A fun read, but do keep in mind the content warning the author gives at the beginning. If I’d known beforehand, I probably wouldn’t have picked up this book, but so it goes. A very fun concept though!

This was a super cute book - fun story. Vampire fiction turned reality!? dating the fictional vampire your Buzzfeed Quiz told you wasn’t your match!? All of this and more in Fang Fiction. The story was a quick read once I got into it and I enjoyed the plot. I also liked the use of different mediums throughout the book - mentions of Podcasts, etc. I only went three stars because the writing felt a little immature to me and the romance felt very sudden for both couples. I didn’t see when they clicked or the build up to falling in love, it wasn’t there and then it was. Other than that an enjoyable read!

Thanks NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!

I just couldn't get into this one. The characters were not relatable, holding out on the "secret" as long as she did wasn't helpful to the store, in fact made it more annoying for me. The constant switch in alternate POV was annoying.

**Book Review: Fang Fiction by Kate Stayman-London**

Rating: ★★★★★

Wholy cow..

First off, I want to state i’m not even done— or near done with this book and it’s already going to be my first 5 star of the year. If that doesn’t tell you enough to read this, GO READ IT.

If you love Vampires, better yet, if you love Twilight, TVD, The Originals and any others this book is for you. Fictional characters come to life in the real world, but the characters have no idea they were characters in a book. ALREADY SOLD JUST ON THAT!

This book is doing phenomenal at world building and being completely immersive with the characters! This book WILL BE the next top charts read across the country, I can feel it.

It’s making my heart all giddy!

(I will provide an updated review when i completely finish, I just KNOW I’m going to love this.)

*DISCLAIMER* This is NOT a paid review. This was a voluntary early access read made possible by NetGalley the Publisher and Author Kate Stayman-London. I want to extend a huge thank you for allowing me access to this E-Arc! I hope my review provides helpful insight.

*PLATFORMS* This review is available on Barnes & Nobles (if applicable), Amazon, Walmart, NetGalley, GoodReads & Facebook.

CW/TW: Sexual assault happens off-page, but early on in the novel. Tess is still dealing with the aftermath of being assaulted by a fellow PhD student three years later, and the panic attacks, flight responses, and other things (requesting a beer with the cap still on) all ring exceptionally true. Unfortunately, because of how true to the bone everything rings, I cannot finish this book for my own safety.

Such a campy and fun spin on a vampire story and I commend the author for drafting up a unique view! It was well paced where it made me wish it wasn’t ending.

I really really enjoyed this book, so much that I can't wait to re-read this book when it comes out. Full disclosure, and it mentions this in the first of the book, that this story has mentions of sexual assault.

<spoiler>This book brings me back to my twilight obsession days. I LOVED vampires as a teenager. Tess is such a lovable and relatable character. It is so relatable when times get tough to just want to shut yourself out of your own life, and escape into a new one. I really enjoyed getting to know Tess, and her getting re-introduced with life. This story had great romance elements, and I loved how she ended up with the non classical good guy, big enemies to lovers girl. I loved this book! </spoiler>

This was fun. It’s great for fans of Buffy and Twilight and Vampire Diaries, sure. The tone was a bit weird and uneven- this is written like a fun, campy romp but there’s this cloud of SA over it. Dealing with trauma via escapism in this way felt very Buffy, but perhaps without the nuance. Overall, it was a fun twist on well-trod tropes, but I think it was missing something.

It’s giving self-indulgent mediocre fan fiction. This should have stayed in the drafts.it felt clunky and way too slow and the serious themes mentioned are not handled well or addressed in a manner I found strengthened the story of Tess’ story arc whatsoever.

I will say I wish I had liked this one more. The premise should've been right up my alley, but some elements didn't gel as well for me (characters sounding too samey in POVs, as well as the book's heavier themes not necessarily blending as strongly as they could with the lighter, fun, rom-com moments). While the premise itself held a lot of potential, particularly along the lines of the heroine ending up in her favorite book series, the execution didn't come together as smoothly as it could've.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this edition from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A fun vampire fantasy, especially for those of us raised on AO3 and Tumblr. It's campy, it's queer, and made for folks (like me) who still hold on to that dream of actually stepping into their favorite literary world.

Things that worked for me:
1. Octavia, as well as her relationship with Joni. Big fan of any sapphic storyline but their arc was fun. Enjoyed the banter, enjoyed Octavia coming around to see Joni as more than an annoyance, and enjoyed their ending.
2. As someone who lives in NYC, loved seeing the comparisons with the island and the inclusion of several landmark locations.
3. The side characters. Would love spin-offs for the vampires in Nantale's clan. Justice for Hamish!
4. The writing style, especially the inclusion of the podcast transcripts and texts. Loved how one of the podcast hosts was weaved into the action.

A few things that fell flat for me:
1. Insta-love. It's a trope I hate and one that did not work, in my opinion, for Tess and Callum given Tess's original dislike of his character and Felix fangirl status.
2. Unclear passage of time between Tess entering and leaving the island. The timeline was confusing and had me stressed over how much work Tess missed.
3. While I enjoyed much of the world-building, especially the parallels to NYC, I was left questioning many details of the supernatural world both on and off the island.
4. Some of the language and references didn't land for me and already felt dated or try-hard. That said, it fit with the fanfiction and pop culture vibe of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! All reviews are my own.

Fang Fiction found its voice as a creative addition to the rom-com fiction world, combining unique form with an urban fantasy and a journey through recovering from trauma and grief of a life that could've been lived. Tess was an aspiring writer, accepted into a prestigious Columbia English program and well on her way to success having found her kindred spirit in her roommate. It all falls apart after a traumatic sexual encounter with the "nice guy" of the program - and our author has woven this trauma in so well throughout the character, in the way she reacts to men and sex, the way she thinks about her future, without making it the only aspect of Tess's personality. We get a glimpse of her very stagnant life -- before everything begins when Tess meets her favorite vampire from a book series.

The fantasy is woven in so wonderfully and interspersed with different mediums - we get chapters of the book (which are written markedly differently and a little over the top, to the point where I appreciated but felt myself skimming through them) as well as other bits of Tess's writing on fansites. Some areas of heavy-handedness took me out of the story - our writer's side comments about race were appreciated, but did jar me a bit out of the story, as an Asian reader, and sometimes the ways trauma was written in created anxiety. Sort of felt a bit monologuing from the author? But all in all, I felt a lot of those difficult topics were handled well in this novel, and felt ultimately very realistic.

I was excited to see something else by Kate Stayman-London. I read One to Watch and loved the idea but hated the execution. The good news is I liked Fang Fiction better than One to Watch, the bad news is it’s not by much.

Unfortunately I have more to complain about than gush about things I enjoyed.

I did love the humor (sometimes, other times it was a bit much), I loved the world building, and the mixed media elements. Plus hey, a playlist in the back of the book? Love that.

Beyond those few things tho? Did not enjoy. I thought the relationships were super insta-lovey. I liked the idea of Blood Feud book excerpts but felt they didn’t differ enough from the main story. At one point a vampire flails while talking?? Hello?? Is this 2010? Also vampire rules, how do they work? Vampires breathe in this book? Confusing. And finally, I really applaud the author for dealing with such a tough subject like SA. I thought Tess’ trauma was handled well, but the metaphors when it came to the vampires was both heavy handed and somehow also oblivious.

I don’t know, I think when it comes to romances, and I would really categorize this as a paranormal romance I know I’m a tough customer. In that it’s my least favorite genre 😬 But hey, my 3.5 star could be your 5 star.

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Random House, and Dial Press Trade Paperback for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is for all the vampire girlies! It reads like the fanfic you were (and probably still are) obsessed with. It’s campy, swoony and dramatic without being overdone. And of course it’s not a Stayman-London book, if doesn’t tackle a bigger issue. Trigger warning for SA. This cured my book slump. So you can say that I’m a fan(g).

I love anything with vampires, so I was excited to read this. The cover and title made me think this was going to be a fun romcom type read, and for the most part it is, but the book does cover a serious topic of sexual assault. There is witty banter, some fun side characters, and I enjoyed the author’s writing style. The idea of being stuck with your favorite book characters was so much fun. The author did a fabulous job of building a fictional world within a fictional world. Thanks for the opportunity to read in advance!

I really enjoyed this one! It was a little slow at first, but it got really good! Love the world of vampire and humans coming together. Love that it was a book that came to life.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the Arc!!

I had lots of fun reading this book with all of its pop culture references! Personally, however, too many pop culture references get in the way of the storytelling being able to connect with readers on a deeper level. I really connected with Tess, as someone who abhors being touched without permission, but sometimes the writing was forcibly “too woke” and pushing a certain agenda on me and I would lose my connection with the characters. On the flip side, I LOVED the inclusivity - one of my first thoughts “ali hazelwood but make it inclusive”.

I agree with other reviews - I wish the book was longer as the turning point from Felix’s masquerade onwards felt super rushed. Since this is a romance, I would’ve loved to develop the relationship of the two main couples more. I think it also would’ve been great to spend more time with Konstantin and establish what truly made him the supervillain he was set out to be.

Overall, I loved the concept of the book and the mixed methods of storytelling and POVs. Honestly wish I could also read the Blood Feud series!!

A fun and frothy read that will be perfect for escapism this fall! I loved the world and characters that Stayman-London created and would happily read several spinoffs from the land of Bar Between!

Oh my gosh this was such a surprise read! I didn’t know how I would feel about it! Thanks netgalley for the chance to review!

This is truly one of those paperbacks (I don't know why it always has to be paper back) that you pick up when you're having a bad day because you just needs something cute and light hearted. No betrayls and heartbreak, or complicated story line and magic system. A book you can just sit down and read straight through.
If you enjoyed My Roomate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine you'll love this book!