This book is the perfect cozy romance for fall. A little bit witchy, it follows Emma as she tries to fully join the local coven by planning a ball. The only thing is she needs an amazing location... and the only one that fits the bill is the hot, reclusive vampire Duke's mansion. Luckily for her, he needs a fake girlfriend. Shenanigans ensue.

This book was cute and light hearted. It's definitely a quick read and can be read as a standalone. I enjoyed the characters (although not sure why his being a vampire matters.. it's barely ever referenced in the book). Only downside is if you hate the miscommunication trope being thrown in almost at the end, creating a breakup so there's conflict... it's in this book. Other than that, I enjoyed it!

Thank you so much to Bonnie Doon Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

I would give this 3.5 stars/5. I really enjoy reading about the witches and other magical folk in Charming Cove and the first book in the series was great. I felt like this book had less character development and the love story between Emma and Alaric felt rushed. I understand that they begin "fake dating" but they fall for each other very quickly and without a lot of "real dating" mixed in.
One thing that I've really enjoyed in this series is the writing of the supporting characters; from the animal familiars to the family and friends of the main characters they are all interesting and add to the story in wonderful ways. The Beltane Ball ending was magical and, like Aria's plant magic in book 1, I really enjoyed Emma's spirit magic in this book. I would say this is a great, cozy, fall read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of the book.

Perfect fall read!

This was so cozy and relaxing! It's definitely a low stakes high reward read, just turn your brain off and enjoy the ride.

3.25 ⭐️ A duke vampire and an orphan witch walk into a bar...

...then she spills a beer all over herself and accidentally walks into the wrong bathroom. Boom - meet cute. I know what you're thinking, is it really all that cute that the first time the fmc and mmc see each other is with her wiping her crotch in a dingy bathroom? I don't know. I still haven't made up my mind about it, personally, but that is the beginning of their story.

I was really intrigued with the plot after reading the blurb, but I do have to say I think I like the concept more than the execution. I felt like I couldn't really connect to the characters, even with the Dual POV. The only one I liked was the grandma, but everyone else I could take or leave. The whole time I was waiting for one of them to finally do something that the other could react to. Something that would show their personality in a way that would be meaningful enough it could spark a certain something in the other, and would bring some tension into their relationship. It never came. It's all 'faking' it until it just isn't. Then there's the useless third act breakup because of a misunderstanding -imo, the absolute worst trope - which they fix and end up together. But why? There was no chemistry between Alaric and Emma, or at least not enough to grant this particular kind of ending. Also, the mmc is the one who refuses to just ask for clarification after overhearing a single sentence, but there's zero amount of grovelling or the fmc giving him a slightly hard time for it. He treated her like dirt and she's like, oh well, you like me now, right? And that's it. Ugh, the lack of backbone is astounding, especially because that's not consistent with her character at all. Anyway...

I don't think you can call this a 'clean romance' because there are open door scenes - they literally do it right in the open their first time-, but omg the writing was so boring and tame that it might as well have been. There was no passion there, just two characters going through the motions... and then they were done. I've seen car commercials with more passion that the 'spicy' scenes in this book; this is mild salsa at best, and as a person who could consume a ghost pepper in book form and only crave more, it felt like it felt short in every way. And the worst part is that I love when books don't do spice because it's not a main focus for the characters. If it feels unimportant to the relationship, make it not have any steamy scenes and that's fine. Here, the intimacy felt almost forced.

It's a cute paranormal romrom, but nothing stands out. There are thousand of books that explore this genre, and do it better.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.25 / 5
🌶 / 5

Also, ps: Why would you have vampires that live just as long as humans? What's the point of a vampire then? Just the blood thing? That's also not explored AT ALL here, so no. The duke was just a duke that added bottled blood to his drinks sometimes... He could've been human and it wouldn't have made a difference.

Thank you so much Net Galley for sending me this eARC! This review has already been uploaded to Goodreads :)

This is just what I needed! A cosy fantasy romance with one of the best opening lines I’ve read in a while!! Loved it

Thank you NetGalley for the e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In How to Fake-Date a Vampire, Lindsey has put together a cute story set in a cozy environment, with a pinch of fantasy, lovable characters and an awesome pet/side-kick. It's an easy, quick read, with things happening swiftly and efficiently. Perfect for those who enjoy:

- Fake-Dating (obviously)
- Small town romance
- Fantasy set-up in a contemporary, realistic environment
- Found family
- One bed (mild)
- FMC trying to find her place
- The best pet/familia/side-kick ever written

It's a good read if you don't want to have to pay a lot of attention to understand the world or if you rather not have a lot of depth in the characters and story. It was not, however, the best read for me. I prefer to have a bit more of character and relationship development in the books I read. Every plot and subplot in the book could be spotted from miles away, and the characters were quite plain, as much as they were predictable. Many of the dialogues and interactions felt way too forced to me, and not at all realistic.

Emma is a cute, potentially relatable main character, but I found that too often she didn't stand by her own ideas or thoughts (not giving details in order to avoid spoiling the book for anyone who hasn't read it), which is a trope I really dislike. She constantly doubts and contradicts herself, even in her own thoughts.

Alaric has de premise to be a great brooding, scorned-by-previous-girlfriend male main character, but I found that I wasn't really that "attracted" to him. Every time he describes how the situation with her previous girlfriend evolved, then ended, I couldn't help but cringe, because so much of it implies him being too naive or blind or stupid for what I expect from a love interest. Also, the way he feels about Emma veers dangerously close to insta-love.

Penelope is hands down the best character in this book. She's Emma's familiar, and a witty, greedy, funny bitch at than. Lindsey really did a great job bringing her to life and giving her such a strong, well defined personality.

In briefing, pick it up if what you fancy is a light, quick, romantic read. I wouldn't recommend it if what you're expecting is what is commonly understood for Romantasy.

How to Fake-Date a Vampire grabbed my attention because the cover is very similar to The Witches of Thistle Grove and similar books. And of course the fake-dating trope.

While there were various elements in this book that should have grabbed me, for the most of the book I felt it was very lack lustre. It didn't quite manage to grab me by any of the events or information we got.

The characters were enjoyable but I also didn't we feel we got enough depth. There were plenty of opportunities but it ended up skimming over a lot of things. Like what did Alaric's father actually do except the bit of fraud. Because there was alluded at a great deal but nothing that was revealed beyond what Emma specifically asked for. And I tought it was weird that when it was explaining time Alaric didn't really explain about his father and reporter to his grandma. Or at least that wasn't a scene we got. It also skimmed over most of the ball even thought that was the big event for Emma, and how this whole thing started.

I just felt like I was missing things. The ending was also wrapped up a bit too neatly. The reporters too easily dealt with magic.

Having said that, I do see good things here. It wasn't a bad book. The idea of Charming Cove that has a secret side for the magical community and some of the magical ideas were a lot of fun.

I also liked meeting the characters from the first book, and it made me want to read about them. I haven't actually read the first book but that didn't get in the way of me understanding this book. They can easily be read as standalone books.

***ARC Provided by the Publisher via NetGalley***

DNF at 19%

I wanted to like this one, I really did. The problem? In an effort to make the hero seem like a vampire, he seemed like a fake person and I wasn't ever able to really believe in the relationship.

I am unable to recommend this title.

A charming tale about a witch with a ball to throw and a vampire with a grandmother to please. Their paths cross a couple of times in some unfortunate ways before a deal is struck. It’s simple, he’ll help her with the ball she needs to arrange, and she’ll pretend to be his girlfriend while his grandmother is in town. Only, they soon find their bargain is anything but simple.

I loved this! Cozy vibes, which being set in Charming Cove how could it not, with a great supporting character line up. Themes/Tropes: bargain trope, witches, vampires, balls, unsuspecting powerful FMC, sassy animal friends, found family, grumpy sunshine.


Reviewed on Amazon & Goodreads. Will reference in future Instagram and TikTok’s @cursebreakerbooks

The book was a quick, breezy (and fun!) read. However, I was pretty disappointed. Alaric—the titular vampire—was just a young duke. The only thing that made him different from any human was approximately every four chapters he would drink a blood cocktail! There's so much potential for a vampire rom-com, so I was let down by this aspect.

This was a super fun read! Witch/Vampire romance, emotional and humorous but in the sweetest way. The relationship between the MC's was one I kept rooting for, and the side characters added depth and intrigue to the plot. If you like paranormal romance with a small town/light humour feel, you'll enjoy this book!

