| Title | : | Blood Orange (The Dracula Duet, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 314 |
| Publication | : | First published October 16, 2022 |
"My heart will always find yours."
Dahlia Abernathy has only known revenge. When her parents were killed at an early age by vampires, Dahlia spent the rest of her life under the thumb of the Witch's Guild being trained to kill them. Her latest mission sends her undercover to a prestigious music academy in Venice, Italy. Her goal? To kill Professor Valtu Aminoff, her teacher and the notorious vampire who inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula.
But getting close to a dangerous vampire like Professor Aminoff is one thing. Falling for him is another. With Dahlia's appearance disguised under a glamor spell, Valtu has no idea that the woman who has become his new dark obsession is actually the reincarnation of the woman he loved and lost twice before.
And Dahlia doesn't remember that the very man she has been sent to kill is the love of her life.
Will their love come through and transcend time once again? Or are the fated lovers destined to let history repeat itself?
Blood Orange is a modern-day Dracula retelling about the "real-life" Dracula that inspired Bram Stoker. This is a dark vampire romance with plenty of content warnings (please check interior of book for extensive list as it is +++++spicy) and while it is a spinoff of The Dark Eyes Duet, you do not need to read any other books before Blood Orange.
Blood Orange (The Dracula Duet, #1) Reviews
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I am SPEECHLESS! 5⭐
plot 5/5
smut5/5
characters 4/5Where do I start, how do I start!?
This book follows a vampire named valtu. He is a music professor at a university in Italy. He's also known as Dracula.However, this girl, Dahlia, who is also his student, is dispatched to assassinate him. She wants to swoon him with glitz and then swoosh him dead, but that would be too simple. Instead, she falls in love with him—her professor—her soul mate 😭😭. Guess what, they fall HARD for each other.
I was not expecting this book to be dark. It absolutely matched the spooky vibes.
I became engrossed right away. This book has absolutely no flaws, in my opinion. I connected with the main characters, Dahlia and Valtu, right away. Their relationship developed gradually and looked sincere.
I was on edge during the ending, since NO ONE WARNED ME ABOUT IT.
The smut OMG I can't express how amazing that was; it was really dark, and I enjoyed every minute of it. WHEN I TELL YOU I WAS SCREAMING when I read abt the RED ROOM ifykyk. The flashbacks of her soul was the best thing in this book.
The way this book ended it was not a hea not in this book. But after reading the epilogue, ahh I can't for the next book to come. I'm hoping we get more of a badass mc in the next book, cuz Rossa sounded exactly like that!
MY FAV QUOTES=
My heart will always find yours
A deeper love for him. A love so deep that it transcends time. A love so strong it lasts beyond death
What I want is your darkness to play with mine. I want to make it come so beautifully alive, so that we can revel in it together. -
This is so different from anything I’ve ever read but I was hooked right from the start and loved it so much!
I am a complete sucker for…. Bloodsuckers 😂🥵
This story was so unique and different and the ending had my jaw on the floor. I am immediately starting Black Rose because I need more.
Also- the spice in this was HOLY HECK!!! I was not expecting that and I was freaking here for it 🫠
“I will find you again. I will find you in another lifetime. My heart will always find yours.”
“She’s a drug and I’m an addict on his first hit and this strange chemical reaction between us is only beginning.”
“How do I taste?”
“Like heaven”
- Dracula retelling
- vampires
- dark / gothic romance
- witch / vampire slayer
- hidden identity / glamour
- professor x student
- reincarnation
- forbidden
- plot twist
- ends on cliffhanger
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ -
4✨
A love so deep that it transcends time.
A love so strong it lasts beyond death.
“You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced,” I murmured against her lips. “And I’m never letting you go. Not in this lifetime, not in the next.”
Fated mates….but fated to die. This book was a rollercoaster.
