Thank you, NetGalley and random house for this arc. I was so pleasantly surprised when I began reading the story! I thought it was another fluffy vampire story but it totally surprised me!! I fell in love with the adorable Tess, who is the main character. She is plus size and dealing with trauma from her past, but overcome it. I really love how the author described Tess I felt that I knew her and that she was a good friend of mine. I also love her relationship with Callum. Another great part of the book was the relationship between Joni and Octavia.. I think it was a refreshing look on a Sapphic romance and added nicely to the story!! I will definitely be reading more from this author and I highly recommend this book too. I also really enjoyed the adorable cover.!!! Thank you!!!

I loved this premise. The whole concept for this book was very fun and creative.

It starts so fricken good, very relatable to all us tumblr/fanfic/buzzfeed book fans. The main character has some trauma but the author manages to keep it light while also honoring those that have gone through something similar.

At times I was laughing out loud, very fun characters and world building.

At times I started to skim because I wanted to jump ahead and see what happened. The writing seemed stronger in the beginning of the book than in the end, but the beginning hooked me so I wanted to see what happened even if the writing slipped.

The diverse cast of characters was so great to see. Love the representation!!!

I will say I was pulled out of the book at the mention of blood moving faster in smaller veins since the opposite is actually true. That’s the only time that happened though when I was pulled out of the story.

4.5 Stars!

Do you ever wish you could be magically transported into your favorite fantasy/paranormal book series and help the characters you've been obsessing over for years solve a super important and world altering problem? If you said yes, then this book is for you. Also, if you said yes then you sound like an awesome person with great judgement and imagination.

This book is about Tess, a hotel night manager, who stumbles into one of her favorite book characters from the sensational vampire novel "Blood Feud". She finds out that all of the characters in this book are actually real and they are trapped on a not fictional island. Of course the fate of the vampires on this island is now in Tess's hands and she must transport to this island to figure out how to reunite and free them.

This book was the multimedia dream. It had text messages, emails, podcast transcripts, reddit posts, and tumblr posts! Multimedia components are my absolute favorite, so with this book having something multimedia in every single chapter was amazing.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC!

I absolutely ADORED this book. It was fun, campy, heartfelt, and a little bit therapeutic.

FMC Tess left her PhD at Columbia (and her best friend) due to a traumatic experience. and now works the night shift at a hotel in NYC. She spends most of her time running from her trauma by immersing herself into her favorite vampire books-- and arguing online about how the vampires in the book are real. After a triggering experience at her ex-best friend's birthday party, she goes to work only to be confronted by Octavia... one of the vampires in the book. She convinces Tess to travel to The Isle, the magical realm the vampires are stuck in, in order to make contact with her brother Callum, who is portrayed in the books as the sexy, violet, hedonistic villain.

Only once Tess gets to The Isle, she realizes that the vampire world in real life is not at all what was written in the books. And neither is Callum. Stuck in The Isle, Tess and Callum team up to find a way back to NYC and Octavia. In NYC, Octavia enlists Tess's ex-best friend Joni to help her find a portal to get Tess and Callum back. There are vampire politics to navigate, books to read, sex to have, trauma to resolve, and a big bad villain to defeat.

This book was such a brilliant, fun, and heartfelt but light exploration of female trauma and healing. The chapter excerpts from the vampire books, plus the text messages and emails between characters, podcast transcripts, and buzzfeed quizzes revolving around the vampire books gave it such a fun, campy feel. They also functioned as a way to provide the reader with more information than the characters had as the plot progressed, which helped tie in everything really nicely and build a concrete, believable world.

It's a refreshing take on vampires while still having all the same tropes we know and love from other vampire media. I also really appreciated the diversity of characters and the curvy main female character representation-- it was so refreshing to read about round bellies, wide hips, and soft bodies being loved and admired.

I cannot wait to recommend this to all my friends when it comes out (and October is the perfect release month, as this book will make a great addition to month themed reading lists).

As requested in the ARC, I will not publish my reviews on any other site until the onsale date. My reviews will run on October 1st on Goodreads and Tiktok.

Thank you NetGalley for this early arc copy!

This was such a ride of a Vampire read. We have two friends who met at a college mixer one day and they instantly hit it off over their love of a book series that is very Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets True Blood. Well flash forward to 3 years later and the fmc: Tress is working at a hotel during night shifts due to some mental issues from an event that happened while at college, and nobody really knows about it. While she is working her shift one night a beautiful woman approaches her, knows her name and she immediately realizes it’s one of the main characters of her beloved book series!!!! Octavia needs her help to reach out to her twin brother, Callum along with trying to help the other vampires who are also trapped on The Isle.

Many chaotic events happen during this in the best of ways and I finished this in less than 12 hours honestly. I just couldn’t wait to find out more and it was amazing, I was very much jamming out to my own Buffy the Vampire Slayer playlist I have. I could not get enough of Tress and Callum- they gave me serious Spike and Buffy vibes in the best of ways. While her bestie… well I don’t want to give -all- of it away 🤭

⭐️5 Stars ⭐️

Okay, this book was just way too chaotic for me. There were so many POVs that felt pointless and that just took away from the flow of the story— like random blog/podcasts about the vampire books. We also got POVs from friends that yes, they are important but they distracted from my ability to focus on the main story…

In the end, I really couldn’t even tell you much about what this book was about because I just couldn’t keep focused on it. I tried, I really did. I liked the concept, but the execution really needed some changes.

3.5 stars

I absolutely loved the concept of Fang Fiction, but ironically it read too much like fan fiction for me.

The world building, the overall concept, and the additions of podcast transcripts and online articles within the chapters are fantastic. I just felt it was a little too tell and not enough show.

The romance, in my opinion, needed to be fleshed out and the villain of the story given more of an arc. The reader is told many things, but they are not shown to us in character actions or active plot.

I wish it had been given one more edit to build the story and characters to the next level. I really enjoyed the concept, but felt I was looking at the skeleton vs a full bodied story.

TW: sexual assault

3.5 stars

I picked this book up for the whole “girl falls into her favorite fantasy world” trope, but stayed for the complex commentary on fan culture, escapism, and self-healing. Fang Fiction was nothing like I was originally expecting. I went into it thinking that this was going to be another campy vampire story. I was delightfully surprised to find this a fascinating use of the monster as an externalization of human fears, a commentary on fan culture, and the exploration of healing after a trauma. In short, it was definitely NOT your average vampire story.

I ADORE the topic of fan culture and escapism. When it’s done right, it just hits so well, and Staymon-London does it right. Blood Feud is a hit series written by the anonymous August Lirio. These books happen to be a comfort series for Tess, a PhD candidate who dropped out of her program after she was sexually assaulted. It is also the only thread she has left connecting her to her estranged best friend, Joni. The two are total Feudies, so much so that Tess wrote an article on Buzzfeed about how the vampires in Blood Feud might be real. Which she was actually right about. Now Tess must work with the sexy and slightly villainous Callum, to reunite her with his twin Octavia.

This book won’t be for everyone, but it was for me on a lot of levels. I loved the chemistry between Callum and Tess, I thought they had a really cute dynamic. I also really appreciate Joni and Octavia’s relationship, both for the sapphic representation and for the ‘dating your favorite trope’. The pacing was decent, I loved the dry humor, and there were some really fun places the characters explored, like Bar Between. I’m also big on reading author’s notes, because I often find they add a really interesting layer to the story, and Staymon-London’s definitely did not disappoint. She briefly mentions that she chose vampires to tell this particular story, because in literature vampires are traditionally representative of love and sex. I think this is a great piece of subtext that adds nuisance to the sexual assault plot.

The main issue I had with this book is that I was left with wanting more. More time with the characters, more development of the platonic and romantic relationships, more of the world Staymon-London was building on the Isle. As such, I think this book would’ve been better off broken up into a duology. Now I know that is so much easier said than done. Staymon-London was trying to tackle a lot in this book in terms of themes, and some particularly intense ones to boot. While she was mostly successful, I think it could have been so much better if we saw more passage of time for the events in this book.

I hate to leave things on a (semi) bad note, so I will say this. The book leaves a lot of open at the end, so I am excited for any future possibilities.

honestly this book was very fun and unique.
I loved the premise and the world/magic system. Also loved the use of the internet/book excerpts throughout this book in order work build/ explain things.
Also LOVED it was multiple POV, kept the pacing fast.

I do with there was a little bit more from the other characters. I also did feel some of the characters were a little superficial and the relationships a little immature towards the end of the book. I also wish the ending wasn’t so rushed.

All in all, really a fun read though! I enjoyed it

Tess is a graduate school drop out who manages a cute hotel in Brooklyn and LOVES reading her guilty pleasure Blood Feud. But what happens when the hot villain of your favorite book needs your help?!

This book is like a love letter to all of your favorite vampire books! Yay for a plus size FMC!!!! Thank you Kate! This book is so unique! First of all I want to read the Blood Feud books because they sound right up my alley. I love the fact that this story also includes its own books that you get a glimpse of (I’ve never read anything like this before!). It’s my dream come true of actually being able to visit places in your favorite book and meet the characters. If you are a fan of Twilight, Vampire Diaries, and Buffy then this is the book for you!! I could not put this book down and I really hope there will be a sequel!!

I’ll be posting my review on instagram: Bookishkater as well as on Amazon on publishing day. And goodreads also is bookishkater.

This book was fun. If you love vampires, you will like this. The subplot of what Tess was going through really moved me and I appreciated the world-building the author did. It’s very unique world-building!

I thought the beginning of the book moved too fast. More could have been done to build up Tess and Joni’s relationship and introduce blood feud besides the excerpts. I also think the romances were too insta-lovey. If the book was longer, more development could have been done of characters pre-romance and during the romance. I also am not a big fan of third person in general. I think a multi-pov first person would have been more to my taste.

Fang Fiction was a fun, fast-paced book full of vampires. I loved the concept of a fantasy world hidden in the Blood Feud books and the mixed media throughout this story regarding the mysterious author of the Blood Feud books and the question if vampires are real. The descriptions given about the Isle left me wanting more and wished Tess was able to visit more of the magical places. However, I loved the overall story and the two love stories that occurred for Tess and Joni. There was never a dull moment throughout this book. Highly recommend.

Trigger Warnings: Please be aware that Fang Fiction does tell the story of a sexual assault survivor. Although I felt the author did a good job in avoiding graphic descriptions or language, this book may not be for everyone.

Fang Fiction comes out October 1st.

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

This book was EVERYTHING to me, and I can't believe I was lucky enough to get approved for this magical book! I loved the fan fiction aspect, the many forms of multimedia used throughout the book, the romance, the world-building, just everything! I'm really hoping this book will be the resurgence of vampire fiction/vampire romances, and I absolutely can't wait to see what Kate Stayman-London does next.

I've shared this book on Goodreads, and with friends on TikTok and a book club discord I'm in.

Fang Fiction offers an engaging blend of mixed media and excellent world-building that immerses readers in a fun fantasy setting. The unique storytelling format and authentic fangirl atmosphere are standout features that make the book enjoyable and relatable. The only thing that didn't work for me was the clash between the heaviness of some topics and the fun, rom-com nature of the book. Despite this, the book remains a creative and entertaining read for those who love a mix of fandom culture and romance.

While the premise of this book really intrigued me, this book just was not my cup of tea. While I understood the way they tried to add the world building with snippets from the book instead of info dumping, it ended up being too jump for my attention span. Especially with added podcast chapters. Like I said, I think overall this book ended up not being for my taste and others will enjoy it. Thank you so much for the chance to read it.

Ever read a book and think- I am exactly the audience for this. This book felt made for me: The Buffy the Vampire Slayer influences and references, the use of podcast inserts that were clearly a shout out to the Buffering podcast, the mix of NYC and the supernatural, Fangirl culture, and academia! Gimme more! Also, there is a friendship at the core of the story. Kate Stayman-London, you have read my thoughts and made an outstanding novel.

There are two couples to ship in the story, which left me rabid at the end of each chapter, with a mix of frustration and excitement when the POV switched over. This was a read in one sitting type of book. My only bump was parts of the end action piece. No spoilers, but there was a moment of wait-what-how. But, once it led to the ending, I was still happy with the book..

I would recommend this to anyone who loves a fandom, listening to a good podcast, watching witty vampire TV shows, and would like a one-way ticket to travel to NYC! Thank you, Random House Publishing Group, for this advanced reader's copy.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. Overall, I thought it was a lot of fun. It was fast-paced, interesting, and full of vampires. I couldn't help but feel like things were missing from it though.

I feel like including two love stories in here detracted from each other so it left me wanting more from both couples. Also, I wish we spent more time in the Isle since that was what interested me most. The mixed media format was interesting as well, but sometimes I felt like the inclusions were too often. The book would have a good pace and then there would be an interview or email in the middle which messed with the rhythm of it a bit.

I'm nitpicking a bit at this though but I enjoyed it overall. If you're looking for a fun supernatural queer romance, I'd suggest checking this out!

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with this ARC!

Thia was a captivating blend of fantasy and romance, where Tess Rosenbloom discovers her favorite vampire novels are real. The dark, glamorous setting and thrilling adventure keep me hooked. Tess's journey of personal growth and redemption adds depth, making it more than just a romance. Fans of dark rom-coms will find it a delightful read.

This books had a really unique premise and is definitely not your typical romance! I love that the book integrates modern media, such as podcasts, reddit threads, group chats, etc. without giving the feeling that it could become quickly dated. As someone with a shameless love for Twilight and Vampire Diaries, I thought this title was really fun with a campy feel that didn't venture over into cheesy. I would definitely recommend this title to anyone who has a nostalgia for Buffy, Twilight, Vampire Diaries, etc.

This was so fun! It moved so quickly but not in a way that it felt like something was missing. I feel like this would be a great introductory read for those who don't often read paranormal/vampires.