I really enjoyed this story! Set during the Civil War era, I really enjoyed the mix of fantasy (mainly vampires) and the banter between Jerusalem and Alexei. A love story I finished in a little over 3 hours! Would recommend.

DNF at 33%

This is my second time trying Lauren Blackwood, and I think shes not for me. I have so many friends that love her, but I just couldn't care about the characters, and found myself never wanting to pick it up,

this was a good read, a bit slow in the beginning but picked up pretty quickly. I loved historical and fantasy books; this one had fantasy, historical, and supernatural. I love that it's between the Union and Confederate soldiers and all of that. the only thing that threw me off about the modern language is supposed to be the story set in the 18's so I could not understand why modern language was used (I think the author should have done a little bit of research on how people talked back in those days to make It a bit more authentic especially if you have 3000 yrs old vampires) and I think that her verbal abuse to her companion was a bit excessive, the author could dial it down a bit, it gets annoying at the end of the day. overall it was a good book.

This isn’t the type of book that I would normally pick up. I love fantasy, but Vampires aren’t really my thing. But I absolutely loved the author’s last book so when I was asked to review this one I thought I’d give it a chance.

I thought the concept of the book was really interesting and unique! And my favorite parts of the book were definitely all the flashback sections (I’m a sucker for backstory).

I didn’t really care that much about any of the characters or their relationships. It didn’t feel like they were very well rounded people and I couldn’t relate to them at all.

I also thought the story dragged a lot. The first half of the book felt SO long and the second half felt a little like it was a different book from the first.

I received a a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and statements are my own.

Sadly this book just didn’t grab as much as I hoped it would. I put it down and picked it up multiple times but I just couldn’t connect with it. Super bummed.

Vampires helping to fight in the Civil War...how fun.

This story is told from two different point of views. Jerusalem, a Black former slave, who fights for the Union in the Civil War. She is considered a Saint, one with special powers who can help kill vampires. Alexei, is a Russian vampire, who also helps to fight for the Union. During one battle they are both faced with their own foes, Alexei his former maker and capture who tortured him for decades and Jerusalem is facing her former slave master who murdered her family. When they lose friends during the battle, Alexei and Jerusalem are forced to work together to deal with their foes and help to save a surviving family member of Jerusalem's.

I thought the premise of the book was good. Magical realism is parts and fantasy in others with a splash of historical fiction. What lost me was the romance storyline between Alexei and Jerusalem. It didn't feel like believable to me the way it was written. The current sounding dialogue and slang words, mostly from Jerusalem, used also threw me for a loop a lot of the times when I was reading it. I know it's a fictional book so the author can do what she'd like, but it didn't feel like it always fit within the narrative of the story. There were a lot of moments in the storyline, particularly in the middle, where the story didn't seem to know where it was going. This in combination with my other issues, mentioned previously, made this a middle of the road read for me.

I'd still like to read more from the author in the future. Also shout out to the designers of the cover because it's gorgeous.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

The concept behind this story was intriguing and creative. Set in the civil war, with vampires controlling the south and slavery, drew me in, but the characters and plot just weren’t strong enough for me. If you like the enemies to lovers trope, this could be the saving grace for you. For me, it fell short and wasn’t quite believable. The main character was just what I wanted, strong (mentally and physically), and bold. She carries the story for me. I would have liked the other characters to complement her more.

This book had a lot of potential but somehow still fell flat. The history and the love story were almost non existent there were references but the story line somehow did not fit.

The author could have placed this story in modern times in an entirely fictional war/conflict and it probably would have made more sense and wouldn't have dragged as long as it did as i struggled to finish.

arc provided by netgalley

I've loved Lauren Blackwood's previous books, but The Dangerous Ones was a miss for me. Such a cool premise but the execution fell short. I had a very hard time getting into the modern language in a book taking place in the Civil War, so the overall reading experience wasn't great. I also felt like the romance was a bit off—one-sided. I would have liked to see more development on Jerusalem's end.
I did like Jerusalem and Alexei though, and I do think this is good for a YA audience who might be prompted to do more research into this time period.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

Unfortunately, this is a DNF for me. Despite the amazing premise, I just couldn't get into the book. I found that for a book that is taking place during the Civil War, the language is far too modern. Also, the word "ass" is used every other paragraph and I was already over it by the time I stopped reading. The writing just couldn't live up to the promise of what the book could have been.

