Ready to sink your teeth into some captivating reads? Vampires, the timeless creatures of the night, have long been a fascination in literature. From traditional bloodsuckers to unique vampire hybrids, these books explore the world of the undead in fresh and intriguing ways. Join us on a journey through these supernatural romances and urban fantasies where love, adventure, and the allure of the vampire world take center stage.

Bonus, all of these are new in 2023 or have newly added to their series this year.

Julian Rousseaux, the eldest of a wealthy vampire family, is reluctant to participate in the vampire marriage market, but societal expectations push him to find a wife. Then, he meets Thea, a kind and innocent cellist, at a gala. Despite his initial reservations, Julian realizes Thea needs protection after learning about his world.

Julian proposes a deal: Thea pretends to be his lover for a year, and in return, he’ll provide her with protection and help her escape her mother’s medical debt. Thea agrees, but as they navigate the opulent and mysterious vampire society, they face increasing dangers. Their connection deepens, leading to forbidden desires, resurfacing emotions, and potentially devastating secrets that threaten to tear them apart.

The story promises to be a sensual, dangerous, and provocative journey into a world of dark magic, primal attraction, and intense romance.

In Nightfall, Oregon, the true fear isn’t the darkness, but rather the girls who inhabit it. Theo and her brother Marco are sent to spend the summer with their superstitious and reclusive grandmother in Nightfall as punishment for throwing a major party back in Arizona.

Nightfall, with its population of 846, has a quaint charm, though it tends to be rainy. Their grandmother’s main rule is to always be home before dark, a warning Theo and Marco are determined to defy. On their first day, they encounter Minnow and her alluring friends. These girls exude a captivating charm that draws in the siblings.

However, Theo soon realizes that Minnow and her friends are not what they seem. As night falls, something ominous emerges in Nightfall, and it becomes clear that Theo should have heeded her grandmother’s warning, as it seems this force has no intention of letting her leave. The story combines elements reminiscent of “The Lost Boys” with the supernatural action of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” promising a gripping and propulsive narrative.

Vampires and vaqueros face off on the Texas-Mexico border in this supernatural western.

As the daughter of a rancher in 1840s Mexico, Nena knows a thing or two about monsters—her home has long been threatened by tensions with Anglo settlers from the north. But something more sinister lurks near the ranch at night, something that drains men of their blood and leaves them for dead.

Something that once attacked Nena nine years ago.

Believing Nena dead, Néstor has been on the run from his grief ever since, moving from ranch to ranch working as a vaquero. But no amount of drink can dispel the night terrors of sharp teeth; no woman can erase his childhood sweetheart from his mind.

When the United States invades Mexico in 1846, the two are brought abruptly together on the road to war: Nena as a curandera, a healer striving to prove her worth to her father so that he does not marry her off to a stranger, and Néstor as a member of the auxiliary cavalry of ranchers and vaqueros. But the shock of their reunion—and Nena’s rage at Néstor for seemingly abandoning her long ago—is quickly overshadowed by the appearance of a nightmare made flesh.

And unless Nena and Néstor work through their past and face the future together, neither will survive to see the dawn.

In Belterra, a new and ominous threat is emerging. This gripping vampire romance is set within the universe of the bestselling Serpent & Dove series.

Célie, who has taken sacred vows and become the first huntswoman among the Chasseurs, has been a part of this order for six months now. Her fiancé, Jean Luc, serves as the captain. She’s determined to find her place in this new role and contribute to the protection of Belterra. However, shadows from her past continue to haunt her, and a fresh malevolence is on the rise. Célie finds herself at the center of this new threat, and it’s up to her to overcome it, lest she succumbs to the encroaching darkness.

This graphic novel draws inspiration from the original gothic novel that pioneered the vampire genre, Carmilla. Infused with dark Chinese folklore, the story is a blend of queer, feminist themes, and a murder mystery.

Set against the backdrop of the vibrant Lunar New Year celebrations in 1990s New York City, an idealistic social worker takes it upon herself to investigate a series of murders targeting young, homeless LGBTQ+ women. Frustrated by the lack of interest from the police, she becomes a detective in her own right.

Her investigation leads her to Carmilla’s, an enigmatic nightclub nestled in the heart of Chinatown. Here, she finds herself drawn to a potential victim, placing her at the epicenter of a chilling real-life horror story. In the process, she confronts illusions about her own identity, her past, and the secrets that lie hidden within her life.

The Stranger Times revolves around a weekly newspaper based in Manchester, which is dedicated to reporting on the bizarre and unexplained phenomena in the world. While their pitch promises a focus on the weird and wonderful, the reality is quite different. The editor is a cantankerous, drunken individual with little regard for the paper. The staff is a motley crew of misfits, and the assistant editor position sees a high turnover rate.

Hannah Willis steps into the revolving door of the assistant editor role, carrying her own set of problems. In her first week, a tragedy forces The Stranger Times to embark on a serious investigation. What they uncover leads to a startling revelation: some of the stories they had dismissed as nonsense are, in fact, terrifyingly real. This revelation puts them face-to-face with darker forces than they ever could have imagined.

Authored by C.K. McDonnell (the pen name of Caimh McDonnell), “The Stranger Times” combines his distinct dark humor with a fascination for the strange and extraordinary. The result is a gleeful celebration of the notion that truth can often be stranger than fiction.

Adalyn, fleeing from the altar and a suffocating life, embarks on a one-way flight to Paris, seeking solace in the city of her dreams. There, she meets a charming stranger named Holland, a personification of sunshine who brings a newfound vitality to her world. Their connection feels effortless, but beneath his cheerful demeanor, Holland hides a dark secret—he’s a vampire.

As Adalyn grapples with finding her footing, she becomes entangled in a passionate romance with Holland. Eventually, she’s faced with a pivotal choice: remain in Paris with the enchanting vampire or return to the life she escaped. Staying could mean a transformation in how she perceives life and love, and it might hold the answers she’s been seeking. It’s a decision that could lead to a love so profound, it’s worth both living and dying for.

The protagonist, a technically-dead nail technician with a flair for illusion magic and gold gel manicures, finds herself with a brand new job as an Enforcer in Washington D.C. This is an unusual role for her, as Enforcers are typically ex-special forces with a reputation for resolving conflicts among supernatural beings in the city.

Despite being an animated skeleton, she’s discovered the ability to manifest her own strength. While she may struggle with the conflict resolution aspect of the job, she’s determined to prove herself. Her first task is locating a missing half-pixie girl, whose disappearance is causing turmoil among the supernatural community. With time running out, she’s committed to finding the girl alive and demonstrating her capability to maintain order in D.C.

“Bad Bones” is the first book in the Blood and Magic series, offering a fun, fast-paced urban fantasy tale with a feel-good vibe.

Tru Dennison, a half-unicorn, half-vampire shifter, is weary of being seen as an outcast. Frustrated by the chaos caused by villains, she takes on the role of a covert black-ops assassin. However, when her angelic mentor discovers her amidst a pile of corpses, he accuses her of being a serial killer, shattering her heart.

Despite her efforts to convince him of her innocence, Tru faces the grand creature council to answer for her actions. Even after her sanctioned kills are confirmed, her smoldering rage transforms her into a formidable force.

The book, “Rebel Unicorn,” marks the beginning of the Rebel of the Otherworld urban fantasy series. It features Tru’s quest for redemption, showcasing underestimated heroes, electrifying plot twists, and intense suspense, in a world where justice might come at the cost of one’s soul.

Carwyn Bryn and Brigid Connor, elemental vampires, navigate the complexities of their immortal existence by seeking out the lost, righting injustices, and seeking purpose in their eternal lives. They also attempt, with mixed success, to avoid causing explosive incidents.

Lupe Martínez was widely regarded as a good kid, known for her obedience, community service, excellent grades, and promising future. However, her sudden disappearance leaves everyone puzzled. The police believe she ran away, while her mother is convinced otherwise. As days go by without a trace, a family priest suggests seeking help from an old, very old, friend.

Lilith finds herself at Dreary Shadows Academy for her final year of high school, a situation far from her desired plan. Unexpectedly, she attracts the attention of the enigmatic Shadow Brothers, who seem to appear wherever they go. Despite hoping for some distance, fate has other intentions.

A violent encounter leads to the Shadow Brothers rescuing Lilith, revealing a hidden world of the supernatural. This revelation shatters her belief in a normal existence. In a realm populated by vampires, werewolves, and witches, the inevitable collapse of order and the infliction of curses are commonplace.

Faced with this new reality, Lilith anticipates that the vampires will be the ones to push her to her limits, fearing she may not make it through the year unscathed, or with her heart intact.

In Divine Rivals, two young rival journalists, Iris and Roman, discover a magical connection that leads them to a love entangled in a war among gods. While the gods reignite their ancient conflict, Iris, an eighteen-year-old, is focused on keeping her family together. Her mother struggles with addiction, and her brother is missing from the battlefront. She sees winning the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette as her best chance.

To cope with her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother, sliding them beneath her wardrobe door, where they mysteriously disappear—only to reappear in the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. Roman responds anonymously, creating a connection that binds them even amidst the chaos of war. This connection takes Iris to the front lines, where she fights for her brother, humanity’s fate, and the power of love.

Rebecca Ross weaves an epic tale of enemies-turned-lovers in a fantastical world, creating a story of hope, heartbreak, and the transcendental force of love.

In The Vampire Prince, Brayden Moretti, a powerful vampire prince, is reluctant to ascend to the throne, but circumstances change when his brother falls gravely ill. Threatened by rebel vampires and facing a dire lack of a cure, Brayden’s attention is momentarily diverted by the spirited Willow. Coming to terms with the fact that she is his destined mate means relinquishing his carefree playboy lifestyle, but bigger challenges await.

Willow, focused on building her freelancing business and disenchanted with men, encounters a striking silver-eyed stranger. Their passionate week together unveils his supernatural secret, leading her to confront a monumental choice.

As peril looms over the Moretti royal family, Brayden must safeguard them while convincing Willow that their love is worth her relinquishing her humanity. The question arises: will she stay in his world and risk everything for their love, or return to her own to ensure her own safety?

The Vampire Prince initiates the Moretti Blood Brothers series, blending elements of paranormal romance with action-packed suspense. It’s a story for fans of fated-mate dynamics, military romance, royalty, and billionaire narratives, all wrapped up with a guaranteed happy ending.

 

With vampires as the focal point, these tales offer a fresh perspective on the age-old legends. If you’re ready to lose yourself in a world where eternity and love collide, don’t miss out on our ILVN Book Club pick for September: Bite the Woman That Feeds by Penelope Barsetti. We’ll be discussing the book on Tuesday, September 26th at 2pm CST over on Facebook Live!

Happy Reading!