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🌶️
This wasn't what I was expecting but I enjoyed it. Go into this book knowing it reads like YA.
This story is about a vampire hunter who accidentally becomes a vampires familiar. There's secret societies, romance, hidden mysteries, sapphic vampires.
I'm definitely excited to see how the next book finishes their story.

I really enjoyed this book! The world building and setting was beautiful. The FMC Rebecca was easy to like and her character development was strong through out the book. Once the plot twists started - they didn’t stop! Will definitely read book 2!

I really liked this book! At first there were some parts that were hard to read, but as I kept going I realized how into it a was. I loved how Aliz’s and Rebecca’s relationship developed and the little details that made their relationship unique. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the book and definitely and going to look and see the authors other books!

The Book of Blood and Roses completely hooked me from the first chapter. 👀
I love that you don’t even meet the vampire until chapter 5—it builds so much suspense and tension 🔥
The cover? Stunning. Like, display-on-your-shelf-level gorgeous. 🌹🖤
There’s so much rep in this book too, which made it feel fresh and inclusive 🙌
Honestly felt like a vampire-hunter version of James Bond—with secret missions, high stakes, and stylish danger. 🧛‍♂️🕶️
They’re enemies for a long time—and when I say SLOW BURN, I mean slowwwwwww. But in the best way. 🫠
And the twists?? I did not see them coming.
If you’re into vampires, enemies-to-lovers, and plots that keep you guessing… this one’s worth picking up.


I have also posted on Tiktok about this book and I have linked the post below!

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNdAv2urL/

I loved this. I know I'm bias because of sapphic vampires, but what can I say? Something about it just feels nostalgic. I thought Rebecca and Aliz's relationship was so cute! I understand why some readers have had an issue with all the organizations and the plot points surrounding them, since many different groups can become confusing for a lot of people. While I wouldn't call this dark academia, it does have a dark academia setting. The yearning and holding back adds so much tension to many scenes, and I found myself going "just do it!" many times. I can't forget to mention the vampire lore. Having vampires with weakness in accordance with their culture is an interesting take, which is enjoy. I wouldn't have liked to have had the secondary characters fleshed out more, but I like what we've seen so far.

I do wish we got more information on some of the questions we still have, but the framework is set up to have them answered. If there wasn't going to be a second book, we would have a LOT of unanswered questions. I'm excited to get answers to them!

Trying to find the book of blood and roses in a schoole filled with vampires and she is just a human - trained to kill them. This was a dark academy urban romantasy with action, tension, a bit of romance and of cause, vampires. Oh and the FMC is gay.

This was a fun and unique take on vampires. I love the whole vampire college and how all the dorms are different. The world building is amazing and I love all the characters. It's exciting and I couldn't put it down. The relationship between vampire and vampire hunter is pretty addicting, It's a must read for sure.

Absolutely devoured this book and couldn’t put it down. The buildup the plot. Everything Rebecca is against she has new feelings and new meaning. The world building and plot are next level. Sapphic vampires check! Dark academia, she goes searching but finds something even better. FF romance you just can’t get enough of. -Kerin

This book was a fun, fast-paced read! The writing style is straightforward and doesn’t try to be fancy, which makes it super easy to get into. The main character is a bit of a mixed bag—sometimes totally freaked out, and other times, she’s like a superhero. Honestly, it felt pretty real for someone in their 20s trying to save the world and manage their feelings at the same time.

The world-building does its job, and there’s always enough action to keep you turning the pages. I was never bored, and the story never dragged. Some plot twists were obvious, but honestly, I prefer that over being hit with wild surprises every chapter.

A few things did pull me out of the story, though. Like, how does the main character magically get access to floor plans for every mission? That’s not normal, unless she’s got secret connections at Google Maps. And the whole “vampire weaknesses based on ethnicity” thing felt off and kind of uncomfortable. It gave weird racial vibes that I could’ve done without. Plus, the Christian vs. vampire stuff felt a little outdated—especially for a book set in 2025. I’m just not that religious, so those parts didn’t click for me.

Still, I loved the relationship between Aliz and Cassie/Rebecca. They’re cute, messy, and exactly how I imagine real people in their 20s would act. I’m definitely down for book two when it comes out.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This book was beautifully written—I was immediately immersed in the world of Tynahine University, a vampire school accepting humans for the first time. I devoured it in a single day because I couldn't put it down! The pacing was perfect—fast enough to keep me engaged but slow enough to allow the world-building to shine.

Rebecca, the FMC, was a brilliantly crafted lead. She was strong, capable, and realistic—her years of training as a vampire hunter made her fighting skills believable, yet she was still human, prone to mistakes when she let her heart guide her choices. She never felt too perfect, which made her journey all the more compelling.

The core mysteries—who killed Rebecca’s parents, and where is the Book of Blood and Roses?—kept me thoroughly invested. My theories shifted constantly as the layers unraveled, and I found myself doubting everyone just as much as Rebecca did.

The secondary cast was just as captivating. Rebecca’s budding friendships with Ife, Stephan, and especially Julie were so enjoyable to follow. And then there was Aliz, the forbidden vampire love interest—I loved her. She initially came across as a typical player, someone with a new conquest every night, but as her history was revealed, I fell for her just as much as Rebecca did. Their slow-burn romance was incredibly satisfying, making every moment between them feel earned.

This is one of those books that has me hunting for every special edition because I loved it that much. I cannot wait for book two!

Haunting, romantic, and beautifully written.

The Book of Blood and Roses completely captivated me. Annie Summerlee weaves a darkly atmospheric tale full of gothic vibes, forbidden romance, and a touch of the macabre that keeps you turning the pages late into the night. The world-building is lush and immersive, with just the right amount of magic and danger lurking beneath the surface. The characters are layered and compelling — especially the tension-filled romance that had me hooked from the very beginning.

If you love:
🌹 Dark academia vibes
🩸 A morally grey love interest
🌙 Secret societies & ancient curses
📖 Lush, lyrical prose

— this book is for you.

Annie Summerlee delivers a story that lingers long after the final page. Highly recommend for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Belladonna, or The Serpent and the Wings of Night.

I loved this book! If you loved twilight back in the day and you wish you could spend some time with her older, glamorous, moody sister, this would be the book. It’s beautiful.
Rebecca lost her parents. When she was approached and told it was by vampires, she decides to join and organisation who are trying to rid the world of the leeches. There is a treatise in place between humans and vampires but there are still plenty to hunt.
Rebecca’s next mission is to retrieve a book from a lost library in a college, unfortunately it’s a vampire college so she is going to a vampire college: the vampires there have Rebecca questioning everything. Her roommate is also unbelievably hot.
This book is a sapphic romance, dropping on dark academia and full of new takes on vampires. I loved it and highly recommend.

Romantic and oh so captivating, this had me swooning ~

ˋ° *⁀➷ Rating: 4/5 ✰

I needed a sweet romance novel sooo bad and I'm so thankful to get this ARC!! I mean, sapphic romance set in a dark and mysterious vampire school? Absolutely delicious. I devoured this quickly and already crave more - this isn't even out yet and I need the next book already help. Honestly this felt like a super well-rounded story even if it had been a standalone, but I'm glad it's a series and so excited to be back in this world and with these characters in the future.

I was a bit nervous starting this because it reads a bit immature and YA at first, but I think it's more to show Rebecca's closed-mindedness and how much she really ends up growing throughout the story. I always really appreciate when characters grow and change through their interactions with others or because of the plot, and this definitely had a lot of that.

As a little side note, I thought the vampire lore in this was so cool! While vampires from European families would have the classic weaknesses of silver and crosses, the ones from China or wherever wouldn't react to it at all since they have different native mythologies.

Closing thoughts:
Definitely recommend this to anyone who likes sapphic paranormal romance. The author really does a great job balancing the plot and the relationship itself, making it so that you can get invested in everything that's going on. Overall super cute!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and not sponsored in any way

I'm not normally a dark academia fan. They don't pay off for me the way that a good fantasy does. The Book of Blood and Roses was a massive exception for me!

Annie Summerlee made this work 110%. The vibes: mysterious schools, secret societies, rich world building, centuries old history and magic.

Vampires, yes vampires, and I'm more obsessed than my Twilight era. They're magnetic and dangerous and mysterious, everything I want in paranormal creatures.

The characters are sharp and complex, elegant and ruthless all in one. Rebecca's connection with Aliz made up for a lot of the, well, not so smart choices that Rebecca made.

The slow burn romance works phenomenally. It's beautiful and electric. Such an intense connection!

The ending, oh the ending. I need answers and I need them now!

I'll be impatiently waiting for book 2!

Vampires and magic mixed with a little slow burn romance...what more do you need? This was beautifully written and I loved the university setting. I think those nostalgic for a vampire romance will really enjoy this one.

5⭐️ read for me!!

I LOVED this and absolutely devoured it. I’ve been in a bit of a slump and I finished this in a day so that tells you everything you need to know.

Dark academia✅
Vampire x vampire hunter✅
Sapphic romance✅
Enemies to lovers✅
Close proximity✅
“We shouldn’t” but “oh, we can’t stop”✅

Vampires are hard to do because they’ve been done soooo much but I really found this quite a unique take and the world building was interesting. I knew when I was about 70% through that this wasn’t going to be a clean cut and dry finish so I am really hyped for book 2!

I really enjoyed reading this book. I found that the main character Rebecca and the love interest had such wonderful chemistry together!~ The plot was interesting and engaging, with Rebecca going through clear character growth moments and made me really appreciate her character. Aliz, her roommate, is initially presented with a bad-girl esc vibe but quickly as Rebecca gets to know her more, she's just a really earnest person whose also had a traumatic past. This story is full of twists and turns that maybe someone else could expect but certainly not me! I was surprised by every plot twist. This book paints a perfect picture of how everyone, no matter their blood-sucking tendencies, can be both good and evil. Grey areas exist everywhere.

I really liked this read. The story was fun and easy to get into, with a cool vampire school setting and great chemistry between the characters. I loved the mix of magic, mystery, and romance—it kept me hooked the whole way through.

I devoured this book in just 3–4 days and for a slow reader like me, that says a lot. I honestly couldn’t put it down. The plot was so intriguing, the mystery and twists kept me hooked, and the romance between the vampire and the vampire hunter had me fully invested. The world-building wasn’t overwhelming, and the story jumps right in.

What I loved most was how layered the relationships were. There was emotion, depth, and everything connected in a way that made sense as the story unfolded.

If I had one critique, it’s that the slow burn… wasn’t quite slow enough in the end. It built up beautifully but then jumped from 0 to 100 a little too fast. I just wish the transition had been smoother. I understood the tension and conflicted feelings between them, but their shift to acceptance felt a bit rushed.

Still, this was a really solid read. And the ending? So satisfying. Yes, there’s a second book (and I can’t wait for it), but enough was wrapped up here to feel complete, while still leaving me curious and eager for more.

first of all, i’d like to say moran taing for the opportunity to read such a wonderful book! not only that, but a wonderful book WITH wonderful representation of where i live, without being ridiculous. and being able to read gaelic in a modern romance book!?

i adored this story and the characters so much. i laughed, i cried a bit, and i screamed at so many imaginary people. i loved the main characters AND the side characters. even a particular brunette who i very much did not like at the beginning. the character development was wonderful, the romance was beautiful, the details in the setting made me feel as though i was part of the story, and the plot was so deliciously fast paced i didn’t want to put the book down!

did i mention the gaelic?

the way everything intertwined together, the plot points being sewn up and actually making sense with each other was brilliantly done. oh, how i wish i could attend this school. i’m so excited for book two already, i squealed with excitement when i saw it would be continued!