Book Reviews

Book Blurb

For a hidden shifter, falling in love with a man may be the death of them both.

Simon Conley knows about being an outcast. Born into a secret werewolf pack, he’s the lone gay wolf, an outsider even among his packmates. The top wolves consider him a perversion, a failure, and a security risk. To survive in the human world, werewolves rely on absolute secrecy, and any breaches of their code are dealt with swiftly— and violently.

So when Simon falls in love with Paul, a human man, even his Alpha's grudging tolerance won't protect him. He must keep Paul from discovering the truth about him and the secrets the pack jealously guards, or it’s not just their love that’ll end up dead.

 

 

First edition published by MLR Press, October 2011.

 

Book Review

The fact that this author always throws realism into her stories makes accepting her shifter lore very easily. Even with everything that happens in this story line, it comes down to two people and the love they have for each other, through thick and thin.

Simon is a born werewolf in a world where they are definitely the minority and letting humans discover their secret is instant death for the wolf and the humans. Pack law. Non-negotiable. Simon is also gay which makes him an abomination in his pack and hated by many of them, chief being Karl and his band of troublemakers. Karl is itching for the alpha position and he's terrified so many of the pack that no one wants to stand up to him. Not even the alpha as he might not win that fight. Karl and his buddies attack Simon one night and leave him half dead on the frozen road. Simon is rescued by Paul, a veterinarian, who thinks he's a really big dog, and Paul takes him back to his clinic and patches him up. Simon is able to escape the next night and get home but is shocked to see flyers all over town the next morning with his wolf picture on them asking if people have seen this dog. Simon isn't happy which is how contact between the two men commences. It doesn't escape Simon's notice, though, that Paul is gorgeous and just the type of guy he likes.

The internal pack politics heat up and while Simon can do his best to protect himself, he can't save Paul if it were to come down to it. Paul has his own history and bitterness to still try to work out. Raised by an emotionally and verbally abusive mother, he got out when he could, and busted his hump to get through school with hard work and scholarships. Now his clinic takes up all of his time and money, so there are no dating or even friends in his life, until Simon. Except Paul is straight, although when Simon takes him to a gay bar to prove the point that he isn't ugly, Paul isn't as freaked out about it as he thought he'd be. Granted, he's not attracted, either, just not finding it as icky as he thought it would be to have guys eyeing him. Then Simon kisses him when Paul is drunk and he likes it. What? How can that be? Typical scientist that he is he does some research online looking at artistic nudes of both men and women (he's absolutely adorable and I fell in love with Paul right there). Turns out he's attracted to women, but the men who look like Simon turn him on also. So, he heads to Simon's to get some answers. "I don't know. It's just too much, too fast.  I don't have friends and I don't have sex and I don't think I'm gay, and suddenly it's all three of those things."

Thus begins a very tenuous courtship on Simon's part, and a battle between running or staying on Paul's part. Paul is confused and doesn't understand his reactions or his feelings, so Simon has to be patient and wait for Paul to come to him. It's a dance of fear and arousal, of uncertainty and desire, and it's wonderful to watch. However, none of the issues within the pack have been resolved. Karl is second in dominance to the alpha and so no one else can challenge him. Karl has plenty of supporters for taking the pack back to the severe olden days of dominance and submission, which would leave the pack in a constant state of tension and upheaval. Not good. When Simon is ambushed and shot several times in his wolf form, his wolf heads to the one place it feels safe, Paul's clinic. Where Paul bundles Wolf into a kennel so he can lock up before coming back to assess his injuries. Unfortunately, when he returns Simon is in the kennel trying to get out. This is bad. Really, really, really bad. The pack will kill Simon and Paul if they find out he knows.

This is, by far, one of the best shifter stories I have ever read. I fell completely for both Simon and Paul, and their love story was glorious and tragic, all at the same time. The questions that Paul brought up were realistic ones and the author didn't sweep them under the rug, but dealt with them matter-of-factly. Thank you, Kaje, for giving me another great book that I can read over and over again.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been purchased by the reviewer.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novel, 392 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	29-January-2021
Price	$2.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VGD1TXR