⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 — I’m not okay and I blame Connor Morningstar.

This book completely wrecked me—in the best, most deliciously dramatic way. I was expecting a fun, magical academy romance… I was not expecting to fall face-first into an 1100+ page spiral of feelings, secrets, betrayal, and romantic tension that could power the national grid.

Let’s start with Summer Tuatha De Daanan: prickly, awkward, constantly second-guessing herself, and trying so damn hard to belong. Her voice was so raw and relatable—there were whole pages I wanted to underline and scream “same” at. Watching her come into her power while navigating grief, trauma, and feeling other in every room? It hit.

And then there's Connor. Oh, Connor. A literal angel, both in the supernatural sense and in the way he’s the most patient, supportive, emotionally intelligent love interest I’ve read in ages. He sees Summer in all her messiness and never once flinches. Their connection is the definition of a slow burn, but every look, every moment, builds—until you’re ready to burst right alongside them.

The side characters? Iconic. Alice is the vampiric best friend I didn’t know I needed. The banter is sharp, the friendships are messy and beautiful, and the found family vibes are everything.

Also: the “seven lessons” mystery is so creepy and well done, threading through the plot like a curse. It kept me turning pages long after I should have been sleeping. And the ending?? That final twist? I’m not being dramatic when I say I blacked out for a second. Fully unhinged. Fully obsessed.

TL;DR:

If you love magic school settings, emotionally complex characters, high-stakes mysteries, and romance that simmers before it explodes—this is your next obsession.

Come for the dark academia vibes. Stay for Connor being the most attentive, devoted man alive.

Five stars. No notes. Except WHERE IS BOOK TWO I AM NOT OKAY.

Ack! That ending! You're leaving me there? I need to know what is happening! I need book 2 today!
This was a great read. I loved the bond and relationships built throughout this book. It really helped me to connect with Summer seeing her relationships with Alice and Connor, Max and the Stranger. Connor is a perfect golden retriever boyfriend and I just wanted to cuddle up with him too. I want to know more about the Stranger and the Headmaster and Rafe. I feel they're all hiding something! Can't wait for the next book, this was a long one, but definitely worth it!

Thank you to Rose and Star Publishing for the advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

A captivating blend of gothic atmosphere, dark academia, and magical lore, Blood and Betrayals is a fierce and enchanting read from start to finish. The book thrives on its richly imagined world populated by monsters, angels, vampires, and fae, each contributing to the tension and allure of the romantasy plot. Summer is an interesting, multi-faceted FMC and I loved the themes of growth and female friendships. Conner is a total golden retriever, which is my favorite kind of MMC. My only con is that I didn't realize going into this read how long the book was. However, it was so fast paced, I hardly noticed. However, if you're looking for a short ride, this probably won't be for you. If you love dark academia, if you loved Zodiac Academy, if you love tension and romance and spice and don't mind a longer page count, you're going to love this book.

This book devoured me in the best way possible. With a deliciously dark academic setting full of fae, vampires, angels, demons, and more, it’s giving major Zodiac Academy x CW drama energy—and I loved every chaotic second.

Did this book need to be 1,000 pages? Probably not. But was I still SAT for this book? Absolutely, yes,

Loved the found family aspect and banter.

There’s also a slow-burn murder mystery, a hot AF stalker, and a dark, brooding headmaster who gives nothing and need more of.

Was the world-building a little unhinged? Sure. Did it matter? Absolutely not. I was here for the vibes, the chaos, and THAT ending? Cannot wait for book 2.

I absolutely loved Blood and Betrayals I mean 6 infinity stars!!!!. Even though it’s over a thousand pages (which seemed daunting at first), I didn’t want it to end. The academy setting, murder mystery, and mix of magic and tension made it completely addictive.

The grumpy and sunshine dynamic was everything love a friends to lovers trope. I adored Connor, and every scene he was in made the book even better. I also really loved the stalker element. It sounds strange to say, but it worked so well.. we are talking sexy stalker wink wink.

The friendship between Summer and Alice was another highlight for me. It felt genuine and grounding, especially with everything else going on around them.

The characters are layered, the pacing never lets up, and the twists hit hard. The ending had me reeling, and I’ll be first in line for book two when it comes out. I need more of this world and these characters as soon as possible.

If you’re into romantasy with a dark edge, strong character chemistry, a murder mystery, and a world that pulls you in from page one, this is a must read.

I ended up soft-DNFing for now. I usually don’t mind slow paced books but at 30% I was expecting to be a little more into the story. It took me over a week just to get that far. The synopsis of this book sounded so intriguing and I really wanted to love it. While it may not be for me, it may be for you. I have seen a lot of wonderful reviews on this book and hopefully I will be able to pick back up in the future.

*ARC review*

Wow wow wow I don't have the words right now to how I feel.

This was a 5 star read from chapter 13, I've not felt like this about a book since Crescent City.

Zodiac academy vibes, with a murder mystery and a romance that will just melt your heart, a head master who is brooding and grumpy, a sparring partner who is just delightfully grumpy and a mystery stranger who is just well just mysterious.

With found family chucked in i loved it. Now I'm in a slump

Thank you Netgalley, Shannon and the publishers for this opportunity to read a fab book in exchange for an honest review

This book wrecked me but I loved it so much! The found family aspect was absolutely amazing and the friendship between Summer and Alice was phenomenal. The twist and turns kept me on my toes. I could not put this down!

This book needs to slide to the TOP of your TBR now!!!

This was my first dark romantasy book, and I loved every second of it. This book is a whirlwind of magic, mystery, and mayhem that had me hooked from the first page. Summer's journey at Avalon University is anything but ordinary—think dark academia meets paranormal thriller with a dash of romance. The characters are richly developed, each with their own secrets and complexities. The plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat, and the ending? Absolutely jaw-dropping. I mean, it's over 900 pages, which would normally be a no-go, but this book is FANTASTIC!

Massive thank you to Rose and NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Rose & Star Publishing for the opportunity to read this eARC!

This was a wild ride. I normally do not pick up fantasy books that have modern elements like phones, texting, and social media but this book was quite the exception. I could not put this down.

Did it need to be 1,027 pages? No. Did I still find myself unable to look away? Yes. I loved the side characters so much and I enjoyed Summer, but she did drive me insane at times. Connor had my heart immediately, but I am quite easy to please with MMCs. I became conflicted when we were introduced more to Headmaster Emrys and her stalker because why did I like them so much? What does that say about me?

This could be a very small minor spoiler so avoid this next sentence if you wish. But the one thing I found bothering me was Summer’s inability to keep the boundaries she set with her stalker, who she calls Stranger. I felt like Connor was an award winning AKC Golden Retriever, and she needed to quit with the emotional relationship with Stranger. I know she was trying and I know she loved Connor, and girl I get it, but Connor needed to be protected at all costs.

I did find myself crying at 1 am when I got to the ending. I just knew something was going to break my heart and break it did.

Alexis and Jeanette, if you see this, I am begging you please for book 2. I will not rest with all of these unanswered questions and I do not have Headmaster Emrys to email so he can give me books with answers!

Wow—what an ending! I genuinely don’t know how I’m supposed to recover from that or wait until March for Book 2. This story had such incredible character growth and relationship development that I was hooked from start to finish.

Conner is absolute perfection. The way he loves Summer is beautiful—tender, loyal, and unwavering. His devotion to his family and the way he looks out for his brothers is heartwarming. Honestly, I would’ve loved a few chapters from his point of view just to get inside his head more.

Summer’s journey was equally powerful. Watching her grow from who she was at the beginning to who she becomes by the end was so well done. One of my favorite parts of the book was her relationship with Alice—their instant connection as outsiders who found comfort in each other was both funny and deeply touching. Every time Summer calls Alice “wifey,” I couldn’t help but laugh.

I finished this book in under 24 hours. Despite its length, I never felt bored or rushed. Every chapter felt meaningful, with important emotional beats or key pieces of the story. It’s the kind of book that makes you laugh, cry, and smile all at once.

I’ll be counting down the days until Book 2 releases in March—I’ll be reading it the moment it drops! I would absolutely die for a copy of the PR box edition of this book, it is stunning.

Absolutely loved this book....even after all the pain.
In the beginning I had some mixed feelings about some parts, but as the story builds you totally get lost in this world.
I had so many theories and ideas where it will go...and even after finishing the book, I don't know if I was right.
Still so much to discover about these characters!
Definitely a 5 star read for me and can't wait for the second book!!!

Thank you Netgalley, Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune, and the publisher ❤️

I started this eARC thinking it would be a dark academia story with stalking and mystery. But I realized very quickly, that it was more of a collage romance book for the first 60% of the book.

I liked the fun collage experiences at the beginning of the book, it was very cute and flirty, and gave a good introduction to the story and setting. But then the story changed quickly into a more spicy romance, with not a lot of deeper plot. The characters felt younger and more naive, than they actually should have been. They came across like collage students in their early 20s, but are actually described as 30yos.

I felt like this story has a lot of potential, if the focus would be directed more towards the actual mystery that’s happening in the book. I am a fan of spicy and tension, but in this story it didn’t really do the thing. Not until the stranger came into focus. That’s what drew my attention back.

This is all just a personal opinion, of course, but I have about 300 questions that weren’t answered by the end of the book. One the one said, this story felt way too long, with a lot of repetitive moments between the two main characters. But on the other side, there are multiple loose ends and sub-plots, that weren’t explored deeply enough. The stranger for example! I found his story and the connection to the FMC very intriguing and I would have wished for more.

This book was far too long.

After about 58% in to the book I got so bored.
I didn’t really gel with the characters all that much either.

I finished the book but I don’t think it’s for me.

Not quite what I expected but it was a suprose.
Fast paced and interesting.
I liked the characters . Highly recommend.

This 900 page book was just too much, I got 200 pages in and had to stop. There was just too much wrong with it and not enough right to make me want to continue. The characters, though being 27-31 acted like they were 17, why make the ages so old to not make the characters believable? Why was an adult woman wearing a cheerleader uniform at this supernatural school? This person is way too old to be that perky. We're tired by that age. Why did Summer and Alice run away from their tour group? They are literal adults who can make choices to not participate. Why are they both just so insufferable? Why were there five Morningstar brothers? Surely a max of three would have been enough? Only Connor and Rafe are actually distinguishable from the others. Why is the school Headmaster always around when Summer is doing literally anything? Why was this insta-love? There could have been angst with a cross species romance. What was the world around them? Why did we have unoriginal names like Alice, Prof. Draco, Draculea? Why was this not just an NA fantasy college book? Why was every chapter called "Summer" when maybe like 6 were titled something else? Are the authors high school students who took writers craft project too far?

This book is 900 pages long, and honestly based on the amount I read had very little to say. Books do not need to be long to be valid, sometimes less is more, and in this case, less would have been ideal. There is an idea for the story somewhere in this book, but better editing, less characters, more depth and originality would have helped the whole thing.

I'm not posting this to my good reads, but yeah. Sorry. This was just not it for me.

This book was incredibly long. I was convinced I was close to the end and found out I was only 48% in. While I did mostly enjoy the story, I don’t think I’m the target audience for this book. The characters are immature and frustrating.

Thank you to Rose and Star Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, it gave me so many things I love—dark academia vibes, a golden retriever MMC (Connor is the literal definition of perfection), a compelling murder mystery, and an ensemble cast that brought serious personality to the page.

The standout element for me? The characters. Alice, the ride-or-die vampire bestie? Iconic. The banter and bond between her and Summer felt so real. The brother crew - Rafe, Luke, Zane, and Zach were charming and hilarious. Max, the unexpected bestie, was a surprise I didn’t know I needed. And of course, the Stranger. As the mysterious, brooding third point of the main triangle and the stalker element of the plot, his character added a unique layer of tension and intrigue. He steadily grew on me the more we saw beneath his surface.

The spice? Definitely a major feature, this book doesn't hold back in that department.

But here’s where things went sideways for me. At over 1,000 pages, this book felt too long for the story it was telling. The pacing suffered from heavy repetition—class, coffee, Connor, secrets, rinse and repeat—not enough forward motion. But the biggest struggle for me was the emotional cheating. It was such a significant issue that I nearly DNF’d the book more than once. Summer not only kept Connor, who was endlessly patient, supportive, and selfless, in the dark, but she also opened up 100% emotionally to quite literally a stranger. To make matters worse, she actively downplayed and lied about the depth of her connection with the Stranger when talking to Connor. That level of betrayal made it incredibly difficult to stay invested in her character or the romance.

Summer herself was also tough to connect with at times. Her decision-making often felt immature and reckless, which made it hard to believe she was nearly 30 years old. I understand trauma plays a role, but it didn’t always add up.

The ending did hit emotionally, and while it didn’t fully redeem the story for me, it did soften the blow. I’m still on the fence about continuing the series, but I’ll be keeping an eye on what others think before deciding.

Read this if you love:
✨ Dark academia + slow-burning tension
✨ Magic, mystery, and found family dynamics
✨ Steamy romance with emotional stakes

But be mindful if:
❌ Emotional cheating is a trigger
❌ You prefer faster pacing or shorter reads

Where do I even begin? This was beautiful, devastating and I need the next book immediately.

All of the characters are so well done and you really feel like you are there in this world with them. The found family was perfect.

It was a long one but so worth the read and I am lucky ro have received the ARC. I'm keeping my eye out for the second book. Definitely one of my favorite reads of all time.

First off, I would like to thank NetGalley, Rose & Star Publishing LLC, & Jeanette Rose & Alexis Rune for the eArc!

This was unfortunately a miss for me, which I’m so sad about because I was so excited for this book. It just seemed to go on for too long. The concept of this was great and I liked the overall idea it just fell a little flat. I’m still interested enough that I would read the next book, however, I found myself wanting this book to end. There seemed to be a lot of filler that didn’t seem necessary. The relationship between the FMC & MMC also came off a bit too insta love to me as well which I don’t really enjoy.

As for the characters,

- The FMC honestly got on my nerves quite a bit and I found myself rolling my eyes at a lot of the things she did. Especially when I would remember that we are supposed to be the same age…. + her having like a whole attitude / character change from the first chapter to the end of the book. It was too drastic and not really in a positive character growth way.

- Alice & Connor were the best characters in the book. Alice was witty, snarky, and loyal and Connor was the perfect book boyfriend. Sweet, charming, and loving.

Overall, if you’re looking for a university setting, murder mystery and lots of spice this is the book for you!