Overall: ⭐⭐⭐✨ Audiobook Narrator: ⭐⭐⭐✨ Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I love Eric and Kyle. Especially Benny. Honestly I think second to Scott and Kipp. I know I'm probably in the minority when I say this but book wise I just prefer Game Changer and Common Goal over Heated Rivalry. Really enjoyed how it was more of a slow burn for these two characters and their relationship development is probably the best of the series so far. I genuinely don't know if I prefer this book or Game Changer more but I think I'm leaning to this one. I just strongly prefer books where the relationship develops. That slow burn relationship is more my thing. Overall I think story wise in general sometimes I want more plot and character development in Rachel Reid books but this is my highest rated book of the series so far.

Audiobook: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Characters: ⭐⭐⭐✨ Overall vibes and enjoyment:⭐⭐⭐⭐

I really enjoyed this. It's fast pace with a very neo-noiresque atmospheric setting. Definitely looking to more of Silvia Moreno Garcia's books.

Set in Mexico City in a world where vampires is a type of species and there are vampire subspecies.

Atl, is young vampire, and her sub-species can be traced back at least to the Aztec empire. Vampires are being persecuted by humans. Many vampires fled out of their home countries to other counties and many going to Mexico where they are dominating the drug cartel scene. Atl's family is feuding with European invading (typical) Necros vampires. Fighting over territory and human food source that's being contaminated by European diseases. We start with Atl and her dog fleeing her home after her mother and sister are murdered by other vampires. She is hiding in Mexico City, where she meets Domingo, a 17 year old trash collecting street kid. She's on the run and trying to find a way out of Mexico.

I like Atl and Domingo and how their characters contrast each other. Atl is a confident and a bad ass but she's also a young woman from a rich privilege background who is on the run. Domingo is a poor uneducated kid who was kicked out of his home and is living on the streets. He's timid but kind. I love the side characters too.

The world building was cool. It is a mix of vampire lore and current narco cartel violence liked. Current themes of the impact of colonialism, gentrification, classism, cartel and drug violence, etc.

I wanted more world building and to see more of everything. I want to know more about different vampires. I wanted more development of some of the subplots and side characters. Ana and Cica for example were interesting and I wanted to see more of their stories. I wished the author dived deeper into the characters themselves, more character development, more on the complex relationship between the types of vampires.

Firstly.... I've realized that I don't like time jumping in Emily Henry books. It just messes with the pacing for me. Something that this book and Happy Place have in common and both are at the bottom of my list if all Emily Henry books and I think I only have Great Big Beautiful Life to read...

I just didn't care about either Poppy or Alex. I went from being annoyed with Poppy. To being exasperated by both of them. To being annoyed with Alex. And this makes two books now where I'm like these two should not be together. Rather would have read a book about Alex's brother David and his love interest Tom.