A definite read for anyone who enjoys a dark broody romance. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This very much felt like if Romeo and Juliet was meleded with feminine rage in the best way. I loved the twists and turns, the multi time lines. A wild ride, with a great romance underlying it and only adding to the tension of how will all of this end.

There were many things I enjoyed about “Lucy Undying”, such as the sapphic romance, Dracula’s chapters, Lucy’s diary and therapy sessions, and the final twist at the end.
There were some things I didn’t enjoy. Firstly, the book felt too long. I think there were parts throughout that could have been cut to streamline the story a bit more. Secondly, can characters stop giving their love interests nicknames? Maybe it’s just me, but “butter chicken” really took me out of reading the story.
One last part I really enjoyed, Alicia’s chapter. I thought it was a great way to give more insight into Goldaming Life! Part of me wishes there had been other chapters like that where we got to see through the eyes of a very minor character.

Thank you to Kiersten White and Del Rey via NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun Dracula retelling from Kiersten White! I loved that the story reimagined Lucy's narrative, and I *loved* the sapphic angle. White's writing style is witty and engaging, and my mouth literally dropped at a few particularly shocking moments. My one issue with this book was that the pacing was a little uneven; there were long stretches at the beginning and through the middle that didn't seem to add much to the story, and then everything went completely off the rails at the end. But overall, I enjoyed Lucy Undying and would recommend it to those looking for a contemporary twist on a well known classic.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

I am very much caught up in the big wave of vampire romantasy this year after loving vampire books growing up! I have also been drawn to Dracula retellings/reimaginings, so I was eager to request this. However, something about this just did not work for me! The prose was flowery but accessible, but the narrative spends too much time telling and not showing, which is odd due to how many details are there. I don't know how to explain that better, but some things should have and could have been left for the reader to piece together on our own. This book was SLOW. Lucy was immature, Mina was boring, and Lucy's perspective about Dracula seemed…flat. It needed some more development.

I think White is a fine author; this just did not work for me and needed some fine tuning.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, Del Rey, and NetGalley for providing an ARC!

I love reading about vampires because each author brings a unique perspective to the legend and drama surrounding them. This book certainly did not disappoint. I was thrilled to see a character from Bram Stoker's Dracula, but the author expanded Lucy's story in ways I never could have imagined. Although the book was lengthy, I was completely engrossed as I wanted to see how everything would unfold. Lucy is a multi-faceted character, and I appreciated that she took center stage rather than being an afterthought. It’s often the case that women are portrayed as victims, so I was happy to witness her empowering journey. While the book was long, I enjoyed every moment of it and felt a bit sad when it ended.

This is an excellent reimagining of Lucy’s character from Dracula (and, yes, absolutely agree with the author that she is queer). Iris, though somewhat oblivious, is relatable and often hilarious, and I enjoyed reading about Lucy’s adventures. Oddly enough, the only part that didn’t work for me was the POV from Dracula—those chapters feel superfluous with everything else going on.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Lucy Undying: A Dracula Novel by Kiersten White in exchange for an honest review. This was such a a great book. I love the Dracula story and have enjoyed different interpretations over the years, but this beat them all. Who knew I've been craving a story told from Lucy's point of view and that she was in love with Mina? I highly recommend this story.

Overall this is a good novel, with some things keeping it from greatness. I will say, for a storyline featuring exciting beings like Dracula and vampires, it felt more low stakes, and the plot is a bit slow moving.
I did enjoy the split narratives, particularly Lucy and the other vampires she meets and befriends- the writing in these sections is pretty and atmospheric, while the writing in Iris's narrative is…not.
The plot is straightforward and a bit predictable with the twist at the end. The romance was also a bit boring; I wanted more yearning before their immediate in love after just a few days lol . However I do appreciate their happy ending. I wouldn’t mind a sequel duology of the vampire pair hehe.

I have conflicting feelings about this book. On the one hand I loved the characters, the world building, the fresh spin on Dracula, the title, and the cover. It was wonderful to see Lucy get the spotlight for once, and I was intrigued by the Promising Young Woman vibes of her revenge plot. The storytelling was enjoyable enough to keep reading, and the writing was often clever and at times downright beautiful.

On the other hand, the constant shifts between Lucy’s diary, the therapist’s transcripts, and present day Iris (plus a couple of other perspectives I felt were completely unnecessary since removing them wouldn’t have changed anything) made it difficult to stay engaged. That may just be a me thing—I don’t fare well with more than two POVs—but it interrupted the flow every time there was a switch. Since the chapters were very short (which I usually love), I found myself putting down this book frequently and switching to a more bingeable book. I also felt this was far longer than it needed to, since there was repetition and places where the pacing seemed to drag. The conclusion, in particular, seemed drawn out to the point where I often found myself wondering why the story hadn’t ended yet, and the ending itself ultimately didn’t feel as satisfying as I would’ve liked since it focused on setting up the next book rather than wrapping up the story neatly.

The romance was also a mixed bag for me—sweet, but not enough chemistry or connection between Iris and “Elle” to make me feel truly invested in whether they ended up together. I found Lucy’s relationships with The Queen, The Doctor, and The Lover far more compelling than the central romance.

I would recommend this to Dracula buffs who don’t mind constant POV shifts.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

I wanted so badly to love this one. DNF'd at around 15%. Just wasn't enticed y the writing style at all, but I think this book will find it's readership. The ideas are all there,. Thank you Net Galley for sending me an arc.

Oh my, this was something entirely different, like a story I didn't know I needed until I started reading it. Having her point of view her storyline was enjoyed. Being a fan of Dracula, I found this be a spectacular read, one that I found myself enjoying.

This book includes:
- complex family dynamics
- life on the run
- vampires

The concept behind "Lucy Undying" fascinates me and the book cover is absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, the book did not hold my interest and I was unable to plow through the story. That said, the chapters I read were well-written and I could see this book being a favorite for many paranormal readers.

I received this eBook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Kiersten White, and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted to GoodReads check out my profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863 and it will be posted to my bookstagram account https://www.instagram.com/tinynightingales/

I just love Kiersten White's writing and her adult horror really scratches an itch for me! While I didn't love this as much as her previous novel, I still really enjoyed this book. The atmosphere was so immersive and the characters all felt so real, I was rooting for them the entire time. Dracula is one of my favorite classic novels so it was fun to be back in this world (even if it isn't cannon) and seeing the characters I know and love grow and thrive. I have always had a soft spot for Lucy, because the things so goes through are so tragic but seeing her grow into the strong woman she is in this novel made me feel so proud. I also loved that Kiersten made Lucy queer in this because I have already read her as queer (Bram Stoker was ~probably~ gay so I think he would've loved to see his characters live openly and happily in this). The only thing that made this not a 5 star was the fact that I wish it was darker and scarier. Don't get me wrong, there were some pretty graphic scenes in this but I wish Kiersten went a bit darker. Despite that, this book was so fun and well written and I didn't want to stop reading. I will always read everything Kiersten White writes and I'm so happy seeing her grow and develop as an author!

Not for me at this time but I will definitely be going back at some point to try again because I really like the premise of this book.

Thank you Net Galley for the e arc. Lucy Undying is a sapphic retelling of sorts of Dracula first love Carmilla. Unfortunately I was not able to finish the story due to the writing style.

Things I enjoyed
-LGBTQ+ representation (multiple characters are in the LGBT+ community including both main characters)
- Dracula Retelling
-Vampires
-The diary entries/therapist session notes
-Dual POV & multiple time periods
-Strong female characters
Things I didn’t enjoy
I can’t think of anything I didn’t like now that o think of it

Thank you so much for gifting me this arc, but I had to dnf 35% of the way through! It was just too slow and the writing was too cringy at times, it made it super hard to read :(

This is my first Kiersten White novel, and I truly enjoyed reading this. We follow Lucy Westerna, and her journey of turning into a vampire. What I really enjoyed were the therapy sessions that addressed Lucy's struggles, past, her relationship with Dracula and with Iris. The book was intriguing enough that I wasn't bored though the pacing could have been a bit faster. Highly recommend!

This retelling was superb! It brought me into a spooky and dark world with a vengeance. I loved the atmosphere and the characters so much! Kiersten Whire is now on my auto buy list! Read this book this Fall!!!