A Flame in the Night by Morgan Dante

I bought this book because of the Astarion-looking motherfucker on the cover, and because the idea of a queer historical vampire romance with gothic vibes was exactly what I wanted. A FLAME IN THE NIGHT ended up being so much more than what I was expecting though. Morgan Dante's ornate style takes some getting used to, but I loved this story of a husband and wife with an open marriage (both of them various degrees of pan) who end up encountering a vampire.

The discourse on queerness and working in the sex work industries in the 1920s were fascinating, as was the idea of what looking "out of date" might mean in that era, but I think my favorite part was when Leon goes to Matthias's house for the first time and they have this incredibly interesting and thoughtful discussion about what it means to be human (or not). I loved it even more than the spicy scenes.

If you like the idea of erotica that handles sex work sensitively, languishes in its queerness like a warm scented bath, and features an MMF relationship where the men can't really be bothered with adhering to traditional gender norms and the woman has more freedom than her husband within their relationship, you will love this book. What a pleasant surprise.

4 to 4.5 out of 5 stars