A Certain Wolfish Charm (Westfield Wolves, #1) by Lydia Dare

Nov 28, 2010 Kat Kennedy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: kat-s-book-reviews, romance-romance-romance, too-painful-to-finish

My entire family drove to a place called Wagga Wagga on Saturday. For the first part of the trip I ditched my son with my husband and my brother in their car and slept in the back of the car my parents were driving. Yes, for an hour I got to relive my childhood and have my parents all to myself stuck in the car with me so that they couldn't escape.

My dad passed over his iPad when I woke up and said he'd downloaded some books for me to read. It was either reading the first book of this series or...more

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Apr 06, 2010 Melindeeloo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance-shapeshifters, paranormal-romance, historical-paranormal-romance

Not deep, but this light and sexy historical paranormal has - I gotta say it - a certain wolfish charm :)

Desperate because her young nephew's entry into puberty has turned him into a 'monster' and with her written pleas for assistance being ignored by her nephew's 'official' guardian, Lily decides to travel to confront Simon, Duke of Blackmore, in person. And quickly finds her life spinning out of control as Lily can't seem to avoid succumbing to the beastly noble's seduction.

The stubborn and s...more

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Apr 01, 2010 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews, historical-pnr

Lily has raised her nephew, Oliver since his parents died in a terrible accident. He's always been the sweetest thing, but since turning 12 he's been anything but. So she turns to his legal guardian for help, the rogue Simon Westfield. He as continually ignored her letters so she thinks a meeting face to face will get his attention. What Lily doesn't know is that she'll get alot more than she bargained or hoped for.

This was a pager turner for me, I very much enjoyed the story and loved the chara...more

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Oct 05, 2012 Melody May rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, paranormal, romance

Also found at http://sillymelody.blogspot.com

Almost a year ago, I bought and read A Certain Wolfish Charm by Lydia Dare. Let me just say I was on a werewolf kick and want to devour anything that was werewolf related. So, in my search I found Lydia Dare. I was amazed to find not only werewolves, but regency time period. If any of you know me at all you would know how much I LOVE the regency era. Well, here is what the story is about:

Lily Rutledge is the aunt of Oliver York, the Earl of Maberley a...more

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Sep 26, 2012 May Mostly Romance rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, historical

A Certain Wolfish Charm ของลิเดีย แดร์

หนังสือเล่มนี้เป็นเล่มแรกในชุดสามเล่มเรื่องราวของพี่น้องที่ใช้คืนวันพระัจันทร์เต็มดวงกลายร่างเป็นหมาป่า ตระกูลเวสต์ฟิลด์ แต่อาจเพราะความแรงของหนังสือชุดนี้ก็ได้นะคะ เพราะทราบมาว่า ชุดถูกขยายออกไปยังเหล่าเพื่อนฝูง และตัวละครรองอื่น ๆ ในชุดอีกด้วย

ลิลลี รัทเลทด์กำลังจนปัญญา หลังจากหลายปีที่เธอใช้เวลาเลี้ยงดู โอลิเวอร์ หลานชายผู้เป็นที่รัก จู่ ๆ พฤติิกรรมของโอลิเวอร์ก็เกินควบคุม จากเด็กชายน่ารักที่ว่านอนสอนง่าย โอลิเวอร์กลายเป็นเด็กวัยรุ่นฮอร์โมนฉีดที่ควบคุมอาร...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Lee Thao rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: regency-romance

"More than charmed! Wolfishly in love!"
4.5 STARS

Simon is one sexy hero! Everything that he does, he does it to sensually and so boldly! I have several moments in the books where my jaws dropped because I have never read such a hot sexy hero conduct the most outrageous yet appealing ways of "claiming" ones own partner! Definitely a read!

Here's the quick review:
The Storyline? It's enjoyable from page one to the very last page. Though, about 50 pages toward the end, I found it slightly lacking in t...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Tonya Warner rated it 5 of 5 stars

Really, really enjoyed this book.

Simon Westfield might be the Duke of Westfield, with an extremely sinful reputation, but he his more than taken down by the lovely Lily Rutledge. Despite her belief that she is firmly on-the-shelf at almost 24, she is still drawn to the enigmatic Simon and his beastly behavior. Still, she knows that she needs his assistance with his charge, and her nephew, to help her with Oliver's sudden surliness ansd physical changes. With no brothers in her life, she is not q...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Mina De Caro rated it 5 of 5 stars

Essex, England 1816. Bewildered and alarmed by the sudden physical growth and changing moods of the twelve year old nephew she has been taking care of for years after his parents’s death, young and proper spinster Lily Rutledge turns to the boy’s cousin and legal guardian Simon Westfield (Duke of Blackmoor) for advise. The answer to the young earl’s inexplicable transformation is a well-guarded secret shared by the entire Westfield family. After an initial anthagonism, Simon and Lydia will be dr...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Johanna rated it 5 of 5 stars

A Certain Wolfish Charm
(The Westfield Wolves Book #1)

By Lydia Dare

Genre: Paranormal Romance | Historic

He gets crankier and crankier as the moon gets full . . . The rules of society can be beastly -- especially when you're a werewolf and it's that irritating time of the month. Simon Westfield, the Duke of Blackmoore, is rich, powerful, and sinfully handsome, and has spent his entire life creating scandal and mayhem. It doesn't help his wolfish temper at all that Miss Lily Rutledge seems not th...more A Certain Wolfish Charm
(The Westfield Wolves Book #1)

By Lydia Dare

Genre: Paranormal Romance | Historic

He gets crankier and crankier as the moon gets full . . . The rules of society can be beastly -- especially when you're a werewolf and it's that irritating time of the month. Simon Westfield, the Duke of Blackmoore, is rich, powerful, and sinfully handsome, and has spent his entire life creating scandal and mayhem. It doesn't help his wolfish temper at all that Miss Lily Rutledge seems not the least bit afraid of him, and in fact, may be as untameable as he is . . .

A women whose charms are stronger than the moon . . . When Lily Rutledge's beloved nephew's behavior becomes inexplicably wild, she turns to Simon, the boy's cousin and guardian, for help. But Simon's idea of assistance is far different from hers, and Lily finds herself ensconced in his house and engaged to the rouge. They both may have bitten off more than they can chew which each begins to discover the other's darkest secret . . .

Lily doesn't know where to turn when her nephew, 12-year old Oliver, becomes a different boy in just over one month. His growth is startlingly, his manners are astoundingly rude, and he is no longer the young sweet boy she raised after his parents passing at the age of 5; thus, she seeks aid from Simon - Oliver's legal guardian. Simon, on the other hand, doesn't have a care in the world; he's a notorious rake whose sexy scandals are in the weekly gossip rages and because of that, Lily is able to track him down and force his hand in assisting with Oliver.

Life for Lily becomes a bit mingled quite quickly though when her reputation becomes ruined by staying alone in the Westfield home without a chaperon and any available men begin to greedily seek out her hand solely for her false dowry. Surprisingly enough, a marriage proposal is placed before her by none other than the Duke himself and there quick marriage causes even more of an uproar for the ton. Yet, Lily knows not all is as it seems within her marriage and some dark family secrets are being kept from her. She desperately wants to discover once and for all the truth behind Simon's (and she even suspects Oliver's) wild mannerisms during the full moon and their shared family birthmark.

I've been on a historic reading fix lately, but YUM, I forgot how much I enjoyed Book # 3 by Ms. Dare; so I'm happy I got back into the series with Book # 1. I'm notorious for reading series all out of order! Lily was a great female character lead and I liked her immensely. Simon grew on me throughout the book, but I felt he became unrealistically enamored with Lily too early on which did keep the story flowing well throughout. The overall "secret wolf" plot was intriguing and kept me turning the pages late into the night and the romance between the two was just right (steamy, but not over the top!). I cannot wait to start Book # 2 soon and even more excited that this series seems to keep growing and growing. More books to come out soon . . . yayy!

Likes: Lily was very down to earth and realistic in her actions, which made it easy to become absorbed in her dealings with the Westfield family and young Oliver.

Dislikes: Oliver's instant infatuation with Lily was hard to fully accept at times, but he was a very dotting and loving husband.(less)

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Mar 11, 2012 Meredith added it

Shelves: dnf, english-historical, paranormal, romance

Great idea, terrible execution. Not sure if this is my first book by this author or not, but she seems to change the character's personalities whenever she needs the plot to go a certain way.

It started out good: Duke of Slut with wolfish tendancies, proper and determined heroine, teenage ward with a secret.

Then it all went to hell--first, can people please stop doing the "Duke of Slut suddenly sees the one and becomes monogomous" thing? I get the whole "reformed rake" but he went from "slut" to...more

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Jan 03, 2012 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars

On the Nook this novel is approx. 274 pages long. This is a book that was easy to like with characters who are fun to read about. Well written by Lydia Dare.

