Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions! I have posted the following review to my Goodreads page today, 06/04/2025 at the link provided below. I will also post to Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

This one was a miss for me, although it wasn't poorly written by any stretch. The setting is an old mansion/castle/estate that is being cleaned up and repurposed as a boarding school. I think it would probably fall under the "dark academia" subclass, although if I were defining it myself I would say "dark academia with a lot of creamer".

There's a bit of a Scooby Doo mystery happening at the school and the main group of characters is trying to work out what exactly it is. My big issue is that the progression of this mystery being worked out is extremely drawn out and slow. At the 50% mark the most basic premise of the mystery was barely being explored past the initial introduction of it. It was taking so long even the main characters were wanting to abandon it!

I also thought the MMC, William, and FMC, Lorena, didn't have much chemistry. Their interactions were clearly set up to be a bit of a classic literature themed academic rivalry, but it fell flat for me. In addition to that, while you could definitely still understand their arguments without reading the classics they're arguing over (Shakespeare, Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice) it would be much easier if you had. The arguments seem to be insight into their actual feelings about each other, but if you're not familiar with those particular books then it could leave you in the dark.

It wasn't until partway into the book that I noticed the two POVs, Lorena and William, are first person and switch to third person, respectively. That's an interesting choice that I'm not sure I've seen before. My theory is this was done to make William seem more opaque and emotionally distant, although I can't say for sure. Still nice to see something different being tried.

Overall I think for YA readers that love that spooky dark academia setting, and like to see a mystery unraveled no matter how patient they have to be, this would be a good read.

For all the hype this book gives Pride and Prejudice I walked away asking 'why not hype Dracula'.

This book had a good start but lost itself in the middle and fell flat by the end. You have a girl who enters a college with her friend. Her mother and her friend's mother were close friends and did everything together. Her friend's mother passed recently, and her mother isn't really on good terms with her due to a video that circulated with our main female lead getting wild at a party.

They are sharing a room with a girl who is super rich (actually everyone in this college are rich) and our female lead isn't. Somehow eventually this girl becomes friends with them, along with a couple of guys.

Oh. Our vampire. Apparently he has been chilling in a wing of the school that has been off bounds. And, the group goes and finds the coffin. Vampire wakes up, threatens our female lead, bites her and makes her his familiar. He is pretty ass-y for a vampire, and threatens her a lot. Yet she finds it hot and by mid book she has feelings even though he hasn't really treated her well.

I was confused on where the Pride and Prejudice angle comes from. There is a throw-away comment that the female lead is looking for a guy that is like Darcy. Also, they read three books in this school - Jane Eyre, P&P, Dracula. This is where it gets odd because instead of having the story have themes of P&P, the author uses the literary class meetings to give her insights about various takes from these books. When the vampire ends up pretending to be a student to catch up on everything, he starts flexing his insight on these books too.

There is a group of vampires (apparently he isn't technically the last one) who is looking for someone of a certain line to kickstart their dominance in the world again. Who is it you ask? Well, it's Mr. Stoker, the guy who wrote Dracula. If they don't get their way, all the students including the girl will die.

I found the change from him disliking her to liking her / loving her to be jarring because it just literally happened in one paragraph. There was really no lead into it. It was like "well, I guess I can't bring back my kind, lets date". There are a lot of name drops to current books and films, which work but also sound like name dropping just for the sake of being cool.

The end of this book so many things happen and it makes you wonder if there will be a part two. It could also be a stand alone novel. BUT... that doesn't really wrap up the monster hunters and what not.

I felt like the female character annoyed me and while the author wanted you to feel for her as she was lying for her friend, there was just something ick about her feeling for a vampire that could snap her neck and threatens her and he isn't showing any sort of feelings for her.

A bizarre book, and if there is a sequel I ain't sitting around for it.

This book was everything I didn’t know I was craving. It’s witty, dramatic, romantic, and has just the right touch of gothic charm. The writing hits that sweet spot between playful and sincere, blending classic Austen vibes with a deliciously moody paranormal twist. I loved how the story plays with the tension between fate and choice, and how the romance never loses its emotional pull. It’s not just about yearning and chemistry, though there’s plenty of that. It’s also about identity, power, and how love can feel like both salvation and temptation. The whole setup feels fresh and fun, but there’s depth behind the charm. I fell hard for the slow unraveling of trust and the way it keeps asking what we owe to our past versus what we want for ourselves. It completely swept me away.

Journeys end in lovers meeting but with this tale a whole new world opens up and not everyone will make it out alive.

“The Last Vampire” is Lorena’s second chance after a video threatens her family’s lifestyle sending her to an exclusive academy where she and her new classmates stumble upon a hidden coffin and what’s inside changes her life forever.

This was an interesting read but one that that felt very long despite being close to the average of my reads at around 400 pages. I’m not sure if that is a good or bad thing because at a character standpoint I think there was a benefit to really getting to know some of the characters but others it felt like we were dragging the plot out too long without going far at all.

For characters I really enjoyed Lorna and I felt she did best with her friends and really understanding those dynamics between her childhood best friend and new roommate created an interesting dynamic and that push pull energy that felt very relatable and for me anchored the story. Her relationship with William was interesting and some parts, especially their fights under the guise of literary analysis, were some of my favorites however for the most part it seemed as though they were platonic until the plot needed them to be more and then it was all gas no breaks. That’s not necessarily a bad thing I just didn’t feel as connected to them and their romance as I wish I would have been.

I love the ideas here and the mythology of vampires and relationships with humans and what this great sleep means for the former and there is so much room for more and I really hope they dig into that and make it a solid story. With something so unique as its foundation I would love to see just how far you can take it if you’re brave enough to continue taking those risks.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Thank you to NetGalley and Romina Garber for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re craving a vampiric slow-burn set in a gothic boarding school with messy friendships, dramatic tension, and a brooding love interest, this might still bite in all the right ways — just not for me this time.

Spoilers ahead!

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DNF @ 50%

Unfortunately, I’m putting The Last Vampire down at the halfway mark. I was genuinely intrigued in the beginning — the academic setting, mysterious manor vibes, and the found family of quirky students had me hooked early on.

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Early Strengths

I really enjoyed the close-knit friendship they created:

Trevor (Curls): the jock type who seems to have it out for William and maybe even suspects him. You find out his family is part of the Legion.

Zach (Glasses): into film and photography, he seems to have a harmless obsession with Tiffany, following her YouTube channel Tiff Investigates religiously. He grows suspicious of William after realizing the office doesn’t have a student file for him. William confronts Zach and reveals he is a police officer secretly investigating a teacher.

Tiffany (Barbie): bold and confident, she only has beef with Lorena. It’s revealed that her mom watched Lorena’s mom’s videos, which meant Tiffany lived under a ton of restrictions and only recently got a phone after the video of Lorena surfaced. Toward the 50% mark, it seems like Tiffany and Lorena are starting to warm up to each other — Tiffany even calls her “Lore.”

Salma: Lorena’s best friend who seems either to share the same disease her mom had or is severely grieving. Something’s definitely up with her health, but it’s unclear which. She recently found out Lorena lied to her, leaving her deeply hurt. Salma has been bonding closely with Tiffany, and you slowly see their friendship grow — while her relationship with Lorena feels severely strained.

And then there’s William, our brooding vampire love interest with a love-hate, push-and-pull dynamic with Lorena. I liked their early interactions — especially how he clearly wants to protect her, even while acting cold and distant.

Lorena and William share a tense, complicated bond filled with both resentment and reluctant care. Moments like when William uses mind control to make her bare her neck before biting her are intense and unsettling, revealing a power dynamic charged with unspoken emotions. Lorena once said to him, “Just because you’re forced to be a monster doesn’t mean you have to choose to be an asshole,” highlighting the friction beneath their connection.

Though William denies any romantic feelings and insists they are “not together,” his rejection cuts Lorena deeper than any bite ever could. They often hurt each other with sharp words and actions, yet neither can fully ignore their concern for the other. This becomes clear when William senses Lorena in danger and turns back to save her, showing that beneath the surface of their antagonism lies a fragile but undeniable connection.

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Where It Lost Me

But once the story entered Part 2, it lost momentum. William leaving with Cisco and Nate just deflated the pacing. It felt like everything was building toward something... and then suddenly hit a reset button.

I get that William is on a personal quest to understand himself and find the rest of the vampires, but it honestly felt like he didn't care about Lorena at all — even though she’s supposed to be his Familiar. Why go through all the trouble to save her from the vampires if he wasn’t invested enough to stick around and protect her afterward? That disconnect made their relationship feel hollow at a crucial moment.

The idea of waiting for everything to build back up while Lorena is just waiting, and William is off doing his own thing, didn’t appeal to me. My guess is he’ll get trapped, she’ll try to rescue him, etc. — but I didn’t feel compelled to stick around and find out.

Also — why does William speak in third person while Lorena narrates in first? It threw me off every time and made it hard to stay immersed.

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Final Thoughts

This book definitely leans YA and has shades of Twilight (which it cheekily references). I think readers in the mood for romantasy will enjoy the tension, the gothic school setting, and the slow-burn drama. I might just be in the wrong headspace — I’ve been reading more thrillers and horror lately, and maybe I wasn’t quite ready to jump back into fantasy romance.

Overall Rating: 2★

If you’re craving a vampiric slow-burn set in a gothic boarding school with messy friendships, dramatic tension, and a brooding love interest, this might still bite in all the right ways — just not for me this time.

Lorena enrolled in a boarding school but woke up the last vampire by accident. William tried to revive his species and protect humans at the same time...

Love the pride and prejudice vibes... The characters are great. The dialogue is terrific.. An enjoyable read. Love this retelling of Dracula.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

The last vampire is another love story that will steal your heartbeat. It was like a modern day dracula with enemies-to-lovers vibes. Lorena was the Lucy to his vampire heart as his kiss was the winter to her summer. Their love will be told to hundreds and continue as we read it.

I enjoyed the plot and storyline and found that i couldn't put it down once i dove in. Being a fan of dracula and just vampires , i knew i would enjoy it. It was a different take all together that kept me entertained......who doesn't love a vampire and human love story.

This was deliciously dramatic in all the best ways. Their dynamic crackles with tension, wit, and just the right amount of gothic absurdity. I loved the boarding school setting, the slow-burn unraveling of secrets, and the aching pull between duty and desire. It’s funny, wildly romantic, a little bloody, and completely addictive. Austen would be proud, and maybe just a little horrified.

I thought this book was ridiculous. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

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beyond excited to see this books hit my inbox- this is one of my most anticipated books of 2025 and i will be sure to post my review on all retailers!! 💞

This book was quite fun. I was sucked in on the very first page and was incredibly intrigued where the story was going.

I’m a huge fan of the setting for this book. It captured the mood of both the characters and the story perfectly, and I think it wouldn’t have been nearly as magical in any other setting.

The characters felt very real, which I loved. They came alive on the page, and I found myself connecting to Lorena the most.

This book is cute. I flew through it at a super fast pace, which was a plus and minus at the same time because I didn’t want it to end.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.