Early Review: Beauty and the Werewolf by Kristin Miller (San Francisco Wolf Pack #2)

Beauty and the Werewolf (San Francisco Wolf Pack #2)
Kristin Miller
Published: Aug. 25, 2015 (Entangled)
Purchase: Amazon
Review source: copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

Reviewed by: Amy

Rating (out of 5): 4 stars

Isabelle Connelly, heir apparent to the Ireland Wolf Pack, has a secret. To the rest of the world she’s renowned painter Bella Nolan, famous for her werewolf series of paintings.

She’s kept her identity guarded because Isabelle’s art is not something her father stands behind. He believes she should be focusing more on the Pack, especially now that his health is failing. With Isabelle’s father not having long for this world, she finally wants to show him that her love of art is not a passing fancy, it’s her passion. To do this she’s determined to track down all of her paintings to showcase to her father in one place. She almost has the full set, and the latest acquisition will take her to San Francisco into the territory of the MacGraths, a werewolf family the Connellys have had a long-standing dislike of. No chance of getting into trouble though, all she has to do is get the painting and get out.

Jack MacGrath is 320 years old. That’s not considered ancient for a werewolf, but living that long without one’s Luminary (i.e. mate) is almost unheard of. Finding his Luminary and forming that bond will keep him from death and increase his life by centuries, if he can just hold on a little longer. Never knowing when the end might come, Jack has learned to take comfort in things he likes. So when Isabelle Connelly shows up at an art auction hoping to outbid him on a painting by his favorite artist (one Bella Nolan) he won’t let that stand. But he also finds himself inexplicably drawn to the female werewolf. Jack knows he’s finally found his Luminary, but convincing Isabelle of that will take all the focus he has left.

I really enjoyed Beauty and the Werewolf. I liked that the whole Alpha male trope that pops up when we’re talking about mates bonding kind of took a backseat to just a sweet and somewhat simple romance. With Jack being in a more vulnerable position, Isabelle becomes his salvation. I liked seeing Jack being the one with the insta-love whereas Isabelle is not completely on board with the idea. Trust me, with the way he ends up convincing her, I maybe would have held out a little longer too. You know, just to make sure (insert devilish grin here).

I admired Isabelle’s regard for her family and for her role in the Pack. It was nice to see that just because she found someone to care about she didn’t just dismiss those who count on her. In the same way she wouldn’t give up painting just because her father views it as a passing fancy. It’s all about finding the balance and making the decisions that work best for you and sometimes important decisions should be tough. Isabelle having to choose between a potential mate and her family shouldn’t be taken lightly, and I appreciated that Kristin Miller made that conflict ring true.

I would say this was a romance first and a paranormal second. There were some instances I would have liked to have seen the werewolf aspect integrated more, but sometimes it’s just nice to read a good romance. Reading Beauty and the Werewolf has definitely gotten me interested in checking out other books by Kristin Miller.

Sexual content: graphic sex