Category: Shifters

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King’s Command Series by Stormy Glenn and Olivia Black

Siren Publishing Presents: http://www.bookstrand.com/kings_command_promo

Highland heartBook One:  Highland Heart

Blurb

By the King’s Command…

Called before the new king, Laird Artúr was shocked to see his old lover walking through the door. His anger ignites when the king commands them to mate and fortify his borders to the north. He is heartbroken when he discovers that his new mate has no recollection of their time together. Can he forgive Dainéal and let go of the past to build a future or will his resentment end what they could have before it begins?

Laird Dainéal balks at being commanded to mate, especially to a man he knows has to be insane. Despite how much Artúr insists that they have met before, Dainéal has no memory of the man. And he would have remembered a man that was so sexy he made Dainéal’s teeth ache.

Commanded by their king to establish a stronghold to the north, Artúr and Dainéal have to fight not only their past but those that want to keep them from their future. When betrayal comes from within, the bond between them may be the only thing that saves them.

eastern embraceBook Two:  Eastern Embrace

Blurb

By the King’s Command… Daimyo Akihiro Shimada didn’t have the hatred for humans that many of his kind did. It was a known fact that humans were weak. Every dragon knew that. When the king commands him to take a human as a mate, Akihiro is instantly smitten with Isei but fully aware that he must treat his mate with gentle care, even if his gut instincts say otherwise. Isei Hironaka is a second son. He has no chance of ever being anything more than he is until he is forced to impersonate his brother at the King’s coronation ceremony. When the new king orders him to mate with a dragon, Isei is positive his ruse will be discovered. Mating to strengthen the bond between clan and clutch is one thing. Staying mated is an all together different story, especially when those around Akihiro and Isei believe dragons and humans have no business falling in love and they will do everything within their power to keep them apart.

Book Three: southern heat Southern Heat

Blurb

By the King’s Command…

Diego de la Vega is quite pleased with the king’s command to mate the dragon leader, Xavier Rodriquez. The man’s strength and bravery in battle were legendary, as were the scars that marred his massive body. But there is a vast distance between admiration and love, and despite Diego’s efforts, he’s not sure the two of them can find a middle ground.

Xavier Rodriquez is a man used to the rigors of battle and being alone to lick his wounds. Experience has taught him that the scars littering his body would disgust even the most indiscriminant of lovers. When Diego says he sees them as symbols of valor, Xavier is skeptical, growing even more so when Diego’s gorgeous ex- lover appears, claiming to want Diego back.

Trust is not an easy thing and neither is accepting a mate with all their faults. Stubbornness and the need to protect their hearts might be more dangerous to their mating than the mysterious foe bent on stealing their territory, and maybe even their lives.

Book Four:  Wicked Westwicked west

Blurb

By the King’s Command…

Prince Grigory Krayev is thrilled when the king mates him to a handsome dragon prince. His excitement quickly turns to uncertainty when he learns there are two of them. How could he ever hope to please two dragons that didn’t need him when they had each other?

Prince Konstantin Victorovich is angered when the king orders him to mate a human. He already has a lover. He doesn’t need another one. When he discovers just who the king wants to mate him to, Konstantin realizes he might have to rethink his objection.

Prince Mikhail Dubolazov has loved Konstantin for years, serving the man faithfully as his manservant just to be at his side. When the king orders Konstantin to mate, Mikhail sees his life slipping away. Even when his status is elevated to that of a prince, Mikhail worries he will never have what it takes to keep them.

When forces beyond their control threaten all they hold dear, they will need more than trust to keep them together. They will need the belief that only by standing with each other do they have a chance of beating a foe that works in the shadows.

Book Five: Mate Challengemate challenge

Blurb

By the King’s Command…

When the high council orders a mate challenge in his name, King Críostóir is furious. There is only one dragon he wants as his mate. But in order to have the man he’s loved for years, he’ll need to enter his own mate challenge as one of the contestants.

Trust doesn’t come easy for Kurgan. Only one man has ever held his loyalty. When a mate challenge is ordered, Kurgan is enraged until he arrives and discovers one of the contestants is the man he has had an on-again, off-again affair with, and then he is enraged. If he beats his lover then he becomes the king’s consort. If he loses, he loses the man he loves.

When an attack comes and the mate challenge canceled, the truth King Críostóir has kept from Kurgan for over twenty years is revealed. Despite the betrayal burning in Kurgan’s eyes, King Críostóir must depend on the dragon to help him save his kingdom and hope Kurgan will listen to him if they survive

Review

This is one of those “guilty pleasure” book series.

First, know that in each book the king pairs a human with a dragon (or two) and there is initially disgust by one or both at the pairing with another species. Second, the general theme of hate, insta-love, problem/separation, reunion is the same in all 5 books. Third, there are some pretty fun “differences” between human anatomy and dragon anatomy. Fourth, everyone ends up pregnant at some point.

That being said – this is a GREAT series. I LOVED it. The writing pair of Stormy Glenn and Olivia Black is an excellent one. Stormy (I think) tempers some of Olivia’s darker tendencies and Olivia seems to add some grounding to Stormy’s more fantastical nature. Both are great at hot male on male romance and so, so creative!

In book one the world is set up – sort of Medieval with a twist – where the King is magical and is protecting his boundaries by pairing up humans and dragon-shifters so that all the beings in the area will be on the same “side”. When the King mates the couple they have 24 hours to bond then they must go to their home to present a united front to their “subjects”. In this case the couple has previously met but there was a big misunderstanding and now they must see if they can find that love again.

In book two the human is not the actual leader of his people, but a stand in for his brother. He ends up being mated to the dragon and therefore the new leader by default –  even though he is quite small and timid. It’s this timidity that makes his new dragon keep him sequestered away (at the advice of the evil midwife) which ultimately leads him to believe he is not good for anything and thus gets him almost killed. (This is my favorite of the series!)

Book three has a scarred battle hero mated with a gorgeous man whom the dragon has been admiring from afar for years. The dragon believes himself to be too ugly for love and the human has to show the dragon that love is more than skin-deep.

Book four is the first (and only?) menage in the series. A pair of lovers (dragons) must bond with a human. In order for the royal dragon to have his lover of many years become his mate, he must become royalty. The King makes the dragon commoner a prince, then binds the pair of dragons with a human prince. Of course the human feels like an outsider and the struggle here is for all three to accept their new roles and to truly believe that all three are necessary for the relationship to work. (This was the weakest of the series IMHO.)

Book five (hopefully not the last) is the King himself becoming mated to save the throne from being taken over. The King disguises himself as a competitor for his own hand in marriage and pairs himself with the lover he’s had over the years but never in public. When the competition gets called off after an attack, the King reveals himself to his lover and now must face whether or not his lover can accept his true status.

**

If you are a fan of shifter/insta-love/medieval type fantasy with dragons, sword fights, male pregnancy and lots and lots of sentimentality – this is the series for you. It’s very well written, well edited and though it does follow a similar trajectory in each book, there is enough of a difference to make each book well worth the read.

I highly recommend the series and give it 4.5 of 5 hearts

4.5

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Johnnie (Siphon #1) by Cardeno C

The Romance Authors LLC Presents http://www.cardenoc.com/johnnie.php

Jonnie_cover1800x2700Blurb

A Premier lion shifter, Hugh Landry dedicates his life to leading the Berk pride with strength and confidence. Hundreds of people depend on Hugh for safety, success, and happiness. And at over a century old, with more power than can be contained in one body, Hugh relies on a Siphon lion shifter to carry his excess force.

When the Siphon endangers himself and therefore the pride, Hugh must pay attention to the man who has been his silent shadow for a decade. What he learns surprises him, but what he feels astounds him even more.

Two lions, each born to serve, rely on one another to survive. After years by each other’s side, they’ll finally realize the depth of their potential, the joy in their passion, and a connection their kind has never known.

Review

The book starts off with Hugh’s near death! Hugh, a lion shifter and Premier (head honcho) has so much energy in his body that he requires a Siphon (an extra being who can carry around the excess energy) to be near him at all times. When not near the Siphon or if the Siphon dies, the excess energy reverts back to the Premier and the overload is fatal. As a result, the Siphon’s life is guarded zealously. But he’s not necessarily treated well beyond that.

In this case the Siphon has been protected and yet ignored since birth, so much so that he doesn’t even have a name! His feelings of desperation and loneliness cause him to take measures into his own hands, and as a result he almost ends up killing both himself and his Premier.

Hugh finally takes notice of his Siphon’s depression and starts to fix things by first giving him a name (everyone has only ever called him the Siphon), Johnnie.

What happens next is the bonding of Hugh and Johnnie and the revelation that they can mean even more to each other as mates than simply Siphon and Premier.

There are hurdles: jealous shifters want to take the Siphon both for their own and to hurt Hugh. Neither Hugh nor Johnnie know how to handle their newfound relationship and neither does the pack. But in the end we get a wonderful Cardeno happy ending that will bring tears to your eyes.

**

I just absolutely adore Cardeno C books! This is another wonderful new shifter series and I can’t wait for more! I loved the “energy” sharing twist and the very dark, dark beginning. It was quite a contrast to the very happy and light tenor the rest of the story carries.

Johnnie is wonderfully sweet and Hugh adorably clueless. Their love is tender and sincere, the sex is hot and the story moves so quickly you wonder where the time went.

I loved this book and highly recommend it to Cardeno fans, shifter fans, and fans of sweet love stories.

6 of 5 hearts

amazing

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Winter’s Wolf Audiobook (Tales of the Harker Pack Book 3) by Tara Lain Narrated by Max Lehnen

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6309
winter's wolf audioBlurb

Winter Thane was raised on the two cardinal rules of werewolf existence: don’t reveal yourself to humans under penalty of death, and there’s no such thing as a gay werewolf. It’s no surprise when his father drags him from his wild life in remote Canada back to Connecticut to meet his old pack in hopes it will persuade Winter to abandon his love of sex with human males. Of course Dad’s hopes are dashed when they come face-to-face with the gay werewolves in the Harker pack.

Winter takes one look at FBI agent, Matt Partridge, and decides bird is his favorite food.

Partridge is embroiled in an investigation into drug dealing and the death of a fellow agent. He can’t let himself get distracted by the young, platinum-haired beast, but then Winter proves invaluable in the search for clues, a move that winds them both up in chains and facing imminent death. Winter quickly learns his father’s motives are questionable, the pack alphas are a bunch of pussies, humans aren’t quite what they seem, and nothing in the forests of Connecticut is pure except love.

Review

(Book reviewed previously on this site.)

Winter and his dad, Damon, move from Canada (back) to Connecticut to join the Harker Pack. Damon thinks Winter needs the influence of a pack (they’ve been more or less living as lone/wild wolves for years) to settle him down and to find himself a mate. Of course, Damon means a female mate, he doesn’t believe in gay werewolves… HA! He chose the wrong pack, because the Harker pack is FULL of gay werewolves!

Winter catches the smell of someone amazing at the bar the Harkers frequent, it’s Matt, an FBI agent working with the pack on a series of crimes involving murder and drugs.

Matt is a human who suspects something is “off” with the Harkers, but he doesn’t know what. He suspects they are somehow involved with or know more about these drug related crimes, but he’s not sure how or what.

Winter and Matt are immediately attracted to one another but feel they can’t be together for several reasons. Winter: it’s against the rules to mate a human. Matt: he’s hiding a secret and a sick father and those don’t blend well with commitment.

Matt and Winter are put on the same task force, trying to track down drug runners and their attraction flares nearly out of control.

But… there are forces out there trying to stop their progress both romantically and professionally.

As a side note, there is some pretty fun family re-union stuff going on in the background that leads to an amazing new alliance and possibly some long-needed rule changes.
**
This, by far, was my most favorite of the three Harker Pack series and possibly my most favorite Tara Lain book to date!

The story line behind the romance actually kept me totally involved (which I admit is not always the case) and I loved seeing the earlier couples actively involved in this story.

Matt’s status (it’s a mystery – I’m not spoiling it!) was done so well! I thought it was very clever and fit in great with the overall story.

The sex between these guys is super hot and their love is also really, really sweet.
Overall a great book I highly recommend. But… you MUST read all three books to really appreciate it, which only makes sense because they are all awesome!

Audio
Max Lehnen. *Sigh.*

He has done the narrations for all the Harker Wolf Series by Tara Lain and unfortunately there is just something about his narrations that drive me crazy.

I find the way he enunciates to be rather garbled, like he’s got marbles in his mouth. I also didn’t like the way he chose to portray Matt – sort of an effeminate southern belle. I like the way he does the “wolfy thinking” – sort of growly and punctate, but the rest of the time I’m not that into it.  As a narrator he isn’t my favorite and it bums me out because I LOVE this series and would have loved to listen to it over and over but I find myself being thrown out of the story over and again by the way I dislike Max’s narration.

I still love the book and if you don’t mind Max Lehnen (I’d suggest listening to the sample before you buy) you might enjoy the audiobook as well.

Overall, with the book earning 6 of 5 hearts and the narration 3 of 5 hearts, I give it 4.5 hearts.

4.5

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The Pack or the Panther: Tales of the Harker Pack Audiobook by Tara Lain Narrated by Max Lehnen

Dreampsinner Presents:  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5287

PackorthePanther[The]AUDMedBlurb

Cole Harker, son of an alpha werewolf, is bigger and more powerful than most wolves, tongue-tied in groups, and gay. For 24 years, he’s lived to please his family and pack – even letting them promise him in marriage to female werewolf Analiese to secure a pack alliance and help save them from a powerful gangster who wants their land.
Cole then meets Analiese’s half-brother, panther shifter Paris Marketo, and for the first time, Cole wants something for himself.
When Analiese runs off to marry a human, Cole finally has a chance with Paris, but the solitary cat rejects him, the pack, and everything it represents.
Cole discovers the gangster wants Paris, too, and won’t rest until he has him. What started as a land dispute turns into World War Wolf! But the bigger fight is the battle between cats and dogs.

Review
(From previous site)

This is a unique shifter book in that Cole is no typical alpha. He stutters, he’s awkward, he’s shy, and – he’s mated to a panther! Paris, his mate, is extremely cat like, shifty, sinuous, slinky and … solitary. This makes his being mated to Cole very hard, and forms the crux of their dilemma.
Tara Lain likes to give us quirky, sometimes odd MCs and then show us why we should love them. It takes some doing – Cole is really stiff and sometimes hard to read. Paris is very cocky and stand-offish, hard to wrap your mental cuddle around. In the end, however, we see their soft-underbellies and they manage to worm their way into our hearts.
I had to combine the audio and book review together because the unique nature of the book influences the audio version’s palatability. When I read this book earlier in the year, I loved it straight away. Gave it 4.5 of 5 hearts. Then I read the second in the series, and loved it even more! I was therefore excited to listen to the audio very much.
Ugh!

At first I had to stop listening and go back to the book. Was it the narrator or the story that was bothering me so much? So, I went back to read the book again.
Ahhh – I get it! The rhythm of the book, the writing style, mimics animal thought and impressions. Something that translates really well on paper, but would take a discerning eye/ear for to read aloud. Tara does a funny play on words, uses sounds and pauses that work to put you in the mind of a wolf running through the woods. Maybe no one could do it well, hard to say, but the unique wording and timing just didn’t translate well when read aloud by Max Lehnen.
Max’s voice is sort of garbled, like he has a mouth full of marbles, and the lack of clarity bugged me. Then there was his inflection. I tried to tell myself that not everyone needs to “act” a story out. A good narration can be one where the narrator disappears leaving us only the words, not his interpretation of the words. But Max didn’t do that either, at least not real well. He had just enough inflection to draw notice to himself, but not enough to do justice to what he was reading.
To appease my curiosity, I looked at some of Max’s other reviews and read similar complaints, and some high praises. Some people really liked his style – thought he was genuine and sincere, others thought he sounded hokey and patronizing. I have to agree with the latter. I won’t say he isn’t a good narrator, just that he didn’t do this book justice.
I so wanted to like this audio book! I wanted to get the next book in the series on audio, too but… I won’t. Not now.
So overall- I highly recommend the book The Pack or the Panther, I give it 4.5 of 5 hearts! As for the audio version, I’d say listen to the sample on audible.com – if you’re the type that likes that sort of “old timey” voice, then you’ll love Max’s interpretation, but it didn’t do it for me. I gave the audio version a 2.5 of 5 hearts.

Overall 3.5 of 5 hearts

3.5

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How to Howl at the Moon Audiobook (Dog Shifters of Mad Creek #1) by Eli Easton Narrated by Matthew Shaw

Pinkerton Road Presents:

http://www.audible.com/pd/Romance/How-to-Howl-at-the-Moon-Audiobook/B00UVVHOTI/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1427652540&sr=1-1

howlaudioBlurb

Sheriff Lance Beaufort is not going to let trouble into his town, no sir. Tucked away in the California mountains, Mad Creek has secrets to keep, like the fact that half the town consists of ‘quickened’—dogs who have gained the ability to become human. Descended on both sides from Border Collies, Lance is as alert a guardian as they come.

Tim Weston is looking for a safe haven. After learning that his boss patented all of Tim’s work on vegetable hybrids in his own name, Tim quit his old job. A client offers him use of her cabin in Mad Creek, and Tim sees a chance for a new start. But the shy gardener has a way of fumbling and sounding like a liar around strangers, particularly gorgeous alpha men like Sheriff Beaufort.

Lance’s hackles are definitely raised by the lanky young stranger. He’s concerned about marijuana growers moving into Mad Creek, and he’s not satisfied with the boy’s story. Lance decides a bit of undercover work is called for. When Tim hits a beautiful black collie with his car and adopts the dog, its love at first sight for both Tim and Lance’s inner dog. Pretending to be a pet is about to get Sheriff Beaufort in very hot water.

Review

(Book review previously done on this site.)

Lance is a fourth generation “quickened” shifter, hailing from a long line of Border Collie shifters and the Sherriff of Mad Creek.  A “quickened” shifter is a dog (born a dog) who was so beloved by his or her master that they receive the “gift” of turning human at will.  That ability is then transferred to their off-spring and thus a shifter is born.

Tim is a horticulturist whose hybrid plant ideas were ripped off by his ex-boss.  He’s currently living on the last of his money and hopes to build back his business with the help of a friend.

Tim also is very nervous in front of alpha-males and Lance is ALL alpha.

At first, Lance thinks Tim is growing an illegal crop and stoops to using his shifted form to spy on Tim.  But the lonely and sad and socially inept Tim cracks through Lance’s tough shell until both the dog and the man can’t get enough of Tim.

However, how is Lance going to break it to Tim that the dog he loves is really the man he fears?  And… is Tim’s boss going to make trouble for Tim in his new home?  And someone really is growing illegal drugs near Mad Creek and they don’t like competition.

**

Through a combination of  amazingly astute observations on the various dog breeds and imagining them to be humans, Eli has managed the unbelievable – a unique shifter story!  Sure, there are some common threads, but by and large this is a truly unique look at shifter lore.

Because they were dogs first the transition to being human is both touching at times (Roman’s devotion to his past master) and hilarious (the friendly and chatty Mr. Beagle).

You know that since it’s Eli Easton, the writing is impeccable.  The sex is hot.  The emotion is deep and abiding.  And the humor is sharp and witty.

If I could describe a perfect book it would be this:  Eli Easton writing a shifter book.  And yet, it gets even better because it’s going to be an entire SERIES!  It’s true – there is a heaven!

The slow burn between Tim and Lance is delicious and when Lance finally “comes out” to Tim it is both hysterical and touching.

I loved the meddling mother and the “vindictive” vet scene.  Superb!

All in all I can’t wait for the next book, am so excited the audio book is on it’s way and will likely have read this book at least three more times before I get my hands on the audio version.

PS

Look here for fun facts about writing the book and a sample of the audiobook.  http://elieaston.com/

Audio

Matthew Shaw did a fantastic job of narrating Eli Easton’s new shifter book.  From interviews, I know Matthew voiced some of Eli’s games in the past and so he’s a new narrator to the m/m genre.  He did great!  He was funny and easy to listen to.  His voice is rich and flowing, with the right amount of emotion and “acting”.  I really enjoyed listening to this story and will be listening to it again and again!

6 of 5 hearts!

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Creature Feature Audiobook by Poppy Dennison and Mary Calmes Narrated by Jeff Gelder

Dreamspinner Presents:  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5457

CreatureFeatureAUDMedBlurb

Diagnosis Wolf by Poppy Dennison

Thanks to his good-for-nothing brother, Andrew Hughes is up to his eyeballs in debt and needs a job fast. When a nursing position opens up in Myerson, Arizona, Andrew has no choice but to take it, despite a warning about how difficult a patient Caleb DiMartino can be. Andrew can deal with a little trouble—but Caleb’s strange family, the armed guards, and the unknown cause of Caleb’s mysterious illness may be beyond his skill set.

Landslide by Mary Calmes

For three years, paranormal courier Frank Corrigan has been working for incubus demon Cael Berith. Cael knows Frank is his mate, but Frank is pretty sure Cael doesn’t even like him, never mind want to spend the rest of his life with him, so their personal relationship is at an impasse. When Frank’s sister, Lindsey, gets bitten by a werewolf she’s sleeping with—and possibly witnesses a murder—Frank rides to her rescue. If he’s lucky, he might just save his love life too.

Review
(From Previous Site.)

Diagnosis Wolf:
Andrew is a nurse sent to the house of a shifter (not a werewolf) who has been possibly poisoned by enemies of their family. Caleb (the shifter) finds Andrew to be very attractive and it’s his protective instincts of Andrew that help him to start the recovery process. Andrew’s brother has gotten into deep water and is hoping to use Andrew’s connection to the rich DiMartino family to get out of debt. When push comes to shove, Caleb and his family manage to solve the medical mystery and defeat the bad guys (with Andrew’s help, of course.)

Landslide:
Frank is a special human, immune to most effects of paranormal power and as such acts as a liaison between the various “species”. On one mission he meets Cael, a demon of great power, who claims to be his mate. Frank doesn’t believe him and makes the poor demon wait 3 years before finally succumbing to seduction and finding true love. In the meantime they defeat some bad guys and mostly make you giggle.

**

This is the first time I’d read anything by Poppy Dennison and it was wonderful. It is a full story, richly detailed, and though it lacks the “fated mate” scenario in some shifter stories, it has enough of those elements to keep my sappy heart happy. The love was sweet and the sex was hot and the action exciting.

And then there’s Mary’s story… how can you NOT love a Mary story. Frank is hysterical. Ever the doubting Thomas, he thinks Cael (like the vegetable Kale) is “repulsed” because he’s not a twink and therefore not Cael’s type. Of course, Cael is ridiculously patient and let’s the misunderstanding go on for three years… three years! (Mary must have a thing for three years… remember Sam and Jory?!? ) But when they do get together it is sweet and sexy and very, very satisfying.

Audio
Jeff Gelder does a nice job with both narrations. The recording takes a minute to get used to, there is a vague tinny sound to it, but it kind of lends itself to the creepy nature of the stories and it blends into the background after awhile.

He didn’t do any over the top voices or any serious “acting” but he doesn’t distract from the stories themselves either and it was a nice listening experience.

I give the book a 5 of 5 hearts, the audio a 4 of 5 hearts and an overall 4.5 of 5 hearts. I highly recommend both the book and the audio version.

4.5

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Fairytales for Modern Queers by Emily Reed

Dreamspinner Presents:  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5996fairy tales

Blurb

Gay teenager Hart could finish his fairy tale for class if his horrible stepsiblings would stop harassing him. Talia’s depression is like a sleeping curse and may kill her if she doesn’t ask for help. Independent, overweight bisexual Sienna deals with her “nice guy” neighbor while visiting her grandmother. When a mysterious girl climbs up Rachael’s fire escape, Rachael might finally break free from her overprotective mother. Transgender Amelia is bullied regularly for her identity, but she’ll show everyone exactly who she is. Princess Rellyn must face down a dragon since she’s seventh in line and battle her father since she’s not a boy, and she’s not sure which one is scarier. An adventurous knight whisks away genderfluid Noll when all they want is a quiet life on their farm. Mermaid Astrid wants revenge on the man who betrayed her, but is confused by her attraction to the one sailor immune to her song. Asexual Myka might love Princess Lysandria, but Myka must learn to control her inner werewolf before the king marries her off to “cure” her. With the help of a witch, blacksmith’s apprentice Malcolm must find his missing prince.

You’ve never heard stories like these at bedtime

Review

These are short – sometimes way too short – little LGBTQ takes on the old fairly tales.  In each there is a character or character that falls into that community who takes on a more modern/unique role.  Each story is a different set of people, using an old fairy tale as a template for a modern story.

The writing is good.  The idea is magnificent.  I really think that for the YA audience these will really ring true and find a home in the heart of the LGBTQ YA community.

However, for me, it felt like just as I was invested in the story – it ended.  So it was a little off-putting and frustrating.  I’d like to see these stories more fleshed out, I definitely think there is more that they have to offer.

I really liked that it wasn’t just gay or trans but a variety of gender roles/sexual orientations.  There really is something for everyone in this anthology.

Overall, I give it high points for the attempt with a little bit taken off for brevity.

If you are a YA fan I’d give this a try, it really is remarkable.

4 of 5 hearts

4

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Fighting Instinct Audiobook (L’Ange book 2) by Mary Calmes Narrated by Tristan James

Dreamspinner Presents:  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6253

FightingInstinctAUDMEDBlurb

L’Ange: Book Two

Only a privileged few know L’Ange’s head of security Arman de Soto is a shifter, and even fewer know he’s been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the château’s overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman’s reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don’t mix—but Arman won’t give him up.

Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L’Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he’s ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame, no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It’s not until Linus’s past and Arman’s crusade exposes their secrets and opens L’Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can’t take. So he’ll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L’Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.

Review (previously posted for the book)
We met Arman in Old Loyalty, New Love. He was the mysterious bodyguard who helped protect Roman and Quade. Though we were led to believe he was interested in a certain jackal named Tucker, we find out quickly that this was a red-herring, serving to stir jealousy in the heart of Linus.

Linus is the fastidious and cold caretaker of L’Ange. It’s clear he’s been abused in his past and we learn early on just how terrible that abuse was. Arman has been Linus’ protector and often his touchstone for years, but the time has come for that relationship to develop to its full potential and Arman isn’t waiting any longer.

Arman is a man of mystery. We don’t know what he is, though we all think he must be a shifter – it isn’t until quite a bit into the story that we figure out just what he is. (I think everyone will be surprised by the reveal!)

In addition to hiding who he is, he also hides what he does. We find out that he has an agenda- a vendetta really – of epic proportions. This vendetta makes him almost an anti-hero. He’s definitely not the typical perfect Alpha we have seen in other Mary Calmes’ stories. He’s got a dark side that he’s embraced fully.

Surprisingly, Linus is perfectly okay with this dark side and in fact, he too embraces the vendetta and we see some pretty significant changes in his personality as a result of this.

One of the things I really liked about this story was that Linus and Arman get together pretty early on. They work as a team for most of the story and it was imminently satisfying to watch their relationship grow and deepen while they worked together.

Though it might seem a bit blood-thirsty, the vendetta is explained really well and at no time did I feel that there was any other possible course of action than that which Arman took.

I really felt that in this “universe” the animal natures of the shifters were really well developed and “authentic”. These aren’t people who just happen to have the occasional “furry power” thrown in to explain insta-love and mating. They are truly unique beings with a different set of rules and personalities.

I loved that Roman wasn’t quite on board with the vendetta. Sure, he loves Linus and despised what happened to him, but he wasn’t born a shifter and he still sees things through a human lens and judges by a different rule-book.

Mary Calmes is amazing at world building and her shifter universe is unique, creative and very well developed. She isn’t afraid to stray from typical “shifter” lore and she draws us in with her own clever style.

The chemistry between Arman and Linus is scorching hot. Mary writes excellent sex scenes and the sexual tension and it’s subsequent release is phenomenal in Fighting Instinct.

Though it isn’t the first time and it won’t be the last time I say it – I love Mary Calmes’ books and I highly recommend them all.

Audiobook
Tristan James narrates this book as well as book one and as you know he is one of my favorite narrators. His voice is delicious!
In this he doesn’t do much to differentiate Linus from Arman, but the emotion and speech patterns he uses makes it evident who is talking.
I LOVED the banter and devotion between Arman and Linus. Tristan does a beautiful job of playing the growly Arman off with the cool and calm Linus. One of my favorite parts is when the group wants to make Arman the Alpha and include John, the lion in the new “pack”. Hysterical!

I can’t wait for the next in the series and I hope we see our lion with his mate very soon!

I give this 6 of 5 hearts – Amazing!

amazing

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He’s Just Knot That Into You by Nico Jaye

Dreamspinner Presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6168

he's knotBlurb
When Tanner moves to Chicago for a new job, he experiences his First Shift, a revelation that signifies he’s met his mate since the last full moon. The only problem? He doesn’t know who it is. To find his mate, he enlists his new assistant Jon to arrange a series of dates, but each one turns out more disastrous than the last.

With the next full moon quickly approaching, Tanner finally determines the identity of his true mate. Unfortunately, Jon has since disappeared, and Tanner must now begin a new search. Is it really Jon’s family crisis pulling him away, or is Jon just not that into him?

Review

Tanner moves to Chicago and immediately feels the pull of his mate. However, things aren’t like they are in other shifter-lore. He doesn’t have any extra-sensory abilities to perceive his mate other than a vague sense of “rightness” when they meet. So he does a little experimenting, knowing that only skin on skin contact with his mate had to have occurred on the day before his first shift, so he arranges to carefully meet with each male that he had contact with that first day.

Jon is Tanner’s assistant and he gets roped into helping Tanner arrange these meetings.  It doesn’t take a genius to realize that Jon is Tanner’s mate and eventually Tanner figures this out.

Unfortunately, by the time Tanner figures it out the clock is ticking and he has only a week left to claim Jon or else they will both forever forfeit their ability to fully turn into wolves AND Jon is missing AND Jon’s mother has been cursed by an evil warlock AND did I mention the clock is ticking?!

**
This is a very clever and somewhat unique take on shifter lore. There is some pretty hot pre-mate self-sexy times and then when the two do finally mate, it’s very sweet and plenty sexy as well.

The paranormal stuff was interesting – the Grimoire, the warlock, the rules, etc. I love when the shifters actually shift and act “wolfy” and they do that a bit in this book.

I was on pins and needles waiting for Jon and Tanner to finally mate, and was a bit confused as to the hold up… but they when they do figure it out it’s lovely.

I wish the story had gone on a bit longer once Tanner had figured out Jon was his mate and maybe a bit thinner in the before part, but that’d be my only complaint.

The story captures your attention right away and never lets up, definitely a good read for fans of shifters.

(As a side note, without sounding too judgemental… if I hadn’t read the blurb I’d have skipped this book based on the cover – it’s so cheesy! The name doesn’t really relate to the story AT ALL and that put me off at first, but the story itself makes up for these small issues.)

4.5 of 5 hearts

4.5

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A Beginner’s Guide to Wooing Your Mate (A Beings In Love story) by R. Cooper

From DreamspinnerBeginnersGuidetoWooingYourMate[A]:

Zeki Janowitz has returned to his hometown of Wolf’s Paw to start his wizarding career. Unfortunately, Wolf’s Paw, a werewolf refuge, follows centuries of tradition and shuns human magic and a very human Zeki. He knows he’s in for a struggle, but a part of him has always belonged in the mountain town, or rather belonged to Theo Greenleaf. Years away at school haven’t lessened Zeki’s crush on the quiet werewolf. When town gossip informs him Theo still suffers from his mate’s rejection and does not date, it does little to ease Zeki’s embarrassing feelings. He decides now’s the time to get the man he’s always wanted.

Werewolves usually don’t recover from losing their mates, and Theo barely pulled through by focusing on his love of baking. It’s a daily struggle, and Zeki’s return to Wolf’s Paw shatters his peace. Theo doesn’t know what to think when Zeki attempts to woo him, talking about his wizarding business and settling in town for good. It’s like Zeki doesn’t have a clue how his words years before left Theo a shell of a werewolf.

Beginners in love, Theo and Zeki must seduce each other with a bit of heavenly baking and magic.

Marieke’s thoughts:

In the beginning of the story Zeki is not filled with a lot of confidence in himself. He knows he’s good at witchcraft, but his personality and looks have never been appreciated by the residents of Wolf’s Paw. The fact that he has magic is even more detested––or so he thinks. But during the story, Zeki meets some new people who don’t treat him badly, and don’t have problems with his magic. This makes him more self confident, which is great to read.

Zeki has no idea he’s the mate evil mate that rejected Theo, who everyone is talking about. In fact, he’s just as mad at the bloke as they are. So he tries to overcome his secret crush that makes him babble on and on, hoping to give Theo some comfort and friendship. Zeki has no clue why people suddenly start treating him as if he’s done a terrible deed again after he tells them the story of the one and only conversation between him and Theo in high school.

To be honest, Zeki was so clueless when it came to the mates stuff, I wanted to slap him. But I guess sometimes you close your eyes to the things that are too painful, or you keep thinking in circles and don’t see what’s right in front of you. That’s the only thing that kept me from being annoyed with Zeki in the second part of the book.

The first part of this story was very intense. I kept reading even when I really had to go to the bathroom, I kept putting it off because I didn’t want to stop reading. But the middle part got a bit confusing for me. The sentences became a bit chaotic, or they seemed to be for me at least. Zeki’s thoughts didn’t make a 100% sense anymore, but I got the gist of the things. He had so many conflicting thoughts, yet they all were kind of the same thing.
Anyhow, this was only a small part of the book and didn’t take away from the fact that the third book in this series is another hit for me. The third part of the book was another intensely emotional and romantic read. Zeki found out he was Theo’s mate and has a bit of a melt down. He takes some time for himself to think, while Theo tries to be patient and keep hope.

The bits where we read Theo’s POV are so sweet and endearing, I just want to hug him to pieces. The guy is so kindhearted and gentle, almost like a big teddy bear dressed as a wolf. His best friend is super funny, and his colleagues at the fire station are funny, a bit like Neanderthals when it comes to relationships, but caring nonetheless.

To make a long story short, this is a wonderful book. The middle was a bit out of my league (maybe because English isn’t my first language) but the ending was very satisfying. This series is one of my favorites, and I keep re-reading them.

Rating: 4.5