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Half-Moon Hollow #2.5
Undead Sublet
A Story from The Undead in My Bed
In "Undead Sublet" by Molly Harper, executive chef Tess Maitland is banned from her five-star kitchen in Chicago to recover from "exhaustion". Choosing a random rental house in Half-Moon Hollow to spend time in, she's unaware that the house comes with a strange man.
Even though Sam Masden's ex-wife has rented the house out from under him, the divorce settlement allows him access to it for another ninety days. With Tess unable to go anywhere else, and Sam unwilling, a war of epic proportions is declared - and romantic sparks and heavy pots fly.
In "Undead Sublet" by Molly Harper, executive chef Tess Maitland is banned from her five-star kitchen in Chicago to recover from "exhaustion". Choosing a random rental house in Half-Moon Hollow to spend time in, she's unaware that the house comes with a strange man.
Even though Sam Masden's ex-wife has rented the house out from under him, the divorce settlement allows him access to it for another ninety days. With Tess unable to go anywhere else, and Sam unwilling, a war of epic proportions is declared - and romantic sparks and heavy pots fly.
222 pages, Paperback
First published February 13, 2013
9 people are currently reading
1669 people want to read
About the author
Molly Harper
57 books7,987 followersMolly Harper is the author of more than 40 romance titles including the Half-Moon Hollow series, the Mystic Bayou, the Starfall Point series, and her first murder mystery, A PROPOSAL TO DIE FOR. She lives in Michigan with her family. For more information, go to www.mollyharper.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
May 3, 2013
4 Fun Stars! Wonderful addition to the series...and it was FREE!!
No one writes witty, quirky humor like Molly Harper does. I love this series, and the unique town of Half Moon Hollow, where vampires and humans live and work side by side. Snappy dialogue, fun characters, and an amusing and entertaining story. I wish it was longer, Tess and Sam had so much more to tell, I just know it. Hopefully we’ll get to see them in the next book, just like we got to see characters from the past in this book.
On a final note…the narrator Sophie Eastlake, in a word…AMAZING!!! I am off to find more of what this fantastic ‘voice’ has to offer!!
January 7, 2015
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
4 Stars!
I really enjoyed this audible short story. I thought it was quite funny and had a lot of fun with it. I received this short story as a free audible download quite some time ago and just never got around to listening to it. I am trying really hard to get back into the habit of working out and I really like listening to audiobooks at the gym. I really chose this book simply because it looked like something that would keep me entertained and it was relatively short in duration at just a little over 4 hours long.
To be honest, this audiobook and I had a rather rough start. When I first started playing it, I could not stand listening to the narrator because she talked so slowly. I came very close to turning it off and just playing some music but then I remembered that it is possible to adjust the speed of the narration in the audible app so I bumped the setting up to 1.25 times the regular speed and suddenly the narrator sounded like a normal person. Seriously, who talks that slowly?!?!
The audiobook was the perfect story to listen to during my workout. I was actually trying to make excuses to skip the gym but I ended up going just because I wanted to finish this story. That is huge. This story was very funny at times. Tess is forced into taking a break from her restaurant's kitchen after having a nervous breakdown that including talking to vegetable. She rents a house for a month near her mentor to regroup, only she finds that the house was not actually vacant. Sam is a vampire and he lives in the basement. The pair try to push each other out of the house by pulling pranks on each other. At times, their interactions were laugh out loud funny.
Eventually, they are able to call a truce and work together at creating a recipe to enter in the town's bloody bake-off, a competition to jazz up a vampire blood product - Faux Type O. Tess meets a lot of people in the town and I found some of the townspeople to be so much fun. The romance in the story really took a back seat to the humor but that was just fine with me.
I would recommend this story to others. It is listed as being part of a series but I have never read anything by Molly Harper before this and had no trouble following the story so I think it reads perfectly well as a stand alone. I will definitely be looking for more from Molly Harper in the near future.
4 Stars!
I really enjoyed this audible short story. I thought it was quite funny and had a lot of fun with it. I received this short story as a free audible download quite some time ago and just never got around to listening to it. I am trying really hard to get back into the habit of working out and I really like listening to audiobooks at the gym. I really chose this book simply because it looked like something that would keep me entertained and it was relatively short in duration at just a little over 4 hours long.
To be honest, this audiobook and I had a rather rough start. When I first started playing it, I could not stand listening to the narrator because she talked so slowly. I came very close to turning it off and just playing some music but then I remembered that it is possible to adjust the speed of the narration in the audible app so I bumped the setting up to 1.25 times the regular speed and suddenly the narrator sounded like a normal person. Seriously, who talks that slowly?!?!
The audiobook was the perfect story to listen to during my workout. I was actually trying to make excuses to skip the gym but I ended up going just because I wanted to finish this story. That is huge. This story was very funny at times. Tess is forced into taking a break from her restaurant's kitchen after having a nervous breakdown that including talking to vegetable. She rents a house for a month near her mentor to regroup, only she finds that the house was not actually vacant. Sam is a vampire and he lives in the basement. The pair try to push each other out of the house by pulling pranks on each other. At times, their interactions were laugh out loud funny.
