Crave was pitched to me as Vampire Academy meets A Court Of Thorns and Roses with a huge homage to Twilight. Basically my three favorite series wrapped poetically into one story. From that moment, I knew I had to read it. Let me tell y'all--this book was a journey. 

Going into this book, there was already a lot of hype and feedback about it, and I knew I was going to be walking into a Twilight 2.0. I was prepared for it. I was ready for my heart to start swooning because I love Twilight. Bruh did this one both deliver and under-deliver at the same time. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this book immensely...starting around the 42% mark.

It took forever for the pacing to finds its grove and the story to begin to dance across the pages. I found myself, on many occasions wanting to just set the book down for a bit and trying on a different read; but thankfully I didn't and just plopped my audiobook on and hit that 3x speed, just to get to another scene/moment where the pacing picked up. But hot cannoli, when I got to that 42% mark, it was like a whole new book and I devoured it. I couldn't get enough of the characters and what was going to happen. 

Grace and Jaxon gave me classic YA paranormal couple vibes with Jaxon sporting a few Edward Cullen traits a time or two. They had this instant connection and a constant pull towards each other that neither of them could explain or comprehend. But Jaxon, being...well Jaxon (my mini Edward) kept pushing that connection and ultimately Grace away because he didn't want to hurt her. The difference though between Twilight and this story is how the characters faced this push and pull and how it made them grow a deeper connection all together. 

The plot was absolute chef kisses after the pacing found its happy place. I had multiple theories of how things were going to play out, but Wolff threw a curve ball and I was pleasantly shocked at the results. I literally gasped in the middle of my office when I realized I had reached the end of the story and had no more pages to flip! 

Overall, this story was one I knew I was going to enjoy, but didn't realize how much I was going to enjoy it. If you are looking for a YA paranormal romance that hits you in the feels and all the right spots this winter, I highly suggest picking this one up and sticking with it passed that 42% mark! I promise you won't regret it.

I am only giving this a two star rating because I would hope that 14 year old Ash would have enjoyed it more than 25 year old Ash. It also earned two stars for the attempt at diversity (Wolff added a few more cultural last names). I was very disappointed because I did want to give this book a better review, but I could not look past the poor writing and lack of character dimension. I believe I read till Chapter 5 when I decided that the main characters voice was just not a voice I was willing to commit 600 or so pages to. I had given myself some time to decide that I was going to read until I found some sort of character relationship, but when I did I was even less excited. When the main character's romantic interest enters the story, there is again lack of character dimension. I thought Edward Cullen was bad, Jaxon Vega was worse.

So, I went into Crave with high hopes, because it’s been such a long time since I’ve found a good vampire novel. They truly have been hard to find in recent years.

However, I was a bit disappointed with the novel, because I feel like above all other complaints, it felt way too long. Now, I’m usually the type of person who wants more from a book. More scenes, more character, more everything. In this case, I honestly wanted less. I like for stories to build over time, it wasn’t until around 300 pages in before the paranormal aspects of the story were finally revealed to our protagonist, Grace. Yes, the story before that reveal was fairly interesting and not too boring, I just feel that it could have been condensed during the editing phases. For example, there was a scene fairly early in the book where Jaxon and Grace meet for the first time and it was practically 3 pages of Grace gawking at him, observing how hot he is, and holding awkward smoldering eye contact.

Things definitely do pick up eventually, just after the halfway mark, but the fact that you have to read 300 pages before you finally get to the rising action is insane to me!

Another problem that I have is that Grace feels like a damsel-in-distress throughout most of the novel. Obviously, she’s underpowered in this situation: a mortal in a world of supernatural beings, but from the very first chapters, it seems like she’s always in danger and Jaxon always has to come to her rescue. Maybe I’ve been reading too many stories with badass female protagonists lately, but seeing this trope pop up was disappointing. Honestly, Grace was basically just a pawn in a bigger scheme, but I don’t understand what makes her special at all. (I’m sure this will be explored in the sequels, but I felt like that was left wide open.)

