Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

3.5 stars

It started a little slow but I ended up enjoying it. I'll definitely check out the next one.

Do you ever see a beautiful cover and read a book's comp titles and immediately think "I need to read this book!"? That was my experience with A Bargain of Blood and Gold. It was compared to some of my favorite queer historical paranormal romance series so I had pretty high expectations going in to this book. Unfortunately, they were a little too high in the end.

This read was both intriguing and drove me absolutely bonkers. I felt like we just get thrown into the deep end with the worldbuilding and I spent a good chunk of the book trying to figure out how everything fit together. I think part of this stems from the writing style which was kind of disjointed and full of awkward phrasings. To be honest, I'm still not 100% clear on what was happening in the back story.

I did enjoy the characters and the mystery (which is where the author put all of their money in the storytelling) by the end but not enough to earn a place on my favorites list. I feel like the synopsis put a lot more emphasis on the romance than there was romance in the story. While there was some chemistry between the two love interests, for me, it wasn't enough to explain how the characters got together in the end. I will say that I am intrigued to see what happens next especially with a certain female character so I'll probably pick up the next book in the series at some point.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

Johnathan Newman, vampire hunter, and Vic, vampire, have to put their differences aside and work together, because something bigger and scarier is killing people in Cress Haven.

As a fantasy novel, I loved this. I was invested in the mystery straight off. I loved the atmosphere. It was good and spooky, even quite gory at times. There was a lot of world building and lore that was revealed as the story went on, and everything felt very real and cohesive. I'm fascinated by the world, and the different monsters, and the Society. The villain was brilliant, not entirely unexpected but so creepy. And the way Johnathan's past was revealed was also really intriguing.

As a romance novel, I have to admit I was a little disappointed. The romance was incredibly slow burn. In fact, for over half the book it looked as if one of the characters was in a different relationship. The romance isn't acted on at all until past 70% of the book. There are subtle hints of attraction all the way through, but it wasn't enough for me. If you love super slow burn, though, this might be the book for you.

Once the romance gets started, there are some great scenes. I also do love all of the injuries and near death experiences. I guess I would just like them more if there had been more than just the hint of attraction. I felt like I was waiting too long for the romance. Don't get me wrong, it was worth the wait. Perhaps if I had gone into the book with different expectations this wouldn't have been such an issue for me.

And then it ends! And I loved the ending, I really did! I just wish I'd got to see more of the romance before the end. Is there going to be a book 2? That would make me feel better!

3.5 stars

3 stars

A young vampire hunter is sent off on his first solo mission in a frontier town, but things aren’t as they seem. An interesting premise & decent plot, but the characters & romance plot don’t get enough development.

[What I liked:]

•The book starts off with an interesting premise, & steadily builds on the intrigue & mysteries for the first half of the story.

•The pace never lags, with the action ramping up to a very dramatic ending.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•How does such a small, out of the way town get a full morgue, with places for multiple corpses? They don’t even have any official law enforcement.

•Overall the writing is okay, but the dialogue is stilted at times. Especially when Vic & Johnathan are in situations of imminent peril & they pause to bicker, it feels unrealistic and disruptive to the action. Also, why are Americans using British slang & cuss words like bloody & bugger?

•The historical era this story is set in is frustratingly vague. I’m guessing it’s the early to mid-19th C, since there is a lumber mill in town, men are wearing long pants, & short hair is in fashion for men, but there was no mention of train travel. But there were so many missed opportunities to add details to better ground the story: who is President? How long has Maine been a state? How is the industrial revolution affecting the social fabric of the community? Even just some more specific details of fashion & technology would’ve given me a hint of what decade it’s supposed to be.

•Though he’s the MC, Johnathon doesn’t get much character development other than a tragic backstory & his physical attraction to Vic.

•For a book marketed as a paranormal romance, this book has next to no romance. Johnathan does a lot of blushing in Vic’s presence & there are declarations of love at the end, but no time is spent on their relationship development. I’m not exactly sure when they had time to fall in love.

•Why did the Morrigan come back to help them? That seemed unexpected & too easy.