He gets crankier and crankier as the moon gets full...

The rules of Society can be beastly—especially when you're a werewolf and it's that irritating time of the month. Simon Westfield, the Duke of Blackmoor, is rich, powerful, and sinfully handsome, and has spent his entire life creating scandal and mayhem. It doesn't help his wolfish temper...more

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Oct 12, 2011 Katelyn *Constantly-Dreaming* rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favorites

A perfectly smutty story :) Just what I was looking for after picking up one too many books about spirits or what have you murdering people - my dreams were getting a bit freaky there for a bit.
Honestly, I loved this book. I always enjoy a strong-willed female lead role and Lily was no exception! And, Simon - oh hot, hot Duke/lycan Simon - was deliciously raunchy enough to keep me extremely entertained throughout the entire book.
But, that's not all I enjoyed. The relationship the two of them s...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Erica Gonzalez rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I first decided to read this I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, in fact, I thought I probably wouldn't. I was happily surprised. I really just wanted a story about a werewolf, or lycan as they prefer to be called, and this book was the first one I came across. At first, probably because I had started with the pretense of not liking this book, I couldn't really get that into it. But not long that long into it I fell in love with the characters :)

I love how Lily is caring and motherly t...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Sandy M rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, paranormal, shapeshifters, werewolves

I’m always thrilled when I find a new paranormal author who writes werewolves. They’re my favorite shifters to read about, and though I have my favorite authors I go to time and again for a good fix, I love it when someone new comes along and gives me a terrific story. I got double pleasure this time because Ms. Dare also writes about brothers. No way can I lose reading this series.

Lily has been raising her nephew since the death of his parents, and lately the teenage boy has been acting quite s...more I’m always thrilled when I find a new paranormal author who writes werewolves. They’re my favorite shifters to read about, and though I have my favorite authors I go to time and again for a good fix, I love it when someone new comes along and gives me a terrific story. I got double pleasure this time because Ms. Dare also writes about brothers. No way can I lose reading this series.

Lily has been raising her nephew since the death of his parents, and lately the teenage boy has been acting quite strangely. Not knowing what else to do, she’s tried to get hold of Oliver’s guardian, the Duke of Blackmoor, but the man has so far ignored her pleas. She finally decides to go a step further and arrives unannounced on his doorstep.

For Simon, it’s just the wrong time of the month for a complication like Lily. The closer it comes to the full moon, the more antsy and dangerous he and his beast become. What Lily has never know is Simon and his family are werewolves, and that inheritance has been passed to her nephew. Once Simon realizes the boy has had no guidance on this particular aspect in his life, the duke takes Oliver in hand to teach him a little about himself.

He also tries any way he can to get Lily out of his life before it’s too late, but the woman refuses to leave her nephew. She even refuses the surlier he gets as the full moon gets closer. I really enjoyed this part of the story between these two characters. Lily isn’t the least bit afraid of Simon, mainly because she doesn’t know she perhaps should be. She has no idea what’s lurking under his surface.

I also like the protectiveness of Lily’s nephew when he finds out what he and Simon are, wanting to make sure Simon doesn’t treat Lily the way Oliver’s father treated his mother. And Simon does a great job of making Oliver understand all he needs to know to live as a werewolf.

The attraction between Simon and Lily slowly roils along until the pressure is just too much and an explosion is imminent. Needless to say, Simon is taken off guard by Lily’s reaction to his true self.

Also, we’re set up quite nicely for Will’s story, which is next in Tall, Dark and Wolfish and hits the shelves next month. His history and current relationship with Prisca definitely intrigued me and I can’t wait to get to it. I also like the interaction of the brothers throughout the story. Ms. Dare does a terrific job of this. A lot of authors don’t work in siblings quite as much in stories, so this is a nice change of pace with Ms. Dare’s storyline.

A great start to a new series! There’s four books so far, and I’m hoping for more.

See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com (less)

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Apr 09, 2011 Joan Reeves rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, paranormal

Not Your Typical Werewolf

The delightful A Certain Wolfish Charm by Lydia Dare is not your typical werewolf novel. This paranormal Victorian romance by Lydia Dare is the kind of book romance readers will adore.

