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Portland Pack Chronicles #1
Prickly Business
Some people might call Avery Babineaux a prick. He’s a hedgehog shifter from an old-money Louisiana family, with a penchant for expensive shoes and a reputation for being a judgmental snob. His attitude is why he and his fated mate are estranged. Not that Avery cares. He doesn’t want to be mated to some blue-collar werewolf anyway. Or so he keeps telling himself.
No werewolf likes to be looked down upon, least of all Dylan Green. He doesn’t need a mate, especially not some snotty hedgehog who sneers at his custom motorcycle shop and calls him a grease monkey. But when Avery gets into trouble with a shady loan shark, Dylan can’t stand by and let him be hurt—whether he wants the brat or not.
Yet once Dylan steps into Avery’s world, he realizes there’s more to Avery than his prickly exterior, and that unexpected vulnerability calls to Dylan’s protective instincts. The sassy little hedgehog needs a keeper, and despite their horrible first impressions, Dylan starts to believe he might be the wolf for the job.
No werewolf likes to be looked down upon, least of all Dylan Green. He doesn’t need a mate, especially not some snotty hedgehog who sneers at his custom motorcycle shop and calls him a grease monkey. But when Avery gets into trouble with a shady loan shark, Dylan can’t stand by and let him be hurt—whether he wants the brat or not.
Yet once Dylan steps into Avery’s world, he realizes there’s more to Avery than his prickly exterior, and that unexpected vulnerability calls to Dylan’s protective instincts. The sassy little hedgehog needs a keeper, and despite their horrible first impressions, Dylan starts to believe he might be the wolf for the job.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 27, 2015
43 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
Piper Vaughn
44Ìýbooks1,155ÌýfollowersPiper Vaughn is a romance author and lifelong fan of the genre. Since writing their first love story at age eleven, they’ve known writing in some form was exactly what they wanted to do. A reader to the core, Piper loves nothing more than getting lost in a great book.
Piper is of Puerto Rican descent and grew up in a diverse neighborhood in Chicago. They love putting faces and characters of every ethnicity in their stories, making their fictional worlds as colorful as the real one. Above all, Piper believes there’s no one way to have an HEA, and every person deserves to see themselves reflected on the page.
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Piper is of Puerto Rican descent and grew up in a diverse neighborhood in Chicago. They love putting faces and characters of every ethnicity in their stories, making their fictional worlds as colorful as the real one. Above all, Piper believes there’s no one way to have an HEA, and every person deserves to see themselves reflected on the page.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 259 reviews
August 4, 2015
You have no idea how much I love the idea of a hedgehog shifter! Thinking of all all that prickly attitude ... and a big bad wolf mate. Yummy.
My first mistake was expecting serious steam. Because. SHIFTERS. KNOTTING.
Nuff said.
Well, I waited. And waited. And waited some more.
The steam finally arrived at 60 percent, and what little we got was fairly hot. But so much of it was hinted at or off page.
I loved Dylan and his growly possessiveness. Dylan is protective, sexy, and rough in all the right places.
Avery ... let's say it took me much longer to warm up to him. The little hedgehog is a snotty, spoiled, judgmental brat, just waiting for his Daddy to bail him out.
Yes, Avery tries. He changes. A little. But did I fully believe in the conversion? Maybe.
Maybe not.
What I liked least about the story is, unfortunately, the main plot point: a mystery regarding the disappearance of an older shifter's only child.
Avery becomes attached to the lonely wolf shifter and wants to help him find his teenage daughter.
The constant misunderstandings and lack of communication between Dylan and Avery (Dylan wanting to protect Avery at all cost; Avery hiding things from Dylan and rushing off like an idiot to take on the bad guys all on his own) drove me crazy, and not in a good way.
There was way too much push/pull for a story about mates.
I got bored with the whole mystery/chase by the end. Much of it felt repetitive and too BIG of an idea for what is essentially a fluffy story.
I just wanted more focus on the sweetness and togetherness. And knotting. Also biting.
More knotting and biting, please. Is that so wrong?
The mystery was never fully wrapped up, but fortunately Dylan and Avery did get on with it.
I liked the cast of secondary characters and would read follow-up stories about Jaden, Lucas, and Sawyer, but it seems the sequel will be more of this couple, and I'm not sure I'm ready for a continuation of hedgehog angst.
My first mistake was expecting serious steam. Because. SHIFTERS. KNOTTING.
Nuff said.
Well, I waited. And waited. And waited some more.
The steam finally arrived at 60 percent, and what little we got was fairly hot. But so much of it was hinted at or off page.
I loved Dylan and his growly possessiveness. Dylan is protective, sexy, and rough in all the right places.
Avery ... let's say it took me much longer to warm up to him. The little hedgehog is a snotty, spoiled, judgmental brat, just waiting for his Daddy to bail him out.
Yes, Avery tries. He changes. A little. But did I fully believe in the conversion? Maybe.
Maybe not.
What I liked least about the story is, unfortunately, the main plot point: a mystery regarding the disappearance of an older shifter's only child.
Avery becomes attached to the lonely wolf shifter and wants to help him find his teenage daughter.
The constant misunderstandings and lack of communication between Dylan and Avery (Dylan wanting to protect Avery at all cost; Avery hiding things from Dylan and rushing off like an idiot to take on the bad guys all on his own) drove me crazy, and not in a good way.
There was way too much push/pull for a story about mates.
I got bored with the whole mystery/chase by the end. Much of it felt repetitive and too BIG of an idea for what is essentially a fluffy story.
I just wanted more focus on the sweetness and togetherness. And knotting. Also biting.
More knotting and biting, please. Is that so wrong?
The mystery was never fully wrapped up, but fortunately Dylan and Avery did get on with it.
I liked the cast of secondary characters and would read follow-up stories about Jaden, Lucas, and Sawyer, but it seems the sequel will be more of this couple, and I'm not sure I'm ready for a continuation of hedgehog angst.
August 18, 2015
From the blurb you'd think that this was a fluffy shifter romance. A sassy, prickly, rich-boy hedgehog and a blue-collar wolf shifter... I mean, that sort of sounds like heaven to me. However, this was less smuff and more mystery/suspense, which I wasn't expecting.
I liked Avery Babineaux, even though he starts off the story on the wrong foot. In the beginning of the book, he comes off as self-involved, judgemental, and sort of stuck-up, but as we get to know him better, some of those things fall away. Avery grows and matures throughout the book, and as we get to know what drives him more and more, I liked him more and more.
I also dug the chemistry between Avery and Dylan. Dylan was all possessive wolfy-ness (YUM!), and I liked how Dylan and Avery had sort of a slow burn romance, despite being fated mates.
Though there was knotting (AMEN!), it was pretty low steam knotting (BOO!). In fact, though there was some nice sex on page, I found myself wanting more dirtiness out of this one.
I think if I had known that this was primarily a mystery I wouldn't have tried this one. I'm not a big mystery fan, and I found that part of the book just dragggged. I wasn't really interested in, well, most of the plot, which is sort of a bummer. The fact that the next story in the series seems to pick up where this one leaves off, meaning lots more investigating, is disappointing for me.
Overall, this story had some very cute and hot moments, but it wasn't quite the story for me. Too bad because I could read about hedgehog shifters for days.
*Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
I liked Avery Babineaux, even though he starts off the story on the wrong foot. In the beginning of the book, he comes off as self-involved, judgemental, and sort of stuck-up, but as we get to know him better, some of those things fall away. Avery grows and matures throughout the book, and as we get to know what drives him more and more, I liked him more and more.
I also dug the chemistry between Avery and Dylan. Dylan was all possessive wolfy-ness (YUM!), and I liked how Dylan and Avery had sort of a slow burn romance, despite being fated mates.
Though there was knotting (AMEN!), it was pretty low steam knotting (BOO!). In fact, though there was some nice sex on page, I found myself wanting more dirtiness out of this one.
I think if I had known that this was primarily a mystery I wouldn't have tried this one. I'm not a big mystery fan, and I found that part of the book just dragggged. I wasn't really interested in, well, most of the plot, which is sort of a bummer. The fact that the next story in the series seems to pick up where this one leaves off, meaning lots more investigating, is disappointing for me.
Overall, this story had some very cute and hot moments, but it wasn't quite the story for me. Too bad because I could read about hedgehog shifters for days.
*Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Want to read
July 27, 2015
October 30, 2018
ONE DAY $0.99 SALE!! (10/30/18)
***4.25 Stars***
Two words sold me on this one instantly: HEDGEHOG SHIFTER
And oh man, it worked....it worked so well!!
