Based on the cover and description, I was hoping for an empowering plus size vampire romance. Unfortunately, this book is far from empowering and I didn't find it that romantic. The writing wasn't great and the main character goes on about diets and not liking her body nonstop. I just couldn't get into it.

This book was so much fun! I absolutely devoured it. The vampire theme made for a fun seasonal book with some RomCom vibes. I loved Lily and how she grew to love herself and become more body positive.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

FINALLY! A fat girl on the cover of a romance novel with VAMPIRES. Honestly, what more could you freaking want? A lovely read and a refreshing take on lovey dovey vamp novels. A must read this November!

Lily has always resigned herself to being a side character in her thinner, prettier friend’s lives. She’s use to seeing the disappointed looks in men’s eyes when they realize they’re stuck with her at the bar while their buddy gets the more desirable girl. She’s always aware of the looks she gets, the pity, the disdain. She’s always on a diet. She’s never enough. Until one day when she finds herself being hit on by the hottest guy in the bar. And as their night steams up, her inner dialogue gets in the way- her doubt kicks in. But this time, something different happens. She isn’t rejected- she’s bitten! Oh hell no! She’s not about to be attacked! And so- she bites back……
so imagine her shock when she wakes up with an awful hangover and realizes she’s a vampire now. Well, crap.
Lily has to learn how to deal with her new life, while also finally dealing with her old baggage of body image and self loathing. And just maybe when she learns to love herself, she will realize she’s loved by many others too.
I really loved this book. I sympathized with Lily and felt her frustration, but tbh at times I wanted her to get over herself and let love in. The romance was clunky and secondary to Lily’s self journey at times. Especially at the end. I loved the story, but I wish we had a little more Tristan background and emotion. 4 ⭐️
The audio narration is awesome- I was cracking up. There’s a lot of quick witted comments and snark that can often get lost with a bad audiobook narration, but this was so spot on! Loved it! 4 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this audiobook arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

The plot and storyline here was a lot of fun; however, I didn’t love all of the execution here. The main character was hard to root for throughout most of the book. I also didn’t fully feel the chemistry between the main character and the love interest. It was very insta-love without a lot of connection to support it.

I did really enjoy the world building and the non romance related plot! Also, I thought the narrator did a great job.

I would recommend this book to people who enjoy vampire stories or who are looking for a more fun than scary book for spooky season!

This book is a great combination of paranormal and rom-com. There are so many vampire puns that keep you chuckling throughout. A major theme throughout the book is acceptance and self-image. The plus-sized main character has to learn to love her body. I enjoyed the journey but didn't like the main character and the way she treated others. This was a great spooky season read!
I listened to this book as an audiobook and thought Meg Sylvan did a great job with the different voices and the punny humor.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen and review!

I thought this book was super cute and a perfect fall vampire romance!

We meet Lily one morning - she's hungover (which is normal) and she has fangs and appearas to be a vampire (that's NOT normal). She has fangs and when she tries looking in the mirror, she can't see herself. And she has a strange craving this morning She ends up heading over to see her bestie to try to piece together the night before. She figures out she met and left with a handsome stranger.

Then we meet Tristen, a handsome vampire who writes bodice ripper books under and assumed name (LOVED that!). He didn't mean to turn Lily into a vampire. And there's the little issue of it being against vampire law to turn someone without permission. So now Lily and Tristen are in danger. As Lily comes to terms with being a vampire, she and Tristen try to survive the wrath of the lead vampire as he wants them to pay for Tristen's error.

I loved Lily! She is overweight, doesn't love her job, and really doesn't love herself. Her journey for self love was one of my favorite parts of the book. The banter between her and Tristen was fabulous, especially because he used some old school language and her reactions were great. Their relationship was fun. The love and loyalty between Lily and her bestie was amazing to see. And I enjoyed seeing Lily grow to love herself, and open herself up to love from others.

This book didn't try to be anything it wasn't. It was a vampire rom com and it played up that fact.
I thoroughly enjoyed it! I listened to it on audio, which I think made it even more fun!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my advance audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I was provided an audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own. I do think the narrator did a great job with the book, she was able to give a distinct voice to all of the characters and bring life into all of the dialogue.

