Another YA book with vampires—why not? This one drew me in right away and kept my interest throughout. Interesting premise with the vampires living in houses and humans applying for the privilege to be donors. Renie’s sister had become one and now is missing so Renie becomes a donor too in hope of finding her. As she begins to discover what has happened to her sister, Renie also must reevaluate some of what she believed about vampires, especially as she grows closer to Edmund, a vampire in the house. While I enjoyed watching the way that relationship developed, I did get frustrated with Renie’s stubborn insistence on pushing against boundaries that should have made sense to her as the story progressed. At one point, the vampire in charge of Belle Morte accuses her of being too immature to understand why things were the way they were, and I frankly agreed. In spite of that, I enjoyed the story and will definitely be back for book 2 after a cliffhanger ending to this one.

A stellar addition to the world of fantasy young adult romance. The glittering vampire courts and intense drama will keep you glued to the pages. A wonderful read for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses.

Thank you NetGalley and Wattpad Books for sending over an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Belle Morte is a fast paced, quick read that feels like a younger, modern version of True Blood!

Vampire fantasy reads are my guilty pleasure, and this one doesn't disappoint.
A beautiful cover. Great world building. Interesting, nuanced characters.

Renie is on a mission to find her sister, and it's a storyline we can all get behind and offers all the familiar YA fantasy tropes that make this genre so interesting.

My only critique is the pacing as it felt fast in some parts and slow in others with a bit too much fluff.

Otherwise, great cliffhanger and I know this is a series people will devour as soon as they get their hands on it.

4/5 stars

I was really surprised with this book since I was not expecting a lot bit the story and characters were well developed. I absolutely loved the world the author created for this story and the romance between the main characters.
Totally give it a shot if you see it. It won't disappoint.


Thanks NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange of a honest review.

Thank you for this earc!!

Ok! This was SO fun! I read it in one sitting and su h a page turner. It felt like ya more from the twilight days- good amount of cheesy but super fun. I loved that the MC was on a mission to find out what happened to her sister. This was fun that vampires were mainstream and people would apply to be blood donors. I could totally see that happening in our world. I enjoyed the vampire culture and mysteries of Belle morte. The side characters were great! Go into this one to be entertained and dont take it too seriously.

This was a great first book for a series and it’s awesome to see at Wattpad book becoming official! The plot was a little predictable but the development of it and the character development was good. Can’t wait for the next book! Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review!

This book was far better than I expected. The author has a really pretty way of writing that immediately immerses you into the story. In fact, the only downside is how predictable the story is, but that's okay. Also, the relationship between Renie and Edmond could have been better developed in order to make it more believable. They didn't really have that much chemistry..

“Belle Morte” by Bella Higgin is an addictive and faced-paced tale that brings back the lore and fascination with vampires. This young adult fantasy novel will captivate readers with its original plotline, fiery romance, and its delectable secrets.

Ever since vampires came out of hiding, the world has been obsessed with them. Many hope to become blood donors in one of the five houses where vampires reside. Only a few humans are lucky enough to be chosen. When Renie’s sister is chosen and abruptly stops responding to any letters, Renie takes it upon herself to become a donor at the same house to find out what truly happened. Despite her determination, vampires have had years to perfect patience and whatever happened to Renie’s sister is a secret they’re not willing to reveal.

It’s hard to find young adult vampire stories that aren’t full of cliches or super mushy in the romance department. Higgin’s portrayal of vampires and their existence in human society felt realistic. The author is clearly a fan of the genre and spent time finding a way of presenting these creatures in a unique light that will pique the interest of readers. Higgin did an excellent job in this regard, as it was easy to become enthralled in the luxurious lifestyle of the vampires and their grizzly pasts that come to light. In “Belle Morte,” vampires are more than the bloodthirsty creatures that history has presented them as. Even in death, they’ve retained some of their humanity.

“Belle Morte” by Bella Higgin is a story fans of vampires should most definitely look forward to on its expected publication date of April 5th, 2022.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wattpad Books for providing me with a free e-arc of this novel and the opportunity to share my honest opinion in this review.

Thank you to NetGallery and Wattpad for sending me the eARC of this book.

This book caught my attention from the beginning.

The premise is that vampires now reside in “houses” where they bring in donors aka humans. The humans admire the vampires like they are celebrities. To be honest, the adoration reminded me of True Blood in the TV show. Renie goes to the House of Belle Morte (which means beautiful dead) in search of answers. Her sister is missing from that very house. Renie doesn’t like vampires like all the other donors and questions everyone. Soon she finds answers and Belle Morte even starts to expose the cracks of her own character.

The book sparks the question of the “romantic” vampire that society has portrayed (I.e.Twilight). One vampire even mentions “There is no greater loneliness than immortality.”

This is a dual point of view book between the female and male main characters. Throughout the book, some parts felt a bit slow. The ending was a knockout though. The book did end on a cliffhanger so I’m hoping there will be another one.

