The Werewolf and His Boy

by Warren Rochelle

Their leap of faith could unleash magic--or plunge them into darkness.

Henry Thorn has worked at Larkin's since graduating high school. He likes it--especially when he can use his secret skill of hiding inside shadows so his boss can't find him. Without that talent, he would never have survived growing up different.

When a new hire enters the store, Henry's other latent talent kicks in. He can smell an emotional response even before he lays eyes on the redhead.

Jamey Currey came out, and his conservative parents promptly kicked him out. He, too, is different--he senses Henry's attraction the moment they meet. The first time they kiss, torrential rains fall from skies split by lightning.

Their kiss also awakens the Watchers, diabolical hunters who will stop at nothing--even extermination--to keep magic suppressed. With the help of a coven of friendly witches, the boys embark on a quest to discover an ancient key to restoring magic to the world, and to understand the mysteries of their own hearts.

Warning: Contains a werewolf and a godling, prescient dreams, bloodthirsty monsters, annoying pets, (mostly) friendly witches, dark secrets, sex in hardwares, and meddling gods.

Genres: Paranormal, Romance, M M Romance, Shapeshifters, Fantasy, M M Shapeshifters, M M Paranormal

250 pages, Paperback

First published September 27, 2016

About the author

Warren Rochelle lives in Crozet, Virginia. He retired from teaching English at the University of Mary Washington in 2020. His short fiction and poetry have been published in such journals and anthologies as Icarus, North Carolina Literary Review, Forbidden Lines, Aboriginal Science Fiction, Collective Fallout, Queer Fish 2, Empty Oaks, Quantum Fairy Tales, Migration, Clarity, Innovation, The Silver Gryphon, Jaelle Her Book, Colonnades, and Graffiti, as well as the Asheville Poetry Review, GW Magazine, Crucible, The Charlotte Poetry Review, and Romance and Beyond. His short story, “The Golden Boy,” was a finalist for the 2004 Spectrum Award for Short Fiction.

Rochelle is the author of five novels. The Wild Boy (2001), Harvest of Changelings (2007), and The Called (2010),were all published by Golden Gryphon Press. The Werewolf and His Boy, originally published by Samhain Publishing in September 2016, was re-released from JMS Books in August 2020. His fifth novel, In Light’s Shadow, was published by JMS Books in September 2022. His first story collection, The Wicked Stepbrother and Other Stories was published by JMS Books in September 2020. His second collection, To Bring Him Home and Other Tales, was published in September 2021, by JMS Books. A third collection, The Great Forest and Other Love Stories was published by JMS Books in November 2024.
A stand-alone story, “Seagulls,” was released by JMS Books in September 2021.

A second stand-alone story, “Susurrus,” was published by JMS Books in November 2022

Reviews

[Jaime]

The Werewolf and His Boy is a paranormal hodgepodge with Shifters, Godlings aka Fae, DemiGods, Greek mythology, guardian animals, keepers, Witches, Watchers, Demons and mundanes (non-paranormal beings). The only thing missing was Vampires, unicorns, and mermaids - maybe they will be in book 2 --

Warning: While this book does have an author warning - it is not one that talks about actual content that may be offensive and or trigger material. This book is full of Homophobic slurs, Religious Persecution, Physical abuse is mentioned and Emotional abuse is present between parent and child. I skipped a lot of pages of homophobic and religious persecution.

As previously mentioned this is a paranormal story. However, it is unlike any other shifter story I have read. There is no focus on mating, finding a mate, being in a pack, loyalty among shifters, Alpha males, none of it. In fact, the werewolf in this story doesn't even know he is a werewolf until he starts having dreams that are very similar to occurrences happening in the community. This story takes place in a dystopian reality. Computers, cellphones, and other means of communication and knowledge sharing are very limited and considered to be evil.

The MC in this story are Henry (werewolf/Pet), Jamey (Godling/Fae), Dr. M (Witch), Bonnie (Keeper), and Ella (crazy watcher). The romantic couple is Henry and Jamey - both young college age men who are just starting out on their own and learning to navigate life. These two meet by chance at their job and are immediately drawn to each other. When they share their first kiss - the magical world is rocked and the Watchers start to rally. You see what these two quickly find out is that prophecy has foretold of “The pet, who is not a pet and the godling coming together and defeating the Watchers” - it is further explained that Henry is the “Pet, who is Not a Pet” as werewolves were created by the Gods as means of entertainment-pets. So, the Watchers are not happy when the pet and the godling start falling in love. This is where the story just takes off and information is thrown at you, constant action, lots of paranormal and mythology, and new people being introduced left and right. It is almost too much - just like a blender of characters and ideas were thrown together and spewed on the pages. However, you are able to understand it - if you keep reading (I almost DNF).

These two young men travel far and wide trying to fulfill the prophecy and find they key that the God Loki hid. They dodge demons, watchers, humans, and even do some dreamwalking - all while learning about each other. The sex in the story is very PG - maybe PG-13. There is frottage, oral, and one scene of penetrative sex - it's all minimally described and fade to black. I am not sure if I would call this story a happy ending or not, there is conclusion - yet a feeling of who knows what could happen.

I cannot recommend this story and I am giving it a generous 2.5 stars - it's just too much. Maybe if you LOVE paranormal hodgepodge with no steam and a very shallow love story, this could be better for you. It just wasn't for me.

[Carra]

The Werewolf and His Boy takes multiple paranormal aspects and blends them together in a unique story that keeps the adrenaline high and will demand your attention, so be prepared to keep up!

Both main characters, Henry and Jamey, are timid and try not to call attention to themselves, both preferring to remain off anyone's radar. But the pull they have to each other once they meet makes that virtually impossible once things in the story are set in motion. Neither young man has any idea of who and what they each really are, so this story also has the element of self-discovery for both of them. Their characters are complex-and complicated. The story also has quite a few intriguing supporting characters that give additional story depth and will keep you on your toes as you'll be seeing some things that you won't expect.

For me, the first part of the story started off a bit slowly, which made it hard for me to get into it and stay focused. But about a third of the way in things start to really pick up as the action and excitement really get underway. I did get a little frustrated at Jamey's continual internal battle when it came to his orientation and the ever-present vitriol from his parents. This is something that always frustrates me in this genre (mostly because it makes me extremely ticked off with the characters who are spewing this nonsense), but with the way it was more central to this story just was a bit aggravating for me.

I liked the weaving together of the different magical details that created an elaborate backstory, and I'm always a fan of different paranormal creatures in a story. There was also the ongoing sexual tension between Henry and Jamey that really upped the angst factor...so of course at the climax of the story (a bit of a pun intended), things become explosive.

The Werewolf and His Boy was a 3.5-star read for me. I'd recommend this to M/M paranormal romance fans who like their stories high on the angst, and be advised that this book is meant for readers 18+ due to adult language and M/M sexual content.

[Anne Barwell]

This is the first book I’ve read from this author and I loved it. The story hints that Henry and Jamey’s adventures are only just beginning and I hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of them.

The world building is fabulous, and a little different. The tone reminds me a little of a YA fantasy, yet not, and I could see the influences of Le Guin and others in his writing. As I’m a huge fan of that type of fantasy, I found the story and its characters engrossing and had to keep reading to find out what happens next. I also loved the choice of language and thought the description was rich and poetic. I liked how it took the usual mythology of magic in the world, and turned it a little sideways to create something new.

I liked Henry and Jamey as characters, and how they grow as individuals as they find themselves in their journey together too. I felt for them feeling powerless, abandoned by their families who try to make them become something they’re not. I loved the found family theme running through the story, and that Jamey is Henry’s pack. The supporting cast were great, especially the witches. Dr M. in particular totally rocks. I loved her.

I also liked how the story doesn’t shy away from this being a dangerous quest, and that characters I got attached to don’t all survive. I loved the twist of the location of the key. Very clever.

More please.

[Aurora Dimitre]

|This Book was won from a Goodreads Giveaway|

So this... wasn't great. I mean, I wasn't expecting some grand piece of literature or something, I was mostly expecting gay werewolf erotica, which is kind of what it was billed to me as, but I... did not really even get that? What I got was a confusing, not-terribly-written-but-not-like, well -written book that had like two, not really all that described sex scenes. This is urban fantasy, but also, like, dystopian? It wasn't explained well and that was my main problem with it.

Also, characters. I did like Henry. None of the side characters were really all that memorable. Jamey was... not my favorite. I don't want to say he was kind of whiny, because, dude did have some reasons to whine, but it was just a little bit unbearable at times. But Henry was all right.

Overall, that's kind of this book. I didn't, like, hate it, but it wasn't, like, all that good, either.

[Katherine]

This book loses me for it's general pacing, but did have me interested with some its unique themes and ideas. It had parts that really caught me and made me want to read more, but to segue into another section that despite the action would be slow and depressing, or have drama just for drama's sake. This left me wishing that it could have been a bit different, for there were parts of an interesting story in there, but what came out was not something that I cohesively enjoyed.

This started off with a very slow and dream like quality, as well as plenty of confusion for the two main characters. We get to meet Henry and Jamey, two young men who are working at a hardware store, and have an attraction for each other. As they begin to flirt and show interest for each other, odd things begin to happen in their lives. There are murders and sightings of a wolf around where they work, while Henry wakes up in weird situations. Jamey has odd dreams and remembers things from his childhood he has been told time and again that he imagined. The world is changing around them and when they get together it only gets worse, with the very weather seeming to go against them every time they kiss. Confused and afraid the two break up, but the feeling remain ad they tentatively get back together, but to have creatures and demons coming after them as a with comes to their aid and tells them of a prophesy their relationship may fulfill.

As you can see, the beginning is rather muddled. Everything starts of slow, then just sort of builds up into a bunch of crazy. At first Henry and Jamey don't even have any idea what they are, not to mention that the world is very unusual and difficult to find anything out in. The Watchers, very demonic looking creatures, have kept magic under wraps by holding a very big brother type of control over the world, so the internet, emails, phones, anything for easy communication and learning is majorly locked down and watched over. This was ill defined and took a bit to flesh out and discover as the book went on. Once you think you finally have a sense for the world, it all changes again as magic and creatures become a part of it.

Jamey was a boy raised in a very very religious Catholic home, and everything he has learned his entire life says that being gay is a sin. He was kicked out of his home for being gay, and he feels very conflicted about his relationship for much of the book. What took me almost until the end of the book to figure out is if that was a normal thing in this world or not. Yes, Catholicism and homophobia are around in our world, but it almost seemed in this world that Catholicism had more of an old school hold over the world, and perhaps the Watchers actually encouraged homophobia and the banning of same sex relations. It finally comes clear that this is not true at all, it is simply that Jamey was raised in that sort of home and community, and it takes a lot for him to get past it. I've got to say that, it is understandable that he at first thinks his relationship is a sin; not only was he told that all his life, but the first three times he and Henry kiss they are literally almost struck by lightning as a warning. Pretty understandable that he thought it was a warning from God, rather than from a homicidal Watcher demon thing that he didn't know existed. The hold Catholicism has over Jamey and his family comes up time and again, though it did make sense that it took time for Jamey to get over this belief from his past and that it wasn't something he just kicked overnight.

After frequently putting off this book as it would either bore or annoy me, I finally had a good amount of interest going int he last sixty pages. I mean, the solution of the key was a little hokey, the two boys had to get it on and proclaim loving and claiming each other, but it did sort of match the whole build up of their relationship in the book. I also enjoyed that there was a given reason to why it took so long before that could work as a key; the two couldn't just bone each other and be done. They had to build a relationship of love and trust, so that they would protect each other with their lives and then make love, not just have sex . It was actually really sweet and one of the few things I enjoyed. Then, the book didn't just end, nor was there an easy HEA, as there were repercussions to the changes in the world, and still plenty of emotions to deal with. What then annoyed me was that there was an epilogue, but it said essentially nothing. An epilogue should give you an idea of what things are now like at a later date, but instead all we see is a little scene, one that tells us nothing at all about their relationship, or about how the world as whole has dealt with the massive changes. It left a bitter taste in my mouth as I was unsatisfied with the author choosing to end with such a pointless epilogue after everything, and just generally made me annoyed at the book after everything.

[Dan]

Normally, I stay away from werewolf books. The whole alpha/beta/omega thing, the fated mates, the pack dynamics, they don’t appeal to me. It’s a shame because I think werewolves are a really cool monster and a timeless horror trope. They can be done extremely well. So, when I saw this book, which didn’t seem to have those elements I don’t care for, I grabbed it.
Well, the good news it doesn’t have any of those things I wanted to avoid. The bad news is this book still isn’t for me. I found it confusing. As best I can tell, it takes an alternate magical universe where magic and technology are vilified by hyper-religious sects within the country because the ancient gods put the Watchers (who look like but are not demons, because demons are something else in this book) in charge of suppressing magic, which they do through government propaganda. They suppress magic to keep the “Pets” (aka werewolves and shifters) safe. There are also godlings, who are demigods, but sort of also seem like fairies at times, and witches. There’s a lot going on and it begins to feel like paranormal alphabet soup.
The main characters are Henry and Jamey, who are a werewolf and a godling respectively – I think. The book shifts POV a lot and not just between these two characters or between chapters, or even paragraphs, so sometimes it was really difficult to keep straight who was doing, thinking, or saying what. Henry grew up in foster care without a family, Jamey grew up in a hyper-religious family who kicked him out for being gay. They fall in love, run around the world on adventures via Jamey’s ability to teleport, and their love ends up being the key to resorting magic to the world and destroying the Watchers. Things seem to happen without a lot of rhyme or reason and some vague exposition from a witch or god, or a genetic memory the boys can access in their dreams.
Jamey’s family and religious strife are not handled delicately. I’ve heard the evangelical horror stories from the real world, and this felt like an unintentional caricature of the real-life trauma people go through. I hope it’s not something the author personally experienced. The clunky, awkward writing doesn’t help. Occasionally there are sparks where it seems like something meaningful might happen, like when Jamey tries to reconcile his love for his family with their homophobia and religious views, but instead, we get flat, blatant, unyielding homophobia. His family literally kidnaps and mentally and emotionally tortures him into repenting his sins. It’s uncomfortable, to say the least, and for people whose families behave like that, I can imagine it would be highly upsetting.
In good faith, I can’t recommend this book because of how heavily violence, death, and homophobia feature in the plot. It’s not terribly written but it’s not good enough that I can recommend it for the emotionality or style, but it’s not fun or lighthearted enough to be an easy, cute read. It doesn’t have a particularly happy ending either. I mean, the boys survive and stay together, and magic is restored, but it doesn’t feel like a triumph. A lot of side characters die without stirring much emotion, the relationship between Jamey and Henry is overall flat, and I didn’t find much motivating about it.
I feel like some serious editing and rewriting could pare down the side characters, smooth over the awkward, confusing writing, give the main characters more depth and heart, and add some honest emotion to the book. The concept, overall, is interesting but the plot needs more substance and structure.

[Josh Dale]

Henry and Jamey Two outsiders that live in the shadows and like to blend in and be unseen.
So when they meet at Larkins Garden center where they both work they are both surprised by their instant attraction and pull towards each other.
Henry keeps having dreams where he is running through forests like an animal, but he has had these dreams many times. The problem is he is beginning to doubt himself, especially when bodies turn up in the dumpster out back of the garden center.
Jamie can see things that other people can not see, but he has always been told it is his over imaginative imagination. He even thinks he flew briefly when he was young.
The two boys get together, but every time they try to be intimate the weather Becomes wild with winds, thunder and lightning in the mix.
After they finally succeed in being intimate, all hell breaks loose, and Jamey finds out that Henry is a Werewolf. But they don’t have time to think about it as Henry’s landlady comes and tells them they have to go into hiding and that they are being chased by monsters know as watchers.
The boys are thrown into a new and dangerous world, that nightmares are made of. They take us on a thrilling quest to find the key to save themselves and all magical beings. Whilst battling Watchers, whose sole purpose is to keep magic subdued and hidden from the humans. There are many obstacles that they must overcome as well as solving the puzzle of where to find the key.
The author has done a great job of weaving many paranormal species into the story along with their own spin on the paranormal world. The mythology around the magic and magical beings gives real depth to the story.
There is so much that happens in the story that it could have easily been split into two or three books, you have the new love between Henry and Jamie, finding out they are not just humans, Jamey’s rejection by his family for being gay, The battles against the watchers, the mystery around the key and the boys destiny. I am feeling faint just writing this lol.
The main characters are similar, but different enough to give each one a distinctive personality. Secondary characters could maybe’s have had a touch more development. The story is well woven, fast paced, with a few unexpected twists and turns, leaves you excited until the end.
I would love to see a follow up book to this one. It would be to see what happens next. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone that likes Paranormal/fantasy quests.

