“True love is at stake in this charming, debut romantic comedy. Cassie Greenberg loves being an artist, but it’s a tough way to make a living. On the brink of eviction, she’s desperate when she finds a too-good-to-be-true apartment in a beautiful Chicago neighborhood. Cassie knows there has to be a catch—only someone with a secret to hide would rent out a room for that price. Of course, her new roommate Frederick J. Fitzwilliam is far from normal. He sleeps all day, is out at night on business, and talks like he walked out of a regency-romance novel. He also leaves Cassie heart-melting notes around the apartment, cares about her art, and asks about her day. And he doesn’t look half bad shirtless, on the rare occasions they’re both home and awake. But when Cassie finds bags of blood in the fridge that definitely weren’t there earlier, Frederick has to come clean...Cassie’s sexy new roommate is a vampire. And he has a proposition for her.” (Summary courtesy of Berkley and Penguin Random House). Now, onto my review... My Roommate is a Vampire is a fantasy romance featuring the forced proximity and age gap tropes. I would recommend this book to fans of fantasy romances like Eternally Yours by Patrice Caldwell et al., The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna, and Witcha Gonna Do? by Avery Flynn. Themes present include technology, society/ social norms, change versus tradition, displacement, companionship, arranged marriage, family, empowerment, and love. First off, I didn’t realize that Frederick is almost a historical character in that he belongs in a different era; seeing as I’m not a fan of historical fiction, I found that I didn’t really connect with this historical character. Overall, I found My Roommate is a Vampire to be slow paced; not only was the romance very much a slow burn, but the first half of the book seemed like it was just setting up Cassie and Frederick’s story. When Cassie is trying to introduce Frederick to technology and social media, I thought that Frederick’s reactions were a tad cringy in that he was almost likened to a stereotype of an elderly person who doesn’t know how to use technology. Lastly, I found it odd that the conflict was both introduced and easily resolved within the last couple of chapters; I felt like this was a tad rushed and could have been more engaging. On the other hand, I thought that the plot of My Roommate is a Vampire, a displaced vampire needing help navigating modern society, was unique in comparison to other vampire romances I’ve read. I enjoyed all the romantic texts and notes that Frederick and Cassie exchange throughout the novel as I thought that these were very sweet and swoony. My favourite moment was when Frederick, after determining that Taylor Swift is popular in modern society, brings up 1989 to blend in at a party and is hilariously labeled a “Swiftie” by Cassie’s friends. Overall, I thought that My Roommate is a Vampire was a swoony and somewhat spicy rom com that would be a perfect addition to any fall or Halloween TBR list! Links: Click HERE to add My Roommate is a Vampire to you "Goodreads" TBR! Continue reading for an excerpt of My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine curtesy of Berkley Publishing, Penguin Random House, and Jenna Levine… Excerpt of My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine: One Roommate Wanted to Share Spacious Third-Floor Brownstone Apartment in Lincoln Park Hello. I seek a roommate with whom to share my apartment. It is a spacious unit by modern standards with two large bedrooms, an open sitting area, and a semiprofessional eat-in kitchen. Large windows flank the eastern side of the apartment and provide a striking view of the lake. The unit is fully furnished in a tasteful, classical style. I am seldom home after sundown, so if you work a traditional schedule, you will usually have the apartment to yourself. Rent: $200 per month. No pets, please. Kindly direct all serious inquiries to [email protected]. "There has to be something wrong with this place." "Cassie, listen, this is a really good deal-" "Forget it, Sam." That last part came out more forcefully than I'd intended-though not by much. Even though I needed his help, my embarrassment over being in this situation in the first place made accepting that help difficult. Sam meant well, but his insistence on involving himself in every part of my current situation was getting on my very last nerve. To his credit, Sam-my oldest friend, who'd long ago acclimated to how snippy I sometimes got when I was stressed-said nothing. He simply folded his arms across his chest, waiting for me to be ready to say more. I only needed a few moments to pull myself together and start feeling badly for snapping at him. "Sorry," I muttered under my breath. "I know you're only trying to help." "It's all right," he said, sympathetic. "You have a lot going on. But it's okay to believe that things can get better." I had no reason to believe that things could get better, but now wasn't the time to get into it. I simply sighed and turned my attention back to the Craigslist ad on my laptop. "Anything that sounds too good to be true usually is." Sam peered over my shoulder at my screen. "Not always. And you have to admit this apartment sounds great." It did sound great. He was right about that. But . . . "It's only two hundred a month, Sam." *** I pulled up the listing on the computer. It hadn't changed in the time since I last saw it. The oddly formal style was the same. The absurd rent amount was also the same and set off as many alarm bells now as it did when I first saw it. But my financial situation also hadn't changed. Jobs in my field were still as hard to come by. And asking Sam for help-or my accountant parents, who loved me too much to admit to my face what a disappointment I was-was just as unthinkable as ever. And my landlord was still planning to evict me next week. Which, to be fair, I couldn't even blame him for. He'd put up with a lot of late rent payments and art-related welding mishaps these past ten months. If I were him I'd probably evict me, too. Before I could talk myself out of doing it, and with Sam's worried voice ringing in my ears, I opened my email. I scrolled through my inbox-an ad for a two-for-one sale at Shoe Pavilion; a headline from the Chicago Tribune about a bizarre string of local blood bank break-ins-and then started typing. From: Cassie Greenberg [[email protected]] To: [email protected] Subject: Your apartment listing I saw your ad on Craigslist looking for a roommate. My lease is up soon and your place sounds perfect. I'm a 32-year-old art teacher and have lived in Chicago for ten years. I'm a nonsmoker, no pets. You said in your ad that you aren't home much at night. As for me, I'm almost never home during the day, so this arrangement would work out well for both of us, I think. I'm guessing you've gotten a lot of inquiries about your apartment given the location, price, and everything else. But just in case the room is still available, I've included a list of references. I hope to hear from you soon. Cassie Greenberg A pang of guilt shot through me over how much I'd fudged some of the important details. For one thing, I'd just told this complete stranger that I was an art teacher. Technically, that was the truth. It's what I'd studied to be in college, and it isn't that I didn't want to teach. But in my junior year of college I fell in love with applied arts and design beyond all hope of reason, and then in my senior year I took a course where we studied Robert Rauschenberg and his method of combining paintings with sculpture work. And that was it for me. Immediately after graduation I threw myself into an MFA in applied arts and design. Excerpted from My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine, Copyright © 2023 by Jenna Levine. Excerpt reproduced with permission of Berkley and Penguin Random House, all rights reserved.
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“Maple Hills students Russ Callaghan and Aurora Roberts cross paths at a party celebrating the end of the academic year, where a drinking game results in them having a passionate one-night stand. Never one to overstay her welcome (or expect much from a man), Aurora slips away before Russ even has the chance to ask for her full name. Imagine their surprise when they bump into each other on the first day of the summer camp where they are both counselors, hoping to escape their complicated home lives by spending the summer working. Russ hopes if he gets far enough away from Maple Hills, he can avoid dealing with the repercussions of his father’s gambling addiction, while Aurora is tired of craving attention from everyone around her, and wants to go back to the last place she truly felt at home. Russ knows breaking the camp’s strict “no staff fraternizing” rule will have him heading back to Maple Hills before the summer is over, but unfortunately for him, Aurora has never been very good at caring about the rules. Will the two learn to peacefully coexist? Or did their one night together start a fire they can’t put out?” (Description of Wildfire by Hannah Grace was taken from Simon & Schuster Canada’s website).
