The Shifter Romances The Writer by Kristen Painter

 Roxy St. James just got out of a supremely sucky marriage. She is delighted to move to Nocturne Falls where it is Halloween 365 days a year. And moving next door to a hunky cop and his cute (but bum) younger brother. That can only help her get past her writer's block and keep writing her best-selling shifter-romance series.
Officer Alex Cruz is worried. Roxy St. James doesn't seem to be a tap water drinker. As one of the paranormal people who live in the area, that's a problem because the bespelled water is the reason that more humans don't discover that most of the "characters" in town are real. It is also not very helpful that he seems to be attracted to the woman (plus, she speeds!) But when mysterious packages start appearing on her doorstep, he'll do anything to protect her.

Two stars

Follows A Vampire's Valentine Surprise
Followed by The Dragon Finds Forever

Borrowed as an audiobook from Audible
This novella came out May 24th, 2016
Opinions are my own

A Vampire's Valentine Surprise by Kristen Painter

Delaney Ellingham is feeling run down. But that’s not a surprise since she’s prepping to be in three different categories in the Valentine’s Day bake off. One in which her arch enemy’s daughter (who she actually likes) is also participating albeit in a different division. But is it just stress or something more sinister.

This is the novella in this series that made me realize that I really just need to stop reading Painter’s interstitials; I do not like them. The regular books are super fun, fast, and fluffy but when that gets compressed into a novella, it is just fast with not as much of the fun.

Two stars

Follows The Vampire’s Fake Fiancée
Followed by The Shifter Romances the Writer

Borrowed as an audiobook from Audible
This novella came out January 11th, 2016
Opinions are my own

The Vampire’s Fake Fiancée by Kristen Painter

This was one of my favorite books in the series with a heroine who hides her light under the bushel of being a librarian. She does love books but part of that is an effort to run away from what she was born to be, a Valkyrie. But right now, she’s a fake fiancée.
Sebastian Ellingham promised his mentor that he would marry the man’s daughter, a cosseted brat who didn’t get any better once she was turned into a vampire. Now, she’s back in town but Sebastian just wants one thing, to get a divorce. That’s where Tessa Blythe comes in. He needs a fiancée, she needs a job. It turns out he has a job to offer if she can pretend to be his lady love until his wife leaves.



Three stars
Follows The Werewolf's Christmas Wish
Followed by A Vampire's Valentine Surprise

Borrowed as an audiobook from Audible
This novella came out February 8th, 2016
Opinions are my own

The Werewolf’s Christmas Wish by Kristen Painter

Bridget Merrow felt a connection to Sam Kincaid in the second book in this series (about six months ago.) But, other than some almost-kisses. He hasn't mad a move since. Now it's Christmas, it's snowing, and she needs a truck to deliver some champagne to a customer. And Sam is available to help. When the two get locked into a freezer, everything changes.

Short, sweet. Obviously not deep. Definitely need to have read the rest of the series to enjoy.

Three stars
Follows The Witch's Halloween Hero
Followed by The Vampire's Fake Fiancée

This novella came out February 23rd, 2016

Opinions are my own

The Witch’s Halloween Hero by Kristen Painter

It is a novella wherein the mother of the heroine from the last book accidentally drinks a potion meant for a teenage girl who wants to completely forget her ex. Like, completely. To the point that she can’t even see him if he is 

standing right in front of her. Which seems fairly problematic in it’s own right but then Corette Williams drinks 

it instead and completely forgets her long-time boyfriend Bartholomew Stanhill. And just on the night he has a very important question to ask...
A lot of nonsense about true love’s kiss, etc. and why her daughters didn’t have an antidote recipe at the ready seems weird but... fine. It was short and not horrible but not as good as longer books in the series.

Two and a half stars

Follows The Professor Woos the Witch

Followed by The Werewolf’s Christmas Wish

This novella came out January 20th, 2016

Opinions are my own

Professor Woos the Witch by Kristen Painter

 Nocturne Falls is a pretty amazing place to live if you’re a paranormal. That’s why Cole Van Zant’s daughter is stoked that they are moving there even if it is temporarily. See, her mother just told her that she’s a witch and she is ready to learn more. Cole is definitely not impressed with his ex-wife’s parenting skills. She’s more or less completely out of their daughter’s life and only shows up to tell her some hogwash about being a witch? Nonsense. It’s all nonsense.

