Bloodline by Jenn Alexander is a sweet romance that pairs lesbians, vampires, and highly “coffinated” beverages.
Edie McLean, the 4th-generation owner of the McLean Family Coffee Shop, is grieving the loss of her parents. The shop, a legacy of the McLean family, has faced decades of bad business, regrettable purchases, and massive debt. The shop’s small customer base is insufficient to keep it afloat, and if Edie doesn’t find a way to turn the business around quickly, the family’s legacy will end with her.
Edie struggles to reconcile her life, attracting a night-shift nurse and a quirky roommate. When their worlds collide, she discovers a new market that could save her family’s coffee shop. However, when her Draculatte and Cold Blood Cold Brews become more alarming than sales, the stakes become more substantial. The story highlights the challenges and potential of navigating a complex and uncertain world.
Writing
Jenn Alexander has written a vampire story unlike any I’ve read before as it combines a lot of humor with touches of drama interspersed with an air of mystery, and super quirky characters. The chapter names cleverly provide elements of foreshadowing. The dialogue seems breezy but is profound and the descriptive details allow readers to visualize the characters’ actions and story events. The coffee shop is where most of the events take place and because of Alexander’s attention to detail, the shop becomes a third main character.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
Edie is an extremely relatable and likable main character. She is struggling with crippling grief over the loss of her parents while trying to climb out of a seemingly insurmountable pile of debt all while keeping her family’s floundering coffee shop afloat. To help pay the bills, she’s taken on a roommate whose lifestyle is quite different than what Edie is used to. She works almost day and night leaving very little time for her to catch her breath. Despite her struggles and how tired she is, she always takes the time to make all of her customers feel welcomed and seen.
The themes of belonging, acceptance, and community are woven through the fabric of this book which makes the book much deeper beneath the outside quirky shell. The majority of the society these characters live in are unsupportive of the vampires that live amongst them causing vampires to hide their true nature. The mob mentality is alive and well but as Edie, with the help of Penny and Empty, reshapes the McClean Family Coffee shop into Bloodline, those ostracized by society find a place where they are respected, supported, and valued. It’s the parallels with our society that really hit home. Alexander includes some excellent observations and revelations that resonated with me. At one point, Edie says, “Just because it is a view held by a majority of the citizens doesn’t make it right. It is so easy for people to judge people and things they know nothing about.” I had to sit with this for a bit because unfortunately, this is true. The coffee shop is where everyone is welcome with open arms, a staple in the community for those who would otherwise be unwelcomed elsewhere. It’s places like this fictional coffee shop that is a necessity in our own society.
The romance between Penny and Edie is extremely sweet. I love how easily Edie embraced Penny’s truths because very few people in her life ever did. Penny has remained hidden, moving often to new places hoping to find the support she’d been craving for years. Edie’s lack of questions left me with a lot of wonders but I realized quickly that was the point. Acceptance at face value. In turn, Penny supports Edie as she transitions her family’s legacy into something new.
The beliefs, personalities, and pontifications of Empty, Sid, and Blake add a lot to the story. I loved how their relationships with Edie progressed to the point where they became a family, loving and supporting one another despite their outward differences. The coffee shop is a place that is a necessary element in each of their lives so much so that they rally to save it.
Heads Up
Since this is a vampire story, there are some scenes where the drinking of blood comes into play.
The Conclusion
Bloodline by Jenn Alexander is an unconventional vampire romance with a mix of sweetness and gore. Edie, Penny, and the quirky cast of supporting characters are endearing and interesting. The layers to this story along with the parallels with reality make this book much deeper than I ever imagined possible. The story moves quickly and you’ll find yourself turning pages to find out what happens to their beloved coffee shop. It’ll make you smile, gasp, grit your teeth, and reflect. If you’re a fan of vampires, or even if you’re not, give this book a shot because it’s well worth it!
Excerpt from Bloodline by Jenn Alexander
A knock at the walk-up window pulled her from her musings, and Edie turned, instantly brightening.
“You’re here early.”
The woman on the other side of the window smiled and shrugged one shoulder—a move that made Edie swoon a little. “It’s a nice night out. I thought I’d take my time on my walk to work. Enjoy the fresh air.”
Edie didn’t know the woman’s name, even though she’d been frequenting the coffee shop for the past couple of months. She’d been too tongue-tied to ask. She was certain that she’d open her mouth to ask and what would come out instead was “Marry me and have my babies.” All she knew was that the woman worked as a nurse at the hospital a block over, and that she bought the other night-shift staff coffees on a near-nightly basis.
“The usual?” Edie asked, cursing herself for not making more conversation.
“Please.” The way she said the single word made Edie blush as her mind immediately conjured images of much more fun scenarios where she might hear that word.
She nodded once, took a breath that didn’t seem to fill her lungs, and set to work filling four to-go cups with coffee, and tucking cream and sugar packets between the beverages on the tray. Then she handed the tray of coffee through the window while imagining the softness of the woman’s porcelain skin, which appeared flawless beneath the dim glow of the shop lights.
“You know,” Edie blurted, “you should come in and sit down for a coffee one of these days.”
The woman smiled and leaned in as she said, “Maybe you’ll properly invite me in sometime.”
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 978-1612942810
Publisher: Bywater Books
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