Earlier this year I picked up a book with a black and red cover, a “something” and “something” title, and a knife on the cover… and halfway thought I realised I was waiting for vampires to show up… So when I saw the title “This is not a vampire story” I thought it seemed like a good idea after that experience.

Victor, who looks 17, returns to Ireland to care for three men in a nursing home. It becomes apparent that something has happened to Victor to give him an extended lifespan. The book moves between the past, and present and a picture of Victor being a contemporary of the 3 men he is caring for in the nursing home. And a history of their lives and connections start to become apparent.

This is definitely not a Vampire story in a “vampire boyfriend” sense, but is in the sense of thinking through what it means to be satisfied with life. In vampire stories MORE life is often the goal (or the achievement), but this story looks at it more from a quality over quantity perspective, and what that means for Victor and his friends.

The title of the book helped me set my expectations, and explored grief and aging and connection in a way that was bitter sweet in the best way.

Put on your armour for reading, LGBTQIA+ readers, because – as Doyle tells us – this is not a vampire story.
What it is, is a heart-scorching metaphor where vampirism stands in for homosexuality, and it is meticulously and tremblingly done. Rarely have I encountered the queerness-as-monstrous motif so tenderly handled (and I say that freshly out of reading David Ly and Daniel Zomparelli’s ‘Queer Little Nightmares’ anthology).
This is out next week, and it merits a sensation. Doyle is a gifted writer. His Irish nationality twinkles in his writing, maintaining a sense of our kind of humour, and of the way we ‘be’ with ourselves and others. I heard the whole story in my head in a west-coast accent, thank you, Simon Doyle!
I can’t thank the Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op group of independent publishers (Nightsgale Books/SD Press) enough for this ARC.

I'm so glad I requested and grateful that I received this book from NetGalley.

"This is Not a Vampire Story" by Simon Doyle has exactly the kind of heartbreak I expect from the story of an immortal being. Victor, the main character , is such a soft person. I greatly enjoyed reading his story, it is as dark and heartbreaking as it is peaceful and heartwarming. He is my favorite character. My second favorite character is Gloria (I would love to hear her story someday).

There are so many things I loved about this book. (Some are too spoilery to share). The characters, the setting, how the story is structured jumping between the past and present, and the overall connection between love & death. I think this is a book I could reread again and still cry just as much if not more than I have now. So, be warned this story hurts. But, I also found it oddly peaceful (not all of it), there is just something about the ending that gave me peace.

Finally I just want to say remember to check content warnings. There's a lot of dark stuff that happens in this book both on and off page. Overall, "This is Not a Vampire Story" is a book I'm glad I read. I feel like it was something I needed in this moment.

I received an e-ARC and am giving my honest review! Thank you to NetGalley

This was stunning. Genuinely one of the most gorgeous books I’ve ever read. The reality of knowing what was going to happen to the men while Victor had to watch was so, so incredibly sad and so… cathartic? I loved it. Seeing James and Victor’s story in real time through 1949 and then going back to the present while they are all rapidly deteriorating. It felt so real. I don’t know how to express my feelings about this, but I have many. All of them positive, in the end, even if the emotion itself isn’t necessarily happy.

James and Victor’s relationship was so stunning to read. I was very happy when there was <spoiler>never a moment of violent homophobia towards them. Yes, Michael, but they were never victims to a public, violent incident, something I feel a lot of books have when in a similar time period.</spoiler> Their love and adoration was so strong and devoted, it was incredibly refreshing and honest and real. They were truly each other’s love and soulmate, and it was so lovely to read. I really can’t get over how much they loved each other all throughout time, and right up to the ending. It never faltered. Even when Victor was gone, James was his one true thought, and same with James about Victor.

I loved the friendships as well. Danny and Giuseppe and even Michael were such fun and real characters, their banter feeling so in tune and real. It felt like you were reading true conversations between old friends in their childhood, and even the same when they’re older.

<spoiler>My thoughts while reading chapter 35: The entire story has built up to this moment and yet I, like James, am not ready, nor am I prepared. Mr. Nguyen’s story is only making it worse. James’ line of “‘What if there is no God? Or worse—what if there is?’”(263) is so good, too. And so real. The fear with both possibilities is so real.
“‘If to love is to be human, I knew that’s what I was. Nothing else ever mattered.’” Stunning.
He got the ending he wanted so desperately. And I adore that for him, both Victor and James. After all that time, James could finally see Victor again, be with him. Die with him.</spoiler>

This was beautiful and such a new and unique take on grief and the length of grief, prolonged and scary.

I DNF’d Simon Doyle’s “Runaway Train,” gave it a one-star review on account of its misogynistic tropes, and swore I’d never read another book of his.

Thank goodness I have a bad memory for names, because “This Is Not a Vampire Story” is one of the best books I’ve read this year, and I’d never have requested the ARC if “Simon Doyle” had rung a bell.

Take the “ageless vampire” trope seriously. Have the vampire never forget his first and only love, whom he abandoned for reasons I won’t specify because, although you’ll probably guess them at some point, you emphatically don’t want the spoiler. Have that vampire return, in his lover’s advanced old age, to work at the care home where the lover and other friends of their youth now live. Give full weight to the loss, the grief, the betrayal, the longing to take away the pain of the beloved.

The result is shattering.

At moments, Doyle steps too hard on an insight or a bit of symbolism. “The love we give away is the only love we keep” — please, no. And although the first person is the only narrative voice that could possibly work — Victor’s account needs the intimacy — in this story it has one inevitable pitfall. But, well, who cares. This is not a vampire story, just the most beautiful, heartbreaking love story I can imagine.

Thanks to NetGalley and SD Press for the ARC.

Unfortunately, I DNFd this book, and it wasn't for me! A lot of pining and piecing together the story when I expected a bit more romance and action, especially given the cover. An interesting plot, but didn't hold my interest enough.

I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out in January. This was a heartwrenchingly beautiful mlm story. I'm absolutely devastated right now.

I really loved this book! The way it portrays both disability/illness and ageing was very compelling. The love story was beautiful and sweet and painful, as was the other relationships in Victor's life. I adore a portrayal of vampires that places them closer to humanity instead of further, though i do feel like we could dive deeper into Victor's life and state of mind between the two timelines. My only complaint would be the subject of Victor's friendship with Michael and how it seemed like a huge turning point in the story and possibly a conflict within his relationship with his loved ones, but ended up not having an honest, meaningful resolution. Still, it's a fantastic read that I will be reccommending to queer vampire fans and lovers of sweet-but-tragic romance stories!

Heartbreaking and wonderfully moving! A tale of a love that is timeless and magic and beautiful. I didn't know what I was getting into with this story, and it sunk into me more than expected. It is slow and and focuses deeping on the characters and connections, so I am not sure it is for everyone, but for some, it will be one of the best things you've ever read.

I didn't know what to expect when I first picked this up. It was such an evocative, heartbreaking, yet simple love story. I love immortal characters struggling to balance their humanity and inhumanity simultaneously. While I could predict where the story was going towards the middle, I thoroughly enjoyed Doyle's writing style and depiction of Victor and the empty life he led without the love of his life. This was the perfect autumn read. Thank you Nightsgale Books and SD Press for the ARC.

This is Not a Vampire Story is a historical/contemporary fantasy following a teenage boy who has been 17 for more than 70 years. Victor is the night porter in an Irish nursing home where he takes care of a few elderly men who used to mean so much to him as a young man. As he says his final farewell to them, he recalls the events that lead to their meeting, the boy he loves, and the tragedy that left him immortal and forced to flee.

This was so goddamn painful and both easy to read and difficult to get through without tears. Simply but beautifully written and incredibly heartfelt, it is a deeply moving, deeply painful, and deeply melancholic portrait of a the cost of immortality and a life wasted. It is not the typical romanticized portrayal of vampires and immortality. And as the title states, it is not actually a vampire story. I don’t actually know who this story is for nor what is in service of, but boy did it put me through the wringer and had me all the more thankful for it because I was the exact audience who would appreciate it.

Seen through two timelines, it showcases a young man’s tragic life and what his immortality has cost him. The past is about his troubled youth and a burgeoning forbidden love that could never truly blossom at a time when homosexuality was illegal. The present is about the enduring bonds of friendship and love and the pain of memory and age that comes along with it. Victor is a fascinating character whose circumstances are heartbreaking. You will find yourself rooting for him and fighting for him all the way to the inevitable ending you will see coming.

