Did I love the book? Yes. Did I love the characters? Absolutely. Did I stay up until 3am finishing the book when I have a cruise ship to catch at 11am tomorrow? Also yes 🤣

I love a good fantasy college style book and this one did not disappoint. Summer and Alice are the besties that we all need in our life!! Alice is who I aspire to be! 🤣

And the men in this book! Conner, Max, Stranger, Emrys (only slightly ruined by people calling him Jimmy haha) I’m so intrigued by this and where it’s going to go.

I wasn’t prepared for the end I was totally expecting something different. Do we already have book 2 out? If not we need this ASAP cause ya girl needs answers!

Spicy scenes a plenty in this, they do seem very similar to each other as time goes on. But there’s always a slight variation every now and again.

Absolutely recommend this book if these kinda genres are your bag. Can’t wait for the next one!

Wow such a whirlwind of emotions.

You start off by getting to know Summer a little bit, but you quickly realize her past is very dark and traumatic to talk about. You get to know who she is now, because she isn’t defined by her past.

The world consists of different creatures and magical beings, all attending the same academy. It kind of reminded me of monster high, but for a mature audience.

I think what really stood out in this entire book was the relationships. Not just romantic. I loved how Summer opened up to the idea of making friends, of letting people in her circle. Her best friend Alice made her feeling more confident, and they didn’t shy away from discussing heavy topics. That’s what friendship is. Showing people the good and the bad. Of course I can’t forget about Conner. He was immediately smitten with her from the start. He makes Summer feel loved and worth fighting for.

One of my favorite characters was Summer’s stalker. 👀 Ik that’s probably weird to say, but he definitely won me over. I enjoyed how painful it was for him to just watch Summer be happy with the people in her life, when all he wants is for her to be happy with him.

Thank you to the publishers on Netgalley for this earc.

3.25 ⭐️

My favorite part of this book was the diversity of the magic creatures and the insights into runic magic. I hope this is something the authors explore more as the series goes on, as I see it adding a lot of depth to the plot and overall setting and atmosphere.

I think this book could have done with a lot more editing for length. It was well over 800 pages, which isn't a problem specifically, but there were many scenes that felt repetitive (especially the romantic scenes), and I found myself skimming them at times (which says a lot bc I'm usually SAT).

Our FMC is definitely a complicated girly, and she has some major growing and maturing to do - but we are only in book one. That being said, everyone in this school is supposed to be in their 20-30s (sure) but the interactions, choices, and maturity levels of most of the characters feels very late teens/early twenties.

I'm very intrigued by the shadowy stranger and more about the FMC's past. The authors definitely have done a great job creating a world that I want to learn more about as a reader, especially with all of the other realms that hopefully we will get to learn more about as the series continues. I'll definitely pick up book two.

Thanks to the authors for the advanced copy!

🌶️ 4/5 mostly due to frequency rather than content

I reread this book within a month of it coming out because it is so good. Normally I reread a book about a year or more after it comes out - not within a month after it comes out!!!

This is my reread review as my first review was deleted.

Alice and Summer’s wifey, best friend, ride or die relationship hits me every time as so amazing!! Both Summer and Alice have so many walls around themselves because of their childhood, that watching them come down and watch these two learn to love was written beautifully. I could spend another few hundred pages with just these two getting into trouble and having fun together with no Connor.

I loved how Summer was written. How she was learning to open up, accept help, how flawed she was and how much she was her own worse enemy, and how she worked so hard to be better. She understood her trauma was affecting her loved ones and that she worked to be better for herself and those she loved.

Connor is so perfect and I loved his relationship with his family. He was so cute and how him and his brothers jokes around remember me of my family. He accepted Summers and that her trauma meant that she showed loved very differently. He was patient with her. I loved seeing the patience he had.

Stranger and the headmaster…loved and can’t wait for more. I have theories of the Stranger and Summers relationship and can’t wait to see if they come true.

Overall this story is fantastic and I loved everything. The writing. The characters. The tense. The romance. The mystery. The world. And the buildup for the next books.

