A Wolf at Her Door by Kate Willoughby

TITLE: A Wolf at Her Door
AUTHOR: Kate Willoughby
PUBLISHER: Ellora’s Cave
LENGTH: Novel (roughly 45k)
GENRE: Paranormal erotic romance
COST: $5.20

Paige Mahoney never expected the wish she made on a drunken night with her two best girlfriends to ever be granted, especially since it involves a werewolf. But get it she did, and though it’s a week until the full moon and his monthly shift, nature photographer Adam Jaeger goes along with it. The attraction they feel ends up extending longer than their initial twenty-four hours, but how much longer can it last when they come from different worlds?

This short novel is the second in Willoughby’s Be-Wished series, following the novella, All In. While the first one was barely paranormal – only in the granting of the wish – this one does more than dip a toe in. Both characters dive headfirst into the paranormal deep end, with Adam’s shifting a core element within the story.

The humor I love so much about this author is prevalent yet again, in the light, natural banter between Adam and Paige, between Davina and anybody she interacts with, between Paige and her girlfriends. It’s not the driving force, however, as this longer work allows more room for exploration and depth within the relationship. The one drawback to getting it, however, is that we have to get past the initial rush of sex first, the first twenty-four hours, and then their encounters until they actually start the work on the suggested collaboration. That takes the first half of the story, and I’ll admit, for a little while, I thought it was going to be the focus and was mildly disappointed it was going that route. There seemed so much more potential than that.

And then it switched gears. As soon as they start the real work on their collaboration, it becomes more about the people and not their body parts. This is where Adam and Paige really come to life, through their interactions with each other and those around them, and the complications that are introduced then are infinitely more interesting than the casual sex/attraction that dominates the first half of the story. In terms of being realistic, I buy into this kind of arc completely. Many relationships start out with that rush of desire, and time blurs by as the couple can’t keep their hands off each other. In a book, however, it ends up being a lopsided read, and ended up dragging down my overall enjoyment of the story.

Not that that was by far. I was so absorbed in the author’s humor and voice that I finished it in what felt like record time. The shifter world the author creates is interesting and rich enough to merit further exploration, and her characters, as always, sparkle. I’m looking forward to the last of the girl’s wishes. The hints offered at the end of this of what was to come promise another great read.

Readability	10/10 – Over so fast, I was barely aware I’d spent any time on it.
Hero	8/10 – Charming and funny, though I didn’t fall head over heels for him
Heroine	8/10 – Resourceful and independent
Entertainment value	8/10 – I actually enjoyed this a lot more once I got past the initial twenty-four hours of sex
World building	8/10 – There’s some fascinating possibilities in her shifter world; she provides just enough detail to make it plausible and tempt you into wanting more
TOTAL:	42/50