Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

Wasn’t a big fan of this one. Didn’t like the format of the book or the plot. Did not finish. Nice cover though!

In the author's notes at the end of the book, Kate Stayman-London says that she pitched this book to her team by saying "imagine you woke up in Buffy" (the Vampire Slayer), and that's totally the vibe this book gives.

What I imagined would be a corny vampire romance novel actually turned out to be an adventurous, fantasy romance that kept me on the edge of my seat! With just enough magical elements as to not be overwhelming, it would be a great book to recommend to friends who are just starting out in the fantasy/supernatural genre. Stayman-London managed to condense the world building by connecting it to NYC in real life, which I really enjoyed!

With how it ended there's definitely potential to continue with the characters, but I'm also satisfied if it's a standalone. Thanks so much to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to read "Fang Fiction"!

This was a little frustrating to try and rate. It should have been an easy five star for me, nearly every single about it was exactly what I’d like - Characters who aren’t still teenagers. Blurring line between fiction and reality, in a book within the book where the inside book is actually real. Mixed media feel with the story interrupted by book excerpts, transcripts of podcasts and voicemails, magazine articles, blog and forum posts
And, of course, vampires - need I say more?
This should have felt like a book written specifically for me
But then there’s the SA.
CW - A sexual assault, and the continuing trauma related to it for Tess, is a major theme
It goes unreported, the perpetrator still around and free to do more damage. She hasn’t gotten any further than downloading a therapy app to think about talking to someone, and things are bad for her mentally. She hasn’t even told her best friend/former roommate which is bad both because she’s missing out on a potential huge source of support but also because her friend is still associating with this guy not realizing how much danger she could be in from him.
It remains unresolved for nearly the entire book
It’s hard to separate how much this bothers me from how much I enjoyed the rest of it.

All that said, I do appreciate the thoughtful and thorough author note at the start. Especially how it not only includes the content warning, but also resources for readers who may have been in a similar situation (minus the vampires obvi)

🧛Book Review🧛
*
Summary- Tess Rosenbloom is no stranger to the dark. An assault survivor and grad school dropout, Tess spends her nights managing a chic Brooklyn hotel and her days reading her favorite vampire novels, Blood Feud. She even dabbles in online conspiracies claiming Blood Feud is real—it’s fun to hunt for clues! But deep down, Tess doesn’t believe vampires actually exist . . . until one walks through her door.

It turns out the sexy villain of Blood Feud is trapped, and only Tess can rescue him. Eager to escape her life, Tess agrees to help, and soon she’s on a secret island where the sun never shines, surrounded by deadly vampires—and most terrifying of all, she’s falling in love with one of them. (Meanwhile, back in New York, Tess’s estranged best friend is having a sapphic paranormal affair of her own.)

Visiting the world of your favorite story is any fan’s dream, but can Tess outrun the demons of her past (and vampires of her present) before it becomes a nightmare? In this darkly glamorous rom-com, Tess will find out if it’s worth risking her neck—and her heart—for a chance to reclaim her future.
*
Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️
*
My thoughts- I’m coming at you with a Saturday review because I’m wildly behind on my spooky season recommendations ! I was SUPER excited for this one and it ended up being totally kind of fine. This one had so much promise and really dealt with some heavy themes. But it was overly bloated, each chapter was a different format (podcast, the vampire book plot lines, and then the actual plot of this book within a book). I think it would have been truly impossible to follow in an audio format. This one had so much potential but because it was trying to accomplish and cover so much a lot got lot in translation,
*
#fangfiction #katestaymanlondon #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #booksofinsta #bookish #booklover #bookobsessed #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #booknerd #bookworm #bookwormsunite #readerlife #readersgonnaread #readmorebooks #readersofig #readersofinsta

Oh my god, I absolutely adored this book. It was just extremely up my alley. I had such a great time reading this book, but it also managed to hit its more emotional moments really well. I definitely teared up at some moments. It might not be the perfect book, but it definitely was the perfect book for me.
The premise of this book was just incredible. I almost thought it couldn't live up to that potential, but it definitely did. This whole book just felt so well crafted. It's clear that the author definitely took some inspiration from other vampire fiction, it's clear. However, she put it all together in a way that felt so unique. I truly got lost in this world. It was so interesting, and I loved the different twists and turns this book took as well. I was just so along for the ride, that I didn't see some of these things coming, and I was legit shocked. I also loved the inclusion of a little mixed media in this book. It definitely made this story feel so much more real to me. It was a nice addition.
I also just adored our cast of characters as well. Tess was an incredible main character. I loved seeing her progression in this story. I thought the way her trauma was included within this book was just incredible. Especially because it is done in a way that doesn't bog down the overall tone of the book while still taking the issues seriously. Her romance with Callum was also just my everything. I do feel like it was a tad bit underdeveloped, but overall I just think they were an amazing match, and I adore the way they opened up to each other. I really loved their scenes together so much. Joni and Octavia were so much fun as characters as well. I really liked their dynamic together as well. Their romance was extremely underdeveloped though but I did still quite liked their scenes together. They were more the b-plot of the book though so I don't mind as much. The cast of side characters were also pretty great. I was just super invested.
So yeah, I really adored this book. I laughed, I cried, I was completely sucked in. There are no complaints from me. Like I said before, I don't know if it will work for everyone the way it did for me, but I definitely still recommend it because at least I think you'll have a good time reading this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, however I just didn’t love this one.. I really thought I would but I found the multiple pov switches (with no warning) and the multimedia add ins frustrating and sometimes unnecessary. I also thought the were too many elements in a slow moving plot. The book itself was way too long for what it is and I honestly didn’t feel a connection to ANY of the characters really.

This was cute and fun. It gave very much teen drama vibes: like a cross between The Vampire Diaries and Gossip Girl. I enjoyed it, but it felt kind of scattered for me, Between all the POVs, the Reddit posts, the podcast scripts, the book excerpts...it was just a lot. It all came together in the end, but I felt lost for a fair portion of the story and could have done without Joni's POV.

Tis the season for vampires! I saw another review said "campy and vampy" and honestly I could not describe it any better! This book has serious comfy spooky vibes. It is hard to explain, but just give it a chance!!!

This book was a total miss for me. The premise sounded very fun but it did not deliver. The writing felt juvenile and read life fan fiction. The characters were underdeveloped and seemed like caricatures. I didn’t believe the romance between Tess and Callum at all. There was no depth and it felt like instalove. There was major trauma that Tess was dealing with that the author tried to handle with care. But in the end, this trauma felt largely ignored and then miraculously “fixed” with no growth or deeper exploration. This was definitely not the book for me.

Fang Fiction is a fun vampire book about Tess, who loves Blood Feud novels. She discovers that the books are real and that vampires exist. The book is a quick and entertaining read, with funny moments and heavy topics that are handled carefully by the author. The storytelling includes podcast segments, voicemail transcripts, text message transcripts, and books within books, making it very entertaining. I highly recommend this book, especially for the spooky season. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so happy to finally get my hands on Fang Fiction by Kate Stayman-London! This was the first book I read in October, and it kicked the month off with 5 stars.

The basic synopsis drew me in immediately. Well, first, it was the cover, but then it was the synopsis: "The world of your favorite fantasy novels is real, and you’re invited to visit. The only catch? It’s filled with thirsty vampires." I love a good vampire trope, so sign me up!

In this book, we follow our FMC, Tess, a survivor of sexual assault who currently works as the night manager of a hotel in Brooklyn after dropping out of her PhD program in literature. Tess is obsessed with a sexy vampire series called Blood Feud, and there’s a theory going around that this series is actually true. She doesn't believe in vampires but enjoys being part of the enthusiastic community.

That is, until one night when the female vampire villain of the series walks into her hotel asking for help. Tess suddenly finds herself in the very world she’s been reading about, complete with enchanted forests, massive castles, and fields of 20-ft-tall magical flowers. This world is bathed in perpetual darkness and filled with angry vampires who haven't tasted human blood in over a decade. Against her better judgment, Tess starts falling for one of them—while her best friend is involved in a queer affair with a vampire back in New York.

A lot of the book also deals with Tess's traumatic past and her struggle to heal. She has tried to outrun her memories, but that’s not something you can easily escape.

I loved every moment of this book and didn’t want it to end. The writing is clever and engaging, alternating between different points of view, podcast transcripts, blog posts, and news clippings. The fantastical world-building was *chef’s kiss*—so imaginative! Not much spice, but there’s definitely tension and steam.

Thank you, NetGalley, Random House, and Dial Press, for the opportunity to read this ARC ebook!

After being raped at a party, Tess dropped out of college and now works the night shift at a hotel— leaving her best friend, Joni, behind to wonder what went wrong. It’s been years, though, and Tess misses Joni. They were best friends and, now that Joni is turning 29, Tess decides to attend her birthday party and maybe repair the distance between them. Because it’s a Blood Feud party, Joni and Tess’ favorite paranormal romance series, Tess is dressed up as her favorite character. She’s enjoying herself and having fun, until she comes face-to-face with her rapist and quickly leaves for home.

There, she meets Olivia, who is tall, beautiful … and a vampire. And not just any vampire. She’s the Olivia from Blood Feud. And she’s standing right in front of Tess and asking for her help. Of course, Tess says yes.

So, it’s off to a magical island — that actually exists! — to find Olivia’s brother, Callum — who actually exists! — and let him know that Olivia’s all right. Between vampires, glamours, magic, and witches, Tess is soon caught up in a plot three books in the making. And while Tess is falling in love with Callum, back home Joni, who came looking for Tess, ends up falling head over heels with Olivia, who seems to be falling right back.

This is a book that, to me, failed to deliver on a variety of fronts, and this review will go over all of them. The short version is that it shoved in too many gimmicks, and each one took momentum away from the story and the characters. The gimmicks failed to be either humorous or insightful, and instead served to be exposition, as they were used to explain things the story didn’t have the time or ability to do so itself — thanks to the constant podcasts, text messages, or inserted chapters of Blood Feud. There were ideas here, but I don’t think they were carried out effectively. As a note, this review may contain some spoilers, because these are issues that need to be discussed to show why I think this book didn’t work.

First, the book opens with an Author’s note, which I appreciated, to let readers know that Tess, was raped and that her character has been shaped by this. She is hyper vigilant about her drinks, aware of when men get too close and of their physical strength. Then she falls in love with Callum, tells him what happened to her, has wonderful sex with him, and now she’s seemingly fine with accepting any old drink. It’s not my place to comment on how or when people heal from their traumas, but this felt too fast; I’m not a fan of ‘healing through the help of mind blowing sex,’ regardless of how well it’s done. That’s just my personal opinion.

Second, the book uses a podcast format to introduce the world of Blood Feud, the vampire book Tess, Joni, and everyone else is obsessing over. The podcast is often used to explain things, rather than having them shown through the thoughts, feelings, and reactions of characters. There are also emails sprinkled in here and there, which again just feel like unnecessary info dumps and exposition devices. There’s no time for any one moment to get a good buildup of momentum and emotion because the style breaks from the podcast, to a text message, to the main story, to the excerpts keep cutting in front. It’s like reading a hiccup, and I really didn’t enjoy it.

I like the main idea of the book, which is that the fictional world of Blood Feud is real, and that the events Joni and Tess have read and obsessed about might be real … and yet biased or just plain wrong. With the excerpts from chapters of Blood Feud itself, there’s a chance to show characters and events, reactions and opinions, and how they shape how Tess interacts with Olivia and Callum. However, I found them to be cliched and adding almost nothing to the book, because every scene that happened was repeated later in a way that proved the excerpts weren’t needed.

With what felt like a good quarter or so of the book taken up with style and indifferent exposition, the story wasn’t given much room to maneuver. And then it had to set the ground for two romances, develop a plot, introduce the real vampire world, bring in the return of the big bad, and more, and there just wasn’t enough time. Scenes were compressed with so much telling. There were almost no reactions on anyone’s part, except for the moment Tess thought Callum might have made her drink his blood so he could have power over her, which brought back memories of her rape. But he tells her he loves her and would never do that, and she accepts it. They have sex and she’s fine.

