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"The Werewolf's Christmas Wish"
by
Kristen Painter
magical realism in a Kindle edition that was published by Sugar Skull Books on February 23, 2016 and has 43 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon, Audibles.
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Blood Rights, Flesh and Blood, Bad Blood, Out for Blood, Last Blood, House of the Rising Sun, City of Eternal Night, Garden of Dreams and Desires, Miss Frost Solves a Cold Case, All Fired Up, "Prologue to The Vampire's Mail Order Bride", The Vampire's Mail Order Bride, The Werewolf Meets His Match, The Gargoyle Gets His Girl, The Professor Woos the Witch, The Vampire's Fake Fiancée, The Shifter Romances the Writer, "The Witch's Halloween Hero", The Dragon Finds Forever, The Vampire's Accidental Wife, The Reaper Rescues the Genie, The Detective Wins The Witch, The Vampire's Priceless Treasure, The Werewolf Dates the Deputy, "When Birdie Babysat Spider", Miss Frost Ices the Imp, Miss Frost Saves the Sandman, Miss Frost Cracks a Caper, Miss Frost Braves the Blizzard, The Vampire's Cursed Kiss, Her First Taste of Fire, The Trouble With Witches, Moody and the Beast, The Vampire's Sunny Sweetheart, Miss Frost Chills the Cheater, Lost in Las Vegas, Wrapped Up in Christmas, Mystified in Music City, Sucks To Be Me, A Sky Full of Stars, Suck It Up Buttercup, The Forgettable Miss French, Sucker Punch, The Suck Stops Here
A short story, 4.6 in the Nocturne Falls magical realism series and revolving around a haven for supernaturals in a small town in Nocturne Falls, Georgia. The couple focus is on Bridget Merrow and Sam Kincaid.
My Take
We get a back history on how Bridget came to own a bar. Fascinating. Painter also gives us some background on what Hank and Titus chose to do after high school. Okay, there’s some more back history on the Kincaids, and it fulfills everything I hoped for from the end of The Werewolf Meets His Match, 2!
I am enjoying the openness of those Ellinghams. They’re not prejudiced against any supe. They welcome the diversity. And it gets paid forward by the characters in Nocturne Falls.
It’s a third person dual protagonist point-of-view from Bridget’s and Sam’s perspectives. Normally, I’d be annoyed by the thoughts they each have about the other, but in this case, it was funny. I suspect that’s due to the shortness of the story . . . I didn’t have to endure it for a long time *grin*.
It is cute how Bridget takes the insecure Sam on. It’s sweet how Sam suffers from his male pride. I understand it, but it’s also admirable that he’s working this through.
Hmmm, that dust-up with the kitchen helper. I sure hope someone apologizes!
The Story
It’s a rescue, of sorts. That Dom Pérignon that never got delivered. That set-up by Titus . . . cheeky boy. Then yet another rescue by Julian from that vicious kitchen appliance.
It’s, um, fraught with emotions and aggression, lol.
The Characters
Bridget Merrow, a werewolf, runs the popular Howler’s, a bar and grill. Her brothers include Sheriff Hank Merrow who’s married to Ivy (The Werewolf Meets His Match, 2), and they have a son, Charlie. The second brother, Titus, is the fire chief with a fiancée, Zoe, another werewolf and schoolteacher. Their father is the Alpha of the Georgia Pack. Sam Kincaid, Ivy’s brother, is a fireman, who’s been in Nocturne Falls for a year. The Kincaid’s mother has stayed behind in Tennessee.
Juan Carlos is the reliable chef, who’s married to Marita. Lenny is a not too reliable new hire.
Nocturne Falls, Georgia, is . . .
. . . a haven where supernaturals can be themselves 24/7/365 and is mostly owned by a vampire family, the Ellinghams. Elenora is the matriarch with three grandsons: Sebastian, Hugh, and Julian . . . with the voice! Alice Bishop, a powerful witch, is Elenora’s secretary and companion. Frauke is Elenora’s chef.
Mummy’s Diner is a twenty-four/seven place for great food. The Trevors ate at Howler’s.
The Cover and Title
The cover is cheery in a mix of holidays with the red-haired Bridget in a short-sleeved gray T-shirt with white trim on the sleeves, neckline, and hem and jeans, her hands in her pockets, standing next to the brown-haired Sam in jeans, a navy overcoat, and a button-down shirt open at the neck. They’re both in front of the dark brown bar and the barstools with their red seats and chrome legs and the dark wood floor at Howler’s, shelves of liquor on the left against a bright blue walls, a wide dark wood frame for the picture window that takes up two-thirds of the back. A cheery Christmas garland is strung along the top. The bottle of Dom Pérignon on top of the bar is the conflict. The lit-up jack-o-lantern on its black iron stand leans to the right next to the brown wooden sign with the series information. The title is at the top in white with a thick black shadow. The author’s name is at the bottom in white with a smokier black shadow. At the very bottom is an info blurb in white.
The title is “The Werewolf’s Christmas Wish” by two, hmmm, maybe more, werwolves.