Eventually, they are able to call a truce and work together at creating a recipe to enter in the town's bloody bake-off, a competition to jazz up a vampire blood product - Faux Type O. Tess meets a lot of people in the town and I found some of the townspeople to be so much fun. The romance in the story really took a back seat to the humor but that was just fine with me.
I would recommend this story to others. It is listed as being part of a series but I have never read anything by Molly Harper before this and had no trouble following the story so I think it reads perfectly well as a stand alone. I will definitely be looking for more from Molly Harper in the near future.
February 16, 2013
Everything we come to expect from a Molly Harper book. Cute, sweet, laugh out loud funny and thoroughly enjoyable!! My only complaint is, it was a novella therefore too short but it wrapped up nicely and had a fantastic narriator.
March 1, 2013
This was a fun little story. It took quite a while for it to get going, there was a lot of build up and intro type stuff, but once it really started chugging along, it was hilarious and fun.
Also, I just want to clarify that I'm not complaining much about the intro stuff - too often, short stories skim over that stuff when they shouldn't. But I will admit that it took a pretty good chunk of time for the story to even start on the paranormal stuff. I was beginning to wonder why it was called "Undead Sublet" at one point. It felt like a standard fiction story, not paranormal at all, so it was a little bit of a "Huh?" moment for me when the vampire finally made his appearance.
But, like I said, that is a little thing. I really liked the story, and the characters, and the humor. I might have to read more of Molly Harper's stories if they are all this funny. There were some moments that definitely had me giggling out loud. I also really enjoyed the cooking references, and I was getting hungry while some of Tess's concoctions were being described. The human ones, not the vampiric. But speaking of the vampire diet, I did like the name of their blood substitute, Faux Type-O. It's much better than lame-o TrueBlood.
My one actual complaint would be regarding the reader on this one. She did pretty well, overall, but I hated how she read the guys, and the other female characters of Half-Moon Hollow all kind of sounded like they'd taken to huffing helium. The accents were right though, even switching back and forth between them, and that's kind of impressive.
So, overall, a fun story. Definitely worth reading. :)
Also, I just want to clarify that I'm not complaining much about the intro stuff - too often, short stories skim over that stuff when they shouldn't. But I will admit that it took a pretty good chunk of time for the story to even start on the paranormal stuff. I was beginning to wonder why it was called "Undead Sublet" at one point. It felt like a standard fiction story, not paranormal at all, so it was a little bit of a "Huh?" moment for me when the vampire finally made his appearance.
But, like I said, that is a little thing. I really liked the story, and the characters, and the humor. I might have to read more of Molly Harper's stories if they are all this funny. There were some moments that definitely had me giggling out loud. I also really enjoyed the cooking references, and I was getting hungry while some of Tess's concoctions were being described. The human ones, not the vampiric. But speaking of the vampire diet, I did like the name of their blood substitute, Faux Type-O. It's much better than lame-o TrueBlood.
My one actual complaint would be regarding the reader on this one. She did pretty well, overall, but I hated how she read the guys, and the other female characters of Half-Moon Hollow all kind of sounded like they'd taken to huffing helium. The accents were right though, even switching back and forth between them, and that's kind of impressive.
So, overall, a fun story. Definitely worth reading. :)
January 8, 2021
Tess is a chef. She's good at her job and a workaholic. When she's not working, she's working. This forces a break down and she is forced on leave. She elects to go to Half Moon Hallow because her mentor lives there now and would be some support. Unknowingly to her, the house she rents already has an occupant in the basement.
She quickly makes friends and finds a base of support. She and Sam (the roommate) go from enemies to friends to lovers. This was a fun read with the MH certified snark in the Half Moon Hallow universe.
She quickly makes friends and finds a base of support. She and Sam (the roommate) go from enemies to friends to lovers. This was a fun read with the MH certified snark in the Half Moon Hallow universe.
February 21, 2013
3.5 Stars. Fun Stuff. This is a decent short story and a good introduction to the series. Even though this is not the first story in the series, I was not lost. This is typical Molly Harper, Undead Sublet is funny and moves quickly.
Undead Sublet takes place in a small town and involves a girl from a big city looking to start a new life. The story line is very similar to How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf but that was okay for me, because I read/listen to Molly Harper for escape and for a laugh. Both of which were delivered by Undead Sublet.
I got this audio book for free from audible and I intend to go back and read the the rest in this series.
Undead Sublet takes place in a small town and involves a girl from a big city looking to start a new life. The story line is very similar to How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf but that was okay for me, because I read/listen to Molly Harper for escape and for a laugh. Both of which were delivered by Undead Sublet.
I got this audio book for free from audible and I intend to go back and read the the rest in this series.
March 5, 2013
I've mentioned before how I listen to books. Going to and from work, often on the bus I'll listen to a book since looking down and reading makes me feel ill. Today, I did a mix of two things - first I listened to music and wrote on my phone (new app, called Plaintext, recommended to me by Jeffrey Ricker, and the influence of Rebekah Weatherspoon who often writes on her phone) until I started to feel queasy because of the motion - a thousand words later, mind you. Then I listened to the end of an audio novella I'd been enjoying for the last couple of days.
There are different things to take into account with an audio experience. The reader has to perform - often I find the biggest issue is a reader who can't do different voices and who tries to do so. It's usually fine if a reader can't really give different accents or sounds to particular voices and they don't attempt it - after all, if the author has done their job, the different voices will come through. But if a reader tries and fails to do a good job at different characters, that can ruin the effect.
This, happily, wasn't at all the case for my experience.
"Undead Sublet," by Molly Harper
I like vampire tales as much as the next person, but what I think Molly Harper did here that was so clever was to take the dark angsty side of the vampire and pretty much completely ignore it in favor of something else: vampire taste buds.
Let me explain. The set-up for this story is this: executive chef Tess Maitland - who has had a bit of a meltdown due to a jerk of a boss (also her ex), an impossible work schedule, and no sleep - is on "sabbatical." She comes to Half Moon Hollow and rents a house near where her former Chef and mentor lives, hoping to sleep, eat, rest, and get back into fighting shape to return to the city and reclaim her kitchen, restaurant, and status as one of the few women to make it in the wretchedly competitive world of gourmet cooking. There's a slight problem - in the basement of the house she's renting, there's a vampire. And he's the soon-to-be ex-husband of the woman who rented the place to Tess - which means he has a right to be there, too.
Thus begins a war between the chef and the vampire to see who cam make life (or unlife) the most uncomfortable. Except somewhere during the pranking and the wonderful characters of Half Moon Hollow she meets, Tess starts to realize something: she hasn't felt this good in ages.
Fun, light, and incredibly funny, "Undead Sublet" is a novella set between books in an ongoing series about Half Moon Hollow. I didn't know that when I listened to it, and while there are some throw-away lines that made me think I was missing a reference to a previous story, this was a fully self-contained tale of its own, and I didn't feel like I'd walked into the book without enough information. That's a big compliment to pay about a book that belongs to a series, as it's hard to pull off.
Not only was the writing enjoyable, the reader was great - Sophie Eastlake had a real knack for comedic timing, and the story itself made me laugh out loud multiple times (especially during the pranking, and while inside Tess's head whilst she is cursing up a storm). I'll definitely seek out more from both of them.
There are different things to take into account with an audio experience. The reader has to perform - often I find the biggest issue is a reader who can't do different voices and who tries to do so. It's usually fine if a reader can't really give different accents or sounds to particular voices and they don't attempt it - after all, if the author has done their job, the different voices will come through. But if a reader tries and fails to do a good job at different characters, that can ruin the effect.
This, happily, wasn't at all the case for my experience.
"Undead Sublet," by Molly Harper
I like vampire tales as much as the next person, but what I think Molly Harper did here that was so clever was to take the dark angsty side of the vampire and pretty much completely ignore it in favor of something else: vampire taste buds.
Let me explain. The set-up for this story is this: executive chef Tess Maitland - who has had a bit of a meltdown due to a jerk of a boss (also her ex), an impossible work schedule, and no sleep - is on "sabbatical." She comes to Half Moon Hollow and rents a house near where her former Chef and mentor lives, hoping to sleep, eat, rest, and get back into fighting shape to return to the city and reclaim her kitchen, restaurant, and status as one of the few women to make it in the wretchedly competitive world of gourmet cooking. There's a slight problem - in the basement of the house she's renting, there's a vampire. And he's the soon-to-be ex-husband of the woman who rented the place to Tess - which means he has a right to be there, too.
Thus begins a war between the chef and the vampire to see who cam make life (or unlife) the most uncomfortable. Except somewhere during the pranking and the wonderful characters of Half Moon Hollow she meets, Tess starts to realize something: she hasn't felt this good in ages.
Fun, light, and incredibly funny, "Undead Sublet" is a novella set between books in an ongoing series about Half Moon Hollow. I didn't know that when I listened to it, and while there are some throw-away lines that made me think I was missing a reference to a previous story, this was a fully self-contained tale of its own, and I didn't feel like I'd walked into the book without enough information. That's a big compliment to pay about a book that belongs to a series, as it's hard to pull off.
Not only was the writing enjoyable, the reader was great - Sophie Eastlake had a real knack for comedic timing, and the story itself made me laugh out loud multiple times (especially during the pranking, and while inside Tess's head whilst she is cursing up a storm). I'll definitely seek out more from both of them.
November 2, 2014
As always, I feel like I need to start this review by warning readers that I am a certified Molly Harper fangirl! I have loved or, at least, really liked every single one of her books that I've read. So it should be pretty obvious that I adored "Undead Sublet" though I will try to explain my reasoning for all of you Harper newbies. This is a hilarious paranormal romance that takes place in a world where vampires "came out of the coffin" in the 1990s and become a part of regular society. There are some definite parallels between the vampire experience and the experience of other minorities which I think is a really smart writing choice.
The heroine of this novella is Tess Maitland, a talented chef who works in a swanky Chicago restaurant until she suffers a mental breakdown (that involved talking veggies) and is forced to take a rest. Fortunately, she chooses to "rest" in the hometown of her mentor, Half-Moon Hollow. Tess is a pretty typical Harper heroine. She is intelligent, funny, snarky, and a bit on the dramatic side. While she follows the author's normal character profile, I still found myself adoring Tess and her witty commentary on life in Half-Moon Hollow. She is someone I would love to hang out with in real life which is a good compliment for a fictional character.
Sam Clemson is the hero of "Undead Sublet" and is a vampire who was forcibly turned two years prior (a big no-no in the vampire community). Because of that and the reaction of his ex-wife, he has had a difficult time adjusting to his new "undead" lifestyle. I really liked Sam and his sweet, but sexy personality. There were some definite issues that he needed to get over, but he was never overly brooding or unreasonable. I did find myself wondering what he ever saw in his ex-wife though I think that was part of his journey in the story.
The romance between Sam and Tess was full of everything that I love about Harper's love stories. It was full of laughs especially when these two were trying to one up each other with pranks. There were the requisite stupid moments on both Sam and Tess's sides that added drama. But, overall, everything was sweet and spicy without seeming unrealistic.
With "Undead Sublet", Harper returns to the wonderfully quirky town of Half-Moon Hollow, Kentucky where her Jane Jameson series took place. This allows her to have cameos with some of my favorites from her earlier books like Jane, Gabriel, Dick, Andrea, Zeb, and Jolene. I love all these characters and I really enjoyed seeing how their lives have changed since the end of the Jane Jameson series.
As a narrator, I was really impressed by Sophie Eastlake. I had never listened to any of her narrations, but I will definitely check her out in the future. I did have some hesitations about her since I love the way that Amanda Ronconi does the rest of Harper's books, but they were for naught. She had appropriately timed accents that never went overboard and she handle the comedy aspect really well. I also have to give her props for pronouncing the name of my hometown, Louisville, correctly (which is hard for many Kentuckians to do).
The heroine of this novella is Tess Maitland, a talented chef who works in a swanky Chicago restaurant until she suffers a mental breakdown (that involved talking veggies) and is forced to take a rest. Fortunately, she chooses to "rest" in the hometown of her mentor, Half-Moon Hollow. Tess is a pretty typical Harper heroine. She is intelligent, funny, snarky, and a bit on the dramatic side. While she follows the author's normal character profile, I still found myself adoring Tess and her witty commentary on life in Half-Moon Hollow. She is someone I would love to hang out with in real life which is a good compliment for a fictional character.
Sam Clemson is the hero of "Undead Sublet" and is a vampire who was forcibly turned two years prior (a big no-no in the vampire community). Because of that and the reaction of his ex-wife, he has had a difficult time adjusting to his new "undead" lifestyle. I really liked Sam and his sweet, but sexy personality. There were some definite issues that he needed to get over, but he was never overly brooding or unreasonable. I did find myself wondering what he ever saw in his ex-wife though I think that was part of his journey in the story.
The romance between Sam and Tess was full of everything that I love about Harper's love stories. It was full of laughs especially when these two were trying to one up each other with pranks. There were the requisite stupid moments on both Sam and Tess's sides that added drama. But, overall, everything was sweet and spicy without seeming unrealistic.
With "Undead Sublet", Harper returns to the wonderfully quirky town of Half-Moon Hollow, Kentucky where her Jane Jameson series took place. This allows her to have cameos with some of my favorites from her earlier books like Jane, Gabriel, Dick, Andrea, Zeb, and Jolene. I love all these characters and I really enjoyed seeing how their lives have changed since the end of the Jane Jameson series.
As a narrator, I was really impressed by Sophie Eastlake. I had never listened to any of her narrations, but I will definitely check her out in the future. I did have some hesitations about her since I love the way that Amanda Ronconi does the rest of Harper's books, but they were for naught. She had appropriately timed accents that never went overboard and she handle the comedy aspect really well. I also have to give her props for pronouncing the name of my hometown, Louisville, correctly (which is hard for many Kentuckians to do).
March 25, 2018
Short and sweet. I liked the story but I didn't like Tess, the heroine. Sam on the other hand was great.
October 18, 2015
4-4.5 stars
This was a really enjoyable story. I wasn't too sure what to expect but I've enjoyed other Half Moon Hollow books and figured I've give it a try (esp since Audible.com gave to members for free on Valentines day).
Tess is a chef from Chicago. SHe worked way too many hours and got burned out and had to go on a forced "sabbatical". She ends up in Half Moon Hollow because her mentor is now living there and he's the closest thing she has to family. She's only planning to stay for a month so she's happy when she finds a short term rental of a house that works well for her needs.
Sam is a Vampire and also a construction worker. He and his (now Ex) wife had moved to Half Moon Hollow to try to work out their failing marriage. Sam loves the town but his wife...not so much. When a construction job ends up with Sam getting forcibly turned into a Vampire, his wife decides to declare him dead and divorce him while trying to take all their stuff for herself.
Tess and Sam are great together although at first it's kind of hard to tell because they initially meet under awkward circumstances. Tess is rented the house by Sam's ex but it was a rather underhanded move because Tess wasn't told that Sam is still living there (his lair being in the basement). Neither of them are willing to give in and leave the house so they end up bashing heads with each other throughout the first part of the story. Their efforts against each other (in a rather fun/brutal prank war...think War of the Roses) in the beginning are just hilarious. I've always loved Molly Harper's sense of humor in her books and this one hits the humor mark as normal. I also liked the fact that along with the story about Sam and Tess there's also interaction with other Half Moon Hollow folk from the other books which adds to the fun.
Eventually, Tess and Sam ended up making friends and then working together. It works well and I really enjoyed seeing them grow their relationship and find something more together, ending the story headed towards a HEA together. I wish it had been a longer story but that's really my only complaint. I enjoyed the story and really liked how it ended but I wouldn't have minded a little more development at the end of the story when they're finally getting together. Overall, I really liked the story and would highly recommend it, esp for Half Moon Hollow/Molly Harper fans. :D
This was a really enjoyable story. I wasn't too sure what to expect but I've enjoyed other Half Moon Hollow books and figured I've give it a try (esp since Audible.com gave to members for free on Valentines day).
Tess is a chef from Chicago. SHe worked way too many hours and got burned out and had to go on a forced "sabbatical". She ends up in Half Moon Hollow because her mentor is now living there and he's the closest thing she has to family. She's only planning to stay for a month so she's happy when she finds a short term rental of a house that works well for her needs.
Sam is a Vampire and also a construction worker. He and his (now Ex) wife had moved to Half Moon Hollow to try to work out their failing marriage. Sam loves the town but his wife...not so much. When a construction job ends up with Sam getting forcibly turned into a Vampire, his wife decides to declare him dead and divorce him while trying to take all their stuff for herself.
Tess and Sam are great together although at first it's kind of hard to tell because they initially meet under awkward circumstances. Tess is rented the house by Sam's ex but it was a rather underhanded move because Tess wasn't told that Sam is still living there (his lair being in the basement). Neither of them are willing to give in and leave the house so they end up bashing heads with each other throughout the first part of the story. Their efforts against each other (in a rather fun/brutal prank war...think War of the Roses) in the beginning are just hilarious. I've always loved Molly Harper's sense of humor in her books and this one hits the humor mark as normal. I also liked the fact that along with the story about Sam and Tess there's also interaction with other Half Moon Hollow folk from the other books which adds to the fun.
Eventually, Tess and Sam ended up making friends and then working together. It works well and I really enjoyed seeing them grow their relationship and find something more together, ending the story headed towards a HEA together. I wish it had been a longer story but that's really my only complaint. I enjoyed the story and really liked how it ended but I wouldn't have minded a little more development at the end of the story when they're finally getting together. Overall, I really liked the story and would highly recommend it, esp for Half Moon Hollow/Molly Harper fans. :D
November 4, 2014
Tess Maitland is the top chef at a five star restaurant in Chicago. She’s also a workaholic that gets very little sleep and hasn’t had a day off in over a month and hasn’t had a vacation in years. It’s no wonder that she went a little crazy and started hallucinating that the vegetables were talking to her. That wasn’t what put her on a month long sabbatical to rest though, nope, it was when she started answering them and talking back.
Tess finds herself in Half Moon Hollow where her mentor and his life partner now live. She’s renting a house from Lindy Masden who claims that she needs the money and can’t sell until October 28th when her divorce is final. Lindy neglects to mention that her soon to be ex-husband still resides in the house though or the fact that he now lives in basement because he is a vampire. Neither are willing to leave, Sam because he has nowhere else to go and Tess because she cannot get her money back and going back to Chicago is out of the question since she was sent to rest which she will not do if she is back there. This starts an all-out war between the two of them with practical jokes flying from one to the other because the first one to say uncle has to leave.
This is book 2.5 in the Half Moon Hollow series and once again feature our favorite characters from the previous book. The most prominent of which is Jolene that quickly latches onto to Tess once she finds out that she’s a chef. This book took some investigative work to find since it is not sold as a stand-alone. It’s actually sold as a novella inside of a series called The Undead in My Bed by Katie Macalister and is the second story within that book. It’s a short Novella that only took a couple hours at most to read but was a welcome addition to the series. Happy reading!
Tess finds herself in Half Moon Hollow where her mentor and his life partner now live. She’s renting a house from Lindy Masden who claims that she needs the money and can’t sell until October 28th when her divorce is final. Lindy neglects to mention that her soon to be ex-husband still resides in the house though or the fact that he now lives in basement because he is a vampire. Neither are willing to leave, Sam because he has nowhere else to go and Tess because she cannot get her money back and going back to Chicago is out of the question since she was sent to rest which she will not do if she is back there. This starts an all-out war between the two of them with practical jokes flying from one to the other because the first one to say uncle has to leave.
This is book 2.5 in the Half Moon Hollow series and once again feature our favorite characters from the previous book. The most prominent of which is Jolene that quickly latches onto to Tess once she finds out that she’s a chef. This book took some investigative work to find since it is not sold as a stand-alone. It’s actually sold as a novella inside of a series called The Undead in My Bed by Katie Macalister and is the second story within that book. It’s a short Novella that only took a couple hours at most to read but was a welcome addition to the series. Happy reading!
May 18, 2013
I loved this book which was predictable as it is written by Molly Harper and I absolutely love her books.They are my kind of books,i.e. funny,light and totally enjoyable and this one was no different. And on top of all Another one from Half Moon Hollow( see Jane Jameson seriesNice Girls Don't Date Dead Men). Yippee! so the story goes as: Executive chef, Tess Maitland is wiped out due to "prolonged exhaustion" from job. Initially planning a long weekend to sleep the manager of her restaurant (ex-boyfriend), not so kindly informs her that she will be taking a sabbatical. Tess sees that she has no choice and follows her mentor to Half-Moon Hollow in order to recover, lick her wounds and figure out what to do in case her restaurant will not let her back. Shortly after she arrives in Half-Moon Hollow Tess quickly learns that the house she is renting is not empty needless to say Sam (the other occupant of the home and a VAMPIRE!) and Tess have no desire to share their home with each other. Add a contest for best vampire food and Bitchy ex-wife and the sparks are sure to fly(though in this case they were less 'sparky').
Totally fun stuff!
Totally fun stuff!
February 18, 2013
Thank you, Audible for the Valentine freebie! I love Molly Harper's stories, but I hadn't had any plans on buying this anthology. So getting this and as an audio (my preferred format for most stories lately) was a great thing.
As for the story, it is typical Molly Harper/Half Moon Hollow. If you like any of the others in this series, you'll like this one, too. The story opens with the female main character having a stress breakdown as she seeks talking arugula. I realize now after listening to it that Harper must have picked that because arugula is such a fun word.
All the rest of the HMH gang make appearances (except Iris, but her business is mentioned), so you don't have to worry about missing any of the ones you've loved before. The only thing that comes up is that Jane as she appears in other stories (as opposed to her own series) seems to have matured into her vampire powers and is now very good at reading minds. This is a step up from inept Jane in the Nice Girls Don't... set.
As for the story, it is typical Molly Harper/Half Moon Hollow. If you like any of the others in this series, you'll like this one, too. The story opens with the female main character having a stress breakdown as she seeks talking arugula. I realize now after listening to it that Harper must have picked that because arugula is such a fun word.
All the rest of the HMH gang make appearances (except Iris, but her business is mentioned), so you don't have to worry about missing any of the ones you've loved before. The only thing that comes up is that Jane as she appears in other stories (as opposed to her own series) seems to have matured into her vampire powers and is now very good at reading minds. This is a step up from inept Jane in the Nice Girls Don't... set.
February 16, 2013
I got this for free from Audible as a Valentines Day special. It's very silly, superficial, good natured and fun. High octane, sexy fluff. Squabbles between odd couple roommates (one chef, one vampire) and long passages where our haute cuisine chef falls in love with food made with canned mushroom soup vie with each other as to which can be the most improbable but it is all done with plenty of charm. It even manages to turn a nasty, painful divorce into the stuff of screwball comedy, and of course our mismatched pair end up being just perfect for each other, the wicked get their comeuppance and the good have their happy ending.
November 4, 2018
This was a very fun and snarky novella in the Half Moon Hollow world. The heroine is an overworked celebrity chef in Chicago who suffers a breakdown due to lack of self-care. She ends up down in the Hollow in TN, sheltering with her mentor. Then she finds that she is not alone in the house she is renting.
One of the things I really liked about this story was the way the romance developed subtly. The story is more about the lead finding her way than about romance. And the two do not have a very friendly relationship. And I like how she stays true to her personality and general cluelessness about relationships throughout. Overall a fun and enjoyable read.
One of the things I really liked about this story was the way the romance developed subtly. The story is more about the lead finding her way than about romance. And the two do not have a very friendly relationship. And I like how she stays true to her personality and general cluelessness about relationships throughout. Overall a fun and enjoyable read.
February 19, 2013
This is a funny, enjoyable short story/novella, just as expected from Molly Harper. The audio version was offered for free for Audible members around Valentines Day and I picked it up. I love Harper's humor and enjoyed this narrator even though it wasn't Amanda Ronconi, the usual narrator for Harper's books.
My only complaint is that Sam didn't seem to understand his actions towards the end or how they hurt Tessa. He rationalizes rather than apologizes in my opinion. Sam needed to man up with his ex-wife. But overall this was a very funny story.
My only complaint is that Sam didn't seem to understand his actions towards the end or how they hurt Tessa. He rationalizes rather than apologizes in my opinion. Sam needed to man up with his ex-wife. But overall this was a very funny story.
February 15, 2013
Loved it. Wished it were longer! I WANT MORE!
February 16, 2013
2.5 stars
September 1, 2013
Their place is next door to Mr. Calix;
Jolene, Zeb, Jane, Ophelia are all in this one.
Jolene, Zeb, Jane, Ophelia are all in this one.
August 14, 2016
Super fun! I loved the house battles and the blood cooking :) Though Sophie Eastlake did a good job (and I like her as a narrator) missed having Amanda Ronconi's voice for those familiar characters.
May 14, 2018
I love these whimsical stories with these quirky kind hearted characters. Up beat and fun!
March 20, 2019
I liked it despite the heroine. It was a weird situation but here we are.
I liked the story but found the heroine completely devoid of charm. I thought she was a bitch. She was so full of herself when she cooked for the vampires the first time. She talked about breaking down the flavour profile and was so assured that she had one over the local cooks that she didn't even consider she would make something terrible. She did and it broke her. Sam thought it was because of their endless annoying fights. He comforted her because he was a nice guy. I thought the scene in her accepting her win was pretty good in describing who she was as a character. She just had no charm. She was competent at what she does but just lacks that charm.
It also didn't sit well with me that she was taking out her anger on Sam. Why is it his fault that his ex wife lied to her? She was demanding that he move out because she can't live with a strange vampire. It was his home. Take your issue out on the ex wife. He didn't have an agreement with you, you had an agreement with the ex wife.
The story revolves around Tess. She had a mental breakdown after working herself to the bone. She took a sabbatical and settled in Half-Moon Hollow. She rented a place only for it to have a tenant already. Sam owned the house. He was turned into a vampire and when he died, all his assets were given to his wife. The wife wanted to sell the house but the vampire council intervened on Sam's behalf. He was given the option of buying her half and until then, he was there to stay. The ex wife was planning on enacting abandonment laws where if he didn't reside in the house for a month, she would have a case arguing against his ownership. The ex wife was banking on Tess to chase him away.
Annoying fights ensued where Tess tried to chase him out of the house. She tampered with his blood supply and greased the floor. He messed with her pans. They eventually work it out.
They end up working together for the contest. He wanted to put in an entry but he couldn't cook. He needed to raise the money to buy his ex wife out of the house. She didn't have vampire tastebuds and he acted as her taste-tester. With her skills and his feedback, they managed to concoct a winning dish.
There was a little conflict near the end where she overheard him talking to his ex wife and misunderstood. It was quickly straightened out. They got back together.
He's helping her with renovations and she is starting a vampire friendly restaurant.
I liked the story but found the heroine completely devoid of charm. I thought she was a bitch. She was so full of herself when she cooked for the vampires the first time. She talked about breaking down the flavour profile and was so assured that she had one over the local cooks that she didn't even consider she would make something terrible. She did and it broke her. Sam thought it was because of their endless annoying fights. He comforted her because he was a nice guy. I thought the scene in her accepting her win was pretty good in describing who she was as a character. She just had no charm. She was competent at what she does but just lacks that charm.
It also didn't sit well with me that she was taking out her anger on Sam. Why is it his fault that his ex wife lied to her? She was demanding that he move out because she can't live with a strange vampire. It was his home. Take your issue out on the ex wife. He didn't have an agreement with you, you had an agreement with the ex wife.
The story revolves around Tess. She had a mental breakdown after working herself to the bone. She took a sabbatical and settled in Half-Moon Hollow. She rented a place only for it to have a tenant already. Sam owned the house. He was turned into a vampire and when he died, all his assets were given to his wife. The wife wanted to sell the house but the vampire council intervened on Sam's behalf. He was given the option of buying her half and until then, he was there to stay. The ex wife was planning on enacting abandonment laws where if he didn't reside in the house for a month, she would have a case arguing against his ownership. The ex wife was banking on Tess to chase him away.
Annoying fights ensued where Tess tried to chase him out of the house. She tampered with his blood supply and greased the floor. He messed with her pans. They eventually work it out.
They end up working together for the contest. He wanted to put in an entry but he couldn't cook. He needed to raise the money to buy his ex wife out of the house. She didn't have vampire tastebuds and he acted as her taste-tester. With her skills and his feedback, they managed to concoct a winning dish.
There was a little conflict near the end where she overheard him talking to his ex wife and misunderstood. It was quickly straightened out. They got back together.
He's helping her with renovations and she is starting a vampire friendly restaurant.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2021
Series: Half-Moon Hollow #2.5
Rating: 3 stars - I liked it
This story was originally published in the anthology The Undead In My Bed.
Tess is a workaholic and it has caused her to have an exhaustion filled breakdown in her five-star kitchen in Chicago. She takes a break to Half-Moon Hollow, but things quickly become stressful when she finds herself with an unexpected vampire housemate.
This was an enjoyable novella. Tess and Sam have a hate to love, forced proximity relationship that is filled with pranks and arguments. I found their pranks on each other hilarious and a bit diabolical. While it took me a little bit to warm up to Tess, I really enjoyed watching her find her passion in cooking again. Half-Moon Hollow gives her a chance to reassess her life and find her joy again, and start a new life.
Sam’s story was heartbreaking but it worked out for him in the end. His ex-wife was a real piece of work and I loved the confrontation Tess and Sam had with her at the fair. She totally deserved it and I was trying not to die of laughter at work during that scene. I really enjoyed how these two went from enemies to lovers. It made for an enjoyable and funny romance.
Overall, this was a great little novella for this series and I wonder if Tess and Sam will be appearing in future books.
You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
Rating: 3 stars - I liked it
This story was originally published in the anthology The Undead In My Bed.
Tess is a workaholic and it has caused her to have an exhaustion filled breakdown in her five-star kitchen in Chicago. She takes a break to Half-Moon Hollow, but things quickly become stressful when she finds herself with an unexpected vampire housemate.
This was an enjoyable novella. Tess and Sam have a hate to love, forced proximity relationship that is filled with pranks and arguments. I found their pranks on each other hilarious and a bit diabolical. While it took me a little bit to warm up to Tess, I really enjoyed watching her find her passion in cooking again. Half-Moon Hollow gives her a chance to reassess her life and find her joy again, and start a new life.
Sam’s story was heartbreaking but it worked out for him in the end. His ex-wife was a real piece of work and I loved the confrontation Tess and Sam had with her at the fair. She totally deserved it and I was trying not to die of laughter at work during that scene. I really enjoyed how these two went from enemies to lovers. It made for an enjoyable and funny romance.
Overall, this was a great little novella for this series and I wonder if Tess and Sam will be appearing in future books.
