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The Vampire Diet #1
Good Enough to Eat
Robin's New Year's resolution to change her eating habits is as unusual as she is. Unlike millions of other women, she isn't tempted by chocolate or junk food. She's a vampire, determined to fight her craving for a pint of O negative.
When she goes to an AA meeting, hoping for advice on fighting her addiction, she meets Alana, a woman who battles her own demons.
Despite their determination not to get involved, the attraction is undeniable.
Is it just bloodlust that makes Robin think Alana looks good enough to eat, or is it something more? Will it even matter once Alana finds out who Robin really is?
64.000 words
When she goes to an AA meeting, hoping for advice on fighting her addiction, she meets Alana, a woman who battles her own demons.
Despite their determination not to get involved, the attraction is undeniable.
Is it just bloodlust that makes Robin think Alana looks good enough to eat, or is it something more? Will it even matter once Alana finds out who Robin really is?
64.000 words
238 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2015
232 people are currently reading
3551 people want to read
About the author
Alison Grey
25 books105 followersAlison has been writing since the age of ten. Her first works were poems and short stories; then she wrote her first novel-length book when she was eleven. It was a Star Trek: The Next Generation fanfiction.
In addition to writing, Alison likes spending her spare time with her friends. The vegetarian also loves cooking and baking. If she’s got enough time, she reads books about history and about social and political sciences.
In addition to writing, Alison likes spending her spare time with her friends. The vegetarian also loves cooking and baking. If she’s got enough time, she reads books about history and about social and political sciences.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 301 reviews
November 21, 2017
I've probably read more than 4000 books, 3586 of which are listed on Goodreads (there's a bunch of books that I've either not listed, or combined - like, where possible, most of the Robert B. Parker books I've read have been removed and in their place are omnibus editions that include a bunch of them). I mention that specific factoid at the start of this review for one simple reason: I've read a lot of books, but very few of them have I read more than once - probably something around 50 or so books (I've not always remembered to enter rereads on Goodreads so only 42 are listed on here). Well this specific riveting paragraph is just to note that I've 1) reread another book; 2) the author I've reread the most books by is Jae. I've reread 11 of Jae's books - and this book here is that 11th book. Not a spoiler, just hiding more boring stuff -
Right, so...
Robin Caldwell is a 68 year old successful author with an addiction problem. Which is why the book opens with Robin sitting outside a church in her car. For roughly 30 minutes. Just sitting there. For there's an AA meeting scheduled at that church and Robin's been working up the nerve to actually attend. Though she's shaking and looking kind of rough. She's really thirsty. Once she finally gets inside, though, she meets the other POV in the book - Alana.
Alana Wadd is also up there in years, and she also has an addiction problem. But she has been fighting it and been sober for roughly 2 years when this book opens. Brian, her own sponsor and leader of that specific AA's group, assigns Alana to work with Robin as Robin's sponsor. Alana, by the way, is a divorce lawyer.
Sponsors and sponsorees do not have to be friends, but can become so - they are not supposed to become sexually or romantically involved though. So the two older women move through the stages of accepting their positions (sponsor/sponsoree); friendship, before reaching sex (which was graphic and . . . quite enjoyable).
Neither of the women, despite my wording so far, look like old women. No, both look to be . . . well, I'm not sure that ever actually came up, but judging by the covers and some words here or there, I put them both as looking to be in their 30s. Neither fell into a fountain of youth or anything like that. No, while Robin is in fact 68, she is also a Girah (aka, vampire). Alana, on the other hand, is a human - but she used to be a djinn (aka Barbara Eden's role on 'I Dream of Jeannie'), and has been alive roughly 450 years.
This isn't as fluffy as some reviewers put it, but it is 'fluffier' than average. I mean there is conflict in the story - inner and outer (trying to restrain self from drinking blood, despite the fact that that is literally the thing that keeps Girah's alive; fighting family, friend, and Girah elders about restraining from drinking blood; etc. etc.). And this isn't one of those insta-love/relationship/whatever - the two women do have to go through several stages, and several walls to be together - especially the part where Alana never wants to have a relationship with another human (and thinks Robin is human); while Robin has to lie about being a human with Alana (lying is not a good relationship foundation, but then neither is perceived insanity ('right, you are some kind of vampire type creature?") or actual fear ('noo! don't drink my blood!') - plus Robin keeps alternating between wanting to hump Alana, and wanting to drink her blood. Oh, that reminds me - Robin being in an AA meeting for her addiction to blood is kind of like Alana being in an AA meeting in a fully functioning bar (since Robin's addiction is to blood - specifically the type of blood, O negative, running in Alana's veins).
Right, so, I really really enjoyed this book, and thought everything about it was great, including, did I mention? the sex scenes. And by 'really really enjoyed', I mean to the extent that the book is joining the four other books on my top shelf.
Rating: 6 stars (shelf accessible only to rereads; something only 9 to 11% of rereads reach).
November 21 2017
Right, so...
Robin Caldwell is a 68 year old successful author with an addiction problem. Which is why the book opens with Robin sitting outside a church in her car. For roughly 30 minutes. Just sitting there. For there's an AA meeting scheduled at that church and Robin's been working up the nerve to actually attend. Though she's shaking and looking kind of rough. She's really thirsty. Once she finally gets inside, though, she meets the other POV in the book - Alana.
Alana Wadd is also up there in years, and she also has an addiction problem. But she has been fighting it and been sober for roughly 2 years when this book opens. Brian, her own sponsor and leader of that specific AA's group, assigns Alana to work with Robin as Robin's sponsor. Alana, by the way, is a divorce lawyer.
Sponsors and sponsorees do not have to be friends, but can become so - they are not supposed to become sexually or romantically involved though. So the two older women move through the stages of accepting their positions (sponsor/sponsoree); friendship, before reaching sex (which was graphic and . . . quite enjoyable).
Neither of the women, despite my wording so far, look like old women. No, both look to be . . . well, I'm not sure that ever actually came up, but judging by the covers and some words here or there, I put them both as looking to be in their 30s. Neither fell into a fountain of youth or anything like that. No, while Robin is in fact 68, she is also a Girah (aka, vampire). Alana, on the other hand, is a human - but she used to be a djinn (aka Barbara Eden's role on 'I Dream of Jeannie'), and has been alive roughly 450 years.
This isn't as fluffy as some reviewers put it, but it is 'fluffier' than average. I mean there is conflict in the story - inner and outer (trying to restrain self from drinking blood, despite the fact that that is literally the thing that keeps Girah's alive; fighting family, friend, and Girah elders about restraining from drinking blood; etc. etc.). And this isn't one of those insta-love/relationship/whatever - the two women do have to go through several stages, and several walls to be together - especially the part where Alana never wants to have a relationship with another human (and thinks Robin is human); while Robin has to lie about being a human with Alana (lying is not a good relationship foundation, but then neither is perceived insanity ('right, you are some kind of vampire type creature?") or actual fear ('noo! don't drink my blood!') - plus Robin keeps alternating between wanting to hump Alana, and wanting to drink her blood. Oh, that reminds me - Robin being in an AA meeting for her addiction to blood is kind of like Alana being in an AA meeting in a fully functioning bar (since Robin's addiction is to blood - specifically the type of blood, O negative, running in Alana's veins).
Right, so, I really really enjoyed this book, and thought everything about it was great, including, did I mention? the sex scenes. And by 'really really enjoyed', I mean to the extent that the book is joining the four other books on my top shelf.
Rating: 6 stars (shelf accessible only to rereads; something only 9 to 11% of rereads reach).
November 21 2017
July 25, 2020
i don't have enough brain cells right now to say anything except that this was so good!!!
book 6 of the reading rush: read a book with a cover that matches the color of your birth stone.
book 6 of the reading rush: read a book with a cover that matches the color of your birth stone.
May 11, 2020
“Good Enough to Eat (The Vampire Diet Series #1)” has lots of high ratings and wonderful reviews, so I’m surprised how little I enjoyed this book.
Narrator Lori Prince, as always, did a fantastic job, but her voice and a few funny moments are about all I liked.
Well, I rate “Good Enough to Eat” as a 2.5* story with 5* narration, so I’ll rate the book 3*. I’ve used the spoiler tag for this review, because I gave away lots of plot details.
The author, Jae, was kind enough to make the kindle version available for free during March 9th and 10th. The audiobook version is available on Hoopladigital and Scribd.
Narrator Lori Prince, as always, did a fantastic job, but her voice and a few funny moments are about all I liked.
Well, I rate “Good Enough to Eat” as a 2.5* story with 5* narration, so I’ll rate the book 3*. I’ve used the spoiler tag for this review, because I gave away lots of plot details.
The author, Jae, was kind enough to make the kindle version available for free during March 9th and 10th. The audiobook version is available on Hoopladigital and Scribd.
March 16, 2021
The setup for this story is just ridiculous. Robin has been a vampire for sixty some years and it looks like they have to feed pretty much every day. Only now she's insisting that it's an "addiction" because of a single slip up where she almost drained a woman and she's guilt-stricken about what didn't actually happen. So no more drinking from live humans for her! Which, fine. A single slip in what has to be literally hundres of meals is enough to freak her out and swear off eating. The thing is, her only alternative to her natural diet is to let herself be drained (financially . . . for now) by a huge jerk who is taking advantage of her stupid guilt complex.
It's dumb in pretty much every way is what I'm saying. Her plans are stupid. Her reasons are stupid. None of it has any chance of actually working long term. And, as I said above, her short term is measured in single-digit days of fasting before she dies. So she's going to AA, lying about her "problem", even as she's at least smart enough to know nothing they're saying has any application at all for her situation.
Ugh. Alana is nice, though. I made it as far as I did because she was sympathetic and earnest and caring. But then, that's its own problem because she's essentially being taken advantage of by the idiot vampire working out the dumbest possible emotional crisis.
So one star. I'd like to assign it more for Alana's sake. But that's not going to be a thing...
It's dumb in pretty much every way is what I'm saying. Her plans are stupid. Her reasons are stupid. None of it has any chance of actually working long term. And, as I said above, her short term is measured in single-digit days of fasting before she dies. So she's going to AA, lying about her "problem", even as she's at least smart enough to know nothing they're saying has any application at all for her situation.
Ugh. Alana is nice, though. I made it as far as I did because she was sympathetic and earnest and caring. But then, that's its own problem because she's essentially being taken advantage of by the idiot vampire working out the dumbest possible emotional crisis.
So one star. I'd like to assign it more for Alana's sake. But that's not going to be a thing...
May 26, 2020
3.75 stars
A sapphic romance about a vampire and a djinn meeting in AA, truly what more could I need? This book is so so relevant to my interests and i had a great time with it
A sapphic romance about a vampire and a djinn meeting in AA, truly what more could I need? This book is so so relevant to my interests and i had a great time with it
May 9, 2020
This is such an eclectic story that couldn’t be shoehorned into a single category. It’s a fine balance between romance, paranormal, fantasy, humor, and rom-com with lovable characters and funny situations. If you are looking for light entertainment in a vampire story, this is a good choice.
Robin is a vampire with a conscience. After her bloodlust puts a human’s life in danger, she decides to change her feeding habits so she goes to an AA meeting to get help to fight her addiction. There she meets Alana, a recovering alcoholic who is battling her own demons. Both women are attracted to each other but will they act on their feelings? And what could happen if Alana discovers who Robin really is?
I normally don’t read vampire stories as they aren’t my thing but I have to admit that this is not a typical book in the genre. It’s humorous, light, and cute, nothing to be scared about. ‘Good Enough to Eat’, authored by Alison Grey and Jae, is book one in ‘The Vampire Diet Series’ followed by the short story (or book 1.5) ‘Coitus Interruptus Dentalis’ written only by Jae. Both have the same light and humorous tone.
The audiobook version narrated by Lori Prince features both books. Ms. Prince is the perfect narrator for this series as she conveys the funny, cute, and light parts of the story outstandingly. This narration needed almost a comedian because of the number of witty dialogues, ridiculous situations, and one-line jokes. With effortless ease, Ms. Prince delivered a fantastic performance.
Overall, a funny and entertaining lesbian vampire audiobook. It’s included with a Scribd subscription so it’s worth a try. 4.5 stars.
Duration: 7 hours, 55 minutes
Robin is a vampire with a conscience. After her bloodlust puts a human’s life in danger, she decides to change her feeding habits so she goes to an AA meeting to get help to fight her addiction. There she meets Alana, a recovering alcoholic who is battling her own demons. Both women are attracted to each other but will they act on their feelings? And what could happen if Alana discovers who Robin really is?
I normally don’t read vampire stories as they aren’t my thing but I have to admit that this is not a typical book in the genre. It’s humorous, light, and cute, nothing to be scared about. ‘Good Enough to Eat’, authored by Alison Grey and Jae, is book one in ‘The Vampire Diet Series’ followed by the short story (or book 1.5) ‘Coitus Interruptus Dentalis’ written only by Jae. Both have the same light and humorous tone.
The audiobook version narrated by Lori Prince features both books. Ms. Prince is the perfect narrator for this series as she conveys the funny, cute, and light parts of the story outstandingly. This narration needed almost a comedian because of the number of witty dialogues, ridiculous situations, and one-line jokes. With effortless ease, Ms. Prince delivered a fantastic performance.
Overall, a funny and entertaining lesbian vampire audiobook. It’s included with a Scribd subscription so it’s worth a try. 4.5 stars.
Duration: 7 hours, 55 minutes
May 19, 2019
Robin doesn't need AA, she needs a more ethical way to obtain blood, plus therapy for her eating disorder. She's practically starving herself, so yeah, I think that qualifies as an eating disorder.
Saying that a vampire is addicted to blood makes about as much sense as saying that humans are addicted to water.
Saying that a vampire is addicted to blood makes about as much sense as saying that humans are addicted to water.
May 19, 2020
I picked this one up on a whim after spotting it on my Goodreads feed. I was in the mood for a light paranormal romantic comedy story and read this catchy blurb-like snippet in the opening paragraph a fellow Goodreaders review:
A paranormal lesbian rom-com about two different kinds of supernatural women totally crushing on each other and flirting but afraid to tell each other they're not human because they assume--naturally--that the other one's human! I'm actually relieved the story itself was as cute as the cover, because that cover is a hard act to follow.
It sold me on the tale way better than the official publishers blurb! I'm a sucker for rom-coms and love the comedy of errors trope so this sounded exactly like the light fun comedy romance I was craving.
In truth the story itself never quite managed to live up to my expectations. Mostly because this was not quite the type of story I was expecting. This was a romance and it did have some fun light moments but on the whole it was a lot more serious in tone and in the themes it explored than I was expecting. The story used the paranormal aspects of the tale as an analogy for various real issues like addiction (both drug and alcohol), homosexuality, and even eating disorders. I thought it did so cleverly but a light story it did not make as most of those themes gave the story a darker more serious edge than I was expecting and they got as much focus as the romance itself did in the story.
The good news is that the story was OK and the characters were easy enough to root for. I liked both Robin and Alana and felt they made a good couple. They helped each other through their own struggles and brought a bit of emotional support into each others life just at a time when they both needed it. The themes tackled in the story were a little dark but that did offer the story balance to the more outlandish aspects of the tale.
All in all I felt like this not quite the story I was expecting so I ended up a tad disappointed by that but that the tale we got was an OK read. Likeable characters and a mix of romance and drama.
Rating: 3 stars.
Audio Note: I thought Lori Price did a good job with the audio.
A paranormal lesbian rom-com about two different kinds of supernatural women totally crushing on each other and flirting but afraid to tell each other they're not human because they assume--naturally--that the other one's human! I'm actually relieved the story itself was as cute as the cover, because that cover is a hard act to follow.
It sold me on the tale way better than the official publishers blurb! I'm a sucker for rom-coms and love the comedy of errors trope so this sounded exactly like the light fun comedy romance I was craving.
In truth the story itself never quite managed to live up to my expectations. Mostly because this was not quite the type of story I was expecting. This was a romance and it did have some fun light moments but on the whole it was a lot more serious in tone and in the themes it explored than I was expecting. The story used the paranormal aspects of the tale as an analogy for various real issues like addiction (both drug and alcohol), homosexuality, and even eating disorders. I thought it did so cleverly but a light story it did not make as most of those themes gave the story a darker more serious edge than I was expecting and they got as much focus as the romance itself did in the story.
The good news is that the story was OK and the characters were easy enough to root for. I liked both Robin and Alana and felt they made a good couple. They helped each other through their own struggles and brought a bit of emotional support into each others life just at a time when they both needed it. The themes tackled in the story were a little dark but that did offer the story balance to the more outlandish aspects of the tale.
All in all I felt like this not quite the story I was expecting so I ended up a tad disappointed by that but that the tale we got was an OK read. Likeable characters and a mix of romance and drama.
Rating: 3 stars.
Audio Note: I thought Lori Price did a good job with the audio.
