[ARC Review] My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine

Publisher's synopsis: 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.

My thoughts: My Roommate Is a Vampire is a new breed, hybrid rom-com and paranormal romance, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Between the cast of characters and the humor that Levine infused into both the narrative and the dialogue, this is a standout vampire romance.

This story definitely read differently than your normal vampire romance. Levine clearly wrote this story more as a rom-com that just happens to feature a vampire, rather than a paranormal romance that has a lot of laughs. It was refreshing to read a vampire romance that strayed so far from the standard, formulaic paranormal romance plot. 

Due to their age gap, Cassie and Frederick had quite the list of obstacles to overcome, but Levine made all these differences on the lighthearted side. I never once thought that these two wouldn't end up together, but I still enjoyed every bit of their journey. 

Of course, Levine had to incorporate some conflict into the story, but I loved that it seemed more low-key than other vampire drama. Even at its worst, the tension was hardly physical. I thought Levine crafted a resolution that was quick and painless, but also managed to showcase both Cassie and Frederick to their full potential. 

The whole premise of this romance was fun and quirky, and I liked that we got all that in a vampire romance. I enjoyed Levine's writing style, and loved both the characters and their plot. Levine gave us fun, campy, and sexy, and My Roommate Is a Vampire is definitely a unique vampire romance.

[A huge thank you to Berkley for providing an advanced review copy of this title! All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

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Release date: 8/29/23

Format: eARC

eARC provided via: NetGalley