If you're looking for a humorous magical realism book, definitely would recommend Her Knight at the Museum! There's something about the "one-character-has-to-adjust-to-modern-society" trope that gets me every time.

I loved the concept of a museum curator breaking a curse to free a medieval knight from a statue. And the Chicago and Art Institute backdrop was perfect. The pacing was great, and there were so many comedic moments. I caught myself laughing out loud multiple times. It was surprisingly spicier than I would've expected. The writing style and magical realism reminded a lot of My Roommate is a Vampire.

Though I didn't love the FMC, and I didn't like that one of her coworkers was a mean girl for literally no reason. I feel like this book would've been better if the FMC told the entire department about Griffin the statue, and they all befriended him. A found family helping Griffin would've been perfect. I also didn't love the execution of the art theft/FBI investigation subplot. But it was still a great read!

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for sending me a copy of Her Knight at the Museum. As always, my reviews are one hundred percent voluntary and all opinions are my own :)

I picked this book based on the cover alone. It was fun to read a book involving time travel that was written in rom com format. At some points, I wished the story had more depth but I don’t think it could have been done without taking away from the lighthearted rom com aspect of it. This is a book that I could very well picture as a Hallmark movie.

well color me surprised! i did not read the synopsis going into this and was utterly charmed by the premise (and the swoon worthy 1400s knight). her writing was so cutesy and this was such a fast paced brain candy read i’d recommend for anyone looking for a lil bit of escapism!

Emily is an art conservator and her museum has just acquired a 15th century sculpture of a British knight. Right away, Emily feels some kind of presence in the statue. It turns out to be Griffin de Beauford, who was cursed to be trapped in stone by an enemy. Emily breaks the curse by kissing the statue and Griffin is brought to life in modern times.

This book has such a unique premise and is highly entertaining! I did have to suspend all disbelief in the beginning and end of the book, because it is very far-fetched, but I very much enjoyed the book. Griffin reminded me of Buddy in the movie Elf with of his lack of knowledge of the current world, and I found him very endearing. He also had the sweetest way with words from his time that made Emily swoon every time. This book is such a great escape and pure fun!

Thank you to Bryn Donovan, Berkley, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Read if you like:
💕 Time travel
💕 Magical realism
💕 15th century pet names
💕 Golden retriever MMC
💕 He falls first

The premise of the book is fantastic - an art conservator working on a medieval statue that is actually a man who was cursed to be living, hearing, seeing, but trapped in stone for centuries, and the romance that develops between the two.

The writing, however, is terrible. The first few chapters are so slow because after every bit of action or dialogue, the narrator pauses to provide lots of exposition and backstory. And then Griffin - the man/statue - his thoughts in his first pov chapter are basically "sex sex sex, ooh sex." Even though he never actually had sex before being cursed, he still somehow knows what it would be like to touch Emily and "make her squeal." I just hated him on sight, and had zero interest in watching Emily realize he's alive and fall in love with him. So - bad pacing, bad character development, and kind of bad time-traveler details too (I won't get into details here).

I was really looking forward to this book, and it's just... bad.

A rugged, centuries old statue manages to rid himself of a vengeful curse.
Sir Griffin de Beauford finds himself at the Art Institute of Chicago and in Emily Porter's care.
The curse is lifted - and the fun begins! Emily and Griffin build trust while Griffin adjusts to present day. Of course keeping those amazing chivalrous ways.
A fun read!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Berkley Romance for the e-arc of this adorable story.

This was such a blast to read! If you loved watching Night at the Museum and enjoy rom coms, this one's for you.

You know those books that have you giggling and kicking your feet in excitement?! That's this entire story. Emily and Griffin are just so sweet together, it felt like a Hallmark production in the best way. Griffin's confusion with the modern world was just the funniest thing to read about, someone needs to pick this up for a movie.

If you need a feel good book right now, Her Knight at the Museum is officially available today

Sir Griffin de Beauford was cursed and trapped in stone while still able to see, hear, and think. Divorcee Emily Porter is a conservator at the Art Institute of Chicago, working to restore a statue of a medieval English knight. A kiss breaks the curse, releasing Sir Griffin in the middle of her workshop. He seems to be perfect, but is having a hard time adjusting to the modern world. Emily is also the prime suspect in the investigation of the missing sculpture. Can they find their way to a fairytale ending?

The statue can almost communicate with Emily before she even begins to take steps to repair the statue, including a really hot dream where the two go through their history. Once the spell on Griffin is reversed, he's alive in Chicago and has culture clash. In the meantime, there's no statue in the museum, so it's assumed stolen just as a stranger in armor was running around the place. I really enjoyed seeing the details about medieval life and the difference in culture between time periods. It inevitably leads to confusion and misunderstanding on both sides, as well as with authorities. The romance between them is sweet, and there's genuine interest on both sides not only due to attraction but appreciation for who they are. Emily's friend Rose is fun as well, and really helps them out in many ways. This is a fun book to read, with a great happily ever after.

This book was really different than anything I’ve read before and it was so cheesy and silly and fun and I loved it!!

Griffin was so GONE for Emily from the very beginning and it was just so adorable and it was so funny reading about him acclimating to a new time period.

The end was cute and I’m so glad there was an epilogue and I hope there’s another book in the series because I want to know more about Jason’s secret society and I want Rose to have a book!

Thank you to Berkley for the eARC in exchange for a review.

CW: mention of cheating (past, FMC was cheated on by ex)

"Her Knight at the Museum" was such a fun read! While working on a statue of a medieval knight, Emily, an art conservator at the Art Institute of Chicago, brings him to life, discovering that Sir Griffin de Beauford was cursed by a former friend and trapped in the form of a statue. Emily sneaks Griffin out of the museum and hilarity ensues as she is both trying to hide Griffin while trying to acclimate him to modern life. However, now the missing statue has resulted in a high-level investigation by the FBI as a major art heist, and Emily, last seen with the statue, is one of the suspects. And of course, Emily and Griffin can't deny the feelings that they are developing for each other.
This was such an enjoyable and light read, full of romance and plenty of laughs. This is the first book I've read by Bryn Donovan, but will definitely look forward to more by her.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishers for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited about this book having worked in museums, but it didn't live up. The main character is too "in love" too quickly and the falseness of this relationship taints the potential of the story. I know romance/spicy books like to get to the point immediately, but this seem too quick. I took a break halfway through reading it and will most likely finish but I wanted to love it and just haven't.

3.5, rounded up. This is a charming romance, and while you'll have to just accept some questionably plausible circumstances, it's enjoyable. The characters are quirky and entertaining to spend time with, and I enjoyed the affectionate references to the Chicago setting.

A unique rom com definitely. I couldn't figure out how is was going to end, and I like that. It read a little slow in the middle that is why it is a 4 star not a 5.

Adorable! I wasn’t sure how this story could possibly go – how do you explain a statue coming to life and moving in with you – but this was perfectly done! The writing was smooth and flowed well, sucking me into a story about knights in the modern day and the possibilities of cultural misunderstandings, all done perfectly with humor and compassion. Emily and Griffin were fun, loveable characters who you couldn’t help but root for. Bonus points for the lessons in medieval history! I love the way it was all wrapped up in the end and really want this to become a series looking into other potentially paranormal objects.

Her Knight at the Museum is a quick, lighthearted read about an art conservator and a statue that comes to life. This is not my typical read, but it was a fun distraction from the world at the moment. The story focuses on Emily, the art conservator, and Griffin, the knight statue that comes to life. There are plenty of fun tropes in this book. Of course the biggest one is how a knight from the 1400s views life in present day Chicago. Chicago is one of my favorite cities so I enjoyed that setting as well.

If you enjoy romance books with a little spice this book is a fun read! Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC!

