A Paul B Review: Setting His Owl A-Twitter (Wolves of Stone Ridge #33) by Charlie Richards

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Rocky Nelson is a bouncer at a bar about an hour from Stone Ridge. For the past few weeks, a young man has been hanging around the bar. Each night, the young man would ask Rocky to dance. However, he refuses each time. It would break two rules. First, he never dances at the club where he works. Second, he does not get involved with party boys. As he has seen this guy every shift he has worked the past few weeks, the guy must qualify, right?

Hector is one of the bird shifters that was rescued a couple of months ago in Europe. The self made flock was then moved to Stone Ridge under the protection of the wolf pack that rescued them. While travelling to Stone Ridge, the flock stop sat a club to release tension of being held captive for a number of years. There, Hector meets his mate in a bouncer named Rocky. However, every time he asks Rocky to dance, his mate turns him down. The rest of the flock convinces Hector to let the mate pull work and not to give up hope.

When a co-worker tells Rocky that he thinks Rocky has misread the cute guy hanging around the bar, Rocky rethinks his position. The next time Hector comes up to ask him to dance, he once again refuses but then asks Hector out for a bite to eat. While he finds it strange that Hector does not have a cell phone, he chalks it up to one of the gay’s idiosyncrasies. Then he thinks that he himself has a past that will have an impact on any future relationship with Hector. Will each man accept the past the each brings to the relationship?

This story continues to explore the members of the flock that was rescued by the Stone Ridge pack. I have a feeling that the focus on the series will be centered around these bird shifters as most of the wolf shifters in the pack have been mated. The innocence of Hector almost requires a strong man both physically and mentally to protect him and he finds this in Rocky. Rocky has been burned by a past relationship, which fuels his mistrust of club people for dates. The story is solid, which I expect from Ms. Richards. I look forward to see which of our birds is next to be mated.

Cover art. Strong cover, gorgeous photograph of owl and man.

Sales Links: eXtasy Books | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 106 pages
Published January 15th 2016 by Extasy Books
ISBN139781487406097
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series: Wolves of Stone Ridge

Goodreads link:

https://www.goodreads.com/series/63445-wolves-of-stone-ridge

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

Jason 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)

A Paul B Review: Broken Prince, Mismatched Eyes (The Mauritanian Saga Book 1) by Layla Dorine

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ★★★★★

Caden DeMott might be the son of a noble but he clearly is not treated as such. Born with two different colored eyes, many people in the area believe that he must be evil according to their traditional beliefs. His stepmother makes his life miserable and effectively keeps him away from his stepbrothers. Even his father can be distant at times to keep peace with his wife. The only companionship Caden can rely on is his two dogs. Because of all of this, Caden is withdrawn. One morning, his father informs him that due to a business arrangement made by his stepmother several years ago, he is to be married to the prince of the family’s most important trading partner, the country of Mauritania.

Prince Rhys Gwyther was supposed to be married three years ago. However, an accident while he was touring a mine left him almost a paraplegic. But with determination and a lot of hard work, Rhys has learned to walk again, albeit with a limp. While there are some in the kingdom calling for him to be bypassed as heir, Rhys is bound to live up to his birthright. He makes the week voyage by boat from his country to the DeMott estate to meet his future husband.

When Rhys arrives, things go from bad to worse for the two of them. Rhys takes an immediate dislike to Caden’s family. But in Caden he finds potential for a mate. However, both young men are waiting for the other to fall along long established patterns of abuse that they have suffered due to their “deformities.” This will continue to shape the beginnings of their relationship. Outside factors also contribute to drive the young couple apart. Rhys’s father adds to the problem unintentionally making a decision meant to help them but only makes matters worse. Will they find their happily ever after?

I really enjoyed this novel. Caden and Rhys each have had their own problems over the years and have dealt with them as best they could. These problems almost doom the relationship before it even starts. Only after they agree to forget what others say and concentrate on just themselves do things begin to turn around. But Caden’s family and past, along with those who do not feel Rhys should be the next king continue to threaten the princes. The conclusion of the book wraps up the causes of the problems for both men, with the villains getting their just comeuppance.

