since there is a clear dearth of american holidays to celebrate in early july (/sarcasm) i've decided to celebrate the july 4 release of a book that i had the pleasure of beta reading over the past couple of months
the book is a sapphic vampire romance called she's my eternity (sequel to the girl who bit me)by valerie hunter. i'm including the synopsis here bc it does a better job of conveying basic plot than i can:
"Yasmine Sokolov has built a life most people would kill for. She’s the richest vampire on Earth, a professor with nearly unlimited research funding, and owner of a mansion across from Central Park. The only thing she hasn’t managed in a thousand years? A long-term girlfriend. After moving to New York City to help Sylvia and Aster adjust to unexpected parenthood, Yasmine is pushed back onto VampireMatch—where a dozen disappointing dates convince her that another thousand years alone might be her fate. That is, until she meets someone she absolutely cannot fall in love with: the devastatingly beautiful, and devastatingly human barista, Bella Dragomir. But as a string of vampiric killings begins spreading across New York City—killings that seem to draw closer and closer to Bella herself—Yasmine finds herself wondering if the truth is more complicated than she wants to believe. Especially when it comes to Bella."
completely aside from the amazing experience i had as a beta reader (which was incredible, just incidentally), i think the author has crafted a touching and impactful narrative that succeeds as a more straightforward romantic suspense novel, but that really, at its core is a story about trauma recovery and the healing power of queer love.
also, the leads are both researchers, so that allows for some really delightful and incredibly romantic fantasy science. i will never think about mitochondria the same way again. (oh! and also there are sea urchins!)
one of the things i appreciate about valerie's writing is that she is able to deliver devastating gut punches, but they are always couched in humor or tenderness or absurdity or something to soften the blow.
i don't know how many of you (if any) are followers from way back when i actually wrote things and shared them on the internet, but if you liked my writing i think you will enjoy this book. valerie deals with heavy topics with kindness, compassion, and understanding, which comes through in the writing.
you can buy it here. it's totally worth it imo