Parts of this were really cute and cozy, while parts of it felt a bit over the top. Lily was a bit too immature for my taste. The overuse of "Obvi" in this book grated on my nerves after a while. She also drops alot of F-bombs. Perhaps a younger reader wouldn't mind those types of expressions. I think it was an attempt to keep things light and comical and connect with a millennial audience. Lily's inability to communicate with everyone in her life is also a turnoff for me. I'm not a fan of the miscommunication trope in general, which is a big part of the book when she's dealing with Tristan. With both of them being writers, they are terrible communicators.

This follows 25 year old journalist Lily the night after she has been accidentally turned into a vampire. She doesn't remember what happened only that she has a thirst for something a bit different than her usual cravings. Fast-forward to Lily finding her maker Tristan and getting pulled into all sorts of vampire drama. Despite the fact that Lily is a modern millennial and Tristan is kind of old fashioned, they have an instant connection. Tristan is always trying to protect Lily, so in turn she is always angry at him for treating her like a damsel in distress. When they aren't fighting they are making moon eyes at each other.

I was really excited to read this as it sounded like a great body positive paranormal romance, however almost every chapter we are hit over the head with Lily's negative body image, negative self-talk, jealousy of people around her, and inability to accept that people actually accept and like her. She is constantly reminding us that she is damaged goods in some way. Every time you think she's made a step forward in her self acceptance journey, she takes several large steps back into the negative self talk. I'm glad that Lily's best friend finally called her out on, and again she is called out by Evan the Vampire Hunter later. That being said, she does eventually come around and find self acceptance of not only her situation of being a vampire but also being worthy and loving the body she has. I wish that revelation ha occurred much earlier in the book not in the final chapters. I wanted more of the book to be about her loving herself and being smart and sexy and powerful for eternity.

Overall, this book was fun. It was a quick and easy listen. It cozy if you are looking for something to read going into spooky season that isn't scary. While I wanted something a bit different from this book, I think there is an audience out there that will love it.

4.5
I picked up this audio book from NetGalley and I am so happy that I did. It was an amazing read and I truly loved this book. Lily and Tristan are well developed amazing characters. Lily is a curvy heroine who is dealing with body image and Duke does a really good job with how this is dealt with in the story. Tristan is my new book boyfriend – I just love him and wanted more of him.

I found this story a surprising gem. I picked it up because the blurb and title captured my interest and I was not disappointed. I found the story captivating and intriguing and listened to it in one sitting. I laughed, cheered and pulled for these characters to find their HEA. I found the story both powerful with its message, but also a lite pallet cleanser. It’s that book to read on a Saturday afternoon when you’re curled up on your favourite chair or sofa.

I would have liked for the epilogue to have been further in the future then we got - to see where the characters ended up in their HEA. But overall I really enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it.

This is not the usual type of book that I go for – fantasy-ish. But I truly, truly enjoyed reading this book and am hoping for more stories in this world, as I want more of these characters.

I enjoyed the narrator and found her easy to listen to and understand.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The following review will be posted on my blog on Tuesday, October 4th, the day of publication. It will be shared on Twitter and Instagram between today and the day of publication, as well, but it has already been posted on Goodreads. The blog post includes links to order the books and to its Goodreads page, so readers can add it to their to-be-read books.





Author: Gloria Duke
Narrated By: Meg Sylvan

Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 3 stars
Narration: 5 mikes
Content Warnings: Discusses fatphobia, crash dieting, infertility, and kidnapping. Describes fires, death, drinking blood, and hate crimes. Includes some sexual content.

“When Life Gives You Vampires” follows Lily Baines, a 25-year-old New Yorker that was turned into a vampire by a virtual stranger against her (and his) will. Lily meets Tristan at a bar and they hit it off pretty quick, but Tristan did not mean to turn her—that’s actually against all vampire laws. That’s why, now, they’re being threatened and hunted down by, lets say, the president of vampires. How will they fight this double death that is knocking on their door? This and more is what this amazing story has to offer.

This book is fun and funny. It’s about vampires without being pretentious—it might even be a bit satirical when it comes to our young generation’s perception of vampires. I loved how they broke the fourth wall here and there. I did not want this book to end, it was the light-hearted, suspenseful read I needed.

Also, I had never heard a book narrated by Meg Sylvan, but I can honestly say I will be following her work from now on. Her voice really kept me engaged, which is actually a really big feat when it comes to me—my mind is all over the place when I’m listening to audiobooks, yet Meg’s narration really caught my attention.

Don’t expect this book to be life-changing, because it isn’t, but it does touch on important topics like loving yourself, body positivity, and trusting family and friends. It also has quite a cute love story, with all its ups and downs.

I would highly recommend this read and this audiobook if you’re looking for a light-hearted but short and captivating read. With its strangers-to-lovers trope, it’s quite unique, I can’t think of any book to compare it to—but definitely grab this book if you like books with plus-sized main characters and if you won’t be offended by a joke or two about vampires.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

ARC provided by NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, and published by Sourcebooks, in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: October 4, 2022

Thank you Net Galley for the audiobook, but sadly this one wasn’t for me. I love the premise and was really interested to see where the book went but I could not get over the relentless fat/diet/shame culture of it all. This woman can shop at vintage used clothing shops and Victoria Secret and we are supposed to believe she’s a large person? Her “fatness” was her only personality. I thought I could stick it through to the actual romance of the story but I just couldn’t take it any more. I DNF’d it at 45%.

When Life Gives You Vampires
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook and Audiobook
Date Published: 10/4/22
Author: Gloria Duke
Publisher: Sourcebook Casablanca and Dreamscape Media
Narrator: Meg Sylvan
GR: 3.25

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, Sourcebook Casablanca and Dreamscape Media and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Twenty-five year old Lily Baines is used to waking up hungover, overweight, and underemployed. Waking up with fangs? Not so much. Tristan hadn't meant to turn Lily—it's against vampire law—but now that she's here, they need to team up to save their hides. They strike a truce, fending off other vampires, Lily's work-rival-turned-slayer, and her mother's tone-deaf romance and fitness advice—all while Lily faces down her insecurities about the fact that she lives in a diet-obsessed world with a body that will never age, never die, and never change. Can she learn to love the (plus size) woman she'll be forever more?

My Thoughts: I am not sure why the low GR rating as I thought this was a wonderful book. I did both the ebook and audio and it was fantastic. The narrator really did the voices amazingly and brought flare to the characters, immersing you into the moment. Part fantasy, part romance, and full vampire, just in time for Halloween! The book is reflective of body positivity and the struggles a person can have when their self worth is measured in appearance. I think Duke does a good job bringing positivity to body size and delivers an important message, it is important to not only stand in your truth but love yourself, no matter your size. Duke also brings the humor, there were times that I laughed out loud. Now I understand this book would not be for everyone but I loved it. The characters were developed well with depth, witty banter, mad chemistry, and creatively built throughout the story. Lilly is a fantastic heroine with sarcasm and kindness. While our hero, Tristin, is the perfect handsome and hot hero. The author’s writing style is complex, funny, connective, and kept me engaged throughout the story. I really hope this turns into a series as I would love to see the romance bloom between Evan and Kat. I highly recommend preordering the audiobook on this one!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Gloria Duke for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC audiobook for When Life Gives You Vampires coming out October 4, 2022. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Lily Baines is a normal 25 year old girl who is used to waking up hungover, overweight, and underemployed. But she’s not used to waking up with fangs. She wonders who turned her into a vampire.

Tristan hadn't meant to turn Lily into a vampire. It’s against their vampire laws. Now they have to work together to fend off other vamps. Lily’s work rival is now a slayer as well. Lily struggles with her insecurities now that she’s in a body that will never age, die or lose weight. Meanwhile she’s falling for her beautiful sire. Can Lily learn to look past her insecurities and love herself as the way she is now? Or will she be forever stuck in place?

I’m not sure if it was the narrator or the story. I wasn’t a big fan of the narrator’s way of telling the story. Sometimes her tone seemed off with the words. That may just be the impression I got. If her tone went with the story, then Lily seemed to be rude to most of the people around her like Tristan and her friend Kat. She seemed disrespectful to her mother and there wasn’t much evidence why. There wasn’t a lot of their relationship shown besides at the end.

