Publisher: Pocket
Publish Date: Out Now
How I got this book: Contest Win
Baring It All
Generations of werewolves have been secretly residing in a secluded valley a stone’s throw from Grundy, Alaska. So when a snooping Outsider comes to Grundy to investigate rumors of lycanthropic shenanigans in the area, the valley’s pack alpha, Maggie Graham, resolves to chase him away, even if doing so takes a quick bite on the butt. What a pity that researcher Nick Thatcher turns out to be so drool-worthy, and that his kisses make Maggie want to sit up and beg. Maggie just can’t seem to convince Nick to leave . . . and even worse, she can’t convince herself to stay away from him. Cross-species dating is problem enough for a harried alpha female, but on top of that, a rival group of werewolves is trying to move into the valley. With interpack war threatening, Maggie can’t afford to be distracted. Combining romance and a career can be tough for anyone; for a werewolf in love with a human, it may be disastrous. . . .
*Blurb from Goodreads*
When it comes to books about shifters, wolves especially, I’m a goner. I love my shifters, and when you mix in the humor that Harper does so well, I’m in book heaven. But for some reason, the second book in the Naked Werewolf Series fell short for me.
Maggie is the alpha of the local pack up near Grundy, Alaska. When Nick comes snooping around the area looking for truth to the rumors of the supernatural, it’s Maggie’s responsibility to keep her people safe and keep Nick in the dark. But it’s harder than it sounds, with Nick’s ability to turn her into a large walking hormone, Maggie is having problems remembering why she has to keep her secret.
Nick knows at first glance he wants Maggie more than anything. She keeps trying to tell him they can’t be together, going on dates with others, and doing everything in her power to push him away. But Nick wont be swayed. As he and Maggie grow closer every day, he will have to choose between his life’s work or the woman he’s fallen for. And Maggie will have to choose between her human love, or a comfortable wolf companion.
Maggie wasn’t portrayed in the best light in the first book in the series, and I had some reservations about her ability to be a strong enough character to hold my interest throughout the second book. At the same time, I always love a good redemption story, and held out hope that Maggie would burst onto the pages and prove me wrong. Unfortunately, it just didn’t happen for me. I thought she continued to be a selfish and sometimes annoying character. While she did do some growing up and maturing throughout the story, there was nothing about her that really sucked me in and had me liking or even relating to her as a character.
I did really enjoy Nick’s character for the most part. He was the handsome nerdy hero that reminds me of my husband and makes me want to swoon. He was so patient with Maggie, and tolerant of her crazy antics. He really stood out to me as one of those silent and shy heroes who would do just about anything for his lady love. But there were times that I wanted him to be a little more alpha with her. Sure Maggie was the alpha of her pack, but I would have enjoyed watching Nick come in and demand, even expect a little more from her.
If you’re a fan of the slow building romance, this one should be right up your alley. The build up of Nick and Maggie’s relationship is the slow kind, where they both admit their feelings for one another, but it takes awhile to progress anywhere. Add in Maggie’s insecurities with being mated to a human and the romance is definitely a slow moving one. It wasn’t exactly my cup of tea though, because I felt that while Maggie admits her feelings somewhat early on, she does everything in her power to go against those feelings. Then one day suddenly all her reservations about why they couldn’t work, don’t matter anymore. She didn’t seem to have an epiphany, just *poof* and they are happy.
The somewhat suspenseful sub-plot was also not done as well as it had been in the last book. It didn’t hold me into the story or keep me engaged. It was somewhat predictable, and took a couple of different twists and turns that had me scratching my head wondering where Harper was going with it.
I did enjoy that we got to see some of my other cast favorites though. Cooper and Mo are back and have a lot of page space. Also, Sampson, Maggie’s fun and hilarious cousin plays a bigger part, and I hope that he will get a story of his own in the series.
All in all, I wasn’t super impressed with The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf. I give this one a C-.