Rufus the Dead

House of Horrors #1

by Holly Day

Rufus will do anything not to remain staked in a coffin, including stealing a psychic and forming a blood bond with him.

Rufus Mabuz was a badass assassin until his coven leader had him staked and stored away in a coffin for seven years. He was still a badass assassin, only he couldn’t move. Then one day, the coven leader makes him an offer -- bond with a psychic or stay in the coffin for years to come.

Jaki Sage is kept prisoner together with a group of psychics. He’s a psychic too, but a crappy one. He can’t foresee anything. The only thing he can do is look back in time to see what the weather was like around a certain event. Not useful. But then his friend, who can foresee things, tells him to go with Rufus the Dead.

Rufus isn’t sure why he’s stealing a psychic and forming a blood bond with him, but anything is better than being staked. Jaki might not know much about vampires, but he thinks he’s better off with Rufus than if he hadn’t run away with him. But then the coven leader demands he uses his skills to find someone, or she’ll put Rufus back in the coffin. How will Jaki be able to find anyone when all he can see is weather?

Genres: Vampires, Paranormal, M M Romance

185 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 27, 2024

About the author

According to Holly Day, no day should go by uncelebrated and all of them deserve a story. If she’ll have the time to write them remains to be seen. She lives in rural Sweden with a husband, four children, more pets than most, and wouldn’t last a day without coffee.

Holly gets up at the crack of dawn most days of the week to write gay romance stories. She believes in equality in fiction and in real life. Diversity matters. Representation matters. Visibility matters. We can change the world one story at the time.

Reviews

[Edga · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, it's a totally different take on the vampire genre. There is so much more to this than just vampires and blood drinking. There's mystery , fantasy and horror, a few gruesome bits, as well as romance. Rufus the Dead, is self conscious about his scars, and wonders if anyone will ever want him. Jacki has been abused all his life, but finds his confidence in Rufus. I liked the twist that Rufus didn't feel good enough for Jacki. The story is well written, not straightforward (as is usual for this lady's work, it's never predictable), with some excellent secondary characters. I liked the character development of both MCs, and the way in which the whole group worked together to defeat evil. Would be a good start to a series.

[Jandee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jaki & Rufus sittin' in a tree...

Aww, I love this little band of psychics and vampires forming a new family. I'm sad the book has ended. I want to read more about them. Rufus is a big scary badass but he's also a sweetheart and a caregiver. I love how he's so patient and kind with Jaki. And Jaki's psychic ability is so cool. I love them. All of the psychic abilities are cool, Thanatos' is a little scary though. I hope they all get their HEA. Their healing journey makes me emotional. I love this book!

[Guardian.angel54 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderfully unique story that combined vampires and psychics - or seers, as they are referred to. There was a modicum of world building, but it didn't need much, as the focus of the story was on the characters.
Jaki is a seer - or so he's touted to be - stuck in a facility (think one step above a prison) where people pay to have "readings" and other "perks". Jaki's skill isn't as advanced as some of the others, so he mostly ends up being abused and beaten. One day a vampire comes and pays for a private session with Jaki. Rufus has been instructed by his coven leader to find and bond with a seer and then bring him back to her. She's not a good guy! Rufus bonds with Jaki - which is to say, forms a mate bond - and breaks him out. The story really picks up here as we learn about vampire culture, why the coven leader wants a seer, and what Jaki's true abilities are.
There were so many things to like about this. Just because they have a bond doesn't mean instalove for Rufus and Jaki. Jaki has, understandably, huge trust issues and expects the worst from Rufus. Rufus, for his part, quickly warms to Jaki but he never pressures him or tries to coerce him. He is endlessly patient and communicative and I really appreciated that. There are several secondary characters that are key to the story: Rufus's best friend, Gregory and Jaki's best friend, Meredith.
I was completely drawn into the story and I would love to see more of them in future books. There are definitely some unanswered questions but it's not a cliffhanger, so to speak.
Holly Day never fails to deliver a great story with memorable characters and this is another home run for me. I highly recommend this book! 5/5*

[Marion · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. While I am not a huge fan of vampires, I loved the unique take the author uses on vampires. Staking just immobilizes them. You have to remove their head to kill them. It plays well in the story. This book is a mystery and a romance. This is the story of Rufus the Dead and Jaki. Rufus is a vampire that must do his leaders bidding. He is to mate with a seer. Fortunately his leader believes Jaki is a woman when in fact he is a man. Jaki Sage is a seer who has been imprisoned and abused for his entire life. While he is a seer of sorts, all he can tell you is the weather on the day an event happens. When the warden sells his time as a seer, the clients are often upset that he can't give them the information they are seeking. It is explosive when the two first meet. Even though they are mated, I liked how considerate and kind Rufus was to Jaki. Never pressuring him nor mocking him. Jaki is thrown by Rufus's kindness and support. There is also a great cast of supporting players in this story. There is enough action and intrigue to keep you interested without losing sight of the growing romance. My only disappointment was when I finished the book. I wanted another to see how the characters fair in the rest of their lives. The book is very well written and easy to read. I really loved it.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unusual storyline and characters

Holly can certainly shake things up from the normal conventions when she writes. We all have an idea about vampires but here, they can go out in daylight, eat and drink, and are only totally immobilised when staked through the heart, which isn't as good as you'd think when your psycho bitch coven leader uses that as a method of controlling you. There's also psychics who all have individual powers that manifest in different ways too.
This story stars a scarred vampire and a traumatised prisoner, bonded in far from ideal circumstances but who find happiness in each other regardless. I loved how protective Rufus was of Jaki and how hard he tried to make Jaki comfortable in every situation, even though he didn't always get eveything right.
Their story was shared by Rufus' best friend, fellow vampire Gregory, and three of Jaki's fellow prisoners, Minerva, Thanatos and Prophecy. I loved Minerva especially, Jaki's roommate and best friend, and how they they loved each other and kept each other sane in their horrific prison.
Rufus and Jaki's story kept me turning the pages, wanting them to be free of the coven and for Jaki and his three fellow escapees to feel safe and adjust to life outside the walls they'd always been contained in.
I'm on to The Death God now, Gregory and Thanatos' story.

[Juniper · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot to like here: the premise is interesting and weaves together dystopian elements with touches of humor and hope, as well, of course, as the paranormal (seers and vampires for the win). Jaki, above all, gets my undying affection and respect, because “bleak” doesn’t even come close to describing his life experiences and yet he’s a decent person with a strong sense of self in spite of everything. Rufus is also a compelling character, most of the time. He too has been through a lot, and mostly, I liked that he tries, after spectacularly not doing the right thing at the beginning of their relationship, to be respectful of Jaki’s experiences and boundaries. I didn’t always love the way intimacy in their relationship is handled: there’s something jarring about a sustained depiction of trauma and resistance being magically erased all at once by the “right” encounter with the “right” person— even in a story that’s clearly fantasy/fiction. Overall, however, I enjoyed many facets of the story and would love to see more from some of the supporting characters.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Susan Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rufus the Dead by Holly Day has the eponymous vampire not be perfectly good looking but who chooses an unknown person as his mate in order to escape further punishment in a coffin. It was fate (who determines fated mates) that led Jaki to be paired up with Rufus in response to a prediction from one of his friends. Rufus in effect kidnapping Jaki riles up the warden who runs the facility where Jaki was being held with little hope of escape. When Jaki cannot answer the question posed by the vampire queen of the coven who Rufus belongs to, he and Rufus acquire another enemy. I enjoyed seeing how Rufus and his friend Gregory, another vampire, react to freeing several seers, none of whom has any idea about the real world except through the lens of movies and TV. I especially loved how Gregory solved their housing problem. Even though Rufus, Jaki, and company move to a new location, the bad guys find them nonetheless. There is a battle but I won’t give a spoiler. The ending has Rufus and Jaki more than ready for their HEA. I received a free copy of the book and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vampire treachery and psychics under threat😧

I liked this high action paranormal MM romance focusing on some imprisoned psychics exploited for their powers and Rufus, the hitman vampire who walks in looking for one psychic/seer to bond with and ends up in the middle of a major turf war with power hungry vampires to thwart and psychics to save from exploitation and despair.

Rufus the Dead has a different take on a vampire lead. Rufus, the vampire lead, has self esteem issues thanks to major scarring and Jaki, the cowed psychic who he's paired with, has a tough time getting Rufus to believe he's not longing for a better-looking bonded mate. Rufus can be lethal but he's a gentle, considerate pushover with Jaki. I found both characters, but especially brave and protective Rufus, very sympathetic.

Good, well-developed characterizations, gradually deepening steam in a committed relationship and exciting action scenes made this one a good read.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rufus is the latest of Day’s impossible pairings that tug at the heartstrings and leave you feeling good after you read the last line of the book. In Day’s world of vampires, staking is an indignity, not final death—you must cut off their head to get rid of them. Staking makes them the equivalent of a butterfly on a collector’s board, only the vampire can move once the stake is removed.

Rufus hates being staked and is claustrophobic, so when he’s offered a chance to be free, he takes it. All he has to do is kidnap a psychic and form blood bond with them. What could go wrong?

And that’s where the fun begins. Rufus the Grumpy is kneaded and reshaped by Jaki, whose psychic powers are atypical at best. Day’s spritely writing style and her knack for making even the hardest hearted character loveable are at their most charming here. If you aren’t a Holly Day fan before reading Rufus, you will be afterward. Enjoy!

(I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)

[Belinda Zamora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rufus and Jacki both find themselves in horrible predicaments.
Rufus is dealing with betrayal and quite literally has a target on his back.
What was intended to be a difficult situation for Rufus to endure ends up in his being bonded to Jacki.
Jacki has lived through horrific abuse and being used for his gift along with others including his best friend Minerva.
There's danger, fast paced action, danger, drama and some rescue scenes.
Of course there's chemistry between Rufus and Jacki.
Unfortunately they're both dealing with issues that hinder them before they can see clearly in order to be together properly.
Jacki has major trust issues and has no idea how to navigate being intimate for his own enjoyment.
Rufus, for being such an old vampire is really hung up on his looks and jealousy which causes some major problems between them.
In the end they do resolve their issues.
I really enjoyed Gregory's character and his resolution to the problem with Thanatos (Josh) caused a problem and I would love to see them get their own story.

[Neka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was fun! There's a lot of unexplained backstory, which maybe Day will fill in later, in other books.

Neither character was too much in any direction; they're both a little flawed, stuck seeing things from their own pre-conceptions, very willing to try to work together and make things work out for each other... just nice.

It's good to have a romance story which doesn't get mired in idiotic miscommunications. There are a couple places where the two mains are talking at cross purposes, but they make sense (there's no reason for Rufus to realize exactly how inexperienced Jaki is with everything and no reason for Jaki to realize that Rufus has such bad self-esteem).

I kind of wanted to smack Prophecy, though it's unfair. He's also dealing with his whole world collapsing around him.

The only real issue is that they went from no sex (for extremely valid reasons) to omg-magic-dick awfully quickly. I was perfectly willing for them to wait until well into the next three books.

[Flick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book!

The one problem with Holly Day’s books is I always want them to become the start of a 20 book series! This was no different; the world Rufus and Jami live in is an interesting take on psychics and vampires and I was hooked pretty quickly. Rufus and Jaki are both sweethearts trying to heal from awful circumstances. Whilst their relationship didn’t start on stellar grounds I like that Rufus was respectful of Jaki and did what he could to make him comfortable/take things at Jaki’s pace. Poor Jaki, I don’t know how such a sweet man came from such horror but he was the kindest character. Loveable and somehow good despite everything he’d been through. I’m glad they got a HEA because they both really deserved it. Great secondary characters too (Holly’s are always genuinely intriguing secondaries). The problem is now I want more!

[Rhonda Boone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gripping vampire/psychic thriller blends the elements of mystery, suspense, action packed, with some romance seamlessly leaving you on the edge of your seat… biting your nails throughtout the book!!! Jaki and Rufus's story is definitely not for the faint of heart!! Rufus, a vampire, has to be bonded to a psychic… and Jaki, a psychic, has had a very traumatic past. As they navigate their journey, car chases, bullets flying, etc… as their relationship builds, I felt the sizzling chemistry, found family, loved the connections of the characters, witty dialogue, and how relationships are building. An entertaining story that had me captivated from the first few pages..loking forward to more books by this author!!

I received a free copy and am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

[Recca M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly might be one of my new favourite writers... The title looked so stupid, the book had no right to be this good. I found it the perfect mixture of action, hurt-comfort, and pining. And FINALLY, a book, that didn't drag the ending without need to do it. I finished it within a day - sacrificing most of my sleep time. #NoRegrets

If you're into cool seers, hot vampires, sweet mate moments, and not afraid of gruesome beheadings, I urge you to give it a try!

[Shelley Chastagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rufus and Jaki have an unconventional start. I loved that Rufus understands Jaki's past and lets him set the pace and boundaries of their relationship. Rufus's low self-esteem makes him say some stupid things to his mate, but Jaki doesn't put up with any of his nonsense. There is plenty of action both in and out of the bedroom.
Highly recommended author and series

[Joscelyn Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable read. Rufus was the best thing to ever happen to Jacki and the other seers. I would absolutely love to see more of them as they adjust to their new life.

*I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by BookSirens*

[Shelba · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mostly liked this. I feel like there was a lot of plot and a lot of side characters for the length, though. I would have liked a bit more focus on the MCs. Gregory is an ass, though I’m sure he will get his own book.

[David Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book overall. It was a very interesting storyline and the characters were nicely written. Rufus & Jaki were a great couple after they got to know one another. I’d would have liked a stronger back story but what you get like I said was well done.

[Marlobo ♥ epilogues · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I liked the twists that Holly has been adding to her vampires: they can be in the sun, eat, and drink like any human, and now she adds that a stake blow is not lethal, although it is terrifying.

I would have liked to know more about the circumstances under which Rufus was turned.

I didn't like the speed with which Jaki overcomes all his justified traumas regarding sex, even if it were in a story about two characters with paranormal characteristics, which could make it more acceptable; the "magical healing cock" resource annoyed me enough to lower my rating.

I think that this story would have benefited from a more significant internal temporal extension, whether or not it translated into more words or pages.

The rest, as usual with Ofelia/Holly, was enjoyable. I love plots that involve fights for power , gray principles​​, and characters with lights and shadows, and she knows how to write them with a perfect tone, weaving them into the story seamlessly without being moralistic. Not in vain is one of my auto-buy authors.

[Scooby2]

DNF

[Winnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun book. I read it in a day.

[Lynn P · Rating 3 out of 5]

didn’t grab my attention

This book just didn’t grab my attention. I slimmed the last chapters. I couldn’t seem to really care what happened to the characters.

[Maggie]

bx,Rokp (0.99)

[The Word Nerd Reviews Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's no secret, I'm a huge fan of this author, and what's better than reading a really excellent story? Knowing up front that it's going to be a series and book two releases later in June!!!!

Rufus the Dead introduced quite a few characters, whom I'm crossing my fingers will get their chance to shine and find love.

But first we have Rufus. I must admit my eye hit this title because I have a ginger cat named Rufus, so honestly, it wins points for that alone!

Seriously though, Rufus the Dead is an excellent story. In the beginning, Rufus is just trying to get himself out of a horrible situation (just how horrible it is you find out later in the book). To do it, he is forced to do something also horrible (mating and using someone without their consent). Ultimately, it all works out, but there is a lot of character/emotional growth and some exciting times before we get to the happy ending (for now anyway - it is an ongoing series).

Rufus the Dead was a really fun series to read. Each book is interconnected, but each story will feature a different couple, but given everyone's situational proximity to each other, the other couples are bound to also feature in the following books.

I can't wait to see the direction the overall story arc will go, but in the meantime, I loved Rufus the Dead and I'm very much looking forward to book two - The Death God.

Highly Highly Recommended!!!!

[M J · Rating 2 out of 5]

The leads' relationship moved absurdly fast considering the MC suffered lifelong imprisonment, physical and sexual abuse.

I found all the characters to be distinct and interesting though. I just felt over all it moved too fast.

[Stephanie Windon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this I'm hoping some of the side characters get stories too!