Blood & Merrow: A Vampire's Love

by J.J. Falconer, Nicole Falconer (Editor)

“Combines dark romance with delicious thrills, vampire mythos, merfolk legend, [and] overarching magnetism… Readers will fervently hope for this unlikely pairing’s triumph.” — The Booklife Prize (via Publishers Weekly)

“Scottish Gothic meets a chic, dangerous power dynamic...” — Booktok

A thousand years of deception. A vampire bond forged by blood. A love born from the deep.

For two hundred years Ellet has been bound to his sadistic creator, Embla.
His devotion curdled into bitter hatred and his maker entering a centuries-long slumber, he seizes his chance and flees to 1860 Pensacola—determined to feed on the most depraved and build his strength enough to defeat his sire at her awakening.

One night the ocean introduces him to Naia, a Mermaid.
A predatory and ancient Merrow her dark appetite rivals his own. Yet, their supernatural powers have no effect on each other. An intoxicating connection ignites between them.

Embla awakens, threatening their love and lives.
She will slaughter anyone who stands in her way. To shield the one he truly loves, Ellet must return to the clutches of his creator and unravel a millennium of lies.

Why readers are obsessed with Blood & Merrow:
The Atmosphere: Deeply atmospheric Scottish Gothic lore meets the eerie, sun-drenched secrets of 1860 Pensacola.
The Dynamic: A chic, dangerous power dynamic where a 1,000-year-old vampire meets his match in a lethal, predatory siren.
The Tropes: A dark, thrilling meet-cute between two ultimate monsters, mutual hunger, and a protective, obsessive anti-hero.
Blood & Merrow is the thrilling first book in the dark paranormal romance series, For the Love of Monsters. If you crave obsessive anti-heroes, lethal mythological monsters, gothic suspense, and a love story that bites back, you’ll love J. J. Falconer’s debut novel.

Turn the page to enter the shadows of Pensacola and start the binge today! (Free to read on Kindle Unlimited!)

Content Warning: Explicit content: strong graphic violence, sexual menace, explicit sexual content and nudity, religious provocation, morally compromised protagonists, and strong language.

218 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 31, 2026

About the author

J. J. Falconer is a husband and father of three and author of the new novel Blood & Merrow. He enjoys variety in storytelling and as such writes in many different genres. He earned his BA from Texas A&M University and lives in Texas with his wife, youngest daughter and cat.

Reviews

[Kurtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood & Merrow by J.J. Falconer is a dark period piece that brings back the horror of the classic vampire while exploring one man's struggle with his supernatural rebirth. Ellet, a husband and father stripped of everything he loves, becomes a powerful vampire, only to unexpectedly find love again with perhaps the strangest companion imaginable, a mermaid. It reads like a dark fairy tale, blending the macabre edge of the Brothers Grimm with the tragic fantasy of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, then adding the chaotic energy of Joker and Harley Quinn.” It sounds like a strange combination, and I was honestly skeptical at first, but somehow it works.

Before long, I found myself turning the pages just to see what would happen next. Falconer's fresh take on vampires, along with the unique mythology and mechanics surrounding the Merrows, gives the story an identity of its own and makes familiar supernatural creatures feel interesting again. There are dark, gruesome, romantic, and even funny moments throughout, and I appreciated that the story was willing to fully commit to its unusual concept rather than play it safe. Blood & Merrow is strange in the best way, memorable, and genuinely fun to read. Bravo, Falconer. I really hope we haven't seen the last of Ellet!

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood & Merrow will have you wanting to read more. I simply couldn’t stop reading until i finished the book. I love how J.J. Falconer jumped between the past and the present in order for us readers to get insight of the main character Ellet. From where he started and how he grows into the character he is by the end of the book. There are definitely something’s you won’t see coming and even make you laugh. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.

[D Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute must read! Vicious Viking turned blood thirsty vampire meets every sailors nightmare the man eating siren. Between the romance of these two unlikely lovers and the non stop action adventure they have set in motion, we learn of the tragic pasts which have brought us these two unique characters. The insights Falconer has brought into the history through out this book has left me with high anticipation for the next.

[J.J. Falconer]

"Brutal, atmospheric romance pairs vampire horror with merrow folklore." — Booklife

"It is my sincere hope that this is the start of a series, and Falconer has 100% made a new fan of me." — Asher Syed, Readers' Favorite

"An ... entertaining supernatural romance that will keep readers on the hook." — Kirkus Reviews

[Joan · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

Ugh, just couldn't make it through this book. I get Victorian Gothic but dang the dialog wording was a slog. Too much effort in reading to enjoy.