This book was tagged on NetGalley and Goodreads as YA but it definitely reads as middle grade. From the very amateurish and clumsy writing style to the unbelievable characters and storyline this should certainly be aimed at a younger audience. Once I settled into those younger level expectations I was able to carry on reading rather than giving up. I have to say, I didn’t hate the book. Although I did probably only finish the book because it was an easy read rather than because I was enjoying it.
I think I just wasn’t quite the right target market and had different expectations based on the way the book was marketed.

THis book wasn't really for me. I didn't enjoy it much and found it hard to continue the unfortunately. But it started off well and I enjoyed it but as I continued I found it harder and harder to keep reading

As intrigued as I was with this premise, unfortunately I wasn't the target audience for this one and couldn't get in to as much as I would've loved.

DNF

I would like to thank netgalley and Bonnier Books UK for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Writing felt flat.

I loved this, it was a great read, full of humour, the characters were fun and I loved the banter, this is a wonderful YA romcom with a vampire twist to it. I love reading a YA PNR with humour, it makes such a change from some of the darker reads (not that I don’t love them) but sometimes I need something humorous and this definitely filled a void i didn’t know I had.

Highly recommended

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was excited to read this and found it a light fun read. However, there were some things that felt off to me. Mo is supposed to be fifteen, but the things she says seem to be coming from a girl younger than that.
The vampire Bogden really shouldn’t be quested to find a vampire queen at all, he couldn’t see through the silliest blags ever.
It did make me laugh though and it was a good palette cleanser.

I know I’m not the target audience for this book, but I’ve read enough YA and children’s fiction to feel like I could give it a fair review, and although I liked the idea of it, it just didn’t work.

Mo is a typical 15 year old, studying for her exams and stout vegetarian, when she meets an ancient vampire who decides she is to be the next Vampire Queen of Great Britain. How will she manage to juggle her normal life when there’s now the addition of vampires in it?

Firstly, this is billed as YA, but it’s definitely more middle grade, and I think that’s where I found the issue… the characters were written incredibly young and immature (despite the fact they were supposed to be 16 years old), and I just couldn’t figure out who would enjoy it. The way Mo behaves and talks is not how a 15-year-old behaves and talks, and don’t get me started on the so-called vampires… honestly so ridiculous it’s painful.
The book was silly to the point of cheesy and honestly, laughable, and the characters weren’t even very likeable, so it was difficult to engage with. I didn’t find it particularly funny or witty, and the plot was thin and lacked any depth. In fact, the plot holes were verging on craters and for a fantasy book, there was just no world building so the fact that this is book one of a trilogy is somewhat worrying.

It’s targeted as a cross between Geek Girl and Buffy…. Buffy? Do not insult what was one of the best teenage programmes ever made. Buffy used intelligent humour and ingenious metaphors, had layered and developed characters… this has a best friend who eats Battenbergs and does very little else.

There are some incredibly written, stylish and clever YA books, and next to them, this honestly reads as something for 7-9 year olds. It tries to be funny, but it’s ludicrous and patronising and I think our young adult readers deserve more; they’ve been cheated with this.

I wanted so desperately to love this book but I just couldn’t get into the writing style at all. There just wasn’t anything I could really enjoy to help me through it! Thank you for the chance to read this title though.

I don't really have much to say for this title except I expected so much more from it from its synopsis.

I didn't like any of the characters and couldn't care less what happened to them.

DNF at 6%. The writing style isn't working for me here.

While this one wasn't for me, I know it'll be a huge hit with so many teens and I know that past me would have absolutely adored it. I'm gutted it didn't work for me, but I'll absolutely be recommending it to the teens in my life.