I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of Wildfire from NetGalley. Wildfire is a camp counsellor summer romance featuring the forced proximity and forbidden romance tropes. Trigger warnings include gambling, absentee parents, and drunk driving. Themes present include found family, addiction, abandonment, communication or lack there of, confidence, appearance versus reality, fame, and wealth. I would recommend Wildfire to fans of contemporary romances like Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy, The Fine Print by Lauren Asher, Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey, Always Only You by Chloe Liese, or Play With Me by Becka Mack. Overall, I was a tad disappointed with this book; even though I enjoyed Wildfire, I personally didn’t think it was as good as Icebreaker, which is one of my current favourites. Furthermore, I was expecting Wildfire to be a college sports romance like Icebreaker, and I was disappointed that the majority of Wildfire was set at Honey Acres summer camp instead of Maple Hills (even though Russ and Aurora are both students there). Additionally, there was very little mention of the hockey team. Even though they made some appearances, I really wish that the Icebreaker characters were more a part of Russ and Aurora’s storyline; beloved characters like Stassie, Nate, JJ, and Henry are only side characters in Wildfire. Not really a third act break-up but Wildfire does have some short-lived instances of miscommunication, which I’m not a fan of. The summer camp atmosphere at Honey Acres, where Russ and Aurora work, was definitely fun and summery; I feel like it will be nostalgic for those who use to attend or have worked at summer camps. My favourite parts of the book involved the camp golden retriever “Fish” and her puppies, who frequently follow and cuddle Russ; these moments were so cute and swoon-worthy (talk about a literal golden retriever boyfriend lol)! Russ and Aurora’s relationship was engaging as it involved a lot of sneaking around (since camp counsellors aren’t allowed to date each other) and spicy hook-ups. I enjoyed how Russ and Aurora are both bookworms, they even go on a date to the bookstore, and I think that fellow readers will appreciate this as well. Henry’s story was alluded to a bit in Wildfire so I’m hopeful that we will possibly get his story next! After the death of her father, smalltown librarian Sloane Walton decides it’s time to find her own happily ever after. Her neighbour, Lucian Rollins, is a hotshot mogul hell-bent on seeking vengeance and building an indestructible empire. Sloane and Lucian are enemies and yet, they share a secret history with each other. After Sloane’s attempts at online dating go awry, Sloane and Lucian develop a temporary truce and “enemies with benefits” arrangement. But, when old threats reappear, Lucian learns that it’s harder to protect Sloane from a distance. Can Lucian shed his hard exterior and convince Sloane to give him a real shot?
Things We Left Behind is the third and final installment in the Knockemout series; even though each book focuses on a different couple, the books should be read in order as the main action continues throughout the trilogy. Tropes include grumpy and sunshine, enemies with benefits, enemies to lovers, and forced proximity. Things We Left Behind is a spicy contemporary romance with dark and suspenseful elements that would be perfect for fans of books like Dark Succession by Katee Robert or Twisted Love by Ana Huang. Themes include secrets and lies, self worth, love and sacrifice, life and death, good versus evil or light versus dark, family, justice and injustice, and crime. Potential trigger warnings include wrongful incarceration, physical abuse and violence, cancer, death of a parent, and arson. Firstly, the plot reminded me of one of my current favourite songs, “Electric Touch (Taylor’s Version)”; if you’re also a fan of this song, you should definitely check out Things We Left Behind. I appreciated that I was able to jump right into the story, without a lot of preambles, because Lucian and Sloane were already introduced in Things We Never Got Over and Things We Hide from the Light. I also loved that all my favourite main characters from the Knockemout universe still played key roles in Things We Left Behind. I enjoyed Lucian’s morally grey personality and “touch her and you die” vibes. Sloane has some serious book loving energy, which I think a lot of readers will connect to. I liked Lucian and Sloane’s soulmate-like connection as it reminded me of popular paranormal romance novels like A Court of Thorns and Roses and From Blood and Ash. There are also some totally swoon-worthy moments involving a cherry blossom tree (which I believe are the flowers featured on the cover)! Things We Left Behind had a fair number of flashbacks sprinkled throughout the novel outlining teenage Lucian and Sloane’s history. Even though they were needed, I’m personally not a big fan of flashbacks and felt like they were a little drawn out for my tastes. But I do think that readers will enjoy finally figuring out Sloane and Lucian’s secret yet alluded to history. Lastly, I felt like some of the smaller plot twists were a little obvious, which was disappointing, but there was also a big twist that I didn’t see coming! Even though it wasn’t my favourite in the series, Sloane and Lucian’s enemies to lovers romance definitely did not disappoint. I would highly recommend Things We Left Behind to fans of morally grey love interests, suspense, and spicy “enemies to lovers” romances. |
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February 2024
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