The Nocturne Falls Series: The Vampire's Mail Order Bride by Kristen Painter

The Vampire’s Mail Order Bride, Book 1 of the Nocturne Falls series by Kristen Painter, was another Book Bub discovery for me. If you have not signed up for Book Bub, what are you waiting for? You get free notifications about free or cheap eBooks in your favorite genres. It’s a bookworm’s dream come true! But back to the book review. When I first saw the cover, the bright pink and black color combination drew me in. I hadn’t read about vampires since the Twilight Saga kicked off the fad and then left it to fizzle. I knew there was a chance it would be cheesy but it was free to download to Kindle so I figured I would give it a try. Boy, am I glad I did! I read the entire book in one day. One. Day. I couldn’t put it down. Then to my relief, I looked up the author on Goodreads.com and realized there are five more books and several novellas in the series to keep me occupied.

Nocturne Falls, the namesake and location for the series, is a place where tourists go to celebrate Halloween 365 days per year. Little do they know, the supernaturals roaming town are not an act and really are who they seem. After Delaney witnesses her mobster boss murdering someone, she runs for her life to Nocturne Falls in the guise of a mail order bride. Hugh is a 377 year old vampire who is determined not to marry again after the death of his first wife centuries ago, but he agrees to meet with the woman chosen for him by a matchmaking agency to appease is grandmother. Sparks fly when the human and vampire meet but the most interesting part of the story is watching them confront the unveiling of secrets and dealing with the hurdles thrown their way. Their relationship is put to the test in a short amount of time which makes the romance scenes even more rewarding.
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In addition to quirkiness and fluffy paranormal love, this story has a strong comedic thread weaved throughout. The witty banter between the characters was amusing and kept me wanting to turn the page to see what they would say next. A part of me wishes Nocturne Falls was real so I could move there or, at the very least, take a road trip. A good book makes you homesick for places you have never been and this book did just that. After finishing The Vampire’s Mail Order Bride I am homesick for the little Halloween town of Georgia and now plan to read the next books in quick succession. Based on the book descriptions, the secondary characters I fell in love with in the first book will get their time in the spotlight as the series progresses. I can’t wait! With Halloween right around the corner, I can’t think of a more fun read to enjoy leading up to everyone’s favorite fall holiday.