I loved this one to start out with. It gave me those Twilight vibes that I just loved. But as I got past 200 pages I felt that the story started to drag just a little. I think that this one could have been a tad shorter and it would have kept the good pacing that was at the start. I will most likely check out book two when it comes out because I need to know what happens. But I hope that the slowness that was in this one gets cut from the next story.

This book was beyond riveting. The character's and their character development were extremely well written as well. The plot was throughly done.

i'm not a huge fan of the celebrity/reality show concept fro vampires to be honest. i didn't particularly care about any of the characters and the plot was erratic. the romance wasn't very enjoyable either. the MC and love interest were bland and very immature. overall, it just wasn't for me.

Belle Morte by Bella Higgin
4/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

•••Spoiler free review below•••

Belle Morte is the vampire book of your dreams. Seriously!! I promise!!!!

In a world where vampires are celebrities and humans are always clamoring for a chance to be their blood donors, Renie Mayfield couldn’t care less about them. When her sister, June, enters the popular UK based vampire house — Belle Morte — and doesn’t leave, Renie takes it upon herself to find out what happened.

At Belle Morte, Renie meets the gorgeous vampire, Edmond, and struggles with the fact she is undoubtedly attracted to someone who she should consider her enemy. This paranormal romance has everything. Mystery? Check. Sexy vampires? Check. A modern twist on the classic vampire plot? Check, check, check!

Belle Morte will be out April 5th and if it's not already on your tbr, it should be!
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Special thanks to NetGalley and Wattpad Books for sharing an arc with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

I fully enjoyed reading this book. At first, I expected a much faster burn between the characters but loved how slow it dragged out and helped propel the story when the action lulled. "Belle Morte" was a fantastic read with a refreshing take on the vampire/human relationship and all of the obstacles that come with it. For fans of "Twilight" and "House of Anubis," this is a great book that mixes the vampire love fantasy with an air of mystery and intrigue.

Belle Morte is a great YA fantasy that hooked me in immediately. The premise of vampires coming into the public eye and having houses where they can live and be protected was a new and ingenious idea. After Renee suspects foul play when her sister stops communicating she springs into action. It’s there she meets Edmond who could help or hurt her. The relationships between all the friends that develops is realistic and helps to make Renie open up even when she is so distraught over what may have happened to her sister. There is a good amount of steaminess without being to overt which i appreciated.


The story was easy to read the characters were developed quickly as that always happens when debuting a new book in a series. I believe that this series will end up being a favorite to many as the themes and characters are so lovable. It’s nice getting a better point of view from the vampires side of life. I do wish though that Renie at times had been a little more mature, especially when dealing with someone like Edmond. There were more than a few times that I just wanted her character to really listen and not be so reactive to others. The supporting characters were fun and helped to keep the story going and increasing the world that we had delved into. All in all i would recommend this to anyone with a love for vampires, fantasy, and love stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!


I love love love this book!! I don't typically like modern vampire stories, but this immediately pulled me in! I found the premise to have a blend of the familiar we seek out with these books, and some fresh content and it was perfect! I found Renie to be a little more realistic than perhaps the average vampire book protagonist with her feisty spirit, her stubbornness, her growth in attitudes and I adore her heart so much! The care for her family is strong and I love reading about her growing attachment to the people around her.

Which brings me to another point I loved about this book - how real the relationships between everyone! The romantic, the friendships! Of course, I wanted to read this book for the romance, but I am also a sucker for deep friendships and this book doesn't fail with that! I grew to care for and love all the people in this book and my heart was thrown around every which way by the end.

The imagery is beautiful and sensuous and I seriously want to live in this house.

And of course the tension and chemistry between our main leads constantly gave me goosebumps, I loved the build up from Renie's percieved rivalry to friendship to romantic. It moved at a natural pace and I ate every part of it up.

