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Twice Bitten
Fiona lost her mortality unwillingly to a woman she once loved. Now she wanders through the decades, a vampire in search of a soulmate. After 200 years, she thinks she's found her, in an upper-class family in New York City at the turn of the 20th century. Her name is Rose, and if only she will come to her willingly, Fiona will have her eternal companion. But Rose loves another, so Fiona sets in motion a twisted scheme that involves the woman Rose loves and a betrayal that will lead Rose into transformation. Will Rose succumb to Fiona's machinations and forever lose the woman she truly loves? Or will she find a way to foil the vampire's devious plan and save her soul-and her beloved's life? She's running out of options and, worse, out of time.
150 pages, Paperback
First published November 25, 2012
4 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
About the author
R.G. Emanuelle
24 books78 followersR.G. Emanuelle is a New York City native currently based in Brooklyn. She is the co-founder and co-owner of Dirt Road Books (www.dirtroadbooks.com). She is the author of novels, novellas, and short stories, as well as co-editor of several anthologies, including the Lambda Literary finalist All You Can Eat: A Buffet of Lesbian Romance & Erotica.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 12, 2013
One of the things that makes me fall in love with historical fiction is the rich language and the languorous pacing, especially with Victorian and turn of the century novels. RG has a fantastic sense for the time periods in which she writes, there are brief touches with the 19th Century, but the meat of the story is in 1900. RG's language is gorgeous and fits the periods mores and social conventions. I can tell she did a great deal of research, she engaged every sense to bring turn of the century New York City to life.
This is a vampire's tale like no other I have read. It starts with a bittersweet parting between two women, Fiona and Susanna, who had loved each other passionately in real life. Their love did not survive their shift from old maids to the undead. The pivotal reason for the failed relationship was a lack of consent. Fiona never wanted this life, the everlasting life of a vampire. She did not want it for herself, and she did not want it for her lover. She was right to resist it; without a soul, Susanna ceased being her beloved. She turned into something hard, someone who Fiona did not know, nor did she care to know. Susanna selfishly turned her Fiona against her will, and manipulated her in staying, decades after their love had faltered. In the end, the only way Fiona could truly be free, was to vanquish Susanna, to literally push a dagger through her heart.
Fiona was remorseful, and her life without love, was bleak. But she had been promised true love, by an elder vampire. Ramon had not only provided the knife that killed her Susanna, he also gave her hope. That she would meet the One, at the turn of a century, though which one specifically he could not tell her. We are brought forward in time to the year 1900, and Fiona is certain she has found her beloved, Rose Goodwyn. She is hopeful and blinded by her faith in the prophecy. No matter what evidence she sees to the contrary, she is convinced of the righteousness of her actions.
Fiona fails to see the evil in turning Rose through deception. Evil is often banal. Her hubris is her weakness. She felt entitled to Rose. She was going to have Rose, turning her into a vampire against her will if need be. Will Rose forgive her trickery? You will have to read the novel to find out.
This is a vampire's tale like no other I have read. It starts with a bittersweet parting between two women, Fiona and Susanna, who had loved each other passionately in real life. Their love did not survive their shift from old maids to the undead. The pivotal reason for the failed relationship was a lack of consent. Fiona never wanted this life, the everlasting life of a vampire. She did not want it for herself, and she did not want it for her lover. She was right to resist it; without a soul, Susanna ceased being her beloved. She turned into something hard, someone who Fiona did not know, nor did she care to know. Susanna selfishly turned her Fiona against her will, and manipulated her in staying, decades after their love had faltered. In the end, the only way Fiona could truly be free, was to vanquish Susanna, to literally push a dagger through her heart.
Fiona was remorseful, and her life without love, was bleak. But she had been promised true love, by an elder vampire. Ramon had not only provided the knife that killed her Susanna, he also gave her hope. That she would meet the One, at the turn of a century, though which one specifically he could not tell her. We are brought forward in time to the year 1900, and Fiona is certain she has found her beloved, Rose Goodwyn. She is hopeful and blinded by her faith in the prophecy. No matter what evidence she sees to the contrary, she is convinced of the righteousness of her actions.
Fiona fails to see the evil in turning Rose through deception. Evil is often banal. Her hubris is her weakness. She felt entitled to Rose. She was going to have Rose, turning her into a vampire against her will if need be. Will Rose forgive her trickery? You will have to read the novel to find out.