Plot Description

This book marked the first of Ms. Dare's books about Werewolves in Victorian England. Now, that may induce a snort of laughter from you, but the emotional voyage heroine Lily Rutledge, an on-the-shelf spinster, undergoes will have you coming back for more, as in purchasing t...more Not Your Typical Werewolf

The delightful A Certain Wolfish Charm by Lydia Dare is not your typical werewolf novel. This paranormal Victorian romance by Lydia Dare is the kind of book romance readers will adore.

Plot Description

This book marked the first of Ms. Dare's books about Werewolves in Victorian England. Now, that may induce a snort of laughter from you, but the emotional voyage heroine Lily Rutledge, an on-the-shelf spinster, undergoes will have you coming back for more, as in purchasing the newer books in the series.

Lily has raised her orphaned nephew Oliver who is suddenly changing from the mild, gentle boy to an easily-angered young man she hardly recognizes. Her demands that his guardian Simon Westfield, Duke of Blackmoor, lend a hand in helping the boy go unheeded until she pays a visit to the duke, determined not to leave until he agrees to pay attention to the boy.
Wastrel Simon who never met an attractive woman he didn't want to bed realizes that Oliver is coming into his Westfield werewolf heritage so he decides to take over the task of raising the boy. Of course, he didn't count on Lily's fierce loyalty and love for the boy.

She refuses to leave the boy with his long absentee guardian. Simon's desire for Lily frightens him because he fears he may unwittingly hurt her. Lily, equally drawn to Simon, through no fault of her own ends up the object of ugly society speculation and gossip. Despite Simon's fears, he must do the right thing and save Lily's reputation and honor by marrying her.

Praise

That Ms. Dare's book captured a Starred Review from Publishers Weekly, comes as no surprise.
Passion, emotion, and a believable evolving relationship make this book a page turner that will pluck your heartstrings.

This is not a shapeshifter book filled with gore and blood. It's a book with a tortured hero who wants to be normal, but fears he can never be himself with the woman he loves.

In Conclusion

Though A Certain Wolfish Charm is a paranormal novel, any reader who loves a good romance novel, particularly a historical romance novel, will enjoy this book. (less)

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Mar 18, 2011 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-paranormal-romance

~* 3.5 Stars *~
Infuriated over the Duke of Blackmoor's flagrant disregard for his ward after several attempts to contact the blackguard via letter, Lily Ruttledge, the Aunt of the twelve-year-old Oliver, is left with no option but to track the man down. She will force him to pay attention to the rising crisis of a boy who is changing in ways that are starting to scare the normally unflappable Lily. One conversation with Your Grace Simon Westfield, however, and all she wants to do is wring his ne...more

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Nov 21, 2010 April rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Full disclosure: this was a free Kindle download, but I would have bought it anyway —mostly because I worked on the cover and didn't want to crack the spine on my copy of the mass market paperback. The premise of werewolves in a Regency-era England, however, probably would have been enough of a draw for me to try this even if I had nothing to do with it. Werewolves are big right now, and I've always been a big fan of Regency; the combination is more than intriguing.

The story itself engaged me, a...more

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Sep 06, 2010 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, paranormal-romance

This is the first book in the Westfield Brothers series and is a historical paranormal romance. This is one of those books I just picked up on a whim because of lack of other books to read. I'm glad that I went out on that limb because it ended up being a decent book. Yes, it was a little predictable and also a little silly at times but it was a good story with a pretty hot romance that kept me interested.

The Duke of Blackmoor, Simon Westfield is doing his best to control his inner beast and avo...more

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Sep 03, 2010 The Readings of a Busy Mom Riaz rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you remember not so long ago I read and Reviewed the 3rd novel in the Westfield Brother series The Wolf Next Door (review here) and was totally charmed by these hunky man wolfs and couldn't resist more so I went and ordered the first two in the series. (sigh*) A Certain Wolfish Charm is the first in the Westfield Brothers series by Lydia Dare and a great start to a series it is....it would have been a great stand alone novel as it leaves you content at the end but I'm grateful for the continu...more

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May 27, 2010 Sheila rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, paranormal, romance

Werewolves in Regency England? It may sound a curious premise, but the author, Lydia Dare, makes it work beautifully in A Certain Wolfish Charm. Young Oliver, orphaned Earl of Maberly, has suddenly grown from innocent child to wild teenager driving his dear unmarried aunt to distraction. Said aunt, the enterprising and beautiful Lily Rutledge, turns to Oliver’s fellow guardian for help, but Simon Westfield has his own well-thought-out reasons for hiding in the background all these years. The tro...more

