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a_reader_obsessed's review
2.0
2.5 Hedging Hearts
I’ve got to say that half the time I liked this story while the other half drove me to frustration.
Donnie works in the local coffee shop and has been crushing hard on the enigmatic and reticent new professor William, who teaches at the nearby shifter university these last few months. One day, out of nowhere he’s asked by sinister strangers if he knows the quiet customer, and Donnie’s first instinct is to protect William despite the fact that he hardly knows the man.
What ensues is kinda a comedy of errors as Donnie finds himself wittingly and unwittingly embroiled in a revenge scheme where bad guys want to kill William, a retired undercover agent who brought down a notorious weapons dealer. The charm of this is pretty much all on Donnie who is fiercely independent with some foibles that include being overly chatty, clumsy, and sarcastic but always with a heart of gold. He surely seems to find himself in absurd situations as he tries to help William who never wants his assistance in the first place. Donnie’s bumbling nature was mostly endearing, but I do admit he had a temper and acted stupidly impulsive one too many times.
There also seems to be a lot of reader frustration with William’s lack of communication. Granted, he does come clean around the 45% mark, but he still holds his cards close to the vest and is very reluctant to part with any extra information if he doesn’t have to. I admit, his mysterious badass nature was appealing and who doesn’t like to see a gruff stoic guy fall in love?? Many a time though, his slow to reveal crucial information was just the impetus for Donnie to go off half cocked which added to the above mentioned frustration.
Note to self. Narrator Finn Sterling and I just don’t get along. I’m still scratching my head at how he basically makes Donnie sound like a girl most of the time. I. Just. Don’t. Get. It. I’ll give credit that his voice for William was a dream and he does character distinction like a charm, but it is just so jarring when you’re expecting a certain octave and what you get is a boy going through puberty. Granted this isn’t as bad as [b:Out of the Shadows|35455651|Out of the Shadows|K.C. Wells|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1497771085l/35455651._SY75_.jpg|56844321], but it’s there and it was enough to throw me out of the story multiple times. Admittedly, one’s listening experience is highly personal and we all vary in what we like and don’t like - I just don’t think this narrator is for me…
Again, this had its various charms with a good dash of smexy that helped negate the negatives. Mostly. This definitely has potential in its interesting set up about a small town that’s the hub for shifters as it boasts a university that caters to such. The next story is about Donnie’s bff Ford, who’s an elusive mysterious thunderbird, and I’ll strongly consider continuing but I’ll hold out to see what others think about it first.
Thanks to the author/publisher for the audio in exchange for a honest review
I’ve got to say that half the time I liked this story while the other half drove me to frustration.
Donnie works in the local coffee shop and has been crushing hard on the enigmatic and reticent new professor William, who teaches at the nearby shifter university these last few months. One day, out of nowhere he’s asked by sinister strangers if he knows the quiet customer, and Donnie’s first instinct is to protect William despite the fact that he hardly knows the man.
What ensues is kinda a comedy of errors as Donnie finds himself wittingly and unwittingly embroiled in a revenge scheme where bad guys want to kill William, a retired undercover agent who brought down a notorious weapons dealer. The charm of this is pretty much all on Donnie who is fiercely independent with some foibles that include being overly chatty, clumsy, and sarcastic but always with a heart of gold. He surely seems to find himself in absurd situations as he tries to help William who never wants his assistance in the first place. Donnie’s bumbling nature was mostly endearing, but I do admit he had a temper and acted stupidly impulsive one too many times.
There also seems to be a lot of reader frustration with William’s lack of communication. Granted, he does come clean around the 45% mark, but he still holds his cards close to the vest and is very reluctant to part with any extra information if he doesn’t have to. I admit, his mysterious badass nature was appealing and who doesn’t like to see a gruff stoic guy fall in love?? Many a time though, his slow to reveal crucial information was just the impetus for Donnie to go off half cocked which added to the above mentioned frustration.
Note to self. Narrator Finn Sterling and I just don’t get along. I’m still scratching my head at how he basically makes Donnie sound like a girl most of the time. I. Just. Don’t. Get. It. I’ll give credit that his voice for William was a dream and he does character distinction like a charm, but it is just so jarring when you’re expecting a certain octave and what you get is a boy going through puberty. Granted this isn’t as bad as [b:Out of the Shadows|35455651|Out of the Shadows|K.C. Wells|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1497771085l/35455651._SY75_.jpg|56844321], but it’s there and it was enough to throw me out of the story multiple times. Admittedly, one’s listening experience is highly personal and we all vary in what we like and don’t like - I just don’t think this narrator is for me…
Again, this had its various charms with a good dash of smexy that helped negate the negatives. Mostly. This definitely has potential in its interesting set up about a small town that’s the hub for shifters as it boasts a university that caters to such. The next story is about Donnie’s bff Ford, who’s an elusive mysterious thunderbird, and I’ll strongly consider continuing but I’ll hold out to see what others think about it first.
Thanks to the author/publisher for the audio in exchange for a honest review
ellelainey's review
5.0
Wow! I loved this one!
Donnie is sweet, hilarious and snarky, while being hopelessly clueless, clumsy and awkward. Contrasted against William "Buffalo Bill", who is composed, tough and get-the-job-done ready, the story immediately had me hooked. The on-off, tentative, hot flashes and cold tempers made for great chemistry, an interesting relationship dynamic; add in the danger, family, best friends who are all I-will-help-you-bury-this-body-but-you-owe-me, and you have a HIT!
I couldn't have asked for more. Except...maybe Buddy and Jesse. ;)
Kudos to the author for originality, great plot pacing, relatable and real characters, in an urban fantasy world that felt real and vibrant. I loved all the shifters coming together to support each other, that they had this "open-secret" world within the human world. The receipts made me cry and are, perhaps, one of my all time most romantic moments in a book. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
Favourite Quote:
"I've got you."
And I fell. Irreparably destroyed. Irrevocably completed.
"Cool? Maybe I needed to go back to school after all. Conversation 101 was looking more and more necessary. Then, after that, I could attend Flirting for Dummies."
Donnie is sweet, hilarious and snarky, while being hopelessly clueless, clumsy and awkward. Contrasted against William "Buffalo Bill", who is composed, tough and get-the-job-done ready, the story immediately had me hooked. The on-off, tentative, hot flashes and cold tempers made for great chemistry, an interesting relationship dynamic; add in the danger, family, best friends who are all I-will-help-you-bury-this-body-but-you-owe-me, and you have a HIT!
I couldn't have asked for more. Except...maybe Buddy and Jesse. ;)
Kudos to the author for originality, great plot pacing, relatable and real characters, in an urban fantasy world that felt real and vibrant. I loved all the shifters coming together to support each other, that they had this "open-secret" world within the human world. The receipts made me cry and are, perhaps, one of my all time most romantic moments in a book. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
Favourite Quote:
"I've got you."
And I fell. Irreparably destroyed. Irrevocably completed.
"Cool? Maybe I needed to go back to school after all. Conversation 101 was looking more and more necessary. Then, after that, I could attend Flirting for Dummies."
cmira2027's review
3.0
Arrrgh, this book! It started out so good: cute, funny, shifters, bad guys, manly men - all the good things. Then bam, everything I hated in MF romance. The lack of communication, the Alpha male going all protect the poor, young helpless love interest. Not talking, not explaining just shutting them down and shutting them out. Then, of course the love interest has to be all "I'm not a child, I am not helpless, I can be trusted" then goes off a does the exact thing to prove the are TSTL.
It is not a bad book, it is well written and entertaining, I know a lot of people will enjoy it. It just pushed all of my buttons and not in a good way
It is not a bad book, it is well written and entertaining, I know a lot of people will enjoy it. It just pushed all of my buttons and not in a good way
prgchrqltma's review
4.0
Similar to a Julia Talbot in the same Dreamspinner line. Light, fluffy, paranormal romantic suspense. I'm not wild about the younger characters (as always) but I own the next one, so I'll probably read it when I need something fluffy.
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