Author: Lyonne Riley

Series: Hallow’s Cove

First Published: 01 January 2025

“I’m definitely falling for that fucking vampire. And I think his good mood says he might be falling for me, too.”  

I will start by saying that I was given an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own. Thank you so much to Lyonne and Hallow’s Cove PR team for sending a copy my way!

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 secret: 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?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; I don’t like small-town romances unless you chock it full of monsters, then I’m in! I’m packing my bags and ready to move it. Vacationing with the Vampire in Hallow’s Cove is such a fun, small-town monster romance that packs in a lot of heart and whole a lot of steam.

Maisie came to Hallow’s Cove after her boss forced her to take a mandatory vacation. The game she was working on crashed when it went live.because of a bug infecting the server. Her boss will investigate to see if Maisie caused the error She chooses Hallow’s Cove as her destination, as it is relatively close to home and has a rental available for a month. Hallow’s Cove is a monster town, which Maisie surprisingly notices on arrival, but is more shocked that this tourist destination is a technology-dead zone. Her rental is above the town’s bookstore. Her landlord, Barnaby, is a major grump and does what he can to push her away. Barnaby has weaned himself of human blood and conquered that urge until Maisie. Barnaby is battling his attraction as every vampire carries a monstrous secret that, if unleashed, could hurt her.

Maisie is a woman in STEM, which I just love. She dedicates herself to her job and is a textbook workaholic. Maisie is distraught at the thought of losing her dream job. The ongoing investigation has left her in limbo, unsure of her job security. I adored watching her take the time to unwind — even if she resisted at first — and discover what life can offer outside of work. She spends her days reading, hiking, exploring the little town and bantering with her grumpy landlord.

Barnaby is your stoic bookshop owner. He gives me all the Black Books vibes with the added bonus of him being a vampire. I will say, when I first saw that we have vampires in this town, I wasn’t sure just how monstrous they would be. But never fear Lyonne Riley understood the assignment and gave us an interesting, monstrous twist to the vamps. I loved that sunlight isn’t deadly to Barnaby, but irritates him and makes him grumpy. I adored learning more about Barnaby underneath his gruff exterior and seeing his dark past.

While Maisie and Barnaby get off to a rocky start, they have a sweet romance. There is a bittersweet touch to it, as they both know Maisie is only in town for a month while the investigation takes place. They both try to live in the present and avoid getting bogged down by what-ifs. I swooned when Barnaby invited her over and cooked, despite not needing to eat, and then read her his favourite book. Honestly, dream date right there. This leads to some truly hot, steamy scenes. Don’t let the illustrated cover fool you. We have some serious monster spice including blood play and size difference.

I love, love, love what we got to see of the small town and the different monsters living here. I love the sweet, cozy atmosphere of Hallow’s Cove, a small tourist town. The upcoming books have me excited to see more of this town.

Vacationing with the Vampire in Hallow’s Cove is the first book in a shared universe, which includes several incredible monster and paranormal romance authors. I cannot wait for the rest of the books in this series to be released. The next instalment is Going Au Naturale by L.E. Eldridge. If you are in the mood for a short monster romance that is equal parts sweet and steamy, I highly recommend diving into this one!