DNF @20%. Sadly, this just isn’t doing it for me. Firstly, I’m bored. Secondly, the constant switching from meta-book excerpts, the story, and the podcast transcript is make for an unpleasant reading experience. Finally, I never want to pick it up and would rather just move on to something else. Thank your for the opportunity to review.

Tess Rosenbloom had a promising future in academia, but after being assaulted, and dropping out of her grad school program she ended up working night shift at a fancy hotel. She finds solace in the Blood Feud book series and the fandom it inspired. Within the fandom conspiracies run rampant, she never actually thought vampires and the events of the novels were real, until one of the characters, Octavia ends up in her hotel.

Learning everything in the books is real does not fully shock her, and she agrees to go to the island the rest of vampire kind is stuck in and help save Octavia's brother Callum. Although the vampires are deadly, Tess finds she fits right in and may have found her perfect man in the place she least expects to.

Honestly this was the definition of a fun ass time. This was so outrageous but it worked so well. I love the exploration of fandom and finding joy and solace in a community most would call shameful. The cast of characters were fun and I liked getting different perspectives. The romance did not feel fully fleshed out for me, but the world building really carried this novel. This was a funtime and I am so happy to have another novel from this author.

The best paranormal romance of the year!!! This follows a woman who finds out her favorite fictional vampire book series is actually NONFICTION and gets swept into the world of her favorite books. It is truly a Twilight girlie's dream!

This book is not only campy and fun, it also covers some intense topics in a really gentle and beautiful way and is also incredibly sexy and compulsively readable at the same time??? OBSESSED!! The author put crack in this book because I can't stop thinking about it!

After much anticipation for Stayman-London's sophomore novel, Fang Fiction is the celebration of fandom that vampire lovers will enjoy. Although I do not seek out stories about assault, I respect its themes of bodily autonomy and consent. I look forward to the author's future work, and thank NetGalley and PRH for the advance copy.

What a fun and interesting concept on magical realism! Who wouldn't want their favorite comfort fantasy read to come to life and to actually meet the sexy vampire ?! I know I would! I really enjoyed this book and was certainly along for the ride. This is perfect for fans of Buffy, Angel and a little bit of Vampire Diaries too. I found the world building to be different, but not in a bad way. The formatting and use of multiple sources beyond just the MC's POV was unique. I was caught off guard by it at first, later on it really started to make sense for the world the author was creating. At times, it was really cringey to read the gossip or transcripts of podcasters, but that's kind of the point right? It brings a realness to the story, further catering exactly to the reader and a classic obsessive fandom community. Will definitely be recommending this book to any of my fellow vampire and/or fantasy readers.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a review!

📗: Fang Fiction-a standalone

✍🏾 By: Kate Stayman-London-new to me author

📃Page Count: 387 pgs. eBook

👆🏾POV: Multiple, 3rd person

🌎: Brooklyn, NY

🗓️: Publication date: 10-1-24, Read: 11-2-24

🏷️ Genre & Tropes:
♡ Romantasy, Adult Fic, LGBTQIAP+, Paranormal Romance
♡ age gap (25 yr-old h/130 yr-old H))
♡ vampire/human pairings
♡ alternate dimension-The Isle
♡ book characters from "Blood Feud" are real life people
♡ characters based off my favorite vampire shows: The Vampire Diaries, True Blood, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer

⚠️TW: SA-h is drugged, murder, kidnapping, panic attacks (h), and insomnia (h)

This had some great world building in New York and The Isle. Tess went through terrible trauma, and we saw her life unravel as she ran away. When Tess met Octavia, Callum's twin sister, she went on an adventure filled with vampires and witches. I liked the "Here to Stay" podcast chapters with Ruby and Cat. Tess and Joni bonded over their fandom for Octavia, Felix, Isobel, and Callum. Joni, Tess's ex-roommate, had her own romantic journey with Octavia. She reunited with Tess after a five-year estrangement where Tess moved out without a word.

Callum and Tess became couples' goals once Tess confronted her past. Callum was patient and protective even though he was the "supposed" villain. There was a love triangle fleshed out in the "Blood Feud " chapters between Callum, Felix, and Isobel which sadly ended in tragedy and betrayal. The Isle "project" was created by the witch council to stop the violence in New York. The witches moved vampires away from civilization to the shadow plane of existence with no way of escaping. I loved Fern, Flora, and the Bar Between because these twin witches had all the secrets Tess, Callum, Joni, and Octavia were searching for. This had a great good vs. evil trope between the vampires, as well as their origin stories when they were turned.

⭐Rating: 4/5

🔥Steam level: Open door, 2-3 scenes, H checks in with h for consent

🙏🏾Thank you for the ARC provided by NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group | Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback, and Kate Stayman-London 🧛🏾! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own!

a semi-cheesy but decent romp of a romcom

this book asks this question of what if your favorite piece of media was actually occurring in the world you live in and what happens if you get swept up in it? we follow tess rosenblum, a hotel manager who finds herself immersed in the world of blood feud, her favorite vampire book series, along with her ex-best friend joni, as they fall in love with two vampires.

the writing can get a bit cheesy and unbelievable at times (there is no way callum and tess fell in love that fast i refuse to believe it). i found myself questioning their chemistry at times, not really seeing what drew them together. also, i did begin to get confused at the 75% mark there was tew much going on

despite my misgivings, this was a fun romp through an interesting premise, and i think tess' character was interesting; she has a lot of layers as a trauma survivor. i liked the use of pop culture (rare i know) in this book; while i still think citing real life people is a massive mistake, the podcast episodes, emails, and other social media helped add realism. i did also enjoy joni and octavia's relationship (last line of chapter 16 went crazyy). tess and joni's relationship and their journey to mending it was a good part as well.

overall i wanted more from this book since the idea is so good, but for what it's worth i had a fun time reading it! would suggest to people who like vampires, low-stakes romantasy, and fanfiction....

This book was okay! I was happy to be approved because the premise was interesting! Though it sounded like it as something that would be for me it almost wasn’t?

The writing felt a bit bleh at times. And i understand this is a take on fanfiction but it almost felt like reading actual fan fiction rather than a traditionally published novel.

While I loved what this was supposed to be, all in all the writing wasn’t for me.

Since my rating is lower than 4 stars I usually wait to publish a. review on other sites until at least month or so after the release because I never want to hurt anyone’s rating or deter someone from reading!

This is the perfect vampire romance for all the campy, pop-culture girlies out there! I loved the multi-media inclusions, and deeper themes included in the book. The silliness and the seriousness balanced each other out well. There were some parts of the story that I wish I was shown rather than told. Overall a fun halloween read!

I was really thinking that I was gonna love this book, it sounded right up my alley.
The first few chapters were ok but then it got very slow and i hate to say it but boring.
I had to try and read this book multiple times, putting it down and going back to it and I still just couldn't get into it or enjoy it.
I thought the concept of this book was amazing (the vampires of a series being real life) but the way the story was being told was not good.
The characters were kinda blah and I just was having a hard time with them also.
I am gonna make this review short until like the book was, no point in dragging out a not-so-good review.

Fang Fiction was a very unique book. I really liked the format - how the story was told through typical narration, emails, podcasts and the fictional book that the story was based on. It took me a little bit to keep all of the characters straight, but once I did it was fun to follow their crazy adventures. I also enjoyed the plot twists, most of which I didn’t see coming.

Kate Stayman-London's Fang Fiction is an absolute delight! This witty and heartwarming novel brilliantly weaves together the worlds of fandom and self-discovery. The characters are refreshingly relatable, each with their own quirks and passions that draw you in from the very first page.

Stayman-London's sharp humor and clever dialogue keep the pace lively, while her exploration of identity and friendship adds depth to the story. The way she captures the essence of fandom—its highs and lows—resonates with anyone who has ever felt a deep connection to a story or community.

With a perfect blend of romance, comedy, and a touch of the supernatural, Fang Fiction is not just for genre enthusiasts; it's for anyone who appreciates a good tale about love, loyalty, and the power of being true to oneself. I found myself laughing out loud and even tearing up at times, a testament to the emotional journey this book offers.

If you’re looking for a fun, engaging read that celebrates the joys of fandom while delivering a powerful message about self-acceptance, grab a copy of Fang Fiction. You won’t be disappointed!

I loved Kate Stayman-London's first book so I was VERY excited for this. Unfortunately it just didn't really hold my attention.

Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy

⭐️: 3
🌶️: 2

This story had so much potential. A human steps into their favorite vampire novel and is tasked with savings the heroes and killing the villains. As a fan of magical realism and a day one twihard millennial, I am literally the target audience. Unfortunately, this story was just downright unoriginal and poorly written. It lacked imagery and character development, and left me as the reader unable to fully connect with the story.


Potential spoilers ahead:

The more I sit on the this one, the more mad I become. Partially because of the time wasted reading it, but more because it had SO MUCH POTENTIAL.

* Tess just all of a sudden loved Callum. Why? Did they have anything in common? She barely knew if she could trust him or not. An hour ago she was a Felix stan.

* Human drops a glass in front of a vampire and nicks their finger. I nearly closed the book and just gave up then and there.

* I hate when the solve to every problem comes from an unexpected source. Turns out Flora can create portals, all problems solved.

* Am I crazy or did we get two August Lirio confessions?


🌶️🌶️ = open door, minimal detail

Fang Fiction isn't perfect. But if you watched Buffy, read Twilight, and just KNOW that if you really were able to meet a vampire that you'd be more excited than scared- then this is actually the perfect book for you. I thought it was sweet and funny. There are big issues at the base here, but they are dealt with in a considerate manner, and the heroine's past does not have to define her- a message we could all hear over and over again.

Four frothy fun vampiric stars. I would date these vampires, or this book, too!

perfect for fans of buffy, twilight, (really any vampire media), and/or Long Live Evil

what if your favorite vampire series... was based on real vampires?

that's what happens to tess, a former PhD candidate at colombia who now manages a trendy williamsburg hotel.
and it's up to her to help the villains of the story.

“Of all those people on your message boards, your—what do you call them? Friends?”
“Mutuals.”
“That’s a stupid term, I’m not repeating it.”

#TeamFelix wants to be loved, while #TeamCallum wants to get fucked.

this was so fun and campy, with many pop culture references even outside of paranormal romance. it touches on fandom, fan fic, the general entertainment/media industry and how it treats vampires and women, and more. extremely meta and indulgent, in the best way.

also shoutout to the crazy rich asian inspo for callum and octavia, i dug it. and sapphic side relationship yayyyy!

“It’s so stupid he doesn’t sleep with men,” Hamish groused. “It’s like, hello, we’re immortal, maybe live a little?”

“You think witches don’t go to high school? Have you not seen The Craft?”

it also tackles the more serious topics of assault and trauma/ptsd. i thought this was handled with care. it's clear from early on something happened, so the reader isn't taken by surprise at any point, and it's quite deep into the story before details are revealed.

What about all the women who’ve fallen in love with schools or cities or careers, who’ve had our futures derailed because we had to make impossible choices to navigate our trauma as best we could, to keep going, to stay alive?

overall, this was a pleasant surprise read and i had a lot of fun. i think the only things i didn't like were the glamouring (it felt a bit too convenient but it ended up not having quite a big part of the story) and there was one point where i didn't feel quite as drawn in. but i thought the story wrapped up excellently!

I think the way we stay good is by standing up for each other. Finding some small way in our own lives to emulate the heroes we admire in our favorite books. It’s probably easier to turn a blind eye, to shut our mouths and move on. But don’t we owe each other something more?

an honest arc review ♡
_________________________

i'm already loving the meta vampire media vibes and set in present day nyc? always a win!

Mostly unserious and deeply funny, vampires, witches, lesbians AND Twilight mention, this book has all my favorite things! A mix between light read for spooky season with serious themes of SA, I had a great time with Fang Fiction!

Thank you to Random House for the ARC!

This book was a lot of fun and felt like a perfect read for fans of Twilight and Vampire Diaries. I really enjoyed the way the writer incorporated different POV's and types of storytelling through book excerpts, podcast transcripts, and more. The story was a bit predictable and campy but that didn't take away from the enjoyment of reading it.

I wanted to love this one, but it left me underwhelmed. The writing felt very immature and the topic of sexual assault not only overshadowed the story, but I don’t feel it was handled with care. Not to mention the novel is marketed as a fun vampire romance, and I just did not get that from what I read at all.

I have mixed feelings on this book unfortunately because, while I do think it has its moments and I flew through reading it pretty quick, I... I truly did not care for the fact that the catalyst used as this book's jumping off point plot-wise.... centers on the FMC getting drugged & r*ped, leading her to thus leave her "old" life behind for an entirely new one [with vampires]??? I don't know, I just feel like there were so many other/better/literally less or non-traumatic ways to get to that point, especially given that a) the rest of this book reads like a standard romcom with supernatural elements and b) the writing just isn't strong enough, imo, to handle balancing such a heavy topic and its own light-hearted/silliness in an equal or meaningful way. I was honestly really excited for this book, so the sharp disappointment and head-shaking I feel & did does sting, but I will still look out for this author's work in the future and am open to giving her another shot!