When I read the Authors Note, I was intrigued. Written during lockdown with fans? Sounded awesome.

I, personally, was bored. It felt like most of the book was stalling for something that in the end seemed rushed.

The initial back story of Elenora and Eli could have been a prequel novella. There was just so much to it. Eli was written to be this lovesick puppy, not the eventual head of a household of vampires.

I did like that the usual vampire tropes were absent and was even mentioned that they were made up in the book itself.

When I got to 90% complete and still, nothing wild or crazy had occurred, I was concerned it would all be packed into the final pages and blow my mind. The reveal was fairly obvious, but the side character accomplice was not, though I had had my guesses.

The finale did seem rushed through. The cliffhanger at the end did have me intrigued, so now it's a waiting game for the next one.

Pressed pause on this book at 15%

NetGalley needs a “not right now” button. I feel like I’ll eventually give this book a second chance, but the world building just wasn’t scratching the itch for me at this current point in time.

The description of this book really had me excited, but the way the world building lore is done in the book just wasn’t scratching the itch in my brain.

All the love to Celina, her publishing company, and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. I’d consider attempting to read this book again after the pub dare.

I thoroughly enjoyed Hollow and it was very easy to read. If other obligations weren't needed for me to attend to, then I would have devoured this in one sitting.

The characters, especially within the LGBTQ+ community, were some of my favorites. The character, Margo, is something else and I just had this underlying feeling that I wanted to protect her at all costs! When you know, you know.

I haven't read any vampire books within my adulthood, but as a teenager, it was all that I could ever read. It's safe to say that Hollow has piqued my interest in getting back into the paranormal. It gave me The Vampire Diaries, Twilight, and the House of Night series by P.C. Cast feels and I was living for it!

The one thing that had me screaming was the ending. Cliff hangers drive me NUTS, BUT.....that just means that there HAS to be another one coming.

Hollow by Celina Myers is a haunting, emotionally charged psychological thriller that explores grief, identity, and the quiet unraveling of self after trauma. Centered on a young woman coping with the disappearance of her sister, the story leans into atmospheric tension and introspective character work rather than fast-paced thrills. Myers’ lyrical prose and subtle storytelling create an eerie, slow-burn mystery that lingers long after the final page. With its delicate balance of emotional depth and quiet suspense, Hollow is perfect for readers who enjoy character-driven thrillers with a literary edge.

I got as far into the book as I could, but this was not for me. Which is disappointing because this was my most anticipated read of the year. But this book disappointed me. The prologue accounts for 20% of the book, which is excessive, especially for such a short book. That's never a good sign. The pacing was off, and the sentences were choppy; could have used another round of editing. The structure was all over the place, including the third-person POV. I can tell the author is still trying to find her voice and style, and it shows in the writing. Overall, this book ended up not being for me. Had it been developed more in all these areas, I would have enjoyed it more.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC!

Mia is a regular girl in her mid-20s, if not for her stagnancy. After the death of her father, her world seemed to stop. She works a regular retail job at a bookstore with a coworker she despises, but otherwise has no real passions or goals... and then she gets turned into a vampire! Life is fun again, because she is beautiful and rich and has magic powers.
Can you tell this wasn't my favorite read?
Like most readers, I saw the author on social media before reading her book. As far as I can tell, she wrote this book entirely on her own. Reviews of earlier editions noted multiple typos, but I didn't see any in this latest version. I think the "rules" of vampirism could be a little clearer, and all of the action really does happen in the last 5% of the book. But I honestly think there's a solid story here, and that's what frustrates me most. While it's definitely a feat to write a book by yourself, Myers needs either a ghost writer or mentor (with heavy editing) to help her whip this book into shape. The prose itself has some nice moments, but overall it's hard to read. We also have the setup at the end for a sequel... but is Myers writing a sequel? I doubt it. I'd read it, though: at the end of the day the plot was compelling enough to keep my interest.

The characters are well fleshed out and enjoyable, but the story felt kind of underdeveloped. I know this was just the ARC copy, but it feels like it is missing something.

I have nothing. I felt this was a rip-off / fan fic of Twilight. The connections were egregious. Sparkling fireball shots. Glitter. I have no idea why they really needed the main character Mia to be a vampire. Nothing made sense.

Belle and Edward references. The Notebook shout-out.

Was there a point? I have no idea.

The intro was written so differently with different inflections and interest in descriptions, disjointed from the rest.

Two teams/families vying over who Mia will choose... I didn't care. I thought all the characters sounded too similar, and I felt apathetic to all of them. People died... so what?

This is only getting a 2 star because it's a good start , there is love and an attempt behind this.

While listening to me vent, my husband said I was probably too old for this book... I'm 39, so take that as you will.

Thank you, Netgalley.com, for the ebook to read!

3.5/5

This book was a (Short) rollercoaster. Car accidents, vampires, and of course lesbians find themselves on the pages of Myers' new novel. This novel follows a young woman named Mia, who must relearn how to live after waking up after her own funeral to her new family... or make that families. Mia was turned by the blood of a large vampire family which long ago split into two factions, and each new member must choose a side. As both sides try to woo Mia to choose them, something fishy is going on beneath the surface...

This book feels rushed and would be a full four stars if they fleshed out the characters a little more. Overall, it's an enjoyable read and I would recommend to people who enjoy vampire or found family stories.

I was really excited to read Hollow by Celina Meyers because the premise had so much potential and the eerie atmosphere drew me in right away. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t live up to what the story could have been.

The pacing was one of the biggest issues for me, especially toward the end. The last sections felt rushed, as if everything was crammed together without enough time to develop the plot or the characters’ arcs in a satisfying way.

I also struggled a lot with the point of view. While the book is primarily told from the main character’s perspective, there were frequent moments when other characters’ thoughts or dialogue blended in without clear markers. It was genuinely confusing trying to figure out who was speaking or thinking, and I often had to reread passages to be sure. A clearer way to differentiate between characters would have made the reading experience much smoother.

Overall, I think there’s a great story buried in Hollow, but it needs more clarity, stronger pacing, and more careful editing to reach its full potential.

This review is based on an advance reader copy provided by Harlequin Trade Publishing via NetGalley.

I was so pumped when I saw one of my fav IG/tiktok people wrote a book so immediately ran to read it. Unfortunately for me this failed to suck me in. I felt like I was being told a story. Like at a camp fire. Rather than reading and being fully immersed. I just needed more character development for one. The characters aren’t fully fleshed out and neither is the plot really. I didn’t feel myself inside the story but just having a vague picture of what I was reading. I needed more depth, details and maybe less characters to keep up with too. I think she can’t write but may just need to work on fleshing things out more. I feel like there were a lot of details but unnecessary ones. I needed more focus on the story and less on random particulars. It just kind of dragged for me. I would give her another shot but it was not my fav this time.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book.
The concept had a lot of potential but it felt flat. The beginning really intrigued me, but as we progressed through the novel, everything seemed so easy. All the vampires are so welcoming. And this novel takes place over less than 2 weeks. I think this book should’ve been a lot longer to give more background and flesh out the characters more. It’s a bit disappointing because I love vampire books. The ending was really rushed and not very surprising. I’m not sure if this is supposed to be a standalone but I think a sequel could be interesting. I’d love to explore more of this world. Overall, this was not bad, but it was missing something.

Hollow had so many elements I usually love—paranormal atmosphere, secret vampire families, and a reluctant heroine thrown into a hidden world—and in some ways, it really delivered. The writing is fluid and engaging, and the transition from ordinary life to supernatural intrigue was handled well. I appreciated the small character details planted early that came full circle later, adding a nice sense of cohesion. The twist on vampire lore also brought a fresh take that stood out.

On the flip side, the story’s fast pace didn’t always translate into meaningful plot development. Mia’s gift—her ability to communicate with the dead—felt underused and gradually slipped out of focus. While a few characters were thoughtfully developed, many were introduced so quickly that it was tough to keep track, which made it harder to connect emotionally with the broader cast.

The final chapters, especially, felt rushed. Events piled up quickly, and the last twist lacked the buildup needed to really land. The epilogue left the door open for more, but if this is a standalone, it left me with more questions than closure.

That said, I still enjoyed reading Hollow. It’s a unique take on vampire lore and a quick read with a lot of potential. If you’re a fan of supernatural stories or want to support Celina, I’d say give it a shot. I’m definitely interested in seeing what she does next.

Hollow was a very interesting read! Had a unique twist on Vampire lore that I haven’t seen yet which was cool to see. Started out with a great back story that faded away then went into present day. There were a lot of characters to keep track of. The book kept a good pace of storytelling up until chapter 16 then it felt very rushed. And the ending wasn’t your normal cliffhanger it just abruptly ended along with the epilogue that kind of leaves you wanting more!
Overall was a nice read could just use some tweaking and it would be perfect!

Thank you for the opportunity to ARC read this!

3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 because I adore Celina)

Hollow had all the ingredients I usually love—paranormal vibes, secret vampire families, and a reluctant main character caught in the middle—but the execution didn’t quite stick the landing for me.

Let’s start with the good: the writing is smooth and accessible, and a few of the characters felt thoughtfully developed with arcs that actually paid off. I love a “normal girl pulled into a supernatural world” setup, and this one handled that transition well. There were also some character breadcrumbs laid early that connected nicely later in the story.

But on the flip side, the pacing felt rushed without delivering enough actual plot. Mia’s gift—the whole “can talk to the dead” thing that gets teased in the premise—faded into the background and didn’t play much of a meaningful role. The ending in particular felt chaotic and abrupt, like a string of disconnected events capped off with a twist that didn’t feel earned. If this is meant to stand alone, it left me with more questions than answers.

I wanted to love this more than I did, but I’m still glad I read it and will absolutely support anything Celina writes next. This one just didn’t hit the emotional or narrative depth I was hoping for.

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

This is a slightly different take on typical vampire stories and I liked that. I did feel that the beginning of the book was very, very clunky and didn't flow well. It was an information overload. However, once it got into the main story, I enjoyed reading it. Is it perfect? No, of course not. There are a ton of great ideas that I wanted fleshed out more that didn't quite get there. Overall though, this was a quick and easy read that I would probably pick up and read again.

While I enjoyed the fresh take on vampires, I couldn't get into this book. It felt way more YA than portrayed in the synopsis and everything felt far too rushed. I couldn't enjoy any of it because it felt like the author was taking me on a marathon sprint to the finish line. Good book in theory but not in practice.

i was excited to read this because I’ve herd a lot about this author and I have never read anything Celina Myers’s books. in the beginning it was intriguing but at times I just didn’t care for the characters or the story.

This was a quick, fun take on a modern vampire story. Mia, who was born with the unique gift of being able to talk to the recently deceased who have not “passed on” was renowned for this talent. As she passed into adolescence and adulthood, this ability slowly vanished with little explanation.

As a young adult, she didn’t understand why her ability just vanished, and she is no stranger to loss and grief. She is just trying to figure out her life, when a strange young woman begins to frequent the bookstore that she works. Soon after, she is in a fatal car accident and wakes up a vampire.

She is quickly thrown into a world she didn’t know existed, and has very little time to learn her new life and how important she is to become. There is a quirky cast of characters, and she notices right away that not everyone is what they seem.

I found this novel to be written more YA, and honestly fell a little flat for me. There was a complex cast of characters and the bones of a great story was there, but everything felt so rushed. You’d be introduced one character and read three paragraphs about their tragic backstory, for them to never come up again. The first third of the novel is very well done, then it just seems to kind of fall apart. There is no character development, storylines are abrupt and not much is really well explained.

I still have so many questions, and Mia’s gift, which seemed would be an important part of the story, just really wasn’t. It became an after thought for the most part. And the ending is just a bunch of random things happening and a weird twist out of nowhere that didn’t make any sense. It would seem as if it was written for set the stage for a sequel, but all signs point to this being a stand alone? I’m just left confused.

This was a good book but I do think it could be improved upon. I wish it had better pacing, more showing instead of telling and that the ending wasn't rushed. But overall I did like the story. The idea of vampires turning "special" people is very cool. If you like imperfect vampire books I would say this is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Company for allowing me to read this book ahead of release in exchange for my honest opinion.