August 10, 2013
I agree with this review from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/review/RMAWQMMQ...
http://www.amazon.com/review/RMAWQMMQ...
July 31, 2013
This is a lesbian romance with a vampire twist. Fiona, after searching for her one true love for several decades, believes Rose is the one and is determined that Rose will be her eternal companion.
No, wait... Rose is a young woman in early twentieth century New York who is gradually coming to terms with her sexuality and her love for the fair Ursula. Alas, an evil vampire has designs on Rose and is determined to wrest Rose away from the woman she loves.
I do like the idea of the essential plot of 'True Love' twisted, but I want to believe that Fiona does truly love Rose, or understand that she can't. Either way, I want to care about her. The writing is more telling than showing, which makes it even harder to care about characters.
I like the historical detail, especially for the New York setting, but I wish more thought had gone into it. I like lesbian vampires, but really wish more effort had gone into fleshing out Fiona as a vampire - she seems to have spent her two centuries being frustratingly pathetic. It's a nice idea for a book and mostly enjoyable, but the plot is awkward, and the story tends to gloss over details in places.
No, wait... Rose is a young woman in early twentieth century New York who is gradually coming to terms with her sexuality and her love for the fair Ursula. Alas, an evil vampire has designs on Rose and is determined to wrest Rose away from the woman she loves.
I do like the idea of the essential plot of 'True Love' twisted, but I want to believe that Fiona does truly love Rose, or understand that she can't. Either way, I want to care about her. The writing is more telling than showing, which makes it even harder to care about characters.
I like the historical detail, especially for the New York setting, but I wish more thought had gone into it. I like lesbian vampires, but really wish more effort had gone into fleshing out Fiona as a vampire - she seems to have spent her two centuries being frustratingly pathetic. It's a nice idea for a book and mostly enjoyable, but the plot is awkward, and the story tends to gloss over details in places.
June 25, 2013
This is an excellent read! R.G. Emanuelle has once again put the fear of vampires- their trickery, evil, undeadliness back into me! With the vampire, Fiona, Emanuelle creates the perfect character who is flawed beyond her own perception. Her own personal history is woven throughout the book allowing the reader to glimpse her life before and after her turn. The traumatic experience of being betrayed by love and the idea implanted in her thoughts that someday true love will come into her life. After hundreds of years, those thoughts have turned twisted, dark and less than honest. When Rose finally enters her life the story begins and the treachery of the undead is unveiled. The setting of 1900 New York when women are still subjugated to binding clothing and no options for self improvement lends to the overall feel of being caught in a life that is unwanted and suffocating. Emanuelle does a superb job of relating a dark romance!
August 30, 2019
Absolutely mesmerizing tale of a mystic vampire and her adventure in a tale of love, deception and betrayal.
August 30, 2022
Lesbians and vampires. What more can a gay love?
This book is a gem of sorts. It's definitely not literature. But it is a pleasant and quick read that had moments that were quite steamy. I wish I had more to say, but I will just keep this review short. The story was very compelling in general. It didn't drag on. The pacing was very nice. And I enjoyed the writing. It is good especially as a book to mindlessly read to pass time.
This book is a gem of sorts. It's definitely not literature. But it is a pleasant and quick read that had moments that were quite steamy. I wish I had more to say, but I will just keep this review short. The story was very compelling in general. It didn't drag on. The pacing was very nice. And I enjoyed the writing. It is good especially as a book to mindlessly read to pass time.
January 19, 2016
Brilliant!
Unique, thrilling, passionate, highly exciting. I totally get lost in it. This is not a standard vampire love story. It was so original, just brilliant. I loved the time in which this plays out and the plot is Intriguing. The ending shocked me, I didn't expect this at all. But as I said, this is no ordinary vampire story. I think it's impossible not to enjoy this beautiful written story. Both thumbs up for the author.
Unique, thrilling, passionate, highly exciting. I totally get lost in it. This is not a standard vampire love story. It was so original, just brilliant. I loved the time in which this plays out and the plot is Intriguing. The ending shocked me, I didn't expect this at all. But as I said, this is no ordinary vampire story. I think it's impossible not to enjoy this beautiful written story. Both thumbs up for the author.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews