What do you think?
Rate this book
Blood Brothers #1
GianMarco
BBW Multicultural Vampire Paranormal
Blood Brothers; Next Niccolo's Witch
Once bitten, twice shy...
Private detective GianMarco Grimaldi takes his pleasure wherever he pleases. A six-hundred-year-old vampire, he's tortured by his past and jaded by immortality. Once a promising artist, a personal tragedy has turned him to a life of bitter solitude, avoiding anything and anyone who reminds him of the life he used to live.
Fed up with GianMarco's habit of sleeping with the secretaries in their detective agency, GianMarco's business partner hires someone he thinks GianMarco will have no interest Maggie Williams.
Maggie's trying to put the pieces of her life back together after her husband of twenty-three years left her for another woman. Determined to start her new job with pride, she's dismayed to meet her arrogant, super-sexy boss.
As passion threatens their hearts, a powerful enemy from GianMarco's past threatens their very lives.
Blood Brothers; Next Niccolo's Witch
Once bitten, twice shy...
Private detective GianMarco Grimaldi takes his pleasure wherever he pleases. A six-hundred-year-old vampire, he's tortured by his past and jaded by immortality. Once a promising artist, a personal tragedy has turned him to a life of bitter solitude, avoiding anything and anyone who reminds him of the life he used to live.
Fed up with GianMarco's habit of sleeping with the secretaries in their detective agency, GianMarco's business partner hires someone he thinks GianMarco will have no interest Maggie Williams.
Maggie's trying to put the pieces of her life back together after her husband of twenty-three years left her for another woman. Determined to start her new job with pride, she's dismayed to meet her arrogant, super-sexy boss.
As passion threatens their hearts, a powerful enemy from GianMarco's past threatens their very lives.
268 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2005
67 people are currently reading
481 people want to read
About the author
Eve Vaughn
116 books843 followersNYT and USA Today Bestselling Author Eve Vaughn has enjoyed creating characters and making up stories from an early age. As a child she was always getting into mischief, so when she lost her television privileges (which was often), writing was her outlet. Her stories have gotten quite a bit spicier since then! Eve likes to read, bake, make crafts, travel, and spend time with her family. She lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband and pet turtle. She loves to hear from her fans, so feel free to contact her at Eve@evevaughn.com or join her Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/eveva...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
January 25, 2016
Update: 3.5 stars. I had to get out of my feels a little... But this is still the grossest vamp story I've ever read. I would've rated this much higher if not for all for brothers tapping Maggie. What kinda shit is that?!
What started as a cool vamp story quickly turned into a campy, over-the-top parody. Hot monogamous scenes tho cause I don't play that other shit.
What saved the story for me was Maggie. She was older (40's), dark-skinned, and plush which is rare, virtually non-existent in today's IR romances.
What started as a cool vamp story quickly turned into a campy, over-the-top parody. Hot monogamous scenes tho cause I don't play that other shit.
What saved the story for me was Maggie. She was older (40's), dark-skinned, and plush which is rare, virtually non-existent in today's IR romances.
February 2, 2016
So this is the love Journey of Gianmarco and Maggie. Gianmarco is he tall blonde beautiful man. Ordinarily there's nothing wrong with that it just so happens he knows he's beautiful. And he uses this to his advantage at all times. You see he is the F*ck'em and LEAVE'EM type of dude. He's been around a long time and he has seen it all and he's done it all. When he meets Maggie he is thrown for a loop. He's not quite sure how to handle her so he ignores her. And he's downright rude to her. There is a reason he's like that many years ago his wife and child were murdered. Maggie has her own baggage she was a teenage mother a teenage wife her husband doesn't love her anymore and has been stepping out on her almost from the beginning of their marriage 23 years ago. Oh. Yeah...There is one more thing he ( Gianmarco ) is a Thousand year old vampire! This is the first novel by this author for me. And I usually don't read vampire genre. Not bad I will be reading the next book in the series. PS I am not into ménage relationships and there are two different scenes where this takes place I just dealt with it.
December 2, 2013
I really do hate having to say this, but there are some books that bring out the natural-born wimp in me. So with that being the case, let me say this, I starting reading this book, got grossed out, and then fast forwarded through it. Although it had it's good points, in my opinion it just went a little too far with the overall "ickiness" of the sex(ual) scenes/dialog, menage and otherwise.
So with that being said, I'm going to cite someone else's review, as posted via Amazon.com:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Somebody should have warned me November 27, 2013
By Dee
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Or at least called it for what it is...pnp, as in paranormal porn (i just made that up but it's catchy, right?). I didn't know beforehand but there's mfm & mmmf scenes as well as back door action. This book should have came with a red flashing warning sign. Definitely not for everyone. Hell, I'm still trying to figure out how I feel w/o examining my reaction too closely.
