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Dracula In Love: The Secret History of Mina Harker
London, 1890.
Mina Murray Harker, the rosy-cheeked, quintessentially pure Victorian heroine, becomes Count Dracula’s object of desire. To preserve her chastity, five male “defenders” rush in to rescue her from the vampire’s evil clutches. This is the story we have been told.
But now, from Mina’s own pen, we discover a tale more sensual, more devious, and more enthralling than the Victorians could have ever imagined. From the shadowy banks of the river Thames to the wild and windswept Yorkshire coast, Mina vividly recounts the intimate details of what really transpired between her and the Count—the joys and terrors of a passionate affair, as well as her rebellion against her own frightening preternatural powers.
Mina Murray Harker, the rosy-cheeked, quintessentially pure Victorian heroine, becomes Count Dracula’s object of desire. To preserve her chastity, five male “defenders” rush in to rescue her from the vampire’s evil clutches. This is the story we have been told.
But now, from Mina’s own pen, we discover a tale more sensual, more devious, and more enthralling than the Victorians could have ever imagined. From the shadowy banks of the river Thames to the wild and windswept Yorkshire coast, Mina vividly recounts the intimate details of what really transpired between her and the Count—the joys and terrors of a passionate affair, as well as her rebellion against her own frightening preternatural powers.
386 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 14, 2026
About the author
Karen Essex
26 books390 followersI'm the author of RUN, DARLING, KLEOPATRA, PHARAOH, LEONARDO'S SWANS, STEALING ATHENA, DRACULA IN LOVE, AND BETTIE PAGE: LIFE OF A PINUP LEGEND--All featuring iconic women—powerful women that seduced the world. I am an active screenwriter and an award-winning journalist, dividing my time between Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Europe, where I soak in the atmosphere while writing historical fiction.
Follow me on Substack; History. Sex. Power. https://karenessex.substack.com/subsc...
Or join our chat group on Goodreads, Ask Karen Essex. http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/5...
I love hearing from you, Gentle Readers.
Follow me on Substack; History. Sex. Power. https://karenessex.substack.com/subsc...
Or join our chat group on Goodreads, Ask Karen Essex. http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/5...
I love hearing from you, Gentle Readers.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 1, 2026
I don’t know about you, but Dracula is a character and a story I have always found simply fascinating. So imagine getting to experience this story through Mina’s eyes.
Karen Essex takes the familiar tale and gives Mina her own voice, revealing a very different side of what happened between her and the Count. And she did an amazing job with this one.
Dark, gothic, atmospheric, sensual and everything you could expect from a story like this. It was simply mesmerizing, and I loved seeing such a familiar story from a completely different perspective.
August 10, 2026
3.5⭐️ ┇ Bookstagram ┇ BookTok
This was such a unique take on Dracula, told from Mina’s POV. I haven’t read the original Dracula, so I went into this pretty much completely blind—and honestly, I think that made the experience even more interesting.
I loved the dark gothic atmosphere and the historical elements throughout the story.
The beginning hooked me right away, although the pacing did slow down quite a bit in the middle. At times, I felt like the story was a little longer than it needed to be, but there was always enough mystery to keep me reading.
I really loved Mina’s character development. She starts out as a rather naive young woman, teaching girls how to become “proper” women and focused on her engagement and future marriage to Jonathan. But the Count has other plans for her.
Watching Mina discover who she truly is—and everything she endures along the way—was one of my favorite parts of the book. Her journey really highlights the stark difference between how men and women were treated during this time, and I loved seeing her grow from the woman she was expected to be into someone much stronger.
My biggest complaint was that I wanted WAY more Dracula and Mina. This man has been waiting centuries for her to reincarnate, and we don't get the full story of their connection until much later. I would have loved more time with them, more of their history, and more of that dark, forbidden connection.
There were definitely a few twists I didn’t see coming, and while the ending wasn’t quite what I was hoping for, I still really enjoyed the overall journey.
‧₊˚✧𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽✧˚₊‧
➳❥ Dracula Retelling
➳❥ Dark Gothic Vibes
➳❥ Forbidden Love
➳❥ Obsession
➳❥ Historical Setting
➳❥ Mystery & Secrets
➳❥ Lost Memories
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝓕𝓪𝓿 𝓠𝓾𝓸𝓽t𝓮𝓼
"”Who are you? What are you?”
“Your servant and your master.”
“How often have I worshipped at this altar.”
“Love is not a game played fairly.”
“It is not over, Mina. It is never going to be over. Eternity is ours.”
This was such a unique take on Dracula, told from Mina’s POV. I haven’t read the original Dracula, so I went into this pretty much completely blind—and honestly, I think that made the experience even more interesting.
I loved the dark gothic atmosphere and the historical elements throughout the story.
The beginning hooked me right away, although the pacing did slow down quite a bit in the middle. At times, I felt like the story was a little longer than it needed to be, but there was always enough mystery to keep me reading.
