CW: Love Bites, and so this review, includes themes of physical and emotional abuse and also suicide.
Love Bites is an absorbing, modern romance novel that just happens to concern a vampire. In events set in and around Boston leading up to Christmas 1999 we see Chloë and Angela struggle with their pasts, with the ways they've been hurt, to imagine a future together.

Graduate astrophysics student Angela has escaped an abusive relationship with photographer Tess. Abusive, but formative: Tess very much shaped the person that Angela is, from her taste in clothes to her lifestyle. But Tess hurt Angela badly and Angela is concerned that she may inflict the same pain on others - if she gets too close. She may not be able to help herself. So she's wary when the pattern seems to be playing itself out again.

Publisher's reader Chloë has suffered from mental health problems. She is on medication, but sometimes harbours dark thoughts ('Gun, the thought enters her mind, unbidden. You could shoot yourself in the head. It'd be quick and simple.') Coming from a strictly religious background and having entered into a disastrous marriage, her self-esteem is often low. ('Cooking is too much of an effort, anyway. She's worthless.')

When the two women meet, it's bound to get complicated...

If that wasn't enough, Love Bites also introduces a (possibly) centuries old witch, who might play the role of fairy godmother here but then again she might just be talking rubbish, and an angel who seems to be branching out and setting up his own religion. We also see a lot of Chloë's workmate Shelley and her partner Mike - together the characters form a believable group (Herman has a knack of making the weird seem credible - maybe something to do with grounding the unbelievable in the dilemmas of everyday life - work, rent, relations with an ex, cat sitting) and in fact a very sympathetic one. The paranormal element is here but the meat and drink of the story (perhaps I should say the blood...) is relationships, not doomy overcoming-supernatural-evil. I enjoyed that.

I liked the notes that one character penned in seeking to understand her, totally inexplicable, staten of being. What are the limits now being a vampire? What can you safely do and not do? How many of the myths are true? Subjected to a scientific investigation, maybe there might be answers... or maybe just more frustration.

There is also some sharp writing here, from scene setting as our protagonists go about their daily lives ('Brookline is still sleepy, not yet hurrying along in the caffeinated press of rush hour', 'She is, after all, young and over-educated') to the intoxication of a new relationship ('She's young and in love and dancing') to some very tender sex scenes (not going to quote) to the sadness of a chilly family (Chloë's parents, whose main reaction to her attempted suicide is irritation that have to pay for the ambulance). It also has a great, if chilling, exposition of the progress of an abusive relationship leading up to 'And then, once day, when she slaps you...'

There's a lot of fear here, and guilt, and a hope to be better but honest doubt whether you can be and whether it is fair, or just demanding, to seek forgiveness. And risk and trust and the potential, perhaps for new starts, not knowing all the answers but seeking honestly to find them. It's funny in places ('It gives him the vague impression that he's a member of a depressed drum-and-bugle corps. Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Goth Club Band') but can turn poignant in a flash ('Sweat is already soaking the ridiculously impractical waist cinched dress Tess is having her wear today', 'She can't spend her life not trusting anybody').

It's a heady mix and a book I greatly enjoyed. Do try it. (It would also, I think, make a great Christmas present for just the right person...)

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. An LGBT+ vampire romance novel that's not badly written smut? Love Bites includes discussions on mental health, sexuality, consent, abusive relationships & religion. I really liked how everything was woven together, and I hope to read more by this author.

This was such a fun read! I really thought I didn't like fantasy, and that I read all the popular fantasy books when I was younger because they were popular, but actually, I think I like paranormal novels. So this was right up my alley, being paranormal and queer. I like that Chloe and Angela aren't perfect characters, or perfect partners. While a lot of their conflict stemmed from Angela being a vampire, it still felt like realistic relationship conflict, and if it was replaced with a non-paranormal flaw, the conflict would still be realistic, showing that their relationship was written in a very real and human way, which I liked. I also liked that Angela was doing her own tests about vampires and the myths involved, and even regularly watched Buffy. The hints towards the predatory lesbian trope while simultaneously proving that wrong through Angela's behaviour towards Chloe was very refreshing. Considering vampires were historically written to represent the sexually deviant, and often used to represent homosexuality as the big evil, it was nice to see the author go completely against that.
My only criticism would be that it felt just a little bit too long, certain parts could have been shortened just a little, but I thought this was a very strong debut novel and I definitely enjoyed reading it.

I really enjoyed this novel, with it's intelligent & interesting women as the central characters.
This is not quite as light hearted a read as you might expect from the marketing, but that is not a criticism from my perspective. I was pleasantly surprised at the different approach to a vampire novel, with a gentle treatment of F/F romance, but with a nod to some of the tropes of predatory lesbian vampires.

Chloe is still struggling with depression and writers block two years after divorce. Angela is struggling with her vampirism, having been turned without her consent and her guilt about having to feed on others without their consent.

With a guardian angel, a witch and werewolf thrown in for good measure this book sits firmly in the supernatural romance category, but I was more intrigued by Angela's scientific approach to her vampirism. Her experiments on herself are an interesting segue from the main story.

I think there is definitely scope for the author to develop this into a series if they choose, I would love to learn more about the werewolf and Chloe & Angela's further adventures.

Content warning for discussion of mental health issues including suicidal ideation, gaslighting and domestic abuse. These topics are dealt with sensitively, and there is no gratuitous violence.

#LoveBites #NetGalley

Its been a while since I read a vampire novel – they seem to have fallen out of fashion slightly. I was delighted to spot this. I like my Vampires with bite and this book certainly delivered that.

It’s always interesting to see which bits of traditional lore urban fantasy authors keep and which they discard. In this case we get a fairly traditional set of Vampire rules – no sunlight, garlic, reflections, permission needed to enter houses, fresh human blood needed to survive.

I enjoyed the slow reveal of how Angela became a vampire and what happened in her past to make her behave the way she does now. Chloe’s background is also slowly revealed to us over the course of the book.

Although an urban fantasy romance this book also deals with some tough themes, abusive past relationships, depression and date rape (even if it is vampire bites rather than sex, the victim is still drugged and has their free will removed, the parallels are clearly drawn) are the main ones and fairly central to the overall story.

Overall I enjoyed the story but it did feel towards the end as though the author felt the book hadn’t been paranormal enough and shoe-horned in a couple of other urban fantasy staple beings for good measure.

An enjoyable read nonetheless, recommended for those who enjoy their vampire tales in the traditional vein with a side helping of romance.

TW: I will be discussing domestic abuse, suicide and depression in this review.

Carmilla is one of my favourite classics, so a paranormal f/f romance novel featuring a mortal and a vampire is a novel I was always going to request for review.

I have no idea how to talk about this novel. I didn't end up loving it the way I hoped to, which is a real shame, but I don't think that's entirely the book's fault. I think it's a marketing issue.

Look, if I see an illustrated cover and a punny title, I'm expecting a fun rom-com - but with vampires. Love Bites, however, is actually much more serious than that. I don't want to imply that romance is a genre that can't talk seriously about issues because that's just not true; personally I think the romance genre is one of the best genres out there for tackling subjects like consent and even on how to open yourself up to love again after leaving a bad relationship.

Love Bites felt like less of a romance to me, though, and more of a story of two women learning to love themselves so they could love each other. That's not a bad thing at all, but I do think quite a lot of readers might pick this up expecting a much funnier book. Or maybe it's just me!

A year ago Angela left a very bad relationship. Not only was her ex-girlfriend, Tess, both physically and emotionally abusive, but she also turned Angela into a vampire. Not fun. Chloe isn't a vampire, but she is battling her depression two years after her divorce from a man who just wasn't pleasant to be around. When the two of them run into each other in a bar, and realise they have a shared friend, sparks fly, but how is Angela supposed to tell the woman she's falling in love with that she's a vampire?

Angela's vampirism is essentially a metaphor for her previous relationship. Tess literally sucked everything out of her until she was a husk of who she was and, though she isn't with Tess anymore, she does have a constant reminder of that part of her life now that she's a vampire herself. I saw another reviewer mention that this story could have been identical without the supernatural element and could have simply been about two women working through their personal demons and I think I'd agree with that, but it was fun to read a vampire novel where the vampires didn't sparkle but didn't sleep in coffins either.

That said, this did also mean that as more and more supernatural creatures popped up it all felt a little unnecessary? To me it all felt a little too easy, which is strange from a novel that doesn't deal with easy topics.

For example I think Herman wrote Angela and Tess's relationship really well. Angela grew up in a very Christian household, and at one point mentions being disowned by her family after she came out, so it's easy to see how she falls into Tess's trap and how easy it is for Tess to take advantage of her. Before she knows it she's letting Tess decide what she wears, how she spends her time and even when she's allowed to go to the toilet, all the while making Angela feel like it's her fault when Tess loses her temper. You can't help but root for Angela, and I loved seeing how conscious she was of making sure she doesn't use her vampirism in the same way Tess uses hers.

Angela and Chloe are a very sweet pair, in contrast, but, considering this is a romance, I felt like they spent more of the novel apart than they did together. I don't think this is a bad thing - as I mentioned before they both have their own demons to tackle - but it did mean that when they started telling themselves that they'd fallen in love I, as the reader, didn't really feel like they'd had enough time to. Do I think the two of them really like each other? Yes. Love? Hm, I'm not so sure, but they do seem to be moving in the right direction.

I did love how determined Chloe was to never be scared of her partner again, though. We don't learn an awful lot about her ex-husband, but we learn enough to know that he made her feel worthless and led to her losing most of her friends and even a suicide attempt. Whenever there were problems with Angela, Chloe wanted to talk about it, which is so refreshing in a genre that often relies on miscommunication.

There did seem to be an awful lot of suicide attempts in this book for just one book, though. Again I don't think I can say that's necessarily a bad thing because I think we can expect a person with suicidal thoughts or suicide ideation to think about or attempt suicide in several ways, but I do want to mention it because if you or anyone you know struggles with suicidal thoughts you might want to give this book a miss—especially if you're not having a great mental health day.

We only get fleeting mentions of Chloe's suicide attempt, but with Angela we see her try several ways to kill herself because, as a vampire, she's practically indestructible. I don't think Herman handled it in a disrespectful way, although as someone who's never attempted suicide I'm probably not the best person to comment, but I did want to bring it up. As I mentioned before, that cute rom-com cover and title don't really warn the readers about that particular section.

Basically, I have no idea what to say about Love Bites despite still managing to write plenty about it. I didn't love it but I can't say I disliked it either, which I think has made trying to review it even harder. If you like your romance novels with a more serious side then this one could be for you if you don't mind a dash of the paranormal.

Love Bites by Ry Herman ***REVIEW***

Meet Angela, a Vampire and Chloe, a seemingly normal human being. Angela is looking for some normality in her life, finishing her degree and trying to survive. Chloe is an anxiety ridden homebody who hides from the outside world and making new friends; she only has a roommate because she can't afford the rent on her own. They meet one night at a nightclub, one of Angela’s uncommon haunts, after Chloe’s aunt randomly turns up and practically pushes her out of the house.
The two girls start to grow a strong bond to one another, but how can you build a life together when one of you is dead?
This was a fun, quirky LGBT story with a supernatural twist. I enjoyed the story for the most part but I did find some of it quite cringey and some bits didn’t quite add up. It was an easy read with some nice characters but some aspects were somewhat predictable.
The story would have been better for me if there were less of the parables, I didn't think it put much towards the story, the same as the aunt’s historic stories; I felt like they were just there to show her age. I would’ve enjoyed the story more if the sex/love scenes werent so cheesey, but it did fit the 90’s romantic/nostalgic horror movie vibe.
Love Bites has a good representation of exploring sexuality, abusive relationships (mental and physical) and mental health.
I felt the story was especially strong in the area of the girls discussing their abusive relationships and how their understanding of it made it easier for them to love each other. I especially enjoyed/appreciated Chloe’s eccentric auntie, of an unknown age, and I liked the way she really tried to help Chloe and would disagree with her parents view of the world. Also a vampire trying to do their make up without a mirror as they have no reflection, that was pretty good to read.
Overall, it was a nice, easy read with a good 90’s vibe, and some heartwarming moments seeing those who have been in abusive relationships find their worth and finding someone who loves them.
Thank you NetGalley for a proof of this in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read this book. Firstly I’d like to say that I’m not really a romance reader but I found that I enjoyed this one. This is a love story between a vampire and a witch that I found fun and enjoyable.
At first I didn’t think I would enjoy this, it alternates pov which took me some time to get use to. I did like the different perspectives. The writing style was okay, sometimes I felt like the descriptions were a little long or I was reading a section that I didn’t think was needed. There are fun moments in the book which I enjoyed but I also cringed at points. I felt like the cringe moments made me rate the book down slightly. It also tries to deal with more serious topics which was good but I’m not sure it pulled them off. I enjoyed the supernatural elements in the book and thought it added a nice extra layer. Although I do wish we got more supernatural worldbuilding and elements.
The characters were okay but I didn’t relate to them much. The two main characters grow and they both had bad pasts which they have to try to live with. The romance was nice and I love that it is LGBTQ representation. I enjoyed the f/f relationship and we need more diverse books.
Overall I enjoyed the read even though it isn’t my usual genre.

I didn't know what to make of this book,at first I didn't take to it at all, nothing much seemed to happen,I do appreciate that the scene was being set but it seemed to go on for ever.It picked up speed when the two women met in a club and the writing seemed to flow better, and I started to really enjoy it.However there was a lot of padding again after this in places.I did think it had some funny moments and when it was good it was very good, but it lacked some thing for me,I am sorry to say.

A modern day coming of age love story between a vampire and a witch. Whilst having a supernatural side this book focuses on key issues such as exploring sexuality, mental health and abusive relationships. The character development was fantastic, I felt so attached to the characters by the end and was routing for them.

The chapters are divided into Angela's earlier relationship and subsequent transition to being a vampire, the other chapters alternate between Chloe and Angela in present day and shows different perspectives to the relationship and how it develops over time, you can see how emotionally damaged they both are and how they are both trying to forget an abusive past and learn to move on.

This story could easily have been told without the need for witches, werewolves and vampires but it adds an extra depth to the already built character flaws. It doesn't spread too far into fantasy and the complexities that can come into that genre, the author makes sure you never lose sight of the real life issues that this book covers.

Would recommend to anyone needing a bit of a vampire fix but no so much you get lost in the complexities of vampire myth and lore. The steady flow of the book makes for easy casual reading.

For someone who really enjoys a well-written romantic subplot, I’m really not a huge fan of romance as a genre but, in recent months I massively enjoyed the Heartstopper graphic novels, absolutely adored the ridiculous ride that was Red, White and Royal Blue and didn’t mind The Flatshare so when I stumbled across a funny sounding, supernatural romance with queer rep on one of my Netgalley binges, I was sold.

In the wake of a painful divorce, Chloe is struggling with mental health issues, living in mess and leaving the house only when she absolutely has to. Forced outside one evening by a meddling great aunt of indeterminate age, she meets Angela and sparks fly. But Angela isn’t just any goth girl. She doesn’t feel cold, sleeps through the day, never seems to eat or drink and is stronger than she has any right to be. This love bites.

What to say about this bonkers book? It is fun and very readable, I destroyed it in just a couple of hours but there’s sometimes a thin line between funny and ‘cringeing so hard it’s making my toes curl’ and, for me, it strayed rather too often into the latter category. It does tackle some deeper themes including sexuality, abuse and mental health but I felt that these more vulnerable moments often felt at odds with the more ridiculous elements of the book.

It is fantastic to see more LGBT+ rep across genres and it was really, really refreshing to read a romance book focused on a non cis-het couple, it was a really easy, mostly very light lockdown read but nonetheless, didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

Full review to be posted on Instagram closer to pub day!