Title: How to Wish Upon A Star

Series: Howl at the Moon 03

Author: Eli Easton

Genre: Paranormal, Shape shifters

Length: Novel (227 pages)

ASIN: B01FISHWJK

Publisher: Pinkerton Road (10 May 2016)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts

Reviewers: Prime & Shorty

Blurb: Dr. Jason Kunik is working on the most earth-shattering genetics project ever, DNA mapping of a new species, the quickened—dogs who can shift into human form. The problem is, no one knows the quickened exist and Jason can’t betray them by publishing his studies. When he moves to Mad Creek to continue his research in a town full of quickened, all he wants is peace, quiet, and to be allowed to bury himself in his work. Perhaps if he figures how out the mutation is activated, he can silence his own inner dog forever.

Milo is a hospice comfort dog who has bonded with, and lost, many beloved patients in his life. He intuitively understands sickness and pain on a spiritual level most can’t see. When he gains the ability to become a man, he thinks he finally has everything he ever wanted. But being a man isn’t the same thing as being loved, and taking shelter in Mad Creek isn’t the same thing as finding a home.

When a mysterious illness hits Mad Creek and threatens all the quickened in town, it’s up to the scientist and the comfort dog to figure out what it is and how to stop it. Along the way they might discover that true love is possible—if you wish upon a star.

Purchase Link: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Prime’s Review 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts:

How to Wish Upon A Star is the third book in Eli Easton’s series Howl at the Moon. It is based around the town and people of Mad Creek in California. What makes them special is that they are quickened, which is dog shape shifters which received the spark of magic that gave seemingly ordinary dogs the ability to shape shift into human. Many of the inhabitants have passed on the ability for generations, but the newly quickened are those that started life as a dog before becoming quickened.

I adore this unique series. It is sweet and while there is plenty of drama and misunderstanding, which fits since there are characters who have not always been human and some only recently transformed. However, there is not a lot of angst, which is something that I liked a lot, and I felt it really fit the bubbly personalities of dogs that had been completely adored in their time before they transformed.

I read on Amazon that this book can be read as part of the series or as a standalone. And while I do agree with that, there are not plot arcs which tie this book to the previous books, I recommend reading this this series if you can just to get a feel for the world of Mad Creek as it was set up. But then again, if something is a series I can’t stand not reading it all.

The characters of this book are Milo and Jason Kunik. The former being a recently turned quickened and the latter being a third generation quickened who was also a scientist who studied the potential genetic side of things on the side.

Dr Jason Kunik has returned home to Mad Creek after being away for ten years. He’s done his studies, did his PhD and then went onto work for a major company in a lab, doing genetic research. On the side he has also looked into dog and human DNA, trying to begin to unravel the mystery of the quick. Unlike many quickened, he isn’t really in touch with his canine side and to some extent he resents his dog.

Back home in Mad Creek there isn’t a lot he can do without a lab, still he continues on with his research which includes interviewing the recently quickened residents of town. It’s not going well for him. Jason has a lot of problems being able to communicate with them, some still struggle with human speech, but he also is a stereotypical nerd and finds it difficult to communicate. I kind of don’t really like that, but I do know from personal experience that many scientists do struggle to pass down information to those that are not familiar with their area. In short, I’m of two minds when it comes to that part of Jason, but he otherwise a smart cookie.

Meeting Milo is something unexpected to Jason in many ways and he doesn’t know how to deal with his attraction, much the same as Milo isn’t too sure. Their situation changes when there is an illness affecting the quick of Mad Creek. The only doctor the quick have is the town vet, a human who had mated a quick lady and so the sheriff and the town doc enlist Jason’s help. The scientist/microbiologist in me wants to over analyse things when it comes to Jason’s work but I won’t because this is fiction and I need to realise that I should let people have their fun.

Milo is everything that is sweet and naïve in this book. I love his story when he eventually tells it to Jason. If anything I wanted to know more about that side of things, not necessarily from Jason but finding out how “real” that was. Milo was made quickened after living his life as a comfort dog in a hospice, he could sense illness and when a patient was going to pass on. He had become attached to a couple patients in particular and as he realised he was getting more smarter, he was sad when the people died of their assorted illnesses. I totally loved Milo, he has so much love to give and he can see that Jason needs a little bit of love in his life. Part of it because he was a comfort dog, but the rest is all chemistry between the characters.

Shorty’s Review 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts:

Jason and Milo have a town to save and a virus to destroy when the quickened in town become sick. It’s grueling process the quickened go through. It’s a race against time for Jason to find a cure before the unthinkable happens. All the while Jason starts having feelings for Milo and Vice versa.

I loved these two together. Milo was so sweet and innocent. His ability to comfort others and be able to tell when they’re sick was invaluable to Jason. The story was tense at times with the right amount of drama interspersed to make for an amazing story.

I loved everything about the book and found it quite entertaining to read.

Fantastic read and addition to the series.