Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Leo the cheetah shifter has recently witnessed his friend Cam get mated. Despite the widely held beliefs that arranged matings are miserable, Cam honestly loves his mate Jenner. Now he is waiting for his own arranged mating. In Spain with his father, Leo finds out that he is to be mated to Antonio, a wealthy businessman. Leo is disheartened when he finds out that he will be basically cut off from society, including his best friend Cam, after the mating takes place. When he hears this, Leo decides to flee Spain and visit his friend in the United States.
Taruk is best friends with Jenner. His friend’s mating makes Taruk realize that he will probably never be mated. Taruk is not from a prominent nor rich family to pay the fee needed to arrange a mating. However, he is glad to see Leo again when he comes to visit Cam. Taruk is then disappointed to learn that the sweet young shifter is now arranged to be mated in a month’s time. His is alarmed to find out that Leo believes that the mating will not be a love match like their friends’ pairing. When Leo’s intended mate Antonio shows up to claim him, Taruk can do nothing but watch him leave.
The mating goes about as poorly for Leo as he expected. Locked in his room and chained to his bed, Leo must watch as his mate uses a call boy service and flaunt it in front of him. The only time he sees his mate is when Antonio wants to use him sexually. The only thing Leo is allowed to do is read the collection of classic books that Antonio has provided for him so that Leo does not make a fool of himself in front of company. Leo is resigned to his life as an unhappy mate. When Leo is taken to a birthday party, life takes a turn for the worse soon after. Leo must live with the consequences of his actions which will affect not only him and his mate, but also that of Taruk and their friends.
This second book in Ricci and Marcus’s Signed, Sealed, Delivered series takes place shortly after the end of the first. While the first book showed that arranged matings can sometimes turn out well, this second book shows what happens when then they do not. It is mentioned that Antonio had two previous mates that had died under mysterious circumstances. Was this not a red flag for Leo’s father or was the dowry he received more important than his son? It seems that nobody in authority has had any power to investigate their deaths. It would have been smart of one of the characters to suggest that Antonio might be doing something to Leo.
And these matings seem more like 18th or 19th century marriages where the “lesser” of the partners becomes property of the legally superior partner. The other thing is that (SPOILER) Leo should not be beating himself up for the actions that he took.
The cover art by Latrisha Waters is nicely done. It shows both Leo’s cheetah and human forms.
Sales Links: eXtasy Books | Amazon
Book Details
Kindle Edition, 91 pages
Published April 22nd 2016 by eXtasy Books
ASINB01EDH47GI
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesSigned, Sealed, Delivered #2
Series: Signed Sealed Delivered
Sealed With Honor (Signed Sealed Delivered #1)
Signed With a Heart (Signed Sealed Delivered #2)
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 