Member Reviews

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for a copy of the third book in the Glimmer Falls series, A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire by Sarah Hawley!

If you know my bookish side, you know I love a good, silly, witchy romcom. They are my ultimate palette cleanser books because they are basically guaranteed to not take themselves too seriously!

That is for sure this series! In the latest installment we are introduced to Ben, the shy socially awkward werewolf, and Eleanore, the vampire succubus cursed to live in a plastic stone by an evil witch. Ben accidentally purchases the stone off eBay which throws the two together and hilarity ensues. Meanwhile, Ben also has to help his little sister run for mayor of Glimmer Falls, because each book has an odd magically political side plot which I do find ridiculous and funny!

Overall I liked this book! But compared to the others, I think it had the least chemistry of all the couples. It felt slightly more disjointed. My absolute favorite of the series is book 2, A Demon’s Guide to Wooing a Witch. It had the most tension, and something about it made me eat it up!

Now that I’ve completed the series, I think I’d rate them as follows:

A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon - ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
A Demon’s Guide to Wooing a Witch - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

All books are out now, and would suggest as fun romcoms to sprinkle into your fall/Halloween TBR! ✨🍁☕️👻🎃

Was this review helpful?

This book was all around an extremely fun time! Sarah Hawley channels the most fun, exciting, and intriguing parts of fall and Halloween in this series! I adored Ben and Eleanora’s relationship. Getting to see their story play out in a fast-paced, attention grabbing, albeit, unconventional manner was so enjoyable! I felt so strongly for both of these characters, I loved the depth both of them carried and getting to see them grow together. Their dynamic was hilarious, full of chemistry and tension, and all around great. Perfect for this season!

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing Group for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, I feel like I should have read the first two in this series before reading this one. But I didn't know at first this was the third one when requesting it. I think reading all of them would help add to the worldbuilding with the characters. As it is, I wasn't overly invested in the background characters.

Ben was kind of a boring love interest. I liked Eleonore better--her Star Trek references were just the icing on the killer vampire cake. It was a sweet read overall, but it was just "OK" as a supernatural rom-com.

Was this review helpful?

Paranormal romance at it's best: a shy and caring cinnamon roll-y werewolf and garden center owner buys a jar with a cursed but fiery and quick to anger succubus/vampire on eBay and subsequently falls in love with her while also wanting to free her from her curse...
Having been in the jar for around 600 years only allowed out to run errands for the witch who owned her, she has trust issues, of course.
The town of Glimmer Falls brought me in the right mood for fall with it's wild cast of characters, demons, witches, werewolves and vampires as well as normal people and the way the characters came together to support the breaking of a curse and the mayoral rum of another group member was just delightful to read.
This was fun ... so if you are looking for something entertaining to read look no further, this is it !

Was this review helpful?

*Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review and to PRH Audio for the gifted ALC*

Is this the end of Glimmer Falls? Because if so, I'm not ready.

This book had the wackiest premise and that just made me love it more. The Star Trek references had me reeling, and then I just kept laughing. Eleanora's PADD lists were perfection. And Ben, ugh my heart. Ben is the sweetest cinnamon roll, so it's the perfect match when paired with Eleanora's black cat energy. She could kill him with her pinky! But the way they show their love for each other in small ways at first, then through larger acts of service and physical touch... It felt so real! And that's saying something when the book is full of supernatural entities. We also got to see characters from the previous books and see a little more of some of the side characters.

I'd recommend this series for anyone who needs a little magic in their life or wants a cozy read for fall.

Was this review helpful?

A fun, high-comedy follow-up to the first two novels, Sarah Hawley has perfected the art of chemistry between the two main characters, Ben and Eleonore. This series leans heavily into the com of rom-com, so it might not be for everyone. However, the way that Hawley uses world-building to make her characters and their situations complex and interesting makes this series stand out among others in the genre.

Was this review helpful?

I love anything paranormal vibes and to have a werewolf and vampire romance absolutely made it enjoyable. I went into the book not having high expectations but to have fun with the story.

Let's just say I loved this book that I bought her other books too in the series!

Ben gets drunk at a friend's wedding and orders a succubus-vampire crystal from ebay for a mere 0.99. This crystal actually encases a 30 year old Vampire/Succubus named Eleanore, who has been trying to break a witch's curse for years. She has to follow orders from whomever has the rock in possession.

These two characters could not be in more of a mess if they tried. Ben's family wants him to settle down and Eleanore just wants to be free and get revenge on the witch and kill her and the curse. Looks like they need to work together to help each other get out of their predicaments.