I don’t want to say that this book wasn’t enjoyable or entertaining, but I just had so many problems with it. I definitely think that some Twilight fans will like this one, but I also think that others fans (like me) might have outgrown some of the YA tropes that we get here, like intense love triangles, secretive academies, and dark, brooding vampires. (JK I don’t think I’ll ever grow out of dark, brooding characters in general!)

At the end of the day, I can only really give it 3 stars. Hopefully Crave’s sequels will lack the same pacing problems, as the world-building has already been set up here. Considering how the book ended, I don’t think that will be a problem in the sequel.

I think that some fans of Twilight, Vampire Academy, Hex Hall, and Hush, Hush will enjoy this book. As always, take my review with a grain of salt and form your own opinions!

Crave was a delight to read and appears to be the first of a series. There are some interesting issues touched on within the story such as loss, grief, depression, friendship, family, and loyalty just to mention a few. There's a lot of humor peppered throughout and I thoroughly enjoyed the chapter headings, one that particularly tickled my fancy was, as far as I remember, "No, I don't want to Build a Snowman". And there's a description of the school library that makes me wish I was a student there.

The story takes place in an elite boarding school, Katmere Academy, ninety-minutes from the nearest town. The school is in what seems to be a huge Gothic-looking castle--without a moat but with a number of outbuilding used for classes. There are underground tunnels leading from the castle to these buildings for use during winter storms or just when you want to avoid the cold. Katmere Academy appeared, to me, to be a cross between Hogwarts and a classical prep school.

Grace has lost both her parents when they died in a car crash. With no other relatives, she's moving to Alaska to attend Katmere Academy where her uncle Finn is the headmaster, and her cousin Macy is also a student. Arriving at the school, Grace finds herself being the 'new girl'--the one that shows up after all the classes have started. From one of the popular girls at the school she attended in San Diego, she's now the one who doesn't quite fit in.

Not fitting in shows up when the most popular and angsty boy in the school, Jaxom Vega, warns her to get out as fast as she can because she doesn't belong there. Not quite the welcome message she was expecting. Grace could ignore such comments but some potentially lethal accidents begin to make her nervous.

Readers may come to realize that this isn't your usual elite boarding school and that the classes are not the usual fare--though really interesting. Then there's the students who seem to be more than they appear. In fact, nothing and no one seems to be as they appear. Are they really accidents? Is Grace's life at risk? If so, why?

The writing pulls the reader in with interesting settings, characters, situations, and plotting. The books checks in at 592 pages but don't be surprised to find yourself at the last page before you know it. The second book in the series, Crush, is due out September 29th, 2020.

This book was such a fun read. I loved that each chapter ended on a question so it made me unable to put the book down. It was def a page turner with enough suspense, mystery and romance to keep me engaged.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Personally, when I first heard the way this book was being promoted I was frightened. A book being titled a cross between Harry Potter and Twilight concerned me. It's very difficult for a book to live up to the two mentioned. But, listen, I was sooo surprised. This book was amazing. I love how there were so many supernatural creatures thrown in without making the story come off as trashy. I would totally recommend it.

Vampires, and dragons, and witches - oh my! There weren’t a lot of surprises in this YA vampire story, but it did have a few unique twists that made it an enjoyable read.

What better place than rural Alaska for a boarding school full of paranormal students? When Grace’s parents die, her uncle (the headmaster of the school) and her cousin (a student close to Grace’s age) are her only family left. The story starts with Grace boarding a tiny plane, and then a snowmobile with her cousin to get to the school’s very remote campus.

Sometimes the buildup is a dry necessity for a story, but in this case, Grace’s snarky voice was amusing as she learned her way around the monstrous (in size and residents) school. Her descriptions of the building were captivating. There was lots of gothic architecture, as well as an amazing library, and cozy reading nooks hidden in unexpected dark hallways and towers.

While there was some expectation of this being ‘just another vampire story,’ its plot held some unique elements. The variety of paranormal characters and their motivation for evil was different than other vampire books I’ve read. Overall I’d give this 3.5 out of 5 stars. I’m looking forward to the follow-up book from another character’s perspective, and I’d recommend this one to those who enjoy paranormal stories.