There's a storyline in the depravity...I think. And, there's a pretty decent plot . But to get into the story, you must set aside a great amount of logic and not flinch at some of the word choices, i.e "donkey dong" and intimate scenes. Not to mention, how these vampires feed or I should say, what they feed on is a little disturbing. Consuming blood is a given, but get this. These vampires also feed on secretions from sex organs. Yeah, that was one of many WTF moments for me. So you can imagine what happens when the heroine "feeds" from her husband's three brothers in such a fashion that allows them to simultaneously satisfy her hunger - as in all three making deposits at the exact same time. I will let you figure that one out (another WTF moment for me).
So why the high rating ? I'm glad you asked. Honestly, I like to be shocked from time to time, to be extremely disturbed, and conflicted. Torn between wanting to bathe in bleach and wanting a sneak peek of book 2. I don't recommend this book to everyone. In fact, I would never admit to reading it but dam, it was fun! LOL!
Fyi: cliff hanger and BBW advisory. (Dee, 2013)
With all of that being said, I'm going to merge my score of 2.5 stars and Dee's score of 4 stars, and give you a mean score of 3.25 stars.
So with that being said, I'm going to cite someone else's review, as posted via Amazon.com:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Somebody should have warned me November 27, 2013
By Dee
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Or at least called it for what it is...pnp, as in paranormal porn (i just made that up but it's catchy, right?). I didn't know beforehand but there's mfm & mmmf scenes as well as back door action. This book should have came with a red flashing warning sign. Definitely not for everyone. Hell, I'm still trying to figure out how I feel w/o examining my reaction too closely.
There's a storyline in the depravity...I think. And, there's a pretty decent plot . But to get into the story, you must set aside a great amount of logic and not flinch at some of the word choices, i.e "donkey dong" and intimate scenes. Not to mention, how these vampires feed or I should say, what they feed on is a little disturbing. Consuming blood is a given, but get this. These vampires also feed on secretions from sex organs. Yeah, that was one of many WTF moments for me. So you can imagine what happens when the heroine "feeds" from her husband's three brothers in such a fashion that allows them to simultaneously satisfy her hunger - as in all three making deposits at the exact same time. I will let you figure that one out (another WTF moment for me).
So why the high rating ? I'm glad you asked. Honestly, I like to be shocked from time to time, to be extremely disturbed, and conflicted. Torn between wanting to bathe in bleach and wanting a sneak peek of book 2. I don't recommend this book to everyone. In fact, I would never admit to reading it but dam, it was fun! LOL!
Fyi: cliff hanger and BBW advisory. (Dee, 2013)
With all of that being said, I'm going to merge my score of 2.5 stars and Dee's score of 4 stars, and give you a mean score of 3.25 stars.
April 27, 2012
I liked it though in comparison to the other novels in this series, much more sex-filled. Interesting that Dante fell for her. The husband was a cliche but I did like the relationship Maggie had with her son and later, her daughter. I did like the relationship between Maggie & Marco.
I'll add more to this in my review of Dante's book, but I like Maggie as a character cause she embraces being a vampire with gusto. What I didn't like, or rather found a little questionable, is why it seemed like Maggie was passed around more between all the brothers than any of the other women they eventually fell in love with. Especially as Dante was the only one who had feelings for her. Not sure what to make of that and the discrepancy bothered me.
It's like why did her change require so much more sex and feeding (both blood and semen) and the other women didn't? Shouldn't that ravenous hunger be on par?
I'll add more to this in my review of Dante's book, but I like Maggie as a character cause she embraces being a vampire with gusto. What I didn't like, or rather found a little questionable, is why it seemed like Maggie was passed around more between all the brothers than any of the other women they eventually fell in love with. Especially as Dante was the only one who had feelings for her. Not sure what to make of that and the discrepancy bothered me.
It's like why did her change require so much more sex and feeding (both blood and semen) and the other women didn't? Shouldn't that ravenous hunger be on par?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2019
This was a good read
November 18, 2014
WARNING: This Vampire Erotic Romance Has Lots of Sex
Potential readers, heed the above warning. Don't go reading this then have a freakout because there is a LOT of sex in this book. M/F, M/M/F and M/M/M/F. It was also previously published. There's gratuitous use of the "C" word for both male and female genitalia.