The cover art by Kellie Dennis is just stunning. Our two heroes are standing with shirts partially opened exposing well-formed chests above a picture of a boat sailing toward the land of Mauritania. It fits the book really well.

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

Book Details

Kindle Edition, 328 pages
Published December 4th 2015 by Wayward Ink Publishing
(first published January 1st 2013)
ASINB017WXGBM8
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series: The Mauritanian Saga

A Paul B Review: The Harvest: A Tah’Narian Christmas (The Harvest #3) by M.A. Church

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ★★★★★

It has been five years since last we checked in on the planet of Tah’Nar. Keyno and Dale are raising their six-year-old twins, Radeon and Szin. While Radeon has inherited the Tah’Narian genes, Sziin, who is mostly human, can usually hold his own against his twin. The most important thing is that they still share their special link that they developed while Dale was carrying them.

As the calendar turns toward the end of the year, Dale is feeling the pull of what would be the Christmas season back on Earth. While Dale has introduced some human traditions into his new world such as young (baby) showers, he misses the family gatherings at Christmas time. While the religious aspects for the holiday might not go over on his new home planet, he feels that the idea of family celebrations and the spirit of good will towards all would go well in Tah’Narian society.

Unknown to Dale, his mate Keyno has sent a ship back to earth to give Dale just what he wants. He has arranged with Dale’s parents to ship the traditional Christmas decorations that are found on Earth. While the idea of cutting a tree down is antithetical to Tah’Narian culture, he compromises and plans to dig up a tree to use for the season before replanting it after the celebration. Keyno has also arranged for all their friends to join in the celebration. Dale receives the ultimate surprise when the ship lands and more than just the decorations have arrived from earth.

This is a warm holiday story that provides a glimpse into life several years after the ending of The Harvest set of books. The twins along with their friend Takeo play the role of energy filled six year olds well. It is almost like having a set of triplets when the three of them are together. You can tell that Keyno and Dale are still very much in love and will do anything to make each other happy. This is a perfect side story to the series.

The cover art by Alicia Nordwell is spot on. It shows the pink Christmas tree with presents underneath sitting next to a window in Dale and Keyno’s tree house. It is the perfect cover for the holiday story.

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

Book Details

Kindle Edition, 70 pages
Published November 30th 2015
ASINB018STI75E
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesThe Harvest #3h

Series: The Harvest

Taken (The Harvest #1)
Journey’s End (The Harvest #2)
A Tah’Narian Christmas (The Harvest #3)

A Paul B Review: Believing In The Traitor (A Paranormal’s Love #14) by Charlie Richards

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Walter Blackhorse has spent the past three months in a coma. Waking up, he finds himself not in a hospital, but a well-apportioned room in a mansion. As he regains awareness coming out of his coma, he remembers being shot by his now former boss as he was protecting beings that were other than human. Having spent the past few years working for the man who Walter now realizes was holding these beings captive; Walter wonders what will happen to him next. Whatever happens, he hopes that the sexy beast he finds out is a gargoyle is somehow included in these plans.

Treatise has been the gargoyle clutch tracker for some time. He is asked the by the clutch second Tobias to help the man who has just awaked from his coma company. Thinking this was just a babysitting job and a demotion, Tobias assures Treatise that he is there both to help the man’s recovery and to ascertain any information he may have on paranormals and what his boss might have been up to. When Treatise walks into the room that holds Walter, he is overwhelmed with the man’s scent and realizes that Walter is his mate. Treatise hopes the man is innocent, as the clutch leadership seems to think he is.

As things progress between Walter and Treatise, Walter still has feelings that he is not fully accepted into the clutch. Having worked for the men who were holding shifters captive gives Walter some feelings that he might never be fully accepted. This bears out when Walter leaves the mansion with the two friends he has made, who happen to be mates of the clutch leadership. Both gargoyles confront Treatise asking why his mate had kidnapped their mates. The three try to figure out where their men have gone and why.

This fourteenth book in the Paranormal’s Love series is another solid read. The main issue is a matter of trust. Walter feels that others in the clutch do not exactly trust him since he unknowingly worked against the paranormal world. This is proven when a couple of mates disappear with Walter with no known explanation. However, it turns out that the situation arose from both a comedy of errors and presuppositions that could have avoided the ensuing mess.

The cover art by Carmen Waters shows a shirtless Walter in a field. It is a decent cover for the book and fits the motif for the series.

Sales Links: eXtasy Books | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details

ebook, 107 pages
Published December 1st 2015 by Extasy Books
ISBN139781487405564
edition languageEnglish
seriesA Paranormal’s Love #14

A Paul B Review: Deep Dive (Tidal Crest #1) by Jeff Erno

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Sam Lewis is a former Olympic diving champion who now works at Water World, an aquatic park similar to the real life Sea World. He entertains the park visitors a couple of times a day doing dives that he would normally use as warm up from his competition past. At the age of thirty-two, Sam knows his glory days as a competitive diver are long past but these shows give him some of his past glory. His one wish is that now that he is no longer under judges’ scrutiny is to fins someone to share his life. The one perk at working at the park is to see the other attractions. He is particularly fascinated with the real life robotic merpeople, especially the merman.

Percy is a special effects designer at the same park that Sam works at. One of the perks of his job is to watch his favorite Olympic diver perform at the park. He is sitting at a bar when Sam approaches him. Sam is surprised when Percy recognizes him, saying that he is a has been. Percy states that is not the case at Water World where they both work. When Percy reveals that he works with the animation of the mermaids, Sam comments how the merman looks exactly like Percy. As things begin to heat up, Percy suddenly leaves. Sam is left high and dry.

Sam begins to wonder what is wrong. Is there something about himself that drives Percy off? Or is there something wrong with Percy himself? And what about this man Todd who seems to be a threat to the growing relationship of Percy and Sam?

I usually enjoy most things that Jeff Erno writes and this is not an exception. This is the author’s first foray into the world of shape shifters and it appears that he is off to a good start. The author does a good job at describing the pressures both of the main characters have faced in finding someone to have a relationship with. He does not follow the fated mate route that is often used in these types of books in the normal sense, which is refreshing to see. The main reason that I did not rate the book higher is that the ending seemed a bit rushed and the meeting with Percy’s parents was rather anti-climatic. However, the twist with Percy’s mother almost makes up for it. I look forward to seeing where the author takes this series.

The cover art by Angela Waters shows a well-built man surrounded by water. He is shown in his merman form on the cover. It is a well-executed cover for the story.

Sales Links: Extasy Books | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details

ebook, 114 pages
Published November 15th 2015 by eXtasy Books
ISBN139781487405823
edition languageEnglish
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A Paul B Review: Curling Up With His Critter (A Loving Nip #7) by Charlie Richards

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Gypsum Vereen , second of the Amarillo coven of vampires, is tasked to transporting a group of Angus cattle shifters to their new lodgings., They are headed toward a diverse pack filled with displaced and abused shifters who are trying to assimilate to a world without abusive alphas and pack members. When they arrive on pack land, Gypsum is invited to lunch

Lucius and his half brothers have been staying at the pack for rehabilitating shifters since their rescue from their former alpha. Kept as sexual slaves in cages, they are just now getting around to a normal life. However, the damage done psychologically is still being healed. After coming home from a pack run, Lucius goes through the dining room to get to the staircase leading to his room. He notices the tall blond stranger who smells incredibly good to him. When this man, who turns out to be Gypsum the vampire, informs Lucius that he is Gypsum’s beloved, Lucius goes into a panic as claiming a mate involves sex, which he has sworn off.

Gypsum must go about wooing his beloved. First Gypsum must convince Lucius that the sex between them will be nothing like the past sexual abuse he suffered from his previous pack. He must also explain to Lucius that a vampire needs his beloved to survive. The next obstacle would be convincing Lucius that the vampire master (the vampire’s alpha equivalent) is nothing like his former alpha. And knowing how close the brothers are, he has to show Lucius that the brothers will come with them back to his coven. Just as things begin to go Gypsum’s way, the former leaders of the Angus cattle pack escape and head toward the rescue shifter pack. Will they interfere with this new mating?

I enjoyed this seventh book in the Loving Nip series. Lucius and his brothers have been beaten down for most of their lives. The three have relied on each other in order to survive their ordeal. I could understand Lucius’ reluctance to mate given all that he has been through. I was glad to see that Gypsum took his time (at least in shifter mating terms) to convince Lucius that mates are nothing like what was done to him. Seeing Lucius protect his packs brought home the fact that this man is a survivor.

The cover art by Carmen Waters depicts the blond Gypsum standing in front of a bonfire. It is a serviceable cover for the story.

Sales Links: eXtasy Books | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details

ebook, 85 pages
Published November 1st 2015 by Extasy Books
ISBN139781487405502
edition languageEnglish

Series: A Loving Nip

A Nip of Good Cheer (A Loving Nip #1)

A Rose for Paul’s Protector (A Loving Nip #2)

An Unforgettable Bite (A Loving Nip #3)

More than Patient (A Loving Nip #4)

Sharing a Demon’s Blood (A Loving Nip #5)

Not a Line of Bull (A Loving Nip #6)

Curling Up with His Critter (A Loving Nip #7)

A Paul B Review: Flint’s Fury (EMS Heat # 19) by Stephani Hecht

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The only thing holding Flint together is Victoria Smith. An activist for the city, she represents what could be in the once proud city. When she is killed, the string that is holding the volatile city together snaps. The EMTs and local hospitals must deal with the aftermath of the ensuing riot that breaks out because of this woman’s death.

When Matt hears small stones pinging against the side of his ambulance, he wonders what has gotten into twelve year old Keyto. When Keyto tells him that there has been a shooting, Matt brushes it aside as an everyday occurrence. When he learns that it is Miss Victoria Smith who has died a violent death, he knows the city is going to erupt. No sooner than he finishes thinking that, a volley of gunfire erupts around him. Matt gets Keyto and himself to the safety of the ambulance but his new partner is dead in the drivers seat. Realizing that he has been hit too, he calls for backup.

As Matt arrives at the hospital, his boyfriend Lucas, a RN at St. Michael’s is already attending to the riot victims. Wanting to help his boyfriend, he is told to stay out of it as he is too emotionally involved to help Matt. Lucas reluctantly helps other patients.

Things begin to settle down after the governor calls out the National Guard. When the reason for Miss Smith’s death is found out, the pointlessness of both the death and the rioting come out. However, for the people of Flint’s EMS crew and St. Michael’s, they learn that life must be lived to the fullest.

This is the nineteenth book in the EMS Heat series. While I have read a couple of the books previously in the series since I live so close to Flint and know a lot of the locations mentioned by the author, this is not a series I have kept up on. So I guess that is why I was not as emotionally invested in all the characters as I probably should have been. While there is some romance in the book, it is basically a story of the character’s reactions to the riot and the immediate effect it has on them. While I found it to be a decent read, it would have been better if I had read all the previous books.

The cover art by Angela Waters depicts two shirtless EMT or firefighters on the top half while firefighters are working to put on some burning buildings in the lower half of the cover. While the bottom half does depict what is happening in the book, the shirtless EMTs seems to be out of place given the book’s subject.

Sales Links: Extasy Books | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 64 pages
Published October 2015 by Extasy Books
ISBN139781487405489
edition languageEnglish
other editions (1)
Flint’s Fury (EMS Heat Book 19)

Series: EMS Heat

https://www.goodreads.com/series/48061-ems-heat

A Paul B Review: Paws, Preening and a Pumpkin Patch (Wolves of Stone Ridge #31) by Charlie Richards

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Hessian (Hess) Roshburg, a Kodiak bear shifter, has come to the Stone Ridge wolf pack territory to meet with a former military acquaintance. It seems the pack has gotten itself mixed up with some vampire, gargoyles and the CIA. He also has information about the shifter council that he believes that the pack alpha Declan McIntire should know about.

Gilbert, a raven shifter, and his flock have recently settled in the territory of the Stone Ridge wolf pack after being held captive in Russian for several years. The wolves helped liberate them from the captors and offered them sanctuary until they have readjusted to real life. Things like clothes and how to use a telephone is lost on members of his flock who were taken captive at an early age. To help in their transition Gilbert and his flock decide to go out dancing at a local club that is frequented by the local shifters.

At the bar, Gilbert watches members of his flock flirt hopelessly at the bar staff and other bar patrons. While headed to the bar to retrieve drinks for his friends, he runs into a big bear of a man. Gilbert realizes that not only is this man a shifter, but also his mate. Gilbert tells Hess that Fate must be mistaken since they are total opposites and that now was not exactly a good time to find his mate as his flock needs him. Hess must convince his mate that he can have both if he wants. However, will the information that Hess has retrieved for his friend put a premature stop to this mating before it even begins?

This thirty-first book in the Stone Ridge series introduces two new characters in the series. We have met Gilbert in passing while he was held captive in Russia but know nothing about him. His reluctance to mate with Hess is understandable. First he is the de facto beta to this flock of birds that have been held captive for up to forty years for some of them. Next, he feels that Hess has betrayed them because government agents are after Hess because of the information that he stole. The character of Hess was somewhat confusing to me. He left his clan at 27 because he was stronger than the alpha but is still roaming about as a loner. And he speaks to others in somewhat youngish manner. He calls a cougar shifter “kitty” and his mate “pretty slender.” It just seemed out of place for someone who is as strong as Hess is supposed to be. But I still enjoyed the book despite this.

The cover art by Angela Waters once again delivers. It shows Gilbert in the foreground in his human form with Hess in his bear form wandering around a pumpkin patch in the background. The cover perfectly fits the book.

Sales Links: Extasy Books | Goodreads | Amazon |

Buy It Here

Book details

ebook, 102 pages
Published October 15th 2015 by Extasy Books
ISBN139781487405496
edition languageEnglish
seriesWolves of Stone Ridge #31

Series: Wolves of Stone Ridge

A Paul B Review: The Lost Otter (Patching Up #1) by Caitlin Ricci and A.J. Marcus

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Brody has not seen Aeden for since he walked away from their relationship six years ago. What will his return mean to the both of them? And what is Aeden’s fascination with the otter he has rescued?

Brody is a veterinarian on a small island off the Washington coast. One day he finds a wounded otter on the front step of his clinic. Having patched up the otter of his broken bones and finding not much else wrong with it, he puts the animal in a cage. Having done so, Brody hears a voice from his past telling him to move away from the cage. It was his former lover Aeden.

Aeden left Brody over six years ago not saying a word to him. Having left to deal with the passing of his father, Aeden left both men heartbroken. Now he was back at Brody’s clinic to rescue an otter which is not what he appears to be. As Brody and Aeden talk, Brody swears he hears a voice saying “Tell him” to Aeden. It appears that Aeden is actually an otter shifter and the otter in the cage is his wayward brother who is once again in trouble. After the otter shifts into Aeden’s brother Phillip, Phillip explains that he has run afoul with a clan of bear shifters and they are coming after him. The three men must get away from the clinic before the shifters find them. Now that Brody knows Aeden’s secret, will he rekindle the romance between them or once again be heartbroken when Aeden has to leave with his brother?

This is the first book in the authors’ new Patching Up series. This book was a decent paranormal read but it did not seem to hit all the buttons for me. Aeden had to leave at the death of his father but it did not seem clear to me that he was made the alpha of the group. It also seems to turn most ideas of mates on end. If Aeden and Brody are meant to be together, wouldn’t Aeden have told Brody about mates and shifters before he had to leave to attend to his family? I also had problems with Brody just walking away from his vet clinic if he is not Aeden’s mate in the normal paranormal sense. Hopefully these points will be expanded upon as the series continues.

The cover art by Carmen Waters is well done. The top half shows Brody in his vet coat holding a cat in his arms. The bottom half has an otter standing on a bank getting ready to dive into the water. It is a perfect representation of the book.

Sales Links: Extasy Books | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details

Ebook, 40 pages
Published: October 15, 2015 by Extasy Books
Edition Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-4874-0526-7
Series: Patching Up

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