Sucks To Be Me (First Fangs Club #1)

Madison Warner Fairbanks

Rating: really liked it
Sucks to be Me by Kristen Painter

Paranormal women’s fiction (PWF) Slightly older female protagonist. Launch of series by different authors. Clean. Mafia and vampire related deaths.

Belladonna is relieved when she gets the news that her mafia connected husband has been killed in a car accident. It’s finally her chance to get away from “the family”. Being forced to do her husbands last drop-off, she makes a stop at the cemetery to yell at her husbands grave. When she is unexpectedly knocked over, and bitten, the world takes on a completely different set of problems moving from mafia connections to vampire and blood hunger.
She didn’t ask for this change, but she is going to master it nonetheless.

Donna is middle aged, late 40’s and is ready to take charge. She’s brave enough to talk to the FBI, and stand up for what’s right. I admired her tenacity and strength of character standing up for herself against the threat of both the mafia and the vampire governor of New Jersey. Her life experience comes into play making her a leader and pillar of good.
There is no romance here other than a hint of what may happen in future books. If this world continues. If it does, I’m all in.

My only complaint is that Donna changes from a size 8 to a size 4 overnight because of her change to vampire. Is that a good message?

Aisling Zena

Rating: really liked it
3 stars

One more PWF(Paranormal womens fiction.)

I thought the premise was fun but something about the pacing just didn't work for me. It's not a bad book but many events take place in less than a week and yet it felt so slow. Looking at all the high ratings and reviews, it's probably a me issue. Book slumps suck.

Jennifer

Rating: really liked it
This is the first book in a new series and a new type of book geared more to us older ladies! I must say it was fun to read I wasn't sure how it would be but I really did enjoy it. Donna was a mafia wife that was trying to get out but when her husband got killed things changed drastically for her. whats a person to do when they get bit and change to a vampire? Go with it that's what and boy did she own it once she got over the shock! A Nun for a sister, a terrible sire, a handsome man to be a blood bank and assistant and don't forget the FBI werewolf cute as well. Throw in the Mafia and the Russian mob and you have a great story. So look forward to the next book to see what happens in her life next.

Kathy Tozzi

Rating: really liked it
Middle Age Women Rock!
Belladonna Barrone (Donna) spent most of her life married a man who was far from honest. All she wants now that her children are grown and moved away is her freedom. She had her plan in place to be free from the Mafia but plans changed when she became a widow instead of an informant for the FBI.
Another “family” member approaches her and offers her a life without the mafia in exchange for her finishing her late husbands last job. Just a delivery, nothing else then she would be free at last.
On the way to the drop off she decides to stop at the cemetery to have some words for her lying, cheating, lousy late husband before she gets her new start in life.
Her visit gets her the new beginning just not exactly the one she was hoping for when she is attacked by something that just can't be real or is it?
This is a wonderful start to a new series centering around kick arse middle age heroines. Lots of great and interesting characters added to make this a series I can not wait to read more of.

Laura Martinez

Rating: really liked it
I loved it!!

I absolutely love this book. It is my first book that I have read from Kristen Painter, and I was very impressed. This is a book written for older women in a new Paranormal Women’s Fiction movement (PWF).
While I’m not in the age group range, I love what the authors are trying to do and fully support them. While I’m a bit younger myself reading about a character that is older than I am, it didn’t bother me. I absolutely love everything about this book. Belladonna is such a strong main character. You feel for her and what she has had to endure. There were a few things that happened in the plot that I had NO idea would happen and was mind blown!! I absolutely love this book and I can’t wait to see what happens next in Belladonna’s world. I highly recommend that you pick this book up.

Amanda

Rating: really liked it
The short of it is: not for me, will not be reading any additional books in the series.

The long of it:

This story could have been a lot of fun, if it were half to one-third as long. This one is full of filler that does nothing but bog the story down, and make Donna a really hard to connect with character.

The only thing more difficult than finding a well-written more typical FMC is finding a well-written older FMC. Donna is...ugh. Shallow, obsessed with her kids until it's inconvenient to be, super sensitive about other women's choices, fatphobic, really an all 'round unpleasant to read female main—because she's a flat, rather misogynist stereotype.

Huge TW/CW for fatphobia and diet obsession on this one.

If you need an idea of what most of this book is, I'll save you the trouble. I will be Donna for a minute: Man, look at all of these CARBS. I love CARBS, but can not eat the CARBS. I need to think about how long to run to burn off calories. I've done minor botox, I should look at doing more. Icky wrinkles. Look at all of those wives over there; I'm going to grade all of their faces and speculate about how much plastic surgery they've had and how much I think they work out and judge their bodies. Oop, this might trigger a hot flash. [a lot of pointless detail about clothes and shoes and obsessing about being a size 8]. Shit, there are more CARBS over there. This funeral food is the worst, so many CARBS. I really hate that other woman over there, the one meant to be a villain; we know, because she's the only mafia wife not obsessed with being thin with her triple chin, ugly face, and being described as practically a gorilla. She thinks I want her equally fat, and therefore, gross and villainous husband. She eats CARBS. All of the CARBS. I should indulge in some CARBS right now. I'm going to engage in a lot of wishful thinking that has no basis in reality and literally everyone else can see what a terrible idea it is and get myself into a bad situation. OMG, another woman said she's glad she never had children AND NOW I'M MAD, because her choices totally invalidate my choices by having to hear them. Oh. I'm a vampire now? I can eat the CARBS when I want to! And now I'm a size 4. CARBS CARBS CARBS.

OH. And I'm being set up to be The Most Special and Rare Chosen One.



I really wish I were exaggerating on this. This is the content of at least half the book and does nothing for the story.

2 stars for the potential of this story, a couple nods to other works that I picked up on like Sister Act and Married To The Mob, and interesting side characters who do not get enough "screen" time. The final 3 chapters are where most of the actual story happens, but it took way too long to get to them. At a shorter length with all of the fatphobic bs edited out, this would have easily been a 3-3.5 star read.

Lisa

Rating: really liked it
This was such a wonderful book. I love how it was written. It draws you in to Donna’s life as the wife of a bigwig in the mob. Things didn’t start out like this for her when they were first married. She is in her late 40s and her children are grown so she is now working with the FBI to bring the Family down. How else will she ever escape? Before this can happen, her husband is in a car wreck and killed. Now, the head man says she has to do an unfinished job of her husband’s before she can be free. A simple drop off. What could go wrong? So this sounds like a suspenseful married to the mafia romance, right? Well, it kind of is. But what I meant about liking how it’s written is it seems like it has no paranormal, then when she visits the grave before the job, she is attacked by a guy and bitten. This is the beginning to a whole new life for her. Nothing has changed as far as she knows. Until she is attacked during the last job. It was a lot of fun to watch her learn and experience everything. And I laughed so hard during a lot of it. All the characters are well written. Donna is such a lovable character. And I loved the two possible love interests. Dang it, Kristen writes these characters so well it makes me wish she would turn it into a reverse harem series lol. I also have to add that I think this author writes the best bad guy mob characters. I’m secretly waiting for her to write a dark romance with mafia characters.

Kat, lover of bears...

Rating: really liked it
April 1, 2020 Audible Review:
Kristen Painter is my absolute favorite paranormal fiction writer and I love BJ Harrison's narration, so I decided to listen to the Audible version. Since listening to it, I have changed my review from 4 stars to 5. Initially, I was put off with the whole "mobster" storyline, but listening to it, I realize that the heart of the story is Belladonna and what a survivor she is. That second listen made me love the book more. I look forward to continuing the series.

February 4, 2020 Kindle Review:
This is my first book in the new PWF (Paranormal Women’s Fiction) genre and by one of my favorite authors.

I didn’t realize, until this book, that I am not a fan of the mobster genre and almost gave up on this book until I remembered it was also in the supernatural genre. Once the supernatural element was introduced it became interesting. I love reading the rules of vampirism that change with each author and sometimes each series for an author. This version seems to have the most perks and I would definitely sign up to get that make-over. Sad that it ended, I definitely could have kept going.

I received this advanced copy as part of a Facebook promotion and would read it again.

Nikki Brooks

Rating: really liked it
Donna didn't set out to be a Mafia wife. But once she realised what her hubby was she began collating evidence she could use as her get of jail card. Now that her daughter is safely off to college it's time to vamoose. But before she can put her carefully crafted, FBI led plan into motion her hubby dies. Or was he a "hit"?

She thought finding out she was in the Mob was bad enough, how will she survive when she realises she has been bit be a vampire? Or that the agent she has been gently crushing on is not all that he seems?

Donna is just a hoot. She may be a mob wife but she knows exactly how she can trust. Herself, her daughter and her sister, who is a Nun. She does meet a motley crew of supporters as she stumbles through her introduction to the Supernatural, all of whom give her the help she needs.

Great story, comedy and little sparks of passion. Can't wait to see what comes next!

Melissa

Rating: really liked it
This story did not start out like I thought it would but it definitely didn't disappoint. Kristen did an amazing job with this book. I fell in love with the way Donna was going to take her life back. She is very complex and age has only made her wiser. Her life has turned upside down, not just with her husbands timely death but with her turning.

I absolutely love the world Kristen created and I really hope we get to see more of Donna and her other new vampire friends in this story. I would love to see what happens with her and Pierce or her and Rico. Their chemistry is amazing. I loved every minute of this story and I could not put it down.

Donna Hokanson

Rating: really liked it
Totally awesome
Life can be complicated as a head mob soldiers wife and even more so when he suddenly dies in a car crash. Then to find yourself attacked at his grave site while your chewing him out makes things even more complex. Not just fir the attack but for what happens after.
This book has lots of facets to it. It’s very entertaining, complex with so many things happening along with lots of action and adventure. A hint of romance and just so much more. This is a fabulous book to read and I highly recommend it.

Debbie

Rating: really liked it
I’d Go 3-1/2 If Allowed

It took me at least half of the book to really start warming up to the story. She nearly died but....whoo-hoo!!!!...now she’s a size 4, so no harm, no foul (warning: sarcasm alert). Also...so much designer-label name dropping. Tiresome. But the last third got better. She acquired interesting friends and seemed to do something more than spend wads of cash

Elisa

Rating: really liked it
What's not to love...

Belladonna is literally married to the mob, then we add in vampires, werewolves, fae and a host of supernatural hilarity and we have an absolutely riotous story I just couldn't put down...

Belladonna is my new hero I just love how she handled everything life threw at her from Hubby dying to becoming a vampire it was all fabulous to read.

There was a lot to love in a book that makes me smile so much and laugh out loud as I'm reading.

A delightfully enjoyable read.

Kim

Rating: really liked it
Oh my goodness what can I say about this book? I truly fell in love with Donna within the first few pages! She is a strong woman that is for sure. I honestly truly hope that Kristen decides to make this into a series. I would love to see more about this new world she has written for us that is for sure!’n

Selina Durio

Rating: really liked it
Mafia Wife

Belladonna is so not your typical mafia wife! While she plays the role to protect her grown children, she does not fit in with the other wives. This was a nicely written story that included some nice plot twists and turns. This book is part of a multi author series of paranormal women’s fiction that highlights mature female heroines.