Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Belle Morte is translated to "Beautiful Death". It is one of five vampire houses around the world. In this book, instead of vampires feeding on humans until they die or without their consent, these houses were created as a way of allowing vampires to exist in a light that didn't depict them as dangerous. Humans applied to be donors at these houses. They get to live in luxury in exchange for providing vampires the opportunity to feed on them whenever they so choose. Reni does not understand the appeal or the obsession Vladdicts have. All Reni cares about is finding out what happened to her sister, June, after she signed up to be a donor and stopped sending home letters over a month ago.

Similar to what feels like almost every other vampire book, Reni is instantly drawn to a particular vampire who she feels a deep pull towards. Similarly, Edmond feels the same pull. One of the rules in the houses is that there can be no relationships between donors and vampires, but the two of them can't seem to stay away from each other no matter how hard they try. Reni seeks Edmond's help in finding out what happened to her sister. Edmond knows that happened to June, but is sworn to secrecy from telling her. This puts a strain on any potential relationship they may have because Reni knows he is lying and she cannot understand why.

I did think the premise of the story was interesting. I loved her roommate Roux and their friend Jason. He was the comedic relief several times and I loved his role as a friend who swoops in to save the day for whatever reason. We didn't really learn a lot about any of the other vampires except the lady of the house, Ysanne. I wished there had been more background on some of the other vampires or that they played a bigger role in the overall storyline. It felt like we were barely introduced to Etienne and Ludovic and I would have loved to learn more of their story.

For the most part, I think vampire books will always hold some allure. I didn't think this book was anything out of this world. I liked the premise and I look forward to finding out what happens next in the series. If you are typically a fan of vampire books, or you're looking to try one out, this is a book worth reading.

I really liked this book. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I love vampire stories and this one had such a unique plot. Vampire stories are everywhere, especially YA vampire stories, and I'm always curious as to how an author is going to make it different.

Bella Higgin kept the originality of the vampire but added some new variations to spice it up. I also liked the love interest and the backstory of Edmond was interesting. He kind of reminded me of Angel from Buffy.

The only thing I would change is the pacing. Some things felt rushed to me, like the romance, and the ending also seemed rushed. I wouldn't have minded if the author had gone on a few more pages just so everything didn't seem so quick.

Thank to Netgalley and Wattpads books for allowing me to read and review this book.

Like the author, my love for vampire books begun with Dracula. I was happy to discover a new book about vampires. The title was what attracted me first. It is interesting and intriguing.

Vampires have revealed themselves to humans. They are divided into houses and they have created the donor system. People who volunteer to give blood in exchange for money and accommodation. An aspect that I found very interesting and original.

I love to have two POV: the donor who wants to find his sister and the vampire. I like how the relation change, but I would have liked less yo-yo scenes between them and more rapprochement. Other than that, how not fall in love with Edmond Dantes.

My favorite scenes were in the library. They were well written. At the end, I didn't see the twist coming. I thought it would end worst.

3.5 Stars This was a fun YA Urban Fantasy Vampy read, which definitely kept me turning the pages (even with its teen angst mellow drama vibes, which is typically a bigger turn off for me as an adult reader). **Thanks so much to both NetGalley and Wattpad Books for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!**

The set up was a little unappealing to me with the reality TV vibes/humans agreeing to live in the Vamp house and be blood donors/rich and famous vamps etc. But once I got past that and got into the mystery of what happened to our protagonists sister (who previously disappeared), and the other strange things going on in the house, along with her interaction with Edmond (I hate that they used that name - please please please why would you name him that close to Edward?), and let up to a pretty action packed finale with some great twists and turns. There are some interesting concepts to this "vampiric" realm that save it from being just another Twilight derivative.

Will definitely appeal to fans of Twilight, however it does read very YA so adult readers of the genre may not be into this one as much (but NA audiences should still enjoy).

I really really wish the lead male interest had any name other than Edmond (it might as well have been Edward).

Color me surprised that the Wattpad of my youth has churned out a pretty great ya vampire novel, so thanks Wattpad Books and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read Belle Morte, cause ya girl is fricking floored!

Things I liked:
*vampires, duh
*world building—very well done!
*character development—I was kind of annoyed with Renie in the first half of the book because her character is very one track minded and kind of an asshole, but once she started opening up I really liked her

Things I didn’t like:
*background character development—there’s so many great characters like Jason and Roux whose storylines could have been flashed about a bit more, they were seriously great characters and I would have loved to see/know more about them
*pacing—Belle Morte starts a bit slow and Renie’s investigation into her sister is a little drawn out, and when things finally pick up the book ends too quickly

Overall Belle Morte sucks (😉) you in from the start, and is definitely a good read for anyone who loves ya fantasy & vampire novels!

I was really excited for this as a vampire romance. There were really amazing aspects to it that drew me in but there were also a lot of weak points I felt like. I felt like it wasn't original enough and I was reading the same things that I have already read before in other books.

Belle Morte had an intriguing plot. Some parts of the story fell a little flat for me and there wasn’t much character building. As a French speaker, I found some of the French to be not necessarily wrong but worded strangely as if someone used Google Translate so that did take away from the book for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and Wattpad Books for this arc. All opinions are my own.

I really, really enjoyed this one.

In "Belle Morte," vampires have made their presence known to the world, and they are idolized in much the same way as celebrities. They become household names; paparazzi stalk them, people gossip about them, and many are fascinated by them and would do anything to be near them.

There are many houses in which vampires reside, of which humans are able to apply to become living donors at. Some see it as an honor, some wish to be near the vampires that they so admire, and some just want the fame and fortune that being a donor brings. None of those things are true of our protagonist: she applies to become a donor at house Belle Morte to find out what's become of her sister after she goes missing while serving as a donor there.

I found this one to be a really refreshing and interesting take on vampires, the characters were likeable and I could feel the chemistry between them, and the pacing felt good to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book.

In this story, Vampires are the hottest celebrities in the world and people apply to be blood donors for them. Renie, our main girl, applies for one of the vampire houses in hopes of finding out what happened to her sister who cut off all contact a few weeks prior. Along the way we meet Edmond, a vampire who can’t seem to stay away, and the few human friends Renie makes. Together they all try to figure out the secrets this house holds and the future of vampires cohabitating with humans.

I enjoyed the angst and tension that transpired between the two main characters, and I am interested to see how that relationship evolves based on the ending of this book. While there was some suspense building up towards the ending, I have to say the twist was a little predictable. Perhaps it’s just the way the author set it up, but it didn’t come off as much of a surprise to me.

While it definitely isn’t one of my favorite vampire stories, I think it’s a fun and unique take on the vampire trope. I also think the author did a great job setting readers up for the sequel with the cliffhanger ending. I’ll be interested to see where this story goes.

The new world that is created in Belle Morte is one that vampire lovers everywhere will want to experience! But you don't have to be a "Vladdict" to appreciate this book. It's great, bloody, twisty fun!

I really enjoyed Belle Morte this one grabbed me from the start and I was hooked. Belle Morte is one 1 of 5 vampire houses where humans apply to be their blood donors. It's been five months since Renie has heard from her sister June. Renie arrives at Belle Morte looking for answers about her missing sister, But, the one thing she didn't expect to find was Edmond the sexy vampire she's drawn to. This book had me screaming "I WANT MORE" at the end. I'm not sure if there's going to be a sequel but I sure hope so. I need more Renie and Edmond!!!!

4.5⭐️

Holy. Moly. I’m gonna be dead honest, I did not have high expectations for this, one because I’ve had a hard time getting into ya and fantasy recently and two this was a wattpad published book, but wow I couldn’t have been more wrong.

I have been dying for a good vampire fix for quite some time and this was SUCH an enjoyable read. It mixed my favourite parts of twilight and vampire academy into a new, unique and modern take on the vampire trope.

While there wasn’t any spice, there was just enough angst and tension that kept me engaged. The characters were amazing, I loved the setting and the plot pacing was so good. This book doesn’t come out until APRIL and I’m already dying to read this second book. This is why I never read uncompleted series.

*thank you NetGalley and Wattpad books for the eARC*

I loved the cover...but fell in love with the book! I had no expectations when I began reading Belle Morte and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.

The story begins when Renie (Irene) enters a Vampire House to search for her missing sister, but what she discovers is anything but what she expected. Along the way, she makes friends in the House and builds a relationship with the dashing Edmond, who can't stay away.

I can't wait to see where this series goes and will be patiently awaiting this book to release next year along with others in the series.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I want to thank the author, Bella Higgin, the publisher, and Netgalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad Books for sending me a copy of this my way in exchange for an honest review.

Perfect for readers of the Coldest Girl in Cold Town. Belle Morte tells the story of a girl named Renie ( Irene) Mayfield as she volunteers to be a donor at Belle Morte to find her sister June who entered Belle Morte just seven months earlier before she stopped writing letters entirely.

I had a hard time focusing on this story as i was reading to me it felt pretty bland in the world building and its characters who i just didn't care about. To me this story felt like it a lot more could be done with it such as character development and a more well developed plot.

Renie is accepted as a blood donor to the prestigious vampire house of Belle Morte. As she arrives and meets her masters, she is assessing each one. “Where is my sister, June, and which one of you is involved?” she thinks to herself. Renie is not a “vladdict” like the rest of the donors; she’s come to find out what really happened to her sister, who has been MIA for months after entering Belle Morte as a donor herself. But as she delves deeper into the secrets of the house and it’s inhabitants, Renie finds herself falling for the one vampire she should be staying away from.

I *devoured* this book in just a few days. The idea of the story was fresh and new; it’s definitely not one I’ve seen done before. With a cast of likable characters and a dash of suspense, I recommend adding this fun read to your TBR list!

I normally love a good vampire book but this one fell a little flat for me.

I thought the characters seemed very surface level and were hard to connect to. I honestly didn’t love the characters but thought the story concept was really interesting as a whole. I think I was just looking for something different from this book but think there is definitely an audience that will still love this even though it wasn’t my personal cup of tea.

Initial Thoughts
This was a total cover apply for me on NetGalley. That cover is gorgeous. And, it doesn't hurt that it's a vampire book and I am always complaining that I don't read enough of those.

Despite being an April 2022 release, I decided to read it in October 2021 (right in time for Halloween).

Some Things I Liked
World building. I really enjoyed the setting of this book. I thought the vampires in these houses was a cool concept and I liked that the rest of the world we know is relatively unchanged.
Reference to The Count of Monte Cristo. That book is literally my favorite classic. I loved the way the reference was woven into the story.
All the vampire tropes. This book is riddled with tropes that we'd all seen before in vampire stories but I still enjoyed them nonetheless.

Some Things I Wasn't Crazy About
The pacing of the story wasn't great. Renie has a mission, she spends a large chunk of the story investigating the disappearance of her sister and when she does make some traction, the rest of the story zooms into high gear. I think the beginning was too slow and the end was too fast.
The title. I love the title. HOWEVER, I wanted the translation to be "beautiful death" not "beautiful dead". This might be a me thing, but "beautiful dead" sounds clunky in comparison.

Series Value
I would love to read a sequel to this book. I think there's a lot of potential for more here and the ending definitely sets the reader up for subsequent books.

Final Thoughts
This book was a perfect pre-Halloween read and is perfect for fans of all the YA vampire tropes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sadly, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I could’ve. It felt like another vampire book with the same tropes, and the same characters. Honestly at one point I was wondering if it was a Twilight fanfiction. The love interests name is Edmond, and the main character is Renie. Both of those names can be seen as references to the Twilight books and film.

The main character is stupidly brave in the face of vampires who could potentially kill her. She makes demands of them, despite the fact that she should be at least a tad bit scared. She reminded me of a Mary Sue character. As for the quest for her sister, I felt like it was a little bit predictable.

