I'm Still Alive

by Jade Austin

Run.Don’t cry.Just get away.All Azalea remembers from before on that deserted London road are the pouring rain and the agonizing pain inflicted by a single bite. Forced to learn of her traumatic past through vivid nightmares, this new vampire tries to piece together the truth as she navigates a world no mortal knows exists. When romance and hope start to blossom, several barriers are cast towards her, including the wrath of one who is not prepared to share. As circumstances turn violent, any chance at a normal life is vanquished. Enlisting the aid of creatures she once believed to be a myth, Azalea begins to fight, but how can she thrive in a world where her own darkness surrounds her and she finds herself constantly haunted by the colour RED?Follow Azalea through book one of the trilogy, where fantasy mixes with mystery, a forbidden romance, and darkness.Just get away.Don’t cry.Run. I’m Still Alive Jade Austin Dark Fantasy RomanceTarget New Adult +This novel WordsBritish Spelling and AbbreviationMental Health AwarenessThe following are situations or themes throughout the Sexual AssaultAbuseGoreDomestic ViolenceBrief Thoughts of SuicideConsensual Sexual ContentOther Mystery, Adventure, Action, Vampires, Witchcraft, Magical Creatures, Historical Fiction, Childhood Trauma, PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, BIPOC

Genres: Fantasy, Vampires, Romance, Paranormal, Dark Romance, Magic, Romantasy

319 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 11, 2021

Reviews

[Arabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book had my full attention within the first few chapters! I loved this take on vampires! Personally i dont think i have read anything with a take like this so i thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the romance in the book and the character dynamics! I recommend this book to anyone who fancies a read on a fresh new take on vampires with romance and a little bit of spice! Well done Jade!

[Inked Thumb · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What is Dracula's least favorite song? You are my sunshine."

Welcome back readers! Tonight‘s review is special, it’s my second ARC review. My first was Merciless by Jacqueline Pawl (I’ll post that review on another day - great book) and I wasn’t able to find another for a while after that. So, imagine my surprise when I saw Jade Herron’s post about searching for ARC readers for her fantasy romance novel! I signed up right away :).

If any of you have page on Facebook or instagram or just even a webpage, where readers can sign up for ARC teams or Beta teams, let a girl know ;)!



There are stigmas circulating about indie authors and readers. That they aren’t good writers and the people who read them aren‘t book-enthusiast. False! And if you ever need proof the book‘s cover is above. Jade Herron just broke the stereotype with ‘I’m Still Alive’! The writing was engaging and didn’t dull on, the characters were consistent and factual, the problems of their world made sense, and the relationship was desirable.

Book Review

Azalea is newly born vampire with an asshole of a sire. God, if I could read through pages and choke someone to death it would be Florence. The man has tons of short coming. He’s a mix of stupid and smart, dangerous with a side of damn-the-consequences. The mixture of his vulnerability (which he would deny he has) and his obsession made him a brilliant villain for this story.

Back to Azalea, the girl has big ovaries! Fighting Florence every step of the way and conquering her new standing in the world. I loved how she was a realist in her love with Chadwick. She presented a strong front when faced with her enemies but put Chadwick in front her and she couldn’t tell you which end of the gun was the muzzle. I loved her awkwardness in their romantic relationship and her openness in their friendship. Yes people, Azalea is the main character that denies any feelings for her other half, but in her defense I would have too. Can you imagine being in love with someone who‘s specie thinks your a bag of literal shit?!? The specie that killed someone important to your loved one? I may have just dumped the whole romance and stuck him in the friend-zone. Permanently. Lucky for Azalea and us, Chadwick is a sexy guy with a charming smile ;)

Beside the romance the book the writing was excellent. Informative while staying in character, no long lectures explaining how this world works. It was fun, light. The only problem I found was that some of the words where emboldened and in red, which made reading a bit distracting. The plot had an in depth background for majority of the characters, which I appreciated. I don’t know if I have to wait for the next book or if I was suppose to understand Azalea’s history in this book, but the point is I didn’t completely understand it. I’m hoping my confusion will clear in book 2. I can’t wait!!

Hey, Jade Herron!! If you are reading this when does book 2 and 3 release?!? I must know what happens.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It reminded me of the fantasy romance I used to read under a blanket a night. ’I’m still alive’ is a new adult romance, with characters that will keep your eyes glued to the page. Just a heads up, you may want to say fuck school tomorrow, because you will definitely be otherwise engaged.

