This was all I ever wanted from a vampire book. It deserves to become a bestseller, and at least one adaptation.

Everybody is queer, and there are a lot of wholesome relationships, plus it's gothic AND funny. It is beautifully written, and it doesn't rush. It takes its time with character development and building bonds between characters. It doesn’t rely on miscommunication as a source of conflict and people are actively engaging in discussions to solve their issues.

It is tender and sweet and so full of yearning and emotion.

This was such a magnificent book.

I have so many mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, gothic sapphic vampire romance checks every one of my boxes and this book DELIVERS on that promise. Poppy Cavendish, the MC, is a newly-turned vampire who finds herself in the care of the enigmatic Roisin. They're secluded in this cozy little castle, Roisin helps her through her initial vampiric urges, and eventually she gets Poppy into the care of a delightfully queer found family called The Brood while Roisin goes off to hunt her sire/toxic ex girlfriend Cane.

This sounds amazing, right? The actual vampy parts of the book were great. Super sexy. I loved Poppy's time with the Brood, and especially Carmen, a transfemme vampire who is the Brood's defacto leader. If you like the scene with the three vampire ladies in Dracula or the polycule in A Dowry of Blood, you're going to love these scenes.

On the other hand...the acknowledgements mention that this book was supposed to be a novella and Breger got the chance to turn it into a full length novel. I am usually team novel, but in this case, it felt a bit stretched out in the first 150 pages. Poppy and Roisin are secluded for SO LONG that I actually started to get tired of our main love story, because other than them talking and Poppy periodically wrestling with bloodlust, not much happens.

HOWEVER, I also didn't like the "sitting and talking" portions of Twilight, or many other romances, so I am fully willing to admit that this is a me problem. Please listen to the five star reviews on here. I still devoured it in one day and would still highly, highly recommend if this is your jam.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bywater Books, and Samara Breger for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A Long Time Dead feels like a book I've been waiting to read for a very long time.

For all that lesbian vampires are practically a subgenre all their own, there's been relatively little vampire media that's by lesbians and FOR lesbians; for the most part, we've been relegated to softcore porn, bargain bin Gothics that function mostly as an excuse to enjoy some girl-on-girl before the heroes arrive to put a stake through the vampire's heart and save the damsel from a life of blood drinking and cunnilingus. There's been some movement towards correcting this in more recent years (yes, I did my time in the Carmilla trenches) but we were still missing something - an addition to the genre that wasn't afraid to be dark and sexy and lush, a worthy successor to titles like Interview With the Vampire that put pleasure and romance and angst at the forefront and let women be the ones in the driver's seat.

This is that book.

Poppy Cavendish is an absolute delight of a heroine - brash and cheerful and absolutely bursting with enthusiasm for life. Other reviewers have compared Roisin to Louis from "Interview," and I can see the DNA there - both have deep self-loathing streaks - but Roisin is sympathetic where Louis was whiny. (And even then, it is worth pointing out that the only part of the book that really drags is the first section, where it's just Poppy and Roisin, an extended "I love being a vampire/No you don't, it's a curse" back-and-forth - when the other vampires arrive and there's more personalities for Poppy to bounce off of, things pick right up.) The descriptions of clothes, food, sex (finally, an f/f romance that doesn't seem scared of sex beyond the vanilla!) are all so deep and lush, you could swim in them. The antagonist, Cane, is used sparingly, but for good reason - this isn't a good vs. evil story, this is Poppy's story, and I was overjoyed to be along for the ride for every minute of it. I can't recommend this highly enough, especially to lesbian former baby goths who gobbled up every piece of gay vampire media we could find and wished that there was one specifically for us. It's finally here.

"You've ruined everything. Do you know that? You ruined me. How am I meant to hunt her after this? How am I meant to wander when every part of everything I am wants to rest with you?"

real rating: 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was a little hard to get through. It wasn't necessarily bad, the plot and story overall were captivating. Some of the characters had depth and were very lovely and loveable. But the writing was dull at times and the plot moved slowly...

I loved some of the characters and I adored the found family trope. I liked how Poppy came to befriend everyone in the Brood in her own way and how her closest relationships played out. I loved the slow-burn with Roisin. I love how it starts out and lingers for that while before they truly get together. I think their relationship was well executed, for the most part. It had moments I thought were unnecessary or stretched out. It felt like there was a "on hold" on the story that didn't add anything to the plot or characters and wasn't, for me, particularly interesting.

There was a part of the plot that felt entirely useless and just there to fill some pages. It also felt unsatisfying how it all ended. Cane's played out to be so powerful and cunning and then when it gets down to it, it all seems so easy... it feels like the ending was rushed while the middle of the book was stretched.

Overall, it wasn't a bad book. It had mostly queer characters and love stories, which I loved. It also had a lot of iconic vampire myths, gore and twists, which were fun and enjoyable.

A Long Time Dead is a story of beauty, love, acceptance, and trust. each word spoken with delicate understanding of it’s characters and their movement in life (or- death.) was so expertly executed by Samara Breger. So, So happy to have this as my first ARC!

i found myself having the time of my life from page one until the last sentence, breaking my sapphic little heart; yearning for more. AND TO GIVE ME THE FOUND FAMILY OF MY DREAMS— YESSSS—

the brood. the motherfucking brood. baby, everyone in this family coaxed my heart in warm tinted hues. valentin, my beloved; you will always be famous.

beyond those great inclusions, i do wish we could have gotten more for the romance. as someone that doesn’t particularly enjoy romance novels, i utterly and wretchedly enjoyed the romance here; although, i felt something missing. that’s not to say it was disingenuous to me just, suppressed— which could be intentional in poppy’s own suppression of her feelings. that’s fine in the sense of a timeline under 1 year, this story spans decades.

Samara Breger has perfected her beautifully complex language, which has been woven seamlessly through the pages and I can’t wait for her next venture!

Thank you NetGalley and ByWater Books for this ARC!

A true gothic vampire romance set in the Victorian era with blood, drama and humor. A delightful yet original read. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

oh WOW. wow. this was a perfect

there is absolutely nothing better than a victorian era set gothic romance and this absolutely delivered

fantastic writing, crafty storytelling, IMMACULATE characters this was too much fun literally everything i could ever want in a book

DNF 22%
There’s nothing I love more than sapphic vampires but this didn’t hit the mark. The writing is really lacking. The plot isn’t captivating unfortunately. The story is so focused on Rosin’s background and Poppy’s dependence on Rosin that there is nothing else to look forward to. Poppy is stuck inside and is much to caring of Rosin from the beginning. I feel like their relationship has progressed too quickly. Therefore I don’t like the pacing.

4.5/5. 5/16/2023.

For when you're vibing with... Victorian vampires, good ol' sapphic love triangle drama, romance over decades, and a shock of humor that's practically whimsical.

Twenty-year-old Poppy is a sex worker in Victorian England when she wakes up to the discovery that she's been transformed into a vampire. Shepherding through her new existence is Roisin, an older, cooler vampire--whose complex relationship with her predatory sire is the reason why Poppy was turned in the first place. Despite her attempts to remain remote, Roisin is drawn to headstrong, wild Poppy--but their simmering attraction to each other could spell their doom.

I just loved this book. It's not a take on Carmilla--it's its own thing, equal parts romantic and tragic and funny.

Quick Takes:
--I am very much a sucker for "uptight meets wild" romances. The person with the biggest stick up their ass gets bowled over by a whirlwind of an individual? You can't go wrong with it. Poppy is a true whirling dervish of a heroine, funny and irreverent and seductive and both a bit childish and quite emotionally wise. Roisin has--by nature and through awful experience--become this removed, distant creature who's lost touch with her humanity in an effort to keep from robbing others of their own. I wouldn't say Poppy saves her, because their relationship is quite layered and the book makes a point of both of them having to do personal work... But Poppy does make her want to live again, and their interplay is hilarious and sexy and extremely touching.