It was cheesy, it had vampire, and it was perfect. I went into this unsure if I would love it and afraid it would be too focused on “oh romance and vampires”, but it gave me much more than that! I love that no matter what happened, Renie still stuck to the idea her sister was somewhere. I find often books end up forgetting big parts of the plot like that, and then scramble to shove explanations in at the end. But in Belle Morte, even if the donors were up to something else, Renie still had it in her mind to help her sister and whatever happened to her! Bonus stars for the vampires too. Giving them actual personality other than just mysterious and sexy. I will definitely be recommending this to others and I’m excited for the next in the series! Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for a chance to read this ARC! #Netgalley #Bellemorte

Thank you to Wattpad and Netgalley for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is expected to be published on April 5th, 2022!

Oh. My. Gosh.
Have you ever read a book that sucks you in so much that when it ends you wish there was more for you to read then you sit there staring at the wall dissociating as you try to wrap your head around what happened? That’s how reading Belle Morte was for me. Now vampire books aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but I can’t ever resist one so this book was right up my alley. If you love forbidden romance, a badass heroine, and hot mysterious vampires that are harboring secrets in their lavish mansion? Then this book just might be the book for you.

This book sucked me in and I felt like I was a pre-teen again on a vampire story binge. I couldn’t put this book down once I picked it up. I’ve never read Higgins a work before but I’m going to keep an eye out for her works now. Her writing was smooth and descriptive and painted such an elegant look into the world of Belle Morte. This story was fast-paced and filled with twists and turns befit with a strong, sarcastic, and sweet heroine. I absolutely LOVED Reine’s dynamic with the rest of the characters and I felt like all the side characters’ personalities and development weren’t forgotten as the story unfolded. I appreciated that the side characters pushed Reine's growth and that connecting with the rest of her group was an important factor in her story. While I wished for a little more of a slow-burn romance in this book, I still felt like it didn’t develop too fast. I’m just a big fan of painfully long slow burns. But this book wasn’t just about romance, I appreciated the themes of morality and grief throughout the story and the question that hung in the air, what lengths would you go to for the ones you love?

While there is a little bit of spice thrown into this book the spice-o-meter is quite low. Though, I was still quite happy with the little bit of spice we did get. Also, I am unsure if this book is standalone or if Higgins planned on this book being the start of a series. The ending of this book has quite a cliffhanger that left me wanting more but I worry about series sometimes so I also am quite content with just pondering over the unanswered questions I have. All that to say, though I know vampire stories might not be everyone's cup of tea, I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

I adored the concept of this book! <3 I thought it was so fun and clever that the vampires have spun society around so that they have taken the place of the popular elite and celebrities. It was such a good concept that I was a bit disappointed with the development of the plot and characters. I just wanted ~more~ of everything. More of the building friendship between Renie and the other residents. More of the intrigue into the murder (/transformation) of June. More of the roooomance!!!! And while I liked the pacing of the writing -- kept moving, very nice -- I think I would have been a-ok reading 500ish or 500+ pages of this story if it meant we got more development.

Renie wants to find her sister. She cannot believe that her sister would just cut off all contact, so Renie applies to become a donor at the Belle Morte house. At first, Renie feels out of place because she is not a "Vladdict" like some of the other donors, and frankly, she really could care less about vampires. When Renie starts to ask questions and explore the house, she discovers her sister June has been turned and is now a rabid vampire. Renie works hard to try to help June with the help of a few of the other vampires in the house. As Renie continues to try to help June, she finds herself being drawn closer to Edmond, a handsome and intriguing vampire, who also seems to be drawn to her. Relationships between vampires and humans is not allowed, but neither Renie nor Edmond can stop the way they feel for each other. This ends with a cliffhanger, so I hope there will be another book to finish this one. It was an enjoyable read.

In the world of Belle Morte, vampires have come out to the world and instead of being mostly controversial like one of my V favorites (southern vampire mysteries) they are treated like A-list celebrities.

The concept for this book was super intriguing, I love the spy under cover trope trying to find a missing loved one. However, Renie was a pretty terrible spy and only lasted a day before just straight up asking what was up. It’s definitely more realistic but not as fun.

Insta-love is a big theme here.

If you like fated or inexplicably quick attraction this is the book for you! The characters are instantly drawn to each other and the book even addresses this:

“[Love at first sight] couldn’t be that simple…It was because there was something between us that could be special if it ever had the chance to bloom.”

If it looks like insta-love, and smells like insta-love then it is insta-love.

I did like all the history you get about Edmond’s life and the pretty humorous discussion about how vampires work. I can see the author’s love for vampire lore in some of these dialogues. However the pacing is pretty slow and repetitive. Renie was annoying as hell and behaved as an 18 year old should which wouldn’t be a problem expect Edmond is 300+ years old and still vibing with her.

Most of the plot twists were pretty obvious, except surprisingly the actual perp. As much trouble as I had getting through this novel (almost DNF around 35%) I’m actually really curious as to why it ended the way it did.

Will (albeit reluctantly) still pick up the sequel.


Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for this ARC! All opinions are honest and my own.

Actual rating: 3.5

Most of the text I read in the book was okay, it was good to read through but it felt like something was missing. I think the sequel to this book, if there is one, would flesh it out. The main character wasn't as static as i thought it would be. If you like vampires and romance, this book is definitely for you- this brings the vampire aspect out nicely.

Thank you Netgally for the ARC!

I was a little worried after reading the first chapter that I would hate Renie, but this book was a very pleasant surprise. Yes, she acted as I assumed she would, but she was also quick to realise her faults and when she was wrong. The book didn’t hold any surprises for me, but it was a fun read; zippy enough to fly right through and filled with fun friends and beautiful clothing. Definitely looking forward to seeing what happens next!

Belle Morte was an intriguing book to start with. The idea that Vampires are celebrities made sense to me. People are obsessed with vampires so going in I felt like that it would be a good story.

I loved the main character, Renie. Her love for her sister is something I always enjoy in books but I don’t love that we have a hundreds year old vampire as her Insta-love interest. It’s just something that’s been done before.

It did like that the vampires could be down right scary at times. I think that’s how they should be in the eyes of a human. They felt very other worldly. But for me the pacing of this book felt off, it took me a long time to get into and I’m just really not a fan of Insta-love. It’s not real and it doesn’t happen in real life all that often, if ever.

I gave it 3 stars for being interesting enough for me to finish. I wanted to know what happened to her sister but i wish the romance pulled me in a bit more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for proving me with this ARC for my honest review!

A forbidden romance between a human and a vampire? Yes, please! I love that vampire stories are coming back, especially if they are all going to be this well done.

When vampires revealed themselves to the world, they became celebrities and the center of every gossip magazine and talk show. Now, they live in houses where they follow carefully constructed rules to protect both themselves and the humans. Some vampire-obsessed humans volunteer to be living donors in exchange for the money and fame that living in a vampire house brings.

Renie doesn't even like vampires. But her sister walked into Belle Morte, a vampire house, as a donor, and then disappeared. Renie's determined to find out what happened to her, so she volunteers as a donor herself. She intends to dislike all the vampires, but then Etienne befriends her and she can't seem to stay away from the handsome Edmond. Belle Morte is filled with secrets, and Renie and her sister are at the center of them.

Renie is the feisty heroine that Bella (of Twilight) never was. Despite her growing feelings for a vampire, she remains very much in control of her own destiny. Edmond's feelings for Renie are mixed with admiration and respect. Their longing pulls you in, and their romance sparkles, especially in the ballroom scenes. This is very much a love story, both the story of Renie and Edmond and the sisterly love that drove Renie to Belle Morte.

I enjoyed the world of Belle Morte. This is a light, quick read, complete with gorgeous dresses, fancy parties and secret plots with a dash of celebrity gossip. The last page had a shocking twist, setting it up nicely for a series.

Thank you to Wattpad Books for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you first to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an advance copy of the book in return for my honest review. I don't understand all the 3 star and four star reviews. I absolutely blocked this book. I of course, like any book about vampires, but this one caught me right from the start. Just enough romance, mystery and intrigue. I loved all of the characters, the plot, and the setting. I can find nothing bad to say about this book. I did not find it a slow read and was on the edge of my seat at some points. I look forward to the sequel. Five start for sure.

In a world where vampires are out to the public and basically the elite stars, Renie has been selected for one of the coveted spots as a Donor for the vampire house Belle Morte, a position many humans dream of, full of luxury and fame. But Renie has never been a fan of vampires nor has she wanted this lifestyle. Instead, she is looking into the mysterious disappearance of her older sister June who had previously been chosen as a Donor at Belle Morte herself. It seems that nobody wants to talk about June and danger is stalking Renie from the shadows.

Well, this is very much a vampire romance, full of angst and repressed emotions and actions, will they/won't they dynamics, and all kinds of forbidden. If that is your thing, then I very much recommend this book. I, on the other hand am over the angst, the basically love at first sight for no real reason thing, I like relationships of real substance- and this was not that. The characters were instantly drawn to each other (which by the way is called lust, not love, and easy to resolve) and I just really didn't care or feel any real chemistry between them.

The mystery was interesting enough and helped me to stay the course to finish the book to see how everything played out- I have some questions about the hows and whys of things but enjoyed that aspect well enough. I also really liked a few of the side characters (Roux was the best roommate a girl could ever ask for!) , they helped make the book more well rounded. I think that the side characters were more fleshed out personality-wise then Renie was (she was basically constantly described as a poor, vampire hater, June lover who had zero life ambitions- her personality was described as to how she and June interacted in the past). I also feel like Edward- oh sorry, Edmund, the vampire love interest was not very detailed as a person either- he has a very long winded history of his 400+ years that he tells Renie about but I don't feel like I know him now as a person.

Keep in mind that this is the first book in a series and ends on a big freaking cliff hanger. I am not sure I will continue in this series but I would be happy with spoilers from someone who does read more to fulfill my curiosity.