Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The story follows a college student named Brennan who gets hit by a car and wakes up to find he’s become a vampire. During his first attempt to steal blood from a blood drive, he’s caught by Cole which ends up being his love interest.

What I really enjoyed was that, unlike many other vampire stories where the character already knows how to navigate their new life, Brennan is learning everything as he goes. That journey of discovery made the story feel more realistic. I also loved the inclusion of texts, pamphlets, and journal entries within the chapters—they added a unique and immersive touch, even though the story was written in third person.

If anything, I wish there had been a bit more detail about Brennan’s life before he became a vampire. It would’ve made the contrast between his human and vampire life even more impactful. Overall I give it a 3.5

Thank you NetGalley, The publisher and Jamie D'Amato for the opportunity to read an ARC of "The Good Vampire's Guide to Blood & Boyfriends"!

I really enjoyed the first 90% of this book. It was super cute and funny. It was an enjoyable coming of age, find yourself and handling series personal/social issues type book. I found the ending was rushed and kind of just thrown in. It felt like it didn't fit the rest of the novel.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

4.5/5

This was such a fun and cute read. I loved all the Twilight, Buffy, and all other pop culture vampire references. Great for those who were obsessed with vampires growing up (and for those who are still obsessed)

Man oh man, I love a good gay vampire book, and let me tell you now, Jamie D'Amato didn't let me down with "The Good Vampire's Guide to Blood & Boyfriends." I related to Brennan right off the bat, feeling a sort of kinship with a character so stuck in their own head, which was very much how I was at Brennan's age. I also think that D'Amato's take on vampire lore was refreshing in a way I didn't know I needed. It was intriguing to read about how the different vampire clans worked in terms of their relationship with humans and blood. It's clear that D'Amato put a lot of work into figuring out the details of how Sunny and Nellie would have maintained the 'urban clan' for over 100 years.

Brennan's story throughout the book was also very well thought out and carefully crafted. Growth when you're in such a fragile mental state is challenging, but D'Amato gave their character a very natural path towards betterment. There were setbacks, as one has when dealing with anxiety and depression, but at no point did I feel like this aspect of Brennan's character was trivial.

And if none of that has captured your desire to read the book, how about this: Gay Vampires!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

The Good Vampire's Guide to Blood & Boyfriends by Jamie D'Amato is a third person-POV upper YA paranormal romance. Brennan was very recently turned into a vampire and is learning the ropes of his new life and his new clan. On top of that, he’s dealing with another new vampire who is dealing with the deal of her sister and his burgeoning crush on library assistant, Cole.

There are some heavy topics that are touched on and add depth to Brennan’s feelings. Before the book opens, Brennan has previously attempted suicide and the idea of being immortal feels like something of a punishment for him, especially because of how regimented his mother has kept his life even when he’s in university. There are also the grief elements from the other newly turned vampire Dom and Brennan mourning that he didn’t even have a choice in becoming a vampire.

We start each chapter with either texts, posts on social media or bits of Brennan’s personal research into vampires and his new life or information he got from a pamphlet given to him by his new vampire clan. A lot of it is actually fairly funny, especially the texts between Sunny, Nellie, and Brennan as Sunny and Nellie are two much older vampires and Nellie is bad with tech. The YA voice is very strong, though I do think this is more written for a Millennial reader rather than a Gen Z or Gen Alpha reader. The reason for this is that, early on, Cole mentions how as a kid he was waiting for his letter to a magical boarding school (HP is not explicitly named, but it is referenced) and to find a magical world in a wardrobe or to get invited to Camp Halfblood and he encourages Brennan to read the Twilight saga when he learns Brennan is Twilight. While Gen Z and Gen Alpha also had Narnia and PJO and Twilight, this does feel like something that will hit much stronger with a Millennial reader because these series were coming out during our childhoods (in the case of Narnia, the new film franchise rather than the books).

The vampire aspects and the college life elements all have roughly equal weight. The vampires are the familiar type often found in pop culture, but through Nellie and Sunny, we do get some of the more humorous aspects of being a several hundred year old vampire, which makes it feel fresh. There are depictions of drinking and partying but there’s also the stress that many freshmen feel that leads to them dropping out and the desire for community and the weird place many students are in where they are gaining independence but their parents are still trying to keep some semblance of control and are a bit too involved.

I would recommend this to fans of vampire YA and Millennial readers of YA

I am leaving my honest opinion voluntarily.

This book was not what I expected at all. I went in anticipating a quirky, cozy rom-com about glittery vampires—but The Good Vampire's Guide to Blood & Boyfriends is much more than that. While it has moments of levity, it also delves into some unexpectedly heavy and emotional topics.

We follow Brennan, a newly turned 19-year-old, as he struggles to accept that he’s now a vampire—an idea he finds revolting. He’s coping with depression and the fear of hurting those he loves. When he’s caught breaking the law by his fellow classmate Cole, his life takes another unexpected turn.

I loved this cast of characters—both individually and collectively. Each is well-written, each is broken in their own way, and each has an interesting backstory. The slow, awkward, and beautiful dance Brennan and Cole do on their way to forming a connection felt believable and real. There were moments when I completely forgot Brennan was even a vampire. I also appreciated the fresh take on how vampires gain their powers—it’s a welcome change from the usual “you turn and instantly become superhuman” approach in most vampire stories.

The ending was both surprising and satisfying; this is a win in my book. There were some parts of it that were predictable, but it did not tarnish my opinion of the book at all.

Jamie D’Amato tackles weighty themes with nuance—how grief is processed, the pressures of being a people-pleaser, and the toll that role takes. There’s also an honest look at the uncertainty many high school and college students face when they don’t truly know what they want to do with their lives. Often, they follow the path their parents choose for them, fearing the consequences of pushing back. The LGBTQ representation is handled beautifully, authentic to the age group this book speaks to.

Overall, this felt like a dark academia story with the emotional depth of Bitten and the supernatural edge of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books, and Jamie D’Amato for this thought-provoking ARC.

The release date for this book is August 26, 2025.

Brennan’s journey to adapt to life as a vampire was emotional as he wrestled with morality and his mental health history before being turned.

Brennan and Cole exchanged sweet, flirty banter and the slow burn romance was rooted in genuine interest and care.

I enjoyed Brennan’s journal entries, the pamphlets about modern vampirism and personal text messages woven into the unfolding action. Especially hilarious were Nellie’s texts since she struggled to figure out technology.

A cute paranormal rom-com that I would read again!

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC.

This story was funny and a good time. I enjoyed the from my pitch black reads and it was a nice break. The author had a fun way of keeping you in the story and engaged.

I’m sure this is a great book for the right audience, and I wish that was me! But I’m not currently in a head space to read about a past suicide attempt. Really wish it was more common to release content warnings on NetGalley!!

A cute fun time that held my attention pretty well. Loved the premise and the relationship. This will be a fun read for Halloween and anybody who vampires. Was definitely giving heartstopper / Buffy vibes too in the best way.

While the foundation of the book is a serious topic, the book itself was pretty fun and lighthearted while simultaneously dealing with the serious topic. A formerly suicidal teen is turned into a vampire, and now he is cursed to live forever. However, therapy helped him want to live again, but now he has to adjust to vampire life. All while dealing with a crush on the hot librarian boy and an evil vampire’s master plan.
I loved the “representatives” for their vampire clan. It’s like being a vampire is just another club. There’s pamphlets and a Facebook group created by vampires who are still trying to adapt to the modern world (though one of them is an influencer which I found hysterical).
I enjoyed the romance as well, I thought they emotionally balanced each other. Cole was the definition of the person smiling the most is often the person hurting the most on the inside. Meanwhile, Brennan wasn’t all smiles but he was trying to improve. So a typical college relationship mixed with being a fledgling vampire? Fun!!
This book was filled with quirky characters and I loved it.

Thank you MacMillan audio for the ALC!

I LOVED this book! It might just be one of my favorite reads of the year. I swear the author read my mind, found everything I love (Twilight, Heartstopper, libraries and cute romcoms) and put it in a book! I knew from the dedication that I would love this book. This book had me laughing out loud at the relatable dialogue and jokes, and had me swooning over the slow burn tender romance between awkward vampire Brennan, and charming human Cole. One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the journal entries, pamphlets, texts, and reddit posts. They added so much to the overall story and reminded me of the OG vampire book Dracula. I'm so glad I read this book! I can't wait to have a physical copy!

Brennan wasn't expecting to survive his suicide attempt - let alone wake up undead. Now, with fangs he doesn't want, a thirst he can't control, and a constant undercurrent of anxiety and depression, he's left to figure out what immortality means when he wasn't sure he wanted life in the first place.

What follows is a heartfelt, funny, and unexpectedly tender story that blends campus rom-com energy with vampire lore. Brennan's attempts to keep his new reality hidden are quickly complicated when Cole - the charming library clerk he's quietly crushed on - catches him drinking from a pilfered blood bag. Rather than running, Cole stays, offering help, acceptance, and maybe something more.

D'Amato balances humor with emotional depth, capturing Brennan's mental health struggles with compassion and nuance. The romance is slow-building and wonderfully awkward, with stolen moments, tentative trust, and dialogue that feels refreshingly natural. Playful "guidebook" entries, social media snippets, and vampire-world details give the book an inventive structure and keep the tone light even when the subject matter turns heavier.

The only drawback is that the vampire clan subplot sometimes steals attention from the central romance, but it also adds stakes - pun fully intended - and expands the world beyond the campus bubble.

I was sent an ARC by NetGalley in exchanged for my honest review.
My official rating for this book is a 3.5 star. I found that it was cute and entertaining, but that is basically it. It is essentially a fluffy gay romance with vampires. It is nothing wrong with that, but I feel like it lacked plot.

Plot and Characters

This book follows Brennan, who was recently turned into a vampire. While Brennan falls in love with Cole, he must deal with the impending end of the vampires' future.
I think this book barely dealt with an actually plot. It was mostly fluff until the last 10ish chapters. However, it did deal with some tough topics. Brennan has depression and anxiety and has tried to committed suicide before. As a whole, besides the vampire part, I found Brennan to be a very relatable character. He had normal social struggles and his mental dialogue was something that a lot of teens and young adults experience.
This book is more of a young adult romance than a vampire mystery. The vampire-ness was more secondhand to Brennan and Cole.
More to the characters now. I love love love Brennan and Cole together. They were super cute and fun to read about. I liked their relationship, with all the book recs and vampire-ness (especially because I read a lot of the books that they mentioned). I think Cole struggles with his Southern parents was well-written.
I liked the secondary characters too, like Dom, Nellie, Sunny, Tony etc. They all had their own personality, all played some sort of part in the book and they were all good for the humor part of the book. My favorite out of all of them has to be Nellie though with all her phone struggles.

For the vampire part, I feel like it isn't too much to talk about. The big problem is about the existence of vampires being discovered…so I guess they solved it? The conflict wasn't complicated, and was pretty straight forward so it is not the easiest to explain. I'll just say, don't come into this book expecting it to be all about vampires because it isn't.



Writing
This book was coasting off the pop culture references. While it was fun to read, did Twilight really need to be mentioned that often? Did every popular vampire media need to be mentioned? The answer is no. I like a good pop culture reference, but I feel like for longevity it just ages the book.
One thing I especially don't like in books is characters hating on other authors, books, media etc. It feels cheap. It's like the authors own prejudice is bleeding through. Characters in this book constantly hate on Twilight (which is valid, because while fun to read isn't the most outstanding book out there) and Rupi Kaur (which I have never read). These books/authors are hated on so much it started to be a little bit uncomfortable. Also, this book is meant for teens. Sure, most teens know and heard of Twilight, but how many of them have actually read it? Would any of these jokes even make sense to them? And as for Rupi Kaur, I bet the majority of teens haven't read her books. I know I haven't. Those jokes are completely missed by most teens.


This book also included other media, like reddit post, pamphlets and texts. I really like when books include other media, and I thought that it was fun to read.
As for the writing, I thought it was pretty good. It was standard Young Adult book writing, nothing jaw dropping, but it got the job done.
There was a lot 0f humor in this book, which I felt was pretty hit or miss. It felt like the humor was meant for a certain audience and if you didn't get it you didn't get it.

In the end, I found this an enjoyable, but surface level book. I see why people like it, but don't go into it expecting a life changing story. So yes I will recommend this book. It was very entertaining and fun to read. I think if you like vampires, romance or ya books in general you should read this book when it comes out August 26th.

The Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood and Boyfriends is a cozy, fun YA romance that tackles some heavy themes such as homophobia, depression and suicide.

I thought this book was an enjoyable read, but nothing particularly outstanding. The strongest suit to it is definitely its characters, all of them are fun and distinct enough, with a fairly small cast. This book is a feel good queer book, so yes, the characters are supposed to be this kind and supportive.

The plot, however, kind of limped along. Brennan’s absolute dumbassery puts him in hot water several separate times. Yeah he’s a bit of a silly goofy guy but after the second time he accidentally pulls attention to himself by not taking precautions to be quiet or be thorough in checking his surroundings is crazy! Obviously you have the advance the plot somehow but it just all seemed so avoidable.

The big bad villain felt kind of lame and just… expected. Barely even a villain, and the climax of it all was wrapped up neatly in the penultimate chapter. Nice (but boring)!

I wish the story had leaned in more with it’s heavy topics because it felt as if they just skimmed the surface of the story and never did anything more than being mentioned in passing - again, this is a light hearted queer story so this is mostly a personal gripe.

One thing that did really turn me off from the story was the constant references. The twilight/interview with a vampire/etc references the first time were funny but as the book went on and they kept cropping up (along with a plethora of other pop culture references) it just made the book feel… dated. I’m glad as well that the author worked to get the mention of Hogwarts out of the book since that also notoriously stains what should be a fun conversation between Cole and Brennan.

I also think there were a few (more than a few) terribly cringey lines that felt odd in the book. Even the mention of tumblr came nowhere near as cringe-inducing as Brennan describing feeding from a squirrel as “post nut clarity”. Yeesh.

Overall, this is a cute debut YA novel. I’m excited to see what the other does next!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

The Good Vampire's Guide to Blood & Boyfriends follows Brennan, who has been turned into a vampire but doesn’t remember how it happened. As he tries to navigate his new vampire life, he meets Cole, a librarian who discovers Brennan's secret. This book is such an adorable paranormal romcom. I loved the romance and the humor throughout the book was so fun to read. Some moments made me laugh out loud. Plus, it features queer vampires. What more could you want? Overall, it’s a heartwarming story that also tackles some serious issues, which the author addresses at the beginning of the book. I highly recommend it and I look forward to the author's upcoming works. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I want to Thank Netgalley, the authors and publisher for this book.


I tried reading this a few times and I just couldn't get past the first 50 pages an Idk if it just wasn't my cup of tea or If it was the sudden start but I just really really struggled with this. Hoping to try another by this author's and come back to this another time

Thank you to netgalley and publishers for this ARC!

This was super cute and a lot of fun! I loved the twilight references. The characters were so much fun and I loved the development! A fantastic mix of character and plot focus from the author. A must for vampire lovers!

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook arc. This book had me laughing out loud multiple times with it satire. He gets turned into a vampire after a fatal car accident and he doesn’t want to harm anyone he loves so he starts logging the do’s and don’ts of being a vampire all while falling for a friend.

The Good Vampire’s Guide To Blood And Boyfriends by Jamie D’Amato, this is about a college student Brennon, who after getting hit by a truck was also turned into a vampire. This doesn’t help his already depressed state but when he meets librarian and Southern gentleman Cole and then meet him again when he is trying to steal donated blood from the campus research building it only makes a confusing situation even more confusing. especially when Cole seems to be A-OK with it. He tries to figure out and do his own research as to how he should act as a vampire and what to do because he is totally as I said confused he gets a text message saying we know what you are and then he gets invited to meet someone named Sunny NBFF vampire sidekick Nelly at what he will soon learn is a brunch. he also learns he isn’t the only one that was turned that night but his main concern is discussing the girl who went missing from campus the day after she moved in, because he has eight missing hours and fears he is the one who done her in. When he learns the answers to this the meeting with Sunny that alone would be enough but wait there’s more and not wanting to give any spoilers away just know and any good vampire story there’s a villain and what makes for a better villain than someone the opposite of Brennon, who really wishes he wouldn’t have been turned and that would be someone who loves the fact they no longer have to care. There is so much more to this book and I have given away more than I intended to just know there’s an upcoming vampire ball the vampires even have a Facebook group and a gross amount of pamphlets. This book goes from being dark to funny and then dark and funny I just love this book I love this slow building up of a relationship with coal I loved his relationship with his mom and thought the ending was one of the best I have read. I felt like I went on a journey with Brennan from beginning as a baby vampire to him coming to know the full abilities he possesses and it’s all great. What makes this book even better is that he gets to eat waffles and anything else he wants which what’s the point of living forever when all you can eat is blood? The only two things that really irritated me about this book was Murray’s response to finding the blood because who would go from finding bags of blood to assuming someone is a vampire especially when Cole had such a hard time believing it. The second thing is Brennan‘s annoyance with the fact that some vampires do kill people to feed even though his clan did not it was something he just seemed not to be able to let go and that kept getting on my nerves because you know the cycle of life and all that. This was still a great book and one I definitely recommended those who love vampire stories because if that is your jam you definitely absolutely don’t want to miss this one. if you’re like me and don’t like to read about people spiraling and suffering from anxiety just know it is absolutely palatable in this book and doesn’t become the main focus like in most books although it is very fairly represented not to mention respectfully. #NedGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #JamieDemato, #TheGoodVampiresGuideToBloodAndBoyfriends,