Vein and Vow is a vampire romance that leans heavily into angst, smut, and enemies-to-lovers dynamics—but doesn’t offer much else. The yearning and drama might satisfy readers looking for something steamy and low-stakes, but there’s not much in the way of plot.

That said, it’s a quick enough read that I didn’t mind seeing it through, even if the ending didn’t land for me. If you're in the mood for a vampire romance that prioritizes steam and tension over story and substance, this might scratch that itch.

Excuse me! I need book two now. The emotional roller coaster I have gone through with this book. I was in reading slump due to moving and Nicole pulled me out with this one. The MMC really made my head spin.
The twist on the fated mates genre I ate it up not to mention the spice was amazing. I received this ARC from Netgalley.


Fated Mates

paranormal-romance

romance

I had a great time reading this book. I loved the brooding MMC, the slow burn mixed with enemies to lovers and forced proximity. I also liked that it was dual POV, that worked really well.

The book was heavily focused on the mating bond between Reese and Beau however I really wanted more of the political and vampire threat storylines.

I will probably read the next book when it’s out - I read this in one day so I definitely enjoyed!

This book was fantastic! You have Beau as your grumpy vampire who ends up mated to Reese our sarcastic female human. To say they were both shocked would be an understatement. I loved the banter between the two characters. You really fall in love with all of the characters in this book and I can't wait to see what happens in the next one.

Oh she’s spicy. This is a reverse on the usual fated mates trope, which is why disclosing it isn’t a spoiler! It took me a while to get used to how fast things happened at first but it makes sense. I can COMPLETELY imagine a novella set before this book giving some real deep insight into Beau’s family, and potentially even Reese’s (kinda if you know you know)

If you like spice, you’ll love it. SO easy to read and some great reflective inner monologues. Enjoyed!

Loved it!
Twilight vibes ✅
Fast paced ✅
Spicy 👌🏽
And a really good plot. Can’t wait for the next book!

TL/DR: Did you read the summary? Great! Do you like the tropes? Awesome! Do you want to read a story that weaves all of that together with amazing characters in a contemporary world in a way that, to me at least, was unique and gave me all the feels? Then, it is my opinion to get the book. You just might not be able to put it down.

Ok, hopefully you have read the synopsis from wherever you buy your books, so I’m not going to waste your time by summarizing it all over again.

What I will tell you is I read a lot of books. I love a good “fated mates” story. This one happens to be with vampires. Awesome! What I wasn’t prepared for was starting this book and not being able to put it down.

I had not read any books by this author before but you best believe I hit the follow author button after reading this story.

She takes these tropes, weaves them together and creates a story of not only these two characters, FMC, Reese, who grew up in foster care, finds a father figure in her high school math teacher and is always her most authentic self, even when she leaps before she looks. She also gives us Beau, the MMC, who is the polar opposite of Reese. Stoic, rigid and has a stick, well never mind.

Watching them come together sent me through a rollercoaster of emotions. This is the book that will have you yelling at the characters one minute, feeling all the feels the next, your heart will flutter and yes your toes will curl.

Oh, and don’t forget about Beau’s family. They are dealing with a family tragedy at the same time one of their son’s has found his mate. (Beau’s lack of explaining, well pretty much what any of that is, is well classic Beau and one of their reasons I couldn’t put this book down). His family is also amazing, and wonderful and frustrating and will protect their own, fiercely. I loved them all!

As if that alone isn’t enough, there is also another arc playing out, linked to the family’s tragedy. Oh, and another brother seems to have found his mate too, but she is not too happy about it.

I am so looking forward to book 2. I would like to thank the author, BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for a copy of this book. My review is voluntary and as always, all opinions are my own. Happy reading!

˗ˏˋ 5 stars ⟡ ݁₊ .

well this was as addictive as zodiac academy. it ATE and left no crumbs. it was super fast paced and had me hooked since the first page.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧• beau
he was an absolute dickhead since page 1 but he got better as the story progressed, i swear. he was so grumpy lmao. loved his character development and when he reese became his entire world. *chef's kiss*

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧• reese
super quirky and funny. i loved her so much. she was exceptionally sarcastic and weird times. i saw a lot of her in me and related to her a lot.

this was a great enemies-to-lovers book, or should i say disgust-to-lovers? i definitely loved the banter between the characters so much. also loved beau's family too!!

with that being said, i cant wait to read book 2 when it comes out in the summer.

