A Paul B Review: Rock Star Baby (Bad Oak Boys #1) by Erin M. Leaf

Rating: 5 stars out of 5:

Faylen Forst wins a contest to kiss a member of the band Bad Oak. However, her Alpha father forbids her to go since she is only sixteen. She instead sends her brother, Alpha-Heir Bardulf. Little do they know that this would begin something momentous in their world.

Bardulf Forst is Alpha-Heir to his pack. His younger sister Faylen informs him that she has submitted his name as her substitute after she wins a fan club contest for the band Bad Oak. The winner is supposed to kiss one of the members of the band backstage after the concert in New York City. She also says that her brother needs to get out and find his mate. Bardulf counters that is would be unlikely for a gay werewolf to find his mate at a rock concert.

Ryan Oakley is the lead singer of the band Bad Oak. As part of the concert tour, a member of the band kisses a fan selected by a contest from the local fan club. He is taken aback when the winner of the contest decides to send her older brother when her father forbids her to go. When he comments to a fellow band member, he is reminded that Ryan insisted that it be an equal opportunity contest and that he had a lot of gay fans. Resigned, Ryan agrees to meet the brother.

On the way to the concert, Bardulf comes to the conclusion that he should just go to the concert and let the band member off the hook when it comes to the kiss. When he meets Ryan backstage, the attraction is instant on both of their parts. What is supposed to be a kiss quickly turns into a backstage tryst. Bardulf also realizes that Ryan is in fact his mate. He wonders how the mate of the Alpha-Heir can be human.

As the romance develops, things for both Bardulf and Ryan are not what they seem. It appears that Ryan is not quite all human as Bardulf suspects. Also, his father the alpha is acting even more irrationally than he has been in the past. This is especially true when he discovers that Bardulf has discovered his mate. Bardulf must find out what is causing his father’s strange behavior while finding time to spend with his rock star mate. To add complications to all of this, Bardulf has become ill. And he must get ready for the Wolf Council meeting that will be selecting the new North American leader. Will he be able to survive all the changes in his life?

I highly enjoyed this first book of the Bad Oak Boys series. The author has provided some new angles into the usual paranormal genre. While most of the male pregnancy stories center around either an alpha/omega or alien/human encounter, Ms. Leaf has centered hers around two strong alpha males (one the alpha-heir, the other the lead singer of a rock band) and makes that difference a key in the plot development. As the other members of Ryan’s band are family members, the author has left herself plenty of room to expand this entertaining new series.

The cover art by Jay Aheer accurately reflects the story. In the background, you have a shirtless Bardulf standing next to Ryan playing guitar. In the foreground you have a white wolf of one of the characters. It is a well done cover.

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

Book Details
Ebook, 150 pages
Published: March 12, 2015 by Evernight Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-77233-277-3
Edition: English
Series: Bad Oak Boys
Rock Star Baby (Bad Oak Boys #1)

A Paul B Review: Hope: Sequel to SAFE by Mark Zubro

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

When Steve Koemer has an argument with his parents, he turns to his boyfriend Roger Cross for comfort. When Steve’s father is found crucified the next morning, the boys must clear their names and once again fight for their lives.

This is the sequel to the book Safe. It would be recommended that you read the first book to understand some of the plot lines in this book.

It has been several months since Steve Koemer and Roger Cross survived a brutal attack that almost cost them their lives. Since that time, they have been dating and been open about it with their friends within their school. One evening, Steve’s parents confront him about his friendship with Roger. When he admits he is gay, Steve’s father slaps him. Steve runs to the park and texts Roger to meet him there.

Having taken Steve home to his family, Roger’s parents insist on documenting the bruises that are on Steve’s face. They offer Steve a place to stay until they can talk to his parent s in the morning. When they awake the next morning, the police are on the Cross’s doorstep. Steve’s father, a minister at a prominent church has been murdered. To make matters worse, Steve’s mother has all but implicated him as a suspect because of the fight the night before. Despite having an alibi, it appears that the police are determined to pin the murder on either Steve or Roger or both.

