Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: Protecting His Vampire Mate

SERIES: Blood Bonded Mates (book 3)

AUTHOR: Jay Castle

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 326 pages

RELEASE DATE: August 15, 2024

BLURB:

BRYAN

After everything I’ve done, I don’t deserve love. Especially not from Tobias Hawthorne—the brave, gorgeous, annoyingly perfect warlock who insists he’s my fated mate.

Actually, I might already be halfway in love with him, but Tobias doesn’t need to know that. Because it can’t happen. I can’t put him in danger. Not when I’ve hurt so many people already. Instead, I’ll use this darkness to hunt monsters and make the world a safer place. Love doesn’t factor in. And if I just keep telling myself that, maybe someday I’ll believe it.

TOBIAS

At fourteen, I cast a spell to see the face of my fated mate. I never expected it to be a vampire. And I denied it for years. Then I met Bryan, and my world made sense for the first time. Until he left.

It’s fine. I’m the coven’s go-to warlock for banishing big bads. Work keeps me distracted. Except when it doesn’t. Which is always. But Bryan needs space, and I’ll give him anything he needs, even if it hurts. But then a demon shows me a future where Bryan dies. I have to protect him, no matter the cost. He doesn’t want a warlock bodyguard. Too bad. I’m not going anywhere, even if saving him makes him hate me.

Protecting His Vampire Mate is a 90,000-word MM paranormal romance novel featuring a golden retriever warlock who just wants to protect his mate, a stand-offish vampire who needs ALL of the love, only one bed, haunted houses and spooky ghosts that need to be banished, overcoming trauma, spicy scenes, lots of magic, and a guaranteed happily ever after with no cliffhanger. This is book 3 in the Blood Bonded Mates series. It contains some violence, mentions of death/loss of loved ones, on-page depictions of mind-control, strong language, sexual scenes between men, and passages depicting consensual blood drinking, as one might expect from a male-male vampire romance. Please see the front matter of the book for a discussion of potential triggers. This book is intended for mature audiences.

REVIEW:

Bryan knows he doesn’t deserve the forgiveness of the Witches Coven or the pardon the Witch Queen is bestowing upon him. She is the Mother of the last victim he tried to kill after taking out 9 witches and warlocks before attacking Ethan. But Tatiana and the rest of the counsel and coven know what really happened. One of their own put multiple spells on the young vampire and exacted his revenge through Bryan. But Bryan wonders if he fought hard enough against the powerful magic or was this who he really was deep inside? So how can he look Tobias, the golden one of the coven, in the eye and become his mate if he doesn’t trust himself that he is worthy or good deep inside?

I will admit that I might have not been a fan of Bryan when I heard he was the rogue vampire killing witches and tried to kill Ethan. But after experiencing his heartbreaking story you can’t help but care for the young vampire. It was bad enough hearing how Giles had stole him from himself and manipulated him, through strong magic, to use Bryan as his weapon against his own coven. But also hearing how he was turned, while out drinking with friends in Vegas as college kids do, was another layer of violations against the young man. Thankfully he was found by Tobias, who had been waiting for his vampire mate since he was 14 and saw his face in a spell.

I thought that Tobias was the strong one, but hearing his story made me realize that both men needed their mate more than either imagined. Tobias may come across as the golden warlock but his mask hides a vast hidden amount of hurt. He is selfless to a fault but he hides the pain that selflessness causes. He proved this time and time again. No matter how deeply it hurt him he would not push the fragile Bryan, his mate, to do anything he didn’t want. He had been violated so badly and Tobias could never hurt him more. He loved him with his whole being.

I see that next book will feature the two hunters, Michael and Danny, that were after Bryan when they realized exactly what he was. This should be really interesting! I have really enjoyed this series and this book was especially poignant and deeply touching. The love that pours from Tobias for his wronged mate will touch your heart.

RATING:

BUY LINKS:

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