“And, of course, living with Amelia was out of the question. Sam didn’t understand that his straitlaced, perfect sister had always looked down on me and thought I was a total loser. But it was the truth.”

Cassie here juxtaposes herself with Sam’s sister Amelia: Cassie is an artistic free spirit, while Amelia is a serious, dedicated accountant. The contrast between Cassie and Amelia is especially significant given that Amelia is the protagonist of the second book in the series, My Vampire Plus One.

“I tried to focus on the more eccentric aspects of his outfit—the frilly blue cravat he wore at his neck; the shiny wing-tipped shoes on his feet—but it didn’t help. Even with those unusual accessories he was still the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen.”

Cassie immediately notices the idiosyncrasies of Frederick’s appearance that seem to be from another time, introducing the theme of The Challenges of Adapting to Different Lifestyles. However, despite these odd details, her attention instead focuses on how attractive he is, immediately hinting at their budding romance.

“I’d studied in London during my junior year of college, and I remembered learning that this style of painting had been very popular in English inns in the eighteenth century. It arguably matched the decor in the room a lot better than my own projects would. But it was also hideous.”

Art plays an important role in Cassie’s life, with much of her arc centered upon The Importance of Art and Pursuing One’s Passions. Her notions of what art should look like are heavily informed by her experience in the contemporary world. The old painting in her bedroom is a hint at Frederick’s real age, since he became a vampire in 1734, and it illustrates further the differences between Cassie and Frederick.