I feel like it has been AGES since I was obsessed with a hyped book series, but here I am now! I guess I never liked being told what to do, so it took years to get me to read Harry Potter and ACOTAR, and while I enjoyed both, I was never obsessed. Being a hermit who hadn’t touched Bookstagram in five years helped with that, but as soon as I started posting again, I knew I had to read Blood & Ash (more details on Goodreads). I’m such a sucker for dark fantasy with lots of angst and betrayal. More recently, I’ve been gravitating toward new adult romance, and From Blood & Ash fit both genres.

This series is such a wild ride. I think I finished the three books that are out within one week. That means zero sleep, and it took forever to finish my master’s coursework, but it was absolutely worth it. I thought the worldbuilding was excellent, although some others found it to be slow. Such a great, dark twist on the usual vampires and werewolves plot. The characters are really where JLA excels though. Poppy is SUCH A BADASS, and I really enjoyed seeing her find her path and gain confidence. Hawke and Kieran are both delightfully charming, handsome, and loyal. I can’t get enough of their friendship! And of course I have to squeal about the romance between Poopy and Hawke.

A pterodactyl screech gif is honestly the best way I can sum up my feelings about them. From Blood & Ash and A Kingdom of Flesh & Fire build up such a delicious slow burn, enemies-to-lovers that culminates in such a passionate romance.

Inspiration for The Heartmates Sangria

I picture this cocktail as a  potion that captures everything amazing about Poppy and Hawke’s romance. It’s spiced but sweet, meant to be shared with a lover or sipped in the bathtub while appreciating how spectacularly sexy you are. The recipe starts with honeydew, which, if you’ve read the books, I’m sure you know exactly why. If your delicate sensibilities are offended, SORRY! My chaotic internet friends dared me to do it!

I chose spiced rum instead of the usual brandy because it invokes a sense of adventure. Cherries (two of them!) and ginger are for lust and love. Ginger is also used for power and strength, and Poppy and Hawke have plenty of that, too. Orange (in the liqueur) is associated with immortality/longevity, and it adds a little extra complexity to the sangria. The optional thyme is for courage because it takes a lot of courage to save kingdoms, but it takes more to fall in love. Honestly, the grenadine is mostly for aesthetic; it looks like blood, but so do the cherries, and I honestly prefer to skip it because it hides the honeydew.

I hope you enjoy this cocktail as well as my others (like these Shadow & Bone cocktails).

Have you read From Blood & Ash, A Kingdom of Flesh & Fire, or The Crown of Gilded Bones?