A WEREWOLF IN MANHATTAN

Author: Vicki Lewis Thompson ISBN:9780451232472 1/2011 PARANORMAL Publisher: SIGNET ECLIPSE

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

A WEREWOLF IN MANHATTAN was a so-so book for me.  Nothing in it really stood out to me, honestly.  I think part of my problem stemmed from something said in the beginning in regards to how the main character (Emma) would salivate over the hero (Aidan) because he is her 'dream guy'.  The development of the relationship pretty much relied on that fact. Aidan fought his mating instincts for her (badly, I might add; he was all 'no, no, no' and then naked), and Emma would think 'He's hot!  I want to sleep with him!' and...there you have it.

Everything else was just thrown in, though I did like Roarke (Aidan's younger brother) a bit more since he seemed more...interesting.  He teased and pushed and slyly poked fun at Aidan, who was more reserved. 

The inclusion of Aidan's genetic flaw (if he's aroused and left unfulfilled, he shifts) could have been used more effectively.  As it was, it basically was the means to why Aidan finally chucks the fact he has a duty to his family to marry another werewolf and sleeps with Emma.  Many times.  This goes back to the fact that Thompson doesn't really develop a strong foundation for their relationship.  Before hormones got involved, there was a tentative attempt to engage the reader in this couple, but it all fell to the wayside, sadly.

The rogue werewolf element that set this happy train into motion originally is dealt with anticlimactically and what felt like too quickly.  The last few chapters are devoted to Emma meeting Aidan's family and their worrying that they will have too much opposition to their relationship, and what will they do then? 

You can imagine how that went.

This was ultimately just not up to the promise of the first few chapters.  Everything felt a bit more shallow than Thompson ordinarily writes, which is a letdown to many of her fans.

Alexandra Cenni