A paranormal romcom featuring a grumpy reclusive vampire and the kooky professional human organizer he hires. Lord Alaric Valerian needs help cleaning up his castle since his mother is visiting for the first time ever... and he's had centuries to clutter up his home. Then he meets Winnie Preston, professional organizer and delicious smelling human. Winnie has had a streak of bad luck, from her fiancee cheating on her with her childhood best friend and a traumatic childhood from her mother's hoarding, Winnie just wants to get the job done... so when a hot guy hires her she is determined to clean up his castle. Yet things take a turn when fake dating gets involved, the fact that Winnie is falling for a vampire, oh and did I mention there's a killer on the loose? This was a cute read, albeit fairly long, but it was cute nonetheless, the smut and romance was nice, and I enjoyed reading the relationship between Winnie and Alaric. This is the first book in a series and definitely is one I'll be continuing to read. The characters are all really fun and the romance was sweet. I definitely enjoyed reading this and can see this series being one I'd recommend!

Release Date: September 10,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and ARC provided by Bacchanalia House for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I had to hold myself back several time from laughing out loud in public while reading this book. I loved the overall vibe and the characters.
I had a lot of fun reading, I loved their little smutty book club and the murder investigation. Alaric was so cutely new to modern things and I loved the castle & weird small town vibes!
Even tho the trauma of both of the main characters was holding back the emotional relationship for a long time which got a little frustrating I still really liked their overall relationship.
I’m excited to see where this series goes!!
My review on my Instagram @bookbounddreams will be posted on Friday the 20th of September.

- brb, I will be reading all of Staffanie Holmes backlog -

| paranormal romance | vampire romance | romantic comedy | dual POV | he falls first | sunshine x grump | hoarding | The Nevermore Murder Club and Smutty Book Coven | Mythical creatures | small town | magic | female friendship | spicy | feline familiar | difficult mothers | humorous | gothic | art |

I utterly devoured this book. I loved the town of Nevermore and after about 27% I was so engaged and in love with this book, the town, and the characters that I deep dove into the author Steffanie Holmes only to realize that this book is the first in a spin-off series. Fangs for Nothing has been one of my favorite reads of 2024 without a doubt.

There were so many unique and fun things about this book and the way it was written. There was always a constant stream of chatter via text messages within each character's life. Most chapters begin with text messages sent to the character you will be reading the POV for, however most often there is no comment on the text messages. I found this so realistic because in our modern society when I think about my life, I am living in the here and now, but my phone is always receiving text messages and notifications that I don't comment on in the present moment.

This book can definitely be read without reading the other series set in the same world, however, I wish I had read them prior just to know the characters better. At first, it can be a bit overwhelming particularly when The Nevermore Murder Club and Smutty Book Coven enter the chat, literally. After a while, it only made the feelings of the FMC that much more realistic because she was thrust into their group, just as you, the reader, are.

I am so thankful to Netgalley and Bacchanalia House for this ARC otherwise I may have never found this author and this series. I read a lot of great books, and some are exactly what I want in a book and some are just surprisingly lovely. This story was everything I wanted in a book.

I laughed out loud throughout this story, and I swooned for Alaric the MMC. It has been so long since I read a vampire love story that captured my interest so fully the way that this one has. This has been my first Steffanie Holmes story but I feel like I already know and love her so much as an author. I can tell that there is so much of herself in more than just this story, but also this world that she has crafted. I was only about 40% into this book before I was raving to my own Smutty Book Coven about how amazing this story and author are.

There are many references that you may know, or that you may not know including classical literature, art, and even gothic architecture and history. Regardless of your interests if you love romance stories, cozy fantasy, gothic vibes, and solving mysteries you will love the book.

Happy Reading, Friends xx

I am obsessed with this book! It was so funny, magical and entertaining. The nevermore book club are my people 😂. I was truly sucked in immediately and it just kept getting better. The characters were seriously charming, I adore them all. Winnie and Alaric were to die for. Literally 🧛. Third act breakup took me out!! I will be picking up anything in this series and I need a Gideon book asap. Perfect spooky romance read, and I highly recommend! Thank you to @netgalley and Steffanie Holmes for this exciting ARC 🖤.

Cozy, spicy, vampire romance with fantastic mental health rep.

This book was such a breath of fresh air after an epic fantasy series. The book club is my dream friend group, and I wish I could be magically transported into this book. I loved all of the character dynamics and relationships- they all felt authentic and honest. I enjoyed this book so much that I'm now reading the series about MIna and her husbands which takes place before this.

Highly recommend to anyone looking for a cozy, spicy, fall fantasy book.

Really good! I didn’t really resonate with the character super well but still enjoyed the book as a whole!

This was very silly and very fun, perfect for Halloween season!

