Review: How to Run with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper

How to Run with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper
published by Simon & Schuster (Pocket) in Decembe 2013

Down, Boy

Anna Moder has just witnessed a shooting, seen her car pulverized, and rescued a wounded stranger only to discover he's really a werewolf. And by her recent standards, things are actually looking up. Lycanthropes don't faze Anna. Doctoring a wolf pack outside Grundy, Alaska, is the closest thing to home life she's known in years. But hitching a ride to Anchorage with long-absent pack member Caleb Graham that's a risk. Part of her itches to whack his nose with a newspaper. The rest is trying unsuccessfully to keep her own paws off every delicious inch of him.

The problem is, Caleb employs his lupine tracking abilities as a not quite-legal bounty hunter, and Anna is suspicious of both him and his profession. On the run from her past, with old problems closing in, she'd like to stay far, far away from anybody with connections to the law. Caleb, however, seems determined to keep her close. Are his intentions noble, or is he working a more predatory angle?

Anna's been dreaming of returning to a semi-normal life, but now she's experiencing a strange new urge... to join Caleb in running with the wolves.

Genre: Paranormal romance
Series: Naked Werewolf, Book #3

The Story: The blurb is actually quite accurate. Before Anna Moder had to go underground to escape her abusive and controlling husband, she was a doctor in Nashville. She escaped to Alaska and held menial jobs to stay under the radar. The only respite she had was the couple of years she spent in Grundy being the doctor to a werewolf pack before being on the move again.

After a 12-hour shift at the grocery store, the last thing Anna expected is to be the witness of a shooting. Even though she hasn't been practicing, the doctor in her cannot leave the victim behind. However, she did not expect him to be a werewolf and the only member of the Grundy pack that she has not met, Caleb Graham. To thank her, Caleb agrees to drive her to Anchorage... but with a few detours for his job as a bounty hunter.

Soon, Anna and Caleb find themselves in a comfortable relationship. However, Caleb has been keeping a secret from Anna... one that she might not forgive him when she finds out.

My Opinion: When an author has two series, do you ever wonder why one works for you and not the other? That's the case with me and Ms Harper's series, especially given that both are light paranormal. I'm a huge fan of her Jane Jameson series; however, the Naked Werewolf series hasn't work as well for me. Of course, it's hard to be sure since I've only read the first book, How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf. That's why after enjoying her latest book, A Witch's Handbook of Kisses and Curves, so much, I decided to give How to Run with a Naked Werewolf a chance... Alas, it didn't change my mind.

I really, really wanted to enjoy How to Run with a Naked Werewolf, because I like Ms Harper's breezy writing style and sense of humor. Unfortunately, while those elements were present, the rest of the book fell flat for me. My main issue was pretty much the romance. I didn't feel the chemistry between Anna and Caleb. I think part of it was because Anna had so much baggage and there were too many secrets between them, but also because they settled in a relationship, a routine so fast. Almost the whole story, they were together, but we didn't get to witness many of their interactions. Some discussions, banters during their drive would have been fun and would have given us some insight. The fact that the whole book was told from Anna's POV did not help. In this case, I think it would have been interesting and helped the romance along if we've known what Caleb was thinking. I actually suspect the book would have been more engaging from his POV. He knew something that Anna didn't and I would have liked to know what Caleb saw in Anna - it would have had more impact than what we got... as Caleb was a hunky werewolf and that was pretty much it. Caleb's character felt very one-dimensional in comparison to Anna who had an interesting back story. As a whole though, the two of them were okay characters.

As for the storyline, well it was pretty much Anna and Caleb driving to Anchorage, catch some bad guys and fall in love. I think Ms Harper wanted to focus on the H/H; however, only having Anna's POV was a bit detrimental. As for the stops they did to catch the bad guys, it was a bit too episodic. I guess what I mean is that in the storyline wasn't balanced enough between the two. It didn't help that some elements were a bit too predictable. Seriously, why do exes always have to make an appearance? Especially when the H/H have been rid of them for years? I did enjoy the part of the story where Anna and Caleb were in Grundy with the pack though. That part was fun :) Finally, I think How to Run with a Naked Werewolf would have profited having good secondary characters to support Anna and Caleb.

My Grade: C-. Seems like I'll be sticking to Ms Harper's vampires and witches in the future ^_^;

Monthly Reads - December 2012

Hi everyone! How are you doing? Me, I'm tired ^_^; Ugh, this whole saving daytime light is simply not working for me! Of course, going out till 3am in the morning last Friday night on the week-end we "spring forward" was not my most brilliant idea ^_^; Something that I'll have to remember for next year LOL. Aside from that, life is pretty quiet. I'm still "practicing" at work which gives me some free time which is good because there are a lot of new books I want to read! :)

Speaking of books, here is my Monthly Reads post for December ^_^; As you can see, I'm still behind... and that's why I've decided to change the format a little. Nothing major, but something that will definitively save me time and make me stop dreading these posts. So what is the change? I'm still going to continue to review some books in these Monthly Reads posts, but I won't be summarizing them anymore. As a result, what you'll get is truly mini-reviews, just my opinion :) I think it's a good decision given that I'm so far behind in my reviews ^_^; Let me know what you think!

