Hunters and Hydrangeas

A Vampire's Guide to Gardening #3

by Shari L. Tapscott

Read the conclusion of Piper and Noah’s story in Hunters and Hydrangeas, the third and final book in the Vampire’s Guide to Gardening series.

Hi, I’m Piper, and I’m in love with a vampire hunter. I thought my life took a weird turn at the beginning of summer when I was diagnosed as a pre-vamp, but let me tell you, it’s gotten crazier.

A few months ago, I didn’t even know vampires existed, and now I’m rubbing shoulders with the vampire elite, going into business with one of their princes, and dreaming about a moonlit garden wedding with a tasteful carnivore reception menu.

Overall, this crazy life is pretty good.

And if people would stop trying to kill us, everything would be perfect…

A Vampire's Guide to Gardening is a fun and flirty contemporary fantasy rom-com you can sink your teeth into. (Pun intended.) Full of humor, spark-and-smolder chemistry, and practical tips for growing your flower gardening business when you become allergic to the sun, this series is sure to delight fans of cozy paranormal romance.

The books in this series feature spicy-sweet closed-door romance. (Passionate kisses and some innuendo, but no on-page steamy scenes.)

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal, Vampires, Clean Romance, Adult

326 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 27, 2025

About the author

Shari L. Tapscott writes young adult fantasy and humorous contemporary fiction. When she's not writing or reading, she enjoys gardening, making soap, and pretending she can sing.

She loves white chocolate mochas, furry animals, spending time with her family, and characters who refuse to behave.

Tapscott lives in western Colorado with her husband, son, daughter, and two very spoiled Saint Bernards.

Join Shari's newsletter, and be one of the first to learn about new projects, upcoming releases, sales, and specials.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Plot- Fun ending to the trilogy. A little slower since the romance was more or less complete. I felt it drag in the middle and then it picked up at the end again.

Characters- I loved Piper and Noah still. Cassian was still an important side character and very endearing. Max and Olivia weren’t really in this one much. Sophia was okay still.

Romance- Noah and Piper were super cute together. This installment didn’t have as high of chemistry because they were officially in love and devoted to each other. The fabulous banter and flirting from book 1 was mostly missing since they weren’t dancing around each other in that flirty way anymore. They were still REALLY sweet together, but it wasn’t as exciting.
The romantic plotline consisting of “I want to bite him but I also want to wait until marriage- this is so hard” got a little old, ngl.

Writing - Great!


Content-

Language- no swearing
Spice- no sex. They decided to save sex/vampire biting for marriage (which is awesome), so that was a bit of a struggle for them, but it stayed very clean and appropriate. Tbh, I could have used a little more something when they finally got to bite each other. It was a massive let down when it finally sorta happened. I like steamy-clean, but this lacked the steamy part of that combo. Maybe too tame and boring when all that build up led to… a little scrape of fangs that wasn’t even slightly sexy. ??
Violence- one vamp attack where Piper is bit and strangled, on page.
Substance abuse- no.
Cover- cute
POV- single POV, first person
Cliffhanger- no. Ends the trilogy.
Format- KU


How I rated the series-
Book 1 - Blood & Buttercups - 4.5 stars
Book 2 - Vampires & Violas- 5 stars
Book 3 - Hunters & Hydrangeas - 3.5 stars

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great conclusion to a fun series! I just wish the ending was a little longer. :) Definitely would recommend. I received an arc but would have read it on kindle unlimited if I didn’t :)

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reader’s Notes:

– this is the last book in a trilogy & must be read in order

– this is told from Piper’s point of view

-there is some violence & death (mainly defending themselves from attacks using guns/stakes; the few mentions are brief)

*there is unwanted attention as well as an attack that leaves Piper with some trauma

– it is mentioned that the characters make noises during some kisses (moans/groans); some make outs also have the guy’s shirt being removed

-there is a fade to black scene between a married couple (her dress was removed – she is only wearing a chemise & corset – and his bow tie & jacket were removed; they are on the bed talking/kissing when the scene changes to a different scene)

Review:

This was such a good ending to the series! I loved how vampirism was used in this storyline (throughout the series) and that there were a bunch of humorous moments between Piper and her friends! I loved the progression of Piper’s relationship with Noah and seeing how everyone around them knew it’d happen eventually. I liked that some characters we’d met in previous books were brought back, even briefly, so we could see where they were at/going to go. I wish the series wasn’t over (I’d love to see some of the characters again), but thankfully I know Shari L. Tapscott’s got more stories in general up her sleeves and I have a bunch from her backlist to still go through. 😂

Summary:

Piper never would have believed that vampires exist or that she’d be rubbing elbows with vampire hierarchy, had she not been bit by a vampire earlier that summer. Now it’s her life in addition to being a flower farmer, albeit one who does most of her gardening when the sun is less potent. And having fallen for Noah – her vampire hunter boyfriend – makes everything about her new life a little bit brighter.

If only people would stop trying to kill or take her away from this new life she’s built…

[Morgan Giesbrecht · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an ending! It was a whirlwind read with plenty of hilarious moments. Tapiscott’s banter is one of my favourite things. 😂 This was a fun series to kick off summer reading!


Content: passionate make outs; talk of desire and waiting for marriage; marital fade to black

[Aunt LoLo · Rating 4 out of 5]

sweet ending

This was a sweet ending to Piper’s story! Full of drama, intrigue, and a little romance. I have a little trouble keeping all the characters straight, but I think that’s a me problem. Haha

[Lindsay Rankin]

I liked the story!

I enjoyed the plot, and I like the characters! This book has a lot of innuendo in it though, and it made me uncomfortable at times in that respect.

[Kysa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good conclusion to the series - fun, light, and an easy read, perfect for the summer. I enjoyed the series.

[Drduby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun but the weakest

The entire concept behind vampires in this trilogy is unique. This book just had the weakest plot of the trilogy. Still enjoyed it but it lacked depth and didn't fully resolve everything.

[Kaci · Rating 3 out of 5]

First two books had better pacing, really liked the series, just thought the last one felt a little flat compared to the first two.

[Amy Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh

Did this book really need to happen? It all gets tied up in a too-neat little bow. We even have 2 overly obvious villain monologues. Give me a break.

[Blake · Rating 1 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

Rating to be added DNF

I think I'm going to try this book again another time, its just annoying me tonight. I'm not in the mood to ignore nonsense, for 'plot'. The 'that makes no sense' is outweighing the want to finish the trilogy and see the baddies get what they deserve.

Edit -- Just read other reviews and what annoyed one of them, would really annoy me to and as you'll see below the book already annoyed me with bad plot, so to read it 'gets worse' with stuff I consider 'bad plot' and doesn't actually finish one of the storylines (that I'm pretty interested in), important info is withheld from the MC because of 'reasons'. I'm inferring that love interest and his sire will have 'good' (heavy on the sarcasm inflection) reasons for not telling her right away.
A review stated that the wedding was rushed at the end, because MC is not actually of Cassian's line, so Noah the love interest marries her to bring her into his House. Honestly if it was that important she remain part of Cassian's line, then she would have been fully infected by him or Noah, not left it to chance who ended up finishing the siring! -- 'For plot' is not a good reason and if all you need to do to change 'House' is get married, then its not the big deal that little plot points from early in the book would have it appear.

I'm not going to bother with finishing the book. The author is getting tagged as 'hit or miss' she managed IMHO to stick the landing in another of her series. I've got a mountain of books to read (and re-read), including those by authors who I 'know' can stick the landing. So annoying when a series starts good but then goes bad. :-(
It's such a shame because I really liked this take on vampires and the world and I liked (or mostly) the character portrayals in the first two books. (Since I remove reviews when I change my 'score' on later books, I'm copying the original, which is basic you get more in depth if I dislike something, below, in case anyone is interested.)

----------
Stopped at page 107.
Reason:
Trip to Miami, its mainly a work trip, they're not intimate yet so they reserve two separate rooms. -- Arrive and oh no, even though the reservation went through for two rooms, they only have one available. But to apologise for the mix-up, they've been upgraded at no extra cost to a room with sea view and balcony and of course, just one king size bed.
So they did have two rooms when they noticed the oopsy with the reservation, one of the ones booked and the fancier one... so I'd be telling the hotel employee that I'm happy to take the original room and companion can have the fancy 'upgrade' one. Even if I 'did' want the man romantically, I dislike being played. If they had since sold use of the other of the original rooms, then I'd be looking to stay elsewhere right away, not in the morning.

I'm NOT in the mood for a bad rom-com. -- The 'upgrade' did it for me, because that means they had two rooms and decided to change someone's reservation for the worse! If someone books two rooms, they get two rooms!

I mean its SO obvious an outsider has 'got' to the hotel, to mess with the reservation so Love interest has gone down in my esteem, since he should realise that right off, he's a sort of 'agent' after-all. I don't care it's 2am in the story, its Miami, there'll be a hotel with two rooms open! -- If someone can mess with your reservation, that hotel is not safe to stay at.

How I'd do the 'have to share a bed' plot, love interest booked two great rooms to begin with, and one of them just had a plumbing issue and its now out of commission because the plumber can't book them in for a few days, and they don't have any other empty rooms. That at least doesn't involve the hotel twice screwing with the want for two rooms!

First time read the author's work?: No

Will you be reading more?: I'll try to get past page 107 and its stupid plot-line at some point -- others by the author, I'll decide when I manage to finish this book. -- Author is now considered 'hit or miss' by me so a new book series premise would have to really grab me, but I'd be afraid of liking the first two and then the last part being a nope, like this trilogy.

Would you recommend?: If the stuff in spoilers doesn't bother you, yes, if it annoys you to, then no.

--------------------------------
1st book review (I didn't like the second quite as much, due to love interests interactions with MC's parents, for me he seemed to be putting their wishes before MC aka his girlfriend way too much. Partner's deal with their own kin, and you side with your partner unless they're being completely unreasonable and she wasn't, all she wanted was to be left in her home with her hot lodger / BF.
Sorry point, book 2 fell by 0.25 of a star, not the minimum of 0.50 that gets me posting a new review.)


3.5*

I liked the MC.
I liked the love interest.
I liked the other characters.
I thought the world was interesting.
I liked the new take on Vampires.

Dislike, its a new series, so there's only a 2nd book out for me to read (which I'll be doing as soon as I post this review). -- I really like it when I can read multiple books in a series, when I really enjoy the first book!

First time read the author's work?: No -- I just realised I read the Obsidian Queen series by her under Shannon Lynn Cook, I rated that 2.75 stars.

Will you be reading more?: Yes

Would you recommend?: Yes


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[T.K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shari Tapscott is such a gifted writer that I always have high expectations of her books. This one disappoints a bit. It felt a little clunky with plot devices and unnecessary characters. Also, the sexual content (though technically cleanish) took over the storyline and I got bored of constantly hearing how much she wanted to bite him. I'm sure Tapscott's next series will be better.

[Shiro Kitana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm glad that I finished the series, but compared to the first two books, I think this one didn’t land as well as the others. Even though I finished the book, I feel like it was unnecessary and didn’t really add much to the plot. We also didn’t get much progress in the relationship between Noah and Piper, because they were in this kind of stalemate where he didn’t want to bite her until they were married. Every time they were getting close to doing it, it felt like the author was just teasing the readers. While that was fine the first couple of times, it started happening so frequently even in the last book soo I began to get frustrated that it just kept happening over and over again. Also, even when they did get married, it felt very rushed and not at all romantic. They only did it so she would be part of Cassian’s house line ...and that ended up being all for nothing.

I also didn’t like the fact that Ethan found her again, and the author made it seem like an innuendo of him forcing a bite on her, almost in a sexual way. It wasn’t really dealt with emotionally. Sure, she was traumatized for a few chapters and flinched when Noah tried to bite her, but they never really talked about it or processed it properly.

