Will You Be My Vampire?

Valentine’s Day is supposed to be all hearts and lace and chocolate‑dipped goodies… but let’s be real. Some of us prefer our romance with sharper edges.  Roses are lovely, sure — but a rose with thorns? Now we're talking.

image by Ylantie Koppens via StockSnap

I'm offering two tales that are edgier than the usual fairytale.  A little Beauty and the Beast - a little paranormal chaos - a little “I might love you, but I also might bite you.”

Welcome to Will You Be My Vampire?! — a Valentine’s mashup for fairytale fanatics who don't mind princes with emotional issues, heroines who take the lead and love stories just a touch feral.  This post brings you two books and two beasts that can make your V-day holiday just a little more interesting.

But first, why vampires + Beauty and the Beast?

Why Vampires Fit the Beauty and the Beast Mold

Like the Beast's tale, the romantic side of the vampire trope thrives on curses, isolation and inconvenient yearning.  Plus, the tension is rather delicious:  “I want you, but also I might want to bite you.” 

Jerry Griswold in his The Meanings of "Beauty & the Beast" in current culture shares that women love Beauty and her Beast because "of its vision of feminine empowerment... Beauty tames the huge and formidable Beast and changes him into a gentleman," and while reluctant to admit it, they are also drawn to a beastly lover.*

Beauty and the Beast fans already love morally complicated men with tragic backstories that need saving; vampires are like the deluxe edition.

Beauty and the Beast Vampire Book Recommendation #1:  Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward

The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward is peak paranormal romance:  fangs, blood bonds, ancient enemies, and a found-family of randy leather‑clad immortals.  It's a fun and favorite series.

The books move fast, and while each book has a unique story about a burgeoning romance, there's a good versus evil plotline that the author progresses throughout the series.  So, read them in order and enjoy the yearning, angsty feels.  Lover Awakened is #3 in the series.

Why Lover Awakened Counts as a Beauty and the Beast Retelling

Zsadist (I know, just go with it) is basically the Beast turned up to eleven.  He's physically scarred, feral, emotionally barricaded and convinced he’s unworthy of love.  Bella steps into the Beauty role with quiet strength, compassion and a refusal to let his self-loathing define their connection.  The “curse” in this tale isn’t magical — it’s trauma, isolation and a lifetime of Zsadist believing he’s monstrous.  It's Bella's agency that ensures they have a relationship that wins.

Why Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward Works for Valentine’s Day

• Zsadist and Bella's story is a love story about healing, devotion and choosing someone even when they can’t choose themselves yet.
• It’s intense, emotional and romantic — the kind of book that leaves you clutching your chest and posting to your Goodreads buddies.
• Perfect for readers who want their Valentine’s Day with a side of catharsis and a brooding immortal who would burn the world down for his beloved.

 

“I was dead until you found me, though I breathed. I was sightless, though I could see. And then you came...and I was awakened.”
― J.R. Ward, Lover Awakened

 

You'll love Lover Awakened If You're a…

• Fan of tortured heroes, emotional slow burns and paranormal romance with actual teeth.
• Soulful reader who loves Beauty and the Beast retellings that lean into redemption arcs and earned intimacy.

Beauty and the Beast Vampire Book Recommendation #2:  Isabel and the Werewolf Beast

I'm be honest right up front - I did not care for this book.  Isabel and the Werewolf Beast left me feeling like it was an AI test, throwing in popular paranormal tropes and hoping for the best.  But… it's one of a few vampire Beauty and the Beast mashups, so it's earned a mention.

Why Isabel and the Werewolf Beast Counts as a Beauty and the Beast Retelling

Dante stumbles (bumbles?) into Isabel's cursed castle in werewolf form… and he's stuck in werewolf form.  Stuck reading up on vampires, werewolves and curses.  Stuck with a sudden, growing attraction to Isabel, who is vampire.  We might say either Isabel or Dante could be Beauty or Beast.  Anyways, we've got:

• A cursed, isolated hero with a monstrous form (vampire and/or werewolf).  Check.
• A heroine/hero who sees past the claws and curse.  Check.
• A familiar structure:  Beauty meets Beast, Beauty befriends (errr, decides not to murder on the spot) Beast, Beauty sort‑of falls for beast (or she's just lonely?).  Check.

Why Isabel and the Werewolf Beast Works for Valentine’s Day

• It’s a light, quick tale… maybe a palate cleanser after all that emotional intensity in Lover Awakened.
• Think of it as the dessert course:  fluffy and easy to enjoy with a heart-shaped box of chocolates.

Give Isabel and the Werewolf Beast a go if…

• You want to see how vampires and werewolf tropes pair up in a Beauty and the Beast retelling that’s on the cozy side.
• You're a fan of a low-stakes paranormal romance and prefer monsters with an introverted, bumbling, honorable vibe.

Just for Fun:  Other Vampires Who Deserve a Valentine

Because sometimes you want Beauty and the Beast energy… and sometimes you just want a vampire who clocks in, solves crimes or broods poetically in a velvet chair.

We could always start with the masterpiece that first romanticized the legend, Dracula by Bram Stoker.  I like this lovely clothbound edition of Dracula from Penguin.

Samantha Moon, Vampire for Hire series by J.R. Rain

Samantha Moon, federal agent, finds herself a vampire, and like all the single moms I know, she's a talented juggler.  She juggles PTA meetings, private investigations, dating and supernatural nonsense while managing a required vampire nap at dawn.  She's the working‑mom vampire icon we didn’t know we needed.  It's a long series, and each book is quick and enjoyable.  The first one in the series is Moon Dance.  Check it out!  I think you'll love her. 

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

The dramatic, operatic, “I have 47 feelings and all of them are tragic” vampire classic.  Pour a lovely glass of wine or a perfect cuppa tea with a bite of dark chocolate and settle in - this book is perfect if you who want a Valentine’s Day with a side of existential dread and lace cuffs.  If you haven't enjoyed Anne Rice's Interview with a Vampire yet, this is the year.

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

This is your “Valentine’s Day, but make it metal.” pick.  There are plenty of lace cuffs and velvet gowns.  There is also plenty of sword-fighting, tattoos, blood and over-the-top drama.  This series by Jay Kristoff is one of my favorites - swashbuckling, found-family and of course, a tragic love story.  The first book of the trilogy, Empire of the Vampire, is perfect for a broody V-day.  Oh, and buy a physical copy - the illustrations are worth it.

And Twilight… Do We Still Talk about Twilight?

Let’s be honest:  some of us were Team Edward before we knew that we needed angsty vampire romances or even knew what a trope was.  Consider this your secret handshake.

Closing:  A Toast to Monstrous Love, Beauty and the Beast Style

When you're making a book selection for Valentine’s Day, consider this your permission slip to choose a fairytale that's a little darker, a little stranger and a lot more fun.  Monster romance has always understood the assignment:  even fairytale happily-ever-afters are messy, dramatic and occasionally sharp‑toothed.

So, now tell me - which Beastly monster trope are you taking to dinner for Valentine's this year.

Notes

*Griswold, Jerry.  The Meanings of "Beauty and the Beast" A Handbook.  Broadview Press Ltd., 2004

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