Blood Orange is a dark and twisted retelling of Dracula and his love. In this book, Valtu (Dracula) is a professor of music in Venice. Dahlia, a witch vampire slayer, is sent to kill him, but that’s not how the story goes. I went into this book mostly blind because I love Karina Halle so much, so I didn’t want to get spoiled and I’m so happy I did. Dahlia is Valtu’s fated mate, and she is the third reincarnation. The past two reincarnations have died horribly and painful deaths. In the current timeline, Dahlia slowly falls for her target, her professor, her mate. But there is an evil presence in Venice threatening to open portals to other worlds and bring demons and monsters into this world.
This book was really well done. I found the beginning to be pretty slow, and Dahlia’s character bothered me a little bit because I was expecting her to be a bad ass (because, you know, vampire slaying witch). But she was pretty insecure sad girl and I didn’t love that. However, once her character development started and the plot started moving, I could not put this book down. I ended up loving it.
If you like fated mates, vampires, witches, and a whole load of spice, definitely pick this up!! I can’t wait for book 2. -
03/13/2023
Dracula could break my BACKula
... i'm so sorry
10/28/2022
the ending was a bit anticlimactic but nevertheless, I had fun (:
I’m definitely crying, because the idea of a reincarnated love who keeps dying and a lonely vampire who is forced to live without her for most of his life definitely HURTS
but a love that transcends lifetimes, 😭😭 I’m bawling. soulmates frfr
WARNINGS
is it OW drama if there’s sexc flashbacks from our mc’s past lives? do with that what you will
also our mmc is a hoe before they get together ,, if that bothers you
also TW for pregnancy loss :0 -
4.5 STARS
To forget her would be to forget what it’s like to be human, and I’m dangerously close to losing myself all together at times. And so I will write down all I remember of her, in hope that our love might bring about my humanity.
I have a confession and I don't need you judging me for it, okay?
...This is my first Karina Halle book...
I said not to judge me! What are those judgy eyes? I see them! But anyhoos
I was in the mood for a spicy PNR and boy did this deliver. A fresh take on the story of Dracula, this brought together two of my favorite things; soulmates and dirty talk. *dreamy sigh* Oh and a bit of my Buffy/Angel fetish with the whole vampire, and vampire slayer thing. *another dreamy sigh* But I digress again.
Dahlia Abernathy is in Venice on a mission. Posing as a student, she's determined on her mission to kill the elusive Dracula...who happens to be her new professor. Oh and he's also sexier than sin. Dahlia is a witch, who after the gruesome death of her parents by vampires, has killed many in her search for revenge. But nothing prepares her for her encounter with Dracula, Valtu Aminoff.
For my girlies who love their MCs kinky and with plenty of dirty talk, prepare yourself for the experience that is Valtu. I'm obsessed with this man...erm...vampire. Unwillingly, Dahlia finds herself quickly drawn to the one she's been sent to kill. He's not at all who she thought he was. She also soon finds herself questioning everything she's been told her entire life and just how clearly she sees things.
This was an addictive page turner that I devoured in two days. And that cliffhanger? Painful! Desperately need the next book.
Find me on:
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Update Feb 2023: I do know what I think. I hated it.
This was...a lot. Not really sure what I think. It started off strong and got weirder and weirder. I don't really get why they liked each other?? Other than having sex and ~knowing each other from the past~ they didn't really seem to...talk? Also not digging the ending. He just.... Seems like some communication could have been v helpful here. Maybe if they had done anything together other than have sex they wouldn't have had this ending.
Oof. -
Apparently 2023 is my horny Dracula fanfic era
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quite literally stared at my Kindle like this:
👁️👄👁️ at the last chapter
anyway, overall it felt sort of anticlimactic? It was good, and it was fun, but i expected a lot more.
Anyways, still enjoyed myself either way.
Am looking forward to book 2 though!
Go read this if you like:
-Student / teacher vibes
-Dirty talk👀🌶️
-Music instrument smut i guess
-Vampires
-Reincarnation
-Vampire sex clubs??
