I really enjoyed this one! The characters were so sweet and the storyline was unique! I loved every second of it!

This book was so fun! It was a little cheesy how Griffin talked and acted, but it was still fun. I loved the idea of a statue coming to life. I really loved the relationship between Emily and Griffin. They were really sweet together. This was a quick and easy read.

What a delightful romance read! I really loved this one so much.

Emily works as a conservator as the Art Institute of Chicago, feeling down about her recent divorce and having to start over after working her dream job out west. She is soon tasked with the resoration of a recent acquistion: a stunningly handsome stone statue of a medieval English knight. Imagine her surprise when in a dream, he reveals that there is a real person under the stone and she can break the curse. After freeing him with a kiss, Emily has to hide Sir Griffin Beaufort while explaining the modern world. Along with this, Emily has now become suspect number one in the investigation into the missing sculpture.

I thought this book was such a fun bit of escapism. It was so cheesy at times but I really found myself so endeared to Griffin and wishing for his success. Imagine how lost and confused you would be if you woke up in a completely different century! My absolute favorite parts of this book were him reacting to just the simplest of things.

Though this book did have a bit of insta-love, I didn't mind it. I thought the art heist investigation was so intense at times, it made me wonder how they were going to explain Griffin's missing statue, but I really enjoyed how they wrapped up everything in the end. There was a small aspect that made me wonder if there would be a book 2, so I'm going to stay hopeful that there will be a sequel with some of the side characters.

I think if you love cheesy rom-coms a la Hallmark (which this is being adapted into!) and you just want a good laugh, make sure to check this one out.

OMG I LOVED THIS READ...

I laughed the entire read and I inhaled every word of it.

I loved the characters, the premise, the perspectives, and the dialogue.

I also learned A LOT about medieval times and it warmed my historian heart as well.

This read was SO FUN and SO CUTE and SO FUNNY. I can’t wait to read what book this author will write next!

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, Brynn Donovan and NetGalley!

This book sounded so cute and I was ecstatic when Brynn Donovan's team reached out to me with the book. However, the elation was fairly short-lived. This book was incredibly cringey and I couldn't make it past a couple of chapters.

Like how could she hear the "statue's" thoughts and no one else could? And also why was she so attracted to a "statue" and having indecent thoughts about it? This happened in literally the first chapter, we didn't work up to these thoughts. It just icked me out.

I just had to DNF it after barely starting it. That might not seem fair but it was way too cringey and I wasn't about to suffer through it.

Emily Porter has just started fresh in Chicago following her divorce. As an art conservator, she’s used to getting up close and personal with historical relics. The last thing she expects is to be drawn to the rather handsome statue that’s been left in her care. When she starts having sexy dreams about a man who looks quite a bit like her statue, she doesn’t think too much of it. But the connection feels so strong, almost like this man wants to communicate with her. He’s just so handsome that she can’t help but give “him” a kiss. Imagine her surprise when the statue, Griffin, actually comes to life.

This was such a unique take on the time travel romance trope. Griffin is definitely a fish out of water in the 21st century and often finds himself in a bit of a sticky situation. I just loved how silly this book got at times. Emily trying to get Griffin a job at Medieval Times? Genius, but also hilarious. I live in the Chicago suburbs, so I also really loved the setting and appreciated all of the destinations that popped up throughout the novel. The romance between Emily and Griffin was sweet, but rather instalovey which made it hard for me to really feel invested in their love story. That being said - I did love just how gone for Emily Griffin was by the end of the book.

If you’re looking for a silly, spicy take on the time travel romance definitely check out Her Knight at the Museum!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a review copy.

Her Knight at the Museum is a fun twist on time travel romance novels, and offers a mostly fun and fluffy romance dabbed gently with some deeper topics. This is one novel where miscommunication actually made sense, because of course that’s going to happen when you throw a medieval knight and a modern day woman together in modern day Chicago. This was just the light, fun read I needed, though I didn’t particularly enjoy just how horny the entire novel felt. It sometimes also felt like a tour guide to Chicago, but a bit of a mystery and a guy who really wants to be able to take care of his beloved really helped balance it a little better.

Emily is an art conservator on a 6 month contract with a museum in Chicago after having to leave her dream job at the Getty Villa in California thanks to her ex-husband wanting to develop an app and move them to Silicon Valley. Then, of course, he decides to leave her. With just her dog, Andy War-Howl, to keep her company and no real friends to speak of, though her parents are nearby in the suburbs, Emily can’t help but find herself weirdly attracted to a full-size statue of a medieval knight the museum just acquired for an upcoming exhibit. Fortunately for her, and thanks to a wicked curse, the statue is more than just a statue, and he thinks Emily is the one he’s meant to be with. With the help of her colleague Rose, Emily manages to break the spell, but that leaves her with a medieval knight on her hands, one who is desperately in love with her, and the prime suspect in a suspected sophisticated art heist.

I liked Emily. She’s not described as beautiful by today’s standards, but instead beautiful by the standards Griffin, her knight, would have known, and she wears glasses. Divorced, she’s definitely gun shy, and it takes the entire novel for her to see her worth from Griffin’s eyes, especially since her ex cheated on her and left her for the other woman, which was a brief aside in this novel that I did not need or want and I cringed through the entire scene. But Emily’s absolutely hurting and it leads her to have a difficult time understanding that Griffin is deeply in love with her. Professionally, she’s new to the museum and doesn’t appear to make friends easily, and her colleagues Terrence and Laurie are lukewarm at best to her. But she’s great at her job, and I liked that her knowledge of art history helped her deal with Griffin, though there were definitely some holes in her knowledge that made things interesting and difficult for them. Fortunately, she does manage to become friends with Rose, who handles the museum’s social media. She’s a really fun character who is always there for Emily, and I really enjoyed their friendship.

Griffin made me smile, even if I kept hearing the voice of Thackery Binx from Hocus Pocus in my head whenever he spoke. He was fun, and I loved watching him delight in modern day Chicago. Everything is new to him, and it takes time for him to adjust and learn things are different. He throws himself into just about everything with zeal, and it was just a lot of fun to read about. I wasn’t so keen on how much he thought about having sex with Emily, but he was cursed to be stone for centuries while also aware of his surroundings, which definitely helped him adjust better than he probably would have if he hadn’t had any exposure to the changing times. There are, of course, differences that he and Emily struggled with, and I found this novel really used miscommunication well. It’s naturally built in and created the perfect third act breakup while keeping Emily and Griffin true to their characterizations.

Their romance was sweet, and I did love how Griffin is so protective of Emily. I adored that he was intent on finding a way to make a living so he could take care of her while also respecting her own work and not interfering with it. They worked well together, and I really liked watching him break through her walls. He’s patient and willing to do as she asks, but certainly is not perfect. Their relationship had its ups and downs, but I thought they worked through most of their problems like rational adults, though they often clearly forgot the other’s from a different time than their own now and then.

The art heist angle that naturally arises when a statue walks off was fun, but definitely not a main point. Instead, it throws hurdles in Emily’s professional career as her life is poked and prodded at, and Laurie clearly doesn’t like her. Actually, that’s a thread I wish the author had taken hold of a bit more. I don’t know why Laurie didn’t like Emily, and their working relationship never moved beyond that. It could have added an interesting layer, but Laurie and Terrence came off more like museum pieces themselves than as functional characters. The FBI investigating the team and the museum and that impacting their dynamics could have been fun to watch, and I certainly had a good time following what was woven into the narrative. I can’t speak to any authenticity regarding the FBI’s tactics, but it kept me interested, and I really enjoyed all the bits and pieces of the investigation the reader is given.

Her Knight at the Museum was a fun read, though it did feel like the first half was more focused on showing Griffin, and the reader, around Chicago and the second half was more focused on the art heist and wrapping up Griffin’s character arc. It was nice to get to know Chicago since I’ve never been, but it also came off as horribly touristy and I found myself wishing there had been more to the story woven into it, but I suppose a romance only has so much to it’s typical story line. But it was fun to explore the city, and the world of today, through Griffin’s eyes. He’s such a good sport. Andy War-Howl was also really cute, and I liked that he was never forgotten throughout the entire novel. He was a fantastic presence.

