Overall: 🐢🐢🐢
Storyline: ★★★
Writing: ★★★
Characters: ★★.5
Enjoyment: ★★★★★
“‘I have responsibilities, Fido.’… ‘So do I, Dracula'”
Whiskey and Werewolves by Carly Spade
The Story:
Aurora
Restraining from feeding on humans doesn’t mean I won’t bite the infuriating shifter who came to fix my bar. I’m no damsel in distress. This princess has fangs. It’s been centuries since I stole back my independence and ditched my maker.
The only pet I need is my zombie pup, not a wolf whose scent makes my stomach flutter faster than his whiskey eyes. But now there’s a threat, and Harkin might not like me but he wants me, safe or under him. I’m not sure.
The Alpha wolf demands my safety, but as the stakes increase I fear the man in my bed is the true danger. After all, the best way to kill a vampire is a blow to the heart, and Harkin’s southern charm is more destructive than any weapon my stalker could use.
Harkin
No one said being the Alpha of the largest wolf pack in Plena Falls was an easy ride. Luckily for me I’ve never been afraid of getting my hands dirty. Enforcing respect, separating the brawling pups and ensuring our enemies stay down, wasn’t without bloodshed.
A gig at a vamp-owned bar should have been an easy job. But I didn’t realize the drink served was going to be the intoxicating spitfire I’d crossed in Texas a quarter century ago. Aurora burns like pure spirit and goes to my head twice as fast. When an altercation triggers my instinct to protect, the vampire I’d never forgotten suddenly becomes mine.
Mine to protect.
Aurora can hate it, but neither of us have a choice. Not when the threat escalates to a sinister presence and those in my pack who want her dead. It doesn’t matter that the only true woman in my life has two wheels and hits speeds over a hundred. My ancient beast is clawing to claim the pretty vamp tangled in my sheets once and for all.
And he’s the monster everybody fears.
Key Elements:
Romance, Paranormal, Werewolves, Vampires, HEA, Mates, Alpha, Shifters, Forced Proximity, Touch her and Die, Enemies to Lovers, Smutty, Motorcycle, Multiple POVs
Why This Rating?
I received an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review
This was such a fun and a fast read for me, that I actually forgot for a few chapters to pay attention as a reviewer! Which I would say is both a good and bad thing. Good because I was enjoying the read so much that I flew through and ate it up. I wanted as much as I could get from Aurora and Harkin. Their bantering, challenging of each other, the steamy scenes, his protection and teddybear side, her strength and independence – A big YES, from me! And bad because I felt like it was only meant to be a quick and enjoyable read instead of a bringing us in to the novel and having a super deep world. We stay on the surface level and get enough to understand how our characters tick, but don’t get a deeper look into much else. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth reading, it is!
Our two main characters were great. Since this is a multi-POV telling, we get to see Aurora and Harkin’s thoughts for the book. Which I loved! These two started as enemies to reluctant companions and that finally let them see what fate tried to 25 years ago! Aurora is such a bad ass and easily my favorite. She stands proudly on her ability to take care of herself and refuses to let others be put out for something she couldn’t do. However, she understands when it is necessary. Aurora might be stubborn but she will survive when it is at that point. It also helps she has impeccable taste is cheesy, pun filled T-shirts and a zombie dog who is adorably ugly named Waffles. Harkin is a typical Alpha wolf character who is a total hottie. He speaks, his pack listens and obeys, so Aurora’s backtalk is new for him and I don’t think he hates it. Don’t touch what he declares as his, but there is a softer side of him that he can’t show others that is absolutely precious. Their entire relationship was a whirlwind and I was happily caught up in it. And not going to lie, the smut is spicy!
Outside of our main character interactions, the writing was a good, if a bit rushed. I think the individual settings were well done. You can experience how Aurora’s bar looked and felt. You are outside on the full moon with the pack. There is emotions and heat from our characters. I loved the amount of creatures that we got to see throughout the story! Shifters, vampires, orcs, witches, motormen, gods, and goodness knows I’m missing so many more! The conversations were on point from everyone. But where the writing felt rushed was the in between scenes and just how fast everything happened/gathering everyone seemed compared to the amount of tension I think we were supposed to be feeling. In a single night, we zip from being at the bar (up to her bar’s closing time) to being out at Harkin’s place only to then head straight out to the pack’s meet up house. But how? Doesn’t the sun rise at like 7am? Wouldn’t a bar close at something like 2am and she still needed to get Waffles and co not to mention the travel time? Another example was the leader meeting. There is a day, maybe 2, that had passed since Aurora’s been with Harkin and he manages to bring all of the pack leaders in the surrounding area together at a single time to talk *suspicious!*. Also, the climax at the end, happened wicked quick. Not that I wanted to see anymore people get hurt or worst, but my anxiety bubble barely inflated and we had already gotten our resolution. Granted, playing in the “full” moon was totally worth it – IYKYK.
This was a paranormal romance that was such a fun read. From the bantering to the steam and everything in between, I was entertained the entire time. While it wasn’t a home run on all my star counts, this one still earned its enjoyment level. I loved reading about Aurora and Harkin. I was swept away so quick into their story that I was a bit sad when it was done. This one won’t be for everyone. Be ready for a full romance in this one and just remember I did say Paranormal (monster) romance. Still, it was a good one! Really recommend if you are a fan of vampires, shifters, paranormal romances in general, or even want a “here for a good time” story. It’s worth the dive into the story. Even if you only get to see Waffles and nothing else.
Time to get lost in the next story!
