We're going to talk about what I did and did not enjoy about this book. First off, William Ritter. I love this person's writing. I enjoyed the Jackaby series and know he's good at writing an "old fashioned" London. When I saw that he was writing the Spike novel I was instantly excited and honestly, he delivered. Spike's wit and, dare I say it, charm came through. Dru and Darla were also well written. You can tell William Ritter was a fan of the original series. The book is, overall a fun and nostalgic title. But that's the kicker for me.
Let's take a moment to talk about Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I'm a millennial. This show was targeted to my generation. The show was one of my absolute favourite things... 20+ years ago. I really enjoyed this book (especially as a Spike stan), but I just don't understand why this particular title had to be marketed for young adults. I know there's a reboot in the works (maybe, last I checked it's been pushed back again.), and realistically, these books are being published as hype titles. My issue is that the features Ritter describes are those of the wonderful Mr. Marsters. If the publishers were really trying to drum up excitement for the reboot, the smarter plan would have been to wait for the plot and cast to have been announced and go off that. This book feels like it was aiming for nostalgia from the original series and, let's be frank, none of us are teens anymore.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I have not seen many Buffy episodes and thought I'd give this one a try. I did not finish it. It did not hold my interest not sure if that's because I'm not a Buffy fan. The vampires in this story are much older than teens, so I'm not sure how this is for teens. Unless some one is a Buffy fan I would not recommend it.

Having never been a huge fan of the flashback storylines in BtVS, I was SHOCKED at how quickly I devoured the audiobook BLOODY FOOL FOR LOVE.

After becoming a slayer-killer, Spike and Dru are back in London. Spike expects that his rep as a bigshot slayer-killer will proceed him, but it business as usual. No one thinks that highly of him, and Dru's in a spell of melancholy from missing Angelus. As always, Spike's looking to prove his worth to everyone and himself. He sets out on an adventure to steal a powerful relic. In the process, we'll have team-ups, betrayals and a right-proper caper.

We'll also get an answer to a question I never thought to ask. What's the story behind Dru's doll Edith?

In Bloody Fool for Love, you get to see infamous Buffy bad boy, Spike, long before he ever meets the slayer. He's just slayed a different slayer and returns to London with the love of his life, Drusilla and her grandmother, Darla. In the hope of finding a better place for them to live (only the best for his Dru), Spike takes on the worst of the worst, a demon called Gunnar.

This audiobook had me captivated from the first second. Christian Coulson is one of the best narrators I have ever had the pleasure of listening to and he narrates an action-packed romp like no other. The voice that he brings to Spike - sarcastic, snarky, and strong - is perfect. I will be highly recommending this audiobook.

Bloody Fool for Love is all go from the start. Spike is always finding trouble. Lurking down every dingy London alleyway, round every street corner, a slayer, an angry vamp, or a demon is waiting. I absolutely loved all the action. The fight scenes were great and the lead-up puts your right on the edge of the seat, so you're properly knocked back when the action starts. This isn't to say that there aren't lulls. There are sweet scenes with Spike and Drusilla. Scenes with Spike and a minor character he meets along the way, an aspiring writer. These tender, slow scenes were some of my favorite in the entire book. Ritter managed to capture every good thing about Spike, everything that made him such an unforgettable character while leaving anything less desirable behind.

I absolutely loved this and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is fan of Buffy or even someone who isn't. It stands on its own merit. It's a great read.

If you know anyone that enjoys Buffy the Vampire Slayer I would highly recommend that you tell them about this book! Ritter perfectly encapsulates the characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this prequel that is about Spike, Drusilla and Darla. Angel just left The Fanged Four after being cursed with a soul and all three of the vamps are a little bitter about it. Spike just took down a slayer at the Boxer Rebellion in China and the three of them return to London. Spike is worried that Dru will try and go after Angel and is searching for a way to keep her around and settles on a relic of an old pinky finger of a druid that is said to clarify premonitions, which Dru has. The rest of the book is Spike's plans of a heist but also realization that Dru is happy with him and has no intention of going after Angel.
This book was an absolute joy for me, a big Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, because the essence of what makes Buffy fun was in this prequel. My only issue is that the story takes place in 1900 London and I'm not sure if some of the slang or vernacular was present at that time. I'm not that worried about it though.

What's great about Bloody Fool for Love is the characterization. Ritter knows these characters and portrays them well. You do feel like you are watching an episode of Buffy. The narrator does an excellent job of vocalizing the nuances of these memorable characters. The negative for me is the plot. I wasn't invested in the story, but stuck with it because of the awesome characterization.

Angel has just left, abandoning Darla and Dru, and while Dru is suffering with this recent desertion, Spike couldn't care less. He does, however, care about Dru, so plans a heist that will take her mind off the vampire with a soul for good.

Spike is far an away one of my favorite characters in the Buffyverse, so imagine my utter excitement when I found a book all about him. Well, sort of. While this book was a Spike story, it had far too much Darla for my taste. And Darla happens to be one of my least favorite Buffy characters. More than Darla there being awful, Dru seemed to be a shell of the character we know from the show. While Ritter does a good job of getting Spike's voice down, there is something missing from his characterization. I don't know if he just fell victim to a YA book or if Ritter was trying to portray him this way, but it just didn't work for the pre-BTVS time period this is set in.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. Christian Coulson was an okay narrator. He nailed Spike but everyone else just sounded a bit weird.

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.

5 stars

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is show I really enjoyed and while Spike isn't my favorite character he was always one of the most interesting characters. He is the most "human" of the vampires even without a souls that we met throughout the series and his emotional ties to people and places made him relatable in a way that Angel isn't always. William Ritter wrote Spike with the perfect tone, that almost human emotion combined with a little evil villain and a splash of complete lovesick idiot. I found the characters to be more interesting than the plot, which was fun but not super memorable, especially compared to In Every Generation by Kendare Blake which takes place after the original TV show. Despite that, this prequel about Spike's past with Darla and Drusilla was a fun addition to the Buffyverse, especially with the little easter eggs that any Buffy fan would appreciate. I look forward to reading more books in this vein.

This just didn't hit the mark for me. I was really excited for a Spike story, but I didn't feel like we were watching Spike but another vampire who had also happened to kill a Slayer during a stint in China. Drusilla was just about perfect, so kudos on that.

A fun romp for BTVS fans new and old, although the diehards might do best sticking to the book itself as the audio's divergence from the actual characters' cadence of speech is very jarring.

This was SUCH a fun Buffy (or I should say, Spike) retelling. I loved the easter eggs thrown in it, the way Spike and Drusilla were written, and I was genuinely interested in the plotline, the characters, and the drama of it all. For the audiobook, it was done pretty well, but I was a bit put off by Darla's voice in comparison to the way she is on the show. She felt like a completely different person, in voice and in character.

3.75 stars

I went into this book without really knowing what to expect, but I had a feeling it was going to read like fanfiction. That might be the case, to a certain extent, but it wasn’t really a bad thing. It was certainly a mix of things- anachronistic bits of speech, a few cheesy and/or cringey moments, and some genuinely funny parts. In that way, I guess it reminds me of the show(s).

The Spike characterization was pretty good (and quite entertaining at points), if a little heavy on the “reformed” version of him during some moments…but I guess that’s part of his charm. I’ve always been a fan of Drusilla and very much not a fan of Angel, so those parts largely worked for me. I had some issues with the Darla character, though; she felt too nice and maternal in many instances. I know there’s room for creative license, but she just seemed out of character based on what we know from BtVS and AtS. I’m glad all four were mentioned, though, and I laughed a bit when they were referred to (more than once) as the “Famous Fanged Four.”

There was a good mix of new storylines as well as references to the canon series material; overall, anyone who’s a big fan of the original series will probably enjoy this creative exploration of a reasonably complex and fascinating character.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Disney Audiobooks in exchange for an honest review.

I'm starting to think I should just give up on trying to recapture the magic that was BtVS, because while I LOVE that there are YA books coming out this year that expand upon the world of Buffy, none of them can live up to what the show was for me. They don't even come close, and end up just making me disappointed that what was promised is not delivered. This one was another big letdown. Spike is one of my favorite characters from BtVS but this isn't THAT Spike, it's a watered down version of him. Drusilla and Darla are diluted versions as well.

The plot and dialogue felt very clunky and forced to me, and while some of Dru's lines felt accurate to her character, overall it never felt like Ritter got the portrayals quite right. There were attempts at witty one liners, but compared to the show, these don't come close to the same level. The heist storyline was ok, but the whole thing felt like it needs a good edit.

I think I would have had a better reading experience if I had read this book, because then at least I could have heard the characters' voices in my head. I do not recommend the audiobook version, Christian Coulson is very one-note and doesn't do much to give each character their own unique voice, when they do, it's not a great imitation. I almost DNF'd this because I really did not like how the narration sounded.

This was a fun throwback to one of my favorite tv shows. I like that we got to spend more time with the characters in a previous era. Even though they were trying to be awful they almost come off as the good guys. Though they quickly dismiss that possibility.