A fun story of superfans and vampires. What would happen if you discovered your favourite series of novels was real? That's exactly what happens to Tess and Joni, and what follows is full of adventure, danger, and hot vampires. This will be a particularly great time for anyone who has been active in the world of fanfic and particularly Buffyverse and Twilight Mary Sue fics....you know who you are (and I know who I am, and I had an absolutely fantastic time.)

Major trigger warnings for sexual assault - the main character spends a lot of this novel coming to terms with a prior assault, it's handled well and is an empowering experience for her in the end but those who avoid those storylines should take care.

Thank you to Random House, Dial Press, and NetGalley for the advance copy!

Fang Fiction is less of a romance, and more of a love letter to all of the vampire fandoms out there. Although not a fangirl, I had mad love for Buffy and Angel back in the day, while the Twilight and True Blood series got me started on a PNR kick that I still haven't moved past.

I'm not so sure I'd want to live in a world where vampires are real, but at the same time, I have to admit to a fascination with them that would probably have me diving in head first, just as Tess does when her real life in NYC as a boutique hotel manager collides head on with the world inhabited by the "fictional" vampires that star in her favorite vampire books. She's familiar with every nuance of the books, but there are plenty of surprises in store for her as she comes to realize that maybe the books aren't quite accurate in identifying the true heroes and villains in the story.

Now, Tess is facing all kinds of challenges, from breaking free of the past trauma that has limited her potential, to rescuing her vampire lover, Callum, his sister, and his clan, to foiling the true villains who are intent on getting off the island where they are imprisoned and seizing power in the human world.

I found the book to be imaginative in its worldbuilding, fun to read, and ultimately satisfying as a light fantasy with romance elements. I would have liked Tess and Callum's romance to be better developed, but this was still a fun romp. Olivia, Callum's twin sister, and Joni, Tess's former roommate and best friend had fantastic chemistry and their romance seemed more believable. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Based on the premise of this I was so sure I was going to love it but unfortunately I did not connect with the writing style at all. There were too many stories and different formats going on that it really took my out of the story. The book inside a book, fine, but I didn't need the text messages or podcast transcripts. Honestly by the end of the book I was just skimming because I never truly connected with the characters and didn't really care about the wrap up of the story. I'd still be interested to see what this author comes up with next because this was a really interesting premise, I just didn't like the execution.

First, I want to express my gratitude to Ms. Stayman - London for the care and sensitivity with which she addressed such a difficult subject. The author's note at the beginning of the book set the tone beautifully, reminding readers that stories like this must be handled with respect and understanding—and she succeeded in doing just that.

I absolutely loved Fang Fiction. The protagonist, Tess, is a woman whose life has been upended after an assault, leading her to flee from a future she had once fought for. She finds herself working the night shift at a hotel, becoming obsessed with vampire novels, which offer her an escape from her reality. But when one of those very vampires seemingly steps out of the pages and into her world, the story takes a fantastical turn that leads Tess on a mission to save the vampires who have become her solace.

What stood out to me most was how Tess’s journey on the Isle—where the vampires had been banished—became a metaphor for her healing. The supernatural elements were not only thrilling but also deeply symbolic. The isolation, the danger, the mystery of the Isle all mirrored her internal struggles, and through this journey, she confronts the trauma she’s been carrying. The way Kate weaved these two storylines together—Tess’s real-world pain and her fantasy-world mission—was thoughtful and, at times, nerve wracking. It added so much depth to what could have easily been just another supernatural romance.

I was quite sad about what happened with Tess' friendship with Joni early on. Their falling out was heartbreaking, and while I wanted them to find a way back to each other sooner, I understand why it happened the way it did. It was a necessary part of Tess’s personal growth, and seeing them come back together as if no time had passed was incredibly true to life.

Was the story a bit predictable? Yes. But to be honest, most romance stories are. And while this book certainly had its romantic elements, it was about so much more than that. It’s a story about a woman’s strength, perseverance, and her ability to heal—even if it comes from the most unexpected places.

If you enjoy books that mix fantasy with real-world emotional depth, this one is for you. Tess’s journey is one you’ll want to follow, and you’ll find yourself rooting for her from start to finish. Thank you again, Kate Stayman-London, for this poignant, magical, and ultimately hopeful story.

Fang Fiction manages to carefully cover heavy topics while also being over-the-top and pretty silly, which is something I appreciate in a book. A brief premise is that Tess ends up in the world of her favorite book series, which features feuding vampires. There were a couple times when I questioned if something really made sense or worked, but the answer was generally yes for me.

Honestly, this book just had too much going on. There were too many POVs, so it was hard to establish chemistry for either of the couples added on to the fact this was a high stakes adventure, I just don't think this should be marketed as romance and honestly should have just been from Tess' perspective only. I did like that a lot of the book was split up epistolary which was way more effective at helping figure out what was happening outside of the Isle or explain the lore a bit more.

premise: phd dropout gets sucked into the world of her favorite vampire books. surprise it's actually real. the warring vampires have been trapped in alternate space/dimension ~the isle~ for 11 years and they need her expertise to get back to the real world.

this book is for all the nerds who want to imagine what they would do if the fictional world of their fandom was real and they were dropped right into it.

this is an excellent new adult book. tackles some pretty heavy issues like sexual assault (off page & in the past) while juggling adventure and humor. this is jammed with delightful pop culture references.

cheers to the hot half-korean twin vampires mysteriously separated with special twin vampire powers because obviously. vampiress is stuck in new york and sends our unlikely heroine to the isle with a message for the twin vampire brother. our mc knows him as a villain from what she read but of course bc of the genre he's all brooding grumpy "touch her and die."

there's subplot of the vampiress stuck in new york who develops a sapphic love affair with our human heroine's best friend who is also part of the vampire fandom. vampiress is endeared to the best friend when they have a late night stakeout and best friend preps snacks and entertainment – an ipad full of buffy episodes.

fun read for spooky season!

There may be nothing I relate to more than using paranormal romance to escape from psychological issues caused by a PhD program, so I really enjoyed that aspect of this story. My issues were luckily just the result of general grad school stress and not an assault like Tess but I enjoyed getting to watch her overcome her trauma. There were moments where I questioned her path to healing but it's not like I have any stats on how quickly a vampire adventure can improve anxiety for survivors so at the end of the day Kate Stayman-London's guess is probably as good as mine.

I loved that Tess got to immerse herself in the world that had given her so much comfort. I liked getting to see her prove she was brave. I also liked watching her find a real-life vampire love interest. I wasn't expecting this book to be multiple POV but I did like getting to see some other perspectives than Tess and her love interest.

I think if you like paranormal romance and have dreamed of jumping into your favorite book this is for you. I would check the trigger warnings and skip this one if stories about assault survivors are not something you want to read. This is a closed-door romance so if you are looking for vampire spice, this is not the book to pick. This is a really fun story and I'd love to read more set in this world though I didn't get the feel a sequel to this one was coming.

Sadly I didn't love this one. I really enjoyed the premise of it but it was just to busy for me. I thought the idea was amazing and I could definitely see people loving it which is awesome but it just wasn't for me.

This book is the trick-or-treat candy my brain needed this week. Fang Fiction is a fantasy rom-com and major nostalgia fest for those of us ever enthralled in a fantasy series. Set in modern day, our FMC, Tess, has dropped out of her graduate studies program due to crippling anxiety (TW: SA) and has found herself a night shift manager role at a boutique hotel. Tess’s comfort are her Blood Feud books so when an opportunity arises to immerse herself into the world of Blood Feud she takes it.

I preferred one romance arc over the other but overall found myself enjoying this fun read. Initially I didn’t love the trauma sub plot but in the end I thought it lent itself to the overall plot and the character growth we all love to see in a FMC. The author’s note does indicate that while SA is a topic within the book, the author attempted to approach it in a way as to not be graphic or triggering and I do think she managed that successfully.

Thank you to Dial Press and Netgalley for my gifted copy of this book!

For fans of:
-LGBTQIA representation and romance
-Jewish representation
-Vampires (and not the sparkly type)
-Multi-dimensional story lines

A unique story - great for those of us who aren't fantasy readers by nature but are craving something a little different. I was hooked enough to read this through and enjoy myself, however, I don't think it will stay with me for long. That said, the sexual assault survivor character element was handled with grace and elevated a fun story to something more. 3 Stars.

Overall, I enjoyed this. Some parts were better than others and I wished the book didn’t spend as much time on Octavia. I would’ve preferred to spend that time with Tess and Callum. The ending was rushed and the fact that callum abandoned Tess was not flushed out enough.

Vampires!!!!! Are back. This book filled my “what we do in the shadows” obsession. Every character was unique and special they also went through an incredible journey from beginning to end. Incredible read.

3.5. I didn't like this as much as Kate Stayman-London's debut--it's fun, but the writing feels repetitive in places. The insta-love romance between Callum and Tess is fairly cheesy and surface-level, despite the circumstances leading up to it; I wish we had gotten more from Joni and Octavia, as I found them a much more balanced, intriguing couple. I did find it entertaining, though, and I found a lot of value in the way Tess works through her PSTD and trauma recovery.

Fang Fiction is such a fun read! We start with some serious stuff- sexual assault. A core theme of the novel is dealing with that trauma and putting yourself back together. Knowing that, you may be surprised that I did indeed call it a fun read. Post trauma Tess has gone full blown hermit. In addition to working nights at a random hotel she spends most of her time comfort reading her favorite vampire novels. She's in so deep she has a viral following for her vampires are real conspiracy theory. Imagine her surprise when someone comes looking for her to help the very real vampires from her favorite stories free themselves of the isle where they are trapped. On the isle Tess must confront what she thinks she knows and learn to be the hero in her own story.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Random House- Dial Press Trade Paperback and NetGalley for this eARC!

Super cute book. The MC's trauma was handled with respect and care. I really enjoyed reading it. Would definitely recommend other people I know read it as well.

I had so much fun with the plot and I loved the mixed media throughout the book. I feel like the pacing could have been a bit quicker and the book a little shorter. I struggled a little with the romance part of this story because I felt like I barely knew Callum, I feel like we could have used more time in his his head to know him better and feel more invested in their romance.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Fang Fiction by Kate Stayman-London
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 400 / Genre: Vampire Fantasy
Release Day: October 1, 2024

Tess and Joni are huge fans of a vampire series called Blood Feud. Fans of this series are known as Feudies and are obsessed with it to the point that some believe that the characters in the books are based on vampires that exist for real.

Semi-spoiler alert—they do exist and they live in an alternate plane called the Isle. Tess is contacted by one of the vampires and is sent to the Isle on a mission. She gets to meet all the vampires she’s been obsessing over. She also has some past trauma caused by an assault that this mission helps her address and finally face instead of running from. So there is a sexual assault but they don’t get too graphic about it. It’s just enough to explain her strange behavior and fire you up for when she finally starts fighting for herself.

This book really has it all. Sex, violence, girl power, and vampires! I loved it.

Thank you, @KateStaymanLondon, @RandomHouse, and @NetGalley for my gifted copy.

I loved the characters. They had so much personality, especially the main character, who was refreshingly relatable in her sarcasm and awkwardness. And can we talk about the romance? It wasn’t over the top but it still had me rooting for them the whole way.

gahhhhh i love vampires so much!!! as a vampires connoisseur this book fed my fangirl vampy heart, and it was such a great campy paranormal romance and i'm just so giddy about it

i was blown away by the author's world building and her own take on vampire lore, which i always find so fun to read an author's iteration of the myth. i was captivated by the plot, the romances (there are TWO hehe) and the fun multi-media sprinkled in! this book truly captured the heart of fandom culture and it was just such a great experience! it can't get any better than hot vampires!!!

please check CW before reading as it does cover SA and being an SA survivor. the author handled these topics with such care and it was so moving to see our fmc tess reclaim her future and it got me emotional at times! i loved the conversations surrounding consent and bodily autonomy and how it's conveyed in both the mortal and paranormal world. ugh i just love tess and her courage and her will to survive so much, she was the perfect fangirl fmc for this fangirl to read about.

thank you so much Dial Press for this eARC, it's available everywhere now!