This review is on Amazon (waiting to be approved), GoodReads and Barnes & Noble (also waiting for it to be approved/uploaded). GoodReads I can't seem to get the link to the review, but I assure you that it is in all three places.

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I liked the idea of this story and I thought it was an interesting concept. The main characters were likeable and relatable. I just...I'm really picky about some things when I read a book. I don't like when things are too easy because where's the fun in that? There were a couple of things that were predictable, but romances often get that way, so it wasn't a big deal. The other thing that stuck in my head was what I'll call lack of conflict. I know "Person Vs. Environment" is a thing, but it didn't seem like there was enough. Any conflict there was was resolved super quickly. It did get a little frustrating that the main two characters were so agreeable and understanding of each other, plus it kinda had insta-love. These things can be okay if done right. I know I'm being a little overly critical, but overall, it was still a charming story and I did enjoy reading it. I am voluntarily reviewing this story, gifted to me by the author, with no obligation.

This book was so campy and cringey in the best of ways. I loved this fantastical romance! It was so fun to watch as Emily, a bonafide 21st century pro, tried to help Griffin figure it out. His 15th century attitudes and ideas and sass was so great. I found myself laughing out loud, there were some times when I was cringing through the pages, but I couldn’t put this book down! If you are looking for a fun romance with a chaotic fantasy twist, I cannot recommend this book fast enough! Thank you so much Berkley Romance for the eARC!

“Welcome to the twenty-first century! It’s kind of a $%@!-show. But sometimes it’s amazing”

Thank you to Berkley Romance, Berkley Pub and NetGalley and for this gifted e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

The premise of this one is totally ridiculous but so fun! A centuries-long curse turns Sir Griffin de Beauford from a medieval knight into an immovable statue until the day that Emily Porter graces him with a kiss. No one is more surprised than Emily, a recently divorced art restorer, when her spontaneity results in the man of her dreams coming to life and attempting to win her heart.

When I was younger there was a movie that I used to love called Mannequin and in the movie a would-be artist falls in love with a store mannequin who comes to life only for him. This book has so many of the same vibes and is one hundred percent why I wanted to read it. Time travel, romance and a cursed statue, what could be better! Is this book silly? Yes but if you are looking for a silly story that will have you giggling in the best way then this one's for you!

Review: HER KNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM by Bryn Donovan https://bit.ly/4friMLo
Publication Date: 11/12/2024
Genre: Paranormal Romance/ Rom-Com
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Cori
Rated: 4 Stars

This was such a fun paranormal rom-com. I couldn’t stop grinning while reading this. It’s a feel good book you can curl up with. The characters and storyline were fun and HER KNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM will leave you smiling when you close the book. I recommend this if you’re looking for an escape you can read quickly with a swoony knight and a likable heroine. I hope there are more books to come in this series.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

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Kindle https://amzn.to/4eA43MY

She's a newly divorced conservator at the Art Institute of Chicago who has always dreamed about her own knight in shining armor... so when she is tasked with restoring a statue of a medieval English knight the last thing she expects is to break his curse and have him come to life... or to fall for him. Emily Porter is an art conservator who loves her job, she especially needs it to get her mind of her recent divorce to her cheating ex. So when a gorgeous statue of a medieval English knight arrives and Emily is charged with restoring it she couldnt be more excited... except she begins to hear a voice talking to her, and said knight comes to life in her dreams and tells her that he has been cursed and that he is very much alive and his name is Griffin. Emily helps Griffin break his curse but now a medieval knight in modern day needs a place to stay and a way to fit in... all the while the museum think she's stolen the statue since he's now living with her. Griffin is in love with Emily and determined to prove to her that despite being from different times, he's the one for her. Can a medieval knight find a way to sweep the love of his life off her feet or were they never meant to be? This was such a charming and cute read! The romance was sweet and it really just was adorable. Griffin and Emily were cute together and the story was just a sweet and fun time to read! I would absolutely recommend this for anyone looking for a fun sweet time that is just the right amount of cheesy and adorable.

Release Date: November 12,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*