This book was a super quick, nostalgic read full of vampires, references to twilight, and strangers to lovers romance. I listened to the audiobook alongside an e-arc, and I have to say the narrator really made this book enjoyable for me. The jokes really hit thanks to the narrator's fantastic performance.

That being said, this book left me conflicted. While I had fun reading it, the constant body negativity and fat phobia our MC felt toward herself was hard to stomach. Granted, the author does make note of this before the book starts as a trigger warning. Still, its frequency took me out of the story on several occasions.

I will say, the author played with certain tropes and ideas in a fun way. I mean, a vampire who writes historical romance?! That gave me a good chuckle.

Overall, I would recommend this if you want a book that reminds you of the post-Twilight vampire craze, but one that also feels comfortable poking fun at vampire conventions.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

When I first came across this book, my excitement soared as it promised a delightful blend of romance, comedy, and vampires, featuring a protagonist on the cover who wasn't the typical straight-size character. However, as I delved into the story, I found myself constantly rolling my eyes at the narrative voice. The author's excessive use of short-term slang like "perf" and "obvi," and even typing out "BFF," became a bit jarring and detracted from my reading experience. Despite this, I must admit that the plot involving the vampires and the world created around them intrigued me. It had the potential to be an engaging and thrilling read. Alas, I found the ending to be somewhat...

I have been made aware of the fat phobia and as a chubby girl I really want to see for myself but I do not want to trigger anyone with my review.
I will post a review once I feel comfortable. I hope everyone can understand.

I enjoyed this look regarding body positivity but the focus on her body image issues, while very realistic, were a bit overwhelming at times. I wanted there to be a bit more substance beyond that struggle. There was plenty of fun and conflict outside of that but it was definitely a main focus.

That said, this main character was EXTREMELY likeable. The humor, banter, the heat, the tension. It was all fantastic! I had a fun time with these characters and the love story.

I thought that this had a fantastic concept but the execution of the topic just didn't work for me, wish it had though

I had such high expectations for this book and it just was not it. The main character was unlikable and I am all about body positivity but this was too much. I didn’t vibe with the writing and use of slang.

This book was a DNF for me. I really had high hopes for it and I tried to enjoy it but I just couldn’t get into it, unfortunately.

This book is a totally fun. Take on the vampire narrative for those who have grown up reading vampire tales but appreciate a modern twist. Our heroine finds herself in the unlikely scenario of being turned into a vampire while still carrying the burden of judgment for being a plus-size woman in the modern world. Her quest for survival and love provides an interesting twist on the story we thought we knew.

I absolutely enjoyed this novel by Gloria Duke. It was unlike any other "vampire" fiction I have read and the characters were an absolute delight. Lily was an unforgettable sassy main character and I loved the showcase of a plus size main character.

The romance was top-notch and I loved seeing it develop over the course of this book.

A great read that was perfect for the fall/Halloween season!

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book was refreshing. I feel like it’s a great introduction to possibly a series. I also appreciate the honesty of the narrator and her body view. As someone that’s struggled with weight, I felt myself relating to Lily so much.

It wasn’t bad, just meh. I’m saying 3 stars but it’s actually like 2.5. I was really excited for a new generation of vampire stories… but meh.

This was a eh for me. The whole story felt disjointed and something just felt off about it. I typically love fat representation but there was something that didn't work with this one.

One of the things that stand out in this novel is its witty humor and relatable characters. Lily is a refreshing protagonist who is unapologetically herself, flaws and all. Her journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance is beautifully portrayed, and readers will root for her as she faces her inner demons and the challenges of the vampire world.

The chemistry between Lily and Tristan is also a highlight of the book. Their banter and reluctant partnership make for an entertaining read, and their growing feelings for each other are both heartwarming and steamy.

When Life Gives You Vampires by Gloria Duke. Pub Date: October 4, 2022. Rating: 2 stars. The premise of this novel had me intrigued with a body positive vampire, but honestly the execution was not good. I felt the main character was not body positive and actually had a lot of unhealthy thoughts about herself that made it cringeworthy to read. I found myself zoning out and not really paying attention to the story because it was not as engaging as I hoped it would be. Maybe another vampire story will be more fulfilling for me, but this one was not it. Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #netgalley

Lily wakes up more than hungover. She wakes up as a vampire.

This book is supposed to be about body positivity but she never really grows into it. She complains for over half the book.

Also she takes becoming a vampire on accident way to easily

This was a bit of a miss for me. I was really looking forward to some plus-size body positivity but I feel this book missed the mark. I do still appreciate the effort the author went through to include a plus-size FMC, though!

I enjoyed this book so much more than I expected to, and it definitely reinvented my love of vampires. I loved the nods to cliché vampire things - *cough*twilight*cough*.
The characters were likeable, well written, flawed, and honest. The overall lesson of learning to love yourself just the way you are is one I hold close to my heart and I found that in this story. All in all, definitely would recommend to a YA reader - I was also lucky enough to listen to this on audiobook and the narrator definitely helped keep the interest in the story and kept me engaged.

I was excited to read this book - as I have been craving a vampire romance with plus sized rep for some time now - but the. I read multiple reviews about how the fat rep was more harmful than not and decided now was not the time to read it for my own mental health. Hopefully someday I’ll be up to reading it to decide for myself, but for now I’ll stay away.

I was truly excited for this book. As a plus size woman who has seen her fair share of vampire shows and movies, I've always had in the back of my mind "but what if they looked like me?" This book takes a look at that, but unfortunately it wasn't in a way I particularly enjoyed.

Lily was funny, but she was also kind of annoying and very much an overthinker. It's possible I didn't connect with her because she reminded me of myself and my own inner dialogue. The love interest, Tristan, was a bit flat and I never quite grasped the attraction or chemistry between them.
I expected more of a romcom vibe all the way through, but a lot of this book was centered around a conflict resulting in a fight of sorts. The ending felt like a race to tie everything up in a neat bow as fast as possible. Lastly, never in my life have I seen such an excessive use of the word "um".
All in all, this sadly wasn't for me, but I want to reiterate that I love the concept and angle of the story very much. I just ended up having no real drive or motivation to pick it up and see what happens. Which, again, could be a me problem where I relate too much. I ended on a 2.75 out of 5 stars.

I thought this book was cute and had a nice storyline! I loved the plus size rep. It just took me a little while to get through.