Review: Wanting the Wolfman by Louise Collins

Title: Wanting the Wolfman

Author: Louise Collins

Length: 200 Pages

Category: Sci-Fi, Shifters

At a Glance: A unique take on werewolf lore that was both refreshing and surprisingly sweet.

Reviewed By: Lindsey

Blurb: Can love be more than a memory?

Three years ago, an attack cost Joel his leg… and his memories. Though he was told a dog he’d befriended savaged him, he has one hazy recollection: the stunning silver eyes of a wolf… or maybe a man. Desperate for the truth, he struggles back into the woods where his life changed in search of his animal friend.

When he finds the wolf who has stalked his thoughts, he demands it reveal its true form, and he meets Guy, the man within the wolf. Guy is guarded, but the wolf knows Joel belongs with them, and gradually, Guy can only agree. Things fall into place, but then Joel inadvertently exposes the man and the wolf he’s coming to love.

Guy and the wolf are forced to flee, but can Joel follow?

Review: I was pleasantly surprised by this sweet little paranormal romance and the unique take it gave to werewolf lore. As often is the case with paranormal books out there, I had to suspend disbelief a bit in some areas in order to go with the story, but ultimately, I found it quite enjoyable.

The story starts with Joel in a really bad place, emotionally. Depression lies heavily on Joel’s shoulders, from the loss of his leg three years before. The experience changed Joel and affected not just him, but his relationships suffered too. I His lack of memory of the “dog attack” keeps him in a sort of stasis, not really able to move forward with his new normal. Before the injury, he traveled the forest, at one with nature, feeling complete and whole. After the accident, he is conflicted, fearful of the forest he loves but drawn to it all the same. The information Joel was given about his injury doesn’t quite sound right, but he doesn’t remember enough to understand why. Keen (his awful ex) pushes him constantly, treating him horribly. His relationship with his parents is filled with tension, anger and disappointment. His “friends” true colors became clear, and he shed them too. He is essentially alone, partially because he pushes people away due to his inability to get passed his disability but also because the one thing the injury led to was helping him to see the truth of certain people such as Keen, his now ex-boyfriend, and his so-called friends.

A particularly horrible night, resulting in the recovery of his memories, leads to embarrassment and additional betrayal. How could what Joel remembers be true? But he doesn’t doubt the images filling his head. He decides he has had enough and needs to disappear. With the recovery of his memories, no matter how farfetched they seem, Joel finds himself back at the place where his life changed forever.

The wolfman is real, that much Joel finds out. What differs a bit in this tale is Guy and the Wolf are essentially two separate entities, with desires and thoughts all their own, occupying one body. Because they aren’t the one in the same, instead of romance with Guy and Joel, there is also the relationship with Wolf and Joel explored.

I adored Joel and the Wolf’s bond. Similar to that of man and dog, there is comfort and love, though not romantically. Wolf is the friend Joel had been without for so long, offering comfort, caring for Joel, fearful of Joel being hurt again, guilty for what happened three years before, but unconditionally loving Joel with a devotion most humans can’t quite comprehend.

Guy and Joel’s relationship was more of a simmer. Guy wants to protect the Wolf, hiding from his past and those that wish to harm them. He can communicate with Wolf, but they are distinct individuals, with different thoughts and desires. Though Guy is attracted to Joel, and he is always hearing Wolf’s adoration in his head, Guy keeps Joel at a distance in an effort to protect everyone from what he fears could happen. Wolf doesn’t understand Guys reasons for the distance, and there is often conflict between the two—wolf being instinctual and trusting the emotions, Guy being logical and analytical, letting fear hold him back. Eventually, though, Guy can no longer keep himself at a distance and gives in to his desire for Joel. The two begin a separate connection all their own.

The relationships were sweet in their own way, and it was refreshing to watch Joel heal with the different bonds he was forming with Wolf and Guy. He begins to heal emotionally from his past trauma while he learns what really happened to him years ago.

There are some secondary characters, but one of the main forms of angst comes from Keen, Joel’s ex. He is an antagonistic, selfish, arrogant, possessive, mean and overall a very repugnant guy. From the beginning he just pushed all my wrong buttons. Though some of his actions after Joel’s injury were explainable (not necessarily understandable), it was everything else about his personality that made him wholly unlikable. His audacity astounded me. Though he did get some form of comeuppance, it wasn’t nearly enough, in my opinion.

As stated previously, I had to suspend disbelief in some areas, mainly about the attack and the doctor’s medical diagnosis versus what really happened. I can’t see how an injury like the one Joel received would be misdiagnosed to that extreme. Or maybe there were just theories, and the medical profession went with it rather than confirmed? I find it doubtful, but that is just me overanalyzing, I think.

I also should touch on the worldbuilding, which was a bit underdeveloped for me. After the detail of how they lived and survived in the forest, and the relationship detail, the lack of worldbuilding and resolution on Guy and Wolf’s nature was underwhelming. I was hoping for a bit more information, more details revealed, more understanding of how they came to be and what happened, as well as those that they were running from. Though it as touched on, and there was a sort of climax where Guy faces his past, it seemed a little to clean-cut for my liking, with the bad guys from Guy’s past being little more than a caricature.

Despite the few niggles I had, my overall experience was a good one. I enjoyed this unique take on the werewolf trope, and reading about both Guy’s and Wolf’s relationship with Joel gave me the warm fuzzies. Totally would recommend for those looking for a sweet romance sprinkled with an adorable friendship.

You can buy Wanting the Wolfman here:
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