Review: Not Worth the Price and Reviews are Misleading
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 08 28, 2013
Twice in a Blue Moon (Dark Hollow Wolfpack 8)So I checked the reviews, love m/m shifter stories, and decided to try this book.  $5.00 for 130 pages is a bit high but if the reviews were right, it'd be worth the price.  Boy was I mislead.  No, like any novella, the price isn't worth what's printed.The story had a lot of promise.  Kevin was worried about his missing work partner and takes a leave of absence from his police detective job to go find him.  Kevin is portrayed as resourceful, strong minded, and intelligent.  He cares about Tucker and needs reassurance that Tucker is ok.So he steps into a situation he isn't prepared for.The mating between Kevin and Richard took awhile and I appreciated there wasn't an 'instant mate' and go right to bed situation.  Instead there's instant attraction and they hesitate to act on it. They don't even become friends first or stop to talk about themselves.  It's more about Kevin being confined to his room and Richard being his 'guard'.What I couldn't stand was the personality regression in Kevin.  I picture a detective as able to handle a challenge and deal with police politics and rise above them, to do the job right, to abide by the law.  Kevin was strong enough to tell his rich parents that he was gay and he also pursued the job and education he wanted, not what his parents did.  He stuck to his own beliefs and did what he wanted with his life.  No, he wasn't happy but he was satisfied.  He is now THIRTY FOUR.So once he's at the Lodge does he act his age?  No.  He whines.  He's mad and acts out.  The author was trying to say that Kevin missed Richard and because of the mate bound Kevin wasn't acting himself. That was my take.  That doesn't mean it was written that way because it wasn't.  Instead we get this insecure police detective whining while in confinement, making threats he couldn't keep, needing to get out yet by that time he could ask and insist yet never did.  He just fumes in his room.  I couldn't believe the change in his personality.Then there's Richard.  I didn't sense any tenderness from him towards Kevin.  Sex was all about dominance.  Rough sex.  The writing came across as Kevin was staying because his sexual needs were now satisfied.  Not love or care but satisfied.  So he likes to be dominated, that's fine.  But there's nothing beyond that, just the mate bond and attraction.  The two aren't even friends.  Richard doesn't treat Kevin as a equal, as a partner, just plays the dom.  And there isn't any variety in their sex acts.  It's all dominance from Richard, no choice by Kevin but to submit.When Richard finally has time to spend with Kevin, Richard makes up his mind about 'lets head up to the cabin' without consulting Kevin and they go.  Even though Kevin hates the outdoors life, doesn't know how to do any outdoors stuff, but goes anyway because . . . He is this brainless twirp now.I realize guys don't do romance well but that mating in the musty old unused cabin was a bit much.  No words of commitment to each other just, "Are you ready?".  How romantic is that?I hate M/M books where there is whining involved.  Insecurity.  This story pushes those gay vibes in Kevin and also in Richard.  While I don't mind some doubts in a relationship, even Richard kept repeating himself over and over and again.  This is a very short book.  There isn't the time to go into his mind set so often.Short story.  130 pages for $5.00.  You do the math and figure out if this type of story is what you want to spend your money on.  -- Dan's Wife