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4.49 AVERAGE
4.49 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING AND CAN RAHIL PLEASE BE MY (NON-SEXUAL) DADDY
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
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:
Yes
This was such a fun and flirty story between Rahil and Mercer. Rahil slowly opening himself up and Mercer learning to love again. Once they do love it’s passionate and seductive. Lydia is such a funny teen. She’s so sassy yet understanding. This story definitely tugged at the heartstrings. The sad bits made me shed a tear. This duo doesn’t just have chemistry. They have understanding and connection having suffered through similar situations.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book contains all of the heartache that comes from being a widower in the later half of his life. So much history was built behind each of these characters to make them match their age and circumstances. It was one of the hardest books in this series for me to read.
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I wish that I could write a big old essay about just how much I love these books as once again, to nobody's surprise, D.N. Bryn has knocked it out of the park. Who knew whales could be this romantic? Whenever I try to put my thoughts into words, though, I just can't. This series is my drug and it removes all rational thoughts from my brain. One thing I can put into words, though, is that I love D.N. Bryn's character work. Every character in this book with the exception of William, I guess, as we don't see enough of him to really dig deep feels so real. The life that D.N. Bryn is able to breathe into them is just so satisfying. Especially with Anthony of all people! Like fuck that guy but damn am I invested in his character arc throughout the books! I may want to punch him in the face every time he shows up on page but I also really want to know how his story ends! The couples I feel safe that we're gonna get an overall happily ever after but Anthony... Anthony is fair game for all sorts of tragedy. It was also particularly lovely seeing Clem, Justin, and Vincent together with our new friends in the very end. It makes me so happy seeing these characters that I have come to love so much interacting with one another and being happy--even if GOD DAMN WES AND HIS TRIAL are giving me a HEART ATTACK!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder
Minor: Cancer, Suicide
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
tense
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:
Yes
Oh my gods this had me feeling all the feelings and kicking my feet and screaming and crying and asdfghjkl I LOVE!
I’ve read and loved every single addition to this series and every book just gets better and better so this one should be 9⭐️ or something.
Rahil is my baby and Mercer has my heart and their entire relationship arc is PERFECT from swiping right, to getting caught in a shed, to working together, to everything else that would include spoilers… everything just had me kicking my feet and squealing at how much of their emotion and YEARNING is passed on to the reader through the words.
And all the little cameos of the previous characters are just so satisfying.
AND THE LONELIEST WHALE HAS A FAMILY NOW 😭😭😭
HUGE thank you to DN Bryn for my ARC and my apologies for the lateness of this review!
(I can’t wait to see what happens with Isaiah)
I’ve read and loved every single addition to this series and every book just gets better and better so this one should be 9⭐️ or something.
Rahil is my baby and Mercer has my heart and their entire relationship arc is PERFECT from swiping right, to getting caught in a shed, to working together, to everything else that would include spoilers… everything just had me kicking my feet and squealing at how much of their emotion and YEARNING is passed on to the reader through the words.
And all the little cameos of the previous characters are just so satisfying.
AND THE LONELIEST WHALE HAS A FAMILY NOW 😭😭😭
HUGE thank you to DN Bryn for my ARC and my apologies for the lateness of this review!
(I can’t wait to see what happens with Isaiah)
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
How to Flaunt Your Chains and Surrender a Vein by D.N. Bryn
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars
📚 Book Four of Guides for Dating Vampires Series
👉 Can Be Read as a Standalone
⬆️ Ebook ARC
😏 Adult MM Paranormal Romance
📖 Deeply Emotional Story w/ Banter & Bondage
👆 Hurt/Comfort
🌈 Pan & Ace Rep
🔀 Dual POV, Third-Person Narrative
😏⛓️ Meet Cute... If Chain-Trapping a Vampire Counts 😉
🩸📱'Vampire Serial First-Date ("bleed em and leave em, baby! ")'
x
💔👻'Lonely Single Haunting the Dating Apps'
😈 Flamboyant Vampire x Protective Human 😇
🐈⬛ Black Cat Chaos Energy x Loyal Golden Retriever Dad Vibes 🐶
😁 Sunshine-Flirt x Brooding 😡
🗣 Extrovert x Quiet Stoic 😐
🧲 Opposites Attract
💘 Immediate Physical Attraction w/ Diverse Feelings About Sex
🥵 Slow Burn w/ Intense Chemistry
😉 Daddy x Good Boy
🧸 Soft Dom x Submissive Twink 😋
👄 Sexy Biting & Blood Play 👅
🚦 BDSM & Kink Exploration 🪢(bondage, praise, sensory play....)
