Also by this author: Dead Man's Hand, Queen of Hearts, House of the Rising SunWelcome to Nocturne Falls, the town that celebrates Halloween 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, fur, and all.
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?
This is the newest in the Nocturne Falls series and TBH I liked it the least. But before I get into that, lets talk about the book itself.
Roxy St. James recently left her husband and moved to Nocturne Falls. She had a friend in Delaney, remember her? The local chocolate establishment is hers. Not only that, but one of the town’s founders is her husband. Oh, Roxy is an author of supernatural romance. Yup, the reason the town exists in the first place. Next door to Roxy is the panther shifter, police officer Alex Cruz.
So Alex’s no good, lazy brother moves in. Roxy’s ex-husband is stalking her. Delaney can’t tell her about what she is. The whole situation is a mess. It isn’t until Roxy’s life is in danger, that Delaney and Alex discuss how to tell her. Things aren’t that easy, and Roxy’s life hangs in the balance, while she is trying to balance book signings, writing a new story, and wondering why there is a big black cat next door.
I read the entire book in less than a day and finished somewhat disillusioned. It isn’t that the characters were bad. All of her books have the same descriptive nature which I enjoy. The reasoning behind why she could see the things seemed thrown together. “Oh btw” In addition I think there were a couple of instances that could have pushed the idea of a stalker a little more. Overally it fell flat compared to the others. I appreciate new characters and generally more information about the community.
I think the term disillusioned is the best term. At the end I just felt meh, I didn’t feel like I can’t wait to read the next one. I will, since I do enjoy her writing immensely. There are a lot of good parts. For me the letdowns overshadowed the pluses. Also if you think about it, isn’t a little corny that a writer of paranormal romance would just happen to be friends with a vampire. Also happens to live next to a shifter, in a town of supernaturals.
About Kristen Painter
When the characters in Kristen Painter’s head started to take over, she decided to put them on paper and share them with the world. She writes paranormal romance and the gothic fantasy vampire series, House of Comarre, for Orbit Books. She has also been published in non-fiction, poetry and short stories. The former college English teacher can often be found online at Romance Divas, the award-winning writers’ forum she co-founded. She’s represented by Elaine Spencer of The Knight Agency.
