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Love Bites #2
Bleeding Hearts
Is love stronger than death?
It's hard to hold down a functioning relationship at the best of times - but it's harder still when one half of the couple is on the wrong side of dead, and the other's just discovered they possess powers that are definitely not of natural origin.
To be together at all, Angela and Chloe have had to overcome almost impossible odds, but their final obstacle might be insurmountable.
In the last ten months, they've searched high and low for a cure to Angela's biting problem, and if they don't find one soon, the chances grow higher and higher that Chloe might die.
Is there a solution, or is the divide between the living and the dead too wide for them to cross?
It's hard to hold down a functioning relationship at the best of times - but it's harder still when one half of the couple is on the wrong side of dead, and the other's just discovered they possess powers that are definitely not of natural origin.
To be together at all, Angela and Chloe have had to overcome almost impossible odds, but their final obstacle might be insurmountable.
In the last ten months, they've searched high and low for a cure to Angela's biting problem, and if they don't find one soon, the chances grow higher and higher that Chloe might die.
Is there a solution, or is the divide between the living and the dead too wide for them to cross?
400 pages, Paperback
First published June 10, 2021
8 people are currently reading
537 people want to read
About the author
Ry Herman
6 books232 followersBorn in the US, Ry Herman is now a permanent Scottish resident. Their debut novel, the queer supernatural romcom Love Bites, was published by Jo Fletcher Books in July of 2020. Ry is bisexual and genderqueer.
Their most recent book, This Princess Kills Monsters, is a retelling of “The Twelve Huntsmen”, one of the Grimm Brothers’ weirdest fairy tales. It takes that tale’s jilted, trouser-wearing fiancée, her eleven identical crossdressing doppelgangers, a talking lion, and of course, the princess, on an extravagant, fantastical quest to save a kingdom, subvert destiny, and fall in love with the perfectly right wrong person.
Ry has worked at a variety of jobs, including submissions editor, theatre technician, and one job which could best be described as typing the number five all day long. Ry acts and directs, and has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Hobbies include baking bread, playing tabletop roleplaying games, and reading as many books as humanly possible.
Their most recent book, This Princess Kills Monsters, is a retelling of “The Twelve Huntsmen”, one of the Grimm Brothers’ weirdest fairy tales. It takes that tale’s jilted, trouser-wearing fiancée, her eleven identical crossdressing doppelgangers, a talking lion, and of course, the princess, on an extravagant, fantastical quest to save a kingdom, subvert destiny, and fall in love with the perfectly right wrong person.
Ry has worked at a variety of jobs, including submissions editor, theatre technician, and one job which could best be described as typing the number five all day long. Ry acts and directs, and has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Hobbies include baking bread, playing tabletop roleplaying games, and reading as many books as humanly possible.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 25, 2021
While I enjoyed the first book in the series, this book hinged more on the paranormal aspect than the romance aspect, and because of that, I ended up enjoying it less. The plot just didn't interest me very much, and Angela and Chloë spent most of the book apart from each other which made the romance feel pretty much non-existent. While I still liked how weird this was (even weirder than the first book!), I found myself bored a lot of the time. I did really like the epilogue, though!
August 29, 2021
My second book!
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
July 26, 2021
This is even better than the first. I love how the really interesting supporting characters from Love Bites get much more of a role and even the original villain becomes more complex. It is still a complicated love story but with magic and monsters, and at times and when necessary a very strange cat and an imaginary side-kick lobster. The story is well paced and well edited; nothing is a distraction but always a contribution to the main goal: can Chloe and Angela make their lives and relationships work?
Want to read
May 24, 2021Ayyy
SAPPHIC ARCCCCCC
PURRRRRRRRR
SAPPHIC ARCCCCCC
PURRRRRRRRR
June 13, 2021
If your a paranormal lover this book has it all, vampires, werewolves, a trio of dead witches, a talking lobster 🦞 This is the second book in the series (I will share my review to book one in my stories) but it can definitely be read as a stand alone.
In this story we see the two main characters, Chloë (witch) and Angela (vampire) trying to navigate a relationship together despite the challenges in their path. Running parallel to this is the story of Maijing, an ancient enslaved vampire which seems unconnected until over half way through the book.
I really liked the mini story that Chloë wrote was the story unfolded, it was great to see the Greek gods featured and the talking lobster was a bonus.
In this story we see the two main characters, Chloë (witch) and Angela (vampire) trying to navigate a relationship together despite the challenges in their path. Running parallel to this is the story of Maijing, an ancient enslaved vampire which seems unconnected until over half way through the book.
I really liked the mini story that Chloë wrote was the story unfolded, it was great to see the Greek gods featured and the talking lobster was a bonus.
Want to read
June 5, 2021uk date
July 8, 2021
I really enjoyed reading "Bleeding Hearts". I think Ry Herman's sophomore effort is actually better than their first. In "Love Bites" we get to meet Angela and Chloë, and get to know them. Here, we know them, and their chemistry is well-founded. I liked seeing them grow in this story.
If you liked "Love Bites" I think you'll love "Bleeding Hearts". I know I did.
If you liked "Love Bites" I think you'll love "Bleeding Hearts". I know I did.
August 15, 2021
Bleeding Hearts
Author: Ry Herman
Publisher: Jo Fletcher books
Page count: 400pp
Release date: 10th June 2021
Meijing, 1906 Chinatown San Francisco
Sold into servitude to a bathhouse, like her mother, Meijing will never be free; her four year contract extended again and again until she dies, bruised and battered.
But with the earthquake that hits San Francisco, she is enslaved to Master Hiram, a heartless, arrogant vampire.
Part one starts in 2000, shortly after the events in Love Bites, and Angela the vampire and Chloe the witch are most suitably, in a graveyard.
They’ve only just discovered each other a year ago, but time is creeping up on them. They have two months left together unless they can find a cure to stop Angela’s bites affecting Chloe.
So, magic spells in graveyards, it is.
Poignant, romantic and funny; Chloe’s ‘stories’ based on ancient myths and deities, plus the use of lobsters are particularly funny.
These are part of Chloe’s own writing in which she adapts the myth of Persephone with a very witty and modern voice. These ‘excerpts’ offset the love relationship between Chloe and Angela as well as the building drama surrounding loss and awful exes.
Herman expertly weaves the historical narratives into the current - the year 2000 - all leading up into a culmination of … well, you need to read to find out.
Add in the fact you have a vampire and her werewolf friend on a buddy road trip and it’s terrific fun. But it’s also very much centred on the heroes journey or, the heroines journey in this case.
At the heart of it, lies a dark story of abuse towards women, addiction, gaslighting and the power of love.
Yes, it’s cheesy at times but intentionally so, delivering some real laugh out loud moments.
This is a wonderful celebratory book about the LGBTQ community and the ending is beautiful.
Author: Ry Herman
Publisher: Jo Fletcher books
Page count: 400pp
Release date: 10th June 2021
Meijing, 1906 Chinatown San Francisco
Sold into servitude to a bathhouse, like her mother, Meijing will never be free; her four year contract extended again and again until she dies, bruised and battered.
But with the earthquake that hits San Francisco, she is enslaved to Master Hiram, a heartless, arrogant vampire.
Part one starts in 2000, shortly after the events in Love Bites, and Angela the vampire and Chloe the witch are most suitably, in a graveyard.
They’ve only just discovered each other a year ago, but time is creeping up on them. They have two months left together unless they can find a cure to stop Angela’s bites affecting Chloe.
So, magic spells in graveyards, it is.
Poignant, romantic and funny; Chloe’s ‘stories’ based on ancient myths and deities, plus the use of lobsters are particularly funny.
These are part of Chloe’s own writing in which she adapts the myth of Persephone with a very witty and modern voice. These ‘excerpts’ offset the love relationship between Chloe and Angela as well as the building drama surrounding loss and awful exes.
Herman expertly weaves the historical narratives into the current - the year 2000 - all leading up into a culmination of … well, you need to read to find out.
Add in the fact you have a vampire and her werewolf friend on a buddy road trip and it’s terrific fun. But it’s also very much centred on the heroes journey or, the heroines journey in this case.
At the heart of it, lies a dark story of abuse towards women, addiction, gaslighting and the power of love.
Yes, it’s cheesy at times but intentionally so, delivering some real laugh out loud moments.
This is a wonderful celebratory book about the LGBTQ community and the ending is beautiful.
June 5, 2021
Wow. Thats the first thing I have to say about Bleeding Hearts. I knew very little about the book going in to it, just that it was sapphic and about vampires. I didn't even realise it was the second in a series. Luckily for me it still made perfect sense and managed to get itself a 5 star review. I can tell you now I will be ordering myself a copy of Love Bites so I can get the full impact of Bleeding Hearts when I inevitably reread it.
Bleeding Hearts is a adult paranormal romance following Angela, a vampire, and her girlfriend Chloe, a witch. Already, what more could I ask for? It follows them trying to muddle through life together, when Angela must sleep during the day and desperately doesn't want to accidentally kill her girlfriend when feeding. Set in the year 2000 they also have the joys of contending with homophobia along the way, as if being a vampire and a witch weren't difficult enough. The auther Ry Herman managed to create a beautiful story about two young women that just want to be together, no matter what the world (or Gods) throw at them.
This is where it gets even better, because there are even some aspects of mythology as Chloe learns about her magical abilities as a witch. So really Bleeding Hearts has everything a girl could want and more; wampires, witches, mythology, lesbians and an adorable cat. All the characters are so likable and you can't help but root for them. Both girls are relatable in their own ways and the third person narrative really aided that, allowing the reader to really understand the different characters emotions. There were funny bits, emotional bits, a little bit of spice as well. It really was a very enjoyable and well rounded book.
I'm trying to think of anything I didn't like about it and all I can come up with is that I was a little confused about the switching points in time at first but I quickly got used to it and made sense of it all in my head. I suppose when there are characters that are centuries old vampires their timeline is bound to be a little confusing. That didn't stop me though, I wizzed through Bleeding Hearts and loved every bit of it. Even the ending left me satisfied which is seeming harder and harder to do these days.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Bleeding Hearts is a adult paranormal romance following Angela, a vampire, and her girlfriend Chloe, a witch. Already, what more could I ask for? It follows them trying to muddle through life together, when Angela must sleep during the day and desperately doesn't want to accidentally kill her girlfriend when feeding. Set in the year 2000 they also have the joys of contending with homophobia along the way, as if being a vampire and a witch weren't difficult enough. The auther Ry Herman managed to create a beautiful story about two young women that just want to be together, no matter what the world (or Gods) throw at them.
This is where it gets even better, because there are even some aspects of mythology as Chloe learns about her magical abilities as a witch. So really Bleeding Hearts has everything a girl could want and more; wampires, witches, mythology, lesbians and an adorable cat. All the characters are so likable and you can't help but root for them. Both girls are relatable in their own ways and the third person narrative really aided that, allowing the reader to really understand the different characters emotions. There were funny bits, emotional bits, a little bit of spice as well. It really was a very enjoyable and well rounded book.
I'm trying to think of anything I didn't like about it and all I can come up with is that I was a little confused about the switching points in time at first but I quickly got used to it and made sense of it all in my head. I suppose when there are characters that are centuries old vampires their timeline is bound to be a little confusing. That didn't stop me though, I wizzed through Bleeding Hearts and loved every bit of it. Even the ending left me satisfied which is seeming harder and harder to do these days.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 12, 2021
4.5* rounded to 5
I loved Love Bytes for the mix of paranormal romance, humor and great characters.
I loved Bleeding Hearts for it’s a great follow up and had a lot of fun in reading it.