🔥 Spicy Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
MCs:
🤨⚒️⚔️💍👉 Mercer 'Merc' Jacques Bloncourt (Human/Fae, 41yo):
🗡 Bisexual. Brown skin, dark curls, strong build.
🗡 A talented metalsmith, he crafts unique, custom kink jewelry and artistic BDSM objects.
🗡 Once forged deadly silver weapon (vampire-killing "holy silver") after his wife’s murder... something he now deeply regrets.
🗡 A single dad raising his chronically ill teenage daughter and Kat, their sweet dog.
🗡 Quiet and grounded, marked by loss, with a protective and deeply caring heart.
🗡 He believes there’s no space for romance in his life… but Rahil’s light is slowly breaking through his walls (or chains). 😏
😏🌃🧛🏻🕶💻👉 Rahil 'Ray' Zaman (Vampire, 65yo but looks 20s):
🩸 A pansexual vampiric twink with long, silky dark hair, long lashes, hazel eyes, and dusty brown skin from his Indian heritage.
🩸He loves wearing pirate shirts and high-heeled boots, and charm for days... and he knows it. 😏
🩸 He’s an out-of-work electrical engineer.
🩸 He lives in his own house, a crumbling, gothic three-story place.
🩸 His door is always open to anyone who needs shelter, especially young people who have nowhere else to go.
🩸 Rahil hides deep emotional trauma and survivor’s guilt behind his flirty, flamboyant attitude.
🩸 His heart is so big... It makes me want to hug him, to spoil him. He’s become my fav.
🩸 He feeds through hookup apps, a win-win for him (such a twink), but it’s getting riskier every time.
⚠️ Content Warnings:
👉 Angsty
⚠️ Alcohol Consumption
⚠️ Blood Consumption (w/ consent)
⚠️ Medication Use
⚠️ Migraine & Vomiting
⚠️ Short-Term Memory Issues (related to chronic anxiety)
⚠️ Insomnia
⚠️ Chronic Illness Rep
⚠️ On-Page Seizures (Human & Pet, no deaths)
⚠️ Grief, Loss & Trauma (includes past/implied deaths from cancer, homicide, and suicide)
⚠️ Physical Violence & Death (on page)
⚠️ Blood & Medical Exploitation
⚠️ Dog poisoning (Mc's pet, survives)
⚠️ Small Wild Animal Death
⚠️ Blackmail
👉 Found Family Vibes
👏 Superb Character Development
🥰 Love the Ending
😍 HEA (Yes, After All That!)
Cover: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars
💬 My Thoughts
🥰 If I thought the previous books were amazing, this one deserves six stars. I was completely immersed from the first page. The writing is so smooth and easy to read, with worldbuilding that feels both fun and meaningful.
👏 As always, Bryn writes about grief, chronic illness, and marginalization with incredible care and honesty. The emotions feel raw and real.
🥺😭 Merc and Rahil’s connection is slow, messy, and beautiful.
They carry so much grief, and instead of "fixing" each other, they learn to live, hope, and love despite the pain.
They may seem like opposites, but they see each other in a way no one else does.
🤌🥵 I loved their chemistry... from the delicious tension to the spicy scenes... but what really touched me was how much heart there was.
Their kinky dynamic was so fun and full of warmth. And honestly, who better for Rahil than someone who literally crafts kink gear?
😍 The way they support, tease, and heal one another had me falling for them completely.
🌈 I also really appreciated how the book explores pan, bi, and possibly ace identities without pressure or labels, just honest, heartfelt experiences.
💖 The secondary characters? I loved every one of them. The friendships, the return of familiar faces, the warmth of a true found family... it all made my heart full. The mix of humor, vulnerability, and spice took me on an emotional rollercoaster... in the best way.
🤣🤧🥰 I laughed. I cried. I swooned. I’m obsessed.
🐋▪︎FAV QUOTES▪︎🐋
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars
📚 Book Four of Guides for Dating Vampires Series
👉 Can Be Read as a Standalone
⬆️ Ebook ARC
😏 Adult MM Paranormal Romance
📖 Deeply Emotional Story w/ Banter & Bondage
👆 Hurt/Comfort
🌈 Pan & Ace Rep
🔀 Dual POV, Third-Person Narrative
😏⛓️ Meet Cute... If Chain-Trapping a Vampire Counts 😉
🩸📱'Vampire Serial First-Date ("bleed em and leave em, baby! ")'
x
💔👻'Lonely Single Haunting the Dating Apps'
😈 Flamboyant Vampire x Protective Human 😇
🐈⬛ Black Cat Chaos Energy x Loyal Golden Retriever Dad Vibes 🐶
😁 Sunshine-Flirt x Brooding 😡
🗣 Extrovert x Quiet Stoic 😐
🧲 Opposites Attract
💘 Immediate Physical Attraction w/ Diverse Feelings About Sex
🥵 Slow Burn w/ Intense Chemistry
😉 Daddy x Good Boy
🧸 Soft Dom x Submissive Twink 😋
👄 Sexy Biting & Blood Play 👅
🚦 BDSM & Kink Exploration 🪢(bondage, praise, sensory play....)
🔥 Spicy Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
MCs:
🤨⚒️⚔️💍👉 Mercer 'Merc' Jacques Bloncourt (Human/Fae, 41yo):
🗡 Bisexual. Brown skin, dark curls, strong build.
🗡 A talented metalsmith, he crafts unique, custom kink jewelry and artistic BDSM objects.
🗡 Once forged deadly silver weapon (vampire-killing "holy silver") after his wife’s murder... something he now deeply regrets.
🗡 A single dad raising his chronically ill teenage daughter and Kat, their sweet dog.
🗡 Quiet and grounded, marked by loss, with a protective and deeply caring heart.
🗡 He believes there’s no space for romance in his life… but Rahil’s light is slowly breaking through his walls (or chains). 😏
😏🌃🧛🏻🕶💻👉 Rahil 'Ray' Zaman (Vampire, 65yo but looks 20s):
🩸 A pansexual vampiric twink with long, silky dark hair, long lashes, hazel eyes, and dusty brown skin from his Indian heritage.
🩸He loves wearing pirate shirts and high-heeled boots, and charm for days... and he knows it. 😏
🩸 He’s an out-of-work electrical engineer.
🩸 He lives in his own house, a crumbling, gothic three-story place.
🩸 His door is always open to anyone who needs shelter, especially young people who have nowhere else to go.
🩸 Rahil hides deep emotional trauma and survivor’s guilt behind his flirty, flamboyant attitude.
🩸 His heart is so big... It makes me want to hug him, to spoil him. He’s become my fav.
🩸 He feeds through hookup apps, a win-win for him (such a twink), but it’s getting riskier every time.
⚠️ Content Warnings:
👉 Angsty
⚠️ Alcohol Consumption
⚠️ Blood Consumption (w/ consent)
⚠️ Medication Use
⚠️ Migraine & Vomiting
⚠️ Short-Term Memory Issues (related to chronic anxiety)
⚠️ Insomnia
⚠️ Chronic Illness Rep
⚠️ On-Page Seizures (Human & Pet, no deaths)
⚠️ Grief, Loss & Trauma (includes past/implied deaths from cancer, homicide, and suicide)
⚠️ Physical Violence & Death (on page)
⚠️ Blood & Medical Exploitation
⚠️ Dog poisoning (Mc's pet, survives)
⚠️ Small Wild Animal Death
⚠️ Blackmail
👉 Found Family Vibes
👏 Superb Character Development
🥰 Love the Ending
😍 HEA (Yes, After All That!)
Cover: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars
💬 My Thoughts
🥰 If I thought the previous books were amazing, this one deserves six stars. I was completely immersed from the first page. The writing is so smooth and easy to read, with worldbuilding that feels both fun and meaningful.
👏 As always, Bryn writes about grief, chronic illness, and marginalization with incredible care and honesty. The emotions feel raw and real.
🥺😭 Merc and Rahil’s connection is slow, messy, and beautiful.
They carry so much grief, and instead of "fixing" each other, they learn to live, hope, and love despite the pain.
They may seem like opposites, but they see each other in a way no one else does.
🤌🥵 I loved their chemistry... from the delicious tension to the spicy scenes... but what really touched me was how much heart there was.
Their kinky dynamic was so fun and full of warmth. And honestly, who better for Rahil than someone who literally crafts kink gear?
😍 The way they support, tease, and heal one another had me falling for them completely.
🌈 I also really appreciated how the book explores pan, bi, and possibly ace identities without pressure or labels, just honest, heartfelt experiences.
💖 The secondary characters? I loved every one of them. The friendships, the return of familiar faces, the warmth of a true found family... it all made my heart full. The mix of humor, vulnerability, and spice took me on an emotional rollercoaster... in the best way.
🤣🤧🥰 I laughed. I cried. I swooned. I’m obsessed.
🐋▪︎FAV QUOTES▪︎🐋
■ 'Merc’s eyes narrowed. “I can make you regret that.”
“Please do.”'
■ 'Rahil held out both wrists expectantly. “Hurt me, daddy.”
Mercer wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Or die, perhaps. What his mouth said was, “Not today,” followed by, “Your skin is giving me a headache.”
Rahil lifted a brow with a smirk.
“Not like that,” Mercer clarified, scowling at him. The expression only made his face hurt more. He sighed again instead and found himself patting Rahil’s still-outstretched wrists like he had to comfort the vampire.'
■ '“Fuck, you’re just as gorgeous without clothes.”
Mercer gave the chub on his thighs a little wobble. “It’s genetics?”
“Mm, no, it’s magic,” Rahil replied. “Definitely some fairy nonsense.” He ran his hand along Mercer’s knee as he sat down, touching him in such steady, smooth motions that it felt calming.
“And here I thought I was a bear.” Mercer gave the hair on his chest a ruffle as evidence. The way Rahil’s eyes dragged over him made his skin feel like fire.
“You can be everything. Infinite.”'■ 'Rahil’s nonchalant manner slid a little. “You’re not planning to gag me, right?”
“I think you might die if you can’t speak, so no.”
...
“And at no point have you refused,” Mercer reminded him, having far too much fun for his own good. If Rahil was going to taunt him so purposefully, it was only fair that he got the chance to retaliate.
“People pleaser, remember.”
“So you’d let anyone torment you like this?”
That made Rahil’s mouth shut entirely. He finally grumbled, “Only anyone with hands like yours.”'
■ 'He withdrew his finger from Rahil’s mouth and wiped the drop of blood from his fingertip onto his own lip, just to see what it would do to Rahil.
The vampire whimpered, watching him with the kind of pleading look that made him more puppy-dog than predator. “Fuuuuck,” he groaned.
“Not yet,” Mercer said. “Torture first.”'
👍I'm definitely going to read this again
🎧 Already excited to listen to the audiobook!
💯 I'm so excited to read the last book in this series... but I’m not ready to say goodbye. I need more stories with my vampires!
😉 Thanks for reading hope this helps you out!
I received this book as a gift from the author and am voluntarily leaving this review.
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
As with other books by this author, the subtleties to the aspec experience are so well done!