Review: Nice, but too short on both details and length
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 07 15, 2013
This story takes place right after (actually, during) the events in "A Bite of Fulfillment". Here, the vampire Xavier woos and claims his beloved soulmate Owen. Xavier had met Owen in "A Bite of Fulfillment", but the middle-aged detective is both extremely closeted and totally unaware of the supernatural world around them. Xavier must not only get Owen to accept he's gay and be prepared to live openly as a gay couple, but to also accept Xavier as a vampire.Well, he does do that. In a surprisingly-short space of time (and a very short story). Because of some violent actions in the story, Owen becomes painfully aware of vampires and shifters, and it seems like the story is setting up a longer tale where Xavier will have a much harder time getting his soulmate to accept him. But this obstacle doesn't appear to be an obstacle at all as Owen readily accepts him. What's satisfying about any romance novel are the two lovers overcoming obstacles (either external or internal) to finally accept their love for each other. When there's little obstacle, there's little fulfillment. Also, I can't help but feel Owen got, er, screwed (pun unintentional) because Xavier mated him without telling him exactly how the mating will change the human. How will Owen feel knowing that he won't age now and he'll watch his son, and everyone else he loves, get old and die? How will he feel about having to move or change identities every 30 years when it becomes apparent he's not aging? Xavier really discloses nothing to Owen about how the mating will affect him other than the fact that Owen must move in with him.I love Charlie Richards' novels about shifters and vampires, but this one was too short to do these two interesting characters justice.