The Family: Blood and Bonds - The Collection Part 1

The Family: Blood and Bonds - The Collection #1

by Katey Hawthorne

Bookish, lonely farm boy Liam finally heads off to college at 20, determined to enjoy his freedom. He's gonna party, he's gonna get laid, and dammit, he's gonna enjoy himself. Except it kind of sucks.

Gianni never struggles with anything but the chief difficulty in the life of a vicious, century old vampire. And then his pretty little roommate Liam reminds him what he loves about being alive, and Gianni decides he simply has to have him.

It begins as pure entertainment, a provisional friendship. Then it turns into a challenge. Then something like love, at times indistinguishable from hate. It’s a love story for monsters, and the beginning of something that will affect their lives, families, friends, and world forever.

Which, for a vampire, is a hell of a long time.

Genres: Vampires

418 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 31, 2025

About the author

Hi! I'm Katey. I write superpowered and fantasy romance of an LGBTQIA bent. I live at Superpowered Love -- kateyhawthorne.com.

I know, I know, it looks like I don't read anything here at GoodReads. But I do, I swear. My reviews and stuff are all over at my other GoodReads thingie, KV Taylor. Relevant shelves to Katey Hawthorne stuff:

Romance
LGBTQ
and
Comics, Graphic Novels, and Trade Paperbacks

Reviews

[patrícia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Family: Blood and Bonds had a lot going for it, but it also left me with some mixed feelings.
So 3.5 seems fitting but not rounding up.

I genuinely enjoyed the story and found the characters compelling, yet it took me longer than expected to finish. The writing didn’t always flow smoothly and felt choppy in places, which made it hard to stay focused at times. A little more polish would have gone a long way.

Liam, our main character, was difficult for me to fully connect with. He could use more background and emotional grounding—he often came across as a bit of a drama queen, constantly changing his mind and spiralling, which made it challenging to keep up with his internal turmoil. Liam’s constant drama-llama shenanigans, combined with how quickly he accepts the existence of vampires—and then the idea of spending forever as one—alongside Gianni’s gaslighting and manipulation, was honestly a bit overwhelming.

I also felt the vampire aspect itself could have been explored more. I know this is book one and that we’re limited to Liam’s POV, but a bit more context about the vampires, their world, and how everything actually works would have been great. I wanted more fangs action, more immersion into what being a vampire really means.

That said… Liam and Gianni are undeniably hot together. Exploring Liam’s bi awakening was fun and intense, and some of the vampire-specific elements were deliciously unhinged (I mean—blood as lube? Come on). I just wanted more of that woven into the story.

On top of that, I struggled with Liam’s complete lack of guilt when it came to killing. He just kills and moves on, and I think even occasional flashes of humanity or remorse would have added much-needed depth to his character. At times, it felt like Gianni cared more about who he killed than Liam did.

Gianni, the love interest, was intriguing but frustratingly distant. We only ever see him through Liam’s perspective, and I would have loved more insight into who Gianni is beyond Liam’s obsession with him—especially considering how much manipulation and gaslighting is woven into their dynamic.

That said, I absolutely loved the additional POVs from Aldo and James. They added richness to the story and made it clear that this world is far bigger than just Liam and Gianni. Giuseppe was another highlight, though the secrets he kept from his nephew felt a bit odd and unnecessary. Madison worked well enough, but ex fuck-buddy characters are always tricky to fully warm up to.

One thing I truly adored was the random literary references—there’s something delicious about gothic romance woven into this context, and it fit the atmosphere perfectly.

⚠️ Content note: there is on-page sexual content outside the main couple from both characters—Liam with Madison, and Gianni with a random couple at a party—which may be a dealbreaker for some readers.

Overall, this is a dark, messy, monster love story with real potential. I enjoyed it, flaws and all, but tighter writing, deeper worldbuilding, and more emotional balance would have elevated it significantly.

I'm totally reading book two!