It was just all so clumsy. And the vampire world lacked any — forgive me — sparkle. It was a gray box with some stale tropes inserted into it. The mystery of who was the real author of the Blood Feud books was answered by the author, and the arrival of the super big bad was so anticlimactic, I wondered if I’d missed something. I actually went back to reread several chapters to see if there was any foreshadowing. There wasn’t. He was just there.

Honestly, I feel so let down by this book. Every time I thought something was going to actually happen, the scene would end in moments and the exposition dumps would fill in any blanks. There was never a need for me to wonder about the plot because someone would come out and tell me. The true hell of it is, the writing is decent. If I hadn’t had such a problem with the style choices, this book would have been a quick and easy read. If the podcasts hadn’t been there, if more time had been given to the characters, etc. But that’s not how it went, and I’m left unhappy with my reading experience. Nothing felt real, earned, or fun.

Did not complete this title, the focal point of sexual assault did not sit right with me in this context, as I saw other people express as well. The novel seems to not be as portended to be, which I, and others, took to be a tongue in cheek vampire rom com.

I've delved into numerous vampire books, and while this one doesn't quite make my top favorites, it still captivated me. The story carries a heavy and dark undertone due to Tess's experiences with trauma and PTSD, something the author thoughtfully warns about at the beginning. Despite these intense themes, it was deeply touching to witness the characters support and uplift each other throughout their journey.

Tess and Callum's relationship was a joy to follow, despite its somewhat swift progression. Their romance, though quick to ignite, seamlessly fit into the plot, adding a delightful and endearing layer as they supported and uplifted each other. However, it was Joni and Octavia who truly stole the show for me. Their chemistry was palpable, making their connection even more compelling and memorable.

I truly appreciated Tess's development and recovery process following her trauma; it added depth and authenticity to the story. However, the book did have its drawbacks. At times, it felt a bit too repetitive, and while the pop culture references were good, they occasionally came off as a bit cringey. Despite these flaws, Tess's journey was compelling and heartfelt.

To conclude, I must mention how much I adore the cover of this book. I'll be eagerly awaiting the author's next release. After much deliberation between a 3 and a 4, I've decided to settle on a 4! Given that it was such an easy and enjoyable read, and I devoured it in one sitting, it certainly deserves the bump up.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘍𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admit -- I requested this book completely based on the cover. I mean -- how freaking cute is that! But then when I realized this is the same author who wrote One to Watch I was even more excited. I quite enjoyed this book, primarily because I like how Stayman-London incorporates "mixed media" into her novels (think podcast transcriptions, text threads, emails, voice memos, etc.). I really like how she uses these to swiftly world-build and keep the pacing snappy and punchy. The characters are well-developed, it scratches that October vampire itch, and the story is fun. However, this book isn't just fun and light, it does talk about a traumatic experience the main character has in grad school (date rape) and her avoidance and eventual healing. I'd recommend this if you ever liked Buffy or Twilight, but it is its own story entirely!

4.25⭐️ - What if the characters in your favorite fantasy book series weren't just fictional? And what if all of a sudden you became a main character in their world? Oh, and did I mention there are sexy vampires

I actually really enjoyed the unique concept of this book. It gives fanfic, but in the absolute best way possible. I loved getting multiple POV's and all of the additional dialogue from emails and text messages, to podcast transcripts, and even excerpts from the book series that our story revolves around. Overall, I really enjoyed the layout and pacing of this story, and Kate Stayman-London does a great job of taking you on an adventure of healing, self-empowerment, romance, friendship and of course kicking vampire ass.

I adored all of the characters so much, and found them fun and relatable. Tess is witty and a romantic at heart who is dealing with trauma and PTSD. KSL does such an incredible job of bringing attention to the lasting affects SA survivors like Tess face daily. Definitely check your triggers before starting, but I felt that Tess's story was beautifully and respectfully written.

Fang Fiction gives us a bit of both worlds in the romance department. Tess and Callum give us sloooow burn tension, while Joni & Octavia bring the instalove. Tess and Callum's relationship was endearing and heartwarming as they grew to trust and car for each other. Joni and Octavia on the other hand was spontaneous and full of chemistry.