With the assistance of their friends at the school newspaper, a semi-retired newspaper reporter, and their lawyer, Steve and Roger must figure out not only who has a possible motive for murder but also avoid a school bully who does not like their relationship. As they investigate, they must go up against the ruling body of Steve’s church and a police force that does not seem to be taking the investigation seriously. Can they solve the mystery, get through the daily grind of high school and keep themselves from either being arrested for murder or killed themselves?

I enjoyed this novel for different reasons. First was the contrasting support of the sets of parents. Whereas Roger’s parents are supportive of him and Steve being boyfriends, Steve’s parents are ultimately trying to divide the couple apart. Roger realizes that his parents are treating them like any other dating teens when they request that Steve sleeps on the couch instead of his room. Second, the mystery seems to come out of Agatha Christie playbook. The suspects are as numerous as the reasons people wanted Steve’s father dead. Once you get to the ending, you see that all the work that our young heroes have put in has been worth the effort. I am glad to see this second novel of these amateur detectives. These two are a welcome addition to Mr. Zubro’s stable of sleuths.

The cover art shows our two heroes standing at dusk in a park. Roger has his letterman jacket on holding onto Steve in a protective manner. Really good representation of our protagonists.

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

Book details:
Ebook, 248 pages
Published: February 15, 2015 by MLR Press
ISBN: 978-1-60820-967-7
Edition: English

A Paul B Review: Temple’s Touch (A Wizard’s Touch #6) by Amber Kell

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Madison Archer and Temple Stewartson have longed for each other for years. When Temple goes to school, they think they have missed their chance. When Madison goes missing, Temple will use all his connections to find his man.

Temple Stewartson was born the son of a wizard father and a werewolf mother. Unlike his siblings who were strong wolves, Temple favored his father’s side of the family. As his brother shows strong alpha tendencies, the Stewartson siblings decide they will start their own pack as soon as Temple has finished his schooling. Having been tutored by the wizards associated with his pack, Temple heads off to wizard school.

Madison Archer is an orphan who lost his pack in a flood when he was a young pup. He was adopted by the members of Temple’s pack. He considers Temple his best friend and longs for the day that he can make Temple his mate. But he feels that he must let Temple go to school so that he can fulfill his destiny to be a healing wizard.

The two have grown up in the same pack, having shared the same bed as pack mates often do but each long for more. Temple believes that since Madison is a full wolf he should feel something but hasn’t so they must not be mates. Madison feels that since Temple is part wizard, the need to mate must not be as strong because of his mixed heritage. Only with the help of Temple’s father do they realize that they are indeed mates.

Problems start just after their mating when a new wolf shows up near the pack house. The pack calls on Temple to calm the jittery wolf down but in doing so, Temple passes out. When he recovers the next day, Temple goes to school and Madison goes to work. When Temple returns from school, Madison is not waiting for him as usual and the new wolf is missing as well. Temple turns to his pack and their friends to find his missing mate and solve the mystery of just who the new wolf was.

This is the sixth book in the Wizard’s Touch series. It is helpful to have read the previous books to get some of the references that are mentioned in the book. Having said that, this book does time jump quite a number of years from the previous books in the series as Temple’s father was a wizard student himself in the previous books. As Temple is the youngest of three children, I would say approximately twenty years or so have passed since the last book. However, it is nice that most of the major characters from the previous volumes either make an appearance or at least mentioned in the storyline.

I enjoyed the characters of Temple and Madison. Given their different backgrounds, I could understand how they would come to the misunderstandings that they did about the other maybe not being their mates. Each assumes that the other would be recognizes that they are their mate and say something but neither do. This makes an important lesson that communication is essential even in were relationships.

The cover art by Posh Gosh depicts two young men in the background with a wolf in the foreground. Decent cover that reflects the characters well.

