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Abra Barrow #1
The Better to Hold You
SHE KNOWS WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE.
Manhattan veterinarian Abra Barrow has more sense about animals than she has about men. So when her adored journalist husband returns from a research trip to Romania and starts pacing their apartment like a caged wolf, Abra agrees to move with him to a rural mansion upstate in order to save her marriage.
But while there are perks to her new life, particularly in the bedroom, Abra soon discovers that nothing in the bucolic town of Northside is what it seems. The local tavern serves a dangerous, predatory underworld. Her husband has developed feral new appetites and a roving eye, and his lack of humanity isn’t entirely emotional. As the moon waxes full, Abra must choose between trusting the man she married, taking a chance on a seductive stranger, or following her own animal instincts.
Manhattan veterinarian Abra Barrow has more sense about animals than she has about men. So when her adored journalist husband returns from a research trip to Romania and starts pacing their apartment like a caged wolf, Abra agrees to move with him to a rural mansion upstate in order to save her marriage.
But while there are perks to her new life, particularly in the bedroom, Abra soon discovers that nothing in the bucolic town of Northside is what it seems. The local tavern serves a dangerous, predatory underworld. Her husband has developed feral new appetites and a roving eye, and his lack of humanity isn’t entirely emotional. As the moon waxes full, Abra must choose between trusting the man she married, taking a chance on a seductive stranger, or following her own animal instincts.
“The sort of book that makes you want to invest in silver bullets before meeting the author.”
–Neil Gaiman
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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905 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
July 17, 2009
I'll start with this: this book is definitely not typical paranormal romance. The cover could fool a reader into believing that here is another paranormal action adventure or mystery with a roll in the hay on the side, but don't be misled. Alisa Sheckley's The Better to Hold You is a cut above.
Or rather, it should be. Sheckley's writing is intelligent and completely absorbing, and she excels at emotional realism. There's a lot to be said for this caliber of writing. If this book is any indication, then her women's fiction is well worth the recommendations. Some people didn't like the realistic relationships in this book, but in my opinion, the author really captured the nuances that make the attraction between a man and a woman so captivating in real life, more powerful than any genre conventions. Subtlety is the key word. She captures perfectly the tone of a flailing marriage, a strained woman, and a situation that cannot but come to a head, even as the world goes cruelly on without her. As another reviewer wrote, Sheckley is gifted at capturing the pain in a common domestic scene.
In fact, this spot-on portrayal might turn off some readers. Main character Abra is very intelligent and kind, and her thoughtful insights are fascinating to read. She has one problem: she's more than a little submissive. She is the joke in her life, with a charismatic, selfish husband who makes her feel guilty for his failures, a drama mama, and a boss who makes her question her competence. This is very realistic, and I couldn't help thinking, Abra would probably describe a great many people. There are more followers than leaders in this world. As Abra comments, most wolves are submissive.
This might frustrate readers accustomed to admiring a feisty, get-mine heroine who doesn't take gruff from anyone. For Abra, her choices are not so clear, and she flounders for some time. The novel plumbs the depths. Things get worse before they get better -this is especially true of the romance, so be patient, good readers- and there are some dark tinges to the novel near the climax, where the book abruptly shifts from emotional realism with a martyr's despair to a dark Red Riding Hood tale; from urban (in actuality, rural) to urban -rural- fantasy, and it's shocking the number of themes in the original Red Riding Hood that apply here, including Abra's growth as a sexual woman.
For me, this sudden shift away from realism to B-movie monsters, when they at last crop up, detracted from an otherwise great novel. I would have appreciated the fantasy aspect more if she had vested this part of the novel with as much realism as the beginning (the heroine actually has her period; +5000 points for that alone).
But I'm convinced that this novel was meant to be for Abra, her growth as a person. I'm glad I ignored the few bad reviews and chanced this one. I expect to see Abra's continued personal journey in the next book, Moon Burn. The Better to Hold You can stand alone -the romance question is answered as Happy-For-Now, as well as other questions- but Abra still has room to grow, and the paranormal aspect was short enough to make me curious for more. I don't predict the next novel will mirror any B-movies or trite fables. After all, I don't know any Grimm's tales having to do with moonburn, do you? Is that like rug burn? LOL.
I encourage anyone interested who is concerned that the mood, main character or first person narration of this book might turn them off to read the Google preview. That should give a more than adequate impression.
Update: the second book is even better than the first (the heroine's stronger and triumphs more often than in the first book for those who didn't care for her weakness) and reminds me much of Patricia Briggs' werewolf series except with an entirely different main character with more voice in the novel. The second book really completes the first and should not be read alone. In Moonburn, there's a little more sensuality since the heroine chooses between men and more of the author's subtle, dark humor. Loved the author's use of lycanthropy (which was full-on in the second book) and ritual as metaphor for Abra's personal evolution and relationships. Also loved the Weirdness, LOL. :D
Or rather, it should be. Sheckley's writing is intelligent and completely absorbing, and she excels at emotional realism. There's a lot to be said for this caliber of writing. If this book is any indication, then her women's fiction is well worth the recommendations. Some people didn't like the realistic relationships in this book, but in my opinion, the author really captured the nuances that make the attraction between a man and a woman so captivating in real life, more powerful than any genre conventions. Subtlety is the key word. She captures perfectly the tone of a flailing marriage, a strained woman, and a situation that cannot but come to a head, even as the world goes cruelly on without her. As another reviewer wrote, Sheckley is gifted at capturing the pain in a common domestic scene.
In fact, this spot-on portrayal might turn off some readers. Main character Abra is very intelligent and kind, and her thoughtful insights are fascinating to read. She has one problem: she's more than a little submissive. She is the joke in her life, with a charismatic, selfish husband who makes her feel guilty for his failures, a drama mama, and a boss who makes her question her competence. This is very realistic, and I couldn't help thinking, Abra would probably describe a great many people. There are more followers than leaders in this world. As Abra comments, most wolves are submissive.
This might frustrate readers accustomed to admiring a feisty, get-mine heroine who doesn't take gruff from anyone. For Abra, her choices are not so clear, and she flounders for some time. The novel plumbs the depths. Things get worse before they get better -this is especially true of the romance, so be patient, good readers- and there are some dark tinges to the novel near the climax, where the book abruptly shifts from emotional realism with a martyr's despair to a dark Red Riding Hood tale; from urban (in actuality, rural) to urban -rural- fantasy, and it's shocking the number of themes in the original Red Riding Hood that apply here, including Abra's growth as a sexual woman.
For me, this sudden shift away from realism to B-movie monsters, when they at last crop up, detracted from an otherwise great novel. I would have appreciated the fantasy aspect more if she had vested this part of the novel with as much realism as the beginning (the heroine actually has her period; +5000 points for that alone).
But I'm convinced that this novel was meant to be for Abra, her growth as a person. I'm glad I ignored the few bad reviews and chanced this one. I expect to see Abra's continued personal journey in the next book, Moon Burn. The Better to Hold You can stand alone -the romance question is answered as Happy-For-Now, as well as other questions- but Abra still has room to grow, and the paranormal aspect was short enough to make me curious for more. I don't predict the next novel will mirror any B-movies or trite fables. After all, I don't know any Grimm's tales having to do with moonburn, do you? Is that like rug burn? LOL.
