this is a scorching hot anthology of m/m vampire stories, and i liked it a lot! it's pretty erotica-centered, so i'd recommend it if you're looking for that sort of thing, but not if you're looking for plot-driven stories (although smolder had a pretty solid plot)

overall rating: 3.75 stars

wishing and hoping - tinnean
3.5 stars
this was about vampire aristocracy in a well-established vampiric world. the plot was pretty odd towards the end and i didn't think everything made sense, but it was still an enjoyable story.

smolder - christi snow
4.5 stars
probably my favourite story in the anthology. as the title suggests, this was incredibly hot and also happened to tick a good deal of my kink boxes, so it had that going for it. it was slightly insta-lovey, but i can't really complain because that's par for the course with short stories. well-plotted and interesting characters; would recommend.

lamb to the slaughter - joanna chambers
4 stars
a hot and slightly twisty story set in the nineteenth century involving a hardened rake and a innocent young man - supposedly. excellent chemistry between the two characters although i did feel there was too much instalove even for a short story.

lilac and leather - maris black
3 stars
anything with 'leather' in the title is guaranteed to be hot as hell, and this one definitely was. however, i thought some of the character's motiviations were odd and unrealistic, such as matt not telling his (gay) brother about his gay relationships. i mean really, why the hell would your gay brother judge you for that?? anyway, i still enjoyed the story.

Each story was well-written and interesting, but I found myself wanting more story.

These four erotic tales of vampires figuring out their lives and loves is particularly positive because all proceeds go to a good cause. Check out the Rainbow Railroad for more information.

Wishing and Hoping by Tinnean: Three Petals

Ioan's got wonderful plans of what to do with the man he loves now that Ioan's of age, but when that man shows up married and uninterested, suddenly Ioan must realize that his true love has been with him all along. Overall I did like this story, particularly Ione's interactions with his twin and the characterizations throughout. Unfortunately, the story felt incomplete, as if it were only a few chapters pulled from a larger work. There were hints of an escalating political situation, and issues they might encounter in the U.S., but the story ended before any of the plot--aside from the romance--was fully realized.

Lamb to the Slaughter by Joanna Chambers: One Petal

Lucien loves his men young and inexperienced and this time he's picked out the perfect man for his bed, except Marcus turns out to be everything Lucien didn't know he really wanted. This story made me uncomfortable to read. There's a lot that in this story that comes across as just this side of not consensual, including Lucien's rather twisted plans and Marcus' even more twisted reaction. I have to say that I didn't guess the surprise at the end, but at that point I was so eager to be done that it didn't really matter.

Smolder by Christi Snow: Three Petals

Zack is a loner by choice, so when his boss forces him to take care of a baby vampire, Zack can't help being unhappy, that is, until he actually meets the man in question. I thought this was the best story in the anthology. I liked the world building of vampires fitting into modern society and how Nash is able to eventually figure his own life out. This story did suffer from lack of depth, particularly in the characters' backstories which were glossed over. It was hard to believe in the romance when I didn't have an emotional connection to, or any real understanding of, why Zack was initially so reticent. This book is part of a series, so I'm hoping more will be explained in a future story.

Lilac and Leather by Maris Black: One Petal

When Matt is dragged to a club he doesn't expect to out himself or to find a man he could love, but that's what happens and now he has to figure out his new life. I thought this was the weakest story in the anthology. The author appeared to have a number of good ideas for the story, but was never able to flesh them out properly. What was left was a jumble of scenes and emotions that never connected, leaving me as a reader to struggle through. Matt's coming out was painful to read in a bad way and the story never improved from there.

I requested this because of the Joanna Chambers story and I loved that one, except that I wanted more. I loved Lucien and Marcus but it would have been fun to see them getting to know each other a little more before deciding each other was The One. The others, I enjoyed the start of all of them, but for different reasons I wasn't so impressed as they went along. If I was going to rate the stories individually it would be 3-3-4-3. I think it's really hard to reach Happy Ever After in a short story and perhaps the problem is that they were all trying to do that. But still, it was an enjoyable read and I liked meeting all of the different characters.

Children of the Night is an anthology of M/M themed Vampire stories written by 4 separate authors. All proceeds benefit the Rainbow Railroad, which you can find out more about by following the link on my blog.
I’ve personally only read books by one of the authors in this anthology, but even so, I read them all. Below each description, you’ll find my individual reviews and ratings.

Wishing and Hoping by Tinnean
It’s finally the day of Ioan’s eighteenth birthday, and all that he’s been waiting for will finally be his—including the love of the man he’s secretly been in love with all these years. Everything is perfect. Until the love of his life shows up to his birthday party with a wife.

I really liked the premise of this one, but I kind of got lost in the writer’s style. There was nothing really bad about it, but it didn’t have the kind of flow that I’m used to. Beyond that, I loved getting to know Ioan, his family and the true love of his life. ❤

Lamb to the Slaughter by Joanna Chambers
There is very little Lucien enjoys more than the hunt of young men: beautiful, innocent, eager to learn all that a mature man like Lucien might be able to teach them…

Oh, this was a good one – and that’s pretty much all I’m going to say because anything else would give the story away. Enjoy!

Smolder by Christi Snow
All Zack wants is to be left alone. When Marissa, his boss, calls with orders that he take care of a new vampire in her area because she can’t, he’s absolutely certain this assignment is going to go any way but well.

Smolder was one of my favorites in the Children of the Night anthology. I’ve read pretty much everything that Christi Snow has written and she hasn’t disappointed me yet. From contemporary to paranormal, her witty, somewhat broken characters always draw me in and few are quite as broken as Zack. The only complaint that I have about Smolder was that it wasn’t quite long enough. I’d love more of Zack and Nash.

Lilac and Leather by Maris Black
Halloween night, and Matt would prefer to be anywhere but in an over-crowded club, especially when an old lover shows up, and he finally has to admit he’s gay. But the night takes a turn for the strange—and hot—when he meets the beautiful, mysterious Nicky…

I really liked Lilac and Leather, but I wish it would have been just a little bit longer. The story had a neat little twist, but I don’t want to spoil anything, so I won’t say much more. There were just a lot of loose ends at the end that I really, really, really wanted tied up. So many questions! So many….

I love all things vampire and had heard great things about all the contributing authors so I definitely wanted to read this anthology.
Usually you can find that with a collective of shorter stories, you might not connect fully with all of them or all the varying characters but in this case I liked and enjoyed all the stories.
A great read for all lovers of paranormal romances, and it was for a great cause too.

Overall rating
4.5 Stars

I love vampires and I knew three of the four authors featured in this Anthology, so I just couldn't pass it up. While Anthologies can be difficult sometimes, with just one or two stories being really good and the rest only okay, this wasn't the case with this one. All the stories were really good and very enjoyable and I really wouldn't mind reading more of any of them in the future. This is definitely a must-read for all lovers of paranormal romances!


♡⑅⃝◌꒰ ˘̤ з꒰ ˃̶̤⌄˂̶̤ ` ू꒱◌⑅⃝♡
Wishing and Hoping by Tinnean

4.5 Stars

I absolutely adored Shandor and Ioan and really enjoyed their story. It might have been a tad predictable and the start dragged a bit with all the information the author gave, but I was thoroughly charmed by the story and the characters, both main and supporting, except Valeriu and Daniel, who sucked, and not in a good way. ;) I really hope the author will write more in this 'verse, I wouldn't mind learning more about Ioan's twin brother and catch up with Shandor and Ioan.


♡⑅⃝◌꒰ ˘̤ з꒰ ˃̶̤⌄˂̶̤ ` ू꒱◌⑅⃝♡
Smolder by Christi Snow

5 Stars

This was definitely my favorite of the stories in this Anthology. The chemistry between Zack and Nash was, well, smoldering! They were so different, but fit well together and complemented each other.

It was great seeing such character development and backstory in a story as short as this one. I absolutely adored Zack and Nash and even if the drama at the end felt a bit out of the blue, it ultimately made sense and worked well for most of the characters. I'll be waiting impatiently for book 2 in this series, which according to Goodreads comes out in December!

♡⑅⃝◌꒰ ˘̤ з꒰ ˃̶̤⌄˂̶̤ ` ू꒱◌⑅⃝♡
Lamb to the Slaughter by Joanna Chambers

4.25 Stars

I love historical romances and Joanna Chambers is one of my go-to authors for it, add Paranormal into the mix and I was in heaven. Not only was the writing amazing as always, transporting me back in time, but she did great work with both Marcus and Lucien. It was instalove, which does not always work for me, but it did in this case. They had amazing chemistry and even if things took a different turn than what they seemed at first, it made things even more interesting. Very recommendable!

♡⑅⃝◌꒰ ˘̤ з꒰ ˃̶̤⌄˂̶̤ ` ू꒱◌⑅⃝♡
Lilac and Leather by Maris Black

4.5 Stars

I really liked Matt, but I'm going to be honest, I wasn't sure what to think about Nicky at first. He was all hot and cold, although it all got explained and I warmed up to him. They were amazing together, very hot and very sweet.

The story is very original, definitely not what I was expecting, but I loved the premise and their second chance at love. It was passionate and intense and intriguing, definitely recommendable!!!

*** Copy provided to the reviewer by Less Than Three Press via NetGalley for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***

I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Wishing and Hoping-a young vampire, Ioan, finally gets the love he had always wanted, Shandor.
Smolder-Zack comes to the aid of Nash who has just been turned to a vampire. He assists with the transition which involves a lot of sex and blood. There is a HEA with Nash proposing to Zach.
Lamb to the Slaughter-deals with the strong sexual attraction between a vampire and another man and the eventual turning of Lucien into a vampire.
Lilac & leather - deals with the reincarnation of a previous lover.
Good reads for very short stories. Highly recommend this book if you are interested in quick reads.

Overall rating
4.25 Stars

I’ll be honest, I’m not much of a paranormal reader anymore, but when I caught sight of two authors whose works I absolutely love, Christi Snow and Maris Black, well, paranormal or not, I couldn’t pass this Anthology up and I wasn’t disappointed!


♡⑅⃝◌꒰ ˘̤ з꒰ ˃̶̤⌄˂̶̤ ` ू꒱◌⑅⃝♡
Wishing and Hoping by Tinnean

3.5 Stars

Sometimes what you want and need is right in front of you the whole time although it takes you longer to see it.

A sweet and sexy story, with likable characters, but while it was enjoyable, I found the number of characters in such a short story to be too overwhelming and confusing to try to keep them all straight. Still, this was an enjoyable read!

♡⑅⃝◌꒰ ˘̤ з꒰ ˃̶̤⌄˂̶̤ ` ू꒱◌⑅⃝♡
Smolder by Christi Snow

5 Stars

This was an amazing story and I absolutely loved Zack and Nash. My heart broke for both of them. Zack hasn’t been with anyone in over 150 years and when the reasons behind this come to light, well, it was absolutely heartbreaking. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, Nash has prepared himself for death, until a vampire changes him to save his life, but he is wholly unprepared for what will happen to him and the changes that he is now faced with.

I’m so happy Zack and Nash came together and found something neither ever expected: love and a life partner. This was an emotionally charged story filled with fury and heartbreak, but in the end it was a love story to swoon over.

If you can’t tell from my reviews, this was my favorite story. Very enjoyable and highly recommendable!


♡⑅⃝◌꒰ ˘̤ з꒰ ˃̶̤⌄˂̶̤ ` ू꒱◌⑅⃝♡
Lamb to the Slaughter by Joanna Chambers

4 Stars


Set in London in the year 1871, Lucien sees the younger man, Marcus, across a room and knows he’ll be his by the end of the night. He’ll take him to bed and ravish the younger man. Lucien gets his wish, but it comes at a price, maybe a higher one than he ever bargained for.

This was a quick and fast-paced read. Well-written and very instalove, but it was believable. The coming together of these two men was hot and passionate. The chemistry was out of this world. A great story that I’d very much recommend!

♡⑅⃝◌꒰ ˘̤ з꒰ ˃̶̤⌄˂̶̤ ` ू꒱◌⑅⃝♡
Lilac and Leather by Maris Black

4.5 Stars

This story gives a whole new and different meaning to the term “second chance romance”. An original and intriguing story that was well-written and paced well. Full of hunger, passion, brutally hot sex and love. Enjoyable and recommendable!

*copy provided by authors/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Children of the Night: A Rainbow Gold Anthology is an anthology of four short novellas with gay paranormal themes. I liked one of the four stories and felt the anthology was a bit uneven. My overall rating is 3.25 stars.

Wishing and Hoping by Tinnean. I liked the alt world Tinnean created here - with vampyr royalty, sabors, wolf shifters - and the story of 18-yr-old Ioan who finally realizes that the man he thought it was in love with is merely a stand-in for his guardian Shandor. I liked the story but felt it was only a portion of a larger work and there were a lot of extraneous details. 3.5 stars.

Smolder by Christi Snow. Vampire Zack works for the North American Vampire Alliance and is called in to locate and guide a newly made vampire Nash, who ran away before learning the basics of becoming a vampire ... which apparently includes an extremely horny 7-day-transition period where he must have sex almost continually, plus drinking lots and lots of blood. I liked Zack's backstory of how he was turned during the Civil War and his efforts to provide assistance to his family in the years since. BUT the completely unexpected ending was off-the-wall bizarre. 2 stars.

Lamb to the Slaughter by Joanna Chambers. In 1817 London, rake Lucien St. Villiers has his eye on the delectable young Marcus Lamb. Lucien has stalked him through London's card rooms and gentlemen's clubs and intends to seduce Marcus during a private supper at his Curzon Street townhouse. However, Lucien soon learns things are not as they seem and that Marcus is not the lamb being led to the slaughter. Elegant and well-done. 5 stars.

Lilac & Leather by Maris Black. At a gay bar on Halloween night, Matt meets Nicky and feels an instant connection - "a familiarity, as if we had somehow bypassed the getting-to-know you phase and were already a unit of sorts." I liked this story of reincarnation although it felt rushed. 3 stars.

OVERALL 3 Stars, but I will review each novella separately. (My overall rating is an average of each separate rating).

Wishing and Hoping by Tinnean - 5 stars
Ioan is a half-blood vampyr. He is in love with Daniel, and plan to take him to bed on Ioan's 18th birthday. However, on said birthday, Daniel shows up with a wife, leaving Ioan to confront his feelings about Daniel. Through this process, his guardian, Shandor, stands with him, and a night sleeping in Shandor's arms is all it takes to forget all about Daniel.

The universe is well thought out and nothing is left to chance. I would have loved to read a full-lenght novel in this universe with these characters and their world.

Smolder by Christi Snow - 2,5 stars
Nash is a newly turned vampire that 175-year-old Zack is asked to mentor through his transition - a period that leaves vampires horny and thirsty for seven days, so the two will have to find a way to allieviate Nash's needs to prevent him form turning to ash.

This is erotica more than it is romance. I was a little weirded out by their first couple of couplings, but once Zack started coming to terms with his sexuality, the romance and steam peaked. Their relationship was a little rushed, and the towards-the-end-plot with Nash's friend was unexpected and odd.

Lamb to the Slaughter by Joanna Chambers - 3 stars
Lucien wants young, innocent Marcus - badly. After several meetings he finally takes him to bed, only to discover that Marcus is not as young as expected... and not as human...

The role reversal caught me pleasantly surprised, but I wasn't a fan of the quick and easy transition for Lucien, or for their feelings towards each other.

Lilac & Leather by Maris Black - 1 Star
Matt's brother has convinced him to go to a gay club for halloween, even though Matt is straight. At least that is what he has always told everyone. That night he meets the lilac haired Nicky and feels an instant connection and a weird sense of deja vu. That night, Nicky reveals his theory as to why they feel so connected - Matt is the reincarnation of Nicky's late partner.

This was too short to properly build a storyline. I didn't really buy the reincarnation thing or how quickly Matt surrended to it. The vampire aspect was virtually non-existing, and it seemed like it was only incorporated so that it would be possible for Nicky to live long enough to meet Matt twice.