I felt like the chemistry between Edmond and Renie was almost non-existent. I just wasn’t feeling the connection between the two of them. And the story almost felt repetitive at times. I did like the references to Beauty and the Beast.

However, for younger readers (13-16), this will be a story that they will most likely enjoy. It has vampires, romance and a mystery. I wish I would’ve enjoyed it more than I did. It can be compared to The Chosen by L.J. Smith and Twilight by Stephanie Meyers. If you enjoyed either of those books, then you will probably like this story.

*****5 stars!

"If you fall apart, I will help put you back together."

First I would like to thank Wattpad Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an arc of this book. I am honored to be given a chance to read it and give an honest review.

Belle Morte is one of the five vampire houses, places where vampires reside as celebrities and willing humans are paid to be their living donors. Humans are eager to offer themselves up for a taste of luxury and the promise of fortune, many idolizing the vampires that have become a huge part of the human world. This is a story of a donor who did not come to Belle Morte for the luxury, fame and fortune. She came to find her sister who walked into Belle Morte five months ago and never walked back out, Renie soon realizes the secrets revolving around this odd world are much bigger than she ever anticipated but she will stop at nothing to uncover the truth of her sister.

There is one person in Belle Morte who might have the answers Renie seeks; the last thing she expected was the undeniable pull she feels towards him: Edmond Dantes--a vampire and someone she considers her mortal enemy. The harder she tries to resist him the further she falls under his spell, terrified and entranced by him. In one instant her life is irrevocably changed.

I had read this book when it first appeared on Wattpad, I was so entranced by the fascinating world and intriguing characters Bella Higgin created and I was quick to fall under the spell of Belle Morte. I remember reading this story late into the night and waiting for chapter updates with bated breath, it was a story that stuck with me over the years and never quite strayed too far from my mind. Reading it again in its entirety years later has left me feeling the same as I had before. The moment I started this book I couldn't quite put it down, I was left with no choice but to consume chapter after chapter late into the night as I had done years earlier.

This book is so unique to all the other vampire stories I've read; I absolutely loved how the world was painted for the readers. A world where vampires no longer hide and proudly show their faces to the world only for humans to fall prey to the beauty and the sheer mystery that is their lives. Then there are the human donors who are all very eager to sign themselves away to the vampire houses, gladly giving up their blood to these mysterious and deadly creatures without an ounce of fear, desperate to see them up close and to live a life as similar as they could get to them. It is a very compelling and interesting world the author has created.

I also loved the slow burn romance between Renie and Edmond; it was all so wonderfully paced out. As you read on you can feel the tension slowly building, it's one of the many pulls that hooks you into the book. I also really enjoyed the richness of Edmond's history and it is something I felt we only scratched the surface of and I look forward to uncovering more in later books, along with various other characters in this story. Another thing that I really enjoyed in this book was the depth of Edmond's emotions, I felt it was very well explained how lonely and hard it was for him to be ever constant and never fading, which allowed the readers to better understand him.

This is a book that will easily be one of my favorites and one I would highly recommend! I've always been very fond of vampire romances and I feel this was a perfect mixture of everything. I am so looking forward to continuing this series, I can't wait to see where the characters find themselves next!

4/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The premise of this book hooked me from the very beginning! Imagine a mysterious mansion (called Belle Morte) filled with centuries-old vampires, where human donors can sign up to live in riches and glamour with them. The donors live like royalty, but are required to let vampires feed off them at anytime. The story is about Renie, who signs up to be a donor, not because she’s like the other starstruck, vampire-loving donors, but because her sister went into the house months before and wasn’t heard from again. The mystery and characters are reminiscent of twilight meets royalty. Although the story line is slightly predictable, I loved the unique vampire personalities and the friends Renie makes inside the house. I love that Renie is strong and outspoken, and not the damsel in distress. There’s no doubt I would live in the Belle Morte house, it sounds like a dream (minus a select few vampires)! If you’re looking for a fun vampire read, look no further!

@littleknownreads