One note: even if it’s possible to read it as a standalone I think it’s better to read the two books in order to get a full picture of what is going on.
I found this story poignant, entertaining and gripping. Even if it’s a bit slow at the beginning I was hooked and turned pages as fast as I could.
Chloe and Angela are a great couple and the new characters, like Meijing, are interesting. I loved how the author shows Chloe and Angela as a couple but also as they change and grow as person.
Even if the story deals with some serious issues like homophobia and racism the author incorporates them in the plot and is able to switch to a more sombre tone.
I missed aunt Ethel, a great quirky characters, but there’s plenty of funny situations.
I would be happy to read some spin-off featuring aunt Ether or Mike and Shelly as I loved this characters.
An excellent, gripping and entertaining story that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to JoFletcher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I loved Love Bytes for the mix of paranormal romance, humor and great characters.
I loved Bleeding Hearts for it’s a great follow up and had a lot of fun in reading it.
One note: even if it’s possible to read it as a standalone I think it’s better to read the two books in order to get a full picture of what is going on.
I found this story poignant, entertaining and gripping. Even if it’s a bit slow at the beginning I was hooked and turned pages as fast as I could.
Chloe and Angela are a great couple and the new characters, like Meijing, are interesting. I loved how the author shows Chloe and Angela as a couple but also as they change and grow as person.
Even if the story deals with some serious issues like homophobia and racism the author incorporates them in the plot and is able to switch to a more sombre tone.
I missed aunt Ethel, a great quirky characters, but there’s plenty of funny situations.
I would be happy to read some spin-off featuring aunt Ether or Mike and Shelly as I loved this characters.
An excellent, gripping and entertaining story that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to JoFletcher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
March 31, 2022
Star Rating: 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
It’s been 10 months since that night in the club. The night they decided to get back together after “the bite”. 10 months since they agreed to date for a year while Chloë “donates” blood. 10 months since they agreed to go their separate ways if they did not find a way to keep Chloë from dying.
One problem, it feels like they are no further forward in their mission. And when Chloë faints after Angela’s latest feeding, Angela vows to never again feed from Chloë.
As a last attempt to find answers Angela, and Shelly’s boyfriend, Mike travel to phoenix. Their aim, find Angela’s abusive vampire ex girlfriend to see if she knows anything. If worst comes to worst Angela plans to flee and leave Mike Chloë and Shelly behind. Leaving them to get in with their lives and most importantly leaving Chloë safe.
BUT when there trip leaves them with more questions than answers, what dangers await Chloë and Angela? And Will their love survive this latest trial?
Oh my god, I didn’t think this sequel could beat the first book, but it did.
This book shows the realities of a log term relationship. That is that even when you love each other and have a good healthy relationship, there are always going to be things going wrong and circumstances within which miscommunication arises. But it the way you deal with these incidents that helps your relationship endure for the long haul 🥺
Secondly I think this book demonstrates really well (in my opinion) the cycle of abuse and shows how hard it is to break that cycle and work that goes into doing just that.
I love this series so much, and I cannot wait to reread it in the future.
“Have you been together long, how long have you been waiting for this”
It’s been 10 months since that night in the club. The night they decided to get back together after “the bite”. 10 months since they agreed to date for a year while Chloë “donates” blood. 10 months since they agreed to go their separate ways if they did not find a way to keep Chloë from dying.
One problem, it feels like they are no further forward in their mission. And when Chloë faints after Angela’s latest feeding, Angela vows to never again feed from Chloë.
As a last attempt to find answers Angela, and Shelly’s boyfriend, Mike travel to phoenix. Their aim, find Angela’s abusive vampire ex girlfriend to see if she knows anything. If worst comes to worst Angela plans to flee and leave Mike Chloë and Shelly behind. Leaving them to get in with their lives and most importantly leaving Chloë safe.
BUT when there trip leaves them with more questions than answers, what dangers await Chloë and Angela? And Will their love survive this latest trial?
Oh my god, I didn’t think this sequel could beat the first book, but it did.
