As soon as I noticed that Hunter couldn’t be bothered with something like that, I disliked him, which in time turned into full fledged hatred. Even when he was being nice was just only to manipulate her! And he was so nonchalant about everything, “Yeah, I sleep with other woman. Aww Abra, have some pride. I don’t care that you gave up everything for me, I can’t be bothered with your existential crisis.”

And she just took it. She breathed in and took it, for what? To save a marriage with that insufferable beast? I would have thrown the laptop out the window and told that asshole to suck it. Relationships are not about ONE person sacrificing everything for the other, its about TWO people working it.

Despite all that, I did not stop reading, I kept rooting for Abra to grow a backbone. I saw the whole book trough just to see her snap, to see her shout and scream. In the end, everything worked out for the better, in a way. Truth is I’ve never had a book so infuriating that had me pulling on my hair and shouting at the wall. I loved it, I hated it, I wanted to throw it away but I could not stop reading it! In fact, I finished in one sitting. And I will definitely read everything else by Alisa Sheckley.

The Dominant Blonde A-
Does She or Doesn’t She? B
On the Couch B+/A-
Sex as a Second Language A-
Flirting in Cars B
The Better to Hold You B

The author stated that we'll see more Hunter and Malachy in the next book. I didn't even mention Malachy as I had forgotten about him by the time I finished the book. Sheckly is a solid writer and I enjoyed this, her spin on the werewolf mythology – very much.

Thanks for your input, Keishon. I was a little annoyed that Malachy just kind of disappeared from the book. I’d be happy to know more about him and what’s going on with him. I shall have to go over to Scheckley’s site and read the excerpt of the second book (thanks for alerting me to it, Janine).

I think of Kwitney as a fairly sensual writer but that may be because her couplings work for me and the way she writes love scenes works for me. You may be right, Janine, that On the Couch was a little hotter than some of her other books (I remember some very light bondage play in that one, anyway).

I really have liked all of this author’s books pretty uncritically. I looked at my book log, and I’ve given all of her books A or A- grades except for Flirting in Cars (a B+) and now this book a B. That might seem to indicate a downward trend, but I think it’s more indicative of my becoming a slightly tougher grader, and perhaps grading this author a bit on a curve, knowing what she’s capable of.

I didn't know that Sheckley has said we'll be seeing more of Hunter and Malachy, but it doesn't surprise me.

Yes, I gave this a B since I found the troubled marriage part overly long. For the sake of transparency, Ms. Sheckley sent me a copy of the book. By the time I received the paper book in the mail, I had already bought the ebook and was well into Chapter 8. I gave my paper copy away to another reader in the hopes that they will spread the word about her work as well. I sent her the link to my review and she responded back saying that we’d see more of Hunter and Malachy, the mad scientist. Sounds good to me! We’ll have to compare notes on the next book.

I haven’t read On the Couch or Did She or Didn’t She? Only because I hated (at the time) first person narrative, now I don’t care so much about POV as long as it has an interesting narrator and the story is well written.

Thanks for replying. I had meant to post to your blog in a comment on your review of the book, but I forgot.

I’m so glad you enjoyed this too. I think your grade was also a B, yes? I agree the science was a nice touch and I too enjoyed the sensuality. I remember one of the Kwitney books (On the Couch, perhaps?) as being more sensual than some of her other books as well, and that was a happy surprise too.

I didn’t know that Sheckley has said we’ll be seeing more of Hunter and Malachy, but it doesn’t surprise me. From her description of the next book on her site (I don’t want to post it here because it contains spoilers for The Better to Hold You), it appears that the paranormal element will be stronger in Moonburn.

Let's talk a bit about Sheckley's prose style. I feel that in terms of sheer craftsmanship, she is one of the most skilled authors of contemporary romantic fiction and that she deserves to be much better known than she is

I love her voice. I just saw your email to another post on my blog and that reminded me to come back here and give my thoughts on this book. I enjoyed it for the most part. I liked the science behind lyncanthropy, explaining that some people who have the virus can shift while others can’t. Also, I was somewhat surprised at the level of sensuality in here (happily surprised) and I enjoyed Abra, Hunter and Red Mallin along with the other minor characters. I felt the werewolf part of the story stayed more or less in the background until the last 1/4 or so of the book. The author stated that we’ll see more Hunter and Malachy in the next book. I didn’t even mention Malachy as I had forgotten about him by the time I finished the book. Sheckly is a solid writer and I enjoyed this, her spin on the werewolf mythology – very much.

I kind of agree with you about Red. I really liked him, and liked their relationship, and felt that he could be good for Abra. But I can also see that his desire for her was a powerful factor in Abra even getting involved with him – he was good for her self-esteem. But I saw it as progress that she even wanted to be with a man that was good for her self-esteem, rather than a creep like Hunter. I was also heartened that she missed Red when he was gone. Finally, I felt that the changes Abra had undergone made it more realistic (as realistic as a werewolf book can be) than she would go for such a different type of mate (since she’d had a lot of ambivalence earlier in the book about Red’s appeal).

*spoilers*

I really did not like this book. But I don’t like books where women stay with their cheating husbands and compromise their lives and dreams to “make things work”.

I’m glad Abra found Red, but I wish she had written a bit more about him. He really liked her, but I know a lot of women coming out of a bad relationship feel extra flattered by good attention from another man. I don’t think Sheckley built enough between them to justify their love and eventual long-term relationship.

I'm glad you wrote this. I was expecting to like Flirting in Cars more than I did. So, while I enjoyed it, I chose not to read another Kwitney book after that even though I'm always checking her site to see what's new. Now I'll add another Kwitney book to my reading list, as well as The Better to Hold You. (Going out in a bit to see if it's at my local Borders.) Thank you.

If you’re going to try another Kwitney, I recommend The Dominant Blonde. I loved it, and perhaps more importantly, among my friends who have read the Kwitney books, it seems to be the favorite. I think Jayne has also said (in the comments after her review of Flirting in Cars) that TDB is her favorite, too.

I'm a big werewolf fan, but the Mercy Thompson series is the only shapeshifter/werewolf series I love. I've been looking for another werewolf series to read for years. (Ilona Andrews has a great shapeshifter in her new series, too.)

Briggs’ Anna and Charles (Alpha and Omega) series is my favorite werewolf series. I don’t have any other werewolf series that I follow except Briggs’ and now Sheckley’s. The other paranormals I love are Shana Abe’s drakon series and (after a rocky start with the first) I’ve really come to enjoy Nalini Singh’s series as well.

Thanks for the advice re. the Gardella series. I hope you enjoy the Kwitney and Sheckley books that you try.

Carolyn Jean — You’re welcome, and as I said to others, if you read the book I hope you enjoy it and would welcome hearing your thoughts on it.

To get back to Sheckley's The Better to Hold You, I think I liked it a little more than Flirting in Cars (which was also a B for me, but a slightly lower B). Flirting in Cars was probably my least favorite Kwitney/Sheckley book, but I still enjoyed it. There are actually some of the same city vs. country themes in this book that there were in Flirting in Cars, but with a very different (paranormal) twist.

I’m glad you wrote this. I was expecting to like Flirting in Cars more than I did. So, while I enjoyed it, I chose not to read another Kwitney book after that even though I’m always checking her site to see what’s new. Now I’ll add another Kwitney book to my reading list, as well as The Better to Hold You. (Going out in a bit to see if it’s at my local Borders.) Thank you.

I’m a big werewolf fan, but the Mercy Thompson series is the only shapeshifter/werewolf series I love. I’ve been looking for another werewolf series to read for years. (Ilona Andrews has a great shapeshifter in her new series, too.)

Janine, if you ever get around to the Gardella series, I hope you will give it a chance. I really disliked the first book in the series and decided I wouldn’t continue. But the great reviews for the other books made me curious and I gave it another try. It is now one of my favorite paranormal series.

Looking forward to your review of Angels’ Blood.

FWIW, I find that like Janine, I really enjoy the blind spots you get from an “unreliable narrator.” I have a harder time when seemingly omniscient narrators leave stuff out or seem to be misleading me; I feel cheated.

I should clarify that I don’t have a problem with unreliable narrators or blind spots; but when the narrator seems smart and yet keeps going, “Hmm, 2+2 – looks like 5 to me!” I can get frustrated. I understood, on one level, why Abra was refusing to recognize some harsh truths, but I still got annoyed with her.

Darlynne, I get anxious if my TBR gets too large. But there are worse problems to have than having a bunch of great books to read!

we can discuss here

Sounds good! I will look forward to it.

I hope you like The Better to Hold You. Will you be posting a review on your blog? I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

Probably will but we can discuss here. I can’t wait to read it (I did peek at the grade at least).

Today, I can read any pov but with Kwitney, I really hated the shift. *g* I’m such a demanding reader. Must reread The Dominant Blonde. That was such a good book!

I loved The Dominant Blonde too. I was going through a rough time in my life when I picked up that book and it made me forget my problems completely. I had never heard of Kwitney before so it was a wondeful surprise.

Re. third person vs. first person, I like the books in which we can share the POVs of her heroes as well as her heroines best, but I enjoy the others too.

I hope you like The Better to Hold You. Will you be posting a review on your blog? I would love to hear your thoughts on it.