The Vampyre

by Kate Kimbrell

For adult lovers of Twilight, Dracula, and Pride & Prejudice,
The Vampyre is a sexy, gut-wrenching story of love lost...

Rosemary Abbott's young life takes a dark turn after the death of her beloved brother during the Battle of Gettysburg. Forced to simultaneously remain a high society woman of her time and keep her parents from drowning in depression, Rose finds herself grasping for anything to keep them all afloat.

That is, until William Blackwell--a handsome and mysterious business owner from London--comes to town.

The two possess a connection unlike any other and all's fair in love and war as Rosemary fights to make William hers. Things begin to go awry when William's murderous secrets rear their ugly heads and Rosemary is forced to

Can she forgive him and let love in?
Or will it be too late?

Genres: Vampires, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Dark Romance, Historical

327 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 20, 2023

About the author

Kate has been in love with love as long as she can remember. She grew up running barefoot through the Ohio Valley forests, dancing around drum circles steeped in magic, and waiting for an angsty vampire to steal her away. Spoiler alert: he never did. A self-proclaimed hopeless romantic, Kate lives and breathes romance of all kinds—and the spicier, the better. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, 3 kids, fat cat, and chocolate lab. When she isn’t writing (amongst the chaos of it all), she’s reading—of course, dancing ballet and/or hip hop, working on her PhD in Literature, and probably drinking too much coffee.

Reviews

[Sabrina Morales · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will just start by saying I couldn’t put this book down, from the moment I started reading I just wanted to keep reading and not stop.
Will and Rose have my heart and so does Kate♥️ but as much as they have it they also proceeded to stomp on it and brake it and throw it in a dumpster fire but I’m not even mad about it😭😅🥹
I truly haven’t enjoyed a vampire romance in such a long time and I can’t recommend it enough♥️🦇
Prepare to love, hate, laugh, cry, have your heart stomped on and definitely a good dose of spice😏 The Vampyre has it all!

Thank you Kate for the opportunity to be part of your ARC team it has truly been an honor ♥️

[Joesph Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is WOW! I was very lucky enough to come across Kate Kimbrell’s TikTok and volunteered to be an ARC reader for her debut novel The Vampyre. Kate was kind enough to send it as an ebook for me.

As a lover of ‘Vampyre’ novels, this is an excellent addition. I felt that the MC Rosemary was very fleshed out and relatable, leaving me to share in the pain, frustration, and happiness with her. William Blackwell hits the scene with a statement. We later learn that the mysterious plutocrat’s money is not his only source of power. I am also new to the spiciness of books but the scenes we encounter are hot! Very descriptive without being too vulgar.

Overall, this was a fantastic novel. Extremely well written and left me in tears by the end of the book. (I won’t give any spoilers.) Kate did a wonderful job at building the world and plot so as not to pull the rug out from under you. I am a huge fan and plan on rereading this story! I am hopeful there will be additions to this series.

[Bean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need a stiff drink.

For the first 50%, I was so mad at these people- these imperfect, deeply flawed people and the way they handled things and treated each other.

The next 40%, I warmed up to them substantially and was even rooting for them and, at times, feeling sorry for them.

Anddd then, the last 10% I was very hopeful, just to get my heart ripped all the way out.

Whew. What a ride. I took my time reading this and savoring it.
Well-written, lots of spice, but you'll get your heart stomped on. I mean it.

Tysm Kate for letting me be an ARC reader. I'll send you my therapy bill. 🫀

[Jordan Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the nicest way possible, just no.

I was reeled in with the premise of twilight meets pride and prejudice with winter gothic vibes. While those vibes weren’t technically wrong I just wasn’t prepared for how much I just didn’t enjoy the writing. I was left wanting for more explanation for motivations or thoughts behind actions for our characters. Did I read/obsessively watch twilight when I was say 13/14…yes. However adult me saw the potential.

Our fmc Rosemary, rose, goes after her frenemy’s supposed love interest…like hard and obvious to the point that I was like wow you’re a bitch in my head.

Moving past that when Rose and William become an item I was like okay I think I like her now. It was odd to me he so fervently didn’t want her to know what he was despite everyone around him saying she should know. It never really gives you a great explanation for his hesitation other than she’ll be sacred. Especially after she becomes pregnant (which I also didn’t really love so soon) he just doesn’t feel she needs to know what’s draining the life from her?

My favorite part of this book was when she goes off and tries to move on and make the best of this new life she’s found herself in. This made me really enjoy her as a character.


Now the ending…what the sweet hell was that? How are you gonna make me just not vibe with 80% of the writing and then not at least give me a HEA? Straight to jail.

[Casey Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided an ARC copy of this book by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was left REELING by the ending of this book, and it’s taken me a few days to gather my thoughts in an order semi-coherent enough to fashion this review. WOW! Kate, I’ll say it again— you knew exactly what you were doing.

If you’re looking for a book that will suck you in and keep its claws in you from the very first page, I can confirm that THIS is the one. I had fallen into something of a slump recently, and knew as soon as I cracked The Vampyre open that it would be the cure— and it absolutely was! I couldn’t put it down. Every free moment that I had was dedicated to this book, and I finished it in JUST more than a day because it was THAT good.

Rosemary and William are both deeply flawed individuals, and it can be difficult not to find yourself SO frustrated with them and their choices for the first half of the book. Stick it out. You’ll (probably? 😅) thank me.

That said, it all ties together beautifully, albeit tragically, and the ending will absolutely tear your heart out.

But you know, we love emotional damage in this house, and I will be eagerly awaiting book two.

[Emily (em.reads.bo0ks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚 Wow, Kate! This book was amazing! 🤩 I couldn’t put it down! This was such a good book to introduce me to vampire romance! I love vampire shows/movies, so giving vampire books a-go was a must!

📚 I fell so in love with William and Kate, but they also both destroyed me! ❤️😭 This book will give you ALL of the feels! There is a good amount of spice as well! 😏

📚 I have been dying to read this since I came across Kate two (?) weeks ago, and I wish I had picked it up sooner! If you haven’t read this and you like vampire romance, or maybe want to try it out, PICK UP THIS BOOK! (Do NOT wait! I promise you that you will regret it if you wait!)

📚 “The Vampyre” is so very well written and just such an amazing piece of work! This book will forever be engraved in the front of my mind, and honestly, I might not recover from this book 😭😭😅

For Kate: I’ll be sending out my therapy bill to you. I might need a few extra sessions 🥺😂

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did NOT know what I was getting in to when I picked this book to read. I saw a few tiktoks, but didn't look much into it. I saw it on my kindle store and decided what the heck might as well buy it. I really enjoyed it. Very quick read, fast paced, and jumping with spicy moments. But I will warn you, if you are looking for a happy ending, this book is not for you! Because damn. That ending was not expected and what a way to end it. I do highly recommend this spicy vampire drama filled book though. It was very good and kept me enthralled.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow that was an epic masterpiece! I will think about this book for the rest of my life! It truly was a beautiful & tragic love story. This was Pride & Prejudice meets Twilight meets Wuthering Height. The vibe was dark and dreary and the spicy was so perfectly balanced not too much and not too little. I normally like dual POV but this was so fun with just Rose’s POV, she wasn’t annoying or whiney and I really felt for her. This will break your heart and you’ll hate how much you love this!

[Inés Molina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tragically beautiful

I am an emotional wreck after reading this. My eyes are watery, someone please get me a tissue box.

I found myself smiling and giddy as i read the way Rose and William fell in love, literally from the first moment she wanted him. Their love grew, and it's captivating but with it came secrets and sadness that were raw.

The ending has crushed my soul beautifully. If i were her, i would have to.

[R.L. Geer-Robbins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the book through a recommendation on TikTok, and I am glad that I did. I love the idea of the story. The internal battle of does 'love conquers all' and 'soul mates.' There is a lot of spice, like a lot. Overall a book, and I went ahead and added book 2 to my TBR to see where the story takes me next.

[Jeanette Dehoyos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was everything!!! Omg I was not expecting that ending!! I loved it so much! Gave me vampire diaries vibes of it had stayed when Elena first met the Salvatore brothers lol! This book was so good!!

[Teighlor Wilke · Rating 5 out of 5]

🖤

Wow. This book is the perfect blend of spice and story line, a story of great love and sorrow. The plot and the twists and turns that Kate Kimbrell takes us on is wild. This is one of my favorite books I’ve read this year.
A must read for the Twilight and The Originals fans. This book is so well written and leaves you wanting more.

[Aubrie Boysel · Rating 2 out of 5]

W.T.F.


Very disappointed in this one. I had high hopes but unfortunately i was let down.

A majority of the book i was annoyed/confused as to what the fuck was going on then you get slammed with that ending?! This book had so much potential and did not deliver.

[Kirsten Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am sobbing. This is such a beautiful story that is heartbreaking! Well done, Kate! Well done.

Check trigger warnings

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You, my darling, are the gift I have been waiting for my entire lifetime."

Okay, I'm normally a moody, morally gray man lover, however, William has swept me up like a fairytale prince, even with his baggage. I have never wanted to be a fancy ady like Rose until I read this story and honestly, I'm only upset I didn't read it sooner.

The connection between these two is so strong, I felt like they were people I knew in real life. However, this does mean that when things ~happened~in the story, it made it that much harder to read and process. I will say this is the first book to make me cry in a very long time. I am nervous to read the rest of this triology, but also on the edge of my seat to read more!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

💥Spoilers in Review💥

Oh. My. Goodness. This book was a rollercoaster. That ending... NOT HEA... I was not happy reading that ending. 😭💔

Definitely a good read though. I will say, I was not fond of Rose at first but she grew on me. I found the way she went about pursuing William was cringy but they end up having a tragically beautiful love story.

Some of the writing was a bit off. Grammatical errors and wrong or missing words. It also wasn't explained that they could reattach their limbs until later. So when she rips his arm off and takes off, you're left wondering if he's a one armed man now lol. Another thing that bothered me was how dim Rose was portrayed. She was seeing all these signs he was a vampire but couldn't put it together. I felt like her figuring out he was the undead was dragged out too long.

At a couple spots, I had Twilight flashbacks. More so after she realizes she's pregnant. Not a bad thing really but maybe not so original?

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
There was a lot of spice. It wasn't anything crazy but there were quite a few scenes.

I gave it 4⭐ because overall, I enjoyed the story. The second half was better than the beginning. This is supposedly a trilogy, not sure I'll read any of the others.

Would I recommend? Yes, it's a good vampire love story meets Romeo and Juliet. Would rather it be a HEA but I guess it can't always be that way... 😮‍💨

[Michele G · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vampyre was an impressive debut. I was completely entranced with the world that was created. Set in the 1800’s, we follow the story of Rosemary and William. In a time where it is every wealthy woman’s goal to find an even wealthier husband, Rosemary has her eyes set on William. She is bolder than woman of her time and expresses her interest in William instead of waiting for him to show his. Little does she know that Williams’ good looks and wealth are due to a secret.

The writing in this book was so good. If this is Kate’s starting point in her career, I can’t wait to see what comes from her in the future.

The romance wasn’t as potent as I expected with a story of this magnitude and a few scenarios didn’t quite make sense to me in the way that they progressed… But overall, I really enjoyed it and found myself anxiously awaiting any interaction between Rosemary and William. There was so much packed into this story that I could never quiet guess what was coming next.

This one was a solid 4⭐️ from start to finish and is again, an impressive debut. Pick this one up if you enjoyed The Bridgeton series but want a paranormal aspect to it with much more grit to some of the female characters. And make note that this book is not for the faint of heart as your heart will be ripped out numerous times in so many different ways

[Nicolle · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Miss Kate Kimbrell, WTF?!

I watched my soul leave my body reading this masterful tragedy 😭

Y’all check your TW, this is a Dark Fantasy Romance and it has some dark themes and moments that are absolutely heart wrenching.

Rosemary Abbott is the remaining living child of her parents. Since her brother’s death, her family has just been going through the motions of life, there has been no birthday celebrations, no holidays, just all around no cheer in her home. To have some semblance of normalcy, her mom encourages Rosemary to find a suitor. At the McCloude’s Christmas party she catches the eye of the mysterious William Blackwell.

William Blackwell 😮‍💨. The piercing emerald eyes, the chiseled God-like body, the absolute overwhelming presence you exuded. 🤌🏼 Mr. Blackwell gave all the morally gray Mr. Darcy vibes and I was here for it.

Let me tell y’all, historical romances have always been a weakness for me and THIS WAS DONE SO GOOD. The way Kate took us on this rollercoaster of emotions; love won, love lost, found family and betrayal, was absolutely what I didn’t think I wanted but exactly what I needed and I’m so happy to have experienced. There is no HEA but that ending was glorious and the proper reaction for an epic love story.

Cannot wait to see how you rip my heart on the next one, Kate! 🖤

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Favorite Quote: “You, my darling, are the gift I have been waiting for my entire lifetime “

This book brought so much. The plot was engaging, the characters were complex and the world was unique and thought out. I felt like I was there with them. The story jumps off the pages. I went through so many different emotions while reading the book. I went from laughing to crying to wanting to throw the book, and I loved every second of it.

I loved everything about both of the main characters. Rosemary was determined to stop at nothing to do what she wanted and get what she wanted. I am still heartbroken though. Her character development was so good. I do wish I could have gotten a couple of years worth of her growing and moving from place to place as a Vampyre 😅. Her adventures, but it isn't needed. However **hint hint** Mrs. Kate Kimbrell if a novel about Rose jumps out to you, I would TOTALLY read it. I loved her story either way. At first I was like, eh, another love sick girlie, but NOPE. She was everything.

Now, Mr. Blackwell, wheww. 🥵 He quickly became a favorite book boyfriend. He was soooo spicy and hot but also calculated. His gaslighting abilities drove me insane, but I loved it. He deserved better 😡🤣 still not over that.

I also really enjoyed the background characters. Mr. Horris and Mr. Filip were amazing characters. They were well written and put into the story in a thought-out way without drowning the main plot and without fading into the back and never becoming forgetful.

Overall: I loved it. It was smart, funny, witty, and spicy in all the best ways. Balanced very well!

