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Hallow's Cove
Vacationing with the Vampire in Hallow's Cove
After making a big mistake at work, Maisie is told to take a mandatory vacation and get her head on straight. But when she chooses Hallow’s Cove as her retreat destination, she doesn’t realize it’s a town inhabited almost purely by monsters—including her grumpy new landlord, Barnaby.
It’s no secret that Barnaby the bookstore owner is a vampire, but he’s long since tamed his urge to drink human blood. That is, until Maisie arrives in Hallow’s Cove. Her blood smells utterly wonderful, and Barnaby finds himself drawn to her scent just as much as he is to her genuine, curious personality.
But Barnaby fears his attraction, too, because he carries a inside every vampire is a monster, one that’s never been seen or written about. The closer he gets to Maisie, the higher the risk that it could escape containment. When sparks fly between them, will the hidden creature emerge and ruin his chance at love?
This is a cozy, sweet and steamy monster romance novella that takes place in the small town of Hallow's Cove, a shared world in a multi-author series. Vacationing with the Vampire features a book-loving, grumpy vampire MMC, a bright and sunny FMC, blood drinking, and a monstrous transformation. Please check the content warnings on the author's website or in the book sample.
It’s no secret that Barnaby the bookstore owner is a vampire, but he’s long since tamed his urge to drink human blood. That is, until Maisie arrives in Hallow’s Cove. Her blood smells utterly wonderful, and Barnaby finds himself drawn to her scent just as much as he is to her genuine, curious personality.
But Barnaby fears his attraction, too, because he carries a inside every vampire is a monster, one that’s never been seen or written about. The closer he gets to Maisie, the higher the risk that it could escape containment. When sparks fly between them, will the hidden creature emerge and ruin his chance at love?
This is a cozy, sweet and steamy monster romance novella that takes place in the small town of Hallow's Cove, a shared world in a multi-author series. Vacationing with the Vampire features a book-loving, grumpy vampire MMC, a bright and sunny FMC, blood drinking, and a monstrous transformation. Please check the content warnings on the author's website or in the book sample.
218 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2025
295 people are currently reading
1409 people want to read
About the author
Lyonne Riley
32 books858 followersLyonne Riley writes super steamy monster romance, fantasy romance, and sci-fi romance. She lives in the middle of nowhere with her spouse and two dogs, writing spicy fairy tales.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 408 reviews
January 3, 2025
✨4.25 (rounded to 4 for GR)
🌶️2.25
The story of a grumpy and historically kinky vampire bookseller and a hardworking but down-on-her-luck gaming programmer willing to be turned into a vampire to spend eternity with him but marriage gave her pause. I loved it.
🧛🏼♂️ Vampire MMC x human FMC
⚰️ [Inherent] age gap (MMC 230+ years old, but was turned around late 40s x FMC mid-20s)
🩸 Biting and blood sucking. Sexual elements from feeding from each other, the bite can make an orgasm more powerful
🦇 Oh you have a ‘monster’ form? And EVERYTHING gets bigger? 😉
📕 Magical monster town, more multi-author entries within the world of Hallow’s Cove to come
♥️ HFN/HEA
Vacationing with the Vampire by Lyonne Riley is a cozy paranormal romance that features plenty of steam, a take of vampires that flips most lore onto its head, a monstrous form, and small town filled with magical residents.
FMC Maisie must take a forced vacation after a disaster at work leads to an investigation of if Maisie is the one that screwed up—her choice after a quick scan is a month’s long stay in a unit above a bookstore in the town of Hallow’s Cove. She misses the little detail that this is a magical monster town, filled with residents of all kinds.
While that shock quickly wears off, Maisie finds that the most off-putting part of the town is her new landlord, vampire Barnaby. He’s grumpy, impatient, and worst of all, a terrible host. And for his part, Barnaby thinks his new tenant is a sunny and annoyingly needy young woman with blood that smells divine. But after surviving on cow’s blood for so long now, Barnaby banishes the thought.
When apartment furnishing and casual book talk quickly start to propel a deepening connection between the two, Maisie fears Barnaby is holding back because of the looming deadline of their budding relationship, while Barnaby fears he’ll no longer be able to hold his true, monstrous form at bay. The monster that says…
MINE.
