HIlarious and Sweet
My Initial Reaction...
How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf was a lot of fun to read. It had likable characters, a good story line, and was hilarious (which I expected from a Harper-Ronconi book).
The Narration...
I have yet to be disappointed by Amanda Ronconi's narration. She always delivers an A+ performance. Not only does Ronconi use different, vividly distinct voices for all of the characters, but I think she breathes additional life into them. She's the perfect match for witty, snarky characters - which is exactly the kind of characters that Molly Harper seems to live writing. Definitely recommend this duo.
The Characters...
Mo is the rebellious daughter of two hippies. Which means that she seeks things like public education, meat, processed foods, and cellphones. In her boldest move of rebellion, Mo moves to Alaska while her way-too-involved parents are away at a protest rally so she can get some distance from them and find herself. The dynamic Mo has with her parents forms only a small, albeit hilarious, backdrop to the story. Where we really see Mo is as she establishes herself in the small town of Grundy; as a 29 year-old ad executive, she's pretty much doomed to stand out as an outsider. I loved seeing Mo get to know her neighbors and fall into the rhythm of her day-to-day life. She's one of those genuinely good people that you just love knowing. Combine that with a snarky attitude, a bit of naivete , and the craziness that comes when you find you're living among werewolves and you've got a great character.
When we meet Cooper, he's the aloof, rude, yet ridiculously hot character. So yeah, it's a little predictable, but in an enjoyable way. There's no doubting that he's obviously going to have a past that explains that behavior. And you know there's going to be some hot scenes with him. And you'd be right. But there's also some really funny moments and I enjoyed the way he and Mo interacted. And being rough around the edges really is part of his appeal. Ultimately, he's not the deepest of characters, but an enjoyable one to get to know and laugh along with (or at, as the case may be).
I really loved the wide range of quirky supporting characters. As I've come to expect from Harper, the supporting characters are developed enough for you to grow to know and like them. Their interactions with Mo, as she grows to know them on a closer level, are usually pretty funny. Sometimes they're also pretty heartwarming.
The Story...
The main story of How to Flirt with a Naked Werwolf centers on Mo, who's just been dumped by her fiancee and decided that it's time to change something. So she's left behind family in friends in the South and traveled by car to her new home in Alaska. She's come with some savings, no job, and really no plan. So a big part is just seeing how she'll make it work in the small town of Grundy. But to complicate things, she discovers that werewolves are real and one (maybe even some) of them is quite possibly killing hikers. And, since she's one of the few who knows about werewolves, she feels like she needs to do something. On top of all that, she has a really sweet Ranger and a not so sweet, but very hot, werewolf interested in her. Normal, safe and sweet or scary, irritating, or hot? What's a girl to do? Duh!
For me this was a thoroughly enjoyable read from beginning to end. There wasn't a chapter that didn't have me laughing and I really enjoyed all the character's interactions. There were times where I wanted to shake Mo and make her see what was right in front of her, but there were plenty of times where I was just as surprised as she was, if not more so. The plot had some definite twists and turns to keep you on your toes and move the story forwards.
Concluding Sentiments...
If you're looking for a fun, sweet read with an enjoyable storyline, I recommend How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf. It's definitely a sweet, happily ever after kind of story - expect to smile and laugh out loud frequently.