What an incredible start to a series. I did not want it to end. Certainly did not want it to end where it did.

This book is a chonker. But the authors have a way of making it seem like time is just flying by as you read. You're hooked in by the mystery that is plagued throughout the whole book. You're looking for crumbs on who the Stranger could possibly be. You're falling in love with Summer, Alice and the whole Morningstar crew. You're trying to figure out how to husband up this hot, broody headmaster.

The magic system is very cool. I like how -- obviously everyone is paranormal -- but the Runes, for example, show up on your person differently depending if you're fae or a sorcerer. I think that's just such a cool detail.

I cannot wait to see where this series goes. Can't wait to fall more in love and shed more tears.

Wasn’t expecting to get this pulled in, but I was and I ended up completely into it. The story just keeps building in a way that’s hard to walk away from, and the characters really sneak up on you.

"Blood and Betrayals" is a gripping tale of intrigue, loyalty, and dark secrets set against a backdrop of power struggles and forbidden desires. Rose weaves a complex narrative that keeps you guessing, blending elements of romance with high-stakes action.

The characters are richly drawn, each with their own motivations and hidden agendas. The chemistry between the protagonists is electric, adding an extra layer of tension to the story. Rose's writing is both vivid and immersive, drawing readers into a world where trust is a luxury and betrayal lurks around every corner.

The plot unfolds with unexpected twists and turns, challenging your assumptions at every turn. Rose explores themes of family, ambition, and the lengths people will go to protect those they love. "Blood and Betrayals" is a thrilling read that will leave you breathless and eager for more.

One thing's for sure. The only things I disliked about this book are the never-ending curse words (It seemed unnecessary, and too childish), the story's too long, and the fact that sometimes, Summer & Connor's relationship falls a bit flat and boring.

Anyway, we're here to talk about the good stuff! The first thing that I noticed is how diverse the characters are, plus they even have different personalities and they belong in different species too: shifters, vampires, angels, demons, faes, sorcerers, etc.

Summer is a very complex character, and for that, I have a love-hate relationship with her. She's still such a mystery even until the end, which leads me to wanting to know more about her! Friendship-wise, I have nothing against her and Alice being friends! They clicked immediately, they are a disaster, but their bond is truly amazing!

What intrigued me most is the world-building (dark academia with an interesting magic system and a murder-mystery plot is what I live for). There's also this mental health problems with the FMC, and of course her healing progress which I appreciate a lot.

Despite the lengthy pages of this book, I honestly continued because of the vibe. As a vibe reader, this one was really hard to stop reading.

I cannot wait to know more about their world in book 2!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review/feedback.

If you're drawn to dark urban fantasy, thriller vibes, and dark academia settings, this book is for you.

In addition if you like:
- multi realm lore and myth based world building
- mysterious obsessed stalker
- fae, shifters, angels, vampires, sorcerers, etc
- tattoo & rune based magic
- found family
- mysterious obsessed stalker
- spicy spice

“There are those who die in fire and those who thrive in it.” and 𝑭𝒆𝒂𝒓. 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒆. 𝑭𝒖𝒓𝒚. 𝑻𝒐 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉.

It boasts a richly detailed world with multi-realm lore and myth-based magic, featuring a diverse array of characters, including fae, shifters, angels, vampires, and sorcerers.

Blood and Betrayals follows Summer, a fae student at Avalon University, as she navigates her first year, forms new relationships, and confronts a mysterious stalker.

With its expert blend of humor, suspense, and emotional depth, this book is sure to captivate and immerse readers. I live for books that will cause emotional damage, and this one did.

Thank you to Jeanette Rose, Alexis Rune, for the Advance Reader Copy!

Absolute fabulous start to this series. Cannot wait for the next ones. I’m absolutely dying on the edge of this cliffhanger

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book. The characters were supposed to be in their late 20s/early 30s, but they acted like high school students. I also was not a fan of the pop culture characters either. It made this book seem more like fan fiction.

I was also not a fan of the writing style. There was a high level of detail to every scene where I was just wanting to skip to the dialogue.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rose & Star publishing for the ARC, but this book was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the authors for my review copy, all opinions are my own.

I finished this book two days ago and am still debating slightly in my head about whether I would recommend it or not. So I will try to break it down.

Things I liked:
- The world. Very cool and interesting, very complex, I wish more time has been invested in delivering this to the reader. The core material was brilliant.
- The academic setting. Avalon University felt like a very real place, I was definitely transported there and the 'slice of daily life' bits didn't irk me, they added to making it feel more realistic to me.
- The magic systems and abilities introduced.
- Connor. He is perfection. Yes, I understand that he is an angel (archangel) therefore this is what what we would expect. BUT, for someone who admits that he was not interested in a relationship before Summer (and I suspect was all about casual hookups), he brings so much emotional intelligence to the table, you can't help but absolutely fall head over heels for him. He reminded me of Noah for Say You Swear. Perfection.
- The 'Hello, Summer' scene. I would read this TOME all over again for the pleasure of experiencing this scene alone. Very One Tree Hill, just brilliant.
- Alice. Amazing, super well fleshed out, love everything about her. An absolute queen.
- The Morningstar sibling love and dynamic. Super lovely and fun.
- Short chapters. Makes it very hard to put down and an easy read.

Things I didn't like:
- The length of the story. Since this is a series, I am dreading to think that each installment is going to be this long. Generally speaking, I believe with some tight editing, this could go down a bit and focus on keeping the pace more effectively. Not 100% sure I am going to read the next one.
- Summer. I understood that she is meant to be traumatised and flawed and we get two experience the two sides of her as she interacts with Connor and the Stranger, but ultimately I wasn't able to connect to her character, didn't find her ARC satisfying and the emotional cheating made me feel very uncomfortable, it really isn't for me. By the end of this book she is still too insecure and crossing the line with too many of the other male characters. For me, you can't leave a 'why choose' situation when you've got Connor on the other side. Also, act a bit more sensible
- Pretty much every other male interaction summer has is a potential love interest? No. this didn't work for me
- Even though everyone is in their late twenties, their behaviour felt more like teenagers.
- The actual romance. I didn't mind the insta-love and Connor and Summer getting together super early. The sex scenes were a bit basic and all pretty much felt the same and the dialog was a bit surface level for me.
- The ending.
- The writing. Overall, it was ok, not great.
- The murder mystery. Not enough of it in proportion to the pace of the story and all the everyday scenes and kind of wrapped up leaving me with more questions than answers (but not in a good way).
- Rafe. I'm left with so many questions and after 900++ pages, I needed a bit more of his story.

So, there you have it. I was a fun read but definitely proceed at your own risk, it's a 1K or so commitment.

3.5⭐

Thank you to Alexis Rune, Jeanette Rose and Rose & Star Publishing for this ARC.

I want to start this review by saying I truly did enjoy reading this book! The world-building and the writing style was something I really enjoyed --- especially the way that the prose flowed into the narrative.

My biggest issue was the pacing which felt very uneven. The romance was rushed and I understood that it was because rof the first love trope. Most of the time this book felt like a varsity romance that just happens to take place within a fantasy world. The ending totally put me off and the emotional cheating did not sit well with me. I'm hoping to read the next book too but I'm unsure at this time.

This isn't my piece of cake but I'm sure many others would love reading Blood & Betrayals!

I definitely needed a moment to recover before I wrote this review. Mostly because this book deserves all of the love, and I can’t stop thinking about it!

🪽 Dark Academia
🩸 Murder Mystery
🪽 First Love
🩸 Stalker
🪽 Friends to Lovers
🩸 Grumpy x Sunshine

There are very few books that genuinely emotionally destroy me. The characters are just so relatable, so lovable, so ready to destroy your heart completely.

I swear you will become coming immerses in Summer’s story that you won’t even notice it’s over 1k pages. Honestly I needed more, I didn’t want it to end.

My sweet baby Connor, that angel is the perfect golden retriever character who loves with his whole chest. He was exactly what Summer needed to feel safe enough to learn how to love. When everything was crazy and overwhelming, he was this safe

“Hello, Summer”

Okay but as soon as you read this book you will know what scene I am about to gush about just from this line. Picture this, our sweet angel has finally had enough of our fierce freaking badass Summer teasing him and turning him down and leaps over the railing in the middle of a game because she’s wearing the other teams jersey. Anyone who went through or is in their sports romance era… oh boy, you know.

The Mystery. I have so many questions! So much I can’t wait to find out, and this is exactly what I want out of book 1 of a 5 book series. You are perfectly introduced to this world and characters with just enough hints to their backstory’s that will leave you well and truly hooked. This book is full of little hints that will be revealed later on and I am loving trying to put things together.

Then we have our Stranger. I love him. I will forever be weak for a protective possessive stalker (in fiction) and the Stranger will make you weak at the knees. You will be secretly rooting for this guy the whole book. And I LOVED Connor, the Stranger just sees Summers darkness and matches it with his own. He is our, very literal, shadow daddy and I can not wait to learn more about him.

“Keep your boy angel close in the meantime”

“Enjoy him”

“While I allow it”

As I write this review I am realising there are far too many characters that deserve mention… from Summers Twin Flame bestie Alice to berserker Max… the most welcoming and loving Farrah and her angel boys…. Alexis and Jeanette definitely know how to write characters that will steal your heart.

It’s safe to say I can’t wait for the next book, I just know it’ll ruin me even more than book 1 has.

Dark academy can go so wrong so easily, which is why I am impressed with this book. It has all of the ingredients and characters for something great and it really delivers.

When I’m writing this review, more than 24 hours have passed since I finished this book, and my jaw is still on the floor.

This book was a goddamn rollercoaster of emotions, well, mostly in the last part. Writing a non-spoiler review is so hard because there are so many things I want to say and even more questions I have for the authors. But mentioning anything too specific would ruin the experience, and we don’t do that here.

First off, if Summer is a strong yet deeply flawed character working through her trauma, making her incredibly easy to relate to. And if she wasn’t inspired by Champagne Problems by Taylor Swift, she certainly reminded me of that song a lot.

The minute I met Alice, I immediately saw Twilight’s Alice. So when I found out that was the actual inspiration, I crackled! I love her so much. I wish she were my best friend too, she’s funny, protective, and understanding.

Connor? Oh, Connor. That boy is cute. He’s the perfect boy-next-door type, maybe even a little too “mushy” for my taste. But at the end of the day, he’s an angel, so I suppose it was to be expected. He’s sweet, patient, and so understanding. Truly the embodiment of a “man written by a woman.”

And then there’s The Stranger. The mystery surrounding him kept me so invested. The number of times I wrote “I WANT TO KNOW!!!” in my notes is astounding. I kept trying to guess, “Is it this character? Or that one?”, and that’s all you’ll know from now 😏.

And Max, he was definitely intriguing. I cannot wait to find out more about him and the rest of the characters in the next book!

What about the ending? You should have seen me thinking my Kobo was glitching, looking for the next pages, spoiler alerts they were none. I was left with even more questions, and I NEED to know where this story goes next.

I know it’s a big book, but trust me, it’s so worth it!

A huge thank you to Rose & Star Publishing, Janette Rose & Alexis Rune for the PR box & ARC of this book. This is my honest review.

Oh my goshhhh..the ending! I'm calling it, this will be the next big Romantasy hit! The world building and characters sucked you right into this novel. It has everything and more that I enjoy in a romantasy. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this e-arc! I can't wait to read more by these authors.

I finished this book, stared at the wall… and screamed. THAT ENDING. I am still unwell.

Let me start by saying this isn’t the kind of book I usually gravitate toward. It’s urban fantasy with a touch of dark academia, but it also reads a bit like a contemporary romance. It took me a little while—about a third of the way in—to feel fully invested. That said, I completely understand why the authors chose to focus more on character development early on rather than diving straight into plot. And I’m so glad I stuck with it, because it absolutely paid off.

The character work in this book is phenomenal. The authors truly excel at crafting layered, complex people who unfold slowly—especially Summer and Alice. I adored their bond. These two would walk through fire for each other, and the way their friendship is written—raw, real, unwavering—was one of my favorite parts of the story.

Connor. Oh, Connor. I used to think I was a sucker for soft characters, but this cinnamon roll of an MMC has reset the bar. He’s supportive, sweet, and totally swoonworthy. I also loved the entire Morningstar Clan and cannot wait to see more of them in the next installment.

And then there’s the Stranger. I’ve never been a fan of stalker-type romances… and yet here I am, completely obsessed. The way the authors dropped hints and built intrigue around this mysterious character was so well done. I have theories. I have feelings. I have a deep, desperate need for answers.

This book is full of twists and turns I didn’t see coming, and now I’m left with so many questions. Book two cannot get here fast enough. Please and thank you.

Did I finish this book, or did it finish me? It’s been awhile since I had a 5-star read, and this one absolutely sucked me in to its intricate world. Although it’s over 900 pages, the story flew by and I still have so many questions at the end. And don’t even get me started on that ending…

The authors do a phenomenal job of writing Summer’s character. I highlighted so many quotes that capture the internal struggle that someone who has been through trauma and battles mental health issues faces - building emotional walls, imposter syndrome, never feeling worthy of love, pushing others away when they start to get close, and the list could go on. Summer has so much character growth and it was emotional to see how she learns to let others love her and to love others.

I literally love every character in this book (except the few villains) and cannot wait to see what happens with their storylines. Alice brings so much comedy and fierceness, Rafe is a tortured soul for Summer to connect with, Connor is a literal ray of sunshine and good soul…and that’s just a few to start with. I need to know more about Emrys, and discover who the stranger is (I have theories).

I could keep rambling about this book and how obsessed I am with it, but I’ll wrap it up with some of my favorite quotes & say that you definitely need to enter the world of Avalon!

𝘍𝘦𝘢𝘳. 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘦. 𝘍𝘶𝘳𝘺. 𝘛𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩.

“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘴.”

“𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘸.” 𝘏𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦, 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥. “𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘴?”

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘭𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘺’𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘰 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥. “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘑𝘰𝘺. 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨.” 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵, 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩?

Thank you to the authors and Rose & Star for providing me with a copy of this book. This review is voluntary, and all opinions expressed are my own.

When I’m writing this review, more than 24 hours have passed since I finished this book, and my jaw is still on the floor.

This book was a goddamn rollercoaster of emotions, well, mostly in the last part. Writing a non-spoiler review is so hard because there are so many things I want to say and even more questions I have for the authors. But mentioning anything too specific would ruin the experience, and we don’t do that here.

First off, if Summer is a strong yet deeply flawed character working through her trauma, making her incredibly easy to relate to. And if she wasn’t inspired by Champagne Problems by Taylor Swift, she certainly reminded me of that song a lot.

The minute I met Alice, I immediately saw Twilight’s Alice. So when I found out that was the actual inspiration, I crackled! I love her so much. I wish she were my best friend too, she’s funny, protective, and understanding.

Connor? Oh, Connor. That boy is cute. He’s the perfect boy-next-door type, maybe even a little too “mushy” for my taste. But at the end of the day, he’s an angel, so I suppose it was to be expected. He’s sweet, patient, and so understanding. Truly the embodiment of a “man written by a woman.”

And then there’s The Stranger. The mystery surrounding him kept me so invested. The number of times I wrote “I WANT TO KNOW!!!” in my notes is astounding. I kept trying to guess, “Is it this character? Or that one?”, and that’s all you’ll know from now 😏.

And Max, he was definitely intriguing. I cannot wait to find out more about him and the rest of the characters in the next book!

What about the ending? You should have seen me thinking my Kobo was glitching, looking for the next pages, spoiler alerts they were none. I was left with even more questions, and I NEED to know where this story goes next.

I know it’s a big book, but trust me, it’s so worth it!

A huge thank you to Rose & Star Publishing, Janette Rose & Alexis Rune for the PR box & ARC of this book. This is my honest review.