Under a Blue Moon

The best part of this story is finding the right one. I love the idea of this human who is really comfortable with his wolf connection.

We are back at Camp H.O.W.L. for another great story. It was an absolute pleasure to read. Right from the start, I was completely hooked, and I read this story in one sitting. It was fun, lighthearted, with a lot of feel-good vibes, and along the way some heartache and tears.
When Nick and Drew have their one-night stand, they certainly didn’t think they would see other again. But fate is a fickle thing, especially under a blue moon because that is supposed to bring good luck. And it sure did, but not without hurdles. The most stubborn hurdle is Nick himself.
He is a werewolf, psychologist, and sick of counseling married couples who are on the verge of divorce because of holding secrets. Nick doesn’t believe that a human and a werewolf can be partners for life if one of them has to hold his other half a secret. Well, he didn’t count on Drew. Drew might be human, but he has been raised as and among werewolves. If there were one human, who would know what werewolves are, it would be Drew.
I loved these men so much. Drew is a force to be reckoned with. He is getting more and more under Nick’s skin. Challenging him at every opportunity and not letting go. He is attracted to Nick, and he won’t let him forget it. He is such a sweet, positive guy. Independent and sure of his worth as a human, but without being arrogant about it. Nick is one stubborn man. Determined that humans and weres cannot match, he makes one stupid mistake after another. But he can’t stop his protective streak taking over. In the end, he finally gets his head on straight and acknowledges that his prejudices and preconceived notions are getting in the way of love. By being himself, Drew is tearing down all the obstacles Nick has thrown in their way. Add to that a patient consult horribly going wrong, and Nick is a goner.
Although there are not a lot of sex scenes in this book, the chemistry is undeniable. The air is literally sparkling, and the smell of arousal obvious. Their banter is full of sexual innuendos and a wicked sense of humor.
The supporting cast is great, and I sense (and hope) there are some more stories to come. I am not done with Camp H.O.W.L. just yet.
This is the second book in the Camp H.O.W.L. but can be read as a stand-alone. For a better enjoyment of this book, I would recommend reading the books in order, however.

I really liked Under a Blue Moon by Bru Baker. It’s the second book in the Camp H.O.W.L. series and the twenty-second book in the Dreamspun Beyond series. This book is well written and nicely edited. The characters were developed, and I loved the Catch Me If You Can part of the book. That part and the part where Nick and Drew have to take the classes that the camp offers and they turn it into a competition of who can do it better, the human raised by werewolves or the werewolf. I loved how it helped show Nick that just because Drew is human that having been raised by werewolves and having werewolf stepbrothers has taught him how to use what he’s got to survive and thrive around werewolves and that he would be worthy of being in a relationship. I did like the little detail about them having their one-night stand while under a blue moon and that Drew’s mom and stepdad met and fell in love under a blue moon also and that they were proof that a human/werewolf relationship could last and flourish.

Poor Nick Perry is a psychologist and is tired of helping people with their marriages. So when a spot opens up to work with teens at Camp H.O.W.L., he jumps at it. Nick has seen too many relationships ruined by secrets, and this is just between people of the same species since he primarily sees humans. So he’s a big believer that an interspecies relationship doesn’t stand a chance of working and has a firm no dating humans rule. They are perfectly fine for one-night stands but absolutely not for dating. I can understand where he is coming from with that rule since they aren’t supposed to be telling humans what they are to protect the community, so yes dating a human that doesn’t know that you’re a werewolf would be hard on the relationship especially with how they wolf out on the full moon. But he is so stubborn about his attraction to the new camp doctor who, although human, was raised with werewolves so not quite the same scenario as dating a human that doesn’t know about the paranormal community.

I admit to wanting to hit Nick upside the head on more than one occasion for being so stubborn and forcing Drew to constantly prove that he’s just as good as a werewolf and more than a match for Nick. But he was still a loveable character, and the chemistry between him and Drew is hot.

Drew is a human and a doctor, but he’s been part of the Were community all of his life. He has no trouble fitting in at the camp as their new doctor. Except for Nick’s stubborn refusal to acknowledge the growing attraction between them and his ridiculous stance on dating humans and forcing him to constantly prove that he’s just as good as a Were. And he’s just as good because his stepbrothers have seen to that.

I really liked how happy-go-lucky Drew is and how he wants to help the patients that he sees in his little private practice in town. It doesn’t matter to him whether they are human or paranormal. When he gets a case that he’s sure is an ongoing domestic abuse case, he asks Nick for his advice and to see if the woman will talk to him and try to get her some help. When the boyfriend shows up, it all goes to hell.

But will the close call be enough to help Nick see that a connection like theirs isn’t something to let go of? You’re just going to have to read the book to find out. I’m not going to tell you. But it was definitely worth reading. And I can’t wait until the next book in the series.

4.5 Stars ~ ‘Under a Blue Moon’ begins with Nick and Drew meeting on a flight to Indianapolis not knowing they’re each heading to Camp H.O.W.L. Oh, how I could empathize with Nick’s werewolf senses trapped on a plane with all the human smells. I hate being stuck on a plane with people who don’t understand the word limited when it comes to perfumes and scented lotions. Nick is unexpectedly soothed by Drew’s natural scent and their flight, even with the emergency reroute, is much easier because of it. Well, that and sharing a hotel room for the night before they both have new flights the following day. The author definitely starts this second book in the series with a bang, and a sniff. *grins*

“A lot of Packs called their human members Pack-adjacent, but his stepfather’s Pack had embraced them wholly when Drew and his mother had married into it almost thirty years ago. He’d grown up with Weres, and sometimes he felt more wolf than man himself. He and Nick hadn’t talked about their Packs yesterday, and in the light of day, Drew realized that probably meant Nick didn’t realize Drew had a Pack.”

Drew has known Adrian since they were kids and he was introduced in book one. Drew is a physician who has been hired to be the infirmary doctor at the camp and he’s opening his own practice in the small town nearby. He figures life will be so much easier, and less stressful, dealing with nineteen-year-olds working through their Turn than the drug addicts and prostitutes he saw as an ER doctor. Nick is a psychologist and has been hired to replace Tate now that Adrian and Tate are living in New York with Adrian’s pack. Nick has spent enough time dealing with marital counseling and other human issues, and now he just wants to be where he can make a difference and really help. He and Drew are much alike in that regard.

Imagine each man’s surprise and differing emotional reactions when they meet at their new job, so to speak. Drew is thrilled because now he can have a relationship where he can share his whole life including his Were family. Nick isn’t exactly ecstatic as he has never viewed a human as someone he could ever spend his life with. A lot of that baggage comes from all of his years treating humans and seeing how incapable they appear to be at meaningful relationships. Drew is not happy about Nick’s rejection and reasoning.

“Even though he’d been fantasizing about finding Drew all day, seeing him here was nightmare. Nick didn’t want a relationship with him, not a real one. And now that they were coworkers, they certainly couldn’t be fuck buddies.”

Once again I was entranced with the worldbuilding. The secondary characters are phenomenal and it was hilarious watching them be so protective of Drew. Drew has been coming to the camp for years to visit and the staff know him there. They also don’t like what they view as Nick’s specism although that isn’t it at all. Nick just doesn’t understand how a human could possibly relate to all the things it means to be Were. Nick came across to me as slightly cocky and there was nothing I enjoyed better than watching Drew change Nick’s preconceived stereotypes.

I loved Drew and Nick’s story! The issues between them came across as very real and I could see the problems much as I would if it was two humans who came from different races, cultures, or religions. There was a sweetness to them that really hooked me from the start. Even though it took me a little longer to warm up to Nick, I adored Drew from the beginning and was rooting for them the whole way. I’m really looking forward to the next book because there are so many great characters to choose from – although I’m leaning heavily toward Harris and Jackson.

NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

This is the second book in the Camp H.O.W.L series but it stands alone easily. I found it a well paced story and I was well engaged throughout as there was humourous moments as well as the more dramatic parts of the story. The MCs Drew and Nick were both likeable, even Nick as due to the dual POV we understood his perspective.
A very enjoyable read, I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.