The Professor Woos the Witch by Kristen Painter (Book Beginnings & Friday 56)

I first encountered Kristen Painter's Nocturne Falls way back in October 2015 with a short story collection she had contributed to. I fell in love with the idea of the town that celebrates Halloween every day because it gives its residents -- many of whom are supernatural -- to be their natural selves The paranormal in Nocturne Falls is normal. I got sidetracked, as per usual, and I finally got around to binge-reading the first three books of  the series back in October 2019. And then ... yep ... sidetracked yet again. It's been entirely too long since my last visit so I'm making up for some lost time with the next two books. Hopefully it won't take me two more Octobers to continue.

Title: The Professor Woos the Witch

Author: Kristen Painter 

Publication: 8 October 2015 - Sugar Skull Books

Format: Kindle eBook

Ramble-y Teaserish Stuff

Cole Van Zant doesn't believe in the supernatural. He's a math professor during the school year and a construction worker during the summer. He believes in absolute truths and he doesn't believe that there's anything truthful about the town of Nocturne Falls -- where he just moved with his thirteen year old daughter, Kaley, after inheriting an old Victorian mansion from a great uncle that he never knew. He plans to renovate, sell, and go back to life as normal.

Kaley, however, was told on her thirteenth birthday by her more-absent-than-not mother that she's an actual witch. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, she firmly believes that Nocturne Falls is the perfect place for her to learn her new Craft and after a major blowout with her dad, she runs away to the address of the woman listed as the town's "House Witch" -- real estate agent Pandora Williams. 

Pandora is an excellent and very successful realtor. She's also the least successful witch in town. 

Pandora appeared in the first book in the series and played heavily in the third since her best friend, Willa, was that story's heroine. Now we finally get to learn more about Pan and she learns a lot more about herself thanks to her growing relationships (working and otherwise) with Cole and Kaley after she agrees to help Cole with the renovations -- and with Kaley, even though Cole insists that it's still just a ridiculous phase that she'll grow out of. 

Of course, everything changes ... well, almost everything.

Nocturne Falls is still an amazing town. Even though it has been a couple of years since I last visited, my favorite characters are still worthy of favoritism. I'm looking at you, Stanhill. And Sebastian .... poor, broken, wonderful Sebastian .... but that's another ramble for another day and another book. Hopefully we'll keep seeing more of Cole and Pandora and Kaley. I don't really think it's spoiling anything when I tell you that part of the magic of Nocturne Falls is that Happily Ever After is as much a thing there as witches and vampires and all the rest.

(today's "56" is from what Kindle considers page 56 -- not my usual 56%)

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As always, Friday 56 (share a blurb from the 56th page or 56% mark) is hosted at Freda's Voice 

& Book Beginnings (share the first few sentences) is at Rose City Reader.