Now I don't hate it - but I did find myself struggling to finish (I hate when I DNF). I just couldn't get into the futuristic vampire world where they're treated as celebrities and host reality show competitions to find their blood donors who are then rewarded with fame/status/money.

Our main character is quite childish and our vampire MC (who is meant to be centuries old) also acts like a teenager. I could not get behind the insta-love and poorly written dialogue.

Overall, not my cup of tea. Nothing new is being introduced to the vampire genre here.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The cover isn't great. The story... well, let's just say I've read a lot of vampire books.... and most of it is in here. Lol. By that I mean it didn't feel original. The story was similar to other books I've read in the way of plot.

I‘ve never read a book about vampires before (no, not even read or watched the phenomenon that is Twilight) and I‘m not generally a fan of the age gap trope, but the prospect of the book otherwise intrigued me. It seemed to give off mystery vibes and I‘ve been enjoying that kind of thing lately.

The book begins with the main character Renie (Irene) arriving at the Belle Morte mansion as a blood donor where she hopes to find her sister June. As any good main character, she is the only person in the world who doesn’t care for the whole vampire culture all that much (and later is shocked when others reveal to her that they have ambiguous thoughts about it, too), grew up very poor and is therefore overwhelmed by the extravagance that she is now living in and cares very deeply about her older sister who is like her best friend.

Don‘t mistake that for strong familial bonds, though. Renie didn’t support June‘s obsession with vampire culture which led her to applying for being a donor in the first place, and though their mother must be scared out of her mind about her older daughter and at least think of her younger daughter‘s fate from time to time, she isn’t mentioned and Renie doesn’t send her any letters or anything at all.

As if that were not enough, Renie is in this extravagant mansion that honestly sounds like a dream come true to anyone - the vampires try to make them feel very comfortable in terms of offering them any kind of leisure activities that you can think of (music, theatre, art of any kind, gardening etc.), but it was June who was the one with passions and Renie doesn’t care for any of that. You could even go so far as to say that she is so focused on being the main character that she doesn’t have any personality at all beyond that.

But at least she has friends, right? Yes she does! Surprisingly enough, her roommate Roux tries very hard to befriend Renie. When she shows her this amount of loyalty and friendship, Renie is surprised - and so was I, because Renie honestly didn’t try at all. They are both also friends with a gay character (Jason, I think) whose hobbies include pining for a vampire who won‘t even spare him a glance and doing Renie‘s auburn hair for balls.

As for the (incredibly much older) love interest Edmond - he was actually not so bad! I didn’t like how there was a dual POV just to get the point across that he was also falling in insta-love with Renie (because if you can’t get that across from only one POV, then maybe you’re doing something wrong) but the stories he told Renie actually really helped to develop his character, although I would have preferred to learn at least some of his character traits through showing and not telling. He certainly didn’t act his age all that much, though, considering how much experience and knowledge he should have had from living for 400 years.

As for the plot itself, it was a pretty good idea with a mediocre execution. I guessed the plot twists (what happened to June, where is she, who did it, what happens to Renie in the end) rather early on but was confused that Renie herself didn’t speculate at all about what might have happened and who could have done it, and who might be having ulterior motives. And I have to say there is one plot twist at the end that I did not see coming, which wasn’t embedded well into the story at all, and then the book abruptly ends in the middle of a scene. I scrolled further down to read the next chapter but the book was just over? In the middle of the scene, in the middle of so many loose strings? I‘m not sure one can even call that a cliffhanger, it‘s just incomplete.

So to sum up my thoughts, the story has great potential. I wish the characters and their relationships were fleshed out more and the ending wasn‘t so abrupt. I think instead of a dual POV between Edmond and Renie, a dual POV between Renie and June (with her story up to the incident, to prevent repeating scenes and to maybe show the whole lifestyle of the donors better) would have been more interesting to read.

Lastly, I was not aware that this wasn’t a standalone so I wasn’t prepared for the story to end so abruptly and I will not be reading a possible sequel.


2/5 stars.

Belle Morte is a story about vampires with some intrigue and mystery thrown in. In this world, vampires are revered and humans volunteer to be their blood donors. In exchange for letting vampires feed on them, humans get to live with the vampires in mansions like Belle Morte and experience their lavish lifestyle.

This was a fast and easy read, I did find myself skimming through certain parts but overall I enjoyed the story. Most of the relationships developed a bit too quick for my taste (insta love, instant best friends, etc), and I think there is going to be a second book based on the ending? Which I will probably read at some point.

This book definitely reads like a debut novel in terms of writing style and there were a lot of times where i felt like a lot was happening and yet nothing was. However, having said that, the premise was strong and the romantic aspect cute. I think that the buildup to something bigger is promising and it definitely definitely has potential to become an interesting duo/series that I would happily follow to see what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley and WattPad Books for the e-ARC do this book to prepare for this interview. This book is EVERYTHING!! I am officially a Vladdict for LIFE! The vampire houses and their status as celebrities is incredibly original. The way the donor’s are treated and the lives they lead while employed is such an interesting take on vampire culture. With the added mystery of Renie looking for her missing sister that was a previous donor at the vampire house, Belle Morte, this book is a major winner. The gothic aesthetic of Bella Morte, combined with the incredible fashion, and the parties makes for one incredible world to find yourself sucked into. The vampires
Of the house are of course beautiful,
But also multi-faceted in their actions.
Overall, this book was absolutely
incredible and anyone and everyone that
Enjoys vampire fiction has got to read
This book and I can’t wait to see how
many Vladdicts appear into the world.

This book had a really interesting concept that I liked! I'm a sucker (pun intended) for a vampire novel now and then, so I really enjoyed Edmond's character.

The POV shift was a little odd, simply because jumping from 1st to 3rd person is a little jarring. I can understand why the choice was made, but I wasn't a fan of that personally.

The plot was predictable, but fun, and the characters enjoyable. If you're a vampire fan, it's worth checking out for sure!

This book ends in a cliffhanger. So just be aware of that. I thought it was a standalone and when nothing was wrapped up and I only had 5% left, the PANIC started.

Other than that, this book was SO good!! It was moody, romantic, and just such a great atmospheric read.

I loved just about everything in this book! I just wish it was longer because I didn’t want it to end!

DNF @ 20% This book got off to a rocky start for me, and I had trouble being drawn in and interested in the characters. The overall premise of famous vampires was a unique spin, but it ended up feeling too dramatic and a bit kitschy..

I have very mixed feelings about this book.

It’s a great story in desperate need of an editor. This has potential to be phenomenal but ultimately needs more substance and depth.

The characters were pretty surface level and the MC is very much an angsty teenager with not a lot going on for common sense. There are plot holes in almost every part of the book but it was still fast paced enough that I didn’t really care all that much.

Unfortunately the only sort of information we got was in the form of 100 questions by the MC. There are ways to build lore and relationships other than that.

While there was some sort of murder mystery type thing going on, there was never any guess work. Nothing about it had me thinking of different suspects or potential betrayal from characters we barely knew anyway. Everything was very obvious and in your face so it took all thinking away from the readers experience.

I still really liked it don’t get me wrong, but it was lacking in so many basic areas. Reads like an average vampire fanfic. Take that how you will.

Belle Morte is a young adult vampire romance with thrills and espionage thrown into the mix. Renie Mayfield is an eighteen-year-old girl living in a world where vampires are not only known about, but are basically celebrities. Renie’s sister was selected to become a blood donor and moved into one of the UK vampire mansions months ago, and Renie hasn’t heard from her in months. Desperate to find her sister, Renie applies to become a donor and go undercover at Belle Morte.
This book is told from two points of view. Renie’s POV is first person and dominates the narrative, but we also occasionally get the third=person point of view of Edmond, one of Belle Morte’s handsome vampires. While I enjoyed knowing what Edmond is thinking, and we find out right away that he’s keeping secrets, I would have preferred to have had only Renie’s POV, as that would have increased the suspense. Knowing that Edmond–and the other vampires–aren’t terrible monsters right away muted some of the story’s suspense.
The romance between Renie and Edmond is sweet and slow-burn, and I could definitely see a heavy influence from Twilight in the nature of the story. That said, the author is a fan of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and I was delighted to spot some references to the horror classic. I’m not sure if it was intentional, but Renie Mayfield sure sounds a lot like Renfield! (Why else would you shorten “Irene” to “Renie”?) Fortunately, Renie is completely different from Renfield in personality and she isn’t doomed the same fate fate as that Stoker character. (Otherwise this wouldn’t be a romance!)
I loved the world-building in this book. While the majority of the story is set inside Belle Morte, we get a taste of what the world is like outside of it. Their world is like ours, but different, as everyone knows that vampires exist. They either love them, fear them, or despise them. Little bits of world building, such as the existence of “Vladdicts”–people who are obsessed with vampires–adds a flare of creativity and ingenuity to the book.
This book has a lot of talking, particularly in the beginning, but the storyline picks up pace towards the end of the book. While most of the plot points are quite predictable, you read these types of stories for the suspense and the forbidden love, and on these fronts, Higgins definitely delivers.
While this hasn’t been touted as being the start of a series, I got strong series vibes when reading this book–particularly with the way it ends. It’s not quite a cliffhanger, but there is a lot left unsaid, and this could easily be sequels.

Forbidden love, vampires, mystery, and strong sister bonds; all this really made me want to love it.

Vampires don't have to stalk people for blood anymore. They live in houses where humans willing become blood donors. One such house is Belle Morte. Donors live in the house, get paid good money, are fed well, and have fabulous clothes. Vampires are seen as celebrities which further adds to the appeal of being a donor. Sounds perfect, right? Except donors aren't allowed to leave the house until the vampires release them from their contract; that could be weeks or years. They can't refuse to feed a vampire. There is no outside technology allowed in the house. They can write letters to their loved ones, but they are read and approved before sent.

Renie's sister has always loved vampires. She also has always wanted a better life. So, it is no surprise when she decides to sign up to be a donor. When Renie's sister stops writing, Renie believes something has happened to her. She doesn't share her sister's love for vampires, but she signs up to be a donor to find out what happened to her. She will stop at nothing to find the truth. Even if that means crossing the strongest vampire in the house. Renie knew she would have to play the part of a willing donor in order to stay in the house long enough to find her sister. What she didn't expect was finding friends willing to stand by her side and falling in love with the thing she hates the most, a vampire.

Edmond has lived long enough to know to never let people in. The walls he has built around his heart are there for a reason. When Renie moves into the house, he struggles to keep those walls up. With each passing day, he falls harder and harder for her. But vampire and human relationships are forbidden. He also knows that once she finds out the truth about her sister and that he knew, she will hate him forever. He tries to get the leader of the house to tell Renie the truth, but she has her own plans for Renie.

This book started out strong. It slowed down a lot in the middle. I put it down several times because I got bored. Then towards the end, it picked back up. I really would have liked to see some of the middle tossed out and more done with the action towards the end. There was so much missed opportunity with all things pertaining with that end.

The main character was also annoying. I think she was meant to be seen as brave, but she came off as dumb and lacking impulse control. There were several times that I wanted to scream, "Just freaking think things through for once!" This was written like a younger YA so that could be a big part of my disdain. Plus, I was already irritated that Renie's POV was first person, but Edmond's was third.

I meant to start with the things I enjoyed but got a little off track. There were points in the book the Bella Higgin did an outstanding job at imagery. Her words were beautifully written. I hope to see more of that as she grows as an author. I also really like the friendship between Renie and Jason. I feel that everybody needs a Jason!

this is one of my fastest reads of this year, i just couldn't put the book down! would totally recommend to anyone who loves vampire stories. 4/5 stars