New Book Alert: The Road Between: Love is Eternal by Stacy Keenan; Vampire Love Story Emphasizes Romance Over Horror

New Book Alert: The Road Between: Love is Eternal by Stacy Keenan; Vampire Love Story Emphasizes Romance Over Horror




By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews




Spoilers: Okay stop me if you heard this one: A young mortal woman meets and falls in love with a wealthy stranger who is handsome, but prone to strange habits and sometimes seems sinister. It doesn't take long before the woman discovers-surprise!- Tall, Dark, and Handsome is actually a vampire!

You can't read Stacy Keenan's vampire-mortal romance novel The Road Between, without thinking of that other vampire-mortal romance novel series by Stephanie Meyer. But what sets it apart from that other series and makes it better is the emphasis more on the romance than in the supernatural.

The other thing that improves on other narratives in the genre is the sheer likeability of the characters. This isn't a creepy abusive relationship disguised as teenage wish fulfillment. Instead, it's a romantic comedy with a cute charming couple and one of the pair just so happens to be a vampire.

Abby Wickes lives for monsters. She works in her dream job as a designer and illustrator of horror posters, masks, DVD packaging, toys, and other memorabilia for horror movies. She watches and can quote her favorite monster movies verbatim. Halloween is her favorite holiday and she and her aunt go all out decorating the house, passing out trick or treat candy, and participating in community Halloween events like the town carnival. This year, Aunt Sarah will be out of town so Abby is determined to uphold the hallowed Halloween family tradition.

While working on her aunt's farm and planning for the Halloween festivities, she encounters Nathan Davenport, a handsome neighbor who is from an old established family in the neighborhood. That's strange, Aunt Sarah says. There hasn't been any Davenports in town for over one hundred years. No matter. Nathan is good looking, sweet, and open to anything that Abby suggests so a romance develops.

There are several cute scenes of the two dating and getting to know each other more reminiscent of a romance than a horror or dark fantasy. Many of their most mundane moments such as feeding the horses or decorating the house are filled with sweet dialogue between the two. He compliments her decorating talents and listens amusingly to her tirades about her favorite movies like the Interview with a Vampire. Nathan shows Abby his work as a violin maker and his home in which he is the last in a long line.

This isn't an Edward who is obsessed with his Bella and trying to shape her to fit his desires. Instead this is a man who accepts his girlfriend's interests and acquiesces to them as she does to him. It is a relationship of equal partners instead of domination.

Keenan plays on the Vampire Mythos rather well by making light of many of the common traits of the lore. While Nathan can be photographed, his face is faded and looks fuzzy which fools Abby at first thinking that it's a bad picture. He can go out during the day obviously just gets a really bad sunburn. (He also emphatically does not sparkle!) Yes getting a stake through the heart would kill a vampire, but wouldn't a stab through the heart kill anybody? There are some really clever conversations as Abby mentions all of the things she learned from horror movies and literature and Nathan challenges each and every one.

Which leads to a pretty big plothole that since Abby is so genre savvy and knowledgeable about horror movies, why it takes her until near the end of the book to put two and two together and realize that he is a vampire. On the other hand, it could be chalked up to Nathan not acting or exhibiting any of the traits that most fictional vampires do that causes Abby to disregard his identity.

There are some pretty sinister characters that Abby and Nathan encounter and the book takes a 360 degree turn from a gentle romance to the usual dark fantasy. But this is a cute book about a charming couple both living and undead.