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...
Kristen Painter
Kristen Painter likes to balance her obsessions with shoes and cats by making the lives of her characters miserable and surprising her readers with interesting twists. She currently writes award-winning paranormal romance and urban fantasy.
*****
My Thoughts:
Here lately, I've been bogged down by so many deep, dark reads that pulled my mentality in every way possible. So much so that I forgot the most important part about reading: it's supposed to be fun! Sometimes the greatest reads are the ones you can just devour and allow yourself to be transported away from reality, if even for a brief period. Reads you can whip through and say 'wow that was a fun read!'. I can't say I have done that in some time. Then I was introduced to the amazing Kristen Painter!
The Vampire's Mail Order Bride follow the stories of Hugh Ellingham and Delaney James and the fun-tastic relationship obstacles that ensue. It's a quick read that you will not be able to set down. From the very first page, Painter does an incredible job at setting the tone and pace for this read. Thrust from her fast-paced Brooklyn life after a surprise run-in with mobsters, Delaney must steal and identity and flee her home to save herself from harm, she never imagined she'd find home in the arms of a vampire avoiding love.
Bride is the first in a series of fun paranormal romance tales in Painter's Nocturne Falls series. I can already tell that this series is going to become a favorite of mine. Why? Let me try to explain this series for you readers. It's like Disney's Halloween Town mixed to perfection with Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Mystery Novels series. A thrilling mix of paranormal and suspense with all kinds of fun thrown in! The city of Nocturne Falls is an incredible place that I loved reading about. Vamps, weres, fae, gargoyles, witches, dragon-shifters, and so many more all living together in paranormal harmony within one city? Yeah, that's some fun I can definitely get behind! I think the greatest part about this series is that Painter's options are virtually limitless, she can go anywhere with this series!
The characters in Bride were some of the best I've seen in a novel of this type. Each were written with amazing traits that identified each as unique and noteworthy. From our head vampire Hugh, to his entire Ellingham clan, including his Rook, Stanhill, to our resident human Delaney, Painter's way with words ensures each character is well-developed and memorable! As the first novel in the series, these is a huge cast of characters that I'm sure I'll touch base on as each installment progresses, but for a first novel, I was thoroughly blown away by Bride.
I'd also like to make a note on the romance aspect of this series. Romance stories and I aren't always the best of friends, but I absolutely love how Painter handled the romance in this series. Sure there is love, flirting, romance, and some adult language, but Painter does all of her 'sexual content' off page, a move that is greatly appreciated by myself (and I'm sure other non-romance readers as well). The fact that Painter was able to tell such an amazing story without resorting to hardcore sex or erotica speaks volumes of her talent and writing style.
Much like the story itself, I'll keep this review short and sweet. The Vampire's Mail Order Bride is an absolutely incredible debut novel for Kristen Painter's Nocturne Falls series. I cannot rave enough about this series. It's just plain fun! From the first page to the back cover, you won't be able to set this incredible novel down! Major kudos to Painter for crafting such a unique series sure to please readers across genres!
That being said, it should come as no surprise that I am granting The Vampire's Mail Order Bride by Kristen Painter a well-earned 5-star review! I cannot wait to see what else Painter has in store for the residents of Nocturne Falls! I highly recommend this read to all fans of paranormal, romance, or fantasy reads.
*****
Alright readers, that's all I have for you on the topic of The Vampire's Mail Order Bride by Kristen Painter. As you can see, I loved this book, I highly recommend adding it to your TBR. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I've already devoured books two and three in less than 48 hours... I may or may not have an addiction. You will to after reading these! Thanks so much for stopping by and a huge thanks to Kristen and her team for supplying me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. Until next time, Happy Reading!
-Ethan
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