The Arrival

Lore & Lust #3.5

by Karla Nikole

The vampire comfort read you didn’t know you needed.

Nino and Haruka are starting their family with the pending arrival of a new baby, but it’s freaking Nino out a little.

Old wounds and complicated familial relationships come to a head, and the two vampires must work together to smooth things out before they become fathers.

The Arrival is the first Lore and Lust novella and follows the perspective of Nino and Haruka across the span of Lore and Lust Book Three: The Awakening, and beyond.

Genres: Fantasy, Vampires, Romance, M M Romance, Adult, Queer, Paranormal

166 pages, Paperback

Published May 31, 2022

Reviews

[Danny_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't stop smiling!

This was such a lovely end to this series. Seeing my boys start their family warmed my heart!

[Gaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just the perfect ending for these two ❤️

[Yara · Rating 5 out of 5]

You are flawless to my nature. You are perfect for me. I love you more than you can ever truly comprehend.

Well, a reading slump has hit me again and lasting far too long for my liking. However, when I received Karla's announcement that this novella was now available through Amazon last Wednesday I couldn't have been quicker ordering it. I must say, I'm rather impressed it managed to get from Italy to the Netherlands overnight so that I could start it last night right away (Gj postal services). It's not the first time one of Karla's books has pulled me out of a long period of not having been able to read a proper sentence.

Ever since L&L: The Awakening was released I've been rather impatient to read more about Haruka and Nino's journey towards parenthood. While we got to enjoy plenty of them in the last L&L book, I truly missed their adorable interactions, the bond they share, not only together but also with the people surrounding them. Let me just say, this novella delivered. Spicy halloween parties? Brotherly love? The emotional first steps of becoming fathers? How is that not a recipe for something heartwarming that you just need to read to cure your spirit?

No doubt this endearing novella gets a 5/5 rating from me. Have you not read L&L yet, I definitely would recommend you to, because without this story will confuse you a lot, I fear. Then again, why have you not read L&L yet?

Karla, dear, should you read this. Thank you so much yet again! L&L always manages to brighten my spirit, even in gloomy times. Also, please, with little Nami now around (and a second one on the way) I can't help but yearn to read about a rebellious teen Nami who makes Haruka want to pull out all his hair. If Haru and Nino survive that, they will survive everything ;) did they ever have to put Ikea furniture together?

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

GAHHHH FEEELINGGGSSSSSSS!!

It has been decided: Haru & Nino are my ultimate comfort characters. There are very few authors/series that I would actually come back to again and again but watch me re-read this entire series ten times over this coming year because I can't. get. enough.

There is a very selfish part of me that feels like these books were written for me because they hit the very core of my soul and I want to gatekeep the fuck outta them. *insert photo of me clutching the Lore & Lust books for dear life while repeatedly muttering "myyy preciousssss"* BUT, what overrides that feeling is knowing that more people need to know about how absolutely stunning these books are. With that said, I implore you to pick these up if you haven't already.

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are a guilty pleasure. Sue me

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was just precious and I will never not want more Nino and Haruka content 🥰

[Kalob Dàniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

i never want haru and nino’s story to end. i hope karla writes about them until the end of time. i love them and their little family so much my heart just can’t take it. thank you for writing this novella karla. thank you.

[Trish Skywalker · Rating 5 out of 5]

so sweet!!!

I love Haru and Nino and this was their sweetest endeavor!
This novella is what Nino and Haru were up to during The Awakening. They’re preparing for one of the biggest events of their lives: the conception and birth of their first child.
Haru and Nino both have struggles and events in their pasts that make them apprehensive about being fathers. They both have to look at where they were and where they are now to be as prepared as they can. They lean on each other heavily, and support each other beautifully…and since it’s Haru and Nino, of course there’s some steam!
They are such a beautiful couple and I loved seeing them move to this new chapter together 💙

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You are flawless to my nature. You are perfect for me. I love you more than you can ever truly comprehend"

I just love Nino and Haruka so much 🥰 this was a beautiful little insight into them preparing for parenthood. Full of sweetness and love.

Asao was on form and had me giggling so much through the book. The best kind of comfort read.