Thank you Jade Herron for your generosity!

*No hint today, but it ends on a good note with a cliffhanger*

[Eve Reads]

I might try reading this again in the future but for now this is it as I was not hooked. I feel like the author was trying to do something different here but it didn't work for me. I won't be rating as I read very little of it.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Raging mad

I couldn't make in past 78%. I really tired, the storyline was definitely engaging. But our H was possibly just the most useless individual I've ever read about. She was the equivalent of an ostrich sticking her head in the sand every other page. She had zero strength, was a completely ok with just being tormented and abused. Refused to speak up, or even fight. And when finally finding a bit of happiness and love. She coward away, and let her abuser win every round of constantly controlling her. As in finding out about herself. The point that she didn't even try to piece together the strange powers she had on a few occasions. Or when she finally found her family, and RAN! Are you kidding me?! I'm still alive" the title of the book, but I'm asking myself, why bother!?? Completely and utterly Useless! this book as made me beyond angry and disgusted. I wish I never bothered

[Britney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I normally don't read books like this, however I truly enjoyed it. It's a paranormal vampire romance. Very slow burn. I loved the authors story at the end.

[Lana Foxx · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can definitely be classified as a slow-burn love story, with lots of fantasy and action. The relationships between characters are refreshing and sweet, making you fall for their charm quite easily. Happy to support a fellow indie author. Well done.

[G. Rochelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and entertaining read. Characters are alive and relatable. I enjoyed following Azaleas story. From the beginning it was catchy and not a bore. I can't wait to read the second book. Would recommend this book for an entertaining read for sure!

[Chey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Azalea is a newly formed vampire, one who was changed against her will. She doesn't remember who she was before, and as she tries to understand who she was, things start changing. Some for the better, and some for the worst.

I adored Azalea's character. She was strong and spunky, and really brought the story to life. How she handles Florence, Chad and Conner, shows how incredible her character is and I'm glad the author didn't make someone who is portrayed as meek because of everything happening.

I have never wanted a character to get what he deserved as much as Florence. It seemed like every time he was in a scene, I wanted to throttle him. But for his shortcomings, Chad and Connor made up for. I liked Chad a little more, because every scene they had together felt real. He just fit her perfectly.

[Zian Schafer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!

Jade is just so incredibly creative with all the different characters and species and back stories. It was also great to see an MC that’s a vampire that’s sassy but not the annoying ‘I’ll rip your head off kind’, and who has a mission beyond saving the world.

Theres Even a bunch of little plot twists in there that I LOVE.

Not to mention the love interest builds over months and not just two weeks!

[Allison · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 25%

I really wanted to like this book but I could NOT get into it. The setting was confusing and the pacing felt random. I hated how some words were bigger, bold, and red. It threw me off my groove when reading.

I wanted to jump into some steamy romance but Florence is awful and I am not about to get hot and bothered over a dude named Chad.

[Kaija · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non Stop Action

This is a page turner! I am in love with this story, and it kept going non stop from the very beginning to the last page. I’m in desperate need for book 2!

[Jenna E. Faas · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the moment I began reading “I’m Still Alive” by Jade Austin, I was immediately sucked into the story. Azalea, a recently turned vampire, has no recollection of her previous life. Though she is welcomed into a vampire coven, Florence, the vampire who turned her, is abusive, possessive, and frightening. Azalea struggles with with discovering her past and living as a vampire. The thought of hunting is abhorrent so instead of attacking her mark, Azalea befriends him.

I am a huge fan of slow burn romances and this book definitely delivers! It was nice to see the characters form a friendship before any romantic feelings were involved. I loved watching the relationship evolve, and I enjoyed the banter between the characters.

I also liked the concepts of the vampire society and the other magical races. In the world, magical beings are split into two groups: the casters and the night crawlers, which of course hate each other. The vampires hate everything about the witches and don’t even use electricity or technology in their lair because those are products of witch magic. I loved Austin’s world building. She didn’t overload the reader with information about the magical world but slowly introduced aspects when it made sense to do so.

I would definitely recommend “I’m Still Alive” to readers who enjoy worlds with multiple magical creatures like “Twilight”, “The Vampire Diaries”, and “Charmed”, to name a few. An amazing job for Austin’s first novel, and I look forward to the next book in this series!

[Jennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was super good! It’s definitely more YA then I thought it would be especially with all the trigger warnings in the beginning but I do feel like this slow-burn, action packed story was wonderful. I loved (most) of the character development which left me begging for book 2 but, I feel like Azalea could have been stronger. This is also just my personal opinion mainly because I don’t do well with meek, second guessing, and non progressing characters. I loved every character but Azalea. She had no desire to find out more about her father? Sister? Singing ghost? You mean to tell me she would rather sit in her room for a month than attempt to try and get some answers? That just seems …. Dumb. Like I said overall fantastic book and I can’t wait for book 2. I really hop Azalea’s development isn’t as disappointing.

[Brittany Dahl-Holm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this ebook when I got the news that the second one was coming out. I use to love vampire books but slowly drifted more into Fae and fairytales. This book definitely got me back into my vampire kick! The book had me screaming, my stomach fluttering and had me hooked! It sucked me in and had me going “one more chapter” until the sun rose!

Azalea was a very relatable character for me. The intense feeling of love also terrified me and I am one of the most anxious people on the planet! I felt that I was looking into a mirror.

Chadwick was amazing and had me yelling at Azalea at times! I loved the playful banter between them and love how silly they are together! Can’t wait to see where the two of them end up in I’m Still Shattered!

[Samantha Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the slow burn romance! There is some really great, tasteful spice 🌶 too. This was a fun read with some interesting little twists, and the ending was a wild ride! Can’t wait to read the next one

[Erin Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

fabulous

This was a great book. It has just enough spice without being smut and the story line is wonderful. Off I go to book 2.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book! A quick fun read and I’m looking forward to reading the next book.

[Julia Theilmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.. I bought them on a whim knowing that I loved a good vampire story. I was hooked. I just started book 2

[Sarah Faeth Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Refreshing perspective!

I am not typically a reader of vampire novels, but as a novice this female MC vampire perspective was refreshing. It kept me really entertained, and by the end I couldn’t put it down. I had trouble liking the male love interest sometimes, but the mystery and suspense in the book more than made up for it. I’m definitely curious what the next book has in store! If you like vampires, witches, and other magical creatures and enjoy a good memory loss trope, definitely give this one a try!

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the creativity and the characters. Can’t wait to start the second book.

[LaTosha Webber · Rating 2 out of 5]

very drawn out

I enjoyed the moments when Azalea and Chad we’re exchanging banter and it’s a good concept, but it just took forever. There was a lot of this that could have been left out and other stuff that could have used more attention. I took a while to get into and Azalea’s hesitancy about everything that got old and annoyed pretty quickly. And nothing about Florence’s reaction to being rejected makes sense. I wanted to like this but it just missed the mark for me.

[Nicole Talbot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me and I am so glad that it was! Vampires are not usually my main character and I would have missed out! The author has so much going on and a lot of different people/creatures that are processing very relatable traumas. I very much enjoyed this book and am eagerly beginning the next in the series!

[Linnea Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was thankful to come across Jade Austin's social media accounts and saw her series "I'm Still Alive" and it perked my interest.

I found "I'm Still Alive" to be a wonderful work that combined different species of the paranormal universe to create a heroic story of Azalea, an average woman who found out she wasn't so average after all. She reminds me a lot of myself with her sarcastic and witty inner monologue and not always being able to feel like she can say exactly as she truly feels. I mean, wouldn't you have a hard time opening up to a new group of people after you've been turned into a vampire against your will and have your identity stripped from you?

It is Azalea's relationships with friends and loved ones that really help bring the story together for me. How Austin delves into each main, and some even minor relationships in the book is helpful to strengthen characters backstories but also motive and intentions. Every choice she makes as an author is clearly intentional.

The romance in "I'm Still Alive" is slow burn, yes, but also new friends to lovers slow burn so there is a lot of build up and chemistry between Azalea and her "mate". As the antagonist goes, every time he showed up in the chapter, even the mentioning of his name gave me the chills. I, much like Azalea, did not want anything to do with him right from the get-go.

I recommend grabbing a physical copy or getting Austin's book series on KU.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood...Bloody Brilliant!

Jade Austin's 1st book, I'm Still Alive, in a trilogy is magnificent! A vampire and magic filled story that I could not put down. The story is focused around and told from the perspective of the main character, Azalea. She is brand new vampire with a literally forgotten past she is desperate to find.

The settings are perfection with contrasting differences and beautiful imagery. The characters come to life through their unwavering personalities. We meet several other creatures besides just the run of the mill vampires, werewolves, and humans. This makes the world seems more believably full.

Florence, the stories antagonist, is so delicious to hate. Yet still, like Azalea, there is an occasional moment of empathy for him. Then there is the one and only Chadwick. The slow burn, but not too slow, love interest. How could anyone not fall for him!? Then there are the side characters who are diversely perfect in their own imperfect stories. Abigail is newfound best friend that is like a sister. She's also my second favorite character.
The balance between mystifying magic and bloody mess is well done. The story's pacing keeps it page turning throughout. Just enough spice and not too much. I would recommend the book for New Adult (18+) and up.

I am eager for the second installment. This first book was truely blood brilliant!

[Anja · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a phenomenal book. Girl gets kidnapped and turned into a vampire. She wakes up changed and has no memory of her human life. We follow her as she researches anything that will tell her who she is, comes to terms with what she's become, makes friends, makes enemies, and finds love. If you love paranormal romances, then you need to give this book a chance. If you loved New Moon, from the Twilight saga, you will love this book.

Also, props to the author for making the artistic choice to make the words BLOOD, RED, and LOVE in all caps and in bold all throughout the book. Love it.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took some time to win me over. The opening felt slow and a little disorienting, with missing context that made it hard to connect at first. But as the story unfolds, it reveals a dark, richly built fantasy world—and at the center of it all is a heroine with a quiet but powerful presence.

Azalea is thrown into a dangerous supernatural world without memory of who she used to be. While there’s clear tension and danger, especially from one major antagonist, many of the magical beings around her are surprisingly kind and accepting—drawn in by her honesty, resilience, and refusal to blindly follow rules she doesn’t agree with. Her moral clarity and compassion even win over characters who initially resent her, creating a slow-burn “found family” feel within the darker setting.

Romance exists here, but it’s not the core of the story. The real connection is in shared purpose—Azalea and a key character slowly realize they both want to change the broken systems of their world. Their bond is built not just on attraction, but on a mutual belief in doing what’s right, even when it’s dangerous.

If you enjoy introspective fantasy with layered worldbuilding, a morally grounded heroine, and themes of resistance, identity, and hope, I’m Still Alive may be worth the slow build. It’s a quieter kind of fantasy, but one that grows in impact the further you go.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hooked from the first chapter. I liked this story a lot.
Even though vampires are not a new creature in media, I liked the liberties the author took in regards to their powers. This allowed for a fresh take on the supernatural beings. I loved the use of other types of creatures as well. Some of which are popular in media, but some were new to me, which was exciting.
I also enjoyed all the characters. Azalea was so strong, even though she does not have her memories. Florence was absolutely atrocious, but I understand he is supposed to be. I can't wait to see Azalea kick his ass as she deserves. Abigail and Connor are sweet-hearts, and I hope to see more of them in book 2. Chad is such a book boyfriend. He is determined, but so kind. He is almost too perfect, so I hope he gets more depth in books 2 and 3.

This story had a bit too much "tell" and not "show", which is why I took away the one star. Many times this was done when the author easily could have shown us, which took me a bit out of the story. There are also a few plot holes, but as this is book one of three, I am not worried about those.

[Ashley Bahr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was different than any other vampire book that I have read, mainly due to the focus on the difficulty of being a newly made vampire. I'm also glad that Chadwick had his own power as a wizard and didn't really have to rely on Azalea to protect him. I really enjoyed reading it and am on my way to opening the second one!

[Kacey Doner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across the author’s page on Tik Tok and was intrigued.

I have to say, the author did amazing with this book. I am normally more into the darker romances but this book was very interesting. I loved how the author kept you wanting to know more and keep reading more. I had the hardest time putting the book down or stopping at a certain chapter. At times, I wanted to grab the MFH and just talk sense into her because of her flighty characteristics in every situation but honestly i wouldn’t want it written any other way in the end. There are every paranormal creature you can think of in this book and I love how they all interact with each other. If you’re a paranormal book lover you will absolutely love this book. I’m excited to see how the next book plays out and what each character will do.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm STILL Alive!!!

This book had me from the first sentence!!! I even highlighted it first thing!!! I absolutely love Azalea!!! Aside from being a vampire, she was so real and relatable.. Ya know for a girl who lost all her memories and got turned into a vampire against her will and all.

Chad is my next favorite character his wit and faith in love is the best.

I can not wait to see what comes next. I couldn't put this book down and almost had to call off work so I could finish it, I am sure the same will happen with book two.

Definitely 5 stars and I definitely recommend!!!