Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sapphic urban fantasy with a well-executed love triangle-turned-throuple for three badass women. I feel like many books try and fail to do what this book did. The story portrays three powerful women navigating their complex relationships, power dynamics, and place in the world and each others’ lives. It’s a lot for one book, but I think the author did it well. Not many books pull so much off in the series premiere.
The romance was realistic and believable (so much angst and yearning!) and the spicy scenes were well written. There were quite a few delicious sex scenes, but each had a purpose, didn’t feel gratuitous, and had so much depth that lasted several pages. And as a sapphic, the spicy scenes were written SO REALISTICALLY as far as tone, thought, and impression, if that makes sense. A+.
One thing I haven’t read before that I absolutely LOVED was that in this world, only female vampires can turn others into vampires AND we’re told *why*. It made total sense, and I loved that the author took time to include that bit and explain it well.
One of my favorite reads this year and I can’t wait for the next installment!
The romance was realistic and believable (so much angst and yearning!) and the spicy scenes were well written. There were quite a few delicious sex scenes, but each had a purpose, didn’t feel gratuitous, and had so much depth that lasted several pages. And as a sapphic, the spicy scenes were written SO REALISTICALLY as far as tone, thought, and impression, if that makes sense. A+.
One thing I haven’t read before that I absolutely LOVED was that in this world, only female vampires can turn others into vampires AND we’re told *why*. It made total sense, and I loved that the author took time to include that bit and explain it well.
One of my favorite reads this year and I can’t wait for the next installment!
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
For Love and Blood and Fury isn’t the first poly romance novel I’ve read, but it’s the first I believe. Told through the points of view of the three main characters, it follows Elena, a many-centuries old vampire; Zuri, the witch that got away; and Marisol, a young nurse with powers she is unaware of until an attempt on Elena’s life brings them together.
All three are strong, independent women, with very different personalities, and they all stand on their own two feet. Together however, they’re more. Together they form a new whole.
J.J. Arias manages the tour de force of making most of the scenes involving the three of them at once super hot and super sweet and tender. If I, at times, wished there’d been more getting to know one another and maybe a tiny bit less sex (sacrilegious, I know), I now hope it will happen in the second book (Blood From the Marrow, announced for release on October 17th). In this one, they’re still in the lust-dominated discovery phase, full of wonder and desire. I loved how Arias wrote the various relationships—Elena/Zuri, Elena/Marisol, Zuri/Marisol, Elena/Marisol/Zuri—and the impact they each have on the others. I can’t wait to see how they develop.
As usual, I focused most of my review on the characters, but spice isn’t the only kind of action happening. As the head of Miami’s vampire cartel, Elena has enemies and competition, and the line between loyalty and betrayal is sometimes thin. Zuri has her own issues with her coven, and Marisol… Well, Marisol finds herself in an identity crisis, and trying to understand who you are while running for your life and having a lot of sex isn’t easy, apparently. But it is exciting.
I enjoyed this book a lot, and am looking forward to reading the next one in October. The audiobook of For Love and Blood and Fury will be released in June, and I plan on refreshing my memory with it before the sequel comes out, though I don’t know if I’ll be able to listen to it in public…
I received a copy from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Read all my reviews on my website (and please get your books from the affiliation links!): Jude in the Stars
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It took me a while to fully immerse myself in this book.
At the beginning, I had trouble getting into the story, and at one point, I even considered DNF-ing it. The pacing felt slow, and I struggled to connect with the characters. But I pushed through, and I’m so glad I did because, by the end, I found myself genuinely enjoying it.
Initially, I expected everything to happen much faster. While some events did unfold quickly, most took their time, which kept me hooked and eager to see what would happen next. There were moments when I wished for more development in the characters’ relationships, as some aspects felt a bit underexplored. However, I understand why the author chose to pace it that way. I also would have loved to see more depth in the world building, it had so much potential, and I wanted to dive deeper into the setting and its details.
One of the highlights of the book for me was the dynamic between the three main characters. Their interactions were engaging and often amusing. Some moments had me laughing, while others had me clenching my jaw in frustration. And then there were those heartfelt moments that made me sigh in understanding, completely drawn into their emotions.
Overall, this was a solid read. It took me some time to get into it, but once I did, I was fully invested. I can’t wait to pick up the next book, there are still so many unanswered questions, and I’m eager to see where the story goes next!
At the beginning, I had trouble getting into the story, and at one point, I even considered DNF-ing it. The pacing felt slow, and I struggled to connect with the characters. But I pushed through, and I’m so glad I did because, by the end, I found myself genuinely enjoying it.
Initially, I expected everything to happen much faster. While some events did unfold quickly, most took their time, which kept me hooked and eager to see what would happen next. There were moments when I wished for more development in the characters’ relationships, as some aspects felt a bit underexplored. However, I understand why the author chose to pace it that way. I also would have loved to see more depth in the world building, it had so much potential, and I wanted to dive deeper into the setting and its details.
One of the highlights of the book for me was the dynamic between the three main characters. Their interactions were engaging and often amusing. Some moments had me laughing, while others had me clenching my jaw in frustration. And then there were those heartfelt moments that made me sigh in understanding, completely drawn into their emotions.
Overall, this was a solid read. It took me some time to get into it, but once I did, I was fully invested. I can’t wait to pick up the next book, there are still so many unanswered questions, and I’m eager to see where the story goes next!