Sales Links: Totally Bound Books All Romance (ARe) Amazon Buy It Here

Book details:
Ebook , 93 pages
Published: April 2015 by Totally Bound
ISBN: 978-1-78430-537-6
Edition: English

Series: A Wizard’s Touch
Jaynell’s Wolf (Wizard’s Touch #1)
Kevin’s Alpha (Wizard’s Touch # 2)
Farren’s Wizard (Wizard’s Touch # 3)
Elijah’s Ghost (Wizard’s Touch #4)
Porter’s Reaper (Wizard’s Touch #5)
Temple’s Touch (Wizard’s Touch #6)

A Paul B Review: Unexpected Alpha by Amber Kell

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

When Stanley Brown is attacked while jogging, his life would change forever. With the help of Fenris, Stan uncovers secrets which have been hidden from him for years.

Stanley Brown works as an accountant in the city. He goes jogging through the neighborhood park late one night following his usual route. He is viciously attacked by what appears to be a rabid dog. Suffering bite wounds and being clawed by the creature, Stan locates a fallen branch and impales the dog with it, killing the creature. Due to a loss of blood from the attack, Stan passes out.

When Stan awakens, he finds himself in a room surrounded by three people. They explain how one of them, Fenris, found him in the park and brought him back to their house. Stan finds Fen, as he asks to be called, intoxicating. When Fen’s sister comes near them, Stan declares that Fen is his. They go on to explain that he was attacked by a werewolf who happened to be their alpha. Having been mauled and changed into a werewolf himself, Stan is now the pack alpha.

A short time later, a man called the Overseer comes to the cabin. The Overseer is in charge of making sure rogue werewolves are dealt with properly. All are surprised when Stan sees the man and calls him Father. While pleased that his son has transformed, the Overseer is upset that Stan and Fen have formed a bond as he has promised Stan to another alpha Sebastian.
As the bond between Stan and Fen grows, they must meet the in-laws which causes commotion on all fronts. Add in a vengeful suitor who believes that the agreement with the Overseer should be honored no matter what and things turn into a life or death battle. Stan must rely on his instincts and guidance from Fen to survive so that they can run their pack.

I really enjoyed this short novel. While most of the usual shifter elements are there, the author puts a small twist on the story. She leads us to believe early on that Stan is actually transformed from human to werewolf but this is clarified later on in the book. I also appreciated the interactions of the in-laws during the family dinners. Stan’s mother, who is described as five foot nothing, seems to have control of his father, the Overseer. While Fen’s mother has two werewolf parents, she is unable to shift, which creates problems in her mating with Fen’s father.

Also terrific? The smart aleck character named Paul, who seems to push all the wrong buttons with his new alpha Stan but has Stan’s back when is it is needed.

The cover art by Meredith Russell is well done as most of Ms. Kell’s books are. The cover depicts Stan out jogging in the park with a wolf looking out in the background. The word “Alpha” is done as though claw marks might have been used to write it.

All profits from this book go to support the Autism Society of Washington (facebook page), in honor of Ms. Kell’s son. I highly recommend this story.

Note from Amber Kell: “All proceeds from Unexpected Alpha go to Autism Society of Washington (website). If you have a different autism charity you support if you donate a minimum of $5 and email me the receipt I’ll send you a free copy of Unexpected Alpha.” Her email address is amberkellwrites@gmail.com

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

Book Details:
Ebook, 63 pages
Published: April 12, 2015 by Smashwords
ISBN: 9781310378034
Edition: English

A Paul B Review: A Good Deed Done by Pelaam

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

When Conner saves a wolf from a rabbit trap, he doesn’t realize that it would lead to finding the partner in life that he needs.

Connor is a simple farmer content to raise enough food and animals to subsist. Since his mother’s passing, his is a somewhat lonely existence on his family farm. Despite the efforts of some of the townsfolk, Connor has not found any person who interests him as a life mate.

Ciaran is Faoladlh, the local name for werewolves. Still under the mating age, Ciaran is running around in his wolf form when he becomes ensnared in a trap. He is rescued by this simple farmer whom he recognizes as his mate. After being freed from the trap and given something to eat, the wolf runs off into the woods.

Two years pass since that fateful encounter. Connor always wonders what has happened to his wolf as he grows to call him. Leaving food occasionally in the clearing near where he found the wolf, he assumes that the wolf is doing well as the food has always disappeared when he comes back to check.

