3.5 stars

I selected this on a whim, and I'm glad I had the chance to engage with these characters.

Brennan has recently been turned and will now live out the rest of eternity as a permanently 19-year-old vampire. As I remember it, 19 was fine for a year, but to look 19 as an actual adult for centuries? Hmmmm. What's more complicated? Brennan survived a suicide attempt recently. Having to come to terms with where he was emotionally and psychologically only a few months ago AND where he will be for the long haul seems absolutely overwhelming, and it was the central detail I thought about through every conversation and plot point in this book. What a turn of events.

While I got hung up on this detail, it's by no means the actual focal point. Brennan does have to come to terms with his new identity, vampire community included, but he also begins a charming encounter with a non-vampire age-appropriate human. During this mega transition, a trusted (more than a) friend is exactly what Brennan needs.

I enjoyed the characters and world in which they exist. This isn't the absolutely bonkers setting in which many other YA paranormal romances occur, and I found this refreshing. There are times when the pacing can be adjusted, but this is a fun read for those who dig this topical area.

I'll be on the lookout for more from this author. Also, props to the narrator of this audiobook, who added a lot to the experience.

If being undead means getting a second chance at love, identity, and healing—then sign me up for the fang club. Jamie D’Amato’s A Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood & Boyfriends is a queer paranormal romance that sinks its teeth into the heart and doesn’t let go.

Brennan’s journey—from newly turned vampire to hesitant romantic—is refreshingly honest, painfully tender, and unexpectedly funny. His diary-style narration makes the experience deeply personal, and it’s impossible not to root for him as he fumbles through vampire puberty, student secrets, and feelings for the campus librarian (who just happens to be cinnamon-roll perfection).

Cole and Brennan’s romance is slow-burn sunshine/grump gold. They’re awkward. They’re earnest. They care for each other in ways that feel soft and steady—like a weighted blanket, but make it queer and undead.

This book is, in a word, charming. But if you need more, it's also sweet, cute, funny, delightful, and riveting. I cannot wait for more people to read this!

3.5⭐️
This was cute. That really sums it up. It’s has a bit more teeth to it where I wouldn’t call it “fluffy” but at times had that vibe going on.

I really enjoyed the queer representation as well as careful attention to other areas of diversity. I think teens will eat this book up as it’s a different spin on the vampire genre while paying homage to all the different ways that Vampires have been depicted.

I will say that for such a fun quirky book, the characters did fall a bit flat and the pacing dragged. I’m not sure if that was due to me consuming the audiobook or not but even with speeding it all the way up, it still had a “sleepy” quality to it. However, it was still an enjoyable read!

It was narrated by Michael Crouch who is killing it these days. I unexpectedly have listened to several books he has narrated over the past 3 months. He does such a great job with teen male voices. He is consistent and smooth with his vocals. One would never know the actor is over 40 as he does middle grade really well! And that’s exactly how this book reads.. middle grade. It is YA and the content is squarely in that category but it has a middle grade feel to it. Thankfully I enjoy a good middle grade book!

It comes out August 26th 2025 so it’s perfect for the upcoming “spooky season” for fall reading.


I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC from MacMillan Audio through NetGalley to read which gave the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My general rating system is below. Since I primarily read ARC books I rate according to how I think like minded readers will receive the book. I will round up or down depending on many factors and try not to let my personal wants affect a books ratings.

⭐️ Hated It but pushed through as I don’t DNF ARCs I have received.
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, content issues, poorly edited.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but it had something that stopped me from rounding up. Usually the book may have much more potential than what was given. I recommend it but with reservations.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I Really enjoyed it or think others will. These are solid reads that I definitely would recommend for a variety of reasons.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! These are books that remain rent free in my head for well after unfinished the book. It can be for a variety of reasons from being very well written or just the vibes that captured my mind. These books are also ones I would probably read again.

🧛 Bookish Thoughts
This was a very slow paced queer vampire romance. I was expecting more of a funny vampire romcom, but this leaned heavier and a bit more somber than I thought it would.

Brennan was a tough MMC to connect with. He self-sabotaged throughout the entire book, and while I could understand where it came from, it made it hard to root for him at times. He’s supposed to be nineteen, but he reads much younger, like early high school. This felt way more YA than New Adult.

That said, I do think the author handled the topic of suicide with care and honesty. And I have to admit, I enjoyed the Twilight references scattered throughout.

🩸 What to Expect
• Queer vampire romance
• Campus setting
• Found family
• Mental health

📖 Final Score: 3.5 stars
🎧 Audio Score: 3 stars
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo
📅 Pub Date: August 26, 2025
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.

I listened to this on audio through NetGalley and the narrator brought Brennan to life (or, you know… un-life) in the best way. His delivery captured the perfect mix of awkward, dramatic, and heartfelt. Definitely one of those audiobooks that enhances the entire reading experience.

The story kicks off when Brennan, a totally average college student, wakes up undead with zero memory of how it happened. Suddenly he’s dodging bloodlust, learning vampire rules on the fly, and catching feelings when he really shouldn't be.

Tropes:
🩸 Accidental Vampire
🩸 Queer Coming-of-Age
🩸 Found Family
🩸 College Setting
🩸 Awkward Boy Falls First
🩸 Soft Romance with Bite

The tone is mostly lighthearted and hilarious, I genuinely laughed out loud multiple times but it also digs into more serious themes like mental health, grief, and strained parental relationships. It’s the kind of book that can pivot from chaos to tenderness without missing a beat.

The mystery plot of the story intrigued me and the story was so fun. It’s witty, sweet, and full of heart. If you're craving a queer paranormal rom-com that doesn't take itself too seriously (but still hits emotionally), this one's worth a listen.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I saw someone say this was heartstopper meets Buffy the vampire slayer and they would be so right. This is the kind of vampire romcom I didn’t know I needed in my life. I had put it down one night and couldn’t stop thinking of the story that I finished it in one night lol. It was so cute. TW this story is about Brennan a newly turned vampire navigating life after an unalive attempt. That is a touchy subject for me as well as others but they handled it very well. I love the way they discuss anxiety and depression throughout the story. Brenann and Cole 🥹💕 UGH. Highly recommend. Thank you publishers and netgalley.

3.5 **

This is one of those silly & fun books that you can get lost in! My reason for my rating is bc it’s very low stakes and I feel like things happened, but at the same time, nothing happened — at least that’ll be memorable for me.

The group chat messages were HILARIOUS! And the characters were a lot of fun getting to know, also I loved the chapter titles.

The ending was ok, again most of this story won’t be something I remember but I listened to this audiobook in a day and had so much fun with this wildly different take on vampirism.

I received an e-ALC and am giving my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity!

I've been excited for this book for a while, and sadly missed when it was initially released on NetGalley so was ecstatic to see that its audiobook was also uploaded, and not only that, but Michael Crouch was narrating. Arguably my favorite audiobook narrator of all time, and a book I have been very excited to read. So when I was approved the morning of the day I had 5 hours to kill then a 3 hour train ride (sidenote, after seeing Dimension20 live, feat. *Brennan* Lee Mulligan as DM), it certainly felt like fate.

And, as someone who doesn't believe in fate, it still feels like it was fate. Brennan is so easily relatable. He'd describe his day-to-day with ease, but would include thoughts and feelings I feel but have always been too scared or embarrassed to voice. It felt painfully real, despite him being an actual vampire. He was hilarious, It felt real and one of the few books I've read that wrote early-20s realistically and well. It really felt like reading a conversation I'd have with my friends on many occasions. It felt like such a familiar read in that way, making all of the characters so much more real and multi-faceted. I felt connected to all of them more than other books I've read with similar settings. D'amato did a fantastic job of making each and every character filled with dimension. It didn't feel as if anyone was just written as a plot device, every friend of Brennan and Cole held depth.

