The Vampire's Receptionist

Charmed Away Temp Agency #4

by Amy Padilla

Kian was born between two worlds. Half fae, half green witch, accepted by neither. He was used to being an outcast. A big believer in fate, when he’s offered a reference to work at a temp agency, he takes it without hesitation. And find a job he absolutely loves. Who’d have thought being a temp would be so fun? His newest contract takes him to Spellbound, where he notices his new boss struggling to function. Old EMT habits kick in, and he offers his assistance with a blood donation. He’s done it a dozen times. Nothing could go wrong. Right?

Dorian thought transferring to the medical innovations division would be an interesting challenge. He’d forgotten just how exhausting it was to get an entire division on track. Too busy to worry about self-care, he waits a little too long between feedings and just barely stops himself from attacking a temp. When said temp offers him a blood donation, he can’t very well refuse. It was only supposed to be one time. Surely that would be okay. Right?

Coffee is life, Dorian says so, Kian likes to cause mischief, Something is wrong with Dorian, Kian has a special reaction to blood donations, Dorian helps him out, Dorian is not old as dirt, thank you very much, Don’t mess with the car, Never challenge a druid, Some things are better than coffee, guaranteed HEA

Genres: M M Romance, Vampires, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Magic, Fae

305 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 5, 2025

Reviews

[Sandy Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm. Surprisingly bland. I did not feel much chemistry between the MCs. Kian is pretty unaware of any feelings at all for Dorian. He feels desire when Dorian feeds from him but it just seemed rote, not incendiary as in the first two books. Kian is supposed to be in denial/avoiding emotions due to past trauma, but the indications of that trauma are so nebulous, near nonexistent, that the hints that he'd had heartbreak seemed to indicate he'd had some kind of regular breakup, maybe dated a cheater, and didn't build tension, and the quite late jump-scare revelation of what happened to him came kinda from nowhere. And we don't get to see anyone punished, it's all Told, so, ineffective. Felt more inserted than authentic.

Dorian is hugely overworked and in a fugue so much that again, romance and emotions didn’t come on page much. His friendship with his regular feeder had more chemistry than his interactions with Kian did. I didn't really feel his grief for his mom, again it's mentioned/there, but doesn't resonate.

Previous MCs abound as it is set in the same company, Spellbound, and the same temp agency, Charmed Away. I thought the plot would make use of Kian’s medical background to help Dorian’s department issues, but, nothing.

Kian’s little games to alleviate frequent boredom seemed mean, not charming. If he's so bored, he could put his copious skills to use and do something helpful?

I was entertained at times. I love the whole temp agancy premise.

But…this one did not sparkle. They didn’t really feel fated, it didn’t have that MUST HAVE YOU sensibility that the first two books did. Their situation seemed more forced on them and they’d have otherwise been fine moving on. 😭😞 They got to know each other a little? But those moments also felt inserted based on a reader's notes rather than organic to the read. Like someone said, hey, these guys don't seem like they know anything about each other yet...*insertmoment.*

HEA, fae and vampire pairing, fated mates, after one emergency feeding it turns out Dorian can drink only Kian’s blood. Boss-temp assistant (but that wasn’t an issue/problem). Safe for me, no OM drama, though Kian at first assumes Dorian is in a relationship with his feeder. He isn’t. Dual POVs. Recommended for fans of the series.

[rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

(2.75/5) I feel like the plot was a little too similar to the second book. The repetition of them not knowing they were mates and their meeting/first real confrontation in a pretty dangerous scenario was too much like Maverick and Isaac's story. A bit disappointing, really, but I still kind of liked the rest of it.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Super cute.

[Zee]

4.75 ⭐️ Honestly this series is amazing, it quickly became one of my favorites. I have 0 complaints about it. I wish I would have the ARC for the next book in it, but oh well.
You will find that my reviews for each and every book might look very similar, it is because I wrote them all at the same time after I finished the books since I binge read them all in a span of a couple of days. They were addicting.
Now for Dorian and Kian, I loved this couple obviously, but I gave them a bit less of a rating than the rest (only a teeny tiny bit 🤏🏻) Woah let me explain myself please and thank you. I felt like their connection was based on their need to help each other instead of it being from their own heart and soul (mainly from Kian’s side more than cinnamon roll Dorian) but honestly after reading about Kian’s backstory, who could blame the man? 💔 Maybe what I mean is that he didn’t show as much affection as I hoped for, even though I completely understand and agree with him. Who knows what others could have done in his place after all his trauma. I loved how attached they got the each other and how they showed their love languages freely ❤️‍🩹 Smut was HOT HAWT HOT 🥵 (I mean the guy is a vampire for fuck’s sake ❤️‍🔥). Anyway, I loved it, amazing writing as usual. Hugs and kisses to them all.

[Cee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super sweet and light, I really enjoyed this one.

[Madam Ra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ay ay ay....this one was a total miss for me. I love this series, but things just don't clicked here. In my opinion there was no chemistry between the two mc's. Their "mateship" felt forced, actually it felt like it wasn't there at all. I liked Dorian, he was decent, if only Kian didn't treat him like a door mat. Kian was awful, there's a big reveal about his past at the end of the book, but at this point i didn't care one bit. His pranks/mischievous traits...was just him being mean for no reason, no reason.The epilogue where he secretly looks at Herlem's phone, to purposefully catch him with his boyfriend Ronan...what was that for?! Because Harlem said Dorian was old as dirt...and he took offence. For such old person he didn't do a lot of growing up.

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

After saving a stranger from a tumble, Kian is offered a reference at Charmed Away Temp Agency, but does not expect much to come of it given his half blood status. Surprisingly, despite some interview hiccups, Kian finds himself hired and loves working for the company as he likes bouncing from job to job.

When a new contract takes him to Spellbound, he finds himself the receptionist for the newly appointed medical innovations division head. Dorian, who Kian has noticed in his attempts to get the division back on track after a company shake-up, has been lacking on self-care and almost attacks one of the temps. Kian, being a former EMT, offers to give an emergency feeding not realizing how drastically his life is about to change.

The Vampire's Receptionist was my first read by Amy, and my introduction to the Charmed Away Temp Agency, but I think I'm in love 🤣

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧:
- vampire + half fae/half witch
- work place romance
- opposites attract
- fated mates
- found family

CW: blood, prejudice/bigotry, mentions of xenophobia, mentions of trafficking

[Nicholas Cimato · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don’t waste your time or money!

The 4th book in a series and the author has run out of ideas or fed an outline to AI and set a word count and hit print. In the first 3 books a template from Charmed Away Employment goes to Spellbound Corp, starts working for one of the principals, realizes they are mates and hijinks and hilarity ensue. Two thirds of the way through this book, literally 66%, and the dialogue is “when we find out why he is reacting that way, what is s happening, I don’t understand, I will look into it, blah, blah, blah”!

I believe authors should be paid so I buy the books, usually on pre-order, as I did here and I am annoyed I through away the money and my time. Not even finishing the read. Don’t waste your time. The first 3 were well written and fun, and his book is tedious.

[HarriReadsRoMMance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our half fae/witch former EMT gets his HEA with the new vampire head of the medical division of Spellbound. Dorian is a workaholic who hasn’t fed in a timely manner which leads to a not so great first meeting when he inhales Kian’s friend’s blood. Kian finds himself inadvertently the only being Dorian can feed from which leads to forced proximity smexy times. There’s a lot of unpacking of emotional baggage for each MC which worked well and led to some hurt feelings and deep discussions. While this touched on some darker themes (due to Kian’s background) there was still lots of funny moments and hot times had by our MCs.

This was one of my favourites of the series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Latecia Jennings · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm loving this series...eventhough I didn't get to read book 3...going straight from 2 to 4 wasn't a big deal. Everything flowed well, like I knew it would. Kian and Dorian I will say was well matched. Although a lot of their issues were kind of predictable, it was entertaining watching them going through the challenges to figure out that their chemistry wasn't a fluke...they had to be slow walked to the answers which made this a real page turner. I really loved Kian and Dorian and their hard earned HEA was wonderful. I do recommend reading this lovely romance.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Natalie H · Rating 4 out of 5]

August 2025
Kindle edition

I tried to stay up late and finish but was too late and started his one after midnight. Jumped straight into after Kian was introduced in Taron's book. Kian was a fun straight forward character. Dorian was pretty hopeless workaholic that ignored his health. Felt a bit for the doctor, but yeah I could see things going horribly wrong if they knew the truth from the get go. Dark issues briefly raised and sort off glossed over to keep things light-ish. Kian and Taron seem like they'd be best friends with the pranks. The couples didn't feel like individuals anymore, especially in Taron's case. Just imagined them attached at the hip with their couple/throuple names slapped on them. Best character so far is Kian.

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little addition to the Charmed Away series. Kian and Dorian are pretty much opposites in the way they approach most things but are a good couple once they work through their differences. They weren't my favorite of the couples introduced in the series so far but I liked them well enough. I hate that Kian was judged by his appearance rather than who he actually was as a person. Dorian was sweet.

[Joscelyn Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fate

Kian and Dorian both needed all the hugs. They were wonderful characters, and I enjoyed watching their "exciting" first meeting develop into an unexpected mating. Charmed Away's newest permanent temp placement is a great addition to the series.

[Jen (Fae_Princess_in_Space) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a fun series; Dorian and Kian are perfect together and I loved their dynamic, plus all the cameos from the rest of the series! 💕

When a business coup leaves Spellbound with a lot of vacancies, Kian is brought in to manage the army of temps that are sent by Charmed Away. His own position is that of receptionist to vampire department head, Dorian. But the upheaval in the business is too much for Dorian, he’s been burning the candle at both ends and is exhausted, which leads to him needing an emergency blood feeding from Kian… afterwards Dorian is shocked and confused when he can now only feed from Kian. What is going on? And how can he convince the half-fae to let him in, with emotional walls so high?

[Leaundra · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars…

[Becki Graves · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lazy, repetitive, frustrating

Recipe for Amy Padilla's Books in the charmed away series.

A temp who is in some way prejudiced or meant to be pitied.

A high ranking executive who has been alive far too long to not be able to take care of themselves.

Instant mating that is so obvious it's frustrating.

Someone in an accident.

Unnecessary trauma just for the sake of it that is already magically resolved.

Here's the thing:
Amy's books are quaint. They're enjoyable. I know it sounds like I hate them, but I actually don't or I wouldn't keep reading them.
I'm actually extremely frustrated because as a plot every book is the same and it's lazy and it's infuriating when she uses things like SA and injuries without any thought to what those things actually mean besides drama.

Amy would benefit from a peer by peer review. Other writers who will tell her what she needs and not just compliment her.

She could be a very good author but the writing and plot devices are stagnant and it's disappointing.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t know if this is just me but I got so fed up everytime Kian said he was paramedic. I swear he said it in every paragraph I was goin crazy. This series is sweet but this book was not it. I didn’t like Kian at all, he pissed me tf off.

[Alexa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. I did still enjoy this one, but I felt it was a little flat? The characters felt inconsistent, the romance didn’t feel that developed, and the writing was repetitive and there was a lot of ‘telling’ rather than showing’.

Look, I mostly expected what I got, I’ve read a number of Padilla’s work, and while they’re a good palate cleanser and easy to read, they are quite simple in their storytelling/plots.

The characters felt inconsistent, like they kept changing their personalities to fit the scenario. Like one moment Kian was a responsible, wary ex-paramed, the next he was bored and was playing pranks on others. Like it is possible to pull that off, I just felt like there was a lot of the author telling us he was mischievous but it was rarely shown so when it was it felt really out of character. Dorian just didn’t feel that developed in general.

