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Guides for Dating Vampires #2

How to Sell Your Blood & Fall in Love

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“You have money, I have blood. How would you like to buy it?”

No romantic story has ever lived up to Dr. Clementine Hughes’ reality but at least he has his steamy two-million-word fanfic and a prestigious research position at Vitalis-Barron Pharmaceuticals, where their benefits are superb and their experimentation on vampires highly unethical. When a mysterious accident turns Clementine into a vampire, discovery would demote him to lab rat and his growing thirst for his coworker’s veins forces him to the streets to hunt.

Justin Yu is usually the one attacking villains in alleys, not the other way around. After the tragedy he brought upon his local vampiric community in his youth, he’s struggled tirelessly to keep their vampires safe. So when a panicking Clementine botches a bite attempt, Justin takes pity—and advantage—and offers the vampire a trade: his blood in exchange for an exorbitant fee.

In desperation, Clementine accepts.

Justin’s blood is bland and unappealing, but the more Clementine learns to appreciate the man’s sharp humor and persistent compassion, the more he acquires a taste for Justin. Justin is determined not to let Clementine’s good looks and thoughtful intellect distract him as hunters from Vitalis-Barron close in on Justin’s neighborhood, and it turns out someone there knows Clementine’s vampiric secret…

Sell Your Blood is the second book in a series of loosely connected MM paranormal romances. It features an Ivy League a-spec vampire who’s never been in love before and an inner-city man who’s sworn off relationships for the last decade as they struggle to combine their different worlds and find a fire in each other hotter than they thought possible. While it can be enjoyed on its own, the optimal reading order is chronological. Note this story features blackmail, general violence, the smoking of prescription drugs to manage intense pain, and the acquisition of far too many salt and pepper shakers.

493 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 6, 2023

210 people are currently reading
3636 people want to read

About the author

D.N. Bryn

17 books782 followers
D.N. Bryn is a queer, disabled author of speculative fiction and fantasy romance.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 426 reviews
Author 17 books782 followers
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March 29, 2023
With How To Sell Your Blood and Fall in Love coming out in a few days, here's a thing I'd like readers to keep in mind when picking up, not just this book, but all books featuring disabled protagonists:

If the disabled protagonist of a book by a disabled author is not cured, fixed, or transformed by the end of the book, and this makes you feel unsatisfied, consider why the author might have chosen to go this route. Disabled people are allowed to have fantasies where the hard parts of their disability are healed... and they're just as allowed to create situations where the characters like them continue to live with the same pain and limitations and insecurities that they are forced to deal with on a daily basis. You may desire the "happiest" resolution, but that's not a resolution that many disabled people will ever permanently receive.

Often the stronger narrative for us is to see that happiness can be found despite the fact that the pain remains. That people will love and sacrifice and care for us regardless of whether we "get better" or not.

So I ask that you show this same love to Justin, and through him, to everyone who shares his journey.

Thank you, and happy reading <3
Profile Image for Ben Howard.
1,495 reviews254 followers
September 11, 2023
Dr. Clementine Hughes is new to the vampire life. So new he doesn't even know how he got turned. To make matters worse, he works as a researcher for Vitalis-Barron Pharmaceuticals. The company that experiments on vampires against their will and employs hunters to get new subjects.

It's not the most ideal situation, as Clementine continues his work with the company. Adjusting his hours to minimize sun exposure and attempting to find a steady blood supply. All while trying not to out himself as a vampire.

Clementine meets Justin when the missing blood bags at Vitalis-Barron start to be noticed. The two strike up a deal. Justin lets Clementine feed off of him, for an exorbitant fee (Clem doesn't know any better). It's a win-win situation. Clem gets blood and Justin gets the funds he needs to help the vampires in his neighbourhood.

So that's the blood selling part of How to Sell Your Blood & Fall in Love, the falling in love is the natural progression of their arrangement. The nice slow burn is a bonus.

I really enjoyed this sequel. Clementine's discovery of his demisexuality especially. Justin's almost a vigilante with his protection of his neigbourhood, and the vampires that reside there - he gives me nightwing vibes.

One thing I will say is this book didn't need to be this long. There were points were it dragged. If it was shortened a bit that would have been avoided.