I was really excited for this book and I'm so sad but it wasn't what I was expecting. The first 50 pages or so were alright but by the time I got to around 100 I just wasn't enjoying it but I pushed through just in case I changed my mind. Even after I finished it it just wasn't for me.

I really enjoyed this vampire paranormal romance YA with a new twist and new characters that involve dragons, witches, wolves and of course vampires - top it off, a boarding school in a gothic atmosphere and I am here for it all. This book was quite addicting and a really fun read - hence the name Crave - because that is what I did for the last few days reading this book. I craved it so much. Grace and Jaxon had great chemistry which I really enjoyed reading about. YA fantasy is not my genre and yet I really was entertained by this book for the great cast of characters, well written YA paranormal romance that really piqued and captivated my interest. What a cliffhanger of an ending, and I am craving the next installment of this amazing read.

The first part of this story felt very Twilight FanFiction and Parody. As the story went on it found its footing and I fell in love!! This story set in the wilderness of Alaska is one that has me wishing I could time travel and get book two! The characters were fabulous and the story was great. It had a few twists and turns and one killer shock at the end that I so didn't see coming. It ripped out my heart and holy crap man did it blow me away!!!! I read this in one day and yup as I said I NEED BOOK TWO!!!!

If you loved Twilight then you are going to fall for this one!


Go Into This One Knowing: Vampires, Dragons, and Werewolves Oh My!!

I didn't enjoy the beginning of this book. It was the kind of premise I would have enjoyed when I was 15 and in high school, not something I would enjoy now.
However, as the story progressed, it got a little better, and I actually felt myself immerse in the story completely a couple of times. It was still quite mainstream, but I enjoyed it.

Crave by Tracy Wolff brings back antsy vampires with a vengeance. I am so here for all of this. We have some new and improved vampires everyone! This book is complete with vampires, werewolves, and dragons. I love all of it. This book was the most entertaining. It brought so much fun to my life. I really needed this book.

We have our main heroine Grace. She just got taken from her life in California and put in the very cold Alaska. I loved that Grace wasn't sitting on the side waiting for a guy to save her. Instead she was taking control of her life. Grace is straight forward. She likes to tell it how it is and not beat around the bush.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a lot of fun to read. I hope you give Crave a chance and like it as well.

Vampire Academy meets Twilight meets Harry Potter? Can we ask for more?
I love all the characters! They're all written so authentically and uniquely from each other that every scene was so engaging.

A warning to all: Mekhi is my boyfriend. I'm working on Tracy signing a petition to make it so, but as a warning: stay back! There are plenty of other hot supernaturals to drool over in this book--have your pick!

And that cliff hanger? TRACY HOW DARE YOU.

From the moment her parent's died, Grace's heart became colder than the frozen tundra she now has to call home. San Diego, California held the warmth of a family and the memories Grace had with her parents. Fairbanks, Alaska may be her new home with her cousin and uncle, but it is just a place to stay until she comes of age. As much as her cousin, Macy, and uncle do their best to make her feel welcome, their love is not enough to reach the void in her heart.


Until she sees the obsidian eyes that reflect the same despair as her own.


Although they are strangers, Jaxon and Grace share a soulful connection based on their own individual past pains. While others have tried to empathize, only Jaxon and Grace know what it is like to loose everything and feel lost in a sea of sorrow. Yet together, they can be each other's harbor.


If only Jaxon will let her.


Grace's light shines like a lighthouse at the edge of the sea. Sadness cloaks her like the night, and she still valiantly holds onto her courage and hope for a new light of day to appear on the horizon.


Jaxon is a shooting star that orbits the earth time and time again without any destination and an emotional detachment to completely submerse himself in the cold gravitation of space. Yet, when Grace shines into his life, Jaxon might find that she will be the one to call him to earth.


Readers should prepare themselves for a tale that will revive a heart that stopped beating, set another aflame, and a narrative that will have you craving for more, page after page.

I really wanted to like this book. I wanted to like it so much that I pushed through and read the entire thing even when I was considering DNF-ing after 200 pages. By the time I finally got to the end, I was rejoicing. I'm sad to say that there's more I disliked about this book than I actually enjoyed.