CW: murder, gore, child abuse/neglect

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

I absolutely loved this MM romance.

Such a great book with a solid storyline and great characters.

I eagerly look forward to reading more from this author.

A definite recommend!

the plot was impressive! i'm just wowing when more and more otherworldly beings pop up. it's really interesting.

but it kinda feel like too much informations here and it got too heavy, too much, i had to take multiple breaks in between.

John's very cool, i hurt for him and all the betrayal and guilt he felt here. Vic, for a 500+ years old vampire, somehow he doesn't seem like much. idk maybe its just me (i hope!!) but i do love his character too and his strong survival skills.

romance wise, it is kinda lacking, slowburny, but at the end, their desperation for each other!!! gosh, that was nice.

i do wanna read the next book! and mhmmm, Alyse i see you heading to Boston!!!!!!

3.5 stars

I have a huge love for paranormal books. Add in a sprinkle of historical romance, and a paranormal mystery and I was absolutely on the hook. Plus, being able to discover new authors and new paranormal mysteries series' is a huge flashing neon sign for me. Overall, A Bargain of Blood and Gold ended up being an intriguing new series for me and I loved the secret paranormal society slant. It reminded me of an aspect that I loved with some other very popular author's vampire series, so to explore this more was an absolute bonus.

Johnathan Newman is an initiate of a secret society that finds and kills vampires. He is being sent off for his first solo job. A small town has rumors of a paranormal being that is attacking young women. The secret society has been alerted and Johnathan must slip into town, discretely identify the fiend, and dispose of him all within a certain timeframe and without his mentors assistance to become a full-fledged member. The only trouble is, the murder is rather... strange when compared to the typical vampire kills he's seen before. A local man, Vic, has kindly offered his services and lodging while he investigates these gruesome murders but his senses are prickling at him that Vic is not all that he appears to be as well. Mu-ah-ha-ha. (Sorry, I can't help myself.)

Ultimately, A Bargain of Blood and Gold is an entertaining murder mystery with some really fun folklore twisted in. The story has strong undercurrents of bad decisions and redemption. I will say, the writing style took a bit to kind of vibe with but overall it wasn't a detraction from the story. The fact that the multiple storylines, the secret society and the mysterious murders, came together in the end was a beautiful thing.

While the book has definite hintings and maybe some overtly stated "romance" aspects, the story is clean. And, well, that was kind of a bummer for me. I wanted to get a bit more... ahem... personal interaction from Vic and Johnathan. I'm a thirsty b-face, and I'm not afraid to say it.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and am invested in figuring out Johnathan and Vic's next steps.

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

When I first read the description I thought I knew which direction the book would take, but the author surprised me with the twists and turns. I truly could not put this book down. Can't wait for the next one to come out as this book ended with lots of potential for series to expand.

A BARGAIN OF BLOOD AND GOLD is a fast-paced historical paranormal mystery, wherein a vampire and a rookie vampire hunter must team up to solve a series of brutal murders. The story was full of action and really hooked me: I finished the book in a single sitting.

I really liked how Jacques leaned into the paranormal side of the story, giving us a whole host of supernatural critters. I might actually have liked a little more information here, just to hammer down the differences between the different creatures, and how they all interact with one another in this world but I don’t think it absolutely needed it. This paranormal element was worked into the mystery well, and the investigation felt well-paced.

The romance was a real slow-build, and even towards the end, remained very unobtrusive and low-key. That seems to have put off a number of GoodReads reviewers, but personally I didn’t have a problem with the low-heat, gentle romance. This might even make A BARGAIN OF BLOOD AND GOLD a really good choice for readers looking for M/M Paranormal specifically without a lot of romance. It’s something to be aware of thought, if you’re looking for a more intense romance or expecting sex scenes.

I enjoyed all three of the main characters – Johnathan, Vic and Alyse – and the boys’ individual backstories. I think that’s something that we’ll see develop more (as well as their relationships) as the series goes along.

Fun and fast-paced, A BARGAIN OF BLOOD AND GOLD is an entertaining start to the Midnight Guardians series. I really like the characters and the way the different types of paranormal creatures came into play.

This book , for me, was a retelling of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow - but insert vampires and demons instead of the headless horseman.

Jonathan has been sent to a very small town in Maine to investigate, track down, and eliminate a vampire. This is his final mission as an apprentice in the society that practically raised him after liberating him from the vampire that was using him as a way to attract food. When he arrives in town - things are definitely more than they seem and much more intense.

Vic is the local vampire - but he is definitely not the monster Jonathan's society led him to believe he would be. He and Jonathan need to work at trusting each other and finding the answers to save the town from a very otherworldly threat. I definitely liked both of them - but I spent a good portion of the book being confused about what was actually going on. In fact - I'm still not 100% clear on everything and where things in the story will go from here. The story leaves a lot of things open-ended - and a lot of questions unanswered - but only leaves us on a semi-cliffhanger.

Overall - I liked it as a start to what will probably be a very interesting supernatural series.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

trigger warning
<spoiler> trauma, grief, gore, gun violence, being orphaned, child neglect, child abuse, emotional abuse </spoiler>

Monster hunter novice Jonathan is assigned a case to finish his training: He is dropped in a small town to get rid of the vampire who lords over the people here. It doesn't take long for the first corpse to turn up.

Right from the start, we have a historical fiction crime thingy with paranormal elements, and this is what I came here for - that and the gay romance which developed quite nicely and didn't feel forced at all. I like it when characters happen to realise how fond they've grown of each other, and abhor insta love tropes of all kinds.

Since we have a small town, the suspect list is not that big, though we are not introduced to the whole village. Part of that has to do with that we follow our protagonist closely, and he spends a lot of time injured in bed, and when gets up to do things, he is in a hurry because he feels like so much time has been lost to uselessness.
One thing that annoyed me was that he was sick and low and pushed his body to his limits, but he didn't even try to get better. I am not sure if it is done on purpose and ties in with the ending of the novel, or if he just happens to never eat and drink, which is an especially stupid decision if you recently lost a big amount of blood.

Apart from that, I enjoyed this book, want both to know more about the main characters and about the world. I will come back for sure.
The arc was provided by the publisher.

So, historical fiction is not my go-to (hmm… for an eclectic reader, it seems I have a LOT of “non-go-to” genres, but that’s a conundrum for another day.) That being said, something has to pique my curiosity to make me pick one up, especially from a new to me author. In this case, it was the vampire vs. vampire hunter. With that combination, how could I resist. A Bargain of Blood and Gold turned out to be so much more than I expected. I love it when that happens 😉

Nothing about Johnathan’s first solo mission turned out to be what he expected. From the time he set foot in Cress Haven it seemed that the mission, as well as Johnathan, was doomed. The only bright spot in his arrival was Vic, but nothing that’s going on in the isolated town was exactly as it seemed and the experience was destined to turn Johnathan’s orderly life upside down.

There was plenty of action, mystery, danger and more to keep the pages turning. Add to that a strictly forbidden romance and the fact that it was hard to tell exactly where loyalties should lie, A Bargain of Blood and Gold was a hard book to put down. The adventure was far from over at the end, so it goes without saying that I can’t wait for the Midnight Guardians series to continue.

I was curious about A Bargain of Blood & Gold from the cover and premise, even though I'm often wary about new-to-me authors, like Kristin Jacques. I'm a HUGE sucker for paranormal historical romance, and so I was really hoping to love this one. Alas, it was not meant to be.

It's hard to describe my reaction to the writing style, but I didn't mesh with it right off the bat. It was almost hard to read. Kind of strange, awkward phrasing and confusing world-building, and I struggled to finish even the first few chapters. I guess it got marginally better from there, but I ended the book still not enjoying it much.

I really don't think this book is a category romance book. Aside from a few small details, this book does not have any relationship development or chemistry at all. I didn't even shelve it with my romance books on Goodreads.

The book banks all of its "wow"-factor on mystery and secrets, but it wasn't enough to keep me going, personally. Plus, the writing style, like I said, made it super hard to sink into the story.

A strange book for me. I won't be continuing on with the series.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

Fantastic!! Accidentally let this book expire before I downloaded it. BUT, the book was on sale for $0.99 on Kindle so I had to grab it! I loved this story so much and it’s so refreshing to see LGBT characters come to life in fantasy! Kudos to this author!!

Beautifully written with atmospheric language and descriptions that are not overbearing. The banter between Victor and Johnathon is delectable and the tension between them is an absolute masterpiece of push-pull, we should be enemies, damn you’re hot but I have to be a respectable gentleman. And Alyse…there are not words for how much I love her and what her long suffering attitude adds to this trio. The twists and turns of this story interweave with a slow reveal of its vast supernatural world and form a compelling narrative that kept me entranced to the end. I eagerly await future stories with these characters.

I loved A Bargain of Blood and Gold! This story was so enjoyable to read, and I adored the characters! I can't wait to see what the author does next!

A paranormal story with vampires, demons, a budding romance, a historical setting, an eerie mystery that unfolds throughout the book, and good-hearted characters trying to do the right thing while sometimes battling the metaphorical demons of their past---lots of stuff to like in this one! I will say Vic seemed more of a vampire in label than in practice, since he injects blood rather than drinking it and is basically just a fast, strong, immortal human, but that's just me always wanting more vampire-ness in books. This was an enjoyable start to a series.

This wasn't quite what I expected... but I enjoyed it.

The story is about a young vampire hunter, John, who is sent to a small town to deal with their vampire problem. He quickly realises that it not a vampire killing the young girls. He works with the town's resident vampire to find out who, or what, is murdering the girls.

The novel begins with John being dropped in the middle of nowhere, outside of the village he's set to investigate. Although the set up is intriguing, I found it a little hard to get into the story at first, mostly because of the use of old fashioned language. One particular phrase that stood out to me at the beginning when John is alone in the woods outside of town: "The snarl made his [John's] bladder clench. It was a small miracle he didn’t void his waters as the unseen creature suddenly bounded away." At such an emotional point it seems unlikely, at least to me, that anyone would use such flowery language. The archaic language does help to establish the time period and (I'm not sure if this is the author's intention) reflects Johns awkward character. This use of language wasn't a problem later in the book- I either got used to the language, or it wasn't used as much (perhaps as Johns character evolves?).

At the beginning of the story our main character POV John is thrown (literally) straight into a mysterious situation. Immediately it's easy for the reader to identify with him as we work together to find out what's going on and who's committing these murders. John's relationship with Vic the vampire, our other protagonist, is interesting. They start off as allies investigating the murders until John realises who Vic really is. John's still determined to investigate so they both have to work together to rebuild the trust between them until, eventually, their relationship becomes something more. And then it stops. Aside from a kiss, there aren't any other romantic interactions between Vic and John. I thought this was a shame as I want to see how these once sworn enemies would interact as lovers. (One positive is that this means their relationship a cliche human/vampire pairings you often seen in MM romance). The end of the novels makes it clear there's going to be a sequel. I'll definitely look out for that. I'm interested to see more of Vic and John's relationship as well as how they develop as individuals- at the end of the book John especially is still facing a lot of problems.

Throughout the book the supernatural elements are handled well and don't come across as cliched.

I'd recommend this book for anyone's who's interested in an original story with a bit of action, a spooky historic setting, and characters, especially LGBT+ characters, solving gruesome supernatural murders. If you're particularly interesting in any romance between the characters, I might suggest waiting to see what book 2 brings.

This was an enjoyable historical, paranormal, M/M romance with plenty of mystery and some humour too! The two main characters are a vampire (Victor) and vampire hunter (John) which makes for an interesting story. They must work together to investigate a series of grisly murders of young women while also coping with their growing feelings for each other despite the differences between them. John also has a difficult past to deal with - the details of which are gradually revealed to the reader as the story progresses.

This was well written and fun to read as there was a lot of banter between John and Victor. I would recommend if you like historical mystery with added vampires and monsters : )