A surprisingly tender story of a depressed college student-turned-vampire, "The Good Vampire's Good to Blood & Boyfriends" is a winner from debut author Jamie D'Amato.

*Note: I gave this a solid 4-star review. Normally a HP reference in a queer book in the year of our lord and savior Dolly Parton, 2025, would have me knocking AT LEAST a star off, but author D'Amato has very quickly and skillfully answered the critiques with a heartfelt apology on Instagram and a promise to make edits in all future editions of the book. This is how you turn me from an interested reading into a fan.

Brennan has... had a year. He's just barely managed to hold his life together following a suicide attempt his freshman year of college at Sturbridge University in Boston, when on another one of the darkest nights of his life he was hit by a car and... turned into a vampire? Now he's stuck navigating life as a depressed college sophomore who happens to be depressed AND vampiric without knowing any of the rules for his new existence. Good thing he has Cole, the attractive college librarian who just so happens to stumble upon his secret during an embarrassing attempt at breaking into the college blood drive's stash overnight - and who definitely has a thing for vampires. Because Brennan will need all the help he can get as he figures out his new life and the increasing number of "animal attacks" that seem to be occurring around campus.

So I definitely went into this expecting something much more lighthearted and cozy than I got, and I'm not complaining about that at all. In case the summary doesn't warn sufficiently, this book deals HEAVILY with topics of suicide and suicidal ideation. Brennan, our lead character, is depressed. He has actively attempted suicide in the past and ponders it as a solution more than once throughout the course of the book. It's a heavy book, and a heavy topic, but D'Amata handles it deftly. In fact, I was impressed to see how the author handled a character like this suddenly being faced with their own immortality without ever being cured of that depression. At one point, Brennan has a significant crisis because one of the ways he soothed himself in his darkest moments was with the idea that he would die one day and be able to fade into oblivion - a possibility that was taken from him the moment he's turned into a vampire. This is a perspective of vampirism that I haven't seen handled in vampire books before, and I enjoyed how D'Amato managed to do it. It's heavy, and certainly not for anyone who might be triggered by the topic, but certainly well-handled.

Overall, this is just a well-written, unique take on what could have been a generic vampire book. I don't know that I necessarily would have labeled it as "young adult" since it's set in college with two nineteen-year old characters. But I'm excited to see what Jamie D'Amato comes up with next, because this was an amazingly strong debut!

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook arc. The narrator’s voice just makes the story for me. Highly recommend for those that were fans of Warm Bodies. The satire and banter throughout the book had me laughing from time to time.
He wakes up as a vampire after a fatal car crash and it follows him as he keeps a diary and tries to become a good vampire feeding off donors and animals.

I received an ALC from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

There's several issues I had with this book. First, it is marketed as a Teens & YA title...the MCs are in their second year of college. The language, dialogue, etc is all written from almost a junior high school perspective.

Secondly, the characters have zero depth or any real charisma together so the interactions end up something like:
"Hey."
"Hey."
"Vampire?"
"Yeah..."
"Ever read Twilight?"

Third, I found Brennan (our MMC and accidental vampire) kind of insufferable. While I do love the themes and undertones this book has, they feel as if they are either pushed in your face like a random product placement ad or they are forgotten until the next "plug." They just didn't feel cohesive to me based on the writing style and the flow of the story.

Lastly, the narrator did nothing to enhance this story. This was my first introduction to Michael Crouch and I would intentionally skip any further titles where he was involved due to the complete lack of any sort of emotion in his narration. It was very transitional like reading a script.

This book is so funny!!! Book nerd sexy sweet librarian meets shy anxious recently turned vampire. This was a laugh-out-loud rom-com set in college with found family, mental health rep, Twilight nostalgia, and of course... vampires.

Quotes:
“I won’t tell anyone about you being a vampire if you read Twilight.” -Cole
“Better watch yourself buying me coffee. I might fall in love with you.” -Cole
“It’s not the vampire stuff. It’s you.” -Cole

4.5/5 stars
The Good Vampire's Guide to Blood and Boyfriends is an adorable queer YA vampire story; paying homage to many great vampire books like Twilight, this story is a sweet and thoroughly entertaining read. The cast of characters was diverse and very lovable. The main characters felt very relatable, realistic (as much as a vampire story can), and very well developed. This story had some great mental health representation as well as a charming young queer romance! The overall plot and pacing kept me wanting to read although it felt a bit predictable at times. Additionally, the narration of this story was wonderful; great production, emotive, and great voices for each character. I will definitely be recommending this book to my vampire loving friends!
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC of the audio book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The second year of college is hard enough, especially after went on last spring, but Brennan has to begin the year by being turned into a vampire. And of course having a crush on the cute kind boy Cole who works in the college library. Things get further complicated when Cole catches Brennan stealing blood from a blood drive... and drinking it.

A fun humorous vampire story with a super sweet romance between Brennan and Cole. I enjoyed Brennan's story and the depth of his struggles while still keeping the book lighthearted. I also enjoyed all the pop culture references, but I know that some people don't like that type thing.

The audiobook was super well done. Michael Crouch did a great job capturing Brennan's emotions as well as doing a good job at the accents, particularly with Cole.

Tropes
* Vampires
* MM Romance
* Found Family
* College setting
* Diary entries
* Vampire Dog

4.5 stars

This story was the perfect blend of laugh out loud hilarious, swoon worthy heartfeltness, and successfully executed pop culture references that I had a blast reading. Cole and Brennan were so sweet with one another that I could not stop giggling and want to just wrap them up in a million hugs. This book on audio was FANTASTIC! I couldn't help but swoon myself every time I heard "Darlin'" in Cole's southern accent.

I love the emphasis on mental health in the story. Seeing how Brennan is trying to work through his depression after his attempt last year as well as finding a empathetic partner in Cole, who has his own experiences with challenges showing that despite someone's cheery demeanor you never know what they are going through.

Thank you Macmillian audio and NetGalley for an ALC of The Good Vampire's Guide to Blood & Boyfriends!

This book felt like a friend telling the wildest story of their lives but they didn't tell you it wasn't a dream.

This book was really cute! The Good Vampire's Guide to Blood and Boyfriends is the story of a college student who gets turned into a vampire after an accident almost kills him. While the majority of the story is a coming to grips with this major life change, Brennan also has to team up with his friends (humans and vampires alike) to stop all vampires from being exposed and a lot of people from getting hurt.

Outside of being a romance, this book explores a lot of coming of age tropes that I thought were interesting and well done. In addition to being bisexual and being on the precipice of starting his first queer relationship, Brennan also is dealing with depression and anxiety, which I thought the author seemed to handle with care. It felt like a realistic depiction of what a young, queer college student might be going through with the added stress of also being a vampire.

The writing for this story was easy to get into and enjoyable. The story itself was fun and engaging. It kept my interest as I continued the story which is half the battle for any book. But the heart of this story really was around the characters, which all felt fleshed out and interesting. Each character felt unique and fully realized. It wasn't hard to tell who was who or why they were doing things, their characterization made their motivations seem clear.

There was a bit of telling instead of showing in a few places, but I didn't mind that so much here. Overall this was just a fun and easy read that I'd recommend to anyone who likes a queer supernatural romance.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio, Jamie D'Amato, and NetGalley for sending this my way.

This was cute and funny and kept my interest. It definitely has Buffy vibes, and the fact that Brennan falls for Cole the cute librarian (who finds out he's a vampire and, rather than running away, immediately introduces him to Twilight), was both adorable and hilarious.

I loved the characters. Brennan is anxious and depressed and wants so badly to be good. Cole is a marshmallow brimming with teen vampire novel recommendations who fidgets constantly. I related to both of them which really helped sell the story. Their romance was blended into the story just right and fit really well while still having time to develop.

I didn't feel as close to Mari or Tony, as they were both a little standoffish, but I appreciated them as supporting characters. Sunny and Nellie were great characters as well, as were Travis and Dom.

The plot wasn't cutting-edge or anything, but it hit all the right Buffy-esque notes and the end surprised me. I didn't see it coming at all.

The writing style didn't stick out to me in either a good way or a bad way. It faded into the background of the story, which worked.

Overall, a solid read, and one I would definitely recommend to YA vampire fans and also YA queer romance fans. I can always count on Wednesday Books for solid YA standalones.

The audiobook was well done, and the narrator breathed life into the characters with their accents and inflections. It was fun to listen to.

*Thanks to Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio for providing an early copy for review.

COLE+BRENNAN 4EVER

Cole and Brennan are precious. I loved seeing their relationship develop throughout the book. I relate to both characters for different reasons. Cole, in particular, I relate to. I read all the books he mentioned and they were a big part of who I was as a teen. (I could’ve done without the HP reference though. It was a bit jarring to hear that in a book about a queer couple.) This book was so nostalgic due to all of the references to past books.

This book also deals with some very heavy topics. Brennan has struggled with depression and suicidal ideation for a very long time. It’s all made worse when he realizes he is going to be alive for a very long time. I thought these topics were covered realistically and with care.

I love a found family and this one is so great. Cole and Brennan’s friends are just so much fun. I loved watching Brennan, in particular, develop these friendships. He finally has a community to be a part of and people who care for him.

A queer YA slow burn romance with heart, fangs, and feels - exploring themes of mental health, identity, and found family.

I generally love reading how other people interpret vampire lore and this book was no exception. I enjoyed the way the mythology was explored through Brennan's experience coming to terms with his own undead transition. I found it to be a fun and modern interpretation (think Facebook pages and group chats) and it sort of gave me Halloweentown vibes, in that it was very low stakes and there is a whole supernatural world that is mostly hidden from humans.

I do wish that the vampire universe was delved into more. The focus was definitely more on the romance than the world of vampires. I would love a sequel where other elements of this world were explored.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator's style. I appreciated how he brought so many different characters to life and found that with the tone of the story and the ease of the telling, it really made for a quick read.

Overall, I enjoyed this sweet and heartwarming tale and would recommend reading it if you're looking for a cute, queer romance.

Thank you NetGalley, Jamie D’Amato, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

The Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood and Boyfriends offers a lighthearted and quirky take on teen vampire life, blending awkward college moments with a sweet, if predictable, romance. The main character is charmingly nerdy and relatable, and the premise of balancing bloodlust with algebra and crushes which had great potential. While the story has plenty of fun and cute moments, the pacing and humor didn’t always land, and the writing style made it hard to fully connect on an emotional level. It’s an enjoyable, easy read that delivers exactly what you’d expect from a vampire rom-com, just without leaving a lasting impact. Great for when you want something playful and light without diving too deep. That said, while this wasn’t my favorite, Michael Crouch did a great job narrating the audiobook and handling a large cast of characters and transitions seamlessly, which really helped carry the story. It’s an enjoyable, easy read that delivers exactly what you’d expect from a vampire rom-com, just without leaving a lasting impact. Great for when you want something playful and light without diving too deep.

"The Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood & Boyfriends" by Jamie D’Amato was absolutely exceptional. Five stars, no notes. Well...almost no notes, but we’ll get to that.

This book is what you’d get if you mixed the perfect combination of queer college rom-com, vampire fantasy, and a decent dose of depressed, suicidal teen who just found out he's going to live forever. Sprinkle in some TikTok references and just the right amount of dark humor, and you've got a five-star young adult fantasy rom-com. It’s fast-paced, funny, and just the right amount of self-aware so that it's too cringy.

We follow Brennan, a generally depressed college sophomore, who wakes up the day after being turned into a vampire and immediately spirals into the library, digging through the occult section for anything remotely helpful. Enter Cole—the hot librarian with a Southern accent (a cool choice by the author that made the audiobook especially fun). Cole's attempt at flirting is like “You like vampires? Have you ever heard of Twilight?” It’s painfully cheesy, and the fact that Brennan is absolutely not here for it is exactly what makes it so good.

Soon Brennan gets a mysterious invite to what turns out to be vampire orientation, where we meet two centuries-old vampires who are basically like RAs for baby vamps. There is a save-the-world plotline, but it’s more like "save the college campus" which for a book about teen vampires keeps the story believable. The world-building feels effortlessly modern, with references to Reddit threads, Instagram captions, and the kind of online chaos you’d expect from a 19-year-old vampire.

If I wanted to be picky, I could say Brennan is a bit judgy at the start, but honestly? Perfect characters are boring. Brennan is chaotic, messy, dramatic, and real and it makes his character arc all the better.

I seriously had such a good time with this book.

This was a paranormal rom-com that’s equal parts hilarious, heartfelt, and unexpectedly tender.

Meet Brennan: a college sophomore recovering from a rough chapter, who suddenly finds himself undead and very thirsty. He works through vampire puberty, a secretive clan of “good” vampires, and a crush on the campus’s cutest librarian (hi, Cole 👋), Brennan’s journey is messy, funny, and deeply human—even if he’s technically not anymore.

💬 Why it works:

• Brennan’s voice is raw, witty, and painfully relatable.
• The romance? Soft, slow-burn, and swoon-worthy.
• Mental health themes are handled with care and authenticity.
• Found family vibes + vampire lore = a cozy, chaotic delight.


This book doesn’t just bite—it embraces. It’s for anyone who’s ever felt like the outsider, longed for connection, or wondered how to be “good” when everything feels out of control.

Thank you NetGalley, Jamie D’Amato, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!


🦇 Coming August 26, 2025 — pre-order it if you love stories with a supernatural twist and a whole lot of heart.

#BookReview #JamieDAmato #VampireRomCom #Bookstagram #MacmillanAudio #NetGalley

i really forgot how much i enjoyed these style of contemporary YA novels. the exploration of mental health issues and figuring out who you are and your sexuality with the added struggle of figuring out new vampire-hood.

this was a such a cathartic read for me. i really need the YA industry to get back to contemporary like it used to.

This is the most adorable broody emo vampire x hipster golden retriever cinnamon roll librarian romcom. The internal diaglogue of the MMC is funny and relatable. I love how the book focuses on mental health issues (and healthy ways of dealing with them) as well as keeping your own identity and morals in situations that you are not prepared for. It is charming, cozy, sweet, and and overall lovely read.

I really enjoyed the narrator, who was able to embrace the youthful voice of a college kid but old enough to know that he is not a teenager. Great job!

This book!!! Vampires? ✅ Queer romance? ✅ Twilight discourse? ✅ Excellent comedic timing? ✅

The Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood & Boyfriends was so heartwarming, endearing, funny, cute, and PRECIOUS. If you’re looking for something cozy but still exciting, this is the perfect book for you. It’s a timeless coming of age story all about self acceptance, overcoming fears, and learning to love and be loved.

Brennan and Cole’s relationship had me kicking my feet and giggling. I found Brennan’s mental health struggles to be deeply relatable. Every character, villains included, is so well written and developed that you can’t help but love them. I think I would happily read anything that the authors writes after having read this book. It was truly a delight.

Brennan, a severely depressed vegetarian in Sturbridge, MA (lol), is returning to college after surviving a suicide attempt in the spring, determined to succeed in school and life. At least, that was the plan - Brennan has been turned into a vampire following a tragic accident at the start of the semester. The hyper conscientious Brennan is in a near constant state of panic as he tries to wrap his head around his new life (unlife?) and the moral issues with drinking blood. To make matters worse, he keeps bumping into his crush, Cole, at the most inconvenient moments, such as while fangs deep in a stolen bag of blood. Luckily, Cole loves the paranormal and the two become inseparable, even as sinister events start to occur around their school. Brennan has to learn to balance his new place in the urban vampire clan, his thirst for blood, his humanity, and this new relationship. A threat to the humans of Massachusetts that could expose the existence of vampires puts Brennan to the test. He has to learn to trust himself and others to keep the worst from happening.

My only complaint is that I’m not convinced you can get from Sturbridge to Boston in an hour and 20 minutes with driving and the T, but I’m happy to overlook that.

While I liked the idea of this book in theory, and the logistics of the world the author created was enticing, I found the writing style hard to love. I always enjoy seeing more LGBTQ romance, as well as other genres that include romance, overall this was cute. It just was not a favorite read for me.

3.5

"To the sad gay kids" - brb crying over the dedication

Overview:

Brennan wakes up after a car accident he can't remember with some weird....side effects. While trying to figure out how he became a vampire, he gets dragged into the mystery of other mysterious deaths and missing kids on campus.

My thoughts:

I think if I were younger, still in the YA target range, I probably would have absolutely loved this book! The Twilight references throughout were a perfect fit for broody little vampire Brennan and little library lover Cole. There are themes of life after a suicide attempt, pressures to conform, and the pressure to please family. Overall a really cute young vampire book! Would definitely recommend to the YA/NA audience!

Audiobook specific notes: The narrator did wonderful! I honestly felt that they personally were going through the same anxiety as Brennan, it was sold so well! Three cheers for this narrator!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to check this out!