[Selana]

Saving the world by anal.

The title. I could probably go on rants about this title and the photoshop disaster that is the cover but I will restrain myself. But, really? You couldn’t come up with any better title than that? It sounds creepy. It sounds like a story of a werewolf gone full shota. Or, and this is stretching it, maybe it’s the story of a werewolf struggling to provide for his son. That… actually doesn’t sound like a bad book. Definitely has some possibility. Illustrate it and it could make a decent children’s book. Or, make it gritty and it could be a so-so graphic novel.

The blurb is hilariously bad and contains a warning. A fucking warning. Behold:
"Warning: Contains a werewolf and a godling, prescient dreams, bloodthirsty monsters, annoying pets, (mostly) friendly witches, dark secrets, sex in hardwares, and meddling gods."

That's on the back cover. Someone saw that, read it, and thought "Yeah, this is a great thing to advertise this novel." A warning. How does one have sex in hardwares anyway? Do you mean you have sex inside a hardware? How do you have sex in a hardware? ... Never mind--not going to ask. Rule 34. Though when I read this part of the book, I discovered that the word missing from this sentence is department. So it should read: "Sex in a hardware department." That sounds sanitary. Totally not like millions of people haven't walked through there with their grubby unwashed hands and sticky fingers.

Allegedly, this book is an urban fantasy about a misfit kid and obviously involves werewolves.

My complete review can be found at my blog here as it is image-heavy.

[RACHEL REED]

Let me start by saying that this is not your usual shifter story.
The author has created a unique world building for this one which was so engaging and refreshing for a change.
The story is set in a dystopian fantasy world with a myriad of paranormal beings.
From watchers, to ancient Godlings, to keepers to Demons, Witches and Shifters we have them all and so much more.

Henry and Jamey's meet cute was adorable and I liked their dynamics.
The secondary characters were entertaining and enjoyable to read as well. The authors writing style was engaging and I liked the tone and setting of the universe in which the story was based in.

The story ends on a HFN and I feel that the author hints that there is more to come from this fabulous universe and the adventures of Henry and Jamey are still not over yet.

I would recommend this if you like
magic and mythology with a YA vibe which is low on the angst and steam.

[Sophie Lee]

Wasn’t a huge fan but I appreciated the idea behind the plot and would have enjoyed it more if I cared more about the characters. I feel the two main characters lacked a connection I could be emotionally invested in that I didn’t care what their ending was.

A very fast paced book though and the plot behind it was definitely intriguing, though I think if the title of the book was different I wouldn’t have expected so much from the romance. I hope to read more from this author in the future!

[Benoitcesoir]

A cute supernatural mythos involving various belief systems and magical beings. Will the boys be able to unlock the mystery of where to find the hidden key? Will the world as they know it come to an end? Will either boy be able to return home? This story is a great beginning to a world of other tales that could be told.

[stardragon]

I didn’t just read a book I went on an adventure. The story is about Henry a werewolf and Jamey a godling finding out who or what they are besides human. Their mission is to find a hidden key to bring magic back into the world. There are several enemies trying to stop them. This story is very much a page turner to the end.

[KATRINA]

Goodreads win

An interesting paranormal read. At times it has its own originality. The characters were interesting and brought their own aspect to the book. A quick and decent read.

[Theresa Crater]

Very enjoyable coming of age and coming out story. These two kids overcome prejudice. Enjoyed the magical universe.

[Ashley Martinez (ilovebooksandstuffblog)]

An intriguing supernatural adventure. I really liked the overall concept with the Watchers and such but had a difficult time getting into the characters and the story itself.

[Bronwyn Heeley]

DNFed @ 20%
sorry. just not for me

[Amber]

4 Hearts

I will admit that I wasn’t expecting to like this one as much as I did. I was pleasantly surprised by this story. The Werewolf and His Boy is full of mystery which kept me completely consumed by the story. This is paranormal to the extreme including witches, fae, spells, curses and everything in between.

Henry has always been different. Learning at a young age that he has certain abilities he uses them to his advantage when he can. He’s completely unprepared for the intense attraction he feels for his new coworker.

Surviving day to day after being disowned for being gay, Jamey Currey is happy to finally have a job. His attraction to his coworker doesn’t hurt either. Unfortunately, every time they’re together weird stuff keeps happening. And after having years of religious rhetoric instilled in this Jamey has a hard time with understanding what’s right and wrong.

Giving into the attraction only leads these boys deeper into the weird world they find themselves in. With the help from a good friend who has special abilities of her own the boys find themselves on the run and mired in mystery.

Like I mentioned earlier this was an unexpected surprise. There so much going on but it wasn’t so much that you got lost in the story. I enjoyed the pacing as well. The character were also something that I really liked….Henry and Jamey were incredibly endearing and as a reader I truly just wanted to best for them.

Overall, I really liked this different and unique shifters story it was a little light on the romance but you can’t help but be engrossed with everything that is going on.

Recommend.

This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.

[Teresa]

****Reviewed for Prism Book Alliance®****

I wanted to like The Werewolf and His Boy, I really did. It had a lot of good elements; the lore behind magic and magical creatures was an interesting twist to current mythology. I really liked the slightly mundane pets – not to be confused with the magical shifter Pets. Jamey’s powers were interesting as were Henry’s.

However, I hated the fanatical religious portrayal of Jamey’s family. It was so over the top as to be comical. I wasn’t quite sure if this took place in an alternate reality with all the hating of technology as Satan’s tools and the constant referral that cell phones and the internet was exorbitantly priced in 2009 (which it wasn’t). I disliked the many deaths that occurred off page to major characters. It diminished the importance and I felt like their deaths were throwaway plot points. I know not everyone will live in a good against evil battle but this seemed excessive.

Good against evil… even that point could be debated.

Added on top of this was the inconsistent head hopping. Sometimes it would hold a POV for a section, sometimes it would jump from Jamey to Henry within a paragraph. It made it hard to tell who was talking.

Lastly, I don’t usually comment on covers, but while I liked the cover overall, the image of the two men couldn’t be more different than how the two were portrayed. The men on the cover look like men. The boys in the book were referred to as boys all the time and portrayed much softer than either of the models on the cover.

So in the end, I didn’t care for the book that much and it was a chore to finish. The good points didn’t outweigh the bad and I am very disappointed.

[books are love]

This was a interesting take on good vs. bad. I love how we have two completely different types of men come together and fall in love. I like the struggle that Jamey goes through in accepting who he is, who he loves and finding peace and understanding with Henry. I wasn’t thrilled with Jamey when he threw his tantrum and hurt Henry’s feelings. I mean Henry didn’t make you love him, he didn’t put you in this situation for you made your own decisions and Henry is in the same boat as Jamey. For Jamey though he struggles with how he was raised and wanting his family back in his life. I didn’t like the dad of Jamey. I thought that he was sneaky in how he got Jamey home and the actions of his mom and dad once he was there is so very very wrong. I do like the showdown in the church and how Henry saves Jamey and shows him so much understanding and love. These two are so cute together.

the story is a new twist when it comes to demigods, fae, werewolves and witches. I felt for Henry because he led a quiet life until now and he accepted everything without questioning. He just took it in stride. his landlady was awesome and the twist with her boyfriend was just wow. Henry and Jamey are a great dynamic as they fight their way to protecting others and themselves while discovering themselves and each other. They work together even when Jamey is acting out and lashing out Henry is there by his side. We see two men one comfortable in his skin the other still trying to find himself come together in spectacular fashion only to find out they are a prophecy. They lose so much in the process but gain more. They gain companionship, love and understanding. They find their strengths and confidence and each other. They learn that love and acceptance of who you are is what matters. A wonderfully written stories with strong characters that have you engage in the story from the beginning. A story of acceptance and love. Of finding oneself and finding peace with who you are. I can’t wait to see what is next in adventures for these two.

[Joyfully Jay]

A Joyfully Jay review.

2.5 stars

In the week leading up to Halloween, I wanted to immerse myself in a great paranormal story and during the first several chapters I thought The Werewolf and His Boy would be exactly what I was looking for. Unfortunately, though, Warren Rochelle’s novel fell flat for me.

I liked how Rochelle tried to make The Werewolf and His Boy stand out from others in the genre and the mix between mythology and magic is a good hook, but for me, the background elements became too complicated. I found myself referring back to Dr. Melloy’s “story-time session” when I would have ideally liked to have been concentrating on the present story.

Although Jamey and Henry’s relationship initially has so much potential, I was frustrated and disappointed with the middle section of the book where the relationship between them stagnates. I appreciate that much of this has to do with the fact that Rochelle instead concentrates on the werewolf and Godling alter-egos of the young men, but I was still left dissatisfied.

I definitely enjoy stories that feature strong characters, but I felt the most likable of those in The Werewolf and His Boy was Dr. Melloy. It is her I empathized with at several key moments when it should have been Henry and Jamey whom I cared more about.

There are aspects of Rochelle’s novel that I am sure will entice readers, including the mystery, danger, and magic, but The Werewolf and his Boy did not excite me enough for me to give it a personal recommendation.

Read Kirsty’s review in its entirety here.

[Gregg]

This was an interesting read for me because it is not something I would have picked up in a bookstore. The story is more of a romance than horror, but it works. Henry and Jamey are young men who struggle with their love for each other, as well as being a werewolf and a godling. While the werewolf is not a typical "mainstream" werewolf of most books and movies, this isn't a bad thing. I haven't read about a godling before, so that was another interesting aspect for me. I feel there is enough action and horrific elements for my taste that balance out the romantic parts.

The only thing that I had difficulty with in this book was editing or punctuation issues. I had to read some paragraphs two or three times due to lack of punctuation, or because I was trying to figure out the action. These are minor issues for some, but for me can be frustrating.

Overall, I liked the story and characters, and am happy to have read something outside of my regular genres.

This is an honest review of the book "The Werewolf and His Boy" by Warren Rochelle that I received for free as part of a Goodreads giveaway.

[Naturalbri (Bri Wignall)]

I really enjoyed this read!

I found it unique, but also enjoyed the connection with the characters, which I found very easy to make. I liked the main boy, as he was very different. The fact that he found it hard to fit in, but survived by using his talents made his exciting and someone that I enjoyed reading about and getting to know.

I found the plot and detail in the story to be very good. I feel that the blurb adequately describes it, and the author does well to create and hold an intriguing story. The pace carries the read through, as it has a good blend of moments where we are able to get to know the backstory, details and characters, but there are also lots of intricate and fast-paced moments mingled through the story, to create a very desirable read.

I liked this read and would recommend it to those who are interested interested in a unique paranormal styled read.

**I received this book for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

[Selana]

If you like books where characters save the world through gay sex (with the aid of a handy dandy gay sex manual), this is one of those. Lots of places for slapstick comedy, but the author has the comedic value of Watership Down.

Spoilers:

This story stars a character who says shadows have colors and throughout the story will describe the wind as having color and sound as having color, will be capable of smelling a person's sexual preference, and is extremely technophobic and has never used a computer, despite allegedly being 18 in 2009. He also murders a couple people in the beginning of the novel, something that will never be touched on again. He realizes he is a werewolf because his teeth hurt and his body is sore (worst evidence ever) and speaks like a 12 year old with a head injury.

I made a full chapter by chapter review of the book here.

[Monica]

Well written fantasy that also contains a lot of insights into relationships . The characters were well described and emotions explained but does contain sexually explicit scenes so not suitable for everyone . The plot was well developed and contained several twists making the book difficult to put down.

[Marsha Spence]

It was good but it seemed to go on forever. Could easily have just been my mood!

[Jennifer]

This just didn't work for me. Not my cup of tea.