Bayou Dreams by Lynn Lorenz

Bayou Dreams by Lynn Lorenz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book, despite a few niggles (discussed below), was probably one of the most realistic gay-for-you stories I've ever read, and also a good example of a werewolf/shapeshifter story.

I know that sounds like a pretty broad statement. No, I haven't read every werewolf story written, not even most of the m/m werewolf stories; I do know that I've run across a lot of stereotypes, a lot of the same story retold with different window dressing. On the surface, you might be able to say that about this story too; man meets werewolf, they find out their mates, have to fight the urge, pack doesn't approve, etc.

The difference here is in the execution. Scott (the werewolf alpha) is truly straight, with no "secret desires" or leanings toward homosexuality. He is baffled by what he sees as an unnaturally strong reaction to this man who shows up in his town one day, and is constantly trying to understand it, fight it, suppress it. I found his struggle to be very realistic, both with what a man with unexpected attraction would experience and the internal struggle with what he thinks he should be and do and what his instincts tell him to do. He seems torn in a million different directions, as wolf, as alpha, as man, as straight, as newly mated, as a son, as a sheriff, as a leader...he has a lot of roles to fill, and must come to some sort of conclusion about himself and his future.

Ted is a little easier to figure out; he's been burned before, falling in love with a straight man, and he avoids any sort of similar entanglement again. His struggle is more with his past, and trying to convince himself that his strong attraction to the shapeshifting sheriff is just physical. I do have a little niggle about his acceptance of Scott as a werewolf; he professes he doesn't believe in supernatural stuff, but he's swayed pretty quickly to Scott's story...though some of that could be the hot man. ;) I did also like the eventual reason behind the wildness affecting the pack; it was reasonable, and believable within the bounds of the werewolf/paranormal world.

Now to the niggles. The last 50 or so pages felt different, almost speeding up in pace enough to be noticeable. They felt slightly less polished, and made me wonder if the author couldn't have expanded the story a little bit, progressing through those last stages a little more slowly. I also felt that the storyline with Ted's case, the woman he's been following/observing, was a little awkward in places. This is most noticeable in his last conversation with her; she appears out of nowhere, and magically has the solution to Ted's current problem. It was a little too deus ex machina for me. I also thought that the shifter aspect was under-utilized at times. Scott only shifts about 3 times in the whole story, and the first time is at least halfway through.

I did, however, like the setup for the next story (if there will be one). It was sort of subtle, but also very believable in the context of the character involved.

Overall, I thought this was well put together, the characters were mostly fun and engaging, and it kept me involved throughout (which is sometimes hard). If there was the ability to give half-stars, I would probably give this 4.5 stars...the niggles I had were just strong enough to not allow a 5 star rating. Highly recommended, particularly for those who enjoy gay-for-you and/or shapeshifter stories.

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Gemini: The Wicked Things by Pepper Espinoza

Gemini: The Wicked Things by Pepper Espinoza
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book hit a lot of my "good" buttons. Paranormal storyline, shapeshifters, complex plot, good characters, even ghosts. It progressed quickly enough that I was never really bored or frustrated with the pace, but slowly enough that I didn't feel it was rushed. The only thing that I was a little unhappy with about pacing was there were a couple of points where time shifts and/or scenes cut that felt a little awkward.

One such case is when Travis and John are making love for the first time, and the chapter ends about 2/3 of the way through...and we just forward to the next morning. It might have been okay, if approached properly, but it felt like someone had chopped off the last few pages of the chapter.

Another awkward moment was the ending. Travis restores John's humanity, and we see him worn out from that event, and then...nothing. I would have been happier with another paragraph hinting at their future together, or maybe a short epilogue scene (which isn't necessary, but seems to be the norm). I also wanted to see Travis' mother one more time, to see if she recovered from the bad fairy's influence, and how she lives now (as human, or fairy).

The flashbacks in John's history were relatively well-done, and it really helped to see John's character from where he started and the darkness of his life, to where he ended up. Travis, though, is a little harder to pin down. He has all of these powers that we only see elements of; we don't see the big fight between him and Maurveen, and there are just some things about him that seem flatter than John, which is odd since the POV in the story is mostly from Travis' perspective.

Despite these and a few other hiccups, I would say this was a rather enjoyable read, though not my favorite in the Boys of the Zodiac series so far (I'm trying to read them relatively in order).

