I really wanted to love this book but it ended up being not for me.
It was hard to get through and at a few parts I almost decided to DNF.

It read a lot like a fan fiction of the vampire diaries/twilight/butfy you’d find on wattpad. I really think if I was younger I would have devoured this one but as an adult I found it cringy at times.

DNF at 44%.

I really wanted to like this one, but something about it just didn't work for me. I liked the little interludes in the story, told in newspaper, book, or podcasts format. Honestly it gave more action than I was reading about on the Isle or in NYC. For me, at 44% in I just wanted more. I found myself just mindlessly tapping to the next page and forcing myself to read.

Although this book didn't work for me, I'd still read Kate's next book. I did like that she was doing something different than her debut novel, One to Watch, which I enjoyed a lot.

Fang Fiction definitely felt like Twilight meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer— sometimes too much so. At times I felt like I was reading a Buffy fan fiction because of how similar the characters acted to those of Buffy. I found the premise of this book unique and intriguing, but at times it fell flat. I would’ve liked for Tess’ sexual assault to be addressed more than it was; it felt like after meeting Felix she just forgot about her assault despite the fact it was mentioned multiple times throughout the novel. The relationship between Joanie and Octavia felt very unnecessary and like it was written in for inclusivity. I enjoyed the sapphic representation but it felt random and not fleshed out at all. Overall, Stayman-London wrote a beautiful and cohesive novel with a different take on vampires. The only thing I would recommend is to not read this if mentions of rape trigger you as it is mentioned a lot, despite the book being marketed as a romcom.

Fang Fiction is a super unique concept. Our main character, Tess, is obsessed with the book series Blood Feud, reminiscent of our love for The Vampire Diaries. Imagine the excitement of discovering that your favorite vampire saga is based on real-life vampires—and you get the chance to meet them!

While the premise is exciting, the narrative also delves into deeper themes, including sexual assault, addressed with sensitivity and authenticity.

If you're seeking a fun and engaging vampire story where not every female character is tiny and helpless, filled with humor, friendship, found family, all while incorporating modern elements like podcasts and Reddit discussions, I highly recommend giving Fang Fiction a read.

Things I did like: dual romance subplots, decent character development, strong bonds, and it was a pretty fun read. What I didn't enjoy as much was the almost instantaneous love between the FMC and her vampire, the switch between podcast excerpts, the predictability of it all, and how after finishing the book I didn't feel fully satisfied. It was good! Just not anything incredible. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I think honestly I was expecting a little bit more from this book because I loved her first book so much but this one was still good. Excited to see more from this author.

Started this and immediately wanted it to be over so DNF’ed—writing was not very good and I didn’t like all the interstitials/mixed media inserts

Fang Fiction had a premise with so much promise but I am sorry to report that it did not deliver on that promise. There were some fun fish out of water moments and some delightful romantic moments, but they were lost amongst too many characters and plot points that didn’t creative a very cohesive story experience. Nothing has a chance to breathe in the story and the pace dragged. There is also a very heavy plot line that centers a rape that happened and I did think that was handled carefully but again, it almost felt like it was happening in a totally different book than some of the vampire antics.

Overall a good read. If you love vampires and romance then go for it. Perfect for the Halloween season. Enjoyed it.

Fang Fiction is a contemporary paranormal romance about a hotel manager who tries to help a group of vampires stuck in an alternate New York City.

Tess is a former grad student and Williamsburg hotel manager who is part of the fandom for a series of vampire novels called Blood Feud. Despite being sold as fiction, the books are actually based on rival vampire clans stuck in a parallel New York City, unable to escape. When one of the vampires, Octavia, finds a way out, she seeks Tess’s help after reading her Buzzfeed article on Blood Feud conspiracy theories. Octavia is alone, without her twin Callum or her powers, and needs Tess to cross over to the island and pass a message to her brother. But things quickly go sideways, and it will be up to Tess, Callum, and the clan on one side, and Octavia and Tess’s friend Joni on the other, to end the curse.

This book tried to be a lot of things and ultimately fell short for me. Tess dropped out of college after being assaulted, which set a serious tone, but there are also rom-com moments, pop culture references, and two very rushed romances. I didn’t feel any chemistry or connection between any of the romantic partners, or even between Tess and her entire friendship with Joni. The plot felt odd to me, and the curse, the island, and the entire vampire lore weren’t intriguing or fun to read. It also didn’t feel particularly like New York at all and could have taken place in any big city.

This one didn’t work for me.

The author describes this book as a live letter to Buffy and I think that describes it perfectly. This book deals with serious topics while also being silly and fun, which Buffy does. While the main ship was too insta-lovey for me, I thought this book was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed following Tess on her journey to healing, to realizing she has power and not being afraid to ask for what she wants. This book is perfect to anyone that wants a taste of what it might be like if the characters from your favorite book were real. Please note that this book does deal with SA. It is noted in both the description of the book and the authors note at the beginging.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for a copy of the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to start this book, but as the story progressed, I struggled to stay engaged. I love vampire stories and I saw it was labeled LGBT+ so I was anticipating the fmc to be queer. And while this story does have multiple point of views and there is a sapphic romance that we see from the respective women’s pov, the primary focus of this story follows Tess (a straight human) and her budding romance with Callum (a straight vampire). I don’t mind reading m/f, but I would have liked a more even balance between the two romances in the storytelling especially because it is labeled as LGBT+.

