I love a good enemies to lovers, fated mates vampire romance. This was my first book of Nicole Jacquelyn, provided as an e-arc through Netgally. Did I LOVE it, sadly I did not. It felt a little rushed, some paragraph's felt unfinished to me. Almost DNF'd but thought that it might get better in the end. Overall, to me it wasn't very good. I did like the storyline behind everything, if this ever get's a re-edited version, I will most likely read it.

Vein and Vow is a well-written, fast-paced romance with a hint of spice, strong family ties, and a satisfying conclusion to what will be a great series. I honestly wouldn't say it is enemies to lovers, it is more a grump and sunshine vibe in my opinion. I honestly loved how grumpy Beau was as it was a great offset to Reese, who is a bubbly and annoying but it's cute type.

Is it super spicy? No, but it has some good scenes. Instead, I found Vein and Vow to be almost a cozy read with a family that supports and loves each other, and is welcoming and caring. An MMC and FMC that are thrown into a fated situation and are catching their stride and just enough action and side story to keep things moving along. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series.

This is my first from the author. Even though I requested it as soon as I saw that this about vampires, I struggled with this one. I felt that somehow, I missed something in here like the plot, the characters etc. I still didn’t quite get the world building. Also, the writing felt like it was all over the place.
But all the dislikes aside, I liked the mains and the emotional moments in the book. The steamy scenes were okay that didn’t make me overwhelm like some other books.
Overall, this is a good book if the writing was okay.

This book? Chaos. Absolute fanged, soul-bonded chaos—and I loved every second of it.

Now listen, I’ve read a lot of vampire romances in my day. Some broody, some sparkly, some aggressively averse to garlic. But this one? This one said, “Fated mates? Great. Let’s get it done in chapter one. Strap in, sweetheart.” The pacing doesn’t walk—it sprints, combat boots on, middle fingers up. I was confused, intrigued, flustered, and 100% entertained.

These vampires are no longer lurking in shadows or sighing about eternal loneliness. They are sexy, dramatic, emotionally unavailable tabloid icons—and I would die for them.

And then there’s Beau. Sweet, surly Beau. At first, I wanted to throw him in a river. Preferably one with a current strong enough to humble his ego (Papa Boucher gets it). But somewhere between the emotional baggage and cursed (blessed????) mating heat, that grumpy man grew on me. Like mold. Sexy, emotionally damaged mold with great abs and unresolved trauma.

The romance goes from “we just met” to “I’d burn down the world for you” so fast my neck hurt from the whiplash. But once I accepted the chaos as my new reality, I was feral for it. And that ending? Chef’s kiss. We know who’s next on the soulmate train—and don’t worry, I’ve already got my Boucher Mate conspiracy board going for book three. I’m watching you, Nicole Jacquelyn. Closely.

This series has officially installed itself in my vampire-shaped heart. I want the drama. I want the blood. I want the hot, messy, absolutely unhinged love stories. Bring on the next bite.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and Nicole Jacquelyn for the ARC and the unintentional emotional spiral in exchange for an honest review. I regret nothing.

I have previously read Nicole Jacquelyn’s other series so I was really excited to give her new Romantasy a go and I’m so glad I did.

The story follows Reese whose life is turned upside down when she meets Beau, a vampire who turns out to be her mate.

This book was SO much fun, there were so many funny moments that made me laugh out loud, in particular the toothbrushing scene which gave me “bring it on” movie flashbacks.

While being funny it still had its tender more serious moments - this book is perfect for people who want to switch off their brain and have a good time, it’s easy to follow and has so many well loved tropes.
I will definitely be continuing the series and can’t wait for the next book.

Very fast paced, an enjoyable read between a human and vampire , a bit different from any other vampire romance I've ever read before. A bit mysterious throughout but looking forward to the rest of the series

"Vein & Vow" delivers a fast-paced, paranormal romance with strong fated-mates energy and a dynamic that will appeal to readers who enjoy intense, immediate connections between characters. While the world-building and premise had potential, the quick development of the central relationship made it difficult for me to stay engaged. Fans of steamy, high-stakes romance with a supernatural twist may find this a satisfying and entertaining read.

Overall, I enjoyed this read. Was it somewhat predictable? Yes - but even with that it was well written and kept me engaged. I found myself enjoying the characters and their connection. I highly enjoyed how Reeses character was so relatable human who struggled to balance self assurance with fears of rejection. I found her dynamic with Beaumont to be complex in a way that fit with the nature of the stand-alone plot while still having the depth to be engaging. Overall, I enjoyed it. Would I have picked it up without having the ARC? Probably not. Am I happy to did read it? Yes!

Vein & Vow is the first in a series following the Boucher Vampire brothers on their quest to find out who killed their youngest brother. This first one focuses on Beau and his new mate Reese. They do not start off on the right foot and pretty much hate each other but the mating bond has other plans. Most of the story is about these two and their growing relationship with very spicy scenes due to the mating bond. It wasn't fantastic but it wasn't horrible. I enjoyed the way Jacquelyn writes the Vampires and their lore but at times I just felt like it was missing something. I will be reading the next book though.

I enjoyed this enemies to lovers vampire story. It was a good read. Had me feeling all t he feels. I will be reading book 2 in the series. Nicole did a great job writing a story that people ebjoy

not for me unfortunately. the main character was giving pick me vibes and i did not care for the worldbuilding and the new interpetation of this vampire dystopian kind of world.

Vein & Vow is a passionate and tension-filled paranormal romance that explores fate, identity, and the pull of something—or someone—you were never prepared for. Reese Matthews is grounded, skeptical, and fiercely independent, so when she’s suddenly thrown into a world of vampires and ancient bonds, her instinct is to fight it every step of the way. Beau, her supposed fated mate, is intense, protective, and deeply convinced of their connection.

The chemistry between Reese and Beau is undeniable, and the “fated mates meets enemies-to-lovers” setup delivers some genuinely compelling moments. Their banter and emotional push-and-pull are engaging, making the romance feel both intense and high-stakes.

That said, the pacing at times felt a little too fast. Emotional beats—especially Reese’s adjustment to this new world and Beau’s internal conflict—could’ve been given more space to breathe. There were moments where the story seemed to jump ahead just as it was about to deepen, leaving some emotional depth unexplored. A slower unfolding of certain key scenes would have allowed for a more satisfying emotional payoff.

Still, the premise is intriguing and the worldbuilding has strong potential. With its blend of supernatural lore, high emotional stakes, and steamy tension, Vein & Vow offers a satisfying escape for fans of paranormal romance—especially those who love stories about destined love complicated by real-world doubts and emotional baggage.

3.5 for me, really enjoyed it but it felt a bit rushed with character introductions for me. Will be picking up book 2 for sure 😊

(ARC copy provided by BooksGoSocial & Netgalley)

Reese Matthews, a human, could care less about vampires she works at a blood bank but has never interacted with one, unlike her friend Rena who lives for their gossip in magazines and seems to know quite alot about vampires and their mates.

Beaumont Boucher, a broody vampire, has waited over a century to find his mate again. But when he walks into a blood bank and gets confronted with Reese, shes nothing like he imagined. Nothing like the woman he lost.

Vein&Vow is a dual pov, fast paced, steamy vampire romance, with fated mates, forced proximity, found family, tension and banter.

Reeses simple life takes a dramatic turn after Beau walks into her workplace and the mating bond sends her body into overdrive. Beau however cant help but tell himself how wrong she is. The woman he lost was soft and nice while Reese is loud and obnoxious.
The tension is set and the bond ensures the stay in close proximity while they have to work through their differences, Reese gets pulled into the Bouchers investigation of their brother Zekes death. Someone is targeting vampires even though its almost impossible to kill them. There are a lot of unanswered questions but the most pressing is, who is next. Will Reese and her found family be able to stay safe? And will Reese and Beau get over their differences?

I love the Black Dagger Brothers, and now I love the Boucher Brothers.

A Mix of feisty, stubborn FMCs, and broody, grump vampire MMCs.

Reese Matthews, a girl that never had anything truly hers; Beau Boucher, a man with a second chance at love.
But this love is something neither of them hoped it would be; sharp edged and dangerous.

An Interesting twist on Fated Mates, spicy straight from the first page turn, good character development, witty banter and heart warming moments.
Not entirely Enemies to Lovers, definitely more disliked to Lovers.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖 - I ended up being annoyed with this book numerous times and wanted to put it down
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋 - so there were some angsty moments that tugged on my heart a bit!
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 (they were fine….but I think I wanted more emotional pull?? They felt kind of mechanical to me but maybe it was the hate to bedroom to I still hate you vibe of the book)
Intimate Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 - most are on the shorter side
Steam Scale (Number of Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (might be more I got sloppy with note taking in the latter half)
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: This is first person point of view from both hero and heroine (alternating chapters)
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? fast
When mains are first on page together: pretty soon in
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after for the mains
Epilogue: Not really

Should I read in order?
This is Jacquelin’s first of The Boucher’s series.

Basic plot:
Reese loves her job at the vampire blood bank – she gets to listen to music and not deal with people...until her mate walks in and changes her life...

Give this a try if you want:
- contemporary paranormal romance
- vampire hero
- human heroine
- mates
- size difference – he’s taller
- enemies to lovers – they hate each other at first but they are mates
- higher steam – at least 4ish full scenes

Ages:
- heroine is 27, hero turned undead at 31 but is 155 years old now (or so)

My thoughts:
I struggled with this one. I felt really thrown into this book and not in a good way. Did I miss a prequel series? I still didn’t quite get the world building I wanted. I wanted to understand this world more and how vampires were just ‘accepted’ as a part of life? And the writing felt really chaotic. I felt like it was all over the place.

I also have struggled with enemies to lovers lately. It’s usually not my favorite trope anyway unless it’s more light hearted, but I have read sooo many couples that fought the whole book and hated each other so the poor book might not have stood a chance being like the 5th one in a row I read…

I did like parts of this story though – there were emotional scenes and some angsty moments that I appreciated. I like when the mains hurt my heart and that happened a bit here!

Overall though I think I had a touch of disconnect with the writing. I don’t think I’d continue this series but I would try another series by this author!

This was a miss for me, unfortunately. I love vampire stories and I love the idea of finding one's mate, but this was poorly executed, in my opinion. There are several typos and missing words. My least favorite character was the FMC and it made the reading experience quite difficult. She's a "not like other girls" girl. This was a pretty short book but I think if it had more detail and been a bit longer, it could've held my interest more. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed Vein & Vow! This is a spicy paranormal (vampire) romance with elements of suspense.

Despite it being a rather quick read, it covered a lot of ground by Introducing the reader to the world-building, secondary characters, and a mystery that will continue to be integral to the series. My feedback is around pacing—while the first chapter was strong, the middle of the book felt a bit repetitive. I also think the world-building could have been introduced proactively, instead of reactively.

Overall, I really liked the premise of this book and how it sets up the rest of the series. I’m looking forward to the next installment!

Thank you to Netgalley and Nicole Jacquelyn for the opportunity to read this book… So simple things out the way first… tropes: enemies to lovers, fated mates, forced proximity, found family. A spicy fast paced dual pov (which I love) you will have to keep up as the pace stays through the book.

The connections between characters/families felt genuine and Beau’s development through the book was really good. I did not enjoy the miscommunication especially with regard to the whole mate process and how serious it is etc. I loved the fated mate trope (because goosebumps) but I love that Reese still called him out on his crap behaviour. I think the ending felt rushed but with it being the first in a series of interconnecting books I do want to try the next book. I would recommend this to vampire girlies

A new view on vampires and their fated mates. It's not always love at first sight as Reese and Beau find out. Both have painful backgrounds which makes their romance tricky to say the least.
Beau has just lost his brother and is angry at everyone at the moment. Reese is a strong minded woman not thinking of romance at this time. The mating bond is a thing of myth and pain on both sides.
As the romance progresses, they find there is an enemy trying to get the vampires biggest secret from them.
Love strong women. Reese is strong but with a soft inside which is rarely seen, it shakes Beau when the hard shell finally cracks and he realizes how he has misjudged her.