Lily’s character seemed a little immature for a 25 year old. I don’t know if that was her lack of experience or something else. She just came off as cynical and not really willing to change. I get that she was upset about being a vampire and I don’t agree with Tristan turning her without her knowing, but sometimes she complained and acted like a teenager. I thought she would have more of a change.

It seemed like the story was making fun of other vampire stories like Twilight and Buffy, while at the same time, taking plot points from those stories. I love those stories a lot more.

I really like Tristan’s name, but his character wasn’t great in my opinion. I’m not sure what his motive was behind turning a girl he just met into a vampire. It didn’t seem like they had a huge amount of chemistry at first. I don’t really understand how he accidentally turned her. It kind of bugged me he kept saying I’m protecting you. There were times I really liked his character, but it wasn’t enough.

Lily and Tristan just seemed a little toxic to each other and things moved a little too fast. This book honestly wasn’t for me. I read a lot of vampire stories, so I’m a little particular about the ones I like. I’m sure others will enjoy it.

Well, this was disappointing.

Lily wakes up without remembering her previous night, and she's used to that, what she's not used to is this craving for blood, those fangs and not having a reflection no more. Wondering what could have happened, she runs to her best friend's and they figure out together that she became a vampire. But that's only the beginnings of her problems. Between an ancient vampire with a vendetta, a vampire slayer and a super attractive master, she doesn't know where to start…

This was hard to read, but not in a good way. I almost did not finish. The main character was simply insufferable. I just got annoyed with her so often. I could not stand how she saw other people and herself. The romance was barely credible to me, I rolled my eyes many times and just was not in on it. But also, the whole vampire plot was so boring and annoying. It's like the mc had never heard anything about vampires ever and I did not find it credible at all. I did not like the MC, I did not like the Love Interest. I was bored and annoyed. The MC is so fatphobic towards herself and others and it was maddening. And the way she saw thin people was also so stupid and her best friend eventually did call her out on it but it was a long time coming. Basically, I did not enjoy this, I was annoyed or bored through most of it, sorry.

I listened to the audiobook of When Life Gives You Vampires by Gloria Duke. The book tells the story of a woman who gets turned into a vampire by a guy she meets at a bar one night and the craziness that ensues aftrer that.

I liked the story good enough and the narration was great, but parts of the writing made me cringe. I couldn’t handle the all the “obvi”s. Maybe I am just a little too old for it. But other than that, I enjoyed the book. I especially liked the best friend character Cat and the vampire slayer Evan!

Overall, I would say it was okay and you should give it a read if it is available and you want a light fun vampire romance.

Generally I’m a standalone book kinda gal but I have never hoped for a book to be a series more than I did after reading this novel. From the main character to the baddies ever character comes alive (err well you know what I mean) on the page.

I listened to the audiobook version (as well as the ebook) and the narrator did an amazing job with all the voices. If I did have one note, there was a lot of “he said” “she said” which in the paper version isn’t a big deal. It did take a little away in the audiobook version. Not enough that this isn’t a 5 star (more if I could) book though.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable paranormal romcom! The characters are easy to identify with. The curvy FMC struggles with learning to love herself and her body that will forever be as it is.. I highly recommend this romantic but dangerous journey into the world of vampires.

This was such a fun, campy read. I knew going into this book that it would be lighthearted fun. What would you do if you woke up a vampire like Lily did? Tristan accidentally turned Lily and tries to protect her at all turns. Tristan really had to convince Lily to give him a chance. I’m hoping there will be another book as I still have questions.

Okay, I don't know what it is about plus-size heroines that makes me devour the books they are in. Maybe it's a little bit too relatable to my own situation?? Anyways, requested this book because of the spooky vibes it gave me, and who doesn't love that during the fall? What can I say, it was a cute listen! Not sure if I would pay for my own copy, but cute enough!

If you're looking for a book with fat representation where the FMC learns to love her body, read this. It's a short and sweet Romcom with fat representation and vampires.