Title: The Friendly Werewolf and the (Almost) Virgin Vampire
Author: Helen Louise Caroll
Publisher: Amber Allure
Length: 10,000 words
Genre: m/m, Paranormal
Heat: 1 – Sweet/None
Sex Frequency: 1 – None
Keywords/Tags: Vampires, Wolf Shifters, Pets, Adorable, Funny Guys, Short Story, HFN
Rating: Pretty Good

Reviewed by Nikyta

BLURB

Have you heard this one before? A well-adjusted werewolf meets a slightly neurotic vampire walking a cat…

His father thinks he should shave more often. His mother thinks he should meet someone. But all Alan wants to do is find a nice, quiet place and howl at the moon. It’s tough being a forty-something chef and werewolf. You never have time to meet that special someone who doesn’t mind your wearing a fur coat in all kinds of weather. But Alan’s on the trail of someone who might be The One—Eric, a goth moppet who smells like death and walks a bruiser of a cat named Princess.

Eric’s used to being alone. A fifty-plus vampire in a small town doesn’t meet a lot of compatible people. So he spends his time watching his favorite movies and strolling with his tomcat. But things start looking up when he runs across an intriguing werewolf in a flea collar and backpack. Could Alan be the one to help Eric with his little problem?

REVIEW

Alan is a pretty unique werewolf. Turned furry after a botched food experience, he’s now adjusted to his new lifestyle and embraced it. Out in the full moon one night, he follows a smell straight to Eric, a lonely looking vampire, walking a cat of all things. Eric knows right away what Alan is and, finding a kindred spirit, invites him home for a movie. An innocent night together lets them learn about each other and decide whether they want to pursue things further.

This was a really cute story. It’s adorable because both characters are awkward and shy around each other. They get along right away but they aren’t sure how to act. Alan’s attracted to Eric, especially his smell, but Eric can’t figure out why Alan came home with him. He constantly questions whether it’s because Eric was convenient to Alan’s otherwise insatiable appetite or if it’s for other reasons. They are both funny and cute and shy. They have innocent conversations that let them get to know each other better. I found them both to be funny and interesting even if there isn’t much depth to them. Eric also has this really huge cat, Princess, that is probably as big as a puma . He’s aggressive and needy and doesn’t like to be brushed off for what he probably thinks is a big dog. So cute!

What I really loved about the story, though, is how different Alan is as a werewolf. He wasn’t created by a bite or born that way but rather turned into a shifter from mixing the wrong ingredients while cooking. He doesn’t have a tail but instead walks on three legs with his left leg sticking up behind him, he can talk in his wolf form and the few days before the full moon he essentially becomes Chewbacca, he gets so hairy. He also didn’t automatically turn into a handsome stud, he’s forty-something and he has to work to keep himself in shape. Eric is a bit different because, as a vampire, he can’t produce enough blood to get an erection, although he can achieve something close to an orgasm by biting into a human. Since he can’t get an erection, he doesn’t have sex which is how he’s an (almost) virgin. He had it once, when he was turned, but it’s been decades since then with no sexual interactions. I liked the differences these two had, it set them apart from other vampires and shifters which was refreshing.

While I enjoyed the story very much, my biggest problem with it was the POVs, it’s told in alternating first person, which is my least favorite writing style. I was confused sometimes on who was ‘speaking’ and had to go back and reread especially when I had to put the book down for a bit, coming back to it was doubly confusing to figure out who’s POV it was in. Beyond that, the book was too short. I wouldn’t exactly classify this as romance but there are undertones to Alan and Eric becoming a couple later on. What we see in this story, however, is almost completely platonic except for a few brief kisses and a promise of tomorrow.

All in all, a cute short story that I really liked. I didn’t exactly like the writing but the characters and their one night together was adorable. I loved the uniqueness of being a werewolf and a vampire and I liked the relationship they’re developing and I wouldn’t mind getting a sequel and seeing them actually become the couple they’re promising to be.


Posted by in 4 Pretty Good, Authors A-C, Heat 1 - Sweet/None, Paranormal, Sex Freq 1 - None, up to 15k Tags: , , , , , , , ,