I encourage anyone interested who is concerned that the mood, main character or first person narration of this book might turn them off to read the Google preview. That should give a more than adequate impression.
Update: the second book is even better than the first (the heroine's stronger and triumphs more often than in the first book for those who didn't care for her weakness) and reminds me much of Patricia Briggs' werewolf series except with an entirely different main character with more voice in the novel. The second book really completes the first and should not be read alone. In Moonburn, there's a little more sensuality since the heroine chooses between men and more of the author's subtle, dark humor. Loved the author's use of lycanthropy (which was full-on in the second book) and ritual as metaphor for Abra's personal evolution and relationships. Also loved the Weirdness, LOL. :D
March 23, 2009
I've signed on to Goodreads specifically to warn others away from this book. I'm going to try to be fair in this review, but my spiraling lack of respect for the main character is the main reason for my one-star review.
The Good:
The book has very workmanlike writing. The author is writing a werewolf novel, and by god she drives home every wolf allusion and tangent she can. I'm not sure this is entirely good, but I did enjoy the B-movie and little red riding hood references.
The heroine's family I kind of liked. But you know it's a bad book when a grandstanding actress mother and an absentee father are the best things I can find in a novel. They weren't very believable, but they were fun. They are the reason I'm giving this book a star at all.
The Bad:
Oh, boy, where to start. The heroine is a scant half-step away from being too stupid to live, because she can't bring herself to admit that her marriage is ending. The reason given? She's socially isolated and so will follow her husband around like a little idiot even though he's clearly got something wrong with him, and a family history of schizophrenia. Bad heroine. Grow a pair and stay in Manhattan, like a non-idiot.
The husband is so clearly A Bad Person that any positive characteristics (all of which amounted to him being attractive and thinking his wife is pretty, oh and maybe that he can write) where totally overwhelmed and you're rooting for a divorce within the first twenty pages.
Alternate love interest had no personality at all beyond being available (sort of) and looking kind of like an unwashed hick. I'm not kidding.
Avoid at all costs.
The Good:
The book has very workmanlike writing. The author is writing a werewolf novel, and by god she drives home every wolf allusion and tangent she can. I'm not sure this is entirely good, but I did enjoy the B-movie and little red riding hood references.
The heroine's family I kind of liked. But you know it's a bad book when a grandstanding actress mother and an absentee father are the best things I can find in a novel. They weren't very believable, but they were fun. They are the reason I'm giving this book a star at all.
The Bad:
Oh, boy, where to start. The heroine is a scant half-step away from being too stupid to live, because she can't bring herself to admit that her marriage is ending. The reason given? She's socially isolated and so will follow her husband around like a little idiot even though he's clearly got something wrong with him, and a family history of schizophrenia. Bad heroine. Grow a pair and stay in Manhattan, like a non-idiot.
The husband is so clearly A Bad Person that any positive characteristics (all of which amounted to him being attractive and thinking his wife is pretty, oh and maybe that he can write) where totally overwhelmed and you're rooting for a divorce within the first twenty pages.
Alternate love interest had no personality at all beyond being available (sort of) and looking kind of like an unwashed hick. I'm not kidding.
Avoid at all costs.
July 31, 2012
I'd like to start by saying I think this book was marketed incorrectly. It is *not* paranormal romance, and people looking for fluffy fiction will probably hate it, as evidenced by some of the other reviewers opinions.
Alisa Sheckley previously worked on the Vertigo imprint of DC comics, and this novel would fit well into that world. "The Better to Hold You" is a dark, slightly painful look at a woman's transformation into something else...and her realization that the man she thought she loved might never have existed.
I would recommend this to lovers of dark fantasy and psychological horror.
Alisa Sheckley previously worked on the Vertigo imprint of DC comics, and this novel would fit well into that world. "The Better to Hold You" is a dark, slightly painful look at a woman's transformation into something else...and her realization that the man she thought she loved might never have existed.
I would recommend this to lovers of dark fantasy and psychological horror.
May 10, 2009
Abra plays peek a boo with the only possible explanation of whats happening to her life/marriage, and feels sad; over and over again. I enjoyed some of the world building aspects. But the dialogue is inconsistent; shifting between engaging conversations, rushed comic book bad guy over shares, and a healthy dose wtf. The scenes of intimacy were sexy, yet each had a off putting spot that knocked me out of the zone, and left me shaking my head. Add to that annoying repetitive themes throughout, we get it already: Abra is nun like, Abra is downtrodden, Abra has no self esteem.
Abra twice refers to herself as animal smart, people stupid;and I agree "Too Stupid To Live" indeed. Who will Abra choose her husband or the enigmatic stranger? Wont spoil that conundrum for ya, But tbh the answer really ain't all that compelling.
Abra twice refers to herself as animal smart, people stupid;and I agree "Too Stupid To Live" indeed. Who will Abra choose her husband or the enigmatic stranger? Wont spoil that conundrum for ya, But tbh the answer really ain't all that compelling.
April 14, 2012
Although it does play out a bit like paranormal romance, it starts and builds slowly like a good horror novel. Loved the characters and the writing itself is top-notch. The writing here is so strong I plan on looking up some of the chic lit/women's fiction she published as Alisa Kwitney. She worked previously for Vertigo/DC comics (notably on Gaiman's SANDMAN), and is the daughter of sf great Robert Sheckley. My wife brought this home to 'show' me but I was between books and something about it appealed to me and I was off and running. I'm already 30 pages into the sequel, MOONBURN.
You'll probably find it shelved in Romance, but it's well worth checking out for fans of urban fantasy, horror, and suspense.
You'll probably find it shelved in Romance, but it's well worth checking out for fans of urban fantasy, horror, and suspense.
September 11, 2009
I really enjoyed this book! I love the urban fantasy genre, and while this book stepped out of the typical romance driven formula, it still was an excellent example of the style.
Many reviews I read about this book were bad, but I must disagree. I found all of the characters very engaging!
Can't wait for the next book!
Many reviews I read about this book were bad, but I must disagree. I found all of the characters very engaging!
Can't wait for the next book!
June 21, 2009
I'm not going to say I didn't like this book, because it was fascinating. However, if you like strong heroines as the main character, this is book is not for you.
Abra is a doormat of a wife and Hunter is her selfish and not at all likeable husband. The first 3/4 of the book meander through Abra's angst as she tries to hold onto her cheating husband and save her lifeless marriage. Hunter seems to have other plans as he uproots their Manhattan lives to pursues the call of the wild in order to enhance the lycanthrope virus that Abra is never quite certain he has contracted. Red, the scruffy but attractive man Abra meets in the begining of the book seems to be the only one who actively sees Abra as more than something to step on. When Abra starts to connect with Red, she also starts to shed her inner doormat and finally find a small (re:tiny) amount of backbone.
For a book that is suppose to be a paranormal romance centered around lycacnthropes the good parts are a long time coming. You spend most of your time wading through Abra's angst, Abra watching Hunter's wandering lust for other women and Abra resisting Red's magnetic pull. It's only in the last few chapters that all the setup finally pays off with climatic confrontation was a suprising reward for having stuck with it to finish the book. The end gave me a glimpse into what the next book might be, something full of the magic and mystery I was looking for.
Abra is a doormat of a wife and Hunter is her selfish and not at all likeable husband. The first 3/4 of the book meander through Abra's angst as she tries to hold onto her cheating husband and save her lifeless marriage. Hunter seems to have other plans as he uproots their Manhattan lives to pursues the call of the wild in order to enhance the lycanthrope virus that Abra is never quite certain he has contracted. Red, the scruffy but attractive man Abra meets in the begining of the book seems to be the only one who actively sees Abra as more than something to step on. When Abra starts to connect with Red, she also starts to shed her inner doormat and finally find a small (re:tiny) amount of backbone.
For a book that is suppose to be a paranormal romance centered around lycacnthropes the good parts are a long time coming. You spend most of your time wading through Abra's angst, Abra watching Hunter's wandering lust for other women and Abra resisting Red's magnetic pull. It's only in the last few chapters that all the setup finally pays off with climatic confrontation was a suprising reward for having stuck with it to finish the book. The end gave me a glimpse into what the next book might be, something full of the magic and mystery I was looking for.
July 24, 2015
I did enjoy this book, just not as much as I have some others. One of the reasons for this is that I think I prefer stronger females as the main character and the main character in this book is most definitely NOT that. However, not all books are going to have a strong lead character and this didn't ruin the book for me completely. I actually feel like the main character seems more real because of her emotional reactions and at times very poor decision making skills.
While I hated the husband, Hunter, I suppose it's always nice to have a good bad guy to hate on. I loved the MC-Abra's- mother...she is pretty funny and just an all around interesting character. My favorite character in the book, however, has to be Red...wildlife removal operator extraordinaire without a listed phone number- weird right? Red is mysterious, confident, and just an all around good guy who knows what he wants and goes after it...GOOD FOR HIM!!!
I'm not positive if I will continue with this series but I am not writing it off completely. I would be interested to see if the next book is better than the first because Abra does seem to come into her own as far as standing up for herself and having a backbone by the end of this one. I definitely enjoyed the author's writing style so I will most likely read more by her in the future.
While I hated the husband, Hunter, I suppose it's always nice to have a good bad guy to hate on. I loved the MC-Abra's- mother...she is pretty funny and just an all around interesting character. My favorite character in the book, however, has to be Red...wildlife removal operator extraordinaire without a listed phone number- weird right? Red is mysterious, confident, and just an all around good guy who knows what he wants and goes after it...GOOD FOR HIM!!!
I'm not positive if I will continue with this series but I am not writing it off completely. I would be interested to see if the next book is better than the first because Abra does seem to come into her own as far as standing up for herself and having a backbone by the end of this one. I definitely enjoyed the author's writing style so I will most likely read more by her in the future.
June 29, 2011
A more realistic story about what a person would do when they find out their husband has become werewolf. The Heroine is a vet at a prestigous learning hospital in New York and her husband is a journalist. After coming back from a long assignment in Romania the heroine notice that her husband is acting strange. He's not bathing, all he wants to do is eat meat (she's a vegetarian), and his sexualy appetite is through the roof. Oh yeah, did I mention he also turns into a total jerk. When he asks her to move to the backwoods of upstate NY she jumps at the chance hoping that it will help their marriage. But from there it gets worse when she realizes what her husband is and that he has passed it on to her.
There were no real special effects in this book. No 7 foot hero with six pack abs. No tight leather pants and dusters. No heroine who automatically knows how to kick supernatural butt. Just a small town in the middle of nowhere with secrets and a heroine who yells, screams, cries, and gets scared just like any normal person would. The heroine does meet an unlikely hero in a wildlife conservationist.
There were no real special effects in this book. No 7 foot hero with six pack abs. No tight leather pants and dusters. No heroine who automatically knows how to kick supernatural butt. Just a small town in the middle of nowhere with secrets and a heroine who yells, screams, cries, and gets scared just like any normal person would. The heroine does meet an unlikely hero in a wildlife conservationist.
September 11, 2016
This was good, there's no comedy, and a marriage turns from good to bad leading on to other things.
The supernatural element allowed for introducing fresh features in this one which was a uplifting event as it throws this novel into the realms of something a bit different, although to be fair the concepts have been used before.
The characters are varied and colourful with a fair dose of reality in there to make this novel sometimes uncomfortable and a bit of a downer. The good new is it doesn't stay there.
The elements of mystery and indecision at times takes the novel into some serious relationship reckoning and keeps the pace up to maintain your interest, engaging to the reader.
I'm straight on to the next which is the sequel and conclusion of the story.
The supernatural element allowed for introducing fresh features in this one which was a uplifting event as it throws this novel into the realms of something a bit different, although to be fair the concepts have been used before.
The characters are varied and colourful with a fair dose of reality in there to make this novel sometimes uncomfortable and a bit of a downer. The good new is it doesn't stay there.
The elements of mystery and indecision at times takes the novel into some serious relationship reckoning and keeps the pace up to maintain your interest, engaging to the reader.
I'm straight on to the next which is the sequel and conclusion of the story.
March 7, 2009
I saw this book mentioned in Romantic Times, and the fact that Gaiman had blurbed it made me want to check it out.
I was not disappointed.
The cover copy makes the novel seem predictible, even rather standard, but it does not do a good job of actually representing the novel. There's much more here than the cover hints, and the portrait of the marriage between Hunter and Abra is both convincing and suffocating. There's more depth here than one usually finds in mass market romances. I'm rather surprised the publisher didn't put it out as a trade first.
I was not disappointed.
The cover copy makes the novel seem predictible, even rather standard, but it does not do a good job of actually representing the novel. There's much more here than the cover hints, and the portrait of the marriage between Hunter and Abra is both convincing and suffocating. There's more depth here than one usually finds in mass market romances. I'm rather surprised the publisher didn't put it out as a trade first.
October 23, 2022
Was soll ich sagen?! Auch wenn ich ein bisschen etwas anderes erwartet hatte, haben mich das Buch und die Geschichte echt gefesselt und ich konnte es einfach nicht weglegen! Auch wenn einige unwichtigere Stellen für meinen Geschmack zu viel ausgeschmückt wurden, konnte die Geschichte bis zum Schuss die Spannung halten.
February 22, 2023
Abra Barrows is the timid wife of a philandering journalist. When her husband, Hunter, returns from a trip to Romania where he researched the Unwolves, or werewolves, he admits to coming home a changed man. Not that he’ll quit cheating on her, but that he’ll physically change from man to wolf.
Determined to save her marriage, Abra agrees to move with him to his family’s home in Northside. The new location helps Hunter with his writing but drives a larger wedge between them. As does Red, a local expert in animal extermination who isn’t outwardly what Abra wants yet manages to get under her skin like Hunter never could. Now Abra must choose between a husband she’s not sure still wants her and a man she barely knows…oh, and manage to stay alive when another predator moves in and sinks her claws into what Abra holds dear.
The Better to Hold You by Alisa Sheckley was an impulse buy. I hadn’t heard anything about it, but a cover blurb by Neil Gaiman tends to grab my attention. Neil has never disappointed me, and his track record remains flawless. This is one of the few books I’ve read that is humorous without being snarky. Don’t get me wrong, I love the snark, but it’s rare to find humor in recently released novels that is as intellectually stimulating and thought provoking as in this book.
The characterization is also exceptional. I have never been so emotionally vested in a book as I was in the first two thirds of this one. The struggles of Abra and Hunter to save their marriage and the sacrifices that they both have to make made you want them to make it, made you want there to be a happy ending. If I were grading this book up to this point, it would be hard not to claim it as one of the best written books I’ve ever read, in any genre.
It’s the last third of the book that I had problems with. Obviously Hunter’s infidelity made him a flawed husband, but his actions made it clear that he truly loved his wife and wanted to make amends. Then, out of nowhere, he becomes a psychotic freak devoid of any kindness. If there had been any kind of transition between repentant rake and crazy loon, I would have been more accepting. As it is, his actions left me angry and disappointed. Not only that but the other main male character betrays Abra just as badly and is never reprimanded. It made her seem like a doormat not a strong female lead.
Because of the actions of the two main male characters, The Better to Hold You receives 4 tombstones. When I first finished the book, I wanted to give it less, but a logical part of me spoke up for the rest of the novel, for the skill and talent of the author, and her ability to enrapture me so fully that I’m still angry at her characters days later. You don’t find that sort of talent often.
Determined to save her marriage, Abra agrees to move with him to his family’s home in Northside. The new location helps Hunter with his writing but drives a larger wedge between them. As does Red, a local expert in animal extermination who isn’t outwardly what Abra wants yet manages to get under her skin like Hunter never could. Now Abra must choose between a husband she’s not sure still wants her and a man she barely knows…oh, and manage to stay alive when another predator moves in and sinks her claws into what Abra holds dear.
The Better to Hold You by Alisa Sheckley was an impulse buy. I hadn’t heard anything about it, but a cover blurb by Neil Gaiman tends to grab my attention. Neil has never disappointed me, and his track record remains flawless. This is one of the few books I’ve read that is humorous without being snarky. Don’t get me wrong, I love the snark, but it’s rare to find humor in recently released novels that is as intellectually stimulating and thought provoking as in this book.
The characterization is also exceptional. I have never been so emotionally vested in a book as I was in the first two thirds of this one. The struggles of Abra and Hunter to save their marriage and the sacrifices that they both have to make made you want them to make it, made you want there to be a happy ending. If I were grading this book up to this point, it would be hard not to claim it as one of the best written books I’ve ever read, in any genre.
It’s the last third of the book that I had problems with. Obviously Hunter’s infidelity made him a flawed husband, but his actions made it clear that he truly loved his wife and wanted to make amends. Then, out of nowhere, he becomes a psychotic freak devoid of any kindness. If there had been any kind of transition between repentant rake and crazy loon, I would have been more accepting. As it is, his actions left me angry and disappointed. Not only that but the other main male character betrays Abra just as badly and is never reprimanded. It made her seem like a doormat not a strong female lead.
Because of the actions of the two main male characters, The Better to Hold You receives 4 tombstones. When I first finished the book, I wanted to give it less, but a logical part of me spoke up for the rest of the novel, for the skill and talent of the author, and her ability to enrapture me so fully that I’m still angry at her characters days later. You don’t find that sort of talent often.
May 20, 2012
Perfect book for someone who wants to read about infidelity. A husband who cheats on his wife and says the idea of fidelity is very American. The wife, being quite enamoured with the cheating husband decides to relocate with him to another continent, in the middle of nowhere. Following this relocation, the first night they go out to a bar to eat, the husband in question finds the waitress attractive.
And so when it comes to the point where the wife finds someone to cheat with, husband dearest starts to realise how much of a loss it will be for him. And when the wife asks him about all the other women, he replies with 'But it [meaning the sex with all other women] means nothing to me'.
Following which they have this conversation:
“Then why were you out all night with someone else? What was that—another itch?”
I could feel his sigh. His hand behind my head felt sweaty, too warm. We were as close as
if we were about to have sex, and I felt real nausea building at the back of my throat.
“Abra, last night—I started by looking for you. I was mad you'd taken the car. I hitched to
Moon-doggie's and started getting drunk, and then—no, it wasn't an itch. It was a fire.
Ah, don't cry. Look at me, will you?”
Then the story gets worse. I didn't think it was possible. She tells him, she is going to leave him and a second later from that convo, she finds out she is pregnant, and they confess their love for one another.
Up to that point, the story is utterly repugnant. And yes, it does get a little better for Abra (depends on your definition of better), but the first 75% of the book is so bad, it utterly negates any other slightly okay event in the rest of the book.
And so when it comes to the point where the wife finds someone to cheat with, husband dearest starts to realise how much of a loss it will be for him. And when the wife asks him about all the other women, he replies with 'But it [meaning the sex with all other women] means nothing to me'.
Following which they have this conversation:
“Then why were you out all night with someone else? What was that—another itch?”
I could feel his sigh. His hand behind my head felt sweaty, too warm. We were as close as
if we were about to have sex, and I felt real nausea building at the back of my throat.
“Abra, last night—I started by looking for you. I was mad you'd taken the car. I hitched to
Moon-doggie's and started getting drunk, and then—no, it wasn't an itch. It was a fire.
Ah, don't cry. Look at me, will you?”
Then the story gets worse. I didn't think it was possible. She tells him, she is going to leave him and a second later from that convo, she finds out she is pregnant, and they confess their love for one another.
Up to that point, the story is utterly repugnant. And yes, it does get a little better for Abra (depends on your definition of better), but the first 75% of the book is so bad, it utterly negates any other slightly okay event in the rest of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2017
I read this book wanting to get more into the werewolf genre of the supernatural of course I am a huge fan of Vampires, Fae and other supernatural but i never really got into the werewolves.
I must admit choosing this one to start this of my journey was a mistake for a few reasons:
1:the story was all over the place, i must admit i probably won't read the next book/s
2:the main character was a typical poor me victim of her own faults.
3:Half the story made no sense and was so predictable.
Abra Barrows is a door mat no other way of putting it. She finds out her husbands had an affair and thinks that moving to the place where the other woman lives is the answer to her problems. After finding out once again that he cheated on her she 'plans' to leave him but coincidentally finds out shes 'pregnant' then he turns all loving husband until another man 'threatens' to move in on his wife. The other man of course does end up being apart of their love square only because the husband pushes Abra into his arms basically.
then the other woman comes into the picture again they have a fight and Abra has to leave because she gets her ass kicked and then she falls in love with the stranger. OB-VI-OUS!
All in all if you love confusingly obvious stories that have victims of a main character this is the book for you otherwise its just a pretty cover with a whole lot of nonsense in between
I must admit choosing this one to start this of my journey was a mistake for a few reasons:
1:the story was all over the place, i must admit i probably won't read the next book/s
2:the main character was a typical poor me victim of her own faults.
