Molly Harper - The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires

Iris Scanlon, Half-Moon Hollow’s only daytime vampire concierge, knows more about the undead than she’d like. Running their daylight errands—from letting in the plumber to picking up some chilled Faux Type O—gives her a look at the not-so-glamorous side of vamps. Her rules are strict; relationships are purely business, not friendship—and certainly not anything more. Then she finds her newest client, Cal, poisoned on his kitchen floor, and her quiet life turns upside down.
Cal—who would be devastatingly sexy, if Iris thought vampires were sexy—offers Iris a hefty fee for hiding him at her place. And even though he’s imperious, unfriendly, and doesn’t seem to understand the difference between “employee” and “servant,” she agrees. But as they search for who wants him permanently dead, Iris is breaking more and more of her own rules . . . particularly those about nudity. Could it be that what she really needs is some intrigue and romance—and her very own stray vampire?

Comment: I was looking through my books to decide what to finish the month of April with and this title came to mind. I had completely forgotten I had it to be read but decided why not, so that was my next read. Sadly, I believe I've overstayed my appreciation with this author's style...

In this PNR story, we meet Iris Scanlon, a human who has a business to cater and to help the vampires in her community, since there is a lot they can't do because of daylight. Still, there are things that can only be done during that time and Iris is there to do those things for her clients. 

The problem begins when she discovers Clay, a new wounded client ,in his kitchen floor and she tries her best to help him. This starts a chain reaction of a race against time to discover who is behind the poisoning her client suffered and how that can be bad for Iris' business.

Therefore, she joins forces with Clay and while they piece the clues together to find out who is behind the problems, they also learn quite a lot about one another...

Years ago, I bet this would have felt like catnip for me. A romance and vampires and a small mystery... perfect. However, nowadays I'm more into complex plots, well developed characters, a great sense of communities and I prefer stories focused on the development of the characters rather than the fight against evil.

This is why this story felt very weak to me.

Again, the style of this story is supposed to be heavily set on humor. Obviously, this is relative and everyone would appreciate humor differently and I must say that, for me, it was another weak attempt at it. I can understand how the situations themselves would appear to be funny to an outsider but.. I just can't see it in my head like that. The humor aspect seems to be forced, it has to be this way even if the path to that scene hadn't been that amusing. 

It would be better, I'd think, to write this as a serious story and implement funny scenes or funny dialogue here and there but not make the whole story a study in being funny! It just seems so unlikely people would behave like that, even in a weird situation with vampires.

I didn't have much fun reading this story. Iris is a cute character but at times she feels overwhelmed by her life, her involvement with the vampire community... I just didn't find anything special about her nor as why she would be considered such a professional by others.

The secondary characters are very cliché, the romance was not romantic to my point of view, simply because there was no attention to how their feelings were developing. The HEA felt laughable yes, but not in a positive way.

In the end, I don't think this was a captivating book, it ended up being a little boring for me.

I actually have fond memories of this author's stories, namely her werewolf trilogy, which I loved. The problem is that when I think about her vampire stories, somehow they just don't work out so well for me, and I'd say her contemporaries are a hot or miss.

In fact, now that I have sampled pretty much all her genres, I'd say I'm not as amazed by her writing as I was and I fear the idea of re-reading the werewolf trilogy, in case I'd see it with more negative eyes.

This means that, for me, this was goodbye with this author...

Grade: 4/10

Molly Harper - And One Last Thing...

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?
 
Comment: Since I first got interested in Molly Harper's books, I got my eye on this title because it seemed it would be something I'd enjoy spending tie with and I'm very glad to say I was right on this one, I really had a great time reading it.

In this book we have Lacey's story, a woman who discovers her husband has an affair. That Lacey would feel betrayed and angry is not something one would doubt but that she would get her revenge so widely and in such a public manner was definitely a surprise.

Lacey is advised by her lawyer that she should stay low for a while, at least until the public opinion doesn't feel like attacking her instead. But Lacey certainly wasn't counting on having a neighbor so close by on her chosen secret hideout so when things between them go from polite distance to close friendship and attraction, Lacey wonders if she's not letting her feelings get the better out of her...

This was a funny book to read. I've tried different books by the author and while some were quite fun and adorable, others felt constricted and "staged" and that got all the fun out of them, so I was apprehensive about this one. Thankfully, I was positively surprised because this story has its funny scenes and situations but never lost an obvious depth that, in my opinion, makes this a worthy story and something very fluid and credible.

