Elena Berrino, $0.99, ISBN 979-8224473809
Paranormal Romance, 2021

Firstly, unlike what the cover of Elena Berrino’s Black Candle Vigil may lead, er, some people (ahem) to think, the story is set in the present day. It’s not the love story of a fresh-faced priestly acolyte and the neighborhood hunky blacksmith or anything like that. I have no idea why I some people get that impression.

It’s Samhain and in Aberlaine, the tradition is that two people will be picked by lottery to spend the whole night, awake, at the Old Cottage while making sure that a black candle remains lit throughout, hence the title of this story.

Should the candle go out, marauding ghosts would descend upon everyone in a frenzy of flesh tearing, intestine-gouging… uh, why am I not reading that story again?

Oh right, this one is a schmoopy romance, so we have Patrick taking her sister’s place in the vigil, only to realize that other chosen fellow is his ex, Ronan McCheatingburger. 

It is going to be long night, isn’t it?

From a technical standpoint, this one is readable, and I like that the female characters are part of the overall scenery instead of just forced-in scenery filler.

However, this story feels much, much longer than it is because the two men behave like squabbling brats instead of the adults they are supposed to be.

The official synopsis has me thinking that maybe these two will spend the nightly hours baring their souls to one another and giving me feels, but instead, they are yelling and snapping at one another when “wacky” antics are not happening around them as well as to them.

Sure, I have no issues if the author wanted this to be some wacky screwball comedy, but again, mind the packaging.

There is nothing about the cover art and the plot synopsis to let me believe that this is a wacky ha-ha story. If anything, I’d assume from the packaging that I would be getting a yaoi aimed at blushing adolescent girls.

So, imagine my whiplash when Ronan and Patrick just won’t stop bickering like silly dingbats!

At the same time, the focus on comedy, or whatever that is supposed to be, prevents the romance from coming together like it should. A second time romance works if the characters had learned from their past failures, moved on from past hurts, and have become somewhat wiser this time around, but I don’t see any evidence of any of these here.

These two get back together just because they are thrown together, and I have my doubts about them staying together past the end of that month.

Anyway, this one gets three oogies because it is at its core a readable story without anything that can give me irritable bowel syndrome or anything of that sort. I’m not sold on the romance, however, so I’d hesitate to recommend this one to folks looking for something that can hit the feels.