I received this book for free from my own shelves in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: my own shelves
Death Dates the Oracle
by
Kristen Painter
It is part of the Nocturne Falls #15. series and is a magical realism, paranormal romance in a Kindle edition that was published by Sugar Skull Books on April 11, 2023 and has 298 pages.
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Other books in this series include [books_series]
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 Werewolf's Christmas Wish", 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, Nixed in New Orleans, Miss Frost Says I Do and Spider Too, The Witch's Christmas Catastrophe
Fifteenth in the Nocturne Falls magically realistic paranormal romance series and revolving around the town where Halloween is celebrated 365 days a year, where living in Nocturne Falls means being yourself. Fangs, fur, and all. The couple focus is on Eamon Underwood and Troula Kouris.
My Take
It’s a cute start, so normal. Then we slide into Eamon’s thoughts about his family background and his preference for no social interaction. Luckily, Painter uses third person dual protagonist point-of-view from Eamon’s and Troula’s perspectives, so we learn what each feels, thinks, and experiences.
Troula’s got plans for her potential oracle gifts. She wants to bring her family into the twenty-first century, although she does have her own questions about her family.
Prophecies of death, vampire seductions, the question of what really caused Maria’s death, oh, lol, a professional mourner is not what you’d think.
Whoa, it’s a real switch for Eamon’s brain. All his life his gift has been a curse and now he’s found a positive for it.
A nice bit in here explains how a gift varies within a family.
I did enjoy Kaley popping back in, especially when she picks up the unexpected about Delphina! Hmmm, foreshadowing?
There are a lot of ifs and maybes about what’s revealed of Eamon’s and Troula’s powers/abilities with many, many questions.
Painter’s stories are interspersed with humor, and Death Dates the Oracle is no different — a domestic side that’s so sexy — “Do you want to watch me do some dishes, then?” How many women would love their man to suggest that . . .
The Story
It’s a curse to Eamon, always seeing that hourglass over everyone’s head, knowing how long they have to live. It’s why he doesn’t go out.
Between the fortune teller predicting Troula’s death, her mother’s past history, and that vampire next door! It’s that overweening need to protect Troula that causes Cleo and Delly to betray Eamon. A betrayal that cuts deep.
And yet, forbidden fruit is so sweet.
The Characters
Troula Kouris, a legacy oracle, has a birthday and a passion for cotton candy. She works as a waitress at Uncle Yanni’s restaurant where Cindy Prentiss is another waitress and Troula’s friend. Maria had been her mother. Her aunts make their living with fortune telling and soothsaying.
Troula’s Greek aunts, Cleopatra (sharper and truer predictions deeper into the future) and Delphina “Delly” Kouris (sees backwards better than Cleo), live in Nocturne Falls and will take Troula as their apprentice. Living on Shadow Drive, the aunts have rescued fifteen cats, so far. There’s Dolly, Mr and Mrs Shrimps, Angel, Pickles, Captain Carrot, Big Head Ted, Princess, Dr Booples, Frankie, Little Joe, Butternut, Cher, Yardstick is a three-legged cat, Chloe . . . and two-month-old Nemo with all that aether. Oops, then there’s Leo the Lion.
Eamon Underwood, a Scot, is a reaper who can see how long a person has left to live and is the undertaker who has a podcast, Murder Most Foul. This week’s feature is Sarah Lynn Trent of Camden, Illinois; Conner is Sarah’s eight-year-old son. Seamus Underwood is Eamon’s uncle who can predict the weather and owns Underwood Funeral Home. Sharon had been Seamus’ wife who passed too soon. Callum, a writer and researcher of history, is a cousin researching the Underwood genealogy — Eamon’s hoping he’ll find a cure. Clark is one of Eamon’s employees.
Nocturne Falls, Georgia, is . . .
. . . a town where anyone can live without fear. It was founded by the Ellinghams, a family of vampires. Alice Bishop is the Ellingham witch, a very powerful one. Hugh Ellingham is married to Delaney (The Vampire’s Mail Order Bride, 1) — Delaney owns Delaney’s Delectables, a delicious bakery and sweets shop. Zombie Donuts makes great donuts. With weird names. Curry Kitchen is a newish Indian restaurant where young Scotty Hawkes, a werewolf, does deliveries. Scotty’s dad owns Hawke’s Body Shop. The Hallowed Bean is a coffee shop. Howler’s serves up fabulous pub food.
Pandora Van Zant, a witch, is the number one Realtor in Nocturne Falls (The Professor Woos the Witch, 4). Pumpkin is Pandora’s cat. Pandora’s mother is Corette (“The Witch’s Halloween Hero“, 4.5) and her sisters are Marigold (The Detective Wins the Witch, 10) and Charisma. Kaley is Pandora’s stepdaughter who can read auras (The Professor Woos the Witch).
Remy Lafitte is a sheriff’s deputy who shows up in The Vampire’s Sunny Sweetheart, 14.
Samuel Young is in a retirement home. Mrs Flambeau is a neighbor to Cleo and Delly. Lucien Dupree is a retired reaper who owns Insomnia, a supernatural nightspot (The Reaper Rescues the Genie, 9). Imari, a retired genie, is his wife. Vincenzo was a vampire Delphina had loved.
Madame Fatima is a Seer of the Ages. Oracles are considered the mouthpieces of goddesses. The Lesser Arts of Theurgy is about ancient Greek magic. Chicken Party is a popular cat food — just ask Spider and Sugar, lol. Sophie Ballentine had broken Eamon’s heart; he’d almost broken hers.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a graphic with pale blue stars everywhere and a light blue cloudy sky above a cheery neighborhood of painted Victorian houses with long front yards, trees framing the houses, and that gang of rescue cats everywhere! A gray cobblestone path leads to the middle house with Eamon in a gray T-shirt and black jeans carrying the dark brown-haired Troula in a paler gray tank top, blue jeans, and gray sneakers. At the top is the title in white outlined with black, with the “O” in “Oracle” framing a black cat weathervane. At the bottom is an info blurb with the author’s name below that in the same color scheme with a transparent black background. To the left is the series info in yellow against a brown wooden sign beneath the carved jack-o-lantern — with a black-and-white cat atop it.
The title is true enough as Eamon is dating Troula in Death Dates the Oracle.
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