Full disclosure here, I absolutely did choose this book for its cover. And its title. I saw the author posting about it on TikTok and and when she offered up some advance copies, I was immediately in. But of course, I am an epic procrastinator, so I just finished reading it in time for its publication date, which is today, Friday the 13th. Happy birthday, Vampire Menstrual Syndrome! (Or would that be unbirthday?)
I need to admit that I made some assumptions about what this book would be about before starting reading, so it took me a little bit to reconcile its actual plot with the expectations I had made up in my mind. In case anyone may make the same mistake, it is NOT about figuring out a sustainable vampire food source so that they don’t have to murder so much. I do hope someone writes that story (or maybe they already have and I just haven’t plumbed the depths of the internet enough to find it), because I think there’s a lot of possibility there. But that’s besides the point.
This story is about Vanessa, a college-age woman who works for a baker and makes an ill-advised late-night cake delivery to a teenager’s birthday party that changes her life, or rather, ends it. Mayhem, naturally, ensues.
Vanessa lives with her longtime best friend Wyatt. Their found-family bond is the centerpiece of this story and they have each others’ backs, no matter what. They pun with reckless abandon, something I can truly identify with, while trying to figure out how to keep Vanessa alive (or, undead) from misogynistic vampires who are trying to hunt her down.
Vanessa and Wyatt are both queer and there are cute love interest side plots, and more friends they make along the way.
I read this quickly, even though at 476 pages it’s a pretty hefty book. The kindle version is available for the classic price of $6.66 and is a lot easier to carry around. It’s a trilogy, and I’m interested to see what comes next. Will Vanessa tame her blood lust? Will she ever stop menstruating? Will Wyatt figure out his own supernatural abilities? Which love interest(s) will Wyatt choose? What dad jokes will they come up with next? I suppose I will have to stay tuned for volume 2.