The moment "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull was mentioned was a shock to my system. Sitting on a train while a little girl was turned in her seat, staring me down while she (really badly) chewed Ritz crackers, leaving my sweats covering in crumbs, and hearing the name of my favorite childhood series. It already felt a bit personal, with Cole's personality and Brennan's thoughts and, just, all of it, really, but this was the nail in the (metaphorical) coffin. That series was what got me into reading as a child, and to follow it up with two of the first queer books I'd ever read? A true punch to the gut, down to the note Cole left Brennan about the coming out scene in one of the books. My exact thoughts as I had sat in the theater of that movie. I had to pause to take a moment because jesus christ it was startlingly relatable.

Michael Crouch did a phenomenal time, as always. Truly never lets me down, always does an incredible job of bringing each character to life. The accents he's able to do is incredible. Not including Brennan's typical American, but southern and Australian and a few others sprinkled in here and there?! Absolutely phenomenal. And they sounded GOOD, too, not just passing, but like genuine Aussie accent.

I don't often reread books, my TBR is so long with mainly books to review, but this will be one of the very few that I do. A bit on the older side of young adult, for sure, but not in a bad way. More in a realistic way, without the addition of explicit scenes. Every one of my friends say the "f-word," and it's rare to see it used so freely in YA like it should be. This is an incredible book about mental health, queer love, self-discovery, self-acceptance, and self-love. I'd recommend to anyone looking for a good queer, vampire story with a sweet and adorable romance, especially if they're worried about starting college. Filled with brilliant pop-culture references as well, Buffy, What We Do in the Shadows being the main ones I can remember off the top of my head.

This is my first time ever DNFing an ARC. I didn’t enjoy it at all, the characters lacked depth and the story failed to grab my attention.

This was a cute, fun read!!
Totally related to Brennan & I think that’s why he gave me so much anxiety w/ his overthinking ☠️
‘Cause I know what that headspace is like—
I’m so glad he had a Cole to mellow himself out.

When I say their banter was so much fun, I was crackin’ tf UP throughout the day.

“How high are you…”
“I believe it’s “Hi, how are you?” 🤣

And it wasn’t only them, but all the characters had so much personality, I was obsessed. Tony was def a fave, esp that Christmas text he sent ☠️ That might’ve been my fave scene lol!!
I was dyinggg.
And Nelly being so technologically new was just such a fun addition. The Vamps overall were so much fun, except when they weren’t 👁️👄👁️
And the amount of pamphlets they had for every situation had me dead lmfao.

Cole was such a mood too, but from a family who blasted ABBA… I relate so hard. + The swimming scene… BLUSH!!
The amount of times Twilight is mentioned would’ve been cringe, but I feel like it was just too funny & too real to care lmfao. Esp that one scene which gave VERY MUCH Twilight 🤣
*But seriously, take a shot for every time it’s mentioned lol!

Thinking OP (spelling? I did an audio ☠️) or whoever ran that forum is as a *gender* for 3mos was hilarious. I literally didn’t even think about it until they mentioned like… Huh, yk what 😀 Heck yeah!!

Anyways… This was such a fun read, pls pick it up & LET’S CARPE DIS DIEM LMFAO.
Michael Crouch is one of my fave narrators lately, so this was the perfect read to start this week!!

This book is such an adorable accidental vampire story. We follow a brand new vampire who woke up after a near death experience and realized something was different. He’s on his own trying to figure it out and it is a wild ride the whole way.

This book brings to light some real issues surrounding sexuality as well as mental health and I think it handles them in a great way. I resonated with the mental health aspects for sure, but as I’m a straight woman I do not feel I can comment on the authenticity of the sexuality aspects further than I have.

The characters are so relatable and I absolutely did not want this book to end. It’s such a great story surrounding a great group of characters. Worth the read for sure.