Maisie and Barnaby were such a cute couple—I love the character growth of Barnaby starting out grumpy and cold, but then slowly beginning to care until Maisie is all he wants, to love and to protect and provide for her every whim. A far cry from begrudgingly providing basic apartment furniture.
I also think this was a perfect story length—it set up the larger town and future stories while also telling a complete story for the main characters. It was a true novella that knew exactly what it wanted to do.
Hallow's Cove series:
Vacationing with the Vampire in Hallow's Cove by Lyonne Riley-4.25✨
Going Au Naturale by L.E. Eldridge
Love is Trash by Emily Antionette
Gaming with the Gargoyle by Kass O'Shire
When Mermaids Fly by Allegra Hall
Screwed by the Minotaur by Jenifer Wood
Wolves and Whipped Cream by Ash Raven
Snowed In by Petra Palerno
🌶️2.25
The story of a grumpy and historically kinky vampire bookseller and a hardworking but down-on-her-luck gaming programmer willing to be turned into a vampire to spend eternity with him but marriage gave her pause. I loved it.
🧛🏼♂️ Vampire MMC x human FMC
⚰️ [Inherent] age gap (MMC 230+ years old, but was turned around late 40s x FMC mid-20s)
🩸 Biting and blood sucking. Sexual elements from feeding from each other, the bite can make an orgasm more powerful
🦇 Oh you have a ‘monster’ form? And EVERYTHING gets bigger? 😉
📕 Magical monster town, more multi-author entries within the world of Hallow’s Cove to come
♥️ HFN/HEA
Vacationing with the Vampire by Lyonne Riley is a cozy paranormal romance that features plenty of steam, a take of vampires that flips most lore onto its head, a monstrous form, and small town filled with magical residents.
FMC Maisie must take a forced vacation after a disaster at work leads to an investigation of if Maisie is the one that screwed up—her choice after a quick scan is a month’s long stay in a unit above a bookstore in the town of Hallow’s Cove. She misses the little detail that this is a magical monster town, filled with residents of all kinds.
While that shock quickly wears off, Maisie finds that the most off-putting part of the town is her new landlord, vampire Barnaby. He’s grumpy, impatient, and worst of all, a terrible host. And for his part, Barnaby thinks his new tenant is a sunny and annoyingly needy young woman with blood that smells divine. But after surviving on cow’s blood for so long now, Barnaby banishes the thought.
When apartment furnishing and casual book talk quickly start to propel a deepening connection between the two, Maisie fears Barnaby is holding back because of the looming deadline of their budding relationship, while Barnaby fears he’ll no longer be able to hold his true, monstrous form at bay. The monster that says…
MINE.
Maisie and Barnaby were such a cute couple—I love the character growth of Barnaby starting out grumpy and cold, but then slowly beginning to care until Maisie is all he wants, to love and to protect and provide for her every whim. A far cry from begrudgingly providing basic apartment furniture.
I also think this was a perfect story length—it set up the larger town and future stories while also telling a complete story for the main characters. It was a true novella that knew exactly what it wanted to do.
Hallow's Cove series:
Vacationing with the Vampire in Hallow's Cove by Lyonne Riley-4.25✨
Going Au Naturale by L.E. Eldridge
Love is Trash by Emily Antionette
Gaming with the Gargoyle by Kass O'Shire
When Mermaids Fly by Allegra Hall
Screwed by the Minotaur by Jenifer Wood
Wolves and Whipped Cream by Ash Raven
Snowed In by Petra Palerno
March 27, 2025
Barnaby was such a grumpus and needed someone to shake up his life. Maisie had some sunshine energy to lighten him up. They were very sweet together and found acceptance in one another’s arms. Hallow’s Cove is a fun universe and I’m hoping Mr Werewolf is getting a book 👀
Spice: 3/5
Triggers: violence, blood, discussion of murder, grief, death, discussion of buried alive
Spice: 3/5
Triggers: violence, blood, discussion of murder, grief, death, discussion of buried alive
January 9, 2025
5 stars✨
Oooo I loved this so much! Loved everything about this book tbh. I was hooked from the very start. I don’t know how to explain it except every little thing just hit right for me. I love Maisie and Barnaby as their own characters and together so much🥹
Oooo I loved this so much! Loved everything about this book tbh. I was hooked from the very start. I don’t know how to explain it except every little thing just hit right for me. I love Maisie and Barnaby as their own characters and together so much🥹
September 16, 2025
Another case of the MMC’s entire personality being “grumpy.” In reality he was just rude. Prim, proper, and painfully boring 🙄🤢 their chemistry was so nonexistent that I ended up skipping the smut scenes because they were way too awkward lol the FMC didn’t help either. She was so freaking whiny. Honestly I disliked both MCs.