But Pandora Williams doesn’t think it’s nonsense. In fact, she comes from a long line of witches. It’s just too bad that her power is broken. All of her spells go just a little bit awry. 

But she recognizes the power in Cole’s daughter and wants to help. The fact that Cole is pretty hot doesn’t hurt. And he’s in town to fix up and sell his great-uncle’s house? Even better. It’s just strange that her power actually seems to work when she’s around Cole. And that his great-uncle was very happily married to Avery powerful witch, who seems to still be hanging around deepens the mystery.

A fast, fun, and fluffy book. The “villain” is a little two-dimensional but it was an easy listen and Cole and Pandora were easy to relate to.

Three stars

Follows The Gargoyle Gets His Girl

Followed by The Witch’s Halloween Hero

This book came out October 8th, 2015

Borrowed from Audible Escape

Opinions are my own

The Gargoyle Gets His Girl by Kristen Painter

 

This book just wasn't as good as others in the series. It was very much problem: resolve the problem: new problem: resolve the new problem. Other books in the series would  have been better as a novella.es create an overall story with oth

er  issu

es tackled as subproblems. At least three times, I opened the audible (escape) app and looked to see if the book was really done because it seemed like it should be... but it wasn't.  This is one of the very few stories that I think 

Willa Iscove is fae and a jeweler. Too bad her latest creation has created a stalker. And that's what it did. And she gets all het up because the customer is obsessed with her because of her own mistake. Which she acknowledges. But then she accidentally conscripts Nick Hardwin into protecting her. And he's not stoked. Because there's a long history of the fae enslaving gargoyles (which is what he is), he is skeptical that her motives are pure. But Willa actually left home at a young age which is a whole different story and didn't know what she was doing. They do solve that issue pretty quickly but really, the story could have ended there.

Three stars
Follows The Werewolf Meets His Match

Followed by The Professor Woos the Witch
This book came out August 1st, 2015
Borrowed from Audible Escape
Opinions are my own

The Werewolf Meets His Match by Kristen Painter

 Ivy Kincaid isn't exactly excited to be in Nocturne Falls. Getting arrested for a bar fight when she steps in to help an abused woman makes her even less excited. And then, she finds out that the sheriff is her intended fiance. Just great.Hank Merrow doesn't know that he's engaged but he finds out at the beginning of the book. It seems that the Kincaid pack helped to save his brother's life. To return the favor, the Kincaid Alpha wants Hank to marry his daughter. 
While neither want the marriage, there is a strong attraction that could turn to love and maybe even a pack bond. But only if they can get past the family secrets.
This is a fast, fun, and fluffy book. Even the domestic dispute is sort of glossed over quickly and never revisited. Not real deep and we don't get to know Ivy or Hank very well. The premise is thin but overall a fun story.

Three stars
Follows the The Vampire's Mail Order Bride

Followed by The Gargoyle Gets His Girl
This book came out July 1st, 2015
Borrowed from Audible Escape
Opinions are my own

The Vampire's Mail Order Bride by Kristen Painter

Delaney James knew that there were rumors about her boss but she never believed them. Until the night she goes back to her serving job and sees her boss order a man's death. She makes a noise and is almost captured. Instead of going home, she assumes another woman's identity and becomes a modern day mail order bride. But she misses some of the pertinent information...
Hugh Ellingham's grandmother wants him to have children. Little vampire children to be more specific. Since he, and most of his family, are vampires. But he never expects her to send for a bride for him, especially since she knows he is still mourning his last mate. But Delaney (even if he doesn't know her by that name) is strangely beguiling and he wonders whether he might be about to open his heart again.
A nice start to a series. It took me awhile to get through because it was a little too treacly in places but I made it through and listened to the first part of the next book and it sounds interesting.

Three stars
Followed by The Werewolf Meets His Match
This book came out June 1st, 2015
Borrowed from Audible Escape
Opinions are my own