Just ok for me. Not a totally bad story but very messy with too much happening at times. The story progression was slow and made the pace feel awkward. The layout was fun with podcast transcripts, emails, Reddit posts, etc. Overall the plot was just to predictable.

I wanted to like this book. I was obsessed with Twilight, so a novel that imagines if vampires were real seemed right up my alley. Unfortunately, there was a lot of heavy stuff for the way this was marketed. I don't feel like the rape of Tess was appropriate, or even fit, with the rest of the narrative that was told.

I loved this book. I'll just say it up front. I loved the characters and the concept and I found it a delight to read.

A handful of years ago, Tess dropped out of her dream grad school program after being sexually assaulted by one of her classmates. These days, she works as a night manager for a quirky hotel and spends way too much time reading and rereading her favorite series of vampire novels, Blood Feud. A series that some people - Tess included - like to speculate might be real. Well, maybe. It would be fun, right? Except as it turns out, they are real, and now, one of the main characters needs Tess's help. Tess ends up tangled up in a parallel universe of vampires and their politics, and learns there's far more to these people than the books made it seem. And the actual villain might not be who she suspected.

There's a serious element of wish fulfillment to this book - what if your favorite book series was real and you were the only person who could help your favorite characters? - and that's part of the fun. It's self aware, full of Buffy references and vampire in-jokes, never taking itself too seriously without ever making fun of the characters. Tess's journey towards healing was - in my opinion - handled gently and with grace, and all of the characters around her are just as layered and lovely. Plus there's the lingering mystery of who the author of these books even is, which added an extra layer to the whole plot.

Basically, I had a great time reading this book, and I'm still thinking about it weeks after finishing it.

5/5

I did love Tess Rosenbloom and how the author handled writing an assault survivor. I also loved the Buffy quote at the beginning. However, the plot fell a little flat for me and I pretty much hated the secondary characters.

"Fang Fiction" by Kate Stayman-London was a fun and unique read. The story's mixed media format, including podcast transcripts, text messages, and book excerpts, made it an immersive experience. The premise revolves around a popular vampire book series with two covens, led by heartthrob Felix and bad boy Callum. Tess, a superfan, discovers that the vampires and their island are real when Callum escapes and seeks her out. Suddenly, she's the only human on an island full of vampires, navigating a world she thought was fictional.

The world-building and mysteries were standout elements for me. The story jumps between dimensions and timelines, but the author handles it seamlessly, making it entertaining rather than confusing. While the romance between Tess and Callum was secondary, it served Tess's character development well. The book also had fun references to other vampire series like "Twilight," "True Blood," and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," making it a perfect October read. Overall, "Fang Fiction" is a delightful blend of supernatural crime-solving and cozy, puzzle-filled fun.

This clever, comical novel centers on sweet-but-skittish Tess Rosenbloom. After finding out that Blood Feud, the vampire book series she loves is real, she ends up stranded on an island with the vampires and gets immersed in their high-stakes world.

Tess is a great character. You feel for her, especially due to how well the subplot about past abuse is presented. It adds the perfect amount of emotional resonance to this campy, fun tale. The main romance between Tess and lead vampire Caleb is fun and swoony, while the sapphic romance for her best friend adds even more heart.

It's spooky season and the perfect time to dig your teeth into the funny, romantic, emotional novel!

This was pure vampy fun! I’ve been waiting for another book from this author since One to Watch and I love that she changed genres so dramatically but with such flair. I felt like was watching Buffy and it gave life!

Imagine your favorite fictional characters were actually real and you got pulled into their orbit and you got mixed up in their bloody vampire feud?

It’s like if all of a sudden Fae were just walking around and you actively make out with Rhys because you were part of the story THAT WAS NOT ACTUALLY FICTION AT ALL!! 😱

I didn't finish this one. The writing wasn't great and it dragged so much in some spots. I skimmed a lot to try to get to entertaining parts but it never really happened. I also didn't end up liking any of the main characters so that didn't help my enjoyment of the book.

This is what I imagine when someone is dropped into their fandom's canonical storyline. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but this was very enjoyable and the author did an excellent job of switching between POVs. I also believed Tess, one of the main characters, was given a clear background and acted in line with her motivations as a result. Sexual assault is not always written well, but the text depicted trauma and triggers that, in my own personal understanding, correctly and as respectfully as possible in conjunction with the rest of the story. This was a solid book that made for a fun read.

Thank you @NetGalley and @Random House Publishing Group for the ARC. Fang Fiction was such a fun read. I would love to be part of Buffy the Vampire world. This book shows that a story is what we make of it and the characters are not always fiction. If you love the vampire world, a must read.

Thank you so much NetGalley for allowing me to read this e arc!

First off while I give this a five star it’s for very biased emotional nostalgic reasons. Though in a way the more I think about it the more I realize that’s more of success for the book because this book is a love letter those vampire romances like vampire diaries, twilight and Buffy and it threw me back into a time where I LOVED those kinds of books and shows! It felt so good to touch on those memories while reading something new! The cast was so endearing I loved Tess and Callum so much and Joni and Octavia were so fun! If there was ever a sequel for this book I would definitely get behind it! Even though the ending of this one was a rather lovely end

this book was so fun !! i was approved on netgalley to read it & i loved it !! i though the different forms of text (podcast, texts, emails, a part of a blog) were nice & different. i loved the friendships and the relationships too callum, I LOVED HIM. he was so grumpy but also his soft side that you see as you read more, ugh, i love. there were some plot twists that i was not excepting, which i loved. i really liked the representation of the main character, tess, going through ptsd & trauma from her sa. it showed that something that has such a small comparison to it, can still trigger you.

I had SUCH high hopes for this one and unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me. I adored KSL’s debut, but while I found the premise of this one to be so so good, the writing fell a little flat and the SA was so unexpected that it threw me out of the story and I kinda never recovered. Sigh. I’ll try her next book with tempered hopes!

I would describe this unironically as "a romp". It was so fun and such a perfectly crafted world that the reader gets to play in for a few hundred pages.

This was so fun!!! Kate can do no wrong and I hope we keep getting paranormal/spooky/magical books from her.

I wanted to read this because the premise sounds so silly, and it was such a good time.

Tess left her writing program at Columbia after something bad happened, started working at a hotel because she wasn't sleeping anyone, and continued her obsession with a bestselling sensation series called Blood Feud. Then she learns Blood Feud is real.

Tess encounters the vampires she's read about, and the Isle they were banished to, but nothing is quite how the Blood Feud books make it out to be. Tess learns there are different kinds of evil and different lengths we would go to in order to protect the people that we love. She also finds a chance to confront her past and re-envision her dreams.

I teared up a little bit, had a good time, and would definitely read more from this author.

So I was a HUGE Twilight fan. I read the first one and was immediately enamored with the Cullens. I remember standing in line to get Breaking Dawn on publication day and have watched the movie at least twenty times. I love the scene where Bella Swan and Edward lock eyes in the parking lot on an overcast rainy day. I can close my eyes and picture the whole scene, that’s how much I’ve watched it. I think if I could live in the world of those books for a day I would probably squeal with excitement. For it to be confirmed that vampires are real and hang out with Alice and Rosalie?! Sign. Me. Up.

The premise of Fang Fiction is just that. Tess gets to enter the world of the book Blood Feud and it really is everyone you can imagine. This book was highly entertaining and the perfect one to read during Halloween season.

Kate Stayman-London is so much fun. I read her first book One to Watch and this story has some of that same flavor with a strong female lead, really really fun supporting characters and a storyline that keeps you guessing, swooning, and very charmed and amused.

"But if you want something in this life, you have to sack up and be vulnerable and fucking go for it. So quit whining and do it already, okay?"

One thing that really makes a story for me is the tenacity of the main character and Tess is definitely on my favorites list now. She’s gone through some hardship. You’ll know right away what that is and I love that Stayman-London gives you that heads up in her thoughtful Author’s Note. Before reading I highly suggest you read it.

Tess is stubbornly determined and fierce but also vulnerable and searching for and needing things we all search and need at times.

I really loved that you get to read her point of view, and also some of the other characters.

Her bravery and watching her step into her own was so inspiring and fun! I also really loved Tess’ friendship with Joni and you are going to love what happens with Tess and Callum!

I don’t want to give too much away but this story has magic, a really cool bar I wish I could visit, some mystery and intrigue, and a great ending!

This is a book I wish I could step into and I think you’ll want to, as well!

This was such a fun and unique take on the typical vampire romance trope. With POC, plus sized, and LGBTQ+ representation , it was easy to fall in love with the characters. My ONLY complaint is that the plus sized FMC wears the dreaded wrap dress 💀

Thank you to Dial and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-paranormal with a real world twist
-a love letter to fan fiction
-portal
-multi POV
-vampires
-soft for you
-hurt/comfort

Gosh I adored this book. This was a love letter to romance, to fan fiction, and just how amazing it is to escape into a story for a million reasons. I honestly want to read the books in this fictional world Kate created now. A look at who the villians really rae, who writes the story, and how we can think we know what we need but opening ourselves up to something else can be even better.

Tess has shifted in her life, left scool, but ends up intertwined with the world of her favorite books. There's so many wists and turns and I just had the best time reading this one.

I feel like this was two different books or this book didn’t know for sure what it wanted to be. I think the author handled the trigger warning well and didn’t go into too much detail on what happened to Tess. Then, there was the great story of the vampires. It felt like what happened to Tess was shoved into this other great story and that was for Tess’ development, but it didn’t really work that well. Although the author made it work, it felt forced. I understand why Tess did some of the things she did to a point, but at the same time she left her found family and just exited her life. I don’t know, I’m conflicted about the areas that worked together and the areas that didn’t. Most of the book was enjoyable.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback for providing an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.