The Wolf at Bay

Second read (8 August 2022): This book is so frustrating but so good. I feel like narrator improved too, or else he’s just brainwashing me into liking him. First read (20 April 2021): 4.5/5 THE ONLY THING I DISLIKE ABOUT THESE BOOKS IS THAT THEY END ON IN A WAY THAT LEAVES YOU WANTING MORE SO OFF TO BOOK THREE I GO

I loved how each book we get to see more of Cooper and Oliver as individuals. This one having a huge focus on Cooper and his family which we learned about in book 1 he's been keeping at an arm's length and has no clue about his actual job. I love also the introduction of Cooper's brother Dean who I really thought I wouldn't like based on the fact Cooper made it sound like there was major favoritism in his family and he was looked down on while Dean was seen as the golden child. However, there is so much unconditional love between them, and we got to see them repair their relationship throughout this book. I still can't get over the one scene where Dean lets Cooper know he's known for a while he's gay, and the moment they share between them was beautiful. We also learn some dark buried secrets of the past and uncover how little Cooper knew about his parent's relationship. This might also be one of the biggest moments for Oliver and Cooper not only does his family not know Oliver is a werewolf but that they are also together. I love that we do get to see that they still have a long way to go but one thing that was clear is that they have deep feelings for one another. It's a really important book that establishes so many things going forward in the series, and sets up really well for book 3 when Cooper goes to meet Oli's family.

* 4.5 stars honestly wow ... this author owns me already, i will read anything they write. i went into this book coming off the high of the first and thinking i'd enjoy this but not sure if it would hit me the same way as the first? but i was so wrong IT WAS JUST AS PERFECT. this really hits every single thing i adore in books expertly, i genuinely am like? were these written?? just for me????? i???? i trust charlie adhara with my life. i also trust oliver park with my life lmfaofdskfjds

Imagine my surprise when, while rereading the Big Bad Wolf series in preparation for the fourth book, I realized I’d never actually officially reviewed the second one. So, I’ve updated my personal notes from my first read through and added on some additional insights. Oh, Charlie Adhara, how is this only your second book??? If you may recall, I fangirled endlessly over the first in this series, The Wolf at the Door, and I highly recommend reading it before this book. I was simultaneously excited and worried about this book, as how could it possibly live up to the first? Well, it did, and in some ways even surpassed it. Our prickly porcupine Cooper is back on the job with Park, though his serial killer ex-partner is still causing problems for him, as no one seems to believe that he wasn’t involved in the werewolf killings. After an op that nearly gets him seriously injured (again), Cooper’s contemplating taking a vacation, from both his job and his undefined possible relationship with Park… and then his dad calls to remind him to come home for his brother’s big engagement party that week. Cooper lost his mom to cancer when he was eleven, and his dad was much more of a tough love kind of person, leading Cooper to repress his grief, and well, basically all of his feelings. Cooper’s so certain of how his family will react that he hides anything “real” in his life from them – they think he works a desk job, as opposed to his job as an BSI agent, and have no idea that he’s gay. His father’s attempts at removing a ghost from the past – his mother’s falling down arbor – result in him digging up a body, and more secrets from the past than could ever have been expected. Cooper is left with the realization that while his family doesn’t know him, he doesn’t really know his family either. “If he can’t be proud of every part of me, he doesn’t get to know the rest,” Cooper hissed. “I’m not some kind of fucking pick’n’mix bag.” Cooper is scarred, mentally and physically, and returning to his childhood home causes an unwelcome reevaluation of what he thought he knew about his family. He’s so desperately broken and yet he’s still trying to do the right thing – even if that means doing his own investigating in to who could possibly have killed the man found under the arbor. So there’s plenty more of Cooper’s highly insightful question, and, of course, more Cooper and Park, though of course Cooper’s manages to find some way to screw everything up. He’s not sure if what he and Park have is even a relationship, and he’s afraid to bring the question up for fear of finding out that it means nothing to Park. Their banter is as hilarious as ever, and their chemistry remains off the charts. The mystery is also quite well done, well paced, and well interspersed with scenes that further Cooper’s relationships with his family and Park. “I don’t need you,” Cooper repeated, whispering into Park’s sweaty hair now. “But I want you. All the time.” A lot of the family background – and secrets – help finally explain what makes Cooper tick. Sure, he’s a prickly hedgehog, more likely to stick his head in the sand and ignore something than, oh, I don’t know, communicate or express feelings, but he’s got good reasons for being that way. Some of those reasons – and especially some of the things from the previous book – really made me want to hate his dad, but, oof, when him and Cooper finally have it out, I cried like a baby. Like, how is this book so full of feels and yet also so incredibly steamy? Seeing the progress Cooper and Park have made in their relationship is just barely more fulfilling than the resolution of the murder mystery, and that’s saying something. While more of Cooper’s background is explained, there are even more unresolved questions about Park and his family – and that’s where Thrown to the Wolves, the next book in the series comes in. Seriously, this is one of my favorite series of all time, and overall, I recommend it to pretty much anyone who loves both romances and mysteries. I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Still love the characters and the relationship, seriously these guys are too cute. We got more family dynamics for Cooper in this book and it was interesting to see how these played out. Granted I liked the first book better, but more than anything I think most of that stems from the fact that I struggle a lot with the miscommunication trope so often used in romance, which was a big part of the plot in this story. But I went into it knowing that from the summary, so I was prepared, but I was still sitting there at times going 'talk to him, talk to him'. But I admit, the way they did it, the miscommunication at least felt in character for them. But despite that, I did enjoy this book, and the developing relationship and how we got to learn more about these characters and backstories and other characters that had a part in making them who they are. Plus, I'm a sucker for reveals and reactions of any kind and this book had a couple of those. Overall, I enjoyed this book, probably more than I thought I would, and the author has a way of pulling you into the mystery too.