Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the audiobook ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was so good!! It grabbed me from the very first page and didn’t let go. The narrator did such a great job with it too!

The book starts out with our FMC Samara trapped in a witch prison. She finds out that her fifteen year sentence is not in fact almost up and teams up with another prisoner, Raphael, who also happens to be a vampire to escape. They strike a deal and he promises to protect her. I loved the magic system, the characters, the plot, all of it. And that epilogue!!! I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book.

For fans of:
Slow burn romance
Dark fantasy
Vampire/human trope
Magic
Enemies to allies to lovers
He falls first
Touch her and die

Vampires versus witches in this first book to the series. I really enjoyed this one. It was gripping and interesting from the beginning. There is so much chemistry with the FMC and MMC but neither of them knows it right away. Each character keeps within their character arc, and they don’t deviate. It isn’t one of those where the blooding MMC magically becomes the softie, but rather, he stays in character. The FMC continues to be naïve but has a believable growth arc. You will enjoy the supporting characters and hate the villains. It is all so well rounded. I am wanting to learn more about this world, and the author gave enough to give you the gist, but left out enough to make you want more. And the epilogue will leave your mouth gaping.

The narration was also very enjoyable. You can tell she is comfortable in the romance genre, dipping in timbre when necessary and expressing emotion at the right times.

This is my new obsession actually. It’s like if you took Twilight, made it more adult, with witches and lots of flawed characters and removed all traces of Kristen Stewart. It is an absolute treat of a dark romantasy and I absolutely loved listening to Cecily Foster’s performance as a narrator!

This one is for the vampire lovers out there. Meet your new obsession. When you get to the cliffhanger on this one, you'll be devastated in the best way! I cannot wait for book two to come out. This story had me hooked from the very beginning, where we meet Samara, the FMC, in her prison hunting rats for dinner. When she learns that there is no chance of gaining her freedom, she makes a deal with her kinds' mortal enemy, a vampire named Raphael. Together, as they escape, a bond forms between them and what started as an escape plan turns into a thrilling, bloody adventure. This dark fantasy is filled with secret identities, touch her and die, forced proximity, and other tropes that lend themselves to the genre. The story has a lot of room to grow, and I can't wait to see where the author takes it.
Cecily Foster, the narrator, did a fantastic job with this one. I was able to fully immerse myself in this story. She gave life to these characters . Her enunciation and vocal inflections made this a pleasure to listen to.

ARC Review🩸
A Bargain so Bloody - Vasilisa Drake
coming June 30 2025
4/5 ⭐️
I requested this on NetGalley as an audiobook arc and was pleasantly surprised with how much I ate this book up *pun intended* If you’re looking for a SLOW burn vampire romantasy book this is it!
It’s got possessive mmc, enemies to allies to lovers, forced proximity and touch her and die vibes.

I’m DYING to find out what comes next in book 2 ♥️

I went into this with no clue what it was about. Judged a book by its cover and it was a total win. My brain is going to hold on to this story until the second book comes out. The ending?! That slow burn?! 🔥 An MMC that will make you swoon so hard you forget your other book boyfriend’s names. Okay, not really, but it’s close! The audio was perfectly executed and I can’t wait to get my hands on this physical book!!

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for the chance to read this in return for my honest review.

It was a lovely story that’s well written. I do have to say though the target audience may not be NA readers. The book read like YA with blood and violence.

I did enjoy some parts. But the naive FMC reminded me of YA heroines. I think younger audience would enjoy this book a lot.

I was just wandering through the NetGalley dashboard and there it was - Bargain So Bloody by Vasilisa Drake - of course as soon as I read vampire, witchcraft and fantasy romance I had to get my ears on it!

This compelling dark fantasy audiobook delivers on all fronts, forbidden romance, plots and double twists, gothic vampires and all the dark rich atmosphere, a history of gods and goddesses who must be worshipped and feared, and all the morally grey characters and slow burn tension my dark heart desires!

Sam (Samara,) has been imprisoned for 12 years and having discovered that there is no release in sight turns to a recently imprisoned vampire to help her escape. From this point on their stories are entwined as this dangerous and seductive alliance becomes so much more than she ever envisioned.

The narrator truly brings Sam’s character to life as she broods and reflects (a lot,) on her situations throughout the book, and also adds depth and characters to other key characters in the story including the make protagonist, Rafael. Drake’s dark and intense worldbuilding, politics and intrigue are truly animated by the narrator and those intense moments from the depths of vulnerability to ultimate betrayal are truly breathtaking in the way they hit emotionally.


I flew through listening to Bargain So Bloody in only a couple of days, seeking out opportunities to hear just a little more and totally recommend it for anyone on the hunt for their next dark romantasy with just a little more bite!

"A Bargain So Bloody" held me captive from the first page!

This book drips with atmosphere, danger, and slow-burn tension. From the eerie prison setting to the undeniable chemistry between a witch and her vampire enemy, every chapter pulled me deeper into the shadows of Castle Greymere.

Samara is a fierce, determined heroine who’s been dealt a cruel hand—and watching her rise despite the odds was addicting. And Raphael? Absolutely the kind of morally grey, possessive, powerful vampire that fans of romantasy live for. The reluctant alliance between them crackles with tension and longing, and I loved how the trust (and feelings 👀) built so naturally.

If you’re into magical prisons, deadly bargains, and enemies who might just become something more, this is the romantasy you've been waiting for. I need the next book immediately.

🩸✨ Captive witch x chained vampire
🖤 Morally grey hero who falls hard
🔥 Tension, betrayal, escape, and slow-burn magic
📚 Perfect for fans of Carissa Broadbent and Danielle L. Jensen

The narration for this was so good. I really enjoyed this and will keep an eye out for the next one. It has many of the classic romantisy tropes but the magic system is interesting and I enjoyed the ‘touch her and die’ element.
I do think that it was a tad predictable but it was enjoyable and still just the start of this journey.

I was lucky enough to get both the eARC and the ALC of this book, (many thanks NetGalley and Victory) and I had a GREAT time with both. I opted for the immersive experience of combining the two and I’m glad I did. The narrator did such a great job and found her so easy to listen to, helped keep me immersed in the story.

I was hooked on this from the start, our FMC Samara has a history that hasn’t yet been fully revealed on page but there’s enough hints to guess, and I know the reveal is going to be amazing when it all comes out. She goes through so much growth over the course of the first book and I cannot WAIT to see what happens in the second.

We’ve got a deliciously morally gray Vampire MMC who after convincing Samara to release him in exchange for her freedom will burn the world just to see her safe. The cliffhanger at the end has me impatient for the second book and I’m about to go DEVOUR everything Vasilisa has already written - can see some
New favourite stories on the horizon.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook arc. You had me instantly with the vampire trope. Yes!
I throughly enjoyed this book 100% all the way thru, the narrators did an amazing job and the story was just amazing I could not put it down.
She was made to serve those imprison and had to serve 15 and after finding out that she was lied to she decides to break out the vampire that is being kept in a prison cell, and afterwards he makes her a deal. He’ll help her out f she can help him with something. After getting free of the prison and get out of the castle they set to go to his homeland, only to find out that he is the reigning king. She slowly is decoding the grimour for him while being hidden from her homeland in his kingdom. An assassin is trying to recruit her to his side and talks her into helping him and not handing over her notes to the king and gives her poison so that when the king drinks from her again she’ll poison him. At the festival he goes to drink from her again only for her to bolt cause she changed her mind, after a struggle between her and the assassin. The vampire king finds her dying and changes her against her will cause he can’t live without her. She wakes up to find herself in prison once again cause the whole kingdom believes that she tried to kill their king and that she’s working for the enemy. I binged the whole book in one day and cannot wait for book 2

In addition to my review on the ebook, the audio book is so well done. Cecily Foster absolutely knocks it out of the park. Normally I like Duet narration but I don’t think I would like anyone else but her doing the VA for this book. Was absolutely perfect. Waiting for the audiobook to be available for purchase because I loved it so much!

I was hooked from the start and immediately knew I was going to love this. The narrator was fantastic and gave clear distinction between characters.

I loved the unique magic system, such as using enchanted cards like currency for non-magical persons to cast.

My favorite character is the MMC Raphael who is absolute perfection and you cannot convince me otherwise. He is powerful but also patient, kind, protective and supportive of the FMC Samara. The touch her and die trope was on point and I am here for it.

I do love how Samara found courage and strength after escaping from the prison where she spent the majority of her life with the help of Raphael. However, her waffling between protecting herself or protecting others and her deep hatred for the Vampires who saved her and are protecting her made her insufferable at times.

Part of the ending was not a surprise as the clues were woven in throughout the story but the cliffhanger will have you craving the next book.

3.5 rounded to a 4
I found this audiobook difficult to get into. I was not super intrigued by either MC at the beginning and forced myself to listen to the first half mainly because I had obtained an audio ARC. However, about midway through the book, it became a lot more exciting and I listened because I was eager to hear what came next. 3.5 for the slow beginning rounded to a 4 for the interesting ending. Thank you to Netgalley for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

📖
🎧🎧🎧🎧/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️/5
📆 Pub Date Jun 30 2025
♥️ Deal with a vampire
♥️ He falls first and hard
♥️ She learns her strength through hatred
THE WAY THIS BOOK ENDED. The plot was fast-paced with a slow-burn romance that constantly kept me guessing! Cecily Foster's narration, with her somber tone, perfectly captured the mood of this dark romance. While I had some ideas of where this book would go, I was still pleasantly surprised. He yearns for her from the start, but she is untrusting of him. Will he be able to break through her defenses? Is she ever going to trust him and reciprocate his feelings? There is so much to look forward to in the next book, and I'm excited to see where it goes.

Breathtakingly intense! Great world building, well described fascinating characters & amazing narration.

Every girl deserves a Raphael in her life.


Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the ALC.

Thanks NetGalley for the advanced listener copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a gothic dark fantasy following Samara a void (human) destined to live out her days in prison. Starving, cold and scared Samara wants to escape but at what cost.

Voice actor was incredible, smooth transition and clear distinction between characters which made it easy to follow and entertaining. I really enjoyed the character development for Samara, we see her at her absolute worst at the start of the book and then by the end she’s starting to become empowered and gain confidence. Lots of mystery still around Raphael which is how I like my MMCs. Lots of twist and turns which had me on the edge of my seat, and towards the end.. I was yelling out in frustration (don’t do it Samara!) gahhhhh !

- Vampires, void (humans) and witches
- Enemies to lovers
- Unique magic system
- Touch her and die
- Slow burn
- Morally grey MMC

I’m excited for the book 2.. which I’ll be begging Vasilisa Drake for an arc haha!

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5
This book was honestly such a fun surprise!

The narrator did an amazing job—so good that I found myself listening while working (which I never do because I usually miss key things). But I didn’t even care. I’d just rewind when needed because I had to know what happened next.

There were a few lines of witty banter that literally made me laugh out loud. I loved that Rafael fell first—he’s totally the “touch her and d!e” type, and you just know he’d burn everything down if anything happened to Sam.

Sam’s been through a lot, so it makes sense she’s cautious. She’s been told all her life that vampires are the enemy, so trusting Rafael isn’t exactly easy. But things just keep happening (and trying to k!ll her), and when everything finally clicks into place with that plot twist? Yep. It all makes sense.

This was only my second vampire romance, but I’m definitely in now!

This is a slooooow sloooooow burn romance (maybe). I would’ve liked a bit more romance. Overall, I liked this book. I had a hard time connecting with Samara, but I’m interested to see how she evolves in the next book. I think it may have been a little too YA for me. The plot could’ve been a little stronger. Don’t get me wrong, I did still enjoy it! The magic system was very interesting with the use of cards, and I liked the world building involving both vampires and witches! The narration was great! I plan to continue the series when the next book comes out. Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and Vasilisa Drake for allowing me to listen to an advanced copy of this book!