I have been waiting for this book since I found out that Anna Burke, Samara Breger and Jenn Alexander had challenged one another to write vampire novellas—which all turned into full-fledged novels. Breger’s A Long Time Dead became an instant favourite. I can’t count how many times I’ve recommended Burke’s In the Roses of Pieria (I’ll be listening to the audiobook soon and I’m super impatient). And now, Bloodline is out, and I got to experience it in audio, narrated by the always outstanding Quinn Riley, aka Jeremy Carlisle Parker.

All of Edie’s energy is going into saving the family coffee shop she inherited after her parents’ sudden death. The McLean family is much better at making excellent coffee than at managing a business, and the struggle is real. To help earn some direly needed money, Edie opens her home to a roommate, Empty, whose boyfriend turns out to be a vampire wannabe. Wannabes aren’t the only vampires in town, however…

First of all, I loved all the characters. There’s more to each of them than what shows on the surface and while they probably never would have met in different circumstances, their lives are richer with the others in them. I also liked that almost every time I got comfortable and thought I knew where the story would go next, a twist took me by surprise.

This novel is on the shorter side (longer than a novella though), and the ending felt a bit rushed. There were also a few repetitive moments, and a couple of unexpected takes (would an independent coffee shop owner really find anything positive to say about Starbucks?). That said, Bloodline is quirky, it’s funny, it’s moving, vividly written and narrated (Quinn Riley never disappoints), and makes good points on topics such as belonging, found family, othering, fear, and closets of all kinds.

Experience Bloodline:

Libro.fm (audiobook)

Bookshop.org (paperback)

Kobo (audiobook – ebook)

Amazon (audiobook – ebook – paperback)

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