And for how old they were, I don’t know, I found it a little odd that they still acted the way they did and were pretty much either in denial or didn’t even notice their feelings until around the 70% mark only to then stay in denial until around closer to 90%. I guess I just would have liked them to be a little more self-aware and have a bit more screen time together actually working through their issues.

As I said before, there was a lot of recapping of the same things—multiple times I found the same sentence either in the same paragraph or in different sections of the book ‘telling’ us what these characters were like or how they ‘usually acted’ as opposed to showing us what they were like. And there were scenes where they were telling others about something that we already read about that probably should have just been a sentence recap rather than a conversation that was drawn out.

I also felt that Kian’s backstory came out of nowhere. Like it mentioned an ex and that it ended badly, but for something as traumatic as it was, that apparently still affected his want for a relationship, it kind of needed a bit more of a lead up where it was mentioned beforehand or at least alluded to. And I felt like Dorian needed some sort of more emotional depth too. Like what he was going must have been emotionally draining and confusing for someone so put together. That could have been drawn on a bit, that’s saying nothing to the grief that he was apparently still feeling.

I just felt like the characters had no agency whatsoever. Neither of them did any research themselves, let alone looked into what it was they were feeling and wondering if their actions were related somehow.

Also I felt like this story was just a combination of the first two, trope wise. Which is fine, but there were things that were pretty close to being pretty much the exact same—Dorian not being able to feed from anyone else is like Ozen’s, his temper and accident similar to that of book two.

There were also times where I was confused as to whose POV we were in, and I had to reread just to double check. I don’t know if this was just me, or if it was the writing itself.

I just felt like this could’ve used a good structural edit to just help make it more concise and flow better, with more emotional depth.

Overall, I would say it’s pretty on par with this author’s other works and enjoyable enough. It was still easy to read, the characters were enjoyable enough even if they were a bit inconsistent, and if you’ve enjoyed her other works then you’ll likely enjoy this one too. It’s possible I would’ve enjoyed it more if the book I read before this wasn’t as similar in regards to it being pretty surface level emotions and characters, so I might’ve just overdone it in the short amount of time that I was reading these books. They are good pallet cleanses, but because I had read one that was similar just before it probably too much in one go.

[Cosima · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one didn't really catch me. The chemistry between the mains was not really there, it was pretty much exclusively lust until they suddenly say something akin to "Oh, I'm your mate? I guess that's fine, I love you honeybun". The whole "being in denial" plotpoint doesn't really work if even the inner monologue of the character doesn't feature any feelings to begin with. Then they simply don't have feelings. They also started a sexual relationship after basically not knowing the other person at all (Dorian was stressed out and/or starving the entire first part of the book, so neither of them even had the chance to get to know the other - he was basically on autopilot the entire time they worked together). They never even talk about their relationship afterwards, they just kind of assume what the other might want?

Also, I had some smaller nitpicks. One of them was the jump scare trauma dump of Kian, which the small hints at his past relationship didn't prepare for at all and it didn't even serve a single purpose, as the trauma seems to not impact Kian in any way except that he has some trust issues. That could have been explained so much more realistic if it was simply a messy break-up, as that would also line up much better with the few mentions of his past relationship.
For those who want to know: Kian was tricked by his ex-boyfriend, who apparently never loved him, into sex trafficking. He was trapped for two years before his parents found him. The only reaction from Dorian, apart from being shocked, was essentially that he didn't think Kian would want to bottom. Kian himself never shows any sexual trauma at all.
There were also some editorial mistakes. Like the age of Dorian: He is cited as both not as old as all of his friends and a lot older.
I was surprised that Kian was praised for his work as a coordinator. It seemed to me like he did handle the case with Morgan quite well, but then he wanted to keep a major incident that could have ended with a death quiet, acted recklessly with his own safety and spend at least a few days on bed rest. We basically never see him do any work apart from that, so it is really weird to hear how great he did his job, when most of the book concentrated on the days (a week maybe?) that he didn't work. He didn't even know who did his work in that time.
Doctor Chapmans behaviour seemed really weird to me, and the revelation with a cute little wink wasn't good enough for me to excuse him being this hostile. I honestly thought he was the "racist" that would be discussed on that topic, but apparently, he wasn't.
Kian was constantly complaining about people being racist towards him, as supernaturals apparently are very cautious around fae. But he basically proved them right at every point? He didn't care about the law to not use magic on others without consent, including tripping people to entertain himself. He also (accidentally?) tripped Tony, after which Zephyr eyed him suspiciously. I thought this would open up the plotpoint of Kian constantly breaking the law without any regard on who could get hurt, but no, apparently Zephyr was just racist. But he was obviously right to suspect Kian: he DID trip Tony.
Lastly, after all the foreshadowing about Kian being a great prankster and wanting to prank Dorians old feeder, I expected an actual prank, not him getting some info of Harlems phone and "accidentally" running into him and his boyfriend. They do a tiny bit of teasing, and the boyfriend then laughs and asks what Harlem has done to deserve this - as if there had been some kind of prank. There wasn't. They just showed up and said something about Harlem being spoiled by Dorians past gifts.

[Abigail Beckwith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's Amy Padilla's latest: "The Vampire's Receptionist." It's the fourth novel in Charmed Away Temp Agency series.

["Kian was born between two worlds. Half fae, half green witch, accepted by neither. He was used to being an outcast. A big believer in fate, when he's offered a reference to work at a temp agency, he takes it without hesitation. And find a job he absolutely loves. Who'd have thought being a temp would be so fun? His newest contract takes him to Spellbound, where he notices his new boss struggling to function. Old EMT habits kick in, and he offers his assistance with a blood donation. He's done it a dozen times. Nothing could go wrong. Right?Dorian thought transferring to the medical innovations division would be an interesting challenge. He'd forgotten just how exhausting it was to get an entire division on track. Too busy to worry about self-care, he waits a little too long between feedings and just barely stops himself from attacking a temp. When said temp offers him a blood donation, he can't very well refuse. It was only supposed to be one time. Surely that would be okay. Right?"]

And the bonus tags (because they're arguable better than the blurb itself): ["Coffee is life, Dorian says so, Kian likes to cause mischief, Something is wrong with Dorian, Kian has a special reaction to blood donations, Dorian helps him out, Dorian is not old as dirt, thank you very much, Don't mess with the car, Never challenge a druid, Some things are better than coffee, guaranteed HEA"]

These two did not have a great first impression. Or second one. Or third one. Granted, it wasn't a meet-ugly, it was just one thing after the other after the other. It was almost humorous in the way the universe kept shoving them together, only for them to bounce back off of each other. The correct puzzle pieces, the wrong angle (for a bit).

When they figured out that angle (not that angle, get your minds out of the gutter), it was much simpler. Mostly (nothing in this series is ever an easy HEA, it's well-earned and well-written, but it's rarely ever simple).

They were adorable as hell though! And I looooved all of the cameos from previous mated couples/throuples (and hints at future ones?)!!

#theincubssassistant #thedragonsaide #theshapeshifterssecretary #thevampiresreceptionist #thetelephathstemp #charmedaway #charmedawayseries #charmedawaytempagency #charmedawaytempagencyseries #amypadilla #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

[Sheena · Rating 5 out of 5]

- paranormal
- boss/temporary employee
- found family

This is the 4th in the Charmed Away Temp Agency series, it can be read as a standalone but best enjoyed as part of the series as there are a lot of recurring characters. Kian is a half witch - half elf and Dorian a vampire. Due to his heritage Kian doesn't think that having a mate is possible for him. Dorian is in the middle of taking over a new job and overworking himself to the point of collapse when they meet. I did like both characters, and while there are some similarities to the storyline of a couple of the previous books, I found the two engaging enough to still enjoy their story.

Kian has been through a lot in his very long life, which we don't find out about until later on in the book and it makes his reservations about getting involved make sense once we do find out. Dorian is vastly overstretching himself due to his nature of not wanting to let people down, and recent grief that he keeps very private. The two are opposites yet they really work together and I very much enjoyed their journey.

I just didn't like the Doctor at all this book - I felt he was unnecessarily difficult and abrasive when he could have actually been a little helpful, it almost did seem like he was prejudiced against Kian and I hated that. He just wasn't professional at all. I also felt like there were a couple of little story threads I'd have liked tied up - particularly if Kian could have a mate and his worry about it only being half a bond due to him being only half-witch, half-elf.

Other than that this was an enjoyable story that moved along quickly enough with enough spice, romance and drama to entertain me. I do definitely want to come back to the Charmed Away world as there are definitely more stories to tell.

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in the Charmed Away Temp Agency series and it can be enjoyed as a standalone read. I would recommend reading the series in order so that you can appreciate who all the secondary characters are and how they fit in the story. This is the story of Kian Elamoira and Dorian Kuramori. Kian is not your typical supernatural. He is half fae and half green witch. Neither group is happy to claim him. So he goes along being the nice guy that he is. He firmly believes in fate. When his career in the medical field is ended, he happily takes the reference to work at the temp office. That is how he ends up working at Spellbound. He becomes Dorian's newest receptionist. He is also in charge of all the temps sent over during the transition period. Dorian is a vampire and has a long term relationship with his feeder. Unfortunately with recent coup and desertion an entire medical division was decimated. See the previous book for the entire story (The Shapeshifter's Secretary). He has taken over this division and is working night and day to try and keep the company afloat. Self Care is something that has fallen to the wayside. When an incident causes Kian to voluntarily offer a blood donation. Dorian of course tried to send Kian away because he was not sure he would hurt him or not. The donation changes both their lives whether they are ready to see it or not. This is their story. I enjoyed this book. It is well written and easy to read. I received a complementary advanced review copy of this book from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review. This is a wonderful series and this book continues in that theme. I really enjoy this author's writing. I can hardly wait for the next book in this series.

[Kendra Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spellbound is floundering from the fallout of a traitor and in need of Charmed Away's workers. With such a large contract needed Morana puts Kian in charge of assigning the employees to the right positions. He takes the position of Dorian's receptionist in the medical department since he has medical knowledge and training. On day one Kian sees that Dorian is lagging and soon after he has to get Dorian's feeder to come for an emergent feeding. It doesn't go well and Kian has to step in. This leads to another problem that has almost everyone baffled. Days turn into weeks with Kian and Dorian getting closer. They're both getting a little possessive of the other which causes problems as well.

The problem with Dorian feeding wasn't a mystery to me and I didn't feel like all of his supernatural friends no knowing was believable either. It was clear as day what was going on and it dragged out for way too long IMO. I did like where it headed, I just felt it took too long. I didn't like Dr Chapman at all. I don't feel like his explanation for his behavior exonerated his behavior at all and I was done with reading anything further with him involved. I didn't like Zephyr treating Kian poorly without cause either and he never tried to apologize. I loved Harlem. He was a joy to read. I liked the little bit of conflict Kian had to break up on day one at Spellbound. When that problem came back around, I wanted it dealt with in a more final situation but it was left hanging. I really liked Dorian's friends all stepping up to support him and Kian. I felt like this was a good addition to the series but definitely could've been better.

[Megan McGrath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dorian & Kian
I don't know how Amy comes up with these incredible promises for her characters and stories. Fate plays a heavy hand with these temps, but in surprisingly subtle ways. Each of the stories interact in some way or another, and not just because their executive partners all work at the same company.

I read so fast through this story, I hardly know how to sum up its entertainment value. I loved that each of the characters we've met so far are different species or have different specialties.
Dorian's vampire is powerful and smart, but he has trouble making time for himself, especially with all the recent changes to the Spellbound organization. This lack of self care, and real self awareness gets him into a few spots, leading to unnecessary and terrifying danger.
Kian is half fae/half witch, and feels 100% like an outsider at all times. Getting his chance to shine with Charmed Away is a real treat for him, and having Morana's faith in him a confidence builder. Taking his new challenge with Spellbound and all their new temps is a life-changing experience I'm sure he never expected. He knows he feels a connection of some kind with Dorian, but doesn't realize how important their connection truly is until things get a little tricky and dangerous.

I loved how these two eventually started to realize how well they blended, and understand their growing bond. Dorian & Kian were crazy but sweet duo to experience and enjoy. The Vampire's Receptionist is another fantastic and worthy read in the Charmed Away series. Definitely a series most enjoyable read in order, but not 100% necessary.

I received an authorized copy of this book and am volunteering my honest review.

[Tab_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️ 2-3🌶️
MOOD: emotional, adventurous, lighthearted
TROPES: co-workers, fated mates
GENRES: contemporary, supernatural, lgbtq+ romance
FAV QUOTE: So he was just going to skip past the fact that he filled a house that didn't belong to him full of plants just becaues they made Kian happy?

MAIN CHARACTERS: Kian (Elamoira) and Dorian Kuramori

THE GOOD: Kian's story is here - I must admit that I was hoping Kian would get a story when he was introduced in The Dragon's Aide. Kian and Dorian have been around for a long time - a really long time - so the fact that they can't communicate is kinda funny. It doesn't go as far as a miscommunication trope but it is an interesting watching the two of them come to terms with their attraction and feeling for the other.
THE NEUTRAL: I haven't ready books 1 and 3, so this could have been somewhere in there but a major plot point is Dorian not taking care of his vampire needs and I'm just wandering why...he has work sure but there is much else described about his behavior that makes sense besides he gets too focused on work.
THE MEH: Dorian also has issues talking to his friends about a really big life event - so maybe the vampire's thousands of years haven't equipped him for communication at all. It seemed odd.

CW: sexual content, death of a parent (off page), emotional abuse (off page), sexual violence (off page), trafficking (off page)
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy. This is my honest review.

[LC · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Vampire’s Receptionist
Charmed Away Temp Agency
By Amy Padilla

I wasn’t ready for this book! Mostly because it means we’re getting closer to the end of the series.

Dorian and Kian are the stars of this book. I wondered if we’d see Kian again after he befriended Tony. I think he is a great addition to the group. He is protective, kind, and somewhat mischievous. He is truly a good match for Dorian because they are similar and yet different.

Once again, Amy brings the gang all back for us to enjoy. At this point I feel this will be a hard series to leave behind. This family that is Spellbound is absolutely wonderful. I look forward to each book. I look forward to guessing who might be paired with whom next. For Dorian, I was surprised and yet I love that his person is Kian. I think they spark off each other with their different personalities. I love that once again Amy created a story that kept me reading through the entire day. I didn’t want to stop reading and I only did when I had to adult for the day. The story is paced really well. I never felt like it dragged at all. I still adore Taron and how he spoils Tony. I love how the friends all look out for each other and how they looked out for Kian when he needed help. There are so many paragraphs I highlighted just for the pleasure that the words gave me, for the emotion they brought me. Yes, I will definitely be sad when this series comes to its natural conclusion.

[Flick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dorian and Kian were clueless but cute!

I’ll admit, so far in this series, my favourite couple has been Avery and Ozen - that’s still the case but I did enjoy this. Overall, I really did enjoy reading this which is why it’s a four star read. Dorian was a total sweetheart even if he was kind of a loveable idiot. That man needs to talllllk to people, including his friends. He was very sweet though and despite some missteps (many of which were not at all his fault) he really made the effort with Kian. I’m really hoping we get a certain mind reader (for lack of a better word right now) soon because he’s my favourite character outside of Ozen, Avery and Taron.

That being said I have two issues that seem to be recurring in the series (one I’m just co fused and the second annoys me but not so much j can’t enjoy the books). The first, which just confuses me honestly, is why none of these people know how to identify their mates. Now with Ozen it made a bit more sense because he’s an incubus with a father who actively taught him incubi were made to not settle down. But all these other couples, I don’t understand why they have no idea how to recognise they’ve met their mates? What about their parents, friends, schooling etc. it’s just so confusing to me. The second, which does annoy me, is past MxCs seem to swap out their personalities for being kind of unpleasant randomly. For Mav his friends acted like he was radioactive, Taron’s friends acted like he was this annoying useless person, Dorian again gets treated badly by people who should care about him. The doctor also went from being a kind and generally capable doctor turned into a completely unprofessional, borderline incompetent and nasty guy. It’s just weird and confusing as to why these characters have personality transplants.

[Jeanette Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Vampire's Receptionist is the fourth book in Amy Padilla's Charmed Away Temp Agency series. It's not meant as a standalone as there are recurring characters from all the other books who have vital roles in this story. Half-fae Kian was the paramedic who helped Isaac (book 2) and the man who kept Tony from being trampled(book 3). Tony recommended him to Charmed Away Temps. Vampire Dorian was one of Ozen's inner circle, appearing in bks 1-3. Same as the other books, a mishap on day one sets the storyline. Kian gives Dorian an emergency blood donation which leads to the vamp unable to feed from anyone else.
Feedings lead to euphoria which leads to some sizzling hot bedroom times. When they're more vertical, a friendship develops complete with snark and plants. They're both marshmallow sweeties, caretakers and are a perfect fit for the other.
The story is nicely paced. Not too many surprises. Just pure, sweet fun. As always, it's too quick a read. I want more. The ending was a bit of a surprise, offering a great solution for Spellbound stealing Charmed Away's best. Unfortunately, the series is winding down. One more to go, it'll be Ethan's book.
I received an advanced copy of this book and this is my review.

[Mandy (MP Book Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kian, half fae and half green witch, has never truly belonged anywhere. But when a temp agency places him at Spellbound, he finds unexpected joy in the job—and concern for his new boss, Dorian, who’s clearly struggling. When Kian offers a blood donation to help, it feels like a simple act of kindness. He’s done it before. What could go wrong? Dorian, a vampire buried in stress and dangerously overdue for feeding, barely resists attacking the temp who’s just trying to help. Accepting Kian’s offer seems harmless—just one time. But the connection between them is anything but ordinary, and one act of generosity soon becomes something deeper, more dangerous, and impossible to ignore.

I loved this story of identity, trust, and the unexpected magic of finding someone who sees you—blood and all. I loved Kian's mischievous nature and how caring he was for others. The relationship between the two men was sometimes a matter of necessity as Kian provided lifesaving blood and sometimes irritation as Kian struggled to handle their connection. Dorian was misguided with his behaviour of working too hard and neglecting himself. A lot of feelings and emotions in this story which will pull you into the events in this book. This was an MM story with mature content.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

No relationship here. Nothing to see!

After the first three books where the mates were literally all over each other, it was refreshing to see a pair that didn't jump in with both feet immediately.
I loved Kian, having seen him before in the series. He was so sweet to Tony and they proved the saying 'No good deed goes unpunished' completely wrong in this book, as meeting Tony led to Kian's job at Spellbound. I loved Kian's background, being half witch, half fae, and what that meant for him in terms of acceptance. I also adored his parents.
Dorian was also a sweetheart, such an old-fashioned soul, a gentle soul who deserved happiness. Kind, thoughtful, sensitive, everyone should have a Dorian.
There was a decent amount of page time for the other MCs from the first three books, which added to the story, and I enjoyed watching them all interact again.
The only reason I've given it four stars instead of five is that there's no way that none of the mates wouldn't have put together why Dorian was struggling with feeding and that didn't sit right with me as it was too big a suspension of disbelief.