Double Review: Howl at the Moon, books 1 and 2 by Eli Easton

 

Title: Howl at the Moon- How to Howl at the Moon, book 1 and How to Walk Like a Man, book 2

Author: Eli Easton

Publisher/GR Link: Pinkerton Press, GR Book 1, GR Bk 2

Genre: MM Contemporary

Vice: Shifters, Police, PTSD

Rating: bk 1- 4, book 2- 4.5- 4.25 Overall

Lock this book up: 3 keys out of 5, the sex is hot and romantic

Length: Two novels

Satisfaction: HEA

Cover Impressions: I love them and they go so well together.

Best Line:  “I’m a selfish bastard.  I’ve always wanted the best.  Trust me to find the most extraordinary guy in the world.” (book 2)

Synopsis:

Book 1: Sheriff Lance Beaufort is not going to let trouble into his town, no sir. Tucked away in the California mountains, Mad Creek has secrets to keep, like the fact that half the town consists of ‘quickened’—dogs who have gained the ability to become human. Descended on both sides from Border Collies, Lance is as alert a guardian as they come.

Tim Weston is looking for a safe haven. After learning that his boss patented all of Tim’s work on vegetable hybrids in his own name, Tim quit his old job. A client offers him use of her cabin in Mad Creek, and Tim sees a chance for a new start. But the shy gardener has a way of fumbling and sounding like a liar around strangers, particularly gorgeous alpha men like Sheriff Beaufort.

Lance’s hackles are definitely raised by the lanky young stranger. He’s concerned about marijuana growers moving into Mad Creek, and he’s not satisfied with the boy’s story. Lance decides a bit of undercover work is called for. When Tim hits a beautiful black collie with his car and adopts the dog, its love at first sight for both Tim and Lance’s inner dog. Pretending to be a pet is about to get Sheriff Beaufort in very hot water.

Book 2: Deputy Roman Charsguard survived Afghanistan where he lost his best friend—his K-9 handler James. Roman was a military dog until two years ago when he developed the ability to shift into a human. It’s not easy to learn how to be a man. He found a place to live in Mad Creek, a haven for the secret world of dog shifters. Finding a reason to live has been harder. That is, until a certain human walks into the Mad Creek Sheriff’s office and starts making trouble.

Matt Barclay has the worst luck. First he was shot in a SWAT drug raid, then he was sent as DEA investigator to Mad Creek, a little town in the California mountains. Matt’s job is to keep a lookout for illegal drug farms, but nobody in the town wants him there. And then there’s Roman, Matt’s erstwhile baby-sitter. He’s the hottest guy Matt’s ever seen, even if he is a bit peculiar. If the town doesn’t kill him, sexual frustration just might.

The town is counting on Roman to prevent Matt from learning about dog shifters, Matt’s counting on Roman to be his work partner and tell him the truth, and Roman’s trying to navigate love, sex, and a whole lot of messy human emotions. Who knew it was so complicated to walk like a man?

Impressions:  I love Eli Easton, and I have gobbled up several of her novels and novellas with gusto.  I have to be in the mood for a shifter book, so I wasn’t sure about these, but the pull of a new Eli Easton book could not be stopped, so I grabbed these two and read them back to back.  I am so happy I did!

These are not your typical shifter stories.  I loved that the shifters in these books are dog shifters (not wolf) and I found it so adorable to see how dogs can be “quickened” into human form.

These books have Easton’s typical humor and warm fuzzies, and I couldn’t put them down.  I loved the world building that started and book one, and Tim was a great partner for uptight Lance.  I liked Tim’s nervous, yet stubborn, persona to bring Lance to his knees.

In book 2, I really loved both Matt and Roman.  Ro, so recently quickened, has so much to learn about human life and human sexuality.  Add in his developing feels for Matt, and Matt’s for him, this was an adorable love to watch!

The outline of these stories allows for such a unique and endearing GFY development.  I love these two stories and I hope there will be more to come!  Don’t let these pass you by, even if you aren’t always a shifter fan!  (If you ARE a shifter fan, you are probably reading them right now!)