It’s so easy to look at someone in an abusive relationship and ask, “Why didn’t you just leave?” But Bloodstains by Gaslight by Red Lagoe shows why that question misses the point entirely. The horrors of abuse aren’t just about the bruises or the violence—they’re about the control, the manipulation, and the way fear warps everything you thought you knew about yourself and the world. And when that control is amplified by something as terrifying as vampiric power, the result is a story that’s as chilling as it is heartbreaking.

Set in 1997, Reese is a high school senior with dreams of the stars, hoping to leave her small town and toxic relationship behind. Her boyfriend, Michael, is already a monster in human form—jealous, possessive, and increasingly abusive. But just as Reese gathers the courage to end things, a tragic accident changes Michael in a way no one could predict. What follows is a transformation not just into a vampire, but into something that magnifies all the worst parts of him. His newfound speed, strength, and hunger for blood turn Reese’s nightmare into a waking hell, trapping her in ways far beyond bruised wrists. At its core, Bloodstains by Gaslight is more than a vampire story. It’s a brutal, unflinching look at abuse and survival. It forces you to stop asking, “Why didn’t you leave?” and start asking, “How can anyone escape something so horrifying, especially when the monster wears the face of someone you once trusted?”

This book is haunting in every sense of the word, and it stays with you long after you finish. Highly recommended for readers who appreciate horror with depth and emotional weight. Just be prepared—this one cuts deep.

High school senior Reese dreams of studying astronomy at college but is held back by her controlling boyfriend, Michael. Just at the moment she thinks she will finally escape his grasp, Michael is in a ghastly accident and becomes eerily changed.

Now a vampire, Michael is even more dangerous, and Reese finds herself also under threat from the wider network who want to keep their species a secret. Can Reese escape and at what cost?

I was hesitant about reading this because of the content warning surrounding domestic abuse but the storyline is sensitively handled and the emotional control Michael has over Reese is perhaps more subtly conveyed due to the vampiric plot. Perhaps that is the point – gaslighting can be so hard to prove. The real emotional punch is the epilogue.

A good vampire tale threaded with a nuanced subtale of domestic abuse.

3.5⭐️s

“Reese was a nebula. The remnant of what used to be a star, her matter too scattered and disorganized to regroup”.

The use of the nebula analogy is an apt one here, although you all should know that nebula can form from the extinction of a star, but they can also form by a collection of gases, which become star-forming regions themselves. I prefer to think of the antagonist’s journey along those lines, as a star ready to shine.

Thank you NetGalley and to Brigids Gate Press for the ARC. This book was very good, and it’s clear that the author has a ton of potential. She is someone waiting to shine herself.

The good…
This book touched on very important, but very delicate subjects, and did so deftly. The ongoing interior struggle we experienced with Reese throughout the book skillfully bridged the competing tensions present in an abusive relationship. I always understood the antagonist’s decisions, and none of them felt inauthentic.

Lagoe also took this book is some pretty gruesome and surprising directions in terms of the horror, which is always welcome in a trope recycling world.

The less good…
There is some for growth by this author. Parts of the story dragged and weren’t plot-essential. Some of the characters lacked depth, and I had to double back a few times to remember who some of them were. These are all things that come with time and experience.

To read, or not to read…
Yes, you should read. I’m excited about Lagoe’s future.

This is such an unforgiving and real story. The heartache and raw emotion this brought up from within me will stick with me for the remainder of my years on earth. I had to take some time to reflect on this story. This isn't a book you can easily review. Sometimes, there are no words when a story leaves you breathless.

Vampires - check
Love - check
Betrayal - check

Red Lagoe is a master at pulling your heartstrings and forcing you to face deep emotions. With the right words, she can weave a tale filled with gore, violence, death, assault, and most assuredly, love. Be prepared to have your heart ache and your mind go crazy mad.

Lagoe is an author that should be on your to-read list. She is going to be the author that can combine so many sub-genres into amazing stories.

#NetGalley #BloodstainsbyGaslight

Brilliant writing and well developed characters. I was pulled into this story right off the bat. I went through all the emotions as I followed these characters through their toxic relationships and descent into darkness and violence. Absolutely compelling.

The best contemporary horror stories are stories about love, grief, trauma and redemption that also happen to be horror stories.

Blood Stains by Gaslight is a story about a smart independent HS senior trapped in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend.

Lagoe does a wonderful job building these characters, their histories and their families without bogging the reader down in details. Reese’s hands-off mother and absent alcoholic father, force her into adult decisions before she is ready. Michael’s abusive father and weak mother makes him overly reliant on Reese’s love and support. Their love story is sympathetic, heartbreaking and frustrating, as their situation spirals into blood and violence. Michael loses control and Reese makes bad choice after bad choice.

Because Michael has been turned into a vampire, through no fault of his own. And despite his love for Reese and his desire to never hurt her, his trauma and his hunger combine into horror and you just cannot look away.

Red shows her prowess for crafting compelling and engaging characters in BLOOD STAINS BY GAS LIGHT, as I found myself completely invested in Reese and her story, an unapologetic and devastatingly heartbreaking novel, the very real horrors of domestic violence are perfectly balanced with the supernatural threat of vampires, utterly smart and scary, a bloody (lol) phenomenal book

Bloodstains by Gaslight. Wow. Now that's a title, right?

I've been a fan of Red's work since her early short story collections, and here she really has excelled herself. The idea of infusing domestic violence with vampires is not only admirable, given the circumstances, but it's also an absolute stroke of genius. Talk about turning it up... jeez. Tons to admire here, truly. A believable timeline for a start. Not always easy to pull off. Characters, of course. Class. Pacing feels just right. And it's all handled with real care, too. The violent scenes hit hard and fast, yes, but it's not full-on all the way, and that's a good thing . We get to breathe a little. We need it as readers as much as the characters.
This deserves five stars. It really does.

I actually feel quite proud of Red for writing this.
Well done.

I have never been so incredibly disappointed in the ending of a book as I was with this one. The storyline dragged on but I kept going because I liked the character of Reese. But that was possibly one of the worst endings I've ever read. I so rarely give one star reviews but this calls for it.

This took me a good week to think of where to even start with this review - it was just SO good. I'm so excited for this book to be released so I can force it down everyone's throats so I can talk about it.

This book looks at domestic violence under a scope of vampires, while fictional, often a more 'rational' fear in the public eye, and a physical sense of a monster. Reese, in her senior year, attempts to break up with her sorry excuse of a boyfriend, Michael, who is holding her back in EVERY single sense (the amount of times I was yelling at my kindle about him was innumerable). As soon as she's about to break up with him, the man gets into a ~little~ accident then turns into a vampire. Suddenly he has the upper hand physically and emotionally, and Reese struggles to break herself out of this cycle.

I enjoyed reading this so much, and a lot of that was to do with the strong cast of characters. This story is heavily driven by the characters and their actions, and I felt sick to my stomach several times because of the things they did (another important aspect of reading horror for me). It also wrapped up really satisfactorily in my opinion. Really excited to check out the rest of Lagoe's books!

Bloodstains by Gaslight
Red Lagoe

5/5

Words can't express how much I loved this book!

This story tackles the important real life horrors of domestic violence through the fictional horrors of vampires and immortality.

Pure genius! Horrifying, heartbreaking and hopeful.
This novel is so smart ... and scary in ways that are all too real and, sadly, all too common.

Highly recommend.

5/5

Wow! What an emotionally charged story. First, there are some triggers to be aware of. Normally triggers don’t impact me, which just goes to highlight the extraordinary writing found within. Not unbearable, but really got to me. The author does a devastatingly phenomenal job of making me feel what Reece was experiencing.
I loved her story In Excess of Dark, but Bloodstains leaves that story in the dust with its emotional and heartbreaking narrative hidden within a vampire tale.

This was creepy and disturbing but yet so entertaining. It's a bit different with the horror trope mixed with other genres but it really works. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I thought this was a great horror novel, because it took a real horror and brought that to the front with the supernatural. The plot had that concept that I wanted and thought it worked overall. The characters had that realistic feel that I was expecting and thought worked in this world. Red Lagoe has a strong writing style and glad I got to read this.

Finally a book where vampires are actually feared and not the love interest!!! The way a characters abusive personality as human remains tenfold as a vampire. Reese being strong enough to finally say enough is enough and getting away from the abuse. As someone who has dealt with that in a past relationship I am beyond proud of Reese for getting through it. And the author did an amazing job at bringing to light why some of us don’t just leave because it’s not always easy.

*I received a free ARC from NetGalley*

Wow. What a brave story to tell. Unapologetic. Emotional. Scary. Gory. Fast paced. Everything I wanted a vampire story to be. Really surprised I got to read this so far ahead of its release. Thank you so much.

This is a devastating, brilliant, horrifying novel. It can be extremely hard to read because it dives deeply into issues of domestic violence and abuse, and it is just so painful and real. Lagoe has created a masterpiece of sadness and gore, and this book should make her an absolute horror star. So many scenes will stick with me for a long time, this is truly an unforgettable book.

This incredibly disturbing novel walks a tightrope between real life issues and horror fiction and does so with a perfect balance. Both are equally horrifying.

Reese is finishing her senior year of high school. For the past few years she's been dating her best friend, Michael. But he has turned overly possessive, jealous, and often leaves bruises on her wrists and arms when his temper has been set off.

She's decided to break up with him until a horrific accident he's involved in turns him into a vampire. With new found strength, speed, and an unquenchable thirst for blood, Reese finds herself trapped with a monster, Michael's temper and jealousies making her a virtual prisoner. And as people around her begin dying horrifically, she might never be able to escape.

The horrors of domestic abuse are just as frightening as the vampires in this book. You feel as helpless as Reese as she's controlled and manipulated by Michael even before his change. This makes for a very intense gripping narrative.

But the vampires in here are truly terrifying as well. Their incredible speed and strength add another layer of fear as they feed to satisfy their hunger.

Add to that some other characters, both human and otherwise, which have their own agendas and you have a dark story with very real undertones. This is a heartfelt and effective vampire novel and I highly recommend it.