The Vampire Bounty Hunter's Unexpected Catch

Nocturne Falls Universe

by Larissa Emerald, Kristen Painter (Foreword)

Can a vampire dance and shoot at the same time?

Vampire bounty hunter Nathaniel Newburg follows his mark into Nocturne Falls, a place where it’s easy for anyone to hide and blend in. At first it seems as though he has his prey cornered, only to confront a beautiful feline-shifter Camille Nahuel instead. She dances around the floor with sultry steps, instructing a ballroom class, and dances around his heart even faster. Oh, Tango, the game is on. Can Nathaniel control his annoyance long enough to finish his job and save his love?

The Vampire Bounty Hunter’s Unexpected Catch is the first book by Larissa Emerald set in the Nocturne Falls Universe. Take a twirl around the dance floor with a flirty feline shifter and a sexy vampire.

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Novella, Vampires, Magic

67 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 24, 2017

About the author

Larissa writes paranormal, futuristic and contemporary romances. She is a Romance Writers of America® 2013 Golden Heart Finalist for her romantic suspense, PERFECTION which will be available now.

A combination of her love of reading and her vivid imagination―plus a strong desire to rewrite the endings of movies that just didn't end right―led Larissa into the world of writing.

She's lived in the same small Florida coastal town for her entire life. In her spare time she enjoys teaching baton twirling and dance, traveling, baking and cooking―usually altering the recipe―and, of course, reading awesome books.

Sign up for Larissa's newsletter to keep up with the latest news, get in on special prizes and behind the scenes secrets https://www.larissaemerald.com/newsle...

You can connect with Larissa on Twitter @LarissaEmBooks and Facebook www.facebook.com/larissaemerald. Her website is www.larissaemerald.com

Reviews

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Huh, I thought this was a standalone. Little did I know this was an episodic novella written in cooperation with another author. The novella ends abruptly. I will not be picking up the second part.

[Deniz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kristen Painter has extended the Nocturne Falls Universe and got a bunch of authors to write novellas. I think they are a must read for fans of the Universe. And also a great way to discover new author- or at least to me they were all new authors.

I was quite surprised by the end. Let me warn you, you are left with questions. But I actually quite liked that.
Emerald cleverly wove two worlds together. It's rather clever. Though I did like the way this was done, it does leave the reader with questions and I found myself rather unsatisfied by that.
It's cute and had me captivated
I am planning to give Emerald's books a try.

[AletheaO · Rating 4 out of 5]

SPOLIER ALERT: The hero and heroine are likable additions to the NF universe and setting most of it in NF and engaging with canonical NF characters gives fans the fix we’re looking for. The sense that this story was left without a complete ending is a bit disappointing but I understand that each of the new NF Universe books are each starting their own spinoff series so the ending of this one does make sense. I found it a little narratively disruptive though to have some vampires be able to easily walk in sunlight when the original NF vampires cannot and the Ellingham’s having the ability being a big deal. Likewise, having Alex Cruz have some sparkage with the heroine Camille feels like we are witnessing him cheating on Roxy or we have to start wondering about timelines to place this before he matched with Roxy. It also leaves us wondering about Julian Ellingham and when he was so interested in Camille. Since most paranormals (or all?) in NF seem to only make soul-mate matches, it leaves us wondering if Julian felt like he was losing his mate in Camille which again disorders the NF canonical world.

I wish this book dovetailed with the existing books better to give a more seamless reading experience for the NF fan. Despite all that, it was a pleasant visit to NF with some of the usual enjoyable markers: a trip to Ice Scream, Howler’s, Mummie’s, etc., interaction with some of the original NF characters, and the inclusion of a ball. I give the author credit for integrating the world of NF into her writing so thoroughly, if not the rules and timelines of it as accurately.

[Amy Hannagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed this story and cannot wait to go back and finish the rest of the Nocturne Falls books, this novella left me angry. It ended mid-story and then said I had to buy another book to get the conclusion. If this had been a full story with a real conclusion I would have given it 5 stars hands down and loved every second of it. But as it stands I feel cheated and duped. Do not waste your time or money unless you plan to buy the next part as well.

