I’m new to Kit Vincent’s work, and enjoyed Love Immortal. I found it a satisfying read—I had difficulty putting it down at one point. It’s a spooky, dark yet hopeful fantasy-horror romance. Great for the start of October, reflective and generally well-paced, with compelling mystery and satisfying romance. Spice level is 3/5 IMO.


Full review with mild spoilers about the plot & critiques below:

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Love Immortal focuses on the young Jonathan Evergreen, a queer college student in 1987 Vermont trying to focus on the present—and his future—in a subject he loves. Yet his psyche and heart are still largely submerged in the past, in the heartbreaking pain and loneliness of being completely disowned and abandoned upon discovery of his sexuality two years earlier in a forced outing. Jonathan’s trauma over being outed, shunned, and heartbroken leaves him wary of seeking out other queer students or living more openly. Although we’re told early on that he’s now largely safe from homophobia (the state’s got a liberal reputation, and his campus hosts an active, thriving Gay & Lesbian Alliance), he balks at breaking out of his shell, with only one close friend with similar outsider status who makes a regular appearance throughout the book but largely stays out of the fantasy plot line.

To get my main critique out of the way:
I found it curious (and disappointing) that author Kit Vincent didn’t ground this very queer horror-romance more firmly in the time period—especially given the AIDS crisis. By the late 1980s AIDS was still an enormous threat to public health and queer activists were still working hard for attention, and gaining it—the AIDS Memorial Quilt was first displayed in October of 1987 in DC. I would have loved for this story to have felt more grounded in its time—what would its main characters feel about that outpouring of queer anguish, grief, death, and societal condemnation amidst so much discussion of gothic literature? Instead we get a few descriptions of 1980s fashion & cars, and an idealistic active Gay and Lesbian Alliance on a largely accepting, safe campus. The only open homophobes are the privileged & wealthy straight legacy students, acting along predictable lines. The story could have been set 15 years earlier or 10 years later without any substantial changes.

That aside, Love Immortal does a good job establishing Jonathan in his world—much attention is paid to his self-driven academic focus; his solitary nature and love for books all felt genuine, and while actual conservation never really shows up, his passions feel real, and the setting of the school’s famous rare books collection made me want to visit my local library. Jonathan’s inner life, though, is tormented. Night after night Jonathan’s dreams are haunted relentlessly by his former lover, making him relive his anguish, keeping him from recovering or moving on. When Dacian Bathory shows up on campus, hauntingly beautiful, dark but intense and alive, he and Jonathan seem to have an instant, intense connection. Much of the book focuses on their mutual appreciation of gothic literature, which Bathory has shown up suddenly to teach—potentially disrupting Jonathan’s studies and academic future. Soon disruption is everywhere—the school library is missing a rare book, the campus’ safety is shattered, and as Jonathan’s dreamscape is slowly disrupted too, he begins to feel the fantastical threatening to creep into his waking life.

There are some obvious villains tinted with an edge of fantasy too—the small friend group of privileged, extremely wealthy young men deemed ‘the legacies’ for their admission status, who don’t have to follow the rules of university life like everyone else. They’re a mash up of several 1980s movie stereotypes together in one small group: a preppy one who has bleached hair & an earring, a rock n roll one with a mullet, and a jock one, all three bathed in toxic masculinity, anger issues, and something a little bit more menacing.

Love Immortal doesn’t spend too much time in the mundane before delving into its fantasy elements and mysteries unfolding around Jonathan. Some (or most) mysteries are solved fairly quickly and easily, with clear enough foreshadowing that you can guess what may happen next, but the novel stays committed to developing its gothic vibes and chemistry between Jonathan and Dacian, and its strongest and most interesting points come when the two of them are together, interacting. For me, the weakest point in the novel hit about midpoint, when Jonathan privately lays out his theories on who the vampire is and what has been going on, and it gets a little too hammy for my taste. But the story doesn’t linger there, and Vincent does a good job making something unique and tragic out of popular Dracula lore.

The romance was developed well, for all the fantastical elements it doesn’t feel too rushed, and the stakes are high enough that when the Big Bad of the story is confronted, it isn’t a walk in the park for our protagonists.

While the story wraps up well, the ending felt a bit rushed to me, as I would have liked to see more connection between our love interests at the very end. Vincent gives us queer joy though, and that is enough for me.


Thank you to Kit Vincent and NetGalley for this ARC of Love Immortal.

thank you to the author for approving my request! i loved this IMMENSELY, i will definitely read more from kit, i'm frustrated that this was my introduction! and like i said it wont be the last, i feel like im already proud of kit on multiple levels. i love the balance of the romance with vampies and dark academia. dare i say best vampire book of the year (and i've already read a lot)?

3/5

This book is an ode to gothic litterature and the 80's. If I like the first one, the second is not my cup of tea, but it wasn't a problem to read the story. There is a lot of lore and gothic's code in this book, in how it is constructed and layed out. Our academic setting helps to give us that sense of a closed off place where the story can unfurl, forcing proximity and a great context for the intrigue and explore queerness.

I wasn't necessarily very invested in the characters or the plot, and yet, reading flowed easily, helped by the first person narrative (which isn't my favorite kind of narrative). The mystery was nice, the rhythm was a little slow at first and the instant connexion between the two love interest isn't something I can believe in easily, but it works for the setting and what the author intended to do, I think.

It brings impeccable atmosphere and vibes. Dark, broody, gothic, queer... and there's vampires. Need I say more?
While I usually don't like slow burns, I can appreciate how well it was written. There's also to be said about savoring the story and how it was developed. 100% would read more!

It's a book for book lovers, dark academia lovers. And you even get some social commentary about school elitism and the unfairness of it all.

This is Kit's best work to date!

#LoveImmortal #NetGalley

Thank you to the editor and netgalley for the arc! All opinions are my own.
I’m not a huge vampire lover, so maybe I’m not the best to judge that aspect of the book, but I found interesting how the novel Dracula played into the story.
The aspect I loved more was the dark academia one: I found everything that I search in an dark academia novel: academic setting with a huge focus on the love for knowledge ✅, dark fall setting ✅, secret society✅, m*rder✅, critic of elitism and classism ✅.
I felt it was not only labeled as dark academia but it was fully consistent with the sub genre.
The writing style was good and it kept me hooked on the story - I read all in less than 24 hours. I loved how both the protagonist were focused on books and knowledge and how this played in the story.
Totally recommend

Many thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the wonderful ARC of this queer, gothic, dark academia wonder of a story!

Okay I’m not gonna lie here, this book had me HOOKED. I could put it down I devoured it. Dacian and Jonathan were entrancing, especially Dacian. I loved the back and forth between them, the will they won’t they, the mysteries evolving.

I liked Jonathan’s story, he has been through so much but still always chooses to do what he believes is the right thing, he’s broken and reserved and just wants to read books and look at books and honestly? Same. For a short-ish book, I really enjoyed Jonathan’s character arc, his relationship with Dacian truly brought him out of his shell and it was so bloody good.

Now let’s talk Dacian… I won’t lie, if twilight has taught me anything, it’s that vampires are kind of iconic. He’s kind of an asshole, but we’ll let him get away with it because he’s been through a lot. But the way his eyes always find Jonathan’s? Wooo that’s the good stuff there.

I really enjoyed the story too, I liked the threads of gothic literature throughout the story and how it actually tied in so well to the story. I liked the legacies plot, I thought it was intriguing and I love me a good murder mystery.

Overall, this book has truly made me want to go out and read Kit Vincent’s other stuff. I loved their writing voice, it was easy to read but rich with character and I love that kind of stuff so I’m excited to see what else they have to offer!

I adored this book.

We follow Jonathan, who wants to become a book archivist when he graduates. At the start of the semester, a new Professor comes to the College and weird things begin to happen, not the least of which are missing people and Corpses washing up.

The characters are deeply complex and well fleshed out. I especially loved learning about Dacian and his back story. Jonathan comes with some emotional trauma, that I recommend whole heartedly to pay attention to the trigger warnings for. I did not feel this story to be as dark as I expected but that is not to say that there are not a lot of triggering issues, just not triggering for me.

