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A review by savage_book_review
My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Amelia Collins is an accountant, it's tax season, and she's been stuck with a nightmare client who can't seem to grasp even the basics of what she needs. And then she gets the even more wonderful news that yet another cousin is getting married. Which means constant grilling from her mother about why she hasn't got a plus one. A chance meeting leads her to Reggie, a slightly strange but drop dead gorgeous guy, and a madcap idea that they fake a relationship for the festivities. Except Reggie's got people after him for a crime they think he committed... a hundred and fifty years ago...
As with Levine's debut novel, 'My Roommate is a Vampire', this is a light, fluffy, cute romcom that requires very little brainpower or concentration, but absolutely fits into its own little niche and nails the brief 100%. It makes you smile, makes you giggle and makes you swoon just a little!
Inevitably, with the descriptions offered of Reggie's build and mannerisms, I could not help but picture David Tennant playing this role - the character is like a perfect blend of Crowley and Aziraphale from 'Good Omens' and so there's not really any other choice in my head! And while I'm a lawyer rather than an accountant, I could certainly relate to Amelia's personality and work stressors, so... yeah... again, the inevitable happened 😊
The relationship between the two characters, after the initial hurdle of setting up the story, is really believable and develops as a great pace - the clueless innocence of Reggie when it comes to relationships with a human just adds the icing on the cake to an already fab build up. The vampirism element does add a little bit of spice at the appropriate times, which really makes their chemistry leap off of the page, but it's not particularly shocking or scandalous. There are tropes galore, all of which are immensely satisfying to read through to their conclusion; it's very easy to tell where the the story is headed, but that in no way detracts from the journey to get there!
I honestly wasn't expecting there to be any direct crossover with the first book - I figured it'd be in the same world only. So to see the return of Frederick and Cassie as supporting characters in this one was hugely satisfying, especially as the small issue I had with the finale of that book gets resolved nicely in here. Nevertheless, it is very much Amelia and Reggie's story - at no point did I wish that Frederick and Cassie would return to the foreground. Likewise, all of the other supporting characters are well drawn and do their jobs, but none of them steal focus or drag the story down.
The only bit I really struggled with was the sub-plot about the people after Reggie. Specifically, the resolution thereof. I can see that it gives Reggie a good backstory and introduced a small amount of jeopardy into the tale, but it didn't seem entirely necessary, nor did the resolution feel like it was firing on all cylinders. But I guess that's the risk you run when you're talking about tax law! Conversely, the ending once again felt just a little too rushed to me. But I hold out hope that we'll get a nice resolution in the next one!
Very enjoyable.
As with Levine's debut novel, 'My Roommate is a Vampire', this is a light, fluffy, cute romcom that requires very little brainpower or concentration, but absolutely fits into its own little niche and nails the brief 100%. It makes you smile, makes you giggle and makes you swoon just a little!
Inevitably, with the descriptions offered of Reggie's build and mannerisms, I could not help but picture David Tennant playing this role - the character is like a perfect blend of Crowley and Aziraphale from 'Good Omens' and so there's not really any other choice in my head! And while I'm a lawyer rather than an accountant, I could certainly relate to Amelia's personality and work stressors, so... yeah... again, the inevitable happened 😊
The relationship between the two characters, after the initial hurdle of setting up the story, is really believable and develops as a great pace - the clueless innocence of Reggie when it comes to relationships with a human just adds the icing on the cake to an already fab build up. The vampirism element does add a little bit of spice at the appropriate times, which really makes their chemistry leap off of the page, but it's not particularly shocking or scandalous. There are tropes galore, all of which are immensely satisfying to read through to their conclusion; it's very easy to tell where the the story is headed, but that in no way detracts from the journey to get there!
I honestly wasn't expecting there to be any direct crossover with the first book - I figured it'd be in the same world only. So to see the return of Frederick and Cassie as supporting characters in this one was hugely satisfying, especially as the small issue I had with the finale of that book gets resolved nicely in here. Nevertheless, it is very much Amelia and Reggie's story - at no point did I wish that Frederick and Cassie would return to the foreground. Likewise, all of the other supporting characters are well drawn and do their jobs, but none of them steal focus or drag the story down.
The only bit I really struggled with was the sub-plot about the people after Reggie. Specifically, the resolution thereof. I can see that it gives Reggie a good backstory and introduced a small amount of jeopardy into the tale, but it didn't seem entirely necessary, nor did the resolution feel like it was firing on all cylinders. But I guess that's the risk you run when you're talking about tax law! Conversely, the ending once again felt just a little too rushed to me. But I hold out hope that we'll get a nice resolution in the next one!
Very enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, and Blood
Minor: Death, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail