Review: 4.5 Stars for this supernatural M/M romance.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 16, 2014
I received a copy of this book via Goodreads' Don't Buy My Love program in exchange for an honest review.Lake is a gay naiad. He is newly appointed as a forest ranger to Gem Pond in Northern Michigan. He is also to be the Guardian spirit of the pond. His partner, the senior ranger, is Forrest Oakley. It turns out that Forrest is a Dryad--and he's also very appealing to Lake.Of course, Lake doesn't sense Forrest's attraction for him, and he's not going to reveal himself--in the event his advances wouldn't be welcome. Lake hasn't had a body of water to Guard in 7 years--since he was 16. He's taking no risks on losing Gem Pond.Forrest is a closet case. He likes men, but has no experience with them, excepting a kiss of a BFF and a drunken night at a gay bar of which he has no memories. He's terribly attracted to Lake, but won't reveal his interest afraid that their homophobic boss would find a way to fire Forrest. Gem Pond and the surrounding forest is the only place Forrest has ever lived. He is in complete communion with the locale and the mystical animal avatars present in the "human" population. He will not jeopardize his post for sex. He's never had any, so he doesn't know what he's missing....This is a slow building romance. Both men have active fantasy experiences, but hide themselves. The supporting cast works hard to get the two to commit to one another, because having mated Guardians causes their natural abilities to be magnified. There is a threat to the ecosystem of Gem Pond-- in the guise of a conservation officer. It takes several months of sharing a one-bedroom cabin before these men become intimate--revealing their true natures and sharing themselves. It allowed for a solid relationship formation, and a more interesting story.The book is well-written and the story fun and playful. The descriptions of Lake and Forrest in their human and supernatural forms were complete and engaging. That Lake found Forrest in his tree-form and touched him intimately without either knowing? Genius. I have read other books from this author and have not been disappointed yet.