Austin, Texas - Present Day

Sophie Garou has a big secret. She is part werewolf from her father’s side. Sophie never met good old dad because he disappeared before she was born. Most times, Sophie can keep her little affliction under wraps, especially with the help of the special tea her mother gives her to drink. Wolfsbane tea is able to keep those urges down so she doesn’t become too furry or start howling at the moon. But it seems someone has found out Sophie’s secret. Sophie found a mysterious package on her desk filled with the special tea and an anonymous note threatening to let the cat out of the bag. And if that isn’t bad enough, her mother is in jail, accused of murder.

Carmen Bianca, Sophie’s mother, owns a magic shop called Sit A Spell. It appears Carmen may have poisoned city councilman Ted Brewster. Brewster came to Carmen looking for a love potion and as soon as he drank it, he fell to the floor dead. Of course Sophie doesn’t think her mother could have done this and may have been framed. With the help of her best friend, Lindsey, she plans to find out who would want to kill the councilman and frame Sophie’s mother for the deed.

Things go from bad to worse as the full moon is coming, and that means Sophie should stay hidden for a few days. But that is not in the cards. She has a huge presentation that her boss is counting on, and if she screws up, Sophie could be out of a job. Plus, Sophie’s nosey assistant, Sally, assumes the mysterious package is full of marijuana and now she will have to take a drug test! She also has no time for her handsome lawyer boyfriend, Heath, who is oh so good in bed. And then another package arrives at the same time as a sexy to-die-for werewolf by the name of Tom who may be the one responsible for the packages. He sends chills down her spine, but the good kind that make her want to do all the naughty things she has been fantasizing about. But she can’t, because Tom is dating Lindsey, and of course there is Heath who wants to celebrate their anniversary on the night when the full moon is at its highest peak. What’s a girl like Sophie to do with a mother in jail, and a drop-dead gorgeous werewolf who may be out for her blood? Will she be able to pull off her all-important presentation and pass her drug test? Who knew being an auditor would bring such drama into her life?

I’ve read many werewolf stories, but Sophie Garou is not the typical werewolf that howls at the moon and attacks at a moment’s notice. She is a girl after my own heart, who is addicted to lattes, likes to wear girly clothes and has a great circle of friends. HOWLING AT THE MOON is a comedic look at what a half-werewolf like Sophie has to go through to live a normal life. To the casual observer, she seems to have it all and is in control, but that is the total opposite, really. Sophie’s mother is quirky and eccentric and thinks Sophie should embrace her wolf side. Sophie finds herself in many scrapes because of the problems her mother finds herself in. And when Tom, the secretive, but very attractive werewolf, enters the picture, Sophie’s life will take a drastic change, very different from the one she has worked so hard to obtain.

HOWLING AT THE MOON is the first book in a trilogy featuring Sophie Garou. Look for the second book in the series, ON THE PROWL, in November 2008. Karen MacInerney’s freshman effort has promise but I found myself confused at certain points because of some editing errors that should have been fixed, along with some scenes and dialogue between the characters that tend to be a bit too silly. With that in mind, I did find myself chuckling over Sophie’s antics and felt so bad for her. This is one girl who is not comfortable in her wolf’s skin, and it will be interesting to see how she overcomes this problem and the probability of a love triangle with Heath and Tom. For fans of paranormal and chick-lit combined, I would recommend you give HOWLING AT THE MOON a try and decide if Sophie’s future adventures will be worth the read.

Kate Garrabrant