Blood Divine

by Greg Howard

Cooper Causey spent a lifetime eluding the demons of his youth and suppressing the destructive power inside him. But a disconcerting voicemail lures Cooper back home to the coast of South Carolina and to Warfield—the deserted plantation where his darkness first awakened. While searching for his missing grandmother, Cooper uncovers the truth about his ancestry and becomes a pawn in an ancient war between two supernatural races. In order to protect the only man he’s ever loved, Cooper must embrace the dark power threatening to consume him and choose sides in a deadly war between the righteous and the fallen.


Category: Fantasy/Paranormal with MM Romantic Elements

Sub-Genre: Horror

Number of words: 88,208

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, M M Romance, Horror, LGBT, Vampires, Audiobook

330 pages, Paperback

First published August 24, 2016

About the author

Greg Howard was born and raised in the South Carolina Lowcountry, where his love of words and stories blossomed at a young age. Originally set on becoming a songwriter, Greg followed that dream to the bright lights of Nashville, Tennessee, and spent years producing the music of others before eventually returning to his childhood passion of writing stories.

Greg is an Edgar Award nominee (The Whispers) and writes young-adult and middle-grade novels focusing on LGBTQ characters and issues. He has an unhealthy obsession with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and currently resides in Nashville with his three rescued fur babies--Molly, Toby, and Riley.

Reviews

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

"The memory no longer seemed like it was his. It belonged to an innocent boy full of life."

Blood Divine is one of those books where it's hard to identify the main genre. It's m/m but it's not a romance focused story. Not Urban Fantasy either - I'm settling on a blend of horror/fantasy with some m/m romance thrown in. Paranormal elements abound.

After a creepy prologue that shows a strange experience that happens to a group of children, chapter one opens the main story years in the future where main character Cooper Causey is an unsettled man returning to his hometown to check on his grandmother after she left an alarming voicemail. All is not well at home in a small, creepy Georgia town - but Cooper apparently had no idea how twisted things really are, nor how unique he actually is. Enter a long-lost love opportunity that never settled, some new 'team members' who show him the light (kind of), and you have an interesting story.

The first half may have been the best part - Howard is excellent with words and I fell into the story right away. The build-up was especially intriguing because there's no way for the reader to know what's going on. The prologue ended in a way that sort of cut-off, leaving that a mystery that isn't revealed until later. There's an ominous feel about the grandmother with clues that don't add up in the house, and even the romantic figure is better in the build-up part because of the awkward memory moment and things left unsaid. Even if the firs thalf is the best part, the rest of the novel has a lot going for it too. I will say I pegged this as a weird ghost story but didn't expect it to have another supernatural regular pop up. I won't reveal what it is since that would take away from the story a little.

The story came apart at some of its seams later, especially during some action sequences. The romance didn't stay as strong as I'd like since the characters had a pre-existing emotion that the reader learns about right away instead of experiencing and growing up to. There's the potential of heat but it's not shown in the first book either. Some of the dialogue lost me at times during the ending, but overall the writing stayed solid. Pacing is dependable and doesn't sag at any time.

While the world-building isn't ultra unique, it does put in some inventive issues - namely in dueling groups. There's a twist on who to trust. The ending thankfully didn't dish out a cliffhanger, but it did leave an opening for a sequel, which I'll definitely be reading. Love the combination left standing together at the end and I'm intrigued about future possibilities. The villain feel is a bit cheesy and needs some work, but the writing style flows well, the main character is easy to like, and it's a paranormal themed ride set in Haunted Georgia (which gives extra brownie points automatically.)

An honest review has been given after acquiring this arc from netgalley

[Daniel Mitton · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Originally reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews with a copy provided by the publisher / author for an honest review.)

I’m not sure which sold me on this book, either the short but well written and enticing blurb, or the cover with a plantation house set back amongst the oaks. It might have been a combination of both. Either way, I’m really glad I picked it up. Blood Divine is a gay supernatural fiction. It is not a romance. If you’re a staunch romance reader and pass it by…in my opinion…you will miss a really interesting story.

I have to share with you something from the author’s note. He says that 62 agents either rejected this manuscript or never responded to his query. Makes that one rejection I just got on my first submission seem pretty darned tame. What perseverance he shows! Now…I have to say…I can’t figure out what the heck they were thinking. I loved this book. I loved the characters, the locale, the backstory, the world building, the pretty much everything about it!

Blood Divine hooked me right away with the “20 years ago” section at the front of the book, where we first meet our MC, Cooper Causey. He and some friends have dared each other to go to the deserted and reputedly haunted Warfield Plantation. Everyone ‘knows’ that the place is haunted by the ghost of a slave killed in a slave uprising. When Cooper actually sees the ghost, it is too late, his friends have already taken off down the road leaving the plantation and leaving Cooper on his own. Then the ghost touches him.

Next we’re hurled twenty years into the future, to what I assumed was the current day. We learn Cooper is a little bit of a male ho, jumping from man’s bed to man’s bed, never staying for breakfast. But when he awakens in yet another man’s bed one morning and finds a bunch of missed calls from his Aunt Lillie Mae warning him NOT to come back to his hometown, and he can’t reach her, he of course leaves immediately to go to said hometown.

What follows is the tale of what happens when Cooper finds out there is much more to the story of Warfield Plantation and his own family than he ever was told. He also learns things about himself and his ancestry that rock his world. Then of course we have to have a love interest…in the guise of his childhood crush. I’d love to keep going and give you tons more spoilers, but I’m not going to. I’m going to leave it for you to find out when you read it yourself.