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With Caution by JL Langley

With Caution by J.L. Langley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was one of the first things I read by J.L. Langley, and I read it before I realized it was part of a series. Of course, that altered my perception of the story from others, since I wasn't aware of Remi's attitude from Without Reservations, and I didn't understand the relationship established there between Keaton and Chay. Of course, this didn't detract from the story at all.

I really liked Remi, and quickly came to sympathize with his situation. He was forced into a hard place, with an abusive, controlling father and a younger brother that he felt that he needed to protect against all costs. His attraction to Jake comes at a time when things are in the air; he's a newly changed werewolf, and is trying to come to terms with all that entails, as well as his strange feelings for a man, feelings he's suppressed with a strong front of heterosexuality.

I think, for me, the single aspect that endears me to Remi is how interacts with Sterling, and later Gadget's son Eddie. He's nurturing and protective, and while those may seem like feminine roles (add to that his omega status as a wolf), he has a strength of character and presence that mark him as nothing other than male. It's a common fault of m/m books to have characters that feel the the traditional male/female roles of a romance, but Langley does a wonderful job giving us a relationship that, while seme/uke and dom/sub in nature, is still wholly man with man, not man with girly-man.

Jake was interesting to me as well since he didn't fill the role as a stereotypical dominant. Yes, he was dominant and alpha (even getting his own pack in the end), but he doesn't take over control of Remi's life except to protect, as well as in the bedroom. I actually found him rather sweet; you can tell he cares a lot about the people in his group, later pack, and is nearly as fiercely protective of them as he is of Remi.

I would love to see another story with these two characters, maybe after Sterling is of age, he and Rhys are together, and the pack moves to wherever they end up. I loved seeing their relationship progress, and it makes me want to see what the future has in store for them...kids? :D

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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.

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Romanus by Mary Calmes

Romanus by Mary Calmes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've read several stories by this author, and each one I finish I find that more and more, she continues to tell stories with the same characters, who have similar quirks and characteristics. Sometimes this is okay; the mix maybe works in a particular situation, although I admit it might be the order in which I read them.

For this story, Romanus, I didn't notice the sameness as much. Some of those elements were there...one of the main characters is really attractive, and seems to get along with everyone where he goes, he doesn't listen half the time to others talking and often has conversations where he continues talking while someone else tries to interrupt. For some reason, these things weren't as irritating in this story...but there were a few things that I didn't enjoy, so I'll start with the bad before the good. :)

The biggest problem with this story I had was that we get a glimpse of a rich world, with an apparent history for the gargoyle shifters and a political struggle going on. The major failing is...after reading this several times, I still don't get it. There seems to be a hierarchy, but it's never clearly stated how the old man fits into the group. I get the sense that he was the leader, and has passed the reins to someone else, presumable Raoul...but there isn't enough evidence to support this. Ciprien comes across as a crazy separatist, but it isn't too clear if he's acting alone, or has an entire army that the group is hiding from.

Also, there's indications several times that Luc is ugly in some fashion; he's honestly surprised by Mace's attention when they meet, and doesn't understand their apparent connection, or why Mace doesn't see him as ugly. I thought at first that maybe he is an ugly gargoyle, but he wasn't in gargoyle form during their first meeting (he's wearing clothes to Mace's eyes). Also, he is attractive to everyone at Mace's apartment...there is either a large oversight here, or a missed opportunity for some storytelling. I would have loved to see more of this world, and the people who make up coven of gargoyles...maybe the author has plans to continue this world, but as a standalone story it seems to fall short.

Now for the good things. The connection between the main characters is very hot, as well as satisfying. I like the fact that Mace is attracted to Luc, even though Luc's clan seems to see him as only a useful tool. I love that Mace, as a Romanus, is highly prized, and yet he seems to have picked the ugly duckling (of sorts). I also really enjoyed Mace's friends and roommates. They're a mixed bag, and a couple of them are complete tools...but it's fun to read about them, and I felt bad for the roommate who got stood up/dumped by his supposed boyfriend. I also really liked the use of gargoyles as a shifter group. It's not one I've seen very often; in fact, I can only recall one other story where I've seen a gargoyle as a main character.

So, in summary, this story was a pretty good attempt, but I felt that there were a lot of missed opportunities for an even stronger story, and I wished the story could have been about twice as long to accommodate those elements. If you like Mary Calmes' work, or enjoy shifters, you might want to give it a shot.

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