If you like Zodiac Academy, you will love this. The magic system is one of the most unique magic systems I've ever read. There is fae, vampires, shifters, angels and more. It is a dark academia with murder mystery vibes. I loved loved loved the relationship/friendship between Summer and Alice. They are both baddies that give no fucks whatsoever. Conner, our mmc, is very golden retriever. There is definitely reverse grumpy/Sunshine between Summer and Conner. Then there's the Headmaster, who I'm very curious about. We don't know a lot about him and he is very mysterious to me. There is also the mysterious shadow stalker that's stalking summer. I honestly am way more intrigued by the Headmaster and the stalker than I am by Conner... I loved almost everything about this book and would definitely recommend it to romantasy lovers. I need book 2 more than I need air.

I struggled getting through this but I did manage. It felt too long for the plot, but what was there was really good. The characters were fine but there was still a lot of emotional investment so the ending did hit me in the feels!

Very late ARC read, it’s after publication lol.

Okay… WTF JUST HAPPENED. Idk how to articulate how I feel right now…
This book was easy to read, quick paced and had good plot, did it need to be 1100 pages? No. I really feel like it could have been 400, that being said I am 1000% reading the next book. I have a feeling this is going to be one of those where the second books is amazing, there was a lot of story building in this one, literally everything is unanswered and left open soo I think 2nd book will be amazing.

I loved the characters and the development of Summer, although she was a little too back and forth for me like girl just say ur healed and move on the constant backtracking is probably what made this book longer then what it needed to be. LOVE Alice soo much, I need her to get a love interest asap and I want it to be Rafe - also v intrigued by him.

The magic system was really interesting to me, and can’t wait to see more of the rune magic in book 2. Another thing I really liked about this book is how unpredictable it was, I honestly can’t guess at all what is going to happen, and was surprised so many times in this.

3.5 stars, can’t wait to see the development of this series, it has the potential to be top tier. ✨🤍🧚🏼

This novel marks a bold and ambitious debut, blending fantasy, mystery, and romance in a world filled with supernatural beings and dark secrets. The setting is enchanting and is one of the story’s strongest elements. The author immerses us in Summer’s daily life through vivid dialogue and well-developed relationships, especially with her vampire roommate and the golden boy Conner.

However, the narrative style is often overly detailed, slowing the pace and weighing down the story. The constant, in-depth introspection risks smothering the narrative tension, even if it allows us to deeply explore the protagonist’s inner turmoil. Summer is a complex character, but her emotional immaturity doesn’t quite match her supposed age.

The plot becomes more engaging in the second half, with its romantic twists and the mystery of a hidden killer. The love triangle adds emotional depth, though some choices remain ambiguous. The ending is a painful yet well-crafted cliffhanger, setting the stage for intense developments in the next book. In short, an imperfect but promising start.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rose and Star Publishing, LLC for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Rose Star Publishing, LLC and Netgalley for allowing me to read this title in exchange for an honest review.

I very much enjoyed reading this story as a vibes read, it was addictive and fun and I was immersed in similar emotions I feel while reading books from series like Zodiac Academy and the like.

The overall mystery surrounding the plot was well executed, and while I did guess a lot of plot points, that cliffhanger of an ending made we want to throw my iPad across the room… and not a lot of books have successfully done that.

The book itself was huge, I’m talking nearly 800 pages, however it was an easy enough read that the length didn’t feel too overwhelming nor did it feel like it dragged on. I did however feel like there was A LOT of spicy scenes. I get that was a coping mechanism for our FMC and they are enjoying their college experience, but there was an almost over abundance and I kinda feel like I would’ve liked to have been left wanting a little bit more.

Did I feel like this was a masterpiece. Well no, but it was a damned good time and I really, really need book 2 now.

This book is THICK! But I liked that. It was made for a reader to fully immerse themselves in this world, and I did just that. What a delightful way to lose myself for a few days.

Listen, this book is for people who love a great found family, and for those who live for layered world-building. Since this book was not just dark academia, with a HOT Headmaster ;), it was also a universe with realms upon realms. Some lost, some forbidden, and all with creatures unique and fun to read about.

Definitely a book full of the right vibes as well, if you love hidden pasts and murderous mysteries. The unfolding was slow, but captivating.

I do think you have to be in the right mood to invest the time in this one, but for me it was worth it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DNZP5T8xERM/?igsh=Y2gxM3N2NjFvOXJx
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7832720855
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R123TDZZUI5EII?ref=pf_vv_at_pdctrvw_srp

•• “𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘮, 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴”

Summer isn’t like the other fae, and that suits her just fine. She’s at Avalon University for protection and knowledge -𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.

Until her vampire roommate and a persistent angel wedge their way into her life and allow her to hope for a fresh start. The relationships in this were absolutely beautiful, and very in depth. We get a lot of dialogue and daily life with them all and you truly experience Summer’s emotions along the way.

While I found myself relating to Summer and her internal conflicts often, I also wanted to jump in the story and shake her a few times. She really has quite the emotional and personal journey throughout the book, but despite all her progress she has a long way to go, and a lot of hurdles along the way.

The romance between Summer and Conner is adorable, and I loved how patient and kind he is with her. He’s an angel in more ways than one and had me smiling the whole time. But, I can’t deny that I loved the stolen moments with the stranger and found myself wishing for more. He had me captivated and ignoring all his red flags - even though there was an actual angel in the picture.

But while Summer is undergoing an emotional journey, she’s also unknowingly becoming the subject of a deranged stalker. Relationships are forged and tested, secrets are revealed, and blood is spilled as Summer and Headmaster Emrys race to find the killer in their midst. This ends on a painful cliffhanger that really sets the tone for the rest of the series. I have so many questions and a few theories and can’t wait to see where the rest of this story goes.

𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲:
•𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗮
•𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗺𝗰
•𝗠𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗺𝗰
•𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆
•𝗙𝗮𝗲, 𝘃𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀, 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲
•𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀
•𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘆 🔥

"I was sitting on a counter, we were making out, and his first thought was 'Oh, I should make her eat carbs'."

"You're waiting for the next blow. People like us, we don't trust good things. We prepare for the next hit to come, coil our bodies in preparation."

A brooding ousted fae girl teams up with her new vampire bestie to tackle University life. Thinking she's leaving her traumatic past behind she gets much more than she bargained for when starting this new life. From an angel with the personality of a golden retriever to a misty stranger, there's no shortage of fun antics and allure around every corner. That is, until bodies start dropping and mystery starts to unfold.

Thank you to Rose and Star Publishing LLC and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this story, my opinions are strictly my own. I really didn't know how I was going to rate this book. This book was huge, with a lot of different aspects to decipher and mull over. I wanted it to be a 4 star read so bad, but it just didn't quite reach there. I would honestly give it a 3.5, not quite 3.75. I love a good romantasy, especially one that's dark academia and has multi POV. I would suggest that anyone wanting to read this book peruse the content warning page first as there might be some triggers that affect some readers. There were a lot of faucets to this story, and while I tried to keep up with all the random insertions of information that seemed to be paramount to know and yet were sometimes haphazardly thrown into the story, I was able to gather the following opinions. The FMC is very angry and jaded about life, but manages to find some comfort in being able to connect with her roommate because of traumatic pasts and not being able to fit in with anyone else. The FMC seems to constantly get angry at anyone that tries to get close to her in any way, especially if its in a supportive or loving way, which seems to be her default setting for her own sense of security and comfort. The thing that really throws me off about it is that she is CONSTANTLY getting irritated or downright rages at these people over the tiniest little things, some of these things are behaviors she does herself. Then there are a thousand apologies and she promises to do better... Then the cycle just continues over and over. While I understand that it's one of the key points to highlight the traumatic elements of her past, it becomes overkill while reading and distracts from any part of the plot. It's a constant acknowledgment of herself awareness to the behavior, with never actually fixing it. Speaking of the plot, I loved the premise and the way it was initially set up by the author, but between the aforementioned behavior and every other chapter being her and her eventual love interest having sex the plot gets lost. I really wanted more of Summer's back story, I wanted more about Faerie (especially after the information introduced by Stranger). I also needed much more about the Stranger. When we finally seem to be getting back to the plot, it feels rushed. The ending, although I knew to expect part of what happened to happen at some point due to all the foreshadowing, BROKE ME. I can't deal with how book one ends. I will definitely be reading the next one, whenever it's released, because I need to know what happens after the way it ended. I just hope there is a better balance to the next one because I'm craving way more plot.

OH. MY. GOD. I loved this book. Yes, it’s way too long, I can't argue with that. Also yes, the first half is repetitive and drags on and on with the same things happening for five hundred pages. But did I cry in the end? Absolutely. Will I be picking up the second one next year? Without a doubt.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this gem. It’s rare that I go into a book with high expectations and have them met, but from the very first chapter, I knew this was going to be incredible. If, like me, you love books with found family, school settings, and a cast full of paranormal creatures such as fae, vampires, angels, werewolves, AND you don’t mind a large dose of smut, this one is definitely something you should pick up.

I truly applaud any author for putting their work into the world. I know the effort, time, and vulnerability it takes to publish, and I’m grateful for the chance to read it. That said, this book just wasn’t for me.

It felt like an unfiltered stream of consciousness, depicting every thought and every action, whether or not it moved the plot forward. I don’t need to be in the main character’s head for everything; I just want the moments that matter. The excess detail made the pacing drag and, ultimately, wore me down. With tighter editing, I think the story’s strengths could have shone through much more clearly. Another issue for me was the characters’ maturity. They’re described as being in their late 20s or early 30s, but their emotional maturity often felt closer to that of preteens or teens.

That said, I truly enjoyed the world the author created. It reminded me of a grown-up version of Hotel Transylvania, where various mythical creatures interact. In that way, the mundanity of those interactions could have been refreshing, if not for the overabundance of detail. I also appreciated the mystery woven into the plot. The premise is a good one, but unfortunately, I couldn’t move past the other issues.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rose and Star Publishing, LLC, and Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I bought the physical copy for my shelf, so yes its good.

It has some great tropes here are a few I loved that it had in it:
Dark Academia
Stalker
Golden Boy MMC
Cliff hanger
Spicy Spice (There is several scenes in just the first 200ish pages)

I just loved the stranger and the headmaster sorry not sorry! Also my therapist got my entire book summary at our session after I read this because the CLIFF ENDING.

I loved this book, it had an addictive blend of romantic suspense and twist-laden mystery keeping me hooked until the last page. This book is the first instalment of the Fated Bloodlines series and I cannot wait for the next book, its high-stakes drama, morally gray characters, and a central romance that burns with both tension and vulnerability. The Author interweaves threads of political intrigue, dangerous alliances, and deep-seated grudges, they feel bruised, conflicted, and driven by both love and survival. I did enjoyed the slow-burn intimacy, which grows organically rather than overpowering the suspense. The only slight critique I had is that it has a dense cast and web of subplots which did overwhelm me slightly, however the ending was both shocking and satisfying, and the conclusion left me in anticipation for the next book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — 5 Star Vibes Read!

I was consumed by this book from start to finish. My favorite part? How much mystery is still left going into book two. Don’t get me wrong—the cliffhanger destroyed me. It was a complete emotional slaughter in the best (worst) way.

The romance is a perfect golden retriever/black cat dynamic. Connor is the sweetest, mushiest angel—which honestly gave me the ick at first—but he’s impossible not to love as the story unfolds. Summer’s past as an abandoned orphan in the mortal world, combined with the darkness living inside her, leaves her navigating completely uncharted territory. Learning to trust and accept love is one of the most beautiful focal points of the story.

After someone anonymously applies to Avalon Academy on her behalf, Summer decides the elite academy might be her safest option for moving forward. But her arrival draws unwanted attention—not just from her unhinged vampire best friend Alice, the grumpy (and very attractive) sorcerer headmaster, her hulk-like berserker trainer Max, and a mysterious shadow stranger who understands her darkness—but also from a serial fae killer who seems to be stalking her.

The mix of complex characters, multiple fantasy realms, dark twists, and even hints of horror made this such a good time. It’s perfect for anyone still riding a Zodiac Academy or Ruthless Boys hangover. I can’t wait to dive into book two!

I enjoyed the dark academia setting and the mix of supernatural beings—fae, angels, shifters, vampires, etc.—but the romance completely lost me. Right from the start, the main female character meets the male lead and it’s instant love (and sex) at first sight. The characters are supposedly in their late twenties or thirties, yet the dynamic feels more like a group of horny teenagers.

I’m not against spice in books, but the MFC is so one-dimensional and sex-obsessed that it was impossible to connect with her. The MMC falls in love with her in less than two weeks, with no emotional build-up whatsoever. At one point, the MFC’s best friend, Alice, is sharing a traumatic story about her father trying to kill her twice, and Summer (MFC) somehow makes it about herself.

Also, if I never read the phrase “big guy” again, it will be too soon. The sheer repetition was annoying and cringy.

After nearly 1,000 pages of repetitive sex scenes with little plot progression, the ending felt rushed and was a letdown. A main character dies, and I still felt nothing. Honestly, I’m baffled by the high ratings.

Thank you, Jeanette Rose & Alexis Rune, Rose and Star Publishing, and NetGalley, for the early preview of this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Title: Blood & Betrayals
Author: Jeanette Rose & Alexis Rune
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:
Format: e-book

*//What to expect:

*//Trigger Warnings:

*//Review:

3.5 ⭐️
I was in no way expecting this book to be over 1000 pages when I sat down to read it, but it was so rich with world building and plot that it didn’t feel long enough! The dark gothic atmosphere of the university blended with the myth-based world building (heavy on the Arthurian legends) made for a really interesting read. As soon as I saw the rune-based magic system I felt like I was reading Shadowhunters all over again which really endeared the book to me, with a cast of angels, shifters, vampires, sorcerers and fae to flesh out the setting and made for some interesting characters!
The FMC Summer slowly grew on me as the book progressed, as I found it hard to connect with the way she acting at the beginning versus how she was at the end. For a book to be over 1000 pages I was expecting the plot to be more substantial than it was(?) and while I LOVED the MMC Connor, their relationship began to stagnate and their intimacy began to feel somewhat repetitive. The ending though? I truly didn’t see it coming and that cliffhanger has me desperately wanting book 2!

4.5 stars because it has all of my favourite things but they could have been covered in less pages. This feels like your favourite CW show but with all the supernatural characters and an FMC x MMC who have way too much sex (IMO). That ending though, heart breaking and I will 100 percent be picking up book two!

This was such a solid read!

We follow Summer as she starts her first year at Avalon University as she befriends HRH Alice the vampire (my fave), the golden retriever angel boyfriend Connor, dark broody & mysterious headmaster (HELLO?!!) and 'The Stranger'

Throughout we have a murder mystery going on as Summer tries to find herself and investigate the background of her Fae lineage.
We have a whole cast of characters from Fae, Vampires, Angels, Demons, Shifts & Sorcerers galore!
Some of my favourite tropes to mention
- Black cat FMC x Golden Retriever MMC
- Found Family
- Murder Mystery
- Academic Setting

The vibes were immaculate but I couldn't give it 5 stars due to the overuse of the the nickname 'big guy' and don't get me wrong I love a smut scene but there were so many it threw the plot off a little

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. I really enjoyed this.

Blood and Betrayals is an addictive mix of mystery, danger, and just the right amount of magic. The FMC, Summer is an interesting character - at times, a little indecisive and a bit of a mess. Alice, the completely twisted best friend, definitely made up for this. Connor was a little too sweet and perfect to be the best match but the authors dealt with this.The Stranger was deliciously unsettling and I definitely have my suspicions about who he is...The Headmaster - Let’s just say I wasn’t sure if I wanted to trust him or run the other way.

I did find the ending rushed. It was a long build up to a far too speedy resolution but it is still definitely worth the read.

If you’re looking for a darkly intriguing fantasy with memorable characters and a plot that keeps you guessing, this one’s worth picking up. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for the next book.

Blood & Betrayals
By Jeanette Rose & Alexis Rune — Avalon University #1

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A magical academy setting. An imperfect FMC with a shadowy past. A mysterious enemy. A host of magical species, dark magic brewing, and more love interests than you can shake a wand at… Blood & Betrayals is a wild, thousand-page ride that keeps you flipping pages.

For fans of Zodiac Academy and a dash of emotional damage, this is a lighter-toned tale of friendship, love, and self-acceptance.

Summer arrives at Avalon University—the safest place for her kind—to “master her magic.” In truth, she’s there to hide. Cue golden boy Connor, an angel with strong family vibes and Leon-the-Lion (Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac) energy as her main love interest. But it’s far from a one-lane romance: there’s the heroic-yet-disturbing Stranger (I have my theory on his identity 👀), Max the gym guy who teeters between frenemy and friend (but is he really?), and the all-powerful, devastatingly handsome Headmaster.

Standouts: The friendship between Summer and Alice is a gem, and the dialogue with Stranger is pure gold. The second half of the book? A total page-turner that kept me up way past a reasonable bedtime.

But… That ending. Ladies, what have you done?! The villain reveal landed anticlimactically, and after 900 pages I was craving a bigger payoff. Instead, I got a gut punch, more emotional damage, and still no confirmation of Stranger’s identity. Also, the love scenes—while plentiful—could’ve been trimmed, as could the sugary moments between Summer and Connor.

Will I be picking up book two? Absolutely. And soon.