The other day someone popped into my Instagram DMS and requested something I'd never read before...book recommendations where the vampiric hero wants to assist during the Red Wave by nourishing himself on the heroine's menstuation blood.
Here are those recs *dun dun*
Their Vampire Queen by Joely Sue Burkhart
Blurb: A lost virgin vampire queen. Two vampire knights sworn to protect her.
It’s about to get very hot… and bloody…
Ever since her mother was murdered by monsters five years ago, Shara Isador has been on the run. Alone, scared, and exhausted, she’s finally cornered in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Out of hope with nowhere else to turn, she’s ready to end it all when two men come to her rescue.
They say she’s a lost queen descended from Isis, and they’re her Blood, vampire knights sworn to protect her. It all seems like a crazy nightmare, until the alpha offers his blood. Then she realizes she’s never wanted anything more. Except maybe his body… and his friend’s, too.
But they’re not the only ones searching for a lost queen. Shara must learn how to wield her new powers quickly and conquer her fears if she intends to keep them all alive.
Notes: There were many, many recommendations for this six-book series. One individual said it's a, "mixed gender Why Choose where they all go crazy for her period blood." Another said, "There's SO much sex and blood-eating." Someone did add that they're not your traditional classic vampires, so take that how you will. Available on KU.
Bite Marks by Jenika Snow
Blurb: I was ruthless, brutal. A sociopath by all accounts. The leader of the American Vampire Clan, a male who all feared because I was merciless. And then I found my mate. Kayla. So fragile. Breakable. So human. I’d make her mine, and she’d hate me for it. I wanted to give her pain with pleasure, wanted to break her skin and lick up the blood I spilled… take Kayla into me like she’d take me into her.
I’d have her surrendering to my needs. I’d give her my body but wouldn't be able to give her my heart. How could I when it wasn’t something I had to offer, when I was nothing but a coldhearted killer? So when the threats come to my front door, it’s time to show my female she’s mated to the most dangerous vampire in the world.
Notes: This is book 5 in a series, but it apparently can be read as a standalone. Available on KU.
Nectar by DD Prince
Blurb: Kyla Spencer refuses to feel. Feelings are messy; they're painful; they hold you back. When the going gets tough, Kyla can deal. But when the going makes her try to feel...she gets going.
When she is abducted and presented as a gift to Tristan, a bored vampire prince who is destined to become something akin to a king, she has no choice but to face a few facts. Beyond facing that vampires are real Kyla has to face emotions that Tristan won't let her run from. Tristan is a gorgeous but arrogant vampire with a ravenous appetite. For ten years he hasn't had his hunger sated despite feeding constantly, looking for satisfaction.
From the second their eyes lock he knows there's something different about her. When he tastes her blood, the world is turned on its axis for both of them.
Notes: Check trigger warnings! This is a 3-book series. Availble on KU.
The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice
Blurb: Here are the confessions of a vampire. Hypnotic, shocking, and chillingly sensual, this is a novel of mesmerizing beauty and astonishing force—a story of danger and flight, of love and loss, of suspense and resolution, and of the extraordinary power of the senses. It is a novel only Anne Rice could write.
Notes: Two of the books in this series were recommended as period blood scenes, The Tale of the Body Thief and Memnoch the Devil. I'm not entirely sure if this series actually counts as romance in the traditional sense or not.
Books involving period blood but not vampires:
Love and Monsters by Raven Flanagan
Blurb: Mina goes out for a moonlit jog when she suddenly falls through a portal into a monstrous world of red skies, demons, and creatures of unimaginable horror. And she’s the only human there. Captured and taken to be offered as a pet to the Lord of the City, she’s imprisoned in a dungeon cell already occupied by a strangely attractive and powerful prisoner, Vadric. Sparks fly, and fate throws Mina and Vadric together on the journey of a lifetime. While discovering pleasure that she never could have imagined, Mina must find her strength in a dangerous world.
Notes: Multiple recommendations for this book. Reminder he's not vampiric. Available on KU.
Necromancer's Bride by Brianna Hale
Blurb: When I was a child he brought me back from the brink of death. Since that day I have borne his mark, a black star in the center of my left palm. The villagers say it brands me as evil. I think it means something far worse. It marks me as his.
The disease that nearly killed me has returned to the village and children are dying. I’m the only one who dares to climb the mountain and learn his secrets. In exchange I’m to clean his house and help with his strange experiments, but Meremon wants more. He wants me. And it isn’t long before I discover that his demands are as twisted as his experiments.
Warning: This story is a dark fantasy romance with scenes of non-consent and dubious consent. Additionally, Meremon is a necromancer and enjoys unusual things. Some sex scenes might be strange or creepy for some readers.
Notes: This novella is weird as fuck. No scene where he eats her period blood but she does have debilitating periods and he shoves a magic slug thing up inside her to suck all the blood out so that she feels better...so...that happens. Definitely a book for those who like their shit STRANGE. I love it. Available on KU.
Books involving vampires and period blood that aren't romance:
Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff (not romance)
Blurb: From holy cup comes holy light; The faithful hand sets world aright. And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight, Mere man shall end this endless night.
It has been twenty-seven long years since the last sunrise. For nearly three decades, vampires have waged war against humanity; building their eternal empire even as they tear down our own. Now, only a few tiny sparks of light endure in a sea of darkness. Gabriel de León is a silversaint: a member of a holy brotherhood dedicated to defending realm and church from the creatures of the night. But even the Silver Order could not stem the tide once daylight failed us, and now, only Gabriel remains.
Imprisoned by the very monsters he vowed to destroy, the last silversaint is forced to tell his story. A story of legendary battles and forbidden love, of faith lost and friendships won, of the Wars of the Blood and the Forever King and the quest for humanity’s last remaining hope: The Holy Grail.
Notes: This book has fabulous reviews. I've heard of Kristoff, but never read one of their books. Multiple people recommended it though.
And that's a wrap. If you've got any to add to the list feel free to DM me on Instagram or comment here and I'll add it to the list! Thanks to all those who contributed to the list. It's not long, but it's mighty.