Review: Live for Me by Lauren Jackson
Lauren Jackson delivers a deeply emotional and raw story in Live for Me, a book that dives into themes of love, loss, and healing. With a poignant narrative and compelling characters, this novel will tug at your heartstrings and leave you rooting for a second chance at happiness.

What sets Live for Me apart is Jackson’s ability to create characters who feel real. Their flaws and struggles are relatable, and their growth throughout the story is both satisfying and inspiring. The romance builds slowly, with moments of tenderness that resonate deeply, making the payoff all the more rewarding.
The prose is heartfelt and evocative, pulling you into every scene. While the pacing is steady, there are moments where the emotional weight feels heavy—perfect for readers who enjoy diving into the complexities of life and love.
Fans of emotionally driven romances like It Ends with Us or The Light We Lost will find Live for Me a meaningful and memorable read. It’s a story that reminds us that even in the darkest moments, love can be a beacon of hope.

4.5 ✨ I absolutely adored this book and the relationship between our FMC & MMC.

Being back in this world fed my soul, I loved the mystery, the banter, the want and NEED.

It was easy to digest and addictive! I am an absolute sucker for a real morally grey dark vampire with a soft side for the one special vamp.

Live For You was a little darker and a little bit more spicy and I ate it up!

The epilogue though… I need Theo’s book!

I absolutely loved die for you by Lauren Jackson so this was a highly anticipated read for me, and I have to say it exceeded expectations!!

If you are a fan of mystery, vampires, morally grey men, or delectable tension then this book is definitely for you! There was the perfect blend of plot twists to keep you hooked, angst to keep you on the edge of your seat, and hot villainous MMC to keep you swooning.

I absolutely loved Cora and Kian, they are both such wonderfully complex characters. I loved getting to know them and their backstories, and I especially loved the flashbacks scattered throughout the book.

The side characters in this series are PHENOMENAL, Theo had me giggling the whole time, and, Raya and Hunters appearance had me kicking my feet.

It was amazing being back in Redthorne and I cannot wait for the next one!!

3.5⭐️

Okay so I absolutely devoured Die For You. I read it in one day and needed book two asap.

So this was a highly anticipated read for me.

Things I liked…
Flashback to scenes that happened before Die For You
The second half of the book
All the vampire vibes

Things I didn’t…
Slow paced
The lull (nothing muxh happened) in the middle of the book

I still enjoyed this book, I think it just didn’t meet the expectations I had originally for this book. At the end of the day I just have to be honest with myself, and unfortunately this book just fell flat in my opinion.

Thank you to Penguin Books for an Ebook advanced copy.

I loved being back in Red Thorne reading book 2 in the series. Live for Me takes us on Kian and Cora’s journey,

I really enjoyed reading about how they first met and how Kian was turned a long time ago. We also get taken on a wild adventure looking for a witch. There are so many secrets and mysteries, things get pretty intense, I love how vamps fight it out!

The characters are so great, Theo is a favourite and makes me chuckle. I must say though, nothing beats the chemistry between Hunter and Raya! Yes, the attraction and spice was heavy between Kian and Cora, but I felt it more between the others.

I really enjoyed the story, sometimes I felt like it was jumping around a lot but it was easy enough to follow and an enjoyable read.

Live for Me is book 2 of the Red Thorne series.
Lauren Jackson did a great job of creating beautifully flawed characters. The book is told in the POV of 3 characters, allowing the readers to empathise with their struggles and root for their growth. I particularly enjoyed reading about Cora and her character development in this book.

The writing is easy to read, however the pacing can feel a bit slow especially in the middle, and some plot points may seem predictable. Despite this, Live for Me, remains engaging and enjoyable.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Lauren Jackson for the arc.

*spoiler free arc review*

Releasing tomorrow - 10 September!

Stop it righhhhht now! This was so damn good. If you’re a Vampire Diaries / True Blood lover, particularly Klaus Mikaelson lover, then this one is for you.

I had the best time reading this one and am so grateful to Lauren and her team @penguinbooksaus for giving me the opportunity to read this as an arc.

This one’s a 3 person POV and I just LOVE the mystery element to these vampy romances. Someone’s being hunted, someone’s been cursed by a coven of witches (hello Bonnie, is that you??) and someone’s been taken prisoner.

This one is a step up from book 1 (Die For You) a little darker and steamier. There are so many secrets to uncover, complicated relationships to work through and plenty of angst.

I guessed something early on in the story which ended up being half true so all in all the plot twists got me good! My fave of the 2 for sure 🤍

Themes / tropes:

🧛🏻 vampire romance
🧛🏻 fated mates
🧛🏻 enemies to lovers
🧛🏻 morally grey mmc