Nocturne Falls by Kristen Painter [Books 1-6 Review]

Nocturne Falls (books 1-6) by Kristen Painter
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
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Nocturne Falls
1. The Vampire's Mail Order Bride - Paperback | Kindle
2. The Werewolf Meets His Match - Paperback | Kindle
3. The Gargoyle Gets His Girl - Paperback | Kindle
4. The Professor Woos the Witch - Paperback | Kindle
4.5. The Witch's Halloween Hero - Kindle
4.6. The Werewolf's Christmas Wish
5. The Vampire's Fake Fiancée - Paperback | Kindle
5.5. The Vampire's Valentine Surprise - Kindle
6. The Shifter Romances the Writer - Paperback | Kindle
6.5. The Vampire's True Love Trials
7. The Dragon Finds Forever
8. The Vampire's Accidental Wife
9. The Reaper Rescues the Genie
10. The Detective Wins the Witch
11. The Vampire's Priceless Treasure
12. The Werewolf Dates the Deputy
13. The Siren Saves the Billionaire
14. The Vampire's Sunny Sweetheart
15. Death Dates the Oracle

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
Jayne Frost
1. Miss Frost Solves a Cold Case

Kristen Painter
| Website | Amazon |

Welcome to Nocturne Falls, the town where Halloween is celebrated 365 days a year.

The tourists think it's all a show: the vampires, the werewolves, the witches, the occasional gargoyle flying through the sky. But the supernaturals populating the town know better. Living in Nocturne Falls means being yourself. Fangs and all.

The Vampire's Mail Order Bride (Nocturne Falls #1)
Date read: February 26, 2016
*Originally posted at On a Book Bender*
Synopsis (Goodreads):

After seeing her maybe-mobster boss murder a guy, Delaney James assumes a new identity and pretends to be a mail order bride. What she doesn't know is her groom to be is a 400-year-old vampire.

Hugh Ellingham has only agreed to the set up to make his overbearing grandmother happy. His past means love is no longer an option. Except he never counted on Delaney and falling in love for real.
Too bad both of them are keeping some mighty big secrets...

Thoughts on The Vampire's Mail Order Bride:I was in the mood for something light and sassy with a dash of the paranormal in it. Actually, I would have gone for a heaping double handful of paranormal. Basically, as long as there's some sort of paranormal craziness going on, I was in. GUESS WHAT? This book hit the spot. It's light. It has sass. There are plenty of paranormal critters milling about Nocturne Falls. YESSSSSS!

Now, Delaney and Hugh didn't necessarily start on in the best place. You know, because Delaney was pretending to be someone else. Someone who knew Hugh was a vampire and didn't mind in the least. Needless to say, when the truth came out, Delaney had to adjust her view of the world because it got a serious whack up side the head. All things considered, she handled the news that supernatural critters exist pretty darn well.

Hugh starts out as a cranky, gruff, almost-shut-in (shockingly, his brother is even worse than him, but that's another story for another day. Assuming that story gets told. Otherwise it's a footnote. I don't know where I'm going with this.). He buries himself in his laboratory and doesn't have much interaction with anyone other than his Rook. Well, wait. He also has some former lady friends who aren't thrilled when he moves on. Actually, I take it back. He's not an almost-shut-in. He just comes across as sort of eccentric.

Which happens when you're a vampire, amirite?!?!

Anywho. Despite their rough start, Delaney and Hugh hit it off. Which is good since Delaney is in a bit of a bind with her former boss. *cue heroic music for the dashing hero to swoop in and cause shenanigans when his newest lady friend is in danger*

Bottom line: I liked it. I likes the different critters who inhabit the town and I liked that Delaney wasn't afraid to stand up and make herself heard when she needed to.

The Werewolf Meets His Match (Nocturne Falls #2)
Date read: September 5, 2021
Synopsis (Goodreads):

Getting arrested wasn’t on werewolf Ivy Kincaid’s agenda when she arrived in Nocturne Falls, but her life rarely goes according to plan. The upside of spending the night in the local lock-up is finding a hotel room is no longer a worry...but the downside is the man she’s come to marry will get his first impression of her behind bars. Not exactly the way Ivy was hoping to meet her pack's sworn enemy...aka her fiancé.

Sheriff (and werewolf) Hank Merrow is the alpha's heir. Everything he's ever done, from becoming an Army Ranger to serving in law enforcement, has been in preparation for the day he’ll take over. Getting married to cement a shaky truce is no different. Hank will do his duty, even if it means shackling himself to a woman he has no intention of liking, let alone loving.

But Ivy is nothing like Hank expected. As feisty as she is beautiful, she's as determined as he is to make a go of marriage for the sake of peace between their packs. The trouble is, Ivy has secrets that could destroy everything Hank holds dear...including his newfound love for her.

Thoughts on The Werewolf Meets His Match: Sexy werewolf sheriff Hank Merrow is about to meet his intended and...well, things get off to a bit of a rocky start. To start with, Ivy's in lock-up for starting a little fight. Throw in the fact that she's the daughter of a wolf who runs a rival pack (that's not exactly right, but the Kincaids and the Merrows don't exactly get along, so just go with it) and she has secrets she NEEDS to keep and things get a little complicated.

