Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Readers Imbibing Peril Release Day Review: My Ex Is A Vampire

 

 


Genre:

Fantasy Romance, Vampires, Young Adult    

Length: 431 pages

Buy Link:

https://amzn.to/4psQG7N

Publication Date:

October 1, 2025

Book Blurb:

Relationships bite!

Jane Dela Cruz's life is anything but normal. By day, she's your average honor student, the girl next door who's dating the guy on the football team. By night, she hunts vampires with her family. She hates what she's been called to do, the gifts she inherited from her family bloodline. At the same time, she craves revenge and closure for past emotional scars.
Andy Santiago is the new kid in the swanky suburb of Sugar Land, Texas. Haunted by nightmares of red eyes and fangs, he hunts down vampires and attracts his share of trouble along the way. He keeps his life of vampire hunting a secret from his mother and finds himself in hot water when he finds out his new girlfriend is a fangirl for romantic vampires, which only exist in fiction.

When Jane's boyfriend and Andy's girlfriend get taken by the local vampire court and turned into vampires, they have to team up and figure out how to take down their exes. What they don't realize is that they will unravel a darker conspiracy that will change their lives forever.
 

 Free use image from Open Clipart Vectors
 
 Ornery Owl's Review
 
Rating: Four out of Five Stars 

“Strength in numbers. Watch my back!”

The hunt is dangerous, but they’ll do it together.

This story should be on your shelf if you enjoy YA urban fantasy with a strong, capable female lead, 
a supportive found-family vibe, and a touch of romance and horror. It is a page-turner with a fun premise: a vampire watch party that becomes a real hunt in a college town with a secret vampire scene.

Jane is by no means a Mary Sue. She is a practical, competent, but flawed heroine with quirky allies (Susi, Mrs. Dela Cruz). She screws up, learns from her mistakes, and her actions have real consequences.

Fans of action sequences must not miss the fight scenes in chapters 2 and 4 and during the reveal in the
 bookstore (Ch. 5).The story has plenty of amusing moments. I laughed at lines like “You should be more worried about your game. That guy you just hit on is gone.” 


 The relationships are balanced. Jane and her mom are a solid team. Andy and Susi’s relationship is based on collaborative dynamics rather than toxic romance. Andy and Susi are good foils: Andy is earnest, awkwardly brave, and Susi is sharp and competent. Mrs. Dela Cruz is a delight as the competent parent/mentor. Gabby is sweet and energetic and Lenore adds her own special charm. The Vocati/fairy elements and the mom-as-sidekick subplot work nicely too. 

The character voices are mostly distinct, though Andy and Jane’s banter can blur at times. Overall the
stakes feel personal and immediate.

The central conflict is clear: a hunt to find and neutralize the Lieutenant. The plot progression is logical
and gives a sense of escalation. The family/dojo/fairy twist layers keep things interesting. 

Worldbuilding is a strong point: Vocati heritage, fairies with real power, and family-run vampire hunting. Settings are vivid: the watch party, the dojo, and the bookstore cafe all feel realistic.

The story smoothly blends snarky YA humor with tense action and a dash of horror. Some scenes 
incorporate both sit-com coziness and brutal monster fights. The overarching tone for YA urban fantasy is on target. Some transitions (end of watch party to outside fight) jump fast. Slowing them down a little could provide clarity as to who moves where and does what.

Favorite moments:

Jane's mom showing up with escrima sticks.

The dojo introduction and the kamiza shrine moment provides great atmosphere.

The reveal that there are other hunters (Susi & family) broadened the world in a satisfying way.

Connor’s jealousy occasionally read as possessive rather than protective or simply insecure. This risks 

sliding into toxic relationship dynamics.


The story’s conclusion is satisfying, although I did have a few lingering questions.


What are the limits of daylight/indoor vampire activity?

What is the Lieutenant’s background? 

Why target in daylight areas (theater, mall)?


In the end, I had a really good time and want to see where the Lieutenant subplot leads.

Teenage me would have been absolutely obsessed with this story.


 


 





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