Then there was the whole subplot with Cassian being nominated to be the Archduke, and that didn’t really go anywhere...even by the end of the book, we’re still waiting to see if he’s accepted into the seat. So that made no sense, as there was no resolution. And I just realized we had almost no Max and Olivia in this book at all.

Overall, now that I’ve had some time to think on it, this book didn’t give me anything new, and it just wasn’t as funny as the first one which is unfortunate.

[S B · Rating 4 out of 5]

That’s a wrap!

We’ve reached the end of A Vampire’s Guide to Gardening. (Though I really hope we get to see Max and Olivia in a short, a bonus chapter, OR their own stories??? Hint, hint, Ms Tapscott!)

Piper had already been through a lot in the first two books. This one is no different. Adjusting to the final stage is a rough start for her. But her friends and family help her out. Her moments with Noah are sweet and fun. They get their HEA in a slightly unconventional way, but I feel like it just suits them as a couple. (It really also sends a clear message to her parents that she’s an adult and can make decisions without their meddling, which was my gripe the last book.) I was a tad disappointed we never got to see Noah tell his family about his diagnosis, but this is Piper’s tale. Not his.

Ethan makes his creepy reappearance. Delusional is definitely not a strong enough word. His fate is well deserved.

But he’s the least of their worries. Piper and her crew face new foes and challenges, plus international trips with questionable documents! All the fun!!!

I hope we get to see glimpses of this world in bonus content! It’s just a fun story with fun characters and interesting circumstances!

[Jessica Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

[3.5 stars]
I didn’t like this third book nearly as much as the first. It’s funny and I appreciated the humor and Tapscott’s writing style, but my interest started to waver several times. There was plenty of action, but somehow it seemed drawn out, even repetitive… and yet the conclusion felt rushed. The suspense/danger often felt forced to me, as well as the sexual tension within their relationship. The biting aspect of the sexual tension was also weird and uncomfortable for me.

Content:
There is no foul language or sex. There is some violence, but it’s not graphic or gory. There are several heated kisses and make-out scenes, and the whole biting thing was weird and uncomfortable for me. There is a fade-to-black scene between a married couple near the end of the book. There is no mention of faith or God.

Trigger warning:
The FMC is assaulted (bit and attempted strangulation). It’s treated much like rape from a trauma perspective, so is likely a trigger for some.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this series!! It was exciting, unique, funny, and sweet! The only reason I gave this last book 4 stars is because the ending was too rushed. This book was shorter than the others, and I would have appreciated more pages to resolve the political intrigue. This series brought up some serious discussion points: Cassian's hypocrisy of changing Noah to save him, but still insisting that spreading vampirism is unethical due to population control. This ethical debate is further emphasized by the likability of Sophia, who was on the side of saving others through vampirism. But there was never any personal growth on Cassian's part or discussion of how the vampire community could find a compromise between the two valid sides of the political debate. I think more resolution of this would have elevated this book to another level. However, the lighthearted enjoyability of this series was solid! I would definitely recommend and read again.

[Lauren Johnstun · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely really enjoyed this conclusion to the Vampires Guide to Gardening! I felt like it had some good action that kept me interested! And all of our favorite vampires, too. I do feel a little conflicted about some of the loose ends though. We never found out if Cassian is voted in as archduke, though it’s heavily hinted at that he will be. Also, I missed Olivia and Max in this book and wish I had more of them! Maybe a few bonus chapters of their time together while everyone was in Florida could still happen? We also never got any resolution between Piper and her parents after she dropped the marriage bomb on them. Overall, still 4 stars for me because I love the characters and the storyline! I just wish for the last book in a series there would have been a little more closure in the other areas.