This book revolves a lot about how betrayal feels like but while this isn't a dramatic approach, it still provides some interesting glimpses of it can mean.One could say that Lacey's reaction to finding her husband's betrayal was a little too harsh but sincerely I can see how people would feel the need to act in such a way. Anger and sadness and betrayal can make usually sane people behave in a way that others wouldn't expect...it's certainly complicated to deal congenially with things that affect their way of thinking and their feelings. Yes, it was a bit too much but at the same time it's like the embodiment of all the wishes of betrayed, angry people seeking justice, even if only for a while.

While Lacey is trying to think and have time for herself so she can process what happened, she meets a man that at first infuriates her but slowly starts getting under her skin. Of course we realize he is the love interest and his presence means Lacey can have an means to compare and they end up being perfect for each other, not without some conflict for sure, but this validates that what happened to her marriage wasn't her fault as a woman or as a person. Yes, there are lots of readings we can get out of this all, some more serious than others, but overall it was a nice, simple story with some high scenes to make it look more flavored. I liked it, as I've said.

There are some details throughout the story I didn't enjoy as much nor did I think the author was perfect in all her plot choices but in general this almost self discovery story felt rich and sweet enough to also make it easy to read.

I know some readers found it too silly and I do seem to think the same about so many books that are great for others so...opinions differ and that's it. This one worked out well for me because in the end it's enjoyable and easy to read and the entertainment factor is great. If one can see between the lines and get deeper meanings or signs...then, long live individual impressions. I do recommend it!

Grade: 8/10

Molly Harper - Snow Falling on Bluegrass

Kentucky Tourism Commission employee and executive assistant extraordinaire Kelsey is known around the office for having everything under control. So it’s not surprising that she and her boss, Sadie, have everything planned to the second for the office winter retreat. But there are things even Kelsey can’t micromanage.
An unprecedented snowstorm smothers half of Kentucky and knocks out the power, closes the roads, and generally shuts down the state. Luckily, the lodge has working fireplaces and enough food to keep the staff from turning on each other like something out of The Shining. Kelsey wouldn’t mind being stuck inside if it wasn’t for the tension with her not-so-secret crush, Charlie, the office’s statistician. But handsome Ranger Luke, the lodge’s only employee on hand, is there to take Kelsey’s mind off her discomfort.
Even though this weekend is supposed to be a planning session for KTC, Kelsey can’t help her mind from wandering and finds herself conflicted over Luke and Charlie. Someone’s love will keep her warm, but whose will it be? 

Comment: This is the third installment in the Bluegrass series by author Molly Harper, featuring a team of employers from the Kentucky Tourism Commission. I wasn't totally excited about this because the previous book kind of let me down but I had hopes for this one. Again, the characterization is perfect but the romance not much.

This is Kelsey's story. Everyone has wanted her to leave Darrell, the boyfriend who spend her money and didn't work, always complaining about this or that. When this book begins, the employers are leaving for a team retreat and Kelsey has recently broken things up with Darrell. Maybe this will be the time to see if her long lasted attraction and love for co worker Charlie might have some chance.

However, the team is caught on a snowstorm at the hotel and there's only one employee to help them, ranger Luke. He seems interested but can Kelsey just put aside that Charlie is right there?

The best thing about these little stories is the humor and the details about each character, and every single thought behind anything they do. The author took time to create them and to give them all specific quirks that make look funny and cute but also a little bit cartoonish at times. But there's a good balance in what they think and what they stand for so it's more a feeling of getting to know someone different but likable.

Another great aspect is the details about the character' work. I mean, we do learn a lot about how certain things work or can be dealt with if all these informations are correct. At least they do look well researched and presented. I liked the thought I was seeing how real people deal with situations, even obviously knowing the characters are fiction. But the possibility work related to Tourism Commissions can have some sort of truth in all the elements given is interesting.

What wasn't as amazing was how the technical side of every little thing the characters did seemed to be given more focus than the character's interactions or the relationships between them. When we do had this, something would happen and the emotional development I was hoping for wouldn't be addressed as seriously as I would have liked. I understand this is supposed to be funny and that's great but in some details, less could be better.

The romance too, wasn't as explored as it deserved. After getting a hint here and there in the previous books about Kelsey's crush on Charlie and the possibility he might like her as well, I wanted a more intense romance, or more "romantic". The conversations they had weren't as deep as I think they should have been and when they do talk and agree to try, something happens and there's some angst before the final HEA. The book is already short and with so many pages dedicated to other stuff, I really think the romance was barely dealt with, even if we acknowledge they were already in love.

The whole snowed in aspect was interesting and allowed for some funny scenes and developments but... I don't know, I expected something along these lines, this is not my first book by the author but I think there is some balance missing from this book and the previous, at least when comparing to the first one and some other titles by the author.

I understand the fun side of things but in some cases, it can be a little too much.

Grade: 6/10

Molly Harper - Rhythm and Bluegrass

Bonnie Turkle, multimedia historian for the Kentucky Commission of Tourism, is dispatched to Mud Creek, a tiny eastern Kentucky town, with few prospects but many oddballs, to rescue important artifacts from McBride’s Music Hall. Now fallen beyond disrepair, McBride’s was once a jewel of the early American music scene, an intersection of the country-western and rhythm and blues circuits. The former owner’s grandson, Will McBride, who also happens to be Mud Creek’s esteemed mayor, would like nothing more than to see the place bull-dozed in favor of a factory that will provide much-needed jobs to his citizens. But Bonnie finds evidence of a legendary musical event at the music hall and her plans to turn it into a museum put Mud Creek’s economic future at risk – not to mention the growing flirtation between the two of them. If Will and Bonnie can’t find common ground, the town’s past and future will be lost. 

Comment: This is the second book in the Bluegrass trilogy by author Molly Harper. I've read some book by this author and I've enjoyed almost all of them but I suppose she can be hit or miss for me. I really loved one of her series, then didn't like much the beginning of another and this trilogy, the first book was good enough but this one was one step below...

In this story we follow the work of Bonnie Turkle, the researcher we've heard about in the previous book. Bonnie has the job to travel all around the state looking for interesting and special things to present to the public, things to save and to update and she has known amazing things and people. Now she's going to Mud Creek, an almost abandoned small town that used to rely a lot on factories but the companies have left and the population is depressed and in need of hope and jobs.

Bonnie meets Will, the town's new  young mayor so he can help her with an old place that used to have live music and Bonnie hopes to find hidden gems that were left out when the placed closed down years ago. 

But the mayor has plans to that old site so when Bonnie sees she can use everything and make Mud Creek a point in the touristic Kentucky map, they clash and things don't go so well. Can Bonnie find a way to compromise?

This was a fun story but I have to say it wasn't as impressive to me as the previous one nor was it as amazing as other books by the author.

This story depends a lot on very specific Kentucky references and I confess I miss some of the fun because I can't follow certain things as easily. I also think the biggest problem here is the exaggeration of quirky situations and facts in detriment of a fictional romance. I felt I was swallowed with so many little details about Kentucky's people and about the small elements the author has thought about to make the characters and the setting so specific and apparently cute/fun, that I feel the focus wasn't where it should.

The main character, Bonnie, is resourceful and dedicated and I liked knowing some things about her personality and wishes. But neither her nor Will were as developed as I hoped and I certainly don't think they had the most interesting relationship possible. In fact, I can't understand why they would work out, they are too different and the way things end, although I can feel glad about the outcome I don't think it was stressed out as well as it could if they indeed have a future. Maybe the next book can show them happy or something but in long term it's difficult for me to imagine.

Will, I had  more trouble in empathizing with, just because his actions and how he was developed didn't seem to be as deeply explained as I would have wished.

The focus in the romance wasn't what I imagined but the plot wasn't as strong either. I did enjoy some situations and all the effort Bonnie went through to prove she was a professional and a good person but there is some sense of despair and difficulties when it came to the town itself that, despite interesting, wasn't used in the best way to ensure the  end had more meaning.

The HEA didn't convince me because it felt like Will and Bonnie didn't have much in common anyway. All these elements make this story feel a bit weak to me.

All things considered, this was a cute story but there was just too much information on things that, despite interesting, weren't that vital to the plot and some characterization was over the top. To compensate, the romance was weak and the main couple doesn't seem to fully match. I still had a good time reading but this wasn't as amazing as I hoped for.

