Review- How to Flirt With a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper

Publisher: Pocket
Publish Date: 2/22/11
How I got this book: Purchased

Northern Exposure

Even in Grundy, Alaska, it’s unusual to find a naked guy with a bear trap clamped to his ankle on your porch. But when said guy turns into a wolf, recent southern transplant Mo Wenstein has no difficulty identifying the problem. Her surly neighbor Cooper Graham—who has been openly critical of Mo’s ability to adapt to life in Alaska—has trouble of his own. Werewolf trouble.

For Cooper, an Alpha in self-imposed exile from his dysfunctional pack, it’s love at first sniff when it comes to Mo. But Cooper has an even more pressing concern on his mind. Several people around Grundy have been the victims of wolf attacks, and since Cooper has no memory of what he gets up to while in werewolf form, he’s worried that he might be the violent canine in question.

If a wolf cries wolf, it makes sense to listen, yet Mo is convinced that Cooper is not the culprit. Except if he’s not responsible, then who is? And when a werewolf falls head over haunches in love with you, what are you supposed to do anyway? The rules of dating just got a whole lot more complicated. . . .
*Blurb from Goodreads*

Harper is one of my favorite authors, always able to provide a bowl full of laughs along with a great story. The first in the Naked Werewolf Series is no exception. Mo moves to Alaska to get away from the stuffing and overbearing parents for the opportunity to make it on her own. She ends up in the quaint town of Grundy, Alaska. She gets a job working in a local diner, and starts making friends with the locals right away. Except for Cooper.

Cooper is the local grumpy old man, only he’s young and smokin’ hot. He’s trying to keep his werewolf status under wraps, but with a series of wolf attacks in the area are making that harder and harder. While trying to figure out if he is the cause behind the mayhem, he can’t seem to find a way to stay away from Mo. Will these two be able to figure out what is going on in town, and be able to make a budding new relationship work?

I have to start out by saying that I was somewhat disappointed we didn’t get to the naked bear trap until almost 100 pages in. Because of that, I found the first part of the story to be somewhat slow and seemed to be a lot of background information. (Maybe because most blurbs give a little history to what is happening at the beginning of the story?) That aside, I adored this story.

Harper constantly comes through with hilarious jokes and funny characters in each and every one of her books. I loved Mo, adored her somewhat hippy and anti-hippy ways. The jokes she made about her family and herself, she was just a super lovable character. I can’t imagine what he life was like growing up, but the stories were great. I didn’t like Cooper right off the bat like I did Mo, but he grew on me more and more as the story progressed. He was a completely surly, grumpy, angry guy in the beginning. Once we got more info on his back story though, I found myself liking him more and more, especially whenever he dealt with his sister. I really liked the core set of secondary characters as well. Harper does a great job of really bringing them to life throughout the story, and I really enjoyed each and every one of them.

The mystery subplot was done really well too. It took me awhile to catch onto what exactly was going on, who could possibly be behind the wolf attacks, and when Harper wrapped it all up, I thought it was done really well. The villain wasn’t too obvious, but at the same time was difficult to figure out. I love when authors can present a story that way. It makes for a fabulous read.

Fans of the Jane Jamison Series will definitely love the Naked Werewolf books. While each book will focus on a different couple, I’m anxiously awaiting to hear more about Cooper’s sister and the pack life in their tiny town.

All in all, I give How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf 4 out of 5 hippy communes.