[Ashley Carrillo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟
Liam is finally off the farm and in college. He should be having fun and sewing his wild oats but he finds himself mostly in his room reading and only hooks up with one girl semi consistently but she isn't into anything long term and he says he isn't either but somewhere deep down he's lonely and hasn't found his place yet even though he has the freedom of college now. That is until he gets closer to his mysterious roomate the sexy Gianni. He doesn't always spent time in his room and Liam is usually alone but there's something there and along the way while talking, flirting and sharing about literature he finds himself drawn to Gianni even though he doesn't know too much about him or his family. What happens the deeper he gets and the more entwined he becomes with his beautiful roomate? You'll have to read to find out. I will say that I did enjoy this book but there were some parts that dragged a bit for me or were a but harder to get into. Make sure to check TWs as this is labeled a dark romance and does contain vampires and things related to such. There was mystery, spice and the feelings of uncovering something yet the book does leave some unanswered questions and like some others say it ends sort of abruptly so I'm hoping for another book to fill in some things and expand more of the book so I'll be on the lookout for what the author has next.

[Joyffree]

“You’re a feeral, unsocialized kitten who desperately wants to be petted but has no idea how to ask for it.”

Think vampire soap opera with humanity being the backdrop.
Liam is the star of the show - his life and his transformation being the main focus
With our ancient “sugar daddy” (loved this reference to their relationship), Gianni, being another main player.
The story is mostly told from Liam’s point of view, which, at times, felt just as chaotic as he himself was.
Oh, to be young and still exploring who you are.

We also get some insight from his bestie Aldo, and some of the other more prominent secondary characters (family,friends,lovers, etc), filling out the missing pieces and setting plot points

Gianni is a century-old vampire who happens to be Liam’s rommie at UNI. Not that Liam sees him much.
A late-night encounter between them leads to a deepening friendship.
But Gianni has secrets and a bit of a dark side to him.
When Liam uncovers Gianni’s secret, he is given the opportunity to embrace eternal life
And what 20yr old gothic closet romantic is going to pass that up?

I am once again going to refer to the “soap opera” feel when I read this
Everything happens pretty quickly
A lot of feelings and character growth happenind
Liam realizing he is touch starved, and that he is a lot darker emotionally than he knew.
Then we have Gianni. At times, I wanted to knock Gianni for the literal head games he played. Though when you think about it, they are just habits for Gianni, playing with his food before he devours it.

The overall story idea is solid, and definitely kept me engaged
Great characters, each was well crafted and brought a different perspective to the story, and events
There were moments that felt a bit off (lack of a better descriptor), enough that they drew me out of the story. As it progressed, though they were fewer.
There are also some areas that I would have enjoyed a bit more detail to fill in the blanks, but I do wonder if that was the author’s intention, as this is the first in a collection of events/stories.
The soap opera feel of just enough to know what is going on, but not really enough to understand the whys and hows, but the knowledge that in the future we will revisit the moment and get all the puzzle pieces (if that makes sense )

This is not going to be for everyone as it has a bit of a rollercoaster pace.
High heat
A bit of mystery
A sprinkle of angst
A whole lot of blood
I am looking forward to the next in the series as I am all kinds of curious

[Savy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what to think of this book. At times, it felt like a read fan-fiction (nothing wrong with that), yet the characters kept me captivated and made me want to keep on reading.

I do think the story could use a bit more polish. The writing didn't really flow and felt a bit choppy at places. The main character Liam could also use a bit more background. I felt like he was a bit of a drama queen. It also felt like he was so messed up and kept changing his mind about things, I had trouble keeping up at times.
We only meet Gianni, his love interest, through the eyes of Liam, and I would love to get to know Gianni better.

Then there's the strange interlude pieces, about Aldo, Liam's best friend, and James, Liam's brother. I'm sure the author want to incorporate these stories into the main story, but for now they felt really disjointed and prevented me from continuing to enjoy the story of Liam and Gianni.

There's also a fair bit of academic talk and debate, discussions about classic literature and old movies. While entertaining, at times it just felt a bit like the author was showing of and I just wanted the story to continue. But that's probably due to my impatience ;)

The story took a bit to really get going, and it's mostly emotion/relationship driven. Nothing much else is really happening, apart from the weird interlude bits. It also got quite spice, which I liked.

If you like the good old vampire stories, teenage drama (even though Liam is 20) and spicy content, this is probably a book you could enjoy. And while I'm still not sure what to make of it, I'm definitely interested in the next book.

HFN, no cliffhanger
1 POV Liam
3 POV Aldo & James

[Amanda Winter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was dark, moody, and way more intense than I expected going in.

Liam is a lonely, bookish farm boy who heads off to college at twenty, ready to finally live a little and reinvent himself… only to find that college life is still pretty isolating. Then there’s Gianni — a century-old vampire who’s bored with immortality and suddenly finds himself very intrigued by his quiet, vulnerable roommate. What starts as late-night debates and weirdly entertaining conversations slowly turns into friendship, flirting, and a very messy, complicated connection.

I really liked how their relationship unfolds. It’s not a simple “oh we’re in love now” situation — it’s layered with tension, power imbalances, fascination, and that constant question of “is this love or is this something darker?” Gianni is charming and unsettling in equal measure, and Liam’s vulnerability makes their dynamic feel both compelling and dangerous.

The vampire lore is interesting and a bit different, and the whole story has this slow-burn, ominous vibe to it. There are interludes that clearly set up bigger things to come, which leaves a few questions hanging — this is very much a Part One that’s laying the groundwork for a much larger, darker saga.

If you’re into supernatural romance with morally grey characters, obsessive vibes, and a moody, unsettling atmosphere, this one is a strong start to the series.

[Lindsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

So unfortuantely this book did not hit it for me. I get that it's a collection of stories at the moment but it kind of felt jumbled and had some really strange breaks - like his brother and his best friend. This book isn't about them, so why are we focusing on them so much instead of the two main leads?

I would have loved a POV from Gianni as I really didn't understand the connection these two had and perhaps seeing it from another character would help it make sense? It felt more like, "ah, I noticed you one day and now you suddenly smell good." It was also annoying how Liam flip flopped on everything. He worked his butt off to get to school and was so in love with learning and then suddenly decides he wants to be a vampire more than a student after knowing the other lead for a hot minute? I'm just confused as nothing about Gianni was positive at the beginning and although, heck yes eternal youth, but also why?

I also wasn't a fan of random inserts of classic literature (coming from an English major, I know!). It honestly didn't give anything to the story and made me start skimming. I don't care how much they loved this obscure Russian author, I'm interested in their romance.

[Debby · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the age of twenty, Liam finally has the opportunity to attend college. He plans to have as much fun as any college boy can. His roommate, Gianni, is often not there but one night he is and Gianni finds something in Liam that was missing in his long life as a vampire. He decides he wants Liam and will what he can to have him. Their relationship begins with debates held through the night. It starts with entertainment and moves on to friendship. Then comes the challenge of deciding if it is love or hate.

Everyone has a different view of how vampires exist. Katey Hawthorne presents us with her own views. Gianni has been a vampire for over a century. He finds his long life boring at times. Liam, coming from a farm, has been very lonely. The two were matched as roommates. They find themselves talking, debating, and flirting. So much more happens and the two find themselves moving towards love. There are some interlude stories which leave a few questions. This is the Collection Part One. Part Two usually follows and we will be awaiting that part to see some resolution to questions left unanswered. Thanks for the great beginning.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Elaine Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Family: Blood and Bonds follows Liam, a bookish and isolated farm boy who finally heads off to college at twenty, determined to reinvent himself. He’s ready for freedom, fun, and all the experiences he’s missed—only to discover that college life isn’t quite the thrilling escape he imagined. His loneliness sets the stage for a story that quickly becomes far more intense than he ever expected. Enter Gianni, a century‑old vampire who rarely struggles with anything—except the boredom that comes with immortality. What begins as casual amusement for Gianni soon becomes a dangerous mix of fascination, challenge, and something that looks a lot like love. Their relationship is intense, messy, and compelling, shifting between desire and resentment as both characters push each other in unexpected ways. The story blends dark romance, emotional tension, and supernatural intrigue, building a foundation for a much larger saga that promises long‑lasting consequences.