This was a hilarious paranormal rom-com and well written. Can't wait to read the others.

Was this review helpful?

If you’re craving a cozy and laugh out loud fantasy read then you need to meet Ben and Eleanora.

This was my first book I read in the Glimmer Falls series, and perhaps the reason I didn’t love it was because I didn’t know all the backstories. There’s a lot of characters and a lot of plot happening that I think I would have enjoyed more if I’d read book one and two.

I liked meeting our main character, Ben who’s a nerdy and anxious werewolf who puts everyone else’s needs above his own. When he accidentally buys the vampire Eleanora online after a night of drinking, his whole world changes as he falls for the gorgeous and cursed vampire who’s missed out on a lot of the world thanks to being stuck in a cursed plastic crystal. The two of them are very chaotic, and watching them fall for each other while Eleanora learns about the way of modern times is really quite funny. Eleanora is fierce and hilarious. She was a standout character for me in the story, and watching her learn to modernize herself was a great part of the book.

There’s a lot of other plot points going on in between Ben and Eleanora falling in love and trying to break the curse she’s under that means Ben can command her to do anything. I wanted to see more of their arc and less of the rest of Glimmer Falls. I really liked watching Ben and Eleanora together but I feel like some of their growth was missed due to the rest of the storylines. I really liked Ben’s anxiety representation on the pages, as well as him and his group of friends helping Eleanora through her trauma that she had gone through from the hands of the witch who cursed her.

There’s a lot to enjoy in this book, but I think it’s one best read as part of a whole series.

Was this review helpful?

A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire is the third installment of Sarah Hawley's delightful Glimmer Falls series.

I’ve been loving this fun series and its wonderful characters so much! While we get to see some of the beloved characters from the first two books, this time the focus is on Ben Rosewood, resident werewolf, plant lover, and all around sweetheart. Ben has been living a quiet life, trying to manage his anxiety disorder while working to expand his small business, Ben’s Plant Emporium, to include a coffee shop and a theater.

Life takes an unexpected turn for Ben when he drunkenly bids on and wins a “magical crystal” on ebay, only to realize when it arrives that it really is magical and is possessed by a vampire succubus named Eleanora. Eleonora has been trapped for centuries by an evil witch and now that Ben is her new owner, she must obey his every command.

Ben is mortified that he accidentally owns Eleanora, and although she is at first suspicious, Eleanora soon comes to realize he is truly sincere and wants to help her find a way to break this curse. I absolutely loved both Ben and Eleanora and the chemistry that develops between them the more time they spend together is incredible. Although their main focus is on freeing Eleanora and the dangers that accompany this task, they definitely end up having a bit of steamy fun along the way and I was all for it!

If small town, supernatural romances are your vibe, then you want to check out this entire series!

Was this review helpful?

I have enjoyed all the books in Glimmer Falls. I really liked Eleonore she was definitely a product of her time and her heritage. She was fierce and scary but also sweet and thoughtful. I loved how nerdy and anxious Ben was but how hunky he was even in a sweater vest. I mean he is a werewolf. The drunken reason they “met” is so funny and my favorite. I mean I’ve bought some interesting things on eBay but nothing like that.
They were very spicy with each other she’s half succubus and needs to feed, right 😉
The mayor race with Ben’s sister was exciting and gave Eleonore a chance to show her skills as a bodyguard. Some sneaky stuff happening by the opponent which is to be expected.
The grand gesture was great. And Lilith continues to steal every scene she is in.

Was this review helpful?

Paranormal romances have been on the rise lately, and I’ve really been getting into them. One that just came out this month is A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire by Sarah Hawley. It’s the third in her Glimmer Falls series, but it works as a standalone (I still need to read the first two books and fully intend to do so soon). Set in a town in western Washington, it’s about a werewolf named Ben who accidentally buys a plastic crystal on eBay, not realizing that it comes with a vampire succubus whom he now has control over. Eleonore, the vampire succubus in question, has been ensorcelled for 600 years and is full of rage. She’d been an unwilling assassin for her previous master and isn’t happy to have been sold off for 99 cents. But maybe Ben could be the key to her long-overdue freedom… and a bit of love, too.

