All's Fair in Love and Blood
Jennifer Peel
5.0
Blood Orange: Dracula Duet, Book 1
by Karina Halle
About this book
Dahlia Abernathy is a weapon forged by the Witch’s Guild, raised solely to hunt the monsters who stole her parents. Her latest assignment takes her to the shadowy, romantic canals of Venice, where she must infiltrate an elite music academy to assassinate the legendary Professor Valtu Aminoff. As the inspiration for Dracula himself, Valtu is as lethal as he is magnetic, and Dahlia is determined to be the one to finally end his centuries of darkness.
However, the mission unravels the moment she enters his orbit. Beneath a carefully crafted glamour spell, Dahlia finds herself drawn to the professor in ways that defy her training. What she doesn’t know—and what Valtu is dangerously close to discovering—is that their connection spans lifetimes. Dahlia is the reincarnation of his long-lost love, and their tragic history is destined to repeat itself unless she can uncover the truth before the final note is played.
This dark, atmospheric urban fantasy masterfully blends a forbidden student-teacher dynamic with a haunting second-chance romance. If you crave paranormal reads filled with high-stakes tension, ancient secrets, and intense, steamy encounters, this retelling is an addictive descent into a world where blood and desire are inextricably linked.
- Publication Date
- May 25, 2026
- ASIN
- B0DBJC9LK4
Reader Reviews
June 8, 2023
📚Blood Orange📚 By: @authorhalle Genre: Dark Romance POV: Duel POV and timeline Setting: Venice Italy Tropes: Retelling, Teacher/Student, Vampire/Slayer/Witch, Dark Romance, Kinks Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Spice: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 Review: First off I would like to thank @booksandashes for inviting me to her book club and introducing me to this book!! It was SO good and I absolutely loved it! This book is a retelling of Bram Stokers Dracula and the vibes from the classic are definitely but this story becomes...
October 19, 2022
When fall season rolls around, I'm all in for my books to be a little more dark and sinister and giving me something a bit different. And boy did Karina Halle bring the paranormal, dark and steamy with this Dracula retelling. Coming into Blood Orange, I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew we were getting a Dracula retelling, but it was so much more than that. It's a story of love and loss, second chance romance (with a twist) and fated mates. \"I will find you again. I will find you in another...
November 16, 2025
This one was ok for me. I enjoy Karina Halle's imagination, but some of the characters are sometimes a bit flat. The romance is Roman ing and the spice is spicing, but the story feels a bit forced at times. Good palate cleanser between heavier reads I think. )
October 9, 2023
This Dracula retelling was everything I never knew I needed! Vampires and spicy romance have always been my two favorites, but its hard to find that particular combination where the vampires aren’t cheesy and the romance isn’t rushed. This book has enemies to lovers, fated mates and reincarnation. I absolutely love the reincarnation trope, again another element that I’ve struggled to find in a book. This book is a split POV between the two main characters, Dahlia and Valtu. Dahlia is a witch,...
September 28, 2025
From the very first page, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to put this book down. It had everything I love in a story—dark gothic romance, soulmates, plenty of spice, and of course, Dracula himself. This modern-day retelling of Dracula completely swept me away, blending danger, passion, and obsession in a way that felt both fresh and addictive. I’ll admit I would have loved a bit more plot at times, but the spice was 🔥😮💨 and kept me fully hooked. Definitely check the trigger warnings before...
