I have read Michelle Griep’s Blackfriars Lane series, but this will be my first in her Of Monsters and Men series.
It is 1890 and the setting is England. Subscription librarian Rosa Edwards is attempting to educate the poor and remove the use of gossip and superstition. However, the mysterious Sir James Morgan has returned to his manor home, and many are calling him a vampire.
Sir James just wants to cure his mother from a deadly disease. He hadn’t intended to start a relationship with a stubborn but alluring librarian.
This is not a retelling of Bran Stoker’s Dracula. Instead, readers actually receive a brief meeting of the Irish novelist as he uses Rosa’s library for research. I found more parallels with Beauty and the Beast, the insistent suitor, the almost oblivious father, and the ignorant mob.
The writing was spectacular as I expected from Michelle Griep. Readers will feel that they are amidst the villagers, will feel the stigma of the superstitious. However, I found that those same feelings made it unbearable for me. I couldn’t stand Rosa’s parents, and their “all about appearances” attitude. I would have thought another librarian like Mr. Edwards would be better educated, more in tune with his daughter. I find that the majority of the 1800 novels have this mentality of parents being ignorant and the children are the teachers. I cannot wonder if this is truly how the time was, or if it is the author’s prerogative to enhance their own stories.
Overall, I rate this novel 3 out of 5 stars.
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