For starters, this book did not have to be almost 600 pages long. For a book about the main character going to a school filled with vampires & other paranormal creatures, it took forever for her to actually find out that they existed. I'm talking over half the book. Additionally, what's described in the synopsis as the plot didn't start happening until almost halfway in the book either.

So what happened for the first 300 pages? Absolutely-freaking-nothing. There was a lot of pining over the love interest, complaining about the cold of living in Alaska, and the main character acting like an idiot. But in terms of plot? Nothing of value. I was so ready to DNF once I hit 300 pages if nothing had happened and then things finally started to pick up a bit, only for them to drop off for a while before the big climax at the end. In terms of plot, this book had one of the messiest plots I've ever read.

I think one thing that did this book a disservice was the constant marketing of this being the next Twilight. Even if it wasn't specifically over-marketed as that, a lot of blurbs, praises, and early reviews included in emails and informational sheets and whatnot were calling it the "next Twilight" or the "feminist Twilight you always wanted" and it just...wasn't. Maybe I'm biased because I did read Twilight when I was quite young and it's been one of my favorite series ever since, but the only similarity between this and Twilight is that the main character moves to a cold town, meets a possessive vampire love interest, and happens to be clumsy.

As for the two main characters, I feel like our two main characters are what would happen if you took Edward and Bella from Twilight, stripped them of any interesting qualities, and then amped up the possessiveness of Edward and sheer dumbassery/clumsiness of Bella. I swear, I just did not understand these characters. Jaxon (the vampire love interest) was angsty, possessive, and rude yet Grace immediately fell for him. Grace was an idiot, but a likable idiot. I enjoyed Grace but I was so frustrated at her actions most of the book that I wanted to reach into the pages and strangle her. For example, she had this internal gut feeling telling her not to do things and she would be like "oh it's fine I'm going to do it anyway" and then find herself in a bad situation. Like what did you think would happen?

The insta-love in this book was painful to read. I didn't understand the romance at all and the insta-love just made it that much worse. We had a lot of the love interest acting bipolar and suddenly they were in love, but we didn't get to see any actual relationship growth between them. It was 0 to 100 real quick. I didn't connect to the characters which meant I didn't care about the relationship.

Most of the side characters were also pretty one-dimensional. I think the only one that I actually enjoyed was Macy, Grace's cousin. Everyone else with significant page time pretty much drove me insane throughout the book or didn't do anything meaningful to make me care about them.

The writing itself wasn't terrible and it did make the book move rather quickly. However, between the writing and the distinct lack of significant depth in both the characters and plot, I was expecting this to be targeted towards younger teens who just want an enjoyable read. But later in the book, there were some steamy make-out scenes that definitely made me think otherwise. I'm just overall very confused on who this book is supposed to be for, because I don't feel like it was for me.

I think I'm going to end this review here, even though there's more things I could rant on. I'm not saying that this was the most terrible book written. I did enjoy some parts, especially in the back half of the book, but I feel like there was a lot missing from this book to truly make it great and something that I would be excited to read. I'm sure that this book will be loved by some, but I don't think it's a series that I'm going to be continuing.

3.5 stars

I’m 1000% here for anything vampires and couldn’t wait to get to this one. I kept putting it off because I was never quite ready for 592 pages...eventually curiosity won out.

I liked Grace. She’s sassy and (mostly) stands up for herself. She’s got a lot going on in the beginning of this story and she’s handling it a lot better than I would. Her cousin Macy is delightful and I’m hoping we see more from her. Jaxon...well, he’s everything you expect: tall, dark, brooding, and speaks in riddles.

Plot wise, it was definitely intriguing, but took a while to get captivating. There are long passages of inner monologue and room descriptions and there were several phrases that were repetitive which in turn made the scenes feel the same. It took a while for Grace to find out what’s really going on, but the build up after that was what captivated me. Annnnnnd, the ending took it somewhere I wasn’t expecting.

Overall, it was a long longer than felt necessary, but I was invested in the characters and I look forward to the next book in the series.

**Huge thanks to Entangled Teen for providing the arc free of charge**

People keep calling this the next Twilight and ya know, I don’t hate that comparison. Wolff has made it legit, swoon-worthy YA vampire romances are back and she did not disappoint with Crave. This, for me, had more of everything I loved about Twilight. It had a better heroine, better scenes with the main characters together, and just an all around good plot.

There was a little bit of mysterious thrown into this story and I was all here for it. We follow Grace to a remote boarding school in Alaska after she has suffered some pretty tragic things. Immediately upon arrival she isn’t wanted and it’s obvious. Throughout this first book we see her try and make a new life for herself while she’s still grieving her old one. I enjoyed her character. She’s headstrong but still shows fear and confusion with everything going around. Wolff made her real and relatable.

“There’s not much to be afraid of when you’ve already lost everything that matters.”

Jaxon was your typical bad boy, mysterious vampire, but ya know what…I loved him so hard anyway. I was intrigued by his background, his age, and how he got to where he is now. I really wished Wolff had ventured into the vampire politics in this world. I wanted more so bad. I really enjoyed his moments with Grace and once this started really moving in the book, his character completing changed but still had that “I’m a badass and I know it” vibe.

“…I don’t know, but I’m not taking any chances…You have a bad habit of disappearing when things get…’interesting.'”
He grins. “That’s because I’m usually afraid if I stay any longer, I’ll bite you. Now that I know you don’t mind, I won’t have to run quite so fast.”

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I can’t wait for the next installment. Yes, it can be compared to Stephanie Meyer, but don’t get it wrong…Tracy Wolff has created a whole new world, filled with adventure, fantasy, and loads of sexual tension. She’s amazing in her own right.

I wanted to love this book. When I first started reading CRAVE it brought back all those nostalgic memories from my early 20's with the guilty pleasure YA paranormal fantasy books I binged. I sadly couldn't get into the book. By 100 pages I decided to set the book aside for the time being. Maybe it's my mood or maybe it's the book itself (or the state of the Nation....), I don't know. I'm having enough trouble finding time to focus on reading with the stress of the Coronavirus.

BOOK REPORT for Crave (Crave #1) by Tracy Wolff

Cover Story: It's Not a Twilight Saga Book
BFF Charm: Yay
Swoonworthy Scale: 7
Talky Talk: Paranormal AF
Bonus Factor: Paranormal Creatures, Mysterious Loner Dude
Factor: Series Starter
Relationship Status: Imprinted

Cover Story: It's Not a Twilight Saga Book

I bet you're surprised, aren't you.

The Deal:

After the death of her parents in a car accident, Grace is forced to move in with her uncle and cousin who live at an elite boarding school in a remote part of Alaska. On her first day in her new life, she's accosted by the super intense—and super hot, obvs—Jaxon Vega, the most popular guy in school. Jaxon basically tells her to turn around and head back to San Diego, but not only does Grace have nothing to go back to, but also she's not the kind of girl who listens to entitled a-holes, even if their mere proximity makes her weak in the knees.

But then Grace is threatened by two fellow students, she falls out of a tree, and Jaxon, well—Jaxon just keeps showing up, even though he told Grace that she should stay far, far away from him.

BFF Charm: Yay



Grace is a strong, self-possessed, roll with the punches kind of girl—either that or she's in shock for the entirety of the novel. (Maybe a mix of both?) Even when faced with the truth of the situation at Katmere Academy, Grace realizes that there are bigger fish to fry and sets out to learn more about her peers rather than running away from her reality. The Ravenclaw in me really appreciates her pragmatic way of thinking.

Swoonworthy Scale: 7

There's a lot of "will they, won't they" between Grace and Jaxon, but it was obvious to see where it was going, and some of their moments were fraught with swoon. But I'm always going to knock the swoon down a peg or two when the dude is possessive. I get that it's a vampiric trait, but it's not hot, y'all.

Talky Talk: Paranormal AF

The first line of Crave reads, "I stand at the outer tarmac door staring at the plane I am about to get on and try my hardest not to freak the f out." That says a lot about the book as a whole; it's unapologetically teen. On the one hand, this might make it easier for actual teens to connect with, but on the other … *cue "how do you do, fellow kids" GIF.* I applaud Wolff for speaking to her actual intended audience, but I do fear that because of these sorts of references, the book is already dated.