The plot was good, well thought out and kept me interested to the very end. There is one issue I didn't quite understand, and that is that Jonathan being as intuitive and smart as he was, figured out some really difficult things and yet didn't figure out the easy connections quicker. But that is probably a me issue.

Overall I loved this book, 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5!

I would reccommend this to anyone who enjoys Dark Academia and mysterious love interests with a dash of forbidden attraction.

Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing for the Advance Review Copy. All opinions are my own and I am posting them voluntarily.

My rating: 4.25

I loved Us, Et Cetera so much I had to give this one a try even though it's dark academia which I don't usually enjoy. But I very much enjoyed this one!

I also read it in one sitting which for me means a) I had a great time, couldn't put it down and b) I can now (a day later) barely remember anything about it.

I did enjoy the characters and the plot. The romance was cute and aching. But mostly the writing was so pretty!!

And here's a lil list of my favourite quotes because I have feelings about them, beware spoilers obviously.

"But for some reason, I want to tell him. I want to tell him all my secrets."

"These are dangerous thoughts, I tell myself sternly. He’s a professor, and I’m a student. I shouldn’t think of touching him. Of wanting to be alone with him. Of hearing him in my dreams."

“Aren’t you afraid of me?” […] “I am,” I breathe, caught off guard by my own honesty. “I’m terrified of you.” […] “Then why are you still here, Jonathan?”

“That no matter how much I try to resist, I’m unable to keep myself from you? That the instant our eyes met in the theater, I saw our connection? Your heart called out to me, all ten thousand broken shards of it. How could I not answer when suddenly, in a room full of people, I could hear only you?”

“Keep your eyes open,” he says unexpectedly. “I want you to see me.” For a moment , I’m at a loss for words. He wants me to see him? Oh, Dacian, how could I possibly see anyone else?

In this world of shadows, Dacian is my anchor. If he disappears, I will become unmoored. Lost in the darkness without the light of his eyes to guide me, I may never find myself again.



Also gonna be honest the more I think about it the funnier the premise is though, huge spoiler: "100 years after Dracula was betrayed by Jonathan Harker he falls in love with another Jonathan", I also had to really laugh at the Dracula reveal I don't know why.

A queer dark academia vampire romance between a professor and student? Sign me up!

I was really interested in this book from the premise. The setting was perfect for the fall vibes this time of year and there was a great air of mystery around the characters. However, I felt like there was something lacking throughout the book. I can’t quite out my finger on what it was…maybe it felt a little to disconnected and unbelievable. The characters weren’t over the top, but at times did feel a little caricature-ish. I felt let down by the ending as well. After all we want through that’s what we get?

This was not a bad book by any means, and parts of it were good, but overall it doesn’t stand out.

I received this book from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

This was such a good read! I'm a sucker for vampires (pun intended) and I love queer representation, so this was a slam dunk all around. I got lost reading this story, making guess about Dacian's origins and about all the murders. It kept me super engaged and on my toes. I'd love to buy a copy of the book when it comes out so I can reread it in the future. It was the perfect unsettling and spooky October read for me!

This book is a love letter to Gothic literature and vampires in fiction, and for that reason alone I adored it. Of course, I also loved other parts of the book. I loved Jonathan as a main character. He is a character of my heart with his love of books and history. He is so determined and kind and smart. He also has such amazing development as he heals from some of his past trauma. And the first person point of view is perfect for some mild psychological horror that added great, creepy tension to the book. I liked the sense of mystery throughout the whole book, from the subtler hints to the strange murders. And the all the elements came together brilliantly at the end, connecting all the dots. As for the romance, that was the one area I wasn’t in love with. I loved Jonathan, and I enjoyed Dacian, with his encyclopedic knowledge of literature and protective nature. But I just can’t be fully comfortable with the age gap, even with how explicit the consent was. But overall this book met all my expectations and I recommend it.

Rating : 4/5⭐️

Key words : vampires, Dracula, dark academia,

Thank you to Kit Vincent, Victory editing and netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.
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twilight x ninth house x dracula
Quote : "Then it is best to make friends with the shadows, Mr. Evergreen. For if you're shrouded in darkness so complete, so all-consuming, that there's no telling the skies above from the ground below, then what is the difference between falling and flying?"
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This book was a total surprise, I wasn’t sure of myself and what I got myself into at first I thought I was getting into a twilight x heartstopper book. The start was very fasted paced and then it was VERY slow until like 30% of the way in I even considered DNFing the book, but then we got shocking news about Clay. I wasn’t really paying attention to every word I read, until the reveal happened and I clasped my mouth. I was so so shocked and I DIDNT see it coming.
Then it was very fast and slow paced again, sometimes the book was telling too much instead of showing but that was fine. I wish we could’ve explored a bit more of Jonathan’s back story. Maybe in the second book ? (If there’s one planned)
I really liked Dacian’s character but I didn’t get why he was so overpowered. Like some of his magic MAKES sense due to the legends about vampires but the rest was a bit confusing.
The house party was a bit sad I grew attached to some characters :(
ANYWAYS, this book has CLEAR winks to twilight AND dracula which I love.
Hoping we get to know more about Fiona or Jonathan’s life in the future.
The whole dark academia, school library world building was really well done and it reminded me of Ninth House.
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Jonathan Evergreen, a talented sophomore at a secluded college in Vermont, dreams of a career in book conservation while struggling with family estrangement and heartbreak. When his advisor mysteriously disappears, a new professor, Dacian Bathory, steps in, drawing Jonathan in with an intense but confusing connection. Dacian helps Jonathan land a job at the Rare Books library, tied to the disappearance of an antique book. As their attraction deepens, sinister events unfold on campus, including disappearances and disturbing behavior among students. Jonathan begins to suspect Dacian’s involvement and must uncover the truth before it’s too late.

A wonderful adaptation that delves deep into queer guilt, truth in the written world and of course gothic literature.

Dacian is a mysterious new professor at Camden. Jonathan is student whose wish is to be a book Conservationist. Jonathan is drawn to Dacian who is beautiful, mysterious and knows more about gothic lit thank any living being. So when people start going missing around campus, dark secrets are revealed and the pair must work together to resolve them.

For a vampire story the author covers so many complex themes with perfection. Being set in 80s America we see the struggle and guilt that surrounds being openly queer. Jonathan who comes to college after the trauma of being outed, disowned and his lovers suicide is understandably wary about finding love or even disclosing his past. Dacian has a similar trauma of being rejected by his lover due to societal pressures of the 1800s. His trauma is also linked to physical torture and Betrayal. Jonathan's quest to make sure the written work no matter its content stays uncensored helps encapsulate the other over arching themes.

I was mesmerised by this story and I can't help wanting a part two. The ending felt a little rushed and could have been drawn out a bit more, but the story as a whole was strong and throughly enjoyable. One of my favourite reads of the year.

“It’s easy to say you loved someone when they’re no longer around.”

“Love Immortal,” by Kit Vincent

I really liked this book. I liked the aesthetic and vibe in the book, it gave me standard college vibes during the day but at night it was eerie and dark academia styled. It takes place in Vermont, so I pictured it snowy and dark with lots of forest and trees and with the mist it gave me overall a cool picture when I was reading. I loved the characters and relationship in the book. Teacher X Student, with all the forbidden romance and also with the mysterious happenings and their complicated feelings with each other, it was perfect amount of tension. Jonathan had so much trauma about being gay and his first relationship, I was emotional mess by the end because the loneliness and fear of abandonments resonated with me. 4 out of 5 stars.

-M/M
-College
-Teacher X Student
-Vampires

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

“For if your shrouded in darkness so complete, so all-consuming, that there’s no telling the skies above from the ground below, then what is the difference between falling and flying?”

“Real monsters don’t care about other people.”

“And yes, it’s very painful to look at. But should we turn away just because it’s difficult to confront? Should we let the dead stay dead and move on? Or do those people deserve to be acknowledged?”

"Love Immortal" is a captivating blend of vampires, dark academia, and slow-burn romance that will keep fans of the genre thoroughly engrossed. Jonathan Evergreen’s journey through the eerie, elite college in Vermont is filled with tension and mystery, and the sinister atmosphere makes for an absorbing read. The dynamic between Jonathan and the enigmatic Professor Dacian Bathory is electric—full of intrigue, unresolved feelings, and a pull that neither can deny. Kit Vincent masterfully balances Jonathan’s personal struggles, his growing attraction to Dacian, and the increasingly unsettling events surrounding the campus.

Though the pacing is a bit slow at times, the gothic atmosphere, sinister secrets, and unraveling mysteries more than make up for it. Jonathan's internal conflict—both in terms of his family’s rejection and his deepening connection to the dark, dangerous world around him—adds emotional depth to the story. Fans of romantic fantasy with a darker edge will appreciate the blend of vampire lore, academic intrigue, and suspenseful twists that "Love Immortal" has to offer.

This, unfortunately, was not for me. It wasn't a bad book, hence still getting a 3 star rating, which is not a bad rating. I even liked certain aspects like how Jonathan constantly viewed things from multiple angles and (especially) the numerous points that were made in terms of human rights and morality. Many aspects were commented on that are incredibly important.

What didn't work for me was that I felt a connection to the story or the characters. I liked the 80s vibe, but I wish we had gotten MORE of it and more of a Lost Boys feel. Also, a lot of the writing was Jonathan internally monologuing, and it really hindered the pacing of a plot that was also pretty mild. The last thing that stopped me forming a connection to this story is that even our couple felt mild to me. I didn't end up feeling any chemistry between them at all.

Again, not a bad book, just not one that really pulled me in in any way.

i receive an e-ARC in exchange for a review of my own free will

i really, really enjoyed this book! i love archival stuff (shoutout to the magnus archives podcast for that) and vampires so this was right up my alley. the ONLY reason there’s half a star off is the ending wasn’t my favorite. it fell a bit flat for me :(
however, i was so, so enthralled with the story and dacian and jonathan that reading the book was so satisfying and engaging the ending didn’t matter as much. i loved all of the book and would read it again in a heartbeat. the way the vampires were written and not exactly the same as other vampire media was SO much fun. i got so invested i ended up finishing the last half in one sitting and don’t regret it one bit. in some ways, it reminded me of the narrative style of the secret history (in a good way, one of my favorite books). this was such a great read!!!

It's queer and has vampires. Of course, it was amazing. To be honest, I wish that the book was longer. It was a great read!

This, very unfortunately, didn’t work for me. You would think that a dark academia, vampire romance, set during the late 80s, with inspiration from The Lost Boys, would a fucking great time (I know I was super excited when I read the synopsis). However, I found that I never connected with Jonathan as a main character, nor Dacian as a love interest and I found the dialogue and narrative to be kind of clumsy and stiff.

I enjoyed ‘Us, Et Cetera’ (despite how aggressively bleak it was) so I am shocked that something about how the plot unfolded here just seemed off to me. I haven’t been able to put my finger on what it is exactly that I’ve struggled with, but I think a lot of it comes down to the story doing a lot of ‘telling and not showing’, the world building around the magic of vampires being pretty loosey goosey and conveniently cherry picking elements when needed and the mystery being pretty predictable.

I feel like my apathy for this book can be summed up with the fact that I had to put it down at 96% to go to work and instead of manically finishing it on my lunch break I just didn’t care. Honestly, I think my love of the individual story elements is what kept me engaged enough to finish it off.

That being said, I appear to be in the minority and there are plenty of people this worked for, so perhaps it’s just me, in which case I hope everyone else has a wonderful reading experience with it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this eARC

Kit Vincent has done it again in this veritable love letter to vampire lore, gothic literature, and the 1980s. The meticulous world-building and research have paid off in this richly detailed portrait of the life of a queer college student at an ivy-league-like institution whose path crosses with vampires. In addition to the rich storytelling, it’s also a fiercely intimate tale of two lost souls who find each other. The love story builds slowly throughout the story, perfectly woven with the plot until both reach a crescendo. The story does explore some tough subjects, so please note the content warnings. This was a highly enjoyable read, and I highly recommend it.