-A monster plotline that eventually does nothing to the actual plot??
-Evil vampire siblings who are not really siblings or i hope so bc they seem way too touchy to be siblings *queue Jace’s famous quote from The Mortal Instruments*
-And well written smut scenes bc oop- -
2.25
Like, are you for real with that ending Karina?? Really?
I was willing to let go of all the missed opportunities, I mean she's supposed to be a badass slayer, and we never see anything remotely like that. But I persevered!
I kept going through the mountain of smut, which was great I'm sure, but I am not in the mood for it rn so I skimmed it like the effin milk. I let you get away with not giving us a flashback to her being compromised. I let you not show me anything regarding her complicated relationship with her guardian.
PEAK AUDACITY.
Granted I may be the one with audacity coming into this story thinking I was going to get a good plot, but what I just listed are all great components to an amazing plot so I will give her her flowers where they are deserved.
You better bring some so world-class plot to the second story. I mean, if you don't, there's nothing I can do, but you will make me hate myself for at least a week. -
1.5 Star
Spoilers
The writing was decent, the rest was bleh. Hero never once looked like he was pining for the heroine. Especially as we have DESCRIPTIVE sex/bj scenes with him and men and women, 40% into the book. We got a few flashbacks with her past selves where hero seemed to love her a bit, but during the time she was gone, he completely moved on with his life and never really gave another thought to her, even though he knew it was a possibility she will come back again. And yet, when she dies again, he's so sad and cannot live without her all of a sudden. The emotional aspect just wasn't there. The story was way more about sex and yet I'm supposed to believe they love each other 🤔
Also, he seemed to be pretty immature to be THE dracula. It was laughable. The end was also really anticlimactic. After all that, THATS how it ends?!? The author seemed to take the easy way out imo. I get what she's trying to do with the storyline, but because the emotional impact wasn't there, and hero never seems to care for her enough, it just left me wanting. A huge missed opportunity of a book.
Safety: not safe imo
Cheating: not while they are together. Hero is with other people in all ways in between her reincarnations though, and continues to be with other people 40% Into the book
Sharing: none, but I feel like there will be some in book 2 as the hero seems pretty open to it. And they do have sex in front of a bunch of people
Ow drama- a little bit. She doesn't really cause drama, it's more of we get some descriptive ow and H scenes.
Om drama- hero gets a BJ from a man, heroine sees it.
Non-virgin h (I think), manhoe H
I think that's it 🤔 -
I fucking love everything about this book. 5,000 stars.
- The male main character is the vampire who inspired Dracula!
- It’s a forbidden romance between a teacher and a student
- It’s set in Venice
- It’s very smutty
- There’s an underground vampire feeding room and sex club hidden under the library
- And in chapter one, the MMC rips some dudes eyeballs out of his head and feeds them to him!
This is now one of my favorite vampire books of ALL TIME.
Plot summary:
The MMC, Valtu, is the vampire who inspired Dracula. He’s now living as a music teacher in Venice. He also had a star crossed soul mate who he lost several times and is being continuously reincarnated as a human in the same body.
Our FMC is a vampire hunting witch who is tasked with killing him. She goes undercover as one of his music students to try to get close to him, seduce him, and kill him when he least expects it. But she also just so happens to be his reincarnated lover.
The vibes, the smut, the atmosphere were all fucking delicious. It’s so unique, so creative, and absolutely addicting!
This duet had me in an absolute chokehold. This book is now one of my favorite books to recommend!
If you like vampire romances, please try this! -
karina halle, do your thing!
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5⭐️ 5🌶️
This absolutely blew me awayyyy oh my god
‘A love so deep it transcends time’ 🥹🥹🖤
Dark romance lovers/dark fantasy readers you NEED to get this book RIGHT NOW! I mean it’s Vampires need I say more?!
This got me out of an almost month long reading slump, I devoured it in 1 day, I was so engrossed I couldn’t put it down!
it’s dark, fast paced, deliciously smutty and enthralling, and has you hooked from the start
This book follows Dahlia who is Valtu’s first love from hundreds of years ago, but has been reincarnated as a witch/assassin sent to kill him in present day.
There is the teacher/student trope but honestly this is nothing to do with the actual main premise of the plot so I wouldn’t call it a teacher/student romance.
It’s a Dracula retelling and I LOVE what she did with the story!
It’s set in Venice, Italy the setting was stunning but it was also giving very ominous, film noir, gothic vibes which fit the tone of the story perfectly!
We get flashbacks between past/present giving an entire story to delve in to! The characters are intriguing, the plot is addictive and at no point does it get boring or drag out
I will say it feels like the relationship that develops between them seems quite rushed but we also have to remember the history these two have of always finding each other again, so the pull is always going to be there between them, so it actually makes sense.
The spice in this book guys wow, it took me by surprise haha!
We’ve got praise/degradation/bdsm/feeding/voyuerism/exhibitionism, you name it- it’s in this book 🫣🌚
It ends on a cliffhanger, the next book has been set up really well- and I’ve already ordered the next book in this duet as I can’t wait to finish it! Everyone go buy this book now -
Dracula Retelling with some Fallen Series Vibes
This is a very loose reimagining of Dracula. In Blood Orange, Bram Stoker based his novel on the MMC Valtu, and it was interesting to see the differences between Valtu and Stoker's Dracula.
I'm usually not the biggest fan of long flashback scenes, but they were one of my favorite parts of this book! I am a sucker for the reincarnation trope, and seeing the past lives was tragically beautiful! 🛐
I also loved the music school and student/ teacher aspect, but I wished the story had focused more on that.
Valtu and Dahlia's chemistry was so good, especially in the first half of the book!
"The darkness in me calls to the darkness in you"
I didn't love reading the descriptive sex scenes between the MMC and other people (no cheating!). However, this was made up with all the frequent smexy times between the MCs.
And that ending? I'm not sure what to think of it...
I didn't completely LOVE it, but I'm intrigued by the consequences this has for Black Rose. Some parts of the book also felt incomplete, and I hope they'll be picked up again in Book 2.
Nevertheless, I'm excited for
Black Rose!
🗂Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance
📕Type: Part 1 - Duet (cliffhanger)
🏷Tropes:
- Dracula Retelling/ Reimagining
- Student/ Teacher
- Reincarnation
- Vampire x Witch
- Hidden Identity
- "I was sent to kill you, but I want to fuck you"
- Kinky & really smutty
⚠️Safety: no cheating, descriptive sex of H with other people, pregnancy loss (& murder), blood, murder, death of a spouse, non-con (not between the MCs), dub-con, exhibitionism, BDSM, various Kinks,
📖Physical copy: 1st Person, dual POV
🎧Theme song:
Vampyre of Time & Memory - Queens of the Stone Age
📚If you loved this, check out:
Black Sunshine,
King of Battle and Blood,
The Black Lily -
do you like to read vampire romance?
—dark, gothic romance
—reincarnation
—vampires
—professor/student
—Dracula retelling
If you don’t know, Karina just knows how to write sexy af stories. And The Dracula Duet was no exception. Reincarnation, vampires, twists, spice spice galore, Blood Orange & Black Rose gave me all the 🦋. I loved every minute and had such a hard time putting these books down.
Valtu is a centuries old vampire who lost his humanity when he lost his true love, found her, then lost her again. Along comes Dahlia, a student of music, a witch, and sent to kill him, Valtu & Dahlia embark on a journey of destiny, trust, & love. If you’re in need of a spicy vampire romance, grab this duet & enjoy.
Blood Orange’s ending had me in tears, just an FYI 👀
✨Check TW first please (I don’t want anyone to be uncomfortable). ✨ -
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Type: Book 1 of 2 from The Dracula Duet
POV: First Person - Dual
Rating:
4.25 Stars
After centuries of being infamous, all Valtu Aminoff wanted was to live a quiet life far from what he used to be. But his new student Dahlia Abernathy invoked his true self and threatened to unleash the very thing he worked so hard to keep.
This book was dark and sexy as I hoped it would be. The ambiance of the Venice setting was lush and perfect for a vampire story. I liked the overall storyline with little bursts of the past timeline. However, I felt the plot was a bit linear.
As he pulls out of me and collapses on the ground beside me, I realize that I’m in deep. Too deep to ever get out.
I loved both Valtu and Dahlia, especially with their relationship dynamics. The sexy scenes were plenty and highly satisfying complete with some kinks.
Blood Orange is a story of reforming and a new beginning. It would appeal to readers looking for a sensual Dracula retelling.
🍊🧛♀️🍊. . . (F)BR with Twinsie CC . . . 🍊🧛♀️🍊
For more reviews/interviews/book talk/promo visit:
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4.75✨ vampires? yes please. fated, soul deep love? say less.
valtu was so so feral i loved it. he was the epitome of feral and obsessed in that way. all the things this man has been through and experienced and become and come back from… he just deserves a happiness i want to give him myself. he was just so incredible, i adored him. he nicknamed her red in italian and i died. the things he said, the things he felt, the things he wanted. his pov was incredible. he is a top tier man. the way he fell in love with dahlia was just…incredibly special.
i loved dahlia. i loved her character and her passion and her desire. i love what valtu brought out in her. i love how she fell in love with him when he was the worst possible option and yet there was nothing she could do to stop it. i love strong and brave she was. she feels so alone and has no one and i just 🥺
this was more profound and relatable than i expected. some of the dialogue just shook me with how truly beautiful it was. the book and the journal and the flashes, everything was so entertaining. i just couldn’t put this down. i needed a touch more plot for it to hit that five star mark. just a bit more with her mission and the guild and bellamy and the book. i think another 70 or so pages would’ve done it for me. but the plot that was them? absolutely stunning. the love was everything.
she is the love of his life.
he is the love of all her lives.
���My heart will always find yours.”
”Valtu was determined to call up my darkness, but more than anything I felt like I wanted to drown in his.”
“I am not a delicate man. I can be rough. I can cause pain. I may make you hate me sometimes. But I will always be on your side. I will always make you feel chosen.”
“A love so deep that it transcends time. A love so strong it lasts beyond death.”
• student x teacher
• forbidden romance
• mortal enemies to lovers
• vampire x witch & vampire slayer
• fated mates
• past & present timelines
• praise kink
• degradation kink
• bdsm kink
• dom/sub kink -
✩ 3.5 stars.
“And what do I get out of it?” I whisper, my voice shaking slightly.
The corner of his mouth lifts in a smirk while his eyes narrow. “You get to feel things you’d only dreamed of feeling. You get to do things you were too afraid of doing. To live in the very darkness you run from. Isn’t that what you want most of all? To be so pushed past the point of terror that you no longer fear anything at all?” Holy shit.
“As I said,” he says gruffly, running his thumb over my lips, “I am not a delicate man. I can be rough. I can cause pain.I may make you hate me sometimes. But I will always be on your side. I will always make you feel chosen.”
i can’t believe i have to wait two months to read black rose! the book was so chaotic but the vibes were just as immaculate as they were in black sunshine, which made it very enjoyable to read. that ending, though… -
The dialogue is adolescent and needs editing , the ending is shocking but somewhat predictable also the epilogue ehh
The smut barely makes up for it as a lot of it is coerced consent bdsm / impact play which is gross and cringe and not fucking ok.
Really interesting concept except the execution fell so flat and disappointing -
the violin bow scene. the piano lessons scene. THE ENDIIINNNGGG 😍 love smutty vampire books that also have a plot! can't wait to jump into the sequel♡
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**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
Blood Orange by Karina Halle is a captivating dark paranormal romance and a modern-day retelling of Dracula. It is also sort of a second-chance romance but with a twist. I found this book to be absolutely brilliant, with no flaws to be found. The main characters, Dahlia and Valtu, were compelling and relatable, and their relationship developed in a way that felt authentic and natural. I fell completely in love with the characters, and the plot was original. There was nothing that I would change about this book and that rarely happens. I have read around 60 books this year and this is only the 6th book I rated 5 stars. I am very stingy with them but I just couldn't rate this book less than 5 stars.
“What I want is your darkness to play with mine. I want to make it come so beautifully alive, so that we can revel in it together.”
The sex scenes were so freaking hot. I can't even explain how much I enjoyed them, and I read all of them without skipping. The chemistry between Dahlia and Valtu was incredible. Valtu has become one of my favorite book boyfriends, he was so swoon-worthy. The book also had several emotional moments that brought tears to my eyes. The ending was particularly intense and unexpected, leaving me on the edge of my seat and my heart racing. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book, Black Rose, and see where the story takes us next. I appreciated the way Karina Halle ended the story in the epilogue, which only served to increase my excitement for the sequel.
Overall, Blood Orange is a steamy and dark paranormal romance that exceeded my expectations. It is undoubtedly one of my favorite reads of the year, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a thrilling and engaging dark romance. -
Very conflicted with this one. At first, I loved it. The whole premise of Dracula telling us the REAL story of his life, and more importantly his love, who wouldn’t fucking love that? Even the vampire slayer angle was fantastic. But halfway through, it felt so rushed and then lost the story completely. It went from Dahlia being sent on a mission from the guild to then all of a sudden it was over?
I definitely still enjoyed reading this (hell, I bought the physical copy) and will 100% be reading the next, but I’m left wanting with this one and the ending made it clear we won’t get many, if any, closure for a lot of this one.
Plus side: it’s dirty af 😂 -
I'm being generous in my rating--this was not good. I don't know if Ms. Halle edits her work before she publishes it, but I have my doubts. The book is just a quick, semi fun read with tons of sex, the idea of a plot, and two characters who go at each other like Enegizer bunnies but don't have a ton of actual chemistry.
And the ending? Okay then. -
Nah, this was not at all what it promised to be. It felt very shallow. It missed the mark by telling the audience things rather than "showing" them. There's nothing wrong w adding explanations to a backstory or to aid world-building, but I felt like the author was just info dumping half the book and so there was no way to connect with the characters.
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DNF at 20% because... Ew.
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The prose, MWAH.
The plot, MWAH MWAH.
The smut, MWAH MWAH MWAH. -
COMO ME VAS A TERMINAR EL LIBRO ASI LA PUTA MADRE AHHHHH
(cuando deje de gritar hago una reseña coherente) -
This was a turd
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SHE DIES AT THE END
I CANNOT FUCKING CONTINUE WITH A SERIES WHERE SHE DIES AT THE END
I dont care that in the next book she is reincarnated in another person, they met again etc..I just CAN'T
Until that final plot twist everything was PERFECT. A 4 star book
I loved Dahlia..she was so sure of what she wanted, she wasn't afraid of embracing her feelings..and THEN SHE DIES. ..
Let me refrase..HE KILLS HER..but not on purpose..so he is tortured about that as well
FUCK THIS
The book is worth the time..just ignore the last chapter and you will be fine -
Holy shit THIS BOOK! 🌶️ 🥵 At first it was really slow and boring and kind of Fifty Shades of Grey meets Dracula-ish! But then once you got past the halfway point of the book, it’s like it took off like a rocket ship! The cliffhanger at the end is absolutely next level and where I wasn’t going to continue the Series originally I most definitely will be buying Black Rose and I do recommend you read this book! 🍊 🧛♂️
