I wanted to love this! I tried but I just couldn’t get hooked. I think it’s a bit to YA for me. That’s ok! I’m an adult so I think that there’s a big audience out there for this book.

3/5 This was a romantasy! I didn’t realized this! I started realizing I’m not a fan of this genre this year! So with that being said the story was good if we didn’t focus on the romance! There’s a war going on and you looking at this black woman with lust in your eyes🤷🏽‍♀️🤨 like “what”?

Wow! Not what I was expecting but I really enjoyed it!
Jerusalem killed her master and escaped from the plantation. Then, she joined the Confederate army to learn how to fight and wait for the moment that she could avenge her family from the vampires. Jerusalem is a saint. Being a saint, she has faster fighting abilities and can handle more to fight the vampires; however, she is still mortal.
Alexei is a vampire, however, haunted by his past. By turning into a vampire, he joins the Confederate army and trains with Jerusalem. He trains her and as he spends time with her she has a scent that smells amazing to him and he knows he loves her. When they go together along with two others for a mission and things do not go as planned they are left with one another and Jerusalem struggles with her feelings and how she feels about Alexei. Alexei is everything she is against, the type of creature that killed her family without any remorse and who still holds her brother hostage. Slowly, she realizes her feelings for Alexei, and while she realizes her feelings she struggles with the trauma and everything he represents that haunts her. Will they be able to work together to kill the vampire that haunts them both or will their struggles with one another be their downfall?
I absolutely loved this book, while the dialogue wasn't always appropriate for the period I can't say it took anything away from the story. I had a hard time putting the book down to go to bed! It was that good.
Thank you Wednesday Books, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for the extraordinary opportunity to read and review this one! It was an absolute treat!

THE DANGEROUS ONES by Lauren Blackwood is an alternate history YA set during the civil war with vampires as plantation owners. While this set-up provides an interesting angle for exploring racial history in the U.S., what I enjoyed most was the relationship between Jerusalem and Alexei.

Jerusalem is a Saint - human but with superhuman strength and speed. After escaping the plantation where she and her family were enslaved, she trains to serve the Union army as a vampire hunter.

Alexei might appear eighteen, but he’s lived hundreds of years as a vampire. He has traveled to the U.S. with the Russian Navy to aid the effort to abolish slavery.

Alexei is clearly smitten for the diminutive but fierce Jerusalem. While Jerusalem can’t even admit to the close bond of friendship the two clearly share. She stubbornly holds tight to her well-earned hatred of vampires, despite knowing that Alexei will always have her back.

Rounding out this found family are Odessa and Gael, two more Saints who fight alongside Jerusalem and Alexei. All four are driven by their own past traumas, with secrets that put them all at risk on the battlefield.

I’m always a fan of first person, dual POV. It was especially effective in this story, as both Jerusalem’s and Alexei’s histories were told in detailed flashbacks. And knowing their real thoughts as they would taunt and bicker with each other was a treat.

I’m looking forward to reading the other books by Blackwood on my shelf - Wildblood and Within These Wicked Walls.

So this book has so much potential but it wasnt a good read to me. When writing historical fiction, using modern vernacular always takes me out the story. Antebellum AAVE is different from Modern AAVE. And it holds alot of cultural importance. Especially during the Civil War when Black people were still enslaved. So to see misuse of that AAVE really made the story flat. Also the romantic subplot was very authentic to me. If I cant feel the chemistry between two characters being conveyed to me I feel it isnt strong enough.

The concept was really good. Loved the idea of paranormal involvement in civil war. Unfortunately it just was a bit of a miss for me. The writing was disjointed and the pacing was very choppy. Overall the story was pretty interesting and the main characters were relatable.

The Dangerous Ones by Lauren Blackwood is an exhilarating read that had me hooked from start to finish. This novel dives into a world of high-stakes action and complex characters, making it impossible to put down. The protagonist is fierce and determined, navigating a series of intense challenges that keep you on the edge of your seat. Blackwood’s writing is fast-paced and full of vivid descriptions that make the scenes come alive. The story is packed with twists and turns, and just when you think you have it all figured out, something unexpected happens.

I really enjoyed the premise of this one and found it an interesting concept. It’s essentially a historical romance in civil war times, but throw in vampires.
Vampire Alexei is on the Union side and falls in love with Jerusalem when she reaches the camp he’s in with other Saints (what she is). This means she is stronger and faster than an average human.
Jerusalem has her heart set on revenge, rightfully so, but it does lead her to make some impulsive decisions that remind you that she is really young.
On the other hand, I had to keep reminding myself that Alexei is only (eternally) 18. He felt older, but that could have been the vampire ways.
The topics in this were really heavy in my opinion and I didn’t even realize it was YA. I think if the characters were aged up a few years it would fall perfectly into a “New Adult” category. However, I get that basically anything containing teen main characters gets slotted into YA.
I accompanied this read with the audiobook and really enjoyed the narrations! I think it really added to it, and I felt Jerusalem’s passion and Alexei’s love for her.

Thank you NetGalley for the read!

Dnf at 25%
This book was just horrible from the start and I could not make myself finish it. Apparently I need to give one hundred characters of why I didn't like this book but I'd really rather just forget it.

Loved the idea of the story but the execution fell through for me. I do look forward to seeing what else this author does.

A fun and creative reimagining of the Civil War that blends history and the paranormal. The characters started off slower for me, especially Jerusalem, but by the end, I was invested in their storyline. While not necessarily historically accurate, this imaginative take on history made for an interesting read.

I had a hard time reviewing this book because I had a good time with the book and. I didn't. I feel like so much happened and then so much didn't happen. I like where we ended up at the end of the story, but I would have made some changes as to where the focus was for some of the book. I thought that a lot of the information provided at the beginning wasn't as relevant later on. I wanted more time with the Underground Railroad. But all in all I liked the premise, the majority of the characters, and the ending.

The Dangerous Ones by Lauren Blackwood is a gripping blend of revenge, romance, and supernatural elements set against the backdrop of the Civil War. The story centers on Jerusalem, a fierce warrior with demigod-like abilities, who is determined to avenge her family, enslaved and murdered by vampires. Teaming up with the enigmatic Alexei, an ancient vampire who claims to be on her side, Jerusalem navigates a world filled with danger and betrayal. Their relationship evolves from distrust to a powerful alliance as they fight against the oppressive forces of both humans and vampires, making for a thrilling read that keeps you on your toes.

Blackwood does an excellent job of exploring themes of trauma and healing throughout the narrative. Both Jerusalem and Alexei carry heavy emotional burdens from their pasts, and their journey together is as much about confronting their pain as it is about seeking revenge. The chemistry between them is palpable, and it’s refreshing to see a love story where both characters respect each other's struggles. While some aspects of the plot might stretch credulity, the overall execution is engaging and thought-provoking. If you're in the mood for a unique vampire tale that combines action with deep emotional resonance, The Dangerous Ones is definitely worth picking up!

Jerusalem has escaped from a plantation after seeing her family killed and decided to joint the union and fight alongside a vampire. Not a fan of Vampires (Due to some being slave owners) and quick to act on emotions makes this a difficult partnership for Jerusalem.

This is my 3rd novel by L Blackwood and I’ve enjoyed all 3. I’ve read mixed reviews on the novel and can agree with some of the feedback. This biggest issue is that the books takes place during the civil was era but the language and slang are more modern. If you can get past that, it’s a great book.

The premise of this book is fantastic, with an alternate history of vampires and civil war, super powered badass former slaves fighting back, full of action and violence and sneakiness- and the cover caught my eye making me pick up the book before I even knew what it was about. Unfortunately, I just did not really care for either of the two main characters and their romance which was a large focus of the book was not an enjoyable romance for me to read. Also there was very little world building, we were just thrown into what was going on with almost no backstory ever to fill in the blanks so I had so many questions about everything that were never answered. I am sure others will enjoy this story, I just was not really into it.

This isn’t a genre I usually read but I just thought the cover art was intriguing. For this being my first opportunity engaging with this author’s work, I found it to be a very interesting & strong offering.

This was a little hard to follow but we go through it. I thought the character development was good though.

This was a unique mix of historical fiction and romance with a supernatural twist set during the civil war.

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=2.75 | 😘=3 | 🤬=2.5 | ⚔️=4.5 | 15/16+

summary: a formerly enslaved Black girl with super strength powers now fighting for the Union army in the American Civil War teams up with a sexy Russian vampire to rescue the FMC’s brother who is enslaved by an evil vampire on a plantation.

thoughts: it took me, like, 85% of the way through the book to actually get even slightly a tiny bit on board with this romance—and that’s not good! that is a bad thing to happen in a fantasy romance novel. I’ve just never been a vampire person, let alone a “he’s 300 years old and she’s 18 but it’s okay because his brain stopped developing at age 18!! and the fact that he has been on the planet for hundreds of years longer than she has has no bearing on any power imbalance” -type thing. I mean, there was always going to be a power imbalance in this kind of relationship because she’s Black and he’s white and it’s the 19th century, and I don’t love power imbalances in relationships! I think it’s gross and toxic 97% of the time!! but clearly the author thought this was fine so?? and also I’m white and have no actual right to talk about this. also he calls her “Tiny,” which just emphasizes how they are not equals at all. icky!! sue me!!! I hate him a little!!!!!
that aside, this is fine I guess? I guess?? I don’t really understand the world building?? so like the MC is a Saint, but then there’s also moments throughout which mention elements of Protestantism (because this is 19th century America) so what kind of Saint is she?? like I don’t get it????? so that’s confusing.

This was a unique mix of historical fiction and romance with a supernatural twist set during the civil war. Jerusalem is a recently escaped slave with a unique abilities and strength she uses to join the union army. After losing the majority of her family she acquires a found family including a vampire who help her train to fight against her captors. Dealing with her trauma she is singly focused on hurting those who have hurt her including vampires. In order to achieve her goals and free her brother she is willing to tolerate the vampire Alexei if she must. Jerusalem is a strong and dedicated heroine who is trying to come to terms with what her life has been and how to adjust to her future where she can finally be in control.