I very highly recommend the book. It kept me enthralled. I started it yesterday on the treadmill at the gym and was totally surprised when the treadmill went into its “cool down” mode after 60 minutes. I didn’t look at the clock once I was so wrapped up in the story. This would be a great book for anyone who enjoys a story about ghosts, and the battle between good and evil angel offspring with a touch of voodoo thrown in. I think there will be a sequel because the end left it wide open for one. There better be! I want more! What happens next?

But if those points I made above sounded interesting, do yourself and the author a favor, pick the book up. If you’re into this type of story, like I am, I think you’ll love it.

[CrabbyPatty]

Okay, this is going to be a weird review. I requested this book from NetGalley, and didn't read the blurb closely enough. Paranormal, vampires, ghosts, etc. are not in my wheelhouse, and I got to a point in the book where I just couldn't continue.

But that's my problem rather than any fault of the story. I liked Greg Howard's style and really got sucked into the story from the very first chapter, but only my personal genre dislikes kept me from continuing. I read the first few chapters, skimmed the middle and ended up reading a chapter towards the end.

So, if you like Southern Gothic settings with a lot of paranormal elements, I think you're going to really love this book. Howard has a really good writing style and he's created a story with lots and lots of intrigue.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kazza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come later.

[Pianka *call me PIU* · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

“Blood Divine” by Greg Howard was exciting and a supernatural adventure which I absolutely loved. The blurb drew me in when I first learned about this book. There have been a lot of M/F books based on this theme but this take was different and fresh and exciting.

A southern town setting with dark and dangerous family secret, add to it a couple of vampires, opinionated ghosts and an entire new breed of monsters and you have got an explosive book full of action and magic. The entire imagery of this story will stay with me for quite a while. The hanging Spanish moss and a crumbling plantation was the perfect setting for Warfield, the place where it all began. It was creepy and the perfect setting for this supernatural saga.

This is the author’s debut book and I am thoroughly impressed with the detailed and expert way he has shaped this supernatural adventure. The revealing of the secrets happens along with the progress of the plot and every time my mind was completely blown. The twists and turns kept me hooked till the end and left me clamoring for more.

The main character is Cooper Causey. He is the guy the vampires are after while he does not have any clue about the entire supernatural world present right in his backyard. His powers are kind of his family legacy and he has to step up his game to save the entire human race. When he first comes back to his hometown he is absolutely clueless about the dangers that are lurking around the corner. We learn about his family secrets and his powers and about his magical bloodline along with him. After that ending I think that Cooper has a long war ahead of him and we will get to read about some more fantastic supernatural ass kicking in the near future.

The romance element in this book is not that significant. Cooper gets together with his long time crush and they fight alongside each other. There are no sex scenes and with the pace in which this story progressed I don’t think that would have been possible or completely viable. If you are looking for a romance then this is not it. It was more of a brilliant combination of horror, thriller and adventure.

I will be waiting for the next part of Cooper and RJ’s journey. Their story is far from over. There were a lot of things that were left hanging and I hope that Mr. Howard won’t make us wait for too long.

[Nocturnalux · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Blood Divine is a very uneven effort. It manages to be rather atmospheric in its depiction of the ghostly Deep South with its disturbing past, looming mansions and haunted plantations. Againtst this background it builds a paranormal horror thriller that starts out interesting only to derail into generic and an m/m romance that is something of a failure. An almost complete failure to engage with lgbt issues in a part of the world where they still very much problematic, clinches the matter and assures that the novel does not go past mediocrity.

What Blood does right is the way it handles family relations. Cooper, the MC, a gay man who has fled from his South Carolina small town after a series of traumatic events, is brought back when he receives a perplexing voicemail from his grandmother that he cannot contact and who has gone missing. His frantic attempts at rescuing her and the sense of being utterly in the dark even as increasingly supernatural events keep piling up, are when the novel is at its best. These moments have suspense and keep the reader guessing as much as they keep Cooper. That fact that Cooper thinks and addresses his grandmother by name, is a nice touch that strikes a note of realism. Cooper's distress his sole surviving family member is rooted in a sense of his neglect of her that also resonates. Through the description of her house and of the borderline American Gothic memorabilia that clutters it, the novel fleshes her out in absentia with grace.

Unfortunately this is shadowed and eventually completely swallowed by the angst over Cooper's childhood crush who is now the town's detective. Randy is only one of a long cast of characters that are all flawlessly attractive, immediately doing away with any shred of likelihood, but his is the most egregious case. In most dangerous or violent situations, there will be descriptions of Randy's sexiness that are very distracting to the flow of the narrative and do a disservice to a tight, coherent thriller. This is taken to a point of absurdity as the mains pick the worst possible moments, when their lives and the survival of the town- perhaps even the world!- is at stake to spew romantic drivel and borderline make out. They do this not once but twice with increasing levels of absolute stupidity.

This lack of focus caused much damage the story of fall apart as does the forced angst between the main characters. Apart from the ill construed romance, there is an epic battle between evil vampires and an organization that deals with them. This is info-dumped at the start and soon does away with anything specific that might elevate the story. Instead of developing more of the Southern atmosphere, which is what the novel does do very well, it goes for highly generic worldwide conflicts that do not even make much sense. I always find it puzzling when this kind of epic war is supposed to have taken place yet still be a secret and unknown to civilians. It stretches believability to a breaking point.