November 22, 2017
4 stars. I liked it. Both characters were enjoyable and it's a fairly unique take on vampire theme. Glad to see a paranormal book without god damn werewolves and their mate bonds for a change. My only nitpick is about the ending, I thought there will be more but nope, that's the end. Kinda anticlimactic but I suppose there will be a sequel continuing their story.
August 31, 2020
A very interesting premise and storyline. Something different and unique.
However I kept thinking the story was leading to a bigger ending, or confrontation with Robins family. Then it just never came so it seemed anticlimactic.
But I liked the lore presented and the relationship between Robin and Alana.
However I kept thinking the story was leading to a bigger ending, or confrontation with Robins family. Then it just never came so it seemed anticlimactic.
But I liked the lore presented and the relationship between Robin and Alana.
February 14, 2021
My first venture into the world of Girahs & Djinns.. Verdict: I liked it... Nothing gory, no human ‘feasting’, nothing dark.. just some good romance albeit with MCs who are not so human.
High 3+
High 3+
September 9, 2022
Cute premise and a quick, light read that unfortunately felt bland at times. The ending of the story was an anticlimactic letdown.
May 21, 2020
I've only read 53 books by this author, well the Jae co-author - I've only read 1 other book, and 1 short story by Alison Grey (I amuse myself, I started my last review noting I'd read only 1 book previously by the author of the book I was reviewing). That 53 number includes rereads - and includes this specific book 3 times. That '3 times' is an outlier for my reading habits.
I have 91 works on my reread shelf (which does not actually include all of my rereads, but probably most). But I've only reread 4 works more than once (I've reread more than that, but I only have 4 books on my reread-second shelf, which corresponds to 'reread this book two times'). I reread Jaime Clevenger's Party Favors at least 3 times, possibly 4 times (or more). It's a 'choose your own path for adults starring an adult woman as main character' book, so there's an obvious reason why I reread the book at all - to follow different paths to completion. I'm fairly certain I've reread William Goldman's Princess Bride book more than three times, though I do not have a 'reread-three' shelf. And I know I've read 'The Raven' by Edgar Allan Poe more than three times. More than four times. Many many times.
Odd thing about that 'reread-second' shelf. Looking at the authors listed, and since Jae is a co-author and not the first listed author, she's not listed on that shelf, I've rarely read any of the authors on the shelf. I've tried another book by Clevenger but didn't finish it. I've read another book by Goldman that had the same kind of feel as Princess Bride, but haven't tried any other book by him. Already mentioned I've only read one other book by Alison Grey. And I've read a few other stories by Poe, but none other listed on Goodreads, and it really is a very small group of other stories I've read by Poe. No idea how that happens.
Heh, this is the third review I've written for this book, I can allow myself to wander, eh?
As I've probably written numerous times: this book involves a vampire by a different name and a djinn (genie - 'we hate that word!') that has become human. The story is from both main character's point of views. One, the djinn-turned-human, is almost 500 years old. The other, the vampire-by-another-name is almost 100 years old. Both, oddly enough, have human jobs and human 'issues' (like money and stuff). The vamp is a paranormal romance author of lesbian fiction. The djinn is a divorce lawyer.
They meet in unusual circumstances. This might be the only book I've read that included multiple AA meetings. I've read others that involve addiction, but this might be the only one that has multiple AA meetings. Which is where the two main characters meet - at an AA meeting. The genie is there because she has a gin problem. The vampire is there because she has a drinking problem. As in, she wants to stop her addiction to blood. Of course, this is like (and I might have used this before) a human going to multiple meetings because of their addiction to oxygen. Vampires in this fantasy world will literally die without human blood. Animal blood will not sustain them (so the option chosen in Ann Rice vampire book, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer - sucking on rats, isn't an option here). Though there is a synthetic blood that will keep them alive. Though it'd be like a human who, instead of ingesting real oxygen, instead ingested synthetic oxygen specifically created to be like the worst polluted air in the world - the blood tastes horrible).
Right, so, obviously I really enjoyed the book (despite my lack of using character names), since I've read it so many times. The main characters are quite well developed. At least one side character connected to each main character is developed . . . kind of well. Then there are a bunch of other side characters that just exist. I've no idea why I'm going on about characters.
Explicit graphic sex.
Family angst ('why won't you drink blood! who cares if you accidentally kill! They are just humans! Oh, and stop writing that filth you horrible daughter you'). Certain amount of lying ('I couldn't tell you I was a [word used for vampire in this book]! I didn't know you would have believed me!' 'I couldn't tell you I was formerly a djinn who still has a certain low level residual 'force-field', because . . . I thought you were human!'). No cute animals were involved in the unfolding story (one dead dog, but no one said if it was cute or not).
Oh, and no. I did not read this in German. I'm just running out of editions to mark as read.
Rating: 5+
May 21 2020
I have 91 works on my reread shelf (which does not actually include all of my rereads, but probably most). But I've only reread 4 works more than once (I've reread more than that, but I only have 4 books on my reread-second shelf, which corresponds to 'reread this book two times'). I reread Jaime Clevenger's Party Favors at least 3 times, possibly 4 times (or more). It's a 'choose your own path for adults starring an adult woman as main character' book, so there's an obvious reason why I reread the book at all - to follow different paths to completion. I'm fairly certain I've reread William Goldman's Princess Bride book more than three times, though I do not have a 'reread-three' shelf. And I know I've read 'The Raven' by Edgar Allan Poe more than three times. More than four times. Many many times.
Odd thing about that 'reread-second' shelf. Looking at the authors listed, and since Jae is a co-author and not the first listed author, she's not listed on that shelf, I've rarely read any of the authors on the shelf. I've tried another book by Clevenger but didn't finish it. I've read another book by Goldman that had the same kind of feel as Princess Bride, but haven't tried any other book by him. Already mentioned I've only read one other book by Alison Grey. And I've read a few other stories by Poe, but none other listed on Goodreads, and it really is a very small group of other stories I've read by Poe. No idea how that happens.
Heh, this is the third review I've written for this book, I can allow myself to wander, eh?
As I've probably written numerous times: this book involves a vampire by a different name and a djinn (genie - 'we hate that word!') that has become human. The story is from both main character's point of views. One, the djinn-turned-human, is almost 500 years old. The other, the vampire-by-another-name is almost 100 years old. Both, oddly enough, have human jobs and human 'issues' (like money and stuff). The vamp is a paranormal romance author of lesbian fiction. The djinn is a divorce lawyer.
They meet in unusual circumstances. This might be the only book I've read that included multiple AA meetings. I've read others that involve addiction, but this might be the only one that has multiple AA meetings. Which is where the two main characters meet - at an AA meeting. The genie is there because she has a gin problem. The vampire is there because she has a drinking problem. As in, she wants to stop her addiction to blood. Of course, this is like (and I might have used this before) a human going to multiple meetings because of their addiction to oxygen. Vampires in this fantasy world will literally die without human blood. Animal blood will not sustain them (so the option chosen in Ann Rice vampire book, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer - sucking on rats, isn't an option here). Though there is a synthetic blood that will keep them alive. Though it'd be like a human who, instead of ingesting real oxygen, instead ingested synthetic oxygen specifically created to be like the worst polluted air in the world - the blood tastes horrible).
Right, so, obviously I really enjoyed the book (despite my lack of using character names), since I've read it so many times. The main characters are quite well developed. At least one side character connected to each main character is developed . . . kind of well. Then there are a bunch of other side characters that just exist. I've no idea why I'm going on about characters.
Explicit graphic sex.
Family angst ('why won't you drink blood! who cares if you accidentally kill! They are just humans! Oh, and stop writing that filth you horrible daughter you'). Certain amount of lying ('I couldn't tell you I was a [word used for vampire in this book]! I didn't know you would have believed me!' 'I couldn't tell you I was formerly a djinn who still has a certain low level residual 'force-field', because . . . I thought you were human!'). No cute animals were involved in the unfolding story (one dead dog, but no one said if it was cute or not).
Oh, and no. I did not read this in German. I'm just running out of editions to mark as read.
Rating: 5+
May 21 2020
July 2, 2015
This is a really different take on the vampire genre. It's not super charged vampire erotica, it's not edgy/scary dark, it's not even typically vampiric since the vampires in this world aren't subjected to the general stereotypes we normally encounter.
...It's about two women, both in a 12 step recovery scenario, falling in love with each other. It just so happens that one of them is a vampire and the other a former genie. Though, the more correct terms for them are Girah and Djinn.
Alana, the former Djinn, meets Robin, the vampire, at an AA meeting. Alana actually is a recovering alcoholic working the 12 steps and Robin is there out of desperation to find some sliver of help since she's abstaining from human blood and has no one else to turn to.
The chemistry between Alana and Robin is real and well done. Both characters are likable despite their shortcomings and the dialogue and storyline flowed. There is wit, humor and fun in this story despite any heavy themes that come up. It's a good mix of light and dark. I loved the reveal on how Robin and Alana find out what each other really are, by the way.
I also thought it was a clever twist in how AA and the 12 steps were incorporated into the story and how it was relevant to both characters. It doesn't come across as preachy or hitting you over the head, though, if that's a concern. The story was also interesting, in Robin's case, in that her refusing human blood was treated in the same way as if a lesbian was coming out to her conservative, homophobic family. Her family doesn't register her sexuality as an issue but her refusing human blood is contentious enough to get her kicked out of her family and community!
Overall, I thought the story was fresh, since it offered a number of elements I haven't seen before and I liked that their homosexuality wasn't a conflict in any of the story lines at all.
It's a worthy, fun and entertaining read.
...It's about two women, both in a 12 step recovery scenario, falling in love with each other. It just so happens that one of them is a vampire and the other a former genie. Though, the more correct terms for them are Girah and Djinn.
Alana, the former Djinn, meets Robin, the vampire, at an AA meeting. Alana actually is a recovering alcoholic working the 12 steps and Robin is there out of desperation to find some sliver of help since she's abstaining from human blood and has no one else to turn to.
The chemistry between Alana and Robin is real and well done. Both characters are likable despite their shortcomings and the dialogue and storyline flowed. There is wit, humor and fun in this story despite any heavy themes that come up. It's a good mix of light and dark. I loved the reveal on how Robin and Alana find out what each other really are, by the way.
I also thought it was a clever twist in how AA and the 12 steps were incorporated into the story and how it was relevant to both characters. It doesn't come across as preachy or hitting you over the head, though, if that's a concern. The story was also interesting, in Robin's case, in that her refusing human blood was treated in the same way as if a lesbian was coming out to her conservative, homophobic family. Her family doesn't register her sexuality as an issue but her refusing human blood is contentious enough to get her kicked out of her family and community!
Overall, I thought the story was fresh, since it offered a number of elements I haven't seen before and I liked that their homosexuality wasn't a conflict in any of the story lines at all.
It's a worthy, fun and entertaining read.
March 14, 2016
STINKING CUTE. Okay, what's cuter than kittens? A paranormal lesbian rom-com about two different kinds of supernatural women totally crushing on each other and flirting but afraid to tell each other they're not human because they assume--naturally--that the other one's human! I'm actually relieved the story itself was as cute as the cover, because that cover is a hard act to follow. That cover literally makes me want to submit to Ylva just so I can have a shot at a cover that cute. (Disclaimer: I love my Mangoverse covers.)
Grey and Jae have some neat metaphors going on here. There's the obvious one about vampire Robin's blood-thirst being compared with alcoholism, which is why she's going to human AA meetings, but there's a deeper one: the way feminine-presenting women who are attracted to women are often afraid to out themselves to each other for fear of the other one being straight (and repelled.) That's what I saw in Robin's fear of Alana finding out she's a vampire, and in Alana's hiding her own supernaturality from Robin as well. There's also the "we didn't raise you like this!" mom and dad that can be compared with homophobic parents in real life.
I appreciated the poignant "messy happy ending" (I'm a fan of messy happy endings), where the characters--and authors--acknowledge that recovery from alcoholism is a lifelong commitment rather than a magic wand. I had assumed a quick fix ending was coming and I give the authors massive props for not taking that route because given the topic of addiction it would have been a little cheap.
The talking-past-each-other & misunderstandings necessary for this type of plot made my anxiety shoot up a little, but the book was just so fluffy and fun that I knew it would be worth it, and it was.
Grey and Jae have some neat metaphors going on here. There's the obvious one about vampire Robin's blood-thirst being compared with alcoholism, which is why she's going to human AA meetings, but there's a deeper one: the way feminine-presenting women who are attracted to women are often afraid to out themselves to each other for fear of the other one being straight (and repelled.) That's what I saw in Robin's fear of Alana finding out she's a vampire, and in Alana's hiding her own supernaturality from Robin as well. There's also the "we didn't raise you like this!" mom and dad that can be compared with homophobic parents in real life.
I appreciated the poignant "messy happy ending" (I'm a fan of messy happy endings), where the characters--and authors--acknowledge that recovery from alcoholism is a lifelong commitment rather than a magic wand. I had assumed a quick fix ending was coming and I give the authors massive props for not taking that route because given the topic of addiction it would have been a little cheap.
The talking-past-each-other & misunderstandings necessary for this type of plot made my anxiety shoot up a little, but the book was just so fluffy and fun that I knew it would be worth it, and it was.
January 23, 2023
3.5/5
This was pretty cute and fun for how short it was. Kind of sad there isn't a sequel because I was feeling invested in these two.
Rep: white lesbian cis female vampire MC, white lesbian cis female genie MC who is a recovering alcoholic, various supernatural side characters, various recovering alcoholic side characters.
CWs: Alcoholism, blood, addiction, drug abuse, emotional abuse (familial, SC to MC). Moderate: sexual content, animal death.
This was pretty cute and fun for how short it was. Kind of sad there isn't a sequel because I was feeling invested in these two.
Rep: white lesbian cis female vampire MC, white lesbian cis female genie MC who is a recovering alcoholic, various supernatural side characters, various recovering alcoholic side characters.
CWs: Alcoholism, blood, addiction, drug abuse, emotional abuse (familial, SC to MC). Moderate: sexual content, animal death.
March 9, 2021
Lovely quirky romantic story
April 2, 2015
This is a really sweet read. The easy writing style draws you in very quickly and before you know it, you're rushing to the end.
This book is like comfort food, sweet, immediately satisfying and packed with guilty calories.
Two negatives:
1) should be longer, I know this is the start of a series so I can forgive some of the rushed ending but I want more!
2) Alana should have been a police detective
This book is like comfort food, sweet, immediately satisfying and packed with guilty calories.
Two negatives:
1) should be longer, I know this is the start of a series so I can forgive some of the rushed ending but I want more!
2) Alana should have been a police detective
January 20, 2021
My book review: “Good enough to eat” plus the short sequel.
First of all, I have to start with something that doesn’t have anything to do with the book per say: I have listened to the book as part of my subscription on Scribd. I have to say, I don’t know when it was recorded, but it was the very first time I actually really enjoyed Lori Princes’s narration. I usually have to get used to her voice and style because she is narrating a lot of lesbian books that are out there as audiobooks. She is NOT one of my favorites. I have been spoiled by starting to listen to audiobooks narrated by Angela Dawe and Abby Craden and if I could have a literary wish, it would be that ALL audiobooks were narrated by those two. In my experience, Lori Prince makes mistakes by speaking with the voice of one character when another character is actually talking and sometimes it’s hard to follow the story line in her narration. But this time it was great: she had very different voices for all the characters, nailed their personalities imo, she made a great British accent for Meghan and was all in all a really enjoyable listening experience for me. So bravo 👏🏻 🙂
Another thing I have to say, also due to the fact that I have listened to this book and not read it, is that I have no idea how to correctly spell some terms that will follow so if I do spell them wrongly, I take full responsibility.
I would give this book a 4,5 stars. Why not 5? Because if you read my profile, you would see that I give 5 stars to books which I think I would definitely re-read. I just don’t see myself re-reading this one because the genre is not 100% me, but other than that, the book was wonderful. It was funny, entertaining, the perfect length, multiple sex scenes both explanatory and fade to black type. It kept me captivated from beginning to the end first by curiosity about the two MCs backgrounds, then about their relationship and how that would evolve and then about their secrets and how their lives would be affected by their families / kind.
I will not go into details about the book itself, the blurb doesn’t do it justice though, it’s very funny and entertaining. I thought in the beginning it would be a minus of the book that, compared with the explanations regarding how the vampires like Robin “function” present from the beginning of the book, I felt Alana’s background lacks. But that makes perfect sense as the book centers around Robin and when she decides to join AA cause of her wish to stop killing / biting people. And if one is patient, Alana’s background story gets more and more revealed especially from chapter 11.
The short sequel is super funny, I laugh out loud while driving - a vampire afraid of the dentist. The reason why she needs the dentist? Some very funny sex scenes from the book.
I have read this book as part of Jae’s reading challenge for 2021 as I thought it would get me to fulfill the “speculative fiction” or “genre I don’t usually read” criteria, but it definitely exceeded my expectations.
First of all, I have to start with something that doesn’t have anything to do with the book per say: I have listened to the book as part of my subscription on Scribd. I have to say, I don’t know when it was recorded, but it was the very first time I actually really enjoyed Lori Princes’s narration. I usually have to get used to her voice and style because she is narrating a lot of lesbian books that are out there as audiobooks. She is NOT one of my favorites. I have been spoiled by starting to listen to audiobooks narrated by Angela Dawe and Abby Craden and if I could have a literary wish, it would be that ALL audiobooks were narrated by those two. In my experience, Lori Prince makes mistakes by speaking with the voice of one character when another character is actually talking and sometimes it’s hard to follow the story line in her narration. But this time it was great: she had very different voices for all the characters, nailed their personalities imo, she made a great British accent for Meghan and was all in all a really enjoyable listening experience for me. So bravo 👏🏻 🙂
Another thing I have to say, also due to the fact that I have listened to this book and not read it, is that I have no idea how to correctly spell some terms that will follow so if I do spell them wrongly, I take full responsibility.
I would give this book a 4,5 stars. Why not 5? Because if you read my profile, you would see that I give 5 stars to books which I think I would definitely re-read. I just don’t see myself re-reading this one because the genre is not 100% me, but other than that, the book was wonderful. It was funny, entertaining, the perfect length, multiple sex scenes both explanatory and fade to black type. It kept me captivated from beginning to the end first by curiosity about the two MCs backgrounds, then about their relationship and how that would evolve and then about their secrets and how their lives would be affected by their families / kind.
I will not go into details about the book itself, the blurb doesn’t do it justice though, it’s very funny and entertaining. I thought in the beginning it would be a minus of the book that, compared with the explanations regarding how the vampires like Robin “function” present from the beginning of the book, I felt Alana’s background lacks. But that makes perfect sense as the book centers around Robin and when she decides to join AA cause of her wish to stop killing / biting people. And if one is patient, Alana’s background story gets more and more revealed especially from chapter 11.
The short sequel is super funny, I laugh out loud while driving - a vampire afraid of the dentist. The reason why she needs the dentist? Some very funny sex scenes from the book.
I have read this book as part of Jae’s reading challenge for 2021 as I thought it would get me to fulfill the “speculative fiction” or “genre I don’t usually read” criteria, but it definitely exceeded my expectations.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2020
Read for the When in Gurgh book club, in which we read books with ridiculous premises and try to find a gem.
You know, this wasn't horribly cringe terrible like some of the other books we've read, but I'd rather that than the sheer boredom I experienced while working through this.
First of all, the characters... why were they written like assholes at the beginning? Robin shuts up someone at a support group for being friendly, Alana is shitty to a twelve-year-old. They were characterized more by what they didn't like than anything else. Altogether flat. (The fact that the vampire - excuse me, Girah - was an author of vampire books read like a bad self-insert.)
Plus, what's a Girah.
And for a book centered on AA, which was poorly done in my opinion, why is Alana holding a wineglass on the cover? Hello? And I didn't buy into Robin's reason for avoiding blood considering it was a biological imperative - it wasn't an addiction, it was what she needed to live. Rang more like an eating disorder versus anything else.
All in all there was a ton of talking in this, not much action, a boring resolution, and weak characters. Hard pass.
You know, this wasn't horribly cringe terrible like some of the other books we've read, but I'd rather that than the sheer boredom I experienced while working through this.
First of all, the characters... why were they written like assholes at the beginning? Robin shuts up someone at a support group for being friendly, Alana is shitty to a twelve-year-old. They were characterized more by what they didn't like than anything else. Altogether flat. (The fact that the vampire - excuse me, Girah - was an author of vampire books read like a bad self-insert.)
Plus, what's a Girah.
And for a book centered on AA, which was poorly done in my opinion, why is Alana holding a wineglass on the cover? Hello? And I didn't buy into Robin's reason for avoiding blood considering it was a biological imperative - it wasn't an addiction, it was what she needed to live. Rang more like an eating disorder versus anything else.
All in all there was a ton of talking in this, not much action, a boring resolution, and weak characters. Hard pass.
March 27, 2021
Jae and Alison, thank you for a good book. This one was everything else but stereotypical. I don't know what I expected, but not this constellation. Just to enlighten you. Usually I'm rather disappointed with the vampire theme, because of the inhuman strength and speed on top of beauty and very long lifespans. The vampire is lethal to us mere humans, but oh so desirable. I understand the ultimate tragic nature, but I always find a human-vampire-pairing a little unbalanced. Not here, not here at all. But I don't want to spoil it, so read the book and be surprised.
dnf
May 15, 2022DNF at 65%
May 20, 2020
Well this was a good start to the series. I liked the characters and the story line. I'm not convinced that para normal's can't sense each other although that did add to the story. I liked the slow build up of the relationship and the constant angst of Robins family was good.
January 12, 2022
Fun read after you get over the fact that needing blood to live equates to AA. Little bit of a hard sell but the book is fun and engaging.
March 16, 2021
I've never struggled so hard to finish a Gurgh book. Pressure and time constraints from school are partially to blame, but even so I just didn't want to read this. The stakes were low (practically nonexistent for a vampire story), the characters bland when they weren't being hateful, and the details inconsistent and undeveloped.
One reason I didn't want to continue was the premise. I was pulled in by the idea of a vampire joining AA to quit drinking blood, and if this were a comedic short story, I could still see some potential. But the actual execution made me feel dirty for thinking it would be amusing. By the end, I will admit that AA is treated with a little seriousness and respect, but the first half of the book is full of contempt for the process. And if we're to treat Robin's dilemma seriously (big "if" here, when her reasoning is so flimsy), AA isn't the right mode for her to find help when it's not an addiction but a biological imperative.
Robin and Alanna are are either unlikable or boring for the majority of the book, which somehow doesn't work when it's a romance. Bring in Alanna as Robin's sponsor and we get a power imbalance that is constantly noted for its inappropriateness. I don't know about others, but excuses being made ad nauseum doesn't really get me in the mood.
One reason I didn't want to continue was the premise. I was pulled in by the idea of a vampire joining AA to quit drinking blood, and if this were a comedic short story, I could still see some potential. But the actual execution made me feel dirty for thinking it would be amusing. By the end, I will admit that AA is treated with a little seriousness and respect, but the first half of the book is full of contempt for the process. And if we're to treat Robin's dilemma seriously (big "if" here, when her reasoning is so flimsy), AA isn't the right mode for her to find help when it's not an addiction but a biological imperative.
Robin and Alanna are are either unlikable or boring for the majority of the book, which somehow doesn't work when it's a romance. Bring in Alanna as Robin's sponsor and we get a power imbalance that is constantly noted for its inappropriateness. I don't know about others, but excuses being made ad nauseum doesn't really get me in the mood.
May 18, 2022
I am going to be in the minority here but this book I just did not click.
My biggest issue was that there was loose justification as to why a vampire would go to AA. As well it was unclear to me how drinking human blood for sustenance is equivalent to a person recovering from addiction. I think there are ways the connection could have worked, but since the explanation was lacking it really did come across as an immature understanding of addiction recovery.
In addition, the reason I read paranormal fics is for different interpretations of the lore but I like that lore to come out in an interesting way. Reading this novel I was hit with lore after the fact and with no additional explanation. Why did Robin have a pulse? How do vampire babies work? How are their councils, and clans, structured?
It was a short read and the romance was pretty standard lesfic with low angst. I could see readers who prefer paranormal content on the lighter side (or who do not have specific expectations like me) getting more enjoyment out of this novel than I did. One thing to note is that the relationship does deepen when there is a significant power imbalance (sponsor and AA participant).
My biggest issue was that there was loose justification as to why a vampire would go to AA. As well it was unclear to me how drinking human blood for sustenance is equivalent to a person recovering from addiction. I think there are ways the connection could have worked, but since the explanation was lacking it really did come across as an immature understanding of addiction recovery.
In addition, the reason I read paranormal fics is for different interpretations of the lore but I like that lore to come out in an interesting way. Reading this novel I was hit with lore after the fact and with no additional explanation. Why did Robin have a pulse? How do vampire babies work? How are their councils, and clans, structured?
It was a short read and the romance was pretty standard lesfic with low angst. I could see readers who prefer paranormal content on the lighter side (or who do not have specific expectations like me) getting more enjoyment out of this novel than I did. One thing to note is that the relationship does deepen when there is a significant power imbalance (sponsor and AA participant).
June 2, 2020
I enjoyed the heck out of this quirky romance! Vampire Robin is determined to stop drinking human blood after losing control and nearly bleeding a woman to death. She starts a no-blood diet, but the foul taste - while it keeps her alive - does nothing to satisfy her cravings for the real thing. Feeling desperate for help, she decides to try an AA meeting. There she meets the beautiful Alana, a woman much further along in her recovery who becomes her sponsor. Falling for someone in the early stages of recovery is a no-no while working the program, yet the two women are inexplicably drawn to one another. Worse - Alana has no idea Robin is a vampire, just a woman struggling with addiction like herself. What could possibly go wrong?? This was a fun idea for a story and while recovery is a serious endeavor, co-authors Alison Grey and Jae managed to keep it light and throw in a surprise or two along the way. First and foremost this is a sexy, slow burn romance and certainly worthy of getting immersed in on a lazy afternoon!
December 4, 2015
Eh.
When I first saw the cover and read the synopsis, I immediately wanted to read it. Why? Because it seemed like a light, fun reading. It was light. Fun? Not so much.
Maybe the cover is kind of misleading. I don't know. I just expected there to be funny scenes and there were none. No, it's kind of heavy on a light drama. Does that even exist? Light drama? I don't know. Robin wants to stop drinking blood from people, so she joins AA meetings saying she's an alcoholic. There she meets Alana, who's really an alcoholic. There's constant talk about Robin's 'alcoholism' and after a while it gets annoying.
Well, the story is okay. Robin and Alana are okay characters, they have okay chemistry and everything's pretty much just okay.
But the constant 'energy' talking/thinking every single time they touched irritated the hell out of me. Enough is enough.
When I first saw the cover and read the synopsis, I immediately wanted to read it. Why? Because it seemed like a light, fun reading. It was light. Fun? Not so much.
Maybe the cover is kind of misleading. I don't know. I just expected there to be funny scenes and there were none. No, it's kind of heavy on a light drama. Does that even exist? Light drama? I don't know. Robin wants to stop drinking blood from people, so she joins AA meetings saying she's an alcoholic. There she meets Alana, who's really an alcoholic. There's constant talk about Robin's 'alcoholism' and after a while it gets annoying.
Well, the story is okay. Robin and Alana are okay characters, they have okay chemistry and everything's pretty much just okay.
But the constant 'energy' talking/thinking every single time they touched irritated the hell out of me. Enough is enough.
February 25, 2017
Cute but the racism was a huge problem.
Honestly at this point I'd give my right arm and leg... in fact any number of limbs for well written lesbian romance with no racism, preferably written by a WoC.
Seriously it was only one incident of racism but it was introducing the only character of colour in the whole damn book who only appeared a tiny little moments including being mind controlled, I'll pass thanks.
Honestly at this point I'd give my right arm and leg... in fact any number of limbs for well written lesbian romance with no racism, preferably written by a WoC.
Seriously it was only one incident of racism but it was introducing the only character of colour in the whole damn book who only appeared a tiny little moments including being mind controlled, I'll pass thanks.
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