I will say I really enjoyed the ending. One of the storylines revolves around healing from SA trauma and I liked the way this was written. There was a really cute moment between the sapphics at the end that made me smile. And I liked the way the story wrapped up for everyone involved.

DNF @ 66%

Okay, so admittedly a vampire romance was unlikely to be my thing. I gave it a shot on two grounds. 1) I really liked this author's debut, One to Watch. 2) The writeup for this book made it sound more like tongue-in-cheek guilty pleasure fun than the average romantasy novel.

While it occasionally delivers on the latter, there is a huge tonal mismatch between the silly romp I expected and the intense trauma laced throughout. It's not well-integrated and very jarring. The author's introductory note essentially says "It's okay! Don't worry - I'm not showing the assault itself." As if this is somehow less triggering. Personally I feel the anxiety of the unknown coupled with frequent and intense trauma reactions throughout the book is more disturbing than books I've read with assault scenes.

I've never actively DNF'd a book I was reviewing before. But I just can't force myself through any more of it. I don't care what happens to the characters, I'm quite certain the final third of the book won't change my opinion of it, and life is too short to force yourself through something you're actively disliking.

I will say that I do like the protagonist. The author also does fantastic queer rep! So it's not a total wash. The vampire worldbuilding is decent, in a fanficky way. I get the impression it's more in the style of Twilight or The Vampire Diaries than my preferred Buffy/Angel or What We Do in the Shadows. This is a personal taste thing though. Someone who loved Twilight or is active in an online fandom might have a better time with this book than I did.

I'm sorry but this was one of the worst books I've read in awhile. I was so excited for this vampire book, loved the cover, but this was a massive letdown. The writing is extremely mediocre and very hard to keep your attention throughout The entire plot point of the girl getting SA'ed (or at least she thinks she was) and then uprooting her entire life because of it is not the rom-com I was looking for. I'm only giving it 2 stars instead of 1 because the beginning did intrigue me and hold my attention but then I very quickly lost interest. Don't talk about rape and SA throughout an entire book that's being marketed as a "vampires are real rom-com". I definitely will not be reading more from this author.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback for the gifted copy for my honest review.

*Mild Spoilers in 2nd Paragraph*

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this and it did not disappoint! I loved the magic system that felt familiar but also had nuance as well. All of the interstitials and pop culture references were probably my favorite part of the book. Anything that nods to the Buffy Universe is good with me. I also really loved the multiple POV's that I wasn't expecting from the MMC, and the side characters! I definitely would read more books in this world-I want to know more about Flora and Fern and the Bar Between STAT. What else is out there?

Things I didn't like: The insta-love between Callum and Tess didn't feel real enough for me. Especially after what Tess went through, and Callum being who he was for hundreds of years. I still enjoyed it obviously-but I was a little disappointed they were both so into it right away. That being said, I thought the connection between Joni and Octavia felt more authentic!

Overall I really enjoyed the book and thought it was a super fun read!

I loved Kate stayman-london’s first book and her sophomore novel was no exception. It was campy and quirky and fun and human. I think it’s going to be enjoyed by many

After being assaulted at a party, Tess's dream life starts to crumble--she can't sleep and eventually has to drop out of graduate school. While she is staying afloat as the night manager of a swanky hotel in Brooklyn, Tess still feels adrift. Then, one night, a character from her favorite vampire book series turns up at the hotel looking for her.

I enjoyed Tess's character arc as she overcame her self-imposed victimhood and saw that she was strong enough to rescue herself. However, the romances were very insta-love with no real reason or substance, which is a little disappointing since, overall, the book seems to be in conversation with fandom culture and popular romantasy tropes.

Still, it was fun to read, especially as someone deep in the fandom trenches growing up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this one didn't quite work for me.
It felt like it was trying to be serious but was really a satire fan fic. The mention of so many "hip" things. TikTok, bella + Edward, Timothy chalamet and so many more really took me out of the story.
I did enjoy the thought of you quite literally being sucked into your favorite book series. But I needed more from the story.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC.

This was hilarious. Extremely quirky and HILARIOUS!

What happens when you realize that your favorite fictional vampire universe is indeed real?

I must say, I didn't expect it to be so silly (in a good way)! There were multiple povs, which at times became too much to keep track of but enjoyed Tess' romance with a certain vampire.

The first half of the book was great; perfect banter, pacing & everything. However, I did feel like the second half was a bit jumbled and rushed.

Nevertheless I enjoyed it a lot!

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the eARC! This was such a banger. I did not expect such a serious topic to be tackled in this book, but it was handled so well and with such care. I was obsessed with the characters, the world, the lore. Can the "Blood Feud" books be real? I 'd read them. This was perfection, the references, the story, the inclusion. I adore this book!