Now that's out of the way, overall GianMarco isn't a bad book. For vampire romance fans, it's a tasty (and kinky) tidbit. It's also an IR paranormal, still a rare breed in that subgenre. And, it featured an older woman/younger man dynamic (though the hero being a vampire kind of plays with that, but I'm not going to split hairs). I liked both characters, newly-divorced forty-something Maggie and centuries-old vampire GianMarco. Having said that, the overused trope of the sad sack, overweight, (and usually dark-skinned) Black heroine should have gotten on my nerves, but I remembered this wasn't a brand new book, so I'm willing to cut that some slack. Still, I prefer my romance heroines regardless of size, to have some self-respect and/or self-esteem BEFORE they meet the hero. Granted, Maggie's ex-husband Eugene was a first-class jerk who decided after twenty-three years and two highly educated children later, he'd found someone new and wants a divorce. As expected, Maggie's devastated after putting up in what she's come to realize was a loveless marriage. So, in her early forties, she finds herself starting over again with a new apartment and a new job at a private investigation firm.
Then things get weird when gorgeous GianMarco enters her world and not only turns it upside down, but has it doing serious yoga.
Of course, here's that other (tired) trope of vampire meets soulmate, tries to resist to absolutely no avail, and boom, insta-lust happens. Yet it didn't annoy me as much here because of it being an older book (just repackaged). I knew what to expect, and GianMarco wasn't that typically annoying alpha who makes me want to castrate him rather than swoon. He wants Maggie, loves her voluptuous body and makes no bones about claiming what's his. But Maggie, bless her little heart, becomes the kind of heroine that makes sense in paranormal romance--she's a fighter and despite GianMarco's strength, is determined to fight him tooth and nail.
Enter brother Dante (and the M/F/M pairing).
Ms. Vaughn's vampires, for the large part, retain their human characteristics. They can walk in sunlight, eat food, and yes bear children. They also feed o blood and sexual secretions. Still with me? Well, GianMarco's in the throes of an affliction that will drive him insane if denied sex from him chosen. He's out of control, having done his best to sate his desires elsewhere but he wants Maggie. Given his instability, brother Dante (whom I liked) has the task of explaining to the still human Maggie that he and his brothers are all vampires. All the while having to explain that she needs to have sex with GianMarco to save his sanity...and his life.
So...sex happens. With both GianMarco and Dante since these vampires tend to be polyamorous as well (don't worry, the brothers don't get it on with each other, though for my part that would have been hot). Now I'm certain some readers may be put off by this forty-plus and plus-sized woman doing the horizontal mambo with not just one, but TWO men, but that's where suspicion of disbelief comes in. Just roll with it. Be happy that after the mentally abusive loser Maggie had been with, she gets to have some fun.. After everything Maggie's dealt with, I was happy she got her freak on. But the party's just gotten started as Maggie and GianMarco are going at it like bunnies on practically every other page. That's a problem because a crazy rogue vampire wants to kill Maggie, and it's never explained why.
If there's one huge reason I'm rating this novel between 3.5 to 4 stars is Maggie's ride or die best friend (and who needs to end up with one of the other Grimaldi brothers--preferably Niccolo), Montana. Considering the horrendous amounts of genderfail that seems to be a staple of romance novels lately, it's always great to read about healthy, functioning and close relationships between women (especially between Black women). I especially loved when Montana laid the loving smackdown on her best friend, who needed a serious dose of honesty.
In the end, this ended up a three-star book. I hate cliffhanger endings, and while there's plenty of sex (which might not be everyone's cuppa), there was a lack of deep story here. More questions than answers. Also that slightly nagging aspect of fat woman finds validation from the love of a man, rather than in herself. Romance is supposed to be the escape from that, rather than reinforcing it.
Potential readers, heed the above warning. Don't go reading this then have a freakout because there is a LOT of sex in this book. M/F, M/M/F and M/M/M/F. It was also previously published. There's gratuitous use of the "C" word for both male and female genitalia.
Now that's out of the way, overall GianMarco isn't a bad book. For vampire romance fans, it's a tasty (and kinky) tidbit. It's also an IR paranormal, still a rare breed in that subgenre. And, it featured an older woman/younger man dynamic (though the hero being a vampire kind of plays with that, but I'm not going to split hairs). I liked both characters, newly-divorced forty-something Maggie and centuries-old vampire GianMarco. Having said that, the overused trope of the sad sack, overweight, (and usually dark-skinned) Black heroine should have gotten on my nerves, but I remembered this wasn't a brand new book, so I'm willing to cut that some slack. Still, I prefer my romance heroines regardless of size, to have some self-respect and/or self-esteem BEFORE they meet the hero. Granted, Maggie's ex-husband Eugene was a first-class jerk who decided after twenty-three years and two highly educated children later, he'd found someone new and wants a divorce. As expected, Maggie's devastated after putting up in what she's come to realize was a loveless marriage. So, in her early forties, she finds herself starting over again with a new apartment and a new job at a private investigation firm.
Then things get weird when gorgeous GianMarco enters her world and not only turns it upside down, but has it doing serious yoga.
Of course, here's that other (tired) trope of vampire meets soulmate, tries to resist to absolutely no avail, and boom, insta-lust happens. Yet it didn't annoy me as much here because of it being an older book (just repackaged). I knew what to expect, and GianMarco wasn't that typically annoying alpha who makes me want to castrate him rather than swoon. He wants Maggie, loves her voluptuous body and makes no bones about claiming what's his. But Maggie, bless her little heart, becomes the kind of heroine that makes sense in paranormal romance--she's a fighter and despite GianMarco's strength, is determined to fight him tooth and nail.
Enter brother Dante (and the M/F/M pairing).
Ms. Vaughn's vampires, for the large part, retain their human characteristics. They can walk in sunlight, eat food, and yes bear children. They also feed o blood and sexual secretions. Still with me? Well, GianMarco's in the throes of an affliction that will drive him insane if denied sex from him chosen. He's out of control, having done his best to sate his desires elsewhere but he wants Maggie. Given his instability, brother Dante (whom I liked) has the task of explaining to the still human Maggie that he and his brothers are all vampires. All the while having to explain that she needs to have sex with GianMarco to save his sanity...and his life.
So...sex happens. With both GianMarco and Dante since these vampires tend to be polyamorous as well (don't worry, the brothers don't get it on with each other, though for my part that would have been hot). Now I'm certain some readers may be put off by this forty-plus and plus-sized woman doing the horizontal mambo with not just one, but TWO men, but that's where suspicion of disbelief comes in. Just roll with it. Be happy that after the mentally abusive loser Maggie had been with, she gets to have some fun.. After everything Maggie's dealt with, I was happy she got her freak on. But the party's just gotten started as Maggie and GianMarco are going at it like bunnies on practically every other page. That's a problem because a crazy rogue vampire wants to kill Maggie, and it's never explained why.
If there's one huge reason I'm rating this novel between 3.5 to 4 stars is Maggie's ride or die best friend (and who needs to end up with one of the other Grimaldi brothers--preferably Niccolo), Montana. Considering the horrendous amounts of genderfail that seems to be a staple of romance novels lately, it's always great to read about healthy, functioning and close relationships between women (especially between Black women). I especially loved when Montana laid the loving smackdown on her best friend, who needed a serious dose of honesty.
In the end, this ended up a three-star book. I hate cliffhanger endings, and while there's plenty of sex (which might not be everyone's cuppa), there was a lack of deep story here. More questions than answers. Also that slightly nagging aspect of fat woman finds validation from the love of a man, rather than in herself. Romance is supposed to be the escape from that, rather than reinforcing it.
April 3, 2013
My Maggie:
My GianMarco:
I started reading this book, with the feeling that it was going to be like every other book about vampires: the vampire finally meets the "one and only", after YEARS of searching, and BAM! they love each other, make babies, and live a happily-vampirish-ever after. :)
Well, it was like that. Only better... But still a little cliché.
Hmm, I wasn't a fan of the whole "let's share my woman with my brothers" thingy. I'm not very fond of ménages, so I really don't like it when the ménage happens with people that are just meant to be togheter.
Besides that, GIRLS this vamps are HOT, HOT, HOT!!! WOW. *swoooooons*
My GianMarco:
I started reading this book, with the feeling that it was going to be like every other book about vampires: the vampire finally meets the "one and only", after YEARS of searching, and BAM! they love each other, make babies, and live a happily-vampirish-ever after. :)
Well, it was like that. Only better... But still a little cliché.
Hmm, I wasn't a fan of the whole "let's share my woman with my brothers" thingy. I'm not very fond of ménages, so I really don't like it when the ménage happens with people that are just meant to be togheter.
Besides that, GIRLS this vamps are HOT, HOT, HOT!!! WOW. *swoooooons*
September 19, 2014
Too much pandering to the ideal "what women want" list. Not much in terms of story though the bones were there.
May 5, 2015
This was a conversation in GianMarco's Muse by yours truly:
"Maggie stop being dramatic because my brother almost raped you! He’s a vampire that is in complete lust with you, so he has no control!"
"Oh no! How can I help?"
"Well you have to let him and I have sex with you...and it will hurt *evil smile*"
Scenes II:
"You have to have feed by having sex with all of my brothers while I'm gone, I will not be mad because that is what you must do."
Scene III:
"Your new man is a vampire? Damn girl that's crazy. But is he fine?"
Did those things give you a WTF moment? Well imagine reading an entire book that
A. Has nothing to do with the title (not really)
B. Involves vampires that have no smarts after 600+ years
C. A submissive house wife turned menage having vampire
D. A serious lack of pace, time, setting, and just overall plot.
"Maggie stop being dramatic because my brother almost raped you! He’s a vampire that is in complete lust with you, so he has no control!"
"Oh no! How can I help?"
"Well you have to let him and I have sex with you...and it will hurt *evil smile*"
Scenes II:
"You have to have feed by having sex with all of my brothers while I'm gone, I will not be mad because that is what you must do."
Scene III:
"Your new man is a vampire? Damn girl that's crazy. But is he fine?"
Did those things give you a WTF moment? Well imagine reading an entire book that
A. Has nothing to do with the title (not really)
B. Involves vampires that have no smarts after 600+ years
C. A submissive house wife turned menage having vampire
D. A serious lack of pace, time, setting, and just overall plot.
March 9, 2016
Sexy Vampires
Eve Vaughn is such a talented author and her descriptions are beautiful.
GianMarco Grimaldi is the youngest of the Grimaldi brothers and the artist of the bunch. Many years ago he lost his wife and son to a rogue vampire attack and lost his love of life and art. He became a manwhore and had no shame about it.
Maggie Williams was on the midst of a divorce from her husband of 23 years. She was entering the workforce and was hired as the administrative assistant to GianMarco and his business partner. Little did she know her life was about to change forever.
I recommend book to anyone who loves to read about vampires and love stories. You won't be disappointed.
Eve Vaughn is such a talented author and her descriptions are beautiful.
GianMarco Grimaldi is the youngest of the Grimaldi brothers and the artist of the bunch. Many years ago he lost his wife and son to a rogue vampire attack and lost his love of life and art. He became a manwhore and had no shame about it.
Maggie Williams was on the midst of a divorce from her husband of 23 years. She was entering the workforce and was hired as the administrative assistant to GianMarco and his business partner. Little did she know her life was about to change forever.
I recommend book to anyone who loves to read about vampires and love stories. You won't be disappointed.
May 17, 2014
I received this for a prize in a contest so i really do not want to have to do this but I just did not enjoy this at all. The story just fell flat for me and the writing was very simple. The sex scenes were steamy but other than that I just did not like it.
September 4, 2014
More erotica wrapped in a vampire plot, but what does that matter? Alpha male vampire meets newly empowered divorce-to-be, lots of juicy, dirty, mind-blowing sex occurs and they live happily ever after. All in all a fun read, looking forward to the rest of the series.
November 23, 2018
Need to get my hands on the rest of the Grimaldi brothers. Loved it cover to cover.
January 23, 2016
Very good but a bit cliche.
GianMarco's Muse was a good read. GianMarco Grimaldi is an almost 650yr old vampire, who has basically turned into a playboy following the murder of his wife and child many hundreds of years ago. To him, women are disposable and at the Private Investigation agency where he is co-owner, numerous secretaries have already quit due to his affairs with them. Maggie Williams is a 40yr old African American divorcee, whose husband has left her for a newer, younger model after 23yrs of marriage (Waiting to exhale anyone?) She must now go out and find a job and she's hired by GianMarco's business partner, Oliver, mostly because he is sure that she is not the type of woman GianMarco would be attracted to. Long story short, Marco has always favored full bodied women (his first wife was one) and on seeing Maggie he is overwhelmed with emotions and desires that have been buried for hundreds of years. He tries to ignore his feelings for her, and even tries to inadvertently get her fired, but they end up getting together. Marco must now protect her and his brothers from someone looking to do them harm. The book is aptly titled Gianmarco's Muse because his love for Maggie inspires him to return to art/painting, something he has not done since the death of his first wife. The last scene where he is painting the portrait of his new family is both endearing and funny.
The Good:
I loved Maggie and GianMarco, both as individual characters and as a couple. They are both strong characters, and while Maggie is going through a devastating period in her life, the author does not bog the story down with pity, self hate and Maggie running away from Marco even though she really wants him. Thank you author! Instead, Maggie balances her new found independence with her love for her new man and knows when to put her foot down and when to let him be the man. Her transformation from dowdy rejected wife to confident, sexy black woman is believable and we find ourselves rooting for her. There is an easy banter between Maggie and Marco, and the supporting characters are fun as well. Sex scenes are plentiful, without taking up the entire story, intense and well written. The camaraderie between Marco and his brothers is a good one and it's obvious they love each other and would do anything to protect Maggie.
The Bad:
Coming from one of the most culturally diverse parts of Brooklyn where interracial couples abound, I would have liked to see something a little less run-of-the-mill. Black woman (secretary) falls for white boss. Her AA husband has neglected her and used her for over 20 years and she's never truly known love until she meets Mr. Ri..uhh..White. He then shows her all the pleasures, both sexually, and otherwise, that she's been missing and wants to take care of her because she deserves it. Uhh ok. The author almost seems to have a checklist of things that should happen in a novel and you can almost mentally check them off as you go along. You can almost tell what's going to happen next at every supposed twist. The fact that Marco is a vampire is almost a by-the-way. He goes about during the day, drinks lattes...and since when do vampires announce themselves to all and sundry? Family interventions? Come on. And of course, everyone is extremely accepting. No screaming and passing out or anything! The initial kiss/almost romp between Maggie and Marco happens much too quickly and defies belief. I was rolling my eyes and cringing the entire time. Thankfully they are interrupted and things slow down after that. The dialogue is at times very cliched especially during Maggie's conversations with her best friend. It's very public-service-announcment. At other times, it is downright groan-worthy and seems to only serve as some type of Mary Sue soapbox.
***
Eugene (Maggies ex) to Maggie upon seeing her new 'self': "How have you been?"
Maggie: "I've been sexy."
***
Really? Really? ?
Lastly, I loved the book's cover and I know these are stock photos, but it was very distracting to keep reading that Maggie is a plus-sized woman when the woman on the cover is anything but. If she's plus sized I'm Oprah.
The Ugly:
While all of the sex scenes are intense, Maggie's 'feeding' with the brothers is distateful, absurd and twenty different types of wrong. The reasoning behind it makes no sense and serves only to justify that ridiculous scene(Maggie feeds from 3 fully grown vampires and she's still hungry??). The scene with Dante was already borderline but was saved because it was scorchingly hot!
Having said all that, the book is VERY enjoyable and an easy read. The characters are likeable and you can empathize with them. You can totally feel the intense love Marco has for Maggie and any woman who's been jilted will be pleased with the outcome. :-)
Long story short, the book is flawed but I would have no problem re-reading it. I've since read some of the other books, and Marco and Maggie stand head and shoulders over the other pairings. They have my heart!
GianMarco's Muse was a good read. GianMarco Grimaldi is an almost 650yr old vampire, who has basically turned into a playboy following the murder of his wife and child many hundreds of years ago. To him, women are disposable and at the Private Investigation agency where he is co-owner, numerous secretaries have already quit due to his affairs with them. Maggie Williams is a 40yr old African American divorcee, whose husband has left her for a newer, younger model after 23yrs of marriage (Waiting to exhale anyone?) She must now go out and find a job and she's hired by GianMarco's business partner, Oliver, mostly because he is sure that she is not the type of woman GianMarco would be attracted to. Long story short, Marco has always favored full bodied women (his first wife was one) and on seeing Maggie he is overwhelmed with emotions and desires that have been buried for hundreds of years. He tries to ignore his feelings for her, and even tries to inadvertently get her fired, but they end up getting together. Marco must now protect her and his brothers from someone looking to do them harm. The book is aptly titled Gianmarco's Muse because his love for Maggie inspires him to return to art/painting, something he has not done since the death of his first wife. The last scene where he is painting the portrait of his new family is both endearing and funny.
The Good:
I loved Maggie and GianMarco, both as individual characters and as a couple. They are both strong characters, and while Maggie is going through a devastating period in her life, the author does not bog the story down with pity, self hate and Maggie running away from Marco even though she really wants him. Thank you author! Instead, Maggie balances her new found independence with her love for her new man and knows when to put her foot down and when to let him be the man. Her transformation from dowdy rejected wife to confident, sexy black woman is believable and we find ourselves rooting for her. There is an easy banter between Maggie and Marco, and the supporting characters are fun as well. Sex scenes are plentiful, without taking up the entire story, intense and well written. The camaraderie between Marco and his brothers is a good one and it's obvious they love each other and would do anything to protect Maggie.
The Bad:
Coming from one of the most culturally diverse parts of Brooklyn where interracial couples abound, I would have liked to see something a little less run-of-the-mill. Black woman (secretary) falls for white boss. Her AA husband has neglected her and used her for over 20 years and she's never truly known love until she meets Mr. Ri..uhh..White. He then shows her all the pleasures, both sexually, and otherwise, that she's been missing and wants to take care of her because she deserves it. Uhh ok. The author almost seems to have a checklist of things that should happen in a novel and you can almost mentally check them off as you go along. You can almost tell what's going to happen next at every supposed twist. The fact that Marco is a vampire is almost a by-the-way. He goes about during the day, drinks lattes...and since when do vampires announce themselves to all and sundry? Family interventions? Come on. And of course, everyone is extremely accepting. No screaming and passing out or anything! The initial kiss/almost romp between Maggie and Marco happens much too quickly and defies belief. I was rolling my eyes and cringing the entire time. Thankfully they are interrupted and things slow down after that. The dialogue is at times very cliched especially during Maggie's conversations with her best friend. It's very public-service-announcment. At other times, it is downright groan-worthy and seems to only serve as some type of Mary Sue soapbox.
***
Eugene (Maggies ex) to Maggie upon seeing her new 'self': "How have you been?"
Maggie: "I've been sexy."
***
Really? Really? ?
Lastly, I loved the book's cover and I know these are stock photos, but it was very distracting to keep reading that Maggie is a plus-sized woman when the woman on the cover is anything but. If she's plus sized I'm Oprah.
The Ugly:
While all of the sex scenes are intense, Maggie's 'feeding' with the brothers is distateful, absurd and twenty different types of wrong. The reasoning behind it makes no sense and serves only to justify that ridiculous scene(Maggie feeds from 3 fully grown vampires and she's still hungry??). The scene with Dante was already borderline but was saved because it was scorchingly hot!
Having said all that, the book is VERY enjoyable and an easy read. The characters are likeable and you can empathize with them. You can totally feel the intense love Marco has for Maggie and any woman who's been jilted will be pleased with the outcome. :-)
Long story short, the book is flawed but I would have no problem re-reading it. I've since read some of the other books, and Marco and Maggie stand head and shoulders over the other pairings. They have my heart!
April 30, 2019
Okay
The sex is great in this book, but a insecure 40 something woman was annoying. I wanted Maggie to be mean to someone other than GianMarco. Overall, decent book.
The sex is great in this book, but a insecure 40 something woman was annoying. I wanted Maggie to be mean to someone other than GianMarco. Overall, decent book.
April 23, 2019
Interracial Romance A to Z Challenge: G
A few emotional gems in there wedged between everything that made me roll my eyes. I did like this classification of vampire.
A few emotional gems in there wedged between everything that made me roll my eyes. I did like this classification of vampire.
March 21, 2016
I see that this book was originally published in 2005 and re-released in 2014. Before I purchased the book I knew it was a re-release with added scenes and edits. With that being said, GianMarco was not good. It was okay enough where I was able to finish it but for a PNR, it was pretty basic. The world-building was non-existent. Where did the vampires come from? Supposedly, they are born and not "made" but how? What started vampirism? The heroine, Maggie, was likable. She was married for 23 yrs to a man who no longer appreciated her. She's starting to come into her own when she meets her new boss, GianMarco. Marco is a vampire and he and his brothers are busy trying to find some unknown evil that is targeting them. We don't know why they're being targeted. Eventually Marco comes out to Maggie as a vampire and initially she has a hard time accepting it. But she eventually does of course cause how else are they going to be together?
The story is over-the-top at times. Marco has a giant c*ck. His brother has a giant c*ck. And they both like to eat the p*ssy (or the "box" as the author likes to call it). In this world, I'm not sure that vampires are out so it's weird how people around Maggie are so quick to accept that Marco is a vampire. I had a lot of questions. I rolled my eyes a lot. There's one scene with Marco and his brothers that had me roll my eyes so hard I think I strained them. LMAO! Despite all this, I kind of want to continue on with the series to find out what happens next. I'm hoping as the series progresses, the books get better. We'll see.
The story is over-the-top at times. Marco has a giant c*ck. His brother has a giant c*ck. And they both like to eat the p*ssy (or the "box" as the author likes to call it). In this world, I'm not sure that vampires are out so it's weird how people around Maggie are so quick to accept that Marco is a vampire. I had a lot of questions. I rolled my eyes a lot. There's one scene with Marco and his brothers that had me roll my eyes so hard I think I strained them. LMAO! Despite all this, I kind of want to continue on with the series to find out what happens next. I'm hoping as the series progresses, the books get better. We'll see.
June 8, 2014
*** Guest reviewer - given to read for an honest review*****
I had the pleasure of reading GianMarco in exchange for my honest review.. The story was very well developed and I found myself very interested once I started reading it. It is full of hot sex scenes, which does include m/f, m/m/f and m/m/m/f. While this may bother some, I found the scenes to be written tastefully even though they were HOT AS HELL.. I liked the fact that Maggie was not some model type woman with a perfect body. I liked that she learned to stand up for herself and found her self worthy of a very hot man. I gave the read a 4 star because there were some editing issues that made me struggle and I found I had to re-read a sentence to get what the author was trying to say. Otherwise, loved it and look forward to more.
I had the pleasure of reading GianMarco in exchange for my honest review.. The story was very well developed and I found myself very interested once I started reading it. It is full of hot sex scenes, which does include m/f, m/m/f and m/m/m/f. While this may bother some, I found the scenes to be written tastefully even though they were HOT AS HELL.. I liked the fact that Maggie was not some model type woman with a perfect body. I liked that she learned to stand up for herself and found her self worthy of a very hot man. I gave the read a 4 star because there were some editing issues that made me struggle and I found I had to re-read a sentence to get what the author was trying to say. Otherwise, loved it and look forward to more.
November 14, 2015
WOW!!! This book was extremely hot and well written. I had almost given up on romance novels and was just going to read them few and far between. But I took a chance on this book and was not disappointed. I loved everything about this story and the characters. I was in for some surprises, while I don't like people messing with traditional vampire lore/rules what she did with the feeding rules I LOVED. I had never considered that as a possibility but it fit perfectly in a an adult themed paranormal/vampire. I pictured Maggies as Viola Davis, black mom type. 
December 1, 2015
Surprisingly poorly written in places and a bit repetitive it is also strangely compelling reading and I did finish it when at 10% I didn't think I was going to. I think overall that in essence the idea for the story is a good one, with new ideas and interesting plot twists it just hasn't been executed very well. Not sure whether to read more in the series or not.
I've seen some reviews saying this book is a bit of shock with its erotic and bloody nature, I think I must have read more of these sort of books than those people because while it certainly doesn't pull any punches there is nothing excessive.
I've seen some reviews saying this book is a bit of shock with its erotic and bloody nature, I think I must have read more of these sort of books than those people because while it certainly doesn't pull any punches there is nothing excessive.
January 15, 2015
Ok there are lots of reasons i should not have liked this but i loved it, definitely one to add to the guilty pleasure list. The story was good and a set of hot vampire bothers whats not to love this book will not be everyone's cup of tea there is a lot of sex and menage scenes, i have read very mixed reviews on this one but i always make up my own mind and yes there were moments when you have to suspend belief but this is fiction.A fast and for me enjoyable read will read the next brothers story.
May 28, 2011
pretty decent, very sweet and appreciative in a curious way due to the rather unorthodox premise here with the union of a middle-aged, big, black woman and the younger looking blond bombshell of a vampire male. who'd've thunk it? the book was also hilarious, but at times the sex was downright ridiculous and completely unheard of, adventurous even...um...otherwise the author somehow made this story work.
December 7, 2013
Mheee
This one started out very promising...and quickly tanked. Huge fan of bwwm and paranormal, win - win so I thought. WRONG. Language was not believable at all. As a black woman, I can tell you for a fact that we all don't use the word donkey-dick! I will not be purchasing the remaining books in this series.
This one started out very promising...and quickly tanked. Huge fan of bwwm and paranormal, win - win so I thought. WRONG. Language was not believable at all. As a black woman, I can tell you for a fact that we all don't use the word donkey-dick! I will not be purchasing the remaining books in this series.
January 25, 2014
There's a fine line between erotica and raunchy. What can I say,I'm a sucker for a hot cover and was disappointed. I feel this story was definitely on the raunchy side. There were many places in the story where I found myself questioning what I'd just read. This story while not bad, was just not my cup of tea.
March 15, 2016
Different.
A new take on the vampire genre. I really liked how Maggie changed and grew. My main concern for a while was what an ass GianMarco is. Seriously. He was very hard to like. Dante was a jerk in the beginning but later I felt really bad for him. There are a lot of questions left. Hopefully we get more information as we go.
A new take on the vampire genre. I really liked how Maggie changed and grew. My main concern for a while was what an ass GianMarco is. Seriously. He was very hard to like. Dante was a jerk in the beginning but later I felt really bad for him. There are a lot of questions left. Hopefully we get more information as we go.
March 20, 2016
This book is gross and depraved. I wish I'd read the reviews before purchasing but since I've read ms Vaughan's books and never read any ménages I figured she wouldn't steer me wrong. But wrong she did. I didn't finish because I couldn't get past the first 'erotic'/ porn scene
It gets two stars for being a good read in the first 25% of the book
It gets two stars for being a good read in the first 25% of the book
January 3, 2016
I liked this I really did but the whole concept of how the vampires fed was just....No. I had a hard time getting past that part without gagging but once I did it was cool....I guess you can say I learned to swallow it!
January 19, 2014
To hot to handle
Hot scenes..super alpha sexy vampire...wouldn't mind being brought over by any of the brothers..can't wait for book two...really want to read Dante 's and Romeo. love 's vaughs work..she one of my favorite..highly recommend this book...
Hot scenes..super alpha sexy vampire...wouldn't mind being brought over by any of the brothers..can't wait for book two...really want to read Dante 's and Romeo. love 's vaughs work..she one of my favorite..highly recommend this book...
December 7, 2017
Ok, I read this in 9/2014. I had to read it again, because I started the series again. I stopped in the middle of the 4th book, I didn't remember any of the first. Besides the menage, it was a good read. Actually much better the second time around.
Read
November 3, 2015It was a good storyline, but it was a little too freaky with multiple sex partners at one time for me. My mind had a hard time wrapping around some of the sex scenes. Outside of that it was a good book. I'd give it 3.5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews