This book was okay! I was happy to be approved because the premise was interesting! Though it sounded like it as something that would be for me it almost wasn’t?

The writing felt a bit bleh at times. And i understand this is a take on fanfiction but it almost felt like reading actual fan fiction rather than a traditionally published novel.

While I loved what this was supposed to be, all in all the writing wasn’t for me.

Since my rating is lower than 4 stars I usually wait to publish a. review on other sites until at least month or so after the release because I never want to hurt anyone’s rating or deter someone from reading!

This is the perfect vampire romance for all the campy, pop-culture girlies out there! I loved the multi-media inclusions, and deeper themes included in the book. The silliness and the seriousness balanced each other out well. There were some parts of the story that I wish I was shown rather than told. Overall a fun halloween read!

I was really thinking that I was gonna love this book, it sounded right up my alley.
The first few chapters were ok but then it got very slow and i hate to say it but boring.
I had to try and read this book multiple times, putting it down and going back to it and I still just couldn't get into it or enjoy it.
I thought the concept of this book was amazing (the vampires of a series being real life) but the way the story was being told was not good.
The characters were kinda blah and I just was having a hard time with them also.
I am gonna make this review short until like the book was, no point in dragging out a not-so-good review.

Fang Fiction was a very unique book. I really liked the format - how the story was told through typical narration, emails, podcasts and the fictional book that the story was based on. It took me a little bit to keep all of the characters straight, but once I did it was fun to follow their crazy adventures. I also enjoyed the plot twists, most of which I didn’t see coming.

Kate Stayman-London's Fang Fiction is an absolute delight! This witty and heartwarming novel brilliantly weaves together the worlds of fandom and self-discovery. The characters are refreshingly relatable, each with their own quirks and passions that draw you in from the very first page.

Stayman-London's sharp humor and clever dialogue keep the pace lively, while her exploration of identity and friendship adds depth to the story. The way she captures the essence of fandom—its highs and lows—resonates with anyone who has ever felt a deep connection to a story or community.

With a perfect blend of romance, comedy, and a touch of the supernatural, Fang Fiction is not just for genre enthusiasts; it's for anyone who appreciates a good tale about love, loyalty, and the power of being true to oneself. I found myself laughing out loud and even tearing up at times, a testament to the emotional journey this book offers.

If you’re looking for a fun, engaging read that celebrates the joys of fandom while delivering a powerful message about self-acceptance, grab a copy of Fang Fiction. You won’t be disappointed!

I loved Kate Stayman-London's first book so I was VERY excited for this. Unfortunately it just didn't really hold my attention.

Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy

⭐️: 3
🌶️: 2

This story had so much potential. A human steps into their favorite vampire novel and is tasked with savings the heroes and killing the villains. As a fan of magical realism and a day one twihard millennial, I am literally the target audience. Unfortunately, this story was just downright unoriginal and poorly written. It lacked imagery and character development, and left me as the reader unable to fully connect with the story.


Potential spoilers ahead:

The more I sit on the this one, the more mad I become. Partially because of the time wasted reading it, but more because it had SO MUCH POTENTIAL.

* Tess just all of a sudden loved Callum. Why? Did they have anything in common? She barely knew if she could trust him or not. An hour ago she was a Felix stan.

* Human drops a glass in front of a vampire and nicks their finger. I nearly closed the book and just gave up then and there.

* I hate when the solve to every problem comes from an unexpected source. Turns out Flora can create portals, all problems solved.

* Am I crazy or did we get two August Lirio confessions?


🌶️🌶️ = open door, minimal detail

Fang Fiction isn't perfect. But if you watched Buffy, read Twilight, and just KNOW that if you really were able to meet a vampire that you'd be more excited than scared- then this is actually the perfect book for you. I thought it was sweet and funny. There are big issues at the base here, but they are dealt with in a considerate manner, and the heroine's past does not have to define her- a message we could all hear over and over again.

Four frothy fun vampiric stars. I would date these vampires, or this book, too!

perfect for fans of buffy, twilight, (really any vampire media), and/or Long Live Evil

what if your favorite vampire series... was based on real vampires?

that's what happens to tess, a former PhD candidate at colombia who now manages a trendy williamsburg hotel.
and it's up to her to help the villains of the story.

“Of all those people on your message boards, your—what do you call them? Friends?”
“Mutuals.”
“That’s a stupid term, I’m not repeating it.”

#TeamFelix wants to be loved, while #TeamCallum wants to get fucked.

this was so fun and campy, with many pop culture references even outside of paranormal romance. it touches on fandom, fan fic, the general entertainment/media industry and how it treats vampires and women, and more. extremely meta and indulgent, in the best way.

also shoutout to the crazy rich asian inspo for callum and octavia, i dug it. and sapphic side relationship yayyyy!

“It’s so stupid he doesn’t sleep with men,” Hamish groused. “It’s like, hello, we’re immortal, maybe live a little?”

“You think witches don’t go to high school? Have you not seen The Craft?”

it also tackles the more serious topics of assault and trauma/ptsd. i thought this was handled with care. it's clear from early on something happened, so the reader isn't taken by surprise at any point, and it's quite deep into the story before details are revealed.

What about all the women who’ve fallen in love with schools or cities or careers, who’ve had our futures derailed because we had to make impossible choices to navigate our trauma as best we could, to keep going, to stay alive?

overall, this was a pleasant surprise read and i had a lot of fun. i think the only things i didn't like were the glamouring (it felt a bit too convenient but it ended up not having quite a big part of the story) and there was one point where i didn't feel quite as drawn in. but i thought the story wrapped up excellently!

I think the way we stay good is by standing up for each other. Finding some small way in our own lives to emulate the heroes we admire in our favorite books. It’s probably easier to turn a blind eye, to shut our mouths and move on. But don’t we owe each other something more?

an honest arc review ♡
_________________________

i'm already loving the meta vampire media vibes and set in present day nyc? always a win!

Mostly unserious and deeply funny, vampires, witches, lesbians AND Twilight mention, this book has all my favorite things! A mix between light read for spooky season with serious themes of SA, I had a great time with Fang Fiction!

Thank you to Random House for the ARC!

This book was a lot of fun and felt like a perfect read for fans of Twilight and Vampire Diaries. I really enjoyed the way the writer incorporated different POV's and types of storytelling through book excerpts, podcast transcripts, and more. The story was a bit predictable and campy but that didn't take away from the enjoyment of reading it.

I wanted to love this one, but it left me underwhelmed. The writing felt very immature and the topic of sexual assault not only overshadowed the story, but I don’t feel it was handled with care. Not to mention the novel is marketed as a fun vampire romance, and I just did not get that from what I read at all.

I have mixed feelings on this book unfortunately because, while I do think it has its moments and I flew through reading it pretty quick, I... I truly did not care for the fact that the catalyst used as this book's jumping off point plot-wise.... centers on the FMC getting drugged & r*ped, leading her to thus leave her "old" life behind for an entirely new one [with vampires]??? I don't know, I just feel like there were so many other/better/literally less or non-traumatic ways to get to that point, especially given that a) the rest of this book reads like a standard romcom with supernatural elements and b) the writing just isn't strong enough, imo, to handle balancing such a heavy topic and its own light-hearted/silliness in an equal or meaningful way. I was honestly really excited for this book, so the sharp disappointment and head-shaking I feel & did does sting, but I will still look out for this author's work in the future and am open to giving her another shot!

I love Vampires. I love fiction about vampires. And I loved this book about fictional vampires. It's that simple.

I really love Stayman-London’s writing. One to Watch was one of my absolute favorite books which is why I was so excited to read Fang Fiction. I will say, I don’t think vampires are for me. I was not into True Blood or Vampire Diaries when I was younger. That being said, I found myself so intrigued by this story. The story within a story, the podcasts and emails at the beginning of some chapters, and the different perspectives made this such a fun book to read. While I won’t be seeking out vampire books in the future, I would be happy to come back to this world!

If you're somebody who might have been a part of the Twilight fandom back in the day, this is your sign to read this book. This was such a fun book involving vampires, which is a bit different than my other spooky season reads this year. Due to this, it made it stand out a bit. I thought it was entertaining. I loved the concept that there is a series of books that is popular involving vampires, and it turns out they are based very much in truth. The bits and pieces of the book, podcast transcripts, and text messages were a fun addition, but I did think they might have taken away from the story at first. It is also important to read trigger warnings for this book as it deals a lot with a sexual assault. I thought it was done in a decent manner, however, if it is a trigger it does show up on page over and over. With that being said, I found the book to be fun and I enjoyed my time with these characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

DNF at 35%. I tried so hard to get through this book, but I really struggled to connect. I found that each chapter beginning with some kind of off-course intro, be it a podcast, article, book chapter, to be very disorienting. It took me out of the story when I feel like it was meant to immerse me. The same effect was achieved with Tess on the island but getting chapters of...the gals in New York. I can't even remember their names because I struggled so hard.

I truly wanted to like this book; on its face it looks like it was basically written for me; it's all my favorite things. But my ADHD can't stay engaged with so many shifts.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for sending me this arc, I appreciate you taking the chance on sending me a copy. 🖤

I unfortunately have made the decision to DNF this arc. The writing was very juvenile and the constant flipping around of stories was very confusing. Going from podcast transcripts, to book chapters, to POV from the Isle to POV in NY was just a lot. I've made it 55% and I'm just not connecting with the characters or plot, or even what the story still needs to do aside from connect the worlds. Like what was the point?

The concept is fantastic! I love this idea that "fiction" books are actually based on true paranormal characters wandering around like you and me, and would love to see what the author does next.

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

This book was so fun! What would happen if the characters in your favorite book were real? Tess Rosenbloom is about to find out. After a life altering event smashes her life to bits, Tess turns her back on her future and her friends, becoming a night manager at a boutique hotel. Her one solace in life is the book series Blood Feud by the elusive author August Lirio. Then one night her world is upended when one of the people in the books shows up at her hotel and asks for her help. Well, person is not the right word. Octavia is a super powerful vampire. And she needs Tess's help to get a message to her brother, Callum, also a vampire.

I don't care what anyone says, this book was a blast. It was quirky and fun. I didn't want to put it down. Is it high brow literature? Of course not! But sometimes you need to just read a book for fun and this absolutely fit the bill!

I have recommended this book to many people. It's the Vampire Fan Fiction fantasy that every romcom or vampire stan needs to read. It was lush, funny, and the characters were surprisingly well written. The romance was good and the world building was so interesting. I truly loved the alternate universe sci fi aspect that connected our world to the magical little vampire island in Blood Fued--just some multidimensional bar that was the hub of time and space? Such a neat touch.

I also really felt for Tess, our MC. Trauma responses are real and the disconnection she felt she had to make was so difficult, but watching her grow and reclaim the parts of her life she missed was super empowering. And finding that power to fight for the truth and liberation of good folks and found family? Awesome.

Again. Highly recommend. ❤️