I loved Avery! I loved Dylan! I loved the true mates pull. This was just so good!
Dylan and Avery are true mates, but their initial meeting didn't go so well. Avery, who comes from a wealthy southern family, scoffs at discovering that his true mate is a mechanic. What could they possibly have in common? On the flip side, Dylan can't believe that a wolf as strong as he is was given a hedgehog as his true mate. Fate really has a sense of humor.
When Avery gets himself in trouble after losing a bet on the wolf races, the pull of the true mate bond has Dylan hurrying to his rescue. Obviously fate sees a reason that the two belong together, maybe the time has come for both Avery and Dylan to stop fighting the inevitable.
But while Dylan and Avery are trying to figure out what's real and what's a result of their bond, Avery's new job has him on the hunt for a missing girl....and it looks like he may have stumbled upon an underground sex trafficking ring.
The romance is definitely the central theme here, but I like that we got some suspense thrown in in the second half of the book. Seeing Dylan's protective side come out was all kinds of swoony. And what I love most was that he wanted to protect Avery, not control him. He didn't use size and dominance as a way to keep Avery in check, he was supportive and comforting and just all kinds of endearing goodness.
"I don't want you leading me. I don't want you at my back. I want you beside me."
Speaking of endearing....I loved Avery! Hedgehogs aren't the most respected shifter species, but he didn't let anyone bring him down. He may like his designer clothes and expensive shoes, but underneath all that is a heart of gold. He knew his strengths and weaknesses and he stood up for himself when needed.
And hello knotting! This was my first experience with this in a shifter book, and I gotta say....I'm definitely intrigued!
Avery's muscles still holding tight and rippling around him, Dylan felt the base of his cock swell, expand, and lock them together. Dylan rumbled and rolled them onto their sides on the bed, his hold tight as he secured his arms around Avery's chest.
"What...?" Avery gargled, his voice raspy and worn.
As soon as Avery said it, Dylan felt it. The base of his cock enlarged and notched itself into the heat of Avery's already tight entrance. He sighed with the sense of home and peace that engulfed him.
The knot. Another sign of true wolf mates. Fate's way of temporarily joining them together, ensuring a physical connection that symbolized the emotional and mental bond formed in a mating. He would explain later. Even if he could breathe, he didn't have the words. Not at the moment. Not when every sense of rightness flooded him. Later.
Burrowing deeper into Avery's shoulder and placing a kiss over the indentations of his teeth, red and heated, Dylan whispered, "Mine."
WOWZA!!!
I do have to say that there were a couple of lulls where the suspense element overshadowed the romance in the second half, but even then, Dylan and Avery were front and center. These two really are a great team!
This books ends with a solidified future for Dylan and Avery's relationship, but the suspense element still has more to come. I'm jumping right into the next book to get my answers and to continue watching Dylan and Avery grow as a couple.
March 15, 2016
BR with Susan, Elsbeth and Kat on 31 July (Thanks for letting me moan!)
I very, very rarely say this about any book but...
I hated it!!
Loved the idea. I mean hedgehog shifter? That's just too adorable. Hedgehogs are adorable!!
But Avery was one of the most unlikable characters I've ever read. I guess he is supposed to start off as unlikable and we get to see him 'grow' but I found him horrid from beginning to end, in fact I think I began to dislike him more and more as the story progressed because it felt like he thought he was being some kind of martyr by treating the wolves as equals. He was a total douchecanoe.
I liked Dylan and his friends but there was no way they could save this for me. It just felt all over the place, it's at least 150 pages too long, the mystery plot was half assed and once I noticed that Dylan and Avery's names are mentioned 53 million times I actually couldn't concentrate on anything else.
I hate being negative in reviews and I usually prefer to say nothing at all if I've not got anything good to say, but I was excited about this and it was just terrible so I'm pissed off and I read the entire thing so I get to moan.
I very, very rarely say this about any book but...
I hated it!!
Loved the idea. I mean hedgehog shifter? That's just too adorable. Hedgehogs are adorable!!
But Avery was one of the most unlikable characters I've ever read. I guess he is supposed to start off as unlikable and we get to see him 'grow' but I found him horrid from beginning to end, in fact I think I began to dislike him more and more as the story progressed because it felt like he thought he was being some kind of martyr by treating the wolves as equals. He was a total douchecanoe.
I liked Dylan and his friends but there was no way they could save this for me. It just felt all over the place, it's at least 150 pages too long, the mystery plot was half assed and once I noticed that Dylan and Avery's names are mentioned 53 million times I actually couldn't concentrate on anything else.
I hate being negative in reviews and I usually prefer to say nothing at all if I've not got anything good to say, but I was excited about this and it was just terrible so I'm pissed off and I read the entire thing so I get to moan.
July 22, 2015
Prickly Business by Piper Vaughn and Kenzie Cade I have to say is one of the books I've been highly anticipating. I am huge Vaughn fan and having never read Kenzie Cade's work- I was looking forward to dipping my toe in the water into her work with this book.
I am not going to rehash the blurb- because it's right above you. So let's get down to it.
What I loved:
*Dylan.
I loved everything about him. His personality, protective instincts, humor. This book was all about him to me.
* Once they decided to have a relationship- I loved the banter between.
*Their friends. What a great cast of secondary characters.
*Once they were intimate- it was haaawt!
*Avery's character growth. Like with Dylan, he didn't make the best first impression. He was spoiled and immature, but they did a nice job developing him. He definitely grew on me.
*I was stoked that it was told from a dual POV.
*Loved their interactions. They were so cute!
*Their inner monologues about each other.
What I wasn't too crazy about or felt it could've used more of:
*Steam- I wanted more. Don't judge me. lol I love a slow build, but in this instance it's not really what I was looking for. When I think shifters + mates---> in my mind that = hot sex. Throughout the first half, I kept waiting and waiting... I have to admit, once they do- it was verra nice!
*The story probably had a bit more mystery than I enjoy. When I read a romance mystery I like more romance than suspense and I felt like this was book was a bit more on the mystery side. Because of that- it slowed the pace of the story for me.
*The end. I knew that this was book one in a series, but I totally missed that book 2 would be about the same couple. I'm not a huge fan of series that are about the same couple. I prefer series that are stand-alones. Does this book end a cliffy? Not really. At the end, Dylan and Avery are in a good place but there's definitely more story to come...
Will I read book 2? Yes! I want to know- .
Overall, I did enjoy it, but it wasn't quite what I was looking for. On the plus side, there were more positives than negatives- and to be fair: the negatives are purely for preferential reasons. I think people who love "who dunnit" books will truly enjoy it. The things I didn't love- the fault lies with me. In the end, this was a 3.8 I hope the second book is already in the works stars!
*ARC kindly provided by Piper Vaughn for an honest review*
August 22, 2015
1.5 stars
Welp, there goes another story I didn't like. I just couldn't with these two morons. Nothing irks me more than the BIG Misunderstanding trope. And to combine it with an intense lack of communication? Well, that just spells disaster for Jenni Lea. These guys were stoopid. Like, seriously. And stubborn! Man, I wanted to bitch slap the both of them throughout most of the story. And the story, well, lets just say it lacked the charm I was hoping for. Without that charm the story fell flat. I won't be continuing this series.
July 29, 2015
*** 3.5 Stars ***
I loved the novelty of a hedgehog shift story, and generally enjoyed it, but I missed the OOMF! that should be there with fated mates. The book checked the novelty and sweetness boxes, and Dylan was all kinds of growly and possessive and sexy as sin, but I needed more throw-you-up-against-a-wall-and-have-my-wicked-way-with-you sex. Just sayin'.
I loved the novelty of a hedgehog shift story, and generally enjoyed it, but I missed the OOMF! that should be there with fated mates. The book checked the novelty and sweetness boxes, and Dylan was all kinds of growly and possessive and sexy as sin, but I needed more throw-you-up-against-a-wall-and-have-my-wicked-way-with-you sex. Just sayin'.
July 27, 2015
Full release day review originally posted at
This slow burn, enemies to lovers is a good start to the new Portland Pack Chronicles series.
Hedgehog shifter Avery is a privileged, self-absorbed, southern diva who hasn’t worked a day in his life and lives on a large allowance from his parents as he waits for his trust fund to kick in. His relationship with his family is not good and getting worse. Having graduated college, he is living in Portland with permission of the local wolf pack’s alpha, who also happens to be the father of his best friend Jaden. He does not fit in with the pack and most of them don’t like him. Hedgehogs are not pack animals and although Avery enjoys clubbing and spending time with his friends, he often needs time alone to recharge.
Wolf shifter Dylan is blue collar all the way. He owns his business customizing motorcycles, and works with his friends and packmates Lucas, Sawyer and Kyle. The men have grown up together and are more like brothers. Dylan is one of the strongest wolves in the pack and is the son of a beta. While he is close with his mother, his relationship with his father is antagonistic at best and he has based all his ideas of mating on the flawed relationship his parents have, leaving him happy to stay single. While his wolf yearns for Avery, Dylan has no intention of taking his mate.
As rare as it is for destined mates to find each other, it is even more of a rarity for it to be an interspecies mating. Avery’s prickly hedgehog couldn’t be more different from Dylan’s wolf. Their first meeting at a party does not go well, Avery looking down his nose at Dylan and Dylan teasing Avery. Two years later the two are doing their best to ignore each other even as their animals clearly want to be with their mate. A chance meeting at a bar once again triggers their mating instincts and when Dylan saves Avery from a couple of thugs Dylan can’t resist his wolf’s need to protect and help his mate.
The story is told through dual points of view. Down to earth Dylan is easy to like right away, but with Avery it takes a little time to find anything worth liking under his designer clothes and defensive verbal attacks. Once Avery is forced to change his lifestyle and starts working for the pack, he quickly charmed me. Even before that there is a peek at the real Avery under all the haughty overtones. One scene early in the story where they are both in their shifted forms at the same time was not only adorable, but it cemented their connection for me as I could clearly picture Dylan’s wolf protecting Avery’s terrified hedgehog.
I love a good slow burn, especially when the payoff is as explosive as it is here, but these two characters were so stubborn, I wondered at times if they ever would get together. But of course, get together they do and there is knotting! I know this appeals to many fans of shifter stories and I am almost embarrassed to admit that up until now I’ve been a knotting story virgin, but I found that it was a small detail that definitely added more depth to not just the physical, but the emotional connection. There is not a lot of sex in the book, but the scenes that are in there are well worth waiting for.
The naturally opposing natures of Avery and Dylan’s animals, as well as residual mistrust from their first meeting, lead to a number of misunderstandings and a huge “too stupid to live� moment on Avery’s part as he gets involved in trying to find out what happened to an elderly pack member’s missing daughter. The mystery kept me wondering what was going on and it forms a large part of the story. While there is headway made in finding out who is behind her disappearance, the story line will be carried over into the next book which apparently will again feature Avery and Dylan, although there are a few other potential future couples hinted at in this book.
At the end Avery and Dylan are moving on to the next step in their relationship and while they appear to be a very solid couple, there are a lot of changes in store and I am looking forward to seeing just how they will deal with them.
This slow burn, enemies to lovers is a good start to the new Portland Pack Chronicles series.
Hedgehog shifter Avery is a privileged, self-absorbed, southern diva who hasn’t worked a day in his life and lives on a large allowance from his parents as he waits for his trust fund to kick in. His relationship with his family is not good and getting worse. Having graduated college, he is living in Portland with permission of the local wolf pack’s alpha, who also happens to be the father of his best friend Jaden. He does not fit in with the pack and most of them don’t like him. Hedgehogs are not pack animals and although Avery enjoys clubbing and spending time with his friends, he often needs time alone to recharge.
Wolf shifter Dylan is blue collar all the way. He owns his business customizing motorcycles, and works with his friends and packmates Lucas, Sawyer and Kyle. The men have grown up together and are more like brothers. Dylan is one of the strongest wolves in the pack and is the son of a beta. While he is close with his mother, his relationship with his father is antagonistic at best and he has based all his ideas of mating on the flawed relationship his parents have, leaving him happy to stay single. While his wolf yearns for Avery, Dylan has no intention of taking his mate.
As rare as it is for destined mates to find each other, it is even more of a rarity for it to be an interspecies mating. Avery’s prickly hedgehog couldn’t be more different from Dylan’s wolf. Their first meeting at a party does not go well, Avery looking down his nose at Dylan and Dylan teasing Avery. Two years later the two are doing their best to ignore each other even as their animals clearly want to be with their mate. A chance meeting at a bar once again triggers their mating instincts and when Dylan saves Avery from a couple of thugs Dylan can’t resist his wolf’s need to protect and help his mate.
The story is told through dual points of view. Down to earth Dylan is easy to like right away, but with Avery it takes a little time to find anything worth liking under his designer clothes and defensive verbal attacks. Once Avery is forced to change his lifestyle and starts working for the pack, he quickly charmed me. Even before that there is a peek at the real Avery under all the haughty overtones. One scene early in the story where they are both in their shifted forms at the same time was not only adorable, but it cemented their connection for me as I could clearly picture Dylan’s wolf protecting Avery’s terrified hedgehog.
I love a good slow burn, especially when the payoff is as explosive as it is here, but these two characters were so stubborn, I wondered at times if they ever would get together. But of course, get together they do and there is knotting! I know this appeals to many fans of shifter stories and I am almost embarrassed to admit that up until now I’ve been a knotting story virgin, but I found that it was a small detail that definitely added more depth to not just the physical, but the emotional connection. There is not a lot of sex in the book, but the scenes that are in there are well worth waiting for.
The naturally opposing natures of Avery and Dylan’s animals, as well as residual mistrust from their first meeting, lead to a number of misunderstandings and a huge “too stupid to live� moment on Avery’s part as he gets involved in trying to find out what happened to an elderly pack member’s missing daughter. The mystery kept me wondering what was going on and it forms a large part of the story. While there is headway made in finding out who is behind her disappearance, the story line will be carried over into the next book which apparently will again feature Avery and Dylan, although there are a few other potential future couples hinted at in this book.
At the end Avery and Dylan are moving on to the next step in their relationship and while they appear to be a very solid couple, there are a lot of changes in store and I am looking forward to seeing just how they will deal with them.
October 23, 2015
BR with Elsbeth, Tara and Kat
3.25 stars
I feel sad. This had so much potential. But it was simply too long.
We had too much plot while I wanted more character development and romance.
Avery is a hedgehog shifter. How cute is that?
That afternoon, when Avery had returned to his loft after his deliveries, he’d filled his tub with warm water, shifted into his hedgehog form, and spent some indeterminate amount of time curled up into a ball, just floating on his back in lazy circles, trying not to think.
He knows his mate is a wolf shifter, but since their first meeting went horrible, they’re both determined to ignore each other and the fact that they’re mates. But of course Dylan and Avery are drawn to each other no matter what.
There is also a whodunit plot about a human traffic ring. But that took up way too much page time and I just wasn’t that interested.
There was so much potential here. I mean, a cute hedgehog and a big bad wolf� how awesome is that! And there were some incredibly cute moments, but overall it kind of fell flat.
All the characters were a little underdeveloped. Especially the bad guys. I kept being surprised Dylan’s father was such an ass to him. I could have used more background.
This was not a bad book, I just needed more romance and less plot.
PS. I learned that the second book is also about Avery and Dylan, but I’m not sure I want to read that one. There are a lot of other interesting characters and if they get a book, I will read it. But since this one ends in a good and solid HEA, a second book feels like overkill.
3.25 stars
I feel sad. This had so much potential. But it was simply too long.
We had too much plot while I wanted more character development and romance.
Avery is a hedgehog shifter. How cute is that?
That afternoon, when Avery had returned to his loft after his deliveries, he’d filled his tub with warm water, shifted into his hedgehog form, and spent some indeterminate amount of time curled up into a ball, just floating on his back in lazy circles, trying not to think.
He knows his mate is a wolf shifter, but since their first meeting went horrible, they’re both determined to ignore each other and the fact that they’re mates. But of course Dylan and Avery are drawn to each other no matter what.
There is also a whodunit plot about a human traffic ring. But that took up way too much page time and I just wasn’t that interested.
There was so much potential here. I mean, a cute hedgehog and a big bad wolf� how awesome is that! And there were some incredibly cute moments, but overall it kind of fell flat.
All the characters were a little underdeveloped. Especially the bad guys. I kept being surprised Dylan’s father was such an ass to him. I could have used more background.
This was not a bad book, I just needed more romance and less plot.
PS. I learned that the second book is also about Avery and Dylan, but I’m not sure I want to read that one. There are a lot of other interesting characters and if they get a book, I will read it. But since this one ends in a good and solid HEA, a second book feels like overkill.
