"The book left me thoroughly angry, especially regarding the characters, who were decidedly unlikable. While I initially hoped the plot might redeem the story, it was frustrating that the main conflict only began halfway through, contrary to the expectations set by the blurb. This pacing may have offered character backstory, but it ultimately felt pointless when the characters themselves were so hard to engage with.
The magic system was indeed intriguing, with a lot of potential that could have added depth to the narrative. Unfortunately, it felt like we barely scratched the surface, as the story seemed to overlook it in favor of character development that didn’t quite hit the mark. It’s a shame, because with a more focused exploration of the magic, the overall experience could have been much better.

Sebastian annoyed me only occasionally, yet he came across more as a victim of circumstances rather than an active participant in his own story. His passive approach to enduring constant bullying from Leo was infuriating; he seemed more like a foil than a protagonist. I found him somewhat tolerable, but that’s hardly a compliment considering the alternative—Leo.

Leo is a prime example of hypocrisy at its worst. He condemned the other gentry for being snobbish and materialistic, yet embodied those very traits himself, and his self-awareness did nothing to mitigate this. His disdain for Sebastian's ambitions to secure a council seat was utterly out of touch. Coming from a wealthy background, Leo’s immaturity and incessant whining were frustrating, and I found myself wishing for some genuine character growth, but he simply remained stagnant. It’s hard to believe he would evolve meaningfully in any future installments.
The burden of the curse might have weighed on him, but there was absolutely no way to feel any sympathy for his character. Frankly, he comes across as a bully, and I have zero tolerance for bullies.

As for the romance, I anticipated a slow burn, but now I question the fundamental compatibility between Sebastian and Leo. Their relationship lacked the necessary depth for any real connection to develop. There was absolutely no way I could fathom how Sebastian would fall for someone like Leo.
I found myself thinking that they were better off without each other in their lives.

Finally, the curse that loomed over the narrative was shockingly treated with apathy by almost all the characters besides Leo. The blurb made it out to be this big thing, but it did not feel like it. The urgency to confront it was glaringly absent, lowering the stakes of the entire story.

In conclusion, I was profoundly disappointed with this book. My expectations were high, but I found myself relieved to have finished it—especially to be rid of Leo."

"My first foray into a vampire romp was sadly underwhelming. I was expecting this to really deliver and I did enjoy the tension in the start but as soon as these two actually got together their chemistry fell flat. The insta-love and boss/employee relationship just did nothing for me 😭

I liked how Eddie was referred to as ‘food�. That was probably the highlight for me, it gave me a little giggle each time.

Russel was the most disappointing vampire to ever vampire. He is a measly 57yrs old and the age gap of 25/57 made him seem like a pervy old man instead of the sexy, devious, immortal creature of the night that I was expecting.

I couldn’t bring myself to care about their work situations and found myself skimming those scenes plus the last few chapters as I lost interest entirely once it was clear things weren’t going to perk up.

Even the sex scenes, which I can normally rely on with Roe, had no real tension. Likely because the vamp venom makes them come in 3 seconds flat and then they’re done.



Do the book gods hate me because I never read Twilight in my angsty teen years? Please rec me any good vampire books!"