⤷ thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶˗ˋ୨♡୧ˊ˗︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶

₊˚⊹♡ pre-read ♡⊹˚₊ ↴
havent read any vampire romance after zodiac academy back in jan. definitely hoping this'll scratch my vampire romance itch lol

I will accept absolutely ZERO criticism on this book. I loved it so much. I can't think of a single criticism. I read it in one sitting and had the absolute best time. Vampire romances are so easy to mess up, this was perfect. And thank god bc my life was incomplete with this book.

I am so excited for the next book with Ambrose and Lucy!! BUT I am lowkey kinda sad every book isnt just going to be about Beau and Reese tho.

WHEN I SAY I DEVOURED THIS BOOK—I'm not exaggerating. I was teary eyed within the first chapter. I read it in less than a day, ignoring deadlines, laundry, and basic adult responsibilities because I had to know what happened next. “Vein & Vow” has everything I love in a paranormal romance: brooding vampires, undeniable fated-mate tension, and fast paced character-driven drama that had my heart racing.

The main male character is the epitome of the grumpy a*shole. The chemistry and spice was on point. I wouldn't say enemies to lovers...but there was enough disgust to make it work. It’s steamy, intense, and gives full-on JR Ward/Black Dagger Brotherhood vibes, which is basically my catnip.

Was it full of tropes? Absolutely. But they were the kind of tropes that feel like comfort food: familiar, delicious, and done so well. The pacing was tight, the emotional stakes were high, and the characters felt layered and real. Loved the banter and the plot(s). Can't wait for book 2!

(reviewed on Amazon and B&N but not showing yet)

So....this was a really great book going to have to put this author down in my keep up with list such a great read this book had the right amount of everything really it worth the read fir sure

Firstly, I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book. Unfortunately, this was a DNF at 40%. I was trying to push through after seeing so many good reviews, but wasn’t enjoying it. This book follows Beau, a vampire, and Reese, a human, after figuring out they have a mating bond. Beau needs this mating bond, and it’s also his second chance at finding his true love. While Reese doesn’t believe in any of this, she just wants a simple life with her job, her friends, and no drama. When reading the synopsis, I was so intrigued because I love an enemies-to-lovers and I love vampires, but upon reading it, I wasn’t enjoying it. The main characters had insta love, and they were already sleeping together within the first three chapters. It was very quick to get to the actual mating bond, but they kept going back and forth with eachother, whether they liked eachother or not. Overall, I think that this book just wasn’t for me. Thank you again to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

this was fun! i wish it wasn't so fast paced and wish it was longer but looking forward to the rest of the series!!

Enemies-to-lovers? Or is Beau just an ass?

Overall, the plot is engaging, the characters are well-written, and the plot is clever, but Beau is such a raging prick that it ruins the whole experience. Over and over he prioritizes his feelings, ignores the way his actions impact Reese until after she's breaking down, and refuses to have an adult conversation about it. And Reese, once a vibrant, takes-no-shit, woman, slowly turns into a mate that makes excuses for Beau in her internal monologue before he even thinks about making a (shitty) apology. Beau is every woman's awful boyfriend, and I spent the whole book screaming at her to snap out of it.

*Thanks to Books Go Social & Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This is for all the Twilight fans! A grumpy vampire & an unconventional girl fall in love in the midst of attacks on the family. This paranormal romance had all the enemies to lovers charm & angst!

I did feel like the ending was very abrupt, but it will hopefully lead well into the next book in the series!

Was enjoyable. I really like faded mates. And there aren’t too many fated mate vampire romances. The thing I really enjoyed was the fact that they didn’t like each other at all. Those characters are and it’s a great start to a new series. I do feel like it needs a little more editing and some parts did feel very rushed, but all I know was a solid read.

This book surprised me in the best way. I picked it up expecting a typical fated mates paranormal romance, but what I got was so much more—raw emotion, heavy grief, complicated loyalty, and the kind of love that doesn’t come easy.

Jacquelyn creates a world full of supernatural politics and hidden power structures, but she keeps the focus on the characters and their pain. And that’s what really pulled me in—the emotional depth. The main characters aren’t just fighting fate; they’re fighting everything they’ve been taught, everything they’ve lost, and everything they think they’re supposed to be. It made their story feel personal and real, even in this magical world.

That said, this book is heavy. There are moments of longing, deep internal conflict, and moral ambiguity. If you’re looking for a light, fluffy read—this isn’t it. There are parts that slowed down a bit too much, especially with long introspective moments. At times, I felt stuck in the character’s heads for too long when I just wanted the plot to move. But honestly? I didn’t mind too much, because the emotional payoff was worth it.

Also, I appreciated that Jacquelyn didn’t shy away from the messiness of fate and love. The “mate bond” doesn’t magically fix everything—it complicates things, especially when trauma and history get in the way. And while some readers might struggle with a few of the choices the characters make, I loved that nothing felt too easy or neat. These characters had to earn their happiness.

If you’re into:
• Intense emotional journeys
• Slow burn, high-stakes romance
• Messy, flawed characters
• And a paranormal world that feels both dangerous and intimate…

…then I definitely recommend Vein & Vow. It gave me all the feels, made me think, and left me wanting more from this world.

4.5/5 stars—and I’m still emotionally recovering.

If I see fated mates, I MUST read it.
First of all, there were a few things I didn't enjoy about this book. Most importantly, the book definitely needs more editing (especially grammar and structure). When it comes to the story, it was fast-paced and didn't drag on, but I feel like we could have used a lot more build-up to the romance. All that said, the vibes were immaculate, so I will probably read the second book.
Was this a literary masterpiece? No.
But was it a damn good time? Absolutely.

3.5/5 ⭐ Fast-paced romance with a murderous twist

"𝙔𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙙..."

Where are my Twilight girlies at? Because Vein and Vow definitely brings back those nostalgic vibes — just a tad steamier. Think fated mates, supernatural tension, and reluctant imprinting… and 𝘯𝘰𝘵 in the innocent Jacob-Renesmee kind of way 😳

The brotherhood and deep family bond were the emotional highlight of the story, and I appreciated the twist on the fated mates trope — it brought a fresh touch to something familiar.

The pacing is lighting fast, which some readers might love. Personally, I prefer a slower build to really connect with the characters. That said, the side characters were intriguing, and I like that (I think?) the next book will follow a different sibling while continuing the overarching plot. A great setup for expanding the world.

The story leans heavily into romance, which is fun, but I was hoping for a stronger balance with the suspense. It opens with a murder mystery (the MMC’s brother’s death) — a plotline I was so ready for — but that thread sort of fades to the background a bit. I’m hoping book two will bring more action and mystery to the forefront.

Still, there’s definitely potential here, and I’m curious to see how the story — and the characters — evolve in the sequel! ❤

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀𝗚𝗼𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄!

I read this in one sitting and now my brain is just ✨fated mates + morally grey chaos✨

This was an ARC from NetGalley (thank you!) and I honestly had a great time.

Is Vein & Vow the most polished, literary thing I’ve ever read?
No.
Did I inhale it and enjoy every second?
Absolutely.

What you’re getting into:

- Fast pacing that might usually overwhelm me, but worked perfectly for this story
- Witty, sharp dialogue that made me smile more times than I’d like to admit
- Fated mates- A good mix of drama, tension, and “what the hell just happened” moments

Critique corner:
It definitely needs another round of edits — grammar and structure slipped here and there — but the energy? Immaculate. The vibes carried.

Final thoughts:
It’s messy, addictive, a little unhinged, and I want more. The sequel is already on my mental TBR and I’ll be first in line. If you're into chaotic fantasy romance with sizzling tension and iconic tropes, this one's for you.