Dracula, My Love: The Secret Journals of Mina Harker [Paperback]

Syrie James (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 20, 2010

A THRILLING, PAGE-TURNING TALE OF ADVENTURE AND FORBIDDEN PASSION...

Syrie James approaches Bram Stoker's classic Dracula with a breathtaking new perspective--as, for the first time, Mina Harker records the shocking story of her scandalous seduction and sexual rebirth.

Who is this magnetic, fascinating man? And how could one woman fall so completely under his spell?

Mina Harker is torn between two men. Struggling to hang on to the deep, pure love she's found within her marriage to her husband, Jonathan, she is inexorably drawn into a secret, passionate affair with a charismatic but dangerous lover. This haunted and haunting creature has awakened feelings and desires within her that she has never before known, which remake her as a woman.

Although everyone she knows fears him and is pledged to destroy him, Mina sees a side to him that the others cannot: a tender, romantic side; a man who's taken full advantage of his gift of immortality to expand his mind and talents; a man who is deeply in love, and who may not be evil after all. Soon, they are connected in a way she never thought humanly possible.

Yet to surrender is surely madness, for to be with him could end her life. It may cost Mina all she holds dear, but to make her choice she must learn everything she can about the remarkable origins and unique, sensuous powers of this man, this exquisite monster, this ... Dracula!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

James (The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen) tepidly reboots the Dracula story, reimagining the classic from the point of view of Mina Harker, a minor victim. Here, Mina is torn between two men--dependable Jonathan Harker and darkly enigmatic Nicolae Dracula. While the men of the story enact the plot from the original, Mina secretly meets her lover, Dracula, and conspires to have the best of both worlds--keep Jonathan as a husband for the term of her mortal life and keep Dracula as a lover for eternity. The mood and material may put readers in mind of Coppola's Dracula movie, though James does the narrative a disservice by waiting until too late to force Mina to make a choice--the buildup isn't exactly riveting, and the hurried decision comes across as contrived. A few unexpected twists along the way offer pleasant surprises (Van Helsing, for instance, recast as a comically inept buffoon), but otherwise, this will have a hard time standing out on the increasingly packed vampire romance shelf.
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Review

“This remarkable story twists and turns with every page ... The story unfolds with fast-paced action, well-written dialogue, and historical events mixed in with a truly remarkable love story that keeps the reader glued to every page. Another hit (for Syrie James)... right out of the park.” (Feathered Quill )

“Must read... I love the way this book was written... Both love stories (Mina and Jonathan/Mina and Dracula) have such depth... I became so caught up in the story that I wasn’t sure who I wanted Mina to end up with... A really emotional love story. Rating: 9 (Excellent)” (The Season For Romance )

“An excitingly dark tale with a romantic twist...a page turner from start to finish. The author has given Dracula something that is missing in earlier novels – a heart and soul...Like a vampire draining his latest victim, I sucked down every juicy detail of Dracula, My Love.” (Stephanie's Written Word )

“What really happened between Mina and Dracula? Syrie James provides her own provocative interpretation in the exciting Dracula, My Love... She keeps the suspense level high, so that even readers familiar with the original story will be furiously turning pages to see what happens next. Excellent novel.” (Bitten By Books )

“5 stars. Poignant, passionate, and powerful... Critically acclaimed and bestselling author, Syrie James, once again transports her readers back in time and enchants them ...Truly outstanding!” (Austenesque Reviews )

“We enter Mina’s psyche...and likewise develop an understanding of Dracula’s motivations. This insight explains why a human woman and a ‘monster’ would literally ache to be with one another. I was exhilarated, enthralled, and completely mesmerized. Vampire book lovers will absolutely love this book.” (Bestfantasystories.com )

“Only Mina Harker, who once fell under the seductive spell of literature’s most famous vampire, knows Dracula’s true story. James gives readers an intriguing alternate theory as to the events that occurred in Stoker’s classic horror tale while at the same time delivering a spooky yet thoroughly romantic love story.” (Chicago Tribune )

“Dracula, My Love had me hooked immediately. Filled with suspense and romance, it had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It was incredibly well written and I couldn’t put it down. Syrie James paints an amazing picture of Dracula that left me both infatuated and appalled.” (LitFest )

“Syrie James paints a vivid picture of woman in the grip of dark passion. If you think you know the legend, her thoroughly modern Mina will surprise and delight you. It’s a dark and sizzling romance for hot summer days and nights.” (Dolce Dolce )

“With its poetic, 19th-century prose style, this tale about a fierce, forbidden romance will appeal to even the most jaded romance fan.” (Library Journal )

“This very romantic side to Dracula is powerfully sensuous and masterfully told... Should sit side by side with Bram Stoker’s Dracula on your keeper shelf.” (singletitles.com )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (July 20, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061923036
• ISBN-13: 978-0061923036
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #828,726 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Syrie James, hailed by Los Angeles Magazine as the queen of nineteenth century re-imaginings, is the critically acclaimed author of NOCTURNE; DRACULA, MY LOVE; the international bestseller THE LOST MEMOIRS OF JANE AUSTEN (Best First Novel 2008, Library Journal; and THE SECRET DIARIES OF CHARLOTTE BRONTE (Great Group Read, Women's National Book Association; Audie Romance Award 2011.)

Syrie also co-wrote FORBIDDEN with her son Ryan James. Translation rights for Syrie's books have been sold in sixteen languages.

