I was hooked from page one, cause I love vampires stories and rifling thru people possession in name of cleansing. The characters are lovable and the chemistry is great.

Fangs For Nothing follows the story of Winnie Preston, a professional organizer who struggles with OCD, as she ventures to a small town to help Lord Alaric Valerian organize his castle before his mother visits. The minute they meet, there is an instant connection between them. However, Winnie wants to stay professional, and Alaric is hiding many secrets from her, including the fact he is a vampire. With murders happening in town and Alaric’s mother showing up early with a bride-to-be, will Alaric and WInnie be able to keep up a fake engagement and stay together?

When I say this book sank its fangs into me and wouldn’t let go, I am not exaggerating. I was hooked so quickly, I found myself invested in the characters, including the side characters, and wondering if they have their own books (hint: one does, I plan to read that series!). How Winnie didn’t pick up on Alaric being a vampire is beyond me. She had so many hints of it and even her new friends pointing it out to her. That being said, I did really enjoy this book, I especially enjoyed the banter and her new friends at the book club. I definitely plan to read the next book in the series when it comes out and have already suggested it to my friends!

I highly recommend this book to readers who like paranormal stories that are easy reads (no complex world building), murder mysteries, quirky characters, and fake dating with a little smut on the side. Thank you, Steffanie Holmes and NetGalley, for providing me with this ARC to read.

This book surprised me - in a good way! I loved the atmosphere of the world in this book. It is set in Argleton (in the UK), which is by the way, a phantom village! Apparently, the village appeared in Google Maps but it doesn’t really even exist! Anyway, going back to the book, I had no expectations when I dove into the book because this is the first time I’ve read anything from the author. The book cover caught my attention because as you can see it’s really chic.

It was really entertaining and it gave the spooky, supernatural vibe, perfect for this season. I loved the world building and how the author wrote it because it was very descriptive. It will really immerse you. The plot is nothing new with the common tropes of fake dating/fake fiancé, love (or more like obsessed) at first sight, forced proximity, and all that jazz. But I’m a sucker for those (except for insta-love) that’s why I loved it.

The story was well-paced, albeit the cleaning and organizing of the Winnie Wins System was a bit too much for me. As a person with OCD though, I could relate. MariKondo all the way! Romance with a touch of mystery is also my go-to so I enjoyed the crime thriller aspect of the book. Who is the killer? I still can’t think who it could be lol.

The side characters - OMG I love them! The Nevermore Murder Club & Smutty Book Coven (that was a mouthful) was amazing! I want to be friends with them! I really enjoyed the banter amongst these ladies!

The spice…ooooh I did not expect that! I thought this would be just a silly, entertaining read but ooohhhh I loved the spice! The spice is spicing!!! Even if the story was really more on an instalove at the get go, the build up to Alaric’s and Winnie’s relationship was great. The tension between them was hoot and when they spice started, it buuuurneeed! It’s not a dark romance though, it’s more sensual and passionate and I loved every second of it!

Overall, the book was well-written and entertaining. It wasn’t that heavy but do note that it touches on trauma, hoarding, torture, nightmares and murder. Nonetheless, I would definitely wait for the second book of this series and will look into reading the Nevermore Bookshop Series because Mina and her three fictional husbands got me curious!

I thought the premise of this book was interesting for love interests to meet in a unique way.

The book is fun and has some cute tropes:

Paranormal romance
Grumpy x sunshine
Small town and Gothic castles
Close proximity
One bed (sort of, if you read it then you know)
🌶️🌶️🌶️

But I was surprised at how long it was and I did find it hard when it came to the Nevermore Book Club chapters because I couldn't really remember who was who, as there seemed to be quite a few members and I actually forgot about some of them until they'd pop up again.

I probably won't continue with the series but I can see it becoming popular and I did like it enough to find out how it ended.

Thank you to Netgalley, Bacchanalia House and the author for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Winnie is a professional de-clutterer, her mother is a hoarder and she experiences significant PTSD symptoms as a result of her childhood trauma related to the hoarding. She is hired to clean Alaric's castle; the kicker is that she doesn't know he's a vampire. As they get to know one another, attraction grows and they both must come to terms with their changing relationship and their understanding of each other's background. The author has a humorous writing style, Winnie has an amusing way of expressing her thoughts. Her childhood trauma from her mother's hoarding and her persistent adult anxiety make for an engaging sub-plot. There are also several concurrent sub-plots that give the story depth. This is a new series, but apparently it's set in the same town and universe as a previous series so there's a lot of overlap. I haven't read the other series so it was a challenge to keep all the old characters and storyline references straight. For that reason, I struggled to stay engaged with the story; it's also a longer story with uneven pacing, it dragged a bit in places but in others seem to accelerate rapidly. I feel that those who have read and enjoyed the author's previous related series will enjoy this story as well, but ultimately it wasn't the book for me.

Fangs for Nothing was a good, but pretty long, book.
This novel has everything I like, a picturesque little village, good looking vampires, a non conventional book club, an intriguing mystery, and a funny, spicy and emotional storyline.

Winnie Preston is a decluttering expert who accepted a job offer from a Lord to sort out some rooms of his castle before a ball. Little she knows that the secretive Lord Alaric hides some secrets that will change her life.

The characters have an unexpeted depth. I empathized with Winnie, from start to end, her fears are relatable, also Alaric has some flaws and scars that make him more human. I loved them both, their pasts are dark and painful, and I wished they could finally have a happy and hopeful future together.

This is the second book in the series but it could be read as a stand alone. The author wrote an epilogue that won't let you stop at this installment, I'm already looking forward to the next one.

This is a great book—perfect for the fall/spooky season. I LOVE vampire books, and this book did not disappoint! This book is full of vampires, spicy romance, murder mysteries, and making new friendships. As I started reading the book, I realized some characters seemed familiar. I had previously read another book, "A Dead and Stormy Night," but I did not know that Steffanie Holmes wrote that book too. Some of the characters from that book and references from that book series were in this book. That was a fun little surprise that I wasn't expecting. This book deals with mental issues associated with being a hoarder and with living with a hoarder. The FMC, Winnie, is hired to help the MMC, Alaric, sort through lots of stuff he has accumulated over the centuries. Winnie meets some ladies at the local bookstore, and they invite her to join their book club. A book club where they rarely talk about books, but instead, they gossip about supernatural happenings and investigate local murder mysteries. This book didn't answer all my questions, but I assume they'll be answered in the next book.

Thank you, Bacchanalia House and Steffanie Holmes, for allowing me to read an ARC of this book and leave my honest review!

There was a lot to like about this book. The professional organising angle was fun and provided a unique twist to the supernatural romance. There were also some loveable characters which grew on me as I read the book.

However I struggled with the first person perspective and found the romance cliche. I found the pace to be slow and it took me ages to get into the book. I really wanted this to be knock out cosy halloween but was left underwhelmed unfortunately.

Wow, okay this is a longggg one, but I couldn't put it down! This story was so unexpected and I loved every minute of it!

“Books may be wonderful, magical receptacles of knowledge, but they can’t protect you from a killer.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Bacchanalia House for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lord Alaric Valerian has a problem. His mother is visiting his castle for the first time, but she doesn’t know that Alaric has filled every room with his centuries of artistic passions and creative pursuits. Desperate, he hires professional organiser Winnie Preston to help him tame the mess. But Alaric isn’t prepared for bubbly, passionate Winnie to show up at his castle and ram a metaphorical stake through his cold, vampire heart. Winnie sets his fangs on edge, but the more closely he works with her, the more he wishes she could be his. So when Alaric’s mother arrives with a new bride-to-be in tow, Alaric convinces Winnie to pretend to be his fiance. He may be causing all kinds of scandal in the vampire court by being engaged to a human, but at least he doesn’t have to give up his reclusive life. But Winnie still doesn’t know Alaric’s a vampire, and Alaric didn’t count on Winnie’s meddling book club pinning him for a mysterious murder in the village. Will their maybe-not-so-fake-marriage survive once Winnie discovers the monster that lurks beneath his fangs?

I really appreciate Winnie as a character. Forging a sturdy and lucrative career on her special skill is admirable. It’s even more admirable when that skill was developed through trauma. She is incredibly strong, even if she feels vulnerable in a lot of situations. I love the development we see in her character over the course of the story and where she ends up is actually incredibly soothing. I’m hoping we get to see more of her and get to delve even deeper into her life!
Alaric is broody, yet rather dishy. Then again, aren’t most male MCs that way?! I think he was a great character, breaking the traditional stereotypes surrounding vampires. Holmes did a great job in making him unique because I found this really held my attention. Alaric is a very dynamic character but seeing such big peaks and troughs was a stroke of genius. Who would have thought we would see a vulnerable vampire and enjoy it?

Spooky season is upon us people! That means I am always on the look out for some spooky reads to really get in the mood. So when I came across this book on NetGalley, I found myself quickly intrigued by the synopsis. Now I’m not normally one for the vampire plot line - especially vampires hiding in plain sight amongst humans - but this one was something else! Not to mention the series title being exceptionally witty. I think the plot here is great. We get utterly swept away, hanging on for the ride in the best way. I love that it’s set in a small village but the world feels so big! That, I think it’s fair to say, is due to its fabulous cast of characters! There are so many wonderful characters in this book, especially the cheeky coven of women that lure Winnie in. I think I’d be incredibly happy to have my own little coven to discuss smutty books with! I am a massive lover of the fake dating trope - especially if the attraction simmers over into something more. And this book did not disappoint on that. There was a lot of tension, some angst and when that boiled over into the spice? Hello! That was absolutely brilliant! The ending was a pretty perfect conclusion to this story. It is felt very open-ended, however with a second book confirmed, I am not mad about it in the slightest. I will definitely need to keep an eye out for more from this author!

Overall, Fangs for Nothing is an unexpectedly delightful story perfect for spooky season!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Bacchanalia House for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on 14th October due to scheduling. It is now live on Goodreads.

thank you NetGalley and Bacchanalia House for the ARC!

Whatever Stefanie Holmes promised in the synopsis, she delivered. This was such a silly story and I very much enjoyed it. I was intrigued but not fully committed in the beginning. BUT chapter 36 was my turning point. Alaric describing the entire history of him had me hooked from that point onwards (I honestly think I finished the remaining half of the story in one sitting).

Despite the (good) ridiculous plot lines of the story, I really appreciated the depth of the characters and how they each overcame their challenges. Ms. Winnie Preston, Type A girl, I see you.

This book was silly and fun and had perfect fall vampire vibes. It was the perfect start to the spooky season!

NICE ROMANCE, BUT TOO MANY CHARACTERS

Maybe it's just because I didn't read the first book in this series, but I was a little confused at times...

What I liked

👍 Romance: The romance between Alaric and Winnie felt very organic. I wouldn't exactly call it slow burn, but it was still a romance that had time to grow and become profound, which is something I really appreciate.

What I didn't like

👎 Characters: For me, there were simply too many characters. I had a hard time telling them apart and remembered who was who. Some of them were not really consequential to the story, which made it a bit messy.

👎 Sleuthing: A murderer is on the lose, so of course the Nevermore Murder Club sets out to investigate. Only... They didn't. Not really. It was hardly even a thing until the very last minute, and even then it wasn't really anything at all. I would have preferred the sleuthing to actually be a central part of the story or it not have been there at all. This just felt irrelevant.

Ok, this book was absolutely adorable but also hilarious, spicy, heartfelt, and just plain awesome. I was initially drawn in by the book’s cover art and then the blurb solidified my interest. I’m a sucker for a good vampire story and needed something different to read after finishing a kind of heavy fae-based novel and a dark mythology inspired book. I will say that this was a tad bit more on the serious side than I was expecting with the hoarding/mental illness rep, but I thought it was done really respectfully and it really explained a lot about why Winnie was the way she was.

I loved Winnie, but I don’t think we would be able to be friends in real life. Acquaintances, but she’d hate my knickknacks & haphazardly organized house and her bubbly personality would get on my nerves real quick. I’d be the Arabella of the group…which I absolutely can’t wait for her story…I had a hunch about her…and I have feelings about Celeste too…But back to Winnie. I’ve known a lot of “Winnie’s” throughout my life that let people walk all over them and I’m so glad that wasn’t the case here. I love that Winnie displayed a backbone and stood up for herself and to creatures that could literally rip her head off without breaking a sweat. And her and Alaric are just beyond words.

Lord Valerian AKA Alaric, is kind of a total contradiction in my head. I’m picturing Aiden Turner & Henry Cavill with the temperament of Mr. Darcy & Thomas Thorne (the poet/author ghost from the original British version of Ghosts) which is such a ridiculous combination. But I absolutely love him and wish he was real. He is such an adorable, lovesick puppy for Winnie and to see the realization play out was so fun. His character goes through a ton of growth throughout this book taking him from being a reclusive hoarder to a less reclusive vampire that now sells his previously hoarded art…a win-win situation.

The side characters throughout the book are equally as entertaining. Reginald is enthralled to Alaric and is pretty much the only person he’s interacted with for the last 50ish years until Winnie comes along. Reginald definitely knew what he was doing when he hired Winnie and you can’t convince me otherwise. Next we have the gals from The Nevermore Murder Club and Smutty Book Coven that befriend Winnie after she arrives in town and there’s a murder…what I did not know going into this book is that there’s like a 10 book series about Mina the leader (?) of the book club and how she ended up with her three husbands. Thankfully we’re given enough info and backstory that not reading the first series doesn’t seem to take away from this book. Though it’s definitely piqued my interest to read the first series even though it’s a reverse harem and those are not books i typically read…that’s how good this book was and how curious I am about what happened in this small English country village before Winnie showed up.

Overall, this book felt like it could be a perfect movie or episode of a tv series which I really love when I’m reading romcom leaning books. I appreciated the fact that this had many layers and the characters weren’t one dimensional. I can’t wait for book 2 A Grave Mistake. In the meantime, I’ll be working my way through Steffanie’s catalog!

Thank you NetGalley & Steffanie Holmes for the free ARC!

Where do I even START with this book?!

I big thank you to Netgalley and B bacchanalia House for this ARC. I know for a fact that I may have never discovered this author otherwise, and that's one of the things I love about Netgalley so much. I will definitely be picking more of Holmes books up! and I'm excited for the next instalment of this series.

Here is what you should expect from 'Fangs for Nothing'

Paranormal Romance -x- Vampire/Human romance -x- Romantic Comedy -x- Dual POV -x- He falls first -x- Sunshine gal vs Grumpy vamp -x- mental health representation -x- exploration of PTSD -x- exploring the realities of hoarding -x- small town murder mystery -x- The Nevermore Murder Club (who are really just a smutty book coven who investigate murder mysteries) -x- strained monther/daughter relationship -x- gothic vampire history -x- catch a killer -x- magic and magic beings

Firstly, this book came at the perfect time for me. I've been reading high fantasy and adventure fantasy for a few weeks solid, and really needed a change of pace. Holmes offered just that with this delightful, cozy, and romantically hilarious book. I love it from start to finish and throughly enjoyed the way Holmes writes her characters. They are flawed, raw, and multifaceted in the best way possible, and there was so much development growth with the character arcs throughout the story that I honestly just couldn't put it down and finished it in 24 hours.

This book will make you laugh. It's witty and fast paced and keeps you guessing. I found myself laughing so often at some of the comments Winne would make and plenty of ways in which Alaric would respond. They were like the most dynamic duo that you can't get enough of even if their romance is essentially support to be forbidden (damn, Vampires just can't catch a break can they?) You will fall in love with both the main characters, and then you'll fall in love with all the side characters that really just begin to feel like extended members of the family. This book does have that found family feel that gives you that warm fuzzy feeling by the end of the book.

Now I'm not usually a fan of the 'fake-dating trope' but honestly???? this was SO well done, it was more of a forbidden romance & close proximity to me with a *twist* of having to fake-it-till-you-make-it. This is my first Holmes book, but it's unlikely it will be my last after this amazingly wonderful story. To tell you the truth, this was a book that I didn't know I needed until I finished reading it. Holmes not only keeps us on our toes with the witty humour amongst all the characters, she also touches on some really sensitive subjects around mental health, dealing with trauma and the realities of hoarding and the main characters experience of having a mother who hoards and how it also impacts the main characters life. I think Holmes explored these topics in such a kind and honest way and given compassion towards a condition and fixation that is heavily misunderstood. I really appreciated how she explored this in a sensitive way.

I loved the feature of text messages that were in-between chapters, or at the start of chapters. The were such a fun way to give us an insight towards what our main characters were also experiencing outside their own thoughts.

I really enjoyed HOW the relationship between Winne and Alaric developed, from the very first moment they met right to the very end of the book.
The journey that they both go on together as individuals and the whole 'can't pretend I don't love you even though it's forbidden' absolutely had me locked in. I just didn't want to put this book down and I was rooting for them the whole time. The emotions that they both experienced through family dynamics and hoarding was just so well written. Also, the spice?! oooooof I looooove the way Holmes has us on our toes and it being sprinkled throughout. ADDDDDDORE that.

Let me tell you, I loved Winnies WIN system, but by the end, I loved her LOVE system a whole lot more.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

Read if you like:
The Fake Dating Trope
He falls first
Grumpy/Sunshine
Quirky friend group

I loved this book and it is absolutely PERFECT to start off your spooky season. It was fun and cozy but with mystery and spice added in.

I really enjoyed the characters; they were all fleshed out well. Winnie and Alaric are flawed and complicated, each bringing their own baggage. I loved their growth throughout the book. AND THEIR CHEMISTRY?! Phewwwww. It was spicier than I thought it would be, I thought it would mostly just fade to black but NOOO HONEYYYY. I did feel like the story could have been shorter, there was some repetitiveness and filler that didn’t add to the story.

It did end on a cliffhanger but I can’t wait to continue this series. I have so many questions that I need answered. This book is out now, so go check it out for your spooky season TBR!

thank you to netgalley & the author for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

so, first of all, even though this is an enjoyable book at its core, i do think it is a little bit too long. when i thought that things were going to finally die down and get wrapped up, i’d turn the page and find out that nope! it still goes on for a couple more chapters. it dragged on for me by the end of it, and i was getting kind of tired.

that’s not to say i didn’t enjoy the romance, especially their banter / tension, it was throughly delightful! i don’t usually read spice books because it’s not a genre that pricks my attention, but this was honestly really fun! i think their personalities meshed well, the sunshine/broody dynamic working perfectly with our mysterious vampire and quirky human. unfortunately, i didn’t enjoy the almost comical amount of miscommunications that transpired in the second half of the book. i thought the author was just adding drama for the sake of drama since none of it was very meaningful to the plot as a whole. the mystery was interesting, but with everything else going on, i think it didn’t get the attention it could’ve.

still, this was a really fun book with a nice balance of romance, spice & mystery that i think so many people could enjoy!

Fangs for Nothing is a fun book to read if you like paranormal romances with a comedic edge, fake dating, and a murder riddle. Lord Alaric Valerian is a moody vampire with a creative mess, and Winnie Preston is the bubbly professional organiser hired to fix it. The first book in the series is called "The Nevermore Murder Club and Smutty Book Coven."

When Alaric's mother comes to visit with a bride-to-be, things get crazy in his life. In order to escape being forced to marry, he gets Winnie to act like she is his fiancée. There are sparks between them as their fake relationship gets complicated by their obvious chemistry and an overbearing book club that pulls Alaric into a local murder case. Winnie has no idea that Alaric is a vampire, though.

Holmes writes with a mix of humour, heat, and gothic charm, creating a unique love story with funny lines, likeable characters, and a relationship that builds over time that you can't help but root for. There is a lot of murder and mystery in Fangs for Nothing, which makes it a great book for vampire lovers.

Overall, I liked this book. I enjoyed the world building, as it felt like you were in the castle. The chemistry between the main characters was enjoyable. Alaric's relationship with his thrall was also really enjoyable. I loved that there was a strong group of women supporting each other who love solving murders and smut! haha! The incorporation of mental health diagnosis and the struggle that trauma can cause was much appreciated, and I felt like it was done really well. I'd say spice level is about a 2.

Things I thought could use some work..

-the book is almost 500 pages long. A good portion of that is buildup, and then when you think everything is over and resolved ...it continues
- I do feel like some of the angst and drama was just thrown in to be thrown in. Then when you think it has been resolved the character pulls a 180. It was a choice for sure.
-I love their chemistry, but I would have liked to have seen less corny and more confident and sexy during intimate scenes. it is almost like his personality changes
- the mystery was solved but they never really gave closure on it. It was so late it the book, and it felt like details were glassed over.

Overall, an enjoyable book and worth the read if you enjoy vampire mysteries! 3.5 stars