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Blooded and Bound #1
Taste
Li is nearly two-hundred-years-old. A vampire with no knowledge of how she came to be or who made her, she's resigned herself to a life of careful indulgence. She likes them sweet, and she makes sure they taste that way. Still, she wonders if there is someone who can give her what she really wants--companionship and relief from a future of eternal emptiness. And if there isn't, maybe she'll just make him.
82 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 13, 2019
90 people are currently reading
164 people want to read
About the author
Nikki Clarke
38 books190 followersNikki Clarke is a poet and writer who’s always loved a good love story in books and on film. Her favorite on screen love declarations in no particular order are: Darius and Nina under the viaduct, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth in the field (Knightley and MacFadden version), and Dwayne and Whitley at the wedding. Nikki doesn’t mind a little weird (or raunch) mixed in with her romance and hopes to contribute to more happily ever afters of all shades and styles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
December 20, 2020
This was AMAZING!! The black vampire romance I’ve been searching for. There’s smut, there’s history, there’s a unique take on vampires. LOVED it. And to pack all of that in soooo well into an 80 page novella? Well. I’m impressed.
August 14, 2021
Li is a lonely century old vampire who’s thinking about making a companion to pass the time. She meets Noah the same night she decides to make her companion and develops an instant attraction to him. As time goes on, she discovers information about Noah that changes the trajectory of their relationship. I know Nikki said this is a Vampire quickie, but this didn’t read as one. I absolutely LOVED the twist she added to this vampire story and craved for more backstory on Li’s family. For such a short story, the author was able to give us instant thick chemistry, heated sex and a witchy background. Imma just go ahead and say it! I wish this was a full length because I wanted more backstory!!! Nikki hit me with so much history that this fast pace story couldn’t handle it all. I needed a full length so that I could get more details and answers to questions. However, that still didn’t stop me from devouring this short story and rushing to read more vampire quickies from her catalogue. If you love quick reads with a sweet happy ending, this is for you!
June 20, 2025
Vampire romance novella with a fantastic plot. This author packs a lot of world building into this and it is fed to us through character interactions. I loved it. How these two vampires came to be is tragic but inventive. Hard to talk specifics without giving away the plot but him finally being able to court her and the reveal of where he’s been for all their vampiric existence is so intimate and lovely. Absolutely enchanted.
August 19, 2021
Li is a 150 year old vampire who is looking for a companion. While hosting a party she meets Noah and their attraction is instant. I knew there was more to the story when it came to Noah and I was correct! I enjoyed learning about Li and her family and wish there was more of a backstory as I found her mom to be very interesting. The main issues with novellas for me is that I also want more and this story was no different. 😩 This was my first time reading this author and look forward to reading the next book in this series.
June 18, 2025
Vampires? Black Vampires? Sign me up! It was a quick spicy and fun read. I’m not going to lie I would take a full novel :) read it on my kindle and love the cover. A vampire in a bathing suit with an ice cream cone. Obsessed.
November 29, 2021
A vampire novella about a girl finding the man that made her 150 years ago, has some fated mates vibes going. Very romantic and sexy
August 23, 2021
I have been searching high and low for Black paranormal romance, and this is fantastic! I loved Liana and Noah's chemistry and the spicy scenes. I can definitely say that I would never want to attend one of Liana's feed parties.
July 6, 2025
A vampire love story with smut and history and a yearning man ?!? This was such a good quick read. I definitely had a great time reading it. Onto book 2✨
August 6, 2025
Good
Overall I like this book. I love the cover and quick read. I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed Nikki Clarke writing style.
Overall I like this book. I love the cover and quick read. I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed Nikki Clarke writing style.
August 8, 2025
Cute
I enjoyed Nikki's vampire lore. Beautiful story of love, time, patience & a promise kept. I can't wait for the next book.
I enjoyed Nikki's vampire lore. Beautiful story of love, time, patience & a promise kept. I can't wait for the next book.
April 7, 2020
Short but exquisite
I loved this novella, it's sweet and nice story, I loved all the characters, Li Li and Noah, their story is so wonderful, they have mad chemistry, the instant connection, the attraction, the lust and...the sex with never dying love the cherry on the sweet top, I was rooting for those wildly passionate kids from the sexy beginning, the sweetest date to ever for immortal being, to the lies and confession, the history and of course the HEA, I loved all of it, two thumbs up, recommend and all that jaaazzzzzzyyyy!!!!
I loved this novella, it's sweet and nice story, I loved all the characters, Li Li and Noah, their story is so wonderful, they have mad chemistry, the instant connection, the attraction, the lust and...the sex with never dying love the cherry on the sweet top, I was rooting for those wildly passionate kids from the sexy beginning, the sweetest date to ever for immortal being, to the lies and confession, the history and of course the HEA, I loved all of it, two thumbs up, recommend and all that jaaazzzzzzyyyy!!!!
December 25, 2019
I really enjoyed this paranormal it was unexpected and I didn't think I was enjoy this love story I had fallen in love with this author's paranormal of aliens and again she did not disappoint even with this vampire tell may God continue to bless her and her gift is tell stories as well as she can looking for the rest of the series for the alien books that she has she is so far the only author I will read an alien book by
October 21, 2021
This was just as promised by the series name, a Vampire Quickie. Li is an almost 200-year-old vampire who is tired of being alone, she hasn’t ever met another vampire and she also can’t seem to have a good time with any one she meets. Just as she decides she wants to create a companion for herself (turn someone), a mysterious guy shows up at one of her backyard parties ready to show her a good time…and he seems to already know her. Quick novella with an interesting spin on vampire lore.
October 28, 2021
2.5 stars. I did not like the backstory. The mothers decision to make where Noah and Li couldn’t be near each other for 150 made no sense and it really wasn’t explained good. I already forgot Noah’s explanation anyway.
August 2, 2022
Literally over here wanting a man to spend his whole life (of a hundred and fifty years maybe…) watching over me from afar— as if that is achievable. Am I okay?!
October 30, 2023
“Taste: A Vampire Quickie” by Nikki Clarke was a great vampire novella.
Liana is a 150-year-old vampire, yearning to turn a human into a vampire for companionship. She throws a party and meets Noah, a man who is more than what he seems.
This short story travels back to the origins of Liana’s transformation at the time of emancipation (Li is the daughter of an enslaved woman and white man), quick references to her existence throughout the decades, and the forces that kept her isolated.
Noah and Liana have steamy encounters, there is the usual vampire feeding, and some vampire hunters (whose origins are not quite as clear / explored as it could have been).
I enjoyed everything about this book. There is some fantastic pining / unrequited love, a bit of drama, and enough emotional depth to the story.
If you want an entertaining, short read for Halloween (or any time), I would definitely recommend this book.
Liana is a 150-year-old vampire, yearning to turn a human into a vampire for companionship. She throws a party and meets Noah, a man who is more than what he seems.
This short story travels back to the origins of Liana’s transformation at the time of emancipation (Li is the daughter of an enslaved woman and white man), quick references to her existence throughout the decades, and the forces that kept her isolated.
Noah and Liana have steamy encounters, there is the usual vampire feeding, and some vampire hunters (whose origins are not quite as clear / explored as it could have been).
I enjoyed everything about this book. There is some fantastic pining / unrequited love, a bit of drama, and enough emotional depth to the story.
If you want an entertaining, short read for Halloween (or any time), I would definitely recommend this book.
February 18, 2021
2.5 Stars
Li is a 150 year old vampire. She’s been really lonely going through life alone for almost 200 years. Enter Noah, a fellow vampire that was present at the time of her change. He loves her dearly and has lived in the shadows watching over her for decades. He finally makes his move and Li becomes infatuated with him because she’s finally found someone that is like her and able to go through life be her side.
Overall, this novella was just okay for me. It was pure smut. One minute their fighting, and the next minute their naked. The plot was unique but it just didn’t excite me. The writing was a little choppy too...I wish the novella would have been a little longer to flush out some of the conflicts.
Li is a 150 year old vampire. She’s been really lonely going through life alone for almost 200 years. Enter Noah, a fellow vampire that was present at the time of her change. He loves her dearly and has lived in the shadows watching over her for decades. He finally makes his move and Li becomes infatuated with him because she’s finally found someone that is like her and able to go through life be her side.
Overall, this novella was just okay for me. It was pure smut. One minute their fighting, and the next minute their naked. The plot was unique but it just didn’t excite me. The writing was a little choppy too...I wish the novella would have been a little longer to flush out some of the conflicts.
October 11, 2021
Very good!!
Taste is short and steamy and went places I really was not expecting it to. Please look at content warnings at the bottom. As heavy as the subject matters dealt with are, I think the author handled them very well - mind you, I'm not black (I'm brown).
Liana is a 150 year old vampire who's tired of being alone, so she decides to "make" someone. That night, she meets Noah and it seems too good to be true - and it is. I highly recommend giving this novella a chance. Only 50ish pages, on Kindle Unlimited, and with a lot of heat and a surprising amount of heart.
Cw: protags were slaves in the past. Heroine is a product of r@pe between a slave and a slave owner. Massacre of emancipated slaves in the past. Stabbing.
Taste is short and steamy and went places I really was not expecting it to. Please look at content warnings at the bottom. As heavy as the subject matters dealt with are, I think the author handled them very well - mind you, I'm not black (I'm brown).
Liana is a 150 year old vampire who's tired of being alone, so she decides to "make" someone. That night, she meets Noah and it seems too good to be true - and it is. I highly recommend giving this novella a chance. Only 50ish pages, on Kindle Unlimited, and with a lot of heat and a surprising amount of heart.
Cw: protags were slaves in the past. Heroine is a product of r@pe between a slave and a slave owner. Massacre of emancipated slaves in the past. Stabbing.
October 24, 2021
Liana and Noah
A love story that took over 150 years to make which included antebellum south as slavery "ended". Liana is bound to Noah but a spell her mother cast before her death kept them from Rach other. I don't know much about vampires but everything I thought I knew seems wrong and I like it. Noah definitely has a lot of explaining and loving to do but it doesn't come easy. Noah is a bit possessive but like I said he has a lot of making up to do. I really enjoyed Taste so I want to keep reading this about this circle of vampires.
CW/N: slavery, murder of enslaved people right as they gained emancipation, rape (father a child with an enslaved woman), attempted murder
A love story that took over 150 years to make which included antebellum south as slavery "ended". Liana is bound to Noah but a spell her mother cast before her death kept them from Rach other. I don't know much about vampires but everything I thought I knew seems wrong and I like it. Noah definitely has a lot of explaining and loving to do but it doesn't come easy. Noah is a bit possessive but like I said he has a lot of making up to do. I really enjoyed Taste so I want to keep reading this about this circle of vampires.
CW/N: slavery, murder of enslaved people right as they gained emancipation, rape (father a child with an enslaved woman), attempted murder
October 28, 2025
Look, the writing was alright and I loved the representation, but the story was all over the place. A novella can only cover so much, I know that - the problem is that it tried and tried too hard to cover as much as possible. 🫣
It had its moments! "You don't remember me?" could have been absolutely heart breaking, but they wasn't even addressed again. She didn't answer his question and we were never really told how he felt about that.
Some of the logic just didn't make any sense / explanations for things the FMC was wondering about were just thrown in her face and she's like "oh, okay!" 🤷♀️
And then there was the non-con? No. Sorry but no. 😡
It had its moments! "You don't remember me?" could have been absolutely heart breaking, but they wasn't even addressed again. She didn't answer his question and we were never really told how he felt about that.
Some of the logic just didn't make any sense / explanations for things the FMC was wondering about were just thrown in her face and she's like "oh, okay!" 🤷♀️
And then there was the non-con? No. Sorry but no. 😡
November 17, 2025
This story packed a punch in just 69 pages! I was surprised, shaken, and swooning! I’d like to say more, but I feel that even sharing just a little would take away from the surprise that readers will experience! I really wish this could have been a full-length novel because the material is there! And oh my gosh, I adore Noah! I did feel a twinge of frustration toward Liana, but I get where she was comimg from. That said, I still enjoyed her character. Although I love the author, Nikki Clarke's alien romances, I hope she'll write a full-length Vampire Romance novel someday! This story had me tuned all the way in!
January 21, 2026
This one caught me completely off guard. I went in expecting a smut-heavy, plot-light vampire novella, and while yes, there is plenty of smut, there is also much more here than I expected.
What we get is almost a period piece. A love story that stretches across centuries, grounded in vampire lore and centered on two soulmates who have been through a lot and are now trying to find their way back to each other in this lifetime. There is real depth beneath the heat, and I was not expecting that at all.
What we get is almost a period piece. A love story that stretches across centuries, grounded in vampire lore and centered on two soulmates who have been through a lot and are now trying to find their way back to each other in this lifetime. There is real depth beneath the heat, and I was not expecting that at all.
August 22, 2021
Picked this one up as a recommendation from a friend. And I'm so glad. I really enjoyed this novella. Like the title says, this is a quickie. But I was so drawn in to this take on the vampire story that I couldn't help wanting more - especially more info on Li's mom and her family history. Li and Noah are so damn hot together, and so very sweet. Their story hit me right in the heart. Definitely going to read more from this author!
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January 14, 2022It’s a DNF for me @49%
I love me a vampire romance or erotica, but this was just not for me.
Mostly I just didn’t like the uncomfy vibes of the love interest just trying to fuck the protagonist’s anger away. Just. No.
Plus. The whole thing of a vampire not being able to have sex with anyone except their maker???? Absolutely not. No.
Anyway. The smut was okay. I guess. But I just couldn’t find the motivation to continue this. So, time to say goodbye.
I love me a vampire romance or erotica, but this was just not for me.
Mostly I just didn’t like the uncomfy vibes of the love interest just trying to fuck the protagonist’s anger away. Just. No.
Plus. The whole thing of a vampire not being able to have sex with anyone except their maker???? Absolutely not. No.
Anyway. The smut was okay. I guess. But I just couldn’t find the motivation to continue this. So, time to say goodbye.
May 15, 2023
This novella was a quick and dirty diversion. I felt there was a lot of story to explore with Liana and Noah, and I would have liked to read it. I wish we had more of them outside of the bedroom. My interest peaked when Noah began the reveal, but sex overshadowed what promised to be a great story. The love scenes were hot but after so many of them in such a short novel I tuned out.
Overall, it was a fun read.
Overall, it was a fun read.
May 16, 2023
I NEED MORE
I loved how deep yet light hearted Liana and Noah’s story! The only thing could possibly ask for is an epilogue…follow up… slice of life…lady give me something because I need more of them. For your first foray you’re strutting in this like you created the genre. Not only am I rating this, but I am recommending it to all who do and don’t ask. Thank you. This was beautiful.
I loved how deep yet light hearted Liana and Noah’s story! The only thing could possibly ask for is an epilogue…follow up… slice of life…lady give me something because I need more of them. For your first foray you’re strutting in this like you created the genre. Not only am I rating this, but I am recommending it to all who do and don’t ask. Thank you. This was beautiful.
June 22, 2025
Sweet
Don’t ask me why I’m just reading this idk playas eff up sometimes. Sorta like Liana’s stubborn tail did. I wonder if her brain stopped developing when she was turned cause girl, tf was you thinking. But me and moms would have had to have words. Cause again girl, wtf? I think there are somethings that could have been done differently to make the story more cohesive but the concept was very cool. It has some subtle really sweet moments. I’m obsessed with the new cover!
Don’t ask me why I’m just reading this idk playas eff up sometimes. Sorta like Liana’s stubborn tail did. I wonder if her brain stopped developing when she was turned cause girl, tf was you thinking. But me and moms would have had to have words. Cause again girl, wtf? I think there are somethings that could have been done differently to make the story more cohesive but the concept was very cool. It has some subtle really sweet moments. I’m obsessed with the new cover!
August 6, 2025
This was a cute and quick read that I finished in one sitting during a reading sprint with some friends. It's got a cute little twist to it and a background between the MC's that I wasn't expecting.
I've read a couple of Nikki's books already and really enjoyed her writing style. I believe there was a notation somewhere in the book mentioning that book was her introduction to writing about vampires. I think she did a great job and will be going on the hunt for more!
I've read a couple of Nikki's books already and really enjoyed her writing style. I believe there was a notation somewhere in the book mentioning that book was her introduction to writing about vampires. I think she did a great job and will be going on the hunt for more!
July 16, 2020
A Must Read
Nikki Clarke did it again! By the end of this novella I found myself crying quietly. The level of emotions that hit me with the realization of time passing you by while living the life of a vampire was more impactful than it has ever been. I wish I could read more, I would love to see some period pieces of black vampires throughout history.
Nikki Clarke did it again! By the end of this novella I found myself crying quietly. The level of emotions that hit me with the realization of time passing you by while living the life of a vampire was more impactful than it has ever been. I wish I could read more, I would love to see some period pieces of black vampires throughout history.
June 2, 2021
I found this to be a very interesting take on the Vampire lore. It is very fast paced and a quick and short story that is infused with sensuality. I enjoyed this short novella and would be very interested in more lengthy explorations of this type of vampiric and paranormal world. Would recommend if you are looking for a quick romp that is an interesting and sexy read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews