Lore & Lust (Book #1) by Karla Nikole
"Haruka Hirano is alive, but not quite living. Surviving but not thriving. As an elite purebred vampire in the twenty-first century, he is broken. Content in his subpar existence.
He is done with life. But life is not finished with him.
When he receives a formal request to oversee an antiquated vampire ritual at Hertsmonceux Castle, Haruka grudgingly leaves his home to meet another purebred. The vampire is not what he expects. Truly, he is unlike any vampire Haruka has ever encountered: cautious, innocent and with the warmth and gravitational pull of the sun.
Lore and Lust is an exploration of cultures, contemporary society and romance. It puts a whimsical spin on traditional vampire lore, while also creating a vivid new world where love is love. No questions asked."
This book was so amazing! "The slow burn queer vampire romance you didn't know you needed..." couldn't be more accurate. And I am here for a slow burn, friends to lovers romance, nothing bugs me more than insta-love. And folx, this book delivered!
Told through the perspectives of Haruka and Niko both, this book spun such a wonderful story of love and cultures. You slowly see both of them falling for each other and it's so delightful to watch unfold. There was definitely a moment where I wanted to yell, "Just kiss already! You both want to!" I adored these characters. They felt so real, each with their own insecurities and very different histories.
The vampire world-building for this was also fantastic! One of my favorite parts of vampire stories is seeing how the author engages with traditional lore. And Lore & Lust was such a fascinating, fresh, spin on a vampire story. Where vampires live alongside humans, the less they and their families have fed on humans the higher status they are, and feeding from other vampires is the better option but only with the vampire's express consent. The importance of consent here is an important one and I absolutely loved this detail. Consent is important!
Overall, this was a very queer, very beautiful, original vampire story that I absolutely recommend!
Free eARC copy provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. Lore & Lust is available on Amazon now! You can order a paperback or pre-order the ebook copy which comes out on October 1st, 2020. And in other exciting news, Lore & Lust is going to be the featured ebook in Rainbow Crate's October box!
Genre: fantasy, romance, lgbtqia+
Representation: bi, mlm, Japanese MC, Italian MC
Content Warnings: violence, graphic sex, child assault, cheating (past)
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