Showing posts with label Molly Harper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Molly Harper. Show all posts

Sunday, May 15, 2016

How to Run With a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper


Anna Moder has just witnessed a shooting, seen her car pulverized, and rescued a wounded stranger only to discover he's really a werewolf. And by her recent standards, things are actually looking up. Lycanthropes don't faze Anna. Doctoring a wolf pack outside Grundy, Alaska, is the closest thing to home life she's known in years. But hitching a ride to Anchorage with long-absent pack member Caleb Graham that's a risk. Part of her itches to whack his nose with a newspaper. The rest is trying unsuccessfully to keep her own paws off every delicious inch of him.

The problem is, Caleb employs his lupine tracking abilities as a not-quite-legal bounty hunter, and Anna is suspicious of both him and his profession. On the run from her past, with old problems closing in, she'd like to stay far, far away from anybody with connections to the law. Caleb, however, seems determined to keep her close. Are his intentions noble, or is he working a more predatory angle?

Anna's been dreaming of returning to a semi-normal life, but now she's experiencing a strange new urge . . . to join Caleb in running with the wolves.

Where to Buy



This book had a bit of a different feel to it from the first two in the series, mainly because of the tight focus on the two main characters. For the majority of the novel they are essentially alone as they roam around various small towns in Alaska, ostensibly making their way toward Anchorage while Caleb works on jobs along the way. Because of this, we get to know both of them fairly well, without the distractions of a whole cast of characters to keep track of. Sure there are other people around them now and then, but no one that figures in too prominently until the last several chapters.

Saturday, May 14, 2016

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


Nola Leary would have been content to stay in Kilcairy, Ireland, healing villagers at her family’s clinic with a mix of magic and modern medicine. But a series of ill-timed omens and a deathbed promise to her grandmother have sent her on a quest to Half-Moon Hollow, Kentucky, to secure her family’s magical potency for the next generation. Her supernatural task? To unearth four artifacts hidden by her grandfather before a rival magical family beats her to it.

Complication One: Her grandfather was Mr. Wainwright and the artifacts are lost somewhere in what is now Jane Jameson's book shop.

Complication Two: her new neighbor, Jed Trudeau, who keeps turning up half naked at the strangest times, a distraction Nola doesn't need. And teaming up with a real-life Adonis is as dangerous as it sounds, especially when he’s got the face of an angel and the abs of a washboard—can Nola complete her mission before falling completely under his spell?

Where to Buy




This book was interesting because it takes the focus off the vampires a bit and highlights some of the other paranormal types a bit more. Besides the vampires, we've also seen a good bit of the werewolves, both in the Jane Jameson series and in the slightly related Naked Werewolf series (related only by virtue of taking place in the same universe for the most part). Now we get to see the witches a bit, or at least a witch. While the existence of witches has been mentioned before, we've never seen one, and the general advice before seemed to be "avoid them." This book proves that such isn't always necessary and that some of them can be quite handy to know.

Friday, May 13, 2016

Driving Mr. Dead by Molly Harper


HELL ON WHEELS

After failing as a magician's assistant, a photographer, and most recently, a bride, Miranda Puckett takes a position as a driver for Beeline, Half-Moon Hollow's premiere vampire concierge service.

Miranda's assignment? Driving Collin Sutherland, the world's most fastidious vampire from Washington to Kentucky, so he can deliver a mysterious black case to Council official Ophelia Lambert.

Collin, a paranoid, aristocratic vampire with a debilitating fear of flying, refuses to let the case out of his sight. Miranda needs this time on the road to decide whether to permanently cut her ties with the fiance that had an "emotional affair" with a childhood pal, but Collin’s neatnik tendencies are driving her around the bend. The man acts as if leaving a fast food wrapper on the passenger seat is reason for a full-on CDC de-contamination scrub-down of the car. All she can do is promise to stop intentionally doing the things that make his stiff upper lip twitch with irritation.

