I love the way @linseyhallauthor writes. There is just something so magical about it.
This is the second in the charming cove serie, although it can be read as a stand alone, I'd recommend you read book 1 as it's just as brilliant.

I love a fake dating, sexu vampire, cute witch love vibe.
I love the idea of having another moment with someone who is no longer here.

I started this around 5 hours ago and absolutely blitzed through it. A 5 star read from me.

This books is just the perfect book for fall and spooky season. I was so happy to share it with my friends and I encouraged them to all read it for their next book club when it gets released. I really enjoyed how this wasn’t a mortal girl fake dating vampire but rather the whole world was fantastical and our FMC was a witch!

I haven’t read something so cute and charming in awhile! I absolutely loved the humor and adorable banter between the characters. And who doesn’t love fake dating and rivals to lovers. I can’t get enough of the romantic tension. Great Halloween read.

This was a nice little treat that read like a hallmark movie. From the small town, fake romance, and a little ghost haunting.

Emma has never had a family and being apart of a coven would be a dream, only problem she has to fake date Alaric a vampire recovering for an ex girlfriend who broke his trust. The slow burn between Alaric and Emma blurs the lines in the best way providing the tension and friendship. While both Emma and Alaric keep their cards close to them, when they show up they really show up for each other! This is a small town romance, that kept me picturing a Hallmark movie playing. A little ghost from the past help add the magic the story was missing. I loved all the side characters who helped Emma along the way find herself and show her what family is!

Heat Factor: It’s medium/medium low on the rumpus scale, but decent tension and very sweet.

Character Chemistry: They clearly have it from the moment they bump into each other in a men’s room.

Plot: Emma is trying to establish herself in a coven located in a magical seaside town after a lifetime of looking for a family. Alaric is a Duke and a vampire still grieving his mother and doing his best to steer clear of people and being in the papers. When Emma gets the chance to join the coven IF she can plan a huge party, she strikes a deal with Alaric to use his estate, and hijinks ensue.

Overall: This is clearly one of those tender-hearted, binge-worthy series I’m going to be medium-term obsessed with.

Just in time for the most magical time of year, I present to you a witchy book with some light vampire flair.

In this engaging story we find Emma, who bounced around in foster homes after the death of her parents. Seeking a family, she’s moved to a seaside magical town on the coast of England where she’s been working on establishing a life for herself for two years. In this magical world, covens are like law firms, where you have to prove yourself as an apprentice and be invited to fully join the coven once you’ve shown you can be a productive and valued member. When the opportunity to plan a critical party to benefit the coven arises, Emma jumps at the chance.

Alaric is the Duke of Blackthorne, and he’s a vampire. Here’s the thing–Alaric is kind of like a vampire in name only. They eat food, they drink martinis, they just add a splash of blood to their drinks and call it a day. He also trots around during the day and they don’t actually live forever. To be totally honest, I didn’t really care. The witch component was way more interesting and I think having Alaric as a full-blown vampire would have detracted from Emma’s story. But without even looking at Goodreads I can guess paranormal aficionados will be some degree of aghast at this choice. And it did give me pause—why not make him a human? (Then you’d have to explain why he lives in a magical town.) Why not give him more vampiric traits? (Because this is a pretty light/warm book and I think it would really change the fundamental feeling of the book.) I do wonder if I should be more bothered that Alaric is only sort of a valid vampire but let’s be realistic—it’s a duke book and dukes in this day and age are also kind of superfluous so I rolled with it.

Anyway, they strike a deal to be in a fake relationship in order for Emma to be able to pull off a ball, and for Alaric to make his beloved grandmother happy—only from the very beginning it’s clear Emma and Alaric have a deep connection. This is why this is such a feel-good book—there’s no inner torment, they aren’t anxiously seeking proof the other person feels the way they do (and those books are fun too, don’t get me wrong)—they just immediately care for one another and have constant fizzles of chemistry.

The other reason this is such a feel-good book is because of the tertiary characters. Perhaps partially because this is a series, and also because of the world building at play, Emma’s friends and Alaric’s family members are well-developed and have strong connections with one another. It’s got the same feel as watching your favorite camaraderie-filled tv series.

The tension in this book is pretty light, coming from primarily Emma’s coven and the pressure to pull off the ball—but early on it’s pretty clear that all the characters are pretty reasonable and chill, so it doesn’t ever feel like Emma is in too much danger. Alaric’s eventual momentary freak out is also pretty predictable, but it didn’t really bother me because of all the little side shenanigans going on.

Honestly, I’m absolutely going to read the whole series. I’m a sucker for books that have vivid and well-built worlds, and this is one. (If, of course, a vampire eating a nice curry doesn’t send you through the roof in frustration.)

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

I love Charming Cove and I wish it was a real place I could settle into. Linsey Hall writes of a magical world that brings all of the warm fuzzies. In How to Fake Date a Vampire Emma is trying to become a full coven member and gets sucked into a small competition with her biggest rival of the apprentices. She ends up winning, but that means she has to deal with vampire Alaric on a regular basis. Alaric is the one that proposes the fake dating scheme, which is always one of my favorite tropes. Emma and Alaric are such a cute couple!

My only issue is the fact that Alaric was a vampire was pretty irrelevant to the story. He got blood from an outside source (that I don't remember well how that was described), he can be outside during the day, etc.

I could not put this down the romance the fantasy it's such a cosy cute book I love this so much I'm so glad I got to read this

This was a cute, romantic fantasy with plenty of witches and magical moments. I really enjoyed Alaric, Vivian and Penelope. Emma was a good main character, but I wished to know more background. I know cozy reads usually don't go into details, but I would've liked more history and world building on Alaric and vampires in general and the magic that keeps the magical community of Charming Cove hidden. At times I had to just suspend my questions and blindly accept to enjoy.

The plot of this one seemed a lot better paced than book one, which was enjoyable! The third act break up was a little rushed, but realistic enough. I enjoyed reading about the ball and the relationships that Alaric had with his family who all pitched in to help pull it off! It was nice to hear from Aria again soon. My biggest complaint is that the orphanage didn't come back into play. I really thought that it would come first circle and it never did.

All in all, this was an enjoyable cozy read and I give it 3 stars! It's worth a read if you like magic and romance books!

I love me some fake dating and this book delivered. The characters are all well developed, I enjoyed the light-hearted read, the plot keeps moving the story along at an even pace.

A grumpy sunshine ROMANCE??? With VAMPIRES?? Sign me up!! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was such a light, quick read that kept me interested the whole time. I loved the village that this book is set in, it was easy to imagine
1

I really enjoyed the first book in the Charming Cove series, so I was looking forward to another book from Linsey Hall.
This romance takes place in a magical village in England where you encounter a number of fun background characters, which definitely gives Gilmore Girls vibes.
Our female main characters is immediately charming and relatable, which makes it easy to get invested in the story from the first chapter.
We slowly creep into the perspective of the male main character, which is a fun way to introduce him and then change what the reader's thoughts are about him.
I love fake dating in romance books and this story definitely delivered on that front.
I really enjoyed the found family component to this story as well. It was really heartwarming and endearing.
I did enjoy the first book in this series a bit more, but this was absolutely an enjoyable read. I'm really hoping we get more books in the Charming Cove series!
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

I’m a huge fan of everything Linsey writes and this is no exception, this had the perfect mix of romance and fantasy , I loved the fake dating plot, it’s so fast paced and addictive. I really loved that it was set in Cornwall one of my favourite places and as always Linsey writes such brilliant characters , a thoroughly engaging read

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an arc in exchange for my honest review!

Rating 3 stars

I love vampires and romcoms, so when I saw that this was both, I had to jump on the opportunity to enjoy this book! It was perfect, low stakes, and had lots of good moments that kept me going. Though, I will say some of the plot kind of fell through, I still enjoyed it, especially in the fall. Perfect easy spooky/cute book to have!

How to fakedate a vampire
" I'd thought I'd never see him again.
Instead , I'd just assaulted him with my goat"

If this line has you laughing, then this is a book that you need to pick up. It is a cute light-hearted romance novel featuring some of the characters we met in the Modern Girl's Guide to Magic. Emma is a new comer to Charming Cover who is determined to prove herself to the coven and earn her place as the next Official witch. Her chance comes when she can put together a proposal for the next Beltane Ball, a critical event in the coven’s calendar. Her proposal to host it at Duke of Blackthorn’s estate wows the coven but comes at a price. She must pretend to be Alaric’s girlfriend so as not to jeopardise his ailing grandmother. Everything feels almost perfect as his family adores her and, she and Alaric become closer until a reporter upsets the delicate balance.

This was an enjoyable easy read that had all the cozy vibes that would want from a romance novel with some beautiful heartwarming moments

⭐️rating: 3/5

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Okay, this was very cute, and I enjoyed reading it. It’s a cute story, I liked the characters, and it is a wholesome supernatural romance.

The reasons why I didn’t rate it higher are because it could’ve been written better, there were some holes in the story, and some of the choices were a little questionable. There’s a lot of potential here for sure, I just think there’s some room for improvement.

Emma and Alaric were pretty good characters with some depth, though they could’ve been developed a bit more still. And I loved all the side characters, they were very fun and enjoyable. Especially Penelope! (The word “preened” is just a bit overused haha). Though I wish we saw more of what makes a “vampire” a “vampire” in this world.

I also wish we had a bit more at the ending too. It was very quick and it ended abruptly after there had been so much build up for the ball and their relationship.

Now don’t get me wrong, I still really enjoyed reading this book, it just fell a little short of my expectations, which made it more of a 3/5 star rating for me. I’d recommend this for anyone wanting a light supernatural romance to get into the spooky vibes this fall.

Note: This review has also been submitted to Amazon (under sierramountainsofbooks) and is pending as of sending this review.

I absolutely adore "How to Fake Date a Vampire." It's a perfect blend of romance and fantasy with a picturesque Cornwall setting and nostalgic nods to the first book. The characters are endearing, and I rooted for their romance and family acceptance. The "fake dating" element adds excitement, and the fast-paced narrative kept me engaged.

The dual point-of-view narration provides deep character insights, and I felt Emma's longing for belonging and Alaric's desire to please his grandmother. The comedy and descriptions flow seamlessly, creating a sweet, slow-burning journey. Emma's sassy skunk familiar, Penelope, adds a brilliant comedic touch.

The unwavering determination not to disappoint grandmother is both hilarious and engaging. This book is a must-read, a solid 5-star gem that I couldn't put down. Can't wait for the next in the series!

3.5 stars- #2 on my spooky october reads! this was great, I really enjoyed it and it got me in the Halloween mindset of witches and vampires. thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Such a great book! The plot is interesting and the characters lovable. Although I would have love to have a POV from granny and Lily, but that's because I love seeing the scenes from multiple POV. I enjoy reading this book and I would love to read more from you.

Such a perfect October read. I will now go back and read the first in the Charming Cove series.

Positives:
A nice, fall paranormal read
Something different than what I normally read but very enjoyable
I enjoyed all of the characters and was rooting for the romance and the family to accept the romance
Faking dating is one of my favorite author elements
Fast paced

Negatives:
I felt like the book could have gone more into the details of the vampire characters but maybe the next one will.

I will now go back and read the first in the Charming Cove series. and as an extra bonus: loved the cover

I ADORE! This series, to me it is the perfect romantasy, not too much spice but enough that it feels natural. The background of Cornwall makes it feel relatable, and honestly I love the throwbacks to Aria in the first book!