3:Half the story made no sense and was so predictable.
Abra Barrows is a door mat no other way of putting it. She finds out her husbands had an affair and thinks that moving to the place where the other woman lives is the answer to her problems. After finding out once again that he cheated on her she 'plans' to leave him but coincidentally finds out shes 'pregnant' then he turns all loving husband until another man 'threatens' to move in on his wife. The other man of course does end up being apart of their love square only because the husband pushes Abra into his arms basically.
then the other woman comes into the picture again they have a fight and Abra has to leave because she gets her ass kicked and then she falls in love with the stranger. OB-VI-OUS!
All in all if you love confusingly obvious stories that have victims of a main character this is the book for you otherwise its just a pretty cover with a whole lot of nonsense in between
December 20, 2011
When vet Abra Barrow's husband returns from a trip to Romania, he's a changed man. Having schtupped someone on his trip, he's brought back a little more than just the usual memories and STD's in the form of the lycanthropy virus and, in an effort to save her marriage, Abra agrees to move with him out of the city to the slightly wilder Northside, where her husband isn't the only person with more than just human instincts...
I really enjoyed the way this was written, slightly tongue in cheek at times and yet with emotional realism also brought into play, as Abra realises there's something wrong with her marriage. Her growth as a character as she moves away from being a pathetic little dormouse idolising her raging asshole of a husband into someone far more uninhibited as she discovers herself through Red, the seductive stranger she's irresistably attracted to, elevated this from some of the more schlocky paranormal romance titles that I've read.
Enjoyable, sexy fun that I didn't really put down until I'd finished it, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to any female fans of the full moon.
I really enjoyed the way this was written, slightly tongue in cheek at times and yet with emotional realism also brought into play, as Abra realises there's something wrong with her marriage. Her growth as a character as she moves away from being a pathetic little dormouse idolising her raging asshole of a husband into someone far more uninhibited as she discovers herself through Red, the seductive stranger she's irresistably attracted to, elevated this from some of the more schlocky paranormal romance titles that I've read.
Enjoyable, sexy fun that I didn't really put down until I'd finished it, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to any female fans of the full moon.
October 29, 2012
I hated it.
The only reason I finished was because I was determined to see this sham through (and the slight hope the whole cast would get killed in a freak accident).
The worst thing? The writing wasn't even half bad but the cookie cutter cast and the uber pathetic protagonist destroy any chance this book has.
Abra has a husband who doesn't have the slightest positive thing to say to her, constantly putting her down, isolating and manipulating her and obviously cheating on her while brushing it off and making her feel guilty about it. And she just takes it while wailing about her bad luck and how depressed she is. Over and over and OVER AND OVER. Ugh.
I'd rather watch paint dry, thank you.
The only reason I finished was because I was determined to see this sham through (and the slight hope the whole cast would get killed in a freak accident).
The worst thing? The writing wasn't even half bad but the cookie cutter cast and the uber pathetic protagonist destroy any chance this book has.
Abra has a husband who doesn't have the slightest positive thing to say to her, constantly putting her down, isolating and manipulating her and obviously cheating on her while brushing it off and making her feel guilty about it. And she just takes it while wailing about her bad luck and how depressed she is. Over and over and OVER AND OVER. Ugh.
I'd rather watch paint dry, thank you.
May 8, 2009
I read the book's description and was hooked. As each character was introduced with quirks and creativity.... I was sure this would be a really, really good book! The setting was great, the idea behind the characters was wonderful. So what went wrong?
I needed more. More description, more thrill, more to visualize and fill in the frustration that came with characters who had a ton of potential. Situations that should have left my heart racing, turning pages in anticipation.... it just didn't find the balance of edginess, grit, description, and mature writing that I craved.
I needed more. More description, more thrill, more to visualize and fill in the frustration that came with characters who had a ton of potential. Situations that should have left my heart racing, turning pages in anticipation.... it just didn't find the balance of edginess, grit, description, and mature writing that I craved.
June 1, 2009
TSTL heroine Abra Barrow is in a relationship with a cheating werewolf who can't keep it in his pants. She stays with him and even moves away from her career to keep him. It isn't until 3/4 of the book is complete before she gets balls and goes off with another man. Then the werewolf and his alpha bitch start trouble. It finally gets exciting at this point and is worth reading but a tad boring and annoying until then.
TSTL = too stupid to live
TSTL = too stupid to live
May 12, 2023
Kinda torn on this one. I enjoyed it enough to finish it, but various elements (especially in the climax) bugged me. The MC is unsympathetically pathetic, and while her growth from that state is part of the story, the growth feels forced and the character feels annoying.
Speaking of forced, there's an incident where the MC overrules her love interest's objections and forces unconsensual sex on him. While this incident IS portrayed as an overstep she regrets later, she regrets it for the wrong reasons and he doesn't seem to mind that she did it. A now-ex-lover did almost exactly the same thing to me in real life, and... well, let's just say I minded it a LOT and broke up with her afterward. I realize that dubious consent and even "sexyrape" are time-worn tropes in romance and erotica. I didn't sign on for that in this book, though, and the incident didn't exactly endear an already challenging character to me.
The book DOES have engaging elements, and displays (for better and worse) far more authenticity in terms of its settings, situations, and emotional landscapes than many books in this genre possess. It's not a bad book by any means. I'm just not sure yet if I want to devote time to the second (and apparently final) book in this series.
Speaking of forced, there's an incident where the MC overrules her love interest's objections and forces unconsensual sex on him. While this incident IS portrayed as an overstep she regrets later, she regrets it for the wrong reasons and he doesn't seem to mind that she did it. A now-ex-lover did almost exactly the same thing to me in real life, and... well, let's just say I minded it a LOT and broke up with her afterward. I realize that dubious consent and even "sexyrape" are time-worn tropes in romance and erotica. I didn't sign on for that in this book, though, and the incident didn't exactly endear an already challenging character to me.
The book DOES have engaging elements, and displays (for better and worse) far more authenticity in terms of its settings, situations, and emotional landscapes than many books in this genre possess. It's not a bad book by any means. I'm just not sure yet if I want to devote time to the second (and apparently final) book in this series.
December 28, 2017
Simplemente terrible y una pérdida de tiempo. No, no y no,
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
June 28, 2009
http://janicu.livejournal.com/71527.html
The Premise: This book centers on a veterinarian, Abra Barrow, who lives and works in Manhattan. Her husband Hunter is a journalist, and he's just come home from a several month long trip studying wolves in Romania. It's not long before Abra has to admit that something has happened on Hunter's trip - she suspects he's had an affair, but at the same time the doctor she interns under suggests that her husband has come into contact with the lycantrophy virus. Hunter feels restless and unhappy in the city and declares he needs a forest and will be moving to his family's home in Northside, New York. As usual he leaves little room in his plans for Abra, but to save her marriage, Abra quits her job and joins him. Thrown into the mix is Wildlife Removal Operator Red Mallin, a strange man at ease with himself and the wilderness. He's got an interest in Abra and seems to know a lot of strange things about what's going on with Hunter.
My Thoughts: This book is different from the usual urban fantasy (it's marked as paranormal romance; I disagree - OK it's about relationships and there's a little romance, but it's not quite romance). It's more about the angst of relationships and marriage with the supernatural as a small part of that whole. The story reminded me of Nick Hornby or Emily Giffin's writing with some Stephen King thrown in. In the first few pages I felt the discomfort of witnessing a marriage break up but throughout the book there's also the discomfort of reading about the messy details of life - menstruation, smells, and hair growth patterns are all described. This book may have shades of woman's fiction/chick lit, but it's the darker, serious side of chick lit and fluffy it is not. The supernatural is an unknown world to most people but to those who do learn about it, it is scientifically treated. For example, lycantrophy is described as a virus which only affects those with a predisposition (work on isolating the gene is mentioned), and Abra seems to easily accept what happens with only very brief thoughts of calling a mental hospital.
The thing the struck me first was Abra's husband Hunter. I hated him. When I first picked up the book, I only read about 50 pages in but later that night I had a dream about killing him. The way that Hunter treated Abra was never "obvious" abuse, and he seemed to swing back and forth between disinterest and contempt to attention and passion, so I could see the confusion an intelligent person like Abra could go through. But all the little things he would say that seemed to show a lack of respect for the woman he married drove me up the wall. I'd say his brush with lycantrophy may have brought this to the surface but reading flashbacks when Abra met him, I don't think he was ever a nice person.
Then we meet Abra's mother - Piper LeFever, a B-movie actress with a penchant for the theatrical and who always manages to make everything about herself. First I thought oh, Abra's mother hates Hunter, is Abra rebelling? But then I wondered if Piper's narcissistic personality just made Abra susceptible to the same type of thing in her spouse? Her mother made Abra the type of person who abhors a scene, the type of avoidant person who could get easily manipulated by Hunter - he often put her in the position where she had to either accept his crap or ignore it to avoid drama (narcissistic abuse?) Well this book got to me that's for sure, I was (armchair) psychoanalysing the characters.
It's a good thing that I was so fascinated by the dark relationships in this book, because the angst here came close to turning me away. I despised Hunter, and I on the fence about whether to dislike Abra for staying with him. About midway through the book I contemplated putting it down as a DNF but decided to keep going. Luckily that's when things started getting interesting regarding another man's interest in Abra and the hope of her leaving Hunter kept me reading on. THANK GOD for Red Mallin's character! He was a breath of fresh air and I liked him so much more than Hunter. In fact, I hated Hunter so much I had no issues whatsoever with Abra's being interested in another man when she was married. He was that bad.
Other minor comments I feel too lazy to expound on:
* Very intense sex scenes
* Many mentions of wolves sprinkled throughout the book like an easter egg hunt.
* Alisa Sheckley writes as Alisa Kwitney for some contemporary romance/woman's fiction stories - I don't think Ive read any of her other books though.
Overall: Really like nothing else I've read in urban fantasy - it is more like messy relationship angst with the supernatural as an aside. Avoid if you can't stand books that go into details of real life relationship drama but go for it if that is something you find fascinating. Usually I can't take angst myself, but it did make me think a lot and it was saved by a somewhat happy ending (and by Red Mallin's character), but it's a bumpy ride. I may wait a bit before I read book 2 - Moonburn.
The Premise: This book centers on a veterinarian, Abra Barrow, who lives and works in Manhattan. Her husband Hunter is a journalist, and he's just come home from a several month long trip studying wolves in Romania. It's not long before Abra has to admit that something has happened on Hunter's trip - she suspects he's had an affair, but at the same time the doctor she interns under suggests that her husband has come into contact with the lycantrophy virus. Hunter feels restless and unhappy in the city and declares he needs a forest and will be moving to his family's home in Northside, New York. As usual he leaves little room in his plans for Abra, but to save her marriage, Abra quits her job and joins him. Thrown into the mix is Wildlife Removal Operator Red Mallin, a strange man at ease with himself and the wilderness. He's got an interest in Abra and seems to know a lot of strange things about what's going on with Hunter.
My Thoughts: This book is different from the usual urban fantasy (it's marked as paranormal romance; I disagree - OK it's about relationships and there's a little romance, but it's not quite romance). It's more about the angst of relationships and marriage with the supernatural as a small part of that whole. The story reminded me of Nick Hornby or Emily Giffin's writing with some Stephen King thrown in. In the first few pages I felt the discomfort of witnessing a marriage break up but throughout the book there's also the discomfort of reading about the messy details of life - menstruation, smells, and hair growth patterns are all described. This book may have shades of woman's fiction/chick lit, but it's the darker, serious side of chick lit and fluffy it is not. The supernatural is an unknown world to most people but to those who do learn about it, it is scientifically treated. For example, lycantrophy is described as a virus which only affects those with a predisposition (work on isolating the gene is mentioned), and Abra seems to easily accept what happens with only very brief thoughts of calling a mental hospital.
The thing the struck me first was Abra's husband Hunter. I hated him. When I first picked up the book, I only read about 50 pages in but later that night I had a dream about killing him. The way that Hunter treated Abra was never "obvious" abuse, and he seemed to swing back and forth between disinterest and contempt to attention and passion, so I could see the confusion an intelligent person like Abra could go through. But all the little things he would say that seemed to show a lack of respect for the woman he married drove me up the wall. I'd say his brush with lycantrophy may have brought this to the surface but reading flashbacks when Abra met him, I don't think he was ever a nice person.
Then we meet Abra's mother - Piper LeFever, a B-movie actress with a penchant for the theatrical and who always manages to make everything about herself. First I thought oh, Abra's mother hates Hunter, is Abra rebelling? But then I wondered if Piper's narcissistic personality just made Abra susceptible to the same type of thing in her spouse? Her mother made Abra the type of person who abhors a scene, the type of avoidant person who could get easily manipulated by Hunter - he often put her in the position where she had to either accept his crap or ignore it to avoid drama (narcissistic abuse?) Well this book got to me that's for sure, I was (armchair) psychoanalysing the characters.
It's a good thing that I was so fascinated by the dark relationships in this book, because the angst here came close to turning me away. I despised Hunter, and I on the fence about whether to dislike Abra for staying with him. About midway through the book I contemplated putting it down as a DNF but decided to keep going. Luckily that's when things started getting interesting regarding another man's interest in Abra and the hope of her leaving Hunter kept me reading on. THANK GOD for Red Mallin's character! He was a breath of fresh air and I liked him so much more than Hunter. In fact, I hated Hunter so much I had no issues whatsoever with Abra's being interested in another man when she was married. He was that bad.
Other minor comments I feel too lazy to expound on:
* Very intense sex scenes
* Many mentions of wolves sprinkled throughout the book like an easter egg hunt.
* Alisa Sheckley writes as Alisa Kwitney for some contemporary romance/woman's fiction stories - I don't think Ive read any of her other books though.
Overall: Really like nothing else I've read in urban fantasy - it is more like messy relationship angst with the supernatural as an aside. Avoid if you can't stand books that go into details of real life relationship drama but go for it if that is something you find fascinating. Usually I can't take angst myself, but it did make me think a lot and it was saved by a somewhat happy ending (and by Red Mallin's character), but it's a bumpy ride. I may wait a bit before I read book 2 - Moonburn.
September 16, 2009
Alisa Sheckley is, as the name has us suspecting, daughter to the late Robert Sheckley. Given, having the master of satirical Sci-Fi as your parent doesn’t necessitate that you’re a great writer, too, but authors like Richard Christian Matheson, son to Richard Matheson, seem to indicate that writing talent can be hereditary.
Well, whatever the case two things I do dare say are inevitable when having a famous parent:
You will be compared and there will always be the nagging doubt if you really earned your position.
Let me say one thing about the book in general, before you read on:
This is a romance novel, no way around it, if you don’t consider yourself a fan of this genre you will not enjoy the book!
I might add, I hadn’t bought the book if I had read the back-cover blurb before.
I’m not enamoured with the first part of the book, which like a Tim Burton movie you can break apart in single elements all of which are possessed by their own charm but put together they jar at each other. It kept being stuck in my mind as a crude mix of chick-lit entertainment paranormal mystery, and emotional drama of which in the end only the emotional drama keeps working. It’s only when Abra follows Hunter to live with him in the abandoned backwoods estate of his family, and when there’s nothing much left to focus on than the relationship between them, that Alisa’s story really begins to catch you. She’s possessed of a fine eye for what makes relations go and for the ease with which a partner can hurt you. Forced to concentrate on the emotional side of her story she excels in her writing.
In the third part however she finally succumbs to the usual conventions of Paranormal Romance.
It’s an odd cycle the book runs through, starting in a Chick-Lit voice, turning for the best part to Romance Drama and finally ending as Paranormal Erotic Lit.
Now there’s no doubt that Alisa is a girl or a woman rather, really, I think I read more about women’s business in the first fifty pages of this book than I heard over the years growing up with a pair of sisters. "The better to hold you" is written firmly from a woman’s point of view and it would be unfair to omit that fact to the prospective reader; it’s a book I imagine women will enjoy much more for the familiarity of topic, while some men will be bound to feel uncomfortable with the more intimate parts of the novel. There’s at times a down-to-earth serious tone to Alisa’s writing that you seldom find in the field. She’s practically opening the book (after a really chick-lity interlude) with a quite realistic, feeling uncomfortable sex scene that hints on the coming trouble. But Alisa’s true strength is writing domestic scenes of such a painful reality that you can’t help but wince in sympathy when they have an argument, her greatest weakness on the other hand are sudden dips into chick-lit territory of which she knows all the rules and does her best to avoid the usual trappings but at times this tip-toeing around genre conventions becomes too obvious to truly enjoy.
All in all I’m feeling torn down right in the middle. I like her writing a lot, the book is a fast reader that keeps you glued to the pages and I felt it to be easy to identify with the various characters, but the book didn’t feel evened out switching from emotional realism to happy-go-lucky entertainment voice.
At the end stands a enjoyable book, that places its preference for the greater part at the romance in paranormal romance, avoiding starry-eyed teen love prose or sounding like a wish fulfillment 'dear penthouse' letter. But over the course of the book she changes direction so often that I couldn’t shake the feeling that this is the work of an author that hasn’t yet decided in which genre to settle.
It’s a book I can recommend to romance readers, but it is a cautious recommendation.
Well, whatever the case two things I do dare say are inevitable when having a famous parent:
You will be compared and there will always be the nagging doubt if you really earned your position.
Let me say one thing about the book in general, before you read on:
This is a romance novel, no way around it, if you don’t consider yourself a fan of this genre you will not enjoy the book!
I might add, I hadn’t bought the book if I had read the back-cover blurb before.
I’m not enamoured with the first part of the book, which like a Tim Burton movie you can break apart in single elements all of which are possessed by their own charm but put together they jar at each other. It kept being stuck in my mind as a crude mix of chick-lit entertainment paranormal mystery, and emotional drama of which in the end only the emotional drama keeps working. It’s only when Abra follows Hunter to live with him in the abandoned backwoods estate of his family, and when there’s nothing much left to focus on than the relationship between them, that Alisa’s story really begins to catch you. She’s possessed of a fine eye for what makes relations go and for the ease with which a partner can hurt you. Forced to concentrate on the emotional side of her story she excels in her writing.
In the third part however she finally succumbs to the usual conventions of Paranormal Romance.
It’s an odd cycle the book runs through, starting in a Chick-Lit voice, turning for the best part to Romance Drama and finally ending as Paranormal Erotic Lit.
Now there’s no doubt that Alisa is a girl or a woman rather, really, I think I read more about women’s business in the first fifty pages of this book than I heard over the years growing up with a pair of sisters. "The better to hold you" is written firmly from a woman’s point of view and it would be unfair to omit that fact to the prospective reader; it’s a book I imagine women will enjoy much more for the familiarity of topic, while some men will be bound to feel uncomfortable with the more intimate parts of the novel. There’s at times a down-to-earth serious tone to Alisa’s writing that you seldom find in the field. She’s practically opening the book (after a really chick-lity interlude) with a quite realistic, feeling uncomfortable sex scene that hints on the coming trouble. But Alisa’s true strength is writing domestic scenes of such a painful reality that you can’t help but wince in sympathy when they have an argument, her greatest weakness on the other hand are sudden dips into chick-lit territory of which she knows all the rules and does her best to avoid the usual trappings but at times this tip-toeing around genre conventions becomes too obvious to truly enjoy.
All in all I’m feeling torn down right in the middle. I like her writing a lot, the book is a fast reader that keeps you glued to the pages and I felt it to be easy to identify with the various characters, but the book didn’t feel evened out switching from emotional realism to happy-go-lucky entertainment voice.
At the end stands a enjoyable book, that places its preference for the greater part at the romance in paranormal romance, avoiding starry-eyed teen love prose or sounding like a wish fulfillment 'dear penthouse' letter. But over the course of the book she changes direction so often that I couldn’t shake the feeling that this is the work of an author that hasn’t yet decided in which genre to settle.
It’s a book I can recommend to romance readers, but it is a cautious recommendation.
March 10, 2012
I started reading this thinking it's a romantica book (romance+erotica). But it was mediocre, all over the place and makes you go "wtf?" I tried to ignore the anorexic woman on the book cover (don't judge the book by the cover, right?) but the character, Abra, is as weak as the thin woman on the cover. Abra is totally spineless, kinda gullible and really stupid. Her husband doesn't care for her and she somehow doesn't get it and manages to stay in a bad marriage. She 30, a veterinarian, but an intern! How can you be 30, have a vet degree and still be an intern?! This also means she's completely financially dependent on her husband because interns don't get paid. (The author makes a similar mistake where Abra is injured and is taken to a hospital to be treated by an "intern." There are no medical "interns." There are med students and residents, who tend to be closely supervised by doctors or nurses. This is common knowledge!)
--spoilers ahead--
The romance was, at best, meh. Abra has sex with her husband supposedly a lot and all the scenes are boring. There's no sizzling romance or dialogue, even though Abra somehow manages to find Red, a man who falls madly in love with her for no apparent reason. Their attraction could have been sexy if not for the bad dialogue. For example, here's some dialogue during Abra and Red's first "lovemaking":
“I don't suppose I could just keep my socks on? He sounded almost desperate.
Very funny. No.
Um, the thing is, if I'm entirely naked …”
And later...
"We were lying in bed, my head on Red's chest, one of my legs thrown over his hip. We were not lovers by Bill Clinton's definition of the word. But we were definitely more than just friends." WTF? Bill Clinton?
Like this, there's all sorts of things randomly popping up in plot that doesn't really make sense. Overall, a waste of time. If you are looking for werewolf romantica, try Eyes Like a Wolf or Blood and Chocolate instead.
--spoilers ahead--
The romance was, at best, meh. Abra has sex with her husband supposedly a lot and all the scenes are boring. There's no sizzling romance or dialogue, even though Abra somehow manages to find Red, a man who falls madly in love with her for no apparent reason. Their attraction could have been sexy if not for the bad dialogue. For example, here's some dialogue during Abra and Red's first "lovemaking":
“I don't suppose I could just keep my socks on? He sounded almost desperate.
Very funny. No.
Um, the thing is, if I'm entirely naked …”
And later...
"We were lying in bed, my head on Red's chest, one of my legs thrown over his hip. We were not lovers by Bill Clinton's definition of the word. But we were definitely more than just friends." WTF? Bill Clinton?
Like this, there's all sorts of things randomly popping up in plot that doesn't really make sense. Overall, a waste of time. If you are looking for werewolf romantica, try Eyes Like a Wolf or Blood and Chocolate instead.
September 10, 2015
Die Tierärztin Abra ist verheiratet und lebt in New York City. Sie ist Vegetarierin und arbeitet für ein Institut um sich weiterzubilden. Ihr Mann Hunter ist nach einer Geschäftsreise nach Rumänien seltsam gereizt und unruhig. Ihre Beziehung ist nicht die allerbeste und der Sex.. naja, könnte auch besser sein. Doch nach dieser Reise ändert sich nicht nur Hunters Verhalten sondern auch der Sex. Doch die Hochstimmung hält nicht lange an bei Abra als sie realisiert, dass Hunter sie mal wieder betrogen hat - und sich bei dieser Frau in Rumänien mit einem Virus infiziert hat, welches ihn zum Werwolf werden lässt. Um ihre Ehe zu retten, zieht sie Hunter zuliebe aufs Land - sie lässt Freunde und Job zurück und doch scheint die Ehe nicht zu retten. Vor allem fühlt sich Abra von dem geheimnisvollen Red stark angezogen.
Also ich weiß nicht so recht, Abra ging mir tierisch auf den Keks mit ihrem unterwürfigen und zum Teil auch recht unentschlossenen und nervigen Verhalten. Andererseits war die Geschichte doch ziemlich klasse und daher werde ich vielleicht doch den nächsten Band lesen. Mal sehen, ob und wie sich Abra weiterentwickelt. Hier war sie jedenfalls teilweise eine echte Nervensäge und man hätte sie schütteln mögen. Trotzdem gebe ich für die Story selbst 4 Sterne.
Also ich weiß nicht so recht, Abra ging mir tierisch auf den Keks mit ihrem unterwürfigen und zum Teil auch recht unentschlossenen und nervigen Verhalten. Andererseits war die Geschichte doch ziemlich klasse und daher werde ich vielleicht doch den nächsten Band lesen. Mal sehen, ob und wie sich Abra weiterentwickelt. Hier war sie jedenfalls teilweise eine echte Nervensäge und man hätte sie schütteln mögen. Trotzdem gebe ich für die Story selbst 4 Sterne.
April 11, 2009
Abra is a veterinarian-in-training whose husband is a rather absentee partner. He often goes on long trips and hardly seems to care that he's married and he certainly isn't going to let it stop him from doing what he wants to do. When he returns from Romania he's acting more and more animalistic until he finally decides to move to his family home in upstate New York. Abra goes along to save her marriage, though by that point you know enough about her to think it's not worth saving.
The book is written in first person, so we only see Abra's view of everything. Unfortunately, she puts up with verbal abuse from all corners of her life. It's hard to have much respect for a person like that, though she's probably a more realistic character as a result. It is painful to read though.
I don't feel the werewolf mythos is properly explained, it's as if the author is purposely keeping it vague. Regardless, it has some interesting information about wolves and I did finish it. And in the words of Manny Bianco "that is not nothing, that is something."
The book is written in first person, so we only see Abra's view of everything. Unfortunately, she puts up with verbal abuse from all corners of her life. It's hard to have much respect for a person like that, though she's probably a more realistic character as a result. It is painful to read though.
I don't feel the werewolf mythos is properly explained, it's as if the author is purposely keeping it vague. Regardless, it has some interesting information about wolves and I did finish it. And in the words of Manny Bianco "that is not nothing, that is something."
June 18, 2010
Where do I start? What do I write and how do I finish? This was my first book read written by this author. I'm not familiar with the subject matter of wolves/people. My first experience was going along fine till about six-eights through. The characters had the ability to change into the wolf. During the start of an intimate scene the changing was going quickly with the male and there was a fear from the female that she was not going to change at the same time so the possible chance of and intimate encounter with female and wolf was too strong for me. ( the concern was eluded too by the female character.) Of course the change of her did happen as it should, but this placed a too strong mental picture of the possibility that she may have not and that did it for me. I finished the book. Chances of reading another by her on this subject matter, very little. Was a quick read.
April 13, 2011
This book started off really good and I liked the vet scene and the main character. Her husband got more and more irritating, which he may have been supposed to, and I started to get annoyed with her that she was putting up with his cheating and the way he talked to her. Or maybe I should say didn''t talk to her. When she didnt stand up for herself I was tempted to put the book down but I knew it would get better and it did.
My favourite part was when she left him and he gets what's coming to him. I like the character Red, he is cool. I enjoyed it enough to read the second which I snagged as it went through the circ desk at work the other day. The second ones sounds cool as she releases her inner animal so to speak.
My favourite part was when she left him and he gets what's coming to him. I like the character Red, he is cool. I enjoyed it enough to read the second which I snagged as it went through the circ desk at work the other day. The second ones sounds cool as she releases her inner animal so to speak.
June 20, 2015
"...This is the first novel about lycanthrophy that I have ever read, and I have to say - I really enjoyed it! It's essentially a paranormal romance, but there was also more to the story than simply that. One thing I learned about romance novels featuring werewolves? They have a LOT of sex. And I really mean A LOT. I have heard this is pretty much true across the board with lycanthrope romances - primal instinct, or the call of the wild or some such thing, I guess, but I don't think it was necessarily too much in this novel, since Sheckley adds a lot more elements to the plot than simply the sex. ..."
For full review, please visit me at Here Be Bookwyrms on Blogger!
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For full review, please visit me at Here Be Bookwyrms on Blogger!
http://herebebookwyrms.blogspot.com/2...
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