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.

The Dangerous Ones was a captivating blend of Civil War history and fantasy, that explored themes of racism, slavery, and the fight for freedom. This was different than I expected (in a good way!).
The story follows Jerusalem, a former slave with superhuman powers granted by “saints,” who is fighting against ancient vampires in the South with the Union army. She’s teamed up with Alexei, a vampire with a complex personality—handsome and charming yet conflicted due to his past actions. Their relationship evolves from adversarial to romantic as they go on a mission together, where Jerusalem seeks revenge against the vampire responsible for her suffering. The book is praised for its immersive world-building, rich character backgrounds, and engaging dialogue. The romance is present but not overpowering, with some scenes that might not suit readers preferring closed-door romance.
I thought it was perfect, though I did feel like there were some inconsistencies. But overall, a very engaging story!

“The Dangerous Ones” by Lauren Blackwood is a captivating blend of historical fiction, romance, and fantasy. Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, the novel introduces us to Jerusalem, a fearless Saint, and Alexei, an Ancient Vampire. Their unlikely alliance leads to a thrilling quest for revenge and a chance to alter the course of history. With vivid historical details and fantastical twists, this book keeps readers on the edge of their seats! 📚🔮

I enjoyed the setting and the world, but didn't feel much emotional connection to the characters. And the back and forth or "I love you but I hate you" was just too much for me- it was frustrating, vs compelling.

I could not get into this book…. I tried the kindle version and switched to audiobook but it still didn’t do it for me. The main character held potential but I was honestly lost through most of the plot and couldn’t find the interest to continue connecting with what was going on.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me.

The setting is during the Civil War, but the language is excessively modern. The disconnect made it impossible for me to settle in.

Nothing was working for me.

DNF

The Dangerous Ones offers a dual perspective, alternating between Jerusalem and Alexei. While the author clearly signals these shifts within chapters, I personally prefer distinct POV changes at chapter boundaries. Additionally, the use of flashbacks felt somewhat chaotic. Jerusalem's enslavement and Alexei's torture could have been better organized—either as separate interspersed chapters or presented chronologically at the book's outset. The novel's magical realism captivated me. Jerusalem, a fierce protagonist, shines, but Alexei falls a bit flat. Their love story lacks depth; most conversations remain superficial. The modern language occasionally jarred with the historical setting. Despite these quirks, the revenge-driven plot kept me engaged, making it a quick and intriguing read.

This book takes place in Civil War times and the main characters are Jerusalem, a run away slave that has supernatural abilities and Alexi, a 3000 year old vampire. They both fight for the Confederacy together, her and Alexi form a bond that turns romantic. This was an ARC I received from the publisher and one of my most anticipated reads but I honestly did not enjoy this book. The first Chapter was fine but the issue I kept facing was the writing style and the fact that apparently Lauren Blackwood's favorite word in the entire world is "Ass" because she used it all the way through this book in different variations, (dumbass, kick his ass, stank-ass, pain in my ass.) I was like, girl okkaayyy we get it, you like the word ass. So that definitely distracted me. Another thing that I disliked is that I just was not interested in Jerusalem and Alexi's characters in general, I thought they were super boring and treated each other like shit, but then they want to be together? Yeah it was weird. I'm disappointed, but thank you to Macmillan Publishers, Wednesday Books for this ARC. I appreciate it!

I struggled with The Dangerous Ones by Lauren Blackwood. The premise of this book had me excited! The Civil War but with super humans, Werewolves and Vampires? Sign me up! Unfortunately, the language used in the book made it extremely hard to stay in a Civil War circa 1800’s setting.

I enjoyed this story, but felt like it needed a bit more to be a great read.
I liked the premise, but didn't like some of the simplification of specific characters way of speaking. Was distracting for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

I hadn't read a vampire book in a while so i really looked forward to this one. Interesting story. Good characters and spooky supernatural elements.

This is such a unique story, and I am rating this 3 1/2 stars. Historical fantasy about the Civil War filled with vampires and people with powerful abilities to vanquish evil. I was invested from the beginning but I have to say that this didn't feel very YA. So bear this in mind as it has some mature themes.

The story follows a girl named Jerusalem who escapes from being enslaved in the south after her family is murdered by the vampire who owned her and finds herself in a war camp fighting for the Union army. She is extremely strong and ruthless and she always wondered why she was like this. When she first makes it to camp she meets not only other people with her unique abilities to fight - also known as Saints - but also a vampire named Alexei. Alexei falls for Jerusalem immediately, even though he is a vampire and knows she hates them. Jerusalem vows to fight against the southern army and kill all vampires she comes across - including the one that killed her family. Once Alexei helps her to become even stronger, the group of Saints take their strength to the battlefield - not stopping until they finish what they came for.

This has war, vampires, romance, and violence. I have absolutely no problem with any of this, however it was a little mature for YA. I enjoyed most of the story and loved that it was based during the Civil War. I would have liked a little more of the story to feel like the time period (like language for example) but it was still clever. The relationship between Alexei and Jerusalem, although needed to provide connection between the characters - was a little rushed but I did like the two of them and I did like Alexei's determination. Alexei's story was intense and fascinating and I could have had a whole book based on him. Blackwood created a fun group of characters and I was rooting for them, however I needed more villain time! The last few chapters were fantastic. I definitely could have used more of everything - but I did enjoy reading this and loved the creativity.

Unfortunately a DNF for now. Didn't not grab my interest, despite attempting to read it several times over the last few months. Concept is intriguing, so hoping to revisit in the future.

I finished this one a while ago, but I needed some time to develop my thoughts. I have read Lauren Blackwood before and was looking forward to another novel by her, but this one fell a little flat for me. I had two main issues with the book. The first is the flashbacks—the constant back and forth pulled me out of the main timeline. And the multiple viewpoints and time jumps in the same chapter were a little jarring. The second thing is the relationship between the love interests. We don’t really get to see the relationship develop because they’re already there, and one side was borderline toxic.

That being said, the concept was very cool, and the backdrop was very unique (vampires during the civil war? Never read a book quite like it!). The writing itself is great, as is the representation and the diverse cast of characters. The themes were very poignant and impactful and I enjoyed that. I would recommend the book for the creativity, the writing and the message, but not for the romance.