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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
This one was a ride. A & L couldn’t be more different, but honestly it works. The harsh contrast from Augustus talking like a noble of ancient times and the Leo talking like a millennial was hilarious. This book was crass, kinda frumpy and spent too much time in the bedroom, but I absolutely enjoyed it.
I’m interested in the other brothers and coven members stories, so I’m definitely going to keep reading. Especially since I’m intrigued by the world building and overarching plot.
I’m interested in the other brothers and coven members stories, so I’m definitely going to keep reading. Especially since I’m intrigued by the world building and overarching plot.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm kind of surprised with how much I didn't care for this book. It started strong, but ended up dragging. It ends on a cliffhanger and I don't really have any interest in reading the next book.
The world building in the first half is interesting. I like the two characters, even though August treated Leonardo like a child. Which makes sense because of their ages. But then that stopped for no reason which didn't make sense.
The plot was where this book fell short. It felt very YA-level. The characters didn't act in any way that makes sense to them, just the plot. And the character development didn't exist, even when characters found out big things about themselves. We didn't get a mature look into how this affected their sense of self, and how they feel about things. There were some great opportunities for depth which were missed. It made the characters seem cartoonish, which is a shame after all the development in the first half.
The world building in the first half is interesting. I like the two characters, even though August treated Leonardo like a child. Which makes sense because of their ages. But then that stopped for no reason which didn't make sense.
The plot was where this book fell short. It felt very YA-level. The characters didn't act in any way that makes sense to them, just the plot. And the character development didn't exist, even when characters found out big things about themselves. We didn't get a mature look into how this affected their sense of self, and how they feel about things. There were some great opportunities for depth which were missed. It made the characters seem cartoonish, which is a shame after all the development in the first half.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood
Was this super well-written? No, it read a little immature and seemed unedited. Was this SO ENTERTAINING and did it make me want to read book two? ABSOLUTELY!
I wish this had been beta read or edited more thoroughly but it is a good story. It does end on a massive cliff-hanger, I think I can already tell that this series is a 'read all or none' type
I wish this had been beta read or edited more thoroughly but it is a good story. It does end on a massive cliff-hanger, I think I can already tell that this series is a 'read all or none' type
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
We start right in the thick of it with Leo waking up in Augustus' bed. Leo, a witch, has ben told his whole like that vampires are bad news. And yet, it's a powerful vampire's bed he's waking up in. Danger is afoot, and for some reason, Leo's instincts tell him to trust Augustus.
While August is more cautious around witches, something draws him to Leo. Something compelling and unstoppable. Their species have had a very, very long history of war and violence, but that's not what they're intent on this time. They want to find out what is happening that made Leo's coven abandon him in the middle of the night, and how he ended up on Augustus' doorstep, unconscious, with no memory of how he got there.
There's something major afoot. And it's unclear who can and cannot be trusted. When Leo discovers his best friend, and coven mate, Presley was also abandoned, everything he believed about his coven is thrown into chaos. He's left with no choice but to trust the surly vampire who took him in, and vowed to protect him. But there's so much more to it.
Leo and Augustus are drawn to each other when they should be trying to stay as far away from each other as possible. But something - instinct - keeps them together, and keeps drawing them nearer and nearer to each other. They both know it has the potential to end in absolute disaster, but they can't stay away.
There's a war coming, and with old enemies becoming allies for the greater good Leo and Augustus have to embrace their destiny for what's coming. Everything Leo thought he knew changes in an instant, and Augustus vows to protect those near and dear to him - and that includes Leo.
Never Trust a Guy With Fangs was one hell of an introduction to this series, and I can tell the stakes are just going to get higher and higher with each book. I can't wait to see what happens next!
While August is more cautious around witches, something draws him to Leo. Something compelling and unstoppable. Their species have had a very, very long history of war and violence, but that's not what they're intent on this time. They want to find out what is happening that made Leo's coven abandon him in the middle of the night, and how he ended up on Augustus' doorstep, unconscious, with no memory of how he got there.
There's something major afoot. And it's unclear who can and cannot be trusted. When Leo discovers his best friend, and coven mate, Presley was also abandoned, everything he believed about his coven is thrown into chaos. He's left with no choice but to trust the surly vampire who took him in, and vowed to protect him. But there's so much more to it.
Leo and Augustus are drawn to each other when they should be trying to stay as far away from each other as possible. But something - instinct - keeps them together, and keeps drawing them nearer and nearer to each other. They both know it has the potential to end in absolute disaster, but they can't stay away.
There's a war coming, and with old enemies becoming allies for the greater good Leo and Augustus have to embrace their destiny for what's coming. Everything Leo thought he knew changes in an instant, and Augustus vows to protect those near and dear to him - and that includes Leo.
Never Trust a Guy With Fangs was one hell of an introduction to this series, and I can tell the stakes are just going to get higher and higher with each book. I can't wait to see what happens next!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book is such a mess. I have no idea why I kept reading. Every time I thought it couldn’t get cheesier, it does. These vampires can even knot!
Character growth is nonexistent. One of the best ways I can sum it up is near the end when Leo goes “I have to figure out how to be a leader after a lifetime of avoiding responsibility” and I’m over here like show me where this came from. Augustus is also the same throughout, with his issue just being a loneliness that Leo fills.
There’s only so many times I can hear Augustus complain about Leo being his ruin before I get fed up with the repetition. Either commit to the sin or stop bringing it up.
And the repetition is the problem. Because instead of the two characters circling each other gradually, it’s consistently them being directly magnetized and ready except for something stopping them—either externally, like the plot intruding, or internally, with Augustus insisting on stepping back. Obviously there needs to be a reign on them going 100% too early into the story, but my god this is the sort of cockblocking that feels purposely contrived to stretch out the run time.
There’s also a big issue with the same conversations happening more than once. Especially when it comes to decision making. Augustus promises to bond with Leo after Sylvia dies as part of Leo coming into himself as a hybrid. But then after Sylvia dies, there’s a whole repeat of that conversation with Augustus being all hesitant again and needing consent yet again. Like, why are we doing this song and dance? It’s time to pounce.
When it comes to Fate in novels, if it becomes too heavy handed, the only thing I start seeing is the author pulling strings. That is exactly what this book feels like the entire way through.
The whole fated mates reveal almost felt silly considering the intensity of Leo and Augustus’s attraction. They’re meant to be and they want to be together… and also they’re both compelled toward one another. It never feels like they truly choose each other. They just are. I guess that works for some people. For me it’s almost too much.
And for a book titled “Never Trust a Guy with Fangs,” Leo ends up trusting Augustus almost immediately. There’s no real arc meant to build the trust, only “instinct” telling both of them to do it, like the author holding them both up to make them kiss.
By the end, every choice the characters could have made is already predetermined for them. This includes Augustus choosing to turn Leo. Because turns out Leo is a super special vampire-witch hybrid who needs the bonding to reach his full potential, so Augustus is basically handed an easy out from his dilemma . They never have to make any difficult decisions, which means they functionally never grow as characters.
Not even Augustus’s guilt/grief is allowed to be something for him to overcome. No, he gets to speak to his dead lover for complete closure tied up in a pretty bow. In a different novel I would let this go, but it’s like everything is just handed to the characters. They don’t have to do any hard lifting of their own at any point.
Beto’s pep talk to Augustus does not bode well for Beto’s book in the series. If Augustus is a puppet to “fate”, then Beto is just a die hard romantic. For me that’s an Oh no. My only consolation is Beta saying Presley is “under my skin, like an annoying parasite I cannot shake” and Augustus quips how romantic that sounds.
The rest of the vampire coven has their love interests glaringly telegraphed in a single dinner scene with the witch coven. Except for Geoffrey. Who I believe is the token Black guy unless the “tight black curls, dark skin” ends up retcon’d as like olive skin white dude when it’s time for his book. Geoffrey also happens to have the least screen time of all the coven. The rest of them have very distinct vibes happening while I barely know anything about Geoffrey except that one line about him teaching art. Did I mention his future love interest isn’t even there in the same scene as everyone else’s? I’m just over here dropping my expectations to the bowels of hell.
But I’m going to push through and try to read the next book in the series. For some masochistic reason I remain compelled by the plot. Or maybe it’s just because this book ends in the middle of plot movement.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
It’s an okay book, I felt like it took a while for the plot to actually get going and know what actually was happening. There’s a bit of repetition going on with the whole “I love you but can’t have you”, but the couple’s declarations of love were sappy as hell.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood