Judith‘s review of The Wolf Next Door (Westfield Brothers, Book 3) by Lydia Dare

They can’t even be in the same room together . . .Ever since their failed elopement years ago, Prisca Hawthorne has taunted, insulted, and in every way tried to push him away. If only her heart didn’t break every time Lord William Westfield left her.

But staying apart is even worse . . . Lord William throws himself into drinking, gambling, and debauchery and pretends not to care about Prisca at all. But when he returns to find a rival werewolf vying for her hand, he will stop at nothing to claim the woman who should have been his all along. Can Prisca forgive the unforgivable, or are the moon-crossed lovers going to be forced into a battle of wills that could be fatal?

This third novel in the Westfield Trilogy tells the story of the second of the Westfield siblings, gentlemen who have romped through all three of these books. However, this third book deals with a relationship that is already in deep trouble. Four years earlier these two lovers plotted to elope to Gretna Greene when Prisca was barely 16 years old. He waited and she never came; she never came to meet him because she had been told that he had impregnated a village girl (later conclusively disproved). However, the deep hurts and anger just stayed with them both and after all the recriminations and accusations, in spite of the truth having been aired, they were both deeply wounded and continued to harass one another endlessly. Here we find Prisca’s brothers plotting to finally get the lovers together. Prisca has been serving as family matchmaker for her five unmarried brothers and they want her out of their lives and into the home of a strong husband who can manage her willful ways. These five decide that Lord William who has been in the picture for years is really perfect as they think he is the only man who can manage their sister.

Enter Dashiel Thorpe, Earl of Brimsworth, a friend of one of Prisca’s brothers, who comes to their family home for the holidays. Lord William is greatly concerned because he is a Lycan and there is a feral edge to his manner and his pursuit of Prisca. He will play an important part in this story and in stories to come. Those who know William and Prisca well know that they still love each other deeply, but neither will let go of the past. Not only are they still carrying the burden of the original misunderstanding, but now there is layer upon layer of insult and verbal wounds to drive them even farther apart.

This is a very funny book, in spite of the sad nature of the love relationship between the main characters. The brothers are a complete hoot and the repartee between William and Prisca is sharp and edgy. Without her even knowing it, Prisca has had a long-standing routine of being in the garden on the night of the full moon, and there William as a wolf visits her. She talks with him for hours and tells him all her deepest feelings and secrets. She even wears the painting of him as a wolf in the locket she never removes. Ms Dare has written a really wonderful love story full of wit and fun, family and deep affection, and the ups and downs of being in the country society during the English Regency period. All of these people are flawed; all of them are trying their best to adhere to the stringent code of behavior into which they were born; yet all of them are connected by blood as well as years of long friendship as neighbors, school experiences, and shared days. There is also pain and betrayal, trying to build a lasting relationship on contrived information, manipulating circumstances in order to achieve personal goals. And of course, as in all paranormal romances, all is not as it appears to be.

It could be said that the conflict between Will and Prisca is to be expected in Regency romances. And in part that is true. Yet there seems to be an additional level of deep hurt between these two because of their shared growing up as well as their shared disappointment and history. It is almost as if the two families share in this deep divide between them. Perhaps the greatest lesson here is that through the years both Will and Prisca have allowed what they thought the other was feeling to guide their actions and reactions. I think that is true in so many relationships that go sour. It could be argued that Prisca was far too young to be married at age 16 and that’s probably true. But one can almost feel the deep emotion and sense of loss when Lord William reminds her that they could have already had four years together and all that time is now gone. I think there is a better than even chance that the author is telling the reader to claim what you can without allowing old hurts to cheat you out of what is truly good. Certainly I wouldn’t have wanted my daughters to marry at age 16, but this isn’t Regency England either. My sense while reading this book was that William and Prisca never stopped blaming the other long enough to claim what they truly both wanted. And I have to add that while I rarely believe it is all one person’s fault, I think Prisca kept the anger at a low boil far longer than necessary. On the other hand Lord William’s descent into debauchery didn’t help either.

So, is there a “happily ever after?” The reader will have to see for themselves. Suffice it to say that Prisca and William had to walk their own “lonesome valley” as they tried, with varying amounts of energy, to slog through the mess of feelings that had built up over the years. If “wanting” could have solved their problem, they would have been in paradise in a New York minute. But as we have all learned, sometimes through painful experience, “wanting” cannot always solve the deeper issues that divide human beings.

This is a very well-written book, a worthy sequel to the first two novels, with a good plot and a well-developed story line. Ms Dare has once again proven her writing prowess and given historical romance fans a good book in which I am sure many will take great delight. It is, indeed, a really good read!

I give this novel a rating of 4 out of 5.

The series:

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