A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire

Paranormal romances have been on the rise lately, and I’ve really been getting into them. One that just came out this month is A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire by Sarah Hawley. It’s the third in her Glimmer Falls series, but it works as a standalone (I still need to read the first two books and fully intend to do so soon). Set in a town in western Washington, it’s about a werewolf named Ben who accidentally buys a plastic crystal on eBay, not realizing that it comes with a vampire succubus whom he now has control over. Eleonore, the vampire succubus in question, has been ensorcelled for 600 years and is full of rage. She’d been an unwilling assassin for her previous master and isn’t happy to have been sold off for 99 cents. But maybe Ben could be the key to her long-overdue freedom… and a bit of love, too.

Tropes & Narrative Devices:

• Curse-bound to lovers
• Forced proximity
• Opposites attract
• Found family
• Third-person narration (dual perspective)

What I Liked:

• He’s an anxious, introverted, overly generous workaholic. Ben is not your typical werewolf! He’s such a sweet, kind-hearted, overthinker, and I just loved him. This guy knits sweaters and cooks! He’s a keeper. He’s the cinnamon roll hero I always enjoy seeing in romances and such a perfect match for Eleonore.
• She’s an easily angered, action-oriented, ensorcelled assassin vampire succubus. Eleonore has spent the last six centuries bound to an evil witch and forced to do her bidding… generally, murder. Now that Ben has (accidentally!) purchased the plastic crystal she’s bound to, thus becoming her master, Eleonore is facing a big change of pace. She’s such a firecracker of a character and I loved her just as much as Ben.
• They’re such opposites! And both defy traditional gender norms. Ben is the cozy homemaker; Eleonore is the one who’s excitable and prone to violence. They balance each other out wonderfully.
• Breaking curses. Eleonore has been stuck in this awful curse for 600 years and now has a chance to finally break free. She and Ben just have to figure out how to do that… and it may involve tracking down the Witch in the Woods and convincing her to reverse the spell.
• Fun world-building and cast of characters. I loved getting to know Glimmer Falls and all of its paranormal inhabitants. And it’s in my home state, Washington! Though I haven’t read the first two books yet, it was fun seeing the couples from those stories make frequent appearances here. It only made me more eager to go back and read their HEAs now.
• Discussions of mental health. Ben has anxiety and Eleonore has PTSD. I love their open and honest discussions about mental health and how to navigate their respective situations with care. Both are so tender with each other!
• Bonkers sense of humor and fun throughout. This whole book is just such a silly, random delight that was a perfect escape for me. This is the kind of off-the-wall book that really works for me.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

• Nothing, this was great!

Final Thoughts

A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire is such a hilarious, joyful, escapist book and I enjoyed every second of it. I can confirm that it works as a standalone, but I fully intend to go back and read the first two books before the year is over. Glimmer Falls is a world I want to spend more time in, and I look forward to reading a lot more from Sarah Hawley.

Special thanks to the publishers at Penguin Random House, Berkley, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire by Sarah Hawley
Series	Glimmer Falls (#3)
Audience	Adult
Genre	Paranormal Romance
Setting	Glimmer Falls, WA
Number of Pages	448
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	August 13, 2024
Publisher	Berkley

Official Summary

Ben Rosewood never meant to be bound to a vampire succubus, especially one as sexy-yet-terrifying as Eleonore Bettencourt-Devereux, but he has to admit there are some fang-tastic perks….

Werewolf Ben Rosewood is happy with his life. One hundred percent. Everything is fine. His business, Ben’s Plant Emporium, is thriving, and he’s even expanding the shop. His anxiety disorder is…well, it’s been better, but that comes with the territory of running a business and having beastly urges every full moon, right? As for romance—who has the time? Though his family is desperate to see him settled, Ben is fine approaching forty as a single werewolf. But after drunkenly bidding on and winning a supposedly-possessed crystal on eBay one night, he finds himself face-to-face with a beautiful yet angry vampire.

Eleonore Bettencourt-Devereux is a rare breed—a vampire succubus born from two elite European bloodlines during medieval times. Thanks to an evil witch, she’s been stuck in a crystal since she was thirty, forced to obey orders from the possessor of the rock. Eleonore’s been dreaming of breaking the spell and severing the witch’s head for centuries. But did this witch really sell her to someone new, and for only ninety-nine cents?

Eleonore would claw this werewolf’s heart out and eat it, if only the binding spell would allow her to. But Eleonore and Ben soon realize they can help each other with both vengeful and less hostile needs. And why not have a little fun along the way?