What in the awful modern vernacular is this? We have such a compelling idea - civil war with vampires and godly beings and I was immediately hooked! And then the choppy and inconsistent writing ruined it. No civil war historical romantasy should have any of the following words in their dialogue:

stankass
dumbass
cuteass
hella

Seriously. The cringe dialogue and modern language was the nail in the coffin for something that could've been amazing.

And the romance? Where was it? Alexi loved Jerusalem we know this because his love language is words of affirmation and he tells her constantly. But Jerusalem? She was awful to him, physically and verbally abusive and he just took it. Was this supposed to be a dark bully romance because that's what it felt like at times.

If you're going to write a historical novel there needs to be some better research as well. The Civil War was more than just the Battle of Gettysburg.

Thank you St Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the arc.

I was really excited to read this one. The Civil War but with vampires as slave owners and the saints against them! How exciting! I really liked the characters. The history was done well. My favorite part was the workings of the Underground Railroad in this romantasy setting. However, I didn’t care for the romantic relationship between Jerusalem and Alexei. It referred to him cradling her and it just seemed like she was more childlike (she’s 18 and he’s been 21 for a few hundred years) and a friendship might have been more appropriate.

This book was a ride!! I loved it. This genre (civil war) is not typically my thing, but the way it was written I couldn’t put it down. There is action, world building, Enemies to lovers, banter, funny moments, slight romance! This book has it all and I had so much fun while reading it.

I just reviewed The Dangerous Ones by Lauren Blackwood. #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

The Dangerous Ones
by Lauren Blackwood
YA Paranormal Historical Fiction
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: May 14, 2024
St. Martin's Press
Ages: 16+

Set during the Civil War, Jerusalem escapes to the North after spending her first seventeen years as a slave on a plantation, owned by abusive humans and a single female vampire. Seeking revenge against that vampire who killed her family, she joins the Union army and also finds out she is a Saint. A rare person gifted with strength, reflexes, and endurance; perfect to fight against the vampires who have joined forces with the Confederates.

But one vampire also joined with the North, who does not agree with the other vampires and their abusive way of living.


This was a good story, a quick read. I really liked how the supernatural was incorporated into the Civil War and the Underground Railroad, though I felt as if some details about the Underground were left out. I understand the secrecy of the railroad, but I feel that a little more depth about a few of the characters would've created a more dramatic effect.

As would some backstory about the Saints. There should be a lot of explanations of who, why, how, when, etc about the Saints and how they came to be.

The romantic aspect, I didn't care for the MCs', but their friends' romance was a more 'heartfelt' romance, and I liked that one more.

Another thing that bothered me was the pet names the two MCs had for each other. It got a little confusing at times. Sure I can understand the shortening of names, but some of the 'pet names' he had for her were a tad creepy.

And the title of the book; it sounds ominous but by the end of the book...who?

There is violence and some innuendos so I think it's more suitable for 'mature' 16+ readers.

3 Stars

I found it difficult to connect with any characters as I felt they were one-dimensional, whiny, and weak. The world building was flawed and uninteresting, and the time jumping didn't flow well for me; it pulled me out of the story instead of drawing me in deeper. However, I did enjoy the fight scenes. I don't think this book is bad, but it didn't meet my expectations.

DNF @68%

I was so, so excited for this, and it started out fantastic. I admittedly know .. next to nothing about history, but I did feel sort of “transported” back to what I imagine that specific time frame to be like. The scenarios (minus the vampires ofc) felt gut-wrenchingly real, and the author really hit the mark with connecting the reader to the story.

.. but then started missing the mark, a lot 😭
I really felt in the dark a lot of the time of what Saint’s are; do they just have enhanced strength? Why? Is it inherited? The world building just felt like it fell flat, and I wanted more!

The romance also left a lot to be desired. We hear Alexei’s internal monologue of how much he love Jerusalem, and their banter is great. But with Alexei, Jerusalem was constantly back and forth, back and forth … and then even more back and forth. Granted, Jerusalem has severe trauma regarding vampires. But the way she acts in terms of romantic feelings towards Alexei felt like a complete 180 of her general personality, and it really drew me out of the story.

Seriously, this started out so great! But somewhere along the lines, the writing style almost felt like it changed, and it just wasn’t for me. (Also this felt so much like Twilight - there was even a Jasper Whitlock confederate vampire soldier 😭)

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for granting me an arc for an honest review.

Thanks to Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions below are my own.

This is Twilight meets Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter but not in a good way.

It's angsty and more of a romance than a fantasy action story.

I liked the premise of vampires and magical humans set in the Civil War but it really was just the plot of Twilight.

I said this about Blackwood's last book but she writes angry characters really well. Thes characters are working from a place of rage all the time. If that's your thing, you may enjoy this more than I did.

All that said, the audio performances were great. I liked the two POVs and the performances of each narrator was fabulous.

Vicious read! The Dangerous Ones by Lauren Blackwood is a historical fantasy romance set during America’s Civil War about a vampire hunter falling for a vampire. Jerusalem is an escaped slave and a Saint – people with god-like strength, speed, and agility. She’s spent her life hiding who she really is, but now she’s fighting for the Northern army in the hopes of freeing others like her who were enslaved and treated as less than because of the color of their skin. Alexei is a vampire fighting beside Jerusalem in an effort to stop the Ancient Vampires who have made their home in the South. Together they make an unstoppable team. Told in dual narration, The Dangerous Ones takes a unique look at history, trauma, prejudice, and putting it all aside for love.

Jerusalem is a fierce character. You do not want to get on her bad side. At the start of the story, it’s been one year since she escaped her owners and fled to the North. Thinking her family dead, she trains daily to go back and free other slaves. Her commitment to killing vampires and hating them is easy to understand. They have ruled over her life since she was born, and every good thing she’s ever had was taken from her by them. It’s her life’s mission to end them, one at a time, and she revels in it.

Alexei is unlike the vampires from Jerusalem’s past. He sees her fear behind the anger she projects, and he finds common ground with her. This life wasn’t his choice. He had no say in becoming what he is, but he does have a say in how he acts and what he does daily. Right now, he chooses to fight on the side that wants to free slaves. He chooses to fight for humanity. He respects Jerusalem and trains her. Over the last year, they’ve built a tenuous friendship. But it is more for him.

I really enjoyed this story. It is well-written. The author’s choice of backdrop works well in highlighting both Jerusalem’s prejudice against Alexei and her PTSD from her former life. While she fights prejudice on a daily basis because of her past and her skin color, she is not immune to judging Alexei because he is the thing she hates. Overcoming this is a big part of the story. I love how the author shows how love is at the center of their story, first through friendship and then something more. Their shared trauma, how Alexei recognizes it in her, and Jerusalem’s realization of Alexei’s own trauma drive the narrative.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Dangerous Ones. Blackwood’s writing from the characters to the setting is perfect. I couldn’t have asked for a better read. If you enjoy historical fantasies, adventure, and a little romance, I highly recommend it.

I wanted to like this book so much. It had the potential to be great, but it just wasn't there for me.

Jerusalem was a slave for the first 18 years of her life. She always knew she was a little different, that she would do anything for her family, and that she hated vampires. Once she escaped into freedom, she joined the Union army and found out that she is a Saint. Jer also met a vampire that isn't like any she'd ever met before. But how can she be friends with a vampire, especially a white vampire, when she hates them so much?

I am irritated because I wanted to love this so much and I hate having to rate stuff less than three stars. But I just had to!! I was so disappointed in the story. And the characters for that matter. Basically a woman and vampire team up to go on a revenge spree. And they are really heartless too. Like killing kids that are 15 and stuff like that.

But the main character Jerusalem is just terrible. She’s hateful, vengeful, crass, and overall really shitty. Almost the entire time!!!! Like there’s supposed to be this great romance, but it just seemed very unbelievable to me. I wasn’t into the two of them together. There was no heat and no chemistry!!! At all. Smh.. it was just all very disappointing.

I didn’t rate it one star because there was a fun Sasquatch, a few vaguely funny parts, and because Jerusalem finally stopped being a dick in the very end. Like the last ten pages.

So I don’t recommend this one. At all. I’d apologize, but I just can’t help what I don’t like.