A Honeymoon of Grave Consequence

The Unexpected Adventures of Lady and Lord Riven #2

by Stephanie Burgis

Margaret, Lady Riven, never expected to find herself married, much less enjoying a honeymoon with her vampiric husband. Of course, they’ve only agreed to stay married for logical, practical reasons, but Lord Riven has kept his promise to supply her with excellent tea and even better company as they travel together across the continent. Unfortunately, her newfound notoriety has traveled along with them – so she’s delighted when they arrive at a secluded inn deep within the Black Forest, far from high society.

However, the inn is full of lethal supernatural creatures who find Margaret’s arrival anything but welcome—and for all of Margaret’s academic prowess, she’s infamously inept at making friends. When a new threat appears in her own mirror, she finally realizes that the greatest danger is to her heart...and she’ll have to rely on a remarkable assortment of newfound allies to help her save the immortal vampire who holds it.

A sparkling sequel to A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience that includes strong tea, light banter, and an introvert learning that she can find true community and acceptance after all.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Vampires, Cozy, Cozy Fantasy, Novella

170 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 29, 2025

About the author

I grew up in America, but now I live in Wales with my husband, fellow writer Patrick Samphire, our two sons, and our sweet (and extremely vocal) tabby cat, Pebbles. I write fantasy rom-coms for adults (most recently Claws and Contrivances and Good Neighbors) and fun MG fantasy adventure novels, too (most recently The Raven Crown duology). My next series will be the adult romantasy trilogy The Queens of Villainy, published by Tor Bramble, starting in 2025 with Wooing the Witch Queen.

To get early sneak peeks at new stories and novels, sign up for my newsletter here: stephanieburgis.com/newsletter.

To join my Dragons' Book Club and get early copies of every ebook that I put out myself (so, all of my novellas, short story ebooks, etc!), check out my Patreon page, where I also published a series of fantasy rom-coms (Good Neighbors) across 2020-2021.

I only rate and review the books that I like, which is why all of my ratings are 4 or 5 stars.

Reviews

[Stephanie]

It's out everywhere now, hooray! Here's to cozy-spooky honeymoons filled with supernatural mysteries and good tea. :)

[sil ♡ the book voyagers · Rating 4 out of 5]

‧˚꒰🍷꒱༘‧— The honeymoon of your dreams inside an inn filled with supernatural creatures, a vampire, a snarky scholar, and a legendary magical item —‧˚꒰🍷꒱༘‧

Thank you Stephanie for sending me the sequel to A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience! When I read that, I fell in love with the characters and the romance, so I mentioned wanting a sequel of at least a new adventure. And Stephanie DID THAT!!! Oh thank you thank you. This is what I wanted hands down. Just another lil adventure of them figuring out another mystery, setting off to a new place, meeting more intriguing and fascinating characters, and let their romance develop further.

So, in this novella (which is longer than the first novella yay!), we get to see Margaret and Lord Riven once again. Their marriage might have started off as convenient and a farce, but it might be developing into something more... intense? I LOVE TO SEE IT. I love how devoted and down-bad-for-her Lord Riven is. He always ALWAYS calls her "my dear" and I seriously pass out!! 🦇 I just love a good pet name.

You know me - now that Stephanie has created a series out of that first novella, maybeeee we might get more of these adventures? OH I WISH. I wouldn't mind getting back to these characters once again!

[hea booktubes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful continuation. An obsessed vampire husband worshipping his scholarly wife while she solves the mysteries of the universe and the supernatural. Also he’s a people person and she’s an introvert.

[ChellesOfBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars
Content warning: unconsented monitoring, self-worth struggles in side characters, death (not on page)

Thank you to the author for kindly inviting me to read an early digital copy. All thoughts are my own.

I devoured the first novella in this series last year, so I was thrilled when Stephanie Burgis announced a sequel to Lady and Lord Riven's adventures. I knew I would return to a world of delightful banter, scholarly pursuits, and Margaret's no-nonsense personality, but what I wasn't ready for was the amazing found family aspect of this read.

As soon as the married couple arrived at the supernatural inn along their honeymoon travels, I was certain this sequel would transport me somewhere amazing. Watching Margaret, who was accustomed to being left to her own devices as a woman scholar in this time period, navigate and find solace and camaraderie among the inn's residents was such a delight. Lord Riven has always been incredibly supportive of Margaret and her intellect, and I enjoyed his continuous praise and gentle guidance, along with their marriage intimacy, which showed a pair well in love despite Margaret being a human and he a vampire, and living in different day/night hours. But the star of this book was Leonie, and how Margaret went from botching her intentions with the newly turned supernatural entity, to forming a strong bond and friendship with her. As an introvert, Margaret struggles with anything involving others unless her studies lead the way, and it was a clever touch to weave both her interest in the supernatural and her personal stake in protecting that of her husband's world.

The villainy in this story is well done, especially whilst building on Margaret's character development and the found family aspects, and given this is another novella, Burgis' skill in creating a fully fledged world with immersive world imagery, a new whole cast of side characters, and a darker obstacle to eradicate, has left me in awe. The ending has me excited for what may come next in this novella series, and cemented Burgis' writing style as one I truly adore.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Margaret and her vampiric husband are on their honeymoon tour (after successfully beating her morally bankrupt family in court and getting her inheritance back) and they're making waves. Actually, one of Margaret's papers has made some waves and Margaret is desperate to stop all the horrible socializing that comes with the recognition. Hence, she and Lord Riven have booked a stay at an isolated inn in the Black Forest.

The inn comes with some colorful (and slightly unfriendly) individuals, but Margaret is used to being snubbed (ahh, the price of being a woman in academia) and the solitude is worth it.

Except...there might be something going on in the forest. Something that could put Margaret, Lord Riven, and the others in danger. Margaret's going to have to win over the supernatural inhabitants of the inn if she hopes to figure out what's going on before something very bad happens. Unfortunately, that means Margaret's going to have to socialize. Something she's not very good at and genuinely tries to avoid. (To be fair, Lord Riven has no problem shouldering the socializing side of their marriage. In fact, he kind of enjoys it after spending time with only himself before Margaret crashed into his life.)

A little danger, a nefarious plot, some delightful flirting, acceptance, good tea, and a newly married couple who have no problem with their other half's quirks. GOOD TIMES!

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Suzannah Rowntree]

Delightful, bite-sized follow-up to A MARRIAGE OF UNDEAD INCONVENIENCE! Lady academic Margaret Riven and her devoted vampire husband head to the Black Forest to pursue her studies, and find themselves embroiled in a supernatural property dispute. This novella manages to be both in a delightfully similar vein to the EMILY WILDE books and yet also its very own thing.

[Julia Sarene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second novella in the series takes everything I loved about the first book and makes it even better. Lord and Lady Riven are now newly married, and what began as a marriage of convenience has blossomed into something deeper, tender, and ever so fresh. It is still early in their marriage, and they are adjusting to each other, discovering what it means to truly love someone without taking each other for granted.

“There will be no disparaging my wife,” he said firmly. “I’ll have you know, if I were offered the choice between freedom to roam the world without you or a return to my imprisonment forevermore—but with you by my side—I would choose you above all other considerations. I didn’t ally with you in hopes that you would make idle small talk for me with strangers; oddly enough, I’m actually capable of managing that for myself.”

Margaret, human and spirited, and Lord Riven, a vampire, complement each other beautifully. She dislikes society balls and small talk, he thrives in a crowd. Together they form a balance of strengths, stepping in where the other struggles. Margaret is not antisocial, she simply prefers clarity, science and straight talk over the intricacies of social performance. She is fiercely loyal and wise. As someone who is autistic and who experiences social anxiety, I resonated so deeply with her perspective. Seeing her honored for who she truly is felt comforting and powerful.

The setting this time adds its own magic: a secluded inn deep in the Black Forest. The inn is quirky, a little chaotic with so many different supernatural guests and their quirks, but also deeply cosy and welcoming. It becomes a true safe haven, where strange beings can gather without judgment, and that warmth seeps through the pages. Right from the very start the book shows its blend of cosy banter, playful humour and adventurous charm. Just look at this little snippet:

“Ohhh.” The word was half-sighed, half-moaned as the eyes disappeared and the door began to creak shut once more. “Oh noooo. Foolish mortal! This is not a place for such as youuuuu.”

“Nonsense!” said Margaret sharply, and stepped forward to hold the heavy door in place with both hands. “This stop was chosen with great care, and I believe you’ll find that our reservation for the month has been paid in full.”

“But… wait, stop that… no, you can’t understaaand...ouch!” A high-pitched yelp sounded as the rough bottom edge of the door at the center of their skirmish apparently scraped against an invisible foot.

“Has there been some difficulty with our booking?” Lord Riven’s voice was mild, but as he stepped up behind Margaret, he braced one strong hand beside hers in support, effectively ending the physical battle.

“Oh, you poor, innocent fools!” the voice groaned. “If you only had any notion of the dark horrors that lie in wai—oh.” The voice’s tone shifted abruptly as the glowing eyes reappeared and fixed on Lord Riven’s face. “You’re no human.”

“Indeed not.” Lord Riven smiled thinly, the tips of his sharp canine teeth visible by the dim glow of the nearby carriage lamp. “Nor have I been innocent for quite some centuries now, I assure you.”

That mix of wit, banter and gothic atmosphere runs through the whole novella, and it is enriched by the folklore that fills the inn. Wolpertinger, Tatzelwurm, Nixe, Nachzehrer and more appear, each with their own quirks and strengths. They are strange and otherworldly yet oddly endearing, and together they create a sense of found family that is both magical and comforting. My personal favourite was the Nachzehrer, a creature I had never come across before despite being German. Watching her arc unfold was a highlight, and the fact she stood out among such a wonderful ensemble says a lot.

Although it is a novella, the story never feels shallow or hurried. It carries a surprising amount: humour, romance, loyalty, friendship, folklore, adventure, banter, and emotional resonance. The chemistry between Margaret and Lord Riven feels lived in even in this short span. Stephanie Burgis shows how richly layered a novella can be.

A Honeymoon of Grave Consequence is cosy fantasy at its best, filled with supernatural folklore, found family warmth, and the fresh spark of newlywed romance. A short book with a big heart, it is the perfect escape into magic, humour and love.

[Nicole (bookwyrm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very fun sequel to A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience, and is happily about twice the length of that first story. That gives us plenty of time to get to know Lord and Lady Riven as a properly married couple navigating their new marriage. Since they didn't have any proper courtship, they learned to like each other book one, and in this one the "like" develops into "love." I really enjoyed the gender-flipped aspect of society outings; instead of Margaret being the one to enjoy social gatherings while her husband tolerates them only for her sake, here he is the one who flourishes in company while she only struggles through it.

While I did enjoy seeing their relationship grow, I think my favorite part was getting to also know the other paranormal creatures in the book. (And I hope future books continue to develop the world-building and creature types!) Even with Margaret's lack of social skills, I enjoyed seeing her develop friendships with the other residents of the inn where the book takes place.

The plot itself has some nice similarities with the first book. Here, Margaret is again on the search for a magical artifact, and as before complications arise when she discovers what the artifact actually is and who has it. The fairy tale retelling is a bit less obvious for most of this book than it was for the first in the series, but it's still present and a lot of fun. I especially enjoyed how the book resolved, though I'll leave those details for you to discover for yourself.

[Sibil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the author. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The short version of this review is: you need this series in your life. Run and read it. Now! (Also, you can find my review of the first novella here).

Now… for the longer version. This is a series of novellas, so they are pretty short and quick to read. And they will leave you wanting more. Because they can be short, but there is so much between these pages!
When I started this one, I just devoured it, without putting it down, because immersing myself in this world, with these characters, is pure bliss. And it was a bit like going back home, too, or visiting some old friends.

Lady Riven is my favorite kind of character, or one of the favorites. She is a woman and not a young girl; she is pragmatic, she is competent, she loves her work, and she is an introvert at heart. And this last part made it so easy for me to find her relatable! And I love to see competent people doing what they love.
It is so satisfying!
And Lord Riven is sooo swoon worthy! He is also a big green flag who walks around. And I know that I should say something more about him, because he is a great character on his own, but the best part is his relationship with Margaret, his being the perfect man for the job, so to speak.

And in this story, we follow the newlywed couple while they visit Germany for their honeymoon. And we get to meet some creatures from the Germanic folklore, and I loved this part, because we meet some really uncommon ones, and even if this is a short story, they are well developed, they are not simply there to move the plot along, but they feel real, and this is not always so easy to accomplish in a novella.

And last, but not least, the humor. This story is a ton of fun, mostly because of the light banter between the married couple and Margaret on her own. This book has a perfect balance between heart, fun and plot. Really, reading it was such a pleasure!
And sure, I swooned every time Lord Riven appeared, and it was so easy to relate to Margaret, but there is more to this story.
This book made me swoon, it made me giggle, it made me laugh, and it made me involved in the story. It made me care, and it moved me. It’s short, sure, but it is the whole package.
The whole works really well together, and if you are into tea and manners, you can’t miss this series. And you can’t miss it if you love strong female MC (maybe even in the academic field). And you cannot miss it if you love to swoon for supporting love interests who try their best to make their partner shine.
And you should give this one a try if you enjoy Kingfisher’s books or the Emily Wilde series.
To be completely honest, this series gives me what I was expecting from Emily Wilde, and I didn’t get. Mind you, I enjoyed that series, but I didn’t love love it. I can’t really pinpoint what didn’t work, but something was missing. But here? I got everything I was asking for, and more.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun!! Supernatural investigations in the heart of the Black Forest - what other kind of honeymoon is there??

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5? This was cute, but it just didn't have whatever secret sauce the first one had going on.
I'd still read a 3rd (or 4th or 5th) book tho.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The nitty-gritty: A bite-sized cozy fantasy with plenty of heart, A Honeymoon of Grave Consequence brings together folklore, friendships, and a touch of romance.

Stephanie Burgis has written another delightful entry in her cozy supernatural series, and I can’t get enough of these characters. The basic set up is that Margaret and Lord Riven were tricked into an arranged marriage, one that neither wanted, and the first book, A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience, follows their rocky beginnings as they delve into the scheme behind their situation. Eventually they come to like and respect each other, and at the end of the first book we see glimpses of what might turn out to be a true love match. Oh, and did I mention that Lord Riven is a vampire and Margaret is human?

When this story opens, quite a lot has happened off page between the two books. Margaret is a scholar of the supernatural and is happiest when she's doing research. After marrying Lord Riven and discovering the, erm, benefits of marriage, she’s written a shocking paper about how vampire bites can add spice to a relationship. Because of this, Lady and Lord Riven have become very popular in social circles, although Margaret much prefers the company of her dusty books. Now the couple is finally able to take a well deserved honeymoon, and they find themselves in Baden-Württemberg Germany in the heart of the Black Forest. Lord Riven has booked a room at an inn run by a werewolf and populated by other types of supernatural creatures who aren’t thrilled that a human will be staying with them.

But Margaret isn’t scared off by this cold greeting, and instead she sets out to make friends with the other guests. And once she finds out that someone is threatening the supernatural creatures who live in the forest, she is determined to put all her research and detective skills to good use. 

The second book in the series is nearly twice as long as the first one, and I loved it even more. The increased page count allows for lots of character development, and I loved meeting all the new characters at the inn as well. Margaret isn’t put off by the fact that they don’t like or trust humans, and it isn’t long before her natural joy and enthusiasm of discovering new things breaks down their barriers and they realize she just might be an ally. I was particularly fond of Leonie, a German folkloric creature called a nachzehrer with a fascinating origin story. Leonie and Margaret become great friends in this book, and I do hope we see more of her in future installments.

Margaret continues to be a lovely character—smart, caring and inquisitive. She reminded me a bit of Emily Wilde, so if you’re a fan of those books, you will probably love this series as well. Oddly, we didn’t spend a lot of time with Lord Riven, who is often sleeping while Margaret spends time with Leonie and the others, but there are glimpses of their evolving relationship. For a marriage that started out as one of convenience, the two are starting to bond in more ways than one;-) There are hints of a big change down the road (I can’t say more!), although I’m in no rush to get there.

The mystery itself was lots of fun, and Burgis includes a perfectly vile villain who is trying to take back “her” land from the supernatural creatures who have made their home there. The author addresses racism and bigotry in these sections, but she does it with a light touch so as not to ruin the cozy feel of the story.

I did notice a few fairy tale elements (in particular Sleeping Beauty), but I’m not sure I’d go so far as to call this a retelling. Still, I loved these additions to the tale, and they worked so well together.

At the end, Margaret faces an important decision regarding her research, and I loved the way it played out. Burgis even sets things up for the next book, and I am already excited to dive back into the fantastical world of Lady and Lord Riven.

Big thanks to Stephanie Burgis for providing a review copy.

[Lynn Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://lynns-books.com/2025/09/01/re...
4.5 of 5 stars
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Deliciously, Outrageously Cosy and Romantic

I enjoyed the first book in this winning series (A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience) and couldn’t wait to tuck into this second instalment and, to be absolutely brutally honest, this was even better – possibly because I enjoy something a little more meaty and this story is longer than the first – still totally manageable in one delicious bite – but, definitely more to sink your teeth into (I did that on purpose of course).

Now, if you’re planning on reading this, yes, you should read the first instalment, it’s such a beautiful opener and a very quick read so, not only would it be utterly pointless to miss it but also unnecessary – so read it already and do yourself a favour. Oh, also, there may be spoilers in this review so you have been warned – leave now if you haven’t read the first yet.

Margaret and Lord Riven are now happily married, they may not have started out ‘happily’ but their relationship is blooming and, following a slight delay to accommodate Margaret’s (Lady Riven if you will) new found academic acclaim, the two are about to embark on a honeymoon. They’re staying in a remote inn deep in the Black Forest – of course, Margaret shall be using the time, far away from high society, to study and she’s hoping to locate an ancient relic. Imagine the surprise when, upon arrival at the inn, it appears that all the other guests are supernatural creatures – of the lethal variety – and Margaret is only being tolerated because of her equally lethal vampire husband. Perhaps not the most fortuitous of starts, but there is at least good tea.

I shall not elaborate further on the story other than to say it really is a delight of a story with all manner of supernaturals, a baddie on a mission and the very real danger that Lady Riven is in real danger – she’s in much deeper than she thought possible and a broken heart is a real possibility.

What I loved.

This is romantic, and cosy, well written and has great, and realistic, dialogue. Burgis exceeds in all these areas with panache. On top of this there’s an intriguing storyline and an ending that promises more goodness in the future and the whole ensemble has a fairytale feel with castles and glass coffins (but with teeth).

Margaret is a great character to read and her husband is the perfect partner. I love the dynamic between these two and I’m excited to read more. Margaret is the prickly, anti social academic who hates small talk to Lord Riven’s sociable butterfly who loves nothing more than meeting new people. They have a balance that really strikes a chord.

In terms of new characters – well, the other guests at the inn are a feisty bunch – and, I don’t really want to give away spoilers but their eventual acceptance of Margaret as part of their community is positively joyous.

In conclusion this was a little belter and frankly I’m hoping for (and in fact I’m more or less positive that we will have) more adventures with Lady and Lord Riven.

I received a copy courtesy of the author, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

My rating 4.5 of 5 stars

[Anne - Books of My Heart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
 

Review copy was received from Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I've enjoyed everything I have read from this author, no matter the format.  Stephanie Burgis has a style or way with words that only a small group of authors have for me, which makes the words feel clear and go straight to the heart.  There is often a compassionate view of characters who have their issues.

In A Honeymoon of Grave Consequences, the couple has recovered their own finances. Lord Riven always wanted to travel and it is an opportunity for Margaret to study new fields of inquiry. She has reached some notoriety due to her papers on vampire relationships, researching aspects with her husband. However, Margaret does not enjoy parties, and really, people, preferring her reading and study.

So Lord Riven has found a place which is out of the way, for them to stay. In fact, they don't normally allow human guests but since he is a vampire they accept her.  It is near the Black Forest where many magical creatures have begun.  The other residents are not sure they can trust Margaret, particularly Leonie who is a new ghoul. Margaret's lack of social skills don't help her.

Lord Riven, though, has excellent social skills and is also a supernatural, and he is quickly accepted. Margaret is studying papers about something called Reflection's Heart which may be related to the area magic.  At a dinner party with the inn's residents, Margaret may not be able to talk about herself but she easily enthuses about her academic pursuits.  They all see her genuine passion for it, and help her a bit with her research.

