Review: Beautiful and Heartwarming Shifter-Light Reading
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 19, 2014
Vy Aleknos lives in the small town of Elk River, Colorado. He is twenty eight and has a construction company. He is also a hawk shifter, the kaur of the Elk River ket. The kaur is the ‘alpha/leader’ and the ket is the hawk equivalent of the ‘pack/clan.’ He’s gay, some of the ket and some of his family don’t like it, most are good with it. His immediate family have no issues and his father, who was the kaur prior to Vy, makes it very clear that no one is to be intolerant, he won’t stand for it.One day in town, Vy smells his mate - very much hoping his mate isn’t female. Fate can be fickle, but he will accept what it has in store for him because, even though he is a contemporary man, he believes very strongly in his roots and the ket.Robert Cimino works with nature, he lives in nature, and he wanders around. A lot. More specifically, he is a vegan bear shifter who meditates, does yoga and is quite zen-like. Oh yes, he also doesn’t shift. Ever. Robert feels he is a man first and foremost, not a bear. This comes to light after Vy and Robert have sex. For the first time Vy lets go and submits to another man, and it’s beautiful. But that feeling doesn’t last long. When Vy flies out to surprise Robert where he is working, Robert doesn’t recognise Vy in his bird form, thinks he is just another hawk. Mates always recognise one another. He now learns that Robert keeps his animal half under wraps so his mate bond is not activated. He can’t know Vy is his mate. Vy believes he can only ever be just another man, another conquest to Robert. Vy feels Robert coursing in his veins but Robert won’t be able to feel that. Sure, Robert’s scent changed after they were intimate, but only Vy will know it and feel it. Not Robert. This totally devastates Vy.If you like Cardeno C and Mary Calmes, but you aren't so fussed about shifter books, I say don't worry and jump on in because this really is a contemporary romance more than a full-blown shifter read.It takes good writing to pull a reader back from thinking, ‘will I or won’t I continue reading this,’  to then giving said reader no choice other than to give the book 5 stars. Cardeno C and Mary Calmes did just that with me. I struggled initially with Vy often saying, ‘I’m the kaur of the ket,’ with the ket’s quick-to-jump-to-conclusions attitude about Robert. However, all my reservations with Vy flew out the window as he redeemed himself and I understood his position and him. 'Robert the Bear' was charming. So I ended up thoroughly engrossed in the MC’s and their story. It is a story full of love and emotion and strong characterisations. The sex is earth-movingly high on the sexual Richter Scale. Even if you are not a huge shifter lover there is a lot to like about Control as a contemporary MM romance. If you do like a paranormal with an emphasis on shifters and romance, some engaging MC’s, and a few interesting secondary characters, then I recommend  Control very highly to you.  Control is beautifully named, the cover is beautifully crafted and it all suits the writing to a tee. 5 Stars."Please let me show you what it's like to be cherished, Vy. I promise you won't regret it."Full review at On Top Down Under Book Reviews