Book Review – How to Flirt With a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper

How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf
How cute was this book!!? LOVED it. I couldn’t put it down. It was exactly what I needed and kept me entertained the entire way through. Funny, sweet, romantic, a little love triangle, lots of camaraderie, a little danger, a lot of alpha male, and just enough romantic angst to keep pulling at my heart.  After a long work weekend, it was just what I needed to wind down and get back into my routine.

Mo’ (short for…well, you’ll find out) needs a change. A do-over. Her mega-hippie parents won’t stop meddling in her life (she’s practically their polar opposite despite how she was raised), and her fiancé just broke their engagement. She’s alright with it. She realized she  wasn’t in love with him that much anyway. She needs to shake up her life. Find herself. So she heads from Mississippi to Alaska.

The natives, and Alaskan locals take no time at all in warming up to her. Courteous, kind and welcoming (mostly) she quickly settles into their way of life, and forges close friendships with a few.  The locals are good to her, and willing to give her a chance. Except for one.

Cooper, a sexy but grumpy native wants to have nothing to do with her. He’s sick of tourists and newcomers who think they are tough enough to brave the weather extremes that Alaska will eventually throw at them. He laughs as they all pack up and head out, and he’s quick to antagonize Mo, insisting she’ll be no different. He wants to make her cry. She wants to punch him

“Has it ever occurred to you that you’re never going to find whatever you’re trying to find up here, contentment or fulfillment or a closer connection to the land, or whatever you outsiders come up here looking for?” he growled back. If you didn’t have it in the lower forty-eight, you’re not going to find it just by switching locations. You come up here in your Range Rovers and your three-hundred dollar hiking boots and spend God knows how much setting yourself up in houses  you don’t need because the first time the temperature dips below zero you figure out, ‘Oh my God, Alaska is cold!’ And you whine and you complain to anyone who will listen because you can’t find your favorite brand of toothpaste. Or because you have to drive four hours to get to a Starbucks”

The sweetness factor? Many of the available men try their hand at wooing Mo. If one offers her meat, that’s practically a marriage proposal. I enjoyed the “cute” factor, envisioning these burly locals star-struck by the charming newcomer.

The camaraderie factor? This one goes far. Not only does Mo bond with the locals in her surroundings, she connects with a few others. Heartwarming.

The funny factor? LOTS of that in this book. You’ll be chuckling throughout. Here’s a funny moment for you (just a tid-bit – it gets funnier). Mr. Grump himself (Cooper) shows up on her doorstep needing help. Injured and…naked. As he lays in her living room, dozing…

In all the injury hubbub, I hadn’t had the acuity to look at his…lower forty eight. How wrong would it be for me to lift the quilt? I mean, technically, he did owe me his life.

The romance factor? The two most handsome men in town take a true interest in Mo. Well one of ‘em does. Alan is gallant like no other. He kisses to make her weak at the knees and is a true good spirit. The other one just wants to pull on her pigtails and send her home crying to her mommy, smirking as he says “I told you so”. But does Mo take the path of least resistance? I’m not telling, but going along with her on her journey was well worth it, and well…there was a lot of alpha growling

“What I may or may not be doing with Alan is none of your business,” I said, my cheeks flushing. “And why would you even care?”

He admitted. “I don’t like seeing you dancing with him.”

“So it’s a dog-in-the-manger thing?” I snorted, lowering my voice. “I’m sorry, is that culturally offensive to werewolves?”

His eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared as he demanded, “What do you mean, dog in the manger?”

“You don’t want me, but you don’t want anybody else to have me.”

“I never said I didn’t want you,” he said, his husky voice so soft…

Ohhhhh it’s on now!! STEAMY steamy stuff!!!

The danger factor? There are a few moments of danger (and a surprisingly scary one, right at the beginning). But the mystery goes deep, as they discover that something is killing locals and tourists alike. Tearing them to shreds. A wolf perhaps? Cooper has a few secrets of his own, a few past issues that are still unresolved. It just so happens that a few of these killings were discovered near Mo’s new home. Is she in danger? Who can she trust?

This was a great start to what looks like a promising series. Book#1 was an easy read, and had enough of everything and wasn’t over the top on anything. No eye-rolling for me, this time and I was never bored. I easily bonded with the characters, and now I’m dying to read the next one. On my TBR list for sure!!

The next book in the series (The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf) is coming out THIS month (March 29th 2011)! YAY!!

4 stars!

This book was sent to me by the publisher, and as much as I hate to say goodbye to it, I’m giving it away to a lucky LUCKY reader. Leave a comment here, and I will have the randomizer thingie draw a winner on Friday March 4th at 9pm EST. Don’t worry about your address just yet. I will contact the winner for those details, directly. U.S residents only, please (although all are welcome to comment).

Tagged as: 4 stars, molly harper, paranormal romance, shifters