The novel does deserve some kudos for tackling racism but it is odd how it skirts around lgbt issues. They are not entirely absent and are even dropped almost at random close to the end but given the strong m/m element and how relevant this should be to the mains, one would expect a bit more on the subject.

Add to all this character breakthroughs that are far too convenient and sudden and the result is a highly flawed piece of fiction that wasted most of its potential. The most glaring example is how Cooper finds insta-forgiveness for accidentally crippling his first boyfriend with his supernatural powers. This boyfriend has been bed-ridden and a veritable vegetal for a whole decade and understandably, Cooper is highly distressed since he never meant to hurt him. This resulted in a block, keeping him from being able of using his powers. When it becomes obvious that he must master his abilities if he is to survive or save anyone, he finally confronts him. When lo and behold, it turns out Cooper's powers up and cure him- or at least kickstart the recovery process- and that he had forgiven him all along. A decade of intense trauma and suffering is solved in a single scene. That it is solved mostly via magic only cheapens the whole affair.

There are minor issues as well, like how gullible the main character is when it comes to the bible- but I suppose it is possible given his background. But even a charitable approach cannot save all that is very off about what is otherwise a solid horror thriller.I do wonder how Alexander managed to create all those changelings, in a small town, without anyone noticing something was amiss. At no point does Randy mention anything amount mass disappearances but surely Alexander must have turned people around the area.

Overall, as far as action packed horror goes, Blood is entirely acceptable and readable. It is interesting enough as a piece of Southern American Gothic of the gory kind. But as a love story and as a original work of fiction, it fails.

[Jennifer☠Pher☠ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have so many mixed feelings about this book.

I wanted to love it. I felt like in the beginning I was going to love it. It just took a direction that I couldn’t follow and was not into.

Also, I wouldn’t really call this a romance and if I read the tags wrong that is not the books fault.

So, the beginning. The beginning felt like a ghost story; a ghost story of a childhood scare that changed the boy’s life forever. The set up was amazing. The southern, abandoned plantation home, the slave village, the entire setting was perfect. I was transfixed. I was filled with anticipation knowing there was going to be a homecoming, knowing based on this formula that the boy had to come home and revisit his fears.

It was like that, kind of.

The return was enough to keep me on the edge of my seat. The missed calls and warning message, the weather and the creepy childhood friend were just a few things that had me completely drawn into the story. Cooper knowing what he had to do and doing it added a perfect bit of fright to the story. And then it kind of took a turn from gothic, southern ghost story to, well, quite a mix of different paranormal elements and it, to me, took away from the beautiful setup.

There was too much. So much that the huge gap from childhood to adulthood just didn’t mesh. Maybe we needed more understanding of what Cooper had been doing while he was away. What he had been through since the childhood trauma. What actually happened after that day. What really kept him away and why it was completely ignored. Just something to make what happens when he returns home make sense. The story went from zero to sixty in a blink.

Aside from all the paranormal elements, the story took a bit of a religious turn and tried to incorporate the two. I wasn’t that interested. Like I said, it was too much. I needed more personal growth and less of all the information that was thrown at me, seemingly out of nowhere. And where this took the story made me very unhappy. I am not a fan of a story that makes me feel like it isn’t going to work and believe me, that is how I felt.

And then the book ended. No kidding. It ended. I was left starting at the last page utterly confused.

So, to sum it up, this book had a lot of potential but kind of went off the rails. I don’t think it knew exactly what type of story it wanted to be so it tried to be a little bit of all of them.

Not a bad try, but for someone like me who loves everything and anything paranormal as well as a dose of horror, this just did not work for me.

**ARC courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

[Ije the Devourer of Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

An interesting and well written story, but not really a favourite for me.

Cooper doesn't visit his home town. Even though his grandmother is still alive the rest of his family are dead and he has dark memories of frightening childhood events. He also struggles with a dark power within him, a power which he doesn't understand and which he cannot control.

When Cooper's grandmother goes missing he returns to his home town to find her and unwittingly enters into an ancient battle between good and evil. This is a battle which is centred on Cooper and the power he has within himself. The power he fears.

As Cooper is drawn into this battle he faces down his fears and confronts the darkness and ghosts of his past, but will this be enough to rescue his beloved grandmother and help him find peace?

On the whole I thought this was a well written story and highly imaginative in the way it uses some stories from the bible. Even if you are not familiar with those stories you can still understand the part they play here and the way the author uses them.

This is quite a dramatic story. It starts off with a simple pace which was a bit too slow for me but at about 40% of the way through it begins to gather pace. The story is a cross between paranormal/urban fantasy, with a frisson of horror and romance. As Cooper confronts new enemies he is drawn into a battle between and ancient evil and ancient good, ghosts, mysteries and unknown ancestors.

There is a very big cast of characters which can make the story hard to follow at times and a rather complicated family tree. I think the story could have benefitted from a family tree in the appendix.

I did wonder if this is book one of a series and whether there is more to come because the story ends with a happy for now and lots of questions about what next? At the same time it does provide a complete story without a cliff hanger.

All in all I think it is an interesting story, not a great favourite of mine, but still good to read.

Many thanks to the author for providing this copy via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

[LenaRibka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a big fan of paranormal books. But sometimes I get attracted by positives reviews and an interesting blurb and sometimes I could be even convinced.



Blood Divine was VERY CLOSED to convince me.

If you enjoy more blockbuster-like-action-packed PARANORMAL books with a nice low steamed romance (because it is not a main focus of the story-line, but still is an essential part of it), if you appreciate good dialogues with witty comments that can lighten up the mood, you should give this novel a try.



But even if it was entertaining and good written, I got a bit tired as the the story unfolded. Bad vampires, good vampires, ghosts, spirits, numerous creatures and characters that have been added to the plot with every new twist. At some point it became too much: too many characters, too many of a complicated family history, too many actions, too extended finale. Less is sometimes more.



I knew from the beginning, it would be a HEA, but the author managed to surprise me at the end.

It is a book I would rather WATCH than READ. It is focused primarily on the outer world, my favorite ones give more insights into the internal world of the characters.

I think that the book would have benefited from a bit less fighting scenes and a bit more steam/romance.
Still a good read.

P.S AND I like Randy! He was the best!




**Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

[Susan65 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 4.5 star Blogger Girls review

Wow! Now that is how you write a paranormal slash horror slash MM romance novel. This book has it all and is written in such a gripping manner that I just could not put it down. We have some serious paranormal action commingled with a budding love affair. The only thing I would change would be to make it a little bit sexier. We all love some sexy time, yeah?

This book is like a marriage between Dean Koontz and Stephen King with their love child being a famous gay romance writer. The paranormal war and the unraveling of the mysteries of the Anakim and Jericho war take up the lion’s share of the story, with the reunited flames of romance between Cooper and Randy acting as the fluff to keep the horror aspects at bay. This story isn’t really scary, per se, but it is suspenseful and violent; and exactly how I like my paranormal, horror, gay romance novels to be written.

Cooper is much more than I expected after I’d read the first chapter. So much more, and the more I read, the more complex his life became. Randy is his childhood crush, one who he doesn’t believe returns the sentiment. But Randy has a story of his own to tell, and it doesn’t stop until the last page.

I admit, I expected something completely different, but what I got was so much better. My only issue is that with the way it ended, I can only hope that Greg Howard has a sequel up his sleeve somewhere. This story is not over, at least I hope not, and I would tag it as more a happy for now than a happy ever after. Cooper and Randy, Stephen and Betsy, and the rest of the players in the war game have a whole new set of problems to face so I implore the author to continue this book with a sequel, please.

Highly recommend to everyone!

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

** 4. 5 Stars **

Quiet frankly I almost didn't pick Blood Divine because I don't like urban fantasy and it just would have been a shame not to! Often enough while reading a blurb, only a few words make me choose a book or ignore it. This time it was: South Carolina! A southern setting combined with a dark and ancient family history, secrets, ghosts, Vampires and disgusting ghouls ... it was too tempting!

Be aware that it's a 'Gay Mainstream' novel that contains romantic elements and there are no sex scenes which is fine by me. It's first and foremost a deliciously twisted thriller/horror story.

If I'm not mistaken it's a debut novel and it is undoubtedly a very creative and descriptive, sombre and brutal tale. Be warned, once you start you won't be able to stop!

My only niggle is with the ending. I'm a bit frustrated about it because there's a kind of big question mark there!

Anyway, Bravo Mr. Howard!

[Jennifer Oliveira · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Thank you netgalley for the free copy*

Cooper is a man haunted by his past and what was done to him when he was but a kid. When his grandmother's voicemail forces him to move back to his hometown, he comes face to face with his demons and realizes he doesn't even know the half of it. He's not who he thinks he is, the supernatural exists and the man he loves might actually love him back.

This book was just my kind of book. Written beautifully, with descriptions of the town and the houses like you've never seen before, with original supernatural plots, characters and beings you're instantly intrigued about and an incredibly well conceived m/m relationship.

Also, whenever an lgbt+ book brings up biblical terms and passages, which has been happening more and more often, I yell 'yay' about three times and feel like sending it to the Westboro Baptist Church so they can read it (and then demand a recording so I can watch their faces while they do so). But that's besides the point.

I definitely recommend this book to everyone who enjoys this genre.

[Bárbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC provided by Netgalley*

I don't know what took me so long to get to read this one!

It didn't only had an awesome take on vamp lore (of which I'm always a fan, and always eager to try new content), it was also action-packed and it covered the human aspect of the characters beautifully. You can't help but root for Cooper and Randy (and Cooper is one charming MC on his own as well, so that's a plus!)

I really, really enjoyed this one!

[Rina Pride · Rating 5 out of 5]

Putz! Que história louca foi essa?! Quando li a sinopse não tava esperando por tudo isso😲 Que loucura! Foi uma surpresa interessante. Por mim poderia ter mais livros dessa história, acho que Cooper e todos os personagens apresentados têm muito para oferecer. O cara foi bem criativo e se inspirou numas paradas bíblicas que combinou de forma bem crazy no enredo.

[Elaine White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book – Blood Divine
Author – Greg Howard
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 271

Cover – Love it!!
POV – 3rd person, 1 character
Would I read it again – Yes!

Genre – LGBT, Mystery, Paranormal, Deep South, Slavery, Friends-to-Lovers, Biblical


** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine


Wow! This was so epic.

Say Paranormal Mystery to me and I'll say “Gimme!” That's when I knew I wanted to read this book. Add on the gorgeous cover, the hint of Old South plantation/slavery themes and the promise of a juicy potential romance and I'm there. No questions asked. First in the queue.

First off, we get hit with a massively intense, captivating prologue that made me desperate to read more. Learning all about Blue and Warfield was exciting and made me eager to learn more.

