Uh how are more people not reviewing this? Maybe I am just biased. Not only do I love vampires, but I have a huge soft spot for Spike. I see all these people on social media now a days saying - your morally gray area started when you chose Damen over Stephen...what about those of us that chose Spike over Angel. Though in this scenario I really do think that Spike was the less toxic choice.

I am having so much fun with this new Buffy era, and getting to look into Spike pre- Buffy was so much fun! I hope that Ritter decides to write more from his perspective. Not only that, but it is nice to see more of the other original big bads like Dru and Angel. We get so much of Angel's good guy fight for love bit, that it is nice to see how he wasn't always that way and how it shaped his relationship with Spike and also shaped Spike as a person and a character.

This story is full of action and is never dull.

For fans of Buffy. Even though this is YA book I see more adults who grow up with Buffy the Vampire Slayer wanting to get more of Spike's back story. Which this book does in away give readers.

Bloody Fool for Love is a great read for any fans of Spike from Buffy. It continues the story from the flashback in Fool for Love. I could hear James Marsters' voice in my head while reading.

I'm all for this new resurgence in Buffy-related novels after the Chosen duology a few years ago and I do enjoy having more content with Spike, but it was really hard for me to fit this particular story into the timeline canonically.

I think the author did a great job at giving us a glimpse of William the Bloody or Spike in all of his glory and I am all for more of his character. We learned a lot about him in the series, but I think we had more of an understanding of Angelus vs Spike.

This might be a hit or a miss with a Buffy fan and it doesn't do much for anyone who isn't deep into the series and the lore. Still was pretty fun and who doesn't love Spike?

As huge Buffy fan who was team Spike before it was cool to be team Spike. I just knew I had to read this one. And getting some parts of Spike's back story made it easier to understand him and understand why he's the way he is. And quite frankly part of it is indeed Angel's fault.

If there is anything involving Spike, I am here for it! Buffy is my all time favorite show and I love seeing a resurgence in the Buffyverse as a of late. It was fun to explore more of Spike's past in this novel - any Buffy fan would be happy to read this!

This newest addition to the Buffy-verse made my 90’s teen heart just oh so happy. The start of a new series that explores prequel stories of some of the most beloved Buffy characters, Bloody Fool for Love definitely set high expectations for what comes next.

Set roughly a hundred years before coming to Sunnydale, this story follows Spike, Drusilla and Darla as they head back to London from China, once again having been abandoned by Angel. Having this reference point from the show gives the reader just enough familiarity to be able to dive in head first, and the pace maintains well throughout.

Even while Spike is still basking in his new fame as the ‘Slayer-killer’, the overall mood amongst the strange little “family” is very much dampened by Angel’s absence. Drusilla has become melancholy and has trouble grasping the idea that Angel is gone, whiling her days away reading tarot cards and planning their next adventures. Being unable to stand seeing his love in so much pain, Spike vows to retrieve a powerful relic that will strengthen Drusilla’s psychic abilities in the hopes of cheering her up.

What seemed like a simple enough, albeit risky task, quickly becomes much more complicated by the fact that London’s underground has been effectively overtaken by a horde of demons. Soon Spike, with the help of some old allies, are pulled into a high-stakes heist against a whole syndicate of ruthless demons.

Action packed from the start, Bloody Fool for Love was an absolute joy to read. William Ritter is so clearly a fan, and the voices he has brought to these beloved anti-heroes rings true throughout. I for one, cannot wait to see what prequels will come next, and I truly hope that Ritter will continue to bring his spot-on writing to the table.

I didn't know how much I needed this in my life. Will Ritter is well known for Jackaby, his Sherlock-esque historical series, so he is the perfect author to write Spike's story in early 1900s London. We visit with series favorites Darla and Drusilla (and a bit of Angelus, who is off-page due to his recent re-souling) and find Spike right after his first Slayer kill. Bolstered by this kill and ever eager to please Dru, Spike takes on the supers (and politicians) of London to bring Dru an ancient relic. As you can imagine, shenanigans ensue as the over-confident and charming Spike goes on his quest. This quick novel is full of nostalgia and hijinks and perfectly captures Spike's voice and essence.

I’ve always been a Spike fan (team Spuffy!). This was a great prequel to get to know him before he meets our favorite Slayer. Plus seeing more of Drusilla is always great and seeing their relationship and care that Spike has for her.

You’ll recognize some other familiar names too which makes this a fun read!

I was disappointed by this book. The book didn't feel like it fit into the Buffyverse. The story could have been any characters and didn't relate to the cannon.

Bloody Fool for Love plays out like an episode of Buffy with an “Angelic” twist. The writing is episodic, but Spike’s devilish charm is toned down.

My favorite character in the Buffyverse is Spike. He’s a bloody evil vampire. I love him, I hate him, or I love to hate him. Spike doesn’t provoke warm and fuzzy feelings that would make him a loveable character. He’s sarcastic and full of one-liners. Most characters around him want him to take a short walk off a long pier and land on a stake.

Ritter stays true to the characters and really honors them. When I visualize the scenes and everything that occurs, I envision James Marsters reprising his renowned role of Spike.

I recommend this book for fans of the Buffyverse.

Thank you to Netgalley, Disney, and Rockstar Books Tours.

This just doesn’t land for me. Buffy is my all time favorite show, and Golden’s Pretty Maids all in a row, was such a great book. What it had, and what lacks, is, pun intended, any teeth. The stakes were low as well so It didn’t really land for me. I hope a new generation of fans read this and love it.

Bloody Fool for Love is a historical fantasy prequel to Buffy the Vampire Slayer that focuses on Spike, the vampire we all know and love! Spike has always been my favorite character from the Buffy franchise, so I’m pretty much automatically interested in any story that involves him. This was no exception. The aptly named novel focuses on Spike’s escapades in the early 1900s in London, just after he killed his first Slayer during the Chinese Boxer Rebellion. He’s on a bit of an ego high after his victory, but he still can’t seem to capture Drusilla’s full attention. He’s worried she’s too focused on getting Angel to come back to them. In order to prove his love, he faces down a demon gangster and rocks the balance of supernatural power in London. (There’s also a bit of a sub-plot involving Darla wanting to make sure Spike and Drusilla will be taken care of if she leaves them.)

Fans of Buffy will appreciate all the nods to the original series, but I have no doubt the book would be enjoyable for people who don’t know anything about Buffy at all. The book is full of heists, devious demons and vampires, and plans gone ridiculously awry. William Ritter was a perfect fit to pen this book, as he’s already a master of the historical fantasy genre after his Jackaby series. Best of all, Ritter captures Spike’s voice, style and humor perfectly. As always, Spike is a perfect blend of villain, hero, and bumbling idiot. It makes for great reading!

They say this series will explore our favorite characters from the Buffyverse, so I can’t wait to see who’s featured next!

***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley so I could provide an honest review. No compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

Book review: Bloody Fool For Love: A Spike Prequel by William Ritter

Bloody Fool For Love is a young adult paranormal fantasy based of the character of Spike from the Buffy the Vampire television series. It takes place in Edwardian London and has heist storyline.
Bloody Fool For Love takes place almost a century prior to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer storyline. Spike has returned to London and is fresh off killing his first Slayer and living with his lady love (and sire) Drusilla and the vampire she calls “grandmother”, Darla. Drusilla’s mental health is very fragile and desperate to make her happy Spike decides to steal a religious relic that will amplify her visions. But a new demon has taken over London (Gunnar) and it is impossible to pull of a heist without him and his goons finding out. Together with another group of paranormals Spike and Drusilla devise a plan to go straight into the belly of the beast and steal the relic and rescue a hostage trapped inside.
This has all the funny Spike quips and strange (but accurate) utterances by Drusilla that a Buffy fan would expect. I was sort of side eyeing the word choices and the overall language for London at the turn of the century when the author found a clever way to include his feelings about using lingo accurate to the era, touché.
Overall, this was a fun addition to the Buffy the Vampire Universe and I enjoyed seeing these characters on the page again. It doesn’t have the most serious or memorable plot but for Buffy fans and readers looking for a paranormal vampire fantasy without a lot of scares, gore or heavy romantic content it will be a great fit.
3.75

This was a delightful book to read as a Buffy fan, featuring Spike, Drusilla and Darla. Ritter has a good grasp on how the characters sound, and it was a fun, fast read that brought me back to the Buffy-verse and even dropped a few tidbits that relate back to the show.

This was a pretty fun read if you’re a Buffy fan. However, I’m not sure I could recommend it to anyone who isn’t a Buffy fan.

Ritter captured the characters we all know and love so well that all of their dialogue and actions became visual while reading. You could picture the way they move and their speech patterns perfectly.

If you’re longing to revisit the Buffyverse, this is a speedy read that will hit the spot.

I was so excited for this one that I kept reaching out on Twitter to try to get an ARC until the author saw my posts and sent me one! And this book took me back to the fun that was Spike on one of my all time favorite tv shows, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

We got to visit a time that we didn’t really have much info about from the show or other books. This began right after Spike killed his first slayer in the Chinese Boxer Rebellion. Angelus has recently left the group so that now it’s just Darla, Drusilla, and Spike. They’ve gone back to England where it seems a demon has kind of taken over and they are having to deal with him. Darla is thinking of leaving Spike and Dru to go back to the Master. But she doesn’t want to just leave them. Obviously Dru has her own issues, and while Spike may be able to take care of her, Darla wants to make sure the rest of London’s vampires will not be a problem for them.

Spike is feeling jealousy over Drusilla’s constant looking or or talking about Angel. So he decides he must come up with a way to get her to only think and rely on him. I loved spending time with this strange couple. Even if I am a Spuffy fan, it was Spike’s dedication to his true love that definitely made him what he became.

We had a lot of fun characters, some that we might see in the tv show or other books, as well as some that we won’t see again because they don’t make it past the end of the book. We even get an insight into Drusilla’s doll Ms. Edith. I loved that little tidbit! This look into years of Spike’s life that were kind of blurry was such a fun romp that I can only hope we maybe get more and can see how he spent those years before he ended up in my favorite little town above a Hellmouth.

Not bad for a Spike prequel, it just didn't thrill me as much as I thought it would. 3/5. Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC.

Overall, I gave this book 3 stars. I remember watching Buffy when I was younger and again as an adult and one thing I always appreciated about Spike was his sarcasm and attitude. While the writer made great strides to mimic that same attitude, it fell a little short. I love the moments of wit, but it didn't feel like Spike - more like a watered down version of Spike. Honestly, I had a really hard time finishing this book or caring about the characters after a while. Is it somewhat entertaining? Yes. Will I read this again? No.

The beginning of a new series that is a prequel of Buffy characters. The first telling us the story of Spike after he killed the Slayer in the Boxing Rebellion. Everyone is still trying to cope with Angelus being cursed and leaving them. Dru is struggling the most so Spike decides to take a job that will hopefully bring the old Dru back. Part Bonnie and Clyde and part Sherlock and Watson.

I am a big William Ritter fan. I have loved everything that he has written so I had high hopes when I saw he was writing a Spike story. I was not disappointed. You can tell he was a fan of Buffy every character was treated with the respect you would expect from a fan. Spike's voice is captured so well. It was a flashback to watching the show. I am really hoping that there will be an audiobook and that James Marsters will read it. He does the Dresden Files books.

5 stars