June 22, 2019
Well, color me pink…I wasn’t expecting this. I’ve read countless shifting stories and most of them happen to include werewolves and this was my first knotting. *chews lip* I’m not sure how I feel about it either. I love me some shifters but I need them to be human when any smexy time occurs.
Biting, marking, and mating are to be expected, but, but…knotting? I just don’t know. It was only a matter of time before such a thing graced the pages before me and it wasn’t necessarily bad but it bumps things to a whole new level. A place I'm slightly nervous of.
Avery is perfectly suited for his animal form. I can’t think of a better animal for him. He’s going to prickle you; it’s just a given that he will rub you the wrong way. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and hasn’t had to work a hard day in his life. He’s got an attitude�.big time. Yet, once his Daddy pulls his ten thousand dollars monthly allowance, (yes I said 10k a month!) he’s easier to warm up to. He changes, strives to be better and becomes a man worthy of his mate in my opinion.
Now Dylan on the other hand, he’s easy to love. He’s loyal, hard-working and fiercely protective. He is your typical growly wolf, but I adored everything about him. He was blessed with a true mate (which is rare) but failed to see how fate thought his perfect partner could be a snotty rich kid that snubbed him during their first encounter. Avery regrets his first impression with Dylan but makes no attempt to rectify his poor behavior. Misunderstandings can push a story so far and then it simply gets frustrating. The hard-headed battle and lack of communication between Avery and Dylan was a touch heavy. I mean, it just started to get old. It seemed to take a substantial chunk of the story for them to give in to their magnetic pull and I would have enjoyed it more if they had caved sooner. I’m just a sucker for the MINE explosions between shifters and this time, I wasn’t really feeling it.
After they finally connected, things heat up quickly. They became the adorable couple I had hoped that they would be. A mystery began to unravel as their relationship grew stronger. Avery begins some inexperienced detective work and looks into a case of a missing wolf. It became a prominent thread in the story and nearly overshadowed the romance. If you like things neat and tidy, be prepared, for the mystery is not resolved. However book two appears to immediately follow and hopefully, everything will come together.
I absolutely loved how Dylan took care of his mate. His besties were pretty awesome too. Generally speaking, the wolves were pretty great. After we uncover the sweet man underneath of the prickly spines, I liked Avery too. He had to fight for it, but he won me over in the end.
Overall this was a cute shifter romance (with knotting!) with a mysterious twist. I’m torn with my final opinion because, despite my frustrations, I couldn’t put it down. Even though it’s not fighting for my top shifter tale, I think I will have to check out what’s in store next for this adorable hedgehog and his sexy wolf.
Biting, marking, and mating are to be expected, but, but…knotting? I just don’t know. It was only a matter of time before such a thing graced the pages before me and it wasn’t necessarily bad but it bumps things to a whole new level. A place I'm slightly nervous of.
Avery is perfectly suited for his animal form. I can’t think of a better animal for him. He’s going to prickle you; it’s just a given that he will rub you the wrong way. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and hasn’t had to work a hard day in his life. He’s got an attitude�.big time. Yet, once his Daddy pulls his ten thousand dollars monthly allowance, (yes I said 10k a month!) he’s easier to warm up to. He changes, strives to be better and becomes a man worthy of his mate in my opinion.
Now Dylan on the other hand, he’s easy to love. He’s loyal, hard-working and fiercely protective. He is your typical growly wolf, but I adored everything about him. He was blessed with a true mate (which is rare) but failed to see how fate thought his perfect partner could be a snotty rich kid that snubbed him during their first encounter. Avery regrets his first impression with Dylan but makes no attempt to rectify his poor behavior. Misunderstandings can push a story so far and then it simply gets frustrating. The hard-headed battle and lack of communication between Avery and Dylan was a touch heavy. I mean, it just started to get old. It seemed to take a substantial chunk of the story for them to give in to their magnetic pull and I would have enjoyed it more if they had caved sooner. I’m just a sucker for the MINE explosions between shifters and this time, I wasn’t really feeling it.
After they finally connected, things heat up quickly. They became the adorable couple I had hoped that they would be. A mystery began to unravel as their relationship grew stronger. Avery begins some inexperienced detective work and looks into a case of a missing wolf. It became a prominent thread in the story and nearly overshadowed the romance. If you like things neat and tidy, be prepared, for the mystery is not resolved. However book two appears to immediately follow and hopefully, everything will come together.
I absolutely loved how Dylan took care of his mate. His besties were pretty awesome too. Generally speaking, the wolves were pretty great. After we uncover the sweet man underneath of the prickly spines, I liked Avery too. He had to fight for it, but he won me over in the end.
Overall this was a cute shifter romance (with knotting!) with a mysterious twist. I’m torn with my final opinion because, despite my frustrations, I couldn’t put it down. Even though it’s not fighting for my top shifter tale, I think I will have to check out what’s in store next for this adorable hedgehog and his sexy wolf.
August 3, 2015
BR, July 31st with Susan, Tara and Kat.
3,5 stars
I must be out of my mind, but I actually kind of liked this�
Avery, the hedgehog was sweet. His human temper matched his animal side. He was prickly, snarky, acted like a snob but was adorable as well at times..
Don’t get me started with the big, alpha wolf, Dylan !!! I always like them wolfshifters!!
Despite fate said that Avery and Dylan were mates, they didn’t act upon it.. Actually they hated each other in the beginning� I found this refreshing cause shifters act like horndogs almost immediately when they meet. Avery and Dylan took their time to get to know each other.
I did think the “getting-to-know-each-other� took quite some time that it began to drag a little.. And the mystery could’ve been more quickly resolved.. Just saying�
The differences in their species might always cause them minor issues, given the way their animal traits manifested in their human personalities. Yet they complemented each other. They could be happy. The forever kind of happy. He knew it.
I’ll be definitely reading more of the series..
Piper Vaughn wrote a little flash fic about Avery� It was cute ♡♡�
August 2, 2015
2.5 stars, that extra .5 is for the KNOTTING!
Seriously, I got uber pissed off at this book. I mean the first published mm book with KNOTTING and you screw up. Never mind by boredom at these two, and why I got sick of reading their damn names everywhere. Then you give me this cute hedgehog shifter and you make him into this spoiled, cottled princess who I could have dealt with that, but then he's a P.I? What??? Yes Avery decided amongst his lonesome self to look for a missing girlwolf. I get the angst, but why couldn't we just have a contemporary story. I would have taken insta-love FFS people. I see the opening to a series because of all the friends and pack members.
I dealt with it taking forever for them to act like they had common sense, but then you have a scene where KNOTTING takes place and it still doesn't get better.
It's like the perfect setup to an amazing story and I'm left with a sex trafficking ring! Why??? Why is that the mystery. I mean seriously. Avery doesn't have any skills but this is where you are taking us? I can't even. I'm so freaking pissed.
Seriously, I got uber pissed off at this book. I mean the first published mm book with KNOTTING and you screw up. Never mind by boredom at these two, and why I got sick of reading their damn names everywhere. Then you give me this cute hedgehog shifter and you make him into this spoiled, cottled princess who I could have dealt with that, but then he's a P.I? What??? Yes Avery decided amongst his lonesome self to look for a missing girlwolf. I get the angst, but why couldn't we just have a contemporary story. I would have taken insta-love FFS people. I see the opening to a series because of all the friends and pack members.
I dealt with it taking forever for them to act like they had common sense, but then you have a scene where KNOTTING takes place and it still doesn't get better.
It's like the perfect setup to an amazing story and I'm left with a sex trafficking ring! Why??? Why is that the mystery. I mean seriously. Avery doesn't have any skills but this is where you are taking us? I can't even. I'm so freaking pissed.
August 7, 2015
Really disappointed in this one. The synopsis says, "Some people might call Avery Babineaux a prick." Yeah, that's because Avery Babineaux is a prick. And Dylan isn't much better. They've been avoiding each other for two years because they're both selfish assholes who can't be bothered to just talk to each other like adults, and I'm supposed to care... Why? There's never a resolution, they don't ever clear up the misunderstanding from two years before, the sex scenes are mediocre and take forever to get to, and to top it all off, this book can't decide what it wants to be. It begins by getting you invested in the romance, then abruptly shifts to a mystery/suspense tale, with Avery investigating the disappearance of a young shifter woman. Which isn't even resolved at the end of the book!
One of the biggest reasons I quit reading het romance is because of the tendency of het romance authors to make their heroines do really stupid things. Monumentally stupid things. And it's always under the guise of trying to prove they're strong and independent. When Avery up and decided to prove that he was strong and independent by putting himself in a dangerous situation without telling Dylan, I had horrid flashbacks to my het romance days.
I didn't like much of anything about this book. The characters are shallow and frustrating, and the plot appears to suffer from split personality disorder. The writing itself is technically okay. That's about all that saves it from the one-star bin.
One of the biggest reasons I quit reading het romance is because of the tendency of het romance authors to make their heroines do really stupid things. Monumentally stupid things. And it's always under the guise of trying to prove they're strong and independent. When Avery up and decided to prove that he was strong and independent by putting himself in a dangerous situation without telling Dylan, I had horrid flashbacks to my het romance days.
I didn't like much of anything about this book. The characters are shallow and frustrating, and the plot appears to suffer from split personality disorder. The writing itself is technically okay. That's about all that saves it from the one-star bin.
July 31, 2015
Totally cute! I loved the idea of a hedgehog. Avery was a great character, but he did kinda devolve into TSTL territory a couple of times, running off trying to "prove himself" to Dylan. Still, all in all, great start to a new series, I look forward to reading about the other shifters.
September 14, 2016
I'm really at odds on this. On one hand, the narration is fantastic. On the other hand, the miscommunication in this is so extreme it almost drove me insane listening to it.
The writing is sharp (communication issues aside), the characters are multi-dimensional and not just cardboard cutouts, and the narration by Iggy Toma brings out a lot of nuance to the story. I love Toma's character voices, timing, and expression. 5 Stars for the audio!
But...Have I mentioned I hated the miscommunication?
It's an interesting premise for a shifter story with a slow burn, even though Avery and Dylan are mates, with a mystery interwoven throughout. Yes, the mystery ends largely unresolved, but, luckily for my sanity, the relationship is resolved. Very satisfactorily. And there's knotting!
I'd absolutely recommend to those for whom communication issues aren't a problem.
Audio copy of provided by in exchange of an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at .
July 14, 2017
3. 5 stars
i liked it but didn't love it .. the idea of a hedgehog and wolf shifter was good but the mystery was just off.
I wanted the MINE!MINE! BITING, the complete trust that happens in most shifter stories. The steam was so low and most if it we are told happened off page. Please just give me hot sex on page i don't mind. Atleast we got the Knotting.
I liked Dylan and Avery as a couple, so i will still read the next book i just hope it gets better.
i liked it but didn't love it .. the idea of a hedgehog and wolf shifter was good but the mystery was just off.
I wanted the MINE!MINE! BITING, the complete trust that happens in most shifter stories. The steam was so low and most if it we are told happened off page. Please just give me hot sex on page i don't mind. Atleast we got the Knotting.
I liked Dylan and Avery as a couple, so i will still read the next book i just hope it gets better.
July 25, 2016
Most of my friends were underwhelmed by this book. But I really liked it!
April 3, 2016
Half a star up for the hedgehog cuteness.
I was hoping for a shifter story, but there wasn't much of it; the book could have easily been done as a simple contemporary. There was the scene in the park, and one more at the very end in the warehouse. Both can be easily replaced with non-paranormal participants.
The pack Alpha is TSTL. He is so thick, in fact, that you can murder someone on his doorstep with him watching and he will still demand a solid proof that it's not, in fact, an accident or a suicide or a halloween prank.
I am not going into more or I will never stop ranting.
2.5 stars.
I was hoping for a shifter story, but there wasn't much of it; the book could have easily been done as a simple contemporary. There was the scene in the park, and one more at the very end in the warehouse. Both can be easily replaced with non-paranormal participants.
The pack Alpha is TSTL. He is so thick, in fact, that you can murder someone on his doorstep with him watching and he will still demand a solid proof that it's not, in fact, an accident or a suicide or a halloween prank.
I am not going into more or I will never stop ranting.
2.5 stars.
December 5, 2015
3.5 stars
Notes :
- My god. I dive into 'reluctant mate' plot again. Hope this one will be good..
- Oh wow. So many potential couples being thrown here. I like it.
- They're so cute together... Please make them together more often. <3
- Oh, so much misunderstanding.. :(
- I'm not really interested with the mystery case stuff..
- Phew. They're HOT!
Notes :
- My god. I dive into 'reluctant mate' plot again. Hope this one will be good..
- Oh wow. So many potential couples being thrown here. I like it.
- They're so cute together... Please make them together more often. <3
- Oh, so much misunderstanding.. :(
- I'm not really interested with the mystery case stuff..
- Phew. They're HOT!
August 1, 2015
4.5 Stars for this M/M shifter mystery romance.
Avery and Dylan are both shifters living in Portland, Oregon. They have known each other for two years and should be happily mated except:
1. Dylan thinks true mates are miserable, case in point--his parents.
2. Avery is a hedgehog shifter, and was deeply offended when Dylan made fun of the idea of mating with such a lowly creature (Dylan is a respected wolf shifter).
3. Avery insulted Dylan after Dylan's insult and now they mostly hate each other.
Avery is a bit of a spoiled brat. His parents give him a hefty monthly allowance which he blows on expensive clothes, personal yoga training and gourmet food. And still, he wagers on an illegal shifter race and finds himself $15K in the hole to a crime lord. Dylan hears of Avery's predicament, and bails him out. He doesn't have to, but he chooses to save his mate, even if they aren't officially mated.
In the course of his money trouble, Avery's parent's cut off his allowance and Avery is begging for a job. The Portland Pack Alpha is Avery's BFF Jaden's father, and Avery is able to secure a pack job, bringing meals to shut-in shifters and driving them to appointments. It's lowly, but Avery appreciates that he has more purpose than ever in his life.
In the meantime, Dylan and Avery recognize that their bond is becoming stronger of its own accord, and they should probably get to know one another to see if completing the mating ritual will be the biggest mistake evah. It's quietly endearing, the way they date and barely touch. Dylan fears being forever glued to a mate he cannot stand, and seeks some advice from his mother. He decides to "go slow" and this is good and bad. We get a lot of tension, but Avery isn't sure if Dylan's really interested. Hedgehogs don't have the same fated mates dynamic as wolves, so he figures Dylan is only invested from a wolf standpoint--and Avery doesn't want to fall hard for sexy Dylan if it's all one-sided.
I really did enjoy prickly Avery. He's so tender on the inside and armored on the outside! Even his designer clothes are a form of protection, keeping others at bay. He gets over himself, and really starts thinking of others first as the plot unfolds. Yay!
The final 2/3 of the book involve a mystery surrounding the disappearance of a young female shifter, only daughter to one of Avery's shut-ins. Avery vows to find the lost girl and gets dragged into an investigation of a human trafficking operation. Expect a lot of action and drama on this front. Dylan is a great guy, the kind of mate anyone, even Avery, would desire. And Avery's desire is so attractive to Dylan that he's drawn in, against his reticence.
There are some yummy sexytimes, though they happen in the second half of the book. I did like the slow burn, and the cautious moves into what Avery and Dylan understand will be a forever relationship. They treat each other with respect, though there is a bit of secret-keeping that drives that action in the climax.
Definitely rooting for these guy in the sequel. And the secondary characters are all super yum. Expecting to see them in their own books!
Avery and Dylan are both shifters living in Portland, Oregon. They have known each other for two years and should be happily mated except:
1. Dylan thinks true mates are miserable, case in point--his parents.
2. Avery is a hedgehog shifter, and was deeply offended when Dylan made fun of the idea of mating with such a lowly creature (Dylan is a respected wolf shifter).
3. Avery insulted Dylan after Dylan's insult and now they mostly hate each other.
Avery is a bit of a spoiled brat. His parents give him a hefty monthly allowance which he blows on expensive clothes, personal yoga training and gourmet food. And still, he wagers on an illegal shifter race and finds himself $15K in the hole to a crime lord. Dylan hears of Avery's predicament, and bails him out. He doesn't have to, but he chooses to save his mate, even if they aren't officially mated.
In the course of his money trouble, Avery's parent's cut off his allowance and Avery is begging for a job. The Portland Pack Alpha is Avery's BFF Jaden's father, and Avery is able to secure a pack job, bringing meals to shut-in shifters and driving them to appointments. It's lowly, but Avery appreciates that he has more purpose than ever in his life.