Now, here is what I read in December:


1) Cold Days by Jim Butcher: A

2) The Weird Girls by Cecy Robson: C-

The Weird Girls is a little novella whose purpose is to launch this new urban fantasy series, The Weird Girls series, that has caught my interest. The premise is four sisters who each has unique powers thanks to a curse: Celia can change into a golden tigress and that ability is accompanied with preternatural speed and strength; Taran releases her power in the form of lightning and fire; Emma is a telekinetic and can heal; and Shayna is a blademaster with the ability to manipulate metals. They have recently move to the supernatural community found in Lake Tahoe and hope to keep a low profile due to their unusual abilities. Of course, things don't go as planned and in The Weird Girls, our four sisters get into a dispute with the local witch coven...

So I thought I'd give The Weird Girls a try and get a feel for the writing and the characters before the first book, Sealed with a Curse. However, after reading the novella, I can't tell whether it was a good idea or not, because frankly, based on what I read, I'm not sure I would have picked up Sealed with a Curse ^_^; Except lucky for the author, I had already pre-ordered the book so eventually, I'll give it a try. Overall, I can't exactly pinpoint what didn't work for me with The Weird Girls except to say that the story just didn't hook me. I actually quite liked the premise of the series - the four sisters being cursed, which is why I decided to give the series a go... but the series was underwhelming. There was a lot of set up for the world and the characters and perhaps along with the fight with the coven, it was too much. It'd have been better for Ms Robson to decide what she wanted to accomplish with this novella - introduce the series or tell a story. Also, I just didn't connect with Celia who was the narrator. I think it was the whole "everyone is attracted to my sisters because they are hot, but not me because I'm scary." She's also very protective of her sisters and self-sacrificing and in the end, sounded a bit too martyr-ish to my tastes.

The novella wasn't all that bad; however, I didn't feel the need to rush for the next book and that speaks volume right?


3) The First Prophet by Kay Hooper: C

4) Cracking the Dating Code by Kelly Hunter: C+

In the past couple of years, I've started building up a list of auto-buy authors for category romance and Ms Hunter is one of them :) I enjoyed the first book in this series, Flirting with Intent, and it was just a matter of time for me to pick up Cracking the Dating Code. The heroine of this book is Poppy West, a genius at cracking code. Good thing to because that's exactly what she needs to do in order to find out whether her eldest brother is still alive or not and what he's been up to. Since what she's about to do is ultra secret, she needs an ultra secret place to do it and her co-worker offers her the use of his island... whose currently only occupant is his brother, Sebastian Reyne. Attraction sparks between them, but Poppy is shy and socially awkward... and therefore decides to ask Sebastian to teach her how to flirt. As for Sebastian, he thought the last thing he needed at the moment was a woman, but perhaps he was wrong?

All in all, I did enjoy Cracking the Dating Code, but I thought something was missing to the story such as some intensity and some development. I felt the first half of the story that took place on the island was quite slow. Not much happened as both our H/H were absorbed by their own worries and therefore spent little time together. And when Sebastian finally admitted he was attracted to Poppy, there was the whole worry about whether his brother was also attracted to her as well. Finally, when Poppy and Sebastian got off the island, the story picked up, but it was already too late. I feel Poppy and Sebastian were given obstacles - and serious ones at that, but the way it was addressed in Cracking the Dating Code made them superficial and easily rectifiable. Otherwise, I enjoyed Poppy and Sebastian's pairing :) I find Poppy's flirting lessons were the best moments of the story because the characters were witty and spontaneous :)

5) The Navy Seal's Bride by Soraya Lane: D

I've heard a lot of good about Ms Lane's writing and I've been meaning to give it a try, but I think I chose the wrong book ^_^; In The Navy Seal's Bride, the hero, Tom Cartwright, is an ex-Navy SEAL due to an injury that has robbed part of his hearing and not surprisingly, is struggling to adjust to his new civilian life. While his brother and sister-in-law have are on their second honeymoon, Tom is baby-sitting his niece Gabby and that's how he meets Caitlin Rose, Gabby's teacher. Caitlin is attracted to Tom, but wary of his military background because she's had bad experiences in the past... and Tom's occasional spurts of anger due to this injury do nothing to reassure her.

I thought the beginning of The Navy Seal's Bride was very promising. I loved the relationship between Tom and his niece, Gabby. It was so heart-warming and cute LOL. I also admired the tight bond Tom had with his brother and sister-in-law. They had each other's back and given their line of work, that was very reassuring for each of them... But that's about all I enjoyed about the book ^_^; The romance simply didn't work for me in The Navy Seal's Bride. Tom and Caitlin didn't seem to have any chemistry together, especially since she was so wary of him. Every time he'd get angry, she'd start to reassess him and their relationship. That made it hard for me to believe the HEA ending at the end. It would have been more realistic if it's been more gradual. Something else that didn't work for me was Tom's frustration at his injury. I know it's hard for him that his career ended in that way, that he's lost a lot... but it's been done so many times that it just bored and annoyed me. Also the fact that Caitlin had a past and that it was Tom's waking call to stop being so down because of his injury just seemed too convenient. And once again, the changes in Tom's attitude were just too rapid to be believable.

All in all, the story and romance just did not work for me. I'll have to try another book to find out what's all the buzz about Ms Lane.


6) The Other Side of Us by Sarah Mayberry: C
Upcoming Review


7) The Importance of Being Wicked by Victoria Alexander: B

8) My Bluegrass Baby by Molly Harper: C

My Bluegrass Baby is a novella by Ms Harper and since I enjoyed her writing a lot, there was no doubt I'd be picking this up. Sadie Hutchins works for the Kentucky Tourism Commission and loves her job, loves advertising the quirky tourist spots in Kentucky. She's expecting to become the new director of the marketing department. That is until there's a new candidate for the position, Josh Vaughn. His plan is to promote a sophisticated, high-end image of Kentucky which is totally opposite to Sadie's vision... which is good as each will have to create a new publicity campaign to see who will become the new director.

My Bluegrass Baby was a nice, light-hearted novella. There wasn't as many LOL moments than in most of Ms Harper's book, but it was still funny and enjoyable. I thought both the story and the characters were interesting... to a certain point. I liked the setting - the Kentucky Tourism Commission - and the idea that both Sadie and Josh had to show what they are made of to earn the job, especially since the two really have contrasting styles and visions. The problem with the novella was that the whole story was a little bit passive. We were told more than we were shown and as a result, it felt a little bit draggy in the second half. I think the novella would have been better if it had been written at the 3rd person and if readers had had Josh's POV. We would have had a better sense of what was going. Not only would it have benefited the story, but also the romance. As it is, it felt like Sadie and Josh did a 180 degree on their feelings for each other. They started out despising each other, mostly because they had opposing visions of how to promote Kentucky tourism and are competing for the same position. Yes, there was a little bit of attraction, after all, they are both good-looking, and I know they got to know each other better by working together, but I'd have liked to see those interactions more instead of the office wars.

So an enjoyable novella with a different subject matter, but not the best I've read from this author.

9) Deck the Halls with Love by Lorraine Heath: C+

Readers got to meet the hero of this novella, the Marquess of Chetwyn, in Lord of Temptation, the second book of The Lost Lords of Pembrook trilogy. I really liked what I read of Chetwyn's character in Lord of Temptation - it's rare to see the jilted party so open-minded, gracious and kind - and was really hoping he'd get his own story. Well my wish came true with Deck the Halls with Love. We find out that before Chetwyn proposed to Lady Anne, his dead brother's fiancée, out of misplaced duty to his brother's memory, he was actually courting Lady Meredith Hargreaves to whom he was attracted to and the feelings were reciprocated. Now, Lady Meredith is engaged to another man because she was caught in a compromising situation - a kiss ^_^; However, Chetwyn doesn't intend to lose her twice... even if it means stealing her from another man.

To be honest, I was expecting more out of this novella. I mean, the story was cute and sweet and the characters, nice. Also, the beginning and ending were fun and clever... But all in all, I feel there was the potential for so much more in this novella and it wasn't reached because of the length. Seriously, I would have had no trouble reading a full-length novel with Chetwyn and Lady Meredith and it would have given Ms Heath the chance to flesh out the storyline a lot more. First, Chetwyn needed to grovel a bit more. Only logical after he broke Lady Meredith's heart by proposing to another woman, no? Second, I liked the direction where Ms Heath was going with Meredith's engagement. She was obliged to accept the proposal of a man she wasn't sure to love because they were caught in a kiss. Should she really risk her happiness because of a kiss? Of course, perhaps she shouldn't have allowed the kiss in the first place, but still. And then, what if the kiss and being caught had been orchestrated? I would have liked to see that part more fleshed out, but of course, it was impossible due to the length. Since what I've been wishing was impossible, I would have settled for simply more interactions between Chetwyn and Meredith, because most of it, most of their falling in love had happened prior to the story and therefore off-pages ^_^;

All in all, a cute novella, but I think Ms Heath missed a good opportunity for a great novel as she had a good story and very nice characters. Also, this is not aimed specifically at Ms Heath, but I'm really tired of heroes who propose to women they don't love because they think that taking care of someone = marriage!! Seriously, how dense can they be?


10) Amityville Horrible by Kelley Armstrong: B


11) Forbidden by Kelley Armstrong: B

***

Balance
Books bought: +5
Books read: -11
TBR pile: -6


Genres
Category Romance - 3
      --> (Contemporary - 3)
Contemporary Romance - 1
Historical Romance - 2
      --> (Regency - 2)
Mystery/Thriller - 1
Urban Fantasy - 4

***

All right, so it seems I'm not very good at writing reviews without summarizing the plots ^_^; But at least, I put less pressure on myself to do so and it seems to work :P Let see how the next Monthly Reads post goes, because I'm really dreading that one...

Anyway, looking back on December, it was an okay month. It started out with a bang with  Cold Days which was my best read in 2012 and it ended on a high note with two books from one of my favorite authors :) Middle of the month though was so-so... However, I kind of expected it. December is always a tough reading month for me, because there's almost no new releases! You'd think it'd be the perfect time for me to catch up on books I hadn't have the chance to read during the year... but it's not the case! Instead, I go into a funk because there's no new releases to buy and read, then I start worrying about my final number of books read during the year - which is why there are so many novellas. And of course, holidays season starts and I get busy with this and that and end up having not as much time to read as I expected. Oh well, maybe I'll learn something and have a better plan for this year's December LOL.

So how was your month of December? Do you even remember it? LOL.

WEM XXII: The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires by Molly Harper

Yay!! Long week-end! What are you guys up to? By the time this goes up, I'll be on my way to New Jersey for a quick visit to Hilcia :) Yay! However, this time around, I was able to have some posts ready before I leave. Yes, I'm very proud LOL. So enjoy this mini-review of The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires by Molly Harper which turned out not to be as short as I thought it'd be LOL.

By the way, any plans for this long week-end? :P


The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires by Molly Harper

published by Simon & Schuster (Pocket) in July 2012

Iris Scanlon, Half-Moon Hollow’s only daytime vampire concierge, knows more about the undead than she’d like. Running all their daylight errands—from letting in the plumber to picking up some chilled O neg—gives her a look at the not-so-glamorous side of vampire life. Her rules are strict; relationships with vamps are strictly business, not friendship—and certainly not anything else. But then she finds her newest client, Cal, poisoned on his kitchen floor, and only Iris can help.

Cal - who would be devastatingly sexy, if Iris allowed herself to think that way - offers Iris a hefty fee for hiding him at her place until he figures out who wants him permanently dead. Even though he’s imperious, unfriendly and doesn't seem to understand the difference between "employee" and "servant," Iris agrees, and finds herself breaking more and more of her own rules to help him - particularly those concerning nudity.

Turns out what her quiet little life needed was some intrigue & romance—in the form of her very own stray vampire.

Genre: Paranormal romance
Series: Half-Moon Hollow, Book #1

What do you need to know? This is the first book in Ms Harper's new series which is a spin-off of her Jane Jameson series. In The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires, Iris Scanlon runs a daytime vampire concierge. She kind of stumbled into the business after dropping out of college and moving back to Half-Moon Hollow to take care of her younger sister, Gigi, after her parents' deaths. This works out for her because most of the time, she takes care of their day-time errands and therefore, does not have to meet them. Her newest client was referred by the Council and it should have been an easy job: stock his fridge with supplies of blood... except that she stumbled over his almost-unconscious body. Turns out the Council's welcome basket was tampered with and jaw-dropping handsome Calix was poisoned! And it's even more alarming given that Cal's presence in Half Moon Hollow was kept under wrap as he is investigating a company whose blood products might have turned vampires extremely violent and caused deaths. And just like that, Iris found herself embroiled in Council's business against her will... Not to mention fighting her attraction to this stray vampire!

Why this book? I really enjoyed Ms Harper's writing as well as her Jane Jameson series. It's just so much fun, so I was hoping for the same with this spin-off series :)

What did I like? To introduce this spin-off series, Ms Harper has written a novella, Driving Mr. Bad, and in it, I thought the heroine was very, very similar to Jane, both so accident-prone. So I was worried going into The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires that Iris and Jane would turn out to be identical. While they were not total opposite, in the end, I think Ms Harper did a good job at giving Iris a distinct personality. I find that it's hard for authors who write at 1st POV to really come up with distinct "voice" when they switch characters, which I guess that's why 1st POV is mostly utilized in urban fantasy when the series follow one main character. Anyway, I digress. So yes, while Iris was not unique, she was different enough from Jane. In a way, I find she was more mature, competent and also cautious, which is a good thing - although it means there aren't as many laugh out loud scenes. All in all, she was likable and nice heroine.

My favorite element in The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires was Iris and Gigi's relationship. That was the source of laughter in this book :) I really liked that the two sisters were on good terms and looked out for each other, but without clinging to each other. Their dynamic was really good. In that same vein, I also enjoyed Gigi's interactions with Cal. It was just great fun. Another enjoyable part was to see the friendship between Iris and previous characters such as Jane, Andrea and Jolene. I liked the easy camaraderie between these women and I love that Iris still doesn't know Jolene's true nature LOL. Overall, I enjoyed revisiting these characters, but was glad they did  not steal the spotlight. In that respect, Ms Harper stroke the right balance.

Finally, the intrigue was interesting and had potential. However, the letdown was the execution and the villain's identity which seemed a bit too obvious.

What didn't work? Unfortunately, my biggest issue with The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires was the romance and that's never a good thing ^_^; In this case, I find the failure was two-fold. First, Cal's personality was not developed enough in my opinion. This is always a challenge when we don't get the hero's POV and in this case, it played against Cal. I actually find this is a weakness in Ms Harper's writing. In the Jane Jameson series, she got around it because Gabriel was developed over the course of three/four books and even then, it was iffy. Anyway, so far, we only got the big lines about Cal - mainly that he is alpha and over-protective and a bit bossy. Same goes with his background/past. I don't know, it just wasn't enough for me to connect with him... and quite frankly, I think the same goes for Iris. My second reason for why the romance failed was the lack of chemistry between Iris and Cal and the lack of development. Aside from physical attraction, I just don't see why Iris and Cal fell in love with each other. One minute they were at each other's throat and the next, declared their love. Sometimes, it works, but in this case, Cal was so prickly!! It just didn't compute for me. I need more development, "more showing."

In the end, I think the romance also affected the pace of the story. In my opinion, The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires felt patchy where the romance and the intrigue were two separate threads instead of being one story. The two simply weren't well integrated together and as a result, the flow wasn't fluid. Also, as  I mentioned earlier, the intrigue had potential, but it kind of missed the mark because it was not fully develop.

My Grade? C. There were a lot of elements that I liked, but also some issues with The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires, hence the grade. Still, I'll most probably going to pick up the next book because Ms Harper's writing is so much fun :)

Monthly Reads: March 2012

Okay, so I keep telling myself that I have time, that there's a few more days left to April. But the truth is, May is creeping up on me!! But I'm done, so it really doesn't matter how much longer April will last or how close May is! Phew LOL.

I have to say, ever since I started the Week-End's Minis feature, my Monthly Reads posts are so much easier to write!! I think the WEM is my best idea ever LOL. And guess what? I'm really close to be reviewing everything I read. Wow!

So without further ado, here is what I read in March:

1) Driving Mr. Dead by Molly Harper: C

This is a novella taking pace in the same world as the Jane Jameson series, actually not only same world, but same town! Its purpose is to introduce the spin-off series featuring Iris Scanlon and her business, Beeline - Half-Moon Hollow's premiere vampire concierge service, to the readers. However, Driving Mr. Dead is not about Iris, but about her employee, Miranda Puckett. Miranda comes from a family where everyone is organized and knows what they want in life. But it is not the case for Miranda and as a result, she is considered a flake and her parents are still looking out for her, hoping that one day she'd come back to her sense and work in the family's law firm. Miranda's newest job is the position of driver for Beeline and her assignment is to drive to Washington state, pick up Collin Sutherland - a vampire, and drive him back to Kentucky before the deadline so he can deliver the mysterious black case to Council official Ophelia Lambert. Needless to say, with Collin's paranoia and OCD quirks and Miranda's emotional turmoil due to her fiance's affair, the drive is anything but straightforward. Especially when Miranda is prone to run in the most unimaginable situations :)

Overall, I thought Driving Mr. Dead was a fun read and a nice set-up for Ms Harper's new series. I liked both Miranda and Collin. Collin's OCD quirks were hilarious, especially that 16 pages document about the conditions for the travel LOL. However, at the end of the day, I felt like the changes in Collin were too quick and sudden and it was hard for me to believe the two have fallen in love, especially since it seemed they didn't have anything in common ^_^; It was just a bit too unrealistic to me, although I definitively wouldn't mind reading more about them :) Another little niggle... I don't know if it was due to the length of the novella, but the vibe I got from Miranda was very similar to Jane. I know that personality-wise, the two women are very different. However, the fact that they both find themselves in ridiculous situations... I think it was even mentioned in the novella how Miranda reminded someone of Jane ^_^; Then when you pair Miranda up with a stuff shirt like Collin, you can see the similarities. I understand part of the similarities is due to Ms Harper's writing style, but I really don't want interchangeable characters. I really hope Ms Harper will be able to give a distinct feel to Iris in The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires which comes out in August.


2) Fair Game by Patricia Briggs: B+


3) Nice Girls Don't Bite their Neighbors by Molly Harper: B


4) By a Thread by Jennifer Estep: B

5) The Temporary Wife by Mary Balogh: B-

For a more comprehensive review, please check out Hilcia's :) Otherwise, keep on reading!

In the past year, I've been going through Ms Balogh's extensive back list. She's quite popular as an historical romance author and while not all of her books have worked for me, they are solid and consistent reads :) Why did I pick up The Temporary Wife in particular? Well I like marriage of convenience plots.

Lord Anthony Earheart is the heir to a dukedom and to say he is on bad terms with his father is an understatement. When Anthony finally decides to respond to his father's summons, he's determined to thumb his nose at his father. After all, he's made a name and a fortune for himself in the past 8 years without the duke's support... and the last thing Anthony wants is to marry the bride chosen for him. As a result, Anthony places an ad for a governess... but what he's looking for in reality is a bride - one who is mousy and beneath his station. And he chooses Miss Charity Duncan. Unfortunately for Anthony, first impressions are often misleading as Charity turns out to be a lovely young woman. Her father's death left her family in a dire financial situation. Charity wanted to help her brother shoulder the burden and therefore has been working as a governess; however, she lost a few positions due to her outspoken and direct personality and her look. When she responded to Anthony's ad, she tried very hard to downplay her person... She never expected that Lord Eearheart would propose! And the money that he offers would be salvation to her family. All she has to do is keep the charade up.

The Temporary Wife has everything I usually like to read: marriage of convenience, opposite attract and it's almost a "happy-go-lucky heroine thawing a stuffy hero" story... So theoretically, I should have loved this book. However, I felt that The Temporary Wife was very similar to another of Ms Balogh's book, The Ideal Wife... and it turns out I enjoyed The Ideal Wife better - hence the grade. However, this book remains very enjoyable :) Indeed, it had good characters - I very much liked Anthony and Charity. I liked how brave and perspicacious she was, but also clever. As soon as Anthony explained to her his ploy, she knew what part he wanted her to play, what to expect, etc. I also loved that she didn't care what other people thought and did what she thought was right. My kind of heroine :) As for Anthony, he was a good hero as well. I think he felt like he had to prove something... and there were so many misunderstandings between him and his father and brothers. So much time lost. I also thought the dynamics of the family were very interesting and totally did not expect what was the source of so much misery on both sides. That was very well-done by Ms Balogh.

A few reasons why I didn't like The Temporary Wife as much as The Ideal Wife were the lack of background development for Charity. She has all those qualities, but we know next to nothing about her. For example, her father is supposedly a gentleman... Was he a good or bad guy? What happened for him to leave so many debts? When did her mother pass away? Where do all the kids come from? I also felt the H/H fell in love a bit too fast and would have appreciated seeing their romance developed a bit more. There was a lot of aspects to this book and while it wasn't overwhelming (like too much), it wasn't well-balanced in my opinion.


6) Doubletake by Rob Thurman: A-
Upcoming buddy review to come over at Breezing Through


7) Oracle's Moon by Thea Harrison: B


8) The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook: C


9) Between the Duke and the Deep Blue Sea by Sophia Nash: C+


10) Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas: B-


11) Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas: B


Books bought: + 17
Books read: -11
TBR pile: + 6


Genre

Historical Romance – 2
Contemporary Romance – 2
Paranormal Romance – 3
Urban Fantasy – 3
Steampunk Romance - 1

***

All in all, I think March was a good month. I admit being a bit disappointed by the number of books I've read in total. 11 is my smallest number so far this year... However, it's not so much that I've read only 11 books... It's that the month started out so well, with so many books I wanted to read! It was like the UF/PNR festival with so many good releases in the genre coming out at the end of February and beginning of March! :) Fair Game, By a Thread, Nice Girls Don't Bite their Neighbors, Angel's Flight, etc. With such good authors, it's no surprise that half my reads were UF and PNR :P So basically, I was in heaven at the beginning of March, but I ended the month feeling blah, not knowing what to read anymore and taking forever to read one book! I felt like I lost my reading mojo which is really not a fun feeling :( I wonder if it's not the Rob Thurman effect ^_^; For some reasons, I tend to read her books really slowly and it seemed I just continued that pace the rest of the month. Or maybe I just burned out reading too much UF/PNR? Hmmm.

Also, March was the first month I had a positive balance in my TBR pile in a while. LOL, I blame the "Buy 3, get the 4th free" promo at the bookstore. I mean, how can you not take advantage of that? :) I also don't mind very much because I've been doing really well in the past month.

So there you, my month of March! How was yours?

Review: Nice Girls Don't Bite their Neighbors by Molly Harper

Hey everyone! How it's going? My week-end was really nice! There were 4 very good curling matches... In the end though, Korea didn't medal. Ah well, perhaps next year! Switzerland won the championship (yay!) and Sweden and Canada came second and third respectively. You know it's a good game when it is won on last rock!

Since I didn't buy any books last week, I took a break on Sunday. I was planning to get some posts ready, but I ended up reading till 3am... Let just say that I was dead yesterday LOL. But it's okay, because I have this review done :) I discovered Molly Harper previously with her Jane Jameson series. While I really enjoyed the series, I never got around to review the books ^_^; And I really didn't want to let Nice Girls Don't Bite their Neighbors slip through the cracks! One day, I hope to re-read the first three books and review them. But for now, you'll have this review :)


Nice Girls Don't Bite their Neighbors by Molly Harper
published by Simon & Schuster in February 2012

Just as Jane Jameson’s unlife seems to be stabilizing, fate sinks its fangs firmly into her butt. Despite her near-phobia of all things marital, her no-frills nighttime nuptials to her sexy boyfriend Gabriel are coming along smoothly. But the road to wedded bliss gets bumpy when a teenage acquaintance is fatally wounded in front of Jane’s shop and she turns him to save his life. The Council pronounces Jane responsible for the newborn vamp until he can control his thirst.

Jane’s kitchen at River Oaks barely holds enough Faux Type O to satiate the cute teen’s appetite and maintain Gabriel’s jealous streak at a slow simmer. As if keeping her hyperactive childe from sucking the blood out of the entire neighborhood isn’t enough to deal with, the persnickety ghost of Jane’s newly deceased Grandma Ruthie has declared a war on the fanged residents of River Oaks. Suddenly, choosing monogrammed cocktail napkins and a cake that she can’t eat seems downright relaxing in comparison.

Tensions inside the house are growing... and outside, a sinister force is aiming a stake straight for the center of Gabriel’s heart. Most brides just have to worry about choosing the right dress, but Jane fears that at this rate, she’ll never make it down the aisle for the wedding all nice girls dream of...

Genre: Paranormal romance
Series: Jane Jameson, Book #4

The Story: The blurb is pretty accurate. After all that happened, Jane is settling down with her HEA ending. Gabriel has moved in and Jane has finally acquiesced to marry him after his third proposal. And while she really hoped to elope, she has resigned herself to a wedding ceremony and reception. If only she can contains her mother, who is ecstatic that her daughter is finally getting married, from going crazy with the wedding plans. She hopes that by hiring Iris Scanlon, Half-Moon Hollow’s only daytime vampire concierge, it will help.

However, as customary with Jane, things get complicated and not always because of Jane... First, her grandmother, who has always been critical of Jane and obsessed with Jane's house, dies and grabs the opportunity of to be mistress by haunting the house. Then, when Jane witnesses Jamie, the kid she used to baby-sit, being run over by a car and dying, she decides to turn him. So now, she lives with her boyfriend and her childe and let just say the two men in her life are not getting along well. Finally, someone seems to be after Jane's life... but she has no clue who it could be!

Is a HEA ending really attainable for Jane?

My Opinion: The best way to describe the Jane Jameson books is that they are a blend of paranormal romance and chick-lit and therefore, very fun to read :) At first, I was a bit hesitant about the style and had difficulty getting into Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs... but in the end, Jane and her entourage as well as the story just sneaked on me :) Before I knew it, I was devouring the series! So when I found out that Ms Harper was writing another Jane Jameson book, I was really, really happy!

Some say that Nice Girls Don't Bite their Neighbors was an unnecessary book in the series and while I can see where they come from, I have to say I really enjoyed revisiting Jane and her entourage. For me, it was really a fun book and I liked that we got to see her HEA ending. I think a part of me wasn't convinced at Gabriel's commitment to Jane... The relationship seemed a bit uneven to me where Jane was the one more into Gabriel. This feeling was partly because he didn't have much "screen time" in Nice Girls Don't Live Forever and therefore, not enough interactions with Jane. However, after reading Nice Girls Don't Bite their Neighbors, I really can imagine Jane and Gabriel together forever as they indeed matched and Gabriel does love Jane a lot :)

I actually think that Nice Girls Don't Bite their Neighbors was the perfect continuation to the series :) Jane will never have her own babies, so the next best thing is to become a sire... And while it was unexpected, it worked out well :) Not only was Jamie one of her acquaintance, she's actually baby-sat him when he was younger. So she knew Jamie and did have maternal feelings towards him. Also, I think Jamie fits Jane's entourage very well LOL. The last scene where she's talking to Jamie's girlfriend - those were hilarious.

Another thing that I really enjoyed was Jane's interaction with her friends and family. It was great to see that Jane and her sister have made up, have come to an understanding in their relationship and are now close. That's really something I was wondering about. And surprisingly to me, Jane's mother isn't as annoying anymore :) Actually, Jane is really lucky that her mother never turned her back on her, never stopped caring. One thing though is that I wished we've seen a bit more of Zeb, Jolene and the twins. Otherwise, it was simply great to see Jane live her life and be with her friends and family. I think Jane has really found her place and the life she wanted to live :)

There was also an intrigue in Nice Girls Don't Bite their Neighbors where someone seems to be after Jane and Gabriel. It was actually quite amusing and well-done, but at the same time, I could have done without it ^_^; I don't know, it just seems like Jane deserves a break. Why does she always finds herself in those situation? Also, there was a twist at the ending concerning Jamie and that, I really did not expect!

My Grade: B. Overall, the entertaining value of Nice Girls Don't Bite their Neighbor was really high. I simply had fun being back in Jane's head :) And I think this slice of Jane and Gabriel's HEA ending concludes this series on a high note for me, better than Nice Girls Don't Live Forever. Now, I'm really looking forward to the spin-off series and hope it'll be as good and fun!

Review: And One Last Thing... by Molly Harper

Hey everyone!! It's the week-end, woohoo!! Gosh, I'm so tired today and I don't even know why :( Luckily, I have no plans this week-end :) I'm just going to take it easy, read The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong, work on some reviews, eat sushi, watch curling and perhaps re-shelve some books :) Unfortunately, I have to get some things done for work, but I won't bother about till Sunday, 9pm, LOL. What about you, any plans?

Okay, so I have a buddy review up at Breezing Through. Ames and I have reviewed And One Last Thing... by Molly Harper. Seriously guys, you have to thank Ames for the review!! LOL, I read And One Last Thing... last September I think and I meant to review it, but it fell through the cracks ^_^; Then, when Ames told me she was reading it, I was so glad, cos not only I was going to review it, but it would be for Breezing Through! I think And One Last Thing... is one of those book that is hard to review, but great to discuss :) Anyway, click here to find out what we thought of it! By the way, you know how I keep telling everyone to read the Jane Jameson series lately? Well if you're a fan of contemporary romance or a fan of Kristan Higgins, And One Last Thing... is a must. Just saying :)


And One Last Thing... by Molly Harper

published by Simon & Schuster in July 2010

"If Singletree’s only florist didn’t deliver her posies half-drunk, I might still be married to that floor-licking, scum-sucking, receptionist-nailing hack-accountant, Mike Terwilliger."

Lacey Terwilliger’s shock and humiliation over her husband’s philandering prompt her to add some bonus material to Mike’s company newsletter: stunning Technicolor descriptions of the special brand of "administrative support" his receptionist gives him. The detailed mass e-mail to Mike’s family, friends, and clients blows up in her face, and before one can say "instant urban legend," Lacey has become the pariah of her small Kentucky town, a media punch line, and the defendant in Mike’s defamation lawsuit.

Her seemingly perfect life up in flames, Lacey retreats to her family’s lakeside cabin, only to encounter an aggravating neighbor named Monroe. A hunky crime novelist with a low tolerance for drama, Monroe is not thrilled about a newly divorced woman moving in next door. But with time, beer, and a screen door to the nose, a cautious friendship develops into something infinitely more satisfying.

Lacey has to make a decision about her long-term living arrangements, though. Should she take a job writing caustic divorce newsletters for paying clients, or move on with her own life, pursuing more literary aspirations? Can she find happiness with a man who tells her what he thinks and not what she wants to hear? And will she ever be able to resist saying one... last... thing?

Review: How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper

How is everyone doing? I hope well :) I'm feeling much better, finally! The vertigo is not completely gone, but at least is not constant. However, what makes me feel so happy is that my parents are home!! They've been gone for 2.5 months, on a trip to Vietnam :) Seems like they had lot of fun and I think it did them a world of good :) It's really nice to have them back and a full house now :P

Today, I've decided to review How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf... Thought it'd be nice, since I've been waiting for the sequel :) Enjoy the review!


How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper

published by Simon & Schuster in February 2011

Northern Exposure

Even in Grundy, Alaska, it's unusual to find a naked guy with a bear trap clamped to his ankle on your porch. But when said guy turns into a wolf, recent southern transplant Mo Wenstein has no difficulty identifying the problem. Her surly neighbor Cooper Graham-who has been openly critical of Mo's ability to adapt to life in Alaska-has trouble of his own. Werewolf trouble.

For Cooper, an Alpha in self-imposed exile from his dysfunctional pack, it's love at first sniff when it comes to Mo. But Cooper has an even more pressing concern on his mind. Several people around Grundy have been the victims of wolf attacks, and since Cooper has no memory of what he gets up to while in werewolf form, he's worried that he might be the violent canine in question.

If a wolf cries wolf, it makes sense to listen, yet Mo is convinced that Cooper is not the culprit. Except if he's not responsible, then who is? And when a werewolf falls head over haunches in love with you, what are you supposed to do anyway? The rules of dating just got a whole lot more complicated...

Genre: Paranormal romance
Series: Naked Werewolf, Book #1

The Story: After the end of her engagement with a man who was exactly the opposite of what her parents want, Mo figures it's time that she puts some distance between her and her hippy parents... and thus, move as far as possible while staying in the US: Grundy, Alaska.

Getting accustomed to Alaska's weather and being one of the only eligible woman in town takes time... but it's nothing compared to discovering that werewolves do exist for real and that your neighbor is one... and that you're kind of falling for him. However, being with Cooper Graham is complicated. First, there have been sighting of wolves and a few attacks... and Cooper can't rule out it was him. Then, there's his estranged relationship with his family that has been a weight on his shoulder and is not getting any lighter with the attacks. Can this work out?

My Opinion: So I picked How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf because I read Ms Harper's Jane Jameson vampire series last year (already?!?) and really enjoyed it. Ms Harper has a breezy writing style and a wicked sense of humor and I was hoping to enjoy them in her new series :) It's just unfortunate for me that I ran into some little issues as well ^_^;

What I liked about the book was the heroine, Mo :) I liked that Mo was finally taking charge of her life. Mo and her parents - mother in particular - have a difficult relationship. Her parents could be considered as extremist hippies - against meat, against capitalism, against processed sugar, etc. and have never really forgotten Mo for breaking from the mold. That means her mother regularly breaks into her place to throw out all the unhealthy junk she eats and Mo often does things just to be contrary. However, when Mo realizes she was going to marry a guy - not out of love, but because his type was all what her parents despise, it's like a reality check of Mo. Time to live her life for herself and thus the move. I thought it showed Mo's strength, but also her courage. Also, I really like her personality and manner, she was fun and reminded me a lot of Jane, but a bit more level-headed. I guess discovering that the paranormal is real is easier to deal with than turning into a vampire :P

I thought Ms Harper handled Mo's move to Grundy, Alaska pretty well. We got some nice introductions to the little town, some of the important players and to the cold LOL. I think whenever there's a book set in Alaska, the cold is always factored in and it makes it more realistic, because it's really an important element. I liked the little town and the sense of community there was - it felt a bit like back in a western, the pioneer feeling. And I think the pacing contributed to the feeling. Ms Harper took her time getting Mo settled and I enjoyed that part of the story :) Sometimes, authors seem to rush things along to get to "the" story, but not Ms Harper and I appreciated that.

So what were the issues? Well, the hero, Cooper Graham. I never really warmed up to him and as a result, I never warmed up to the romance either. I just didn't find him interesting ^_^; And that was quite the surprise, because after all, he's the werewolf and I was looking forward to get to know their world. We've glimpsed a little of werewolves in the Jane Jameson series and I was hoping there'd be a bit more links between the two series... Anyway, Cooper being the werewolf, I thought he'd be more interesting, more appealing... but he wasn't. Part of it was the character/man himself. He's  the quiet, silent type that seems very broody and surly. Also, he had quite a lot of baggage that he didn't seem able to handle. I don't know, but to me, it took a little bit away from his manliness. Women look for safety and security with man, or at least, I do, but I never felt like Cooper could provided it to Mo. It seems when things became overwhelming, he ran :( Another reason I might not have warmed to him is because the narration is from Mo's POV, so it skews things a little. It worked in the Jane Jameson series because Jane was turned in a vampire, but in this case, Mo is still human - so the werewolf aspect is not complete. In any case, I had difficulty understanding why Mo would fall for him, besides the fact that sex was hot ^_^;

Aside from the romance, there was a little intrigue with the wolves attacks that was used to introduced Cooper's past. Overall, it was okay - no real surprise there.

My Grade: C-. It might seem pretty tough as a grade, but I guess it's because I had high expectations ^_^; How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf shares a lot of similarity with the Jane Jameson series - great, quirky heroine with a dysfunctional family who discovers that the paranormal exists... And while the Jane Jameson series didn't have a great hero either, it got away because of Jane's tribulations as a vampire, a solid cast of secondary characters and Jane's overall growth throughout the series. As a result, Ms Harper's writing style which borders chick-lit works well. How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf just doesn't seem to have the same edge to it... and therefore, combined with a not so lovable hero and lukewarm romance, suffers :( Hoping however that The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf will be better... and LOL, I can't help but think that the woman on the cover really fits my image of Maggie ^_^;