I love how these oddball supernatural creatures become a found family for Margaret and her husband when things go badly.  It helps that Margaret is honest and caring, and it becomes clear to all, including Margaret, how she really feels about her husband.

[Anastasia Campo · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️ spicy, but closed door

- AHHHH THE WHIMSY
- AHH THE ROMANCE
- AHH I LOVE MARGARET (weeping rn)
- fantastic pacing
- lovely and beautiful prose and omg
- haunted hotel, moaning monsters, clear crystal streams, forests full of dark corners, billowing steam from excellent tea and beautiful love declarations vibes
- cozy horror adjacent
- just LOOOOOVELY
- sweet and enamored MMC
- fantastical magical creatures side characters
- looking for a soft place to land thoughts going a hundred miles a minute FMC
- gaslamp and lovely

Oh Stephanie. Stephanie, Stephanie, Stephanie. Every time I pick up one of your stories I am reminded of why I love reading and the stories that brought me my deep love of literature. If you’ve ever sought out something to match your love of whimsical and fantastical, quintessentially British prose, STEPHANIE AND HER WORKS ARE YOUR MATCH.

I absolutely adore Margaret. She is everything I’ve ever wanted in an FMC. She’s kind, compassionate, unfazed and sure of herself, while navigating a place and time she doesn’t quite fit. She’s 100% true to herself and has found a partner that loves her for all her quirkiness and desire to research and make every opportunity into a learning one. I adore her. I want to live in her stories from here until eternity.

The cozy vibes of this book are BURSTING at the seams. I’ll never get over the mixture of magical creatures, a curious character, and the world she finds but wasn’t looking for. I love this book. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

October is the perfect time to reacquaint yourself with Margaret and her vampire husband Lord Riven. Now that their marriage is no longer inconvenient (go read the first book to find out how this all came about), they are enjoying an extended European honeymoon. Scholarly Margaret is plunging into the research that she adores while her chatty husband makes new friends. It's all simply delightful, if somebody wasn't plotting death and destruction in the Black Forest. Could it be the nixen, those carnivorous water sprites, or is it the mysterious Baroness who wants to turn her castle into a spa? How about the werewolf running the lonely inn far from anywhere? Luckily the Rivens have arrived to help. And for fans of these tales, there's a strong hint at the end that the author may have some more adventures to tell in this setting. So huzzah for that too.

[Brittany ( BookWyvernLovesTea ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the delightful sequel to A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience and I absolutely love the direction that Lord and Lady Riven are going.
.
It's so obvious that our vampire has ended up besotted with his new bride, but it is utter delight seeing her recognize and admit how she really feels about him.
.
I also LOVED the friendship that blooms between Margaret and the other guests of the hidden supernatural inn they are staying at, as well as some of the residents of the surrounding forest.
The side romance that develops between one of the guests and a nixe was the beeeeeest.
.
While this was a surprising and fun little adventure there were also some heavier underlying themes concerning prejudice and greed.
.
And all of those goodies were packed so neatly into so few pages still seems a marvel to me.

[Karen Keyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lord and Lady Riven, having dealt with her grasping relatives, have finally set off on their tour of the continent. Margaret, Lady Riven, is thrilled to put the social engagements of Paris behind her and settle in for a good long while doing quiet field study deep in the Black Forest. Unfortunately, fate has other plans. Malice lurks unseen and Lady Riven must meet it head on.

I am so happy that Ms. Burgis has given us another story of the delightful Lord and Lady Riven and may there be many more! Their adventures are sweetly romantic amidst the supernatural world they inhabit and the dangers they encounter. A Honeymoon of Grave Consequences is a perfect blend of humor, romance and spooky adventure.

[Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Honeymoon of Grave Consequences is the delightful follow up to A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience. Margaret and Riven have been married for some months and are traveling abroad now that Riven can leave his home. They have selected an out-of-the-way inn in the Black Forest of Germany so that Margaret can continue to academic studies of the supernatural.

Burgis nails it again with A Honeymoon of Grave Consequences. The whimsical story is equally an adventure with dire consequences and a journey of emotional maturing for our heroine. Even though she’s garnered accolades, she is filled with doubt and uncertainty, feeling unworthy even. I love the moment when she realizes she shouldn’t listen to the opinions of those she doesn’t trust, but rather believe in those who know her and have her best interests in mind. I love how she sheds her doubts in earnest. And as part of the process she realizes that how she sees the world isn’t absolute.

Margaret’s adventure is interesting and fun. She continues in her quest for knowledge to understand supernatural beings with the goal of creating a tolerance among humankind. I like that she learns to take into consideration the feelings of those around her.

While A Honeymoon of Grave Consequences can be read as a standalone, I urge readers to start with A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience so you may come to know and love Margaret and Riven. Their romance continues to develop and delight. Burgis creates small interactions filled with such tenderness and desire, giving me all the feels.

My Rating: B+

Review copy provided by the author
Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About

[Kristin Pratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful cozy-spooky fantasy, and really enjoyed more time with Lord and Lady Riven and a wider community of supernatural beings. Lovely sense of community and using knowledge for good and to build bridges, tear down false misinformation and bring understanding. Lot of lovely messages in here about taking time to understand yourself and what you can bring to the world and make it better, as well as finding ways to make your life fulfilling and find your self-worth. A fun, quick read and I look forward to more from this world.

[M. Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an utter delight! Romance, adventure, magic, nods to fairy tales, and found family, with a stubborn, scholarly heroine. I really enjoyed the first in this series and loved this one even more, so I deeply hope the story continues!

I feel like I need to ration my Stephanie Burgis books because otherwise I will gulp them all down--they are always exactly what I'm in the mood for.

Thank you to the author for the arc! Opinions are my own.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable spooky cozy rom-com, I enjoyed this even more than book 1!

On their honeymoon, Lord and Lady Riven make a stop deep in the Black Forest. Lady Riven is excited to do fieldwork to study why there are so many supernatural creatures in that particular area.

This novella is funny and sweet but still provides a lot of character growth for Margaret, Lady Riven. This story is in a similar vein to the really fun Good Neighbors also by Burgis but in a historical setting.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice story.

I liked this. But like a lot of novellas it seemed to skip some parts of the story. I actually looked at Amazon to see if I missed a book because they discuss a court case that I didn’t remember.

[Jassmine]

Yes, please!

[Llinos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Stephanie Burgis's particular flavour of cosy-spooky, and I especially the way that her characters who are seen as monstrous or broken in mainstream society find each other and make communities that feel so warm and safe and creative in a way that gives them what they need to fight back. This book has a lot of that and it's an excellent time. I also love the continuation of the arranged marriage emotional slow-burn - so satisfying to see a character gradually realise she's in love but meanwhile she's already having tons of hot vampire fun with her hot vampire husband, SO GOOD. Also I'm extremely into Lord Riven's devotion to her, extremely swoonworthy top-tier romance! I really enjoyed how this novella played with fairytale tropes and horror tropes, both in the sense of subverting them and having fun with them. Such a warming, enjoyable read!

[Jessica Lerbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sweet and fun; wish it were longer!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun!

Lord and Lady Riven hide away in the Black Forest for their honeymoon, and discover new friends, threats, and truths. Just wonderful.

[Morey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming fun and fast read

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

funny, cozy, lovely, kind. such an enjoyable read. SB is on my "yes, always" list

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the early review copy!

This was a very heartwarming and charming follow-up to A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience, I really enjoyed that this story was a little longer and we got to spend more time with Lord and Lady Riven and see how their relationship was developing. It was also fun to explore a new location and meet quite an eclectic set of new characters! There was an intriguing mystery to solve, some exciting confrontations and of course more delightful romance.

Margaret and Lord Riven's relationship is definitely my favourite part of these books, they work so well together, have such great chemistry and obviously care so deeply about each other. Every scene between them is so wonderful to read.

If we ever get more in this world, I will definitely be reading it, I would love to see more of Lady and Lord Riven's adventures, and I'll certainly continue to read more from Stephanie Burgis as she has a very engaging and clever writing style. I would recommend this series for you if you love other fun and charming fantasy romance series like the Emily Wilde trilogy by Heather Fawcett, or the Love's Academic series by India Holton.