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Vampire Sorority Sisters #2
Blacker Than Blue
The beginning of Cleo Jones’s life as a vampire was the end of her relationship with her first love and only submissive, college senior Benny Tarver. Mutual resentment and heartache have kept them apart for the past three years, but their responsibilities to the sisters of Alpha Beta Omega sorority have held them in each other’s sights. With graduation looming, Benny knows it is time for her to move on from the sorority and her lingering feelings for Cleo, but when Cleo realizes she may lose Benny forever to a powerful demon, she must put her fears aside to discover if they can find the strength to let go of their pain and accept that the love between them is true.
264 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
24 people are currently reading
532 people want to read
About the author
Rebekah Weatherspoon
33 books2,933 followersAfter years of meddling in her friends’ love lives, Rebekah Weatherspoon turned to writing romance to get her fix. Raised in Southern New Hampshire, Rebekah Weatherspoon now lives in Southern California where she will remain forever because she hates moving.
Her BDSM romance At Her Feet won the Golden Crown Literary Award for erotic lesbian fiction. Her novella FIT (#1 in the FIT Trilogy) won the Romantic Times Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Erotica Novella, SATED (#3 in the FIT Trilogy) was nominated for the the Romantic Times Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Digital Erotic Romance and most recently SOUL TO KEEP VSS#3 won the 2017 Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBTQ Erotica.
Her 2018 romantic comedy RAFE: A Buff Male Nanny received praise from both Entertainment Weekly and the New York Times. You can look for her most recent romantic comedy XENI : A Marriage of Inconvenience now, and a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, A COWBOY TO REMEMBER, late February 2020 from Kensington Books. In the meant time, you can find Rebekah and her books on twitter at @rdotspoon and her website www.rebekahweatherspoon.com,
Her BDSM romance At Her Feet won the Golden Crown Literary Award for erotic lesbian fiction. Her novella FIT (#1 in the FIT Trilogy) won the Romantic Times Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Erotica Novella, SATED (#3 in the FIT Trilogy) was nominated for the the Romantic Times Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Digital Erotic Romance and most recently SOUL TO KEEP VSS#3 won the 2017 Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBTQ Erotica.
Her 2018 romantic comedy RAFE: A Buff Male Nanny received praise from both Entertainment Weekly and the New York Times. You can look for her most recent romantic comedy XENI : A Marriage of Inconvenience now, and a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, A COWBOY TO REMEMBER, late February 2020 from Kensington Books. In the meant time, you can find Rebekah and her books on twitter at @rdotspoon and her website www.rebekahweatherspoon.com,
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
February 1, 2013
Okay, give me a moment to put myself back together.
Rebekah Weatherspoon, you nearly killed me with those last dozen pages.
Sorry. Breathing in. Breathing out.
Right. So, if you're just joining in with Blacker Than Blue, I'm going to hold up a hand and tell you to halt, do not pass "Go" and head on back to the first book in the vampire sorority sisters books, Better Off Red: Vampire Sorority Sisters Book 1. Not because you couldn't read this one as a stand alone, but because you owe it to yourself to have read the first book first, and quite frankly I think the variance between the two books is a thing of freaking beauty.
In the first book, Benny and Cleo are secondary characters, but here in Blacker Than Blue they come to centre stage. Their relationship is - to give no spoilers away, since this is page-one material - a complete and utter mess. They've broken up, they have some nasty feelings for each other, and both of them are pig-headed fools that make you want to reach through the pages and strangle the both of them.
It's a credit to Rebekah Weatherspoon that the situation is so tangled, and the characters so stubborn, and yet I could not look away. You want things to work out for these two, and the ride is not a pleasant one for them.
Now here's that variance I was talking about. Ginger, in Better Off Red: Vampire Sorority Sisters Book 1, had a fun and bratty vibe to her, and the vampire who had caught her eye brought a darker and deeper pain to the story, but together the overall book was fun and upbeat. That's not to say there weren't dark periods - there were - but that the overall lightness of the tale was definitely present.
Blacker Than Blue, on the other hand, has an overall tone that is much more often tangled and worrying. The choices that Benny and Cleo make are harsher, and the realities of their lives - and the fallout of their decisions - are much more likely to leave you terrified for them. The last twenty pages or so alone had me cringing with hope that it would work out, but unsure precisely because of the path the story had taken. This was incredibly deft writing in that regard: you are unsure if there are happy endings to be had in this book, and you are so invested in wanting one that you can't look away the entire time.
Oh, and the sex! Oh holy heck did I already know Rebekah Weatherspoon could do some scorching prose (see also: The Fling), but add in some demon shapeshifting, some dom/sub personalities, and some inventive toy use, and stir? That's a recipe for smoke and fire, folks.
I loved this (in case that wasn't clear), and I loved this because of how the same shared world as the first book remained consistent alongside this second book that had such a different tone. That is not easy to pull off. I look forward to more of these tales, and if I may have a selfish moment, I'm also crossing fingers for some of the frat brothers to pop up, too. Maybe a short story? Please, Rebekah Weatherspoon?
Rebekah Weatherspoon, you nearly killed me with those last dozen pages.
Sorry. Breathing in. Breathing out.
Right. So, if you're just joining in with Blacker Than Blue, I'm going to hold up a hand and tell you to halt, do not pass "Go" and head on back to the first book in the vampire sorority sisters books, Better Off Red: Vampire Sorority Sisters Book 1. Not because you couldn't read this one as a stand alone, but because you owe it to yourself to have read the first book first, and quite frankly I think the variance between the two books is a thing of freaking beauty.
In the first book, Benny and Cleo are secondary characters, but here in Blacker Than Blue they come to centre stage. Their relationship is - to give no spoilers away, since this is page-one material - a complete and utter mess. They've broken up, they have some nasty feelings for each other, and both of them are pig-headed fools that make you want to reach through the pages and strangle the both of them.
It's a credit to Rebekah Weatherspoon that the situation is so tangled, and the characters so stubborn, and yet I could not look away. You want things to work out for these two, and the ride is not a pleasant one for them.
Now here's that variance I was talking about. Ginger, in Better Off Red: Vampire Sorority Sisters Book 1, had a fun and bratty vibe to her, and the vampire who had caught her eye brought a darker and deeper pain to the story, but together the overall book was fun and upbeat. That's not to say there weren't dark periods - there were - but that the overall lightness of the tale was definitely present.
Blacker Than Blue, on the other hand, has an overall tone that is much more often tangled and worrying. The choices that Benny and Cleo make are harsher, and the realities of their lives - and the fallout of their decisions - are much more likely to leave you terrified for them. The last twenty pages or so alone had me cringing with hope that it would work out, but unsure precisely because of the path the story had taken. This was incredibly deft writing in that regard: you are unsure if there are happy endings to be had in this book, and you are so invested in wanting one that you can't look away the entire time.
Oh, and the sex! Oh holy heck did I already know Rebekah Weatherspoon could do some scorching prose (see also: The Fling), but add in some demon shapeshifting, some dom/sub personalities, and some inventive toy use, and stir? That's a recipe for smoke and fire, folks.
I loved this (in case that wasn't clear), and I loved this because of how the same shared world as the first book remained consistent alongside this second book that had such a different tone. That is not easy to pull off. I look forward to more of these tales, and if I may have a selfish moment, I'm also crossing fingers for some of the frat brothers to pop up, too. Maybe a short story? Please, Rebekah Weatherspoon?
August 17, 2014
Alas!
After being pleasantly surprised with the first book in this series (“Better Off Red”), I looked forward to the second, which promised to close some of the more pressing loopholes present in the world. “Blacker than Blue” did deliver on this promise, returning to the world already built in the first book, and placing at the centre of the action two of the more interesting side characters. However, although the writing is deft, Weatherspoon has created possibly the least sympathetic main character ever in Cleo. There was a real and pressing disconnect between the author clearly wanting me to barrack for this character, while my own feelings ran rather more towards “kill it with fire and stake the ashes out in the sun”. Certainly a problem.
Cleo and Benny are in a strange sort of limbo place defined by fierce hatred, bitterness, and intense love/lust. Things are brought to a head when Benny, in an attempt to (justifiably) get out of this destructive not relationship, accepts an offer of kind-of marriage to the most powerful demon on Earth. The remainder of the book are the consequences of Cleo deciding that the six previous chapters of her wangst, and also her bizarre loathing of Benny, actually don't matter, because she *truly loves* Benny, and clearly Benny can't do this to her. I must admit, I found myself utterly unsympathetic quite early on.
There is nothing intrinsically wrong with this plot, which would actually be very interesting. The problem is purely with that single character. At the risk of spoilers, Cleo manages to put every single person who loves her in danger (including personally killing one), casually breaks other people's sworn words, and generally acts like a sociopath. It is very rarely that I have felt such loathing, especially when in the first book she was a character with whom it was reasonably easy to relate.
I cannot recommend this book.
After being pleasantly surprised with the first book in this series (“Better Off Red”), I looked forward to the second, which promised to close some of the more pressing loopholes present in the world. “Blacker than Blue” did deliver on this promise, returning to the world already built in the first book, and placing at the centre of the action two of the more interesting side characters. However, although the writing is deft, Weatherspoon has created possibly the least sympathetic main character ever in Cleo. There was a real and pressing disconnect between the author clearly wanting me to barrack for this character, while my own feelings ran rather more towards “kill it with fire and stake the ashes out in the sun”. Certainly a problem.
Cleo and Benny are in a strange sort of limbo place defined by fierce hatred, bitterness, and intense love/lust. Things are brought to a head when Benny, in an attempt to (justifiably) get out of this destructive not relationship, accepts an offer of kind-of marriage to the most powerful demon on Earth. The remainder of the book are the consequences of Cleo deciding that the six previous chapters of her wangst, and also her bizarre loathing of Benny, actually don't matter, because she *truly loves* Benny, and clearly Benny can't do this to her. I must admit, I found myself utterly unsympathetic quite early on.
There is nothing intrinsically wrong with this plot, which would actually be very interesting. The problem is purely with that single character. At the risk of spoilers, Cleo manages to put every single person who loves her in danger (including personally killing one), casually breaks other people's sworn words, and generally acts like a sociopath. It is very rarely that I have felt such loathing, especially when in the first book she was a character with whom it was reasonably easy to relate.
I cannot recommend this book.
March 30, 2020
I liked the first one better and I honestly don't know how to rate this one so I'll just separate them.
I'll give it a 3 for the general story I don't know I found it lacking of something.
Then I'll give it a 4.5 for the relationship between Benny and Cleo and how the book ended (I'll always be a sucker for happy endings) their relation was well developed even if a little fast for them to get back together.
So I guess I'll give it a 4 as my final decision.
I was happy to learn more from the other characters but I'd like to have more of Natasha I don't know she seems interesting in a way. Well this book was good but the first one was better
I'll give it a 3 for the general story I don't know I found it lacking of something.
Then I'll give it a 4.5 for the relationship between Benny and Cleo and how the book ended (I'll always be a sucker for happy endings) their relation was well developed even if a little fast for them to get back together.
So I guess I'll give it a 4 as my final decision.
I was happy to learn more from the other characters but I'd like to have more of Natasha I don't know she seems interesting in a way. Well this book was good but the first one was better
January 7, 2016
Here's the gist of it: I loved Better off Red but I liked Blacker Than Blue. While the first book in the Vampire Sorority Sisters duo focused a lot on the sisters and the sister-queens, Blacker Than Blue brings much more of the demon-life to the forefront (which it turns out, was of less interest to me).
Of course, there was just as much sex and just as much steam, but the protagonist (Benny) and her love interest (Cleo) just weren't as believable to me as Ginger and Camila. I certainly believed that they wanted each other, and I believed the jealousy when they weren't together (no spoilers, promise). I even believed in how well suited they were together, sexually (and I always adore BDSM themes, of which there were plenty). But I didn't believe they were star-crossed lovers absolutely meant to be together, which is what the book wants you to believe. At least not the same way that Ginger and Camila were meant to be.
Again, the book was totally enjoyable and I read it twice - well written BDSM scenes always get me, especially when there's so much drab out there (50 Shades of Grey, ehem). It's always nice when somebody gets it - and the emotions behind it - right.
All in all, I'd give it 3 very solid thumbs up. Which isn't bad at all!
Of course, there was just as much sex and just as much steam, but the protagonist (Benny) and her love interest (Cleo) just weren't as believable to me as Ginger and Camila. I certainly believed that they wanted each other, and I believed the jealousy when they weren't together (no spoilers, promise). I even believed in how well suited they were together, sexually (and I always adore BDSM themes, of which there were plenty). But I didn't believe they were star-crossed lovers absolutely meant to be together, which is what the book wants you to believe. At least not the same way that Ginger and Camila were meant to be.
Again, the book was totally enjoyable and I read it twice - well written BDSM scenes always get me, especially when there's so much drab out there (50 Shades of Grey, ehem). It's always nice when somebody gets it - and the emotions behind it - right.
All in all, I'd give it 3 very solid thumbs up. Which isn't bad at all!
August 25, 2023
Not as good as the first in the series. Although it was nice to see Cleo and Benny finally talk. Red and Camilla changed a bit more than I expected from the first, because I remember Ginger as very jealous. I also do t know why she let the freshman with the crush harass Benny so much. I was pleased when Sam cut in. I’d prefer more of her story. Just also too much cock in this for my lesbian tastes. And way too much talk of sperm. Like ewww gay for a reason.
February 10, 2013
Loved the first book so I bought this one as well.. this somehow just doesn't connect with me....
but in general I like Rebekah's books
but in general I like Rebekah's books
February 12, 2023
Disappointing that Cleo's character regresses here instead of developing. She's angry and lashing out, which I liked, but making weirdly illogical and strange decisions that don't really fit her. I guess it's explained by her demon side? I don't even know. Getting a peek into Benny's mind was interesting, given her thing is being closed off and impassive. I don't really understand how they went from nursing grudges to abruptly back together halfway through the book.
Their relationship is That was interesting (in a good way) to say the least.
The plot and pacing of this series just isn't working for me at all. There are huge life changing events every few chapters and no real build up and no time to absorb the impact. Earth shattering event! Ok moving on. And another! Alright. I don't care any more. I liked the first half, the second half went a little haywire.
Their relationship is That was interesting (in a good way) to say the least.
The plot and pacing of this series just isn't working for me at all. There are huge life changing events every few chapters and no real build up and no time to absorb the impact. Earth shattering event! Ok moving on. And another! Alright. I don't care any more. I liked the first half, the second half went a little haywire.
Read
October 20, 2023DNF @ 8%. I guess my quest for a book by this author that I can gel with continues.
Read
October 30, 2023Dnf by ch 2. Not my thing.
April 25, 2013
Cleopatra Jones and Benita Tarver had been in love, and now they are each other’s throats - well, not literally, as one would expect in a vampire novel.
Despite their estrangement, they are still forced to see one another in the company of others at least once a week. And not just in a comfortable “hi, how are you,” passing greeting, but in what basically amounts to a giant make out session where each has to watch her ex, someone for whom she still carries strong feelings, make out with other feeders and/or vampires.
For Benny, it’s sweet torture. She’s totally attuned to Cleo: her voice, her scent, her physical beauty... and then Cleo will glare at her with hate.
Yeah, ouch!
This is both a sequel to Better Off Red, and is meant as a stand-alone. You can’t unring a bell, and I can’t unread Better Off Red, which I loved, so it’s hard for me to evaluate whether this book works as well as a stand-alone.
I’m not sure if I came to this as a new reader, that I would understand all the rules of this particular vampire world. It was very well-established in the previous book, the way the sorority is something of a cover for a group of vampire queens who establish a symbiotic relationship with their willing feeders, what the vampires can do, and so on.
There’s so much of this I really, really liked. Despite the vampire complications, the sorority sister goings-on, the petty dramas and jealousies and personality conflicts felt very real. My favorite secondary character has to be Benny’s mom, Leanne. She’s a sweet Southern belle, all warmth and hospitality, who’s got this big scary demon, Benny’s stepdad, Dalhem, wrapped around her little bitty finger.
When Benny and Cleo do reconcile, she’s cheerleading from the sidelines. Coming into Benny’s bedroom in the morning, she remarks, “My Lord. You two had fun last night. It smells like blood and booty in here.”
I loved Benny, dealing with body issues. I loved Cleo struggling to let go of her human family. I liked the incredibly hot sex scenes and the interesting ways that a vampire can shape shift in this world. There’s much humor sprinkled throughout, from Ms. Leanne, to the frat boys naming their puppy Motherfucker. I loved that there are huge number of characters throughout, yet every one of them had a distinct voice and characteristics. I liked the big spooky scary demons.
So, I really, really like it - just not quite as well as I liked Better Off Red.
Despite their estrangement, they are still forced to see one another in the company of others at least once a week. And not just in a comfortable “hi, how are you,” passing greeting, but in what basically amounts to a giant make out session where each has to watch her ex, someone for whom she still carries strong feelings, make out with other feeders and/or vampires.
For Benny, it’s sweet torture. She’s totally attuned to Cleo: her voice, her scent, her physical beauty... and then Cleo will glare at her with hate.
Yeah, ouch!
This is both a sequel to Better Off Red, and is meant as a stand-alone. You can’t unring a bell, and I can’t unread Better Off Red, which I loved, so it’s hard for me to evaluate whether this book works as well as a stand-alone.
I’m not sure if I came to this as a new reader, that I would understand all the rules of this particular vampire world. It was very well-established in the previous book, the way the sorority is something of a cover for a group of vampire queens who establish a symbiotic relationship with their willing feeders, what the vampires can do, and so on.
There’s so much of this I really, really liked. Despite the vampire complications, the sorority sister goings-on, the petty dramas and jealousies and personality conflicts felt very real. My favorite secondary character has to be Benny’s mom, Leanne. She’s a sweet Southern belle, all warmth and hospitality, who’s got this big scary demon, Benny’s stepdad, Dalhem, wrapped around her little bitty finger.
When Benny and Cleo do reconcile, she’s cheerleading from the sidelines. Coming into Benny’s bedroom in the morning, she remarks, “My Lord. You two had fun last night. It smells like blood and booty in here.”
I loved Benny, dealing with body issues. I loved Cleo struggling to let go of her human family. I liked the incredibly hot sex scenes and the interesting ways that a vampire can shape shift in this world. There’s much humor sprinkled throughout, from Ms. Leanne, to the frat boys naming their puppy Motherfucker. I loved that there are huge number of characters throughout, yet every one of them had a distinct voice and characteristics. I liked the big spooky scary demons.
So, I really, really like it - just not quite as well as I liked Better Off Red.
October 1, 2013
This is a sequel to ‘Better Off Red’. I believe it would be very helpful, perhaps even essential, to read them in sequence.
This story contains vampires, pure demons, devastated families, a wedding, a baby, an incredible ending, beauty, loss, and love. I am fairly sure my list is incomplete but I hope I am expressing a sense of the depth and richness that permeates this entire book. The two primary characters are kind of serious, sometimes incorrigible, and have several poignant flaws that made their reconciliation complicated and painful on both sides. As I have come to expect from Rebekah Weatherspoon’s books, there were brilliant yet startlingly imaginative complex storylines sometimes uncomfortable to experience but essential to the total story arc. This was one conspicuous but heartrending tale. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t have missed it for anything!
Benita Tarver, Benny, believes her one and only true love has in essence abandoned her forever. College students are still prone to adolescent extremes, but Benny might be on to something. As readers, we get to be in both Benny and then Cleo’s mind. That was such a bedazzling trip and a half, but perfectly suited for the opening chapters of this book. I adore Benny, she is just so amazing, eloquent, and annoyingly consistent!
Cleopatra Jones, Cleo, is Benny’s lover. Cleo is now a vampire. That dramatic and climactic event, presented in ‘Better off Red’, snakes its way through all of Benny and Cleo’s relationship troubles as this sequel unfolds. Additionally, Cleo has not been able to distance herself from her human family causing many more of her adaptation difficulties. Cleo has a whole peck of troubles, hassles and attitude. I positively love Cleo and hurt like Hades when she did.
This book took me to my knees with tears, laughter, and instances of love that made me shake the rafters with joy, pain, and profound shifts in my very soul. I cannot guarantee life-changing experiences for every reader, but it is plausible to me that most folks might be completely overwhelmed and pleased to the max! Do read ‘Better off Red’ and then be wowed by ‘Blacker than Blue’!
