Steffanie is such a fantastic author. I really loved this! Anything she writes is a must read. Vampires AND Fake Dating? Yes please!!! I absolutely will be recommending this!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars

Heat rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ / 5 peppers



Tropes:
-Vampire🩸🧛‍♂️ MMC x Human FMC
-Grumpy/Sunshine
-Fake Relationship
-Crazy Book Club
-Touch Her & Perish 💀 Vibes
-Forced Proximity



You know some hilarity was going to ensue when you have a bubbly sunshine FMC who happens to be a personal organizer who is called to help a reclusive vampire with his slightly hoarder-ish castle. Throw in a meddling book club and I just knew this would be chaotically fun. This is my second book that I have read by Steffanie Holmes the first being "The Man in Black" which I absolutely loved. This story was a ride, when I picked it up, I hadn't realized it was nearly 600 pages, so it took me a bit longer to read than I originally planned. This book had it all romance, vampires, mystery, a smutty book club that also solves crime, and of course some spicy goodness. A few of the scenes had me ready to fan my face, which is strange for me given what I usually read (🔥🤭the ⚔️ lesson and the first time Alaric bit🩸 Winnie). Their relationship was a slower burn.

Winnie Preston: The FMC of this story is a personal organizer; we learn pretty quickly as to why she has pursued this career. This girl has trauma, so much childhood trauma that it is spilling into her work and personal relationships. While I understood her reasoning for picking her job, I still feel like she picked a job that could overwhelm her at any moment. The PTSD and nightmares were fully present for her, I really felt for her at most of the book (minus that last issue at the ball, to me that was an overreaction).

Lord Alaric Valerian: This slightly grumpy reclusive vampire was a gem, a tad eccentric but as a vampire I would expect nothing different. I loved that while he is an artist that he had so many different types of mediums that he worked with rather than just being a sculptor or painter. His history was a dark and lonely tale. I didn't fault him for not telling Winnie absolutely everything I felt his reluctance fit the situation.

Now this might be subjective as this is my opinion but where this story lost a star for me was the relationship tension, I won't delve to heavily into it because I don't want to spoil the story, but I wish for characters that wouldn't run when faced with conflict or things they don’t like. I felt Winnie reached a few instances where she let her emotions rule her and reacted. (I know her past is the root cause, but it just seemed....I don't know, overused I guess as she had gone to the book club when she had been spooked previously). The book club even poked fun at authors doing 3rd act break-ups so I was marginally hopeful that all the climax/final conflict would only be in relation to the FMC's mom, the MMC's mom and her proposed fiancé for her son, or possibly the unaliving mystery in the story. Sadly, I was just a bit disappointed, the book redeemed itself in the end, but I just felt a portion of the relationship conflict was unneeded.

The Nevermore Murder Club & Smutty Book Coven: woo that was a mouthful, these ladies were a riot. I was a smidgen skeptical on their role in the main character's relationship, but it didn’t take long to discover. While they seemed gossipy to begin with that they actually cared for Winnie and had no personal vendettas against Lord Valerian, which was a relief. I really enjoyed the found family/friendship vibes from then. I would say that the mystery side of the plot was present, but it wasn't the main focus for the entirety of the book. More like dropping breadcrumbs of information while more victims are unalived. I felt the bigger plot point was the development of the main character's relationship. Honestly after reading this, I sort of wish a book club like this existed.

Overall, I enjoyed this story it was a nice read to start my October spooky season with. If you are a fan of vampire romances, mysteries, with a dose of spice then you should give Fangs for Nothing by Steffanie Holmes a read.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Bacchanalia House or allowing me the opportunity to read this story in exchange for an honest review.


Favorite Quote:

“But when the night is filled with monsters, you need the worst monster of all on your side”

DNF

Fangs For Nothing by Stephanie Holmes

I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks netgalley.

This just did not work for me. The settings perfect. Small town/village, gothic ambiance, castle, vampires, witches, a book club, murder and mystery. The book cover is beautiful! But alas I just could not finish it. I tried, even after the totally non con kiss in the first few page. But..no.

This was such a fun read!! It was longer than I expected but I was so glad to have almost 500 pages of these characters antics and chaos. The story was great and tied In with the authors other works. I haven't read them myself but there was enough information that I didn't feel lost getting to understand the support characters. The main fmc and mmc are adorable and such a great couple

3.5 but Goodreads doesn't let you do decimals

This book was super cute and I could see someone who loves the genre rating this a 4 or 5. I, personally, am not a huge fan of romance books (mainly because of all the tropes) and this book definitely fits the criteria in that regard. But the added element of The Nevermore Murder Club and Smutty Book Coven drew me in and did not disappoint! I absolutely loved the ladies of the club and their dynamic. This book was a semi-spooky cozy fall read. I saw another reviewer call it "silly and fun" and I think that hits the nail on the head!

Some of the things in the books made my eyes roll (SPOILER COMING) <spoiler> like when Winnie tells Alaric she's known him for 3 whole weeks and therefore she just KNOWS he's not a bad guy-that's not verbatim but you get the gist or when neither Winnie nor Alaric realize that he is immortal and won't age and Winnie will age-the way that was handled felt like a really forced conflict in the book that could've been solved by- you guessed it, communication!!. </spoiler>

Even with that, overall, the book was a super fun read and I am interested in reading the other stories set in this world. Also, the cover is absolutely STUNNING. Not that we are supposed to judge books by their cover (but let's be honest, I tend to!).

Thank you, NetGalley for the arc!

4/5 stars! I had a great time!

This review was also shared on Goodreads (and a video version will be posted on YouTube shorts!)

I really enjoyed this book! A fun over the top vampire romance is perfect for October!

The Premise:
Winnie is a professional organizer tasked with organizing a ancient castle for smoking hot vampire lord Alaric Valerian. Sparks fly, but there's murders in the small town of Argleton and with the help Nevermore Murder Club and Smutty Book Coven, the murders need to be solved so Alaric isn't the primary suspect.

My review:
With Winnie's trauma and Alaric's hoarder like tendencies, at first she is very understanding because it's her job. She also takes the vampire/other supernatural stuff way to easily at first(at first being the operative term). The vampire stuff becomes a much bigger issue for Winnie later on, there are several 3rd act breakups before the REAL third act breakup.

Alaric is like Edward Cullen but if he wasn't against premarital sex. Which is wonderful

The pacing is great! The smut is great (especially from Alaric's POV, I find that MMC pov smut is hit or miss and this is definitely a hit)

My only 'gripe' is the modern references to trendy books, but it's like 1 scene so like I really don't care, in a couple years it might be weird but it won't take anything away from the story if you don't know the books.

Overall probably more like 4.5 stars, I ate this book up. Perfect for Halloween season (or any season, I love vampires)

This book was CUTE and steamy. Mr favorite parts were every time Alaric opened his mouth and the most poetic romantic words came out. I was a little confused by all of the characters and the background stories. I had to look up the authors other series to understand there was a lot of background info I was not aware of, having not read her other series. But overall would definitely recommend this series to a friend!! The perfect romantic vampire story.

What a fun premise! Winnie is a professional organizer with some scars on her heart but an optimistic attitude and a genuine desire to help people. Lord Alaric Valerian is an artistic perfectionist who wants a quiet life alone in his castle (minus Reginald, his loyal thrall of course). In preparation for a dreaded visit by his mother, Alaric hires Winnie to make his home presentable for a ball. They both get more than they expected with instant attraction and a sweet romance that builds over a few weeks.

There were a lot of little details to both Winnie and Alaric that made them imperfect and more realistic. Despite Alaric’s protectiveness, he really was a sweetheart. And I liked Reginald’s character and role in the home as Alaric’s “thrall”, gradually modernizing their lifestyle. It was a fun and no-to-serious take on the genre.

Most of the time though, it seemed like there was just too much on the page without anything actually happening. There were a lot of characters and superfluous information in an attempt at building the series, but the primary story felt like it got lost and bogged down. This 586 page book felt like it would have been better at 400. The plot could have benefited from more focus on the sleuthing and having a better romantic resolution to the third act breakup.

If you are looking for a romantasy that is a mixture of "Twiligt" minus teenagers and "Murder, she wrote" placed in modern times with a very good written spice, this is a book for you!

I was so confused how to rate "Fangs for nothing". When I first started reading it, I thought it was written by 15 year old me as an attempt of a vampire romance. But the book actually turned out to be very good!

The characters are mature, they are not kids or in their early twenties so they deal with the problems in a refreshing way. Of course there are drama, insecurities and mental health issues, but all of them try to change and evolve into a better person. The ladies in the book club are awesome and I need to read more about them. All the characters are lovable. The jokes are on point and I love all the references. I also very much love the way we learn how hard can it be for people to have a mental disorder that looks ridiculous and not serious enough.

Sometimes the development of the story was a bit rushed in my opinion - a situation changes so quickly that I didn't find it believable, but I was not bored at all, not for a moment! I think the cover is beautiful and it depicts the energy of the story quite well.

Thank you to Steffanie Holmes for an eARC in exchange of my honest opinion!

I adore the Nevermore Bookshop Mysteries series (which I haven't finished yet) and was so excited to realize there was a spinoff happening!
I got a few things spoiled for the rest of the main series (nothing major) and that's totally on me, but I do feel things might get confusing for someone who jumps right into Fangs for Nothing.

I devoured the first fifty percent of the book in one day, I truly couldn't put it down! Alaric was dreamy and I love me a broody but kind vampire! Winnie was very similar to Mina as a character, and I couldn't help but make comparisons. The book club meetings and group chats were hilarious.
But then, after Winnie found out about Alaric, I felt like so many new plot points were being added all at once and I unfortunately lost interest.
The wit and humour and pop culture references were fun and engaging, but they started taking me out of the narration and Winnie and Alaric's relationship.
It truly breaks my heart to say it, but it's going to be a dnf for me (for now! there is totally a chance I will return to this book in the future). That being said, I will 100% be continuing the NBM series, as three books in I was truly enjoying every minute.

I'm settling on a three-star rating because I truly enjoyed the first part of the book!

This was my first Steffanie Homles book so I had no idea what to expect but I was not disappointed! I am newer to the romantasy genre and this definitely kept me interested. A fun and balanced mix of fantasy, romance, and suspense!

Delightful cozy spooky romance, loved the authors writing style it reminded me of Molly harper, witty with just the right amount spice, there were a lot of characters but I enjoyed that it makes the universe feel authentic!

Too many backstories, too many side characters. I enjoyed the romance, when the book actually felt focused on it. I really liked the two main characters, which is why it annoyed me when the story felt focused elsewhere. Too many irons in the fire.

Oh this book… I enjoyed it quite a bit in the beginning. It felt fresh and tongue in cheek. I liked Winnnie and Alaric. But the longer it went on (and oh gosh was it long) the more convoluted it felt. I didn’t realize this book was a spin off from a previous series that had a very large cast, so when there was suddenly 8+ additional characters introduced with complex backgrounds introduced they were hard for me to keep track of. I wish Fangs for Nothing had been paired down to just the fake dating storyline because that’s where it shined. Everything else just weighed it down and drew it out. There was just too much going on by the end and I found myself less and less invested as the chapters wore on… I do not think it is a series I will be returning to sadly.

I enjoyed this book SO much! This story focuses around Winnie Preston who is a professional cleaner. After recovering from a nasty breakup where her ex fiancé is now with her best friend since Kindergarten, Winnie is trying to do her best to recover. She finds herself at a bar one evening when a man starts harassing her and won't take no for an answer. A handsome vampire named Alaric steps up and stops the harassment and he shares a passionate kiss with Winnie who doesn't know he's a vampire.


Winnie thought this would be the last time she ever met him, but as it turns out he ends up becoming a client of hers and she must help clean his castle for a party that he is hosting. As the two spend more time together, they start to develop very strong feelings for each other. As much as they try to resist, their relationship does blossom. Their love is forbidden amongst vampires, but love always prevails. They do have some bumpy patches along the way due to each other's traumatic pasts. Eventually Winnie does learn that he is a vampire and learns more about his culture and family.

Winnie also has a close group of friends through a book club that they host. Her friends also have some supernatural secrets of their own. She later learns all about her friends and they become even more close as well.

There are some very passionate and spicy scenes between Alaric and Winnie that were lovely. They really captured the emotions and bond between the two. Overall, this is easily one of my favorite reads this year!

Thank you to Netgalley, Bacchanalia House, and Steffanie Holmes for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The perfect mixture of magic, romance, self discovery! Loved Winnie and Alaric. I hadn't read any of Steffanie Holmes' other novels but was pleased to see peripheral characters have their own series!

This may be closer to 3.5 but I rounded up. I love vampire, werewolves and witches so I saw this on NetGalley and had to go for it. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC! Woohoo, just in time for Ocotber.

This read a little slow for me. I kept getting distracted so I had to focus back up and read. As a whole, this is way different from most other vampire books I’ve read so I loved the fresh take. The book club, Winnie being a professional organizer and Alaric “collecting” hobbies was truly a treat. There’s a little bit of mystery too! I was drawn into this book as I read and the way it ended! How dare you!

The premise, Winnie is hired to help Alaric clean out his castle in preparation for a ball his mother is throwing. Alaric is very much the reclusive vampire type and Winnie is the professional organizer coming from a rough relationship with her mother and a resent breakup/betrayal. Winnie and Alaric bring out so many good things in eachother and one thing leads to another…but it’s obviously complicated.

As a whole, I’m excited for the next books…there HAS to be more!! We learn so many tidbits from the book club members so I know things are about to go down! Excited to see what happens in this world.

3.25 stars

This was a really intriguing premise and I did find the characters absolutely delightful. The representation of mental health was realistic for the characters and I think well done without making anyone villainous, they are all still very multi-dimensional characters, they aren’t pigeon-holed into their illness being their defining characteristic. In general this is a book with so much necessary representation of differently abled to race, gender and sexual orientation. And in each of those characters none of it feels token or over emphasized, they are simply one facet of the character.

This did feel a little insta-love to me but Alaric is such a clueless little golden retriever I’d probably instantly fall in love with him too. Especially if there was a Reginald in the background making me delicious hot chocolate every evening. It was fun to see an out-of-touch with the modern world vampire. Another trope that isn’t a favorite of mine is the 3rd act breakup but I appreciated the complex feelings both Winnie and Alaric were having and it felt valid and authentic for their situation. It didn’t feel like it was used to include unnecessary dramatics but was really used as a self-reflection and growth catalyst.

To be honest my favorite part of the story was the girlfriends, the Nevermore Bookshop Murder and Smutty Book Coven are the real stars of this story. I now know that there is a series about them and I will definitely be putting it on my TBR, but you don’t have to have read them to follow this plot. There are references to the women’s histories but all of them are recounted enough to understand what’s going on but not in so much detail that the story felt stalled or disjointed.

I did think the story dragged on a bit, and it still wasn’t quite clear if they actually apprehended the murderer they were searching for. The Celeste bit just muddled the plot direction for me. Claire and Patrick magically showing up in this small town was just too coincidental for me. I don’t necessarily think it added much to the plot or even Winnie’s character development. Not even going to get into the reveal between Arabella and Gideon because I still am confused about that.

Overall I enjoyed the characters and I will be looking for more books by Stephanie Holmes in the future.

st POV (present) / 2 POVs / medium-length chapters / Trigger warnings (TW) below

🏰 hot murderous vampires, orgasmic bite
🏰 fake dating, insta-lust
🏰 old gothic castle "This is a castle that has seen some shit"
🏰 murder mystery
🏰 "my wife" dirty talk
🏰 characters who actually know how to communicate "I didn't want to leave without giving him a chance to explain."

❤️‍🩹 mental illness healing journey (PTSD, hoarding) – HUGE part of the story
📚Book club: group of girly friends (who may or may not have superpowers and are (good) amateur detectives) who are always there for you. <3 I didn't know they had their own series!!

● I loved Alaric and how absolutely clueless he is when it comes to modern technology (and his passionate hatred for it), I'm also relieved that his speech reflected that and he actually talked like someone who's a few centuries old (in a good way ☺️, my boy is trying his best). Also, his character growth was fantastic!
● I was really worried that I'll hate Winnie because she was this cringy clean queen but since we actually got to see beneath that superficial image, her character had depth and was very likable.
● I think the book has a good ratio of spice and plot and the pacing was perfect. I wouldn't classify it as erotica but a romance with explicit sexual scenes.
● The text messages at the beginning of each chapter were a genius idea!
● Can we PLEASE normalize the words dick and pussy? (shaft, swollen bud, mound,... give me the ick)

Can't wait for A Grave Mistake. 🥰

Trigger warnings: PTSD (hoarding), murder, sexual harassment (MMC saves the day; (view spoiler)), infidelity (not MMC, mentioned a lot (view spoiler)), blood, swearing

"Worship me," I manage to breathe.
"Good girl," he growls.

This was such a fun book! It had way more mystery than I expected, which was a nice surprise. Lots of the classic tropes, such as fake dating, which are done pretty well.
The main character, Winnie, had a lot of depth and it was great to see her work through her trauma. Alaric was a swoon-worthy love interest.

The story did feel slightly too long, and there were a few mistakes which were distracting. Some of the romantic elements felt like they took a while to get into, and once there it was a bit rushed. But overall this is an entertaining book, perfect for this time of year! It was my first book by Steffanie Holmes, I’ll definitely be looking for more.