4 Hearts, SJ, Romance Junkies

THE HOWLING by Erin McCarthy is a paranormal, erotic novella that's entertaining for a fun, quick read.

Liv Lugaru keeps having nightmares about wolves chasing her. She wonders if it's her pending nuptials to the man who doesn't quite make her heart race. But it's not his fault; his brother, Sebastian, her once true love, left her six months ago, and she's been dealing with the fallout of his thievery and lies ever since. 

But all is not as it seems, and as the moon waxes, Liv learns who she really is and why Sebastian left...and why he's come back.

McCarthy writes hot scenes, and the passion is evident between the leads. The story is fun but not all that deep, the action fast and the between-the-sheets moments intense. For an exciting if short paranormal romance, pick up THE HOWLING. It's well worth the read.

I was disappointed in this book which is really too short to be called a novel. This story could have been expanded and the opportunity given to flesh out the characters.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
First off I think it's really hard to write a good Novella unless it's a space filler in an ongoing series. And I love PNR, especially involving shifters, but I feel like this book tried to cram a full length novel into a very short novella. I think if it had been longer, it could have been better. The one thing I did like is there wasn't a lot of time drawing out the truth of what happened to Sebastian. But everyone, except Scar of course, seemed to be way okay with everything that was going on. But then again, in a Novella you have to cram so much in, in such little space. There wasn't time to elaborate. But if you are looking for a very short PNR with a lot of Werewolf smut, then this book is for you.

Liv was devastated when Sebastian left her 6 months ago. Sebastian’s brother was there to be a shoulder to cry on and to help her pick up the pieces. With her impending wedding coming closer, her dreams are becoming more disturbing. Are they a means to help her or a warning of something coming? A surprise visit could help her with her indecision. But it won’t be easy for her to get what she wants.
This was a pretty quick read but packed full of excitement, emotion and suspense. 5 stars!

So, what did I like about it?
I requested The Howling for a number of reasons; the front cover caught my eye – you’ve got to agree, a half naked man is eye-catching - the story description piqued my interest – recurring nightmares, secrets and a lethal sibling rivalry - and, of course, I love finding authors that I haven’t read before. Unfortunately, The Howling didn’t turn out to be quite what I expected.

This story is only ten chapters and it wasn’t long before I felt that if you removed the explicit sex scenes it could easily be a YA novella; the way the characters thought and reacted to situations, how the plot evolved, the good hard-done-by brother versus the evil power grabbing brother plus the general writing style throughout the book. Generally speaking, I am not a fan of either YA or New Adult stories and books from these genres are never my preferred choice of reading material.

Having said that, I absolutely loved the first chapter, it gripped me completely; I was on the edge of my seat, heart pounding with tension, the action was fast paced and emotive, the relationship between Liv and Scarborough had thoughts and questions whirring around my head and I thought the mystery aspect was very intriguing.

I really liked Liv’s best friend and confidant, Mary Fran; I thought her support and advice was perfect and enjoyed the scenes that she was in.

If you’ve read any of my reviews before you’ll know that I do enjoy a HEA ending and I wasn’t disappointed here; the baddie is bested and the girl gets her guy.

So, ummm, was there anything I disliked about it?
Ok, I’ve already said that YA/New Adult stories are not my cup of tea, so putting that aside I suppose you can tell by my low rating, there have been lots of other niggles for me while reading this novella.

Let’s start with some inconsistencies with my understanding of what abilities a human would possess if they were part wolf; as wolves have superior senses to humans, I assume that werewolves’ senses would be partially heightened too. Sebastian didn’t seem to have any extra abilities; he wasn’t able to tell that Liv hadn’t had sex since he’d "died" or that she didn't smell like Scarborough. He also didn’t seem to care that Scar would smell Sebastian on Liv once they’d had sex which would surely put her in danger! And while we’re on the subject of sex, yes the sex scenes are quite hot but I found our couple’s first encounter totally unbelievable - Liv doesn't wake up while having an orgasm and thinks she’s dreaming. Really?!

Actually, our heroine, Liv, exhibited lots of traits throughout this story that annoyed me; I don't mind a character starting off weak, oblivious or reliant on others but I expect them to develop and gain strength - I'm not just talking physically but emotionally and intellectually too, fainting females are my least favourite.

I feel that the name an author gives their characters plays an important role in my ability to engage; not only is Scarborough a British seaside town with certain connotations in my mind but in this novella it’s also shortened to Scar – Lion King association were abound in my head - so I was never gonna take a character seriously with that name (sorry).

And finally, the way some of the back-story was explained just didn't make sense or flow smoothly for me and I found it a little confusing at times; so much had already happened between Sebastian, Scarborough and the pack but we just got quick recaps of past events through memories, dreams and dialogue rather than experiencing them with any sense of depth through the story.

So, basically what I’m saying is...
I think that Erin McCarthy has written a novella that could happily be classed as erotic young adult – is there such a genre? It wasn’t the book for me but I am sure plenty of readers will love the mix.

Due to the explicit sexual content - it’s definitely very steamy at times - I’d rate this novella 18+ and so I’d recommend The Howling to adults who aren’t offended by content of this nature but are fans relationship/romance tales within the paranormal YA genre and looking for a quick, short read.

WARNING:
This was a short read, one I’d classify as a novelette. A bedtime story for grown ups, perhaps, which I wasn’t expecting. I fully expected a full length novel because I didn’t bother to check Amazon or anywhere else for a length. Had I checked, I don’t think a length would have been listed anyway. And if any of my readers find one, please let me know because I saw nothing helpful.

Can you tell I’m a bit bitter?

The issue is this–if you’re expecting a novel about these werewolves and their lives together, look elsewhere. The description really does set up for a great, full length story. The problem is that there isn’t one. All you get is the basics with sex thrown in. The love scenes are great–sizzlin’ even–and, it read well, but I still really wanted more out of it. I believe a novel should have come from this.

*****

Erin McCarthy’s writing isn’t an issue. She’s great, actually. The characters were surprisingly well fleshed for such a short story. You get the gist of their personalities and backgrounds without an info dump, which is difficult when you’re working in shorter projects. I felt like I could get to know these characters and I felt like there weren’t too many to keep up with for the length of the story, which can also be an issue for shorter works.

An issue I had was that I wasn’t sure I liked (or disliked, if you will) the antagonist enough. Yeah, he was a bad boy. He tried to kill his brother. Blah blah blah, insert werewolf howl here. This is where a longer story would have come in handy. There was plenty of room for this to have become a novel so that a reader could have felt the full wrath of this guy–someone who tries to kill their flesh and blood (particularly a pack animal) has to have a good, solid reason for it. And that reason has to be something more than just a simple power struggle over who gets to be married to the girl or who gets to be the alpha. Sebastian’s brother had the potential to be one of the best bad guys in (erotic) romance, but the feelings of hate (or disdain, perhaps) that a reader should feel for the antagonist just didn’t come through strongly enough for me, which impacted my ability to enjoy the story as much as I would have had it been longer.

To clear up a few things, I am not a novelette hater. On the contrary, I quite enjoy them. But, putting forth the right amounts of this and that is almost a science where fiction lengths are concerned. In this area, I feel the mark was missed by a hair.

But, I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. If the only thing a person finds wrong with a piece of literature is that there wasn’t enough of it, well, that’s not a horrible thing. It’s unfortunate, but certainly not enough for me to skip future works by this author. I did enjoy the characters and the plot and the saucier scenes were, um, saucy.

As far as a star rating, I’m going to go with a 3.5.

**This review will post at http://www.rhiannonwriteson.wordpress.com on 6/25/18 and on Goodreads and Amazon the following day**

The blurb for this book really sounded good and gave so much promise, but unfortunately the story failed to deliver for me.

I received a copy of this e-book and am voluntarily leaving an honest opinion.

Liv's love, Sebastian has left her and taken her money six months ago but his brother has been around to console Liv. His brother has been very good to Liv as far as letting her mourn the loss and has asked her to marry him. She has agreed.

Liv has dreams about a wolf/wolves chasing her. There is more to Liv though but she was never told as her parent's died in an accident before she could be told.

Sebastian did not die and is watching Liv to make sure she is safe. His murder was attempted in a power struggle and all involved thought he was dead. He did almost die but it has taken him 6 months to recover.

Will he save Liv from her power hungry brother? Will Liv forgive him?

This Novella is a quick read and I did like it. Liv was quite shocked when Sebastian showed up in more than her dreams and he explained to her what had really happened. Now they must stop his brother!

Ok, this is such a short story I read it in less than 2 hours. The synopsis sounded good. It could have been a good read but a lot of it was really rushed. No time to get to know the characters and feel their pain or frustration. Liv has had a rough life with her parents dying when she was young. Her boyfriend has been missing for the past six months and leaving her and emptying her bank account. His brother Scarbrough stepping up and taking care of her. This sure had the bones to be a good read but it fell way short of those expectations. No back story at all. No lead up to the story and the impending changes that were Liv and her wolf. Just characters were there then the next sentence done and no back to story to why and who was there. This could have been way better.

I received This ARC from the publisher at my request via Net Galley for my honest opinion. Thank you Net Galley!!

2 1/2 Star Review......

As a lover of PNR, especially shifters and vampires, I was excited to read this story of conflict between siblings with some serious romance thrown into the mix. Unfortunately, I felt the story was rushed and underdeveloped, with many areas of incomplete explanations for the reason behind certain events.

There was so much potential to make this a great book, but as a short novella it lacked impact and left me feeling as though crucial parts were missing. Basically, this is just an OK read for me, as the story would have benefited from being expanded into a longer, more detail tale.

This is a short novella that honestly has serious potential for a full blown novel. Liv is a werewolf but doesnt know it. She has more ro her than ever possible and the man who has been there for her since his brother left her knows it. Sebastian not only lost the woman he loves but knows that back stabbing and manipulation has happened to his pack because someone got power hungry. Hes back now and wants his pack back but Liv too. The problem ? She is living with his brother. This is a quick fast paced read that leaves you wanting a bit more.

Liv has been having dreams for the past six months about wolves. In the dream it seems to be her as the central figure, but it’s set in the 19th century so she’s confused. She chalks it up to nerves because of her impending wedding. A wedding to Scarborough, the brother of the man who disappeared on her six months ago, along with all her money. Scar had been there for her and when he’d asked her to marry him, she thought it was the best idea. After these dreams she’s thinking that maybe marrying him wasn’t such a great idea.

Sebastian, the man who broke Liv’s heart, didn’t just disappear. He was attacked and left for dead and has been recovering and in hiding since that time. Now that Scarborough is out of town he can finally talk to Liv and tell her how much he loves her, and they can live happily ever after. But when Liv finds out who she really is, and what exactly happened to Sebastian, Liv’s life changes forever.

This was a super short book that is a reprint. It was previously in an anthology called The Beast Within but is now being republished as a standalone novella. I didn’t realize when I started reading that this was a reprint and lo and behold, I’d read it before. I did finish it the second time so that’s a point in its favor.

The story almost feels like you’re being dumped into a book that’s already in progress. I didn’t like that at all and while it wasn’t confusing, I did find it frustrating. This can’t really be termed a romance novel because the H/h are really already in love and have just been separated. More of a reunion story, imho.

The scenario that Liv found herself in might have been more interesting if this had been a longer story. Add Sebastian in first, have Scar come along and take over, then have the H/h reunite. That would have been awesome. I also think that because this was so short that not a lot of depth was added to the characters and that was disappointing.

In the end I found this to be just an ok read.

Rating: 2 out of 5


This will post as a guest review on Book Binge.
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Good story idea, I love shifter stories. I enjoyed reading it, but it needed to be longer and fleshed out.

3.5 stars
I read an ARC thru NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion

This story felt to rushed, and had problem with depth. I really didn’t like it. I didn’t felt like they hade a connection and it’s not for me.

If this book had been the rough outline of the story, it might have been really good. Unfortunately, at this point, it feels as if too much is missing. The storyline is interesting and would have been a nice base but it remains rather flat and undeveloped. The same goes for the characters that remain somewhat one-dimensional. I just couldn't get emotionally involved in their fate no matter how hard I tried. The lack of explanations for some events or circumstances would have annoyed me much more otherwise either.
On the whole, this story should have been much more developed as it isn't, I can't really recommend it. It's ...nice... but bland.

Thanks Netgalley for a copy to read and review. The cover caught my eye and the blurb looked interesting since I like werewolf stories.

I'm betting this story is part on an anthology because it is painfully short. Liv is staying with her ex's brother. Her ex Sebastian took her money and left her without a word. Now she is staying with his brother Scarborough, and they plan on getting hitched in a couple of weeks. Only Liv isn't really sure she wants to marry him, and she is plagued with dreams about wolves.
I'm not a big fan of short stories, and this is why. The story was good but fleshing it out a bit more would have been better. I rarely give anthologies more than three stars. So three stars of entertainment for this pretty cute short story. Thanks Netgalley for a good read.

A story centering around werewolves, romance, and a battle between brothers.

This short novella had a lot of potential but I would have loved to see it expanded into a full length novel. Many places felt rushed and underdeveloped and I thought there was a lot of areas and characters that would have benefits from it being longer.

The Howling,  Erin McCarthy

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Sci-fi and fantasy, Romance

This is a really short read, novella length barely at just under 1000 kindle locations ( typical books run at 3-5K ) and I rarely enjoy short reads. If I'd known before I wouldn't have chosen it as all the reasons shorts don't work for me were here.
I read quickly, but I've a friend who reads just a few pages a night. She loves novellas as she can finish them while still remembering how they started. She'd probably like this book.

I found the story a little confusing at times, so much seemed to have already happened with Sebastian and Scarborough and the pack, and we just get a quick recap of events through memories, dreams and dialogue. There simply isn't the length in the story to let that play out. I hadn't realised at first that it was so short and spent time looking for earlier books as it felt like I'd jumped into a series and should know what had already happened.

I didn't really like any of the characters, Scarborough was just two faced and an ambitious, amoral schemer, Sebastian had what felt like weird reasons for not asking Liv to marry – why not just Talk to her? And Liv, she was a bit of a mix, so in love with Sebastian, allegedly, but when he disappears with her money she doesn't think “oh, this is out of character. I wonder if everything is OK, where he's gone, why he did this?” Nope, she just falls into Scarborough's waiting arms and is about to marry him six months later. Some Love she held!

As for that sex scene, where she thinks she's dreaming – hey, would that all dreams were that lifelike. I don't think so.....

So a book that was a fail for me, in part because its just too short to allow the story to play out properly, which is why I avoid novellas. Having got to the end I still wasn't really sure just what it was all about, the dreams/premonitions just felt too slick and weren't really treated as a plot properly IMO, Liv fell into accepting werewolves – and that she was one – with just an “OK then, werewolves are real. Cool beans” well, along those lines ;-). The big fight was soon over and all was happy.... full length it could have been a story I enjoyed, this length it was a fail.

Stars: Two, if you like shorts and novellas you may love this, I don't and didn't :-(

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

liked this book, it was well written and fast paced, but it was too short.



It could have been more to this story.

Struggled a bit with this one. A fair story, but easy to put down and get back to later. Might just be me, but the infighting and betrayal by one brother to another always seem to bother me. Would still recommend, as the story itself is good.