The FMC was well rounded, not too sunshine to be annoying, but still positive amongst all the melodrama. The MMC was the quintessential written-by-woman love interest, obsessed with FMC at first sight. The other side characters were really fun, although the book club girls blended together for the most part for me.

The third-act breakup was annoying but thankfully wrapped up quickly and had a semi-reasonable cause for breakup. I kind of forgot about the murder mystery aspect, and every time the sleuthing part came up, I remembered that was supposed to be a central plot point. There were a bunch of other side plots with the useless business owner, codependent mom, and treacherous ex-best friend that I think the book could have been reduced or trimmed to make the book about 10-20% shorter.

This was amusing and light-hearted, and I'll definitely read the next one in the series.

Thank you, Bacchanalia House, for the arc!

This was a fun read for the fall! I liked Winnie a lot and hated her coworker. I would love to live in a fun little town like this. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

⭐ - 4.5/5 - ⭐

✦ Vampire royalty
✦ Grumpy x Sunshine
✦ Touch her and die
✦ Murder mystery
✦ Found family
✦ Fake dating/engagement
✦ He falls first

⚠️ - Trauma, neglect, hoarding
🌶️ - 3/5
💕 - 3/5
👥 - 4/5
🌎 - 5/5
🗡️ - 1/5
💀 - 3/5

Winnie, a professional organizer, arrives at Black Crag castle, to help Lord Alaric Valerian organize for a ball being held in 3 weeks time. She doesn't know he's a vampire, or that vampires even exist. When she joins a book club in the local village, things get weird. Her new friends love to solve mysteries, discuss the paranormal, and read smut...all totally normal. However when bodies start dropping around town, Winnie begins to question everything she knows, including Alaric Valerian.

This book had me hooked from the beginning. The world, the characters, the writing style, the humor, the spice...wow. I'm stunned. I didn't want it to end! I have officially found a new favorite author. I've had her Nevermore Bookshop series on my Kindle for ages and now I'm definitely going to binge it. Even though this book is the start to a new series, the author sets this book in the world of some of her other books, with the inclusion of fabulous characters from them!

Winnie is a character that I thought I'd hate. Maybe she'd be too bubbly, or be too naive, or something...but nope, I loved her through the whole thing. She was charming, and funny, but beneath the smiles was a broken little girl with a lot of trauma.

Alaric is exactly what you'd imagine a brooding, loner, artist, vampire, living alone (with his servant) in a centuries old castle, would be like. He's tortured and sexy as hell.

The side characters are all SO charming and fun. I love how they accept each other no matter what and are supportive in all the ways. I wish I could find a group like them!

The story takes many turns, but the author does it so well. I was never confused by the characters actions or trying to figure out what the hell was going on. The main story came to a nice conclusion with endless possibilities for future stories and I am so excited to see where the author takes us!

Minus .5 star because cliche 3rd act breakup...

If I write too much more, I'm undoubtedly going to spoil something, and I don't want to do that. PLEASE read this book and join me in my excitement!

Thank you #netgalley and #BacchanaliaHouse for the ARC of this book and giving me the chance to read and review it with my own thoughts and opinions

Fangs for Nothing was a great book to start off for spooky season! This story follows the Winnie, a professional organizer, and Alaric, a 500 year old vampire hoarder. They need to navigate a castle full of multiple centuries worth of artistic pursuits/hobbies, a vampire society attempting to integrate into a modern work, complex family dynamics and career challenges, and a string of murders within town. Luckily, Winnie has the members of the Nevermore Murder Club and Smutty Book Coven for support.

The synopsis of the book touts romance tropes like grumpy-sunshine and fake-dating but I don't think it followed through on either of these very well. It lacked the witty banter of your typical grumpy-sunshine book as the main male character seems like a perfect gentleman plucked from the past. The fake-dating also seems unnecessary. I don't think it would have taken away from the plot if they just started dating from their initial attraction. Despite this, I enjoyed both the female and male main characters and thought they worked well together as a couple to tackle obstacles and process past trauma. I don't know much about hoarding so I cannot speak to whether or not it was accurately portrayed. I hope the author was able to consult with specialists to ensure appropriate representation. I would have liked to know more about the Smutty Book Coven members. I loved the idea of this and enjoyed that they were even reading a book that I have read recently. However, there were too many women involved for me to keep them all straight and learn each of their stories. AND the murder mystery was unfortunately not solved by the end of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ebook. While the story was entertaining, I wish the murderer was caught by the end of the book as I don't know that I will continue to the next one. Recommend this one for anyone wanting a cute, modern day vampire romance with smut for spooky season!

Thank you Netgalley and Victory Editing for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a perfectly executed Vampire Romance murder mystery with a fun variety cast of characters.

I didn't know I needed this book until I had finished it. The heavy connection to mental health and dealing with the trauma behind hoarding with not only the hoarders but the people the effected with it was eye opening. As someone who lives with what I what would call a hoarder this book has taught me to see a different side and has woken a new compassion in me. Thank you Steffanie for that unexpected lesson.

But on to the romance and characters. I don't take it lightly when I saw this was a perfectly executed Vampire Murder Mystery Romance. It really did tick off all the boxes.

Fake dating. Miscommunication and secrets tropes. Friednships and family trauma.

The spice actually came at 40% and not 70% into the book like I am used to and my god the spice was fire!! I really enjoyed that the plot really didn't need the spice but my oh my the places and timing it showed up was just amazing!!!

The comradare between the FMC and the bookclub pals was so intriguing I instantly went and got the Nevermore Bookclub series and am reading that next!!

The chemistry between the grumpy MC snd FMC was actually well balanced. The attraction was Instant and he was so chivarlous and attentive. Winnie needed help but wanted to be the helper and a lot of the times you could see her struggles of I'm used to being alone I will be fine attitude that contrasted nicely with the I'm glad he came to help me.

I'm glad that it wasn't just the FMC that had trauma. Obviously the hunky centuries old Vampire has trauma too and they way they got to know eachother thru sharing memories and stories while they decluttered his castle was unlike any Romance plot I had seen before. It was just all sorts of kooky and fun.

I could prattle on and about this book but I will stop and say thanks again Netgalley and Stephanie and her team at Victory Editing and I look forward to reading the sequal and I will be sharing this with my own Vampire Loving Bookclub!

"In time everything crumbles"

When even the walls of his castle have crumbled, when hoped has long since died, lord Alaric Valerian finds himself living his own version of a romantsy novel. Annoying mother, arranged marriage, ballroom party, blood in the celar? All checked. The only thing he needs to do now is survive long enough to see his old castle cleaned and brought back to live. But every vampire seems to be curse with impossible visitors, and Winifred, with her extensive knowledge of Dracula, her smutty books and her "I'm your polar opposite but don't worry I'm nice and absolutely-not-thinking-about-the-time-we-kissed" is going to make things (if you know, you know) hard for him.

"and I wish, I wish more than I have wished for anything else"

Winifred is like everyother reader. She likes smutty books, villians, hot chocolate and keeping things on a very specific way. And, very much like Jonathan Harker, she embarks in a journey to a creepy castle, where she has to reside until she finishes her job. And very much like in Dracula, she starts noticing strange occurances, but also enjoys having a drink while talking to her misterious and very noble host.

Dracula's references aside, Winnie and Alaric's romance is something both touching and funny, with just the right amount of tension and mistery. But well, a witchy town full of "eccentric" people cannot exist without a few dead bodies appearing at the most improper times. My opinion may be a bit biased, but this books is going straight to the vampire corner of my room, right next to Dracula and the few (enough to make Winnie wish to kill me) other vampire books.

This was phenomenal! Absolutely loved this book. Kinda concerning how similar it is to "My roommate is a vampire" by Jenna Levine, but this story is cute as well.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book—it’s a well-paced, witty read that had me laughing out loud throughout.

Both main characters are sharp and easy to love. Winnie is incredibly relatable with her candid thoughts and humor, while Alaric, the grumpy yet charming vampire, flirts like a pro. His creative passions really shine through, making him all the more endearing.

The Nevermore Murder Club and Smutty Book Coven is packed with quirky, lovable characters. You'll wish you could join them for their weekly meetings! While the murder mystery element could have been explored in more depth, it was still fun and kept me engaged.

Winnie’s backstory, especially her experiences growing up in a hoarder’s household, added emotional depth. Her anxiety and fear around this felt raw and heartbreaking, making her journey all the more compelling.

Alaric’s history was equally fascinating—I could easily read an entire book just about him.

The ending wrapped everything up perfectly, leaving me with a warm, satisfied feeling. My only wish is that Winnie had been less forgiving and a bit more petty toward those who wronged her.

If you’re looking for a spooky rom-com with great friendships, fake dating a vampire, a delightful grumpy/sunshine dynamic, and a sprinkle of murder mystery, I can’t recommend this book enough!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

Fangs for Nothing is a vampy romance reminiscent of My Roommate is a Vampire series - there's a certain amount of fun that the author injects by taking herself too seriously. Add on top of that that our FMC has decent character development. She's an organizer who grew up with a mother with a history of hoarding, and we see how she copes with that and her nightmares. Our vampire has his own host of issues, largely to do with his age and the dated laws of vampire, but personality-wise isn't so fleshed out. Forewarning that this book does contain the concept of fated mates - I love a good fated mates though, so no complaints from me!

The one thing that kept sticking out to me as a little lacking were the text messages that started off every chapter. They often felt like unrealistic text messages that primarily existed for narrating and giving the readers information that they otherwise wouldn't be stating, and so it felt inorganic at times, and clunky at worse. I'm excited to see where this series goes though, and I can the author improving in her writing skills and style - we already have a rich small town setting that is perfect for the fall. The mystery element is present but not predominant, I would say, as it barely gets going until nearly halfway into the book - and that is perfectly ok with me.

This book… this freaking book…. Ahhh. I cannot convey just how much I LOVE this book!!! I was skeptical going in, as it’s not my normal kind of read… but this book truly has something for everyone in it! Love, humor, murder, friendship, magic, vampires, spice, castles, books and more! Winnie is an organizer in her company owned with her friend Faye. Winnie takes a job at a real castle and meets Lord Alaric Valerian (she has no idea she has met him before..eeek) and it’s like instant attraction in more ways than one! She’s helping him organize his castle for a ball his mother is throwing, the humor and sexual tension is hilarious and spicy. But Alaric has a secret Winnie doesn’t know, he’s a vampire! Winnie also joins a book club with a group of different women from town. There is so very much more but truly, read it! I couldn’t put it down! I am so in love with Winnie and Alaric… oh and I heard there is a part two coming? YES PLEASE! 6/5 stars. All stinking day long. I cannot even genre this book, it truly has everything. Absolute MUST read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book. This book follow Winnie and Alaric. Winnie is a master organizer and Alaric is a vampire with a disorganization and borderline hoarding issue with needs his castle organized before his Mother throws a ball. Then main supporting characters in this book are The Nevermore Murder Club and Smutty Book Coven.This book was witty and entertaining. It was a quick read because I did not want to put it down. I really enjoyed this book and will be looking for more by this author.

Spicy male female paranormal (vampire) romance. This is the first book in the Nevermore Bookshop Mysteries spin off called The Nevermore Murder Club and Smutty Book Coven. The characters were interesting and the storyline original.

3.5 stars - I liked it

TW: hoarding disorder; PTSD, panic attacks and nightmares; mentions of war, torture, and multiple murder attempts

Lord Alaric Valerian has a problem. His mother is visiting his castle and plans to host a ball, but she doesn’t know he has filled every room with his artistic passions. Since he is desperate, he hires a professional organizer to help him fix his mess. But she is human and Alaric isn’t prepared for how she would turn his world upside down and awaken his cold, vampire heart.

This book caught my attention because of the beautiful cover and then I read the blurb and knew I would probably enjoy it. This is my first Holmes book, but most likely not my last. This was an enjoyable vampire romance with close proximity and fake dating. Overall, I did enjoy this book but I think the pacing of the story caused me to struggle a bit with it. While this is a fake fiance story, that part doesn’t really come into effect until almost 50 percent in this book, which with over 500 pages, that's quite far in for a romance. I did enjoy that first half but it was a bit slow with its focus on cleaning and organizing Alaric’s castle. But I still enjoyed the story, I just wish I had known going in this was going to be a bit of a slow start.

Winnie was an energetic and compassionate woman who really wants to help people struggling with too much stuff. She is driven by her childhood growing up in a hoarder house with her mother, who is still struggling. I really liked Winnie and her drive to help others. We see her trauma and PTSD from her childhood come into play. While I know nothing about hoarding disorder, I do think the author did a good job at showing how this is different for every person and how it affects those around them. Winnie really struggles with clutter but has built her life around being in it and fixing it, but we still see her have panic attacks and nightmares.

Alaric, like Winnie’s mom, is a hoarder but in a different way. Alaric is over 500 years old and spends his time holed up in his castle making art. He is an extremely passionate creator but as the centuries have passed he has lost more of his castle to those passions. We see him being more receptive to cleaning and getting rid of stuff and he makes a lot of progress, but of course this doesn’t fix his hoarding tendencies completely.

While Alaric is an old warrior, we see that he is actually a gentle soul who just wants someone to see him and not a monster. While Winnie doesn’t know he is a vampire at first, even when she finds out she still sees the true man underneath. I really enjoyed seeing these two get to know each other, play at being a couple, and realize they wanted to be together forever. Yes of course there is a lot of trauma, fear, and a murder to work through first but it was enjoyable all the same. I also really like that while we see these two have a HEA, it only happened after a lot of working through the trauma and mental illness with a therapist and friends for it to work. It felt more realistic, especially when dealing with something as debilitating as hoarding.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next one in the series. I also plan on reading the Nevermore Bookshop Mysteries now because I really want to know more about Mina and the other NMCSBC members and their adventures solving murders. Also Mina has three husbands who are from literature, so of course I need to find out how that happens now.


*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This was cute. An easy read with likeable characters. I didn't realize that I also had another book by this author until it was mentioned so it's fun that it's basically an interconnected series.