This really didn't work for me. We start off with an FMC, Summer, who supposedly doesn't want to get close to anyone, yet immediately befriends her roommate, Alice. I will give credit where it's due and say that the found family vibe between Summer and Alice was well done. Very soon after this, like.. that same night.. Summer meets Connor, immediately makes out with him and they eventually get together. Connor is a certified sweetheart but kind of lacks any real personality otherwise. All of these characters are apparently in their late 20's/early 30's but I don't believe that for a second. They act like your typical, drunk, 19/20 year old college kids. This book reads like fanfic and goes on for much too long. It should've been condensed to under 500 pages. Even then, I just wasn't particularly blown away with any aspect of the story. There are also way too many pop culture names used here, and a little more backstory and world building would've helped overall. I also wasn't into the "stranger" and thought it seemed to make the plot a lot more infuriating than it already was. This was a book I almost DNF'd early on, and honestly, I probably should've done just that. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

This book had me hooked from the very first chapter. Even with school and a busy schedule, I finished it in 10 days - which, for me, is pretty fast. The writing is addictive and the pacing kept me turning pages.

The characters were the highlight for me. I freaking loved the Morningstars - Luke, Rafe, Zach, Zane - and especially Connor. My sweet, loyal, golden retriever boy! He was patient, kind, and honestly deserved so much better. Alice was another standout - total badass and such a fierce, fun character to follow.

But I really struggled with Summer’s character and her choices, especially when it came to her interactions with 'The Stranger'. I’m not a fan of relationship dynamics that feel dishonest or tiptoe too close to cheating, and unfortunately, that took a lot of the enjoyment out of the story for me. The secrecy, flirting, and poor communication made it hard to root for certain relationships, and it soured what could’ve been a great romantasy arc.

The ending was emotional and the cliffhanger hit hard, I even cried - but to be honest, I don’t see myself continuing with the series, which is disappointing because the story had so much potential!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m struggling a lot with this review. I genuinely loved the writing, the authors built a world that sucked me in and was wonderfully imagined. The concept is so cool and the way this book thrills you is amazing. I never had any idea what to expect and the intrigue and suspense sucked me in. I have so many questions and so little answers and I cannot wait to find out the bigger picture.

Our FMC, Summer, is a Faerie surrounded by questionable circumstances who was raised in a quite abusive situation, which caused some sort of (mental?) block on her powers in order to protect herself, and some intense attachment issues. Although I can understand her self-destructive tendencies, they also really frustrated me. Writing this out, I think it might be because the mental health/trauma rep is done SO well that it reminds me of me before my extensive therapy, and my frustrations towards Summer are actually more towards my struggling troubled inner child who worked so hard on healing but is still present in everything i do? *adds to list of things to talk about in therapy*

The friendship between her and Alice was so fun, because although they’re both young and quite volatile, they could also be true to themselves and honest with each other, and the mutual support was beautiful. Connor, Summer’s arch angel boyfriend, is a ray of sunshine. The man is a literal golden retriever, a darling, and I often felt bad for him. I can understand why Summer is so hesitant to love and I know a healthy relationship doesn’t come naturally, but certain things happened that broke my heart for him.

All in all, I’m still extremely intrigued and I cannot wait to find out more over the course of the next books! I need to find out more about the headmaster, I need to know more about Stranger, I need to know Summer’s history, I need to KNOW!!! Also; after that ending I need an address to send my therapy bill to and a hug.

I’m in utter disbelief and shock. That was a rude cliffhanger, Jeanette and Alexis.

While I enjoyed the book, it was long, I took a break halfway through. The story felt like it wasn’t going anywhere at that point and I needed a change of pace as it was getting repetitive. The pacing of the book was different with the last two chapters being an absolute whirlwind that had some story gaps that I’m hoping get filled in with book 2.

Honorable mention: The way they wove in the lore of Tuatha Dé Danann into the Fae, *chefs kiss*. Love seeing fae folklore especially in this very modern urban fantasy world.

Cast of characters and my thoughts on each:

Alice Legosi is my spirit vampire. I love her so much.

Summer was kind of a pain. She kept falling into the same patterns and did not learn or grow from her mistakes. But I feel like this was intentional and we’ll see major shifts in her in book 2. While she was a pain, I did understand her fears and emotions.

Alice and Summer’s friendship was so wonderful and watching Summer learn, even if it was slowly, to build other relationships felt so real and relatable.

Summer and Connor are disgustingly adorable and so very, very horny. Connor was personally a little too much for me. I felt like Summer needed to add a few more people to the relationship to help balance out Connor’s endless golden retriever energy.

The Stranger… omg. He is what kept me hooked and needing to know who the fuck he is. I have my theories.

Headmaster Emyrs…. yes please, although his first name is Jim, really? No.

Rafe, I hope we see more of your broody, grumpy self.

Max, I sure hope we see you go full Berserker mode and more training sessions.

---

Star: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Steam: 💋💋💋
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Dark: 🌆 **sunset**

“There are those who die in fire and those who thrive in it.”

Blood & Betrayals follows Summer, a fae starting her first year at an elite magic institution known as Avalon University. While trying to move on from a dark past, Summer finds herself opening up to new people (her feral vampire roommate bestie Alice, and boyfriend Connor, while navigating murders happening on campus.

Not only are the characters themselves incredible, the relationships between them are absolutely everything. This book also contains the absolute most satisfying found family. Summer has so much character growth and it was emotional to see how she learns to let others love her and to love others. There were so many layers and different types of relationships that I felt like I was a student as well watching all this unfold. The whole magic system with the runes was particularly interesting. I loved the murder mystery element so much. The twists in this book are INSANE.
.

I absolutely loved this. I have theories, I did research on Arthurian legends after I finished the book…I have so many questions.

First of all, I have never seen a main character have so much tension and chemistry with this many other characters without it being a reverse harem story 😂 I am still waiting for this to turn into a RH. Please please please.

I didn’t really love Summer right away but she really grew on me. I get that her character is really jaded and is basically like a stray cat who tries to claw everyone’s eyes out if they try to pet her…but girl, give your friends a little credit. She got there eventually. My only complaint for this entire thicc monster of a book is that I have developed a violent allergy to the nickname “big guy” and if I hear it again, I will exorcist style projectile vomit. Summer, girlfriend, change it up a little. Use his actual name. Try out a few options. FOR THE LOVE OF THE GODS ☠️

Alice is the absolute perfect best friend. Full-on black cat energy, only likes 1 or 2 people but loves to shop. Only does social things ironically. Scares off anyone who tries to talk to you. Honestly, I need an Alice.

Connor… I have a lot to say but I’m going to hold back. You gave me Liam from FW personality but added slight Tamlin (ACOTAR) vibes and I was gaslighting myself the whole time. I sort of hated him but felt guilty about it. Was it deserved? No. Poor Connor just tries way too hard and gets on my nerves.

Emrys, Max, Rafe, the Stranger…listen, if you need a female for a reverse harem with any and all of these dudes, I volunteer as tribute. My husband would understand. 🤤

I am BEGGING for a book 2 ARC.

DNF @ 25%

First, I’d like to state that, as a general personal rule, I try my hardest not to DNF books I’ve already started. This is especially true of ARCs, which is how I got this book. I tried hard to push through, but I’m only human and must admit that, at a certain point, a book just isn’t clicking with me.

I requested this ARC because the synopsis interested me, and the cover—dark bricks covered in ivy—looked fitting for a moody and mysterious academia tale; thus, I said, “Sign me up!” I like good ol’ fantasy school settings, and I’ve seen comparisons to Zodiac Academy. I read the first two books of Zodiac Academy when I was younger and found them to be entertaining popcorn reads. From how Blood & Betrayals’s synopsis is written and the slightly understated cover, I thought this would be a bit more mature and less cartoony compared to Zodiac Academy, so I felt comfortable requesting it. Unfortunately, within the first two chapters, this book proves to be at the same maturity level as Zodiac Academy.

Before I delve into why this book failed to work for me, I do want to say that the idea itself is cute. The university map provided in the book looked super fun and showed creativity and thought, which I appreciated. I’m always interested in the idea of fictional multi-species institutions because seeing different Fantasy and Sci-Fi creatures—including but not limited to vampires, fae, and shifters—interact can be entertaining.

Moving on to my reasons for a DNF…

This book is very juvenile. For one that is supposed to be in an academic setting with older characters, the characters behave more like high schoolers than people in their "late-20s/early-30s." I was so excited when the book mentioned the older demographic of the students because I love seeing older characters in college. Usually, that means we get the fun university setting without all the peaked-in-high-school drama. However, I quickly found that these characters are mainly fixated on the college partying lifestyle, which just doesn’t call to me anymore. The dialogue is reminiscent of stereotypical American high school movies. (This book literally still has the bubbly cheerleader clinging on to the musclehead jock cliche.) I felt like I was transported back to the past with the overt use of outdated caricatures. It just wasn’t fun to read for me because I’ve already gone through that reading phase.

The biggest problem I had was with the main character. Don’t get me wrong, all the other characters were more or less 2D caricatures. However, the female lead—Summer—is an amalgamation of the “not like other girls” and “no one understands me” tropes that were popular in the 2010s. I think I wouldn’t have minded it as much if we weren’t stuck in her first-person POV, but we were. I really couldn’t connect with her narration because she just came off as unlikable and immature.

The last strike I'll mention is just the lack of proper development of character relationships. Summer is made to be this standoffish girl, which she is to an extent, but she basically becomes besties with her roommate upon first meeting. Honestly, all of Summer's friendships and relationships just seem too convenient and underdeveloped.

Although this book didn’t work for me, I do think it can find its readers. It checks off many common New Adult tropes and has the NA vibe. If you’re interested in a NA romantasy with a modern writing style and a magical college life setting (similar to the early Zodiac Academy books and Vampire Academy), I think this is worth a try.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Note: I normally don’t assign ratings to DNFs that I haven’t at least hit 50% on. Therefore, I will be leaving no rating for this review on my review platforms.

Blood & Betrayals was such a wild, addictive ride—I couldn’t put it down! Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune absolutely nailed the mix of tension, spice, and emotional twists. If you’re into enemies-to-lovers with a paranormal edge, this book is going to be your new obsession.

The chemistry between the main characters? Off the charts. I was living for their banter and slow-burn tension. And just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, the story threw in a twist that had me gasping. The world-building is rich without being overwhelming, and the betrayals (yes, plural!) hit hard in all the best ways.

This book has everything I love in a dark romance—fated vibes, morally gray decisions, high stakes, and just enough spice to keep things extra fun. I already can’t wait to see where the series goes from here!

Highly recommend if you’re in the mood for something intense, emotional, and a little bit dangerous 🔥🖤

*ੈ✩‧₊˚Rating*ੈ✩‧₊˚
4/5 Stars

˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗Tropes˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗
🏫 Found Family
💫 Insta Lust
🏫 Fmc Has A Stalker
💫 Black Cat (Fmc) x Golden Retriver (Mmc)
🏫He Falls First And Hard
💫Dark Acedamia Setting

💭 Thoughts-
This book was actually a wonderful book but, I definitely had a couple of things I didn’t like, most of them just being one thing, to be honest. That is that I just hate Hate the mmc. I thought he was annoying and moving way too fast with their relationship in the book. I was just honestly hoping the whole way through that he would either die or that she would break up with him, so that then I wouldn’t have to suffer through reading more about him. If you can’t tell, I’m totally rooting for a certain stranger. (ifykyk) Besides that, though, I really enjoyed the book and the overall plot of it and could not put it down! I absolutely loved the ending of the book though and thought it was great! Overall, though, I would totally recommend this book!

Now Playing:

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(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)

I'm torn about this book.
The start grabbed my attention, but with the first spiciness being around 100 pages in, I knew this was going to be a LONG read.

I enjoyed the world, the storyline and the way the plot was written. If it didn't have 30 yr olds acting like teenagers, I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more.

The length was a bit excessive so it did take some time- if I realised it was that long I probably would have skipped over it.

Thanks NetGalley and author for aproviding this ARC to read!

There didn't need to be 1027 pages 😒 lots of repetition and not enough answers.
This book has so much potential! With some serious editing and more proof reading it would be perfect!

4.5 stars! Okay love how it ended, that was exactly what I was hoping was going to happen! I love Alice and Summer's relationship so much and love all the found family! And the stranger!!! Can’t wait to find out more about him!

4/5 🌟 3/5 🌶️
Dark Academia. Found Family. Stalker.

Let me start off by saying I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS and feel as if nothing was answered. 🤷🏻‍♀️
The book is VERY LONG. I wished it would have been significantly shorter and that the ending wasn't as rushed. It felt like it ended in the middle of a paragraph and I was convinced It wasn't the end.

With that being said, I did really enjoy this book. It was so mysterious and honestly hilarious/sad all wrapped into one. The authors did such a good job with these characters and you definitely get attached. Alice was my favorite character by far but the main lady Summer is fantastic as well.

I will be continuing this series just because I NEED to know what the hell happens and who the stranger is! *SPOILER.....I hope it's the headmaster.....just saying.

Thank you to Rose & Star Publishing as well as Netgalley for gifting me an ARC of this book!

i had a really hard time with this one. It was too young/immature but also too spicy for me which is the strangest combo. I dont mind spice at all but the amount overshaddowed the plot and characters. for 1k pages there was too much spice and not enough character building. I was never able to get into ZA no matter how much I tried but I feel like if you liked that, this is probably right up your alley

Thank you to Jeanette Rose, Alexis Rune, and Rose & Star for the eARC and opportunity to read this book 🖤

Rating: 4.5/5 🌟 (rounded up for the stars)
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶🌶

First off, I was very intimidated by how big this book was, but was a fucking journey!

The vibes this book gives off are a mixture between Zodiac Academy setting and the mystery behind Oli from The Bonds That Tie series, but with murder mystery! I wouldn't say this book is dark, but it does have some heavy themes, so check your trigger warnings!

The characters, you can't help but love, and are written very nice and you can help but love each one. Alice brought all the comic moments, and Connor gave us all the heart-felt moments! Then you have the Stranger, who I have thoughts on, I have thoughts!!!

With the book being as big as it is, it does feel at times that you may want to skim over parts but don't cause you might miss something as the authors have things here and there that is all apart of the mystery and that is what keeps you reading until it's over!

Over such a great book, and I immediately need book two now cause that ending literally just ended me the way I knew it would..

Blood & Betrayals by Jeanette Rose & Alexis Rune
Rating: 3.5/5

Holy sh*t, I did not realize this book was over 1,000 pages. If I had, I definitely would’ve opted for the physical version instead of the eBook. 😅

No spoilers here but overall, the story was okay. I went into it expecting the characters to be in their late 20s or early 30s, but they acted more like college students. The first half of the book is full of partying, sex, and drugs, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it just threw me off a bit at first.

The main character, Summer, is emotionally constipated. 😂 She thinks she’s incapable of love, yet wants so badly to fall for the main love interest. I was honestly a little nervous that cheating would come into play with the love triangle situation, but thankfully, the author steered clear of that and solved it…. LOLOLOL SORRY FOR ANYONE WHO READ THE BOOK AND KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT.

Now Conner? He’s the blueprint. Too perfect, too sweet, and just everything you’d want in a book boyfriend.

This book is very spicy, expect lots of butt cheeks, flirty banter, and characters constantly getting it on. 🔥

Thank you to NetGalley, Rose and Star Publishing, LLC | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles, Jeanette Rose, and Alexis Rune for the eARC!

I’d recommend this one to readers who love university/college settings, high spice, and a touch of mystery. And if you're tackling a 1,000+ page book? Honestly, go physical, it’s just easier on the eyes. I think I spent a whole week glued to my kindle reading this LOL.

Oh my gosh! Where do I start?! I really enjoyed this book! It didn’t feel long or boring. THAT ENDING! 😭 I need book 2 now!

Blood & Betrayals is one of those books that really divides opinions — and for good reason. With over 1,000 pages, it goes all-in on a dark magical world full of intrigue, supernatural beings, a heroine with a haunted past, and a fiery romance. It’s intense, messy, and addictive — for better or worse.

🌒 What I liked:

- The opening is stunning — a dark, bloody prologue that grabs you right away.
- The worldbuilding is rich and promising, with different realms, magical creatures, and an academy that actually shows what students learn.
- The side characters shine. Alice and the Morningstars are fun, charming, and bring that comforting found-family vibe.
- The romance between Summer and Connor has its ups and downs, but it delivers heat, drama, and emotional moments.
- The mystery around the “Stranger” adds tension and kept me intrigued until the end.

🌘 What didn’t work for me:

- The characters are supposed to be around 30 years old, but often act like teenagers, which made it hard to take some conflicts seriously.
- The book is way too long. Many scenes feel repetitive or unnecessary and could’ve been cut without affecting the plot.
- The romance is overly sexualized, especially in the first part. The amount of spicy scenes interrupts the pacing at times.
- Summer is emotionally all over the place, and some of her actions don’t match her supposed goals. It’s a bit frustrating.
- The magical world is interesting, but lacks proper explanation in parts. Some events and references felt confusing or underdeveloped.

✨ Final thoughts

Blood & Betrayals is a great pick for fans of chaotic urban fantasy, full of emotional drama, mystery, and steamy romance. It’s not a perfect read, but it’s the kind of story that stays on your mind even after you’ve closed the book.

3.25/5

I have mixed thoughts about this book. Overall, I did enjoy reading it and I kept thinking about it when not reading it, so that is a good thing for a book, however, I have some issues with parts of it which I will go into below. But I wanted to preface this review with the fact that I did enjoy it and I wanted to continue reading it.

The pro’s: the second half of the story, in particular, was very interesting, I wanted to find out more about the characters, the motives and the world. I like the school and the realms, they are interesting and I want to know more. The characters are mostly interesting, and I love Alice and the Morningstar’s, I want to be their friends! The found family in this is lovely and heart-warming.

If you enjoyed the zodiac academy and want something with similar vibes, then this a good read for you.

The con’s: Firstly, you cannot convince me the characters are meant to be in their mid to late twenties, some even 30. They do not act like it at all, you could argue they age later as they have longer/immortal lifespans, but then why make them 30 if they are going to act like 18-year-olds!? (I could not stand the nicknames; I am glad don’t have to read “big guy” again for a while!)
Secondly the book is long, too long. For an introduction to a world and a series this will be intimidating for some to read to start a series before they are invested. It is also long unnecessarily? There doesn’t seem to have been enough happened for the length of the book? But at the same time, things that should have taken the characters a while to get past were resolved unrealistically quickly? I also have lots of questions about things that it seems like I should know about but I don’t, like Alice, you find out some information about her family, but towards the end they mention a vote, but they don’t go into detail about what that all means and why, but Summer doesn’t ask, so it seems like we should already know?

There are also some Typos that should have been picked up in editing, some simple mistakes like “out” instead of “our”. Just something small, but worth noting.

I should also mention there is a lot of sex scenes. I don’t mind it, but there were 4 or 5 graphic sex scenes in the first 25% of the book alone. It does slow down a little later into the book, I feel, but there is quite a lot of sex, so if you don’t like that, then this might not be for you.

Overall, I am interested in the series and the next book, the ending on such a big cliff-hanger is frustrating for me, but it does make me want to read the next book so it did its job! It is worth a read if you like this style of books and if you're a zodiac academy person.

I am conflicted. 1026 pages was unnecessary. However, this had such a cool plot, and I loved how many species of magical creatures you learn about. Academic isn't my favorite, but this one actually mentions the classes and what they learn about, so I enjoyed it more. The characters are really interesting, too.

The main characters start off strong, and I loved the banter and little chasing game. I was rooting for Connor (mmc) at first, but I was sick of them by about 60%. The nickname "big-guy" was annoying AF to me and also referring to him as perfect connor or golden boy was more than my golden-retriever loving heart could take. I wouldnt consider the spice in this book anything special but its pretty much always happening. I dont think there were more than 2 chapters (out of 123 chapters) in between every time the fmc and mmc hook up.

I am guessing that Summer still has secrets she hasn't mentioned. Her past is somehow explained a few times but also skimmed over.

The ending was really good and my favorite characters are all still alive so ill be excited to read the next one. I think we are lead to believe "stranger" is headmaster emrys but im on the fence. Max would be really interesting in that role or Rafe 🤔

I hope this series comes out on audiobook. I think the haunting gothic vibes would be really amazing that way and I might have enjoyed it a bit more.