I loved the premise of this book but I felt the delivery lacked, the writing felt a little hard to digest and the pacing felt stilted, the world building/magic system felt under developed, I really loved the characters and relationship dynamics (I don't mind insta love) so that kept me reading, it felt very basic (I feel mean saying that) I still enjoyed reading it I just didn't like it as much as I thought I would

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC

The description of the story is what had be craving to read this. I did devour it within a day. If you love fantasy, romance and sexy vampires then this could be for you. It's a fast paced book, but it did have some parts that I felt needed more to make it more engaging.

The magic system in this world was interesting and i liked it, but I felt it could of had more expansion for our understanding. Or the author drip feed us more detail throughout the book as Lilah is learning. For example, there is still the MMC's magic that is unexplained.

I like that the character names are easy to read. It just made it so much easier to keep up with who is who.

Some things mentioned within the book I feel could of been expanded on more to add to the fantasy of the story. FMC father told her stories. I wish she'd of told us one of the stories. To know what the warnings were and why she felt curious or frightened and must be home by nightfall.

The book is simply written, but i'd of liked more detailed description of the characters. If there was no cover, I wouldn't really know what Lilah looked like.
The same can be said for other creatures and other enemy vampires. It's just hair colour that is mentioned and that's all.

The Dark Lands forest is interesting and kind of a character on its own. I felt like it deserved its own dialogue earlier on. Even if we didn't know it was the trees, to add some tension.
"The voices grew angrier, louder, until my head was buzzing with their furious whispers."  Don't leave me hanging, tell me what they're saying.

I'm greedy when I'm hooked. I can't help it. I think the story would of benefited with extra chapters with the MMC pov. Around chapter 22 especially, to know what's happening with him at the same time from his perspective.

The story feels more insta-love to me than enemy to lovers. That being said the FMC seems to forms relationships very quickly. This could be due to the quick pacing of the story. The story could of been darker for me, but that's a personal preference. The spice is a 1. This could of been more, and MMC could of been a gentleman and given Lilah some foreplay. The scene felt a little rushed.

Some trigger warnings include, but are not limited to
Blood, injury detail, gore, sexual content, death, death of a parent.

With the way it ended, I will be reading book 2.

While the plot isn't the most unique for the genre, I really enjoyed the characters. I found myself wishing for more of a slow-burn dynamic—instead of the more immediate "I trust you right away" vibe. Some moments felt rushed, while others could've used a bit more momentum. That said, the world-building was refreshingly simple and not overly complicated, which I appreciated. The dual POVs added a nice layer to the story. Overall, it was an easy, enjoyable read—just not one that completely blew me away.

I hate leaving negative feedback but I just could not engage with the writing in this book. I applied for the ARC because it sounded like an intriging premise, but unfortunately the premise was the only good thing about it. The writing was stilted and I could not make myself finish it. I didn't relate or particularly enjoy either the characters or the storyline.

Thank you for the ARC and the opportunity to review the book.

I had really high hopes for A Court of Blood and Sacrifice, but sadly it didn't set the fire in me that I had hoped it would.

The connection between the male and female protagonists didn't wow me, and if I'm honest, failed to launch. The character development of the protagonists needed to be filled out more. I wanted to know more about them.

As a story, it has the potential to be something good, but more work is needed on the characters and their relationship to each other.

2 ⭐️'s

A suspenseful, action-packed read with vampires, magic and sprinkles of spice. The plot will have you hooked from start to finish in this fast-paced tale of enemies-to-lovers, a great read for all in search of a vampire romance.

This book had a cool magic system and I love the vampires! I wish it built more in character development and the plot but it ended on a cliffhanger for sure!

The best way to put this book is a mediocre mix of fangs and feels. This vampire romance had potential, but got lost somewhere between the melodrama and mediocre chemistry. I stayed for the angst, but even the bloodlust felt mid.

This book started well, but around the halfway point, the plot slowed down significantly. The FMC started so badass, and then when she met the MMC, she became as frail as a flower, which irked the crap outta me. The cliffhanger at the end, however, will bring me back to read the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Goodreads.

Rating: 3.25/5

I really wanted to love this book. The premise was intriguing, and there were definitely moments that pulled me in. Some of the worldbuilding and character development felt rushed or underdeveloped, but the parts that worked, I genuinely enjoyed.

The steamy scenes were well written, and I actually wish there had been a bit more of that tension and heat throughout. The relationship between Lilah and Nyx felt a little too fast for me. He starts off as her captor, and then suddenly he’s deeply in love with her without enough buildup to really earn that shift. I think more time spent developing their dynamic would have helped it feel more believable.

I also would have loved to see more of Lilah’s time at the training camp and her relationship with Ryker. That part of the story had a lot of potential and could have added more depth to her character arc.

Overall, the book had promise and some strong moments, but it felt like it needed a bit more time and detail to really land.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

DNF @ 12%

This wasn't for me sadly. I wanted to love this so much as a vampire girly. I love a broody vamp MMC but he and the FMC fell flat. The romance felt jumbled and sometimes rushed through. It could have benefitted from more banter and tension I think. This needs some more work and editing before being released sadly. Pacing was all over the place and sometimes felt a touch whiplashy.

2.5 STARS

While I really thought I would love this simply because of all the individual elements of the story being right up my alley, unfortunately this did not hit the mark for me. Do I still think this has the potential to be a good story, absolutely, but do think it suffers from too many issues in its current state. Some of the things that contributed to my rating include a huge lack of character development or consistency with personality traits, pacing issues, the conflict seemed to repeat itself over and over without having satisfying resolution, and the MMC being extremely lackluster. There also was I think what was supposed to be a "found family" element, but I don't think there was enough time spent with any of the side characters to feel like I cared enough about them (or why the FMC should). Expanding the character development and a good editor would do a lot for this story, because again, there are some good tropes that I think would all work well if done slightly better.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review! All opinions are my own.

I tried so hard but I just couldn’t finish this. The description had me hooked but I just didnt like the way it was executed. I couldn’t connect to the characters or the story. The writing just wasn’t for me either.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me preview this book.

This book was interesting and it wasn't what I thought it would be. It felt like it was being rushed in a few things in the book. I didn't really connect with any of the characters. I liked it but I didn't love it. I felt like there could have been more to the story line. It just didn't seem like the story line flowed and it felt a little bit rushed. Overall, I gave it 3 stars.

"A Court of Blood and Sacrifice" by Kay Marrie is a captivating dive into a dark and alluring vampire world, earning a solid 4 out of 5 stars from me! This book truly delivers on its promise of an intense romantasy experience, pulling me in from start to finish.

One of the absolute standout elements for me was Lilah's strength. As a protagonist driven by a vow of vengeance, she is fiercely determined and incredibly resilient, but also allows herself to be vulnerable, making her a really compelling and well-rounded character to follow. Her journey is fraught with challenges, and watching her navigate them, both emotionally and physically, was a highlight.

Kay Marrie's writing style is simply immersive and addictive. The prose flows beautifully, drawing you deep into the story and making it incredibly difficult to put down. I found myself devouring pages, eager to see what would happen next. This engaging style perfectly complements the emotional journey that Lilah undergoes, making her struggles and triumphs feel deeply personal.

The world-building is also a major strength, creating a vivid and intriguing landscape of vampire courts, ancient feuds, and treacherous lands. It's rich without being overwhelming, slowly revealing its layers and truly setting the stage for Lilah's perilous quest. The blend of a revenge plot with a sizzling enemies-to-lovers dynamic, particularly with the enigmatic Nyx, kept the tension high and the pages turning.

While the pacing felt a little uneven in minor spots, it didn't detract from the overall addictive quality of the read. "A Court of Blood and Sacrifice" is a powerful start to the Blood and Vengeance series, offering a compelling mix of dark romance, intricate world-building, and a protagonist you can truly root for.

If you're a fan of dark vampire romance, strong female leads, and an addictive emotional journey set in a well-crafted world, then you absolutely need to pick up "A Court of Blood and Sacrifice." I can't wait to see what comes next!

A Court of Blood and Sacrifice is an engaging and fast-paced read. It features an extensive amount of action, while maintaining a consistent level of excitement throughout.

Lilah, such a curious little thing, always asking questions and hardly getting answers. Her character was compelling, driven by a profound sense of vengeance for the loss of her father and mother. The need for retribution fueled her determination and resilience.

Nyx was everything I would want in a vampire boyfriend and more! His need and want to keep Lilah safe had me swooning and wanting him as my own. His undying care, love and loyalty to Lilah made me weak in the knees. *Alexa play Weak by SWV*

The storyline is brilliant, and I say that without giving too much away, but just when you think Lilah will seek vengeance on one, there are things that developed and soon her rage is set on something much bigger causing two different sides to collide.

If there was anything I wanted more of it was more of Nyx’s perspective—we only got two chapters from him. As well as, more development for Nyx and Lilah's relationship would have been great, but given the book's 271 pages, it makes sense. Overall, I was highly entertained, loved the main characters, swooned in all the right parts and am eagerly anticipating book two.

*Thank you to the author, Kay Marrie and Netgalley for the ARC for my honest review*

The bones of this story are good, but I think it could have been a 5 🌟 for me if it was more fleshed out.

I liked how hard the FMC worked to reach her goals, but it all seemed to fall a bit flat as soon as she accomplished the first step.

The MMC had my attention, but I would have liked a bit more of his history and what actually happened to lead him to his current spot.

I don't want to spoil any parts. It is a decent read, but the events happen like bam, bam, bam with no real substance. I guess it all kind of goes back to me looking for more fleshing out.

♥ This book, a first in its series: has a unique magical world and a romance that burns hot and beautiful but the story takes you through to a cliffhanger that leaves you yearning for more. I found it quick to devour and the characters give good ones you love and villains you loathe. With Dual POV but majority being from my FMC , romance that in new adult with some spice, this fantasy book will definitely appeal to those who enjoyed stories like twilight, the vampire academy and even some vampire diaries potential. I would say this is more a Romeo Juliet vibe as opposed to enemies to lovers but it still is sweet. The way you will swoon over “little flower” 🌹 thank you to NetGalley and Kay Marrie for letting me read this ARC, I cannot wait to read the next book!♥

This book is expected to be published on June 15 2025!

I loved the idea behind this book and world but had a hard time with other things. I do love a broody mysterious MMC so that was a hit!

The pacing of this book threw me off a lot. The plot and romance felt extremely rushed and it didn’t let me connect with the characters in a way that made me emotionally invested. I also would have loved more backstory from these characters as I feel their background was interesting. The world seems super unique and I would have loved more of it. I didn’t dislike this one I just wanted more from the story and writing. I’m not a fan of exclamation points in internal dialogue but that’s a personal preference.

Honest review of ARC
I had one reoccurring thought while reading this. It felt as if someone had fed AI a bunch of fantasy romance novels and then asked it to write one of its own. The word count of “hissed” in this story could be in the millions. Dramatics aside, there is just an overuse in general of “growled, hissed, wicked/devilish grin etc.” which was distracting. Along that line I found it to be migraine inducingly descriptive.
The cover and premise really drew me in and I feel like in a more fleshed out version this could be great, but there were some drawbacks.
I think to compensate for the shorter aspect, some plot points should have been removed and replaced with elements that create more of a connection with the characters. I have to hope that some of this story heavily sets the stage for the next story, otherwise I don’t understand why it was there at all. The Ryker romance has the allure of a love triangle which would be enticing. I hope the Huntress training somehow gets circled back to as well.
Every element of romance was instant and had no backstory, which can be most of the fun!
There was also a lot of repetition I noticed. She would learn a fact about something and be shocked, and then learn it again a chapter later and be shocked again. This happened multiple times.
Finally, I would have loved more of Nyx’s perspective.
I don’t want to come across as too critical! If you took the spice and swearing out, it reads adequately as an upper middle school/early high school level. Just enough engagement for that age group! Since it contains some R rated spice and swearing, I’m not sure where it falls. Reads more YA than NA.