Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Does a bear shift in the woods?

Well, partially. That was what got grizzly shifter Ted Farnsworth into trouble. He wasn’t trying to break the Secrecy Pact. He just wants people to see the real him. So he signs up with the mate-matching service Supernatural Selection — which guarantees marriage to a perfect partner. Not only will Ted never be lonely again, but once his new beaver shifter husband arrives, they’ll build Ted’s dream wilderness retreat together. Win-win. 

Quentin Bertrand-Harrington, scion of an incubus dynasty, has abstained from sex since nearly killing his last lover. When his family declares it’s time for him to marry, Quentin decides the only way not to murder his partner is to pick someone who’s already dead. Supernatural Selection finds him the ideal vampire, and Quentin signs the marriage agreement sight unseen.

But a mix-up at Supernatural Selection contracts Quentin with Ted. What’s Ted supposed to do with an art historian who knows more about salad forks than screwdrivers? And how can Quentin resist Ted’s mouthwatering life force? Yet as they work together to untangle their inconvenient union, they begin to wonder if their unexpected match might be perfect after all.

Book Review

A supernatural mating agency is not exactly unique, but the characters and their story in ‘Single White Incubus’ certainly are! From the moment Ted and Quentin are “mismatched” due to what seems like a monumental agency error, it was clear to me that they belong together – but it takes Ted and Quentin almost the entire novel to figure it out. To my delight this series is a spin-off from the ‘Fae out of Water’ books – which means several of my favorite characters are back. Alun Kendrick, a psychiatrist from the Faerie realm, and his adorable human/druid David are just two, but they play a somewhat significant role so that made me happy. The other thing I really loved was the sense of humor in the telling of this tale. While the situation is quite serious, what with the potential violation of council rules leading to termination, a witches’ ritual with horrifying consequences, and family interference that could ruin everything, the way both main characters approach life made me laugh more than once. It’s a great mix!

Ted is a grizzly shifter in serious trouble with the shifter council before the story even starts, and he is adorably uncertain what to do about it other than contract a mate – sight unseen except in a glossy brochure – to help him stay out of trouble. I’m not sure why he believes this, and, as it turns out, nothing could be further from the truth. Ted is an extroverted bear shifter and has real issues trying to stay out of trouble because his mischievous nature tends to make him do things without consideration of the consequences. He has a lot to learn… and the last thing he needs, or so he thinks, is an arrogant incubus who is too refined to give him the time of day. Ted also suspects that Quentin will not be any help with the restoration of his future mountain retreat – a building that is currently less than ramshackle.

Quentin comes from a super-rich and very arrogant dynasty of incubi and succubi who have some very strange rules about life, matings, and proper behavior. He is basically a decent guy, the only introverted incubus known to exist, who is trying to be unselfish even in violation of his family’s “policy”, but the more he tries to get away from them, the more that much of what they have taught him turns out to be utter BS. He has contracted with Supernatural Selections to escape his grandmother’s idea of a good match – sucking one human after another dry of life energy in exchange for a luxurious life while it lasts. He had planned to mate with a vampire, since there is no life force for Quentin to steal there, so when he ends up with Ted, the only thing on Quentin’s mind is figuring out how to annul a contract signed in blood and meant to never, ever be broken.

To my delight, neither of the two men’s fears come true, nor do their plans work out. It takes them a while to see what’s important and even longer to figure out how to communicate, but when they manage to deal with misconceptions, interfering families, and mistaken assumptions, the sparks fly in an entirely different way. There is more than one surprising twist and it made the whole adventure very enjoyable for me.

If you like supernatural misunderstandings that lead to wide-ranging consequences, if you believe that sometimes the “worst matches” can turn out to be the best, and if you’re looking for an entertaining read that manages to combine suspense, humor, and scorching heat between initially unwilling husbands, then you will probably like this novel as much as I do. I am so glad E.J. Russell’s supernatural world is back and has added Sheol – the realm of demons - to the human and Fae worlds!

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Riptide Publishing for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 321 pages/82000 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	22-October-2018
Price	$3.99 ebook, $17.99 paperback, $21.98 bundle
Buy Link	https://riptidepublishing.com/collections/latest-additions/products/single-white-incubus