ARC Review: Tall, Dark, and Wolfish

Tall, Dark, and Wolfish
Lydia Dare
Historical Paranormal Romance/1816
Werewolf series/Book 2
Sourcebooks/May 2010
ARC from publisher

From the author's website ~

He's lost the most important part of himself...

Lord Benjamin Westfield is a powerful werewolf - until one full moon he doesn't change and his life is shattered. He rushes off to Scotland in search of the healer who can restore his inner beast, only to find she's not at all what he expected...

She would make him whole, if she could...

Young, beautiful witch Elspeth Campbell will give her all to help anyone who calls upon her healing arts. Until Lord Benjamin shows up, and she suddenly discovers she may need him even more than he needs her...

A werewolf in Scotland! After reading the first book, A Certain Wolfish Charm, I still knew very little about the youngest Westfield brother, Lord Benjamin, and I was curious. All I knew is that he was in Scotland and hadn't been in touch with his family for some time. It turns out Ben is in serious trouble and needs help from one very special healer. When he sets off on his journey he doesn't know how special she really is.

Lord Benjamin Westfield is a werewolf who has lost his ability to change. This is a critical part of who he is. In his search for help he is sent to a healer. She is supposed to be in Edinburgh and that's also where Ben's friend, Alec MacQuarrie lives. So Ben drops in on his friend and begins to socialize with some of the locals. That's when he meets Elspeth Campbell. He's immediately drawn to her and can't resist an opportunity to spend time with her.

Elspeth is a sweet, kind and gentle woman who is also a witch. She is an orphan who didn't have an easy childhood. She now lives and takes care of her ailing grandfather. I liked her immediately for her honesty and integrity. Her loyalty to her friends and fellow witches makes this more than just a romance. The five young women of the Còig have a variety of cool powers. I really thought the women added another facet to Elspeth and I loved their bonds of friendship that made them more like sisters. I also completely enjoyed their interaction with Ben. They are suspicious of Ben and his growing relationship with El and they use their magic in very creative ways when they think he is getting too close to their beloved El.

As Ben and Elspeth grow closer Ben's problem becomes a focal point of their relationship. Elspeth is certain she can heal him, Ben is afraid he will hurt her if she does. I liked that Ben being a werewolf was a large part of the story. El, being a witch, didn't run screaming from him, she's too practical for that. (I liked that about her too!) What she does is research his problem as she gets to know him and yes, fall in love with him. The way their love story is written, you can see how they both have reasons for not wanting to fall in love. Ben is a Lord from a powerful family. He lives in a grand house in London while El lives in a small cottage and calls Edinburgh home. She is also burdened with being born out of wedlock. She never knew her father and wishes to find him if only to know why he got her mother pregnant and then left her. The identity of El's father is a secondary story line that adds some mystery.

I'm not a big fan of witches. Witches alone will not grab my interest in a book. This time though, I thoroughly adored the witches of Edinburgh. They are smart, funny and devoted to their sister witches. I delighted in their antics when trying to discourage Ben's attention to El. I do hope we see more of them in future books.

Another thing I liked about Tall, Dark and Wolfish was Will. He captured my attention in book one, A Certain Wolfish Charm and he was back at it, "helping" Ben while stirring up a little trouble in Edinburgh. Will is the middle brother of the Westfield trio and his book, The Wolf Next Door, is out next month! I can't wait to read his book.

As a couple, Ben and El had much to overcome. They went through a lot of difficulties and had to work for their Happily Ever After. There were times when my heart broke for El and Ben. They had to go through so much and were two genuinely deserving people. I so wanted them to get to that HEA. I think having them really work out their problems helped make the ending that much sweeter. Overall, the writing duo that is Lydia Dare has added a well written werewolf historical romance to the mix.

Rating: A-

My review of book one, A Certain Wolfish Charm