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May 18, 2010 Yulia Rudkov rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: werewolves, romance, paranormal, historical

It was a nice, light book.
The historical-romance-paranormal(werewolfs) was a nice change from the usual modern paranormal romance, though all the paranormal part was very minimized, just the fact that they are werewolfs and that the main character can't tell her because he's afraid of her reaction.
There was a little jealousy, a plus for me any day, though I would've liked it more if he was more dominant and more jealous.
And the historical romance, as anyone who reads them knows that they are alm...more

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May 02, 2010 Liz rated it 4 of 5 stars

A werewolf novel set in Regency England and it actually works.

The story: Lily has been raising her late sister's child for the past six years. However, she's baffled when the boy transforms from a sweet child to a moody, snotty, boy who eats enormous amounts of food. She's confused (though anyone who has been around boys would just tell her "welcome to puberty.") and decided to consult his official guardian, Simon Westfield, a duke who has largely ignored the two of them for six years.

Simon has...more

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Apr 01, 2010 Lexie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-romance-historical, genre-romance-paranormal, review-blog, books-owned

A Certain Wolfish Charm caught my attention almost as soon as I saw the title. I didn't expect it to be about a werewolf family in Regency England--I thought it merely was a statement of the male lead's personality. The description hooked me however and I eagerly awaited the chance to read this. Then I began reading it and I eagerly sacrificed my sleep in order to read it all in one sitting.

The premise isn't a new one, but the way that Dare handles the Lycan side of Simon (and the other family m...more A Certain Wolfish Charm caught my attention almost as soon as I saw the title. I didn't expect it to be about a werewolf family in Regency England--I thought it merely was a statement of the male lead's personality. The description hooked me however and I eagerly awaited the chance to read this. Then I began reading it and I eagerly sacrificed my sleep in order to read it all in one sitting.

The premise isn't a new one, but the way that Dare handles the Lycan side of Simon (and the other family members afflicted with the genetics) was certainly interesting. Apparently in order to keep the Beast at bay Simon perfected a routine that involved sleeping women, gambling and carousing (to be fair so did his two brothers William and the absent Benjamin). He is also rather thick-headed when it comes to what will make a woman happy. His original solution to the predicament of Lily wanting to stay near Oliver, Simon wanting to stay near Lily and keeping the secret that he was afraid would repulse her is one of his stupidest mistakes. Which everyone is more than happy to tell him, but he's so excited about that stupid mistake its hard to fault him for it.

Lily is not shrinking violet and doesn't let Simon (or Oliver, or anyone for that matter) make her feel as if she doesn't have a right to what she has to say. Her moments of vulnerability are understandable, given Simon's initial hot/cold/passionate/scared treatment of her as well as her fear of becoming what her sister became after marrying Simon's cousin David. She can come across as being entirely too nosy at times however. Simon...well Simon is hard to resist. I can't imagine too many men would offer to give the girl they want to bed (badly) a dowry and then offer to practically tear an old friend's arm off for even thinking of marrying her all in the same breath.

The two of them are entirely too blind to what's going on between them and it sometimes makes mountains out of molehills. There are definite trust issues involved, but Dare doesn't explore them as deeply as I wanted and Lily's attempts at wheedling information out of Simon (or anyone else) were more annoying then anything else.

Oliver, Lily's nephew by her late sister Emma (who married David, Simon's cousin), is the most surly, obstinate and aggravating child I have ever read about. Lily mentions how sweet and amiable the child was before he hit twelve, but I can't see it. And neither can any other character quite frankly--almost every single character either mentions or thinks that Lily is a Saint for being able to put up with him the last six years. Certainly the fact he is undergoing the transformation for the first time and is scared of what's happening to him explains some of it, but the kid was just this side of being a complete jerk to everyone--including Lily.

As this is the first in the trilogy, there is a lot more set up that will come to fruition in the latter two books. William's past relationship with Prisca (the girl next door) and Benjamin's disappearance for instance. The trilogy is slated to have back to back releases--which by the way, I love when publishers do that, just saying--with A Certain Wolfish Charm due in April, Tall, Dark and Wolfish due out in May (Benjamin) and The Wolf Next Door due out in June (William).

This is Dare's debut novel and is well worth reading and enjoying. The in-jokes between Simon and William (about being wolves), the banter between any of the characters is amusing and witty and the heat is high. I can't possibly recommend this book more, though I'm sure I could fangirl a bit more if anyone would like.(less)

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Mar 28, 2010 Mason rated it 5 of 5 stars

A brief description of this book’s main female character caught my attention. She was only 24, but considered herself “on the shelf,” was devoted to raising her dead sister’s adolescent son, and seem to have spunk. I had to know more.

Lily Rutledge needed help with her 12-year-old nephew and who better to turn to than the boy’s guardian even though he hadn’t shown any interest in the lad in six years. She was still mystified why her brother-in-law had chosen his cousin as guardian. He wouldn’t ev...more

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Mar 07, 2010 Sobia rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I read the synopsis for “A Certain Wolfish Charm”, but whatever my expectations were, they weren't met.

It's billed as paranormal romance, but really it's only marginally paranormal (more like Paranormal Lite). Yes, the hero's a werewolf, but that aspect is treated more like a dirty little secret--> the first half of the book he's referred to as a 'beast' or 'unnatural' and the supernatural shifter stuff is barely touch upon (it was more alluded to, then...more

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I read the synopsis for “A Certain Wolfish Charm”, but whatever my expectations were, they weren't met.

It's billed as paranormal romance, but really it's only marginally paranormal (more like Paranormal Lite). Yes, the hero's a werewolf, but that aspect is treated more like a dirty little secret--> the first half of the book he's referred to as a 'beast' or 'unnatural' and the supernatural shifter stuff is barely touch upon (it was more alluded to, then anything else) so much so that the secret could be almost anything else... the H being a secret agent for the crown or a father who was a traitor, or whatever, the basic story stays the same, no matter what the secret is.

That's not so say A certain Wolfish charm was badly written, it wasn't. It's pretty much on par with your average 3 to 4 star rated Regency. There's just nothing that really stands out. the main characters follow the typical pattern --> She's an aging spinster (with a heart of gold), he's a (kinds sorta) tortured rake of a hero. from their first meeting it goes exactly where you think it will (spoilers ahead) --> her rep is ruined and made public by a well meaning (matchmaking) friend, the hero saves her by marrying her, but he has a shameful secret that she eventually (i.e. not til the very last few pages) finds out and accepts his secret (the one that's been praying on him for years) fairly quickly.

And the ending is not only fairly obvious, but a bit anticlimactic as well, and I liked the h better then the H. In most PNR, we know why the shifter (or other para breed) gets all hot and bothered for the h (or vice versa): a scent, or just a knowing that this person is his or whatever, but that's not the case here So I spent a good amount of time trying to figure out why this H wanted this h, and not someone else.

Now, as a fan of paranormal romances, the biggest disappointment isn't the predictable plot, but the potential of a good PNR novel that's never realized...It never quite reaches the heights the plot synopsis (on the back cover) implies it will.

It's no where near the likes of Singh's Psy changeling, or Brigg's Alpha and Omega series, but for what it is, a regency with light para elements, it's a decent read.

And if you're new to para's or if you're unsure whether or not you'd be itnerested, this may be a pretty good place to start :)
(less)

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Apr 19, 2011 Karen Keyte rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-historical, adult-paranormal, adult-romance

I love historical romances, particularly those set in the Regency period. I also have a weakness for shape-shifter stories, so giving A Certain Wolfish Charm (the first novel in Lydia Dare's Regency Werewolf trilogy) a try was a no brainer for me. I probably would have liked the book even if it had been merely mediocre, but I was delighted to discover that it was so much more than that. Ms. Dare has a real talent for story-telling; just a few pages into the book I was totally hooked. The plot is...more
I love historical romances, particularly those set in the Regency period. I also have a weakness for shape-shifter stories, so giving A Certain Wolfish Charm (the first novel in Lydia Dare's Regency Werewolf trilogy) a try was a no brainer for me. I probably would have liked the book even if it had been merely mediocre, but I was delighted to discover that it was so much more than that. Ms. Dare has a real talent for story-telling; just a few pages into the book I was totally hooked. The plot is intriguing and the paranormal aspect is a completely natural part of the landscape (albeit a secret one). Best of all, the characters were all fully-developed and true -to-life.

Miss Lily Rutledge has never been more exasperated with a man than she is with Simon Westfield, Duke of Blackmoor and she hasn't even laid eyes on him in six years. At nearly twenty-four Lily is firmly on the shelf as far as marriage prospects are concerned but she has absolutely no regrets about what put her there. After the death of her adored sister and her brother-in-law six years ago, Lily volunteered to raise their son, Oliver York, Earl of Maberley. No child could be more beloved and, until very recently, Oliver has been both sweet and obedient. In the past few months however, both Oliver's personality and his physique have undergone startling changes. He has grown immensely, eats enough to feed a good-sized family and has become downright surly. Lily is extremely concerned about Oliver and she has written a number of letters to Blackmoor - who happens to be the boy's guardian - asking for his advice and assistance. Letters, Lily is furious to note, that the Duke has clearly not bothered to read since the only response she receives is money. It's obviously past time for a more direct approach.

An infamous rakehell, Simon Westfield is not a happy man. His werewolf nature drives him in ways that he's sure would horrify polite society and that's without ever giving in to his baser animal instincts. Every time the full moon approaches, Simon quits London and heads to Westfield Hall, his secluded Hampshire estate. Once there Simon can relax and give in to the changes that inevitably come in the nights surrounding the full moon. That is what he fully intended to do this time as well. He has no interest in entertaining Miss Lily Rutledge who, much to her own unknown peril, has arrived on his doorstep unexpectedly for the express purpose of discussing his ward. It is simply not safe for her to be here, so Simon dumps her unceremoniously back into her carriage and tells her to return to Maberley Hall forthwith. It's only after Lily's departure that her words seep into Simon's brain. Oliver York is obviously approaching his first transformation as a Lycan, which means Miss Rutledge will be in even greater danger at Maberley.

Simon is determined to take Oliver in hand and to help the lad learn to control his werewolf nature. He sends for the boy and, with his brother Will in tow, sets out to fetch Miss Rutledge back to Westfield Hall. Once he has them both under his roof, Simon intends to tell Lily that her services will no longer be required. Perhaps he'll even provide her with a dowry so she can settle down and raise some children of her own. But Simon hasn't reckoned on Lily's fierce determination not to be parted from her nephew, nor has he anticipated his own intense longing to make Lily his own.(less)

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Mar 14, 2011 Laurielu Book Savvy Babes rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: paranormal romance readers over 18 due to sexual content

Shelves: 2011-reads, first-in-series, paranormal, romance, series, werewolf

Miss Lily Rutledge is the aunt and surrogate mother to twelve year old, orphaned Oliver who is Lycan (unbeknownst to Lily). Miss Rutledge is twenty three, unmarried and has been Oliver's caretaker for the last six years. But, Oliver has become difficult to handle. He has hit a major growth spurt, and eats like a horse. Something is going on with him which she does not entirely understand and she attempts to reach out to Oliver's guardian and cousin, Simon Westfield who is known as the Duke of Bl...more

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Apr 20, 2010 Kristina rated it 5 of 5 stars

YAY for this series! The first book in Dare's para. werewolf series was excellent!!!

The characters in this one are just awesome and the men are hot. The "intimate" scenes are steamy but not overdone. I think they were on the perfect level for that time in history.

I was worried that the dialogue would be difficult to understand as sometimes I do have trouble with historicals. (they worry me) Lydia Dare's "A Certain Wolfish Charm" was a breeze to read though! It was perfect IMO!

I really truly have...more

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Apr 06, 2010 Blodeuedd Finland rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, historical-romance

A certain Wolfish Charm - Lydia Dare

Genre: Historical paranormal romance

Pages: 352

Published: April 6th 2010 by Sourcebooks Casablanca

He gets crankier and crankier as the moon gets full...

The rules of Society can be beastly-especially when you're a werewolf and it's that irritating time of the month. Simon Westfield, the Duke of Blackmoor, is rich, powerful, and sinfully handsome, and has spent his entire life creating scandal and mayhem. It doesn't help his wolfish temper at all that Miss Lily...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Alicia rated it 5 of 5 stars

In Lydia dare's debut trilogy, Regency England has gone to the wolves! "He gets crankier and crankier as the moon gets full..."

The rules of Society can be beastly-especially when you're a werewolf and it's that irritating time of the month. Simon Westfield, the Duke of Blackmoor, is rich, powerful, and sinfully handsome, and has spent his entire life creating scandal and mayhem. It doesn't help his wolfish temper at all that Miss Lily Rutledge seems not the least bit afraid of him, and in fact,...more

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A Certain Wolfish Charm (Westfield Wolves #1)

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