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.
This was quite a refreshing take on the vampire trope, and I loved it! The shocked reactions of unsuspecting humans when they first learn about vampires are believable, especially Piper, who is forced into a completely new reality. I enjoyed the characters, the humor, and the flower business aspect. The story keeps a good pace with plenty of excitement and danger.
My favorite character is Piper because the entire series is told through her POV. She’s a kind human who runs a small flower farm. When the story begins, she doesn’t have any amazing skills other than her flower business. Even when she turns pre-vampiric, she still doesn’t “magically” become a badass fighter. Piper is normal in that regard, but she’s super resilient when she has to make huge life changes. She has a strong moral compass, which makes her willing to do whatever it takes even when it’s difficult.
My favorite side character is Cassian because he starts out as dangerous and mysterious, but becomes so much more as the series progresses.
The story is about Piper, who is forced to give up her vegetarian lifestyle when a vampire bites her against her will. She gets put into a program to help her adjust, but her future is threatened by a stalker who won’t take no for an answer. Her conservator’s name is Noah, and he’s an accomplished vampire hunter who helps to keep her safe, but he’s also keeping a big secret from her. There’s more going on, with different vampire families plotting against each other as they must choose who will be the next ruler. Piper and Noah need to find out who is behind all the bad things happening, as the future of vampires and humans is at risk if the wrong vampire takes control.
Heat level: some passionate kissing and a fade-to-black bedroom scene between a married couple
2.75 stars. I really wanted to like this set, but after the first book it started going downhill for me. A lot of random side things that felt pointless and also kinda weird. The setting change made it feel flat to me. The romance pretty much topped out after the first book and then took an odd turn, imo. The politics of a vampire society did not appeal to me and that was a large chunk of 2&3. Cassian was the most entertaining character and def had more main character energy than the actual mmc.
I really liked owls and oolong so I will probably try another book by Shari.
I loved this series one at a time, but it's even better being able to roll through the suspense. Reading about her eating restrictions is really therapeutic as someone who had bariatric surgery. It was so healing reading about someone who had to avoid carbs and emphasize protein. It just sucks watching her get a "cure" at the end, since as far as I know, my restrictions are permanent. But I just love the romance.
I accidentally woke my husband up laughing at parts of these books. I LOVED Piper, Noah, and Cassian! Will be adding paperback editions to my shelves, pronto!
I enjoyed reading Piper and Noah's story. The world and plot were interesting and the romance was sweet. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre.