Review--Belle Morte by Bella Higgin

 

There’s only one way out

Belle Morte. One of five houses where vampires reside as celebrities and humans are paid to be their living donors. While others came here seeking fortune, I came in search of my sister who walked into Belle Morte five months ago . . . and never walked back out.

Now that I’m here, the secrets about this world have proven to be much bigger than I ever anticipated. And lurking around every corner are shocking insinuations of what happened to my sister.

There’s only one person who might have the answers I need, and the undeniable pull I feel toward him is terrifying: Edmond Dantès―a vampire, and my mortal enemy.

The harder I try to resist him, the further I fall under his spell. And in one instant my life is irrevocably changed. My past becomes prologue and my fate becomes sealed behind these doors.

Belle Morte has spoken. And it may never let me go.

The vampires are back and my dark little heart is so happy! Bella Higgin’s Belle Morte is the start to a YA vampire trilogy filled with mystery, intrigue, and forbidden romance! This book is the definition of page turner and I cannot wait to read more!

In a world where vampires are out in the public eye and treated a degree higher than celebrities, Renie applies to be a donor at House Belle Morte. Her older sister June was a donor here and five months ago, her letters suddenly stopped. Ernie is determined to find out what happened to her sister no matter the risk.

The world has currently gone vampire crazy! Everyone loves the vampires and the die-hard fans call themselves Vladdicts but Renie is no fan of vampires. Especially if they did something to her sister, which she secretly fears they did. When she comes to Belle Morte she’s not sure what to expect. Then she meets the enigmatic Edmond Dantes.

Now I know what you’re thinking, Edmond, Edward…a house named Belle Morte but it’s not going to be Twilight! Edmond Dantes is the main character of my favorite classic, The Count of Monte Cristo and that does get addressed here. I positively loved this twist! As you might know this is one of the few classics I actually enjoyed so I positively loved this tidbit in the story!

Naturally, there’s some deeply seeded attraction going on with Renie and Edmond! Kudos to Higgin for having him go by his first name too! I feel like this rarely happens in fiction when you get introduced to a character with a first name and last name. They always end up going by their last name. Does anyone else notice that? But as you might imagine romantic affairs between vampires and the donors is strictly forbidden. 

But romance is far from Renie’s mind despite how Edmond makes her feel. She’s determined to find her sister and learn what happened to her. The answer actually comes sooner than I thought too but there’s still more to the story as the pages go on!

There’s a good deal of vampire politics and learning what happened in the past for Edmond and select other vampires. It is woven into the story almost seamlessly. At times it did feel like a bit of an info dump, but it was during a conversation time so it felt natural when talking about yourself.

The story is told mostly through Renie’s point of view but we get Edmond’s on occasion. I found his point of view interesting as I love seeing what the vampire thinks when falling for the human! I also enjoyed the friends Renie was making among the other donors. She hadn't intended to form any friendships since she's among vampire lovers and she's not apart of the fan base. I always find my suspicious of the overly friendly people, but I was glad to see that these friends of hers were genuine.

The story ends with a bang! Chaos ensues and lots of things are going down; we get some answers to questions and we get a whole new set of problems that will have to be dealt with! I am so glad I have the next book at the ready! If you’re looking to dive back into the world of vampires I highly recommend giving Belle Morte a try! It’s a fun and engaging series that keeps you hooked through the pages and leaves you wanting more! Onto book 2!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars