Vibe: Light hearted rom-com featuring vampires.
I wish I got more background about our two main characters that connected me to them more, especially reggie. They fall pretty fast, which isn't usually my vibe but it's a cute read nonetheless.
Overall it was a cute read but lacked substance imo

FMC: 34
MMC: 35/immortal

What a crazy fun read this is. I had read my roommate is a vampire and adored Reginald Cleaves in all his eccentric madness (Bigbird beware, he’s coming for your outfit I suspect). Reggie is someone who would make the ideal dinner party guest, he would have you all rolling with laughter and second guessing what happened in history, as he would n no doubt put an amazing spin on it. This author has a really lovely way, of making the story light and fluffy, and a little crazy, while also keeping it real, you know that the situations that Amelia finds herself in are real, when you have been single a little while and are picky, the options are limited and family do start to ask when will you ever settle down, also the reality of housing is brought up as well, I like that they don’t all live in massive apartments with doormen, or houses with several spare bedrooms. They have jobs that they work at, and I really like how Amelia wasn’t put off by the fact Reggie hadn’t worked for a while, some people would have automatically assumed that meant something negative, but Amelia rolled with it, she was empathetic enough to understand that we don’t know everything about people, and that’s so important. It gave this story a real lovely quality to it in my eyes, and the craziness of the collective just added that extra something. Especially the tax knowledge, that should have been so dry, but it added an extra zing.

I’m not the biggest fan of paranormal romance so it’s not something I read too often, but My Roomate is a Vampire had been on my TBR for a while due to the good reviews, so when I received a ARC of My Vampire Plus-One it was just the perfect timing for me to read both.

There is only one thing to say really, it’s that both books are ridiculously funny. It’s not serious, it’ll make you laugh, but it’s still very well written. Reginald was an interesting side character in the first book and I loved seeing more of him in this book - even vampires can be quirky and weird, but he was also very open and vulnerable. The miscommunication between him and Amelia made for some very funny situations. This is a perfect book if you’re looking for something light to read, but that’ll still original and hilarious.

Ps to the publisher: please update the chapter 10 (+ beginning of 15, 27, 29) editing for future ARC readers. I don’t know what happened there but it’s the worst thing I have ever had to read. I get that ARC are unedited and typos or missing punctuation are normal, but this is an extreme issue. The entire chapter is written with repeated letters on every word (example « Fr rom:: AAmmeelliiaa CCoolllliinnss ((amee..jjeeaann..ccoolllliinnss0099@@ggmmaaiill..ccom) Too:: RReeggiinnaalldd CClleeaavveess ((rc6699442200@@hhoottmmaaiill..ccom) Suubbjjectt:: SSttuuffff wwee wwiillll tteellll mmyy ffamiilly »).

eARC provided by NetGalley and Random House UK publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Jenna Levine has single-handedly introduced me to the subgenre of Fantasy Rom-Com and I love it.
We have met Reggie in My Roommate is a Vampire novel, and even there he has caught my eye. He is such a quirky, unique character that I was happy to see more of him.
We have also met Amelia in Levine’s previous work, however we haven’t seen much of her so it almost felt like meeting a new character. She seemed like a nice and complex character, and I think she was easy to relate to.
I loved that we have dual POV! This way we got to know both characters a bit more and it enriched the story. There are many well loved tropes in this novel: fake dating, only one bed, he falls first, etc.
I don’t necessarily like the miscommunication trope usually, but here it made sense in my opinion.
The romance was delicious; the comedy was great - just like with the previous novel, I found myself giggling and kicking up my feet more than once. I loved how attentive our goofball Reggie was and loved learning a new side of him.

Some of the chapter snippets (emails, notes, chats, text messages) felt a little out of place, but overall they provided a nice additional layer of complexity and a peek “behind the scenes”. As with Levine’s “My Roommate is a Vampire” novel, I found the climax/conflict of the book rather short. There is no way we were building up to this massive issue and solved it in 2 pages. I would personally have preferred a bit of a different break down and a longer solution to the conflict with higher stakes. Or at least let us feel how high the stakes are before everything gets solved.

Overall the book was a great, lighthearted Rom-Com with some fantasy elements in it. I would definitely recommend it to romance readers wanting to get into Fantasy or as an easy read between heavy fantasy reads!
It is important however to go into the book knowing what to expect, otherwise you might be disappointed (as with most books to be honest).

A good second instalment. I enjoyed reading this book. The writing style is engaging and the world building/lore isn’t super complicated and doesn’t take away from the romance and plot. Would recommend giving it a go

I surprisingly enjoyed this more than the first one. It was funny, sweet, a little spicy but also very surprising also Reginald is the best.

Umm, taxes and vampires...

Amelia is an accountant stuck in the well-recounted difficulty of being committed to her demanding job but having a family that wants more for her- specifically, on her relationship front. Tired of attending family gatherings alone, she settles on the idea of asking someone to pretend to be her partner for some upcoming events.

Cue several timely encounters with one dashing Reginald, and one has all the makings of a lighthearted romance with a vampiric twist.

At points, this book is exactly that; it's fun and silly, like it knows it and is just enjoying the ride. At other points, it's simplistic and heavy-handed, losing all sense of joy as it tries to pull various plot threads together.

My Vampire Plus-One is the sequel to My Roommate is a Vampire. While the latter does offer information, background and context to the characters, it can be read as a standalone, which is one of the issues. This book doesn't have sufficient characterisation to cause one to become invested in their stories. So much so that it seems to undo the groundwork from the previous book, making Cassie and Frederick become bland background figures rather than pleasing reappearing motifs.

The humour that made the first book so enjoyable has reached the bottom of the barrel by this one. There is the odd good line- like Reginald using some time-honoured bad jokes- but then some actions are just odd. For example, why does he taste a handful of pine needles?

Crucially, however, the writing is thoroughly frustrating. The general tone is blundering, with its clunky grammar (the opposite of immortal is not not-immortal) and contrived dialogue, but one is then sideswiped by a poignant speech or turn of phrase. It's literary whiplash.

As such, this is a book that tries to combine too many jarring elements- not even silly vampires can make tax fun.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK for access to this wonderful ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Now THIS was a pleasant surprise! 

I read the first instalment of the series only a few months ago and - I must admit - I found it slightly disappointing, considering the high praise I kept seeing in the bookish communities. The humour felt lacking, only really getting one or two small chuckles out of me, and I found Frederick's adoration for Cassie undeserved since she felt like a decent enough human that had been easily accessible, rather than an eternal being's forever. 

But it had been a cozy read, perfect for a holiday, and I found myself curious about what Reginald could bring forward since he seemed like too much of a selfish agent of chaos to provide a 'normal' storyline. 

And I am SO GLAD I gave this series another shot! 

Everything the first book lacked, this one brought forward tenfold! It was funny, chaotic as hell (as expected from Reggie), and definitely memorable. The opposites-attract dynamic here felt a lot more realistic - or at least as realistic as you can expect from a fun contemporary paranormal romance. 

Amelia, our brilliant workaholic mess, definitely needed someone who would bring her a solid dose of fun, adventure, and youth. Someone who supported her in as many aspects as possible, since her family didn't bother, as she girlbossed her way through life. As for Reggie... he definitely won in life (or death, if you prefer) for scoring such a beautiful, ambitious, and organized woman. He might have a kink for accountants (can't relate but you do you, hun), but I can understand it when it comes to Amelia. 

For about 85% of the book I considered dropping a solid 5-star rating here, which I very rarely do for this genre, but the ending soured a bit that initial high. I accused the first book of having too little plot, basically a mere 10 pages that you could've easily missed if you blinked, but here the plot seemed like too much of a focus for how dry I found it. I am not an accountant, so while I do appreciate that Amelia got to save the day through her amazing workplace skills, I felt close to nothing otherwise until the business with The Collective got settled. For someone with a close link to that industry, this book will be a gem, but for me, a mere designer, it did not bring much. 

Still, it was a lovely (and quite refreshing) holiday read that I'll recommend to my vampire-loving friends.  

PS: I am quite happy with the open ending we got in regards to Amelia's choice. Let the girl live a little first, she needs it. Also, as much as I adore the idea of fake dating and the 1-bed trope... I feel like I'm starting to be tired of having every book include those elements.

I absolutely loved the writing style of this book and it was very easy to get hooked into the storyline.

The vampire ‘lore’ (for lack of a better term) was very easy to understand and did not take away from the romance and connection between these two.

Reggie is such a hilarious character with his quick wit and Amelia is so headstrong and passionate while being so kind and caring towards Reggie, it was so lovely to see both of their stories.

I absolutely loved My Roommate Is A Vampire so I was so excited when I saw there was another book coming out. Especially since this one is a about Reginald.

I really enjoyed My Vampire Plus-One, one of those easy read books that you can't put down. I loved Reggie's quirky character and humour.

I think I actually preferred this one to the first one as I found the characters much more likeable.

Thank you to cornerstone for this ARC.

Jenna Levine has delivered again yet another vampire romance so easy-going and fun to read!
Giving this a 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Vampire Plus-One follows the story of the 300-years old vampire Reginald, who most of us met in My Roommate Is A Vampire & Amelia, a human accountant with a nosey family. This is an interconnected standalone, I highly suggest reading My Roommate Is A Vampire first, but not mandatory!

We follow Reginald in his quest to stay under the radar from a group of vigilante vampires who hunt him for a wrongdoing & Amelia, an accountant who desperately needed a fake date for her cousin's wedding. One gets to own the other a favour and long story short - Reginald ends up fake dating Amelia whilst this agreement also helps him stay under the radar from the vampire group.
We also get a glimpse of two side characters in particular, vampire Frederick and his human girlfriend Cassie & their relationship developments, which will make readers of book 1 very happy.

The MC's personality is a fun contrast against the FMC's serious identity, which makes this duo dynamic work really well together. Expect some funny bullet journaling entries, chaotic email chains & a couple of intimate scenes.

I fully recommend this book if you're looking for something easy and light to read, a very well written romantic paranormal comedy!

Tropes:
-fake dating
-one bed
-forced proximity
-age gap romance
-paranormal romance

Thank you NetGalley and Cornerstone for an ARC of this book!

[ARC provided by NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone | Penguin. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review My Vampire Plus-One.]

Rating: 3.75/5

Jenna Levine is back with another cosy, paranormal vampire romcom! I really enjoyed My Roommate is a Vampire and was hoping that this book would be another low stakes romance that I could sink my teeth into over a sleepy weekend, and it definitely delivered. This is the perfect read for people looking to dip their toes into paranormal romances before going deeper into the genre. Having already met Reginald in the last book, my interest was piqued and I was really curious to see how his character would evolve in this story, and I’m so happy with how everything turned out for him.

My Vampire Plus-One follows Amelia Collins, an organised and straightforward accountant who is perfectly content with her current lifestyle despite her parents' concerns over her lack of love life. In an effort to put their dating questions to rest, Amelia enlists the help of Reginald Cleaves to be her fake date to a few family functions. Unbeknownst to her, Reginald is a vampire with problems of his own, and try as he may to evade them all with humour and arrogance, a rising fondness for his fake human date may just be the solution he never knew he needed.

There’s so much to enjoy in this story from fake dating to forced proximity, but the highlight for me was Reginald Cleaves. Considering how he is in My Roommate is a Vampire, I’m so happy that we got to see the sweet, doting and loving side of him emerge in this story. Much like Frederick in book one, Reginald carries the past with him in various ways from his attire to his interest in discussing history. His character is overflowing with comedic moments but there’s also an unsure and tentative side of him that we see here that made me love him even more.

My only small criticism would be that the paranormal side of the story is very minimal. The vampires in these books aren’t as obviously supernatural as other stories but that may be perfect for you if you’re only just branching out into this kind of romance. That’s not to say there’s no mention of vampirism - there definitely is - but I’d have loved to see a little more. If you find yourself wondering throughout the first half when more vampiric content will pop up, stick with it till after the halfway mark and you’ll get to see more.

Although My Roommate is a Vampire is probably my favourite of these two books, I still really enjoyed this story and I liked how the plot played out. I even enjoyed the accountant side of it which was surprising, but seeing an unhinged vampire fall in love with someone in finance made total sense to me. Definitely check this out if you’re looking for a light, paranormal romcom to binge in a weekend, and if you haven’t already, make sure to check out book one!

Reginald Cleaves is a man (read: vampire) who loves to stand out. Unfortunately, there’s a mob of ancient vampires currently hunting him down for an arson incident he didn’t commit, and he needs to go into incognito mode. Amelia Collins couldn’t be more different: she’s a workaholic accountant who struggles with change, and anything other than linear thinking. She has too many cousins that keep getting married, and what she needs more than anything is a fake boyfriend to get her mum off of her back. Thankfully, Reggie and Amelia might just be exactly what each other needs.

First off I need to just say I loved the first book, My Roommate Is A Vampire, and gave it a very hearty 5 stars at the time. Reginald was a minor character in that book but managed to show off his impressively loud personality so I was very excited to see the sequel pop up on NetGalley. It retains the same silly, comedic and very relevant tone of the first book, and fleshes out characters we didn’t spend much time with while also progressing the love story of Cassie and Frederick. The Twilight and Baldurs Gate 3 references alone were enough to make me cackle loudly.

Reggie is entirely loveable if very silly, and Cassie’s character arc is laid out so beautifully of learning to be a little less rigid with her life, and take some breaks or have some fun every once in a while. My most hated romance trope is miscommunication, but there’s only one very minor instance of it in this book and it makes complete sense in the context of the novel, so Jenna Levine might even be changing my opinion. Other tropes include everyone’s favourites: snowed in, only one bed (sort of!) and of course, fake dating.

My main criticism of the book is how utterly belaboured the ‘accountant’ aspect is. It is entirely possible this touched a nerve for me because of my own day job, but there were a lot of sweeping generalisations Cassie made about accountants that I simply don’t think she’d believe if she knew and worked with others. Reggie and other characters in the book could easily make those mistakes because they’re not close to the career, but for example Cassie saying accountants didn’t have a sense of humour (it’s there, but it can get dark in the late hours), or being surprised that bankers and lawyers were out drinking (is that not all they do?) threw me off a little. Even without my own experience, I think her being an accountant just seems to be brought up far too frequently, and it started to get very repetitive by the midpoint.

Despite the above though, Jenna Levine knocked this one out of the park for me, similarly to the first book in the series! It’s hilarious, it’s relevant, the characters have very defined points of view and voices, and the pacing speeds up and slows down in exactly the right places. I could have stayed in that cabin with them for days! I would definitely recommend this book, solid 4 stars from me.

4.75 ⭐️’s

Many thanks to Cornerstone Publishing for giving me an ARC of this novel.

Let me first say, that I absolutely loved this book. It took me a little while to get into the story as I unfortunately did not find Amelia that endearing until maybe midway through, but I loved Reggie from the get go and he propelled me to keep going. And I’m glad for it.

The story was a bit slow to start, but when it picked up, it was absolutely adorable and I found myself grinning like a fool more times than I could count whenever Reggie and Amelia were in the same room together.

Reggie might have been the sweetest, most hilarious—in a weird way—character I’ve read in a while., but I loved him so much. His POV’s, especially his journal entries never failed to make me laugh.

And post the vampire reveal, the relationship that had been blossoming between these two, became so much better. Amelia became so much better of a character for me. I absolutely loved seeing her come into confidence and sureness about her and Reggie’s relationship.

This was my first read from this author, so I wasn’t expecting any spicy content, but was pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t anything too crazy but it felt appropriate for a vampire story. I also did not expect Reggie to be a dirty talker, but I loved that too.

That being said, my only complain about this book comes via the climax, which fell flat for me. I’m not really sure what I was expecting in a romance novel, that’s more humorous and fluffy, than fantastical or action packed, but I still felt like there could have been more done regarding the final showdown between the gang and The Collective. It felt too easy, I wished there was more of a push and pull there.

Still, this was such a fun, sweet read, with really great characters and I look forward to exploring this world more—I especially want to know what Reggie and Amelia’s future looks like—hopefully fangy for both parties?

I am also definitely looking forward to reading more from Jenna Levine in the near future.

One of my most anticipated books of the year! Not going to lie, my excitement levels for this book hit the galactic ceiling and it was everything and more. 1000/10 stars and I’ll tell you for why. Pull up a pew or go read the book ASAP because it’s a worthy addition to your bookshelf.

We got a brief and tantalising glimpse of Reginald in the previous book, and it’s safe to say, he is quick to captivate. He has an air about him and the swoon transcends pages *insert frantic fan waving emoji here*. He’s so quirky and I love that he’s so unapologetically him. And the spice - ooof!

Jenna Levine is a fantastic writer and BOY did she do us a solid in this book. She’s rapidly becoming a favourite author for sure. I’m so glad she gave a story to Reginald and introduced us to Amelia, who was a fab character as well. We also check in with Cassie and Frederick and see their story develop a little more.

It was an easily enjoyable read, both feel good and a heartwarming supernatural romance. Loved it!

My Vampire Plus One is another charming and funny supernatural romance from Jenna Levine! I really enjoyed her first book and I am happy to say I loved the second one just as much. Her characters are standout and extremely fun to read about. Reginald is so goofy and I loved that he gets most of his clothes from the thrift store or potentially a local bin. It made him a standout love interest from other romantic leads in today’s market.

The only vaguely negative thing I have to say about the book is that the plot is very weak and unbelievable. (I know, I know, suspend disbelief for the vampire romance novel!!) the characters rely on coincidence to solve problems a lot. I can get past a lot of it because of how fun the novel is and how well written the romance is, but it did knock a star off for me. Otherwise this would have been an easy five from me.

On another note, there does appear to be some issues with the kindle ebook? All the email passages have the letters appearing in doubles ssoo tthhee wwhhoollee sseeccttiioonn llooookkss lliikkee tthhiiss? I’m sure this will be sorted out before final release, or possibly my kindle is haunted, but it did make for a bizarre reading experience.

Overall I loved this novel and I can’t wait to see more from Jenna Levine!

Cute romance story with a twist of a vampire. The accountant aide of the female lead annoyed me a bit but other than that a lovely story.

My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine
Rating: 5/5
Release Date: 2 September 2024

Amelia Collins has had enough of the incessant inquiries about her nonexistent love life. Determined to silence the prying questions once and for all, she hatches a plan: she'll find someone, anyone, to accompany her to a family wedding. And if that someone happens to be obnoxious or embarrassing, all the better.

Enter Reginald Cleaves. With centuries of experience in being rude, infuriatingly arrogant, and a walking fashion disaster, he seems tailor-made for Amelia's scheme.

As they embark on their charade of a romance and Reggie's peculiarities begin to surface, Amelia discovers that her initial impressions couldn't have been more mistaken. Beneath his brash exterior, Reggie hides unexpected depths, and his bark might just be worse than his bite... in a good way.

I loved this book just as much as the first! Finally getting to delve into Reginald's story was such a treat; he truly deserved his own spotlight. Jenna did an amazing job capturing Reginald's essence, from his eccentric style to his charming quirks. It was a delightful, breezy read that I couldn't put down, finishing it all in one go. The characters, especially the flamboyant vampire and the diligent accountant, made for such a captivating and unique couple!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, RandomHouse UK, Cornerstone | Penguin, and the author, Jenna Levine, for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Title: My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine

Release Date: September, 26th, 2024

4.5 Stars

In this paranormal romantic comedy, successful Amelia Collins, tired of her family's constant questions about her dating life, decides to fake a relationship for an upcoming family wedding. She meets Reginald Cleaves, a centuries-old vampire, and decides he's the perfect candidate for her fauxmance.

As they navigate their fake relationship, Amelia realises Reggie is loyal and charming, and she starts to consider a real relationship with him.

Jenna Levine has outdone herself with this delightful read! After loving her previous book, I had high expectations, and she exceeded them all. From start to finish, this book had me completely hooked, and let's talk about that stunning cover!

Following Reggie from the interconnected book "My Roommate Is A Vampire" and quirky accountant Amelia, this story had me eagerly devouring every page. Reggie's characterisation is refreshingly outrageous, defying the typical brooding vampire stereotype. Instead, Levine presents a vampire with an outlandish fashion sense and a penchant for bullet journaling. The dynamic between Reggie and Amelia is simply irresistible!


Highly recommend if you like your funny, fluffy paranormal romance. It is Fang-tastic!


Thank you to The Publisher Random House UK, Cornerstone | Penguin ,The Author Jenna Levine & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars
Vampires? And fake dating? Hell yeah. This was so much fun, and surprisingly very funny! I really enjoyed reading about Reggie and Amelia’s relationship, and I particularly enjoyed the humorous moments. I find that vampire books can sometimes take themselves too seriously, but this was so funny and lighthearted. I read the entire book in one day, I simply couldn’t put it down. Hilarious and heartfelt, this was a joy to read.