The Half Wolf by Jay Northcote

The Half Wolf by Jay Northcote – 4 stars

I enjoyed this story very much. It was well written and sexy with great characters and a solid plot. It was fairly predictable but I found this leant to the ‘aww’ factor and I didn’t mind it at all.

Quinn works in his aunt’s newsagent in a small town in Wales. He is the only gay in town and also takes daily meds for his ‘epilepsy’. His best friend, Tash, lives nearby and that is the extent of his life. He wishes for more but he is essentially happy, if a little lonely.

Kellan is a wolf shifter. His pack has recently moved to the woods near Quinn’s village, but they are not really welcome. Shifters are barely tolerated by most humans which makes for uncomfortable interaction. Mating is definitely not accepted by either humans or shifters.

Of course, we know exactly what’s going to happen with Quinn and Kellan; they meet and sparks fly. The chemistry between them is off the wall and they are helpless when it comes to denying themselves the pleasure of each other. (And oh boy is that hot!) But even if they were to keep their attraction secret, there are sinister events in play that put the welfare of the entire town and of the shifter pack, at risk.

When full moon comes around, Quinn discovers that what he always knew about his life and about himself is all a lie.

The story flows beautifully and as the bond between Quinn and Kellan develops I found myself rooting for their HEA. They are glorious together and the author describes their feelings and the sex between them wonderfully. The support characters were also well defined and relevant to the story. Everything about this story was magical. I’m not a huge fan of paranormal, lacking the ability not to giggle at the silliness that I have read in other books, but Jay Northcote has explained his shifters in such a way that makes it easy to imagine they exist. I was thoroughly absorbed from start to finish.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable love story with a clear lesson in accepting change in those we love and supporting their life style; whatever that may turn out to be. A poignant and important message. It’s no secret that Jay has made changes in his own life and I liked the subtle comparisons. I look forward to reading more books by Jay Northcote in the future.