I don't read a lot of romance but throw in the words 'vampires', 'gothic' and 'Victorian' and I'm in. This opulent story takes place across many centuries. It had so many tropes that I love...found family, revenge, and queer romance. The setting was perfection. There was a cottage in the woods, a gothic castle, and a Victorian mansion. The brood was such a fun and colorful group. I adored Valentin and the banter between him and Poppy. All of the characters were complex and written in a way that had me attached to them from the beginning. Poppy was such a happy, carefree, and open-minded person. Through all of her character development and transition, it was nice that she remained herself but just a better version. I recommend this book if you love gothic romance.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

A slow burning romance. Full of decadence, found and made family, love, desire and fighting for those you love. You're pulled in immediately by Poppy and Roisen. The minor characters bring joy, fun and light heartedness. It can be read in one sitting. The love scenes are erotic and sensual. I can see this becoming a cult classic film and book.

5/5 Stars!

First, thank you to NetGalley and to the author for an ARC!

I absolutely adored this book from page 1! A Long Time Dead is a love letter to the gothic fiction you know- from Frankenstein to Dracula to Carmilla, this book has it all.

The story follows Poppy as she wakes up to a whole new world of vampirism, and Roisin- the person that nurses her back to life (or death?). They awaken something in each other- this is a love story, after all, but there is someone threatening to disrupt their lives and destroy what they have built together. Will they survive her?

Despite being (un)dead, the characters are incredibly vibrant and full of life. It's impossible not to fall in love with Poppy, our main character- recently undead and perfectly ambivalent to it until she discovers she cannot eat human food. A tragedy!!! Her hope, optimism, and sailor's mouth are such a wonderful gift to us all. Roisin, in turn, is the stoic worrier, always martyring herself for the ones she loves.

The rest of the cast is a wonderful found family that I love and cherish as well! And did I mention they host glamorous orgies?

If you're looking to have fun, spill some blood, and attend sexy vampire parties- this is the book for you! I hope you preorder or add this to your TBR!

I would gladly read a million more words in Poppy and Roisin's story <3

Gay vampires, found family, a slowburn gothic romance, lots of pining, a happy ending. Seriously, what more could you ask for?

I am a very persnickety reader but this is one of the few books I've read this year where I don't have any complaints at all. I loved Poppy and Roisin's relationship, I loved the mutual pining, and I loved the dear friends that Poppy makes along the way (especially Valentin!).

I honestly adored this book from start to finish but things go from good to great about 25% in, when Poppy joins The Brood, a coven of queer vampires that just REEK of found family vibes. They all become extremely close and unabashedly attached to one another and it was a very refreshing change of pace from other gothic novels that really double down on the whole "alone and miserable" schtick.

This is also one of the few novels I've read where I think it ended absolutely perfectly. No unnecessary deaths, no loose ends, nothing that I wished had happened but didn't. There were lots of points in this book where I thought "ooh, I hope ___ happens!" -- and lo and behold, it always did. It was seriously amazing, like Breger was reading my mind. I loved it.

I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a sumptuous, lush story. The plot is a slow burn, but the anthropology and character driven details of what its like to be a vampire across decades sucked me in hard. Roisin and Poppy were great characters, who kept developing over the length of the story even through the final pages. Despite being fantastical, these two felt full-blooded (ha) and brought to life (ha, again) every room and scene they were in. I sometimes have a hard time visualizing period romances, but the settings felt lived in, gorgeous and decadent.

A particular highlight for me as a trans woman was the full cast. Delightfully and broadly queer, the Brood especially were specific and memorable despite there being quite a few rotating in and out. I especially loved Carmen, a powerful but closed off trans woman who seemed like she had plenty of care put into her characterization.

More Anne Rice than twighlight, I cannot wait to recommend this to my friends and fellow readers once it comes out. And I cannot wait for more from Samara Breger as well!

This is a lush, beautiful love letter to vampire literature, the ways we change ourselves and others, and to found family, steeped in love in all of its vibrant forms, and it feels like the vampire novel I didn't know I was waiting for.

At its heart is the romance between Poppy and Roisin and the changes they undergo because of it, both the literal change of Poppy's vampirism to the less tangible changes of the heart and purpose, of the ways they find to live with the endless years ahead of them and the pasts that haunt them. There's a running undercurrent of the thaw of winter to spring, of stepping out from the specter of Cane, Roisin's cruel, obsessive sire and her need to have Roisin as hers again and into the company and pleasure of the Brood, a fiercely queer and loving cohort of vampires, all of whom a mirror of a different way to handle their lot in life.

This is one of those books I knew from the first page I would enjoy. Breger's writing brings the characters and settings to life in such a way that they stick with you, from Poppy's joy at tasting champagne to the stomach-curdling tension that Cane brings with her. It makes the entire book feel familiar and fresh all at once - the vampiric lore and structure isn't new here, but the characters we see and the way they interact with each other and the lenses through which they see each other and the world are. They're all at the fringes of society in some way or another before their change, and there's a wonderful sense of warmth and community that comes through the Brood because of that and their desire to live their lives on their terms.

4 ⭐️

I enjoyed this but more than I thought I would (I obviously thought I was going to enjoy it to some degree I just didn’t think I would enjoy this much as I really did). When I started this book I fell in love with the writing style and just the attitude of the main character. I don’t think I’ve ever really read a book like this before and it was a nice surprise. There were some things in it that weren’t to my taste but I don’t think that they should be a reason why anyone wouldn’t pick it up. But the things that weren’t to my taste didn’t bother me too much but that’s the only reason it’s not a five star. I really recommend this book.

I haven't read anything historical in a hot minute, and I haven't read any vampire stories recently either, so A Long Time Dead hit both those categories! It was both dark and gothic as well as steamy and romantic, and while I liked the darker parts of the story better (what can I say, I love violence in my fiction) the relationship between Poppy and Roisin over the years of their vampirehood together was compelling. One thing I really loved was the fact that Roisin was more masculine/butch and wore men's clothes all the time, because I don't see characters like her (like me!) often and I want more. I liked the side characters well enough, though I do wish some of them had been developed a little bit more. The villain was fun, and a completely terrible person which I appreciate in a time where morally grey antagonists are fairly common, so I didn't have to do a lot of thinking about whether or not I liked her. Overall this was a solid read, one which I enjoyed and I would definitely recommend it to any fans of gay people or vampires or both!

3.75/5 stars

I don't really like books that are too dark and violent, so was apprehensive about reading about vampires, and this book was surprisingly warmhearted and soft despite its cold, immortal protagonists.

This book follows the story of the tightly-laced vampire Roisin, who finds herself being the caretaker to new vampire Poppy. Although Poppy was turned through an unfortunate turn of events when another vampire took advantage of her vulnerability as a sex worker, she looks on her new supernatural circumstances with wonder. Poppy is sensual when Roisin is stiff and spontaneous when Roisin is still, and through her Roisin starts to see her immortality in a whole new way. Roisin and Poppy develop an intense bond, but must part when Roisin embarks on a journey to hunt down her sire Cane, and leaves Poppy with a colorful found family in London. All the while, Poppy and Roisin pine for each other, exploring what it means to be in love and living when they literally have forever.

I really enjoyed this book, especially the balance between Roisin and Poppy's personality, and the thought that went into developing a diverse cast of vampiric characters. I give it four stars because I feel that the pacing between the middle of the book and the closing climactic action was a bit awkward, and it made me loose interest for a while. Its hard to keep a reader engaged when the story takes places across decades. But overall, I think readers can make their way through that if they stick around to see the conclusion of the romantic throughline. The sex scenes were super steamy as well!

A Long Time Dead is a true, gothic, vampire romance.

The story follows newly-turned vampire, Poppy, and her vampire companion, Roisin, as they fall in love and fight to be together. Poppy and Roisin, along with all the other characters in this story, are incredibly complex. Their faults make them feel real and makes their stories more satisfying.

The writing is lush, dense and absolutely stunning. Like any good gothic story, the pace is slow and deliberate, which adds tension and really lets the reader sink into the melancholy of it all. The atmosphere shifts between gloomy, opulent and sometimes grotesque.

A Long Time Dead isn’t like most of the lighthearted paranormal romances that are currently so popular. It’s darker and has a vibe that's more like Interview with the Vampire by Ann Rice. Roisin is even a bit of a Louis – inherently good, but self-loathing because of it.

I recommend this read to anyone who loves gothic stories, even if you’re not typically a paranormal fan. It has great characters, adventure, love, loss and even orgies.

This book had a very strong premise and idea. Sapphic vampires with wildly erotic undertones, gay pirates, and orgies? All of these sound so so so lovely in theory. My main issue with this book is that it felt incredibly first drafty and was in desperate need of another round of editing. It promises this darker allure and his incredibly adult themes, but the writing felt very YA, which was really discombobulating, and honestly kind of uncomfy considering the themes in the book. The dialogue was also very cringe, and generally, the Victorian-era setting did not feel all that well-researched.