The Vampire and I Paranormal Romance, Vampires, Gay romance
self
2/8/24
Kindle
193
Amazon
Amazon Link: Amazon
Sworn enemies from birth, one of them heals, the other kills.
When Roger Folsom goes to a costume party thrown by friends for his 24th birthday, he has no idea that this night of all nights, will change his life forever. Meeting Marcus Verano, Roger is immediately captivated by the handsome stranger masquerading as a vampire -- except Marcus is the real thing!
Spirited away to the vampire's hillside mansion, Roger is introduced to a life of unabashed luxury, fascinating stories and hot sex.
Everything is going just fine for Roger until his new lover's old enemies show up, seeking revenge and Roger's blood!
Determined to save each other from the gruesome deaths planned for them, they embark on a wild adventure that takes them from the weirdness of West Hollywood to the wildness of a vampire's castle in the hills of Rome.
Marcus has amazing powers, but faced with monstrous beings, can he keep Roger safe from those who really want to savor his blood, and drain him dry?
Dear readers, join in their adventure and pray for their survival!
Review By Sherry Perkins
Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
Amazon Link: Amazon
“The Vampire and I” is a short story—which is my only complaint since the format often drives the story’s fated couples together much sooner than you might like. I mean, the getting there, the slow burn of it, is much of the fun in a romance novel. Plus, you get the tease of boy meets his true love, loses his true love, then triumphantly gets him back! On the other hand, this is a tale of love at first sight. As a result, the tease becomes a different kind of boy loses his true love via some external threat or peril.
That being the case, Bowie does a good job with “The Vampire and I.” There is the main character, Roger Folsom, an everyday sort of fellow who happens to love horror movies. So, for his birthday, his friends throw a themed party where everyone dresses up, costumed as a horror film character. Taking a break from the party crowd, Roger steps outside and poof! A strikingly handsome man dressed as a vampire appears out of nowhere. From that moment on, Roger is hopelessly in love but surprisingly, the man dressed as a vampire, Marcus Lucius Verano (who, naturally, is a real vampire), is just as hopelessly in love with Roger.
What happens next is a bit predictable. Roger is whisked away to Marcus’ castle; it culminates with wild, unabandoned sex. There is an obligatory explanation of vampire myth vs reality, including the vampire’s tragic backstory, and those who would wish him or his lover harm because of it. But Marcus, like all vampires, has his allies and old lovers too who warm to Roger and seek to protect him if he needed.
“The Vampire and I” is somewhat formulaic in that respect but an entertaining read, nonetheless. Written in first person narrative, it would have benefitted, I think, from more character development and spooky menace but as I said, it’s a short story—and the explicit sex kinda fills the void. Never gratuitous, the sex does help to demonstrate the open, trusting, and passionate love between Roger and Marcus.
I’ve said before that as a reader, I truly appreciate prologues, epilogues, and actual front and back matter such as “About the Author,” “Notes from the Author” and such. I enjoy getting to know the author and what informs their writing choices. I smiled to learn Bowie had worked with Sigfried and Roy! Bowie also includes a link to The Trevor Project in all his stories—that says enough for me.
The Trevor Project – Suicide Prevention for LGBTQ+ Young People
A 4-star review for a quick adventure with the vampire of a man’s dreams and vice versa.