Review: Strong Installment Balancing the Action and Relationship Plot Threads Well
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 2, 2013
It took me by surprise- though it shouldn't have- that young Demitri who was a minor character in the last few books got his story told in this one. Once it got going, I ached for this poor boy's lot in life and loved the special man that Ms. Richards picked out for his mate.Demitri works in a diner to save money to move out of his bigotted parents' home and get a place of his own. His parents are bigotted on two fronts- his being a shifter and his being gay. The bigotry over the shifter thing leaves him confused because his mother is a shifter. While on the job waiting tables, Demitri encounters a human middle-aged divorced man, Kiernan, who is his mate.Kiernan is starting to feel sad and depressed about getting older now that his daughter is on her own and he is left with the thought that he may never find someone to love and who will love him. His ray of hope is the cute young guy who waits his table at the diner. Kiernan is attracted to Demitri and is thrilled when Demitri asks him out.Their date goes well and they agree to meet again, but then Kiernan learns that Demitri was beaten badly by his own dad as a result of Demitri going out with him. The beating leads to Kiernan learning a tough fact about Demitri that he's not sure he can accept as well as puts Demitri in further danger.This story had a slightly darker tone than the usual fare from this author making the story resonate deeply with me. Demitri was a sympathetic character because though he's a wolf shifter, he's a gentle young man that his bully of a father takes advantage of. Kiernan is a strong man yet tender so he's perfect for Demitri. I liked how he had to take some time to wrap his mind around seeing his lover turn into a wolf. The battle with the scientists is present in this one and revealed in a shocking way. I loved that teaser near the end about the ongoing threat of the captive Raven.Nice installment to the series!