NOTE: This book was provided by Bold Strokes Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
This story contains vampires, pure demons, devastated families, a wedding, a baby, an incredible ending, beauty, loss, and love. I am fairly sure my list is incomplete but I hope I am expressing a sense of the depth and richness that permeates this entire book. The two primary characters are kind of serious, sometimes incorrigible, and have several poignant flaws that made their reconciliation complicated and painful on both sides. As I have come to expect from Rebekah Weatherspoon’s books, there were brilliant yet startlingly imaginative complex storylines sometimes uncomfortable to experience but essential to the total story arc. This was one conspicuous but heartrending tale. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t have missed it for anything!
Benita Tarver, Benny, believes her one and only true love has in essence abandoned her forever. College students are still prone to adolescent extremes, but Benny might be on to something. As readers, we get to be in both Benny and then Cleo’s mind. That was such a bedazzling trip and a half, but perfectly suited for the opening chapters of this book. I adore Benny, she is just so amazing, eloquent, and annoyingly consistent!
Cleopatra Jones, Cleo, is Benny’s lover. Cleo is now a vampire. That dramatic and climactic event, presented in ‘Better off Red’, snakes its way through all of Benny and Cleo’s relationship troubles as this sequel unfolds. Additionally, Cleo has not been able to distance herself from her human family causing many more of her adaptation difficulties. Cleo has a whole peck of troubles, hassles and attitude. I positively love Cleo and hurt like Hades when she did.
This book took me to my knees with tears, laughter, and instances of love that made me shake the rafters with joy, pain, and profound shifts in my very soul. I cannot guarantee life-changing experiences for every reader, but it is plausible to me that most folks might be completely overwhelmed and pleased to the max! Do read ‘Better off Red’ and then be wowed by ‘Blacker than Blue’!
NOTE: This book was provided by Bold Strokes Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
January 10, 2020
How is it possible. I really loved book 1, but this one?? It would have been better if it was a novella. It should have stopped after Benny and Cleo(who I both did not like anymore in this book) got together. 2 stars is all I could give this after I pushed myself to finish it and skipping a lot of pages.
July 29, 2025
Actual Rating: 2.75 stars, rounded up
Oh silly Gab, saying “I’ll be back in a few weeks for Book 2!” Within 4 days of finishing Better Off Red, I returned to Rebekah Weatherspoon’s lesbian vampire sorority universe—OF COURSE I DID. If I hadn’t had 3 book club/buddy read meetings last week, I would’ve started Blacker than Blue even sooner!!!
Cleo was one of my favorite characters in Better Off Red, so I was glad she got the main character treatment. At the same time, Benny was one of my LEAST favorite characters, something I stand by after finishing Blacker than Blue. The whole adults influencing their barely legal children into their super alternative lifestyle is just always going to feel icky to me, even in a paranormal story. It was INFURIATING to hear Benny’s awful parents claim that a 21-year-old bonding herself to a super demon is “what’s best for her” because she’s upset over her first breakup. Like y’all are just as terrible as human parents forcing their kids to marry for status or image—once again, everything I’m reading is reminding me of Gilded Age Season 3!!!!
This is where I’m at least glad that Benny’s nonsense was matched with Cleo’s reason. It was so aggravating to see Benny have all this smoke for Cleo’s mom being homophobic and too in the church, meanwhile the girl barely came to the realization that her parents are being misogynistic and too in the underworld. Like I will take my homophobic parents over parents who want me to become a demon’s sex slave any day!!!! I also just didn’t buy the story that Cleo’s mom would never come around, especially after what we saw with Nathaniel. From personal experience, I know that these things take time. Cleo was never given time—that was the whole problem, and something Benny never became truly sympathetic towards.
Overall, the story was just fine for what it was. It gets better once you get to the other side of these hyperbolic arguments between Benny and Cleo, because then we’re treated to gems like Cleo standing up to this ridiculous manchild of a demon who has brainwashed his wife and stepdaughter into this paranormal patriarchy. I just wanted Omi and Mary to set Cleo up with a nice Black vampire, so she could leave this horrendous family in the dust—including Benny!!!!
I was glad Paeno didn’t fully get her way, but it was SOOOO bad from a storytelling perspective how that thread was dropped for 150 pages, and then picked back up in the last 15 pages. As great as the sex scenes always are with this author, Rebekah Weatherspoon could’ve swapped a few of them to help flesh out the plot. I just don’t like leaving a book feeling like certain elements of the story were a waste of my time as a reader.
Final thoughts: I need Cleo to be that one in a million vampire who makes it home to glory!!! She deserves it after dealing with these creeps. I’d say that if you are intrigued by the book summary, this will likely be worth your time. It’s a bit long for what it is, but still something you can finish in a few days. Finally, if you liked this and want more lesbian romance stuff, I made several recommendations in my review of Better Off Red.
Oh silly Gab, saying “I’ll be back in a few weeks for Book 2!” Within 4 days of finishing Better Off Red, I returned to Rebekah Weatherspoon’s lesbian vampire sorority universe—OF COURSE I DID. If I hadn’t had 3 book club/buddy read meetings last week, I would’ve started Blacker than Blue even sooner!!!
Cleo was one of my favorite characters in Better Off Red, so I was glad she got the main character treatment. At the same time, Benny was one of my LEAST favorite characters, something I stand by after finishing Blacker than Blue. The whole adults influencing their barely legal children into their super alternative lifestyle is just always going to feel icky to me, even in a paranormal story. It was INFURIATING to hear Benny’s awful parents claim that a 21-year-old bonding herself to a super demon is “what’s best for her” because she’s upset over her first breakup. Like y’all are just as terrible as human parents forcing their kids to marry for status or image—once again, everything I’m reading is reminding me of Gilded Age Season 3!!!!
