Dark Haven by Brey Willows is an intriguing paranormal vampire romance unlike any you’ve read before.
Remy Winslow takes running an off-the-grid vampire community seriously and gives it her all. She’s content living and working at Dark Haven away from the noise of society. She’s worked tirelessly to bridge the gap between vampires and humans so they could live peacefully side by side. The last thing she wants is more press but that’s exactly what she gets when internet influencer, Sage Samara comes to Dark Haven.
Sage Samara, internet influencer and all-around positivity peddler can’t wait to converse with all of the vampires she can at the Vampire News Conference she’s been invited to, followed by a stay at Dark Haven, the obscure vampire ranch. She’s immediately captivated by her first encounter with the strong and powerful Remy and knows that her week is going to be a good time. Being a human amongst vampires is no big deal anymore…right?
Quickly disaster strikes causing a change in policies that were put in place, and then some vampires start going feral. With a war between the species on the horizon and a traitor in her midst, Remy must do all she can to keep the peace, as well as keep Sage from being someone’s next meal. Time is running out and everything Remy holds dear hangs in the balance.
Writing
I’m not sure how this is my first Brey Willows book, but it definitely won’t be my last! With Dark Haven, she’s created an epic fantasy world where she’s taken every mainstream vampire myth and tossed them out the window making space for some really creative vampire lore.
The writing is engaging and descriptive leaving me able to visualize the characters, settings, and action. The dialogue is infused with witty humor and flirty banter and I couldn’t stop turning the pages.
Dark Haven is a sprawling two-hundred-acre property that is powered by solar and has its own water supply. Community members work the fields, tend to the gardens, and build and maintain the lodge and cottages. It’s a safe place where vampires can be themselves. It has balanced energy where they can embrace absolute silence. I absolutely love when a setting is also a character in a book and Dark Haven is definitely that.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
The creativity of the storyline is one of my favorite elements. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill dark vampire tale. It’s a story filled with passion, love, and loyalty. I love how the theme of acceptance is woven throughout.
Remy has been around for centuries and experienced war, famine, disease, and enlightenment. She’s worked hard to bring vampire rights to the forefront in order to be given equal treatment and along the way has created a wonderful family at Dark Haven. She’s one of the most powerful vampires in the world but deep down, she’s lonely. I love how fiercely loyal she is to those she loves and her definitions of love and family really resonated with me.
Sage has developed an online family where she spends an endless amount of time creating and posting videos. Her online connections fuel her soul and as a supporter of vampires, she wants to do all she can to share their stories with the world. When I met Sage, she seemed flighty and self-absorbed. But as I got to know her, I realized how intelligent, compassionate, and brave she really is.
From the first moment, Remy and Sage meet, it’s clear that they are complete opposites but that chemistry is right there simmering under the surface. Remy is broody, introspective, and stoic. She’s been around for centuries and is jaded due to many of the circumstances she’s had to endure. Remy’s no-technology policy at Dark Haven is meant to keep her community members and herself focused on the moment. Sage, on the other hand, is like a naive little ray of sunshine whose entire life is built around followers, videos, apps, and photos. Her need to constantly be connected is a major sticking point for Remy. I loved the witty banter between them and how Sage wasn’t afraid to go toe-to-toe with Remy. As they spend more time together they begin to realize there’s more than meets the eye and what follows is a steamy and swoon-worthy romance.
Lars, Jet, Rac, and Geno are incredible supporting characters who bring so much to the overall story. Their relationships with Remy and then Sage are essential to their ultimate survival.
Heads Up
There is some violence and death.
The Conclusion
Dark Haven by Brey Willows is an exquisitely written paranormal romance with two strong and intelligent mains and dynamic supporting characters. Every minute of this story is essential to the overall plot which is gripping and filled with so many important messages about love, loyalty, family, inclusion, and acceptance. The vampire-human world that’s been created here is different than any I’ve come across and I honestly couldn’t put it down. If you’re looking for a passionate vampire tale with characters you will fall in love with and a storyline that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then I highly recommend giving this one a whirl!
Excerpt from Dark Haven by Brey Willows
An old pickup truck with tinted windows, including the windshield, came into view and slowed to a stop well away from where Sage stood. No one got out.
“Who are these fucking people?” She huffed and sighed as she dragged her case toward the truck. She left the case directly in front of it so it couldn’t drive off, then went to the driver’s side.
“That your tire back there?” The person tilted their head. A large cowboy hat shaded their face, and the deep voice didn’t give any indication of gender.
Sage looked at the pieces of shredded rubber in the truck bed. “Eww. Why would you pick that up? Yes, it’s my tire. And I don’t have any signal so I can’t call for a tow, and this totally rude buggy guy drove right past me even though it was so obvs I needed help.”
“Mm.” The person opened the door and got out, motioning for Sage to get in the other side. “No spare?”
Sage rolled her eyes. “I needed the extra space for my stuff, and it seemed dumb to carry around something I wouldn’t need.” She felt her face flame at the knowledge that she did, in fact, need it. “Whatevs. Lesson learned, I guess.”
“I’ll put your case in the back. Hop in. I’ll tell you where your car is, and you can call for a tow from the nearest hotel.”
Sage winced a little as the person tossed her suitcase in the back with the shredded rubber. She pulled herself up and into the truck, which had an old-fashioned bench seat. Mud coated her jeans, and she tried to wipe it from her face again, only to transfer mud between the two places to make it worse. Once the driver got in, she could finally see them properly.
And promptly wished she could crawl back into the ditch and hide.
The woman was hot. Like, cowboy in chaps for a lesbian calendar hot. Butch porn hot. New York City didn’t compare kind of hot. Her plain white T-shirt hugged a firm-looking body, and her roughed-up jeans were clearly authentic, not expensively trashed. The cowboy hat covered short hair. She melted, just a little. Too much would seem needy.
“How do I know you’re not a killer? I know there are plenty around here,” Sage asked, trying for cute and sweet in lieu of sexy, since the mud definitely fucked that look up.
“You don’t, I guess.”
Get It Online
When you use the links in this review and buy within 24 hours of clicking then we get a small commission that helps us run the site and it costs you nothing extra
Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 978-1915009401
Publisher: Butterworth Books
If you enjoyed Dark Haven by Brey Willows then you should also look at
Note: I received a free review copy of Dark Haven by Brey Willows No money was exchanged for this review. When you use our links to buy we get a small commission which supports the running of this site
