With these six retro vampire romance recommendations, we hope readers can find thrilling and romantic escapes through paranormal romance series for Halloween.
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vampire romances from the 1990s
As the days grow shorter and the nights darker, what better way to escape than diving into these captivating worlds of vampire romances from the 1990s?
If you’re looking for a thrilling and romantic escape for this Halloween season, look no further than these retro paranormal romances about vampires! Experience the passion and darkness of the supernatural as characters explore their feelings for each other.
These enchanting tales will—hopefully—leave you breathless.
1. L. J. Smith, The Awakening, 1991
L.J. Smith’s “The Vampire Diaries” series is a love triangle of unspeakable horror and inspired a popular television show. This young adult romantic series dives deep into the terrifying world of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.
The series began with The Awakening in September 1991.
Book Summary
A Love Triangle of Unspeakable Horror…
Elena
Searching for the ultimate thrill, she vowed to have Stefan.Stefan
Haunted by his tragic past, he struggled to resist her passion.Damon
Driven by revenge, he hunted the brother who betrayed him.The terrifying story of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.
More books would follow, including The Struggle, The Fury, and Dark Reunion.
2. Lori Herter, Obsesssion, 1991
Lori Herter broke new ground with Obsession, the first adult-themed romance novel featuring a vampire hero with a (mostly) happy ending. When Marisa encounters Alexi, a vampire bound by chains, their worlds collide in a tale of love, seduction, and supernatural danger.
Book Summary
Alexi
Bound by chains of silver, the vampire had slept for a hundred years, locked in a world of pain and hunger, until the seductive scent of one woman’s blood recalled him to ravenous life.
Marisa
Unnerved by the sight of the carnival’s captive “vampire,” she stumbled from the tent–into the arms of the most striking man she’d ever seen. Mesmerized by his supernatural embrace, she believed him when he swore all he desired to drink were her kisses.
Grigori
Lost in darkness, Grigori found new sustenance in the light of Marisa’s love, and new purpose in his life. Only he could protect her from the evil that stalked the night. Now, hungering for her bittersweet caress, he vowed to show her that not all of the undead were monsters, and that somewhere between the black and white of damnation and desire lay infinite…
3. Amanda Ashley, Shades of Gray, 1998
Amanda Ashley, aka historical romance author Madeline Baker, wrote her first vampire romance, Embrace the Night, in 1995 for her first vampire series.
She started her next vampire trilogy with Shades of Gray, to great acclaim. Shades of Gray is a compelling love story between a creature doomed to eternal darkness and a woman who could bring light into his world. This tale defies the boundaries of time and species, promising a love affair that challenges destiny itself.
Book Summary
MASTER OF DARKNESS, MISTRESS OF LIGHT
A creature doomed to wander the earth in eternal darkness, he searched the ages for someone to share the endless night of his existence, for that one woman who would recognize the man within the monster.
An angel of purity and sunlight, she feared the mysterious stranger whose eyes promised endless ecstasy even as he whispered dark secrets she dared not believe.
They were two people longing for fulfillment, braving the danger of a love like no other. Alone, they faced desolation and despair; together, they would share undying passion, defy eternity and…Embrace the Night.
4. Nancy Gideon, Midnight Kiss, 1994
Midnight Kiss is a vampire romance novel written by Nancy Gideon in 1994. Gideon has written some of my favorite historical romances under the pseudonym Dana Ransom.
Set in Regency-era England, Midnight Kiss revolves around Louis Radman, an immortal vampire desperate to find a cure for his condition. When he encounters Arabella, the daughter of the physician who might have the answers, love and horror intertwine.
We reviewed the book here: Midnight Kiss: A Regency Era Vampire Romance Novel by Nancy Gideon.
Book Summary
WHITE ROSES
They were a gift from her handsome new suitor. After a wretched Season in London, Arabella Howland was ripe for a real romance. But she soon discovered that the Marquis Louis Radman was no ordinary bachelor…SCARLET SECRETS
A mysterious blood malady had brought Louis to Arabella’s father. The celebrated Dr. Howland was his last hope–the only man alive who could break the spell that had tormented the nobleman for the past three centuries…DARK DESIRES
But Arabella saw only a man–a tender, irresistibly seductive stranger whose burning touch sent her own blood racing. Yet even as she donned a wedding dress and vowed to love Louis forever, the past was reaching out to claim him, calling him back to a place of eternal lust and longing–and forcing Arabella to choose between her sunlit world and the dark ecstasy of a…Midnight Kiss
5. Shannon Drake, Beneath a Blood Red Moon, 1999
Beneath a Blood Red Moon was the opening act of Shannon Drake’s (aka Heather Graham) Alliance Vampires series. The story features Maggie, a modern-day boutique owner in New Orleans, who finds herself entangled with Sean, a mysterious police officer. Their connection spans centuries and opens the door to an unimaginable world of vampires, love, and danger.
Book Summary
A tale that sweeps the reader from the antebellum South to contemporary New Orleans, the dark, sensuous world of love and immortality — of the beauty and the beast whom some call vampire…
Maggie Montgomery, the owner of Magdalena’s an elegant New Orleans boutique, gasped when she learned about the mysterious beheading of a local street person, and the trail of blood that led from the corpse to her building. Her shock turned to turmoil when she met Sean Canady, the police officer who arrived to question her…and inspired a dangerous desire.
Something powerful–and beyond reason–had brought Maggie and Sean together. Something that spoke of an interwoven past, and a passionate torment that began generations before under a blood red moon. For on that night of erotic seduction, Magdalena Montgomery became a vampire, and began a century-long quest to find the one man whose love was pure enough, strong enough to save her from the darkness within…
The sequel, When Darkness Falls, came out in October 2000.
6. Christine Feehan, Dark Prince, 1999
Dark Prince marked the beginning of Christine Feehan’s epic Dark/Carpathian Series, a saga that redefined the genre of paranormal romances.
The Carpathians are a powerful and ancient race with many gifts, including the ability to shape-shift.
They are on the edge of extinction because there have been few children born to them in the past few centuries, and many of the males are turning, becoming vampires, the monsters of human legend.
When Mikhail Dubrinsky, Prince of the Carpathians, meets Raven, a human psychic with a dangerous gift, their worlds shift in a way that neither could have ever anticipated.
Book Summary:
PRINCE OF THE NIGHT
He comes to her in the night, a predator-strength and power chisel his features. The seduction is deep and elemental; he affects her soul. Her senses aroused, she craves the dangerous force of his body. And he has only touched her with his mind.LADY OF THE LIGHT
She comes to him at dawn, his bleakest hour. As the beast rages inside him, threatening to consume him, he vents his centuries-old despair in an anguished cry that fills the waning night. And she answers, her compassion, courage, and innocence awakens in him an exquisite longing and tenderness. Apart, they are desolate, bereft. Intertwined physically and spiritually, they can heal one another and experience an eternity of nights filled with love.
The immediate followups to the 38-book series are Dark Desire and Dark Gold:
Final Thoughts on Vampire Romances
These retro vampire romance series from the 1990s offer thrilling and romantic escapes for readers, allowing them to immerse themselves in tales of forbidden love, supernatural danger, and eternal darkness.
Whether you’re a fan of love triangles, happy endings, or the exploration of light and darkness, hopefully, these retro romances offer something for every romantic soul seeking a captivating Halloween read.
Your Opinion
Have you read these vampire romances? Do you enjoy vampire romances, or are other paranormal subgenres more up your alley?
If so, what are your favorite paranormal romance novels to read for the Halloween season?
As always, please drop a comment, and let’s talk romance.