ARC Review: The Wolf Next Door

The Wolf Next Door
Lydia Dare
Historical Paranormal Romance/1816
Werewolf series/Book 3
Sourcebooks/June 2010
ARC from publisher

From the author's website ~

They can't even be in the same room together...

Ever since a disastrous encounter on a full moon years ago, Prisca Hawthorne has taunted, insulted, and in every way tried to push him away. If only her heart didn't break every time Lord William Westfield left her...

But staying apart is even worse...

Lord William throws himself into drinking, gambling, and debauchery and pretends not to care about Prisca at all. But when he returns to find a rival werewolf threatening her, he just about goes berserk...

Can Prisca forgive the unforgivable, or are the mooncrossed lovers going to be forced into a battle of wills that could be fatal...?

Ah, William's book. I've been interested in William since he first showed up in A Certain Wolfish Charm (book 1). He's the rake of the family with a wicked, humorous side that I found so very appealing. He's also crazy in love with his next door neighbor. They have a rocky history full of immaturity and misunderstandings that has played a role in keeping them apart. With William trying to keep his distance and Prisca baiting him at every turn, you wouldn't think they would get a second chance at love.

But there's nothing like a rival to make a man sit up and take notice. That's what happens to Will when he finds another man sniffing around Prisca. He gets all alpha over the new guy on the block and lets it be known that if anyone is going to marry Prisca, it will be him. Unfortunately for William, the new guy doesn't back down which makes for lots of tension. Prisca's brothers also get involved since they have decided she needs to marry. They start scheming towards that end. Prisca decides to use all of this new attention to her advantage by, yep, making Will jealous.

Prisca might be considered spoiled by some readers and I can understand that perception. She's the youngest and only female in a family of men who are not always sure how to deal with Prisca and her antics. But they love her dearly and try to make her happy. She's not at all quiet or demure, but rather outspoken for a woman of her time. Her brothers are such a diverse group of men that I can certainly see some spin-off books down the road. I liked how they had similar viewpoints of their sister but different ideas of how to get Prisca to the alter.

There is also Will's family and they have their own ideas about Will and Prisca. Will's mother, who is ill, adores Prisca and treats her as the daughter she never had. Prisca gets along well with Ben, Will's youngest brother, but the duke is another story. Prisca enjoys irritating Simon, Will's eldest brother and Duke of Blackmoor, who is the pack alpha. We get to see Simon and Lily and Ben and Elspeth, the heroes and heroines from the first two books. I liked catching up with them and seeing how their relationships are progressing. They are skeptical when it come to Prisca but keep an open mind about her and Will, except for Simon. He doesn't like her.

The banter between Will and Prisca was wonderful. You could tell it had become a time honored tradition for them to dispense with politeness and get down to teasing and sometimes sharp remarks. Sometimes they said things that were hurtful towards the other which only showed the pain each of them felt because of their past history. I liked the way they had to work towards looking beyond their past and start to trust the each other with their secret desires and needs.

Once again, the writing team of Lydia Dare (Tammy Falkner and Jodie Pearson) have written a unique paranormal historical romance that left me wanting more. Luckily, they have another book coming out this fall. The Taming of the Wolf is the four book in the series and scheduled for release this November.

Rating: B+

Reviews for first two books ~

A Certain Wolfish Charm
Tall, Dark and Wolfish

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