Tropes & Narrative Devices:
- Curse-bound to lovers
- Opposites attract
- Found family
- Third-person narration (dual perspective)

What I Liked:
- He’s an anxious, introverted, overly generous workaholic. Ben is not your typical werewolf! He’s such a sweet, kind-hearted, overthinker, and I just loved him. This guy knits sweaters and cooks! He’s a keeper. He’s the cinnamon roll hero I always enjoy seeing in romances and such a perfect match for Eleonore.
- She’s an easily angered, action-oriented, ensorcelled assassin vampire succubus. Eleonore has spent the last six centuries bound to an evil witch and forced to do her bidding… generally, murder. Now that Ben has (accidentally!) purchased the plastic crystal she’s bound to, thus becoming her master, Eleonore is facing a big change of pace. She’s such a firecracker of a character and I loved her just as much as Ben.
- They’re such opposites! And both defy traditional gender norms. Ben is the cozy homemaker; Eleonore is the one who’s excitable and prone to violence. They balance each other out wonderfully.
Breaking curses. Eleonore has been stuck in this awful curse for 600 years and now has a chance to finally break free. She and Ben just have to figure out how to do that… and it may involve tracking down the Witch in the Woods and convincing her to reverse the spell.
- Fun world-building and cast of characters. I loved getting to know Glimmer Falls and all of its paranormal inhabitants. And it’s in my home state, Washington! Though I haven’t read the first two books yet, it was fun seeing the couples from those stories make frequent appearances here. It only made me more eager to go back and read their HEAs now.
- Discussions of mental health. Ben has anxiety and Eleonore has PTSD. I love their open and honest discussions about mental health and how to navigate their respective situations with care. Both are so tender with each other!
- Bonkers sense of humor and fun throughout. This whole book is just such a silly, random delight that was a perfect escape for me. This is the kind of off-the-wall book that really works for me.

What Didn’t Work for Me:
- Nothing, this was great!

Final Thoughts
A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire is such a hilarious, joyful, escapist book and I enjoyed every second of it. I can confirm that it works as a standalone, but I fully intend to go back and read the first two books before the year is over. Glimmer Falls is a world I want to spend more time in, and I look forward to reading a lot more from Sarah Hawley.

Was this review helpful?

The small town of Glimmer Falls has a special place in my heart. It has been enjoyable getting to know this lovely group of friends. Ben is a very relatable character, with his caring and anxious nature.

He truly reminds me of myself. He always hides his struggles and pain, but being the first one, everyone else turns to for help and strength. It was nice to see how he adjusted throughout the story.

Eleonore has not had an easy life. Her trauma was not super relatable for me, but others can probably relate to her more than Ben. She developed tools to keep herself as safe as she can under her life circumstances. Her lack of current social norms adds humor to the story, but she is a quick study and is so curious about the world.

It is not easy to imagine this story having a happy ending. There are so many things that can go wrong. Will they break this spell and learn how to live their lives without fear. Trust is a delicate thing, and it is so easily broken.

The background story of the town is also very impressive, and I was happy to see the carry through from the previous books. It was nice to see the characters from previous books still thriving and growing in this small community.

Was this review helpful?

Super cute, contemporary vampire x werewolf romance.

A werewolf with social anxiety & a vampire plucked out of time makes for a surprisingly sweet, goofy romcom.

This story felt so unique and was comforting in a way I wasn’t expecting. Typically you hear werewolf love interest and think Alpha personality, possessive, super intense - but this book subverts that a bit in a way that is really refreshing.

A cozy, light fantasy that is great for the readers who are looking for the perfect transition to fall book.

Was this review helpful?

So happy to be back in Glimmer Falls! This one was a delight. Soft werewolf Ben definitely really didn’t know what he was getting into purchasing the vampire succubus Eleanore off eBay. They’re complete opposite but somehow went together perfectly, their chemistry was off the charts. The story did drag for me in a few spots but overall I was very entertained and I truly enjoy the world Hawley has created in Glimmer Falls.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Another great addition to this series! I have enjoyed every book in this series and Sarah Hawley did not disappoint with this book. As soon as I saw the cover, I knew I was going to have a good time. I was right about that.

I love how sassy and wild Eleanora is and that Ben is literally the perfect little nerdy cinnamon roll character werewolf that I loved. He is definitely a new book boyfriend!

Alot of funny moments that actually made me laugh out loud. Excited to see what else Sarah Hawley releases in the future.

Was this review helpful?

I had fun reading this one. I relate so hard to Ben, and I very much appreciated his healthy masculinity. He was so vulnerable and I loved it! Eleanore was the stabby friend in every friend group... Loved her.

Thank you to Sarah for not talking about knots 😳🤣

Was this review helpful?

REVIEW: A Werewolf's Guide to Seducing a Vampire

Lately, I've been a big fan of romantasy. I was excited to dive right in when I received this book as an ARC. I didn't realize until later that this book was the third book in the series; however, I don't think that not reading the first two books hindered my reading experience. It does feature characters from the previous books, but it still felt like a complete stand-alone.

A Werewolf's Guide to Seducing a Vampire was a great mix of romance and fantasy. Sarah Hawley does a great job of world-building. With so many different types of magical beings living together, she brings so many other facets of the world that make it believable. I really liked the unique storyline that made the book so enjoyable. There were also a lot of funny and spicy parts, both of which were great.

Sarah Hawkley had a diverse and fun set of characters who were all magical species in A Werewolf's Guide to Seducing a Vampire. I liked all the characters, especially the main characters, Ben and Eleonore. Ben and Eleonore are total opposites; Ben is very introverted, a cinnamon roll, anxious, and a werewolf, whereas Elenore is very eccentric, part vampire and part succubus. I appreciated how each character stayed true to themselves while accepting their partner as they are. Not to mention, the chemistry between Elenore and Ben was electric.

The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was how some of the ending was resolved. It just felt like it could have been a little more to it.

Overall, I enjoyed A Werewold's Guide to Seducing a Vampire. It provided the fantasy and romance I was looking for, plus a unique story with loveable characters. I can't wait to read the other two books in this series.

Thank you, Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

#bookreview #bookrecommendations #arcread #bookstagram #books #booklover #bookish #bookaddict #igreads #bookcommunity #igreads #readingbooks #bookishpost #readersofinstagram #reading #alwaysreading #booksofinstagram #bookaholic #bookcommunity #booksofinstagram #romancereadersofinstagram #romancereader

Was this review helpful?

A deliciously entertaining paranormal romance that strikes the perfect balance between humor, heat, and heart. The unlikely pairing of a laid-back werewolf with an anxiety disorder and a fierce vampire succubus makes for a captivating and wildly fun read.

Ben and Eleonore’s chemistry is electric, filled with tension, banter, and a growing attraction that neither can deny. Hawley masterfully blends moments of laugh-out-loud humor with tender scenes that reveal the vulnerabilities of both characters. Ben’s struggle with his anxiety is portrayed with sensitivity, adding depth to his character and making his journey with Eleonore all the more engaging.

Overall, A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire is a paranormal romance that stands out for its clever premise, strong character development, and delightful blend of humor and romance. It’s a fang-tastic read for anyone looking to sink their teeth into a story that’s both lighthearted and irresistibly charming.

Was this review helpful?

Review: A WEREWOLF’S GUIDE TO SEDUCING A VAMPIRE by Sarah Hawley https://bit.ly/3WRIdNV
Publication Date: 8/13/2024
Genre Paranormal Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Cori
Rated 4 Stars

This was such a fun read. Golden retriever hero meets feisty heroine. I loved the storyline and their chemistry. A WEREWOLF’S GUIDE TO SEDUCING A VAMPIRE is part of Sarah Hawley’s Glimmer Falls Series but you don’t have to read the books in order. I’m going to go back and read the other books in the series though because I enjoyed this one. I recommend this book for paranormal lovers looking for some spice, humor and a good storyline. I’m adding Sarah Hawley to my TBR list.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

Kindle https://amzn.to/4fQKykL

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley, PRH Audio and Berkley Publishing Group
for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! I was also lucky enough to receive an ALC from the Penguin Random House Audio Influencer Program. @prhaudio #PRHAudio #PRHAudioInfluencer @BerkleyPub @BerkleyRomance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley #BerkleyBookstagram #BerkleyBookTok
All opinions are my own.

This was a super cute romance and the next installment of the Glimmer Falls series. I loved the chemistry between Elenora and Ben. I also loved the charming residents of Glimmer Falls. This is the perfect book to curl up and read this spooky season with a Pumpkin Spice Latte or a Hot Apple Cider. Helen Laser did a wonderful job narrating this book and I thought she did a great job with Eleanora's accent. This book is swoon worthy and sexy! Definitely add this book to your TBR this fall. You will not regret it!

Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

********


If you are interested in seeing more of my reviews and other content feel free to connect with me here <3:

https://linktr.ee/bookreviewsbyjules (links to my Instagram, Goodreads, TikTok, Storygraph, My blog and Substack newsletter, etc)

If you are a publisher or author who has questions about my reviews (as well as questions about my stats, reach or engagement), please free to email me. I am also open to requests for book reviews from authors or publishers. Thank you again for taking time to read my review, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Was this review helpful?