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tita_noir's review
2.0
This was a rather frustrating read. The basic storyline and set up was interesting but the storytelling was not an immersive experience.
In this story shifters exist but they are on the down low. Humans, except a few on a need-to-know basis are not aware of their existence. Mac is a lion shifter who doesn't want to live with his pride, but would rather live a more "normal" existence. He is happy to run a coffee shop and be with his girlfriend. His girlfriend is Zora, a human woman who is aware that shifters exist.
What I did like about this book, and what I thought was really refreshing, is that as the book begins, Mac and Zora are already almost in love. They are in the relationship and he is trying to move it to the next level of commitment. Zora has some misgivings. There are also several levels of believable romantic conflict as well. Can Zora really accept the reality of being involved with a shifter? Can Mac really stay out of shifter politics the way he wants to? Also, Zora has a bit of a secret that she has been keeping from Mac which also adds a bit of potential conflict for them. So even though they are together, the romance isn't quite a done deal.
What makes this book frustrating is that the storytelling feels rushed. The author really doesn't take any time for character development or allow for emotional beats. She leaves no space for scene setting or thought processes or allowing the characters to really breathe. It is all dialogue and action with choppy scene transitions. The characters are moved about abruptly like pieces on a game board to get to the next thing that needs to happen. They have these quick conversations about a lot of important things but then they are off again to another scene. Also the dialogue in those conversations feel just as choppy. It doesn't feel like people are actually talking to understand, but rather talking just to get to the next thing as well. So the story moves and things get resolved but it has the effect of just reading an outline of a story than reading a real story. Hence there is no place for emotion to take root and grow.
So yeah, frustrating.
In this story shifters exist but they are on the down low. Humans, except a few on a need-to-know basis are not aware of their existence. Mac is a lion shifter who doesn't want to live with his pride, but would rather live a more "normal" existence. He is happy to run a coffee shop and be with his girlfriend. His girlfriend is Zora, a human woman who is aware that shifters exist.
What I did like about this book, and what I thought was really refreshing, is that as the book begins, Mac and Zora are already almost in love. They are in the relationship and he is trying to move it to the next level of commitment. Zora has some misgivings. There are also several levels of believable romantic conflict as well. Can Zora really accept the reality of being involved with a shifter? Can Mac really stay out of shifter politics the way he wants to? Also, Zora has a bit of a secret that she has been keeping from Mac which also adds a bit of potential conflict for them. So even though they are together, the romance isn't quite a done deal.
What makes this book frustrating is that the storytelling feels rushed. The author really doesn't take any time for character development or allow for emotional beats. She leaves no space for scene setting or thought processes or allowing the characters to really breathe. It is all dialogue and action with choppy scene transitions. The characters are moved about abruptly like pieces on a game board to get to the next thing that needs to happen. They have these quick conversations about a lot of important things but then they are off again to another scene. Also the dialogue in those conversations feel just as choppy. It doesn't feel like people are actually talking to understand, but rather talking just to get to the next thing as well. So the story moves and things get resolved but it has the effect of just reading an outline of a story than reading a real story. Hence there is no place for emotion to take root and grow.
So yeah, frustrating.
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