“She leads me to a vehicle unlike anything I've ever seen before. It's shiny and chrome and looks more like an airplane than a car. There is also no door handle.”
Is it just me, or was this described as a tesla cybertruck? Immediately no. More reasons why I didn’t like the characters and now the author too 🙂 is this petty? Maybe. Idc.
Truly marvelous how this author managed to make a vampire book boring.
1st person - dual pov
age gap - fmc ?/mmc 230
no virgins
no condoms
no sharing
no real owd but mmc reminisces about a past lover a few times
no omd
no cheating
no 3rd act breakup
hea
“She leads me to a vehicle unlike anything I've ever seen before. It's shiny and chrome and looks more like an airplane than a car. There is also no door handle.”
Is it just me, or was this described as a tesla cybertruck? Immediately no. More reasons why I didn’t like the characters and now the author too 🙂 is this petty? Maybe. Idc.
Truly marvelous how this author managed to make a vampire book boring.
1st person - dual pov
age gap - fmc ?/mmc 230
no virgins
no condoms
no sharing
no real owd but mmc reminisces about a past lover a few times
no omd
no cheating
no 3rd act breakup
hea
December 21, 2024
My opinion REMAINS that Lyonne writes the BEST fictional couples there is. This book was so freaking CUTE!!! As usual the contrast between the characters was sooo perfect. Barnaby was the absolute DREAM gentleman and Maisie so sweet and charming. I love love love how totally different these two were whilst also having similarities between themselves to bond over. The imperfect characters Lyonne writes, with diverse bodies and faults and quirks make her books soooo refreshing.
And this setting?!? So quaint and cosy. I never wanted to leave Hallows Cove and these two.
Totally recommend this as a new year read.
THANK YOU LYONNE<3
And this setting?!? So quaint and cosy. I never wanted to leave Hallows Cove and these two.
Totally recommend this as a new year read.
THANK YOU LYONNE<3
October 27, 2025
I love a grumpy vampire!!!!
November 9, 2025
This is exactly what I needed today. Cute, predictable, and mindless.
It’s about a girl who’s forced to take a vacation by her boss and accidentally books a stay in a monster town. Her rental is an apartment above a bookstore run by a grumpy vampire. Then it becomes a romance between the two of them, obviously.
If you like this, I would also suggest, “The Vampire in the Bookstore,” by Elle M. Drew.
It’s about a girl who’s forced to take a vacation by her boss and accidentally books a stay in a monster town. Her rental is an apartment above a bookstore run by a grumpy vampire. Then it becomes a romance between the two of them, obviously.
If you like this, I would also suggest, “The Vampire in the Bookstore,” by Elle M. Drew.
January 6, 2025
ARC review
What a new and excellent take on vampires 🤩
A vacation to an apartment above a bookstore AND a grumpy mmc with a ton of antique furniture he lets you borrow? SOLD!!
I am so excited for the rest of the series !!
What a new and excellent take on vampires 🤩
A vacation to an apartment above a bookstore AND a grumpy mmc with a ton of antique furniture he lets you borrow? SOLD!!
I am so excited for the rest of the series !!
December 31, 2024
3.5/5
It is not my favorite of her books. But that is a high bar to reach. I love Lyonne and her characters so much. Especially the trollkin. it’s also hard to beat the Minotaur husband. But there was a certain coziness and charm to this book. It was like a warm blanket and it was a quick read.
That being said; I wish there had been more chemistry between the MCs, Maisie and Barnaby. They felt a little 2D but that added to the small town vibes in some way. I just didn’t expect it since her other books have such vibrant characters and strong chemistry.
