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I will sacrifice my blood for them.
They will lavish me with their love.
Forever.

Just when Elle thought her life couldn't suck more, she met them.

Vampires.

Four extremely hot and mysterious cousins that had a supernatural pull she couldn't explain. Life gets flipped upside down and turned inside out when the secret of who she is and what she can do is revealed.

Braden, Logan, Cole, and Zac develop an unbreakable bond with Elle. They won't let go. They can't. She is a Life Blood.

These four cousins will do anything to protect her from the danger of a psychopathic vampire who will stop at nothing to get to her. Elle will never be the same again. But does she even want to be?

Because love bites. In a good way.

The Banner cousins and their appetite for more than just Elle's blood will have you flipping pages to experience their story of unyielding love and devotion.

Disclaimer: This book is suitable for readers 18 + due to these vampires and their sensual appetite for Elle. Graphic sexual scenes and these vampires love to cuss. Happy Reading and I hope you enjoy reading about Cole, Logan, Braden and Zac Banner.

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 9, 2018

1139 people are currently reading
617 people want to read

About the author

Raylin Marks

25 books688 followers
Raylin Marks is the author of steamy romance and fun adventures!!
Her love and passion for writing is purely driven to help introduce readers to characters and fun worlds to get lost in with hot alpha males that make even Raylin swoon as she writes them.
Marks stepped into the publishing world with her debut Reverse Harem series: Immortal Devotion.
She moved from there into a different steamy genre and wrote Chase’s story in a stand-alone book titled: Needing Chase.
After Chase, Raylin decided to finally let these “Billionaires” start having their voice.
In July 2020, the first book in her Billionaires’ Club series was released: Dr. Mitchell.
She’s excited to continue on through the lives of the rest of these men.
Let’s hope her laptop can hang while she continues on her journey of writing and publishing.

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5 stars
369 (33%)
4 stars
322 (29%)
3 stars
264 (24%)
2 stars
95 (8%)
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40 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
Profile Image for Amara.
598 reviews68 followers
April 6, 2020
Fated mates RH

This has potential! The FMC attends school at a community college and meets four cousins that she feels an instant connection to. They feel it too and will do anything to protect her. Feelings develop quickly and she is drawn into their world. They aren't human, but she is. She makes them stronger.

The first book seems predictable at first, because has a lot going on. I'm looking forward to reading more.

Possible spoiler below.
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Her best friend and family move yet pay for her mother's care. I knew there was something going on with that. My question is, did the BFF know? Or just the parents? Are they part of the bad guys? Probably. Not sure about the friend though yet.

Random theory- Boots, the cat, is a shifter -OR- more likely, is a familiar to a warlock or witch.
Profile Image for Destiny.
25 reviews4 followers
September 9, 2019
The main female character is too angry for my liking. Constantly and irrationally angry over harmless comments. No conversation can progress without her flipping out and getting pissed. It's annoying and pointless and keeps the plot from progressing quickly.
138 reviews3 followers
March 22, 2019
DNF

Dnf at 25%. So slow and boring. I could already tell that the main character was rude and irritating. Skimmed through the rest of the book and my thoughts were confirmed.
Profile Image for Ashton.
261 reviews
June 5, 2019
Great!

I really enjoyed the story . I'm not a big fan on them being in love so soon since they still barely know each other.
Profile Image for Rambling Reader.
466 reviews75 followers
December 3, 2018
I would give a 2 (it's OK) for execution and a 3 for ideas

Life Blood finds a unique way to take the vampire mythos and add a unique twist. Marks' vampires comes in a variety of strengths, can be made or born, and have some unique dietary habits. I do applaud the way that Marks personalizes a creature that's such a well-known part of the paranormal world. I like some of her twists; it's interesting to see a world where vampires can be born, rather than only made, and I think it will add some new challenges and drama to the relationships in her series.

Our MC is a young college student whose world gets very quickly turned upside down when she meets Braden, Cole, Logan, and Zac. For me, this part makes total sense. If her world doesn't start burning around her, there's no catalyst to push her closer to the men, to make them into her only real hope for survival.

Many times, though, it seemed like the chaos was just too easy. Jerky boyfriend who doesn't treat her well? She's put up with it for awhile now, but of course, the final straw comes right after she meets the handsome newcomers. Her mom has been an alcoholic mess for much of her life? Well, there's a neat explanation for that too. She has a supportive friend who might notice if weird sh*t starts happening? Yeah, for one reason or another, she's out of the picture. There was just a lack of nuance, a very straightforward, blunt vibe to the writing that just read to me as a little simpler than I am usually drawn to, than I'm usually sucked in by.