[Lizzy (reviewsshewrote) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this cast of characters so much, and I’m so glad we got a look at Haruka and Nino becoming fathers.

[Alai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Estuvo linda la novela, le tengo cariño a los personajes.

Espero que la autora escriba más en este mundo.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Did we date?”
“We had one, officially, at least. You drank a lot of wine and put your hands down my pants.”
“Ah, my favorite pastime.”

Haru and Nino will forever be comfort characters for me. Their love and open communication is always refreshing. Having this novella once again showing the softer moments between them, the healing moments, made me so happy. The journey to becoming parents was beautiful and my emotions were all over the place.

These two always crack me up as well. You would think Nino would be the better “joker,” but it’s always Haru that makes me audibly laugh. This one is definitely going to be added to my pile of “rereads that make me happy when I’m sad” books.

“Are you a fortune teller? Why are you being ominous right now?”
“Because I am Hades—lord of the underworld. Does this not match my aesthetic tonight?”

Love them!!

[Roni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t have any expectations for what I wanted out of this novella because I knew whatever was within its pages would be perfect. And that was exactly right. Yet again, Karla left me feeling weepy and so happy with my favorite group of vamps!

I felt so much resolve for Nino & Haru with their growth & healing between each other, themselves, & other loved ones. My favorite part about these characters is the unfolding of their development, the vulnerability they have/work toward having, and the safe spaces they create for each other to express such vulnerability. It’s always so beautifully done and leaves my heart feeling full.

I will never get tired of being back in their world, watching them & the lil family they’ve created prosper 🥹😭♥️

[Zen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I feel like this novella was mostly fanservice and wasn't my fave. Not a lot of story that had not already been covered, just small snippets of the months covered in Jae and Jun's novel, but from Haru amd Nino's POV.

[Sofia Boquist]

DNF 36%

This wasn’t a bad book but I regret starting it since I feel done with this world and these characters. It was a fun trilogy to read once but it’s nothing I’ll read again so this short wasn’t something I’m interested in.

[Ash’s reading corner ✨🌈 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh god I never want their story to end ! And I NEED the stories of their kids, then their grandkids,..!!

I do love Jae et Jun too so please give me more of them as well 😭😭

[MJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Karla Nikole's words always feels like coming home. 🩷🩷🩷

[Lydia Herondale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but gold. Loved to meet my comfort couple again!

[Brittanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this more because of the completest urge than any real interest in the story. I like Nikole's take on vampires and the international diversity of the characters in each of these books - but once a baby aspect is introduced, that's a hard left for me. I'm not reading a MM vampire romance to read about babies and the fake-science needed to create one from two male vampires.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute. It wasn’t bad but it also wasn’t something I needed if that makes sense. It wasn’t something that when I finished the primary trilogy I was like oh I need a story about this. But it was quick and easy and I still love this couple a lot.

[davdashaaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of the entire book series(づᴗ _ᴗ)づ♡
I don’t even know where to start with the Lore & Lust series, because honestly, it stole my heart from the very first page. Haruka and Nino are pure magic together. Watching them fall in love, support each other, and grow through every challenge made me smile, swoon, and sometimes even tear up 😭💞.

The second book The Vanishing brought so much heartache and challenges, but Haru and Nino faced everything together, their love growing even stronger through the pain. And as if that wasn’t exciting enough, a new, super sexy Italian couple Giovanni and Cellina appeared, adding even more sparks and fun to the story. It was emotional, thrilling, and impossible to put down!

Then there’s The Awakening, where we meet Jae and Jun – another beautiful, intimate, and heartfelt love story. This one focused more on human struggles, since one of the main characters was still human at first. It was both sweet and steamy, with tender moments that made my heart melt)

And the novella about Haru and Nino preparing for parenthood? 🍼💗 Their bond, the way they support each other, and the little joys and anxieties of stepping into a new chapter of life made me feel like I was right there with them ꉂ(˵˃ ᗜ ˂˵)

One of my favorite things about this series is the side characters. I absolutely adore Asao – he’s such a wonderful mix of friend, butler, and father figure, a truly wise and caring older vampire. And then there’s Sydney, that little hamster who completely stole my heart.

Every book in this series is a perfect blend of love, adventure, laughter, emotional depth, and yes, spicy moments too. It’s impossible not to get attached to these characters and the world they inhabit. I’ve laughed, cried, swooned, and fallen completely in love – and I know I’ll read this series over and over again because it feels like it was written just for my heart. ⎛⎝( ` ᢍ ´ )⎠⎞

some vibe: 🧛🏼📚🎎☕️🪢💞👘🥼❤️‍🔥🔞🥰🥺🍼👶🏻🤣🫂❤️‍🩹♾️

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️\🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my oh my oh my oh my!!
I just wanna point out that I am VERY aware this says "Volume one" meaning there is definitely a chance of a volume two...!!!

So.. Honestly, I was expecting this to be a light and fluffy epilogue-type novella where we get all the sweetness that comes after everything has settled.

It is.

Sort of.

In my personal opinion, this one focuses a lot on familial ties and officially mending and head-on dealing with issues unfinished. I was not expecting to cry as much as I did. It's entirely possible I was sensitive to this book because of some personal family drama I have going on at the moment, but the family element focusing on addressing unspoken residual issues as well as communicating and healing sort of broke me. I loved it. But it hit home a little too hard, I think.

The 2nd half of this was 100% perfect! I honestly want so much more of Nami (also would be satisfied with more Cellina and Giovanni *hint hint, nudge nudge*).

I love this novella and this series and the idea that it's officially drawing to a close is a tiny bit ridiculously upsetting and saddening!

But I will forever and always support the author!!

[kaylina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 / 5: "I've had enough hard things in my life. You are a much-welcomed relief."

okay first things first, i'd like to sincerely thank the author for following through on that little teaser that there was more to come for our favorite characters at the ending of the last book. as taken as i am with jae & jun from the awakening (loves of my life!!), getting to revisit haru & nino in their version of events of their time in the last book was as welcome a relief as haru says himself to nino about him coming into his life.

the writing was...very flowery, most remarkably during the intimate scenes between haru & nino, and it was kind of disorienting to be quite honest. part of me understood that this was to show the depth of these two's insurmountable love for each other and it definitely was made very clear. i liked how much it read as poetry at some point because these two are just such huge romantics absolutely soft for the other and they have been through too much to hold back now. i appreciated that in all these intimate details, the author continued to explore haru's own trauma from the years he'd spent malnourished due to the loss & grief he encountered after his first mate cheated on him. the significance of this bond made between the vampires in lore & lust is as compelling as it was harrowing because when this bond breaks, it is out of a force that is detrimental to the pair that initially tethered themselves to each other.

in a completely other circumstance, i could delve into the complexity of such a consequence but in the case of this story, i think it's more important to think about how much trust haru lost in a person who could have even be considered a close friend at some point, and yet he was treated so horribly beyond just physical. being from old blood as a purebred, haru's power is beyond the beyond, and it's his aura that lures first, second-gen, and third-gen vampires to his vicinity. to have that kind of power, and be someone who is much more introverted than anything else, it causes such a detrimental effect to feel that he has to further isolate himself so as to prevent not just suffering any more hurt but potentially affecting other vampires to the extreme. meeting nino in the first book, it was so incredibly important for them both to have found each other.

i think that in this novella, what i appreciate even more is how the author dove deeper into what makes bonds so much like magic. we see characters like haru & jun, who both abused themselves in different ways because of the trauma that these bonds formed between vampires caused, and they find someone who gently shows them how much love and softness is waiting for them. this bond has a mind of its own, and it's so hard to predict what exactly defines it (even despite how much haru and his family have studied on the subject). to read these love stories and see haru & jun witness what makes a bond so strong, not in how it can be manipulated, but in how much closer it can bring two souls together in completely individual ways--it's everything to me. it meant everything to see haru get to be such a far-gone romantic poet whenever he spoke about nino, and to see that same energy reflected in how nino perceives haru.

to get to learn more about nino's own troubles about becoming a father due to the unstable relationship he shared with his own, as well as with his older brother, it broke my heart to see him feel so undeserving to get to have that paternal role. despite being older than haru, nino reads so much younger in all his softness and insecurities and yet there's so much growth to be seen in his character from the first book up to end of this novella. he's as eager and charming as he's always been, but he gradually does come to have more solid footing not just with himself, but in his career and with his family. as much as i have some mixed feelings about certain points of the vanishing, the exploration of two characters who are very close & dear to nino's heart, cellina & giovanni (the latter his brother), was very important as it ties together even more in this novella. getting some resolution with nino and giovanni, seeing how much it helps in making nino feel more positive about what comes next for him as a father, it was also everything.

nino & haru are just such different people and were at such different places in their lives before they met, and so their union just makes me feel very emotional at how much good change they bring in each other once their paths crossed. the reassurance they provided for the other in dark moments of doubt only made their bond even stronger, and once everything unfurls when nami, their daughter, is born, it all comes together so beautifully as like witnessing the blooming of a bright flower. i'm so happy that in all that development we saw over months previous to nami's birth, we got to see small glimpses into the happy (and frustrating) memories haru & nino shared with their first-born child after. the sense of found family in this novella is absolutely heart-warming, characters like asao & sydney providing a lot more warmth in this bubble of happiness haru & nino have created. i'm even more happy to have gotten to see a little bit of jae & jun (read again: loves of my life!!) and see how well they also fit into this huge family in the lore & lust universe.

i would be thrilled if there was even the slightest chance at seeing more of all of them, but for now i'm just contented that i got to read a little of what they've been up to for some time. if only more people would know about them, that would be absolutely huge and completely well-deserved for the author.

content warnings:
sexual content

[Liriano Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was everything I needed and more from my fav couple. WhT Haru and Nino are doing with their lives is always in the back of my mind, to get a book in regards to that is totally amazing. There relationship the way they community everything about this was perfect. I also loved seeing snippets of my fav Dominican-Japanese camp Junichi and Doctor Davies 🥰🥰🥰. Cant wait to see what’s in store in the future for this amazing Lore and Lust world. I’m also excited for the new space series as well that we got a sneak peek of 😍😍🥰😍😘

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so fun and cute and lovely! 😭💖

I absolutely needed WAY MORE Nami content. How dare the author keep my baby from me? 😩

Anyway. Haru and Nino keep being one of my strongest otps. I love them so fucking much. They’re so cute and they love each other so much! And I’d read a whole novella just about them and their gaggle of children 😭

P.S. Karla Nikole better have in her plans an Asao novella (or if the world is just at all an Asao NOVEL) in the works or I will weep openly and profusely until she does

[YinYangReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a love letter to the fans of the series. It’s not necessarily needed to read but oooooooh what a lovely glimpse into life for Haru and Nino after they found their happily ever after. There is no real plot here, just a series of scenes that run concurrently to Book 3 of the series and a bit after. There is some introspection into how past things can affect the present for both Haru and Nino as they await the “arrival”. The cameos of other characters add to this. The ending family scenes are just lovely. If you love Haru and Nino you will love this novella.

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful addition to the Lore and Lust-verse! So fluffy and warm I felt like I was wrapped in a cozy blanket while reading it. Nino and Haru never fail to make me feel better about life in general - like the book equivalent to an anti-depressant. 🥰 I loved these bite-sized peeks into their lives, at time times touching, at time funny, but at all times lovely and enjoyable.

[Hadassah Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nino and Haruka for the win!

I’m always very lenient with my ratings on novellas, especially for series I know I already love the characters. But this really just was such a good time, such a collection of lovely moments with Nino, Haru, and the rest of the ensemble, and I’m happy to have the extra content of my best guys.

[|Stephanie| · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was like a extended epilogue and I loved every page of it. Seeing my two favorite vamps in love & being excited/nervous about impending fatherhood was precious. Haruka & Nino will forever be one of my top literary couples. I hope we get more of them & their adorable family in the future. 4 Stars!

[vini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful beautiful beautiful - as always! I’m just so in love with this world and these characters.

I’m so happy about this book, the whole series really counts as my comfort books ~ they’re all very close to my heart❤️

I really can’t wait for Karla’s other projects, the teaser at the end got me so curious! x