I would recommend this book to lovers of Bride, Twilight, Buffy, or really anyone looking for a cute and unique vampire romance. I had a lot of fun with this one, and felt it was the perfect fall read. I'm also really looking forward to reading more work by KSL!

No spoilers:

I'm in love with this book. I loved it from the first page to the last. The last line gave me chills. It was a great adventure with lovable characters. I'm a sucker for a book where your fave story/characters are real OR you get trapped in your fave story. As much as I loved Tess and Callum, I do have to say I loved Octavia, Joni, and Hamish more. This book is so funny and I found myself highlighting something on almost every page.

Great storytelling! There are two things I think the author did that were really smart. The first is using media at the beginning of chapters as a vehicle for world building and storytelling. Using podcasts, articles, emails, reddit posts, to show how popular the books are and give background info on what's already happened was fantastic. It was nice experiencing it through that as opposed to two characters talking to each other or the main character reflecting. The other thing was making the isle the vampires are trapped on a mirror image of New York City. It's familiar to the reader but still creative and different.

Things I loved:
-FMC is a size 16 and almost 30
-Sapphic rep
-Korean MMC

Some of my fave quotes:

"Cate Blanchett is the only Dark King Daddy I acknowledge."

"Did Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson get back together or did the cheating ruin them forever?"

"You're doing us dirtier than Charles did Lady Di, and you know I don't say that lightly."

"I never took orders from men as a mortal--I'm certainly not going to start in my sixth century of life."

Thank you for the arc! This was a treat.

I was so excited to receive an ARC of this book from NetGalley, Kate Stayman-London, and her publisher Random House and Dial Press! This book is a twisty take on vampires- it turns out that the vampires of a popular book series are real and the events of the book have/are actually happening- but not all is as it seems.
 
Fang Fiction follows our main character Tess. After an incident during her time as a PhD student at Columbia (please check TWs), she leaves that life (and her best friend Joni) behind. 5 years later, Tess is still recovering from what happened and continues to cope with her and Joni’s favorite book series, Blood Feud. When vampire Octavia from the series shows up at Tess’s hotel and begs Tess to go to the Isle (where the vampires have been trapped in another dimension I guess) to tell her twin brother (bad boy Callum) what happened, this starts Tess on an adventure she never anticipated. Back in the real world, Octavia is trying to adjust to being back and Joni is searching for Tess for answers on why she disappeared 5 years earlier.
 
This book was super fun and comes just in time for spooky season! If you love vampires and wish your favorite ones are real, this is absolutely the book for you.

An absolute MUST for fans of Buffy, The vampire diaries and True Blood, this fan fic vampire romance adventure was pure gold!! I loved how the bookish content was based on real life vampires, the sexual assault trauma for the FMC was all too real and the great Sapphic romance side story for the best friend was another highlight. By far my favorite by Kate Stayman-London, this was wonderful on audio narrated by Amber Benson, an actor from Buffy and includes a must listen author interview at the end. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review! Fans of Katee Roberts will not want to miss this book!!!!

A fun and sweet RomCom, and a great pick for spooky season if you don’t like stuff that is too horror -ish or too romance driven.

I loved the premise for this book, and the pacing is unusually good for a RomCom. It unfolds more like a mystery. And because these days most RomCom’s mostly forget the comedy part, I’m extra appreciative of a book like this that avoids schlocky romance tropes and is legitimately funny all the way through the story.

I loved this as a friendship story too, and while I didn’t love the protagonist’s backstory, I did like seeing two friends value and support each other this way even when their relationship was struggling.

I knocked one star off what would have been a five-star read because I really did not like the rape backstory. This has become disturbingly common in women’s fiction, and I don’t think it’s appropriate to ask assault survivors to relive this stuff over and over because it happens to make a good backstory plot-wise. Especially in what is an otherwise light, joyful read. To the author’s credit, she did handle the material well.

Despite that, the tone of the book is mostly very good, and I really enjoyed the buddy comedy vibes that factor heavily into this book’s plot.