Book Review: The Werewolf Upstairs by Ashlyn Chase

The Werewolf Upstairs by Ashlyn Chase

Publisher:Sourcebooks Casablanca

Publish Date: February 1, 2011

Paperback,  352 pages
Fiction, Romance, Paranormal

My Review:
Why I read this:I read Strange Neighbors, fell in love with the inhabitants of the apartment building and could not wait to get my hands on this one.  While not a sequel, it has the same inhabitants plus one new neighbor, but reading Strange Neighbors is definitely not a must to read The Werewolf Upstairs.

How is the novel driven: It's a romance so it's mainly character-driven as you would expect and want.


My thoughts: I was excited for this and I was not let down.  Ashlyn Chase writes a wonderful fun, light and funny romance and I am learning that this is a type I really enjoy and I really need from time-to-time.  And the timing was perfect.  I was just getting over bronchitis and being home with sick kids and here was this nice light romance and a perfect pick-me-up.

First there are the characters.  I love Ms. Chase's characters.  The women are self-assured but really not.  Roz has self-image issues about her weight (and what woman doesn't) so it was very easy to relate to Roz.  Roz also can't believe that the hunky upstairs neighbor Konrad would be attracted to her and she reacts in all the typical ways.  Sarcastic remarks about her weight when he compliments her and other ways that are very typical of a curvy woman.  Konrad takes this all in stride and teaches her that he loves the way she looks.  Roz also is looking for a career change.  She is not satisfied with being a lawyer and wants something new.  Konrad, who leads a life of crime is also in the market for a new career and the parts of the book where they go on the career search together are hysterical.

Konrad is a self-assured alpha male but he's a lovable one.  He truly appreciates Roz and cares for her without taking over for her.  He seems to know exactly what her boundaries are.  The only problem for this really hot relationship?  Konrad has a secret and it's a biggie and he's really not sure how Roz will handle the fact that he is a werewolf.  So he hides it from her, but she knows something is up.  And that is the big if in the book, will this secret keep them apart?

The romance in the book is hot with a capital H, so be prepared.  I enjoyed Roz and Konrad's banter and the romance.  It was a lot of fun to watch.  More development of the neighbors occurs in this book as well and I love the neighbors - they always provide great antics but they also care for each other and that is a wonderful thing to read.

A very easy and enjoyable read, from the first page to the last.  I can't wait to see who moves in next and what antics the neighbors will be up to next as well.  Because with an apartment full of vampires, shape-shifters, witches, a ghost and a few normal humans, you never know what to expect next.

My Rating: 4.75/5.0


About the Book:

Petty crime never looked so good...
Alpha werewolf Konrad Wolfensen sees it as his duty to protect the citizens of Boston, even if it means breaking into their businesses just to prove their security systems don't work. But when his unsolicited services land him in trouble with the law, he'll have to turn to his sexy new neighbor for help.

She should know better...
Attorney Roz Wells is bored. She used to have such a knack for attracting the weird and unexpected, but ever since she took a job as a Boston public defender, the quirky quotient in her life has taken a serious hit. Until her sexy werewolf neighbor starts coming around...

About the Author: 

Ashlyn Chase specializes in characters who reinvent themselves, having reinvented herself numerous times. She has worked as a psychiatric nurse and for the Red Cross, and has a degree in behavioral sciences. She lives with her true-life hero husband in beautiful New Hampshire.

Website

Twitter

Facebook

***I received this book from Sourcebooks for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  I do not receive money for my amazon links since I live in NC (something about some law), so they are up purely for my readers to have a place to check out the book.***