Category: Shifters, Weres

A Barb, the Zany Old Lady Review: Horsefeathers by Caitlin Ricci

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

HorsefeathersWhen Justin arrives at the mustang roundup run by the Bureau of Land Management, he’s dismayed to see that none of the mares or geldings meet the requirements his boss had given him for his next purchase. But he’s fascinated by a dark gray stallion, one with unusual forest-green eyes. The first time Brother Mustang sees Justin, he’s rightfully fearful and wants to charge the man, but Nohatu, the human who lives side-by-side in Brother Mustang’s mind is able to keep the stallion calm. Unfortunately for them, Justin makes the purchase, and Nohatu and Brother Mustang find themselves taken far away from the land they’ve known.

Caitlin Ricci took an interesting twist on shifters with this story. Each half lives within the current form, but they are not one and do not always agree. In addition, the human prefers being in the shifted form, even though he’s often in a subjugated position. We learn rather quickly that Nohatu prefers sex with men because as soon as he’s found in the stallion’s pen, he’s shipped off to the bus station, and on the way, he manages to seduce Justin into stopping for a quick blowjob. It turns out that sex is the means by which they pass on the spark to shift when they meet someone who appears to be of “their kind.” And they believe Justin is. The way the background is filled in is via storytelling by Nohatu of the tale of his own turning. It’s a clever way to impart a lot of information in a brief way.

Overall, the story was very short, but it was packed with a lot of information. On the negative side, there was no time for a romantic buildup, and in fact, it felt like there wasn’t even a romantic element promised for the future. The story ends with a HFN and actually felt as if might have been an introduction to some future series or novel.

There also wasn’t enough time to fully develop any of the characters, and although I felt a little sympathetic to Justin, I lost that when he made his decision at the end. And because Nohatu and Brother Mustang were at odds with each other throughout most of the story, and neither had a likeable personality, I couldn’t manage any empathy toward their joint or individual well-being.

Since it is so short and does display a clever and interesting treatment of shifters, I’d recommend the story to those who enjoy paranormal shifter stories with a different twist.

~~~~~

Cover art by Natasha Snow features a leafy background on which is the head of a white horse, looking down, with some of his mane flopped forward. If I look closely, I can see a hawk-like bird instead of the horse—one ear a beak, one a body, and the horse’s mane the full wingspan of a hawk in flight. It may be an optical illusion, but due to the content of the story, I suspect the artist did this purposely, and if so, she did a remarkable job.

Sales Links:   Less Than Three Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Published January 13th 2016 by Less Than Three Press
ISBN139781620046920
Edition LanguageEnglish
URL settingColorado (United States)

A MelanieM Review: End Street Detective Agency Volume One (End Street Detective Agency #1-2) by Amber Kell, R.J. Scott

Rating:  3.75 stars out of 5

End Street Detective Agency Vol 1Dragons, vampires, werewolves, fae, witches and one very confused human.

* * * *

Sam, 100% human (no, really) inherits a crumbling building and a private detective agency from his Uncle.

Bob, a brooding stubborn and ancient vampire turns up at his door and refuses to leave.

Before Sam can say ‘I only want human cases’ he’s knee deep in werewolves, dragons, vampires and witches.

Book 1 – The Case of The Cupid Curse

Sam Enderson is a human detective who inherits a building from where his Uncle used to run a detective agency. He finds himself working for paranormal creatures despite his resolve to stick with humans only. To supplement his income as a new PI Sam rents out rooms in the large house.

Bob is a vampire and turns up on Sam’s doorstep to rent a room. Sparks fly and Sam is attracted to the vampire despite himself.

Sam is cursed by a witch, and has two cases landing on his desk. Werewolves, annoying ghosts and a grumpy gargoyle are enough to drive Sam mad. But somehow in amongst all of this he has to find a missing fae and a missing shifter child.

Book 2 – The Case of the Wicked Wolf

Naiads, humans, sirens and a challenge for Alpha make up the intricate story in the race to rescue the missing children.

Sam and Bob have more than just the case of one lost child to handle. Not only is Shelby Hartman missing, but other paranormal children have disappeared. The race to rescue the children is hampered by naiads, humans, sirens and a challenge for Alpha.

Hartman Hunter is desperate to find his daughter. He turns to the demon Danjal Naamah for help. The problem is that Danjal is the only person Hartman has ever loved—the man he let go for the sake of the pack…

NB: Previously released as two separate books.
Word count for End Street Volume 1: 64,500

I started this series at book four and then had to scrabble back to the beginning and start where most readers began.  I’m not sure I made a mistake because I picked out a early pattern that has continued through all the books I’ve since finished.  With each story this series gets progressively better.  The plots deepen and the character drop what qualities I found irritating (and yes, frankly whiney) towards the  beginning of the series.  So it was probably a very good thing that I started with books where the characters had lost some of the attributes and mind boggling naivete found in books 1 and 2.

This mostly applies to Sam, a being who refuses to accept that he’s not human.  Everyone  else knows he’s not, from the fae to the  ever present gargoyle.  But Sam?  Nope, with the stubbornness that becomes highly irritating.  I mean who wouldn’t want to be able to do the things he can do in the world Amber Kell and RJ Scott have built?  And they don’t lay any real reason for Sam’s unyielding prejudice/stubborn unwillingness to see himself as anything other than human, when all the events and his powers say otherwise.

Luckily that starts to disappear somewhat or become palatable after this volume.

But I knew there was more coming.  Plus I got to see how he met Bob the vampire.  I adore Bob.  Plus all the other beings that inhabit his house/detective agency are so cool, with  very distinctive personalities that they make up for the places I want to deliver a “Snap out of it” ala Cher in Moonlighting to Sam.  What saves Sam?  He’s really cares, he’s also just a determinedly stubborn in wanting to do the right thing.  A sort of supernatural knight charging off to fix things, with a whole passel of supernatural beings running after him to help.  That’s charming and each case connects to the next, getting better and better.  You will love what’s coming next in Vol. 2.

These were my rating for the individual stories but really, don’t pass any of them up.  You need them to build, one on top of the other.

  • Book 1 – The Case of The Cupid Curse.  Rating: 3 stars out of 5
  • Book 2 – The Case of the Wicked Wolf. Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Next up, Vol 2, (dragons) and then The Case of the Purple Pearl, that’s a real winner.  I love this series and recommend it.

Art work by Meredith Russell.  Love this cover.  Works beautifully for the characters involved.

Sales Links:  All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 201 pages
Published October 5th 2015 by Love Lane Books Ltd (first published June 28th 2013)
ASINB0168MICJ4
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesEnd Street Detective Agency #1-2

 

 

A MelanieM Review: Mate of the Tyger Prince by Shannon West

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

MateoftheTygerPrince - WestDiplomatic marriages between two members of different planets certainly aren’t unheard of—but for Prince Mikos of Tygeria and Col. Ryan Donnelly of Earth, it might just be a fate worse than death. The union is meant to end a devastating war that has lasted for over a hundred and fifty years, but when the female bride intended for the fierce, sexy prince runs away, her handsome brother is substituted instead. Men are for mating as far as the Tygerian prince is concerned, but the colonel also happens to be Mikos’s sworn enemy, not to mention being completely irritating.

Ryan is horrified to learn that the Tygerians not only expect him to take the place of his sister, marry the Bloody Prince of Tygeria, and go to live with him on his mysterious planet, but they also expect him to undergo physical alteration to have the man’s baby! And nobody is taking hell no for an answer. Ryan’s being asked to turn his whole life upside down and the handsome Tygerian gets under his skin like nobody else. But with the fate of the universe at stake, how can he say no? Can the two enemies put aside their differences and focus on making love and not war—not to mention a baby? As a powerful love struggles to take root, can they learn to trust each other and stand together against the forces that are trying to tear them apart?

Mate of the Tyger Prince by Shannon West combined several of my favorite elements, that of cat shifters (tigers at that) and science fiction and pulled off a winner.  Once I started reading  I couldn’t stop.  This marvelous page turner pulled me in starting with a galatic war that Earth arrogantly expected to win and was now losing at an unimaginable cost of lives and resources.  A bargain has been struck to end the war, a marriage of alliance.  But things  of course do not go as planned.  I loved Shannon West’s descriptions of those involved, the bargaining that takes place is done by an unexpected source, Mikos’ parent and an Earthling like Ryan.

One of the things I actually had to work through was West’s world building and culture for the planet of Tygeria. a very male/dominant order.  So much so that the sexes live separately on different continents/islands by choice, taking their life partners of the same sex.  And in the case of the male Tygerians, male humans have become a favored companion/partner.  Their role is a prescribed one within the Tygerian society.  They run the household, raise the children, a difficult, almost subservient role for a ex-soldier to take on.  Which is exactly what Mikos’ parent also was, a wonderful element of this story.  West makes this aspect of the story work as an important thread of the plot  as well as a part of the interesting layers of Tygerian society.   I can’t wait to see what future books hold.

Another starting twist?  The age difference in the two beings.  I won’t tell you which is which, I’ll let you discover that for yourself.  The characterizations are wonderful and clearly drawn.  Its easy to picture the Tygerians and understand their emotional makeup, as well as see how easily misunderstanding and mistrust could arise between a human and a Tygerian.  Ryan is a heartbreaker, alone and so vulnerable, with the weight of two systems riding on his shoulders.   Actually, there are quite a few characters to fall in love with here, both young (Mikos’ younger brothers for one) and old (his parent for another).

As I said, I flew through this book right to the end.  Then I wanted another.  Its supposed to be the first in a series.  How I hope that’s true and another will follow soon.  This is a world I could wallow in for books to come.  Shannon West?  Are you listening?

Cover art by Eden Connor did a great job with Ryan but oh how I wanted a glimpse of Mikos.

Sales Links:  Amazon  | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: January 19th 2016 by Dark Hollows Press LLC
Edition LanguageEnglish

For All Lovers of Shifters, SciFy & Romance~Mate of the Tyger Prince by Shannon West (excerpt and giveaway)

MateoftheTygerPrince - West

Mate of the Tyger Prince (Mate of the Tyger Prince #1) by Shannon West
Release Date: January 19, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Dark Hollows Press
Cover Artist: Eden Connors

Blurb

Diplomatic marriages between two members of different planets certainly aren’t unheard of—but for Prince Mikos of Tygeria and Col. Ryan Donnelly of Earth, it might just be a fate worse than death. The union is meant to end a devastating war that has lasted for over a hundred and fifty years, but when the female bride intended for the fierce, sexy prince runs away, her handsome brother is substituted instead. Men are for mating as far as the Tygerian prince is concerned, but the colonel also happens to be Mikos’s sworn enemy, not to mention being completely irritating.
Ryan is horrified to learn that the Tygerians not only expect him to take the place of his sister, marry the Bloody Prince of Tygeria, and go to live with him on his mysterious planet, but they also expect him to undergo physical alteration to have the man’s baby! And nobody is taking hell no for an answer. Ryan’s being asked to turn his whole life upside down and the handsome Tygerian gets under his skin like nobody else. But with the fate of the universe at stake, how can he say no? Can the two enemies put aside their differences and focus on making love and not war—not to mention a baby? As a powerful love struggles to take root, can they learn to trust each other and stand together against the forces that are trying to tear them apart?

Pages or Words: 75,795 words
Categories: Erotica, M/M Romance, Romance, Science Fiction, Tiger Shifters

Excerpt:

“Son, are you all right? Your highness…Consort Blake, please! Put a stop to this now—my son is injured!”
“I’m fine, Father,” Ryan said, embarrassed and trying to gently push him off.
“Your son is injured?” the king’s consort said, his eyebrows lifting in outrage. “What about my son? Your son indeed!”
Then as the words sunk in, Blake suddenly straightened up and tilted his head, one eyebrow quirking upward. “Did you say your son?”
“Yes, of course he is! And your son just attacked him!” the consul said, casting a wounded, outraged look back over his shoulder.
Blake smiled then and rubbed his hands together, as eager as a cat who’d just spied a big bowl of tasty cream. “You mean to tell me this young man… Your unmarried son? Well, why didn’t you say so? Who needs the daughter? This one will do fine. In fact, he’ll do even better!” He stepped forward and laid a hand on Prince Mikos’s arm. “Stop playing with him, Miki. You’ll have plenty of time to do that after the wedding. This young man,” he said, gesturing grandly toward Ryan, “is your new mate and royal consort.” He got a speculative look in his eye. “Maybe even the bearer of your children.”

Buy the book: Amazon

Meet the Author:

Shannon West lives in the South with her husband and family. A lover and avid reader of M/M romances, she began writing them a few years ago and now has over forty short stories, novellas, and novels to her credit. She is a two-time finalist in the Rainbow awards for 2013 and 2014, and an honorable mention for 2015 and named an All Romance ebooks top ten author for 2013 and 2014. She writes shifters, primarily and some BDSM and contemporary. She loves men and everything about them, and believes that love is love, no matter the gender. She mostly spends her days at the keyboard, trying to elude housework, which stalks her relentlessly.

 

Where to find the author:

Tour Dates & Stops:
Parker Williams, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, BFD Book Blog, Bayou Book Junkie, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Jessie G. Books, The Hat Party, Decadent Delights, Happily Ever Chapter, Bonkers About Books, Unquietly Me, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Multitasking Mommas, Book Lovers 4Ever, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Kiki’s Kinky Picks, Three Books Over The Rainbow, MM Good Book Reviews, Molly Lolly, Alpha Book Club, Lee Brazil, Inked Rainbow Reads, Divine Magazine, My Fiction Nook

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Mate of the Tyger Prince’ by Shannon West.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prize provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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A Paul B Review: Hot on a Chipmunk’s Tail ( (Paranormal Dentistry for the Fanged and Friendly #4) by Jackie Nacht

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Hot on a Chipmunk's TailJason Fieldstone is a chipmunk shifter.  All of his brothers and sisters (all 20 of them) are known to be a bit skittish, as chipmunks are known to be.  However, Jason has essentially wrapped himself in the cocoon of family and shies away from public interaction too much.  When his new neighbor, Will, seems to take an interest in him, Jason tends to run back inside to the comfort of his family.  Deciding that he has to learn to deal with the world at large and not sequester himself in the family home, Jason decides to move to White Pine, Michigan where a few of his brothers have moved.  He hopes that the move to the shifter friendly town will allow him the opportunity to grow.

Will is a mountain lion shifter who has bought the place next to the Fieldstones’.  He grows concerned when the cute little chipmunk shifter Jason has not been around for weeks.  To make matters worse, he has not seen any of the Fieldstone family since before the holidays.  One day he runs into Jason’s sister Theresa.  Theresa, who is sympathetic to Will’s feelings, tells him that Jason has moved to live with his brothers.  She tells him that if he wants to pursue Jason, he should give him time to get accustomed to his new life.  Determined to pursue some chipmunk tail, Will decides to take Theresa’s advice.

Four months later, Jason is working with his brother in the paranormal dentist office.  He is sent out to pick up lunch for the office in an attempt to build Jason’s confidence in dealing with people.  When he walks into the deli to pick up a sandwich for his boss, Jason notices his crush Will working the meat slicer behind the counter.  Jason must decide if he is going to turn tail and run like he has in the past or gather the courage to talk to the one man who makes him feel like no other.

I really enjoyed this story.  Jason is about as timid as you can get due to his shifter qualities.  His biggest concern about moving up north with his brothers is if any of the larger shifters would eat him in his chipmunk form.  This is part of the reason that Jason is so skittish around Will.  Will must control his predatory instincts while he is trying to romance Jason.  Determined to let Jason set the pace for the romance, Will is seen as moving too slow by Jason.

Two other things I should mention.  They are named Winslow and Sparks.  Describing them as hellions might be putting it mildly.  The two seem to cause havoc, both intentional and not, wherever they go.  They provide the perfect comedic secondary storyline for the book.  Their lives might be in for a change as Will’s friend Teegan has taken an interest in one of them.

The cover art by Winterheart Design is perfect for this book.  In the top half we see Will and Jason with a forest backdrop.  In the lower half we have Will’s mountain lion and Jason’s chipmunk resting peacefully while the chipmunk is stuffing something in his mouth.

Sales Links:  MLR Books | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book details

EBook, 86 pages
Published:  November 2015 by MLR Press
ISBN:  MLR-1-02014-0475
Language:  English

Series:  Paranormal Dentistry For the Fanged and Friendly

  • Peanut Butter and Jelly for Two (Paranormal Dentistry #1)
  • Stalking the Hygienist (Paranormal Dentistry #2)
  • Chipmunk Drizzled in Honey (Paranormal Dentistry #3)
  • A Paranormal Chipmunk Christmas (Paranormal Dentistry #3.5)
  • Hot on a Chipmunk’s Tail (Paranormal Dentistry #4)
  • A White Pine Chipmunk Invasion (Paranormal Dentistry #5)

Law and Supernatural Order? Its Silvia Violet’s Sex on the Hoof! (excerpt and giveaway)

SOTHBlogBanner

Sex on the Hoof

Silvia Violet

M/M Romance

Sex on the Hoof Cover

Cover Design: AJ Corza

Cover Photo:  Stock Photo

Release Date: 12.31.15

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1PeLrl8

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1QD5Y68

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1J15apd

iTunes: http://apple.co/1QD6gK7

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1NwQj4E

ARe: http://bit.ly/1OEFjzS

BLURB:

 A stag and a vampire. Mortal peril. True love.

Deer shifter, Jason Fleetfoot, has turned his life around. After years of taking chances, he’s working as a crime lab technician, and he’s determined to forgo the risky behavior of his past. Then he meets Drew Danvers, the only undead detective in the city. Jason hates vampires, or does he? Drew defies all the stereotypes of his kind and something about him has taken hold of Jason and won’t let go. Jason might just dare to take a chance on a man others would label a risk to his health if not his very life.

This novella was previously published. It has been re-edited and expanded by over 35%.

TEASERS

SOTHTEas

SOTHTeas1Final

EXCERPT

I’m Jason Fleetfoot. I’ve made a lot of stupid mistakes in my life. The stupidest of all was taking a job with some assholes intent on manufacturing illegal chemical weapons.

My sister, Natalie, lost her job when her company folded, and I lost mine because my fucking boss was a bastard. I’ve got authority issues. And control issues. All right, I’m seriously fucked up, but I wasn’t going to let my sister starve because I couldn’t keep it together.

So I made a deal with the devil and damn near got myself and Natalie killed. She saved me. She and her cop boyfriend, Wolf. The name’s not a joke. He’s a werewolf. Did I mention we’re shifters, Natalie and I? Deer shifters. If you think my human form is impressive, you should see me as a ten-point buck. So yeah, a werewolf and a deer shifter. Somehow they’re making it work.

When I was a kid, we were all in hiding—wolves, deer, rabbits, foxes, and all the other shifters, vampires and demons too. Then the Big Collapse happened. Worst econ crash since the Great Depression. The world was in chaos, the US Government near collapse, the unemployed filling the streets. A bunch of supernaturals said, fuck it, the humans can barely keep themselves together, it’s time we had our day. I thought there’d be a war, but none of us were organized enough to attack and the humans had their own problems so now we all live together.

Peacefully? Fuck no. Most humans tolerate us, just. Some love us only for the thrill we can give them. And others would like to kill us on sight, but at least we don’t have to pretend anymore. I love what my body can do and I’m never going to apologize for it.

But that’s enough history. Let’s get back to the now and my life on the straight-and-narrow, working hard to earn an honest dollar. I fucking hate being beholden to Wolf, but I wouldn’t be where I am now if it wasn’t for him. Once the Atlanta PD cleared me, Wolf helped me get a job in the crime lab where I can use my knowledge of chemistry and computers for the good guys.

As the newest hire, I work nights, babysitting the equipment and working on what comes in during the wee hours. For the most part, I like it. It’s quiet and I get a chance to play around with new techniques and do a bit of programming. There’s only one problem: Detective Drew Danvers.

He works nights too. Not because he’s new, but because he’s a goddamned vampire. They say he was Changed against his will. But what the hell was he doing picking up a vampire at a bar? I certainly have no intention of fucking a vampire. No matter how damn fuckable Drew is. Yeah, I like men, what of it? And Drew is a fine specimen of a man, like some Viking warrior. He’s at least six three with sculpted arms and pecs that make him look like he could lift a truck one-handed. Considering he’s a vamp, he probably can.

Getting involved with Drew would be stupid on too many levels to count. And I’m finished with making stupid decisions. So why does my body want so desperately to be impaled on him—his cock, his fangs, anything he’d like to stick in me. Natalie’s right, my dick really doesn’t communicate with my brain. I don’t just want to fuck him, I want to be taken by him, and I never want that. Like I said, I have control issues. But with Drew… No, there’s never going to be anything with Drew.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Silvia Violet writes erotic romance in a variety of genres including sci fi, paranormal, alternate history, and historical.

She can often be found haunting coffee shops looking for the darkest, strongest cup of coffee she can find. Once equipped with the needed fuel, she can happily sit for hours pounding away at her laptop. Silvia typically leaves home disguised as a suburban stay-at-home-mom, and other coffee shop patrons tend to ask her hilarious questions like “Do you write children’s books?” She loves watching the looks on their faces when they learn what she’s actually up to. When not writing, Silvia enjoys baking sinful chocolate treats, exploring new styles of cooking, and reading children’s books to her wickedly smart offspring.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Newsletter: http://silviaviolet.com/newsletter

Facebook: http://facebook.com/silvia.violet

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Silvia_Violet

Tumblr: http://silviaviolet.tumblr.com

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/silviaviolet/

 

GIVEAWAY

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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A MelanieM Review: The Case of the Sinful Santa (End Street Detective Agency #4) by Amber Kell and R.J. Scott

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

The Case of the Sinful Santa Zephariel, the Angel of Vengeance, Nick Klauson, nephew to Santa, Christmas magic, zombies in the school and a necromancer causing chaos…and at the center of it all—Mal.

Zephariel is the Angel of Vengeance and is tracking down his cousin Danjal for misuse of brimstone. When he walks into a bar and finds Nick Klauson drowning his sorrows, he is instantly drawn to him. Could this be his fated mate?

When Nick and Zeph join forces to deal with zombies in Mal’s school, sparks fly. Add in a demon, a wolf and a necromancer, and Sam and Bob have a hunt on their hands.

When I started reading this story, I had three books of the series in my possession and somehow I must have thought (I mark it up to holiday stress) that this was the first.  Uh, no.  Of course, I jump into the series at book four and once I started, I couldn’t stop. Why? Because if the rest of the stories are anything like this one, then Amber Kell and RJ Scott have an engaging cast of characters and an apparently intriguing linked group of mysteries at the heart of the End Street Detective Agency.

The Case of the Sinful Santa comes to the End Street Detective Agency,run by Sam, a man who refuses to accept his clearly paranormal genealogy and the many endearing, scary and wild beings that revolve around him, including his vampire lover, Bob.  One of the things about coming into a series so late is that so many things are already established.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing here. Sam and Bob are an official couple (not so in the beginning of the series) and have a vampire child, Mal (will backtrack to that story).  This tale starts out with the focus on Zephariel (angel) and Nick Klauson, one of the many Klausons,  Santa Claus is his Uncle and he is part of the family business.

Amber Kell and RJ Scott come up with an intriguing job for Nick that sort of makes sense, in a fantasy kind of way. Nick is in town because of a darkness that Santa noticed along his flight plan. Nick is there to take care of it. But there’s more to come. Up pops a ghastly disappearance/murder mystery to solve that brings not only Zeph and Nick together but the rest of the End Street Detectives into the case. I thought there was a nice balance between the fear/mystery and the love/romance going on here.  Plus its not just the romance between Zeph and Nick but the ongoing issues that continue between Sam and Bob.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and characters, Zeph and Nick get their HFN which means we will probably see them again in this series and we get a peek at the next book to come…dragons my favorite.  Only now I need to  go backwards and see where it all started.  Stay with me, I’ll be filling you in.  Until then, if you are a lover of the supernatural or the paranormal, throw in a mystery or romance or two, this has the making of a series to delight you on every front.  I know its doing that for me.

 

Cover art by Posh Gosh. I love the cover.  It works mostly for Zeph.  Nick is missing the frosty white hair and white complexion so that is a fail.

Sales Links:   | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

Book Four in the End Street Detective Agency series

ebook, 1st Edition, 94 pages
Published November 29th 2013 by Totally Bound (first published November 28th 2013)
Original TitleThe Case of the Sinful Santa: End Street Detective Agency Series
ISBN 1781848548 (ISBN13: 9781781848548)
Edition LanguageEnglish

SeriesEnd Street Detective Agency 

 

A Stella Review: How to Walk like a Man by Eli Easton

Rating 4.5 stars out of 5

How To Walk Like A Man coverDeputy Roman Charsguard survived Afghanistan where he lost his best friend—his K-9 handler James. Roman was a military dog until two years ago when he developed the ability to shift into a human. It’s not easy to learn how to be a man. He found a place to live in Mad Creek, a haven for the secret world of dog shifters. Finding a reason to live has been harder. That is, until a certain human walks into the Mad Creek Sheriff’s office and starts making trouble.

Matt Barclay has the worst luck. First he was shot in a SWAT drug raid, then he was sent as DEA investigator to Mad Creek, a little town in the California mountains. Matt’s job is to keep a lookout for illegal drug farms, but nobody in the town wants him there. And then there’s Roman, Matt’s erstwhile baby-sitter. He’s the hottest guy Matt’s ever seen, even if he is a bit peculiar. If the town doesn’t kill him, sexual frustration just might.

The town is counting on Roman to prevent Matt from learning about dog shifters, Matt’s counting on Roman to be his work partner and tell him the truth, and Roman’s trying to navigate love, sex, and a whole lot of messy human emotions. Who knew it was so complicated to walk like a man?

I was anxious to read Roman story since I first met him in  How to Howl at the Moon  , the first book in the Howl at the Moon series by Eli Easton. I was intrigued by this character cause I could feel he would be different and I wasn’t disappointed. I learnt to love him a little more with each page I read in How to Walk Like a Man.

His story was a little strange because Roman, as the title says, needs to start his human life, to learn how to walk like a man and not only as a dog. He lost his human James in Afghanistan, the one who saved a hurt Roman from a sure death.The flashbacks that showed the relationship between them, were all very emotional especially in the clear connection with James and in Roman sense of loneliness when he woke up for the first time in his doggie cage as a human and had no idea what was happening.

It was surely not the usual m/m book and Roman is not our usual character. That’s the reason why in this case I loved the slow burn story with Matt, it couldn’t have been different, since Roman has no clue about human life at all. And it didn’t bored me for a minute cause Matt and Roman were together from the first page, becoming friends little by little and starting to trust each other.

Moreover How to Walk Like a Man not just Roman and Matt’s story. There is so much more going on and I can assure you won’t have enough. It was sweet, simple and beautifully different as Roman is, with some emotional parts and some light and funny, like when Roman discovered for the first time his penis and the related sexual maneuver. I laughed so much at Lance’s embarrassment when Roman called his friend in the middle of his first erection asking for help with his problem.

How To Walk Like a Man and the whole series is highly recommended. I’d love to know if there will be more about these great characters in a near future.

Cover art by Reese Dante. There really is nothing to say about this cover, I can see Roman in the dog eyes, so it’s perfect to me.

Sales Links:  All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 241 pages
Published November 13th 2015 by Pinkerton Road
ASIN B0176KQPH8
Edition Language English

Howl at the Moon series

  • How to Howl at the Moon #1
  • How to Walk Like a Man #2