[Roberta Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

No sugar, donuts, or even her favorite cucumbers for Piper... its "cow meat" & blood for our new vampire carnivore forever...!?!?! In A Vampire's Guide to Gardening Book 3, Noah and Piper are secretly dating, her brother Noah and BFF Cassie flirt with flirting, and Cassian's long-lost love of his life, Sophia, has either run away or been abducted by vicious vampires. The election for a new Archduke is upcoming, and a secretive sect of vicious vampires is trying to prevent Cassian from entering the vote. There is so much mystery and chaos! I love the chemistry & sweet love that Noah and Piper share. Cassian and Piper's banter is equally entertaining! Hunters and Hydrangeas is a contemporary fantasy rom-com, a delightful story with supervillains and hunky heroes. 'Blood And Buttercups' & 'Vampires And Violas' are the first in the series, which should be read first! Five stars!!

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite book of the “A Vampire’s Guide to Gardening” series. The tension was great. The political scheming was top notch. The danger was *chef’s kiss*. And then it all wrapped up with the HEA I like in a series.

My favorite part was how Piper’s original problem was concluded but that wasn’t the end of the story. There was more action to follow. I started and finished this book in one day and didn’t even realize it until I was writing this review! It grabbed my attention and held it that well. And even though Cassian was my favorite character, I liked the love story between Piper and Noah and I was glad that they finally got to have their HEA. This was a very satisfying end to the series and if you haven’t tried this one out yet you definitely should!

[Laura Fincher · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I want to spend my life with Noah. I want to share breakfasts and birthdays with him. I want to be together for all the good and heartbreaking moments, and I know without a doubt he's the only person I wanted two nights ago while I was imploding."

A wonderful conclusion to an amazing series! I'm so sad it's over, but I am happy with how everything ended. This whole series was such a hilarious and wild ride! It might be one of my new favorites. I loved the unique take on Vampires, it was super refreshing! The series reminded me a lot of K.M. Shea's Magiford and Shari's Obsidian Queen series. The magical realism was done so well.

I highly recommend you pick this series up, especially now that it's all finished. No cliffhangers here!

Read if you enjoy:
Found Family
Urban Fantasy
Slow Burn Romance
Flirty Banter
Action & Adventure

*Thank you, Shari, for the complimentary copy! All opinions expressed are my own.

[Michelle Pomeroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun read and a good ending to the series. Honestly, at one point I wondered how on earth the author was going to be able to tie it all together by the end, there was so much going on. But, she did it.
This is a clean read and the editing is good. I received an ARC from the author. I was not required to write a review but chose to do so and the opinions stated are my own. I will also add that I appreciated how matters of an intimate nature were addressed. This is a clean read, as I said, but Piper and Noah don't necessarily always
want to keep it that way:) However, they have their reasons for waiting for marriage, and they keep to that, even if it's a struggle. And, chances are, if you're looking at a book marketed as clean, you'll appreciate it too.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

"My life has been like a movie this entire summer. I've lived through mobster plotlines, urban fantasy action sequences, and political intrigue. And now we've entered... the rom-com."

This book is a great conclusion to Noah and Pipers story! It picks up where book two left off, continuing the vampire fun! Noah and Piper are so good together and Cassian has also become a favorite character!
I don't want to give anything away so I'll just say that if you enjoyed the other two books then you should read this one too!

Fun story with a little adventure, no bad language, some innuendo and a married couple.

[clean.reads.corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Max was supposed to be the difficult one - not you. You're my garden girl, my little hobbit who likes quiet things. You're not supposed to go on sudden adventures!"
"Technically, several hobbits went on adventures..."

I love Piper, Noah, and Cassian! (I would love to see Cassian get his own origin story series)
This book is a sweet & flirty urban fantasy romcom, chock full of humor, romance, flirty banter, and intrigue.
The whole series is so much fun! It was the perfect antidote to my reading slump.

This author has the unique ability to write in multiple genres and do it well. I'm excited to see what she dreams up next. Whatever it is, I am here for it!

[Karyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cozy vampire series was unique and charming: a fun and flirty romcom read.

This is a humorous tale of a flower grower who suddenly finds herself allergic to the sun, among other things. Luckily, she’s assigned a babysitter who happens to be a recently demoted hunter. Did I mention he also happens to be wicked hot?

The primary characters (Piper, Noah, Cassian, Max, and Olivia) are all wonderfully drawn: endearing and flawed as all great characters are.

4-star because although I thoroughly enjoyed it, I’m not sure it hits the ‘will definitely read again’ category.

[Mary Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This third and concluding book of the series is a fun read, just right for summer! Noah is as yummy as ever, the straight thinking responsible knight in shining armor, and that's an appropriate description as you will see when you read. Piper is as ditsy as ever until almost the end, where she shows what she's really capable of. There's also a lot of Cassian in this book, old world charm oozing off the page. Could have used a little more wrap up at the end, but that's not enough to take this away from five stars. Where will Shari take us next? I did receive an ARC from the author.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic ending to a fun series! The characters and their interactions are hilarious and the romance is so sweet. Plus it’s always nice to find a series that is clean so i can share it with my teenage daughters if I want.
The only thing that I didn’t love was that we didn’t get real resolution for a few of the side plots. I would have loved to see how things ended up for certain characters but maybe she’s saving those to allow there to be a spin off series?? I definitely hope so.
Definitely worth the read!

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful conclusion

Hunters and Hydrangeas is a great conclusion to Shari L Tapscotts Vampires Guide to Gardening trillogy. I loved watching Piper and Noah get their HEA. The way that came about was unexpected and fun. This story stays clean yet, it ramps up the passion with hot and heavy kissing that gets interrupted before it can go anywhere. So if you prefer sweet kisses this might be a bit much. For me it was perfect. I remember dating my man and how fun and tempting kissing was. Delightful story.

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌷Review🌷
What a beautiful conclusion! A Vampires Guide to Gardening has topped out as one of my all time favorite urban-fantasies. Everything comes to a head in Hunters and Hydrangeas. All of the questions from the last two novels are answered. There is a bit of suspense, danger, humor, and the ever-present fabulous romance. Oh, and one scene that made me super emotional. It’s okay though. The ending totally made up for it!

Piper and Noah’s story makes me so happy. I was in love with them from the beginning, and that love has somehow grown throughout the series. I’m attached at this point. They are the sweetest with their flirting, teasing, and heartfelt interactions. Their love really shines in this novel. I love how Piper is so quirky and how Noah absolutely adores her for it.

Something to bring up about Shari’s stories is the fact that they are closed-door romance. Normally, I wouldn’t bring this up (because everything I post is closed-door) but I really felt the need to mention it. We get a lot of amazing kissing and occasional fade-to-black scenes. It, however, doesn’t go further than that. I love that she makes a point that her characters are waiting for true love and for marriage. It may not be a big deal to some, but it is to me.

I’m sad to reach the end of another amazing series but I know that I will revisit the characters frequently. Now I just have to wait for the next great read from Shari L. Tapscott! I can’t wait!

No-Spice Level: 3 (heavier kissing, fade-to-black)
Language: Clean
Faith Elements: None

[Martha Braebuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect conclusion to this heartwarming rom-com trilogy! I loved Piper and Noah's relationship and I especially loved all the humour wrapped up in this novel! I only wish that there could be a bonus short story or more on when Noah's family learn that he is a vampire. Otherwise, this book was so sweet, the plot was really good, and I loved all the ridiculous vampire politics! A perfect, cozy read that I recommend to anyone who loves cozy romance, paranormal-ish fiction, and an all-round "feel-good" feel.

[Jonathan Van Crumpet · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cozy, sweet and exciting vampire series? Yes, please!

This was the last of the trilogy, and just as satisfying and interesting as the other two. The vampire lifestyle here's hilariously different from your regular fangsty angst. The writing is fun and immersive, the characters are engaging and the plot is intricate enough to provide mental stimulation alongside the feel-good vibe. It's a great choice if you need cheering up or are in the mood for something fun and relaxing. Heartily recommend this series!