5 out 5 stars!!! This is being added to my top ten books of this year. This was the most perfect paranormal romance book I could ever ask for. And you can ask my partner for proof that I audibly sobbed at the end, which I honestly was not expecting this little rom-com to be so moving.

Thank you to both NetGalley and Linsey Hall for the opportunity to read and review this ARC, I am so beyond grateful!

It is beyond just a romance where they fake date and find feelings between eachother in the end. It is about what it means to lose, to love, to find a family, and a home. Our main character Emma is an orphan who has never known what family and having a normal home feels like, all she has had was her coven that she might not even have if the Beltane Ball she signed up to host goes wrong. Emma goes up against her “rival” Lily to become a higher ranked witch, but she has to come up with something that would blow away the other witches and one up Lily’s idea as well. And she is just in luck, the mysterious Duke has just moved back in town which gives her a chance to ask if Emma could use their mysterious manor that all the town has been talking about and have their annual witches ball. Alaric at first says no but then when his grandmother arrives and thinks that Emma is the girlfriend she has heard so much about over the phone. As the real girl is now Alaric’s Ex-girlfriend, but not wanting to break his grandmother’s heart as she is falling ill, he strikes a deal with Emma; If she pretends to be his fake girlfriend and it goes successful, Emma can have her witches party at his manor.

This book was so beautifully written, I didn’t expect to fall in love as much as I did with all of the characters, and there was so much more to them than their relationship which I see a lot of romances do where they dont focus on the characters as well as the romance. The family that they created through the fake relationship made me smile throughout the book. And the ending, although I will not get into for spoilers but it was so beautiful and tied the whole story so wonderfully together.

“She drew me to her like the sun, and I was a helpless planet in her orbit. I would need to be careful to keep as much of myself reserved as I could. This was just too dangerous”

I highly recommend this book, especially as the fall season is approaching, it has all the witchy and paranormal vibes with the perfect romance and heartwarming, cozy story!

Emma has been a bit lost for most of her life but when she finally settled in Charming Cove she found her slice of heaven. She desperately wants to be part of the local coven but to do that she need to make an impact. How better than by sorting out the Beltane Ball, witchy society's event of the year!

Enter Alaric. Hot, rich as any Duke should be...and a vampire! His gran is unwell and he has the paparazzi on his tail. He needs a girlfriend fast. He and Emma can solve both their problems in a few weeks. They just have to not get tangled up together!

The characters were endearing and flawed. Alaric is quick to assumptions and Emma is quick to take offence. Emma also allows other opinions of her to rattle her nerves. Alaric is composed and used to the finer things and Emma is messy, chaotic and very much a commoner. They have a couple of touch points were their lives kind of intertwined and a shared hatred for someone!

This was a cosy, sweet and funny romcom with a side of hotness in the bedroom (or garden as the case may be!)

4 WITCHY STARS

Set in the magical little town of Charming Cove in Cornwall, we follow Alaric (vampire) and Emma (witch) as they navigate their fake relationship that will benefit both of them. Alaric, the Duke, is trying to keep his grandmother from being upset that his last relationship didn't work out, so he asks Emma to pretend to be his girlfriend for a while until his grandmother agrees to move in with him. Emma is trying to prove herself in her coven and has to plan the most magnificent and important ball that will power her coven for the next year, so she asks Alaric to let her throw it at his sprawling reclusive estate. The "I definitely don't have feelings for you" relationship starts from there, and boy, is it cute!

This book delivered exactly what I thought it would. It was such a cozy little romance with fantasy elements thrown in, and I had so much fun reading it. Alaric and Emma are so adorable!
Penelope, Emma's familiar, is a skunk and she gave the best comedic relief throughout the story. I just loved all the characters in this book.

All in all, this book was such an easy and happy read.

The writing style here makes it feel like you've walked into a chat with your tipsy friends or gossiping neighbors, and the story wastes no time in setting up the main character as a bumbling, awkward weirdo.

There's a fair amount of plot convenience to further the story, but that's to be expected in this kind of quirky romance that so fully embraces the fake-dating trope. Because it's an ARC, there are a few noticeable typos that I assume will be fixed by the time it goes to press.

The love story is cute enough to be compelling, and magic is just an everyday part of the world within the book. The way the romance develops has enough heat to make you root for them even though, like most romances, it's happening crazy fast.

I really liked Emma's journey to finding her power, and her familiar is a delightful character in their own right. My only major complaint is that the book could really have used more diversity, especially as it's set within a magical community.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is so cute, a perfect light witchy romance for the fall!

I ended up liking the first book a little more, but this book was still super cute. It’s a quick read at only 300 pages, so it goes by fast, but it’s still enough time to meet a few different characters and get invested in their love story. This book has fake dating, single bed, and a lot of my favorite romance book elements, plus the mystical creatures - and an adorable skunk sidekick!

A couple elements of this story felt like they weren’t fully flushed out - like how the vampires work, some of the spell logistic tics, but overall it was still enjoyable. It was also fun to see a couple of cameos from the main characters from the first book in this series, but as someone who read the two books back-to-back, I was confused by the Coven when it wasn’t mentioned at all in Book 1.

Overall I would recommend this for a cozy fall romance.

How to Fake-Date a Vampire is a quick, sweet romance that is perfect to read as we head into spooky season. This is set in the modern world, but with a touch of fantasy, filled with magic and witches and vampires (oh my!), so if you like romance books and you're interested but nervous about diving into fantasy this is the ideal book for you. There is no complex world building, and everything was very easy to follow.

Emma is a witch without a family trying to prove her worth to the coven in Charming Cove, a magical town. While goat-sitting for a coven member, she ends up in the men’s loo by mistake where her goat friend rams the vampire duke, Alaric. Talk about a meet cute!

When the time comes for the coven’s yearly ball, Emma volunteers to organize it in hopes of becoming an official member of the coven. Alaric, recently back in his hometown due to some unfortunate attention from the press after being sold out by an ex-girlfriend, needs to keep his ailing grandmother happy and closeby. After what he’s been through, she’s convinced he’s all alone, miserable, and fixated. What happens after the meet cute? A mutually beneficial arrangement, of course! Emma needs a location for her ball, Alaric needs to show his grandmother he’s thriving. They make a deal. She gets his elusive estate for the location of the ball, and he shows his grandmother he’s happy and moving on with his life.

Ground rules… No sex, no unnecessary touching, and no falling in love. Easy right? This CHARMING cozy rom-com warmed my heart. A man wronged by a woman and a woman abandoned by her family meet in this touchingly adorable second book in a standalone series. Aria from The Modern Girl's Guide to Magic makes an appearance in the story, but you don’t need to read the first book to understand and appreciate this one.

Honestly, 5 stars. This romance made me laugh and cry (in the last 10 pages). I’ve recommended it to those who love a cozy love story with magical/paranormal elements.

Thanks to Bonnie Roon Press and Linsey Hall for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Rating: 4⭐️ book

Read if you like:

🧛 Fake-dating trope,
🧛 Found family,
🧛 Small town romance,
🧛 Magic, witches, vampires.

I was hooked from the very first page and I didn't want it to end. A swoonable, cosy story about a witch, Emma, who looks for her own place in the world. She starts to fake date a super hot vampire, Alaric, who has some trust issues. Their fake dating quickly turns real and full of palpable chemistry.

I would give it 5⭐️ rating but the ending seemed too rushed.

If you are looking for a charming, funny, witchy romance, then that book is for you. A great read for upcoming spooky season.

Thank you @netgalley, the the publisher Bonnie Dean Press and the Author @linseyhallauthor for letting me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Myth: 4/5

A cozy paranormal romance if I ever read one! This book was a really quick read for me, like so many of the paranormal small-town stories. A deal is struck, fake date the duke so his grandmother doesn’t have to bear bad news, and she gets to host the Beltane ball at his magnificent estate.

Magic: 4/5

The vampire lore is pretty light in this. The only thing that resembles traditional vampire myth is drinking blood, but it’s very light (none from humans).

The witchy magic and background are much more the focus and lots of fun! I love an animal familiar.

Overall: 4/5

Featuring one of my favorite tropes, fake dating, takes center stage in this vampire/witch romance. It was a light, easy read featuring those small-town vibes, the fancy royal, and plenty of hijinks.