Book: OLD RETIRED EDITION — NOT the 2026 Rewrite — Groomed by the Vampire Prince by Darcy Fayton
Reviewed by Your_bookish_fantasy
Rating: 3/5
What a duology!! 🥵🥵
If dark fantasy mixed with BDSM is your vibe, I would definitely check this out! It's in the third person
✨BDSM
❤️🔥Slow Burn
✨Paranormal - vampires/wolves
❤️🔥Sizzling Spice
✨Age gap
❤️🔥Genuine Enemies to lovers.
✨Virgin FMC
❤️🔥Strong FMC
✨He falls first
❤️🔥Morally Grey MMC
SA
This has everything you want and need in a book; it even had stuff you didn’t know you needed in it - my eyes watered!
We pick up from the cliffhanger at the end of Part 1 of this Duology (Plug and Claim) in this book. This book is not a stand-alone and it is highly recommended that you read book 1 first.
Kira, the MFC, is reacting to the news that she will be Hennrik's pet, not Nathaniel's.
Nathaniel is a vampire, Kira is a werewolf, and the dynamic is HOT. Their chemistry is explosive - i expected to hate the MMC, and my god did i! The old title gives away the main feature of the plot, which kind of surprised me with her technically being a virgin into book 2 and the bdsm being a little tabboo.
The story is an age gap (they are older) with a Dom/Sub dynamic, and there are MANY trigger warnings especially in this second one- i was not prepared as i read the warnings o. The first and stupidly presumed the second would be the same- you have been warned to ensure you read them.
You will cry from betrayals, smile and swoon with romance, laugh, have real anger grow and eat you from the inside and sob again before the book is finished. This one was a bit too much for me bit I was still enthralled with the read. While there are some parts that are a bit uncomfortable to read through, the overall vibe of this story was interesting and SO SO dark in so many ways.
The spice in this book is 5 chillis. It is HOT. The BDSM is very realistic, especially the pet training aspects and the primal play. But this means the SA is also very real and upsetting. But needed for the story.
The romance and intimate moments are beautiful to read and watch unfold, but some readers may end up yearning for a more developed plot. Like the first book, I feel there were details and stories missing that could have enriched the story further, providing a more balanced read.
I enjoyed this one less than the first because of the dark turn it takes. The handing over of kira after she's fallen in love just broke my heart, and what happened next then crushed the broken pieces into a fine dust. So basically I like dark but this particular theme is not what I really enjoy, although it was done well. It’s heartbreaking and shocking at the same time. Definitely not for the faint of heart.
Another reviewer said this, and I've had to add it to my review because I can't say it any better myself: Like any good BDSM, the pull between dominance and submission goes back and forth. Good scenes will tug at the pride and bring a flair of me just wanting to yelling at the characters. Ultimately, once the submission comes (even begrudgingly), I applaud the author for the working through the conflict. It's all better because of the paranormal gothic dystopian vibes. Well done!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.