Edmund finds himself shipwrecked on an island with an exiled vampire and a group of cannibals for company. And you thought your day wasn’t going so well?
What’s it About?
Andrew is a vampire from New Orleans, exiled to a tropical island in the 1800s as punishment for his human bloodlust. During a storm, a ship crashes off shore. After rescuing a sailor from the cannibals native to the land, Andrew becomes fascinated with his brilliant, beautiful new companion, Edmund.
Edmund is a British naturalist who has sailed the world seeking new species. Intrigued by creatures that might kill him, immortal Andrew is this scientist’s dream-but so is making his way back home. Edmund will fight to survive, even while wrapped in the arms of a monster.
As light touches and laughter turn to something much more passionate, the cannibals creep ever closer to Edmund. Can the ancient vampire keep his human alive long enough to escape exile and explore their newfound love, or will Andrew’s bloodlust seal his own doom?
First Impression
When Edmund first washes ashore on this lonely island in the middle of nowhere, Andrew thinks it’s his lucky day. He’s finally managed to capture a potential food source away from the hungry cannibals he’s been sharing this island with during his exile for the last few years. Once Andrew gets a good look at this stranger though he realizes that he desires him in another way beyond food. The brilliance of this read is that we all know it’s simply a matter of time before Andrew gives into his hunger for this man. His desire is so strong it’s an inevitability. What we don’t know though is which hunger he’ll succumb to first. His physical desire for Edmund, or his stomach’s need for sustenance? For a short read of only 83 pages, there’s definitely a building sense of anticipation as Andrew’s hunger grows, which begs to question if Edmund will come out unscathed on the other end. We want them to come together, but you sort of hold your breath in the process as you wonder if Andrew will be able to keep his darker hunger for Edmund in control.
Exiling a Monster
The bulk of this novella takes place on the island, but we do get a few flashbacks here and there where we get a glimpse of Andrew in New Orleans before his exile. While there was a good balance between island time vs. flashback, I do wish we had more fully explored Andrew’s relationship with Michelle, the leader of his coven. She’s the one who exiled him to this tiny island full of cannibals, yet I can’t say I fully understand the reasons behind his exile. I mean yeah, sure, he killed a lot of blokes back in New Orleans, but…they’re vampires. Isn’t that sort of their modus operandi?
We even get a very revealing flashback scene wherein we witness Andrew’s camaraderie with another member of his coven who seemed even more heartless and reckless than Andrew. At least Andrew seemed to want to bring his victims to unspeakable pleasure before drinking up every last drop of blood. Gotta look for a bright side, right? Obviously there must have been a building animosity from Michelle towards Andrew, but I would have liked maybe one additional flashback scene where we see why Michelle was so fed up with him that exile was the only option. It’s not only the impetus behind his very presence on this island, but I think it also could have revealed a very interesting and perhaps darker side to Andrew’s nature and character.
The Cynic in Me
From the minute that Andrew finds Edmund on this beach you want them to end up together. However, a very small and cynical part of me couldn’t help but wonder if this is actually love, or just a convenient answer to Andrew’s last four years of solitude. Don’t get me wrong, I positively love the idea of them together. The naturalist and the vampire? Perfect. Upon discovery of Andrew’s dark creature hiding within, Edmund can’t help but want to study him. He’s spent the better part of his life traveling the world looking for new species, and he’s certainly hit the mother-load on this tiny island. You can’t help but question though if their intense connection is due to Andrew’s admiration of Edmund’s spunky attitude, or if he’s just so thrilled to finally have the presence of an able-bodied male on this island who happens to have the same sexual tastes as himself. I want to believe their love is true. However, considering not only their brief time together, but also the rather short length of the book, I’m not 100% convinced that we were presented with enough scenes demonstrating the depth of their feelings for each other.
A Saving Grace?
It’s not long before both Andrew and Edmund indulge in their desire for each other. As their love for each other grows, so does their intense wish to escape from this hellish island. I have a feeling though that getting off the island may not eventually prove to be the saving grace they were both hoping for. Sure, they may have had cannibals for neighbors, but who out there doesn’t have at least one neighbor that they’re not a huge fan of? At least on the island they could both be themselves with each other, wrapped up all day long in their passion. We have to wonder if Andrew will be the same loving and in-control vampire he became on the island after he is let loose once again among the numerous temptations of New Orleans. Will his increased access to blood drive him to revert to his old ways, with a different kill and a different man in his arms every night? Or will his love for Edmund hold true once they leave the island behind them? I can’t wait to find out what’s in store next for our unlikely couple!
*A copy of this book was provided for an honest review*
Series: The Escape Trilogy, book 1. There’s a really intriguing concept which is introduced at the end that will leave you wanting more!
Final Impression: I definitely understand why this book was shorter in length, as we are essentially dealing with two men trapped on an island alone together. If it was much longer we could easily run the risk of entering boredom territory. That being said, I think I would have liked to have seen two additional scenes. One which dealt more with Michelle’s reasons for exiling Andrew in the first place, and one more which maybe highlights an even deeper connection between Edmund and Andrew. They definitely open up with each other, and confide some crucial details of their respective pasts, but I think just one more scene could have cemented my belief in their relationship.
Smut Level: Hot daaaaaamn. These two get to be all kinds of sweaty. Edmund asks Andrew to strip out of his clothes so he can conduct a full scientific examination of this unique species. Sure buddy, like that’s your only reason for asking him to shed his breeches 😉 What follows his plenty of kissing, licking, sucking, rutting, thrusting and of course biting that will be sure to make this day at the beach positively sweltering.
Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $2.99 Kindle Price. NineStar Press. 83 Pages.
Romance Novels for the Beach 