I’m not a big fan of time travel romances where the heroine falls through a portal and ends up somewhere in history, so I really enjoyed this twist on a time travel romance. I loved that it was the hero traveling in time, and the problem of how to help him fit in was partially solved by making him, as a statue, aware for all those centuries he stood as stone. Her Knight at the Museum also presented some real world problems for him that he and Emily had to solve that would have been a lot easier if the story had been reversed with her going back in time, so it was really fun to see them deal with it in this book. While I had some problems with the story, and eventually grew tired of just how much Griffin thought of sex, Her Knight at the Museum was a fantastic diversion that focused on the romance while also throwing in a bit of a heist, a female lead with emotional scars but really supportive people around her, and a male lead thrown into our world and having to adjust.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Restoration specialist Emily never expected the statue she was restoring to come to life. Griffin is out of place in the modern world and can't believe that the curse that left him immobile but aware is finally broken. Can Emily trust the Griffin's feelings for her or is he confusing gratitude and love? And how are they going to cover up this magic?

A very light rom-com with a small supernature thread. It was about what I was expecting from the cover and description. I really liked the secondary characters.

I had fun with this! My rating is generous because I have a soft spot for novels set in Chicago that are written by someone who clearly knows the city and surrounding suburbs, but the plot is fun as well--there are some laugh-out-loud moments even amidst some of the more tiresome "how does modernity work??" bits from Griffin. I wanted more from Jason and his secret society, but maybe that will be covered in a sequel...

If you ever dreamed of a knight in shinning armour then please read this as soon as possible! So steamy and the tension between characters is the best

I tried to read this book a couple times and I just couldn’t get into it. I think the writing style just wasn’t for me and I didn’t connect with the characters. I ended up DNFing at 50 pages.

I didn’t finish it, I was so bored. Cute idea, and there wasn’t anything intrinsically wrong with it I just couldn’t manage to care about any of the characters. Knight guy (don’t even remember his name…) talked like a bad Renaissance Faire actor. I’ve read romances set at actual renfaires that were significantly better than this.

One of my favorite things to do in Chicago is to go to the museum so I was so excited to see a book set at one of these museums! Emily works at the Art Institute but curse breaker was not part of her job description, yet here she is doing just that!
This was just pure fun !

Thank you #NetGalley and #berkley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

🗡️ Book Review 🗡️

Her Knight at the Museum was a fun read! Thanks to @berkleyromance for the ebook!

✔️ Different Worlds
✔️ Magical Realism
✔️ Cinnamon Roll MMC

I loved the premise - a statue comes to life and falls in love with an art conservator. This book felt like part Encino Man (who remembers this movie), part Kate & Leopold. I loved Griffin and found all scenes with him misunderstanding modern life highly entertaining.

My main critique would be the FMC who didn't feel as vibrant to me. She spent a lot of time reacting to everything around her and that left little room for her to have much of a personality.

That said, this book was fun and breezy. The back third (where the plot really kicked into high gear) was the best part. I loved the resolution to plot as well as the romance. 4⭐️

Steam 🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕

Emily works at the Art Institute of Chicago and is tasked with working on a statue of a medieval knight. She feels a weird connection to said knight and then we find ourselves in the midst of a Mannequin type situation. This book reminded me of why I prefer time travel books where someone from the future goes back in time. A lot of the book was spent explaining things to Griffin, our knight in shining armor. This is the L-train, this is what Uber is, this is how cell phones work, let me explain baseball to you... etc. It got a bit monotonous and Griffin was like a stage 5 clinger. I loved all of the Chicago references in the book and the cover will definitely draw a lot of readers in, the story was sadly just a bit too cheesy for me.

Many thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for the ARC.

Thanks to Berkley for the book and PRH Audio for the audiobook!

This book is Night at the Museum meets a romantic comedy, and it’s pure fun. The idea of a statue coming to life in modern-day Chicago is so unique, and the execution is even better. Sir Griffin de Beauford has been trapped in stone for centuries, cursed to see and think but never move. That is, until Emily a conservator at the Art Institute of Chicago accidentally breaks the curse with a kiss, bringing Griffin to life. (But also this was the part that I was like, girl haha)

From there, the romance takes off as Griffin navigates the modern world, wreaking havoc and trying to fit in with our society. Emily, dealing with the aftermath of a divorce, is hesitant on the charm Griffin brings but eventually wins her over with his kind nature. The book balances rom-com shenanigans with moments of real emotional depth, and I loved every bit of their journey toward finding a fairy tale ending.

Emily Porter is still in pain from her recent divorce. She is happy to have a part-time job as conservator at a large museum in Chicago, Hopefully, it will lead to a full-time position. Her current assignment is to restore a statue of a knight from 1400's England. It has been very strange that since she started woking on the statue, she has been having highly erotic dreams about the knight. One day, she reaches up and gives the statue a kiss. In a flash, the statue becomes a real person from the medieval era. He takes off on a run as she chases behind him.
It turns out the statue who come to life is Sir Griffin de Beauford. He was cursed and turned to stone. He has been entombed for centuries, being able to see, hear and think, but unable to move or speak. Emily takes him home with her so they can figure out how to proceed. The next morning the statue is missing, of course, and Emily has to deal with all sorts of questions and accusations.
Both Emily and Griffin start on a journey full of mystery, suspense and love. There is plenty of humor included since Griffin is definitely "a fish out of water". This novel is a novel is romantic fantasy. At some point growing up didn't many girls want a knight in shining armor.
I watched "Hot Frosty" on Netflix during this 2024 holiday season. Her Knight At The Museum has the swoon-worthy hero with clever and cute elements.

@berkleyromance#BerkleyBesties

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and the Berkley Besties program, all opinions are my own.

This was a fun romcom with a historical twist. It was a bit cheesy at times, but it was perfect for this time of year when everything is chaotic around the holidays and in our house it is the height of basketball season so it is extra busy. This has great humor, some decent spice, and fun characters.

This follows Emily, a art conservator who is restoring a medieval statue. She gets a vibe from the statue that there is more to his story than just the rock that he is made of. When she starts hearing voices and having dreams about the knight, things start to get a little strange. Sir Griffin de Beauford was cursed into the statue Emily is restoring several centuries ago. He can see and hear what is going on around him, and he can visit his owners in their dreams. For some reason he can connect with Emily while she is awake as well. Emily takes a chance to break the curse while working on Griffin's statue, and to her surprise it works making her prime suspect #1 in an art heist investigation. She can't exactly explain what happened without looking crazy. She has to help her knight in shining armor navigate current day Chicago and everything that has changed since he was in the flesh last. He learns quickly and most people find his old fashioned speech and behavior charming.

I enjoyed getting to know Griffin and Emily. They don't jump right into a relationship, despite a very spicy scene in the beginning. They do eventually develop a romantic relationship, and more spicy scenes ensue. Griffin doesn't understand much about the current times and there are some misunderstandings, which adds to the comedy of the book. Emily is patient and understanding with him, it helps that she appreciates the history of his time due to her knowledge of art. Emily's lack of stress about being the suspect of the art theft was a bit unbelievable, so there is a bit of suspension of disbelief needed for part of the plot, but that's also what adds to the comedy aspect of the plot and what makes this book so fun. I mean you have a cursed statue come to life, so there are going to be some unbelievable things going on. I also enjoyed getting to hang out in Chicago with our characters, I haven't been there before other than inside the airport, but I thought the author did a good job describing the city.

Overall, I thought this was a really fun, cozy book. If you are in the mood for a romcom with a little bit of history give this one a chance.

This one is silly folks and it was not for me. Knowing the premise of the story, an art conservator bringing a statue back to life, I was ready for the weirdness and expecting silly. I appreciate the silly escapism books provide but even this was too much for me. But I did not like the insta-love and awkward sexual tension that occurred before he was even brought to life. I'm talking lusting after the sculptor on page one! The writing felt surface level and all around I just could not get on board.

This was a really fun and unique magical realism romance, but WOW do I hate instalove. It took an already unbelievable scenario (a statue coming to life) and made it even MORE out there in a way I didn’t like. It was just SO far fetched. I had a hard time suspending my disbelief in this book, but I did think it was really cute!

Overall: nothing special but definitely not MAD I read it? I would be willing to give this author another shot as long as the next book isn't instalove.