Book Review: How to Date a WereWolf by Rose Pressey

How to Date a Werewolf is the first book in the Rylie Cruz series by Rose Pressey. Rylie is a werewolf that happens to run a dating service that works to find everyone (regardless of if they are completely human or happen to have some extra hair or very sharp teeth) the perfect mate. Convinced that a family curse denies her a happily ever after, so works hard to provide one for others. When handsome psychiatrist Jack moves into the building Rylie starts thinking that she might need to break that curse. However, an unhappy client, scary stalkers, and thugs looking for her deadbeat uncle make things hard to manage. Can Rylie find her true love while hiding her furry secret and staying alive?

How to Date a Werewolf was a fun and promising start to a new series. I liked that Rylie had a solid friend and confidant from the beginning, and that like real friendships not everything is perfect throughout the book. Rylie's dysfunctional family and desire to take care of herself, despite having people nearby that offer to help her, made her character ring true. I love a character that has realistic flaws even in light of unrealistic premises (like werewolves).

There is an underlying mystery, like who is following Rylie and sending ominous packages, which keeps the story moving. However, I will admit to feeling like it dragged just a touch in the middle. I think the last chapter added a few characters that we will see again in the series, but I would have liked to see more of that interaction with the world outside five primary characters in the story. I liked that while I disagreed with the conclusion that Rylie stood by through most of the book for the problems she faced, the final answer had occurred to me but was not the one I really expected. It was nice to be surprised.

I would recommend How to Date a Werewolf to readers that enjoy Pressey's writing, mysteries, and paranormal romance. The story was a good, but not spectacular read. I think I will be taking a look at later books in the series to see where the story goes from here.