That said, this use of "teen speak" did little to diminish my enjoyment of this book. Wolff has created an updated version of the plot Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga made popular 15 years ago, and as someone who unabashedly loves those books, I was all for the over the top paranormal aspects; the really, really, ridiculously good looking characters; the heated looks shared and the literal swoons depicted; and the somewhat hapless main character—who, thankfully, is also an updated Bella Swan.

Crave isn't a rewrite of Twilight, nor is it a farce, but Wolff obviously knew what she was doing when she wrote this book, and she doesn't shy away from leaning into what she knows some readers (like myself) are thinking. At one point, Jaxon sends Grace a copy of Twilight, before she knows he's a vampire:

"Macy gasps as she stares from the book to me. And then she starts to laugh. And laugh. And laugh."

"And I guess it's kind of funny … the idea that a guy like Jaxon would send a girl a paranormal romance, but I don't think it's nearly as amusing as Macy is making it out to be. Plus, I've always kind of wanted to read it, to see what the fuss was about all those years ago."

Reader, I cringed a little at that last dig, but found myself laughing much like Macy at Jaxon's joke. And the fact that it went completely over Grace's head is such a Bella Swan move.

Bonus Factor: Paranormal Creatures



Vampires aren't the only paranormal creatures who roam the halls of Katmere Academy, but I won't ruin the surprise for you. Let's just say that Wolff took things up a notch or two.

Bonus Factor: Mysterious Loner Dude



Jaxon Vega belongs in the MLD Hall of Fame. Case in point:

"Instead, I jump up, plopping the chess piece down with a clatter, then whirl around—heart pounding—only to find myself face-to-face with the most intimidating guy I've ever seen. And not just because he's hot … although he's definitely that.

"Still, there's something more to him, something different and powerful and overwhelming, though I don't have a clue what it is. I mean, sure. He hs the kind of face nineteenth-century poets loved to write about—too intense to be beautiful and too striking to be anything else."

He also has a crooked smile, natch.

Bonus Factor: Twist Ending



I fully admit to not being the most observant person in the world, but I absolutely didn't see the ending of Crave coming. Major pants to Wolff for taking the book in such a surprising direction.

Factor: Series Starter



At one point I thought this was a standalone. Silly me! (I'm honestly glad it's not.)

Relationship Status: Imprinted

I don't care that I'm mixing my Twilight paranormal-type references here, Book—this explains how I feel. I had high hopes that you'd be a lot of fun to hang around with, and I wasn't wrong. You're exactly the kind of escape I need right now, and I can't wait to see where we go from here.

Literary Matchmaking:



● If you haven't read Twilight, I don't know that I'd recommend it … but I'm not not recommending it.

● For a vampire novel that shook up the saturated genre, check out Holly Black's The Coldest Girl in Coldtown.

● And I'm not going to say exactly why Genevieve Cogman's Invisible Library series is a similar title, but both series treat paranormal creatures in unique and interesting ways.



FTC Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Entangled Teen, but got neither a private dance party with Tom Hiddleston nor money in exchange for this review. Crave is available now.

Vampires are back and they are even more sexy and angsty than ever!
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After Grace loses both her parents in a car accident she must move to Alaska to live with her Uncle and cousin, who are like strangers to her, while attending her Uncle’s boarding school
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🩸”This is going to be a lot of things Grace. Easy isn’t one of them.”🩸
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Wolff has taken vampires into 2020 with a sophisticated cast of characters and a heroine that is smart, sassy and full of strength. Grace definitely isn’t sitting back reading Twilight while waiting for her true love, Jaxson, the dangerously enigmatic boy everyone is telling her to stay away from. .
This book gave me all the feels: paranormal enemies to lovers, sexual tension, plot twists, a fantasy academy setting and the best cliffhanger ending of the year!
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If your a fan of Legacies, and Vampire Diaries you will adore and devour this new YA vampire academy series!