One day, after refusing to be bought out by a rich neighboring farmer, he finds a couple of his cows missing. He tracks them down to the man who offered to buy his farm. Knowing that the local authorities would take the rich farmer’s word over his, he decides to head back home.

Cutting through the forest, Connor is enveloped in a mist and comes across a small cottage. There he finds a family which includes the human form of Ciaran. There he learns of the existence of the Faoladlh and the meaning of mates. Wondering why Ciaran had not contacted him before that day, they explain the Ciaran was too young to take a mate but has since come of age. Knowing that Connor needs to return to his farm, they make plans to return with his mate and state that if he should ever need help, he should go to the woods and call for help.

As Connor and Ciaran settle into life, they must deal with the unscrupulous neighbor who will stop at nothing to obtain Connor’s farm. With the help of Ciaran and his family, they must find a way to finally stop the neighbor before Connor loses what is most precious to him.

I thought the author’s take on werewolves was unique. It seemed like they lived in an almost Brigadoon like existence. They will come out of the mist when or if necessary. The longing that Connor has for the unknown man in his dreams brings about the mate longing that is typical most shifter stories. Having only met Ciaran’s wolf form, he has no idea who this man is until they meet two years later in the wolf cabin. This short story satisfied on almost all levels for a shifter story.

The cover art by Michelle Cary draws you into the story. In the foreground, you have the dark haired Connor. In the background, you have a wolf howling on a hill with a ghostly image of Ciaran in his human form. The only quibble I have with it is that the clothing seems to be a bit modern for what I think the times in which the story is set but I could be wrong. Otherwise it is a top notch cover.

Sales Links: MLR Press – All Romance (ARe) – Amazon Buy It Here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 46 pages
Published March 6th 2015 by ManLove Romance Press
ASINB00UDHONOY
edition languageEnglish

A Paul B Review: A Rose for Paul’s Protector (A Loving Nip #2) by Charlie Richards

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Jaymes Martinez has been waiting for the last three months for his beloved, Paul Cosborn to come of age. Unable to claim his beloved until his eighteenth birthday, the leader of the Amarillo coven has been setting the stage for Paul’s arrival. Will someone from Paul’s past come between them before Jaymes finally claims his beloved?

Jaymes Martinez is the coven leader of the Amarillo vampire clan. Jaymes goes about preparing his coven for the arrival of his beloved, Paul Cosborn. During the three month since meeting his beloved, Jaymes has been showing symptoms of the separation. He is short tempered to his best friend and second in command. He exists on bagged blood that the doctor is preparing for him as drinking from known donors has no appeal to him. The bright spot in the past three months has been the constant emails exchanged between him and Paul. Jaymes is determined to have his coven and the dude ranch that the coven runs prepared for the arrival of his beloved around Valentine’s Day.

Paul Cosborn has recently turned eighteen. He has been living with his “Big Brother” Korbin for the past three month, having escaped his foster home after being falsely accused of molesting the fifteen year old son of the family he was living with. Korbin and his beloved Daystrum plan a vacation for Paul to a dude ranch near Amarillo where he can reconnect with Jaymes, who helped him out of the situation in the foster home.

Upon arriving at the ranch, Jaymes begins the task of making Paul his. Jaymes takes Paul on a personal tour of the stables, where he shows Paul his gift to him, an Arabian horse. Unsure why Jaymes would buy a gift for someone who is only staying a week, they share their first kiss. The next day, they share a ride through the ranch and a picnic lunch where Paul learns Jaymes is a vampire. Things begin to progress well between the two until Paul is found missing one morning. Jaymes is enraged that his beloved has been taken so shortly after the process of bonding has started. He must find the missing Paul and deal with those who have taken him in order to begin their new life on the dude ranch.

This is a nice first love paranormal story. Paul has just turned eighteen and is new to the world of love. He has been crushing on Jaymes for the past three months and the anticipation on both sides is palpable. Having had a terrible past with his mother’s drug abuse and the terrible situation in the last foster home he was in makes Paul want to be needed and cherished as Jaymes has promised to do.

The one problem I had with the book was an off page death at the end of the book. Deaths in the paranormal genre are regular and I usually do not have a problem with them. However, this death, while justified because of the actions of the deceased, still gave me pause because of his age.

This is the second book in the Nip of Love series by Charlie Richards. It is set in the same universe as her series The Wolves of Stone Ridge, Kontra’s Menagerie, and A Paranormal’s Love Story. The focus on this series is the various vampires and covens that have been introduced in the previous series. The characters from the other series do cross over from time to time. While the book can be read as a standalone, having read previous books in the other series will help the understanding of these characters and overall arc of the story.

The cover art by Carmen Waters shows the young Paul sniffing a rose with a rural Texas landscape in the background. It is a well done representation of the ending of the book and draws the reader in.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 94 pages
Published February 15th 2015 by Extasy Books
ISBN139781487402303
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)

A Paul Review: To Touch the Sky (Leap of Faith #2) by M.A. Church

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Leap of Faith: Book Two

He can run, but he can’t hide…

This is the second book in M. A. Church’s Leap of Faith series. This book’s timeline is concurrent with the first book of the series and as such can be read as a standalone. Reading the first novel will give some back story to a couple of the characters and events mentioned but it is not necessary to enjoy this book.

In pre-Colonial America, Chetan is a warrior of The People, a group of Native American shifters of Wha-Tay. On a buffalo hunt with his tribe, Chetan is in charge of supervising his nephew Isi, who is on his first hunt. Things begin to go wrong and before Chetan can react, Isi is killed by a stampeding buffalo who escaped the hunt. Devastated, he goes into seclusion in a deserted cave. While there, he dreams of his fated mate, a white man with blond hair. Having failed his nephew, Chetan vows never to put himself in a position to hurt someone close to him again.

In modern times, Chetan is now called Gus Hawkins or Hawk for short. He owns a bar on the outskirts of Memphis. He has developed a reputation of player who only dates dark haired men, never lets the sleep over and never sleep with someone more than three times. This way he feels that he will never find his fated mate and will never develop feelings for someone to let them down again, like his nephew.

Simon Carter is a blond twenty something who most people would describe as a twink. He is a web designer for one of the major oil refineries in the Memphis area. He is a spitfire who takes the term twink and rails against it, going so far as to turn down a date when someone uses the term to describe him. So instead of the date that he was going to go on, he decides to go to this out of the way bar which has a reputation as being gay friendly. While playing pool, he nearly gets into a fight with some drunken college guys who are throwing homophobic terms at him. Then this big Native American step in to protect him from the possible gay bashing. Thus Simon is introduced to his fated mate, Hawk.

Hawk and Simon must overcome things in Hawk’s past and the reputation that Hawk has developed in the meantime. Simon cannot believe that Hawk could possibly be interested in him as Hawk never dates blonds. Hawk must convince Simon that he is a special case and that the rules do not apply to Simon, his mate. Hawk must also introduce Simon to his culture and the fact that he is a shifter and by agreeing to be his mate, Simon will become one too.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author puts a different spin on the shifter genre with emphasis on the Native American culture. The shifter spirit, called a totem, often talks to the human side. The conversations between Hawk and his totem are both hilarious and insightful. You could call the totem a second conscious for Hawk. He implores Hawk to do what is needed but in many instances Hawk ignores the totem and does what he has always done. I am looking forward to the next book in this highly entertaining series.

The cover art by L.C. Chase is well done. It depicts the blond Simon in the foreground with a hawk soaring in the night sky in the background. It is a well done representation of the novel.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press All Romance (ARe) Amazon Buy It Here – April 3

Book Details

Ebook, 189 pages
Edition: English
Publish: April 2, 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN: 978-63216-913-6
Book Series: Leap of Faith
Shadows in the Night (Leap of Faith #1)
To Touch the Sky (Leap of Faith #2)

A Paul B Review: For a Dragon’s Redemption (Highland Dragons #5) by Charlie Richards

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

When Chieftain Goth offers Ross McCord’s sister as a bride for an alliance with another clan, the shepherd must find a way to keep his family together. Will the sexy man he meets trying to fulfill the Chieftain’s alternative be able to help him out of his situation?

