Violins and Vampires

Vampires of the Daemonverse #1

by Cee Bee, Christina Bauer

***Best-selling author Christina Bauer now writes adult content under the pen name, CEE BEE!***

Outlander meets Dark Prince in this tale of hidden magic, primal attraction, and vampire romance...

Lexa Uznetsov is trapped
To save my sister, I take on my father’s massive debt to Konstantin the Rus, leader of the New York Bratva. My life becomes a never-ending (and incredibly illegal) stakeout for the mob. There’s barely time to sleep, let alone find love. In desperation, I approach Caelin MacGregor, the handsome Scotsman who runs Empire Investments. After all, what’s the worst that can happen?

Caelin MacGregor is a lost king
Ages ago, I ruled a clan of Bloodkin vampires. My people are born to wield magic, drain humans, and live forever. That’s all over now. I’ve been alone for a thousand years. Today, I no longer care about the sunrise, let alone truly desire a woman. Then, I look upon Lexa. My world turns upside down…

Publisher note: This story was originally published on a serial fiction app. The first version of this book offered ten serial-style episodes as a bundle of 12,000 words. This new version is completely reworked as a traditional stand-alone novel of 48,000 words.

Vampires of the Daemonverse
1. Violins and Vampires
2. Veils and Vampires
3. Vixens and Vampires
4. Valor and Vampires

About CEE BEE
Author Christina "CEE BEE" Bauer has sold more than 1M copies across her 45+ epic fantasy books for young adults. She's recorded (and narrated) eight of her books into audiobooks, as well as led the translation of her novels into four different languages. USA Today has called her work "must-read paranormal fantasy." Bauer is an autism advocate and quirky loudmouth whose writing style really isn't for everyone. But if you like stories with complex worlds inhabited by chicks who kick ass and take names, then read on!

Genres: Vampires, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Adult, Fiction

220 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 2022

About the author

***Best-selling author Christina Bauer now writes adult content under the pen name, CEE BEE!***

Author Christina "CEE BEE" Bauer has sold more than 1M copies across her 45+ epic fantasy books for young adults. She's recorded (and narrated) eight of her books into audiobooks, as well as led the translation of her novels into four different languages. USA Today has called her work "must-read paranormal fantasy." Bauer is an autism advocate and quirky loudmouth whose writing style really isn't for everyone. But if you like stories with complex worlds inhabited by chicks who kick ass and take names, then read on!

Reviews

[Anastasia ｼ · Rating 3 out of 5]

╭ ✦ •
│
│ ⊹ 𝟹.𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜, 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚘𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚐! ⊹
│
╰ ✦ •

The Bloodkin lineage of women has been decimated by the ruthless bloodking plague. Konstantin, driven by desperation, embarks on a quest to find the enigmatic Gray Woman who could save the sole surviving female, his beloved wife, Elisava. Tragically, her counsel is shrouded in despair; it is too late. Yet, a glimmer of hope emerges in the form of a plan. Will Sash and Alexa be the key? With time's relentless march, the moral compass of this plan becomes increasingly uncertain.

Violins and Vampires seamlessly weaves between the past and present. In the historical narrative, it unfolds the tale of the Gray Woman, a wielder of potent magical abilities. Caelin's story of his reign as the Bloodkin king a millennium ago is recounted, alongside his intriguing arena battles. In the present, Lexa's story takes center stage. Now eighteen, she bears no recollection of her distant past. Both she and Sash have emerged from comas, their memories shattered. Alexa is haunted by nightmarish visions, while Sash grapples with a life-threatening ailment necessitating expensive medications. To pay off an enormous debt, Sash has become ensnared by a mobster, leaving Alexa to care for her ailing sister amidst the turbulence of a fractured family.

During one of her assignments, Lexa unexpectedly encounters Caelin, and to her, it feels like her recurring hallucinations have manifested once more. Unbeknownst to her, Caelin has also experienced the very same vision.

Caelin, a mesmerized observer, cannot erase the image of Alexa from his mind. An unexpected job offer binds their fates, setting the stage for unforeseen consequences.

I really enjoyed this and loved the past to present story, and even though it was slightly confusing at times I thought the overall story was really good. The twists that unfolded towards the end were somewhat predictable. You can almost anticipate them from early on. Nevertheless, I did appreciate the direction the story took with the Gray Woman, even if her intentions appear somewhat evident. She seems to be plotting something, and I'm genuinely curious about her ultimate objectives.

_________________________________
Violins and Vampires | Review
Veils And Vampires | Review
Vixens and Vampires | TBR
Valor and Vampires | TBR


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[Sherry Fundin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am Bloodkin, born a vampire. Direct sunlight won’t hurt bloodkin.

Tavish is nightling, a human who was transformed into a vampire. Direct sunlight kills nightling.

The Bloodkin women are gone, killed by the bloodking plague. Konstantin searches for the Gray Woman to save the last of the women, his wife, Elisava. She tells him it is too late. She cannot help, but, she has a plan. Will Sash and Alexa be the answer? As time goes on, I’m not sure if her plan is good or evil.

Cee Bee takes us to the past and brings us back to the present, one thousand years later. Alexa is now eighteen years old and has no memory of her past. Anya explains that her and Sash had both been in comas. Alexa is plagued with nightmares, and Sash has an illness that requires expensive medication to keep her alive. To do that, she has become enslaved to a mobster. Her father owed him millions and to save them her ‘mother’ promised she would work to pay off his debt.

Alexa spends her life taking care of her sick sister and putting up with her useless mother.

We do have moments of humor:

“Pick a vowel! It’s Wheel Of Fortune, not Circle Of Idiots!” I laughed out loud because it sounded like me talking to the TV.

Once Caelin sees her, he can’t forget her. Alexa receives a job offer from him, but neither is prepared for what is to come.

“What d’ya think I do all day?” Lexa shrugs. “I don’t know. Race around in sports cars! Toss cash out windows?”

Violins and Vampires by Cee Bee is written in a fun way. The title was a hint for me, but I love anything vampire. They can be soft and fuzzy or hard and monstrous. I love them all. Yes, we do have evil roaming around, but there are moments of humor and laughter.

I feel like Violins and Vampires by Cee Bee is setting us up for the future books, giving us details and explanations, laying a foundation. For sure, the last twenty percent picked up the pace and made me eager for more. Next up, Veils and Vampires. Cee Bee also writes young adult fiction under the name of Christina Bauer. It’s always nice to know that.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Violins and Vampires by Cee Bee.

[Inés Molina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am happy I paused my scrolling for this book, with that eye catching cover who wouldn't. I enjoyed reading it. The story really does capture you from the beginning. I was not expecting anything with this book, the character development was great the whole story is just well written. It's fascinating how everything changed years later and her mom says that her memories are hallucinations, everything comes together great and the romance is .... Chefs kiss!!

[Adi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love vampire stories and I’m so happy that they are finally making a come back this year!
Unfortunately this book was not it for me, I really thought about giving it two stars because the first half was not working with me. The writing wasn’t really good (there are a lot of typos) but I feel like this improved in the second half so that’s why I ended up giving it three stars.
If you want a slow burn this is for you, they only interacted with each other ONCE in the first half of the book, in need more to be convinced that they truly want each other.
The plot was lacking, yes there is a plot but it’s just not giving enough, this book is short but it felt looong because nothing was happening for a long time. I wish we had started the book with the present part and been given the information about their past later. Because of the way it’s set I wasn’t intrigued at all.
L’examen is a great character, I liked how protective of her sister she was and witty she could be but Caelin was a bit bland.
Finally how can she leave big tips everywhere if she’s struggling financially??

[maddie's reading · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

2.5 stars, dnf at 70%

The premise of this book was really interesting, but the writing style was definitely not for me. The eleven year old girl’s point of view felt more mature than the grown king’s point of view, and I just really didn’t like the author’s tone of writing. I can definitely see how people would enjoy this though, as the story was pretty interesting otherwise.

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

When their father leaves a young girl Lexa has to take his place providing for the family. After her father left Lexa’s mother told her that she would no longer be attending school as she had to get a job and take care of her and her little sister while her mother sat at home doing nothing.

I did not care for Lexa’s mother at all. I didn’t like her attitude. I didn’t like the things she said to Lexa. Lexa was a great person doing what she could to take care of her little sister and her mom. Always doing whatever she said or wanted.

Lexa works hard trying to make the money needed to take care of her little sister who is sick. Lexa works so hard that there is never anytime left for herself. No time to find love or just someone to spend a little time with.

Then one day a guy offers Lexa a job where she will be making a lot of money. There is just one problem. The job is illegal. But without much choice, Lexa takes the job. Lexa’s new boss is none other than a vampire.

Caelin MacGregor is a lost king. A long time ago he ruled a clan of Bloodkin vampires. Caelin has been around for a very long time, more than a thousand years. Caelin has been alone for a long time. I think he is getting very tired of being alive that is until he meets Lexa who turns his world upside down and maybe makes his life worth living once again.

Violins and Vampires go back and forth between the past and the present. In the past, it tells a story about the Gray Woman who has some very strong magical powers. It tells Caelin’s story of what his life was like a thousand years ago and who he was then when he reigns as king of the Bloodkin vampires. It tells about the time when Caelin fought in the arena. The fighting here was very interesting, to say the least. In the present, it tells Lexa’s story of course.

Violins and Vampires is a short read with a lot between its pages. Violins and Vampires is a great start to a new series. It kept me guessing from beginning to end. The suspense kept me in turmoil as I raced to the end to see how the two stories would come together.

Well, that is if they do of course. Do the past and presence collide? Do the past and the present come full circle? Well, let me tell you it is like this you are just going to have to read Violins and Vampires for yourself to obtain the answers. But trust me I do believe that you will like it if you are a fan of vampires.

I highly recommend Violins and Vampires to anyone who likes vampires and magic! Grab your copy of Violins and Vampires and take a step back in time today!

[The Slayers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like getting out of my comfort zone and this book is one of those. So when I requested it, I was hoping to read a book like this one and maybe for it to have some sort of wow factor that made me like it a bit more.
It didn't. This does not mean I didn't like it, it just did not make me excited, that's all.
So, would I recommend this book? Yes, if you like a mix between vampires and mafia. That is what it sells and what it gives.
Now, I'm going to focus on several aspects of the book.
I want to focus on the beginning because I wasn’t expecting it to start that way, honesty. The first three chapters were my favourites, the world it describes, the rules of vampires and their court. I don't know why, but I wanted more from that time, I really do.
Once it goes to the present, the dynamic changes. The characters are the same, but they have changed over time (at least 500 years have passed for sure) and they have other challenges to face. So, let's talk about characters. The protagonist, Lexa, feels too intelligent in many things but soooo dense in others. This makes sense with context that I will not give to avoid spoilers, but I think it just was too obvious that she did not to actually think about it. I mean, there are so many times you can say: I push it at the back of my mind. Like, yes, she has a situation going on (poor girl, honestly. I hope in the following books she becomes a strong badass), but she is still avoiding it with the same excuse. Oh, and about her sister, I want to read more about her. I like her and how observant she is. So I hope these two characters come out of their shell and can fend for themselves, because I feel like they could be really strong characters if they do.
About Caelin. I need him to be happy. It just broke my heart when that thing happened (if you know, you know). So I'm looking forward to seeing how this new situation gives him hope, because he is gentle but fierce when in need. I really want to see that process/evolution. On the other hand, Konstantin. He is funny, I like him. Not that much to say.
About the plot. The plot twists at the end are very obvious. Like, you know almost from the beginning. But I have to say that I liked what happened with the Gray Woman, even if again is obvious. Still, she is planning something and I honestly do not get what she is up to.
To sum up, it is a book about vampires, mafia, romance and not much else. There are some interesting characters that I hope they evolve over the series. And overall, since it's easy to read and to follow, it was entertaining, which is the main purpose of a book. It didn't amaze me, but it was okay.

[The Book Junkie Reads . . . · Rating 4 out of 5]

this had so much ... what else could be lurking in the door ways

Lexa Uznetsov she loved her sister very much. (sidenote: I did not like her mother at all.) She was willing to almost anything to make sure she had what she needed. Caelin MacGregor was mysterious, sexy, and oh my. There was something more there between them. It was alluring and seductive. Their first meeting was it really the first time? I am waiting for more from Caelin and Lexa.. Where will this go? How far will it go? Will she be safe? Will Caelin be the answer or the questions?

If you read this on Kindle Vella, then you are going to enjoy it even more here. There are extras. The extras I loved. The history. The richness. The will it happen. How? When? Caelin is so much more than he appears to be. Lexa is more also. Follow their journey.

[Kade Gulluscio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

The coverart of this book caught my eye, and that's pretty much why I requested to read it. This isn't my go to trope / genre, but I am glad I was lucky enough to get a copy.

The author did an amazing job with the character development.
The world building was... out of this world. The details, the dynamics, I felt like I could picture what I was reading, and that's the goal isn't it?
I also think it's fun that the book starts off in "older times" Scotland and ends in present day NYC.
The heroine was amazing. I'll definitely be checking out book two when I can.

[Ronni Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lexa and Sasha are alone in the world, with a human named Anya to accompany them and offer a small amount of protection as an adult with 2 young children in tow.

Lexa has heard of an elemental by the name of the Gray Woman  who may be able to assist them with a cure for the bloodkin plague which ails young Sasha.

Once at the cave of the Gray Woman,  things don't quite go as Lexa wants and instead of being cured the 3 young women are essentially put on ice.

We also have King Caelin as a prominent character in our story, having lost his fated mate to the fatal bloodkin plague,  he lives by his promise to his deceased wife, Elisava, by keeping an eye on her brother, Konstantin. 

Flash forward many years, and both Lexa, Sasha and Anya are still with us, although the dynamic has changed somewhat. Anya is mother to both Lexa and Sasha,  who have been told that they suffered major memory loss after a fire when they were younger. Having said that,  Lexa has hallucinations that seem so real, but she is told that it is her way of dealing with the memory loss, by trying to fit things into some form of order.

After a series of events, Lexa has to take on employment from Konstantin, to pay off her father's considerable debts, and it is the only was to ensure that young Sasha receives her very necessary medications from Dr Gray at Silver Pharma. 

While on a job, Lexa crosses paths with Caelin, and as far as she is concerned, her hallucinations have happened again.  Only, what she doesn't realise is that Caelin has had the same vision.

There are many plot lines and characters weaved into this one book, yet at no point is it ever confusing. All stories work well together and I for one can't wait to see what follows, especially for the story arc with Lexa and Caelin. Bring on the next!

[Rocio Voncina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Titulo: Violins and Vampires
Autor: Cee Bee
Año publicado: 2022
Motivo de lectura: #NetGalley #ARC
Lectura / Relectura: Lectura
Fisico / Electronico: Electronico
Mi edicion: -
Idioma: Ingles
Puntuacion: 2/5


Recibi esta ARC a cambio de una reseña honesta. Gracias NetGalley por darme la oportunidad de leer este libro.

Como primer punto decir que la tematica de vampiros me gusta, pero siento que este libro no funciono para mi. La manera en que esta escrito no es posible que sea genero adulto, definitivamente esto es YA.

Hay una mezcla entre vampiros y mafia, y un continuo cambio de epoca, sumado a una enorme cantidad de personajes, lo cual hace la trama confusa y aburrida. Ojala la estructura hubiera sido mejor.
Ademas no hay un gran desarrollo de personajes. En la trama hay una niña de 11 años que es la parte madura del libro en comparacion con los adultos (lo cual no es creible).

Un libro que prometia, pero que en mi caso no cumplio.


---


I've received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

First of all say that I like vampires, but I feel that this book did not work for me. The way it's written it can't possibly be adult genre, this is definitely YA.

There is a mix between vampires and mafia, and a continuous change of time, added to a huge number of characters, which makes the plot confusing and boring. I wish the structure would have been better.
Also there is no great character development. In the plot there is an 11-year-old girl who is the mature part of the book compared to the adults (which is not credible).

A book with a promised plot, but in my case did not worked.

[Alex Glenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Literally the only reason I didn’t dnf this is because it was on the shorter side. When you read a book, you want the author to show, not tell. This was very much the opposite.

Having the story broken into three sections of A Thousand Years Ago, Seven Years Ago and Present just didn’t work. I didn’t see the reason that certain scenes were included. Our two main characters barely even interacted throughout the entire book!

This one just didn’t work for me and I probably will not continue with the rest of the series.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[The Roguish Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do you like supernatural beings? Vampires? Mafia?

The first half of this book was a struggle. I won't lie. It was hard to keep track of things and the people. I at one point had to start over and reread the whole first half again. That being said, I did enjoy this book.

I liked the supernatural beings this book brought to life. There is romance in the book. It is not an in your face romance but more of a slow burn. I really enjoyed the mafia and organised crime aspect of the story. The world building was good as well.


I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Ana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mmm... I didn't like it very much. Maybe because it's too short, and didn't talk almost about the jobs.
I liked the vampires living among humans, and the sex fantasies not bad, but in general, not my favourite.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Mmm.... No me ha gustado mucho. A lo mejor porque ha sido corto y no han hablado casi de los trabajos.
Me gusto la parte de los vampiros viviendo entre los humanos, y las fantasías sexuales no estaban mal, pero en general, no mi favorito.
Gracias a Netgalley y a la editorial por facilitarme el libro a cambio de una honesta opinión.

[Jenylle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: 2 stars

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Umm… this was barely even a book, it was literally an intro to the story. Could have combined the next few books together instead of publishing this one book separately

[Rebecca Sim]

DNF at 10%

Sadly this wasn’t for me. The writing style felt really weird, like some random scenes were just put together. Therefore it didn’t feel like a continuous story.

The writing style in general felt a little weird and immature and I did not feel connected to the characters. The descriptions were really weird. In the beginning it was mentinioned that a character might be sick and then two pages later she dies. It felt like something was missing.

All in all, it read more Iike a fanfiction than a book.

- April 2023

[melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you take vampires, magic, plagues, hardworking female protagonist, multiple storylines and mix it all together, you get one heck of a first book in a new series!

I highly recommend this book!

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m madddd that was such a big cliffhanger

[Shauna Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover was the first thing that drew me to this book. Absolutely gorgeous! And then the blurb hooked me. I loved the opening, with the history and lore we learn about. Great world building and compelling characters. I can't wait to read book two!

[Jessica (Read book. Repeat) · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can find this review and all my others over at Read Book. Repeat

I received a copy of this from Xpresso Tours in conjunction with a blog tour.

Actual rating of 3.5

When Lexa's father up and disappears on them, she ends up taking on his debt and began working for Konstantin the Rus, head of the Bratva in New York. In order to keep her sister on the receiving end of medication that is keeping her alive, Lexa spends all of her waking hours on stakeouts for the mob. When an opportunity arises for her to get work under the owner of Empire Investments - Caelin MacGregor - she takes it as it could mean getting out from under the Bratva's thumb and being able to live, a lot sooner. Caelin MacGregor is more than what he appears. He was once the ruler of a clan of Bloodkin vampires and has lived for a thousand years. Ever since his love died, he's withdrawn into himself and existed. Investing money and building an empire, choosing to not get too close to anyone, lest the same disease befall them too. But when he sees Lexa, his world is turned upside down and he's feeling things he thought impossible. There's a possibility that Lexa may be the answer to all of Caelin MacGregor's dreams, if only they'd both let their guards down enough to find out.

I've been on a huge horror kick for around twelve odd months now, so when I got the email from Xpresso Tours that had this book included, I thought "why not?". I felt like it might be nice to have a slight genre change up. I will admit, that at the time of requesting this book, I didn't realise that I've read some of the author's other works before. And while there was nothing wrong with them, I just found that for some reason, they didn't really work for me. So I was a little bit worried that I wouldn't enjoy this one as much as I previously thought. I was pleasantly surprised though. I think that the difference was that under this pen name, the author is writing books targeted towards adults, where the other books I had read were geared towards Young Adult. Don't get me wrong, I love a good YA as much as the next person, but I feel like that is the main difference between the works that I have read by this author and I clearly connect better with those stories that are geared towards an older audience.

This book had a lot going on, there was a lot of world building and setup to be done, I liked that it wasn't done in an info dump kind of way as that can be incredibly overwhelming. The world setup and hierarchy was easily understood and I felt like it really began laying foundations for a world rich in history and lore that leaves so much to be explored. The story starts way back in the day when MacGregor was king of the Bloodkin, it was really great getting to see where he came from and what lead him to be what he is today. I really felt connected to his character virtually from the first page. We meet Lexa when she's in the past and learn where SHE came from, even she doesn't even know the truth of this, so it was nice having seen behind the curtain and be aware of the truth of things before the character is. I felt like the character introductions were well done, though I will admit, the initial point where the story of Lexa and her sister started was a lot to wrap my mind around at first. After a while though, I found the dynamics between Lexa and her family easy to follow.

The story is told through alternating POVs between Lexa and Caelin. When a multi-POV story is written well, I find it a joy to read as you get a much fuller picture when you're seeing things from more than one perspective. I feel that Cee Bee did a great job the multi-POV storyline, and it made the story, the world and the characters have much more depth to them for me. I will admit, it did get a bit frustrating with Lexa constantly ignoring the blatantly obvious, but I understand that she had been conditioned to do this in order to keep themselves hidden, even if she didn't know that. I enjoyed the dynamic between Lexa and her sister, and I also enjoyed the beginning of the relationship between Lexa and Caelin. The characters were well written and full of depth and big personalities which is a bonus, and there's still so much room to explore all of the main players and deep dive into them and see who they really are, what and where they came from.

All in all this was a pleasantly surprising read for me. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did and I felt like the pacing moved well, especially as this was a lot of setting up, world building and character 'get-to-know-you'. I'm intrigued enough by where the story is heading that I'm likely to pick up book 2. I say likely because I'm trying to be realistic about the amount of unread books I currently own so I'm trying this thing where I don't just keep stacking books on top of that number. I get serious anxiety that I'll die before I can read all the books I have. If you're after a vampire story that has some unique ideas that is enjoyable and an easy read, give this one a go.

[Red Ink Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Violins and Vampires (Book 1, Vampires of the Daemonverse) – Cee Bee



I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in order to provide an honest review.



Cee Bee is an American author also known as Christina Bauer. This is Cee Bee’s first book and is an adult fantasy romance series.



Vampires are real, very real. True vampires, those born to it are known as Bloodkin. These vampires have power, weaker vampires or those that were once humans who were later turned in life are what’s known as Nightlings.

Caelin is King of the vampires and is in love with his Queen – Elisava. How is also the sister of King Konstantin, King of the Rus and son to the old King Fyodor. Who Caelin also consequently killed. So, as you can imagine now everyone is happy about all of that – regardless Caelin and Elisava are very much in love.

That’s when disaster strikes – the blood plague, which is a disease which means certain death to the bloodkin woman. The first to be struck down by this cruel disease is none other than Elisava. Caelin races to the only one who can help, a water elemental who goes by the name of the Gray Woman.

Yet she cannot save Elisava, but can only promise to save the women of bloodkin at another time. Caelin enters years of pitiful despair and sorrow, the Gray Woman the only hope for his people.

Lexa is a bloodkin, same as her sister Sasha. Yet they are all they have, so when Sasha falls sick to the blood plague, Lexa races to the Gray Woman, desperate for her sister to be saved. Yet rather than curing her sister the Gray Woman places them in an icy tomb.

When Lexa wakes, she no longer remembers she is a bloodkin. Instead, she believes that vampires aren’t real and she is simply a human who must work for a criminal mastermind known as Konstantin, to pay off her father’s debt and to secure the vital medicine that keeps her sister Sasha alive.

Lexa constantly suffers from visions – one minute she's present and then next she’s in a cave, it’s cold but she’s scared for her sister and there is a strange woman promising to help. These visions constantly rattle Lexa but she must keep it together to make sure her sister stays alive.

When she first meets Caelin, the strangest things happen. Mist rolls in and lightning crackles, one minute he is right next to her and then the next he is not. Another strange vision surely. But she can’t let this rattle her, she has a mission to complete and her target is now hunting her.


“Vampires and Violins” is a bewitching and magical read about vampires, magic with a good of mystery with some sexual tension. A tall mysterious man and a seemingly innocent damsel in distress, but as it is with most things, not everything is at it seems. I love the amnesia plot twist the author has used with Lexa, the character not realising who she truly is and also knowing that something isn’t quite right but unable to pin down exactly what the deal is. It's this sort of writing and storyline that really captivates my imagination and interest – which is obvious as I read this in a day! The twist at the end was absolutely awesome and promises for some action and mind-blowing revelations in the next instalment of what promises to be an amazing series.

[j · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️/🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thank you netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Sadly I didn’t enjoy it 🥲 although it did get more intriguing in the last third of the story

I think that this book could’ve been structured in a much better way that would’ve made it a lot more interesting 🤔 - it was structured so that we get all the characters backstories and secrets even they don’t know about all at once at the start of the story, rather than revealing these things throughout the story the author dumped all this information about the characters backstories (with a bunch of chapters taking place in the past) all at once 😨, and then moving on to the present day (which for me made the book very boring to read). I feel like if the author had revealed the backstories slowly in between present day chapters it would’ve made the characters easier to connect with and for the reader to actually care about them 😼.

Moreover, if the author had revealed the secrets about the characters that they hadn’t even known nearer the end (rather than at the start of the book) after hinting at them throughout, I feel like the book would’ve been way more interesting and it would have been the perfect chance for a plot twist & easy way to add much more intrigue to the plot 😋

Also there wasn’t much character or romance development - I feel like this book should’ve been combined with the sequel to it maybe (since it is so short) and that would’ve given a chance for more character development. The love interest felt a bit bland and could’ve been a bit more developed in my opinion - or at least something was lacking 🤔
Furthermore the romance wasn’t executed very well - the characters interacted once and suddenly knew everything about what they liked about each other and suddenly would die for each other 😭😭 I get the initial being drawn to each other after one interaction but the sudden somehow knowing everything about each other made the romance fall very flat for me 🥲
I think that this book also needed a bit more explaining of the world/vampire/daemon stuff as it got kind of confusing sometimes 🤷‍♂️

Also another reason this book wasn’t enjoyable for me personally was the mafia romance and primal romance - now this is my fault for not reading the description so is not the reason for my low rating‼️‼️Just another insight as to why I did not enjoy the book as primal & mafia romance are definitely not my cup of tea 🫖
In addition to this, (and this again isn’t the reason for my low rating just another observation as to why parts of this book weren’t for me 😽) I personally don’t like when a fantasy book puts fantasy in a more modern environment that mirrors our actual modern world (with like phones 📱 😋) as personally I read fantasy books to enter a new world 🌎😼

Anyway, thanks again to netgalley for the ARC 💜💜
⭐️⭐️/🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
📚📚/📖📖📖📖📖
📕

[Karen Siddall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story had so much to enjoy: great world-building, a sexy Scottish vampire king with a broken heart, and an incredibly savvy and sassy kick-ass heroine!

Violins and Vampires is the riveting first book in author Cee Bee’s adult paranormal romance series, Vampires of the Daemonverse, and it is a hands-down fantastic debut! I was captured by the story from the very start (with naked mud-wrestling!), and now I’m anxiously awaiting the availability of book two (which I wished I could have had in my hands YESTERDAY.) This story had so much to enjoy: a sexy Scottish vampire king with a broken heart, an incredibly savvy and sassy kick-ass heroine, and intriguing world-building with bloodkin, nightlings, daemons, and elementals.

Lexa is a strong female protagonist with some unusual abilities that even she doesn’t understand yet. I loved how she met and accepted the responsibility for her family head-on and did an amazing job keeping things on track and together. She deserves a worthy mate and a happily ever after.

Caelin, the long-lived bloodkin king, truly loves his queen, and keeps himself under tight control around other women, accepting what he needs but not wanting to cause a human woman to succumb to “the red madness.” He still feels the pain and guilt of being helpless against the bloodkin plague.

I liked that Konstantin had made it into the modern world as well. He and Caelin have a millennia-long alliance born of their shared grief over his sister Elisava’s death. And the story would not be complete without the modern iteration of The Gray Woman, now reinvented as a doctor, doing her utmost to keep her promise to Caelin while indulging in her affinity for chaos. Prudence and Vice are suitably creepy and menacing from the start, but then the author really turns it up a notch for them.

The story is fast-paced throughout, with never a slow moment where you would want to put the book down. So, take care of your needs before reading that first page, and be prepared to stay up late to get to the last. With characters you’ll really root for, an intriguing world of paranormals, and a riveting plot, I recommend VIOLINS AND VAMPIRES to readers who enjoy paranormal romance and suspense, especially those with fresh and new vampire lore.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Xpresso Book Tours.

[Read · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lexa Uzntsov is a young woman - or so she believes- who is actually a +1,000 year old vampire with no memories of the past, and was raised by a human as a human child. Her human father has been stealing from the Konstantin, who is also a +1,000 year old vampire and the leader of the New York Bratva. Proving herself resourceful and because of her mother's 'genius', she ends up working for Konstantin and gathering information. on clients,
Caelin MacGregor is also a +1,000 year old vampire who used to be king of his clan before a plague swept through and destroyed all female bloodkin; taking his wife and child. Now in modern New York, Caelin is a successful business man with no real desires to carry him through day-to-day life. He has a sense of duty to his late wife to keep Konstantin alive, but other than that he seems to live a very recluse lifestyle.

I REALLY wanted to love this, but it definitely fell flat.

It's too short - It's hard to believe that this is the extended edition with the number of scenes and interactions it felt too short as it was. I feel like there are good bones, but scenes and character interactions rarely felt complete. Because of the length you don't really get any character development - the first few chapters are in the distant past, and the subsequent book is the present, and yet none of the characters seem to have changed at all.

Pacing - The overall pacing of the story was weird. It started off strong, with well constructed settings and then everything just started to happen at once. There didn't seem to be logic behind some decisions making, a lot of things just seemed to happen 'just because'. At the very end of the book the author has a Q&A section, one answer she details "Before I start a book, I know the key beats I want to hit", and it definitely reads that way too. It can easily pick out the key points because everything else just gets slapped in between.

Note - I love the cover art, it's beautiful. While I usually don't hate when author's tie it into the story, but this DEFINITELY felt like an after thought ('just because' moment).

That being said, I really enjoyed the overall plot of the book and plan to read book 2.

Thank you to author Cee Bee and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bloodkin lineage of women has been decimated by the ruthless bloodking plague. Konstantin, driven by desperation, embarks on a quest to find the enigmatic Gray Woman who could save the sole surviving female, his beloved wife, Elisava. Tragically, her counsel is shrouded in despair; it is too late. Yet, a glimmer of hope emerges in the form of a plan. Will Sash and Alexa be the key? With time’s relentless march, the moral compass of this plan becomes increasingly uncertain.

Violins and Vampires seamlessly weaves between the past and present. In the historical narrative, it unfolds the tale of the Gray Woman, a wielder of potent magical abilities. Caelin’s story of his reign as the Bloodkin king a millennium ago is recounted, alongside his intriguing arena battles. In the present, Lexa’s story takes center stage. Now eighteen, she bears no recollection of her distant past. Both she and Sash have emerged from comas, their memories shattered. Alexa is haunted by nightmarish visions, while Sash grapples with a life-threatening ailment necessitating expensive medications. To pay off an enormous debt, Sash has become ensnared by a mobster, leaving Alexa to care for her ailing sister amidst the turbulence of a fractured family.

During one of her assignments, Lexa unexpectedly encounters Caelin, and to her, it feels like her recurring hallucinations have manifested once more. Unbeknownst to her, Caelin has also experienced the very same vision.

Caelin, a mesmerized observer, cannot erase the image of Alexa from his mind. An unexpected job offer binds their fates, setting the stage for unforeseen consequences.

I really enjoyed this and loved the past to present story, and even though it was slightly confusing at times I thought the overall story was really good. The twists that unfold towards the end were somewhat predictable. You can almost anticipate them from early on. Nevertheless, I did appreciate the direction the story took with the Gray Woman, even if her intentions appear somewhat evident. She seems to be plotting something, and I’m genuinely curious about her ultimate objectives.

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the concept of this book, and as I read it I found the worldbuilding very interesting. It was clear that the author had put a lot of effort into developing the world of these vampires and other magical elements of this book. The central idea worked really well for me; I liked the blend of the familiar tropes from both paranormal romance and mafia romances.

The romance in this is actually quite light. The two main characters, Lexa and Caelin, don’t spend a lot of time together in the book, but when they did, I thought they had decent chemistry. It was clear to see where the author is going with this couple in future books.

Still, I thought the romance could have played a slightly bigger role – it was the more interesting aspect of the book to me, especially as I actually found the plot of this book outside of the romantic elements to be a little bit muddled. I found it confusing and I didn’t really like all of the timeskips. I think that Lexa’s backstory could have been woven into the story better. The use of flashbacks felt a little bit clunky. The writing in general needed a little bit of tightening, in my opinion - such as the dialogue, was a bit clumsy and didn’t scan well at points.

Overall this book didn’t really work for me. I could see what the author was trying to do and I appreciated the worldbuilding, but the writing didn’t really engage me and I found some of the plot a bit muddled. That said, I would still recommend it to people who are looking to start an action-packed paranormal vampire romance series with the fated mates trope. I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.

Content Notes: Fated mates, vampires, organised crime.

Warnings: Violence, blood, scenes of sickness / illness, death of a spouse (in past).

[Sydney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to the publishers for letting me get a read of this novel!

I won’t lie, the beginning of this novel was very confusing. I think the book could have been structured a bit better. Instead of starting so long ago and then bopping into a new reality, it would have been really interesting and I think far easier to get into the story if the book had actually started with the modern day story. Letting that air of mystery would have really kept me intrigued but, instead, I was a bit bummed that I knew immediately what was going on; especially when the story is so fascinating and could have had a much bigger twist moment towards the end. If given a bit more time and a bit of cleaning up, it could really hold a flame to some of the bigger vampire fantasies out there.

One thing I wish there had been more of was character growth. We got to see a little bit of Lexa’s personality but I wanted more of it. I wanted more of their home life and more of the building to action. Unfortunately, it fell flat in that aspect. The story went right into the action and gave no reprieve for us to really understand the characters and why they were behaving a certain way. There were a couple small moments that really intrigued me but then the author got right back into explaining the world rather than letting us live in it.

I think this story was a fun ride but I am not positive I will be picking up book number two. If you're interested in a mafia/vampire fantasy, though, I would look into this one. Perhaps it'll peak your interest even though it didn't satisfy mine.

[Renée · Rating 5 out of 5]

So to start, for anyone reading this review, this is not a Y.A. book (I typically read a mix of Y.A. and Adult fantasy).

This book is 100% a romance with world elements woven in a magical way. I believe this story is set in the modern era. At the story's beginning, we meet Lexa, the female main character, as a vampire. Yet, she grows up believing she is human (due to magical intervention), and her memories of the past are simply hallucinations. The book follows a 'will they, won't they' structure.

The pros: I enjoyed the writing style and pacing, though the book felt short and, in some ways, like a 'part 1' of a larger novel. The male MC is interesting. I am curious as to where he will go. The world-building and fantasy elements are brilliantly executed. There are unique and refreshing elements to this story.

The cons: the female main character is a typical sassy, takes no B.S., etc. While I don't mind this type of main character, I'd like a bit of variety (though this personality type helps with the 'will they, won't they'). Oddly enough, per my personal preference, I would have liked further exploration of the psychological aspects. This book feels short. It's well executed, so there is nothing wrong with it being short, but again, I prefer that the book be at least twice the length.

Overall: This was a pleasant and quick read. I recommend it if you are looking for a vampire romance where things aren't 'easy'.

[Lauren ✨ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I flat out REFUSE to believe that this is the same author that gave me my beloved Scala series. This doesn’t feel like a change in pen name for me, it feels like a complete change in author.

I adored the Scala series, from the characters to the setting to the story. It was a bit silly but still well thought out and it MADE SENSE.

Nothing in this book made sense to me. There was absolutely no depth to any of it. I had no clue what was going on. We’ve got ancient Scottish and Russian vampires who’s women have come down with a mysterious plague no one has a cure for. We’ve got a weird water spirit that they ask to help who’s vocabulary was too modern and honestly extremely annoying. Then we jump forward 1000 years to todays times and the same 1000 year old vampires are running businesses and are part of mafias and we’ve got amnesia school girls and??? What???????

I mean, the main characters dad *dips out* and it’s not even spoken about. Literally just glossed over without so much as a nod to it. Really?

The writing style did improve how convoluted the plot was. Nothing was explained. Things just happened without context and we were left to just try and fill in the blanks ourselves, which works in some books but not this. This wasn’t a story that worked with leaving things up to interpretation.

I would usually say I’m maybe too old now for this but I don’t even think that’s the case. So disappointed considering Bauer was a go-to author for me before this.

[Westveil Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was granted complimentary access to Violins and Vampires by Cee Bee as part of my participation in a blog tour for the sequel, Veils and Vampires, with Xpresso Book Tours. Thank you to all involved for affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

Violins and Vampires is a brilliant start to what promises to be a captivating series! Lexa's life is turned upside down when her father skips town and her mother reveals that a powerful debt collector expects Lexa to pay off her father's massive debt in his place. With all her plans for the future shattered, Lexa does an amazingly graceful job of adjusting to the not-quite-legal life on the club scene and does her best to support her mother and ailing younger sister. Little does she know that the men her life is now hopelessly entangled with are ancient beings, vampires and their friends, and her family's ties to this world are more numerous and tangled than she could ever imagine.

The character development is really on point in this book and we're fed information from two sides of the equation at just the right pace to keep us interested and knowing just a little more than our protagonist, but not so much that it spoils the fun. I'm so glad I read this book back to back with the second, because I don't know what I would have done with myself waiting for a continuation!