This is Not a Vampire Story is a beautifully heartbreaking and melancholic queer fantasy that is as moving as it is tragic.

*Thank you to SD Press for the eARC via NetGalley

This heartfelt, gentle story explores love the mysteries of love and death, and the timeless fear that come with both. The writing is straight forward but evocative, with a hint of whimsy and lyricism adorning otherwise plain prose. Calling it plain isn’t an insult, though, it doesn’t try to use language to trick you into feeling for these characters, it lets the characters do that on their own, and so it is perfect for the story. The narrative framing, with chapters alternating between the present and with youth, works well, letting the world and these characters develop at a comfortable, meaningful pace. The main character, Victor, is wonderful, we are given enough space with him to feel his weariness and the many shades of who he is. I appreciate the ancillary characters, and they are given enough character to be more than window dressing, but I do wish we spent a little more time developing them. I felt like I knew them, I understood the dynamics of a pack of young men in a small town in the mid-20th century and I saw the reflection of those dynamics in the present day, so they weren’t waifs… But the chapters were so short, and so focused on Victor’s immediate emotional experiences, that we didn’t get as much into their lives as I would have liked. We get lines of dialogue about their inner experiences but if some of the chapters, both past and present, had been a little longer than I might have been able to develop a more robust appreciation of them, which I wanted. The eventual outcome of the story is pretty expected, as soon as we see the stakes after the first chapter or two, and yet it isn’t disappointing. Yes, there is some level of cliché to it, and some of the scenes and language lean into the territory of emotional manipulation, aiming right for the easiest path to the heart strings. However, it never feels coarse or heavy-handed, even in its cliché and expectations it feels gentle and compassionate, riddled with a longing and ache that only can come from the deepest of emotional relationships.

This is a quick story that doesn’t hide its heart, wearing it boldly on its sleeve. It uses a supernatural framing device to navigate the incredibly human experiences and emotions of love and loss, and it does that to great effect. There aren’t any surprises, you get exactly what is promised on the tin, but that isn’t a flaw. The deepest sadness in this story is not for the inevitable end, for last breaths and whispered goodbyes, but for all the moments wasted. The times when fear, shame, or ignorance force us to tie ourselves in knots and refuse to acknowledge what is in front of us. You can try to make up for lost time, and even have some modicum of peaceful success in that, but it is best not to lose that time in the first place. This story is a sweet reminder that, while there are many circumstances far outside of our control, obstacles and difficulties we will inevitably need to overcome or work around, we need to trust in ourselves and in the love we have for others in order to live a life, now, this moment, that won’t become deathbed regrets.

I want to thank the author, the publisher Nightsgale Books, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A beautiful yet heartbreaking story. This is not a vampire story, although you are asking the question throughout. Is it or isn’t it?. It is about so much more: love, joy, loss, grief, friendship, life… I don't want to give too much away. The chapters alternate cleverly between the past and the present as seen through the eyes of Victor. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. The writing and story gripped me from the start. I’d definitely recommend it.

I received an ARC via Netgalley/the author in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to netgalley for an earc of this story. Unfortunately I'm dnfing at 18%. This story sounded intriguing but ultimately fell too flat for me. The writing style is way too plain and nothing was hooking me to continue reading. I don't really feel like reading it anymore so I'm gonna set it free. A shame cuz it sounded like a really cool premise, I just don't think it's getting told in the way I'd want to read it.

mysterious and shadowed tale about heartbreak and emotion. truly not a vampire story, as it says, despite featuring vampires. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

I absolutely loved this. The story is told in two timelines, present day and 1949. We follow Victor as he works in a rural Irish nursing home as a night porter. We learn about Victor's life story through the flashbacks to 1949, discovering what led him to where he is now. It's a story of the downsides immortality brings and the grief of watching everything and everyone around you change while you cannot.
There's just the right amount of horror and gore, and a heartbreaking love story that lasts throughout the decades.

First of all thank you for the opportunity to read this eARC

This is not a vampire story, it’s really not a vampire story, it’s a story about friendship, love, belonging, loss and grief, it just happens that it has vampires.