Grade: 6/10

Molly Harper - My Bluegrass Baby

Sadie Hutchins loves her job at the Kentucky Tourism Commission. Not only could her co-workers double as the cast of Parks & Recreation, but she loves finding the unusual sites, hidden gems, and just-plain-odd tourist attractions of her home state. She’s a shoo-in for the director’s job when her boss retires at the end of the year…until hotshot Josh Vaughn shows up to challenge her for the position.
Josh is all sophisticated polish while Sadie’s country comfort, and the two have very different ideas of what makes a good campaign. So when their boss pits them against each other in a winner-takes-all contest, they’re both willing to fight dirty if it means getting what they want. But it turns out, what Josh and Sadie want could be each other—and Josh’s kisses are the best Kentucky attraction Sadie’s found yet!

Comment: Since I've found this author I've been curious about her writing and one of her series was quite good and I enjoyed that trilogy a lot, while another book wasn't as interesting to me. I had hopes about her contemporary romances and I've decided to add those to my list. This month, I finally got to the first one.

It was also handy this was a buddy read...sadly my buddy read friend hasn't got the time to read lately so I read this alone. But well, I would anyway!

In this story we meet some of the workers of the Kentucky Tourism Comission and the trilogy revolves around them. In this first story we focus on Sadie Hutchins, the director's assistant who, when the book begins, is certain - and her boss told her so - she will get a promotion. But, in a surprising twist, the boss of them all has another name lined up, Josh Vaughn, some guy she never met and who she thinks won't get the identity of Kentucky people and their quirky habits.

The battle begins and after many childish warfare tactics, Josh and Sadie agree on a compromise to see who will be the best person for the job. But can they work together after all?

I liked this book, I think it was entertaining, fluid, easy, had many interesting facts and notions, especially about Kentucky, the characters were as amusing as most of the authors' characters are. I just think the main characters didn't seem to have as much chemistry as one would expect.

The plot is quite funny, the situations while Josh and Sadie fight/battle over who does what or who gains the office warfare are cute, as are several situations where they get involved but in terms of actual plot development not much happens. The idea one of them will get the director's job is a good base to all this but the development doesn't always match up. Still, getting to learn many interesting factoids about Kentucky and how costumes vs tourist's expectations is a real issue was great. I work in tourism so that side of the plot was one of the things I liked the best.

The personal relationship between Josh and Sadie was sadly weak, in my opinion. The story is told from Sadie's POV and this is an author's trademark after all, but again, I feel it was such a pit because so many things would have been better presented with a 3rd person narrator. We lose so many things not having Josh's POV and I think that Sadie isn't always a character I want to be close to. Not that she is a bad person, in fact she quite realistic, but I think we don't know her that well and that's bad because, by consequence, we don't know Josh either. I can't tell if it's the author herself choosing this or if Sadie as a character simply isn't that interesting....

The romance is cute, there are some sweet scenes, especially when they bond and later on when they become friends, but in terms of passion and chemistry I feel something is lacking. I'm glad for them but their personalities never made me cheer them endlessly. 

The secondary characters were all very interesting, all of them as quirky as Kentucky itself and I felt very curious about them all and will look forward to see them in the next books as well. Because we get only Sadie's POV, I'm particularly interested in the characters she interacted the most with. I think that Sadie's relationship with her friends was stronger than with Josh, which tells me a lot about where the focus was or how lacking the romance ended up being for me.

All things considered, it's always obvious this is a book by Molly Harper, there's fun and fluidity in her writing but in this case I think the romance just wasn't as well used as she could. Maybe the page length had something to do with it, but it was too straight in the rules, they were enemies, then they weren't...I just never felt they had to be together in the end...

Still, a good effort.

Grade: 7/10

Alphabet Soup Challenge: Molly Harper - Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs

Maybe it was the Shenanigans gift certificate that put her over the edge. When children's librarian and self-professed nice girl Jane Jameson is fired by her beastly boss and handed twenty-five dollars in potato skins instead of a severance check, she goes on a bender that's sure to become Half Moon Hollow legend. On her way home, she's mistaken for a deer, shot, and left for dead. And thanks to the mysterious stranger she met while chugging neon-colored cocktails, she wakes up with a decidedly unladylike thirst for blood.

Jane is now the latest recipient of a gift basket from the Newly Undead Welcoming Committee, and her life-after-lifestyle is taking some getting used to. Her recently deceased favorite aunt is now her ghostly roommate. She has to fake breathing and endure daytime hours to avoid coming out of the coffin to her family. She's forced to forgo her favorite down-home Southern cooking for bags of O negative. Her relationship with her sexy, mercurial vampire sire keeps running hot and cold. And if all that wasn't enough, it looks like someone in Half Moon Hollow is trying to frame her for a series of vampire murders. What's a nice undead girl to do?

Comment: Having loved the previous books by this author I already read, I was very hopeful about this one as well. I hoped the "feel" of this story would be along the lines of the others I've read and that I'd love it. 

This is the first installment in a vampire series featuring Jane Jameson, new turned. After this series there's a spin off, called Half Moon Hollow, which is where the action takes place both in that spin off and in this series.

I was really curious and prepared myself to be amazed.

This is the story of Jane Jameson, a librarian who loses her job as soon as the book starts and to top it off, ends up being shot to death in the same day. She is rescued by Gabriel and he turns her to save her life. sort of. 

The book is mostly about Jane dealing with her new condition, looking for a new job, dodging her mother and solving the mysterious problems that seem to follow her anywhere.

Can Jane deal with her new condition while still being who she always was and keeping the affection from her family?

Nope, I did not get to be amazed by this one after all.

I had really high expectations but I think I had a good excuse. The werewolf trilogy was really good and despite the fun vibe it had, I read it with a sense of balance, meaning the fun was good but the serious parts were well inserted too. There was balance between the two things or, maybe, I just managed to read it that way.

In this book's case I didn't feel that. Jane sees herself in funny situations, obviously the author planned on writing this with a funny/light goal in mind but for me, this seemed over the top and the fun parts seemed pushed and didn't mesh with the elements I liked most in the story.

At this point I start to think there's something wrong with me. This is another of a somewhat good number of books that are written to be funny, re meant to be funny but that I can't seem to enjoy that way. I like fun books but I need balance, I need serious stuff too. My life isn't a line of laughs, I don't think anyone, no matter what, can be in high spirits all the time. The way I see it, the fun moments/parts/things are so because we can compare them to more serious things, thus enjoy them more too. Again, balance.

I don't know if I'm being too picky with this but here it is. I enjoy the fun stuff more if I know there's something to compare it with. I don't know, I'm making a huge issue out of nothing perhaps, but it's the way I see things and that affects how I "judge" my books.

All this considered, I ended up feeling a bit annoyed. I mean, the other books by the author felt good, I found them funny too but better. Is the problem only mine?

Anyway, this story has interesting elements, the idea that new vampires have a sort of guidance in their sires and in the community that welcomes them is refreshing. I also liked that Jane keeps her personality, that she has friends and goals. I think I'd have liked to see more about the vampires as a society instead of colored scenes here and there that only existed for plot purposes. Again, another of my needs, I want a structured world to understand. I think this felt flat because of the silly parts.

I think the most serious things like Jane's thoughts about her new condition, about what it means to be a vampire, to have to look at things differently and the relationship to those she's close to, how it was affected, these serious things didn't get enough air time in my opinion. The way things are done is an obvious delay tactic - to be further developed in the next 3 books in the series certainly - and seemed there just to give the idea a thought. Not enough for me, and not well done.

There's the romance. I liked the idea of a sire looking for and trying to protect a new vampire. I liked the attraction between them. I think this is an interesting type of relationship to develop but they didn't seem to deal with it that well. Again, all the suggested funny things and the overall feel of the story kind of put this aside and I didn't really appreciate how things were done, nor did I believe much in their feelings, not the way it was shown to me at least.

All in all, not the best of reads, despite the good parts - which exist I'll confess.

This made me decide to skip the rest of the series, I'm just not fully invested in Jane and her adventures, although I'm sad because she's a librarian an I like books about/with librarians.

I'll jump to the spin off instead. I hope that, with different couples as protagonists, the focus is more intense on them and their lives because it needs a finished book to achieve a HEA more convincingly (I hope!).

As for this one, too bad. I won't give on the author no, but I'm sad about this one.

Grade: 5/10

Molly Harper - How to Run With a Naked Werewolf

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 notquite-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.

Comment: After having read and enjoyed the previous two stories in this trilogy, of course I had to read this one as well, even though the second book wasn't as great as the first one. Now that I have read the three books, I consider the trilogy successful and with more than enough elements to suit my taste.

