Actual rating somewhere between 3.5-4 stars.

Also, I didn't realize this was an entire series before I started reading it, so that's a thing...

Overall, I think it's a cute "found family" story, though it does have its flaws.

Firstly, the writing feels stiff at times, especially towards the beginning. Trey is supposed to be 14, but his dialogue/inner monologue feels like something an adult would say/think. But then at other times, he reacts how a normal teenager would. So that goes back and forth.

I wish the author had taken time to give us more facts occasionally. Like, Trey says he doesn't believe in vampires after finding out that Lucien is one. But he just... accepts Lucien's word about what he is? Things like that didn't make much sense.

Lucien is such a pushover, too, at times. Like he'll say something once, someone will disagree with him, and he just accepts whatever they say. I wish his character stuck to what he'd originally say.

Then there's Alexa. I hope the rest of the series does her justice because this book doesn't. I mean, she has potential to be the most interesting character. She's intelligent, her mother is a witch and her father is a vampire, and yet she's... the Loves Shopping Kidnapped Love Interest trope. Meanwhile Trey gets to make comments about how she's pretty without heavy makeup and he likes it when she cries because she's "vulnerable" and blah blah.

Then there's the whole fight with the Big Bad that was actually... one chapter. Series or not, there was a whole buildup going and I expected more?

BUT with all that aside, I really did like all the characters and their dynamic. I think it's what really makes the novel work. I'd love to try to finish the series eventually.