Note: This review includes some spoilers for setting and for the broad tone of the outcome, but I’ve tried to avoid describing plot details.

I hadn’t heard of Caylan MacRae before the cover to Cutting your Teeth caught my eye on NetGalley. The underlying premise is relatively straightforward — sexy Irish vampire meets sexy Latino boy-on-the-run and has to turn him to save him from dying — though there’s plenty more interesting plot to flesh that out, with secrets and plot twists aplenty.

The characters all feel very cute and it’s always good to see some bisexual MC rep and a queernorm reality. I wasn’t quite sure where to place the book as it isn’t quite YA, but it’s definitely targetted at a young-ish audience — apparently I had missed the creation of the concept of “New Adult”, which makes sense; it’s a really good fit in that age bracket, but that in no way detracted from me enjoying it, as a cis gay dude in my 40s.

There were a couple of aspects that felt familiar — including a character who definitely seemed very close to one of Anne Rice’s — but every time I thought a cliché had been introduced MacRea played with the trope enough to make it feel fresh enough to hold my interest. The only part of the storytelling that didn't quite work for me was what felt like a sudden infodump about two-thirds of the way through; it was a lot of information all at once and came across to me as being pretty sudden. (And I'm not sure how realistic a Catholic crime syndicate in Belfast might have been in the first few decades of the 20th century, to be honest.)

That said, I was surprised how satisfying I found the dénouement and I really enjoyed that MacRea gave us an expanded sort-of-epilogue with a HFN and some hints of future shenanigans; I will certainly be picking up the sequel once it arrives.

Content notes: abusive relationship, body horror, torture, murder, mention of people trafficking.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cutting Your Teeth is the kind of book that makes me remember how irritated I am by the vagueness of star-ratings. I’m rounding this up to a 3, because a 2 simply feels too low, but whilst there are plenty of titles I’ve rated 3-stars that I would still recommend in certain situations, I unfortunately don’t think Cutting Your Teeth is amongst them.

Cutting Your Teeth started strong for me. I like MacRae’s fresh twists on the vampire genre: there were some simple, yet entertaining and believable worldbuilding elements, such as the vampire support group, and I felt like the vampires themselves felt a bit more believable than those I’ve come across in similar media, simply for the breadth of responses to their new way of life (or undeath)- rather than all being “old souls,” or modernising without a problem, they responded diversely. On the other hand, a few magical elements- such as supernatural bonds- were intriguing, but not used in a particularly interesting way, and felt more like a cheatcode to speedrun relationship development- but I'll get to that. I did also appreciate that the cast was fairly diverse- vampires can sometimes look a bit homogenous. Another element I really liked was the casualness of the queer representation- no coming out or health class exposition here.

Unfortunately, I found it really difficult to get invested in these characters. I love found family stories, and romances that grow from that dynamic even more so, and especially romances that evolve from a transactional relationship into one of genuine affection. On paper, I should have been head over heels for Ezra, Killian, and Marigold, but I simply wasn’t convinced by their relationships. There was some cognitive dissonance with Ezra’s apparent lone wolf attitude and (reasonable) trust issues and his immediate absorption into this trio: the insta-love wasn’t relegated just to the romance, although I would say that Marigold and Ezra’s bonding moments actually made their relationship feel more meaningful to me than that between Ezra and Killian.

Some of the themes also felt a bit heavy-handed: certain parallels between the main trio felt a little bit inorganic and I think similar ideas could have been explored without making their commonalities quite so overt. The result was that they blended together a little bit for me.

The prose in Cutting Your Teeth was serviceable. Some occasional awkward turns of phrase and overwrought similes, but I often find issues with action scenes in self-published debuts, and MacRae’s flowed well and were easy to follow. I think MacRae’s writing was at its strongest when Cutting Your Teeth leaned into its horror elements: Ezra’s initial transformation sticks in my head as one of the strongest moments of the book. For a book marketed as horror, I wanted more eerie scenes like that one, but the novel felt more action-oriented as it drew on, which made it feel less like horror to me- in a way that reminds me how giving a player in a horror game a weapon makes them braver, and act like they’re playing an FPS game instead. The fast-pace made this a quick and compelling read… To begin with.

Sadly, as Cutting Your Teeth dragged on, I think some of its strengths also worked to its detriment. With so much constantly happening, and in such a short timespace, there was little time spent with the characters and I found myself unable to care. Ezra and Killian’s voices were a little bit similar, and everyone felt a bit vague and depthless- a lot of focus on tragic backstories, which I honestly adore, but less thought put into what these characters are like in a normal conversation, what their hobbies are: what they’re actually *like*. More than once, I confused Ezra’s ex and his sister, because they were only ever described in generic positive terms, and used as a plot device to pressure him into making his next move. And though many were intriguing, there were also a huge number of side characters in this fairly short novel, none of whom I really felt invested in. I hadn’t grown attached to anyone at all by the time the denouement kicked in, and I found myself more invested in reaching the end of the book than unravelling the mystery and determining the fates of the characters. This is a shame, because there were some twists and turns that I’m sure would have entertained me if I had felt at all attached, but as it was, I kept glazing over. The resolution fell flat- I just didn’t feel like these characters knew each other well enough to have earned an ending of that tone.

Overall, Cutting Your Teeth was a bit of a letdown for me, but not a dealbreaker- I would absolutely be interested in MacRae’s future work based on the strengths I mentioned… But I probably wouldn’t read a sequel, which was heavily teased at the end of this narrative. I wholeheartedly expect this series to improve as it goes on, but I’m just not willing to stick it out based on the overall malaise I’m left with after feeling the first novel.

I really enjoyed the characters in this story and seeing how despite their flaws and mess ups, how much they care about one another shines through! Things were just right in terms of how supernatural the story was in my opinion and I’m interested to see what this author will release in the future!

This should have been tailor made for me but it was just...boring and mostly bad. The characters fell flat and if I had to read the word "boyo" one more time I was gonna lose it.

"My name is Ezra Santos and I died last week."

What a delightful book that was!
It was so simple yet so full of (after)life. Ezra's story grabs you since the page one, starting with action scenes and ending in emotional cluster. "Cutting Your Teeth" has the atmosphere and characters, both that makes you easily fall in love with them. The story reminds me of old(ish) time writing, and that's the biggest advantage of it.

If you're looking for gay vampires with a twist, family secrets, amazing dynamics or just a book that will kidnap you easily into its fantasy world, I would definitely consider giving it a chance. I, for once, had so much fun I find that criminally offensive.

I saw this book randomly when looking at the horror section of NetGalley. From the blurb this sounded right up my street and I was very excited to get into it.

I enjoyed the character banter and the found family aspect of this book.

It's clear this book has been well thought out and planned but I found that there was a lot of information that was included that didn't really go anywhere. It may be that these threads have been left untied for sequels (and I could see there being some really cool stories coming from them) but in the context of this story it felt a little like info dumping. Yes it made the character have full backstories and well rounded but it opened up a lot of avenues that were left unexplored and it felt kind of jarring to me.

I felt like the pacing was slightly off too. It went from very slow and steady to fast paced in the blink of an eye and I felt a major plot point just came out of almost no where with very little build up to try and take this from a character driven story to having a clear plot.

There were also a couple issues I had with the vampires themselves. I really disliked that they called the people they fed from "donors". I feel like that implies some consent which is not really the case.

4/5 Stars!

Cutting Your Teeth was gripping right from the beginning. We follow Ezra, a man running from his past and right into whatever gets his blood pumping just long enough to feel alive. When he happens upon Killian, a smart-mouthed fighter with more than a little bloodlust and a surprisingly soft heart, his already topsy-turvy lifestyle gets thrown into even more chaos.

Listen. Listen. Listen. We know I'm ridiculous for the found family trope. I love it so much it hurts, and this book totally hits on those feels in the best way. The romance was lovely and angsty and hot in turn and I definitely loved that, but the genuine connections between the characters really made this story for me. I've been dying for an urban paranormal story that didn't immediately rely on smut or overused tropes (not that those are bad things in themselves). This was the perfect scratch to that itch.

Killian and Ezra were beautiful and so sad in parts, I think that the foundation for them is still just being laid out and I really would love to read more about them and this universe. There is a lot more going on than meets the eye here and I'd love to delve even further into Killian, Marigold, and Ezra's backgrounds. Which, YAY, because this is the first of a series! If the other books hit these marks just as well I'll be in line for them asap.

*My thanks to Netgalley and the author for gifting me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

DNF 30%
I think the beginning set up should have been longer, all the relationships felt very rushed and underdeveloped. I really don’t understand how killian got so attached to ezra or how any of their relationship worked
.
The pacing felt very off, and often threw me out of the story and couldnt hold my attention

As much as I enjoyed the characters and their relationships the plot felt underdeveloped and for me was really underwhelming.

Ezra has fled from his family, and is getting ready to run again when he is murdered. Killian, a vampire that has taken a shine to Ezra, turns him and they slowly become friends as their feeling fester beneath the surface.
Eventually Ezra is found out by his family and they have to go rescue him and his sister.

The relationships and character dynamics were there, and who am I kidding ‘gay vampires’ totally caught my attention. But the pacing of the plot was off, the balance between action and no action went up and down and I wasn’t hooked the way I had expected to be.

3.5 stars. The main characters were fairly well-developed, and the side characters so-so. Some of the descriptions hit me right in the gut, constantly surprising me with how well-written they were. The plot also wasn't entirely predictable, which was nice. On the flip side, there were typing errors, and some stuff could be hard to follow due to lack of explanation, such as time and scene jumps. I think the author was trying to show, not tell, but it ended up being sort of jarring. I was also confused about Killian's personal obsession with Ezra right from the get-go. On top of that, the ending was immensely confusing with so many storylines happening by at once, and the characters seemed not to know what story they were following, either. Overall I enjoyed the read!

You're perfect. You're beautiful. You look like Linda Evangelista. You're a model.

I loved every second of this. Vampires will always be my weakness, and if you make them gay then I'm already like 60% sold on your book right away. This being a debut novel is wild because it's so tightly put together, the story is weaved fantastically, and the characters are all fully realized. It's certainly one of the best debuts I've read in a long, long time.

It does have some strong All for the Game vibes, which I love, though at times it felt like the vibes were so strong that it bordered on adapted fan fiction. That isn't a bad thing, but the connection there is strong and I did feel it.

I love Ezra. He's bad ass and can take care of himself, and the romance is very well done. Killian is amazing, and I need more Irish vampires in my life. The fight scenes are impeccably written as well, which is good given the subject of the book and all.

I'm so happy this is the beginning of a series and I can't wait to see where it goes.

Read it.

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

I just wanna say straight away that if you’re a fan of All For the Game, you might wanna give this one a go. Completely different plots but kinda similar vibes.

This one wasn’t really for me, unfortunately. I don’t think it’s necessarily bad, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. A bit too dry and gritty for my tastes.

I did really love the found family aspect, though. I always enjoy a good found family and that was largely what kept me reading.

The conclusion was definitely interesting and this was overall a very easy read, but I don’t think I’ll be continuing the series.

This book made me fall in love from the very beginning. I devoured it, and now I’m sad there’s no more. The plot was original and the characters perfectly flawed. Plus who doesn’t love queer vampires and heartbreaking secrets. Ezras doubt in himself is refreshing and relatable and the love for his dog piper makes you love him even more

I was just so completely enthralled by this story. It had some flaws, mainly in some areas in regards to pacing such as everything being revealed at once going directly into the final "battle". I also felt like Franca got off way too easy for the terrible things she did to very important people in Ezra's life. This didn't detract from my enjoyment as a whole though. For me, the characters and their bonds to one another really shined. There was a good balance of romance and platonic relationships and I think the overall themes were done very well.
This isn't going to be for everyone, but the people it's for are going to LOVE it.

Thank you NetGally and Caylan MacRae for this ARC in exchange for my review!

I had a lot of fun reading this novel. Despite being in a reading rut this novel allowed me to dive in quickly. I enjoyed getting to know Ezra and Killian and their budding romance. As well as Marigold, who often seemed to be the voice of reason.

This novel is perfect for young adults. Although it's tagged as Horror it definitely reads as a paranormal fantasy to me.

Cutting your Teeth is action-packed, with a little bit of romance, found family, and vampirism!

Ezra is an easy character to root for. You want to see him thrive and be happy. Despite his upbringing, he still manages to find people who grew up in similar situations. This found family troupe is a good way to make you fall in love with each character and understand why they might have found each other in the first place.

I can't wait to find out what happens next.

I read this book in one sitting, and absolutely couldn’t put it down if I wanted to. Queer vampire romance + thriller? A++
I don’t think I could’ve asked for more interesting twists & turns and characters that absolutely rope you in.
I would be so lucky to see this book come to life on screen, but I was also lucky for the scenes that played out in my head the entire time.
I’m excited to see how this series unfurls!

Unfortunately not for me. I think I would enjoy it much more if I were about 10 years younger. It was decent, but ultimately fell flat. It was so fast and there was so much happening the characters didn't have time to develop and in the end I didn't found the romance and the found family very believable.
I won't join the chorus of people comparing it to other books because it is obvious. Instead, I want to mention something I really liked- family relationships. The interactions between siblings were great, and for me the strongest part of the book. I enjoyed the second half much better because of it :)

Thanks Netgalley and Catalan MacRae for this eARC, these opinions are my own. This book has a bit of everything for men! Romance, paranormal, found family, that’s thrilling and will keep you reading! The characters were well written and extremely likable!

Characters who were easy to like, a plot that nicely balanced the chill with the action-packed, a bit of romance, a bit of found family, and vampirism that was sexy without being too glamorous!

Ezra was a character who’d had a really rough life. It pushed him into bad situations, hardened his outer shell so that he pushed people away, made him think he wasn’t worth caring about. But he was actually very easy to feel for and root for. Killian was arguably the more flawed one, he did or was going to do some pretty messed up things. But he too was affected by his life, and made some bad decisions because of it, and he’s been a vampire for a while, and I was ultimately feeling and rooting for him too. Marigold was the voice of reason within the trio (sort of), and though she’s also been through difficulties, she was still full of pep and also easy to like. And all three were always rushing into danger, but for good reason, and they always had each others’ backs.

The romance was sweet and ever-so-slightly angsty. I could feel a chemistry between them, the pull they had to each other, and that combined with the sweetness and the way they tried to be there for each other made it believable. No sex, but some sexy biting, which is arguably the better thing ;-)

Toward the end, there’s very much a found family feel that I’m sure will be even stronger in the next book.

This wasn’t a super glamorous portrayal of vampires. The vampirism itself wasn’t particularly gritty, but it could take an emotional toll, the hunger could be a struggle, and the characters didn’t live lavish, elegant lives. Our main characters seemed to be covered in dirt and blood more often than not.

The story sort of alternated between quiet and introspective to bloody and action-packed, but in a way that kept either mood from being too much. I enjoyed the slower moments of Ezra learning about and coming to terms with his newfound vampirism, Killian realizing his mistakes, and both of them trying to figure out their feelings for each other. I also enjoyed the twists and the fights and the chases.

Overall, I liked these characters and this story, and I’m looking forward to more.

This was alright! I liked the bonds between the characters and I understand the comparisons to both All For The Game and the Green Creek series. There’s lots of friendship and trust and also both an Irish wolfhound and an Irish vampire. But the plot was A Lot, and most of it happened in a way that I can only describe as “yes and.”Characters were very understanding and accepting of their circumstances, no matter how horrifying, and it made the emotional and storyline stakes hold less weight for me. At every major conflict, of which there were many, everyone was just like “okay yes this is happening now.” Anytime someone asks “what is going on?” or “how do we handle this?” the person who has the answers is right nearby. Overall, I wish there had been more tension at all levels of the story.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the e-ARC!