You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
January 10, 2018
executive chef Tess Maitland and 2 year a vampire Sam Masden .... she's on mandatory leave (she was overworking, and the vegetable were talking to her) from restaurant where her ex-boyfriend is manager... His ex-wife (a wanter - wants what she doesnt' have but once she has it she doesn't want it) takes advantage when he is turned vampire (without permission); ex-wife rents house out for the last month before it goes on market, but by court order he can live in it until it goes on the market; neither is willing to leave... they battle for a week (crickets send into basement where he sleeps... saran wrap on toilet... etc); but end up friendly... and she decides she wants to stay in town and buys a restaurant... and they work together to make faux blood taste more like foods when they were human... They make a BBQ flavored blood... win the $25,000... he can buy the house... he will remodel her restaurant... and they live happ......
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2020
half moon hollow, where u uhaul every aspect of ur life and everyone is super welcoming. squeezed this short book whilst reading book two since i lowkey hate book 2. this one was alright. i liked the narrator, i think she‘s new. the badly photoshopped cover art looks highly dubious and fucking funny.
i‘m not a fan of their romance, they just didn’t do it for me. the concept of „trying to bully eachother out of the house“ could have been cute if the heroine weren’t such a volatile and crass idiot. she had two personality traits: being a chef and being a petty bitch. plus her pranks were so childish. the dude didn’t do it for me. at first his newbie vamp attite was cute but once it was clear he willingly denied her shortly after he fucked her because he’s still under his ex-wifes thumb ready to be abused i was like... nope. wet rag behavior.
i‘m not a fan of their romance, they just didn’t do it for me. the concept of „trying to bully eachother out of the house“ could have been cute if the heroine weren’t such a volatile and crass idiot. she had two personality traits: being a chef and being a petty bitch. plus her pranks were so childish. the dude didn’t do it for me. at first his newbie vamp attite was cute but once it was clear he willingly denied her shortly after he fucked her because he’s still under his ex-wifes thumb ready to be abused i was like... nope. wet rag behavior.
February 16, 2018
I've read one other book by this author and enjoyed it, so I wanted to try this. The premise is a bit hard to swallow, but if you let yourself get into it the story is fun. Tess rents a house for a month, not knowing that Sam the vampire is living in the basement. They meet, disliking each other but neither is able to leave, so they begin to play pranks trying to get the other to move out. The pranks are cute, but what really made me smile was when Chicago chef Tess gets introduced to red-neck Southern cooking. (Pimento cheese, anyone?) After Tess learns Sam's background she begins to see him differently. A pretty successful story that can stand alone.
November 9, 2020
Just when you think you have it all figured out, your prodhce starts talking and you find yourself on a "vacation." Chef Tess isn't able to find the humor in Vaudeville veggies but I'm sure you can. This delightful little appetizer, Undead Sublet, is the kind of introduction to Half-Moon Hollow that doesn't require a five course commitment.
Vampires and paranormal delights abound. A bake off that in no way has bakery items. A fued that would impress any mischievous child, any quite a few who claim to be adulfs too. UNDEAD SUBLET is a fun diversion, a sexy distraction, and a great way to make newbies new neighbors in Half-Moon Hollow.
Vampires and paranormal delights abound. A bake off that in no way has bakery items. A fued that would impress any mischievous child, any quite a few who claim to be adulfs too. UNDEAD SUBLET is a fun diversion, a sexy distraction, and a great way to make newbies new neighbors in Half-Moon Hollow.
October 10, 2018
This was a cute story that was, as a whole, relatively light and on the comical side. In this world vampires have already outed themselves to the humans, so when Sam smiles at Tess, she knows exactly what he is. The antics between the two over the course of the book are very amusing (particularly Tess' first prank on Sam). Molly Harper did a good job of setting up their initially adversarial relationship with an entertaining spin. Sam's ex-wife has rented out their former home to Tess, without the knowledge of Tess or Sam. Overall the story was funny and engaging. I'd definitely be interested in reading the rest of the Half-Moon Hollow series. The story is HEA with no cliffhanger.
July 2, 2020
Even though Sam Masden's ex-wife has rented the house out from under him, the divorce settlement allows him access to it for another ninety days. With Tess unable to go anywhere else, and Sam unwilling, a war of epic proportions is declared - and romantic sparks and heavy pots fly
Heather's Notes
This story was ok. I liked Tess at the start, but then she became childish. Sam was the same. I felt like things wrapped up quickly and it was a little unrealistic, but then again we are reading stories about vampires.
Heather's Notes
This story was ok. I liked Tess at the start, but then she became childish. Sam was the same. I felt like things wrapped up quickly and it was a little unrealistic, but then again we are reading stories about vampires.
April 25, 2021
A nice short story to introduce a couple of the minor characters Tess and Sam who appear at various times in subsequent Half-Moon Hollow stories.
The various couples in these stories reside in various forms of Vamp/Vamp, Vamp/Human, Werewolf/Human.
As previously mentioned, all of Harper's female characters are strong, sassy and cute with a sparky way of speaking. The male characters are generally honourable, caring and all-round nice guys.
A pleasant read and highly recommended
The various couples in these stories reside in various forms of Vamp/Vamp, Vamp/Human, Werewolf/Human.
As previously mentioned, all of Harper's female characters are strong, sassy and cute with a sparky way of speaking. The male characters are generally honourable, caring and all-round nice guys.
A pleasant read and highly recommended
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