Academia/ university trope
LGBTQ (she/she)
Enemies to lovers
Fairly standard vampire lore
Forced Proximity
**
The story kept me engaged with some twists and turns along the way. The writing was good. There is a little spice sprinkled in but it is not the focus of the story.
At the end it seems to indicate it will be a duology but imo could be read as a stand alone. I also enjoyed the playful banter between the Mc’s. I’d say it is a 3.85 for me. Reading through it was not a chore at all, I was interested, but I would not read the second book. Something was missing for me, but I can’t put my finger on it! Perhaps the world building felt a bit flat.

This was such an entertaining book - a love story between a vampire hunter and a vampire. It’s full of mystery, twists and spice - highly recommend for fans of romantasy!

⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭒ ⭒
3.75 stars


♰ Vampire sapphics? Inject it directly into my bloodstream

Normal people say I love you, but Aliz and Rebecca say I don’t love you and that’s how you know they’re in love.

⋆.˚ ☾⭒.˚ This book ate. Easily one of the best vampire sapphic books I’ve read (though I’ve not read a lot)…okay scratch that it’s one of the best sapphic fantasy books I’ve read, period.
🌹 I don’t even know what genre vampire falls into anymore paranormal? Gothic? Supernatural? Who cares. This one delivered.

⋆.˚ ☾⭒.˚ Was it perfect? No. Sometimes it felt a bit teen soap dramabut I loved every second of it. The vibes were immaculate. The relationship? Divine. The yearning? Top tier. And normally, someone like Rebecca(why this name tho😔) would get on my nerves, but here? She was just right.

⋆.˚ ☾⭒.˚ Yes, the plot was predictable like nine pages in I already had the ending mapped out like I’d read the outline on the back of my hand. That did kill the suspense a little, which is why it didn’t get a higher rating. But honestly, I was having such a good time, I didn’t even mind that I saw it all coming.

⋆.˚ ☾⭒.˚ Most important of all? No girl-on-girl hate. No weird rivalry energy. Just tension, love, sacrifice, pain, and healing. This is the sapphic fantasy I crave. I’m breathing again. Thank you for feeding me.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC. All opinions are mine, and they are honest.

It's been awhile since I've read a book about vampires, so I was excited to receive this ARC. I think this book strikes a good balance between action filled scenes and regular university drama. Although, I did feel at times that the book felt very YA. The characters are meant to be older, early 20s and some of the vampires even hundreds and thousands of years old, yet it sometimes felt very high school drama.

In terms of the romance, I liked Aliz and Rebecca individually, but I didn't always love them together. Due to the plot, they were sort of forced together and the feelings between them feel almost fabricated due to their proximity. I wasn't totally sold on them actually liking one another.

There are some elements I really liked, however. I enjoyed the mystery of the Book of Blood and Roses, and watching them trying to find the library. As well, piecing together the connections between all the characters and what happened with Rebecca's parents and Callisto was really interesting. I think there is still a lot to be explored in another book, and I would continue reading even just to follow these plotlines.

Overall, while I wasn't totally sold on the romance and the writing style is more of a YA feel, the plot is easy to get wrapped up in. 3.4/5 stars.

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early.

The Book of Blood and Roses follows Rebecca, a vampire hunter who infiltrates a vampire academy in its first year open to human students and grows closer to her accidental roommate, Aliz, the heir to one of the biggest vampire families.

I really enjoyed the characters and their interactions with each other. Everyone had different motives and by the middle of the book I was completely sucked into the story. I particularly enjoyed how Rebecca and Aliz’s relationship progressed and how their attraction to each other was palpable from the first time they met.

I did have a couple issues with how basic the general premise felt and how easily Rebecca was able to get out of some of the situations she ended up in as well as how fast the plot progressed. I also wish there would have been more with the side characters, as Stephen, Julia, Ife, and even Elia were all really great characters.

However, the lore was also super interesting and the broader implications of the plot and characters made it hard for me to put the book down, making it a book I enjoyed immensely.

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley again for the chance to read this early.

vampire hunter goes undercover at a school and ends up having a vampire as a roommate, who she then has to work alongside with to uncover some secrets? and it’s sapphic?? yes please!!

i truly enjoyed this so much — i’m really not sure the last time i just had such a good time reading a book. there were times when things felt a little easy/predictable, but overall this was so entertaining. i really liked the characters as well — both the two main characters and the side characters. and to make things even better, it seems that this is book 1 in a duology!! (i love duologies)

thank you to net galley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Aliz Astra may not be a regular vampire.
But I'm not a regular human, either.”

I had a hard time putting this book down and coming back to reality, I have to admit it! Wow, what a great start to this series! I really can’t believe how fast-paced this book is, full of great characters and intriguing theories.

The story follows Rebecca, a vampire hunter who infiltrates an academy where vampires coexist with humans. She’s on a mission to uncover the truth about her parents’ deaths, and to do that, she needs to complete her secret mission: find the Book of Blood and Roses. But destiny has other plans.

She ends up with a vampire roommate, Aliz Astra, who isn’t just any vampire, but the heiress of one of the most influential vampire families. Rebecca, now going by the name Cassie, can’t stand vampires… but she also can’t stop thinking about her roommate. And one night, everything changes when Aliz saves Cassie, and in doing so, the two end up connected on a deeper level.

"Just because you think I'm a monster, doesn't mean I actually am one."

I really liked this book, the quests, the side characters, and the evolving story between Cassie and Aliz. I have so many theories about several characters and events that happened in this first book. It was a great read, never boring, and I can’t wait to dive into the second book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for the opportunity to read this book in advance in exchange for an honest review.

🇮🇹:

Ammetto che ho fatto davvero fatica a staccarmi da questo libro e tornare alla realtà! Che inizio incredibile per questa serie!
The book of Blood and Roses è un libro scorrevole e pieno d’azione, con personaggi ben strutturati e tante teorie che ti tengono incollato alle pagine.

Rebecca è una cacciatrice di vampiri che si infiltra in un’accademia dove vampiri e umani coesistono. La sua missione è scoprire la verità sulla morte dei suoi genitori, e per farlo deve portare a termine un incarico segreto: trovare il Libro del Sangue e delle Rose. Ma il destino ha in serbo per lei altri piani.

Finisce per avere come coinquilina una vampira, Aliz Astra, che non è una vampira qualunque, ma l’erede di una delle famiglie di vampiri più influenti. Rebecca, che ora si fa chiamare Cassie, non sopporta i vampiri… ma non riesce nemmeno a smettere di pensare alla sua coinquilina. E una notte, tutto cambia quando Aliz salva Cassie, e nel farlo, le due finiscono per legarsi in modo molto profondo.

Ho adorato questo libro: le missioni, i personaggi secondari, e la storia che si sviluppa tra Cassie e Aliz. Ho un sacco di teorie su tanti personaggi e su alcune cose che sono successe in questo primo volume. È stata una lettura interessante, mai noiosa, e non vedo l’ora di leggere il secondo!

Grazie a NetGalley e Del Rey Books per avermi dato l’opportunità di leggere questo libro in anteprima in cambio di una recensione onesta.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc.

This is a YA dark academia FF romance w/vampires. It's going to be a hit among readers who enjoy YA.

A romance driven dark academia paralleled story with vampires?? Say less. This had a unique storyline and I appreciate that so much! I can’t wait to see what comes next.

The two reasons I hate getting ARCs is that (1) I have nobody to talk to about these books and (2) I’m left helpless, waiting for the next book to come out before the first book even hits the shelves. Please, Summerlee, book 2… I need it.

Personally, vampires is just not my thing; I just could never get into it. BUT this book is making me rethink that. Because I just couldn’t get enough of Aliz. For a bloodsucking vampire, she was so… wholesome…? In the oddest of ways.

Summerlee made it all work. Despite this book hitting many popular tropes (dark academic, sapphic enemies to lovers, one bed… need I go on?), nothing felt gimmicky. It all flowed so well together and I think it truly is because of how well Summerlee wrote Rebecca and Aliz. These two completely won me over and all I am left with is a burning desire for book two.

This was a very fun debut! A sapphic fantasy./romance set at a dark academia university between a vampire hunter and. . . a vampire! Things heat up when the vampire hunter accidently becomes the vampire's familiar, which lights fuel to the fire of the connection between them, ensuring they can't run from it. I'm very intruiged by Rebecca's background and the unique system of different blood types. Already excited for book 2.

Rebecca Charity is a vampire hunter (bitch HATES vampires) with some classic form of trauma, a fake identity and is on a mission to infiltrate a vamp university and track down The Book of Blood and Roses, which turns out to be the ultimate encyclopedia on vampire's weaknesses and how to kill them.

What she didn't account for was Aliz Astra, local vampire heiress and also Rebecca's new roommate??? Who would have thunk it?? When Aliz saves Rebecca from a vamp attack, they accidentally perform a blood ritual and Rebecca may or may not be bound to Aliz for the rest of her life as her Familiar, unless they track down a solution. Solutions are NOT as easy as they seem though, especially because Aliz is super hot and Rebecca might be wanting to smash...?

I mean, vampire hunter X vampire had me sold and it being sapphic?? A dream. I'd honestly say my only complaints was that Rebecca was just... A really miserable character. Like, I get it, your parents are dead (aren't they all) but that actually doesn't mean you HAVE to be a complete dickhead to everyone you meet.

Aside from that though, book two is supposed to tie up all the loose ends, as there were quite a few plot twists close to the end and a lOVELY cliffhanger so I'll definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for the sequel. Definitely read this if you're into the gays and also vampires and also just having a good time.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eArc!

While I believe the story was well written, the way it was formatted and condensed made the ease of reading difficult. I also found myself disconnecting from the main character quite a bit. I think it's just a personal preference, though.

Thank you for allowing me to read this early!

This was a great book. It really wasn't my type of book though. I am not one for FF romances but this one was good.

The Book of Blood and Roses is an Entertaining blend of dark academia and lesbian vampire romance.

This is a fast paced short read. Good plot, pacing and writing!
Only rated 4 stars due to the MC being a little over the top at some points and honestly felt like the relationship built a little too quickly for me.

The Book of Blood and Roses is a dark academia, sapphic, vampire hunter x vampire novel that ticks all the boxes.

The plot was fast paced and easy to follow. The characters had solid character arcs and their relationship had a slow burn, enemies to lovers dynamic that I always love.
I did find the world building in the beginning to be a bit lacking- you were thrown into the storyline with little background information- but it’s not too hard to put pieces together as you read.


Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the eArc

I read this too quickly! I was invested from the start, but I did find myself thinking "HOW many pages?" but once I started getting into the flow and becoming more invested, i found the chapter lengths did not matter!

I found a few places that need to be reviewed & fixed. For instance, pajamas was spelt pyjamas (i don't know the location number). LOC 479: "Penny herself used it herself eleven years ago." LOC 1192 has a different font size (may be intended, wasn't sure). Other than that, I found it to be well written, with few errors.

The only "bone to pick" I have is the timeline of Rebecca starting to like Aliz, feels rushed. Personally, I think if Rebecca genuinely has that much hatred for vampires, their relationship would've taken longer to develop. Maybe I just don't 100% understand Familiar's as I don't read a ton of fantasies, but this was the only thing that kind of got me.

Rebecca/Cassie is easy to like, even when she feels a bit unlikeable. She's an easy protagonist to root for! Aliz is also extremely likeable, and I like that she feels like a "player" amongst everyone else. Rebecca's friend group is sweet. Eile (?) also gave me whiplash because I wasn't expecting her to be working for the Council or to help Rebecca. Sven is also a whiplash moment for me. I don't know if I didn't see it or what, but the lead up to him being reveled at her prom left me with my jaw on the floor.

Overall, I loved this book! I read it too quickly but couldn't get enough of it! I'm excited to read the second installment in the future!

Please know that a full length review will be posted on my blog either 06/30 OR 07/03

I’m of the opinion that vampires should always be queer. So when I saw this book about a lesbian vampire hunter and a lesbian vampire in college, I knew I needed to read it.

It stuck with a lot of canon vampire traits and was a super fun read. There was some expansion of vampire lore, such as converted vampires vs born vampires and the idea of ethical vampires where they drink synthetic blood and consent before biting is expected. However, there are still vampires in this world that don’t agree with these points.

I loved the addition of even more lesbian side characters.

The pining between Cassie and Aliz was fantastic and I loved the way they each tried to protect the other.

Vampire books, absolutely love them. This hit the mark, I enjoyed this book throughout. Vampire and vampire hunter romance is elite.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A mesmerizing sapphic vampire romantasy that will haunt your heart

From the very first page, Annie Summerlee’s debut swept me into the Gothic depths of a vampire-run university nestled in the misty Scottish Highlands. Her vivid world-building—crumbling stone halls, moonlit courtyards, and an undercurrent of ancient menace—was so immersive that I felt the chill on my skin and heard the whispers in the corridors .

Rebecca Charity is a brilliant protagonist: tough, snarky, and deeply conflicted. Disguised as a student to hunt vampires, she’s driven by righteous fury—and personal loss. I rooted for her every step of the way (). Then there’s Aliz Astra—a stunning, powerful vampire who subverts Rebecca’s hatred when she unexpectedly becomes her ally—and then her irresistible attraction .

Their enemies-to-lovers arc crackles with tension and chemistry. From near-death rescue moments to the curse binding them as familiar and vampire, every beat deepened their connection . The romance felt electric—intense, heartfelt, and satisfyingly addictive .

The plot races forward with pulse-pounding vampire attacks, secrets, and a mystical compendium everyone’s chasing—the Book of Blood and Roses itself. Twists and emotional scars kept me gripped until the final page