Then, we end up 20 years later and I'm still completely engrossed in the story. Cooper is a fantastic main character – he's cheeky, feisty and a little slutty at first, but the more you learn about him, the more you understand him. At first, I thought his easy-osey quick fix sex life was due to the secret he'd been harbouring for twenty years, then I learned that it's actually so much deeper and more profound than that.

To be honest, I liked Miguel. He was feisty and fun and I wished he could have stuck around, but I get why that wasn't a great idea. The mystery – and then eventually big reveal of Trevor – had me hooked from that first slip of the tongue, with only a mention of his name. From then on, I needed to know what the big secret was concerning Trevor and when I found out – God, that scene had me in tears!

Another one who took me by surprise was Stephen. From the moment he first met Cooper, my comment was “very interesting. Like him. Want to see more”. And, I do. I can't wait for the next book, so that we can see more of Stephen and watch him find who he really is.

Throughout, there are a lot of themes going on, but it never feels overwhelming. We have the natural Deep South plantation owner, slaves and all the history that comes with that. Layered on top is the biblical origin of Anakim and Divinum, alongside the paranormal aspect of – if you tilt your head and squint real hard – vampires and their half-breed doggies.

The concept of the Anakim and Divinum, along with the Jericho team was so original and brilliantly done. The writing alone, considering background, history, biblical references and the paranormal slant on the topics, was amazing. But the way they were so well weaved together with the stuff that seemed relatively normal was genius.

So, cons? Yeah, one or two really minor things that I don't care about. Once or twice there was a missing word that caught me by surprise and there was a non-recurring, sporadic (like, twice!) instance of the font being a slightly bigger size, which was noticeable. Other than that? No complaints whatsoever.

~

Overall, there's not much I can say without giving things away and I don't want to do that. I loved it. That's the crux of it. I loved every minute, couldn't stop myself from reading and am absolutely desperate for the next book.

From now on, I'll be unquestioningly picking up anything Greg Howard writers, eager to explore familiar characters or a new world. Whatever he decides.

~

Favourite Quote

“Part ghost town, part sanctuary, Warfield was both creepy and beautiful all at the same time. Like he'd journeyed to hell and felt right at home once he arrived.”

“Cooper's heart responded to the physical contact with a heavy thump, which he inwardly cursed. He'd spent his life riffling through a Rolodex of men in search of just one that measured up to this man. Gorgeous, sweet, straight Randy.”

[Winter Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Blood Divine', written by Greg Howard is a suspenseful paranormal story. It follows the story of Cooper Causey, whom was haunted by a spirit when he was younger, and as he grows older that there was something missing. When his grandmother goes missing, he searches for her, only to run into mystifying creatures as her uncovers family secrets and love, whiling trying to balance good and evil. Howard used flashbacks, character building and descriptive writing to create an entertaining novel.
Howard started the novel twenty years, before the story begun to build on the novel. It started when the main character was a child, and continued on throughout the following chapters as an adult. This helped inform the reader of why the characters act the way they do and helps structure the story, so it makes sense later on. Close to the ending, Howard had another flashback to explain what occurred in the past and how it linked to the present tie. This helped give an understanding to the reader of what was occurring.
The author had strong characters within the story that were highly developed. Each character had their own story and brought the book to life. All of the characters were three dimensional. The story was written in third person, and followed Cooper Causeys life experiences. The characters seemed to have their own personal stories and if their roles were swapped, that they story would have ended differently.
Descriptive language was used in the novel, which developed imagery. The language used in 'Blood Divine' was quite effective, using slang and going into depth with descriptions of objects, places and people. The wording of novel was simple, but perfect for reading. The novel was easily imaginable, and played through the readers mind due to the techniques.
Personally, I'd recommend this book to everyone from young teens to adults. For some, they may dislike the LGBT included in the novel, but I found it enjoyable and accepting as people need to open up to it. The novel kept me on edge at all times and wanted me to continue reading, even when I couldn't. I came attached to the character easily, and cared for them as much as I care for real people. If you're looking for some thing exciting with a touch of thriller, magic and mystery, this is the book for you.

[Darcia Helle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to start by addressing the genre, because I think it's an important issue for this book. The title and the cover caught my attention, and then the blurb hooked me. It wasn't until after I requested this from NetGalley that I noticed the book is marketed as "gay mainstream". Of course, it's clear in one line of the description, but the same-sex pronouns didn't really register in my muddled mind. The main character is a gay male. I am a straight female, and therefore I'm probably not considered the author's target audience. I'm glad labels aren't an issue for me, and I hope they aren't for you, because this book is an excellent read regardless of your sexual orientation.

Now, on to the writing. Greg Howard has that certain something, an indefinable storytelling magic that hooked me right at the start and held me captive throughout. The story moves at a perfect pace, pulling us along at full-speed, then giving us moments to breathe and absorb. Howard strikes an excellent balance, giving us lots of action and suspense, which he sprinkles with humor and just the right amount of tenderness.

I loved the realism of the supernatural aspect. Howard takes bits of historical writing - fable or fact depending on your viewpoint - and launches an absolutely believable "what if" scenario.

The underlying romance adds depth to the story and the main character. While there are some sweet love scenes, there are no sex scenes.

Cooper is a fascinating, complex, memorable, lovable character. In fact, all of the characters are fantastic. I'm hoping the author brings Cooper back for a sequel.

*I was provided with a complimentary copy by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.*

[Notthatcatwoman · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 50%
I don't understand how everyone else is giving this book 4 and 5 stars! It was your generic vampire vs witch story only with fancy names and gay main characters. The writing was boring and the characters were TSTL. Not an original idea in the slightest.

[The Novel Approach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doing a synopsis of Greg Howard’s exciting novel, Blood Divine, without giving away the store, so to speak, is a daunting task. A few things you should know before I begin my review. First, this is Mr. Howard’s first novel, and I am positive you will join me in praying/begging/selling your firstborn to make sure it is not his last. Secondly, there is a happy ever after—kinda—in that this book is not your typical HEA. Rather, it is the absolute best story that has some unfinished business, but ends on such a satisfying note that you may want to reread it just for that point alone. Third, this story is a really well written, scary paranormal story—the don’t turn off the lights type of scary with just enough humor tossed in to make it an honest-to-god page turner. I read it in one sitting. I will read it again…then, I will begin to hound the author for a sequel—which may sound like an embarrassing thing for a reviewer to do, but did you miss the first born thingy earlier?

Okay—what I can reveal about this stunning novel is this: At a young age, Cooper Causey experienced something so terrifying that his entire life changed. On an innocent bike ride to the abandoned and supposedly haunted Warfield Manor, Cooper discovers he has something inside himself that seems very, very bad—so terrible that he would spend much of his adult young life running from his past and his hometown. As one family member after another dies, Cooper has only his grandmother, Lillie Mae, left, and when he gets a cryptic message from her about not coming home, he, of course, does just that…only to discover she has vanished. While Cooper tries to discover exactly where Lillie Mae has been taken, he has the support of an old crush that now happens to be the town sheriff, Randy Collins. But like the town he has always tried to escape, Randy, too, has been off limits—straight as a rail but the nicest guy you’d ever meet. Lucky Coop, his day is just getting better and better.

When the old family bible reveals the place where Lillie Mae may have been taken, Cooper’s blood runs cold—Warfield. Now he must return to the place of his nightmares if he wants to save his grandmother, but more than ghosts inhabit the old plantation—much more—and Cooper and Randy are about to enter the dogfight of their lives. Neither will come out the same.

This story…this immensely satisfying, gripping, terrifying story was just so very good. There was a lot to unpack in this novel—ancestry abounded and relatives that Cooper didn’t know existed literally come crawling out of the woodwork, and not all of them are quite what you would expect. Greg Howard creates new races of paranormal creatures that will make your skin crawl, yet still allows for a few good guys, albeit undead ones, to help save the day—for now. But it is Cooper and Randy who steal this show, Randy with his penchant for gallantry and his very carefully hidden love for Coop, and Cooper’s heart wrenching hope that Randy could possibly, finally, really be his makes for a romance that never fully takes the stage but dominates certain portions of this story in all the right ways.

Greg Howard cracks open the vampire trope with such force that you will never look at another vamp story in the same way. His monsters are bigger, badder and so intrinsically evil that you can feel your skin begin to crawl when they appear on the page. But, it is where and how Cooper fits into this epic battle between supposed good and certain evil that is most fascinating. Oh how I wish I could tell you more, but to do so would be to give the shop away, and trust me, you want to spend time browsing in this store for a long time. Suffice it to say that I hands down highly recommend Blood Divine to you. Oh, and as an aside–to the publishers that rejected this novel? Oh my—you poor, poor foolish people.

Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach Reviews

[Cornerofmadness · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for making it possible for me to read this novel. Receiving an ARC had no influence on my review. Honestly the book hovered between a 3.5 & 4 star review for me but at the end of the day I thought it was a lot of fun so I kicked it up to the four. I’ll also say if you read m/m books only for the romance and sex, this probably isn’t going to be for you. There’s a romantic subplot sure but this is much more full on urban fantasy/horror and I was very happy for that (I’m more UF than romance, what can I say?)

Cooper Causey experienced some trauma in his childhood home in South Carolina and hasn’t been back in some time, even though he is very fond of his grandmother. Cooper’s been living a rather hollow life made up of endless one-night stands (having a large reputation for it) and hiding the strangeness of his life. But when he’s lured back to his childhood home, only to find his grandmother missing, Cooper’s world is turned upside down in so many ways.

The largest of which is that he meets the Anakim, a vampire like race from the Abrahamic traditions (though they, along with the Nephilim are giants rather than vampires in the lure) and learns there is something special about him that they want. This encounter brings him into contact with Betsy, who is also Anakim but working with a group of monster hunters, the members of Jericho, to help destroy her own kind. Cooper is rushed off his feet by the group, barely able to keep his wits about him as he learns all he is capable of doing. Into this mix we add Randy, local policeman and one of the first men Cooper ever fell in love with and could never be with.

It’s a lot of non-stop action and while Cooper learns to control his abilities a wee bit fast for my tastes, it does work. I wasn’t, however, overly fond of the ending and that’s about all I want to say so not to spoil it. I will say (mild spoiler at best) is that for once I’d like to see the love interest and/or friend actually stay out of the fight once they’re told they’ll be a huge liability because we all know what will happen. The bad guys will capture that person and sure enough the hero of the story is distracted. Because it happens every time in a story like this. The other thing that did bug me a bit was that the ‘darkness’ in Cooper came from an African ancestor who practiced voo doo. Yes, it’s pointed out that dark doesn’t mean evil but still, it felt a little lazy at best. Still, over all I enjoyed this and I’d go looking for more by this author.

[Vanessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an odd book. I can't even tell if I mean that in a negative way or not.

I read it in one day, so it didn't drag or anything and while I couldn't stop, I'm also pretty sure I didn't enjoy it much?

It read like a typical vampire M/M romance book (everyone was tall, ripped and beautiful), but without the sex or even that much romance? Like it tried to be more than that, but simply couldn't let go of its roots.

Anyways, while I don't mind it when vampire stories have to do with religion, I just can't take stuff like "All bible stories are real... and they're full of the bloodsucking undead. Moses was one btw." serious.

It also suffered from Captain Obvious reveals and the serious overuse of the name "Lillie Mae".

The romance was... okay. It was super obvious from the beginning how it would go and I kind of dislike when everything was just a big misunderstanding where both parties pined for each other in misery for years.
And of course our main character - our hero - was an asshole to everyone he slept with, except his one true love because of... reasons? Seriously, not even two pages in, I wanted to kick him against the shin.

There were some nice scenes and ideas and the author knew how to make action scenes come alive in the reader's head (hence the two stars instead of one), but the end was also another really weird moment... like the author wanted to continue the story at some point, but then never did.

You know what, though? I think this book would make a really awesome action movie! It would work sooo much better. I can see it in my head!

[Dev · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 26%

The prologue to this book was very atmospheric and made me think that was going to be a good creepy Southern Gothic type horror book with a side of M/M romance, but unfortunately I think it's just going to be entirely mediocre urban fantasy stuff. Don't get me wrong, I love urban fantasy but I need you to put some effort into it so I can tell it apart from the 500 other urban fantasy books I've read.

I decided to drop this one after the horrible info dump chapter where we discover that this is a 'vampires vs. witches' book but the author decided he needed to make up weird names for vampires and witches and have the characters talk about how ~totally different~ these species are from the regular vampires and witches we are used to even though they're definitely not. Changing the names of something doesn't equal originality and I just don't have the patience for it right now.

[k reads]

DNF
This book reminds me of a story written by a talented high schooler who has not yet developed much craft.
The labored writing works much harder than it needs to and, ultimately, ends up diluting the creepy atmosphere and reducing the stakes.
I gave up at 35% because it became impossible for me to read this without constantly editing out the unnecessary descriptions and heavy handed drama. If the writing had been simpler, the story would have been cleaner and this would have been an effective and engrossing tale.

[Lauren Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spooky and supernatural, this tale is perfect for an October read! What would be your first thought if you returned to your hometown because you suspected someone that you loved was in danger. If you received several missed phone calls and a voicemail that says "he's back"? That would totally freak anyone out right? First, who is "HE" and then second, why would he want your family? Knowing that not all of the his family's story had been told, Cooper has so quick catch-up of his family history that needs to happen before he can have any chance of saving his family and friends. From what? He has no idea, but he knows that he will soon find out and the secrets that were kept may be older than he could have imagined.

Cooper is not a happy man. In fact, he sleeps with men left and right because they can't compare to the one love of his life that he thought he had when he was young. Moving out of town, he tries to replace the feelings with meaningless sex and what-not, but that all changes when he gets a disturbingly large amount of missed calls and unusual voice messages from Lillie Mae. His only living relative, wonderful Lillie Mae who sounds frightened and frail over the phone. He has no other thought in his mind other than to get out of there and go back home. At first, he contacts the local police department only to discover the man that he has been trying to replace ever since childhood. This man, is the one and only head honcho of the police department...what a coincidence! Cooper soon finds out that coming back to War field was a mistake, actually it was more of a trap, but he knows that he can't turn around and book it out of town now after everything that he's learned.

Howard has a superb story-line and exceptional character development. All of his characters are mysterious, and intriguing with personalities that are memorizing. This review is complimenting the audiobook. The pace was absolutely terrific; it was fast-paced and the narrator was highly entertaining. He changed pitch and vocalization for every character and added sounds for special effect. Furlong’s representation of each character seemed to be spot-on! If you are a reader of paranormal mystery and the supernatural, you may want to pick this one up.

A copy of this audiobook was provided to Turning Another Page by Audiobookworm Promotions, but this in no way affects our honest opinion of the book or the review that has been written. We provide a five-star rating for Blood Divine by Greg Howard, narrated by Gary Furlong.

[Escape Into Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cooper Causey is a love them and leave them type of guy. He is unable to form any type of long-lasting relationship after a disastrous one in high school that ended with the guy, Trevor, in a coma and Cooper blaming himself. So he took off and eventually landed in Nashville….where the story begins.

Well, it actually begins 20 years previously, when Cooper was 8. On a dare, his older brother, his older brother’s friends and Cooper go to an abandoned, haunted manor called Warfield. While they were there, the boys are spooked and all leave. Well, all but Cooper..who ends up crashing his bicycle into a tree and loses his glasses. He ends up seeing a ghost called Blue. Blue corners Cooper when he falls on top of his bicycle and holds his head and shoots energy into Cooper’s head. Then Cooper passes out.

When Cooper was with his latest one nightstand, his grandmother, Lillie Mae, calls him and leaves a cryptic voice mail. Panicking (like anyone would when their grandmother doesn’t answer the phone) he heads back to Georgetown, SC to check on her.

What ends up happening once he gets there, though, is something he doesn’t expect. He calls the police to report Lillie Mae missing and the officer that shows up is none other than his deceased brother’s best friend and Cooper’s old crush, Randy. After filing the report and Randy leaves, Cooper decides to head to the one place that terrifies him. Warfield.

It is there that his world kinda gets turned upside down and I am not going to get into it. Let’s just say……read the book!!!!

I loved the fantasy and paranormal aspect of this book. The author put a great spin on Biblical stories and I really enjoyed reading that. I also really liked the spin on vampires/witches that the author did too. He didn’t release all the information on either of them at once. Instead, it was leaked, slowly, throughout the book and that was more than enough to keep my attention.

The ending was great and I loved that Cooper finally found happiness. The way it ended, though, suggested at a book 2. If so, I will be eagerly awaiting it!!

How many stars will I give Blood Divine: 4

Why: I really liked this book. Like I said above, the way the author released the information really kept me glued to the book.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

[multitaskingmomma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original Blog Post: #Review: Blood Divine by Greg Howard

Review by: multitaskingmomma
My Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars

I love vampire stories, but let's admit it–it's been written to death. There are so many out there that are clear misses but I still read them anyway because it's about vampires!

Now, Blood Divine, this is an MM story, romantic and quite suspenseful. hmmm...this is where I got challenged to continue the read.

This story, it kind of starts like the usual where boy experiences a traumatic event, leaves home, comes back home, discovers something is amiss and is shocked to learn he comes from someplace else and is a descendant of a weird family with talent and a bit of a history bloodwise. Yes, the usual. What kept me going was how these elements were used by the author (new to me, fyi) to create a suspense mystery that does not clue the reader into what they are going to meet the further they go along the read. The story shifts, and this is where the fun begins.

Now, I'm not about to spoil anything, I'll leave you to discover on your own. What I can tell you is, this is a thrilling read. The mystery is deep and you get to discover along with Cooper what it means to him and how his life gets affected. The action was a bit slow at first, but it also built the suspense a tad higher, and then the action just flowed. Fast. Furious. Slow. Burning. Fast again. All the while, the mystery gets resolved and you find yourself get drawn into the intrigue and the passion. You can say this is romance, but there's a whole lot of vampire-stalkerish-magnetism involved too which made the read even more intriguing.

Overall, this is one vampire book I would recommend to all lovers of the genre. There's something in this read that is just so compelling, it draws you in.

[Andy N · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on NetGalley.

An exciting, thrilling, supernatural gay novel that I was unable to put down.

This book was everything, from the back-story, the development, the scenario, the characters and the perfect build-up to the climax of the story. For a debut novel, Greg Howard proved that he was the essential piece to writing novels, the style of writing that keeps you gripped to each phrase and dialogue. The flow of the story is perfect, and the way Howard presents the events is brilliant. The characters are very human (even when they aren't, not really) and I really connected with them.

What is the novel about? The starts with our main character Cooper Causey, a young gay man that after a few traumatic events when he was young, refuses to get emotionally attached to anyone. A strange message from his grandmother warning him not to return home, forces him to travel back to the small southern town of Warfield and face his demons... quite literally. Clueless about his family history and powers, Cooper is thrown into a world of supernatural creatures that will force him to face his past and accept part of himself that he desperately tries to keep hidden. Throw in the help of his teenage crush, a few vampires and talkative ghosts to the mix and you get the adventure of a lifetime.

The perfect combination of thriller, horror and romance! The cliffhanger at the end left me thirsting for more and I can't wait for the sequel!

Read my other reviews at: http://booktraveller.weebly.com/

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood Divine has it all – action, intrigue, and romance! I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a strong paranormal story with some romance.

This is a highly engaging book. Elements of mystery throughout kept me hooked as the story unfolded. Cooper's character really comes to life through introspection and actions. And the fairly large cast of supporting characters are shown well through Cooper's perspective.

For me this was a perfect blend of fast-paced action, creative world building, and introspective character development. I love the unique supernatural mythos Greg Howard has created.

Although Cooper's story continues, I am very satisfied with the ending of this installment. There is a solid conclusion to the main conflicts of this book. There is also enough of a hook to keep me excited about continuing with the series.

Please note that this is not a sexually explicit story. I wouldn't recommend this to someone looking for an erotic romance.

*I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

[Qin · Rating 2 out of 5]

One cannot say that the writer's literary achievement matches his ambition. I expected far better from this novel after the tense, clever, and über-creepy prologue. For, even though Mr Howard has a nice flair for writing, his mystery is as cheesy, his paranormals as theatrical and unrealistic, the romance, characters and ultimate stakes respectively and contrived, jerrybuilt or flimsy, as anything in Ann Rice's latest entries into the Vampire Chjronicles, which is really saying a lot. The lack of originality between these covers is patent, too, while the fight scenes are a far cry from visually suggestive and smoothly narrated; add that the pacing sounded off to me, and this is the last straw that broke the camel's back. Such a lazy book does not deserve more than the present short notice of displeasure.

[Melissa Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood Divine is a fantastically creepy ghost story that kept me up all night and peeking around every corner! The author takes such care to set the reader firmly in the story with lush descriptions of this old Southern town and rich characterization of these lovable and sometimes kooky characters. While I rooted for Cooper, Randy, and Betsy, I squirmed and giggled over characters like the eccentric Eunice and Eudora. I'd love to read a whole book on just them!

Howard took me on a thrill ride, creeping me out and scaring the daylights out of me while making me sigh over the love story between Cooper and Randy. The action never stopped, and the pace kept me turning the page. Can't wait to read more from this author.