On Ivy's end, meeting the man she's supposed to marry for the first time from the inside of a jail cell is not the impression she was planning on making. Sometimes, though, you have to step up and plant your fist in someone's face. So while she might not regret throwing the first punch, she knows her actions are going to make things even tougher on her.

And considering her secrets and what her father's using her to do...yeah, things are complicated.

A little subterfuge, a little danger, plots, plans, and family. Unfortunately, not all family is the good sort, but the good DEFINITELY outweigh the bad in this case. *thumbs up*

The Gargoyle Gets His Girl (Nocturne Falls #3)
Date read: September 6, 2021
Synopsis (Goodreads):

Willa Iscove, fae jeweler, has her first stalker. Really, he’s just one of her lovesick customers. The ring she crafted to help him find new love has backfired, making Willa the object of his affections. In a bid to rid herself of her amorous client, Willa makes a wish in the Nocturne Falls fountain using the piece of opal in her pocket and in doing so, unknowingly conscripts as her guardian the sexy gargoyle on duty.

Former Army Ranger and gargoyle Nick Hardwin has some serious suspicions about the pretty fae who just invoked the ancient pact for protection. Her kind have been at odds with his kind for ages. Now she wants his help? He’s determined to figure out what she’s up to. Which won’t be a hardship considering how much fun she is to be around. And kiss.

But then her stalker turns out to be the tip of the iceberg and things go really wrong, really fast. When Nick and Willa are both kidnapped, Willa is forced to make a hard decision. The life of her family or the freedom of the man she’s fallen for?

Thoughts on The Gargoyle Gets His Girl: Willa and Nick are up and...well, things are a little complicated. Because things get complicated when a fae jeweler with an affinity toward metal and stone falls for a gargoyle.

Things are even more complicated because Willa ran away from home before completing her fae training (or whatever you want to call it. Schooling, maybe? Regardless, she's a little in the dark when it comes to what she is capable of AND how the fae have interacted with other supernaturals in the past) and she's unaware of the impact her one little wish with her one little stone offering will have on Nick.

To be fair, she wasn't even aware Nick was a gargoyle when she made the wish. Which is a whole other issue that Nick had to address after it was discovered.

On Nick's end, he's DOES know about the past between fae and gargoyles and he's wary of Willa and her intentions. Until things come to a head and he realizes she's a genuinely good person who never meant any harm.

A little danger, a little intrigue, family (some good, some not-so-good), and a fae and a gargoyle who find a connection. Yessssss.

The Professor Woos the Witch (Nocturne Falls #4)
Date read: September 8, 2021
Synopsis (Goodreads):

Pandora Williams is Nocturne Falls’ most successful real estate agent. And least successful witch. Her magic never has the intended outcome, but she’s learned to live with that. Mostly. Yes, it sucks, but what can she do? Then a hot new neighbor shows up and suddenly her magic works. Very cool, but very suspect. Especially since he’s a total non-believer.

Cole Van Zant likes practicality and absolutes. Things he can see and touch. So not magic. But when his teenage daughter insists she’s a witch—and they’re now living in a town that celebrates Halloween every day—he needs help. Of the witchy variety. Thankfully, his sexy neighbor buys into all that hocus pocus.

Enlisting her help seems like a great idea until spending time together reveals a supernatural surprise about who Cole really is. A secret even he didn’t know. Could Pandora and Cole really be meant for one another or is their attraction too much to believe?

Thoughts on The Professor Woos the Witch: A local witch (no matter how fritzy her magic is) and a man who has no idea supernaturals are real? You better believe it. Pandora and Cole might not have been into each other at first (in fact, Pandora thinks he's am uptight normie and Cole thinks she a kook for believing magic is real), but things take a turn and BOOM!

Okay, it wasn't quite that fast. Pandora's a little put out by Cole's insistence that magic isn't real despite being given a demonstration, but she likes his daughter and realizes the budding witch needs a mentor STAT. The longer she sticks around, the more Cole unbends (because you can only deny things for so long when literal magic is happening around you) and soon she actually starts to like the guy.

As for Cole, Nocturne Falls and Pandora are a wake up call in more ways than one. He goes from being a practical guy who believes in what he can see and touch to someone who is exposed to the supernatural in a big way. It might trip him up a little, but he ultimately goes along for the ride.

A little danger, a magnetic pull, a witch finding her path, and a ghost who gives good advice. Pandora and Cole make things work after a bit of a bumpy start and I am here for that!

The Witch's Halloween Hero (Nocturne Falls #4.5)
Date read: September 8, 2021
Synopsis (Goodreads):

*A Nocturne Falls Short Story*

When a spell goes wrong on the night of Samhain for witch Corette Williams, her only hope is the man she loves, Bartholomew Stanhill. But time is running out. As the clock ticks toward midnight on Halloween, they grow closer to the moment when magic will erase him from her mind. Can Stanhill become Corette’s Halloween hero?

Thoughts on The Witch's Halloween Hero: Corette and Stanhill might be in a long-term romantic relationship, but things get dicey when Corette gets accidentally hit by a spell being cooked up by her daughters. A little memory loss and the potential for losing the man she loves without realizing what she's lost has everybody (except maybe Corette thanks to the aforementioned little memory loss) more than a little frazzled.

What does a Rook do when his lady love's affections are on the fritz? He sets out to woo her all over again. The short window to prove his love is no match for Stanhill. (Okay, I might be exaggerating a bit. The short window is stressful for him, for Corette, and for the Williams daughters. But Stanhill's up to the task!)

The Vampire's Fake Fiancée (Nocturne Falls #5)
Date read:  September 9, 2021
Synopsis (Goodreads):

Sebastian Ellingham isn’t known for being a happy vampire. And when his long estranged wife comes to town expecting to pick up where they left off, things take a sharp turn toward cranky. Sure he’s been protecting her for centuries, but her assumption that he’s still available (he is) rankles.

His answer is to hire a woman to play his fiancée. The lucky victim is Tessa Blythe, sister of one of the town’s deputies, librarian in need of a job and, oh yes, reluctant Valkyrie. Playing along with Sebastian is all about the end game for her, the position of Dean of Library Studies at the local private academy.

When unexpected sparks fly between them, they agree to mutually deny the attraction. Fate, however, has other plans…

Thoughts on The Vampire's Fake Fiancée: It's Sebastian's turn to find his special someone. That sounds pretty straightforward except Sebastian is already married (to a horrible, awful, no-good viper of a lady-vamp) and he's vastly underestimates Tessa when he first meets her. By that, I mean he absolutely doesn't think Tessa can hold her own against his (hopefully) soon-to-be ex.

BOY WAS HE WRONG. Tessa might look sweet and unassuming, but she's a Valkyrie under her sensible clothes. She just has to find something (or someone) worth fighting for.

On Tessa's end, the more time she spends with Sebastian (because they have to get their stories straight if she's going to pull off this fake fiancée thing and convince the [hopefully] soon-to-be ex that they really are the real deal), the more she sees the battered heart underneath his unhappiness. And the more she comes to like the guy.

Forced proximity, test kisses (because they have to make sure things look natural if they're going to kiss in front of the [hopefully] soon-to-be ex), a wild furball with sharp claws, and a tiny bit of danger. Tiny because Tessa might not be a practicing Valkyrie right now, but she's still a force to be reckoned with. *thumbs up*

The Vampire's Valentine Surprise (Nocturne Falls #5.5)
Date read: September 9, 2021
Synopsis (Goodreads):

When Delaney Ellingham enters the Nocturne Falls Valentine’s Day Bake-Off, she has no idea that an old rival will create such havoc. Her husband, Hugh, and her friends come to her aid, but even they can’t guess the surprise that lays in store…

Thoughts on The Vampire's Valentine Surprise: Delaney's in a tizzy about the upcoming Valentine's Day Bake-Off and poor Hugh and Stanhill have to put up with taste testing all her sugary sweets. Which doesn't sound terrible except that's A LOT of sugar.

Once the bake-off starts, things take a different turn as Delaney begins to suspect a rival of trying to sabotage her chances at winning.

Cute, quick, and not entirely unexpected, I'm digging the time I'm spending in Nocturne Falls.

The Shifter Romances the Writer (Nocturne Falls #6)
Date read: September 9, 2021
Synopsis (Goodreads):

For romance writer Roxy St. James, living in Nocturne Falls also means a fresh start. And as soon as her unbearable ex signs the divorce papers, that new beginning will be a reality. Unfortunately, her ex doesn’t seem ready to let her go and the subtle threats he’s been making leave her no choice but to confide in her oh-so-handsome neighbor, who just happens to be a deputy with the sheriff’s department.

But Officer Alex Cruz isn’t just the law. He’s also a panther shifter, a secret he’s sworn to keep (along with the truth about Nocturne Falls) from the very foxy Roxy. Humans aren’t supposed to know the town is filled with supernaturals. Then she starts seeing things she shouldn’t and thinks she’s losing her mind. His attraction—and concern—for her wars with the promise he’s made.

Will his truth be more than she can handle? Or will it cause her to write him out of her life?

Thoughts on The Shifter Romances the Writer: Sexy shifter Alex Cruz just had a romance writer move next door and, well, he's not sure what to think about her. I mean, he likes her, but she's human and humans don't always react well to finding out about the supernatural. Which means their romance might be doomed before it even gets out of the gate.

Except Roxy already spends her days with the supernatural. Sure, sure, it's all in her head (and on the page) at this point, but it's not a huge stretch for her to go from literary creatures to knowing about them in the flesh. In fact, them (meaning Delaney and Alex) keeping this very big secret from her kind of messes with her more than finding out when she finally does. While I get why things need to be kept secret (for the most part) from the normies, once Roxy starting seeing things and thinking she was losing her grasp on reality, I think that's when it's time to give it up.

But, again, I get why Delaney and Alex kept it secret as long as they did. Mostly.

A little danger, a lot of steam, a secret or two that needs to be uncovered, a mama who's kind of like a force of nature, and a rockin' book signing. Am I still digging Nocturne Falls? YOU BET!