[Deb Kel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark supernatural romance that pairs quiet vulnerability with predatory charm. Liam’s move from rural isolation to college life is painfully relatable, his hopes for reinvention quickly giving way to loneliness and uncertainty. That makes his connection with Gianni all the more dangerous and compelling.

Gianni is equal parts charismatic and unsettling, a vampire whose boredom curdles into fixation once Liam enters his orbit. Their dynamic shifts constantly, blurring the lines between comfort, control and desire, and the emotional push-and-pull keeps the story crackling with tension. What unfolds feels less like a simple romance and more like the beginning of something vast and unsettling.

Moody, intense and unapologetically messy, this book lays strong foundations for a series driven by obsession, power and consequences.

I received a free arc copy and this is my honest review

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review for ( The Family-Blood & Bonds-1) The family- Blood and Bonds by Katey Hawthorne

I do have to say I am so happy the day I found Katey Hawthorne and her books. I have read several now, and I have grown to really like the way she writes the stories. It is a story about Liam, who is a lonely farm boy who has finally come to the day he is leaving for college. To finally feel some freedom in his life is a new change for Liam. He plans to be a little wild to live life to the fullest. Gianni has his own conflicts in his life. Being a violent, century-old vampire. Oh, let me tell you, when I saw this was going to have a vampire in it i couldn't get the e-book open fast enough lol. Gianni meets Liam when he finds out they are to be roommates. Liam wakes up some feelings that have been dormant for years. I enjoyed this story very much. Katey Hawthorne just has the gift of writing wonderful stories. All I know some day I want to own all her books, lol.

Nicole Harvey

[Nina Diab · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You’ll never grow old. Everyone you know will die around you, again and again. You won’t see them the same. You’ll never have a family of your own, children, grandchildren. You won’t be human, anymore.”
More importantly, though: “What else won’t I be?”
“So many things.” He didn’t say lonely, but we both knew he was thinking it, I’m sure. He brushed my hair out of my eyes again, traced the line of my jaw. “But you will be mine for as long as you like. I promise you that. In ways you never could be now.”

I really enjoyed this book. Good world building and wonderful characters. I loved both Liam and Gianni. Vampire romances have been my favorite since I was young, and I loved this dynamic between a lonely vampire and a lonely human farm boy. Liked the way their relationship developed. The chemistry between them sizzled. This is the first story I've read by this author and I will read the next one. 4 stars

[Diana Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Family" part 1 in the Blood Bonds series by @KateyHawthorne
ARC received from @GayRomamceReviews

5 🌟
This book ... It was so good guys! MM paranormal romance, vampires who doesnt love them but the way author wrote about ins and outs of how vampires function,feel,think,digest food etc. The emotional and physical connection between main characters and side characters was Masterfuly written. The spicy scenes were delicious more than most books as it was so easy to mentally connect with them with the way it was written. The plot is PLOTTING you guys!!! I cannot wait for the part 2 I cannot waaait!!!! I loved it!

[Jeanette Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Family: Blood and Bonds" is intense. That said, I'm not sure if that's good intense, or bad. Liam is off to college, with plans to do 'everything'. I felt he was a bit naive. Vampire Gianni was centuries old, Liam's roommate and a bit of a creeper.His attraction to Liam made me quite a bit uncomfortable. The 'evolution' to I love yous and Stay will me was not genuine. Disliking one MC makes for a difficult read.
This is only book one. Maybe book two will offer a bit more of Gianni's background, making him a more sympathetic creature. But I won't be reading it.
I received an advanced copy of this ebook and this is my review.

[Maitana C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I would have liked this more if I had been reading it on patreon.

I like the world, the characters and the lore but I felt like there were some parts that just dragged.

I will definitely continue the story, but I think I might join the patreon and read it that way.

If you like vampires, some found family, different perspectives etc this will be great for you. I also think Gianni is really complex, and I hope we get deeper in the next couple parts.

Overall it was good, just not my favorite. 3/5 ✨

[Virginia Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liam is finally free.
But freedom doesn’t feel the way he imagined it would.

While everyone else seems to be living loud—parties, hookups, chaos—Liam spends most nights in his dorm room with a book in his hands and the door shut tight.
He thought college would be the place he’d finally figure out who he is. Instead, he feels unwanted
but there Gianni.

But can two loners—one still trying to find himself, the other hiding more than he lets on—really build something real?

He’s a vampire.

[Cynthia M Brow · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Family: Blood and Bonds is the story of Liam a human and Gianni a century old vampire. I'm not sure what to say about this story. I did like the characters but wish I had more of Gianni's point of view. The plot could use a bit more work but I still was interested in the story. Even with the few flaws I mentioned I still enjoyed the story. I would recommend this book.
received a free review copy

[Bkwrm24 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liam and Gianni ❤️

There were things that i really enjoyed with this read and other not so much tbh. I felt like there was a lot of whining and gaslighting from these characters which made the relationship build less enjoyable for me. All in all in the end it ended up being a solid story once these two got their heads out of their ass*s 😜. I'm 50/50 this book, some will love it though.

* I received an ARC from GRR, this is my open and honest review *

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

I really don’t know how I feel about this one. I don’t know if I plan on reading part 2. It did feel a bit choppy at times and I don’t really know why we had the random friend and brother pov when I thought this was for Liam and Gianni. I much rather had some pov of Gianni instead. Was fine but could have been better.

[Tessa Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a new to me author. Who doesn't enjoy a good vampire story. I enjoyed the vampirism in this story . The relationship between them seems fast paced/forced a bit. However I don't think it ruined the story, mostly it added to the story. Even vampires struggle with communication. This story was really good and enjoyable. I am excited for the second collection.

[Emeli Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a new to me author. Who doesn't enjoy a good vampire story. I enjoyed the vampirism in this story . The relationship between them seems fast paced/forced a bit. However I don't think it ruined the story, mostly it added to the story. Even vampires struggle with communication. This story was really good and enjoyable

[Suzanne Irving · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is billed as a serial novel and that shows. I like some of the ideas, but it’s a bit disorganized. I don’t know if that is the right word, but it really seems like it was written and published without the author going back to edit it much. I will try reading part two because I was interested in these two characters.

I got a copy of this book from GRR and this is my honest review

[Kai · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be honest I found it boring and not much to be invested in. No surprise farm by wants to now live life to it's so called fullest by parts and sex, "big surprise", sadly this feel so type and all you do is add a vampire to the mix and you have something called love. Sadly this was lacking. No growth or chemistry.

[Mir Jak · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not the first book I've come across where it was originally a weekly serial and then polished up into a novel. Unfortunately, this one could've done with a bit more polish. I just couldn't get into the story .... had that "newbie" author/fanfic vibe. DNF.

[Maggie]

Rokp

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I FOUND THIS TO BE A GOOD!!

I liked Liam and Gianni. The story held my attention and made me want to read the next page. This is an ARC review.

[Adoraboy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read

[DLB2572 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm on the fence about this one. While i did enjoy the overall story, there were just a number of parts that didn't work well for me.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

[Belinda Zamora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the world building and the connection between Liam and Gianni but I absolutely need more from Gianni's viewpoint.

[Dee Your TBR Wrecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a vampire book and it goves the darkness that can be delicious in those. I also dont mind an unapologetically morally grey character.

[Reatha Klein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! I couldn't put it down once I started it.