads like it was written by an entirely different person. I love the evolution of several of the relationships (but won’t say more because spoilers) and was pleasantly surprised by the depth and growth of the main characters - definitely something I was NOT expecting from that first chapter! The name of John’s cat (Astray) was awkward for me (I kept reading it as “Ashtray” and thinking what an awful name that is for a cat). Also kind of bugged by how many characters in this book are gay. Which isn’t to say that I disliked the 80-90% gay cast, but each time another character was revealed to be gay/lesbian/bi I was like what are the odds? Also, I know a guy who is rather John-like and he can’t pick up chicks to save his life - is he playing to the wrong crowd? Because John seems to be man catnip for some reason.
November 21, 2017
I got this book for free through DBML in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this take on the vampire and it had some weird quirks that really worked for me. I love that as long as you did not fear the vampire it couldn't feed from you. I also enjoyed the magic basis for vampirism even though I generally hate the cursed explanation for a vampire. I would have enjoyed this more, if the magic system was better detailed.
Now onto the romance part of the story: Felix is a vampire who has Lived for a while and stays with his vampire sister and her witch husband. John is a witch who to help his focus uses rhymes to pattern his magic. Felix tries to feed from John but he cannot because John doesn't fear him. Felix becomes obsessed with John the Romance take awhile to blossom but even so it does not seem real because there doesn't seem to be an emotional connect. but after awhile I start to feel the hint of emotions creeping into the romance.
There is also a fair amount of intrigue and plotting for the lovers and Felix's sister and John's apprentice to escape Cat's husband Richard who has used magic to bind Cat to him and also the other emotional entanglement bind the group together.
I really enjoyed this take on the vampire and it had some weird quirks that really worked for me. I love that as long as you did not fear the vampire it couldn't feed from you. I also enjoyed the magic basis for vampirism even though I generally hate the cursed explanation for a vampire. I would have enjoyed this more, if the magic system was better detailed.
Now onto the romance part of the story: Felix is a vampire who has Lived for a while and stays with his vampire sister and her witch husband. John is a witch who to help his focus uses rhymes to pattern his magic. Felix tries to feed from John but he cannot because John doesn't fear him. Felix becomes obsessed with John the Romance take awhile to blossom but even so it does not seem real because there doesn't seem to be an emotional connect. but after awhile I start to feel the hint of emotions creeping into the romance.
There is also a fair amount of intrigue and plotting for the lovers and Felix's sister and John's apprentice to escape Cat's husband Richard who has used magic to bind Cat to him and also the other emotional entanglement bind the group together.
August 28, 2019
3.5 stars. The characters made this for me. (Even the rather hideous Richard.) Felix, much wiser than he was clever; John, broken but clinging to life despite himself; Lo, strong, fierce, and brave with her emotions; Cat, growing from darkness to light. And, naturally, Astray, one of the best named , fiercest kitties I've read! This was fun and interesting. If you like paranormal M/M, give this a go!
Thanks to Netgalley and Sera Trevor for giving me an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thanks to Netgalley and Sera Trevor for giving me an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
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November 11, 2017Sera has a definitive style that comes through here. There's edges of humor, but then it teeters into dark humor and eventually some just plain dark segments. The characters are unique and the story itself is different from any other I've read, particularly in terms of vampires. It keeps true to aspects that you think of with vampires, but then builds up on that in a way that makes it feel fresh.
Also, there's a pet cat. Love pet cats.
Also, there's a pet cat. Love pet cats.
February 16, 2018
This book started out super strong. I thought the humor was excellent, there were some thrills, angst, I was having such a good time. However somewhere near the middle, things went south. I thought the plot-line became muddied. The characters personalities weren’t as clear as they were in the beginning. The goofiness didn’t shine through as it did in the beginning. This book is definitely worth a shot though. Different strokes for different folks
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March 5, 2022A fun, quick read, but holy cow it got DARK.
December 1, 2017
*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review through the M/M Romance Group DBML program
Curses, Foiled Again by Sera Trevor is one of my favorite 2017 releases. It was the good kind dark humor that I enjoyed in my books. I honestly didn't know what to expect when I choose this book. Felix is so ferocious, simple-minded vampire but I can't help that I love him. I love the take on Vamperism being a curse and rules that are attached to it. I agree with other reviewers that I wish there was more development in the magic world. It felt so boundless and needed a little grounding in it. The secondary characters were actually well developed even if a few annoyed me with their self- righteousness. They had real world reaction. It seems I made a great choice in my first experience reading this author's works. I have to explore some more of their catalog.
Curses, Foiled Again by Sera Trevor is one of my favorite 2017 releases. It was the good kind dark humor that I enjoyed in my books. I honestly didn't know what to expect when I choose this book. Felix is so ferocious, simple-minded vampire but I can't help that I love him. I love the take on Vamperism being a curse and rules that are attached to it. I agree with other reviewers that I wish there was more development in the magic world. It felt so boundless and needed a little grounding in it. The secondary characters were actually well developed even if a few annoyed me with their self- righteousness. They had real world reaction. It seems I made a great choice in my first experience reading this author's works. I have to explore some more of their catalog.
August 8, 2019
I quite enjoyed this book. I like characters like Felix who are sweet, dopey, and good natured.
What this book did make me think about (again) is the hypocrisy and horror characters (in general) feel towards vampirism, even when the author makes it clear the victims isn’t killed or maimed or even really harmed. “OMG the vampires are harming humans!” They all cry while eating hamburgers or steak. “Think of the helpless victims! This animal meat tastes so good! I don’t think I could ever give up eating flesh.”
What this book did make me think about (again) is the hypocrisy and horror characters (in general) feel towards vampirism, even when the author makes it clear the victims isn’t killed or maimed or even really harmed. “OMG the vampires are harming humans!” They all cry while eating hamburgers or steak. “Think of the helpless victims! This animal meat tastes so good! I don’t think I could ever give up eating flesh.”
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