Of Cocoa and Men by Vic Winter

Of Cocoa and Men by Vic Winter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really loved this story of a bad-boy shapeshifter with a chocolate addiction who finds his mate in a sweet but fiery baker. This is probably one of the best shifter/werewolf stories I've read. The couple is cute, the romance and sexual tension builds throughout the story...and we get a true seduction, not the "Hi, you're hot, let's jump into bed and sort out relationship stuff later" that you usually get with erotic fiction.

Dayton, the werewolf, is a typical alpha male...big, bad, scary. He's a loner, and doesn't want the pack leader alpha position...but he's also got a sweet tooth, and loves chocolate, despite the fact that it's toxic to dogs and werewolves and could kill him if he consumes too much. I love the blend of opposites in his character...he's a bad boy but he loves chocolate, he's alpha and scary but he spends time, money, and effort wooing Connor. It makes him sexy and romantic, but still all male, and I love that.

Connor is also a study in contrasts...he's sweet and caring, a generally gentle baker who is artistic and creative. At the same time, though, he's not a pushover; he'll stand up for himself and for what he believes in, even to scary Dayton when they first meet, as well as his current boss with threats to the fire marshal. I love how he's attracted to Dayton, but that doesn't mean he's going to let him growl and run over his life...he's not a traditional "submissive" partner to an alpha werewolf.

In the end, I think this is an awesome shifter story, with a lot of plot undercurrents that add spice and richness to the story and the characters involved. I also like, as mentioned before, how the romance progresses. It doesn't burn hot right from the start, but a gradually building heat that makes the end that much more satisfying. Highly recommended.

View all my reviews