this was a fun read, i was invested with the characters and the story all the way through. some of the more sensitive parts were done tastefully but didn't feel like it overwhelmed the story and still kept the overall tone of the book light and fun.

this is perfect for the twilight lovers who want a little more mature reading experience.

3.5! This was FUN! I don’t even care that this was just one big cheese-fest, I had a great time reading this! I loooove any and all things vampire and I don’t often get to read ones that have a bit of humor to them, and this one had bunches. There is also the very heavy topic of sexual assault covered in this, but I think overall it was handled well. Tess and Callum were great, loved Joni and Octavia, and the other vamps were hilarious (the BOOK CLUB? I was cackling).

This book had aspects I adored and aspects that made me want to DNF, but we are going to start with the positives!

First off, the writing was straightforward and certainly lends itself to an easy "read it in one sitting" style. Dialogue was logical, no one was saying anything that I thought was out of left field or completely unreliable. The humour is a rom-com style that is filled with one-liners and funny side characters.

There were three aspects I didn't enjoy as much. First, the POV would change often and within the same chapters. I wished that the chapters were shorter and had POV headings because I often had to take a paragraph or two (or three or more) to figure out what POV we were in and where in the timeline. It was jarring and would result in me losing immersion. Secondly, I did feel quite a middle-book slump. There was one primary plot conflict and that left the middle of the book feeling like quite a slump. It focused on relationship development, but I did feel disinterested for the middle 150 pages or so.

Lastly, I had difficulty with the tone of the book switching rapidly from the light and fun rom-com to a much darker tone when the triggering topics came up (trigger warnings for SA, PTSD, panic attacks, and trauma recovery). These topics are critically important to discuss, but they did feel out of place in a paranormal rom-com. I would go from laughing to feeling moderately triggered within pages. If the reader is not triggered by these topics, I would say that they likely wouldn't feel a tone shift nearly as much. But if this is something that the reader is indeed triggered by, then it can be quite the whiplash going in and out of those topics.

Overall, I would recommend this book to lovers of the classic teen-angst vampire stories. It has a level of nostalgia, but it also feels fresh. However, as stated earlier, I would heed the author's note and the content warnings given.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advanced digital reader copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a fun read. I loved following our main girl, Tess, and learning with her as she’s on a journey discovering vampires?! I liked the epistolary elements as well, it broke up the book in a fun way.

thank you netgalley and random house publishing group for this arc!
i wasn’t expecting this to feel like reading a fantasy book bc the cover was giving contemporary romance w a lil bit of vampires but boy oh boy i was wrong!
honestly just picture this: edward or jacob or alice or rosalie or jasper or stephan or damon show up and ur like. omg???? so you’re a real person???? not just a book character???? and then u get submersed into their world. this book was SO WELL DONE and such an interesting concept and just WOWOWOWOWOOWOW read it!!!!

This book was not only very fun and entertaining to read but it also covered some heavier topics in a tasteful and respectful way. There were some topics that I personally thought were a bit too heavy (SA and being drugged) but the author didn't do it in a way that made me want to put the book down if that makes sense. I also just love the cover and I think we can all agree that we never got over twilight so this was just a fun vampire romance book to try to chase that feeling again, which worked very well. I would absolutely recommend this book and I cannot wait for October 1st so I can go get my own physical copy!!

This book was so fun and unlike anything I've read. The ending got pretty chaotic, but I was so invested in the characters by that point, it didn't really bother me. I don't know if it's the permanent Twilight fan in me, but I would be happy to keep living in this world and reading sequels and spin-offs indefinitely.

3.5 ✨
🌶️

I thought this book was super fun. TLDR Tess finds out her favorite vampire series is real and in a string of events must help the characters escape their prison. I am going back and forth on the plot though, for a book that was so light hearted and fun (no major magic system, no complex hierarchy or fights) I think Tess’s main story hinging on her being drugged and raped brings down what is otherwise a light book. The author did do a good job of empowering Tess and keeping anything graphic off the page, but overall that’s not what I seek fantasy out for. I also felt like I needed more dialogue between characters, the romance for both couples felt very insta love and I would have loved to have seen it fully fleshed out.

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

this is a book about fiction and reality and a lot of romance between the twins and their respective partners. loved seeing it in real time with the posting and magic. I had an idea that the bad guy was someone else and glad that callum and tess found love along joni and oliva. good romance and got the buffy vibe.

Thank you to Kate Stayman-London, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review

I may be 27, but I never fully left my Twilight phase. This book was so fun and campy, but still managed to cover serious topics such as SA, anxiety, and depression in a thoughtful way.

I was nervous that the whole book was going to focus just on Tess on the Isle, but I was so pleasantly surprised when we kept up with what was going on back in New York.

The climax felt a bit, well, anti climatic, and seemed to wrap up almost too quickly (spoiler alert, but I feel like they should’ve stayed by the cabana suite to make sure the bad vamps burned up before leaving to rest/relax)?

The epilogue was so cute though, and I loved that Tess for her comeback and closure.

3.5/5

I am so obsessed with this book. While I am so, so thankful to have read an arc of this, I am desperate to have a physical copy on my shelf like a little trophy (and to stare at that incredible cover) and I simply don’t know how I’m going to wait until October. I mean, I’ve been waiting 4 years since I first read One To Watch for Kate Stayman-London to come out with another book so I could really solidify that she’s an auto-buy author for me, so I guess I can wait another few months to hold the physical book in my greedy little hands.

Anyway. On to the actual review. I loved this book. Clearly, right? Books with mixed media are just so fun to read, and the way it was put into this book just fit the story so well. I felt the same way about One To Watch with that, and it reminded me a lot of that. This first reminded me of Twilight (in the sense that it’s a book involving Vampires) but then also Game of Thrones (in the sense that it involves a book series that fans have been waiting for years for a new book) but then it also had the unique plot point of mixing the characters of the book with supposedly fictional characters of a book series they love. It was just so unique and fun, I couldn’t put this down.

I genuinely don’t know if a book has ever made me both laugh and cry so much. Let’s start with cry. This book starts with a trigger warning for sexual assault and noting that the survivor is healing throughout the book (+ resources for readers who may also be seeking support). This is a tough topic for me, and one I often avoid in fear of it not being handled well. I am so glad I decided to pick this up, because the reason I cried is because of how well this was handled. It was motivational and hopeful while still remaining completely real. It wasn’t a constant topic throughout the book, and felt included at appropriate times while being talked about in important and fitting ways. Now on to this book being so, so funny. I want to list so many quotes, but I know that they won’t mean much out of context. So instead I’ll just say that I’m glad I read this while sitting alone because I audibly laughed out loud multiple times, and would have turned some heads in public.

I feel like I’ve already raved and rambled for too long so I should wrap this up soon. The friendships in this book? Top tier. The romance? I swooned. Even the side characters and stories were so strong and well developed! Oh, and the banter? I mean, I’ve already said how much this made me laugh.

Okay one last thing to add - as a size 16, I love that the main character was also a size 16. There are a few characters described as curvy, just simply as a physical description. Sometimes books with a plus size character can put such a focus on that characters body, often in a negative way, and often by the character herself. It’s refreshing to read a book where a woman’s body is just described and not commented on, or only commented on in a positive way. Honestly the way women in general were talked about in this book was incredible.

Please pick this up. It’s unique, it’s well written, it’s such a fun story with amazing characters and a cute little romance that’s super inclusive. I will not hesitate to reread this & recommend it as much as possible.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book! I voluntarily read this book, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 The future was so bright for Tess as she started grad school at Columbia and found a soul sister friend until her world and her dreams came crashing down around her. Her favorite vampire books are her guilty escape from the horrors of the real world, which so many of us readers can relate to. When the characters from her favorite series, Blood Feud appear in her New York life, her worlds collide in the strangest of ways. Fang Fiction flawlessly blends fantasy and reality in a seamless manner, highlighting the enduring effects of trauma and showcasing survival and resilience. Kate Stayman-London creates an absolutely wonderfully written, unputdownable novel!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ thank you netgalley and random house publishing group for this arc!

i had so much fun reading this book!
fang fiction follows tess, a woman searching for purpose after dropping out of her dream grad school following a sexual assault. now working night shift at a hotel and estranged from her best friend, tess ends up forced out of limbo when she learns her favorite vampire book series… is real.
there’s romance (both queer and heterosexual!) , there’s action, there’s quests, there’s a very diverse cast of characters!
for those looking for representation, our fmc tess is plus size and her best friend joni is indian-american and a lesbian.

as for my review:
was this the best literary experience ive ever had?no it was not. the writing left a lot to be desired.
were the characters beautifully developed and complex? also no. these characters were incredibly 2 dimensional with vague motivations. the romances also felt pretty random, like the author knew these characters needed to be together but she didn’t know why they liked each other. and as a result, the audience doesn’t know either!
but did i have fun and giggle a lot? was i entertained? do i recommend this book? yeah!!! i did, i was, and i do!

please note the trigger warnings before reading, but i personally feel the topic of sexual assault was handled gracefully. there are also no graphic depictions of sexual assault, though the depictions of trauma responses due to assault may be triggering for some.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an advanced readers e-copy of Fang Fiction by Kate Stayman-London.

I've been missing vampire books and this one scratched the itch. Before I get too far into my review, let me preface that there are mentions of SA and other heavy subjects in this book that I certainly wasn't expecting. I went into this thinking the book would be more lighthearted, but was honestly pleasantly surprised by the depth of it.

Kate did a fantastic job creating a new world of vampires that aren't all that different from humans, making them generally more relatable and palatable. The humans and the vampires all had great character development, chemistry and banter.

I mean imagine having Edward Cullen come to you one day saying he needs your help to save his family? I'd agree way too fast.

A great read overall and keeping my fingers crossed for a book two!

This was such a fun read! I loved all of the characters and their development through the story. This felt like a fun, grown up version of Twilight but so much better

This was a fast paced, female driven, funny, and impossible to put down read! I LOVED it!! I'm not sure this book should have worked, but for me it totally did! I'm also here for the plus size fmc rep, I would absolutely recommend this book! Just don't take it to seriously.

Unfortunately the writing in this felt very juvenile and just wasn’t up to par with my tastes. The overuse of punctuation (i.e. ??? And !!!) felt wrong and out of place. For a story that wanted to convey serious subject matter, it didn’t seem that serious. Just not for me.

This book was the perfect Vampire Diaries/ Buffy/ Twilight mashup ever! It has a cheesy vampy storyline but with amazing girl power and made me smile a LOT. It was a book I looked forward to reading and stayed up late to finish it… even after the baby fell asleep.. which is saying a lot because she’s a baby so I should be sleeping every chance I get! LOL

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
The world of your favorite fantasy Fang Fiction is real, and imagine getting pulled into the plot. I honestly did not know what to expect of this book, but I devoured it. It was unique, and I liked the premise. There were parts where I started skimming a little, mostly earlier in the book, but as the plot thickened, I was fully in.
It's an enjoyable read for Vampire fans! Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the Publisher for the ARC of this entertaining read.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Fang fiction is a fangtastically great time if you're a fan of vampire fan fiction, love stories about books, and pop culture references. This story opens with Tess, a PhD student of literature, who ends up leaving this life behind after a traumatic event. Becoming an insomniac, losing her best friend, and become a night manager at a hotel, Tess finds comfort in her favourite vampire books: Blood Feud. She knows the ins and outs of all the characters and storylines. She has also written articles on social media and has kept on top of conspiracy theories suggesting that these vampires are real. The author of these popular books remains unknown and feeds into the popularity about these books.

One night while working at the hotel, Tess meets one of the vampires and quickly learns that yes, indeed, Blood Feud is real, and that this vampire villain needs Tess to help them on a quest to reunite them with a loved one. Soon after, Tress is thrust into a world of vampires and witches, jade pools, and enchanted meadows. Even though she knows these books inside and out, she quickly discovers that there are more questions than answers. What is fact and what is fiction? Who are the villains in this story?

This was a highly enjoyable read which had diverse and quirky characters. There are many nods to popular vampire fiction and pop culture in general. Interspersed in the story are excerpts from Blood Feud, text messages, emails between characters, articles, and pod cast episodes. It's tongue in cheek and wickedly funny that will have you eagerly consuming this book. Talking about consuming, the book is a fascinating read about fiction, villainy/heroism, trauma, and resilience. The author was very sensitive in writing about trauma. For those interested there is also a playlist found at the back of the novel and a playlist that can be found on spotify. This was a fun and entertaining read!