Mo Merrydrew really wants to keep her head down, avoid the awful Tracy Caldwell, get good grades and a job in politics. She has a Plan for her life and she needs to stick to it. So, it’s less than convenient when a vampire jumps out of a bush and informs her that she is the Chosen One and must become the new Vampire Queen of Great Britain. For one thing, Mo is a vegetarian and she’s pretty such that vampires survive on a diet of blood. But then a handsome vampire familiar shows up and it all looks a bit more interesting. This book is very quirky and quite British, so I’m not sure how it will translate in other countries. It reads slightly younger than YA really but Mo is 15, there is a romance and plenty of blood, so it can’t really be classed as middle-grade. The humour is juvenile and tongue-in-cheek but it’s certainly not a book to be taken seriously, so it works. The storyline is crazy but the friendship and romance are really lovely to watch. I believe it’s only the beginning for Mo Merrydrew, so buckle up for a vampire series with a difference!

My first book for November was The Reluctant Vampire Queen by Jo Simmons. This bizarre YA follows 15-year-old Mo Merrydrew who lives in a small, rural village in England. Mo has a detailed plan for her future life, but all of that is thrown into flux when she meets Bogdan on her way home from school. Bogdan is a 600-year-old vampire and has come to deliver a message: Mo is the Chosen One. It’s her destiny to become a vampire and rule as The Vampire Queen of Great Britain. However Mo has no interest in doing any of that, for one she’s a vegetarian, and for another, she believes strongly that the people should elect those in power.

Over the following weeks, Mo struggles with different options for her future as the vampire community threatens her friends and family should she opt not to join them, she meets Bogdan’s gorgeous familiar Luca, and she falls out with her BFF when her plans to try and have the best of both worlds go awry. Can Mo figure out how to handle a future she never even imagined was possible without giving up on her own dreams?

The Reluctant Vampire Queen was probably one of the strangest books I’ve read this year. Despite being a YA, it read more like a middle grade with oddly childish writing and characters who acted much younger than their supposed ages. Throughout the book, it was hard to tell how seriously I was supposed to take it. Bogdan’s caricaturish Eastern European accent and love of the Premier Inn (think Motel 6) where he and Luca have made their base make the whole thing feel ludicrous, but then the romance scenes between Mo and Luca come across far more typical of a serious YA fantasy romance and Bogdan is a vicious murderer on top of everything. It’s as if the author didn’t quite know which direction to take this story and so decided to go in all possible directions all at once. By the time I reached the frankly ridiculous finale, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry and how much time I’d spent reading this.

I’m sure this one will appeal to some readers but I just found the whole thing a bit pointless and won’t be continuing with the series should any future volumes be published.

Looking for a laugh out read? Then the Reluctant Vampire Queen ticks all the boxes. It's a fun and original book that's engaging.

I loved the sound of this one but sadly just couldn't get on with the writing and the story as a whole.

I'm gutted and this is definitely a 'me' problem. I also think that I'm starting to no longer enjoy YA books and honestly that's heartbreaking for me...

Fun, witty, excellent!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access this book in exchange for my feedback.

I love YA novels but I found this a little lacklustre if I'm honest. There are quite a few vampire/romcom titles out there that just feel a little less contrived. If anything I would say that the writer tried too hard to make this funny and relatable that it came off a bit artificial. It will definitely suit readers who like a light YA book thats a little samey in places. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Jo Simmons for the ARC.

Really enjoyed this! If had a lovely writing style and an interesting plot. I really enjoyed the character development and it was an easy read. It didn’t have that addictive quality I look for so hence no fifth star but still a really good read!

This book was ok. Took me a while to get into it but managed to get through to the end. Had some funny bits but not a wow factor for me!

Even if there're some very funny moments it reminded me of a lot of books with a similar plot and the story fell flat.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This book is comical, I laughed a lot during it and thought it was brilliant.
It reminds me of the confessions of Georgia Nicholson books.
The story follows Mo a 15 year old who has her whole life planned out before she is stopped in her tracks and life is flipped as she is chosen as the vampire queen.
These is a young romance in this book too and the classic falling out with best friends (as happens in school)
Although the book is based around vampires, the subject is approached in a young way so there are jokes and light is made of any subjects such as sucking blood
This is a good YA book, even though it is quite a young YA in my opinion and I look forward to the next.