[melissa pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trying to stick to my “October spooky reads” I came across this book on a random list.

I had low expectations of it as I hadn’t seen anyone talk about it ANYWHERE.

Eek gads… was I wrong?? This book hit all the feels and left me totally shattered….

If you like Twilight or interview with a vampire… this book is totally up your alley!

From old times Boston just after the battle of Gettysburg rosemary seems to really struggle with finding a new normal in her life that has seemed to shatter after her brothers death. Both her and her family spend years in sadness and give up the most basic of joys…. Until william shows up.

Right from the beginning you really aren’t sure if you like William or not and how he’s so evasive and keeps rose at arms length but her yearning and love for him keeps you rooting for them.

The book is a roller coaster of will they won’t they to how will she carry on to oh my are they going to to pure shock and without spoilers….I will say I had all of the emotions… I was so happy and so sad and so broken by the end…. Ugh. How is no one talking about this book?

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love a good vampire book but I’m struggling here. It was hard for me to get past the MMC hitting the MFC. There’s the whole, “I’m sorry. I’ll never hurt you again.” 😬😬😬 Not a great message to send readers - as long as you’re soulmates, hitting is forgiven. Kind of strange that I haven’t heard anyone say anything about this in reviews. Not a bad book but really could have done without that part.

I also felt like it was insta love/lust. The main characters weren’t fleshed out enough. What did they love about each other? After they are married, we are told about their sweet months getting to know one another but we don’t read about it. I didn’t feel connected to them. Rosemary wasn’t my fave MFC either - sort of spoiled & entitled.

[Darby · Rating 5 out of 5]

After seeing this book on insta time after time, I had to get it. I love all things supernatural and vampires are part of that.
This book gives all the dirty, tasty, gooey romance we crave. Kate has a way of beautifully describing each passionate scene. Im super impressed!

Please be sure to read the trigger warnings as there are some dark themes explored and I very much appreciate this. I see a hint of todays societal conundrums discussed as well.

✨fast pace
✨vamp/human love
✨he falls first
✨love at first sight
✨blood lust
✨family bonds
✨betrayal

Spice level 🥵🥵🥵

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! I haven’t read a vampire book as good as this in a LONG time!
This book grabs you in the very beginning and makes you feel all the emotions - frustrated, happy, angry, sad, anxious, hopeful, and leaves you crushed!
I loved Rosemary and William’s characters. Absolutely hated Noel from the moment she was introduced all the way to the end.
The end is heart breaking! I hope Kate continues the story of Helena & maybe includes the death of Adam.

[Christina _readingwhilewet · Rating 5 out of 5]

SHOCK

I'm in shock.

I was hooked from the beginning of this book. It gave me Mr. Darcy and vampire diaries vibes, which immediately had me hooked. I went through the emotional roller coaster. For the ending to completely shock and damage my soul.

I'm in shock.

What an amazing debut novel. Well done !

I need the second book immediately.

[Shelbe · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up to 5

This was such a great first book in The Vampyre trilogy, and I love that this sets the scene for the second book. If you're looking for something mysterious with the potential to absolutely make you cry this is the perfect choice. I can't wait to read book two and am secretly hoping we get to see more of Horris at some point.

[Miss Bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely devoured this book! Such an amazing and captivating love story 🖤

“𝑯𝒆’𝒅 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎, 𝒓𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕.”

This is a story about grief, and loss, and forgiveness and so much love! I don’t want to give too much away, but if you want to read about vampire love story that is never ending and all consuming, this book should be on your list! 🖤

“𝑩𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 - 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎 - 𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒅… 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒚𝒔𝒔, 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆, 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍.”

[Ashley Dewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice-🌶️🌶️

I wasn’t expecting to love this one as much as I did! I’m not a huge vampire fan (and I was never a twilight girly) but when I tell you this one had me shook and I will be reading book 2 immediately after typing this! If you want your heart ripped into shreds go read this book right now!

[Destiny · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

this took me for a ride. the characters are so flawed but throughout the book you do see the growth and i really enjoyed that part. There were a couple parts that def tried to pull at your heartstrings for sure.

The reason I didn’t rate higher is because it kept reminding me of twilight lol 😂 this felt like a twilight fanfic. I did like it regardless tho

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely AMAZING!!! Kate is really becoming one of my favorite authors! Everything I have read from her has been incredible!! This book for me, felt very Twilight meets Pride and Prejudice. Kate took some risks with this book and I’m so glad she did because it was incredible 🙌🏻 read the triggers before reading this, there are some dark very descriptive scenes in here that could be triggering 🖤

[Shazara Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

literally heartbreaking but so so good

This book was a ride from beginning to end. Absolutely breathtaking, heart wrenching, and beautiful.

This is the first book I’ve read from Kate Kimbrell, I will definitely be reading more of her work.