This is Anna Moder's story. We've know her as the pack's doctor and now it's her turn to tell her story. Anna is on the run because someone is after her and she wants to get away as fast as she can and start new someplace else. But she helps a stranger after he's attacked and finding out he's part of the pack she just left and even more, he's a werewolf too, is too much for Anna an she ends up traveling with him to reach Anchorage and leave for good. But neither she nor Caleb the werewolf were expecting the trip to be as enlightening about their fates or as vital for the two of them because their bond could be stronger the more time they spend together...

I liked the story. I liked that it followed the same patterns we saw in previous books and even more important, that it maintained the same feel as the other novels had. I have to say this book looked to be at the same level as the previous one, Maggie's story. It was cute and full of amazing scenes and a good structure but it didn't have the punch of perfection the first book had, at least not for the way I saw this. Still, this book was more than satisfying in terms of plot and HEA.

I liked Anna and her way of thinking, her so called "voice". She is a woman unafraid of the unexpected, thus proved by her work with the pack, and her efforts to help strangers, even though she had all the reasons to avoid others. But through her trials she kept her helpful manner and her courage and she only run away because she felt it was her duty to keep the troubles away from those she came to care about. She is the kind of heroine I like, with many strong and valid points of interest about her personality but with a sense of vulnerability too  that makes her more humane. I think the author showed this quite well.

Caleb also explained his reasons to be away for so long and in a way, his reasoning is understandable. But I also think it was the suitable explanation for the plot needed for this story to develop and somehow it felt set up, which ruined the mood a bit. Still, I can't say it was such a bad thing because overall I enjoyed reading the story and following the adventures Caleb and Anna had.
Caleb seemed too distanced emotionally at first but by the end of the story, we see him with family and with people who support him and he changes too, from someone who's been away to someone who always belonged. The change can look a bit too perfect but once again, it felt good enough. 

The romance was interesting, a bit fast but the author managed to give hints about time passing, about important thoughts by the main characters to help them deal with what was happening, which, in turn, allowed for a better time frame to be set and the reader can enjoy the romance developing without the strain of too much too fast which usually might be found in these cases. I can understand why some readers find this book to be weak but for me, most of it worked out well.

In the end, I liked how Anna and Caleb dealt with their pasts and fears and even expectations and found new dreams to help them and to care about. I liked seeing the community welcome them and be, once more, one of the strongest points in the story.
Grade: 8/10

Molly Harper - The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf

Generations of werewolves have been secretly residing in a secluded valley a stone's throw from Grundy, Alaska. So when a snooping Outsider comes to Grundy to investigate rumors of lycanthropic shenanigans in the area, the valley's pack alpha, Maggie Graham, resolves to chase him away, even if doing so takes a quick bite on the butt. What a pity that researcher Nick Thatcher turns out to be so drool-worthy, and that his kisses make Maggie want to sit up and beg. Maggie just can't seem to convince Nick to leave . . . and even worse, she can't convince "herself "to stay away from "him. "Cross-species dating is problem enough for a harried alpha female, but on top of that, a rival group of werewolves is trying to move into the valley. With interpack war threatening, Maggie can't afford to be distracted. Combining romance and a career can be tough for anyone; for a werewolf in love with a human, it may be disastrous. . .

Comment: After five months I could finally return to this world created by ms Harper. I love shape shifter stories and the first one in this werewolf trilogy was brilliant and I didn't have to think hard about reading more.

This is the story of Maggie Graham, Cooper's sister. She feels pretty good now that she is pack alpha and it's even better to have Cooper supporting her and her beloved pack happy enough. So, when a scientist shows up trying to prove werewolves existence, she is eager to send him home but isn't prepared to accept he might be her mate. But he is attractive and does smell good...
Nick is doing his work but after meeting Maggie and the community in Alaska, his feelings develop for Maggie quite fast. Things move in a direction he didn't expect, but he's very accepting and resourceful. Can they be what the other wants?

I think the previous book was better. It had a better balance between the romance and the plot, I think. In this story's case, the romance felt a bit rushed and not as polished as the other one. I think Nick and Maggie had a very fast change of heart for the type of commitment on the line. Maggie is a wonderful heroine and she expressed her feelings on the subject quite well but I had the feeling she went pretty fast from trying to send Nick away to having him near. I know, this is just part of the romance formula, but it would have worked out better if we could see Nick's behavior more. The story is told from Maggie's POV so, of course we can't see everything the other characters are doing or thinking and in this story's case, I think it wasn't done the best way. I mean, it's not that bad, but I sure felt the need to balance Maggie's attitudes and actions with Nick's. Nick certainly feels something and knowing things from his conversations wasn't enough, in my opinion. This is the thing I would change, I wish we could have Nick's POV also.

As for the plot, it also had many romance tricks, like the wrong misunderstandings and the bad guy revealed on the last scene, which seemed just like a way to end things, but overall, it was OK.
Once more, I liked the interactions between Maggie and Nick and with all the secondary characters. It was fun to see things progressed between books and that the author doesn't focus only on the main couple, although they are center of course. 
It was also good to see some interesting subjects, like the disease in old age, the concept of helping others in a close community, the fondness and love within family...it was good and it added strength to the plot and the story.

The best thing to me was Maggie's personality. I really loved her voice and her way of behaving, her irony and sarcasm and also her love for the family and those she felt protective of. Maggie is a good heroine although her hero didn't have the same focus on.

All things considered, this wasn't a bad story, it was actually a good second installment, but I think it could have used more solid points here and there. I'm still eager to read the third, so my enjoyment wasn't lost even with the less than stellar parts.
Grade: 7/10

Molly Harper - How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf

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. . . 

Comment: This was the book chosen for a book club I participate in. I have another book by the author to read but the chosen one was this so I went and got it. I was a bit optimistic because it has a good rating and it has a werewolf that, as surely those who read my comments know, is my favorite paranormal character, even more so than vampires. So, I was really eager to start it.

This is the story of Mo and Cooper. Mo goes to Alaska to be away from her parents because they think differently from her, they are some kind of hippies and she wants independence and to be in a place for herself, without their interference. She is only looking for some solitude and time to charge batteries until she makes a decision to stay or to go after her lease is done.
Cooper is a werewolf away from home after some disputes with his family over the fact he's an alpha who took action over something but didn't like how it went. Now he works as a guide in the wild and after meeting Mo, it seems they feel attracted but he doesn't want to like her, so their interactions are often mutually rude. But will this happen all the time?

I was hoping for a good story, entertaining, vibrant. I also expected humor and probably silly stuff, considering the cover and some things I've read about the story here and there. I was really expecting a silly chic lit story where the main point would be to see how long the main couple would take to have sex. It's really great when we can be surprised positively, because the way I saw this novel, it wasn't as funny or as stupid as I thought! In fact, it wasn't superficial at all.

The story has the funny elements we would expect, like Mo's upbringing, her challenges to start over, her adventures in the Alaska weather, the cliched characters to balance her, and so on. But I guess I had some sort of colored glasses on because apart from the silly scene randomly inserted, I didn't think this was a comedy. This was a lighter paranormal than my usual, but I think it wasn't a silly comedy. The way I saw it, it was about someone with a weird life that just wanted normalcy and she sees herself trying to be as normal as possible in situations that aren't that common, but they can't be said to be an exaggeration. She found friends and a job and a purpose and even love. I consider this book to be a light contemporary, and very good. The paranormal part isn't that exploited besides the basic and I felt the tone used was quite balanced and nothing was made intentionally exaggerated. I loved it! It's hard to find a contemporary that reaches this sort of balance, especially to fit my personal tastes, so...god work, ms Harper!

Mo is an intriguing character. The best thing about her, for me, was how down to earth she was. I now many can say it's because she was raised by hippies and she wanted to be normal, do normal things. Yes, it was this, but also her own personality. She was practical but not too stiff or too lazy. She was quite well characterized and she thought things, she had confidence but this wasn't the aspect of her personality that stand out. She was a responsible person and I liked seeing her dealing with responsibility. I really liked her.
Cooper was an interesting main character. Not stupid or just a stud to help the heroine, he had something about himself and he wasn't the mighty know-it-all hero that usually alphas in paranormal can be. He had his weaknesses and doubts and it was good to see him needing Mo for her support and not only sex. I was quite impressed with their relationship. it was a great romance.

Overall, I liked everything about this book, although by the end things happened a bit rushed somehow...I just felt it could have been a bit slower, that's all. But no complaints, for me this story worked wonderfully!
I'm now eager to read more and will buy the rest of the trilogy as soon as I can. I thin this was one of the best romances I've read, no doubts. I hope all the author's work is as engrossing and addictive.
Grade: 9/10