My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine

Narrated by Gilli Messer

Standalone in a series. Paranormal Romcom.

Kristen Ashley, one of my favorite authors, posted a rec for My Roommate is a Vampire and My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine. My maiden name is Levine, plus there was a Jewish character, so my finger couldn’t click fast enough. I’m so glad I did! This was a fun change of pace—a vampire romcom. It was campy, light, a little goofy, and exactly what I needed.

Cassie Greenberg is a struggling artist about to get evicted from her apartment. When she comes across an ad for a room in a good Chicago neighborhood for only $200, she’s suspicious but desperate.

Frederick J. Fitzwilliam hasn’t gotten much response on his ad (probably because it sounded too good to be true). Cassie ignores the red flags and moves in with the gorgeous guy who dresses and talks like he’s from the 1800s, sleeps all day, and goes out all night “for business.” He’s nothing but nice and welcoming, leaving her cute notes around the apartment since they’re rarely awake at the same time.

But when Cassie stumbles across something in the apartment that defies explanation, Frederick has to come clean—he’s a vampire who’s been asleep for a century, with only his outrageous vampire friend Reginald to show him the modern world. He needs a human roommate to help him fit in.

“I sit at my desk at 2 in the morning, desperately trying to remind myself that Miss Greenberg is a lady. A lady whose beauty far surpasses what I noticed when we first met. A lady with lovely curves, delightful freckles dusting the bridge of her nose, and a mouth that will now haunt my dreams— but a lady nonetheless.
It would appear that I must also remind a certain traitorous part of my anatomy— one that has not responded thusly to a woman in over one hundred years— of this fact as well.”

Honestly, this isn’t a book that’s going to become a classic. It was silly, a little shallow, and had some plot holes. But I listened to the whole thing with a smile on my face in one day and immediately downloaded the next.

“Over the past two weeks I’ve discovered that in this city of millions, you are one of a kind.” His words carried a quiet intensity I could feel in the pit of my stomach…
“Do not think for one moment that you are replaceable, Cassie Greenberg,” he said. He sounded almost angry. “For you are anything but.”

Likes:

Fun, goofy and light, it doesn’t pretend to be anything else.
I read the whole thing with a smile on my face.
Low angst, sweet, feel-good romance.
I loved all the characters, especially Reginald.

Dislikes:

There are plot holes—what does he do at night?
I would have liked a little more vampire lore.
He was so up-to-date on some things and lost on others, it didn’t quite make sense.
The ending wrapped up too quickly.

The Narration:

The single POV narration by Gilli Messer was just perfect for young Cassie Greenberg. I truly enjoyed the audio performance.

The Down & Dirty:

If you’re looking for something lighthearted and don’t expect a major literary masterpiece, My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine is a delightful palate cleanser between heavier reads. It’s silly, sweet, low angst, and fun—a paranormal romcom with fangs that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I love a goofy read once in a while, and this fit the bill perfectly. I’m already moving on to My Vampire Plus-One.

My Roommate is a Vampire proves that sometimes the best romances are the ones that just make you smile from start to finish.