"He'd thought this opportunity was perfect for her - his exact words had been, "it says here he's a duke, there are moors, and he's romantic and brood"He'd thought this opportunity was perfect for her - his exact words had been, "it says here he's a duke, there are moors, and he's romantic and broody. You love romantic and broody!"
I have received an ARC through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and left voluntarily. Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy.
Genre: contemporary fantasy with vampires, romance, mystery Tropes: vampire and mortal romance, competing for love, hate to love, reality show, mates Series: Vampire Reality Show #1 (can be read as a stand-alone) Cliffhanger: No Spice: 2.5/5 Rating: 3.75
This book was a breath of fresh air. I've been reading exclusively romance and fantasy this year and, while this is still what I enjoy, I needed something a bit different, and Forever After delivered. It's the first book of the Vampire Reality Show series, but it doesn’t end with a cliffhanger and can be enjoyed as a stand-alone.
》》The Plot《《
In a modern day world where vampires and werewolves have come to light and, even though not extremely common, they are known and accepted by society, Autumn Reid has decided to escape her boring, monotonous life and sign up for Forever After, a new version of the Bachelor, where the male lead is an old Vampire Duke. The prize for the winner? Immortality by the Vampire's side or a large amount of cash. Oliver Gray, a bankrupted English duke, finds the solution for saving his estate in an unexpected manner: by agreeing to be the Vampire bachelor of a new reality show. And while he's sure he can't find his mate there, at least he's willing to try and play his part, even with the frustratingly attractive and stubborn girl, whose name sounds like a season. But when people start dying and all the clues point to a vampire inside the house, Autumn and Oliver have more to solve than the feelings that may or may not exist between them.
"Autumn," her name was a rumbled escape, moonlight over the moors, heaven and hell, all things combined.
The story was fast-paced and dynamic, keeping you entertained exactly in the same way a real life reality show would. The bonus part? The touch of urban fantasy. There was no hocus pocus and no magic or funny business going around, but the sheer fact that vampires, werewolves and zombies were present has set the story apart from a normal romance. It's interesting and indeed different. It's easy to read and even easier to get fond of. And you get a bit of everything and a balanced mixture of sugar, spice (literally) and everything nice.
"Everyone had shades of darkness in them, tones of light, but it was our decisions that mattered. Whether we chose to act out of love, or out of hate."Everyone had shades of darkness in them, tones of light, but it was our decisions that mattered. Whether we chose to act out of love, or out of hate. Whether we took pleasure in power, or if we were able to surrender to our so-called weaknesses of kindness and compassion. That was where I saw true strength."
Sweet baby Jameson, this book was amazing. A perfect ending for this trilogy. I just loved it. The cocktail of old and new characters, the feelings, the romance... overwhelmingly delightful. I loved it and I'm definitely going to start the next trilogy; I'm really looking forward to seeing Cass and Jameson as MCs.
“Stubborn, aren't you?” he mused as I halted behind him. “Stubbornness will get a person through any journey,” I panted. “It certainly gets you a lot of places. Mainly into trouble.”
》》The Plot《《
Finding help from an unexpected ally, her long lost father, Selena Grey risks everything she managed to achieve for two things: assuring no Hunter will ever host another Game and revenge. This time, she joins the games as a spectator,along Cass, Varick, Jameson and Ned, an Immortal Siren they've met at her father's retreat, having Mercy and Kite as help from the inside. What follows? Mayhem. In the most delicious way.
》》Characters and Relationships《《
'As Jameson unbuttoned his jeans, Varick put his hand firmly over my eyes and I started laughing. “I don't wanna see this,” Kodiak muttered. “People would pay good money to see this,” Jameson quipped.'
I loved how, with each book, every character got more depth, the relationships became worth shipping and fangirling over and it allowed me to get attached to these wonderful figments of imagination. They showed development and progress and it just made them have a special place in my bookish heart.
"Only in death did the meaning of my life truly come to me. The sun rose and set, rose and set. Day in, day out. For all of time. But one day it would not. One day the sun would grow tired and give up. But my soul would never grow tired. It would never give up."
This last book had multiple POVs, Selena, Varick, Jameson, Kite, Cass and Mercy giving us insights into their own emotions and thoughts.
♦️ Selena Grey
"Fear gripped my heart as I gazed at them all, but overriding it was my burning thirst for revenge. And for the first time since I'd learned about the existence of Vampires, I knew what it was truly like to hunger for blood."
Damn. She became the perfect heroine: bold, courageous, willing to fight against all odds, ready to take her revenge and give up her newly found safety to ensure no girl will ever go through the games, while keeping kindness and love close to her heart. I loved her fierceness here and there were some scenes where you'll definitely get how badass she became.
♦️ Varick
"In all my life and immortality, I had never felt like this. But there was one thing still keeping us parted. When the moon reigned, I could love her as she deserved to be loved. But unless the sun decided to let me walk in its burning light once more, I would only be able to kiss her half as often as I wished to."
I didn't exactly feel a lot of progress here in him; his mainly feature here was his love for Selena and his need to protect her. But maybe, seeing him as a monster incapable of proper feelings for so long, being able to love was a progress in itself.
♦️ Selena and Varick
“Do you want to know what I thought when I first met you?” “Tasty snack?” “Apart from that.” “What?” “You looked like dawn. Something I'd craved for so long, I'd forgotten how much I missed it.”
They are my new Romeo and Juliet. I loved to see their relationship being an actual relationship (meeting the parents level) and it was sweet to watch them enjoying each other as we didn't get much of that in the first two books.
“I may need blood to live, but I need you to breathe, to feel...to love.”
While we definitely saw them coming from the start, the way they fought for each other was still heartwarming. The little things, the love declarations, their fierce protectiveness (I don't even think that's a word) over one another and the way they found their way back time and time again made them memorable.
"Some of you will arrive as couples, so Varick will pair with Selena-” “Fairly self-explanatory even if we hadn't all just witnessed him pissing on his tree,” Jameson said casually. “I'm not a tree,” I muttered.
And having them pretend to be husband and wife to have cover during the games was definitely a nice touch.
♦️ Jameson and Cass
“Where would I be without you?” “Probably deep in hell already,” she teased. “The devil's been waiting for me for a long time, Firefly.” I gave her a wink as I stepped out the door. “And I plan on keeping him waiting.”
Ahhh, they were definitely my favorite couple in the making. The teasing, the banter, the game of mouse and cat, Jameson's utter shock that Cass simply wasn't swooning and all the biting (literally and not only) made me ship them harder than ever.
“If it ever gets too much, I'm here.” He gave me an intense look, no walls between us at that moment. “I know I'm a cocky shit ninety nine percent of the time. But I'm still here for you, okay?”
They were also cute and touching, giving us rawness and moments of vulnerability and tenderness and I honestly can't wait to start the trilogy about them. And watching them having to pretend to be a couple, to infiltrate the games along Selena and Varick, provided a gold mine of nice scenes.
♦️ Kite
"He'd dragged me back out of oblivion and put me here at his side. The girl who'd died twice, that's what I'd be. And no one would care. Not a single soul on this entire planet."
I liked her before, but now I actually care for her. We get to see her past, how and why she got to prison and I really did feel she was misjudged and misunderstood. She has a very interesting background and a refreshing perspective as a V.
♦️ Mercy Van Helsing
“I get why you want them to live, but do you really think they're worth saving?” My heart crumbled at her words. I refused to answer that question aloud. But inside, a tiny voice answered it for me. A voice I crushed and stamped on, trying to force it away. No. And I'm not either.
I felt for her. After reading the previous book, my only sentiment towards her was pity. But this time, she showed some spine, the desire to right the wrongs her family had done and actually chose to be on the right side of things.
“I think I've given nearly every piece of myself away. And the centimetre I still have left keeps evaporating, a fraction at a time. And...a part of me wishes you'd let that grenade go off while I still had something to hold onto.”
She still has a long way to go, because a few moments of clear judgment and one or two acts of bravery can't really define her new personality, but her character development has definitely started and I'm keen to follow her on this journey as (hopefully) gets a redemption arc.
》》Conclusion 《《
I am, once again, glad I've discovered Caroline Peckham. and her novels. They make me forget I'm reading, miss out sleep and fall in love with fictional characters. And don't even get me started on the men she creates because damn it, I need them irl too.
"Vampires, Werewolves, Immortals. And men who were bigger monsters than all of them."
