(Pub date 10/27/2026)
This one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I went into this book excited for another rom-com (though this one is more romantasy or paranormal romance), but it wasn’t quite what I was hoping for. I liked the premise and thought there were some fun ideas here, but I had a hard time fully connecting with the story, especially in the beginning.
The book follows Marley, a witch who has spent multiple lifetimes being hunted by the same vampire, Halsten. When he finds her again, Marley uses a spell to make him forget her, but the spell accidentally wipes out all of his memories. Now Halsten believes Marley is the love of his life and becomes determined to protect her.
I was a little disoriented from the get-go. The book felt like it jumped into the middle of an already-established story, and I found myself wishing there had been a little more background and development to help me understand the characters and their relationship. Granted, this book is the third in Stein’s Sanctuary for Supernatural Creatures series, so it made me wonder if I was missing part of the plot, having not read either of the books that came before Villainous Vampire. The writing style (though not the language or some of the content, as f-bombs are common and the sex scenes are mildly spicy) also felt a little young, almost juvenile at times, for my personal taste, which made it harder for me to get completely immersed in the story.
The first half of the book was a bit of a struggle for me, with some scenes feeling forced and tedious. However, about halfway through the book, I felt like there was a sharp turn into a significant tonal change. Where the first half of the book felt more YA, the second half was almost poetic. Sure, the second half of the story was still a bit silly, but in a much more tolerable way. The change in Halsten was almost child-like, which brought a sweet naiveite to the character, and made the intimate scenes between he and Marley seem rather sweet, though still spicy. This tonal change was, again, a bit disorienting, but this time was a pleasant surprise. I love language, and especially love when authors find unique and/or beautiful ways of describing the mundane, and I felt like this was the case here. It was a refreshing spin on the prevailing vocabulary used in contemporary romance sex scenes.
There were definitely some entertaining moments, and I can see this being a fun read for someone who enjoys a lighter, quirky vampire romance with a bit of a different feel. And while I enjoyed the later chapters, overall, it just didn't quite hit the mark for me personally. Not a bad book by any means, just one that I think will work better for some readers than it did for me.
reviewed by April James
