Where the Wild Things Bite by Molly Harper

You know you're reading a Molly Harper book when the main characters are stuck in a crazy, life threatening situation but the author still manages to make you laugh. Molly Harper has this wonderful recipe for paranormal romance novels and it's infallible. I've never been disappointed by one of her books, probably because I understand her type of humour. Her characters are relatable, despite their peculiarities and you can't help but get attached to them. Where the Wild Things Bite, despite being short, is a wonderful addition to the Half-Moon Hollow series.

Anna, a rare book expert on the paranormal, is on a mission to return a valuable book to none other than Jane Jameson, after having appraised it, and confirmed it as an authentic and important document in the history of shifters. However, things go wrong as soon as she enters the plane that is supposed to bring her to Half-Moon Hollow. The pilot is deranged and threatens to kill her with a knife if she doesn't hand over the book, and when that fails, he tampers with the plane and crashes it in the middle of Kentucky lakeland. Anna would have crashed and died in it if it wasn't for Finn, the only other passenger of the plane. Anna accuses him of throwing her out of the moving plane but Finn guarantees her that he jumped, cradling her in his arms.

Together, they're lost in the woods, with no supplies and no sign of civilization. Only an old, but valuable book. So valuable that people are willing to kill for it. Anna, a germaphobic and very anxious person, quickly learns to survive in the woods. With shifters after her, she relies on Finn, who happens to be a vampire, to find her way through the woods. However, smart as she is, she soon realizes that Finn has somewhat questionable reasons for helping her. A liar, a thief and a con man, Finn tries to convince skeptical Anna that he really wants to help her, despite his previous motives.

Anna is a wonderful and realistic character, despite her neuroses. Her tendencies to learn every survival statistics and her obsession in reading survival guides to everything, helps her survive the Kentucky woods. Finn might be a liar and deceitful but I think he really wants to help Anna. I don't know exactly when he started to like her, but their close proximity leads up to steamy scenes. They're the most unlikely couple, but I think that's what so charming about the pair.

I really wish we could have gotten more out of Anna and Finn's story. Their trek through the woods was hilarious and entertaining, but what happened after the woods just went by so quickly. I'm glad Jane and the Half-Moon Hollow gang made an appearance but they didn't have much to do with the story. In a way, that made Anna and Finn the focus of the story. A delightful read, Where the Wild Things Bite is a must read for Jane Jameson fans.

Read More

by Tynga at Monday, September 05, 2016

 Half Moon Hollow, Library, Molly Harper, Paranormal Romance, Pocket, Review, Shifters, Simon amp; Schuster, Vampire, werewolves  Leave your mark

✎

The Single Undead Moms Club by Molly Harper

It's no secret that I absolutely adore everything Molly Harper writes. It probably has a lot to do with her creative wit and her inherent geekiness. There's also the fact that most her her heroines are just your average Jane (mostly--if you ignore the supernatural elements). However, I think what truly captivates readers are the fun and romantic stories that she delivers time and time again.

The heroines Molly Harper creates are always easy to associate with. Despite the fact that I have very little in common with this book's heroine, Libby, I still feel for her as she transitions into a vampire. Unlike her, I might not have in-law problems, child custody problems, PTA problems or blood issues, however, they are realistic enough that I can't help but root for her as she discovers her new self. Libby is a strong woman that has made the ultimate and final choice in order to stay alive and raise her son. It can't be easy suffering from cancer and knowing that you'll leave your son an orphan in just a few short months. I want to say, in her position, I probably would have done the same thing. I'm selfish enough that I would want to survive and not die so young because of bad genetics.

Wade was a nice surprise. He's definitely not the kind of guy you would expect a good PTA single mom to end up with. A Harley riding man full of tattoos isn't the kind of guy anyone expects to end up with. However since his and Libby's son form an inseparable childhood bond, they are forced to be civil, despite their bad initial meeting. I really like the fact that Libby takes it slowly and Wade respects her wishes without having to discuss it. Everything Libby does is in her son's best interest but at some point, I think she realizes she has to live for herself too.

It wouldn't be a real Molly Harper story without someone trying to kill the female lead. And I'm not talking about the racist/vampire hating PTA president who's out to socially destroy Libby. It isn't clear why a man dressed in a black ski mask is trying to kill her, but new vampire luck seems to be on her side every time she encounters her attacker. Luck, and the fact that her more or less absent sire is keeping tabs on her and secretly watching over her.

In the Half Moon Hollow world, vampires have "come out the the coffin" years ago, yet vampires still face prejudice and countless hate crimes. I think one of the books messages is that everyone should be given a chance, and you shouldn't hate someone because of who or what they are. In today's society, we might not be facing vampires, but we will be experiencing an influx of Syrian refugees. We can't judge these people because of their heritage or their religion, simply because it's different from our own. We have to respect them and try to be as accommodating as possible. We can't use fear as motive for hate because that would revert human society back centuries. (And don't twist my words as I compare vampires to refugees! I'm just saying their situations are similar.) Here in Canada, the government has done much to help the new refugees. In the USA, I just hope that when it comes to electing party candidates and a president, Americans will not let fear and hate guide their choices.

Fans of Molly Harper will love this book. Or fans of paranormal romance, for that matter. I've come to expect certain things from Harper yet she always surprises me with new stories and ideas. Libby and Wade make a great couple despite the fact that they're not your typical paranormal romance pair. The PTA and school activities might be new territory for Miss Harper, but her writing is still the same: fun, snarky and outrageous!

Read More

by Tynga at Monday, December 14, 2015

 Chick Lit, Half Moon Hollow, Molly Harper, Paranormal Romance, Pocket, Purchased, Review, Simon amp; Schuster, Vampire  1 Person left their mark

✎

The Dangers of Dating a Rebound Vampire by Molly Harper

Honestly, Molly Harper can do no wrong when it comes to writing paranormal romance fiction. She literally has me laughing out loud while reading her paranormal romance books. Combining snarky, remarkable and witty female characters with supernatural hot men is always entertaining, but somehow, Molly Harper is a genius when it comes to humor in paranormal romance. The funny banter and the hilarious situations is what keeps me coming back to this series or her books in general.

Realistically, the plot of The Dangers of Dating a Rebound Vampire isn't all that extravagant, nor is it very detailed, but it does serve the purpose of advancing the story between Gigi and Nik. Gigi has landed the greatest summer job for a computer science undergrad and she's actually looking forward to working for the Vampire Council. However, she never expected to meet up with her mysterious vampire who kissed her and enthralled her during her last Christmas break. She was hurt when her mystery man left her after giving her the earth shattering kiss, without even saying a word. Now, what hurts even more is when Gigi and the mysterious man cross paths again, and he doesn't remember a thing about their heated kiss. Nik feels bad about his selective amnesia, but over time he starts to realize every thought in his mind about Gigi is muddled. Despite the mutual attraction, Nik can't stop trying to kill Gigi (involuntarily), and then forgetting about the attacks, almost as if he's being controlled by magic or something supernatural.

Amnesiacs are always fun to read because you never know how things will turn out. Reading about Gigi and Nik definitely was fun even though their relationship wasn't very believable. It felt too much like love at first sight. Gigi's older sister and brother-in-law forbid Gigi from seeing the centuries old vampire, but obviously forbidden love trumps over murderous fugue states from your vampire boyfriend. More scenes and more development between Gigi and Nik would have been fun and desirable.

The nerd in me is thrilled that Molly included so many pop culture references. Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, The Big Bang Theory, The Walking Dead, and Dr. Who references (and many more) were mentioned. Oddly enough, the references were not just thrown into the text for the heck of it. No, they were actually in context and they added an interesting layer to Gigi's character.

A light and fun supernatural read, this book is a definite read for any Molly Harper fans. It may not be the best book in the series, but it's a definite must if you want to read more about the comings and goings of the beloved vampires of the little town called Half-Moon Hollow. I'm glad the original Half-Moon Hollow vampire couple Jane and Gabriel were present, despite their brief appearances, because I really missed reading about their craziness. Gigi and Nik are a great addition to the gang, but I felt their story was a little bit too short, a little rushed for my tastes. I really hope Molly Harper has more vampire or werewolves stories to write because this girl needs her paranormal/pop culture fixes.

Read More

by Tynga at Monday, April 06, 2015

 Half Moon Hollow, Magic, Molly Harper, Paranormal Romance, Pocket, Purchased, Review, Shapeshifter, Simon amp; Schuster, Simon Schuster, Vampire, Witch  2 People left their mark

✎

The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires by Molly Harper

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Molly Harper’s writing style. The humor and sarcasm is right on par with mine and her characters are so easy to like. THE CARE AND FEEDING OF STRAY VAMPIRES is no exception to that, even if I have been reading this series out of order. While there was nothing extra special about this book compared to Harper’s other ones, I really enjoyed reading this one is particular. Probably because her characters felt authentic and the interactions between them were so amusing.

In my opinion, Iris and Cal are a great addition to the cast of Half-Moon Hollow, the little Kentucky town were many of Harper’s books are based. For such a small town, it has a tendency to attract a lot of supernatural events. In this case, Cal is drawn to the town because of the uncharacteristically harsh vampire killing happening all over the country. Apparently some vampires are being poisoned by drinking bad batches of synthetic blood, which is making them go more or less crazy and kill whoever’s near them. And Half-Moon Hollow is the place to investigate because it’s the location of the first dramatic kill. Cal is hired to investigate what’s going on and he unwittingly becomes a target for poisoning himself. He ends up getting really sick and passing out on his kitchen floor after drinking blood from a town welcoming basket. Iris, the main character of the story, literally stumbles upon him as she’s dropping off a client contract for Cal to sign. As a “personal errand girl” for vampires and vampire needs, she usually does a lot of things for her clients but cleaning them up and caring for them (especially feeding them straight from the source) is not in her job description.

It goes against Iris’s southern upbringing to simply leave this vampire out in the sun and when he asks her to help him by lodging him in her house, she can’t refuse. The huge amount of money he offers kind of seals the deal… Laying low in her house and hiding from the vampire community while he recuperates is his goal but as he gets better, the investigation into the killings and his poisoning becomes a priority. When you have a very good looking vampire and a young woman living together, you can expect sparks to fly, especially when you’re reading a paranormal romance. Cal and Iris have a lot of chemistry and although their relationship is an odd one, it’s really fun to read the scenes with their hilarious banter. The sex scenes are just an added bonus.

Personally, I think what makes this book different from the author’s other books is the relationship between Iris and her younger sister Gigi. Orphaned as a teen, Gigi had to turn to her older sister for guidance and parenting. While their relationship isn’t a typical one, I think even if Iris plays the role of single parent, they’re sisters first and their relationship is one that anybody would wish to have with a sibling.

Southern charm, hilarious moments, and great characters are what I’ve come to expect from Molly Harper and she really delivers with this book. If you’re in the mood for a good laugh and a straight forward story, this is one to pick up. One of my guilty pleasures is a good chick-lit book and Harper has a knack for adding paranormal elements to chick-lit stories. As the first of a spin-off series, this is definitely a book you can dive into if you haven’t read any of Harper’s other books.

Read More

by Tynga at Sunday, February 23, 2014

 Adult, Half Moon Hollow, Library, Molly Harper, Paranormal Romance, Pocket, Poison, Review, Simon amp; Schuster, Simon Schuster, vampires  1 Person left their mark

✎

A Witch's Handbook of Kisses and Curses by Molly Harper

In my opinion, there's no one who can do better paranormal comedy than Molly Harper. Her characters are always quirky, the hilarious situations are really fun to read, and the sarcasm is on par with some of the best rom-com out there. However, I think what makes this book work is, despite all the good bits, the paranormal story is still there to hold the book together.

Nola Leary is new to Half-Moon Hollow, the setting of many Molly Harper novels. She's only there as temporary resident, on a "quest" to find four magical artifacts that will save her family's magic. Ever since her grandmother passed away a little while back, she has felt responsible for her family and her family's well being. In theory, the search shouldn't be too hard because the artifacts should all be in her long lost grandfather's book shop. However, since he has passed away too and his organization skills were never great (awful, actually) things turn out to be a little harder than she expected. When she meets the new bookstore owner Jane Jameson, she welcomes any help she can get, so reveals her quest to her new vampire friend. Nola is the type of character that I love to read about. She makes almost every situation hilarious and if she would be an actual person in real life, it would be awesome to have her as a friend. It might be exhausting at time, but her sincerity and liveliness would definitely be worth it.

Obviously, this book wouldn't be complete without a hot and likeable guy. Jed Trudeau just happens to be Nola's next door neighbour and despite his extreme hotness, he's actually a very nice guy. His and Nola's humour are on the same page so their banter is definitely interesting and witty. Nola doesn't reveal her quest to Jed when she first meets him and she isn't very truthful about where she's from either. Jed has his own secrets too and there's an air of mystery that follows him around most of the book. Jed and Nola make a great pair and even if she feels guilty for cheating on her boyfriend with Jed, deep down I think she truly feels like her relationship with Stephen has never been very authentic in the first place.

As always, the Half-Moon Hollow residents make great secondary characters. Their eccentricities are what you expect to see in small town characters but Molly Harper is able to add her own little flair to them. What's great about this novel is you don't need to read any of her other books to understand this one. This is theoretically the second full length book of the series, which is actually a spin off to another one, and many of the characters from the previous novels are featured in this one. If you've read the other books, it's actually nice to meet the characters again to see how their happily ever after is working out for them, but it's really not necessary to know their back story in order to under Nola and Jed's.

I always highly anticipate Molly Harper's novels but for some reason, I've been a really bad fan and I haven't been keeping up. What thrills me is that a new book from her werewolf series is due out soon so I'm really looking forward to that since it's always been my favourite series of hers. If paranormal comedy is for you, I really recommend Harper's since it will make you laugh out loud and entertain you to the very end. It's as if this sub-genre was created for her since her wittiness was made to go with this type of paranormal romance. That being said, A Witch's Handbook of Kisses and Curses is a definite success and I highly recommend it.

Read More

by Tynga at Sunday, January 12, 2014

 Half Moon Hollow, Library, Magic, Molly Harper, Paranormal Romance, Pocket, Review, Romance, shapeshifters, Simon amp; Schuster, vampires, witches  2 People left their mark

✎