There's some steamy fun between Elle and her new men, so fans of the romance, of the teasing will definitely have a little something to keep them happy. However, fair warning, there's an aspect of insta-love, of deep feelings being developed/proclaimed quickly because of the way Elle is bonded/bonding with the boys. For me, that was something that feel into that "too easy" part and turned me off a little.

Overall, I think the Life Blood does have what it takes to develop a dedicated following: some action, some romance, some steam, and some new mythology.
Profile Image for Josefine Andersen.
10 reviews
July 9, 2019
The book was alright to read, but it didn't really catch me, if I know what I'm saying.

But I recommend to keep and open mind while reading this and see yourself in her shoes. Then I think you will better understand her situation and feelings. Then the story will get better.
Profile Image for Karen.
10 reviews
June 13, 2019
Just not that good

I wish I could give it a good review. I just never cared about the characters, the plot was predictable. Not reading another one. Sorry.
Profile Image for Krys.
1,355 reviews32 followers
June 22, 2019
This is a quick read that is as interesting as it is, occasionally, predictable. The author did good job of setting the stage for future novels, and I really enjoyed some of the interesting twists she put on vampires. For something that has been around for so long, it is always refreshing to see an author do something different. I was intrigued not only by the idea of vampires getting stronger by feeding off of other vampires, but also by the fact that in this world, vampires can either be bitten, or born.

Ellie is what they call a life blood. Meaning, her blood is made for them. But she is also, more than just a human. Her special blood replenishes itself quicker than a humans meaning that she can feed them without the fear of them draining her.

Now, because this is not a slow burn romance, there is a feeling of "insta love" that goes on between these characters which can get quite annoying, but at the same time there are also some feelings of confusion and disbelief from Ellie, as well as some jealousy from her men. I found these little additions to make this story feel more real. Yes, they are all bonded together. But that doesn't mean that this will be easy for any of them.

Where this book loses some of its magic for me is the men constantly making decisions for her and each other and not explaining why (or when they do the explanations are so weak its easy to see why she doesn't listen). We understand that Ellie is in danger and needs their protection, but they also need to understand that her life as she knew it was over. They moved her into their house to keep her safe, but then they tell her she can't go back to work? And when she gets the chance to visit her mom they simply forbid her from doing so by saying it "seems dangerous", but without telling her why. Of course she doesn't listen.

And of course some predictable story-lines follow. Although even with this there were some twists thrown in that evened it out somewhat.

Overall, those who enjoy supernatural reverse harem novels where the characters experience an instant attraction (and some do engage in naughty fun times), then you will most likely enjoy this one. I would read more from this author (and will most likely finish this series or at least the next book to see where this goes).

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
Profile Image for Daisy Sauceda.
1,809 reviews21 followers
June 27, 2019
*** I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.***

This is an awesome book to read. You cannot go wrong if you read this book. There is intrigue, suspense and hot. As you read this book you will meet Ellie Simms who seems to have a tough life. Her home life is rough and her love life is not great either. You cannot help but feel for this girl, and the way Raylin writes about her emotions you understand it all. Then all of sudden something happens to where she meets Braden, Zac, Cole and Logan Banner. The chemistry with these five is crazy and intense. She feels a pull to them that she can't explain but these four men know what she is. Now Ellie seems like she is timid but she really is strong and determined to figure things out. So when the guys tell her what she is to them and introduce her to the supernatural world she wants to fight it. However, things take place that make her re-evaluate the situation and she accepts her new fate/destiny. While all this takes place the bond that intertwines them solidifies and the chemistry is hot. So at first it seemed that it was going to be a slow build up to the story but once some moments pass it just takes off from there. You cannot just stop at a certain point in the book because you need to know what happens. There were moments when I thought my heart was going to just thump itself out of my chest. I was an edge of your seat ride that you need to finish the book. I loved how there is some things that is left to be resolved at a later time however you will definitely want to follow this series. Raylin Marks did a wonderful job with this book. She is now a favorite of mine.
Profile Image for Andrea.
157 reviews11 followers
December 21, 2018
Life blood has some unique qualities to it that add something unique to the typical vampire story. I do like that mark has made subtle changes with vampires, such as them being born or made not just made. It adds and interesting twist to a common part of the a supernatural world.

While the story was interesting there were certain things that just weren’t for me. Starting out while reading the beginning of the story I realized she was a young adult in college however the drama with the other students, they all seem to eat lunch together, and get out of classes at the same time made it seem more that they were in High school. Yes, I understand that all of those things could happen but especially the drama in one of the scenes reminds me of something that you would see with high school girls – I found myself forgetting that she was in college sometimes – this however doesn’t really effect the overall story it was just something that caught me off guard as I was reading because my mind kept trying to picture her as younger than she really was. Also, while I have read some books that have insta-love its not always for me. I get that they are bonded and have deep feelings that are being developed quickly between everyone it felt that it was almost too easy in a way.
I do overall like the story and am excited to see how Marks plans on taking the characters and story line within the next story.
Profile Image for Sara Ann.
806 reviews5 followers
February 7, 2022
This book was just okay. I had a lot of problems with it. I couldn't tell if the main character was in college or in high school for the longest time. Like the lunch was kind of cafeteria, and the college I went to had multiple dining areas, and it wasn't really like a cafeteria at all. Secondly, all the cars leaving each other/kids being done at the same time. In college classes the whole school doesn't end at the same time everyday.

Secondly, I know they are fated mates, but the whole thing felt very insta-love to me. Like we don't know anything about you, but we want to love and protect you. I get the whole protect thing, but you want to love a girl you just met 2 seconds ago.

I love reverse harems don't get me wrong, and I was so excited for a vampire one, but it really did miss the mark.

Oh the second we came across you we could never touch or feed from another vampire again. But now that you let one of us drink from you, they must go back and drink from another vampire to dilute the blood. But don't worry we won't fuck them, even though it was a girl we used to fuck. LIKE I'M SORRY THIS BOTHER ME SO BAD!!!!! Like why couldn't they have drank from a male vampire? Or from a vampire blood bag. The author tried so hard to make a point that they would never drink from anyone else but like sighhhhh that's already been ruined for me.

I will at least try the second one, and only because it is fairly short at 150 pages.
Profile Image for Victoria.
601 reviews15 followers
March 11, 2019
A worthwhile debut, interesting plot.

World building was good, all scenes and environments were clear and sufficiently described. The story takes place in the modern world we live in.

Character development is decent, though i strongly feel that Elle is at the moment little more than a doormat, no matter how important she is, she has no say in anything whatsoever, they leave her out of everything, making it easy for her to make wrong decisions (and are they so wrong after all?). While i can understand the extreme reluctance of the men to share her between them, give her a little more credit please. Though that said, why the hell is she not freaking out more? :)

Pacing and flow were good, a lot of conversation which is normal in a first book, a 'setting of the stage' if you will, but it didn't get dull. There was a good balance between the conversations and action.

The book itself was well written with no (noticeable) errors. Yes, this book contains sex (if that is important to you.. but then again, what did you expect, you are reading a reverse harem after all :D)

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book and the plot is a good one, with much potential! Though the execution in this instalment isn't the best, it was still a worthwhile and decent read and i look forward to learning how this story will evolve!
795 reviews4 followers
February 22, 2019
Not what I was expecting

There were some really good reviews for this book and I thought ooh fun a reverse harem vampire book. However, the book was eye rolling for about the 80% marker of the book. For instance, one of the guys uses mind control to get the seat beside her, but it was not obvious. Yet, she automatically jumps to the conclusion of mind control and suspects that he is either a demon or warlock. She confronts them about being a demon or Warwick and when they say no, but we are supernatural. She then proceeds to faint. When she awakens they tell her they are vampires and She freaks out and then goes into denial. Her personality resembles a 16 year old instead of a twenty year old. The college also seemed more like a high school. The guy characters were pretty decent, it was mainly the heroine that was aggravating. A pro of this book was the concept. The idea that there were soulless vampires vs good vampires who can gain power and cure diseases with the blood of a special person, thus that person is coveted by both. Although, this book was not very good for about 80%, since I have KU, i am going to try the next book too see if it is any better because I liked the idea behind this book.
Profile Image for Natalia.
10 reviews1 follower
August 29, 2019
Mixed feelings but still an entertaining read

I’m no expert when it comes to writing or reviewing books but I know what I like and what keeps me entertained. I get easily bored with reading if the plot isn’t interesting and this book did keep me coming back after each page. There were things that didn’t add up and a few others that bothered me a bit. I’ll try to review without spoilers.

I really liked that the MC was made to be more realistic in accepting certain truths about her and the vampires. She seemed to react how I would think normal people would in finding out that vampires exist.

What really bothered me was that there wasn’t really character development with the cousins. They’re kind of just thrown into the mix. I didn’t feel emotionally invested in any of them. Then there’s the mom... ugh the mom! The mom’s situation was very predictable and it kind of pissed me off how she handled her life situation and her daughters situation, I mean really? leaving a letter for your daughter in what you know is a dangerous place???

The sex scenes weren’t terrible, they were actually good.

I gave the book 4 stars because it did keep me intrigued from start to finish but I’m not sure if I’ll read the second book.
Profile Image for Brittany Duszczyszyn.
1,123 reviews2 followers
December 2, 2023
Noel is a 20 year old college student who works part time at a coffee shop well also trying to take care of her alcoholic mother. She had a dead beat boyfriend in the beginning of the book but after repeatedly forgetting to pick her up (one time lead to her almost being assaulted by some guys, if it wasn’t for a new guy in town saving her)

Almost within one day her best friend up and moves out of the country and her mom is put into rehabilitation, then she’s told all about the magical world and put into hiding with four hot vampires.

Apparently she’s a life blood (able to feed the vampires as an endless supply of blood that can make them faster and stronger) yet she seems to have a mate bond with the 4 cousins something that no one understands and as far as they know hasn’t happened before.

There’s a lot of push and pull between her and the guys they want her and she wants them but then they push away. There’s some good spice, but the back and forth gets really annoying.

Then she decides it’s a good idea to go on a trip alone with 1 vampire girl without telling the guys and she gets taken 🤦‍♀️

The book is okay the rules for this vampire world are different than anything I’ve read before.
Profile Image for Jada.
62 reviews1 follower
December 13, 2018
I LOVE reading new concepts of classic paranormal characters. In Life Blood, Raylin Marks creates a different kind of vampire universe from any I've read before. Parts of the concept were familiar, but there were many things about them that were new and unique. Another thing I enjoyed about Life Blood was the characterizations. Each of the main characters had distinctive personalities and stood out in some way. That said, I did find a few times where a character acted completely outside of their personality. While this can move a story along or be a pivot point, it can be jarring. For me, it did yank me out of the story a bit, but I was able to re-engage. There were also some things that felt rushed or glossed over, with the same effect, but again, it wasn't too difficult to jump back into the story. One thing I did like was that the events were not always what I expected to happen, which was refreshing and kept things interesting. Overall, I enjoyed reading Life Blood, and would love to see what happens next.

I received an ARC copy of this book and voluntarily chose to write a review.
19 reviews
April 14, 2019
Fantastic start to the series

Oh my god this is a fantastic series you won’t be able to put down. The author has created a vampire story with a difference. One that is truly captivating. The story follows Elle a young girl who is having a shitty life, having to deal with her mother who blames her for the death of her father by hitting the bottle, a waste of space boyfriend who only thinks of himself, which nearly leads to Elle getting in a dangerous situation which some college boys. Elle’s world is then turned upside down by the Banner Cousins coming into town. Elle learns not only about vampires but supernaturals exists and that she is a rare first blood which sets her on the road to be wanted by evil vampire wanting to use her blood to make himself more powerful. This series is a definite read you want be able to resist. The characters are well written and the relationship between Elle and the guys is developing as the story unfolds add a bit of romance with a bit of heat and it’s perfect combination. Highly recommend to anyone.
Profile Image for Jill.
17 reviews
June 22, 2019
Great story line! I see a great potential for this new author! I will say that the characters were a little under developed though and it was a little difficult to become a "part" of the book because I was struggling to understand who the characters actually were! (If that makes any sense).
All I kept seeing was an urgency for safety but didn't comprehend there was any danger! (You'll understand when you read it! I don't want to spoil anything!)

There seemed to be more emphasis on the main characters easy acceptance of the supernatural, but then....she didn't 'want' to accept it??? I don't know. It was a little irritating.

But getting past that in itself...the ultimate story turned out to get better towards the end of the book.
Unfortunately, I fear there are a lot of readers who would just put the book down and not even finish it to get to the good stuff!
But I say....read on! It's a very quick read actually. So without giving out any spoilers....the plot gets good towards the end!
Have fun!!
Profile Image for Vanna'sꕥ BookꕥWorld.
224 reviews1 follower
September 5, 2019
Beyond Devotion!

OMG! ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! This book has instantly become one of my favorites and I can’t wait to see what’s next! It started off kind of slow and I was worried I wasn’t going to get into the storyline but then BAM! I was totally
knocked off my rocker! There was so much going on and yet the connection the Banners share with Elle is electrifying and it’s like you can feel their bond and the pull they each have and I was completely swooning over this story. It definitely had a twilight vibe but ten times better in regards to every aspect of the story including the four hot Banner cousins versus one tiny human!! I could not put this book down and when I did all I kept thinking about was getting back to the next chapter. I am so ready to dive into book two and not resurface till it’s over!!
Definitely binge worthy!
Profile Image for Jenny (jennyluvslitbooks).
773 reviews12 followers
January 31, 2019
Life Blood tells the story of Elle, a college girl who's neglected by her own mother and blames her for the death of her father; add a jerk of a boyfriend who for the life of her she can't leave and an amazing bestfriend who's been there for her a lot. However, life turns interesting when Banner Cousins came into town.

As a debut story, I would say that it starts really well. The author twisted the story by adding a new element to a well-known world. The FMC character is relatable as well as the story. I am curious to read the next book and I am hoping that her relationship with the guys be more developed at that time. Definitely a good, fast paced read.

I received an ARC from the author and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Profile Image for Betteroffwithbooks.
921 reviews14 followers
March 7, 2019
Interesting concept

I thorough enjoyed this book. The concept of there being a race of humans that carry blood that enhances a vampire’s abilities is definitely intriguing. Elle had a hard life and it definitely made me feel for her. As the book progresses, things start to fall into place and show why her life was the way it happened to be. My only complaint about the book is how immature the characters are in the beginning of the book. It’s said to be rated 18+ but it seems as though the characters are early teenagers, not people in their twenties. This seemed to work itself out later in the book and I didn’t feel as weird reading it. I look forward to the next installment.
Profile Image for Toubob.
433 reviews11 followers
May 22, 2024
2.5

So the FMC has some sort of special blood that vampires want. There is a big bad that snaps up (kidnaps) everyone with special blood. At one point one of the characters says there are only a couple of hundred special blood people, later on another character tells the h that she is the last remaining special blood. How the f*ck did some find all the special blood people out of the 8+ billion people on the planet.

Of course the h is a whiny, bratty, demanding and sometimes TSTL, 19 year old. She is drawn to the 4 most powerful vampires alive. Well, the most powerful besides the big bad. So much of the dialogue made me cringe.
Profile Image for Alyrica.
555 reviews17 followers
December 12, 2018
Good Debut

This book was enjoyable. I would have preferred to know more about the guys but I am sure that will happen in future books. For me, everything from the relationships to the action happened too fast and was resolved too easily. For this reason, I didn't completely connect or feel as much as I woukd have liked. I really liked how these vamps varied from the typical vampire character in paranormal fiction. Overall, more positives than negatives with this reading experience.
Profile Image for Megan Fitzgerald.
2 reviews
June 25, 2024
I thought the writing was really juvenile and the FMC was often contradictory, childish, and had a major chip on her shoulder. At one point she said she “screwed everything up by acting like she could do whatever she wanted,” and then literally 4 pages later she throws a fit and says she “can do whatever she wants.” For someone who was just introduced to the supernatural world and had a hard time coming to terms with it, it’s insane that she’s acting/telling everyone she knows better than vampires who are centuries old…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jacinta - Aussie Book Nook .
531 reviews
December 1, 2018
This is the first book I have read from this author. So I wasn't really sure what to expect. I loved this book! It was well written, exciting and fast paced. I really enjoyed every part and can not wait to read what happens next. I loved all of the characters and how they interacted, it was relatable even though it's supernatural themed book. I could not put it down!
Definitely will be reading more from thks author.
Profile Image for Karen Szabo.
212 reviews1 follower
December 2, 2018
I love reverse harem but this is only the second I have read with vampires. I like a series that starts the first book with intimate scenes and this book does NOT disappoint!

Elle and the Banner cousins definitely have lots of obstacles to overcome. It will be interesting to see how they meet them all. All the characters have depth and I can understand the motivation for their actions.

I look forward to reading the series.
Profile Image for Danielle Gumm.
194 reviews
December 10, 2018
This is the first book I have by Raylin and was lucky enough to get to be an arc. This was a really good start to a series and I can’t wait to see what is going to happen next! I love her take on vampires and that there are special people know as life blood who’s power is the their blood it’s self and that they are somehow connected to these vampires. It’s going to be interesting to see where she take their past and their future.
Profile Image for Bonnie .
217 reviews1 follower
February 16, 2019
My Kindle is on fire....

Holy Hotness !! This was one whirlwind of a read, so love reading about vampire harem, love the excitement and the challenge they face, and they can be as gorgeous as sin and will make you want to jump in a cold pool, cannot wait to read more in the series , this one is an awesome and spectacular read, never disappointing ... This book was reviewed by a Book Loving Vixen...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews

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