Suck It Up, Buttercup

A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (First Fangs Club, Book 2)

By: Kristen Painter

Narrated by: B.J. Harrison

Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's Summary

At 49, Belladonna Barrone’s life has taken some interesting turns. She unwittingly married into the mob but managed to get free when her husband died in a car accident. Most recently she was attacked and turned into a vampire, something else she never intended. As with everything, she’s made the best of her situation. 

She just didn’t know this newest situation would also result in her becoming the vampire governor of New Jersey. It’s cool, though. The perks are great, the penthouse is spectacular, and the salary couldn’t have come at a better time. Vampire politics, on the other hand, might be more complicated than she anticipated. 

She’s handling it all pretty well, including dealing with another governor who thinks she ought to do his bidding and telling her kids that she’s now one of the immortal, when a new wrinkle from her old life complicates things in ways she would rather ignore. But Belladonna isn’t the kind of woman who runs from her problems.

Instead, she makes a plan and attacks. With her friends at her side, everything goes off without a hitch. Or at least she thinks so until a note shows up telling her the one person who’s been instrumental in making sure her past life stays in the past is in serious dangerous. Belladonna suddenly fears she’s bitten off more than she can chew. 

But she’s not about to sacrifice a single one of her friends, so there’s nothing left to do but suck it up, buttercup. 

©2020 Kristen Painter (P)2020 Kristen Painter

love

I love Kristen Painter books. I like this series because Belladonna is in her 40's and has already had a complicated life. Then it gets more complicated, but still light hearted. However I hate cliff hangers! need the next book!!!

Fun listen

Good second book in The First Fangs Club. Great listen. Lots of supernatural, and mean/nasty characters that are delightfully dealt with. Blows off some stress!

Love, love, love it!

This is why I love Kristen Painter.... her books never disappoint! I loved the first book in this series, and I think I enjoyed book 2 even more. Belladonna's story picks up right where it left off in Sucks To Be me, so we don't miss a moment of the action. Believe me, there's plenty of action! Seriously though, how long until book 3?

Great storyline

I love this new series. I cannot wait for the next installment. B. J. Harris is the best narrator and Kristen Painter has a way of keeping you captivated with great stories full of amazing characters and humor.

EXCELLENT

She did it again. Love this series. I enjoyed both. The female characters are always strong or have a strong presence. Can't wait for the next one.

Suck it Up, Buttercup by Kristen Painter

Suck It Up Buttercup by Kristen Painter

2nd book in the First Fangs Club series. Paranormal women’s fiction. Best read in series order for background world building and character histories that are influenced in the novel.
Cliffhanger.
Entertaining and charming.

Donna was turned into a vampire in the previous book and then subsequently made Governor of New Jersey. In this story her life situation expands to include her new living arrangements, new assistants, new friends and enemies both old and new. As a former mob boss wife she handles problems with ease and confidence.

It’s Donna’s confidence that impressed me the most. She is new to the paranormal world, but by applying life lessons she’s learned, Donna is able to be stand tall and be gracious. Her children’s acceptance is a bit surprising.

A tiny bit of humor. A bit more of mob and FBI interactions. Plus a lot of powerful women living and managing their surroundings.

I alternated between an ecopy and audio version. The audiobook was narrated by B. J. Harrison who has also done this author’s Shadowvale and Nocturne Falls series. He does a good job in voice differentiations and keeps an even tone throughout.

wonderful series!

Loved it! This is the second one in this new series poor belladonna can’t catch a break! Loved all the twists and surprises wonder who she will end up with as the story goes on. Great storytelling now to wait for the next one to see what happens!
B.J Harrison did a wonderful job with the narration makes the listening so much fun so happy that this series is available on audio enjoy listening to it as I do my chores around the house.

Great Sequel

This series is really becoming a favorite. Kristin Painter and BJ Harrison always make a super team. Belladonna is helping me cope with the boredom of corona times. Thanks!

Nothing really happens

A lot of shopping talk, girly talk, and other talk but not much substance. First book of Kristen Painter that I didn’t like. I kept waiting for something to happen but nothing much did.

DNF

I wanted to like this series, but it's just too dull at times...where are the stakes??

Another Gripping Story In This Crime Drama Series.

I've read and enjoyed a few other books by Kristen Painter but this series feels slightly different: less light-hearted. This is a good thing as the setting for this book needed more weight. I love that Kristen can tweak her writing style to accommodate different reading genres and I absolutely love that her main character in the First Fangs Club series is a middle-aged woman. I did chuckle and smile, recognising many nods to women of my age, although, I wish some of Donna's trademark middle-aged qualities hadn't disappeared - I wear my middle-aged trademarks as badges of honour.

Suck It Up, Buttercup was a very easy audiobook to listen to. The story picks up where the last book, Sucks To Be Me, left off. Our protagonist, Belladonna aka Donna continues to exhibit all the personality traits that I crave in a main character; she's intelligent, resilient, resourceful and has plenty of gumption. I loved seeing her grow in this story. Kristen isn't breaking the mould with any of her supporting characters. However, I enjoyed that she created a wealth of them with various personalities and roles to play to progress the story. I really enjoyed the plot with all its twists and turns, and enjoyed how some of the story threads were satisfactorily concluded by the end while others were left to continue into the next book.

B.J. Harrison is a really good narrator. The story is written from the point of view of our protagonist, Donna, and I think the pace of his narration captured her maturity and personality. Harrison varies his tone to convey the appropriate emotion in every scene. I liked the voices he created for all the characters and didn't feel confused to who was speaking during the dialogue.

I don't think that there's any offensive content within these pages - language, violence or sex. However, some of the implied violence linked with the mafia theme is worth mentioning.

I'd recommend Suck It Up, Buttercup to lovers of second-chance stories, about standing up for what's right and creating your own destiny even if the paranormal genre isn't your usual thing.

A good story and we'll told

2nd in the series and in all good Saturday morning picture serials leaves on a cliff hanger and wanting more.

Brilliant as usual

Really enjoyed this book, but it finished on such a cliffhanger. I will look forward to the next book in the series whenever Kristen can get it written

Another fab book.

After listening to book 1 and loving it so much I bought book 2 and listened straight after . I listened to both back to back who needs sleep anyway 😂 BJ Harrison was excellent at narrating again and I am now eagerly awaiting book 3`s release.

A fun listen

A decent sequel to Sucks to be Me. I find that the trust that Donna puts in others so blindly is reckless and a little unbelievable, she’s known these people two weeks and she’s trusting them with her deepest secrets. Also the pace is a little slow, I feel like the entire book was a set up for the next book rather than a complete story in its own right. Still worth a listen and I look forward to the next one.

Brilliant

I love Belladonna's new staff! I'm really enjoying this new series and can't wait for the next book, especially as this one ended with a cliffhanger.

Another Brilliant Listen in This Series

Total fan of everything I’ve ever listened to of Kristen Painters. She brings every character to life. I hope the next in the series is available on Audible soon. Cant wait to read/listen to it.

Just superb

I would say her best book yet!

Not a boring minute in the whole book. LOVE IT!