Also I don’t understand Barnaby’s thought process or motivations. He doesn’t want to get close to Maisie because she will leave but then starts wooing her? He left the coven because he was horrified that they turned a young man into a vampire but was horrified by the implied hundreds that he killed?
Regardless it was sweet and quick and cozy. it reminded me of Hazel Mack’s series, but better written.
Monster (vampire). Gamer FMC. Age gap (230 and late 20s?). Blood play. Biting. Beast form sex. Turning into vampire. Death (off page). Mild violence on page (not between MCs). Marriage. No OMD/OWD. No cheating. No breakup. No pregnancy (not possible). Epilogue with her turned.
It is not my favorite of her books. But that is a high bar to reach. I love Lyonne and her characters so much. Especially the trollkin. it’s also hard to beat the Minotaur husband. But there was a certain coziness and charm to this book. It was like a warm blanket and it was a quick read.
That being said; I wish there had been more chemistry between the MCs, Maisie and Barnaby. They felt a little 2D but that added to the small town vibes in some way. I just didn’t expect it since her other books have such vibrant characters and strong chemistry.
Also I don’t understand Barnaby’s thought process or motivations. He doesn’t want to get close to Maisie because she will leave but then starts wooing her? He left the coven because he was horrified that they turned a young man into a vampire but was horrified by the implied hundreds that he killed?
Regardless it was sweet and quick and cozy. it reminded me of Hazel Mack’s series, but better written.
Monster (vampire). Gamer FMC. Age gap (230 and late 20s?). Blood play. Biting. Beast form sex. Turning into vampire. Death (off page). Mild violence on page (not between MCs). Marriage. No OMD/OWD. No cheating. No breakup. No pregnancy (not possible). Epilogue with her turned.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2025
Overall I enjoyed Barnaby and Maisie. I loved that a vampire owned a bookstore and antiques for an antique shop. I loved the beach town and nature vibes when Maisie would explore. I also loved the monsters that lived in Hallows Cove.
October 31, 2025
I love me a vampire
April 7, 2025
3.9 I’m glad the Mmc found happiness
January 4, 2025
4 ⭐️ The first book in the Hallow's Cove-series is sweet, exciting and with a great grumpy x sunshine duo. This duo is known as Maisie, the computer geek that is forced on vecation by her boss, and Barnaby, the grumpy vampire with a love for old books and who is less found of kids with greasy sticky fingers that might ruin his presious antiques. I had a very nice time with this story, and the dynamic between the two characters are great. The attention to detail, such as Barnaby speaking in an old fashioned style of English and actually behaving like a really old vampire, I thought was a great touch. It's also a lot of excitment with the secret Branaby is keeping from Maisie, which I thought was executed very well. If you love the idea of a cozy, turist monster-town, grumpy x sunshine-trope, hot vampires and a mayor that will do anything to keep the turist coming back to Hallow's Cove, this is a book for you! A big thank you to the author who gave me an arc of this wounderful book! <3
December 31, 2024
Barnaby is the stoic vampire who owns a bookstore in Hallows Cove which is a small town inhabited by monsters and a lovely vacation spot for humans during the summer. Maisie is the vibrant vacationer who rents the apartment above Barnaby’s bookstore and their interests in each other develops from there as Maisie is determined to kill Mr. Grumpy ( Barnaby) with kindness.
This was such a cute story! I love every and anything that has to do with vampires so I was very happy to get a chance to read this book.
This was such a cute story! I love every and anything that has to do with vampires so I was very happy to get a chance to read this book.
January 1, 2025
I adore Lyonne Riley's couples!!! This book was so cute and I couldn't put it down! Super cozy, spicy, and heartwarming! Dare I say, I shed a tear or two. Lol
December 31, 2024
I would like to extend my thanks to the author who provided me with an ARC of this book.
This book was pure monster romance junk food! Sweet, low stakes, and cute. Perfect for a quick book snack.
The FMC was modern and relatable. The MMC was broody and grumpy, but ultimately warm and caring.
This book was pure monster romance junk food! Sweet, low stakes, and cute. Perfect for a quick book snack.
The FMC was modern and relatable. The MMC was broody and grumpy, but ultimately warm and caring.
December 30, 2024
This was SUCH a fun time! If you’re wanting a cosy monster rom com, then truly you’re good to go.
Grumpy vampire sold me immediately but there were genuinely some laugh out loud moments, particularly around calling his trouser snake cute.
‘You think my true forms c*ck is CUTE?’
The relationship is so lovely and real, the town is adorable, and I’m really looking forward to the rest of the Hallows Cove series!
Grumpy vampire sold me immediately but there were genuinely some laugh out loud moments, particularly around calling his trouser snake cute.
‘You think my true forms c*ck is CUTE?’
The relationship is so lovely and real, the town is adorable, and I’m really looking forward to the rest of the Hallows Cove series!
January 2, 2025
I have yet to read a book by Lyonne Riley that I haven't loved!
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was extremely cute and I love the FMC and MMC! I was invested in this book from page one, the story was amazing, the relationship between Maisie and Barnaby was amazing and the smut was also amazing. 👀 If you like smut, you gotta read this, but if not, then you might want to skip this book for there is smut or if you still wanna read it, just skip the smut, because the story is still cute and you might find it worth it!
The book was well written as Lyonne Riley's books always are, which I highly recommend checking out her other books! Especially her Trollkin Lovers series!
I did quite liked Maisie as a FMC, I found her to cute. I also really liked Barnaby. I love a broody MMC. And he was definitely broody. I really loved that Maisie worn down Barnaby's walls and made him happy and in turn he makes her happy. I love how Barnaby loved how inquisitive Maisie is. They are perfect for each other. I will say for a small bit Maisie had me mad at her in fear that she'd start to hate Barnaby when she got to see his true form for the first time, but my madness quickly went away when she realized Barnaby is still himself and she's loves his true form and him.
The ending of the book had me so happy! I absolutely loved it! This entire book was just so sweet and adorable to read.
I'm so invested in reading more of the Hallow's Coves series this year! Definitely need to get them all when they get released!
Thank you Lyonne Riley for an ARC of this amazing book! I was so excited and happy and I was screaming when I got accepted and got the chance to read it early!! I haven't yet finished all of your Trollkin Lovers series, but I plan to and it's one of my favorite series!! I want, nay, I need them all in physical copies and on my shelf!
I highly highly recommend this book to monster romance/monster smut lovers! It was simply amazing and Lyonne Riley never disappoints!
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was extremely cute and I love the FMC and MMC! I was invested in this book from page one, the story was amazing, the relationship between Maisie and Barnaby was amazing and the smut was also amazing. 👀 If you like smut, you gotta read this, but if not, then you might want to skip this book for there is smut or if you still wanna read it, just skip the smut, because the story is still cute and you might find it worth it!
The book was well written as Lyonne Riley's books always are, which I highly recommend checking out her other books! Especially her Trollkin Lovers series!
I did quite liked Maisie as a FMC, I found her to cute. I also really liked Barnaby. I love a broody MMC. And he was definitely broody. I really loved that Maisie worn down Barnaby's walls and made him happy and in turn he makes her happy. I love how Barnaby loved how inquisitive Maisie is. They are perfect for each other. I will say for a small bit Maisie had me mad at her in fear that she'd start to hate Barnaby when she got to see his true form for the first time, but my madness quickly went away when she realized Barnaby is still himself and she's loves his true form and him.
The ending of the book had me so happy! I absolutely loved it! This entire book was just so sweet and adorable to read.
I'm so invested in reading more of the Hallow's Coves series this year! Definitely need to get them all when they get released!
Thank you Lyonne Riley for an ARC of this amazing book! I was so excited and happy and I was screaming when I got accepted and got the chance to read it early!! I haven't yet finished all of your Trollkin Lovers series, but I plan to and it's one of my favorite series!! I want, nay, I need them all in physical copies and on my shelf!
I highly highly recommend this book to monster romance/monster smut lovers! It was simply amazing and Lyonne Riley never disappoints!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2025
This was EXACTLY what I needed! Perfectly sweet, cozy, and spicy! The chemistry between Maisie and Barnaby was palpable. I just loved their dynamics so much, it felt realistic but also romantic. Barnaby can get it any day of the week, and in any form (same goes for Maisie, baby hit me up 👀)
I love the set up of this cozy small town!! MAGICAL I SAY!! MAGICAL!! I immediately want to move here and cause mayhem.
Overall, I just loved every page of this book. A+
📚 Grumpy/Sunshine
📚 Vampire MMC/Human FMC
📚 Monstrous form sexy scenes
📚 blood drinking 🩸
📚 touch her/him and die
📚 forced proximity
I love the set up of this cozy small town!! MAGICAL I SAY!! MAGICAL!! I immediately want to move here and cause mayhem.
Overall, I just loved every page of this book. A+
📚 Grumpy/Sunshine
📚 Vampire MMC/Human FMC
📚 Monstrous form sexy scenes
📚 blood drinking 🩸
📚 touch her/him and die
📚 forced proximity
August 3, 2025
3.75
I think this was the perfect book to start off the Hallow's Cove series. The FMC being told to take a mandatory holiday because she was on the verge of burnout made her book a month long stay at a unit on top of a bookstore called "Bookstore" which is owned by a grumpy vampire.
Maisie was so determined to kill Barnaby with kindness I don't think she expected to find love. I really enjoyed the grumpy/sunshine aspect of the romance.
I am very excited to read the rest of the books in the series!
I think this was the perfect book to start off the Hallow's Cove series. The FMC being told to take a mandatory holiday because she was on the verge of burnout made her book a month long stay at a unit on top of a bookstore called "Bookstore" which is owned by a grumpy vampire.
Maisie was so determined to kill Barnaby with kindness I don't think she expected to find love. I really enjoyed the grumpy/sunshine aspect of the romance.
I am very excited to read the rest of the books in the series!
December 30, 2024
I’ve been so excited to read the Hallow’s Cove series since they first announced it, and I absolutely loved this start to the series!! I was giggling and kicking my feet the whole time.
Barnaby was such a sweet, grumpy MMC. He just needed Maisie to be curious and get him to open up, and he became the sweetest cinnamon roll. And Maisie was so much fun! I loved that she was hard working and persistent.
This story was so fun and cozy and sweet… and definitely super spicy 😶🌫️😏 if you’re looking for a new monster romance, this is perfect!
Read this if you like:
Vampire/Human
Age Gap
Grumpy/Kill Him with Kindness
Cozy Monster Romance
Thank you so much to Lyonne Riley for sending me an ARC for an honest review. 💕
Barnaby was such a sweet, grumpy MMC. He just needed Maisie to be curious and get him to open up, and he became the sweetest cinnamon roll. And Maisie was so much fun! I loved that she was hard working and persistent.
This story was so fun and cozy and sweet… and definitely super spicy 😶🌫️😏 if you’re looking for a new monster romance, this is perfect!
Read this if you like:
Vampire/Human
Age Gap
Grumpy/Kill Him with Kindness
Cozy Monster Romance
Thank you so much to Lyonne Riley for sending me an ARC for an honest review. 💕
December 23, 2024
This was CUTE AF
January 6, 2025
Arc review coming soon
July 18, 2025
Read this on work during breaks. Had to keep a straight face. It was rly hard.
Pls give FMC some more depth. Friends, families, a background. She was so... Cute but... U know?
Pls give FMC some more depth. Friends, families, a background. She was so... Cute but... U know?
July 5, 2025
A quick light read. The romance is a a speed run, and it’s so funny to read “Barnaby” during spicy scenes. But there’s nothing so terrible that it kills the enjoyment of the story.
July 19, 2025
this was so light headed and freaking good! it was exactly what i needed, and now i can wait to read more from Lyonne's books 🙂↕️💘
September 15, 2025
All you need to know to read this: hot grumpy vampire that owns a bookstore. End of.
😊 😊 😊 😊 😊
😊 😊 😊 😊 😊
December 29, 2024
Somewhere between 2 and 3 ⭐️
Although we probably all know beforehand where this book is going, this review contains some small spoilers so I made sure to put a spoiler tag where needed.
🩸 Vampire MMC & human FMC
🏘️ Cozy monster town
🩸 Bookstore romance
🏘️ Insta-love and smut
At the start I was intrigued by the story, because even though the writing was a little bit too much "she did this and then she did that after which she did this" for my liking the premise was interesting and I was expecting a cozy monster romance with a decent amount of 🌶️. For a part the book truly did deliver, but the further we got in the story the more everything started feeling rushed and any climactic event or reveal fell flat. Whenever something shocking happened it was very much "What the hell! Well, ok you know what I'm totally fine with it and your , uwu". They really went from attraction to that by the end of it I felt completely detached from the characters and their relationship.
The buildup to the 🌶️ was so promising, but when it eventually happened there were too many word choices and (internal) conversations happening that made me cring so hard and it really threw me off (please don't make me read in a smut scene ever again.)
I really liked the idea of the story but in the end it kind of fell flat and rushed. It can be a great no-thoughts-just-smut-and-insta-love with a sprinkle of paranormal, but the way it was executed didn't really work for me personally.
Thank you to the author Lyonne Riley and the Hallow's Cove team for an early reading copy. Though it wasn't entirely a success for me, I'm sure there will be a lot of readers who end up loving it.
"I'm going to kill this man with kindness. I'm going to murder him with it, until he can't help but like, at least a little."
Although we probably all know beforehand where this book is going, this review contains some small spoilers so I made sure to put a spoiler tag where needed.
🩸 Vampire MMC & human FMC
🏘️ Cozy monster town
🩸 Bookstore romance
🏘️ Insta-love and smut
At the start I was intrigued by the story, because even though the writing was a little bit too much "she did this and then she did that after which she did this" for my liking the premise was interesting and I was expecting a cozy monster romance with a decent amount of 🌶️. For a part the book truly did deliver, but the further we got in the story the more everything started feeling rushed and any climactic event or reveal fell flat. Whenever something shocking happened it was very much "What the hell! Well, ok you know what I'm totally fine with it and your , uwu". They really went from attraction to that by the end of it I felt completely detached from the characters and their relationship.
The buildup to the 🌶️ was so promising, but when it eventually happened there were too many word choices and (internal) conversations happening that made me cring so hard and it really threw me off (please don't make me read in a smut scene ever again.)
I really liked the idea of the story but in the end it kind of fell flat and rushed. It can be a great no-thoughts-just-smut-and-insta-love with a sprinkle of paranormal, but the way it was executed didn't really work for me personally.
Thank you to the author Lyonne Riley and the Hallow's Cove team for an early reading copy. Though it wasn't entirely a success for me, I'm sure there will be a lot of readers who end up loving it.
August 9, 2025
2.5 stars rounded up.
After a mistake at work nearly costs her job, Maisie goes to Hallow's Cove for a mandatory vacation. Unknowingly, she rent an apartment above a brooding vampire who is attracted to her blood.
Unfortunately, I felt there were a few things lacking in this and it missed the mark for me. I'm a big fan of Lyonne Riley and have read most of her books! The idea for this town was very intriguing, and I'm looking forward to reading the other additions to this series.
While this was set in a quirky town with other paranormals, it lacked the coziness I was expecting. A lot of the townspeople were quite rude (which for plot-sake made sense later in the story) but I never felt like Hollow's Cove or the people in it were that interesting? Which is odd considering she's living above a bookstore, that was never given a name other than "Bookstore"? (Like, wouldn't it have been funny if Barnaby named it after a location in his favorite book? Lol). This felt strangely underdeveloped and rushed to me, and there was no reason to like any characters in this story, not even the FMC or MMC.
Maisie’s motivations were so strange for wanting him to like her (why would she want him to?), and Barnabey’s stoic behavior just made him out to be an asshole (and not even the fun, hot kind. Just straight up rude to her for no reason). They went from mutual dislike to love pretty quickly, with not a lot of development between the characters. When they finally get together in the second half, it does improve.
This book is so different from what Riley has written in the past (I know she can write sexy, heart-felt books) but this was such a strange book to read. It almost felt like she didn’t write it? This could have been a really cute and cozy story but instead I’m left feeling cold and confused. I’m definitely going to read more of her work because she is usually incredible, but for fans of Riley, you could skip this one and be perfectly fine. 🤷♀️
Thank you Lyonne Riley + team for the ARC!
After a mistake at work nearly costs her job, Maisie goes to Hallow's Cove for a mandatory vacation. Unknowingly, she rent an apartment above a brooding vampire who is attracted to her blood.
Unfortunately, I felt there were a few things lacking in this and it missed the mark for me. I'm a big fan of Lyonne Riley and have read most of her books! The idea for this town was very intriguing, and I'm looking forward to reading the other additions to this series.
While this was set in a quirky town with other paranormals, it lacked the coziness I was expecting. A lot of the townspeople were quite rude (which for plot-sake made sense later in the story) but I never felt like Hollow's Cove or the people in it were that interesting? Which is odd considering she's living above a bookstore, that was never given a name other than "Bookstore"? (Like, wouldn't it have been funny if Barnaby named it after a location in his favorite book? Lol). This felt strangely underdeveloped and rushed to me, and there was no reason to like any characters in this story, not even the FMC or MMC.
Maisie’s motivations were so strange for wanting him to like her (why would she want him to?), and Barnabey’s stoic behavior just made him out to be an asshole (and not even the fun, hot kind. Just straight up rude to her for no reason). They went from mutual dislike to love pretty quickly, with not a lot of development between the characters. When they finally get together in the second half, it does improve.
This book is so different from what Riley has written in the past (I know she can write sexy, heart-felt books) but this was such a strange book to read. It almost felt like she didn’t write it? This could have been a really cute and cozy story but instead I’m left feeling cold and confused. I’m definitely going to read more of her work because she is usually incredible, but for fans of Riley, you could skip this one and be perfectly fine. 🤷♀️
Thank you Lyonne Riley + team for the ARC!
January 2, 2025
I was given the chance to review an ARC of Vacationing with the Vampire from the Hallow's Cove team. Many thanks for the chance to read and review the series.
Overall, I did enjoy this book for what it is - a cosy, low stakes romance. I did struggle a bit with certain aspects of it. The world building was there, in that we understand what Hallow’s Cove is and why it was founded, but we didn’t get to experience much of the town aside from a couple of the businesses and the trails that Maisie hikes.
I also felt that the MCs were a bit one dimensional, and sometimes contradictory - Maisie is a workaholic and very passionate about her work in video game development, that we don’t actually hear much about once she’s in Hallow’s Cove… and was meant to be the foil to Barnaby’s grumpy nature. I felt that Maisie only became a proper foil once she was in her apartment in the town when all of the sudden she became this happy, sunshiny character.
Similarly Barnaby (the name makes me cringe horrendously, I’m sorry) didn’t make a ton of sense to me. He supposedly left his coven because he was so concerned with humanity, set up a haven for monsters like himself, and then was a closed-up, grumpy person who doesn’t like anyone. I would have liked to have seen his character flushed out a bit more.
Lastly, I didn’t love the timeline of the romance between Maisie and Barnaby. They went from not really liking each other to having this insta-love storyline who didn’t actually seem to have any sort of meaningful connection beyond their physical attraction to each other. By the end of the book, they’re engaged and Maisie is determined for Barnaby to change her, which didn’t feel very believable.
It was an easy enough light read and I’m excited to see what the rest of the series has in store.
Overall, I did enjoy this book for what it is - a cosy, low stakes romance. I did struggle a bit with certain aspects of it. The world building was there, in that we understand what Hallow’s Cove is and why it was founded, but we didn’t get to experience much of the town aside from a couple of the businesses and the trails that Maisie hikes.
I also felt that the MCs were a bit one dimensional, and sometimes contradictory - Maisie is a workaholic and very passionate about her work in video game development, that we don’t actually hear much about once she’s in Hallow’s Cove… and was meant to be the foil to Barnaby’s grumpy nature. I felt that Maisie only became a proper foil once she was in her apartment in the town when all of the sudden she became this happy, sunshiny character.
Similarly Barnaby (the name makes me cringe horrendously, I’m sorry) didn’t make a ton of sense to me. He supposedly left his coven because he was so concerned with humanity, set up a haven for monsters like himself, and then was a closed-up, grumpy person who doesn’t like anyone. I would have liked to have seen his character flushed out a bit more.
Lastly, I didn’t love the timeline of the romance between Maisie and Barnaby. They went from not really liking each other to having this insta-love storyline who didn’t actually seem to have any sort of meaningful connection beyond their physical attraction to each other. By the end of the book, they’re engaged and Maisie is determined for Barnaby to change her, which didn’t feel very believable.
It was an easy enough light read and I’m excited to see what the rest of the series has in store.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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