I really loved Mina’s character development. She starts out as a rather naive young woman, teaching girls how to become “proper” women and focused on her engagement and future marriage to Jonathan. But the Count has other plans for her.
Watching Mina discover who she truly is—and everything she endures along the way—was one of my favorite parts of the book. Her journey really highlights the stark difference between how men and women were treated during this time, and I loved seeing her grow from the woman she was expected to be into someone much stronger.
My biggest complaint was that I wanted WAY more Dracula and Mina. This man has been waiting centuries for her to reincarnate, and we don't get the full story of their connection until much later. I would have loved more time with them, more of their history, and more of that dark, forbidden connection.
There were definitely a few twists I didn’t see coming, and while the ending wasn’t quite what I was hoping for, I still really enjoyed the overall journey.
‧₊˚✧𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽✧˚₊‧
➳❥ Dracula Retelling
➳❥ Dark Gothic Vibes
➳❥ Forbidden Love
➳❥ Obsession
➳❥ Historical Setting
➳❥ Mystery & Secrets
➳❥ Lost Memories
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝓕𝓪𝓿 𝓠𝓾𝓸𝓽t𝓮𝓼
"”Who are you? What are you?”
“Your servant and your master.”
“How often have I worshipped at this altar.”
“Love is not a game played fairly.”
“It is not over, Mina. It is never going to be over. Eternity is ours.”
August 10, 2026
3.5 stars rounded up to four
I’ve always been a vampire reader — the kind who can’t resist returning to Dracula and wondering about the strange gravitational pull between Mina Harker and the Count. In Bram Stoker’s original, Mina is everywhere in the text, yet somehow overshadowed, treated more like the hinge on which the men’s story turns rather than a fully realized protagonist. She often feels like collateral damage in a narrative that prioritizes Jonathan and Dracula’s struggle.
Karen Essex seizes that imbalance and flips the lens. By retelling the story from Mina’s point of view, she gives her the interiority Stoker denied her — and the result is a far more compelling, progressive woman of the 1880s. Essex leans into Mina’s push‑and‑pull between who she is expected to be (a proper Victorian wife) and who she longs to be (a woman with agency, desire, and intellectual freedom).
The tension between Mina’s prescribed destiny and the intoxicating freedom Dracula represents becomes the beating heart of the novel. Who is Mina when she is not being watched? What does she want when she is not performing propriety? And what price does each version of herself demand?
These are the questions that drew me in — and the ones that made me rethink Mina Harker in ways I never had before.
Thank you to the author for the DRC I read
I’ve always been a vampire reader — the kind who can’t resist returning to Dracula and wondering about the strange gravitational pull between Mina Harker and the Count. In Bram Stoker’s original, Mina is everywhere in the text, yet somehow overshadowed, treated more like the hinge on which the men’s story turns rather than a fully realized protagonist. She often feels like collateral damage in a narrative that prioritizes Jonathan and Dracula’s struggle.
Karen Essex seizes that imbalance and flips the lens. By retelling the story from Mina’s point of view, she gives her the interiority Stoker denied her — and the result is a far more compelling, progressive woman of the 1880s. Essex leans into Mina’s push‑and‑pull between who she is expected to be (a proper Victorian wife) and who she longs to be (a woman with agency, desire, and intellectual freedom).
The tension between Mina’s prescribed destiny and the intoxicating freedom Dracula represents becomes the beating heart of the novel. Who is Mina when she is not being watched? What does she want when she is not performing propriety? And what price does each version of herself demand?
These are the questions that drew me in — and the ones that made me rethink Mina Harker in ways I never had before.
Thank you to the author for the DRC I read
July 26, 2026
4.5 stars rounded up to 5
“Love is not a game to be played fairly.”
Adamant to show the true history of the story we know and love, casting aside the male views of women as weaker play things, but instead of intelligent women who think for themselves and are determined to survive the circumstances that 1800s Victorian era society have conformed them into. With some spice (as to be expected), this retelling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula is depicted from Mina Harker’s POV fueled with obsession, soul mates, dark and dangerous circumstances, gothic atmosphere, lost memories and forbidden love.
Dracula has always been one of my all-time favorite gothic romance stories, filled with wild sensational longing mixed with top tier paranormal vampire mythology. This retelling is not a line for line regurgitation of its inspiration, but a captivating read that is immersive and seductive. I appreciated that this author depicted Mina in a way that feels authentic while still sticking to the societal expectations, allowing the showcasing of true womanhood in a paranormal romance setting.
“The sound of your pulses are like celestial music, Mina. The body sings. Can you hear it?”
“Love is not a game to be played fairly.”
Adamant to show the true history of the story we know and love, casting aside the male views of women as weaker play things, but instead of intelligent women who think for themselves and are determined to survive the circumstances that 1800s Victorian era society have conformed them into. With some spice (as to be expected), this retelling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula is depicted from Mina Harker’s POV fueled with obsession, soul mates, dark and dangerous circumstances, gothic atmosphere, lost memories and forbidden love.
Dracula has always been one of my all-time favorite gothic romance stories, filled with wild sensational longing mixed with top tier paranormal vampire mythology. This retelling is not a line for line regurgitation of its inspiration, but a captivating read that is immersive and seductive. I appreciated that this author depicted Mina in a way that feels authentic while still sticking to the societal expectations, allowing the showcasing of true womanhood in a paranormal romance setting.
“The sound of your pulses are like celestial music, Mina. The body sings. Can you hear it?”
August 11, 2026
No words. No notes. Just 5 stars.
Where do I even begin?! I have been sitting here trying to process the sheer magnificence of this book because it was THAT good. Karen Essex masterfully reimagines Bram Stoker's Dracula from Mina Harker’s POV. From the classic story, we know a group of brave men ultimately rescue Mina, our helpless heroine, before she can fully succumb to Dracula’s evil curse. Through Mina’s personal account, however, things may have transpired a little differently than what we’ve been told. This reimagining gives Mina Harker the story she deserved to have, filled with passion, rage, and power, with a dark twist on choosing your own happily ever after, in every lifetime. We get to watch her progress from living life based on societal duties and expectations to something so much more (no spoilers here). This book is packed with twists I never saw coming, heartbreaking moments, and characters that you will either love or loathe entirely.
Thank you so much to Karen Essex and R&R Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Where do I even begin?! I have been sitting here trying to process the sheer magnificence of this book because it was THAT good. Karen Essex masterfully reimagines Bram Stoker's Dracula from Mina Harker’s POV. From the classic story, we know a group of brave men ultimately rescue Mina, our helpless heroine, before she can fully succumb to Dracula’s evil curse. Through Mina’s personal account, however, things may have transpired a little differently than what we’ve been told. This reimagining gives Mina Harker the story she deserved to have, filled with passion, rage, and power, with a dark twist on choosing your own happily ever after, in every lifetime. We get to watch her progress from living life based on societal duties and expectations to something so much more (no spoilers here). This book is packed with twists I never saw coming, heartbreaking moments, and characters that you will either love or loathe entirely.
Thank you so much to Karen Essex and R&R Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 14, 2026
A Dracula story from Mina’s POV! It’s giving feminism. This was such a unique read. Mina is a powerful woman and Van Helsing is a monster. In Dracula and Dracula in Love we see Mina develop and grow, but I liked the version of her in Essex’s version much more! I appreciate that this is a non-traditional tale while also keeping Transylvania gothic.
The Victorian patriarchal control was shown in such a horrifying way giving us the “dark horror fantasy,” while the exploration of female desire gives us the “paranormal vampire romance.” I really appreciated the dark atmosphere, the role reversal, high heat, and the slow burn pacing. Essex can totally set up a scene in a way that I can easily visualize.
Thank you to the author and R&R Book Tours for the gifted copy!
The Victorian patriarchal control was shown in such a horrifying way giving us the “dark horror fantasy,” while the exploration of female desire gives us the “paranormal vampire romance.” I really appreciated the dark atmosphere, the role reversal, high heat, and the slow burn pacing. Essex can totally set up a scene in a way that I can easily visualize.
Thank you to the author and R&R Book Tours for the gifted copy!
August 14, 2026
I have really enjoyed reading classic vampire stories with a feminist twist to them this summer, and when I had the chance to read this one too, I knew I couldn't pass it up. I've always loved Mina, but it's hard to feel connected to her in the origonal Dracula. This reimagining in her POV adds so much more, from the Irish folktales to the political climate of London.
I really recommend this to anyone who enjoys Mina's character in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the newer Nosferatu movie, or any reader of Carmilla or Caramelle (two other vampire stories I discovered this summer).
I really recommend this to anyone who enjoys Mina's character in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the newer Nosferatu movie, or any reader of Carmilla or Caramelle (two other vampire stories I discovered this summer).
August 9, 2026
The way she twisted the original Dracula was AMAZING. I loved every second of this book. The learning of who Mina really is, to her time with Dracula, to the emotional damage all of it. I will be thinking about this book for a while. Thank you to the author for this beautiful reimagining I didn’t know I needed.🖤
August 11, 2026
The writing is so well done I’m in love I feel like I’m going with the story also Dracula duh
September 30, 2026
I really enjoyed the gothic setting with a lot of intrigue coming from the mysterious stranger that keeps showing up in Mina’s life. The times they interacted and the dream states Mina had were what really drew me in. Mina’s growth and emotions really showed through especially when the connection was explained. I do wish it would have happened a tiny bit earlier because what came after really pulled me in and I wanted more of it. The angst and tension of the unknown was strong.
Thank you @karenessex @suzyapprovedbooktours for the gifted copy.
Thank you @karenessex @suzyapprovedbooktours for the gifted copy.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews