A uniquely witty and surprisingly deep Rom-com following Grad school drop-out, Tess. Who, in the midst of trying to recover from a past trauma, finds out that not only are the vampires in her favourite book series, Blood Feud, real. But that the series’ twin bonded vampire villains, currently separated by a magical barrier, (put in place to trap all of vampire-kind) desperately need her help. 

Dealing with themes such trauma, self discovery and the healing power that fan bases communities can have (ie: in the sense of belonging/ deriving comfort from having a safe space to be yourself and share in your passions) I really enjoyed this one. 

As a former AO3 teen who was obsessed with vampire stories/media in general (Buffy, Twilight and The Vampire Diaries especially) I found the fan fiction-esque premise utterly compelling, with a unique take on vampire lore and fandom culture that had me invested until the very end. 

Though I will say, it’s definitely driven more by the rich (and in depth) characters; whose journeys to self acceptance, healing and empowerment really stole the show for me. 

And seeing both Tess and Joni (Tess’s estranged bestie) branch out in ways that help them, was really interesting too— especially with the parallels we see in their discovery of the supernatural world (and the ways in which they choose to navigate it.)

I do have to mention that one of the characters is dealing with the trauma of sexual assault, so this is definitely something to consider when deciding whether to pick this up. 

Though, the subject itself was handled rather sensitively, and in a way that never felt exploitative. Thanks in part to the empathetic way in which Kate Stayman-London chooses to depict our protagonist’s recovery process. 

We also get dual alternating romance plots, that I really enjoyed too! And have to say I loved the parallels here as well; as Tess and Joni both explore the power dynamics and levels of intimacy (and trust) of relationships in new and interesting ways. 

Overall, this was an intriguing and genre-blending read that fans of Buffy, stories with complex female relationships or supernatural romances should definitely consider checking out. Though please check the TWs beforehand.