Danielle
Hopefully, Leia pulls a S.J.M. move and Ash and Kohen don't end up together. Please. Please. Please. Plot twist, Kohen is the antagonist.
This book absolutely hits the feels. It delivered everything I often find missing in fated mates stories, and then some.
What I Loved:
- Green flag energy: The Hero is sweet, kind and considerate. He shows zero toxic masculinity, or “alpha-hole,” traits.
- No sketchy consent issues. Yes, there's a heat element but the hero never intends harm or is blasé about the heroine's distress. For me, that distinction matters.
- The bonding! We actually see the H and h spend time together. The author takes the time to show their quirky interactions.
- Their wolf sides have a real presence and interact with other characters. I'm an absolute sucker for scenes where one mate is in shifter form and the other isn't (most probably the pet-lover in me).
- Great writing.
What Might Annoy Readers:
- The heroine struggles with PTSD, and her inner turmoil, especially at the start of the book, is quite extensive. I might have skipped a page or two, but by the second part I found it worth sticking through.
- Smut-light. Compared to other shifter romances, the steam is pretty tame and scenes are brief. But honestly? I didn't miss it. There are plenty of other books out there for a spice fix.
I would highly recommend this book.
"”Never underestimate the resourcefulness of a vampire, darling,” Chance murmured. Then he led her quickly to the nearby confessional box, squeezing them both inside.
The panel slid open at once on the priest's side, and a pale blonde head appeared next to the privacy grill.
“What are your sins, my child?” a smoothly accented English voice asked.
Chance laughed. “Too many to list, Bones, and so are yours. If you don't mind, I'd like to add to them.”
“Indeed. Desecration of the confessional, coming up straightaway.”“
Available here:
https://nalinisingh.com/extras/deleted-scenes/
Favourite moment:
Leaning back in his chair, his arm along the back of Sascha's, Lucas shook his head. “No—you put your life at deadly risk to protect this city. It's not something the pack will ever forget.” His eyes never broke contact with the star-filled black of Kaleb's cardinal gaze. “In point of fact, my mate thinks we should be friends.”It wasn't quite what Sascha had said, but she watched in interest for Kaleb's response. It wasn't, however, the cardinal who answered. “Of course you should be friends.” Sahara's smile was dazzling. “Otherwise, it'll make my visits to DarkRiver very uncomfortable.”“There,” Kaleb murmured, an ice-cold shark in his black on black suit, “the decision is made.”
Gosh, I am swooning.
Another sweet moment:
“Maybe,” Sascha teased, her toes well and truly curled. “Now, let's go talk to your other feral friend.” Lucas growled, the sound so deep it filled the room. “Stop calling Hawke my friend. He's a wolf. It's against the laws of nature.”
Today, more than fifteen years later, he first entered her father's home to check she wasn't inside. Thankfully, it appeared Leon Kyriakus had gone off to his medical practice already so Kaleb didn't have to interact with him. It wasn't as if Leon had anything against Kaleb. It was more that Kaleb didn't understand how to act with a man who was quickly developing a tendency to call him, “son”.
***
One hand on the side of his face, she kissed him, and for that instant, the world didn't matter. The fall of Silence didn't matter. The fact that Kaleb was holding the PsyNet together through sheer strength of will and violent power didn't matter. All that mattered was that they were here, in the middle of a dream that belonged to the girl she'd once been—a dream held safe by the boy become a man who was her heartbeat and her forever.