Solitary vampire Fallon Underwood gets all the social interaction he needs being the silent partner at the Dead and Breakfast B and B high in the Colorado mountains. Change is hard for Fallon, so when his business partner, Tanner, suggests hiring a new manager for the inn, he’s adamant that they don’t need help, especially not in the form of bouncy werecat Carter Hughes.

Carter is a happy-go-lucky kitty, and he loves the hospitality industry, so the D and B ought to be a great place for him. He falls for Fallon as soon as he picks up one of Fallon’s novels and begins to woo the vamp with gifts. When Fallon finally succumbs to Carter’s feline charms, the results are unexpected, to say the least. Their mating will have irreversible consequences-for their bodies and their hearts.

Fangs and Catnip (Dead and Breakfast #1), by Julia Talbot

Rating: 4 out of 5

This book is another entry into Dreamspinner Press’ “Dreamspun Beyond” line, which I’ve seen described as “addictive paranormal fluff.” Yeah, that about sums it up. This doesn’t make it a bad thing, though! Sometimes you want something cozy and enjoyable, that leaves the angst at the door. This is something that Julia Talbot excels at, as I found in the previous book of hers I read and reviewed, Wolfmanny.

The world-building here is minimal, except that we learn that all manner of paranormal beasties, from weres to vampires to demons to gorgons, are rather commonplace. The action takes a B&B called Dead and Breakfast (fortunately the other puns are kept to a minimum), located in the Colorado mountains. Tanner and Fallon co-own the B&B. They are good friends but not lovers, although it is hinted that they may have tried something earlier but found they made better friends than lovers.

I found Carter to be simply adorable. He’s smart, industrious, and loves his job. His inner monologue cracked me up, too. Here he’s trying to contain his excitement during the job interview:

“Carter Hughes?” Tanner shook hands, warm and firm but not squeezy. “I’m Tanner Weiling.”

“Mr. Weiling, pleased to meet you.”

No bouncing.
None.
Zero.
Be the antibounce.

This is a lovely story of opposites attracting, and Fallon and Carter are very sweet together. Although there isn’t a whole lot of drama in the book, both show character growth through the story. This really helped me feel invested in them, and I teared up a few times reading this. And as an aside, Talbot writes some dang hot sex scenes!

I want to note also that the secondary characters here are just lovely, and really make me look forward to future books in the series: Tanner, an affable werebear; Tom, a werewolf with his own problems who still looks out for Carter; Jami, the erstwhile vampire night auditor. I love the idea of seeing any of these guys in the next book.

Fangs and Catnip is an enjoyable, cozy book with great characters. I recommend this one, particularly for curling up and reading on a cold winter night!