The ending has me intrigued for book 3 so the wait better not be too long!
Profile Image for purely.romantic.
184 reviews20 followers
April 3, 2023
CWs and CNs at the end.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if the most earnest and precious vampire fell for the human manifestation of a feral cat who likes to moonlight as a vigilante and lets approximately three people love him? Then kindly go pick up DN Bryn’s latest in the *Guides for Dating Vampires* series which follows the story of Clem and Justin and is utterly delightful from start to finish.

Having no idea how he was turned into a vampire, Dr. Clementine Hughes is desperate for a proper meal. Little does he know that in trying to grab his first human snack, he finds the kind of connection he had only dreamed of finding. Justin Yu, slightly more than human and resident protector of the Ala Santa vampires, attempts to use Clem and his noticeable wealth to his advantage but soon cannot help being more and more intrigued by the prim scientist who seems like he needs a friend.

This romance was so exquisitely done. The slow burn between these two was so enjoyable to read and I absolutely loved the nuance and detail that went into Clem’s arc of discovering he was demisexual and neurodivergent. His deep desire to feel the kind of romantic connection he had heard people talk about was so well done and I really enjoyed watching his attraction to Justin grow stage by stage. Despite Justin’s gruffness, Clem feels safe to explore all these different parts of himself, some of which he had been hiding his whole life. These two could not have been more different, in social class, in personality and yet somehow they made so much sense together. All of Justin’s spiky edges seemed to melt and in Clem, he finds someone who makes his lifelong guilt abates even if it’s just for a little while. And my god, the pining was so delicious with both of them nervous to ask for more, even as Clem is learning to flex his more predatory vampiric reflexes leading to some of the best UST I have read in a while.

With the nefarious Vitalis-Barron and unhinged hunters providing some fantastic action, Clem and Justin’s story is another massive 5-star win for me!

CWs: chronic pain and medicating with substances; grief; death; violence and being chased/hunted; attempted capture/kidnapping; unethical scientific/medical experimentation; strained relationship with family; discrimination

CNs: This is a slow-burn MM paranormal vampire romance which includes biting and drinking blood, sometimes in highly suggestive situations. There is also a mild predator/prey kink. The novel contains one sex scene and several instances of delicious UST. Thank you to the author for the ARC and this is my voluntary review.
Profile Image for Heather.
483 reviews34 followers
June 28, 2023
Physical disability, ace AND autistic rep?! Damn, I was eating good with this book.

This is the second novel of the Guides for Dating Vampires series and so far I’m really enjoying D.N Bryn’s take on vampires - The mix of a corrupt pharmaceutical company and class tensions between Vampires and mortals feels fresh for the vampire genre.

I also really loved this pairing - Clementine, being ace, was slow to warm to Justin and honestly it’s one of the few times I’ve seen this done well in regards to an ace spectrum character. Being autistic and ace can be very confusing at times and I’m glad that was explored here! And then we have Justine - Definitely not the typical character I would be drawn to (I’m Clementine coded lol) but he’s hard not to like after you get past the sharper edges.

All in all, another great edition to this series and I’m looking forward to more!
Profile Image for Poppy || Monster Lover.
1,815 reviews504 followers
February 25, 2025
Clem was such a sweet MMC, but I wanted to shake him a few times for his poor planning and denial when it came to his vampirism. However, the reactions read as very authentic as a result. Justin was interesting and the ultimate self flagellator “I don’t deserve good things”, but certainly didn’t avoid walking on the morally gray side of things. Even thought their personalities were vastly different, they were good for each other. I enjoyed the a-spec, neurodivergent, and chronic pain rep. I always prefer more outright diagnosis identification for neurodivergence, but it’s a pain to figure that shit out when you’re a grown up so it’s also kinda accurate. Some of the internal monologues got a bit repetitive and I would have loved more interactions with side characters that showed how and why those thought patterns were there rather than just repetition. Overall, well written.

Spice: 2/5

Triggers: murder, grief, severe chronic pain, homophobia, internalized ace/demi-phobia, burns, emotionally abusive parents, involuntary body modification (vampirism), oppression, involuntary and deadly medical experimentation (off page), ableism, blackmailing, stalking, blackmail, blood
Profile Image for Ivan.
273 reviews
March 30, 2023
I received an eARC of this book in return for an honest review.

This book.... oh my fucking god this book. I love it. A lot. A whole lot. I feel incredibly blessed that this book exists.

So this book has great queer rep, but at the same time also has disabled rep and that made it so much better straight from the start. I saw things of myself in Clementine his neurodivergence, I saw things in Justin with his chronic pain. But I also related to their queerness and those of the side characters. The way the conversations happened around these topics were like a breath of fresh air. It made me feel so so warm and just incredibly accepted. I needed this book before I even knew I was missing it.

Clementine as a character was such a small little bean that I wanted to protect at all costs, and thank god that Justin was there because he pretty soon felt the same way. Justin is someone who tries to protect everyone at all costs, including the cost on his life. This is self destructive for sure, but as someone chronically ill I do recognize that part of going past your boundaries in that way. So yes, I wanted to protect and keep him safe too. I came to love them both a lot during this book.

Rambles aside this book is just as great a slow burn as the previous book was. Both of them feeling possesive of the other early on while not really figuring out why. Especially with Clem this was complicated because of his sexual identity and I loved how this was written. The way that the taste of Justins blood was used to very visually show how Clem's attraction started to blossom was something that was beautifully done.

Both Clem's and Justin's relationship with their respective families takes up a lot of space in the book too. The families are a stark contrast which highlighted the troubles on Clem's side even more. Because of his neurodivergence Clem is forced to do a lot of things that feel quite horrible to him. He however hasn't learned yet either how to navigate that while protecting his boundaries. This journey of him growing into that was wonderful to follow and great character development.

It wouldn't be a review from me without mentioning if I did cry or not, and yes I definitely did. There were some specific moments in the book where some characters said things that hit me deep because of the relatable rep mentioned in the beginning.

This book was just amazing and I hope more people will pick it up.
Profile Image for Emmy.
141 reviews14 followers
March 28, 2023
4 vamp-tastic stars

- Vampire + Human
- Scientific Vampirism
- Demisexual Rep
- Cinnamon Roll + Bad Boy

Clementine & Justin’s story is Book #2 in the Guides for Dating Vampire series and can be read as a standalone but is best enjoyed after How to Bite Your Neighbor & Win A Wager.

In a world where vampires are second-class citizens, Justin Yu spends his nights roaming the streets of Santa Ana fending off hunters and protecting the vampires who live in his neighborhood.

Dr. Clementine Hughes is a vampire working at a lab that experiments on vampires. After mysteriously turning a few months back, Clementine is focused solely on keeping his new condition hidden. But, when the blood bank at work tightens up security, he needs a new blood source. Fast.

Bumbling, and inexperienced in the ways of vampirism, Clementine falls back on his knowledge of movies, settling on a random alley attack to fix his supply issue. Unfortunately, or maybe very fortunately, he accidentally targets a pro-vampire vigilante.

I really do love the scientific interpretation of a paranormal world D.N. Bryn has created in this series. It’s a new take on a classic trope and the parallels of how vampires are treated to other disadvantaged communities is clear. Justin, our resident bad boy also suffers from a paranormal chronic pain condition and has to rely on specialized medication which was great disability rep in a way I’ve never seen in a paranormal book before.


Spoiler Alert:




Still, if you’re looking for a refreshing take on a paranormal world I definitely recommend checking this series out!
Profile Image for Ray.
636 reviews49 followers
January 9, 2025
Ain't nothing a couple of fruity vampire romances can't fix
Profile Image for thosemeddlingkids.
800 reviews78 followers
September 4, 2023
More cozyish vampire x human romances! Still surrounding the same medical pharmacy corrupt industry, and the gradual world building between the two books out in the series has been intriguing.

Something I appreciate with this author's writing is that when they are describing a new character or even a random person, the go to pronouns to describe anyone is they/them - very small act but noticeably cool to see!

There's great disability rep/chronic pain rep throughout this, and a lead figuring out if he's demisexual, and how he doesn't fit in an allosexual world. The writing on these two identities was really thoughtfully and carefully written.

This has very sad boy/martyr boy vibes, a super genuine and kind to a fault vampire, lots of care into the social issues faced in today's society but put into a pnr world. This has harder topics, while also having a softer and sweeter romance. Also - great narration! I was so excited to see that audios for both books in the series came out recently!
Profile Image for Dan.
1,735 reviews50 followers
April 8, 2023
It was good. The tension in this one was high, kind of like with the first book. It's an interesting series in that the plot of the first book highly impacts the plot of the second, but the characters are so vaguely related that the two mains of the first barely cameo in the second. It's an interesting thing to see in a series where the plot of each book follows a different couple.
I do wonder if there will be "more" to come with Justin's "spines" in his future. It seems kind of sad that it would stop where it is for him
Profile Image for Dr. Andy.
2,537 reviews259 followers
July 1, 2023
I got to help proofread this one and absolutely loved it!! Justin meant a lot to me bc my back pain is almost the same as his 😭 I loved Clementine for his aro/ace-ness (he's on both spectrums) and for his brain (autistic). Clem is the mad scientist rep I want lol
Profile Image for Amanda.
2,459 reviews104 followers
March 30, 2023
[I received a digital arc for a honest]

How to Sell Your Blood & Fall in Love
by DN Bryn is the second book in her Guides for Dating Vampires series. While you could possibly read this without having read the first, you might find yourself lost. While it's focuses on different people, the main bad guys and the location is the same as the first with an overarching story line.

"Just how much do you need me?"
"Absolutely, excruciatingly, always."

Dr. Clementine Hughes doesn't know how he became a vampire but when his access to the lab's blood bank gets cut off he needs to learn how to adapt quickly. The first person he attempts to feed from turns out to be Justin ,a protector of vampires , who offers to sell him his blood and teach him vampire 101. Justin need's the money to continue to take care of and protect his little community where vampires and humans live together. Justin doesn't have time for his attraction to Clementine and tries to keep things professional. The more they get to know each other the more those lines blur but in the end will secrets destroy their connection and threaten those Justin cares for.

"You, with your incredible blood and your incredible kisses and your incredible – occasionally bitter- personality, you are wonderful."

I really enjoyed Clementine"Lemon" and Justin's relationship progression. Justin is sexually attracted to Clementine from the start, but it's not so for Clementine. Clem dreams of having the intense reactions to another person that he writes about in his steamy fan fiction, but has never experienced. Justin isn't any different, but the more he gets to know him the more his feelings develop. He figures out he must land on the ace spectrum , either grayasexual or demigrayromantic, which helps him accept there was nothing wrong with him up to this point. Their slow romance goes from partners to friendship to love with teasing along the way and results in a detailed steamy open door scene.

There was no crossover, no hesitation, no instant where it went from his kiss to their kiss, it just was, as though it had been so at the beginning of time and would be so at the end of it too.


While it was a tad bit too long in my opinion, the story and characters made it enjoyable. Oh also the cameos from the first couple made me smile. At the end we are told who the next story is about, and I'm intrigued but I really hope Justin's best friend /vampire Isiah gets a book !!

Overall, How to Sell Your Blood & Fall in Love is a great continuation of the Guides for Dating vampire series. A Queer paranormal romance between a slightly more than human vampire protector and a newbie vampire chemist. Filled with Ace rep, a slow burn romance, blackmail, secrets, danger, vampire 101, Star Trek fan fiction, public teasing, and a happy ending for the couples relationship.
Profile Image for Kay Xavier.
25 reviews4 followers
April 8, 2023
I started this book for a bookclub but ultimatly ended up DNFing this title at page 133, chapter 13. I was pretty excited about reading this. I saw nothing but good things about this online and in the indie book spaces. So I had some high expectations for this.

What do I like about this book?

Honestly, The descriptions of buildings and the surroundings are wonderful. They really immerse me into the space. I love them. I don't think we get enough of that. I love Mrs. Mendoza. I adore her. Clem is fun and I enjoy him on his own. I also love the drama with the pharma lab and Odyseus. But that feels about it.

In the end I wasn't super impressed by this book. It's entertaining but I hate to say it but the writing feels immature at times. Especially in the first ten chapters of the book. I really like the idea of the story, but it lacks a lot of depth while it wants to have commentary on disabilities. The characters feel very flat at times, and I feel like I'm being told a lot of things about them.

The characters much like the story seem to serve a purpose, and not to live on the page. Clem is marketed as demi-ace, possibly Demi-romantic? To add, at least on paper he seems Autistic. For someone who, from the reader's perspective, dislikes touch, is fluid-repulsed, and isn't sexually attracted to real people ( yet ) , He falls rathert quickly for Justin. I mean.. He starts questioning his attraction to him in a span of two chapters i think. Which as a demi person, I expected a longer period of build up. This is sold as a slow burn book, and I was looking forward to seeing that rep in a book. But in the end I became very frustrated and didnt feel represented in this book.

There is also the matter of the drug that Justin smokes every chapter. It's not named. At least as of chapter 12. It feels like an additive to make him feel like a ‘bad boi with problems’. Some more research all around would have helped flesh these portions out.

My issue isn't with the fact that this deals with what it's like to live with disabilities, I just wish this passed through some more beta readers and editors first. The story has good bones and can be built upon. I just feel like the beginning could have been spaced out more.

TLDR: Overall, this book could use with more time and research. It feels very flat at times and lacking in depth. There is a lot that could be done here. I don't know if I'm going to continue this book. I'm well over 100 pages in now and I still don't know why Justin can't be in a relationship, or why Clem is falling so quickly for him. Justin feels like he is trying to be spiderman or something. ‘It's too dangerous, I can only do this alone.’ The comparisons to Justin and being a fallen angel feel overdone and slathered on. At times it feels like that I, as a reader, can't be trusted to understand the nuance of what is being attempted to be spoken about on page.
Profile Image for Ronie Reads.
1,560 reviews28 followers
September 5, 2023
A well done cliffhanger for the sanitarium turned pharmaceutical conglomerate.

Not only is species -ism on full display. That fear of being human. Living in your human body. To be made into something considered, other. All because of a bite and heavy blood loss.

Of those changed without permission. Don't remember the process. It's the trauma. The mind protecting itself. What if you were at work. Wasn't feeling well. Dozed off. Woke up with irritated areas of skin. Left for the day. Came into work feeling under the weather. But because North American Healthcare system doesn't allow for too many sick days. You know that more than anyone else. Cause you work for these devils.

Vitalis-Barron Pharmaceutical is this world's buggy man. If you have ever gotten around to studying mental health care. It was brutal. It still is brutal. But with less electro shock therapy, therapeutic water boarding and cutting away pieces of the brain.

Instead you get the distru tion of environments for its chemical signature. If a new one is found, that plant goes extinct. A new drug is introduced to the market.

One has to wonder if snake oil salesman...really...ever went away!

I wish I could say, "Gone are the times when the unwanted were housed in santorums." Cause of former President Ronald Ragan. Funds for mental health reform was taken from the doctors. Made the responsibility of law enforcement. Those interactions usually doesn't workout, for one in need.

Unless you find a way to hid it. At least for a while!
Profile Image for Denise.
297 reviews3 followers
October 2, 2023
Idiots-to-lovers at its finest. Dear god I loved these idiots even though they were incredibly stubborn to let themselves be happy. They have so much chemistry and are so good for each other. They filled each others gaps and made each other see their worth and I want to weep with how sweet they are (if they are not having a moment of being the biggest idiot).
An autistic, demisexual, fanfiction loving vampire is everything I ever needed apparently. Love to see that kind of representation. And the chronic pain representation was also excellent.
I enjoyed this book so much.
Profile Image for elliot.
285 reviews
June 27, 2023
(3,5)

ignore the fact that it took me like 3 months to finish this (i had a sort of important exam) it’s a good book methinks. i related to clementine a lot and now am questioning some Things. anyway love queer vampires and rock on bros
Profile Image for Frida.
666 reviews28 followers
April 2, 2025
4.25⭐️

This is the second book I’ve read by this author, and once again, Bryn lures you in with charm, only to throw you into the deep end of identity, trauma, and moral tension.

Dr. Clementine Hughes—sweet name, sweet disaster—is a newly turned vampire working at a lab that, oh, just happens to kidnap and experiment on vampires. VB Pharmaceuticals is equal parts horror show and an ethical minefield. Clem’s stuck trying to fix things from the inside, all while carrying the weight of family expectations and a vampirism he never chose.

He’s a beautifully torn character—in species, loyalty, and self-perception—and that emotional split runs through the whole story like a quiet storm.

Then there’s Justin: sarcastic, tortured hero, and happy to sell his blood—for a very good cause. Their arrangement is strictly transactional… until it’s not. Because, of course, it isn’t. Because Bryn writes tension with a smile and longing with a knife under the table. And the deeper you go, the more you realize Justin’s got his own secrets—and his reasons for needing that cash are heartbreakingly noble.

The world-building from book one gave this sequel more space to breathe—and feel. Compared to the first book, this one felt even stronger. There’s more space to focus on the emotional undercurrents, on the messy, yearning bits of these characters. And while it’s still cutesy and hilarious in places, it never shies away from the emotional heft. I love a book that can flirt and still break your heart.

My only critique? The pacing dipped a bit in the middle. Some scenes felt a little repetitive, and I found myself wishing for just a bit more edge—more looming danger or tension to keep that momentum rolling. But honestly, that’s a minor quibble in a book that gave me so much else to chew on (and no, that’s not a vampire pun—but it could be).

Still, Sell Your Blood and Fall in Love is snappy, thoughtful, and sneakily deep. D.N. Bryn has me hooked. Again.On to the next one!
Profile Image for True Loveislovereview.
2,859 reviews1 follower
April 2, 2023
Poor Doctor Clementine Hughes, chemist of the year, potential Nobel Prize winner, and writer (secretly), of smut gay Startrek fanfic, he didn’t deserve to be dead, or undead, or, anyway, he got fangs now and has more and more trouble to keep them unseen, he has needs, bloody needs.

Justin Yu is driven by guilt, his main goal is to protect vampires in Ala Santa area. When a new vampire tried in a clumsy way to get his fangs in him, Justin wants to help him. He has an offer.

Clementine is lonely, he yearns for a connection with someone, like the fictional characters he writes about. He never experienced this himself. He’s questioning his sexuality and his feelings or the absence of feelings.

Justin and Clementine are getting more and more involved with each other, every time it seems more intimate. Justin fights against his feelings for the charming vampire. They banter and flirt, and Clementine seems oblivious until he’s not. Why is the taste of Justin’s blood changing into something delicious and why does he have all these unknown feelings towards Justin? There’s an awareness of sensations he never felt before.

“Always, and forever.”

There are always vampire hunters in Ala Santa, but now there are new ones, determined.
Justin does everything to keep his vampires safe.
It’s all getting complicated when one of Clementine’s colleagues finds out what he is.

This was an amazing story, a vampire and a not quite human, let their widely written journey surprise you because I found it a hugely entertaining one.
It is full and lavishly studded with events, everything was nicely entwined with the main plot.
The author has a compelling way of writing, I was so charmed by this story!
Profile Image for Nora.
926 reviews16 followers
July 31, 2023
demi rep omg!!! i love this so much justin my BABY clem AMOR this WAS adorable start to finish
Profile Image for Victoria ✮⋆˙.
1,112 reviews129 followers
July 3, 2023
When this said slow burn it was NOT kidding and did NOT disappoint!! God I think I loved this second book more than the first, truly. More tension, more drama, more romance…just ugh I loved it! Justin and Clem have my heart. I can’t wait to meet the next pair of loveable idiots in the next book.

Also can we talk about the rep in this series so far?? It’s truly beautiful ! I just love everything about this series and just how fucking well written and well done everything is. I can’t put them down meaning you should pick them up!
Profile Image for Anna.
2,016 reviews356 followers
June 7, 2024
As much as I liked the first book in this series, this one just blew that one away. I loved these two so much and I especially loved the autism rap and the aspec representation. Clementine is autistic and on both the asexual and aromantic spectrums which is just glorious triple representation for me.

The chronic pain rep was also fantastic and I just don't have anything negative to say. I can't wait for the audiobook of the third book to release!
Profile Image for Tucker Almengor.
1,039 reviews1,667 followers
September 29, 2024
★3.89 stars★

First of all. how dare that ending. thank god i have my hands on the next book. i swear if the author ends that one like this one i will actually throw a chair at someone.

although this didn't strike my heart quite like the first book did, mostly because the first caught me off guard with its poignant love, i still thoroughly enjoyed it. Bryn manages to continue beautiful and gut-wrenching themes of life with disability and neurodivergence
Profile Image for Stephanie.
18 reviews1 follower
April 18, 2023
Absolutely Brilliant

*vague spoilers*

THIS BOOK!!

Okay so, first off this book deserves ALL the stars; it was SO GOOD! I was hooked from the first page and had difficulty putting the book down for too long. 

I absolutely adore Clementine and Justin's story and was completely obsessed with how it ended. (which was pretty amazing) 

D. N. Bryn has such a wonderful way of building the tension and suspense with something you know WILL happen, then completely blows your mind with HOW it happens. (seriously, I'm still reeling from basically all of the reveals we got in the second half of the book!) So much detail went into this story and the characters in it, and it makes for such a satisfying read. There is a ton of diversity and representation throughout the entirety of the book that was so well written. Every time there is a new character introduced, new world building, and lore (YES I AM TALKING ABOUT HOW YOU JUST DROPPED THE EXISTENCE OF WEREWOLVES AND OTHER SUPERNATURAL CREATURES LIKE IT WAS NO BIGGIE) this book sinks its fangs deeper *wink wink*and you're patiently waiting for summer to get here so you can read more about this amazing vampire universe! 

I highly recommend taking a look at this new series, it is so worth it!
Profile Image for Haley.
522 reviews74 followers
April 5, 2023
Thank you to DN Bryn for sending me a copy of the book! All opinions are my own!

Oh my goodness my sweet sunshine babies! I fell in love at the start of this book and the whole time I just fell deeper and deeper! The writing is so casual and funny that it draws you in and then makes you fall for the characters before you even know you've been trapped! I loved the humor and the way that Clem and Justin are both so relatable in such different ways. I could see myself in both of them and watching their stories unfold was so rewarding.

I absolutely loved the chronic pain representation and the way that healing is treated in this book. The way that it plays into Justin's story and his self image is so deep and complex, and I loved being able to discover all of it and watch him grow through it. Then there's Clem's neurodivergence, and I adored the way that he really finds himself and learns that being who he is is actually such a strength. Their stories were both so freeing and healing, and I saw so much of myself in both their journeys to self love.

And don't get me started on the romance! It's so sweet and cute but at the same time so steamy, and I loved every aspect of it. I don't want to give away anything about it, but the way that they complete each other and help on the healing journey of the other is so sweet that I can't handle it.

I will definitely have to go back and read everything DN Bryn has written! If you're a fantasy romance lover, get your hands on this book right now!!
Profile Image for Solly.
628 reviews39 followers
July 12, 2023
4.5

I liked this one sliiightly less than the first one but it was still a blast.
I very much did NOT relate to the demisexual rep which is entirely fine and not an actual criticism of the book because I'm not even demi and you don't need to relate to characters for a book to be good but damn did that book remind me that people who feel sexual attraction are somehow real and not a worldwide prank (which is what I thought when I was a teen but anyway, enough weird ace rambling). I did really like that Clem wrote horny fanfic and yearned to feel attraction, like, that's a relatable ace experience for me (though since I'm not demi I did have to give up on the yearning part unlike Clementine). I did feel like the switch in their relationship (from horny feels for Justin and non-attraction for Clem to romantic feelings) happened fast but then again I'm Extremely AroAce and not a good judge on this because I've never experienced it it's all abstract in my head lol

I did, however, relate to the autistic rep A LOT, so I really enjoyed that part of Clem's character.

Like for the first book, everything in this is pretty strong! Characters, dialogue, worldbuilding, plot. I like the way it deals with vampirism as kind of a disability and how society makes it difficult for vampires to have normal lives. I REALLY like that the main plot of the series is about taking down an evil pharmaceutical company. Like, more of that, please.

It was a very good, very fun, very queer, very disabled romance book, and I really enjoyed every aspect of it. I was very intrigued by a couple of background characters that will (probably for some I'm not sure about) be in future books in the series, and I'm really excited about it. Also it kinda ends on a cliffhanger (not the romance, just the plot) and I want to know More.
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