This book shows the realities of a log term relationship. That is that even when you love each other and have a good healthy relationship, there are always going to be things going wrong and circumstances within which miscommunication arises. But it the way you deal with these incidents that helps your relationship endure for the long haul 🥺
Secondly I think this book demonstrates really well (in my opinion) the cycle of abuse and shows how hard it is to break that cycle and work that goes into doing just that.
I love this series so much, and I cannot wait to reread it in the future.
“Have you been together long, how long have you been waiting for this”
January 7, 2023
Really love who these characters have grown into. Very much a sequel—must real Love Bites first. I think any one who enjoyed the first book will have a lot of fun reading this one too.
June 9, 2021
ARC received from Netgalley for review
I adore queer fiction and paranormal so jumped at the chance to review this book. Sadly that is the highlight for me of this tale.
I wish Netgalley would add to the criteria which tense a book is written in as I really struggle to read in third person which was my first issue with this book.
However, preferences aside, I dove in this book. Or tried to. The book felt jumbled and confused, like it didn't know what to be. I thought I was getting a comedy but it certainly wasn't that. It felt long winded and flat and I struggled to finish the book.
The characters felt one dimensional and I didn't feel like I got to know anything about them. I became aware this was the second book in a series after I'd selected it and wouldn't say it does a good job of standing alone. I didn't feel emotionally invested in the characters and struggled to feel their connection.
Sadly the highlight for me was the epilogue where Gay Marriage was approved and they went to get their marriage licence. And that's the part that bumped this up to a 3 star rating.
I adore queer fiction and paranormal so jumped at the chance to review this book. Sadly that is the highlight for me of this tale.
I wish Netgalley would add to the criteria which tense a book is written in as I really struggle to read in third person which was my first issue with this book.
However, preferences aside, I dove in this book. Or tried to. The book felt jumbled and confused, like it didn't know what to be. I thought I was getting a comedy but it certainly wasn't that. It felt long winded and flat and I struggled to finish the book.
The characters felt one dimensional and I didn't feel like I got to know anything about them. I became aware this was the second book in a series after I'd selected it and wouldn't say it does a good job of standing alone. I didn't feel emotionally invested in the characters and struggled to feel their connection.
Sadly the highlight for me was the epilogue where Gay Marriage was approved and they went to get their marriage licence. And that's the part that bumped this up to a 3 star rating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2021
This was such a fun read! I mean - sapphics, witches, vampires and a talking lobster, what more could you want? I hadn't read the first book but feel like this still worked well enough as a standalone, and I adored the characters. I'll definitely be reading the first book to see where Chloe and Angela's relationship began!
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 17, 2025
I started this read expecting more romance, but I got more vampires and the supernatural. Not complaining, hey, I love that stuff! But the first book in the series sets up what feels heavier on romance and this feels like a slightly different type of story. For readers who don’t mind either or it’s gonna be a good one. Same quirky style from before.
October 9, 2022
Just as delightful as the first, with even more supernatural weirdness, more backstory, and new characters to meet. I loved seeing Chloë and Angela working to stay together, and I hope that their story isn’t over.
September 19, 2024
This was cute! Vampires, witches, werewolves, mind control, magic, death. Lots of fun stuff!
Hadn't realised it was a sequel, although a few sentences made me wonder if it was. So if you haven't read the first one, you should still be able to follow along!
Hadn't realised it was a sequel, although a few sentences made me wonder if it was. So if you haven't read the first one, you should still be able to follow along!
June 22, 2025
Enjoyable but too scattered to be as good as the first book (Love Bites). It does a very good job of showing how a bad (violent) relationship can cause long lasting damage in future relationships but also that a loving partner can help heal those wounds.
December 21, 2021
:3 oh they cute oh this made me so SOFT
May 8, 2023
Fills the void that Buffy left
August 29, 2025
took me a while to get into the flow of this, but once i got around a third of the way in it really picked up. really enjoyed switching between angela and chloe's perspectives during their missions!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews