It’s very short and part of a series. The whole rapid frenemies-to-lovers insta lust/love thing borrows heavily from other texts and has fan fiction vibes. The world building is really interesting though. I’m interested to learn more about the politics of Midnight Harbor. The setting gives the writer a lot to work with.

What It’s About: Jessie lives in a town full of supernatural creatures. She’s human, and will be expected to pledge herself to a vampire house when she reaches a certain age. She’s decided to leave town, though, so she doesn’t have to deal with all the supernatural drama. But a mystery about her past, and her hot vampire neighbor, might keep her hanging around just a bit longer.

Spice Level: There’s a ton of anticipation leading up to the spice in this one, but it’s worth the wait.

Realism: I like diving into a world where supernatural creatures already exist. It’s so much faster and easier than having to wait for a protagonist to figure out that something odd is going on around her. The lore in this series is really interesting so far, but not overwhelming, and the dynamic makes sense for what a community like this would be. The attraction between Jessie and Bran is pretty fast, but I don’t mind. It’s the first time they’ve really interacted, and he challenges all of her assumptions about vampires, so it tracks that she’d fall for him quickly, given the circumstances.

Trope Alert: Hot neighbor, instalove (kind of sort of), vampire/human relationship.

Trigger Warnings: There’s a little blood and violence, obviously, but otherwise, not much to get squicked about here.

Final Thoughts: This was originally published on Kindle Vella, which I think explains the fast pacing of the story. You have to get people hooked right away and keep them hooked. On Vella, it’s just one big story, so this book only covers the first part of it. That means it does end on a cliffhanger, but every chapter kind of does because of the serial format. Fair warning, though, for those who don’t like cliffhangers!