28,707 Words

EDIT: All my spots for beta readers are now full! Thank you so much for your help and interest!! Sanguinaria, 1985. In a world partially based on our own, will one down-on-her-luck 30-year-old human manage to rebuild a vampire mafia empire? When Morgan Holt’s grandmother passes away and she inherits her debt, Morgan has no choice but to join the vampire mafia, called the Syndicate, to pay off the exorbitant amount. However, earning the approval of her ornery boss, Lys de Beauvau, is more difficult than she could have ever imagined, especially once sparks start flying between them. At the same time, underlying political conflicts between the de Beauvau Family and their rival, the de Sade Family, rise to a boiling point. Will Lys and Morgan make it out unscathed, or will the leader of the de Sade Family, Mauve de Sade, be their downfall? Content Warnings: Death of MC’s grandmother, toxic/abusive relationship, blood and light gore, explicit sex, pee kink, blood drinking (vampires), discussions of class disparity/poverty, dom/sub dynamics, grief, sexual harassment, fatphobia, misogyny, PTSD, racism, body image issues Critique Guidance: 1. Is the beginning too info-dumpy? 2. Is the ending too rushed? 3. Do all of the characters feel fleshed out, or were you left wanting more of a particular character or characters? 4. Do Morgan/Pavot and Lys have chemistry? 5. Do the political mafia drama parts and the romance parts clash, or are they integrated together well? 6. Is the first half of the book too different from the second part? 7. Who are your favorite characters, if any, and why? 8. Does Morgan/Pavot come off as too immature given her age (30), even though she does act younger than her age and was quite sheltered growing up?