In the meantime, Dylan and Avery recognize that their bond is becoming stronger of its own accord, and they should probably get to know one another to see if completing the mating ritual will be the biggest mistake evah. It's quietly endearing, the way they date and barely touch. Dylan fears being forever glued to a mate he cannot stand, and seeks some advice from his mother. He decides to "go slow" and this is good and bad. We get a lot of tension, but Avery isn't sure if Dylan's really interested. Hedgehogs don't have the same fated mates dynamic as wolves, so he figures Dylan is only invested from a wolf standpoint--and Avery doesn't want to fall hard for sexy Dylan if it's all one-sided.
I really did enjoy prickly Avery. He's so tender on the inside and armored on the outside! Even his designer clothes are a form of protection, keeping others at bay. He gets over himself, and really starts thinking of others first as the plot unfolds. Yay!
The final 2/3 of the book involve a mystery surrounding the disappearance of a young female shifter, only daughter to one of Avery's shut-ins. Avery vows to find the lost girl and gets dragged into an investigation of a human trafficking operation. Expect a lot of action and drama on this front. Dylan is a great guy, the kind of mate anyone, even Avery, would desire. And Avery's desire is so attractive to Dylan that he's drawn in, against his reticence.
There are some yummy sexytimes, though they happen in the second half of the book. I did like the slow burn, and the cautious moves into what Avery and Dylan understand will be a forever relationship. They treat each other with respect, though there is a bit of secret-keeping that drives that action in the climax.
Definitely rooting for these guy in the sequel. And the secondary characters are all super yum. Expecting to see them in their own books!
November 12, 2015
More than I was expecting. REVIEW COMING SOON @
Piper Vaughn is one of my favorite author (and a great person too). I already knew I was going to like her work no matter what,including a “new to me� author called Kenzie Cade, whoin my opinion has married Piper’s writing perfectly. What I got to read was definitely so much more than I was expecting.
Prickly Business is not just a simple shifter story. It has everything I love to read in a m/m book: enemies to lovers, destined mates, humour, bikers. Plus an unexpected theme, the mystery. I don’t even want to tell you how much I hated the authors at the end. Here are all the premises for a fantastic and long (I hope) new entertaining series, funny and sexy, just how I like them.
The strange and unlikely couple, a hedgehog shifter and his wolf mate, was hilarious and believable at the same time. Have you ever read about a hedgehog shifter? Well I found it a fresh and original idea, well developed in the book. A book with essence, with is a true plot, with some deepness. I wasn’t bored for a minute, on the contrary it was hard to put it down.
There is a great second characters cast I can’t wait to meet them again pretty soon, please?
I gave Prickly Business five stars cause i simply loved it. But my pleasure increased at the end of the story where, even if I was a little angry at the little cliffhanger, I realized the next book in the Portland Pack Chronicles series will still be about Avery and Dylan. I like to read series in general but I love this kind of series, where I can follow the MCs of the book I fell in love with through their life together after the HEA. If I really enjoyed a couple I want more about them, always.
Highly recommended!
Cover art by Reese Dante. Well done! But it’s probably the first and only time I’m going to say I could have even done without the models due to the so cute couple on the left. The wolf keeping his little hedgehog between his legs is so sweet.
Piper Vaughn is one of my favorite author (and a great person too). I already knew I was going to like her work no matter what,including a “new to me� author called Kenzie Cade, whoin my opinion has married Piper’s writing perfectly. What I got to read was definitely so much more than I was expecting.
Prickly Business is not just a simple shifter story. It has everything I love to read in a m/m book: enemies to lovers, destined mates, humour, bikers. Plus an unexpected theme, the mystery. I don’t even want to tell you how much I hated the authors at the end. Here are all the premises for a fantastic and long (I hope) new entertaining series, funny and sexy, just how I like them.
The strange and unlikely couple, a hedgehog shifter and his wolf mate, was hilarious and believable at the same time. Have you ever read about a hedgehog shifter? Well I found it a fresh and original idea, well developed in the book. A book with essence, with is a true plot, with some deepness. I wasn’t bored for a minute, on the contrary it was hard to put it down.
There is a great second characters cast I can’t wait to meet them again pretty soon, please?
I gave Prickly Business five stars cause i simply loved it. But my pleasure increased at the end of the story where, even if I was a little angry at the little cliffhanger, I realized the next book in the Portland Pack Chronicles series will still be about Avery and Dylan. I like to read series in general but I love this kind of series, where I can follow the MCs of the book I fell in love with through their life together after the HEA. If I really enjoyed a couple I want more about them, always.
Highly recommended!
Cover art by Reese Dante. Well done! But it’s probably the first and only time I’m going to say I could have even done without the models due to the so cute couple on the left. The wolf keeping his little hedgehog between his legs is so sweet.
July 31, 2015
3.75 stars
I have never read a hedgehog shifter story so that alone made this story unique. I feel that this was a good start to a new series, I liked the MCs and the secondary characters were interesting that I will look forward to see where the authors take this series with those characters. While I really enjoyed this story, I didn't love it. I would have liked a little more romance with Dylan and Avery and a little less with the constant misunderstandings and trying to protect each other by withholding things. That got a little tedious after a while. I would have liked getting to know the characters more than have Avery chasing around trying to figure out what happened with Lacey, that aspect of the book was just okay for me, there was something missing and all I felt was that it was thrown in to give Avery a way to get himself into trouble so that he could be rescued. Even with the negatives, I did enjoy it.
I have never read a hedgehog shifter story so that alone made this story unique. I feel that this was a good start to a new series, I liked the MCs and the secondary characters were interesting that I will look forward to see where the authors take this series with those characters. While I really enjoyed this story, I didn't love it. I would have liked a little more romance with Dylan and Avery and a little less with the constant misunderstandings and trying to protect each other by withholding things. That got a little tedious after a while. I would have liked getting to know the characters more than have Avery chasing around trying to figure out what happened with Lacey, that aspect of the book was just okay for me, there was something missing and all I felt was that it was thrown in to give Avery a way to get himself into trouble so that he could be rescued. Even with the negatives, I did enjoy it.
December 29, 2015
Cute idea for a shifter. Boring story. Too many names to remember. :(
June 15, 2016
Actual rating is 3.3
Even though Avery and Dylan are each other's true mate, both men have separately tried v. hard to fight against their potential shared destiny.
When Avery ends up in a messy situation, Dylan squares his shoulders and begrudgingly helps him...
I'd totally forgotten I'd bought this book late last year. It'd have probably languished in my TBR for a while had I not come across (Please note that this short story is set sometime after the end of this book. It doesn't spoil anything about the plot per se, but still.)
What I liked
+ Avery
Having grown up in a rich family, Avery is every inch the label-obsessed, spoiled, and snobby guy you'd expect. But then, he's also terribly sweet. As a hedgehog shifter (which, ngl, was one of the reasons that prompted me to write this book), he's solitary by nature. FTR, he's BFFs with the Alpha's son.
I liked him from the very beginning (though some people in the reviews for this book couldn't stand him). To me, he was someone who needed to go outside his privileged life and the book made him do exactly that. Eventually, he developed a sensible side to this personality that balanced out the frivolous one. It's not so much that he became someone new. Instead, he became someone with more to offer the world.
FWIW, I liked Dylan OK. However, out of the two MC's I was high-fiving Avery more often. :P
+ Avery/Dylan
This book pushed all the right buttons about an "opposites attract" couple. Avery and Dylan were very different (and not only because, unlike Avery, Dylan's a wolf shifter). There was banter and flirting that segued nicely into sexy times. I believed how strongly they felt for each other as well as the reasons why both of them had resisted the pull of their bond for so long.
Their sex scenes were hella hot (though there was ONE thing that made me go O_O!) because their chemistry was off-the-charts good.
The reasons why both of them didn't want to give into their bond weren't exactly compelling, but they made sense to me.
+ Secondary characters
Avery only had Jaden (the alpha's son) on his side. His family (via his father) only shows up at the very beginning and it's in a series of rather negative calls.
Meanwhile, Dylan has his five or so wolf ~bros~, i.e. pack members, with him for most of the story. It turns out that Dylan owns a bike shop and they all work there. The authors did a good job on giving each of the guys very distinct voices and personalities.
There are only two female characters in the story: Betty (Dylan's mother) who shows up in one scene. The other one is the alpha's wife (who, again, only shows up in one scene). I wished there had been more female shifters about. Also, AFAIK, everyone in the book was white.
What I didn't like
- Lawrence (Dylan's father)
We learn, pretty much from the very beginning, that Dylan and Lawrence feel a hella lot of resentment towards one another. It's not very clear why, but it's something that comes up a few times in the novel.
Personally, I found Lawrence's contempt/dislike of Dylan (as well as his utter loathing of Avery) sorta irrational.
- Odell (lousy alpha)
I wasn't too impressed with his style of leadership, really. Like, even after being presented with facts of wrongdoing against pack members, his attitude was "well, let's wait and see" instead of being more proactive and taking action.
- Mystery plot
So, the first 50% of the book is the slowish-burning romance between Avery and Dylan. Suddenly, there's a mystery/crime storyline that gets thrown into the book and continues all the way to the end.
It didn't blend as seamlessly with the romance plot as the authors might've intended. Especially because (HUGE SPOILER) I totes :| at that since everything in the book seemed to be aligning for that kind of resolution. Despite the fact that it wasn't terribly frustrating (we do get a HFN or HEA--depending on how you want to see it), it kinda annoyed me a little.
-The thing that made me O_O!
OK, so I knew that there was going to be knotting in this book before I read it. A lot of the reviews mentioned it. As it happens, knotting is one of my squicks. Not in an extreme/hardcore way, but one I like to avoid.
FWIW, it happens on screen at . There's only that one scene (which is rather short) and then, it's mentioned a handful of times for the reminder of the book.
If knotting is something you really can't stand, I can say that you can avoid the one explicit scene, but I don't know how well you can skip the other occasions Avery or Dylan think about it.
If knotting is something you love, I would say to not get your hopes up either. Again, one scene and, like, 5 or so mentions of about one or two sentences each.
Even though I put it on the "didn't like" side, I wasn't as bothered by it as I'd expected. Partly because, yeah, I knew about it beforehand. Another reason was because it made sense given that the protags are shifters AND (most importantly for me vis a vis my squicks) it happened while both MCs were in human form.
In the end, I can't say I deducted any points/stars because of the knoting, but I wasn't exactly thrilled about it either. YMMV. Also YKINMYATOK.
ETA:
- The one thing about Avery/Dylan that bumped the rating downwards for me
A few chapters after Avery and Dylan begin to overcome their individual reasons for avoiding each other, Dylan holds something back from Avery. The thing itself is not a big deal. They do end up having a fight and then, making up with promises to handle things better in the future. Everything is going OK for a while. Until, that is, once again, Dylan keeps something to himself. Avery, rather than confront him about it, decides to teach him a lesson. This backfires on both of them. Again.
I don't mind having the MCs dealing with issues of trust. In addition, Dylan's tendency to keep Avery safe is the very thing that irritates the f out of Avery. The conflict is good the first time, but having to read about it a second time was borderline overkill. I did ended up knocking a whole star because my first thought was "yeah, how about we don't go down this route?"
TL;DR: A mostly sweet shifter romance with a mystery plot that takes over a little past the halfway mark. The MCs stubbornness regarding really trusting each other made me give it a bit of a squinty-eye. Regardless, I'll deffo read book 2 in the series
Even though Avery and Dylan are each other's true mate, both men have separately tried v. hard to fight against their potential shared destiny.
When Avery ends up in a messy situation, Dylan squares his shoulders and begrudgingly helps him...
I'd totally forgotten I'd bought this book late last year. It'd have probably languished in my TBR for a while had I not come across (Please note that this short story is set sometime after the end of this book. It doesn't spoil anything about the plot per se, but still.)
What I liked
+ Avery
Having grown up in a rich family, Avery is every inch the label-obsessed, spoiled, and snobby guy you'd expect. But then, he's also terribly sweet. As a hedgehog shifter (which, ngl, was one of the reasons that prompted me to write this book), he's solitary by nature. FTR, he's BFFs with the Alpha's son.
I liked him from the very beginning (though some people in the reviews for this book couldn't stand him). To me, he was someone who needed to go outside his privileged life and the book made him do exactly that. Eventually, he developed a sensible side to this personality that balanced out the frivolous one. It's not so much that he became someone new. Instead, he became someone with more to offer the world.
FWIW, I liked Dylan OK. However, out of the two MC's I was high-fiving Avery more often. :P
+ Avery/Dylan
This book pushed all the right buttons about an "opposites attract" couple. Avery and Dylan were very different (and not only because, unlike Avery, Dylan's a wolf shifter). There was banter and flirting that segued nicely into sexy times. I believed how strongly they felt for each other as well as the reasons why both of them had resisted the pull of their bond for so long.
Their sex scenes were hella hot (though there was ONE thing that made me go O_O!) because their chemistry was off-the-charts good.
The reasons why both of them didn't want to give into their bond weren't exactly compelling, but they made sense to me.
+ Secondary characters
Avery only had Jaden (the alpha's son) on his side. His family (via his father) only shows up at the very beginning and it's in a series of rather negative calls.
Meanwhile, Dylan has his five or so wolf ~bros~, i.e. pack members, with him for most of the story. It turns out that Dylan owns a bike shop and they all work there. The authors did a good job on giving each of the guys very distinct voices and personalities.
There are only two female characters in the story: Betty (Dylan's mother) who shows up in one scene. The other one is the alpha's wife (who, again, only shows up in one scene). I wished there had been more female shifters about. Also, AFAIK, everyone in the book was white.
What I didn't like
- Lawrence (Dylan's father)
We learn, pretty much from the very beginning, that Dylan and Lawrence feel a hella lot of resentment towards one another. It's not very clear why, but it's something that comes up a few times in the novel.
Personally, I found Lawrence's contempt/dislike of Dylan (as well as his utter loathing of Avery) sorta irrational.
- Odell (lousy alpha)
I wasn't too impressed with his style of leadership, really. Like, even after being presented with facts of wrongdoing against pack members, his attitude was "well, let's wait and see" instead of being more proactive and taking action.
- Mystery plot
So, the first 50% of the book is the slowish-burning romance between Avery and Dylan. Suddenly, there's a mystery/crime storyline that gets thrown into the book and continues all the way to the end.
It didn't blend as seamlessly with the romance plot as the authors might've intended. Especially because (HUGE SPOILER) I totes :| at that since everything in the book seemed to be aligning for that kind of resolution. Despite the fact that it wasn't terribly frustrating (we do get a HFN or HEA--depending on how you want to see it), it kinda annoyed me a little.
-The thing that made me O_O!
OK, so I knew that there was going to be knotting in this book before I read it. A lot of the reviews mentioned it. As it happens, knotting is one of my squicks. Not in an extreme/hardcore way, but one I like to avoid.
FWIW, it happens on screen at . There's only that one scene (which is rather short) and then, it's mentioned a handful of times for the reminder of the book.
If knotting is something you really can't stand, I can say that you can avoid the one explicit scene, but I don't know how well you can skip the other occasions Avery or Dylan think about it.
If knotting is something you love, I would say to not get your hopes up either. Again, one scene and, like, 5 or so mentions of about one or two sentences each.
Even though I put it on the "didn't like" side, I wasn't as bothered by it as I'd expected. Partly because, yeah, I knew about it beforehand. Another reason was because it made sense given that the protags are shifters AND (most importantly for me vis a vis my squicks) it happened while both MCs were in human form.
In the end, I can't say I deducted any points/stars because of the knoting, but I wasn't exactly thrilled about it either. YMMV. Also YKINMYATOK.
ETA:
- The one thing about Avery/Dylan that bumped the rating downwards for me
A few chapters after Avery and Dylan begin to overcome their individual reasons for avoiding each other, Dylan holds something back from Avery. The thing itself is not a big deal. They do end up having a fight and then, making up with promises to handle things better in the future. Everything is going OK for a while. Until, that is, once again, Dylan keeps something to himself. Avery, rather than confront him about it, decides to teach him a lesson. This backfires on both of them. Again.
I don't mind having the MCs dealing with issues of trust. In addition, Dylan's tendency to keep Avery safe is the very thing that irritates the f out of Avery. The conflict is good the first time, but having to read about it a second time was borderline overkill. I did ended up knocking a whole star because my first thought was "yeah, how about we don't go down this route?"
TL;DR: A mostly sweet shifter romance with a mystery plot that takes over a little past the halfway mark. The MCs stubbornness regarding really trusting each other made me give it a bit of a squinty-eye. Regardless, I'll deffo read book 2 in the series
October 8, 2022
A pretty cool story actually. There were a few things I didn't love... primarily, if they're fated mates, what the heck took them so long to get together?
Avery's character is great, and I liked how the mystery part of the story changed so much about him.
Nicely performed by Iggy Toma.
Avery's character is great, and I liked how the mystery part of the story changed so much about him.
Nicely performed by Iggy Toma.
February 11, 2019
Gestaltwandlergeschichten sind ja derzeit sehr angesagt und meist spielen große, starke und beeindruckende (Raub-)Tierarten die Hauptrolle. Von daher bin ich immer sehr neugierig, wie Geschichten mit anderen Tierarten umgesetzt werden. Eines der besten Bücher über Wandler, das ich jemals gelesen habe und in dem der “Metamorph� eben kein Löwe, Bär oder Wolf war, war über und mit einem Vogel, einem Goldvogel :-). Vielleicht kommt ja mal was über z.B. Delphine, Bergziegen oder Elefanten ;-), ich bin auf jeden Fall gespannt.
In dieser Geschichte haben wir es mit einem Igel zu tun und ich war schon etwas skeptisch, wie die beiden Autoren dies umgesetzt haben. Ich habe ja eine schwäche für etwas überspannte Charaktere und hier hatten wir wahrlich ein Prachtexemplar *g*. Avery kommt aus einer alten und reichen, aber kaltherzigen Südstaatenfamilie. Geld ist im Überfluss da, aber Herzenswärme gibt es keine. Wenn ich die richtigen Schlüsse aus seinem “Lebenslauf� gezogen habe, dann war er ein ziemlich einsames Kind, das immer im Schatten seiner ach so perfekten Geschwister gelebt hat. So ist er zwar “nach Igelart� ein Einzelgänger, allerdings einer mit einem riesengroßen Herzen, der zu Beginn einfach nichts sinnvolles mit seinem Leben anzufangen wusste. Mit einem einzigen richtig guten Freund, fühlte er sich zwar nicht einsam, aber trotzdem fehlte irgendetwas seinem Leben, bis er auf Dylan traf. Da beide sehr impulsiv sind, war das Kennenlernen nicht wirklich erfolgreich und so hatten beide keine allzu hohe Meinung voneinander. Was soll Avery auch mit so einem Flohträger� Aber auch Dylan hatte große Zweifel, ob dieser kleine, stachlige Geselle wirklich sein Gefährte sein sollte� Tja, was will der Kopf einem erzählen, wenn das Herz eine ganz andere Sprache spricht ;-)
Als Avery sich mal wieder selbst in Schwierigkeiten bringt, bekommt er von seinen Eltern die Tür vor der Nase zugeschlagen und muss sich, wenn er nicht großen Ärger bekommen will, überwinden und Dylan um Hilfe bitten. Das Abenteuer, dass sie nun zu bewältigen haben, bringt sie in große Gefahr und dennoch, kann niemand Avery davon abhalten, seinem neuen Freund “Herrn Otis� zu helfen.
So zickig und kratzbürstig Avery zu Beginn der Geschichte ist, so schnell entwickelt er sich weiter und lernt viel dazu. Ich kann mir gut vorstellen, dass es Leser gibt, die den Kopf über den kleinen Igelwandler schütteln, ich fand ihn jedoch sehr liebenswert und wie oben schon erwähnt, ich steh auf etwas “hyperaktive�, interessante Charaktere und Devon als Canide hat nunmal ein sehr beschützendes Wesen und ist immer zur Stelle, wenn Avery sich mal wieder in Gefahr bringt. Sein oberstes und wichtigstes Ziel ist es, seinen Gefährten vor jeglichem Übel zu bewahren� Manchmal ein in ziemlich schwieriges Unterfangen *g*.
Die Liebesgeschichte zwischen Avery und Dylan findet in diesem ersten von (derzeit?) zwei Bänden ein Happy End, der Krimiplot ist allerdings noch nicht abgeschlossen � ich gehe aber schwer davon aus, dass dieser im zweiten Band geklärt wird. Wer nicht auf die Übersetzung warten will, für den gibt es bereit Band 2 als englisches Original.
Nun denn, warten wir auf die deutsche Fortsetzung, oder � :-)
In dieser Geschichte haben wir es mit einem Igel zu tun und ich war schon etwas skeptisch, wie die beiden Autoren dies umgesetzt haben. Ich habe ja eine schwäche für etwas überspannte Charaktere und hier hatten wir wahrlich ein Prachtexemplar *g*. Avery kommt aus einer alten und reichen, aber kaltherzigen Südstaatenfamilie. Geld ist im Überfluss da, aber Herzenswärme gibt es keine. Wenn ich die richtigen Schlüsse aus seinem “Lebenslauf� gezogen habe, dann war er ein ziemlich einsames Kind, das immer im Schatten seiner ach so perfekten Geschwister gelebt hat. So ist er zwar “nach Igelart� ein Einzelgänger, allerdings einer mit einem riesengroßen Herzen, der zu Beginn einfach nichts sinnvolles mit seinem Leben anzufangen wusste. Mit einem einzigen richtig guten Freund, fühlte er sich zwar nicht einsam, aber trotzdem fehlte irgendetwas seinem Leben, bis er auf Dylan traf. Da beide sehr impulsiv sind, war das Kennenlernen nicht wirklich erfolgreich und so hatten beide keine allzu hohe Meinung voneinander. Was soll Avery auch mit so einem Flohträger� Aber auch Dylan hatte große Zweifel, ob dieser kleine, stachlige Geselle wirklich sein Gefährte sein sollte� Tja, was will der Kopf einem erzählen, wenn das Herz eine ganz andere Sprache spricht ;-)
Als Avery sich mal wieder selbst in Schwierigkeiten bringt, bekommt er von seinen Eltern die Tür vor der Nase zugeschlagen und muss sich, wenn er nicht großen Ärger bekommen will, überwinden und Dylan um Hilfe bitten. Das Abenteuer, dass sie nun zu bewältigen haben, bringt sie in große Gefahr und dennoch, kann niemand Avery davon abhalten, seinem neuen Freund “Herrn Otis� zu helfen.
So zickig und kratzbürstig Avery zu Beginn der Geschichte ist, so schnell entwickelt er sich weiter und lernt viel dazu. Ich kann mir gut vorstellen, dass es Leser gibt, die den Kopf über den kleinen Igelwandler schütteln, ich fand ihn jedoch sehr liebenswert und wie oben schon erwähnt, ich steh auf etwas “hyperaktive�, interessante Charaktere und Devon als Canide hat nunmal ein sehr beschützendes Wesen und ist immer zur Stelle, wenn Avery sich mal wieder in Gefahr bringt. Sein oberstes und wichtigstes Ziel ist es, seinen Gefährten vor jeglichem Übel zu bewahren� Manchmal ein in ziemlich schwieriges Unterfangen *g*.
Die Liebesgeschichte zwischen Avery und Dylan findet in diesem ersten von (derzeit?) zwei Bänden ein Happy End, der Krimiplot ist allerdings noch nicht abgeschlossen � ich gehe aber schwer davon aus, dass dieser im zweiten Band geklärt wird. Wer nicht auf die Übersetzung warten will, für den gibt es bereit Band 2 als englisches Original.
Nun denn, warten wir auf die deutsche Fortsetzung, oder � :-)
October 7, 2020
There are a few unusual things about this story, and I have to say, I do love me an unusual story. First, there is a hedgehog shifter. Yes, you read that right. And Avery is about as prickly as they get in both human and shifter form. Second, the hedgehog shifter is mated to a wolf shifter. That is more than unusual; I find it both hilarious and fascinating. Third, both characters start out as pretty unlikeable. Maybe for different reasons, but they each have several issues. And fourth, despite knowing they are fated mates, they refuse to acknowledge the mate bond for two thirds of the book. No insta-love for these guys. Maybe a little bit of insta-lust, but that doesn’t get them very far � other than in trouble! Mix all those ingredients together and it results in a great story, with imaginative and very funny characters, and a mystery plot that looks to continue in book two.
Please find my full review of the second edition on .
Please find my full review of the second edition on .
August 7, 2015
Loved it! It frustrated me, made me want to slap both of them multiple times, I had to stop reading for stretches, but I love it; especially Dylan! And Lucas, and Sawyer and Kirk, and Broderik...okay fine, MOST of the wolves in Dylan's crew!
Warning:
The ending of this is a cliffhanger, not with the couple, but with the storyline. Just thought some might like to know. The next installment is due out in November and I can't wait!!
Warning:
The ending of this is a cliffhanger, not with the couple, but with the storyline. Just thought some might like to know. The next installment is due out in November and I can't wait!!
Want to read
July 3, 2015This sounds cute, but I just gotta wonder -- since hedgehogs aren't native to North America, why would an "old Louisiana family" have hedgehog shifters in it? Things that make ya go hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
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