Through this book we accompany Victor who starts working as a night porter at Lakeshore Manor, a nursing home where he will share time with its residents and something else. Victor’s points of view helps us travel with him through years of the past starting in 1949 and the present.
There are many questions that come within reading, some get answered as we continue with the story, but other ones, as the book itself lets you know, don’t need an answer and maybe we will never get an answer.

The prose is marvelous, it's catching and romantic in its essence, it takes you in a way that’s appropriate to fully grasp and understand the story; the structure helps you jump from one chapter to another and through the time jumps to ensemble together the pieces of the story to ease the comprehension of the journey that Victor has had.

I feel this is a story that any person could enjoy and can find a reflection of experiences that are part of human nature, seeing the desire to self discovery, belonging and companionship, the doubt when facing life and how life takes you through different losses that make you grow.

The book currently will be available only in English, as much as I know of, however the writing could be on a good level for someone that is starting to read in English to forward language acquisition and practice.

Content Warning: Bloodlust, Death, violence and homofobia.


Will add a review on tiktok in the following days, as for now it's available on Goodreads in both English and Spanish

This book is a masterpiece. Vampire books are top tier for me and I've read a lot of them but this one... its one of the best. The storyline is amazing and I think it's such a great perspective on vampirism.
The dual timeline chapters between 1949 and present day are written so well and really draw you in to Victor and his life. The way that Simon has written about love, grief and friendship is spot on and in a way it made me constantly think of my own experiences of love and grief.
Thank you Netgalley for the copy of this book. I truly enjoyed it so much!

Thank you to NetGalley, Nightsgale Books, and SD Press for the eARC. This is Not a Vampire Story follows Victor Callahan, a seventeen-year-old working as a night porter in a nursing home along the Irish coast. The narrative alternates between two timelines: Present Tense Victor and Past Victor, starting in 1949. Through these alternating chapters, the story gradually unveils the truth about Victor’s past, centering on a close-knit group of teenage friends.

True to its title, This is Not a Vampire Story is instead a profound exploration of grief, loss, and the toll an unwanted eternity takes on the human psyche. At its heart, it’s a deeply moving portrayal of forbidden and illegal love, shedding light on the hidden generational experiences of queer love. Simon Doyle’s writing is poignant and intimate, building the story slowly as layers of Victor’s past are revealed. The book reads almost like a mystery, as each revelation about Victor’s life kept me intrigued and eager to piece together the circumstances that brought him to his present. This narrative style maintained a strong sense of suspense and emotional depth throughout.

One minor critique lies in the depiction of the setting and period-specific dialogue. While the novel is firmly rooted in a rural Irish coastal town and spends a significant portion in 1949, the characters’ voices didn’t always feel fully grounded in their respective time periods. At times, the language used in the 1949 chapters felt too contemporary, which occasionally blurred the distinction between the past and present timelines. While this didn’t detract significantly from the story, more attention to period-authentic dialogue could have added an extra layer of immersion.
Overall, This is Not a Vampire Story is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant novel that artfully balances elements of mystery with a heartfelt exploration of identity, memory, and the enduring impact of love. I highly recommend it to readers who appreciate stories centered on queer experiences and the enduring power of love across time.

Content Warnings for: Nursing Homes, End of Life Care, Death, Suicide Description

'This is Not a Vampire story' is a vampire story, which, as the title suggests, is not one either. It is a story about many things- love, regret, grief, which is assured to let the reader feel these emotions one by one. The writing is gripping, yet gentle as it guides you through the years of Vincent.

This book tells it story following two times- the past, which started around 1949, and the present, where the group of friends has reunited. This way of telling the story gives it a chance to lightly explore what being gay meant in 1949. It nicely juxstaposes the present and the past, as the chapters play into one another over and over again.

In the end, this book is filled with yearning, love (platonic and romantic) but also with letting go, avoiding and preparing to lose what is left. One thing I always love about stories with 'immortals' is when they get faced with the mortality of that which is around them- and the story beautifully starts with a reminder how mortal we truly are. Simon Doyle manages to make you care about every character in the story- only to make you sad to see them go.