The Better to Hold You by Alisa Sheckley (Review by Alana)

Synopsis:

Manhattan veterinarian Abra Barrow has more sense about animals than shehas about men. So when her adored journalist husband returns from aresearch trip to Romania and starts pacing their apartment like a cagedwolf, Abra agrees to move with him to a rural mansion upstate in order to save her marriage.

But while there are perks to her new life, particularly in the bedroom,Abra soon discovers that nothing in the bucolic town of Northside iswhat it seems. The local tavern serves a dangerous, predatoryunderworld. Her husband has developed feral new appetites and a rovingeye, and his lack of humanity isn’t entirely emotional. As the moon waxes full, Abra must choose between trusting the man she married, taking a chance on a seductive stranger, or following her own animal instincts.

REVIEW:

The Better To Hold You was definitely one of those "guilty pleasure" books. With an interesting plot full of twists and turns, Alisa Sheckley managed to hold my attention to the very end. I began the novel expecting a typical "reality meets fantasy" story, but Sheckley creates characters and situations that defy the norm, completely updating commonly held beliefs about love and lycanthropy. Her creative storytelling allows the reader to easily believe some of the less realistic aspects of the tale, like the ease with which Abra is able to drop everything for her husband and the over-the-top campiness of her mother/daughter relationship.

I found myself surprisingly rooting for Abra throughout all of the trials and tribulations she underwent, and felt genuine delight in the goodness of Red even as his coincidental appearances stretched believability. As the story went on, I became more and more emotionally committed and connected to each of the characters, feeling Abra's shock, passion, and disgust at the changes in her new life and empathizing with Hunter's shift in worldview as he struggles to come to terms with whom- or what- he's become. On the whole, the book was darker and more substantial than I had anticipated, both of which contributed to a great read. Sheckley's skill at blending horror and romance is obvious to even the casual reader.

However, like every book, The Better To Hold You has its flaws. The major problem I had with the novel revolved around character development for the main antagonist, Hunter. His switch from loving-yet-absentminded-husband to maniacal villain seemed too immediate, with little fluid segue in between. He becomes a stereotype of the characteristic abusive husband, albeit with a supernatural twist. The abrupt introduction of Magda in all of her murderous glory seemed, again, slightly contrived. Nevertheless, if you're looking for a book to stimulate, scare, and entertain you, I'd highly recommend The Better To Hold You.

-Alana Melendy (Brand New NSCG Reviewer!)

The Better To Hold You was released yesterday! Buy it on Amazon here.

If you'd like to read an excerpt, check it out here.