Review: Where the Wild Things Bite by Molly Harper (Half-Moon Hollow #5)

Where the Wild Things Bite (Half-Moon Hollow #5)
Molly Harper
Published: July 26, 2016 (Pocket Books)
Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon
Review source: purchased 

Reviewed by: Jannelle

Rating (out of 5): 4 stars

Note: While review will be spoiler free, it does make reference to previous books. If you haven’t started this series yet, check out VBC’s review of book 1, Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs.

Anna Winthrop is a bibliographer with a focus on the paranormal and in the Half-Moon Hollow universe this means vampires. When bookstore owner Jane Jameson needs a very old and controversial book authenticated, she seeks Anna’s expertise, placing it in her hands. Now it is Anna’s responsibility to bring it back to Half-Moon Hollow to Jane Jameson herself, unaware of the other paranormal creatures hoping to get their hands on it.

On the final leg of her trip, Anna boards a small plane on its way to Half-Moon Hollow. Through a surprising turn of events, the pilot has grabbed the only parachute and jumped off the plane. Luckily, the only other person on the flight is a vampire, Finn Palmeroy, who decides he will be rescuing Anna and soon enough, they both find themselves trudging through the wilderness with a book in tow, on their way back to the Hollow.

While Anna is a new addition to the Half-Moon Hollow world, vampire Finn Palmeroy is not. Finn is normally associated with the shadier side of Dick Cheney’s dealings and doesn’t have the cleanest reputation with the Vampire Council. To be honest, as with Cheney, I’ve always been incredibly intrigued by Finn and was hoping for an installment in which he would be the male protagonist.

Anna and Finn’s spark was immediate. The long journey through the woods only built upon that instant connection, simultaneously creating a steady-paced plot that was consistently moving their story forward.

I truly enjoyed the fact that the majority of this installment did not take place in Half-Moon Hollow. Needless to say, it was a surprising alternative to the constant setting of the series. This allowed me to get to know Finn on a personal level that didn’t interfere with others characters’ perception of him. For this installment in particular, Half-Moon Hollow would have made a poor setting for our new Hollow Couple. Between Anna’s agoraphobia and the fact that the only vampire she knew in the Hollow was Jane Jameson—not Finn’s biggest fan—I don’t see how Anna and Finn’s blossoming relationship could have transpired.

As with every other Harper novel, I found myself laughing out loud and looking forward to my trips to and from work to get my Half-Moon Hollow fix in. I’m sure you wouldn’t be surprised to find that I listened to this installment on audio (you know, like every other Harper novel that Amanda Ronconi narrates). Seriously, Ronconi’s narration of the Half-Moon Hollow and Jane Jameson series is always a delightful mix of unique and laugh-out-loud moments that bring Harper’s snarky protagonists to life. It’s now my favorite way to catch up with the series.

Like the rest of the novels in the Half-Moon Hollow series, Where the Wild Things Bite is an easy read and holds itself impeccably as a standalone. Of course, I still recommend that you read the series in its entirety from the beginning (because you would only be doing yourself a disservice otherwise), but the rest of the series is not necessary to read to understand—and appreciate—this installment.

For both new and seasoned fans of the Half-Moon Hollow series, be sure to pick up Where the Wild Things Bite.

Sexual content: graphic sex