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.

I love this book so much! The only flaw for me was the writing, therefore I give it 4,75/5 stars. Highly recommend!

I simply couldn't put this book down! I loved the dark academia and mystery vibes, and the found family theme kept me hooked until the end. The characters were well-developed, and I enjoyed the various relationships, including friendship and romance. The plot twists were well placed so that they took you by surprise. I can't wait for the next installment!
Thank you to NetGalley, authors Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune, and Rose and Star Publishing, LLC for this ARC.

I kept seeing people rave about Blood & Betrayals, so I had to see what the hype was about. Now that I’ve finished, I’m kind of split. It’s got all the good stuff — fae, vampires, shifters, sorcerers, angels — all set in a dark academia vibe. Summer, the main character, is a mess in the best way, and her friendship with Alice (her vampire roommate) was easily my favorite part.

That said… there were a lot of typos and grammar errors. Not the end of the world, but it definitely could’ve used one more good edit. There’s also a ton of cool ideas tossed out that never really get explained later, which made the plot feel a little scattered.

It’s a big book — almost 900 pages — and while I was hooked in some spots, the pacing dragged in others. The romance with Connor didn’t do much for me, but the world-building and chaos kept me curious enough to keep reading.

Overall: the potential is huge, and if it got cleaned up and tightened, it could be incredible. If you can look past the rough edges, it’s an addictive story.

I have mixed feelings on this book. The story has so much potential but there were too many things left hanging and unanswered for me.

The first 200 pages were really engaging. I loved the university setting, the different species and realms, and the runic magic system. We had intriguing and mysterious characters like the Headmaster, the Stranger and broody Rafe. The found family vibes with the Morningstars and the friendship between Summer and Alice was *chef's kiss*. I love a black cat FMC x golden retriever MMC dynamic so despite it being insta-love and very tell-not-show, I still really liked the relationship between Connor and Summer in the beginning but omg did it get suffocating. I know he is scared for her but he's so clingy and it made me feel so uncomfortable. I hated 'big guy' (yuk) and the sex scenes were so repetitive and monotonous. I was sick of reading everyone being 'a mush'.

Parts of Summer's character were infuriating - I didn't understand how she is all like 'I feel bad for keeping things from Connor, I have to tell him everything' and then only tells him about the Stranger and not about her being the target of the murders? And I hated the emotional cheating. Summer wants every man she is friends with to be enamored with her and was full on emotionally cheating with the Stranger and heading that way with Max.

I wasn't that interested in the murder mystery part of the plot and tbh Summer herself didn't seem all that bothered considering someone was literally targeting her. She still went about her daily runs and wandered off into the woods and had sex whenever and wherever possible. There was supposed to seven lessons yet the murdered apparently got bored after 4??

I wanted to find out more about Summer's past and her mysterious darkness. Apart from the one incident (and the reason why she has ended up at Avalon) we never really get to explore either.

The length was far too long for the pacing to meander the way it did - it felt like 100s of unnecessary pages in the middle that did nothing to move the plot forward and then for so much plot to be squeezed into the last 10 pages?? So many things were brought up once and then never mentioned again - the cheerleading, did she ever even look at the Grimoire again? Why didn't she destroy the book with the deadly rune? She feels darkness but is supposedly the last light fae? Who staked Alice and why? What did Brett do/say about Alice's 'murder'?

I don't know if I'll pick up book 2. The titles of the Stranger's chapters translates to "There are some questions that should never be answered" and maybe that's my cue to leave this series here.

As a huge fantasy/romance fan I’m always on the lookout for the next immersive series, so when I noticed Blood & Betrayals was one of NetGalley’s “Read Now” ARCs I decided to take the leap. The synopsis of the first book in the Avalon University series drew me from the start as we follow Summer, an independent and emotionally guarded Fae who is preparing to begin her first year at Avalon University, an elite magical school for sorcerers, Fae, shifters, and all manner of paranormal creatures. Despite her plans to remain aloof and unattached, Summer quickly finds her emotional walls crumbling as she connects deeply with her roommate Alice (a chaotic and hilarious vampire) and the campus golden boy Connor (a sweet and caring angel - literally). As Summer sinks deeper into her studies and her newfound relationships, however, the campus community is rocked by a slew of murders that somehow are connected to Summer and her mysterious past.

The Good
While it got off to a bit of a slow start, Blood & Betrayals was incredibly readable and around the 30% mark I really found myself hooked and wanting to know more. As many have noted, this book is LONG and some of the content could have easily been cut to tighten things up, but despite that I never found myself bored or impatient in reading about Summer’s day to day activities. I loved watching Summer learn to let down her guard and begin to form relationships with people for the first time in her life, and while the “found family” trope has not historically been one of my favorites, it really worked for me here. Summer and Alice’s friendship was a particular highlight - their banter was top notch and you could really feel the love they have for each other through the page. While I don’t know if I would fully call this a “dark academia” story, as most of Avalon University had an “American college” feel rather than the dark and brooding atmosphere I usually associate with the genre, Summer’s classes still seemed incredibly interesting. The runic magic system felt well fleshed out with the potential to dive even deeper in later books, and I am excited to see how the world-building expands in the sequel.

The Not-So-Good
Besides some clunky/repetitive writing and the worst pet name for the MMC of all time (I had to stop my eyes from rolling into the back of my skull every time I had to read “big guy”), my biggest gripe with this book was the pacing. I have never been someone who gets scared off by long books and even the slower portions of this book weren’t a dealbreaker for me, but I do not understand why this book needed to be 1000 pages long only for the “out of nowhere” finale to be rushed into the last 30 or so pages.

While not a flawless book by any means, Blood & Betrayals was a fun summer read and a solid start to a series I will definitely continue reading.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

To everyone who told me I would love this because it’s like Zodiac Academy…I just need to know. What did I do to you?

This initially checked my boxes for all of five minutes, which is conveniently how long it took for our MMC to fall in love with our FMC. This was an insta-love that dragged on for 1000 pages (YUP, that’s right...one-thousand), with a sprinkle of actual plot, and a laundry list of questions that never get answered.

This book TOLD me a lot, but failed to show me or even convince me that any of these characters were interesting other than the headmaster, and he was barely around much, which is probably why I liked him! The less we spent with these characters the more tolerable they were. I also liked Alice, but even she was too much at times.

Our FMC constantly needed validation from every man who glanced her way, which made it hard to buy into the supposed love-story we were being fed. And insta-love at barely 15% in a book this long? Where was the build-up? The tension? The yearning?? This relationship felt like a way to tie down our FMC and act like she couldn’t open up, but she seemed way more emotionally available to everyone else.

That brings me to our MMC, ”big guy”... 🤢
Barring that nickname, he honestly deserved better. But why was a 30-year-old man staring out a window and sulking every time the FMC upset him. Bella Swan, this you?

This was basically just a college vlog of coffee runs, morning jogs, OOTD's, and a day in the life of 30 going on 13 year olds. If you decide to stick around for the sub plot (the only thing that actually kept me going), just know you will end up being left with more questions than answers.

If you love an insta-lust with a slow-burn side plot, and love questions you never get the answers to, all wrapped up in 1,000 pages of non-stop smut that even our FMC didn't enjoy, this might be for you! 😀

🖤 Blood & Betrayals Review 🖤

Thank you so much to Jeanette Rose, Alexis Rune and Rose & Star Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Blood & Betrayals is a dark academia fantasy and book one in the Avalon University series. Summer is a fae who is determined to not stand out. All she wants is to finish school at Avalon and stay under the radar. But when dark secrets start to arise on campus, can she survive all the unexpected challenges??

While I enjoyed the world in general , it was a really long read and I feel like the same story could have been a lot shorter. it seemed like some parts lagged and were unnecessarily long. I struggled a little bit with Summer in this book as well. While her stubborn independence was admirable initially, I felt like it took a long time for her to begin to evolve, which eventually got really annoying and i struggled with it because this book was so long

Overall this was a solid three star read. While i enjoyed the story overall, i struggled with the length of this book and how long it took for the plot to actually start moving forward. This book does have some heavy elements, so please check triggers if you’re sensitive. This book had multiple spicy scenes throughout, however they actually started to feel really repetitive and i honestly zoned out during them, so three flames for spice

If you’re a fan of fantasy romance with interesting magic, cool world building and fun characters, then pick this one up.

I don’t know where to begin. This book was 1000+ of nothing, like literally nothing but useless filler with no plot. What a waste of my time. If you want to feel nothing but disappointment, read this book.

The FMC was insufferable pick me vibes. She constantly goes on about her dark past and how the darkness calls to her, bitch please… we never even delved into your back story. Shhh.
The MMC is this cute golden retriever guy, and that is it. That is his whole personality, being in love with the FMC after 0.5 seconds.
Their mundane relationship is the WHOLE plot. Bear in mind this is the worse instalove I’ve ever encountered. They literally meet and instantly start having sex every other chapter. So of course they are in love… that makes so much sense. What happened to tension and yearning?!
Oh and her nickname for him is ‘Big Guy’… she even says to him, on about the 80th sex scene I suffered through “fill me up big guy”, just no.

The whole book basically follows them two fucking, walking to class, buying coffee and attending frat parties. I’d like to mention they are meant to be 30.

As for the writing, so much time was spent telling the reader how they were meant to feel rather than showing us. So, instalove aside, I felt NOTHING from this relationship… and the whole plot is their relationship????
This is meant to be a romantasy but we barely learnt about the realms or the magic. They did a few runes here and there and that was it. We literally got nothing on the worlds or how they use their magic. The school is heavily guarded with wards, from what? No idea.

There’s a murder mystery popping off too, which apparently isn’t that big of a deal cause we spent like 2% of the book going over it.

The 1 star is for the headmaster and the stranger. They intrigued me, for a moment, but I fear they got lost in the hot mess that is this nonexistent plot.
The ending is the dumbest thing I’ve ever read.
So much lost potential with this one.

Thank you NetGalley & Rose and Star Publishing for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is so fun, if you loved Zodiac Academy, A Blackened Blade or Psycho Shifters, I think that you will love this book.
- The world-building was so unique, you literally get to go to heaven
- There is a stalker
- Dark Academia
- Spice
- Hilarious Banter
- Murder Mystery
-Hidden Identities
-The ending will ruin you. Be prepared.

My biggest criticism is that it did not need to be so long! I felt like it could have been a solid 200 pages shorter.

Huge thanks to [author:Jeanette Rose|19276259] for sending me a free copy, I really appreciate the chance to read and review such a great book!

I finished Blood and Betrayals on July 24th and that ending still has me thinking about it. It totally caught me off guard and I did not see it coming. The mystery kept me hooked, and I loved the way everything unraveled.

On the spice scale, I’d give it a solid 🌶️🌶️🌶️ out of 5.

If I’m being honest, the length was a bit much. It didn’t need to be 1000 pages. That said, I still really enjoyed it and I’m definitely excited for the next book.

PS. I need an answer to my conspiracy theory about her sexy invisible friend and who I think it is!!!!

Book Review: Blood & Betrayals by Jeannette Rose & Alexis Rune
Provided by: NETGalley/ Rose & Star Publishing

I went into this book mostly blind. I had seen it recommended a few times on BookTok, and when it popped up as a “Read Now” ARC, I jumped at the opportunity. The length gave me pause—it’s over 700 pages—but wow, am I glad I took the chance!

The story follows Summer, a Fae girl who’s had a rough upbringing in the human realm. She’s never known love or family, only cruelty and indifference. Different from other Fae and uncomfortable around her own kind, Summer seeks refuge at Avalon University. It’s a chance to finally stop running from her dark past and dive into the world of learning she’s always craved—something she was denied in the human realm.
What she finds at Avalon goes far beyond academics: a found family, true love, and a fresh start. I expected a somewhat predictable fantasy arc, but this story constantly surprised me. Just when I thought I knew where it was going—it didn’t.
While there were a few moments where I found Summer a bit frustrating (I’m in my 30s, and she reads like a younger twenty-something), it wasn’t enough to pull me out of the story. The writing hooked me, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I devoured the book in under a week because I had to know what happened next.

There are several intriguing male characters, and I’m still wondering: Will she end up with Connor? The Stranger? Is Max just a friend? And what’s the deal with the headmaster? I have so many questions!
This book has everything:
• A rich and layered magic system
• All kinds of fantasy creatures (some I had to look up—and I’m a total fantasy nerd!)
• Found family and true love
• Dark academia vibes
• A dark, mysterious stranger
• Plenty of spice
• Murder, mystery, and magic

I hadn’t read anything by these authors before, but I’ll absolutely be checking out more of their work. I’m already planning to pre-order the sequel because I need to know what happens next. Summer has four years at Avalon, and I’m excited to be along for the ride.
Also—her best friend, the unhinged royal vampire with a wicked sense of humor? Absolute perfection. The banter throughout the book was spot-on. My only (minor) gripe was the overuse of “big guy” and some overly sweet moments with her angelic love interest—but even that felt authentic to young love and didn’t take away from my enjoyment.

All in all, this book completely exceeded my expectations. I’m hooked.
Highly recommend! 5/5 stars for me on this one!

#NETGALLEY #ARC #ROMANTASY #FANTASY #SPICEY #ACADEMIA #FAE #MAGIC

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5/5)

“Sometimes I look up at the stars, looking for answers. But the answers don’t come from the twinkling lights. They come from the impenetrable darkness between them.”

Blood & Betrayals had potential, but it didn’t quite deliver the way I hoped.

Let’s start with Summer (the FMC)... she was so hard to root for. She gave off serious pick-me energy and constantly reminded us how hot she was and how every guy wanted her. If I had to hear her call Connor “big guy” one more time (124 times, btw), I might’ve thrown my Kindle.

Connor honestly deserved better. He was way too nice for her, and their relationship didn’t feel earned—it was all spice and “I love yous” with zero emotional depth.

Max, on the other hand? I loved him. So sweet, so genuine—one of the few characters I actually looked forward to seeing. Of course, Summer treated him like trash. She wanted to be friends, then got upset he wasn’t into her romantically?? Classic pick-me behavior again.

And don’t even get me started on the Stranger. I was obsessed. I needed to know who he was and… I still don’t. Total letdown.

The pacing was rough. For a 782-page book, it felt like a good 100+ pages went by with nothing really happening. And then the ending? Rushed and out of nowhere. 🫠

⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley, authors Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune, and Rose and Star Publishing, LLC for the ARC of Blood & Betrayals in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, I had to DNF this one at 20%. I always try to go in with an open mind, especially with ARCs, but this read felt overwhelmingly immature in tone and style. The writing leaned into over-the-top humor that felt more distracting than fun.
The characters felt immature, the insta-love and insta-found family happened too fast to be emotionally believable, and the pacing was pure chaos.
From what I’ve seen in other reviews, it seems this chaotic pace and tone continues throughout, and I didn’t feel confident the issues I had would improve with time. While I can see how this might appeal to readers looking for a wild, trope-heavy romantasy ride with zero brakes, it just didn’t align with my preferences for more grounded emotional arcs and developed characters.

I really enjoyed Blood and Betrayals! The world-building was layered and creative, and I loved the academy setting in Avalon. It did feel like a slow burn for the first third, but once things picked up around the 35% mark, I was completely hooked.
The FMC is a complex, emotionally guarded fae with a difficult past, and her character development was really satisfying. I adored her dynamic with her absolutely chaotic, pint-sized vampire bestie—those scenes were hilarious and so needed in contrast to the darker moments. The MMC was refreshingly sweet (total golden retriever vibes), and a nice change from the usual broody love interest.
There’s a lot of spice—almost every chapter—and the found family + intense mystery had me emotionally invested. I was blindsided by the twist and left gaping at the ending. I’ll be waiting not-so-patiently for book two!
The tone reminds me of Zodiac Academy but with its own unique flavor, especially with the incorporation of angels, demons, runes, and more. Great pacing after the setup, a vivid magical world, strong side characters, and solid emotional payoffs.
Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC.
This one’s a 4.5⭐️ for me!

Blood & Betrayals is a sprawling, emotionally potent dark-academia romantasy that left me utterly shattered—in the best way possible. This book excels with multi-layered world-building, complex and deeply flawed characters (some of whom overcome those flaws in powerful ways), and a slow-burn romance that hits with incredible emotional depth. The mystery woven throughout pulls you deeper with every chapter, making the wait for the second half feel worth it, even if the beginning dragged a bit.

At first, I was pretty frustrated. The first half felt like nothing much was happening, and I was genuinely confused about where the story was headed (and honestly, a little lost even after finishing). But once the second half kicked in, Blood & Betrayals really took off and didn’t let go.

The sensual scenes, while bold, got repetitive fast—I was skipping most after the first handful. But what kept me hooked were the characters like Stranger, whose arrival brought some serious 🔥 energy. The Headmaster also stood out as a personal favorite (he reminds me of Nanami from Jujutsu Kaisen—clearly, I have a type). Connor, on the other hand, felt a little too lovey-dovey and forced. Summer? Ugh. Frustrating doesn’t even begin to cover it. Honestly, I stuck around mostly for the intriguing world and a few standout characters.

And just to clear the air: Blood & Betrayals is nothing like Nocticadia—no teacher/student drama here, so that comparison feels off. As for Zodiac Academy, I can see some similarities in the heroine’s chaotic personality, but the vibes and male characters are totally different and unique to this story.

Side note: I’m low-key worried this might turn into a reverse harem? Because every guy seems wrapped around the main character’s finger, yet she gets frustrated when they don’t find her attractive even though she has a boyfriend? That confused me.

Triggering emotions, cliffhangers, morally grey choices, and that slow-building romance make Blood & Betrayals a must-read for lovers of lush supernatural worlds, found-family dynamics, and intense emotional journeys. Brace yourself for a ride that will finish you—in all the best ways.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Rose and Star Publishing for the ARC! ♥

I wanted to love this book and there were definitely great parts but let's talk about what weren't my favorite parts. It didn't need to be soooo long, I feel if the author would have cut down the dozens and dozens of unneeded spicey senses we could have gotten the story going much faster. The FMCs love interest was for sure a golden retriever and I've realized that's not my thing (totally my own opinion) The nicknames all the main characters had for each other drove me insane! One of the best parts of the book, the mystery stranger, I still have so many questions about him!
What did I like about this book? The relationship between our FMC Summer and her best friend Alice. Everything about that was great. I love academia settings and this one was pretty good. How Summer evolved through the book was refreshing and a joy to follow. Then the ending!! Im still like OMG!!
Will I read book two, definitely

Thank you, Rose & Star Publishing, and NetGalley for letting me read an eARC of this book.

Blood & Betrayals is everything I want from a fantasy read—rich world-building, tangled loyalties, and characters who walk the razor’s edge between power and ruin. The stakes are sky-high from the start and somehow only keep rising.

Yes, it's a chunky book, and there are a few slower points where the momentum dips slightly—but honestly, I didn’t mind. The pacing gave me room to really sink into the politics, magic, and relationships at play, and the payoff is so worth it. Every twist hit hard, and by the final chapters, I was holding my breath.

If you love morally grey characters, layered plots, and fantasy that doesn't shy away from darkness, this is a must-read. I’ll be thinking about that ending for days.

3.5 Stars!
The beginning of this book took me right back to my early uni days, sharehousing with friends and partying without a care in the world, and it felt nostalgic and beautiful. It had me reminiscing about stumbling home at 3am and falling asleep in my best friend's bed after talking for hours, the kind of friendship you lose as you get older (or I have, anyway).

Did the behaviour throughout the book feel completely juvenile, considering these characters are late twenties/early thirties? Yes.
Did I feel as though the length could have been cut down considerably? Absolutely.
Did I read it all it anyway? Surprisingly, I did.

This book is long. And while, for me, it could have been cut down a lot and the pacing throughout the middle felt extremely slow, I also understood that all the developing relationships were really being fleshed out, giving the reader plenty of time to grow emotionally attached to the characters.

The found family felt like home and the characters were written really well. Summer is chaotic and problematic and I found her relationship with Connor to be super REAL - cutesy and sickening, but isn't everyone with their first love?? I freaking loved her friendship with Alice, it was perfection. Everything was going so well (so WELL) meaning I was continually just waiting for it to all go to sh*t.

To be honest by around the halfway point I just accepted that I was in for a long read, there were elements I didn't like and some I found completely cringey, BUT I loved the flow of writing and I love a good mystery. The tension definitely had me wanting to know more.

I got to the end, however, and am left feeling flat. It was an easy read, but I didn't have any of my questions or theories answered and while I know that it's all setting up for book two, I feel as though I just read a thousand page book for not much pay off. A lot of it felt like unnecessary filler, and while I enjoyed the characters, the emotional attachment just wasn't there for me.

I'd still like to continue with the series. I need a few answers (one in particular) and I'm interested to see where it goes. I have read some AMAZING reviews of this book, so while unfortunately not completely for me, I feel as though there will be many readers who will love it.

I love this book so so much. I loved the urban fantasy college setting and watching Summer live her life. I also loved all the side characters. I cannot say enough good things about this book. It made me feel things and it was just the perfect book for me. I need the second book immediately and it cannot come out soon enough.