As more and more mishaps occur on the road trip from hell, Miranda and Collin work together to meet his delivery deadline. Hotel rooms are destroyed. Beloved cars are defiled. And somewhere along the line, client-driver hostilities become snarky flirtation.

Will Collin and Miranda make it to the Hollow in one piece? And if they do, will Miranda leave old, safe relationships behind for something new and well, just plain weird?


Where to Buy



If you thought Iris Scanlon was a hot mess of crazy, wait till you meet Miranda. She has Iris beat hands down, and when you hop in the car with her you'd best buckle your seat belt because it's bound to be a wild and crazy drive. On the plus side, she *will* get you where you're going. Eventually. And most likely in one piece.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires by Molly Harper


Iris Scanlon, Half-Moon Hollow’s only daytime vampire concierge, knows more about the undead than she’d like. Running all their daylight errands—from letting in the plumber to picking up some chilled O neg—gives her a look at the not-so-glamorous side of vampire life. Her rules are strict; relationships with vamps are strictly business, not friendship—and certainly not anything else. But then she finds her newest client, Cal, poisoned on his kitchen floor, and only Iris can help.

Cal - who would be devastatingly sexy, if Iris allowed herself to think that way - offers Iris a hefty fee for hiding him at her place until he figures out who wants him permanently dead. Even though he’s imperious, unfriendly and doesn't seem to understand the difference between "employee" and "servant," Iris agrees, and finds herself breaking more and more of her own rules to help him - particularly those concerning nudity.

Turns out what her quiet little life needed was some intrigue & romance—in the form of her very own stray vampire.

Where to Buy



After thoroughly enjoying the Jane Jameson series, I was looking forward to diving into this spin-off series to keep reading about Half-Moon Hollow and its quirky inhabitants. Overall I was not disappointed with this first entry in the series as it continued the tone and slightly irreverent humor of the first series quite admirably. Iris wasn't necessarily who I would have thought of to be the first heroine of the series, but she worked quite well, and Cal was, well, quite yummy.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper


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. . . .




Where to Buy



Maggie seemed rather different in this book from how she was in book one of the series. Perhaps because of the large amount of growing up she did at the end of that one. It also seems that leading the pack has already changed her as well. She's far less self-centered, less angry and prone to violence, and much more of a worry-wort. It takes some time to adjust to since you got used to thinking of her as Cooper's shrewish sister, but ultimately this Maggie is far more likeable.

Monday, February 22, 2016

Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors by Molly Harper


Just as Jane Jameson’s unlife seems to be stabilizing, fate sinks its fangs firmly into her butt. Despite her near-phobia of wedding planning, her no-frills nighttime nuptials to her sexy boyfriend, Gabriel, are coming along smoothly. That is, until she turns a fatally wounded teenage acquaintance, and the Council pronounces her responsible for the newborn vamp until he can control his thirst.

Jane’s kitchen barely holds enough Faux Type O to satiate the cute teen’s appetite and maintain Gabriel’s jealous streak at a slow simmer. As if keeping her hyperactive childe from sucking the blood out of the entire neighborhood isn’t enough to deal with, the persnickety ghost of Jane’s newly deceased grandma Ruthie has declared war on the fanged residents of River Oaks. Suddenly choosing monogrammed cocktail napkins and a cake she can’t even eat seem downright relaxing in comparison.

Tensions inside the house are growing…and outside, a sinister force is aiming a stake straight for the center of Gabriel’s heart. Most brides just have to worry about choosing the right dress, but Jane fears that at this rate, she’ll never make it down the aisle for the wedding all nice girls dream of…

Where to Buy



Jane Jameson is back once more proving that Murphy's Law is still the guiding force in her life. She has grown and learned a lot since the beginning of the series, but some behaviors and responses are so ingrained that she can't quite overcome them. At least not yet. Still, she faces the new challenges in her life with a grace and maturity that the Jane of the first book likely wouldn't have had, even if she still can't quite overcome her innate snarkiness. She wouldn't really be herself if she ever lost that though.

Monday, February 8, 2016

Nice Girls Don't Live Forever by Molly Harper


Nothing sucks the romance out of world travel like a boyfriend who may or may not have broken up with you in a hotel room in Brussels. Jane Jameson’s sexy sire, Gabriel, has always been unpredictable. But the seductive, anonymous notes that await him at each stop of their international vacation, coupled with his evasive behavior over the past few months, finally push Jane onto the next flight home to Half Moon Hollow — alone, upset, and unsure whether Gabriel just ended their relationship without actually telling her.

Now the children’s-librarian-turned-vampire is reviving with plenty of Faux Type O, some TLC from her colorful friends and family, and her plans for a Brave New Jane. Step One: Get her newly-renovated occult bookstore off the ground. Step Two: Support her best friend, Zeb, and his werewolf bride as they prepare for the impending birth of their baby . . . or litter. Step Three: Figure out who’s been sending her threatening letters, and how her hostile pen pal is tied to Gabriel. Because for this nice girl, surviving a broken heart is becoming a matter of life and undeath...

Where to Buy




Jane Jameson is back and just as sassy as ever. As usual, things continue to go not-quite-right for her, starting with her dream trip to Europe turning sour with Gabriel's odd behavior and continuing on to several odd and ominous situations she finds herself in once she cuts her trip short and comes home. From dealing with creepy Chamber of Commerce members to creepy letter-writing stalkers, life just continues to be "interesting" for Jane. Watching how she deals with it all proves to be great fun, though you'll likely want to strangle some of the people around her on her behalf.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men by Molly Harper



Following Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs, the second in a hilarious, smart, sexy romantic series about an out-of-work librarian who is turned into a vampire.

With her best friend Zeb’s Titanic-themed wedding looming ahead, new vampire Jane Jameson struggles to develop her budding relationship with her enigmatic sire, Gabriel. It seems unfair that she’s expected to master undead dating while dealing with a groom heading for a nuptial nervous breakdown, his hostile werewolf in-laws, and the ugliest bridesmaid dress in the history of marriage.

Meanwhile, the passing of Jane’s future step-grandpa puts Grandma Ruthie back on the market. Her new fiancé, Wilbur, has his own history of suspiciously dead spouses, and he may or may not have died ten years ago. Half-Moon Hollow’s own Black Widow has finally met her match.

Should Jane warn her grandmother of Wilbur’s marital habits or let things run their course? Will Jane always be an undead bridesmaid, never the undead bride?

Combining Mary Janice Davidson’s sass and the charm of Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels, this is an incredibly satisfying read for fans of paranormal romantic comedy.

Where to Buy




This book picks up more or less where the first book left off, though there is the implication that a certain amount of time has passed. Jane continues to settle into undead life while having to deal with a variety of different relationship issues, both her own and others'. She manages to navigate all the pitfalls with grace (for the most part anyway), sass, and good ol' Southern charm. While there are certainly limits to how much crap she'll put up with from others, and she rarely hesitates to stand up for herself, still she recognizes that sometimes you have to pick your battles and compromise is often the best policy. Still, for all the leeway she's willing to give those around her, she draws some definite lines in the sand that those others would do well not to try to cross.

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs by Molly Harper


Maybe it was the Shenanigans gift certificate that put her over the edge. When children's librarian and self-professed nice girl Jane Jameson is fired by her beastly boss and handed twenty-five dollars in potato skins instead of a severance check, she goes on a bender that's sure to become Half Moon Hollow legend. On her way home, she's mistaken for a deer, shot, and left for dead. And thanks to the mysterious stranger she met while chugging neon-colored cocktails, she wakes up with a decidedly unladylike thirst for blood.

Jane is now the latest recipient of a gift basket from the Newly Undead Welcoming Committee, and her life-after-lifestyle is taking some getting used to. Her recently deceased favorite aunt is now her ghostly roommate. She has to fake breathing and endure daytime hours to avoid coming out of the coffin to her family. She's forced to forgo her favorite down-home Southern cooking for bags of O negative. Her relationship with her sexy, mercurial vampire sire keeps running hot and cold. And if all that wasn't enough, it looks like someone in Half Moon Hollow is trying to frame her for a series of vampire murders. What's a nice undead girl to do?


Where to Buy



Molly Harper is usually a good choice when you're looking for something light and humorous with perhaps a bit of suspense thrown in, and this book is no exception to that. With characters that are genuinely like-able, or at least in the like-to-hate category, it's a fun read that you rarely have to think too hard about. While some things are a bit predictable, much that happens isn't, and following some of the twists and turns is half the fun.

Monday, March 2, 2015

And One Last Thing ... by Molly Harper


"If Singletree’s only florist didn’t deliver her posies half-drunk, I might still be married to that floor-licking, scum-sucking, receptionist-nailing hack-accountant, Mike Terwilliger."

Lacey Terwilliger’s shock and humiliation over her husband’s philandering prompt her to add some bonus material to Mike’s company newsletter: stunning Technicolor descriptions of the special brand of "administrative support" his receptionist gives him. The detailed mass e-mail to Mike’s family, friends, and clients blows up in her face, and before one can say "instant urban legend," Lacey has become the pariah of her small Kentucky town, a media punch line, and the defendant in Mike’s defamation lawsuit.

Her seemingly perfect life up in flames, Lacey retreats to her family’s lakeside cabin, only to encounter an aggravating neighbor named Monroe. A hunky crime novelist with a low tolerance for drama, Monroe is not thrilled about a newly divorced woman moving in next door. But with time, beer, and a screen door to the nose, a cautious friendship develops into something infinitely more satisfying.

Lacey has to make a decision about her long-term living arrangements, though. Should she take a job writing caustic divorce newsletters for paying clients, or move on with her own life, pursuing more literary aspirations? Can she find happiness with a man who tells her what he thinks and not what she wants to hear? And will she ever be able to resist saying one . . . last . . . thing?

Where to Buy



I went into this book expecting some light entertainment, and pretty much got what I came for. Infused throughout with a snarky sense of humor, this book held many laugh out loud moments for me. While the basic plot may not be anything entirely new, the wry, self-deprecating humor with which the Lacey tells us her story makes it unique, and as preposterous as the situation seems at first, it's really not that hard to see it happening for real. What I ultimately liked most about it though is that instead of being a simple story of "woman ditches cheating husband then finds true love," it's primarily a story about Lacey's journey in figuring out who she really is and what she really wants from life once she breaks free of the cycle of simply doing what others expect her to do. There is something of an HFN ending to it, but not really a HEA.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

"Undead Sublet" by Molly Harper


*A Story from The Undead in My Bed*

Executive chef Tess Maitland is banned from her five-star kitchen in Chicago to recover from "exhaustion". Choosing a random rental house in Half-Moon Hollow to spend time in, she's unaware that the house comes with a strange man.

Even though Sam Masden's ex-wife has rented the house out from under him, the divorce settlement allows him access to it for another ninety days. With Tess unable to go anywhere else, and Sam unwilling, a war of epic proportions is declared - and romantic sparks and heavy pots fly.


Where to Buy*

*This story is no longer available separately. All links are to The Undead in my Bed, the anthology this story was originally published in


I'll admit up front that I haven't read the previous Half-Moon Hollow books as yet, so perhaps I was missing something coming into this story that might have made it sparkle for me a bit more. As far as the immediate story here, I didn't feel like I was missing any pertinent information about the setting or characters that I'm sure are from the previous novels in the series, so I'd say this really can stand alone in that regard. Knowing the other characters better may have added to the experience, however.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper

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. . . .


Where to Buy


A fun book that takes various wacky twists and turns along the way. It wasn't quite what I was expecting (not that I'm entirely sure just what I expected from it), but it was thoroughly enjoyable anyway.