Member Reviews
Things that I didn’t know I needed in my life: a modern twist on CLASSIC vampires WITH body positivity. In a world with sparkly vampires and so much fat shaming, I was so happy to read a book that had vampires that slept during the day and a FMC who was confident in who she is. Carrie was such a strong FMC, and Nick was such a compliment to her. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and I need more of it!
Carrie wakes up one day with the physique of a bodybuilder and a strong desire to kill her annoying co-worker Nick. It turns out, Nick has recently become a vampire and she has turned into his slayer. They have to team together to figure this out and find a way back to normal life, but they also form an attraction in the process.
This is a fun and fast-paced read perfect for spooky season. With fun paranormal antics, entertaining banter, and an amazing cast of side characters, this book was a cute light-hearted read!
The audiobook narrated by Fiona Aarington made for a very fun listen. I loved listening to Fiona’s voice and she really brought the characters to life!
Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advance copies.
4.5/5 stars
This was a really cute enemies to lovers romance between a vampire and a vampire slayer. It was so much fun and a little silly, but I really enjoyed both the story and the characters and it was a super quick read!
I did a hybrid read (audio and ebook) and I absolutely loved the narrator!
This is the 2nd book I have read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed both of them and can’t wait to see what she comes out with next.
Although this is the second book in the series, it’s stands completely alone, so you do not need to have read When Live Gives You Vampires before reading Vampires Never Say Die.
Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca for the eARC and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for a review.
Vampires Never Say Die is available now.
CW: Both of these books deal a lot with body image so please keep that in mind if you plan to read either of them!
“You slay me you know. Absolutely slay me.”
This time of year I reach for everything paranormal and sweet - so Vampires Never Say Die, the second installment in Gloria Duke’s Slaying It series was my first go to.
Carrie wakes up one morning a Vampire Slayer because her obnoxious colleague has gotten himself turned into a vampire. I really liked Carrie, and while I always anticipate authors to use the Buffy stereo-type, I’m glad Carrie was not Buffy.
This is single POV, and I honestly wish this had been written in dual POV, because getting to know more about Nick and seeing his perspective would have added more depth to his character.
This definitely has some steam! But it’s still a fun read for this time of year and I absolutely enjoyed listening to the audiobook while commuting.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
This was a fun read and it gave all the Halloween vibes! I enjoyed the story of vampire and vampire slayer and how they actually fell in love. The romance in this book was sweet and at times I was getting some True Blood vibes and I was so there for it. I enjoyed the supernatural parts of this book and want more books in this series.
MF
Paranormal romance
Buffy vibes
Enemies? to lovers
Insta-love
Rating: 2/5 - I am not sure why I finished this, it was not for me
🌶️: 2/5 - there were a couple explicit intimate scenes
I loved the premise of this book. The general idea behind the book is what drew me in originally. It was unique and fun. The relationship unfortunately lost me. It's definitely an insta-love story which always losses me. I just can't invest in a couple that's in love with no substance behind it. There were some cute dates and bonding moments but not enough in my opinion. I will definitely check out other books by this author to see if the fun premise remains with the addition of a more flushed out couple.
The audio narration was well done. No distracting accents or voices.
Ultimately, if you don't mind insta-love this might be a fun read for you.
DNF at 10%
This was just not working for me…
There was too much body image talk and, obviously a book about vampires isn’t realistic to begin with, but the fact that she woke up buff and they immediately went “it’s because of vampires” didn’t make sense. Lol
Carrie is an aspiring actress in LA, always that the mercy of casting directors, who love to judge how she looks. Things get worse when one night Carrie goes from hating her slacking coworker Nick to wanting to kill him. Turns out Nick is a vampire and she is now his slayer. Not only does Carrie now have super human strength and some magically qualities, she has also gained a bodybuilder physique. Nick swears he can help her calm her killer instincts but with there forced bond, will Carrie also discover some deeper emotions?
If you like these, you'll like this book:
-Vampires
-Mortal Enemies-to-lovers
-Forced Proximity
-First person POV (Carrie)
-Rom-Com
-Minor spice
Fiona Aarington narrated the audiobook and did a great job!
This is the second book in the Slaying It series but it can be read as a standalone. I have not read the first book and found that it did not impede on my understanding of the book.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review <3
I enjoyed this so much more than the first book, I'm happy to say. There is still a decent amount of body insecurity but our main character had a lot of personal growth internally and it showed on page. The story is fun and I really did enjoy the romance aspect of it. Nick is so sweet and the way their feelings deepened as the story went along was really satisfying.
Overall, if you're looking for a fun supernatural rom-com between a vampire and a slayer, this is a decent option.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an audio arc of book!
Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans rejoice! This books gives exactly those vibes. Funny and dark with a kickass main character, this is a must-read!
I knew about Witch and witch hunter trope but this book introduced me to Vampire and vampire slayer trope, the entire concept of the vampire slayer was very fascinating. Carrie's body changes overnight and she can now summon a fire sword so she and her friends try to make sense of it. They are very supportive and how a friend group should be. Carrie turned into a vampire slayer because of Nick, a guy from the bar she works at and he is a vampire and now he is helping her to hide her powers to save her life.
I think romance was quick and there wasn't much buildup there which is why I felt their chemistry was lacking. The main focus was on Carrie and her believing in herself, her taking charge of her life, standing up for herself and making her own destiny, which I absolutely loved. The entire Vampire thing was also fun so overall a good book.
Rating: 3.5
A short, cute, and fluffy vampire romance. They didn't focus so much on body dysmorphia like they did in the first book, and when they did, it was more about musculature on a woman rather than being plus sized. Still some very important conversations about beauty standards for women, though, especially in performance arts.
I wouldn't say there's anything particularly memorable about this book, but I think it's still worth your time to read.
You don't need to read the first book in this series to be able to read this one.
This was a cute quick listen. It was very well written and I loved listening to it! Would highly recommend
Was a little dubious to start with but it got good! Loved the storyline, the twists and turns and I for once liked the ending of a book! This is a must read, a lot of people are comparing it to Buffy the Vampire Slayer but personally I don't see that and see it as a work of art in its own right. It's a must read, a little spicy but only briefly and fun to listen to!
Full review will be posted on goodreads and instagram soon!
4 stars
Vampires Never Say Die is a new cute vampire rom com and the sequel to When Life Gives You Vampires, which I read when it came out in 2022. This one was a highly anticipated sequel for me!
I enjoyed our main character, Carrie. I found her to be relatable! I liked her character growth, especially when she has to completely change her life to become the Slayer. I liked her relationship with her friends, as well.
I found the romance to be a bit lacking and Carrie quickly went from hating her coworker enough to be his slayer, to wanting to be with him. I still enjoyed it :)
*Vampires Never Say Die* is a fun, quick rom-com that’s perfect for when you want something light and entertaining. The fast pace keeps you hooked with plenty of laughs along the way. While the writing could be a bit smoother, and adding Nick’s point of view would have made it even better, it’s not trying to be a serious read—it’s all about having a good time! Nick is a standout character, and I wish we got more of his story, but overall, it’s an enjoyable ride. Plus, the audiobook, narrated by Fiona Aarington, made it even more fun to listen to!
Listened to this on audio book and it was a quick easy listen! It reminded me of the movies I use to watch on Disney channel or abc. I didnt realize there was a previous book so that’s my fault but I’m reading the first one now to see if that alters my opinion or review! Overall id recommend!
So dry and boring. I really enjoyed the last book, but this one seems to lack purpose. Why am I 20% in and nothing has happened yet? This is a limited run series friend, get to the point.
3.5⭐, 2🌶️
This book has soo much going for it to be a really cool modern magical/ fantasy romance. I think where it missed the mark was it was just a tad too short? I would have liked more of Carrie and Nick being a couple, and not essentially enemies to friends to a one night stand to a second into third act split into a very fast reconciliation. They were not together long enough and I just couldnt enjoy the romance of this book, It didnt read well for me and just felt lack luster for a love story.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I really enjoy Duke's writing and her plots. Her writing style is fun and easy to read. Plus the addition of vampires to a otherwise totally normal romance is always fun. I will say I didn't care for this book as much as her first one. The plot was fine and I enjoyed the characters but having a mc that was upset because she got buff over night seemed cheap after her last book. I wanted another fun story with a plus sized mc but this one just didn't have that. There was only one plus size character and she was barley even a side character. If I hadn't read her first novel this one would have probably been a five star book but because I was disappointed in this I am only giving it 3 stars. It just felt like Duke took the easy way with this book.