--This book... is quite angsty. These are vampires, after all. Roisin in particular is defined by guilt and shame and a desperate wish to go back in time and right her (perceived) wrongs. But there's a lady of the Gothic and shadows across the entire story. What keeps it from being maudlin and depressing, aside from the passion between Poppy and Roisin (make no mistake, this is a true romance) is the humor. The voice of the novel is comedic, Poppy is a riot, you get a lot of "but why" over the various quirks and oddities of vampirism. One particularly pointed question had me laughing within the first chapter or two, and that doesn't happen to me easily.

--I was kind of skeptical as to how potent the romance would be compared to the vampire's story. I saw this compared to Interview with the Vampire a lot, and while that's an interesting vampire story with a romantic throughline (more so... later) it's not a romance by any means. Here, the vampirism isn't skipped over or downplayed, but nor is the love story. Roisin wants Poppy, Poppy wants Roisin, but there are very serious issues that keep them apart... to a point. Don't worry, not for too long; there's a bit of a slow burn, but it's not sloooow, it's compelling, and the payoff isn't too late in the story at all. Plus, the issues between them? Are serious ones, and there isn't a single character in this book that makes the right call every single time. They're vampires! They're messy!

--The queer found family among these vampires... Obviously, queerness is an inherent part of the vampire mythos, but often we see it danced around, not referred to explicitly. It is explicit in this novel, in terms of actions and words. Poppy is also a sex worker when she becomes a vampire, and she actually like.... enjoys sex, and doesn't hate her work. There is trans rep in a strong supporting character (and a refreshingly frank scene in which that character's sexuality is discussed). Poppy is not expected to sit there and wait for Roisin to make it happen; she has sex with someone who isn't her one true love before they get together. I really liked that. I'm so tired of characters--heroines especially--just sitting there and letting cobwebs collect while they wait for their one true love to get their shit together and make it happen. Plus, the sex scene is used to illustrate Poppy's love for and obsession with Roisin in a really interesting (hot) way.

The Sex Stuff:
Segueing from that... the sex is really good in this one. Here's the thing--the sex scenes are poetic, and they could've been more explicit, but they really didn't need to be. And you get everything. There's some praise kink stuff, there's some domming, there's a very very good strap-on scene. And what I liked most was the way these characters acted during sex. You may have an idea of roles and what they like... but the way a person lives their everyday life doesn't necessarily reflect their preferences in the bedrooms and that's illustrated so well here.

I enjoyed this vampire romance so much. You really get this sense of the Victorian era, while at the same time time luxuriating in a very classical sort of vampirism--and all through it, you're rooting for Poppy and Roisin to just get their shit together and work it out. So glad I read it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Samara Breger for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"A Long Time Dead" is a sapphic vampire book featuring Poppy, a bright, optimistic sex worker who get entangled within a group of vampires as a result of a bad break up. A REALLY bad break up, as it turns out, for Poppy was a pawn in a centuries-long abusive relationship. Poppy, who really tries to see the best of things, is drawn to Roisin, a stiff-upper-lip vampiress who frequently wears mens clothing and is trying to escape the clutches of her past girlfriend, Cane. Roisin feels compelled to teach Poppy all about being a vampire, due to obligation and/or guilt, and their relationship is the central heart of "A Long Time Dead" as they navigate their un-lives together.

There's a lot to enjoy about this one - it butts up against a lot of gothic tropes and then ignores them. Poppy's friendly, easy-going personality is a ray of sunshine, and I will always enjoy a good deadpan/jokester romance. My issue? NOTHING HAPPENED FOR SO LONG. Poppy gets turned and as a result has to sequester away from the world until she can control her bloodlust. I was well into 35% of the novel before she really got a chance to experience anything more exciting than sitting at home being info-dumped about her new world, about Roisin's past, about Cane's past, about vampires... There were a lot of explanations! At home! By the fire! Eating rabbits! I feel like easily 60-80 pages could have been trimmed and backstory woven in more gracefully. The book picked up considerably when Poppy's world expanded, but oh, that first 100 or so pages nearly ended me.

Breger plays fast and loose with history, social expectations, etc of the period as well. Those interested in a historically-accurate-plus-vampires tale will not find it here; this is predominantly a romantic fantasy novel with a horror twist rather than a horror twist with romance. Those with their expectations accordingly will enjoy themselves.

this book hits the ground running from page one and doesn’t let up. i’m always down for some gothic WLW vampires, and this one has shot to the top of the favorites list for me i absolutely loved it

from the incredibly well fleshed out characters to the lines that made me laugh out loud to the PINING i absolutely devoured this book. poppy is such a fun main character, and i love the little glimpses into roisin’s pov we get. the brood is the new pinnacle of found family for me, i loved them.

to be honest there wasn’t much about this book i didn’t like, so if you’re into queer vampire stories that are heartbreaking and cathartic and a little bit smutty that will make you cry a lot then i say absolutely give this one a go. HIGHLY recommend.

My actual rating is 4.5

I loved this book. It was fun, heartbreaking, and very beautifully written from beginning to end, with characters that felt very real even if it's about Victorian vampires.

Poppy, the protagonist, is funny and confident and a bit annoying but in the best way. She's a sex worker in Victorian London when she's turned into a vampire and meets Roisin, an older vampire who takes her in and helps her not only through the painful experience of transformation but also how to become a vampire and have self-control. They become the annoying/annoyed pair that I love so much and as they fall in love they understand that not everything will be so easy and they will have to fight to protect what they have and those they love.

I would say that, even if it's a bit obvious, beware of the amount of blood mentioned if that bothers you.

The found family in this book comes in the form of 5 vampires queer from all over the world that live in a big mansion together and they were so so lovely. They love and care for each other a lot and the way they welcome Poppy so seamlessly into their little family is the most heartwarming thing I've read in a while. Every character in the book is complex and deep, and they feel so real, they are nothing like most of the lighthearted paranormal romances I've read so far. I don't want to spoil anything but Cane, our villain, was terrifying if I'm completely honest, everything she does is so cruel and painful that I felt like I was in the book feeling everything as well.

As a Spanish speaker as soon as I read Carmen say "pobrecita" I was really excited, and I'm pleasantly surprised that I found only 1 mistake when she says "evidentamente" when it should be "evidentemente". Specially since Carmen was one of my favorite characters, I loved how she was described and her story touched my heart.
I hope you enjoy this book and its amazing characters as much as I did.

"If we die and we go somewhere after. If we find one another in that up or a beyond or anywhere else, I want to have a body that's changed for you being beside it".

Sit down and drink the rabbit’s blood the cute lady who nursed you to health offered.

A Long Time Dead is a gothic vampire romance we’ve all been waiting for. With queer characters, found family, and healing from past trauma Breger explores these themes with immortals and how living for centuries can affect their perspective of life.

In Breger’s rich prose, Poppy’s humor and yearning make her an interesting main character to follow. Often I found myself snorting at a well-placed joke and embarrassed on her behalf as Roisin and her stumble with these new feelings for each other.

Each character has depth and faults to their action and is not afraid to call others out on their bullshit. Each character has their own motivation so it doesn’t feel like Poppy is dragging a bunch of paper dolls behind her plot-wise.

The villain makes their impact not in dialogue and action but in the impression of themself they leave behind on the people they affected and their wit to outsmart the couple.

There is love in the exploration of vampire lore. It also tackles questions I often wonder about religion and the immortality of vampirism. Making nods to the classic Dracula in a way that is refreshing.

The pacing is extremely well done especially towards the beginning of the book while Poppy and Roisin navigate through the emotions they feel for each other and the struggle of a newly born vampire. Months and years can pass but it is not stilted or awkward. While I do find the action sequences a little jarring as it reads like watching a movie.

Overall Breger made me love the main couple and the Coven and root for their success.

3.5 stars. This felt like it needed a bit of refining still, but overall I really enjoyed it. I had a bit of trouble getting into it, but after the first fifty pages or so I fell right into the story. Great for fans of A Dowry of Blood!

A Long Time Dead by Samara Breger is alike to a new retelling of Interview with A Vampire. There are so many similarities, the tone the appeal and I think the era. The characters are quite loveable and memorable, and the banter is some of my favorite. The writing is quite good in which it made me immerse myself in the reading. Definitely recommend this book, also the cover is gorgeous.

Thanks to Bywater Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

When Poppy Cavendish, a young, cheerful sex worker finds herself turned into a vampire, she has no idea of the wonders that the world has in store: a found family of people from all walks of life, a love to last a lifetime, and a hunter who will stop at nothing to end Poppy's happiness. This book is an enthralling romance that explores a new take on the vampire mythos, with all the gore, beauty, and reflection on mortality that entails.

This book was very nearly a 5-star read; it's so, so dear to my heart, after only a couple of days spent with it, that I'm sure I'll acquire a paperback once it's officially out. Every character was delightful, but Poppy- fittingly - takes the cake. Her wit and optimism light up the page every time she's on it. However, she's far from the only wonderful character - Valentin and Massimo have their own tragic and beautiful story, Carmen was enchantingly written, and the representation in general sets this book apart. The only gripe I had was that the plot, involving Cane and the Brood, was lopsided and somewhat clumsily executed, and I didn't like how many timeskips there were. The romance lacked the particular spark of exhilaration that I looked for, but it was still very sweet. Where this book really shines, in my opinion, is its depiction of the Brood, and I wish they had come into the story earlier. Watching Poppy integrate into this motley found family is genuinely one of the sweetest things I've read in recent memory.

Breger shines so bright in her complex characters, and their dynamics to each other, that it is easy to forgive any other flaws. The pacing was off, but acceptably so, because every moment we spend in Poppy's perspective is its own kind of fun. The descriptions were well-realized but never overblown. The adventures the characters go on are, while exciting, never the main point of the book, and rightly so. The best moments of the book come from the antics that Poppy and the Brood get up to, and Roisin plays the role of the straight-man admirably (though sometimes I felt underwhelmed by her as a love interest.)

This book is like a home-made cake: lumpy, uneven, and otherwise imperfect, but made with so much love and care that you can't help but savor it. An excellent sophomore novel from a promising author.

Thank you for the arc of this upcoming book! This was a rich and vivid story. The characters were great, each felt written with justice. Overall, this had everything i generally look for. The vibes are immaculate and the cover superb.

Thank you to Bywater Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy!

Gothic is not really my style, but I devoured this book, and look forward to rereading it next month. Poppy was such a vivid character, and Roisin truly believable in how compelled Poppy was by her. A Long Time Dead is richly atmospheric and I was at the edge of my seat as the story built to include new characters and dangers, with sharp punctuations of humor and delight.
Cane haunts the book, as a specter and cruel force manipulating puppetstrings of pain. Her abuse, met by the love that is found in this book of all sorts of relationships, both feel real and compelling.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

This novel is nothing like your regular vampire story. Foggy London streets, Victorian Era, gothic undertones and sapphic romance may sound like the perfect match for a dark retelling, but the vampires in this story are not the dark creatures we may expect. Poppy, the main character and narrator, is a ray of sunshine. “A creature built to love, with joy spilling out from every bit of her.” I loved her lighthearted and humorous tone, her joie de vivre and her genuine excitement for anything that has yet to be discovered and enjoyed.

Throughout the novel, we follow Poppy as she learns to navigate life as a newly turned vampire who needs to learn how to control her urges. The only urge she cannot seem to get a hold of is her strong love and desire for her creator, Roisin.

Their love story spans over decades; years of burning desire, penance, longing, sacrifice, and love. Love for one another, for their found family, for their mortal friends, and for themselves. Eros. Philia. Storge. Philautia. Xenia. Agape. Love, and how it may present itself and grow, is described in an emotional and lush prose, and is the main focus of the book.

A Long Time Dead is a story of seduction, love and acceptance. Poppy, Roisin and The Brood are all complex, and at times, tortured characters. They’re flawed and struggle with their decisions and relationships, but that just makes their growth so much more significant and beautiful.

From the very first page, I immersed myself in a story I knew right away I would absolutely love. Samara Breger’s prose brings vampire lore into a fresh, new light. The settings are what you expect from classic vampire lore; affected by daylight, sleep in coffins, unnatural strength and more, but their personality and the way they interact and evolve with the world around them is a refreshing new take.
I really enjoyed this book, and I’m looking forward to reading more novel by this author. I would like to thank the author, publishing house and NetGalley for granting me an eARC in exchange of an honest review.