Where The Wild Things Bite by Molly Harper
Series: Half Moon Hollow, #5
Paranormal Romance
July 26, 2016
Pocket Books
Reviewed by Tori
Favorite Quote: If there’s a lesson you can take from vampires, it’s “take what resources you can, when you can, even if it’s in a less than ethical manner.” We call this “survival of the sneakiest.”
The fifth installment in Molly Harper’s silly, sexy, and adorably addictive Half Moon Hollow series will leave readers cheering and laughing out loud at the pairing of a shiftless vampire with an extreme germaphobe who are trapped in the wild together with no food, no water, and lots of dirty surfaces. Though part of a series; the setting, main plotline, and protagonists are relatively new ensuring this can be read as a standalone that newcomers and diehard fans alike will enjoy.
Readers of this series will remember Finn Palmeroy as the vampire who answered Libby Stratton’s Craigslist ad in The Single Undead Mom’s Club. A long time con man… errr… con vampire, Finn is up to his old tricks in here but meets his match in newcomer Anna Winthrop. Anna is an archivist whose collegiate career was snatched out from under her by an unscrupulous ex-boyfriend. Having rerouted her career into authentication of supernatural manuscripts, she now has a book in her possession that must be delivered back to Jane Jamison. A book that could change the landscape of the supernatural world. When she is attacked by the pilot on her flight to Half Moon Hollow, Anna finds herself “saved” by a vampire named Finn. Lost in the woods, miles away from home and humanity, Anna will have to pull up her big girl panties, toss out the antibiotic gel, and decide if she is ready to rejoin the messiness called life.
I adore Molly Harper. From her contemporaries to her paranormals, Harper writes rich, engaging, adventurous stories filled with strong-willed females and smexy prickly alphas. Where the Wild Things Bite continues this tradition with a delightfully light-hearted paranormal romance that uses self-deprecating humor, personable characters, and some off the wall plotlines to ensure you won’t want to put it down. Her characters are hysterically eccentric and provide much eye rolling and snorts of laughter as you slip smoothly into their lives. The relatively straightforward storyline along with its invigorating narrative makes for a fun fast read.
Anna is hilarious with her multitudes of idiosyncrasies, ingrained suspicious nature, and raging monologues. Raised by a manipulative, narcissistic mother and an uninterested father, Anna’s struggle to break free of the bonds her family has placed on her has only served to make her even more introverted. She trusts no one, especially men, and sees Finn more as the enemy than a fellow survivalist. She is focused on her mission and determined nothing will keep her from completing it.
I was trapped in the bluegrass version of Deliverance. With a vampire.
Worst. Case. Scenario.”
Finn is the classic bad boy whose con artist nature is more a habit than a need. A former grifter from the early 1900s, his transition to vampire was the direct result of one of his scams. Death, or nondeath as the case may be, wasn’t a detriment for him but merely opened up new ways for him to scam people. Anna touches something inside of him that was opened by his interactions with Libby and that scares him to death. Witty, handsome, and charmingly slimy, even the reader is somewhat distrustful of him. And we soon learn we should always trust your instincts.
The slow evolution of Finn and Anna’s relationship is a delightful journey punctuated with humor, sarcasm, and some hot and steamy sexual chemistry. Wandering through the woods with a hungry vampire keeps Anna on edge as she waits for Finn to pounce. And pounce he does but only in ways that make life much more interesting. Harper does a fabulous job of fleshing out Finn and Anna, peeling back their layers and showing us that they are the perfect couple if they can just get out of their own heads for a moment.
“Admit I was right.” His voice was a smug tickle against the shell of my ear.
“OK, OK, we needed a bath,” I confessed. “We were getting a little gamey.”
“You know, a lesser vampire would take advantage of the situation,“ he said, ghosting his hand over my bare belly in the water. “Moonlight, nudity, your tender gratitude.”
I rolled, treading water so close to him my feet bumped against his shins. “I think you are overestimating the tenderness of my gratitude.”
“Am I?”
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but I don’t like you that much.”
You know, you’re right about a lot of things,“ he told me. “But not that. You like me plenty.”
A rambunctious cast of supporting characters- from the wild and crazy supes chasing Anna and Finn to the “unusual” bed and breakfast owner-will leave you literally howling as the conflict begins to straighten itself out and you see exactly what is at stake here. Dick and Jane (I love when these two get together) arrive with help to save the day and only add to the overall outrageousness of the situation. A few twists and turns keeps you guessing as you watch this comedy of errors play itself out.
If you’re looking for a funny, sexy paranormal romance with a dash of mystery and suspense that will leave thoroughly entertained or for a good place to dip your toes in this world, then I highly recommend picking up Molly Harper’s newest Half Moon Hollow’s adventure-Where The Wild Things Bite.
Grade: B
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