Jamie D’Amato’s The Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood and Boyfriends is not just another vampire romance. It’s a queer paranormal coming-of-age story that dares to treat its supernatural premise with both irreverent humor and deep sincerity. Where many novels in this space lean heavily on spectacle or angst, D’Amato instead gives readers something gentler, more intimate, and often achingly funny—a vampire story that’s really about survival, friendship, and love.
A Story That Feels Both Familiar and New
At the heart of the novel is Brennan, a nineteen-year-old returning to Sturbridge University after recovering from a suicide attempt. His reentry into “normal” college life is already fragile, and then comes the bizarre twist: he’s been turned into a vampire. Unlike traditional portrayals of vampires as confident predators, Brennan is awkward, clumsy, and often at a loss for what to do with his newfound cravings.
The book finds its footing in contrasts. Brennan hides blood bags under his bed, worries about attending class, and stumbles into messy encounters that are more sitcom than horror. But beneath the humor is the heavy knowledge that Brennan is still figuring out how to keep living. His vampirism becomes a metaphor not for danger or seduction, but for the ongoing, imperfect process of survival after trauma.
Enter Cole—the campus librarian, effortlessly charming, and a source of fascination for just about everyone. When he accidentally discovers Brennan mid-feeding, their connection sparks a romance that is both sweet and tentative. Cole’s acceptance and quiet care become Brennan’s lifeline, grounding the story in an exploration of how love and intimacy can exist alongside vulnerability.
What Makes This Book Stand Out
D’Amato’s novel stands apart because it avoids melodrama while still taking its themes seriously. The comedy is plentiful—there are more than a few laugh-out-loud moments involving vampire etiquette or Brennan’s fumbling attempts at secrecy—but the humor never undercuts the honesty of Brennan’s struggles. Instead, it highlights how absurd and unpredictable recovery can feel.
Several elements elevate the book:
- Queer Romance with Realism – Brennan and Cole’s relationship unfolds with awkward silences, missteps, and bursts of joy that make it feel authentic. It isn’t an instant, all-consuming love; it’s something that grows, and readers feel each step of that growth.
- A Found Family of Vampires – The self-proclaimed “good vampires” add both comic relief and warmth, embodying the messy, imperfect nature of chosen families.
- Honest Mental Health Representation – The book does not shy away from Brennan’s history. His vampirism parallels his recovery, but it is never framed as a “cure.” Instead, D’Amato shows how healing and connection coexist with pain.
Strengths in Writing Style
D’Amato writes with a voice that feels conversational, sharp, and emotionally immediate. Brennan’s narration is tinged with sarcasm and self-deprecation, which makes his raw admissions all the more striking. One moment he’s cracking a joke about vampire puberty, the next he’s quietly confessing his fear of being left behind.
The pacing of the story also deserves mention. It shifts smoothly between character-driven intimacy, campus drama, and moments of supernatural tension. Though the mystery of missing students and animal attacks weaves in and out, the emotional stakes remain firmly centered on Brennan’s journey.
Where the Book Falters
Like any strong debut, The Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood and Boyfriends is not without flaws:
- Worldbuilding Lite – Readers looking for deep vampire mythology may feel shortchanged. The clan of good vampires is charming but somewhat underdeveloped as a supernatural society.
- Predictable Beats in Romance – While charming, the Brennan-Cole dynamic does occasionally fall into familiar tropes. Some plot turns will be easy for seasoned romance readers to spot ahead of time.
- A Rushed Mystery Subplot – The missing student and campus attacks add intrigue, but their resolution feels secondary compared to the emotional storyline.
These critiques don’t diminish the novel’s core strengths, but they do prevent it from feeling as fully fleshed-out as it might have been with more attention to the supernatural elements.
Why Readers Will Love It
This is a book for readers who want to see themselves in stories that balance vulnerability with humor. Its queerness is casual and unapologetic, its mental health themes are woven with care, and its characters are messy in ways that feel familiar. Rather than glamorizing vampires or dramatizing recovery, it shows that both can be awkward, funny, and deeply human.
The novel also resonates because it reimagines what vampire stories can be. Instead of leaning on darkness and danger, it re-centers vampires as metaphors for survival, transformation, and belonging.
Comparisons to Other Books
Fans of queer YA and new adult fiction will find echoes of:
- Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas – for its mix of queerness, magic, and heartfelt family themes.
- The Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling – another tender queer vampire romance.
- Heartstopper by Alice Oseman – for the same quiet, authentic exploration of young queer love.
- Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee – with its blend of humor, romance, and found family.
What makes D’Amato’s debut distinct is the layering of mental health with the supernatural, offering a story that feels both light and necessary.
Final Verdict
Jamie D’Amato’s The Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood and Boyfriends succeeds not because of its supernatural lore, but because of its emotional honesty. It is a vampire book that’s less about gothic danger and more about what it means to find joy after pain. Funny, heartfelt, and grounded in recovery, it offers a refreshing take on a well-worn genre.
While the mystery subplot could be stronger and the worldbuilding more developed, the heart of the novel—the awkward, tender, queer love story between Brennan and Cole—makes it memorable. For readers seeking a paranormal romance that comforts as much as it entertains, this book is a welcome addition to the genre.
If You Liked This Book, Try:
- The Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling
- Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
- They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
- These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling
- Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee