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Embracing The Bond #2

Claiming Her Vampire

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She’s determined to escape the demons of the past.

Serenity Woods is running away from the box she was trapped in. She grew up in a home of silent disdain if she was lucky and vocal hate if she was not. Her desire to be loved and accepted seems to be her downfall, as she falls into a relationship that steals her power. When she wakes up and decides to take it back, her controlling ex fights to keep her.

While attempting to put her life together, Serenity stumbles into a world she never imagined, full of vampires, shifters, and possibilities. What should be terrifying instead is fascinating. Her curiosity leads her to The Mark, a nightclub owned by the mysterious Ryker Black.

Suddenly she is surrounded by magic and a vampire that draws her deeper and deeper within his life and under his spell, certain she is his mate. But someone is leaving dead bodies at Ryker’s club, experimenting on humans, forcing them to change into shifters outside the mating bond, and Ryker will do anything to protect her.

Can she fall into Ryker’s arms, trusting him to catch her? Will a vampire give her all the love she’s always wished for?

Serenity will have to claim the monster beside her, perhaps most importantly, the demon inside herself.

Claiming Her Vampire is the second book in the Embracing The Bond Series, a stand-alone, vampire, steamy paranormal romance. Guaranteed HEA with a vampire that will do anything to protect his mate.

Due to explicit language, graphic sexual scenes, and violence, this book is intended for mature (18 years +) readers. This book contains discussions on self-harm, physical abuse, and suicide.

244 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 14, 2022

228 people are currently reading
780 people want to read

About the author

T.D. Edwards

12 books111 followers

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5 stars
359 (47%)
4 stars
248 (32%)
3 stars
117 (15%)
2 stars
22 (2%)
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14 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
Profile Image for Kate V.
1,840 reviews365 followers
April 8, 2025
Re-read 4/7/2025:

I feel like I should just bump this rating up considering I’ve now read it again and I just love Ryker.

First Read:

Claiming her Vampire is the second book in the Embracing the Bond series and features Ryker and Serenity. Ryker is a very old vampire that would very much like to meet his mate but doesn’t think it’s in the cards for him. Serenity is a woman running from her past and finds herself working at a club and catching the eye of Ryker.

Ryker realizes the second he scents Serenity that she is his mate and he is hell bent on making Serenity his and while hesitant, this may be just what she needs.

“You are mine, now and for eternity. Ask anyone how determined I can be. Just because I have not shown it to you does not mean it's not true.” He rubs his thumb across my bottom lip, licking his lips. “Test me. I love a good chase,” he whispers. “I will convince you. I can make you happy.”


Serenity and Ryker have a lot to face but they’ll do it together.

“I am the real monster. Fortunately, I am your monster.”


I loved Ryker. He was all growly, grumpy and dominant. Serenity was like a blooming flower. Timid at first but stunning when she believed in herself and the love her and Ryker have. The smut was delicious and the amount of consent and communication in these books is refreshing. I really liked this one!
Profile Image for Danielle Paquette-Harvey.
Author 38 books120 followers
January 25, 2024
"I am the real monster. Fortunately, I am your monster."

OMG I loved Ryker. He is such a hot vampire. You really want to read about him.

Serenity is such a nice and fun character. OMG she had a shitty life so far though. I won't spoil anything but read the trigger warnings.

The spicy scenes are 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ The things he does to her 😏

Rider and Kerian were very fun characters! I loved to read about them!

Overall a quick and entertaining read that will leave you wanting to read the rest of the series!

I absolutely loved Claiming her Vampire by T. D. Edwards

And by the way, she is having a new book released soon, so check it out! I already have another of her books here at home and can't wait to read it.
Profile Image for wenis.
178 reviews
December 24, 2024
Literally no pacing at all and the sex was mid imo
Profile Image for Datura.
215 reviews2 followers
March 30, 2023
I actually liked this one better than the first. It still had the same mistakes [spelling, grammar, forced dialogue] but the plot was pretty good. I am unsure if the author is new to writing but I assuming they are with the style of writing and the flow of the story. I have nothing against new writers, I myself am trying to write. But reading this has me wondering how often this author reads other books.

For me, reading books allows me to learn different styles so I can decide how I want to write my stories but also teaches me a new vocabulary. This series appears to be the author's first, unless they have others under a different name. It isn't bad but it is clear the author is new. I support new writers and I am looking forward to seeing more from this author to see how they grow their writing. I hope they keep at it.

I am seeing a pattern with the characters though.

The characters always have a rough past that includes abuse of some kind, whether physical or emotional, and manage to get over it with their mates. From the little we get from River and Kerian [the men of the next book] and Ava [the leading lady], the pattern will continue.

Now for the characters [don't want to linger on the other parts as the issues remain the same from the previous book]:

First, let's start with Ryker. I like him. He's an interesting character and I enjoyed seeing his way of judging people, the way he liked Blue and River because of their personalities. Naturally, as someone who has lived for 500+ years, he has a lot of baggage, a time in his life when he was a monster but that could be said for any vampire in any other form of media, especially if they live as long or longer than Ryker. I didn't have much problem with him character-wise. He was pretty fun. Aside from some forced dialogue, he was great.

Now for Serenity. I liked her as well. Escaping an abusive relationship, she was naturally wary of guys but still fairly willing to give them a chance, not judging every man on the actions of one. I know I made a contrasting argument for Harmony in my last review but her situation was different and more severe than Serenity. Harmony had more than just one man in her life who she had to compare to. Serenity had one abusive boyfriend, a mother who blamed her daughter for a lost dream, and a father who spent more time in the bottle and obsessing over his wife to pay his child any attention. Her experiences were more condensed than Harmony's so it's more understanding how she is able to still be okay around Ryker, even after her initial wariness.

This book faced the same problem as the first with the pacing. Everything seemed to be happening very quickly due to the limited page count. I feel like it would have been better drawn out, not make it so easy to find the clues that wrapped everything up. It just makes the antagonists seem sloppy, which I suppose makes some sense considering they might not have been doing it long. But there are times when they seem so smart and then make stupid mistakes, such as being caught on camera talking to someone in a way that it was clear they were working together. In the previous book, it was not obvious who the mastermind was, especially since that person didn't even really make an appearance until near the end. In this one, they were always there, in the background, in discussions. The conflict ended quickly and easily, even the main antagonist's partner was caught easily and in such a stupid way. And I have my own questions regarding that whole thing that doesn't add up knowing the person's personality, unless there was nothing really there and they were just using the other person. It was hard to say, really and would depend on how good of an actor the character was.

Over all, it's a pretty good book and so far I am liking the series and the world it is creating. I can't want to continue the series and I hope it gets better as we go.
Profile Image for Phoebe.
270 reviews34 followers
September 25, 2024
SUMMARY:
Serenity Woods is running away from the box she was trapped in. Her desire to be loved and accepted seems to be her downfall, as she falls into a relationship that steals her power. While attempting to put her life together, Serenity stumbles into a world she never imagined, full of vampires, shifters, and possibilities. Her curiosity leads her to The Mark, a nightclub owned by the mysterious Ryker Black. Suddenly she is surrounded by magic and a vampire that draws her deeper and deeper within his life and under his spell, certain she is his mate. Serenity will have to claim the monster beside her, perhaps most importantly, the demon inside herself.

REVIEW:
Claiming Her Vampire is the second book in the Embracing the Bond series which tells the story of vampire Ryker finding his mate in Serenity Woods. Ryker is a vampire that has recently formed a friendship with a panther shifter that had recently found her three mates. Soon enough he unexpectedly finds his mate one night in the newly hired waitress Serenity. Their bond grows after Ryker is left with no choice but to turn her into a vampire when she almost dies. They both have traumatic pasts but it's Serenity's past that has brought trouble to their lives.

The moment that Serenity found out from her friend Ava that shifters and vampire were real was such a classic moment of disbelief that anyone would have. I enjoyed the moment when Ryker casually tells Serenity he loves her which stuns her before she tells him that she loves him too. I found the moment very endearing that Serenity visited Ryker's unborn child at the cemetery to tell them they were going to have a sibling soon. I'm ready for the next to shifter or vampire fall in love with their mates.
Profile Image for Suzy.
126 reviews1 follower
September 9, 2025
My prayers were answered with this second audiobook! I loved the first book in the series, so I was ecstatic to see the next one released. This time, the spotlight shines on the sexy vampire Ryker from book one and his mate, Serenity. The same humor, energy, and intriguing storyline that hooked me in the first book carried right into this one. Ryker, the king of vampires, is so ancient and powerful that he’s grown bored with life until Serenity walks in. Hard to resist a swoon-worthy vampire who declares you his mate and offers you the world on a silver platter. With his old soul and irresistible accent, Ryker is the perfect mix of dangerous and magnetic. We also meet the brotherly sidekicks, Kerian and Rivers (both shifters) who add depth (and comedy) and set the stage for future books. With ten books already written and more audiobooks on the way, this series is an easy one-click for me. The humor, pacing, world-building, and memorable characters keep me hooked, and the full-cast narration makes the story come alive. This series is everything I want in a paranormal romance- fun, steamy, and impossible to put down.
Profile Image for Minta Lambrecht.
147 reviews
March 16, 2024
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I wasn't expecting that much more than a nice, easy romance. But right from the start it sucked me in. Finished it in one sitting. Ryker is *chefs kiss*. A swoon worthy morally gray MC. And Serenity is a great FMC. Her character arc from an abused woman trying to start a life on her own to a bad ass heroine was excellent.
The sex scenes were well written, though I did have a few questions of how they were getting into certain positions, lol. I'd rate it as 3 chilis.
I read this before reading the 1st book in the series as they are all stand-alone books, and while I was able to understand everything there were some repeat characters from the 1st book that has me wanting to go read that one before I continue on. And I will definitely be continuing the series.
Profile Image for 💗Lady V💗.
74 reviews3 followers
February 5, 2025
Serenity and Ryker💕

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
POV: Dual
Book 2 of Embracing the Bond
Standalone
Tropes:
✨Vampire Romance
✨Supernaturals
✨Fated Mates
✨Possessive Mates
⚠️Please read the TW⚠️

Serenity was running away from her old life. Abusive fiancé and neglectful parents. She wanted to start a new so she temporarily staying with her bestie Ava. In order for Serenity to get back on her feet she looking for job. She had an interview at this club that owned by vampires (she knows nothing of the supernatural life) The Mark. What she didn’t know her life will change for the better.

Ryker is the Vampire King who is 500 years old and very powerful who own club The Mark with Bash🤍

I thought it was a bit quick that Serenity had to be turned into vampire early on but couldn’t be helped since she was basically almost k*lled by Rykers past fling. When Serenity was turned Ryker knew she was a special vampire with unique powers. Read and find out why she has those powers.

This book was really good with a lot of twist and turns that you didn’t expect it to happen.

Serenity and Ryker are going to live a long happy life with a very first special gift of their kind. I look forward to reading the rest of the series if they pop in the books.

I love how this book introduced more characters in this series. I can’t wait to read book 2 River seems like a fun character and I look forward to read more about him.
Profile Image for Shelly Rogers.
336 reviews18 followers
July 10, 2024
I absolutely loved this book so much.

To start we have Ryker, the vampire we met and loved from the first book. He's a bar owner and King of his world. He has fun here and there, but nothing serious. Until Serenity. She is a human that he didn't see coming. While she didn't know about the others living among humans, she learns quickly and feels pulled to Ryker. She doesn't back down and is willing to fight with him, and for him.

We also see our main characters from the first book and meet some new ones. I'm intrigued by River and can't wait for his story.

Highly recommend.

Happy Reading Ya'll
Profile Image for Lydia Schriel.
165 reviews32 followers
July 3, 2025
Absolutely loved this story!!! 😍

Ryker is a ruthless killer and is called the vampire king 🔥
But once he finds his mate Serenity, he tries to adjust and hold back for her to grow at the idea of vampires, shifters and the whole mates concept.

Serenity grew so much with such a horrific past with parents and Ryker helped her grow and flourish.

Absolutely adore River, I laughed every time he pulled food from somewhere and everyone was like “where is he getting it from??” 😂 and he really is a great friend!

Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5
Profile Image for Deborah Tucker.
94 reviews
January 9, 2023
It's Ok

There was a lot of potential with this story line.
So much that could have happen yet didn't.
The one thing that made absolutely no sense is the desire for the woman to kill her parents, and being fine with the torture of her father.
It was ok but didn't keep me wanting to not put the book down.
I ended up skipping pages not only to find if it had gotten better, but also to hurry and finish.
I have zero plans to read any other books from this author.
Profile Image for Bellsbook Nook.
200 reviews12 followers
June 14, 2024
I’m sorry

This book was painful to read, I don’t normally give star ratings this low but I can not warn others. The language bounces between 1st person present and past. The narration between dialogue is clunky and the story bounces from one high action scene to another there’s no emotion or growth at all. The “spice” is probably the most cringy. I didn’t even understand what took place. 0/10 do not recommend.
243 reviews2 followers
January 15, 2024
Starts off ok, finishes flat

The first 1/3 of this book was interesting. The rest of the book was too cheesy for my liking, and the characters became too one-dimensional and boring. I skimmed through the rest of the book because I did want to know who was behind all the murders. That, at least, was unexpected.
Profile Image for Pauline Johnson.
442 reviews
November 3, 2025
Awesome, could have used a bit more action and suspense but I still enjoyed reading it. Love when the male character uses the Dominant persona in the bedroom. I think most woman wants a man that knows how to treat a woman and tells her what to do at times. Ryker does that. Love that the protagonist is so badass. I'm enjoying this series.
10 reviews1 follower
October 17, 2022
Amazing Book!!!

If u love vampires amd Shifter romance then u will love this book. It's filled with hot sexy vampires and shifters and so much action . I read this book in 1 day because I couldn't put it down. I cant wait for book 3.
43 reviews3 followers
January 11, 2023
Read this!

Ryker is so hot he could melt steel. The relationships he has with everyone in the book are gold, but his mate is his treasure.

Together they are sizzling and perfect. You'll love this story as much as I did.
215 reviews
January 22, 2023
Read this now!!

This book was super! You must read it! HEA I would leave a more detailed review, however I am heading to one of this series other books now & am impatient to wait lol
Definitely a must read! Fab love story!!
Profile Image for T_Mich13.
61 reviews
June 1, 2023
Fantastic follow-up!

I am really digging T.D. Edwards! I loved the first book and book 2 just keeps building and steamrolling into hot vampire mayhem! Serenity and Ryker 🔥🔥🔥. The chemistry is off the charts and the plot makes me want to stay up for book 3.
Profile Image for Ollie  Minogue.
4 reviews
July 3, 2023
I feel like overall this book isn’t bad. I like the spice and I like that the characters connect fast but I feel like it didn’t have much substance to it. Needed more time I think and it does seem to cut it short. I know it was a stand-alone but I think a 2nd one would be good.
Profile Image for Courtney.
784 reviews4 followers
December 25, 2023
Eh; this was MILES better than the first one, but the same issues I had with the first I have with this one as well. I just really loved Ryker's character & that's about it. This, however, solidifies that I will not be reading any of the other installments.
Profile Image for Amanda.
26 reviews2 followers
January 8, 2024
From start to finish this book pulls you in! The MFC was put through ALOT of challenges and came out a badass! This book was amazing when it came to female empowerment and I loved every second of it! Of course it didn’t hurt that her mate was a super hot vampire king that liked knives! 😘
Profile Image for Heather.
104 reviews
March 14, 2024
DNF at 40% The writing is very simple and didn't keep my attention. I think if you're just starting to get into the world of vampires and shifters, then this book/series would be a good place to start. But it just wasn't for me.
Profile Image for Michelle Ford.
445 reviews
September 19, 2024
So fun!!

These books are quick and easy and so much fun. The spice is actually quite good as well. Really loving all these building friendships as well. I noticed the next title is plural so maybe more than one mate again?
Profile Image for Keli Thompson.
1 review1 follower
July 17, 2025
Great Book.

I don’t normally read shifter romances, but this was was pretty incredible! I love all of the plot twists and how well the characters were written. 1000/10 would read again.
Profile Image for Christine anxietyandsecondcoffee.
52 reviews
September 13, 2025
good read!

If you like fated mates and vampires this is a good one! Definitely has some spice, I would say it’s about a 3/5 on spicy. The story line is a bit predictable at times, but overall it’s a good read! Definitely recommend this one!
Profile Image for Shanene Wayne.
290 reviews
October 5, 2025
vampires oh yeah 3.5 stars 🌟

I loved this book. I have read three books from this series and so far they are all very good books. The only thing that I would like is to have more of the epilogue it ends abruptly in my opinion it needs more
Profile Image for Genevive Landry.
Author 3 books1 follower
February 7, 2023
I love a strong woman!

Life can toss shit on us all day but what we do with it is what makes us stronger, better, whole
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews

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