This was my first book by Laura, although I’d read Ben before, and from the beginning I had a feeling this story was going to work for me. It’s exactly the kind of ridiculous, dramatic vampire romance that teenage me would have lost her mind over—and, apparently, current me is still just as susceptible.
The story follows Tobias, a vampire who has spent years planning his revenge against Vladimir Damianos, the vampire responsible for creating him. His strategy is pretty straightforward: get close to Vladimir’s son, Alexander, and use him as part of the plan. What Tobias doesn’t account for is actually developing feelings for the man he was supposed to manipulate.
And then things get messy.
One of my favourite parts of the book was getting both Tobias and Alexander’s perspectives. Their situations are so different that switching between them adds a lot to the story. Tobias is completely focused on revenge and has spent so long building his plan that watching his feelings for Alexander start interfering with it is genuinely entertaining. Meanwhile, Alexander is trying to figure out who is behind a series of attacks in Oxford, completely unaware that the mysterious vampire entering his life is much closer to him than he thinks.
Their dynamic was definitely the highlight for me. There’s so much tension between them, and I really enjoyed watching the attraction develop alongside all the secrets and ulterior motives. Alexander slowly becoming unable to understand why Tobias is affecting him so much was particularly fun, while Tobias having to confront the possibility that revenge might cost him someone he actually cares about gave the story a nice emotional edge.
The plot isn’t necessarily packed with huge twists every five pages, but honestly, I didn’t need it to be. The characters and their relationship kept me invested, and once everything reaches that particular point of no return, I was completely hooked.
Also, the scene in the street.
I am simply not going to elaborate because I refuse to expose myself like that, but if you know, you KNOW. I’m still thinking about it.
Overall, this was exactly the kind of vampire romance I wanted to read. Dramatic, dark, messy, sexy, full of revenge and terrible decisions—and featuring two vampires who really need to figure out what they’re doing with their feelings.
And yes, I absolutely want more of Tobias and Alexander. Give me the entire aftermath. I’m not ready to leave them behind yet.
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