Review: Different and Fun
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 09 13, 2013
The idea of a gruff, very unusual shifter - I mean, what is a bander anyway? - intrigued me from the beginning. The concept that he runs an animal sanctuary was the next thing that appealed to me. The final piece that caught my eye was the "pretty boy". I kept getting this mental picture of Park Avenue meets Duck Dynasty, although I was really hoping it wouldn't be that disparate. *grins*Vaughn is a trust fund baby. He inherited his millions and pretty much lives life however he pleases. Every once in awhile, like now, he feels as if perhaps he's just floating along and there must be more to life. Unfortunately, it looks like he got what he asked for, even if he didn't know he wanted. He's visiting at his cousin's summer house when they discover her soon-to-be-ex husband made off with her money and Vaughn's which the husband had been managing. Now Vaughn is in a position of having to get rid of a lot of family heirlooms in order to pay off his bills. He also jumps at the chance to work for the strange, but compelling, Jake at the Ark sanctuary.Jake is a bander. And, no, I'm not about to tell you what that is. Suffice it to say, it's pretty darn interesting. Jake is working hard at being a grumpy curmudgeon. Seems to be working, too, since most people stay away from him, except the kids who come and volunteer at the sanctuary. Jake doesn't like rich, pretty boys, as he's been burned in the past, but something about Vaughn calls to him.The unfolding of Jake and Vaughn's friendship and romance is a sight to see. Jake barely says twenty words all day and Vaughn just keeps chatting away trying to get a rise out of him, pun intended. Of course, the "camaraderie" can't last very long and Vaughn tells Jake he'll stay away. For you see, Vaughn is afraid of losing his heart to a man who is unable to care for him back, or so he thinks. Jake doesn't know what to do and then Vaughn's cousin steps in threatening to tell about banders, as she's done some research and spoken to the locals, unless Jake helps her get her money back. Now, of course, Jake believes Vaughn told her his secret, not trusting that Vaughn would do as he said. Now there's trouble coming on!This was a very interesting story. I was drawn more to Jake, I guess, because I like the gruff exterior with the warm gooey inside. Vaughn was a surprise because he didn't come off as a spoiled trust fund baby. The only thing that could have made the story better would have been a little more background history on both of these men as, for me, I could have related to them a little better. Overall this was a fun and different shifter story with enough mystery to keep me entertained.NOTE: This book was provided by Samhain Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.