In addition to her work as a novelist, Syrie is a screenwriter, a member of the Writers Guild of America, and a life member of the Jane Austen Society of North America. An admitted Anglophile, she loves paranormal romance and all things 19th century. Syrie welcomes visitors and messages at www.syriejames.com, and invites you follow her on Facebook and at Twitter.com/Syriejames.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Other Side of Dracula, June 1, 2010

By 

Cathe Fein Olson "Avid reader and writer" (curled up with a book) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Dracula, My Love: The Secret Journals of Mina Harker (Paperback)

(What's this?)

I loved the novel Dracula when I was younger so was excited to review this new version told through the eyes of Mina Harker. It seems her original journal didn't tell the whole truth . . . she was not as actually repulsed by Dracula as she seemed in the original book, but was actually quite attracted to him. In the novel Dracula, My Love, Mina is a bit of a women's libber and unsatisfied sexually with her straight and narrow husband. In fact, all the characters are a bit different in this version. Lucy is not only beautiful but a bit of a slut, Van Helsing is an idiot filled with misconceived notions of vampires, and Dracula is the poor misunderstood vampire who really doesn't want to hurt anyone. While I liked the idea of this novel and thought the writing good, it was a bit too Harlequin romance for me. I enjoyed the first portion the most which was mostly a recap of the original novel but after that, I got tired of Mina's condescension of the men who were trying to help her and of her two-timing her husband with Dracula. I think fans of Twilight might enjoy this tale but for myself, I'll stick with the original Dracula.

I'd give this 3 1/2 stars but since amazon only allows full stars, I'm upping this to four because I think James is a good writer and I was just the wrong audience for the book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Kept me engaged from beginning to end!, January 12, 2011

By 

Arali (NY USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dracula, My Love: The Secret Journals of Mina Harker (Paperback)

There are several books available that tell the story of Dracula from Mina Harker's perspective, but none have been as intelligent nor come close to the original as Syrie James' novel.

"Dracula, My Love" is an account of Bram Stoker's Dracula seen through the eyes Mina Harker. As in the original novel, the narrative is given from the journals of Mina and Jonathan. Mina, however, keeps a more shocking and intensely romantic journal in secret shorthand, free from the prying eyes of those who might seek to discover the events that are not recorded in Bram Stoker's version. In this spellbinding novel, Mina is both terrified and intrigued by Count Dracula.

Mina heads for a holiday to Whitby after her fiancé, Jonathan Harker, leaves for the continent on business to Transylvania. Not having heard from him in months, Mina is deeply worried about him and of her friend, Lucy Westenra, who has taken up sleepwalking and is looking rather pale. Her mind is also preoccupied with the devastatingly handsome foreigner who has just arrived in England and has taken an interest in her.

Although Mina misses Jonathan terribly, she is swept off her feet by the attentions of Mr. Wagner (aka Count Dracula). He is charming, intelligent, worldly, cultured and sympathetic. When Mina shares her concerns about Jonathan and Lucy, he knows just what to say to put her mind at ease. He is always near and seems to appear whenever she wishes to see him. She feels drawn to him despite her moral obligation to Jonathan. She feels confused and ashamed, but the thought of not seeing him again fills her with grief. When Mina comes to realize that she is in love with Mr. Wagner, she resolves never to see him again despite her breaking heart.

Dracula, however, has plans of his own and vows to keep Mina for himself. He spins a web of passion, deceit, and uncertainty around Mina to always keep her guessing at what the truth is. Syrie James' Dracula is not the monster Bram Stoker paints him out to be. He is evil, but he is also a deeply passionate man who is alone. He wants someone to share his lonely existence with and feels he has found his soul mate in Mina. It is that passion that propels Dracula to make the horrifying choices he does. He will stop at nothing to keep her, even at the risk of losing her love or bringing about their possible destruction.

The novel follows the events of Bram Stoker's Dracula but is fleshed out and given a richer narrative by Syrie James. She makes a great attempt to show us richer, three-dimensional characters than the ones of Bram Stoker, adding backstory for both Dracula and Mina Harker's origins. This book was an absolute joy to read and I will be adding it to my personal library.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Romance Take on the Vampire Classic, June 24, 2010

By 

Jennifer Black (Wyoming) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dracula, My Love: The Secret Journals of Mina Harker (Paperback)

(What's this?)

Syrie James pens an interesting spin on the classic vampire novel with "Dracula, My Love". Commendable for its expansion of the character of Mina and ability to draw the reader into her story, while maintaining the original storyline's cohesiveness, the book is a nice, modern spin on the tale.

My largest critique comes of the handling of the Dracula character. Instead of maintaining the characteristics of the original Stoker representation, James chooses to present her antihero as a little too misunderstood for his own good; instead of a dark, tortured hero who Mina loves in spite of herself, Dracula gets a treatment which makes him a little too sanitized. The conflict is erased too easily; for a more compelling story, I think the vampire should have been left a little more of his villainous traits, with Mina falling for him anyway.

The other major issue I had with the novel was the blending of the Stoker content with James'. Especially in terms of dialogue, there is a distinct schism between what James has written and what was in the original novel; either James should have rewritten more of the Stoker dialogue to blend better with her own book, or made her own verbiage a little more antique.

Aside from these points, this was a satisfying read. I like getting into the brain of Mina and getting more backstory on her, while still having the same tale presented by Stoker. Fans of modern paranormal romances who want to get back to where a lot of the genre tropes began should enjoy this book; fans of the original looking for a more cerebral adaptation might be a little less enthralled, but still entertained.