This is where I’m at least glad that Benny’s nonsense was matched with Cleo’s reason. It was so aggravating to see Benny have all this smoke for Cleo’s mom being homophobic and too in the church, meanwhile the girl barely came to the realization that her parents are being misogynistic and too in the underworld. Like I will take my homophobic parents over parents who want me to become a demon’s sex slave any day!!!! I also just didn’t buy the story that Cleo’s mom would never come around, especially after what we saw with Nathaniel. From personal experience, I know that these things take time. Cleo was never given time—that was the whole problem, and something Benny never became truly sympathetic towards.
Overall, the story was just fine for what it was. It gets better once you get to the other side of these hyperbolic arguments between Benny and Cleo, because then we’re treated to gems like Cleo standing up to this ridiculous manchild of a demon who has brainwashed his wife and stepdaughter into this paranormal patriarchy. I just wanted Omi and Mary to set Cleo up with a nice Black vampire, so she could leave this horrendous family in the dust—including Benny!!!!
I was glad Paeno didn’t fully get her way, but it was SOOOO bad from a storytelling perspective how that thread was dropped for 150 pages, and then picked back up in the last 15 pages. As great as the sex scenes always are with this author, Rebekah Weatherspoon could’ve swapped a few of them to help flesh out the plot. I just don’t like leaving a book feeling like certain elements of the story were a waste of my time as a reader.
Final thoughts: I need Cleo to be that one in a million vampire who makes it home to glory!!! She deserves it after dealing with these creeps. I’d say that if you are intrigued by the book summary, this will likely be worth your time. It’s a bit long for what it is, but still something you can finish in a few days. Finally, if you liked this and want more lesbian romance stuff, I made several recommendations in my review of Better Off Red.
January 26, 2022
I’m a little conflicted. It was okay, but the romance development felt so strange. Benny and Cleo were so brutal with each other in their thoughts at first, like they didn’t think the other had any sentiments at all. Yet they seemed to change their mind without good reasons. Nothing, absolutely nothing had changed. I liked their dynamics after, but I couldn’t believe their feelings. Benny at least should have made more efforts. Well, Cleo too.
The plot itself had a weird rhythm. Things only connected in the last 10% of the book, even though we knew that they would eventually be connected. I wanted a little more. More explanation, more understanding of Dalhem and Paeno. The ending was bitter-sweet, more so than what I expected, but it makes sense I guess.
I liked the side characters. Mary and Omi, Andrew… They were so precious.
Also, why is everybody looking down on Jill so harshly, while saying that she is sweet and easy-going at the same time ? I understand why Benny would be a little annoyed with her, but the others ? Why ? I know it's a thing that happens, but gosh it was so sad.
And, hum, where is Danni ? Amy only mentioned her like one time, and I find it perturbing. 😅
The plot itself had a weird rhythm. Things only connected in the last 10% of the book, even though we knew that they would eventually be connected. I wanted a little more. More explanation, more understanding of Dalhem and Paeno. The ending was bitter-sweet, more so than what I expected, but it makes sense I guess.
I liked the side characters. Mary and Omi, Andrew… They were so precious.
Also, why is everybody looking down on Jill so harshly, while saying that she is sweet and easy-going at the same time ? I understand why Benny would be a little annoyed with her, but the others ? Why ? I know it's a thing that happens, but gosh it was so sad.
And, hum, where is Danni ? Amy only mentioned her like one time, and I find it perturbing. 😅
January 27, 2024
I think I liked this one even more than Better Off Red. Cleo and Benny's relationship starts out super fucked up and even abusive, to the extent that I was hoping they wouldn't get back together. I like that the writing got me to care about the characters as people, I was all but yelling at Benny to run away to China to escape her psycho ex. But of course they do get back together, and reading about them learning to forgive eachother and communicate their needs was also satisfying.
In terms of sex, this book is way kinkier than the first one, with a lot of mild-to-moderate BDSM stuff. It's written in a way that's interesting. There was a better balance between sex and drama this time also, it felt like less sex overall than in the first book. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending. It felt like this big drama kind of came out of nowhere and then was just as suddenly resolved.
In terms of sex, this book is way kinkier than the first one, with a lot of mild-to-moderate BDSM stuff. It's written in a way that's interesting. There was a better balance between sex and drama this time also, it felt like less sex overall than in the first book. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending. It felt like this big drama kind of came out of nowhere and then was just as suddenly resolved.
March 4, 2025
Blacker Than Blue
We got a little taste of Cleo and Benny's relationship in "Better Off Red" - their secret relationship abruptly ending after Cleo's accident. Obviously, there were a lot of questions, and now we get them answered!
3 years later - Cleo and Benny are still avoiding one another. They both are angry and hurting and don't know how to deal with their feelings. Until a deal with an even more powerful demon threatens to separate them from each other forever.
This was beautiful - almost cried towards the end. The series so far is awesome! Love the vampires, love the sisterhood, love it all!
We got a little taste of Cleo and Benny's relationship in "Better Off Red" - their secret relationship abruptly ending after Cleo's accident. Obviously, there were a lot of questions, and now we get them answered!
3 years later - Cleo and Benny are still avoiding one another. They both are angry and hurting and don't know how to deal with their feelings. Until a deal with an even more powerful demon threatens to separate them from each other forever.
This was beautiful - almost cried towards the end. The series so far is awesome! Love the vampires, love the sisterhood, love it all!
January 2, 2025
3 stars. Whilst I loved the first book in the series, I only kind of liked this one. I didn’t actually mind the deeper look into demonology in this one, but the sorority sister’s plot line from book 1 was by far the preference so would’ve liked to have seen it played out more in this. It’s still a wlw centred storyline which I am always going to value massively (although the g!p moment threw me way off in this book)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2024
Pretty disappointed by the sequel. I didn’t buy into the love of Benny and Cleo. They are so fundamentally different and I just get the impression that Benny will always get what she wants and I don’t feel convinced that Cleo’s nature would really want to build the life she now has. The writing was still brilliant but I certainly wasn’t fully invested by the love story.
May 10, 2019
Ah-mazing!
Loved every part of this read. It had all the things I need in a good sexy book and the kink... Don't even get me started. It was perfect! I wish it wouldn't have ended 😉
Loved every part of this read. It had all the things I need in a good sexy book and the kink... Don't even get me started. It was perfect! I wish it wouldn't have ended 😉
October 31, 2023
DNF at 31%. I just don't care enough to continue. I don't care about either character, their motivations don't make sense to me, and the only emotion it has managed to get out of me is a vague distaste. I have loved many of Rebekah's works, but this isn't one.
March 4, 2019
I love Cleo.
March 12, 2019
I liked it better that Better off Red. The interactions between Cleo and Benny were great. There was some good plot twists. And we really got to see what it was like emotionally for Cleo.
July 14, 2022
i mean the first one was interesting enough to make me read the sequel
October 13, 2023
interesting
November 1, 2023
I was confused most of this book. Some great ideas but poorly executed.
March 6, 2019
I bought this because I really liked the first book in this series, but I was kind of disappointed. The relationship and focus on the Master is a lot more prevalent in this book (because one of the protagonists is the Master's daughter), and having so many strong women having a very masculine male master bothered me a lot. I'm going to read the third one, but I hope it focuses more on the women so I don't have to be reminded about how important men are in this world.
February 21, 2021
I still think this isn't the kind of book for me but I got too attached to these damn girls.
I loved Benita since book one and Cleo is just as annoying as ever, but I liked the way they worked out to save their relationship.
2,5 stars because i hate that "you're not fat, you're beautiful" shit
I loved Benita since book one and Cleo is just as annoying as ever, but I liked the way they worked out to save their relationship.
2,5 stars because i hate that "you're not fat, you're beautiful" shit
February 20, 2017
Probably the best erotic romance I've ever read, and soooo much better than the first book in this series.
I absolutely loved Benny as a protagonist. Her maturity, tight control of her life and emotions, and thorough knowledge of herself and what she wants were a wonderful change of pace from the usual messiness of narrators her age. She was just so wonderfully written, her voice came through loud and clear which is especially tricky in an alternating POV book like this.
Which leads me to the fact that Cleo was incredibly enjoyable to read as well, especially because of how distinctive her narrative voice was from Benny's. It's rare that this multiple-POV narrative goes well, but Weatherspoon really pulled it off and used it to highlight how it's possible to have very different interpretations of the same situation and yet both characters be 'right'. Cleo's opinion of Dalhem and Camila were a special treat, because she had such an irreverent perspective and yet you couldn't really fault her for it.
Getting to see a couple move past the infatuation phase and into some really hard times, and being with them while they slowly, carefully, lovingly, and honestly managed to work through all that... it really made my heart sing. They had real, realistic problems, and they fucked up and hurt each other along the way, but you actually get to see them grow.
Last but not least, the sex and the D/s relationship itself.... *happy sigh*. It was so sweet. So gentle, loving, and playful. The sexy times were so delicious, and so perfectly tied in with the characters' growth. A+
I absolutely loved Benny as a protagonist. Her maturity, tight control of her life and emotions, and thorough knowledge of herself and what she wants were a wonderful change of pace from the usual messiness of narrators her age. She was just so wonderfully written, her voice came through loud and clear which is especially tricky in an alternating POV book like this.
Which leads me to the fact that Cleo was incredibly enjoyable to read as well, especially because of how distinctive her narrative voice was from Benny's. It's rare that this multiple-POV narrative goes well, but Weatherspoon really pulled it off and used it to highlight how it's possible to have very different interpretations of the same situation and yet both characters be 'right'. Cleo's opinion of Dalhem and Camila were a special treat, because she had such an irreverent perspective and yet you couldn't really fault her for it.
Getting to see a couple move past the infatuation phase and into some really hard times, and being with them while they slowly, carefully, lovingly, and honestly managed to work through all that... it really made my heart sing. They had real, realistic problems, and they fucked up and hurt each other along the way, but you actually get to see them grow.
Last but not least, the sex and the D/s relationship itself.... *happy sigh*. It was so sweet. So gentle, loving, and playful. The sexy times were so delicious, and so perfectly tied in with the characters' growth. A+
May 18, 2013
Original Post at Fangs, Wands and Fairy Dust
http://fangswandsandfairydust.blogspo...
Do We Always Hurt the One We Love?
BLACKER THAN BLUE
Vampire Sorority Sisters Book 2
by Rebekah Weatherspoon
Bold Strokes Books
Kindle Edition - Jan. 1, 2013
Paperback January 8, 2013 264 pages
Book provided by author/publisher for review. No remuneration was exchanged and all opinions herein are my own except as noted. Rebekah is a friend, but I think you will find my review fair.
Rebekah excels at writing dialogue that sounds absolutely natural. And, because this book is largely dialogue or inner monologue, it is interesting and feels well-written.
The story uses two points of view and alternates between the two as required by the story. The two voices are the love interests: Benita and Cleo. Both of the characters are young and Cleo feels Benita behaved callously after Cleo was accidentally turned because she was happy about it her being turned.
So, instead of talking it out Cleo just cuts Benita off, and is pretty mean, for three years. In this way I found the characters immature - just right for where they are in life; Benita is finishing up college at a small liberal arts college in the south. Cleo would have finished before her if she had not died and needed to be turned. They are both members of a sorority built around vampires.
But, it made me think about that song "You Always Hurt the One You Love." It is such a pervasive trope in books, film and music that you wonder if it is true - do we 'always' hurt the people we love?
Cleo misses her family, although they would not have accepted her --can see that -- it's hard to cut out your family even if they don't get you; don't accept you. It is a primal relationship and when it is messed up it isn't easy to let it go.
Benita's step dad is a big demon/vampire leader (demons and vampires are a degrees of the same thing in this world). But her real father was a complete ass who mentally abused Benita and her mother over weight.
Race, marriage equality, fidelity, sex and love with a little BDSM all come into play. And, it is amazing that the many factors come together into a book that is pretty cohesive, and where each element has a role in the book.
Like a lot of young women Benita wants a baby. But I didn't feel it as a healthy desire to be a mom. It felt more like the desire a lot of teens have to be unconditionally loved. I didn't feel either character made brilliant relationship decisions.
I usually find that sexual orientation isn't a big deal for me in this book. But, while I thought the first book in the series BETTER OFF RED, was pretty sexy, the intimacy here didn't do it for me. It is positive that the relationships don't all feel the same but I just couldn't get into the physical relationship between Cleo and Benita. By the way, the books read best as a series and in order.
All in all this is a satisfying, intricately woven story with great continuity. The characters are young but this is a bit too sexy for New Adult and lands more squarely in Paranormal Erotica.I enjoyed parts of it more than others, but it was fun with a fast pace and lots of nookie. If you don't like lesbian sex then this is not for you, but if you do then it is right up your alley and I can highly recommend it.
http://fangswandsandfairydust.blogspo...
Do We Always Hurt the One We Love?
BLACKER THAN BLUE
Vampire Sorority Sisters Book 2
by Rebekah Weatherspoon
Bold Strokes Books
Kindle Edition - Jan. 1, 2013
Paperback January 8, 2013 264 pages
Book provided by author/publisher for review. No remuneration was exchanged and all opinions herein are my own except as noted. Rebekah is a friend, but I think you will find my review fair.
Rebekah excels at writing dialogue that sounds absolutely natural. And, because this book is largely dialogue or inner monologue, it is interesting and feels well-written.
The story uses two points of view and alternates between the two as required by the story. The two voices are the love interests: Benita and Cleo. Both of the characters are young and Cleo feels Benita behaved callously after Cleo was accidentally turned because she was happy about it her being turned.
So, instead of talking it out Cleo just cuts Benita off, and is pretty mean, for three years. In this way I found the characters immature - just right for where they are in life; Benita is finishing up college at a small liberal arts college in the south. Cleo would have finished before her if she had not died and needed to be turned. They are both members of a sorority built around vampires.
But, it made me think about that song "You Always Hurt the One You Love." It is such a pervasive trope in books, film and music that you wonder if it is true - do we 'always' hurt the people we love?
Cleo misses her family, although they would not have accepted her --can see that -- it's hard to cut out your family even if they don't get you; don't accept you. It is a primal relationship and when it is messed up it isn't easy to let it go.
Benita's step dad is a big demon/vampire leader (demons and vampires are a degrees of the same thing in this world). But her real father was a complete ass who mentally abused Benita and her mother over weight.
Race, marriage equality, fidelity, sex and love with a little BDSM all come into play. And, it is amazing that the many factors come together into a book that is pretty cohesive, and where each element has a role in the book.
Like a lot of young women Benita wants a baby. But I didn't feel it as a healthy desire to be a mom. It felt more like the desire a lot of teens have to be unconditionally loved. I didn't feel either character made brilliant relationship decisions.
I usually find that sexual orientation isn't a big deal for me in this book. But, while I thought the first book in the series BETTER OFF RED, was pretty sexy, the intimacy here didn't do it for me. It is positive that the relationships don't all feel the same but I just couldn't get into the physical relationship between Cleo and Benita. By the way, the books read best as a series and in order.
All in all this is a satisfying, intricately woven story with great continuity. The characters are young but this is a bit too sexy for New Adult and lands more squarely in Paranormal Erotica.I enjoyed parts of it more than others, but it was fun with a fast pace and lots of nookie. If you don't like lesbian sex then this is not for you, but if you do then it is right up your alley and I can highly recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews