Thaddeus - a vampire - and his assistant/boyfriend, Sarasija live together in the bayou. While Thaddeus begrudgingly indulges Sarasija's enthusiasm for Chirstmas decorations, strange lights are seen in the darkness which lure people away. To avoid being scapegoated as the cause Thaddeus goes to investigate while trying to keep Sarasija safe.

I found it very difficult to get into this and the blame can be squarely put on the fact I haven't read any other books in this series. Bonfire is one of those in-between books that's more of a side story for fans. You get the most from it if you are already familiar with the characters and the world they live in. As a result, how Thaddeus and Sarasija spend their holidays means nothing to me.

That being said, the mystery of the swamp lights did keep me reading to the end. The POV shifts from time to time, Thaddeus can be overly guilt-ridden to the point of being tiresome, and without the books I had trouble feeling the connection to the couple of the towns people around them. Still an interesting enough diversion. 3 out of 5.

Back in the Bayou with Thaddeus and Sarasija and it is Advent. Sara is preparing for Christmas even though Thad is very reluctant to embrace the season. All is well between the two men, although Thad still wrestles with his conscience and guilt, he find his feelings for Sara are growing stronger.

Sarasija of course is the same as he has always been. He has no problem with the relationship although he has questions about what it means to have a vampire as a boyfriend. He has questions about many things but refuses to let them distract him from the fact that his feelings for Thad are getting stronger and he has slowly adapted his day to day activities to Thad's daily/nightly rhythms.

So all is well between the two but all is not well in the town. Mysterious lights have appeared in the bayou and people are getting lost in the swamp. There is some kind of magic afoot and the towns people are whispering with fear and anger about the feu follet.

Thad of course doesn't believe that there are fairies or mysterious beings in the swamp even though he himself is kind of a mythical being, but he does realise something is wrong especially when the lights in the bayou begin to affect him. As fear increases amongst the locals, suddenly both Thad and Sara find that they are the key suspects.

If you enjoyed the first book in this series then you will definitely enjoy this one. The two men are gently settling into a relationship with each other. Sara has learnt how to navigate Thad's reservations about their relationship and Thad has learnt how to navigate Sara's boldness and openness. They are learning how to meet each other's needs and forming a team against the world when need be.

This is a lovely follow up to book one. It has a simple mystery which allows us to see the two men working together and also reminds us how ancient Thad really is. They haven't changed too much. Thad is still very prayerful and reflective, conscious of what he sees as his failings and sinfulness and the need to atone for this. Sara is just as irascible as ever, confident in who he is owing nothing to no one but eager to explore and deepen his relationship with Thad. Dealing with the outside world and local people looking from the outside in, is a new challenge for both of them but one which they can overcome by drawing closer together.

This is definitely a good series to be reading. Although vampires have been done to death, the authors have created a new twist with a vampire who seeks atonement through prayers and denial, but yet the one thing he feels he should deny is something or someone who has become such a major part of his life. In the midst of all Thad's struggles with this is the question of other people and what they see when they look at the two men. It will be interesting to see how the series develop in future and what other challenges and powers the two men will need to over come.

Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.