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.

I would say this was 3.75 stars- one of my only August reads and it didn’t disappoint. I went in to this one not really knowing what to expect, but there were some heavy themes like slavery and abuse because of slavery that were present. (TWs for those themes for sure).

Jerusalem was a slave in the 1500s who escaped her mistress and who made her life goal to go back and kill her. The only catch was that her mistress was an Ancient Vampire who had been alive for more than a thousand years. This is where the fantasy storyline starts to ebb through, which I quite enjoyed because sometimes historical fiction can get a little daunting to me by itself.

Jerusalem is considered a ‘saint’ which I’m not really sure what that fully entails other than having the strength to kill the vampires, so when I tell you she’s out with a vengeance that is no exaggeration. She is found by the Northern army and is part of a group of Saints who takes Jerusalem under their wing. One in particular is seemingly interesting to her, and he happens to be a vampire as well.

All that Jerusalem knows about vampires go out the window when she starts to have feelings for Alexei, and the foreshadowing of slavery and then preconceived notions comes into play. I loved reading about their connection and how their relationship evolves over the course of the story.

Towards the end of the novel, we are introduced to more supernatural creatures which I was taken aback by. Either a great set up for a second novel in this series or an added detail that didn’t really fit- you decide. Overall I did really enjoy this and would read another one so I hope it’s the former!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The cover is what first drew me in, and once I read the synopsis seeing vampires it was a must read!

What to expect:
- Civil War (slaves, war, violence)
- Vampires, Saints, supernatural creatures
- a young saint seeking revenge on those who killed her family, finding an ally in a vampire
- some romance

Recommended!

I enjoyed this romantasy. It definitely wasn't the normal story. #1 ir was set during Civil War which is something that's not written about much especially for romantasy. #2 the heroine is an escaped slave who is pretty proficient in spear fighting. #3 Alexei, our "hero" is the centuries old vampire but strangely enough is a caring, sensitive individual. I'm a big fan of different, unique stories and this one fit the bill!

I have previously DNF'd a book by this author so I thought I should give her another chance... and I kinda regret it. I understand that this is a YA romance but the characters being "in love" before the 50% mark really took me out of their romance. There was some banter but it genuinely just felt like they fell in love because they were around eachother. The concept of this book was much more interesting to me than the previous book I tried reading, but it still gave me the ick a little bit. The love interest saying "well, I'm white so I can do whatever I want" was a bit weird considering the female main character escaped slavery. I simply don't think this author is for me.

This is giving me Dread Nation vibes. If genre bending novels are your cup of tea this historical fiction/horror with a side of demigods is for you.

I had higher hopes for this book. I will definitely look into other books by Lauren but this one is not one I will recommend unfortunately. I do hope to see the MC friends romance on page. That looked like a beautiful story to be had.

This really grew on me as I read and got to know the characters a little more. This book just had a little bit of everything from romance to history to action and vampires.

I liked the more classical take on vampires. I also appreciated the parallels of vampire culture (use of people as familiars or blood sources) to the enslavement of black people during the Civil War. It almost made me believe that vampires are real and influenced that war.

Jerusalem is an intriguing character. I loved watching her learn to trust other people as the story progressed. She's one tough cookie.
Which made her romance with Alexei all the sweeter. I liked that we know Alexei's feelings from the start but Jerusalem's aren't quite there yet (or at least she won't admit it). I really was taken by their relationship once it back more of the story's focus.

As for the writing, I did struggle a bit with the longer chapters and the flashbacks. I didn't mind the flashbacks, I just found myself getting confused that they were actually events happening in the past as I was reading--but that could just be a me thing.