The Better To Hold You
by Alisa Sheckley
305 pages
305 pages
*** About the Book ***
Abra is a veterinarian living in New York City. She works at a prestigious animal hospital but her boss is a bit on the crazy side; his latest obsession is a virus that supposedly turns people into werewolves. When Abra's husband returns from a trip to Romania to study wolves, he isn't acting normal. To save her marriage she leaves her beloved job and head to the suburbs with her restless husband. As her husband's behavior spirals more and more out of control, Abra meets a local guy who seems to know more about her situation than he should. And she is inexplicably drawn to this new man in ways she shouldn't be ...This book is urban fantasy.
NOTE: The author previously wrote under another name, Alisa Kwitney. This is her first novel under her given name, Alisa Sheckley.
*** Why I Read It ***
Back in February I read this post on Tor.com and I was intrigued. I've had a thing for wolves ever since reading David Eddings BELGARIAD series 20+ years ago, and it has only been strengthened over the years by Robert Jordan's WHEEL OF TIME books. Add that to my recent fangirl crush on TWILIGHT's Jacob (*swoon*) and you can see why a wolf-themed book might appeal to me.
A month or so later I got an Amazon.com gift card as a present and used part of it to buy this book. It has been sitting on my shelf ever since, just waiting to be read. This month I'm trying to NOT plan my reading; I'm simply picking things from my shelf that I want to read right at that moment. That's how I picked this one up.
*** My Thoughts ***
It isn't a great book but it is an enjoyable one. Some of the plot points were rather predictable but others were refreshingly different. I had a lot of fun with it! In fact, I was so into it that I stayed up until 2am on a work night (*gasp*) to finish reading it when I had planned to be asleep before midnight. It was just the right kind of "mind candy" that I needed this past week.
I do have to point out that there is quite a bit of sex in this book. Not that it was a problem, it's just something to be aware of.
*** Your Thoughts ***
I think I'll be on a bit of a fantasy kick for a while. Does that ever happen to you? You pick up a book and realize you've been unconsciously avoiding a genre for a while and now you want to dive back into it? Which genre was it for you?
So far I haven't found any reviews of this book - share yours with me if you got one!
4 comments:
I spent most of the book wanting to smack Abra, honestly. I don't quite "get" werewolves, I think because I just haven't found a werewolf story that has pulled me in.
I had a mystery kick earlier this year. Granted they were more of the historical or romantic type (CS Harris's Sebastian St. Cyr books, Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia Grey books, Julia Spencer-Fleming's Clare Fergusson books). I have "author" kicks more often than "genre" ones-- I discovered Lois McMaster Bujold this year and spent awhile reading her Sharing Knife series and then the Chalion books.
Oh, this sounds fun! What a nice change from the vampire trend that has been going around. Go Team Jacob!
(Have you seen the new Rolling Stone?)
Lisa Scott - Abra WAS a bit irritating, I'll have to agree. But I still enjoyed it. :) And yes, I do the author kick thing too, whenever I discover someone whose books I really love.
amy - If you are looking for some mind candy, this is the book to reach for. And no, I haven't seen the new Rolling Stone ... am I missing something good?
um yes you need to look that cover up ASAP. :)
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