Short Story Review: Happily Never After by Jeaniene Frost

Happily Never After is a fun short story set in the Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost. The novella originally appeared in Weddings From Hell anthology but is now available separately as an eBook (price at this time of this review is $1.99). The book takes place between books 1 and 2 of the Cat & Bones series. Bones makes a brief appearance, but this story isn’t about him. The main story is about Isabella (Isa) Spaga and her reluctance engagement to a wannabe mobster in order to save her brother’s life. Isa’s grandmother, an old friend of Bones’s, calls on him to help Isa out. Busy himself tracking someone down, Bones calls on his friend Chance to sort out the situation. Chance and Isa are attracted to each other from the start and sparks fly.

Thuy’s review:

I really enjoyed this novella from Jeaniene Frost. I pretty much love anything Cat and Bones and this story was a fun look into the world from the eyes of new characters. If anything I wish it had been a little bit longer. It would have been nice to get a little more back story on Chance’s history with Bones. I don’t recall Chance from any of the other books but it could be that he only had a brief appearance that I just can’t remember.

Isa, our heroine, is quite a spitfire. She runs her own restaurant and is independent and strong. Even though she’s pretending to marry a domineering mobster, she manages to hold her own against his blackmail tactics in order to buy time for her brother. The attraction between Isa and Chance is almost immediate. Chance hasn’t felt this way about anyone in a long time and he determinedly goes after Isa. He’s also is super sexy and protective and it’s cute to watch him fret over whether or not Isa will freak out about him being a vampire.

The mobster cliches are hilarious. I chuckled reading the cheesy dialogue. And Granny – I love her! She’s so funny and has had such a fascinating life. I loved hearing about her times with Bones and her dry wit. I wish I had a grandma like her. It would certainly make my life more interesting. The book also had a surprise ending that I didn’t expect.

This novella is a fast, entertaining peek into the Night Huntress universe. You don’t need to be fan of the series to enjoy it but the series is awesome, so you should totally read it. :)