[Leiah Cooper · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cliffhanger

Hate cliffhangers! This is supposed to be a Nocturne Falls story, not a leadup to a totally different series. Want my money back.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

As one of the books in the Nocturne Falls Universe this book really didn't feel like the writer was trying to enter Kristen's universe. I felt more that she was trying to force Kristen's world into hers.

As a story in the writer's universe it would probably have gotten a 5 star rating from me, but in Nocturne Falls Universe I'm giving a 4 star rating as it just didn't feel that the story fully fit into Nocturne Falls.

Her main characters were well rounded but her involvement of the NFU characters really seemed flat and somewhat out of the character that we know for some of the characters she brought in (especially ones they Kristen had used as main characters). Knowing where in the timeline she intended this book may help with some of this (Alex) but I felt like Julian was trying too hard for Julian.

If you follow this author's other stories I have no doubt that you will love this book but if you haven't read her other works (I haven't) and only read Kristen's Nocturne Falls books you may feel a little put off by this book.

Happy reading!

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Vampire Bounty Hunter's Unexpected Catch by Larissa Emerald

An introduction to the Blood Keeper Series. A Vampire bounty hunter comes to Nocturne Falls tracing a criminal.
A short novella that continues to bring the Halloween theme on Nocturne Falls to life.

While only a few chapters and interesting character development, and yes, a resolution,
also obviously part of a larger whole.
Because this Vampire history is a bit different and intriguing, I will follow this new to me author to check out the rest of the books.
Powdered blood for the traveling Vampire. Interesting.

[Eden · Rating 3 out of 5]

2023 bk 271 - an okay story in the Nocturne Falls Universe, but I could tell her heart is really in her stories of the towns she has created and her characters for that universe. I will read more because she does a good job of weaving two different series together.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun

Quick read but a lot packed in it. Vampire bounty hunter looking for veakling meets jaguar dance teacher. Fast paced, I enjoyed this a lot.

[Myriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very fun book and I liked it a lot. Larissa Emerald created a new character Camille with her Balroom Dancing Studio and used Nathaniel, a character belonging to her Blood Keeper series, if I understood correctly. Very interesting cross over and I can't wait to read more. I have just ordered her series to try, I am very curious. The story is supposed to continue in Terror, Minnesota.
It is a very nice story between Camille and Nathaniel, with a nice build up. Alex Cruz and Sheriff Merrow are very well incorporated in the story. There is another character Caroline, CC, Camille's best friend and the owner of a local pet shop but I cannot remember is she was already there or was invented by Emerald, in any case, I would love to see more of her in future books. Very well written, very nicely situated in Nocturne Falls with all of its atmosphere. I would like to read another story in Nocturne Falls Universe written by Larissa Emerald.
The Nocturne Falls reading order is: The Vampire's Mail Order Bride (Nocturne Falls #1), The Werewolf Meets His Match (Nocturne Falls #2), The Gargoyle Gets His Girl (Nocturne Falls, #3), The Professor Woos The Witch (Nocturne Falls, #4), and The Witch’s Halloween Hero (Nocturne Falls #4.5) in Spell of the Ball Anthology, The Werewolf's Christmas Wish (Nocturne Falls #4.6) in Hex the Halls Anthology, The Vampire’s Fake Fiancée (Nocturne Falls #5), A Vampire's Valentine Surprise (Nocturne Falls #5.5), Miss Frost Solves A Cold Case : A Nocturne Falls Mystery (Jayne Frost #1), The Shifter Romances The Writer (Nocturne Falls #6), Miss Frost Ices The Imp : A Nocturne Falls Mystery (Jayne Frost #2), The Vampire’s True Love Trials (Nocturne Falls #6.5) in Taming the Vampire collection, Miss Frost Saves The Sandman : A Nocturne Falls Mystery (Jayne Frost #3), The Truth About Cats And Wolves: A Nocturne Falls Universe story by Alethea Kontis, Magic's Song: A Nocturne Falls universe Story by Sela Carsen, The Witch Rescues Her Werewolf: A Nocturne Falls Universe story by Cate Dean, The Vampire Bounty Hunter's Unexpected Catch: A Nocturne Falls Universe story by Larissa Emerald, Reaping The Immortal: A Nocturne Falls Universe story by Pamela Labud and Close Encounters Of The Alien Kind: A Nocturne Falls Universe story by Fiona Roarke. The Dragon Finds Forever (Nocturne Falls #7) is coming this year as well.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nathaniel worked on completing the knife he was making, now at the polishing and handle-mounting stage. It was a well-made weapon. Despite the bad weather outside, an old friend from San Francisco texted him to meet him in a half hour. He didn’t want to go, but it wasn’t a good idea to turn down a powerful vampire commander. Connor had a bounty hunter job for Nathaniel, to bring him a certain rogue vampire thought to be in the area and stockpiling cobine to illegally inflate the price. Nathaniel began tracing the rogue, only to find him heading straight for Nocturne Falls!

In town, Camille was preparing to teach a dance class to some of the town’s residents, giving them a refresher for the Mardi Gras Ball coming up. She tore a fingernail and was dismayed at the mild bleeding. With shifters and vampires around, some were attracted to blood – and she didn’t overly care for vampires whom she blamed for her parents’ death. As she finished for the night and was leaving, she was grabbed by a stranger and let out a scream!

This series set in Nocturne Falls promises to be a delightful experience. The town is so quaint, and the idea of Halloween all year long is fantastic. The tourists love it, without being aware that all those costumes of supernatural creatures are not actually costumes – those lovely creatures live there without having to hide their existence. So all sorts of mayhem can go on without the tourists being the wiser. And it’s such a great community! I can’t be happier about all the new authors jumping into this world to make it even better! It was so nice to see the blend of new characters with those we know and love, even though I was not sure about the timeline for one or two character interactions. But the author did a great job on this book and it was easy to read. Enjoy!!!

[Melanie's · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one in a series of stories being released in the "Nocturne Falls Universe" and because of that it actually made it a very difficult to review. Had this just been sent to me as a new story it would probably rate at least a 5 stars - because the basic story telling etc is good and I would want to know what happened to the characters. That being said this is supposed to be a part of a world that I am really familiar with and the story just didn't quite fit. The new characters didn't quite fit the rules, and even worse the characters that I already know and love just didn't feel right to me. Hence the 3 star rating. Normally having the story sort of unfinished doesn't bother me either, but in the Nocturne Falls world one of the things we love is that the individual stories, even the short, are complete and you are left feeling satisfied.

Overall this IS a good story, but because of where it is supposed to be .... it just didn't quite work for me .... which is a shame because I think the author seems really talented. In this case I feel that maybe the story was forced to fit her characters, and it just didn't quite all come together.

A 3 stars from me but ONLY because of the Nocturne Falls element. I am actually tempted to look up other stuff by this author after reading this because I think I would enjoy it.

V""V

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy and I voluntarily reviewed.

The Vampire Bounty Hunter's Unexpected Catch is written by Larissa Emerald in the Nocturne Falls Universe.

Camille is a graceful feline shifter who is giving dancing lessons when Vampire Bounty Hunter Nathaniel runs into her life.

Nathaniel is after a dangerous rogue Vampire, and when Camille recognizes him at the local watering hole, and is caught calling Nathaniel, she comes to his attention, in a very negative way.

Can Nathaniel capture his prey and keep Camille safe?

This story is fun, and incorporates into the Nocturne Falls Universe well, with sightings of many of the stars of Kristen Painter's original series'.

[Sue Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW – Kristen Painter had an awesome idea with these spinoffs to the Nocturne Falls series.

Nathaniel Newburg (the vampire bounty hunter) follows the rogue vampire he is hunting to Nocturne Falls. The first person her really meets is Camille Nahuel (a feline shifter). He figures out that the roague vampire has set his sights on Camille. Deciding to help protect Camille, Nathaniel attends some of Camille’s dance classes. HUM – can’t ruin the story for you, but the twist and turns will definitely hold your interest!!! I started it and found that I could NOT put the book down until I finished the story!!!

I was given a copy of this book for an honest review.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh gosh, I can't get enough of these books. This one may be short but it is absolutely packed! It drags you right in. I could picture everything like I was there. It was fun seeing deputy Cruz and Julian. And oh did I love me some vampire Nathaniel. He was a great hero. Camille was a wonderful heroine. I looked this author up and noticed she has a series with the hero's boss and in the next book, we will get more of Camille and Nathaniel! I am subscribing to her newsletter. Sounds like the town in Terror, Minnesota is interesting like Nocturne Falls. Can't wait to read about it. This book made my day.

[Kat, lover of bears... · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read two books in the Nocturne Falls Universe and got so excited about how much I loved them that I purchased three others. What a unexpected disappointment, I quit before the end of chapter 1!

***Possible Spoiler***
First of all, you don't re-write the history of Vampires in a series that started and is rooted in a vampire family. Young Vampires are not Veeklings and the original ancestors of Vampires did not come from outer space! If you are going to write in Kristen Painter's Nocturne Falls Universe, respect the history and don't try to change the series. When you are done read Kristen Painter's House of Comarré Series.

[Dana Whyte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love Nocturne Falls! This novella is part of a Nocturne Falls Universe where certain authors write a story with Kristen Painter's beloved characters. This story is a great extension of the Nocturne stories. This story follows Camille a cat shifter and dance instructor and Nathaniel, a vampire bounty hunter. Nathaniel follows a bounty all the way to Nocturne Falls. While chasing this rogue vampire he meets Camille. This was a fun read and I enjoyed the story, I really wish it was a full length book. I believe that I am going to check out more of Larissa Emerald's books.

[Suzan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story on it's own but would have enjoyed it more if it had adhered more faithfully to the universe the story was based in but it was more advertising and bringing the author's own series universe into this universe. Her take on vampires while ignoring the backstory for vampires in this universe. I also didn't like the portrayal of Julian. I did like the new characters though and if this was set outside the Nocturne Falls universe I would enjoy it a lot.

[JB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story in the Nocturne Falls universe. I am so happy to see that other authors want to live in Nocturne Falls just as much as we readers. Camille and Nathaniel connect when Nathaniel visits Nocturne Falls on the hunt of a rogue vampire. Nocturne Falls, where it is Halloween 24/7 365 days a year. This book has been provided by the author with no expectations and that in no way influences my review.

[SuperMommy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a promising story. A Vampire Bounty Hunter is sent to capture a rogue vampire and encounters a delightful feline shifter in Nocturne Falls. Their story held a lot of promise. The book was fast paced and kept me engaged. However, the beginning and ending left me with more questions than answers.

[Denise Snider · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is set in Nocturne Falls, Georgia. Nathaniel, a bounty hunter vampire comes to Nocturne Falls to retrieve a rogue vampire. There is meets Camille, a Feline shifter. This book has a little bit of romance and suspense, but definitely keeps the pages turning.

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun and interesting book. I really enjoyed it, particularly the characters. This is.a fast paced story that I didn't want to put down.

I received a copy of this manuscript, my review has been voluntarily submitted.

[Jenny_acc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story,nicely written. Interesting characters and i wanted to learn more about the little town. By the time i finished,i wanted more.About 200 pages more.

--i received the book from the author.this is a voluntary review--

[Lisa Guertin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, light read. I found the vampire world a bit confusing since it is different than what I've read in the Nocturne Falls world previously. However that is easily explained by the fact that it relates to the author's own series.

[Marjo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, that was dark and gloomy and no fun at all.

[Jillian Merritt · Rating 3 out of 5]

As will all my reviews there are no spoilers and no story recap. This short story is written in third person and has no explicit language or sexual scenes. While this is a part of the Nocturn Falls Universe created by Kristen Painter it can be read as a standalone without having read any other book in the series however this book is continued in another book in an ongoing-story line by Mrs. Emerald.

This is my first story by Larissa Emerald. I need to express that I did like the story’s beginning (because that is really all we get, this story is continued in a new book), but I didn’t like how it fit into the NF universe. Mrs. Emerald added things we didn’t know about the supernatural world and things Mrs. Painter never mentioned in her original series – it all may or may not have been happening – however new names for things, new powers, new problems that are ‘normal’… it's not conducive to a smooth flowing universe. This book read more like a different place that Mrs. Emerald was forcing to be a part of the NF universe. While it is not a huge issue per say, it didn’t make me feel like this was a part of the Nocturne Falls story line, that and the continuing story is why I give it 3 & ½ stars (rounded up because Amazon doesn't allow ½ stars in ratings).

Get all the NF books written by Mrs. Painter if you don’t already have them; you won’t be disappointed with those.

[Ashley (Red-Haired Ash Reads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: 2 stars - It was ok

Vampire bounty hunter Nathaniel Newburg has followed his mark to Nocturne Falls. While tracking his prey he comes across a beautiful feline shifter, Camille Nahuel, who he can’t stop thinking about.

This novella was ok. I liked Camille a lot. She was spunky, a great dancer, and determined to have a life in Nocturne Falls. Nathaniel was a different story. We don’t learn much about him other than he has an injured brother that he doesn’t talk to. I think this novella should have had less time skips and more development of the characters, especially Nathaniel.

My other issue with this novella was the romance. Since this story was short there wasn’t very much development in their relationship. Mostly, we just get some lustful thoughts and heavy looks, which is normally fine but I think if this had been slightly longer the relationship could have been better developed.

I did like seeing Nocturne Falls from a different author's perspective but it did take some getting used to. Especially since this author has created a different history for the vampires that didn’t really make sense in the NF universe in my opinion. Overall, this was an ok novella that could have benefited from a little more character development.

You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.

[T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd like to begin by saying that I love Nocturne Falls and the Universe Kristen Painter created. I also enjoy how she has opened the NF world for other authors. Sighs. I had a few issues with this story. First I didn't realize that Ms. Emerald was combining her Universe in Minnesota.

My next issue with this story is that it was either written some time ago when no on was paying attention to Ms. Painter's storyline. Ms. Painter published The Shifter Romances The Writer (Nocturne Falls #6) on May 24, 2016. That is the story where Officer Alex Cruz romances Roxy. They're mates. So now in this story, The Vampire Bounty Hunter's Unexpected Catch (A Nocturne Falls Universe story), published January 24, 2017 Alex is in our MC Camille's dance class and is looking like he wants to start a romance.

This story has an abrupt ending, and frankly, I didn't like the non-Kristen Painter Characters very much.

[Mullen Natalie · Rating 1 out of 5]

CLIFFHANGER, where is the rest of the story? End in the middle of it.
Audiobook
Wrong :
Julian Ellingham is also in this book ( and we already know he is married to Desdemona ) and that does not make any sense at all. Should have picked someone else, but not a guy that is already happily married. WTH?! I found this irritating for as I understand it, this Series is a add on to Nocturne Falls and not the other way around.

I hate it if I buy a book to find out it is only half of the story. So I will not buy from this Author again.

For a book in the Series I rate it as a 1 Star
If you like a guy chasing a gangster and catch him, and you do not care about the " love story " and what happens next , the book is a 4.5

[Naj · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like how it started with such a heavy tone. I prefer the light-hearted mystery/romance that is supposed to be the ideal Nocturne Falls Universe, by my definition. But this took it to almost one of those dreaded YA paranormal romances which are broody and emotional and angsty and filled with so much unfulfilled desire. Yuck. Was not in the mood for one of those. I bought this book because it had a Nocturne Falls Universe label and so I thought I would be promised a lighter toned story.

The good thing is it became a lot less broody in the middle and seemed to be going on a nicer, lighter pace when the story abruptly ended. Ok for a quick read, I guess.