Ross McCord is a shepherd at the edge of Chieftain Goth’s territory. When summoned to the castle, Ross finds out that the Chieftain has promised his sister to a member of a neighboring clan to form an alliance between the two clans. Having promised his dying mother he would keep the family together, and knowing the fuss his sister would create, Ross asks the Chieftain if there was another way to help the clan, The Chieftain tells Ross that if he is able to find a way to get to the village where the wayward son is living, the betrothal would be called off and Ross’s duty to the clan fulfilled.

Ziethmann is a dragon of the warrior class. However, he tires of the constant drill that the warrior class must undertake to prepare for a future battle. As such he has a tendency to goof off or act up. As punishment for his misbehavior, Ziethmann is assigned additional tasks to help the dragon community. Returning home from one such task, Ziethmann spots a human trying to climb the cliffs to the dragon valley. Recognizing the human as an asda, or human who can mate with a dragon, he investigates.

Ross is attracted to the sexy redhead. Having never been with a man before, he finds that curious. After trying to lie about the reason he is trying to enter the dragon territory, Ziethmann convinces Ross to have some fun. After their encounter, Ziethmann once again asks what Ross is doing trying to get into the valley. Ross tells him about his sister and that he was sent to find the Chieftain’s son, who is another asda.

Things begin to get complicated when two young dragons show up to challenge Ziethmann’s right to Ross as an asda. To make matters worse, when Ziethmann goes to the elder council to get approval for his relationship with Ross, his grand-sire states that he is not worthy of an asda. While this is going on, Ross must make his way back to his clan to try to save his sister from an unwanted marriage and process the existence of dragons in this world. The two new lovers must resolve these challenges before they are able to make their happily ever after.

I enjoy Charlie Richard’s Highland Dragons series and this book is no exception. The dialogue is written partly in a brogue style to emphasize the fact that the series is set in medieval Scotland. The characters of Ross and Ziethmann seem to be perfectly tailored for each other. Ross is the consummate family man who will protect them no matter what. Ziethmann, while mischievous when getting bored about doing the same thing repeatedly, is nonetheless a man of honor who will protect his asda and those he loves. The meeting at the elder council provided something new for Ziethmann, which should alleviate the boredom he has experienced in the past.

This is the fifth book in the Highland Dragons series. As with most of Ms Richard’s series books, it can be read as a standalone but in order to get some of the back story it is best if you read the series in order.

The cover art by Angela Waters is gorgeous. In the foreground you see the muscular shepherd carrying his sword looking at the red dragon of Ziethmann in the background.

Sales Links: eXtasy Press Amazon Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 76 pages
Published March 1st 2015 by eXtasy Books Inc
ISBN139781487402488
edition languageEnglish
seriesHighland Dragons #5
Series: Highland Dragons
For a Dragon’s Touch (Highland Dragons #1)
For a Dragon’s Protection (Highland Dragons #2)
For a Dragon’s Treasure (Highland Dragons #3)
For a Dragon’s Forgiveness (Highland Dragons #4)
For a Dragon’s Redemption (Highland Dragons # 5)

A Paul B Review: Werecat: The Rearing by Andrew J. Peters

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

When Jacks goes to Montreal for Spring Break, he meets the mysterious Benoit. The encounter will change his life forever. But will he lose himself as a result of it?

Jackson “Jacks” Dowd is a college student in upstate New York. For spring break, Jacks and his friends decide to go to Montreal instead of the usual trip south due to lack of money. Seven weeks from graduation, he wants to let loose and have some fun. Having started partying on the bus to Montreal, Jacks becomes inebriated as he and his friends go from club to club. He sets off wandering the streets of the city by himself. He loses his balance and falls into a ditch and passes out. He is found by Benoit, a mysterious man who insists that they are meant to be together and takes steps to ensure that this is the case. Knowing that his friends and family will be looking for him, Jacks convinces Benoit that they should go to New York City.

While in New York, Jacks meets a Persian medical student named Farzan Mohammed who works in his family bodega at night. While he finds the man sexy, his loyalties are to Benoit. When Benoit does something that horrifies Jacks, Jacks decides he can no longer stay with Benoit and goes to Farzan for help. When Benoit tracks down the pair, Jacks must protect one of the men he cares about from the other. Jacks must then live with the consequences of his decision while trying to move on with his life.

I really enjoyed this story. The storytelling jumps from present day New York to Montreal three months previously, filling in the back story of Jacks and Benoit. This is not your typical shifter story. The author gives his explanation of how shifters came about though Benoit’s history. While the idea of a fated mate is somewhat explored, Benoit uses it more of a controlling aspect in his relationship with Jacks. The other part of the story that intrigued me was the idea of losing one’s humanity to your animal nature that is not usually explored in shifter stories. This may come about as the shifters in this story are created and not born as is the case in most stories in this genre.

Jacks is the driving character of the story. While he cares for Benoit, he begins to see the cruelty of the man as he loses more of his humanity. Jacks also sees the potential with Farzan, who despite being in medical school, is looked down upon by his Persian family because of his homosexuality. His choice between the two men, while difficult, becomes obvious. The hope for Jacks is both with the choice he has to make and the care of the stray cat that has become one of Jacks’ primary concerns. I will be looking forward to seeing where this author takes this series in the future.

The cover art by Andres Rodriguez & Freder depicts a scruffy, dark haired man in the foreground with a panther looking on in the background. This gorgeous cover reflects how I think Benoit and his cat might appear.

Sales Links: All Romance (ARe) Amazon Buy It Here
Book details
Ebook, 69 pages
Edition: English
Published: May 2013 by Vagabondage Press

Series: Werecat
Werecat: The Rearing (Werecat #1)
Werecat: The Glaring (Werecat #2)
Werecat: The Fugitive (Werecat #3)

A PaulB Review: Broken Bridges by Cheyenne Meadows

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

When wolf shifter Detective Dax Steel discovers a serial killer is targeting bear shifters, he worries about his ex lover Adin. As he hunts for the killer, Dax is bound to protect his former flame. Will this new attention bring the two back together, drive them further apart or separate them forever?

Dax Steel is detective who is investigating a series of homicides that have occurred over the last three days. Being a wolf shifter, he recognizes each of the victims as a bear shifter. When he comes across the latest victim, Dax is relieved that it is not his ex lover Adin. Looking for any connections between the victims, Dax decides to pay his ex lover a visit.

Adin is a bear shifter who works for the parks services. As a bear shifter, his personality aligns with his creature. A loner as most bear shifters, he still cannot get past his relationship with Dax. When Dax shows up one day, it both excites and irritates him. Worried that there might be someone who is after his kind, he offers to help Dax with his investigation.

However, when Dax goes alpha wolf protector with Adin, he bristles. He reminds Dax that he is a bear shifter and can take care of himself. While the two once again reconnect, the very issues that drove them apart the first time threaten do so again. However, Dax is worries that this time it might be a permanent separation if he does not catch the serial killer in time.

I enjoyed this book a great deal. The sex scenes are hot throughout the novel. I enjoyed how the author used the alpha wolf and loner bear personalities to explain how what seemed to be a perfect match somehow fell apart when they first met. The murder mystery being used as the catalyst to bring these two lovers together again worked for me in this instance. I would like to see a sequel to this novel to see if they could work on another case together, but would be satisfied if this did not happen.

The mystery itself was well developed for a short novel. There were enough clues and red herrings to keep the reader entertained. The conclusion of the mystery was plausible without it being revealed completely until near the end of the case.

If you enjoy romance with your mystery, I would recommend this charming short novel.

The cover art by Posh Gosh shows both Dax and Adin in both their human form (in the background) and in their shifted form (in the fore). It is a gorgeous cover and the tag line “Will a second chance at love come too late?” perfectly sums up the story.

Sales Links: Totally Bound Books All Romance (ARe) Amazon Buy It Here

Book Details
Ebook, 89 pages
Published by Totally Bound December 2014
ISBN: 978-1-78430-346-1

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: