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

April Reads...

*Pics like this make me wish I wasn't allergic to cats. I just want to cuddle him and let him sleep on my lap. So cute!*


Silver Borne ~ Patricia Briggs ~ Urban Fantasy ~ A-
A Certain Wolfish Charm ~ Lydia Dare ~ Historical PNR ~ B
Something About You ~ Julie James ~ Contemporary Romance ~ B
A Delicious Taboo ~ Jennifer Cole ~ Erotica ~ C+ ~ Review to follow
Her Best Friend ~ Sarah Mayberry ~ Contemporary Romance ~ B+
One for the Team ~ Jet Mykles ~ Erotic Romance ~ Review to follow
A Delicious Taboo Plus Two ~ Jennifer Cole ~ Erotica ~ C ~ Review to follow
Stolen Heat ~ Elisabeth Naughton ~ Romantic Suspense ~ B
Long Hard Ride ~ Lorelei James ~ Erotic Romance ~ B+
Blue-Eyed Devil ~ Lisa Kleypas ~ Contemporary Romance ~ B+
Rode Hard, Put Up Wet ~ Lorelei James ~ Erotic Romance ~ Review to follow
Stolen Seduction ~ Elisabeth Naughton ~ Romantic Suspense ~ Review to follow
Hope's Folly ~ Linnea Sinclair ~ Science Fiction Romance ~ A
Anything for You ~ Sarah Mayberry ~ Contemporary Romance ~ B+
Her Vampire Husband ~ Michele Hauf ~ Paranormal Romance ~ B
Lisa's Gift ~ Mackenzie McKade ~ Erotica ~ Review to follow
The Man Must Marry ~ Janet Chapman ~ Contemporary Romance ~ B
Glory in Death ~ J. D. Robb ~ Futuristic Suspense ~ B+
Mind Games ~ Carolyn Crane ~ Urban Fantasy ~ Review to follow
Uncertain Magic ~ Laura Kinsale ~ Historical Romance ~ Review to follow

April was a really good month for reading. Most of that is due to the nook™ that I was lucky enough to win from The Book Binge. I went a little crazy on the erotica, didn't even list a few shorter e-books I read. I hope to have a post/review of the nook™ up soon. There's a lot I want to say about it and I need to get my thoughts together on it. I also need to catch up on my reviews. :)

The breakdown by genre ~

Erotica ~ 6
Contemporary ~ 5
Romantic Suspense ~ 3 (includes Robb)
Historical ~ 2 (includes Paranormal Historical)
Urban Fantasy ~ 2
Paranormal Romance ~ 1
Science Fiction Romance ~ 1

Total read ~ 20

So the majority were Contemporaries and Erotics and the Erotics were Contemporaries. I see a trend here. :) There were a few that, while not DNF yet, just didn't grab me so got set aside for now. I think this month I'll try for more variety. I've got some Urban Fantasies and some PNR I've been wanting to read so I hope to get to those this month. Overall, some very good reads and a few okay ones but no real duds. No surprise that Silver Borne and Hope's Folly were my favorites. And I've got a new series to follow in Lorelei James' Rough Riders. If you haven't started those series you really should give them a try.

ARC Review: A Certain Wolfish Charm

A Certain Wolfish Charm
Lydia Dare
Historical Paranormal Romance
Werewolf series/Book 1
Sourcebooks/April 2010
ARC from publisher

From the publisher's website ~

In Lydia dare’s debut trilogy, Regency England has gone to the wolves!

He gets crankier and crankier as the moon gets full…

The rules of Society can be beastly—especially when you’re a werewolf and it’s that irritating time of the month. Simon Westfield, the Duke of Blackmoor, is rich, powerful, and sinfully handsome, and has spent his entire life creating scandal and mayhem. It doesn’t help his wolfish temper at all that Miss Lily Rutledge seems not the least bit afraid of him, and in fact, may be as untamable as he is…

A woman whose charm is stronger than the moon…

When Lily’s beloved nephew’s behavior becomes inexplicably wild, she turns to Simon, the boy’s cousin and guardian, for help. But Simon’s idea of assistance is far different than hers, and Lily finds herself ensconced in his house and engaged to the rogue.

They both may have bitten off more than they can chew when each begins to discover the other’s darkest secrets…

A werewolf in London, Regency London that is. It may sound like a different scenario but it's very similar in ways of a typical historical romance. Society still holds an influence over our hero, the werewolf, and the heroine. They are forced to marry because of what society is saying about the heroine's virtue. Then there's the "Big Secret" that the hero is hiding. The heroine knows he's hiding something and she's resolved to find out just what his secret is.

Lily is a sheltered 23 year old spinster (her word) who is the caregiver for her 12 year old nephew, Oliver. Oliver is the son of Lily's deceased sister Emma and Emma's husband Daniel, cousin to the Duke of Blackmoor. Recently Oliver has been going through some changes that Lily attributes to him getting older and becoming a young man. He's gotten difficult for her to deal with so she's tried to contact Oliver's guardian, the Duke of Blackmoor, to ask for help. Blackmoor's idea of help is to send money. Lily decides to pay Blackmoor a visit, right before the full moon. Simon finds himself attracted to Lily but is also desperate to get rid of her before his secret is exposed. The impression Simon gives Lily is one of an overbearing, arrogant man who cares very little about his deceased best friend's son. Despite all of Simon's attempts, Lily ends up staying and Simon eventually gives into his attraction to her.

The way Lily's background is portrayed, she has had very little experience in the world outside her home in Essex. That's why it was hard for me to believe the way she more or less fell into bed with Simon so quickly. It was a "no, I can't" then "yes, I want you" but "no, I must not" then "yes, I need you". Way too much back and forth from Lily. And the next thing you know, they're married. Lily was a contradiction in that she could be mature when dealing with the well being of Oliver. Her immaturity showed when dealing with the very handsome and desirable Blackmoor.

Simon Westfield, the Duke of Blackmoor, is a typical titled nobleman. He enjoys his clubs, women and all the things that go with being a wealthy nobleman but every month he must remove himself from society to become what he was born to be. I liked Simon, didn't always agree with his logic but I liked him. He was written in a way that you could see the paradox his life had become. He has to give in to his werewolf side every month but he also has the responsibilities of his title. Those two lives become very difficult to balance when Lily becomes part of them.

Simon also has two brothers, Benjamin and Will. Benjamin was only mentioned but Will made his appearance in A Certain Wolfish Charm. I adored Will. He was charming and funny and I can't wait to read his book. Benjamin is a mystery which makes him intriguing since we know very little about him. Looking forward to reading his book too.

The werewolf aspect didn't come into play in the sense that the hero wasn't running around on all fours, attacking people. It was a secret that caused distrust between Lily and Simon. She eventually realizes he's hiding something but can't seem to get a straight answer from anyone. Given his rake's reputation, she has plenty of things to speculate on regarding what he might be hiding. When she does find out, well it doesn't go over well but she keeps coming back to all the evidence that points to the impossible - that her husband is a werewolf.

I do wish the werewolf twist had been more present in the story. We get so few historical paranormals. Simon's two brothers will also have their stories told. I look forward to reading those and hope the werewolves have a greater presence in their stories. Overall, a solid start to a new series.

Rating: B