I loved this trilogy and I will definitely read the entire series. It was quick paced and both serious and funny, sad and happy, intriguing and heartstoping at times. And really really hard to put down.
“Till we meet again,” I managed as my heart beat its final beat. And we would. One day. Somehow. We would.
“Welcome to the V Games, Selena Grey. You have been selected to compete in a week long event run by the esteemed Helsing family where you will have th“Welcome to the V Games, Selena Grey. You have been selected to compete in a week long event run by the esteemed Helsing family where you will have the chance to eradicate your prison sentence for good. Wouldn't you like to be a free woman again? To return home to your family and have all the mistakes of your past forgotten?”
Welcome to the V Games, again! And may the odds be ever in your favor, again! Because guess what, Selena is back in the games. The prize this time? Love. Freedom. Revenge.
》》The Plot《《
“Welcome to the Isle of Lidelse!” Abraham cried, followed by a raucous of cheering. “My son, Ignus, has been developing this new island for many years and it's finally time to present to you the brand new V Games!”
Even though I found the beginning a bit boring (I get it, it was written to give us a background and prepare us for everything else), as soon as the new games started, I forgot how to breath. Because this time every damn thing is 10 times more difficult, 10 times more brutal, 10 times darker. And 10 time more entrancing.
”Let the games begin!” Thames cackled.
Determined to rescue Varick, Selena agrees to return to the games, assuring she has some outside help: Ulvic Hund and his werewolves. New characters, bloody battles, unimaginable trials and the spark of rebellion will make this book addictive as you witness everything going to hell and back. The POVs are split between Selena and Varick, with a few chapters from Cass, Jameson, Ulvic and Mercy Helsing as well. And the ending? A damn cliffhanger. (what a surprise, right?
》》Characters and Relationships《《
♦️Selena
“You don't belong here.” “No one belongs here. I killed a girl-” “An accident,” she said immediately. “It ain't the same as killin' with intention. Everyone here knows what you are.” “And what's that?” “You're hope.”
For starters, I like her more in this book. She's more determined and she definitely shows some character growth. Even more interesting though, it's the way all the others seem to view her and I must confess I'm really intrigued by what her fate will be.
♦️Varick
"I was at breaking point, and as the last of my energy sapped from my body, healing the torturous wounds on my hands, I lost myself. My spark of humanity died. I felt it flicker out like a breath on a candle. Gone. Just like that. Darkness rushed in. Too quickly for me to do anything to try and stop it. The strength inside me wilted and a monster grew rapidly in its place like a weed."
In this book he goes through a lot. We get to see him as a monster, a person willing to do anything for his obsession, a fighter, a friend and a man in love. We get more insights into his past and he becomes more complex. The only thing I can say about him is that there wasn't a moment when he wasn’t strong or dangerous and I rather like that. Morally grey? Yes, definitely. Lovable? Too damn right.
♦️Selena and Varick
"Three things occurred to me at once. I would never understand the way Selena saw me. I was never going to stop craving her. And so long as she was nearby, I would always be too weak to stay away."
Their relationship definitely took a step in the right direction and I loved to see how this has evolved. They went from enemies to allies and now to utter devotion. They are protective and possessive over one another, sweet and dangerous at the same time. And when they finally let their walls down? My heart melted. Take a peak:
“Because even though there's a demon inside you, you meet it on the battlefield every day. I love you in all the spaces that you're not a monster, and I forgive you for all the places that you are.”
I mean... Go, Selena!!! Teach Shakespeare how it's done. Not that Varick was faring too bad himself:
“You remind me of the sea...the endless storm in your eyes, the flush of sunsets in your cheeks. I see a red dawn in your lips, where I once would have set my eye and sailed into its promised light. You are all the things I loved in life, embodied. And after what I've done, I fear losing you will bring about my death all over again.”
Can you not instantly ship these two? I couldn’t.
♦️Jameson Fairfax
“And what was he like? Charming? Funny? Roguishly handsome?” My grin broadened. “Oh wait, that's your future boyfriend.”
I swear he's like a ray of sunshine. Always optimistic, always cracking a joke. The Alpha Werewolf, hot and definitely used to play with hearts and yet he doesn't seem exactly the usual scoundrel. Who am I kidding... I totally love him and his easy way. And his light moods and positivity.
♦️Varick and Jameson
“Varick, you look like shit,” Jameson said with a dark grin. “At least I have clothes on,” I growled, managing a weak, mocking smile in return.
Talking about amazing bromance, here comes a dangerous werewolf and a brooding vampire. From the amazing mind that gifted us Orion + Darius (from Zodiac Academy, totally recommend that series), we get a new friendship that seems more of an everythingship.
"Yeah, I had a bit of a bro-crush on him. But some people were kindred spirits, plain and simple. We were the best team I'd ever known. And after he'd been turned into a V and disappeared, I knew I had to find him. Somehow. Which meant I spent the remainder of my human life trying to follow him into immortality."
We don't get a lot of moments with these two, but they are definitely lovely and I can't wait to see more of them.
♦️Cass and Jameson
“I'm still cute without fur, right?” “What?” I said breathlessly (though I had no idea when I'd actually taken my last breath). He gestured to his bare torso, looking for approval. “Did that collar do something to your head?” Why was he acting so casual? “Just trying to lighten the mood, firefly.”
I ship them. I totally ship them. I want them to happen. Like. Right. Now. Cass is soooooo adorable and yet utterly devastated by the entire turn her life took and Jameson is just the right Ying for her Yang.
“You got a boyfriend?” Jameson asked, raising his brows. “What kind of question is that?” “You're hot...I'm hot. Seemed like an obvious one.” “What part of 'we're prisoners' do you not get? Have you lost a screw or something?” “Nope. All my nuts and bolts are definitely intact.” He winked and I glowered at him. “So, have you?” “If you haven't already noticed, I'm a blood-sucking Vampire.” “But you are female.” “That's your standard is it? Female?”
There's not exactly a lot of warmth there, but the conditions weren't at their highest. But the banter and the teasing? Priceless.
♦️Ulvic Hund and Ignus Van Helsing
"We were two opposing forces, always had been, but the connection between us was palpable. The kind of passion that burned so bright, the only way it could end was in all-out destruction."
That relationship buzzed me. I could have loved it: it had potential. But my hatred for Ignus stood in the way of ever wishing any sort of happiness for him. If there's one character that does not deserve a redemption arc, it's probably him.
"And Ignus Helsing was Frankenstein, having stitched me together, bringing me back to life as a twisted version of myself."
He's sick and twisted in all the wrong ways and there simply wasn't a single moment where I could muster any sort of warm feelings towards him. Ulvic, on the other hand, has a good heart. But I feel like he needs a lot of character growth, as he's more often rather soft and behaving kind of cowardly.
♦️ Thames, Twyla and Veta
“I think you need to be some level of messed up to get here.” I raised my hands, gesturing to the island in general. “True.” Thames gazed up at the storm clouds and a smile curled up her lips. “Hell is empty and all the devils are here,” she breathed. “Shakespeare.”
As far as side characters go, these three girls are amazing. I loved them and I really like the way they had some spark, something to make them remarkable. I liked Sakura and Kite in the first games, but these girls are definitely better portrayed.
♦️ Mercy Van Helsing
I don't hate her any less than I did before. I honestly don't feel much of anything towards her. Maybe just a bit of pitty for the way she's been raised, but she definitely doesn't show any spine, nor any sort of willingness to change her life. But maybe that will change.
"Man may have discovered fire, but women discovered how to play with it."
All in all, I certainly enjoyed this second installment and I found it better written than the first, covering some of the things I thought were lacking in the previous one. I can't wait to start the next one and I definitely still recommend this series to any Hunger Games, vampire and werewolf lover. It's the perfect combination of fantasy and dystopia, with action, romance and amazing characters. For those of you who have read Zodiac Academy, I must add however that there's no spice, but this doesn't diminish in any way the fascination I got for this series.
"If you kill yourself on my watch, I'll get the blame.” “If I wanted to kill myself, don't you think I would have tried hugging a Vampire earlier?” Va"If you kill yourself on my watch, I'll get the blame.” “If I wanted to kill myself, don't you think I would have tried hugging a Vampire earlier?” Varick regarded me with a hint of amusement in his eyes. “Well if you do make the decision to kill yourself, I'd be grateful if you let me do the honours.”
May the odds be ever in your favor! Oh, wait, that's a different story. But this book is definitely The Hunger Games meeting a dystopia of Vampires and Hunters. My overall rating? 3.75 stars.
“You are about to be part of an age-old tradition, Selena.”
》》The Plot《《
Eighteen years-old Selena Grey is sentenced to 25 years in a security prison for the murder of her abusive step-father. The only way out: accepting to be a part of the V Games. Kidnapped and transported on an island owned by the Van Helsings, an old family of Hunters, Selena is faced with a hard and unbelievable truth: men aren't the only monsters roaming this earth. Vampires, strong and bloodthirsty creatures of the night, are real, held and used by the Van Helsings for their own gains. Forced to compete in five deadly tasks, Selena spends each day as if it were her last, fighting for her freedom, trying to protect Cass, her red-headed and unlikely friend she made along the way and wishing she could be as far away as possible from Varick, the Vampire with emerald green eyes that got her into this. In other words, let the games begin!
“Are there wolves on the island?” I asked Varick. “Wolves, snakes, bears. You name it, it's probably here.”
》》Characters and Relationships《《
♦️Selena Grey
One thing I liked about her from the beginning is that she's rather unapologetic. She's hot headed, speaks up and gets into trouble, but she has a good heart and a right sense of justice, leading her to protect her friends and family.
♦️Selena and Cass ( Cassandra)
“When I came here last year, they replaced my coffee with vinegar every day for a week.” “What did you do?” “Drank it with a smile on my face.”
I liked their friendship from the start, when they met each other as cellmates, in prison, only to grow even closer while being forced into the V Games. Non of them was perfect, or the portrayal of innocence and goodness, but they definitely brought the best out of each other.
♦️Varick Cartwright
"Well, if you discounted the fact Varick looked like an Armani model with the temperament of an angry polar bear."
The green-eyed, dark-haired, brooding, hot vampire who starts discovering parts of his humanity he thought he has lost forever. Saying about him that he's morally grey just doesn't cover it all, but he goes from a heartless brute to someone who begins to rediscover his life purpose.
♦️Varick and Selena
“If we're going to be allies, Varick, I'd rather you were honest with me.” “Allies?” he questioned. “Is that what you think we are?” “What would you call it?” I challenged. He shrugged. “Friends maybe.” I gave him a small smile. “Let's not over-do it.”
They go from enemies to allies to friends to caring about each other and damn, their relationship still has places to go. Started more like a predator and prey and ended up feeling like the damned and the salvation. There wasn't exactly a tone of romance here, but I think it has potential and I like the way their connection is developed slowly, believable. I'm definitely curious about these two in the rest of the trilogy.
"To say they'd actually done something with the time they'd been given. But if you're given forever, what did it matter? No one would remember me, because I had no expiration date to be remembered beyond."
》》Notes and Highlights《《
♣️ I loved the way immortality is viewed here, as well as the new vision regarding the love story between a human and a vampire ♣️ I obviously enjoyed this Hunger Games vibe, the trials and the merging of a modern day Europe and this secluded island with fantastic creatures and brutal games. ♣️ The chapters were split between Varick and Selena, offering us insights from them both. While I felt it was reducing the mystery a bit, it also gave us a better understanding of these two main characters and, just like in Zodiac Academy, I found it really refreshing to have this variety in POVs. ♣️ I find myself, once again, hooked by the writing style and display of imagination proven by Caroline Peckham. I think I really need to binge read her entire works. ♣️ The ending left me wanting more, bringing a little surprise and some heartbreak (I was already used from Zodiac Academy, but still...)
"Without time, life had lost meaning. The things I'd once wanted had lost their allure. My friends were gone. My family. All that had remained was me and an eternity of serving a family I despised. But then she showed up. The little survivor. And I now had a purpose again."
"I donʹt believe in soul mates, not exactly. I think itʹs ridiculous to think thereʹs only one person out there for us. What if your ‘soul mateʹ live "I donʹt believe in soul mates, not exactly. I think itʹs ridiculous to think thereʹs only one person out there for us. What if your ‘soul mateʹ lives in Zimbabwe? What if he dies young? I also think ‘two souls becoming oneʹ is ridiculous. You need to hold onto yourself. But I do believe in souls being in sync, souls that mirror each other."
This is still one of my favorite quotes of all times....more
Redhead Haze
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