About the Book
-
Author:
- Jenna Levine
- Genres:
- Adult
- Adult Romance
- Fantasy
- Man-Woman Romance
First Impressions: Something Shady
What’s Your Type? Fake Dating, Misunderstandings, Snowed-In, Opposites Attract, Vampires in the Modern World
Meet Cute: Do You Come Here Often?
The Lean: It’s Only A Month
Dirty Talk: My Lady
We Need to Talk: Hoa Hoa Season
Was it Good For You? Turn Me
First Impressions: Something Shady
There’s a pulpy vibe to this cover that fits the cheeky tone of the novel nicely. And in a sea of illustrated covers, this one’s unique illustration style and the playful shadows really stand out.
What’s Your Type?
- Fake Dating
- Misunderstandings
- Snowed-In
- Opposites Attract
- Vampires in the Modern World
Dating Profile
Amelia Collins is a successful accountant with a happy life. But her singleness is the bane of her family’s existence, and Amelia is tired of showing up to family events alone—and dealing with the snarky comments and side-eyed looks of people who are supposed to care. When she’s invited to her cousin’s wedding, she decides to find herself a plus-one who will take the focus off of her, and, thanks to a second-chance encounter, she finds herself an attractive and amiable man who will do just the trick.
Reginald Cleaves is a semi-aimless, centuries-old vampire who loves fun. And being Amelia’s plus-one sounds like the most fun he’s had in years. And if spending time with her as her fake boyfriend helps him hide from the vampires who are hunting him, all the better.
Meet Cute: Do You Come Here Often?
Amelia’s leaving her office to head to a family dinner, laden with files and paperwork, when a man in an unusual outfit runs straight into her. The man is snarky and unapologetic, and Amelia writes him off as a one-time thing, even as she wonders about the feelings their momentary connection elicited. But then she sees him again at a coffee shop, and in an unusual spurt of bravery, decides to ask him to fake date her for about a month.
The Lean: It’s Only a Month
Reggie is a pretty open book from day one. He’s in the situationship for the fun of it, but he also has a long track record of being seriously attracted to accountants. Amelia second-guesses her choice almost immediately, and when she finds out he’s a vampire on the run from some other vampires, she nearly calls everything off. But there’s something about Reggie that she can’t deny, and he certainly becomes more attached—and less jokey—as they spend more and more time together.
Dirty Talk: My Lady
Although Amelia wants to take things slow with Reggie—a guy she just met and will only be “together” with until after her cousin’s wedding—but her hormones aren’t letting her keep him at an arm’s length. Reggie’s all for taking things to the next step, but he’s also a considerate, caring human being vampire who wants to make sure Amelia’s as into it as he is.
Before I knew what was happening, he had me crowded up against the wall that separated my living room from my bedroom. He nipped a gentle line down the column of my throat, letting his teeth lightly scrape against me as he moved.
His real teeth; not the ones he showed the world.
“I’ve wanted to touch you for so long.” His mouth was everywhere. On my neck, my collarbone, then moving back up to kiss along my jaw. He gave my ass a firm, possessive squeeze. Mine, it said. It felt so good I nearly moaned out loud. “Do you know how many times I’ve thought about it?”
“Tell me,” I gasped. I didn’t know where that bravery was coming from, but I needed to know. “Please.”
Ed. note: This quote was pulled from a pre-release edition of the book. The final text might be different.
Ms. Perky’s Prize for Purplest Prose
Amelia can often get too wrapped up in her own head and her own insecurities. But she finally lets loose with Reggie—even though she still finds a way to overthink things.
“Have you ever touched yourself, imagining drinking my blood?” The Amelia of three weeks ago could never have imagined I’d be having this conversation today. That I would be saying these things. That I would even be in this situation in the first place.
But here I was, dirty talking a vampire, trying to make him lose control. Just a little. And getting more turned on by it than anything I’d ever experienced in my life.
Ed. note: Same as above.
We Need to Talk: Hoa Hoa Season
I absolutely loved the role reversal in My Vampire Plus-One. Instead of Amelia being the Twilight fan and having deeply buried fantasies of a certain sparkly vampire that get made real with her relationship with Reggie, it’s Reggie who adores the oldest Cullen:
And there was my most prized possession: a framed oil painting of Edward Cullen on the wall above the sink, sparkly and magnificent as he gazed moodily into the middle distance.
(I didn’t care what Frederick thought about Twilight. I fucking loved Edward Cullen. To be able to read minds? Epic. Not for the first time, I wondered if the Berkeley stoner who sold me the painting fifteen years ago actually believed it when she’d said the painting’s sparkles were magic.)
Ed. note: Still pulling from a review copy.
Was it Good For You? Turn Me
Any book in which an actual vampire confesses his love for Edward Cullen is a book that I know I’m going to enjoy. Levine’s characters are relatable and believable, and her story is delightfully quirkly—both the characters and story fall just inside the line of too farcical to be a good read. I didn’t know this was a companion book to her My Roommate’s A Vampire, but I definitely plan on going back and reading that one to enjoy more of her world.
FTC Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Berkley, but got neither a private dance party with Tom Hiddleston nor money in exchange for this review. My Vampire Plus-One is available now.
