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Being(s) in Love #1
Guide de séduction en terrain hostile
Le travail de détective est difficile. Être en plus un loup-garou victime de préjugés humains complique considérablement les choses pour Ray Branigan. Alors qu’il est sur les traces d’un assassin, il admet qu’il a besoin d’aide.
Entre alors en scène Cal Parker, le magnifique demi-fée dont Ray est secrètement amoureux depuis des années. Secrètement parce que, si les loups-garous s’unissent pour la vie... ce n’est pas le cas des fées. Ray a besoin de Cal, mais il a du mal à se concentrer lorsque son âme sœur se balade à demi nu et essaie de le séduire aux yeux de tous. Lorsque Ray identifie enfin le tueur, annihilant au passage quelques-uns de ses propres préjugés, il est peut-être déjà trop tard pour Cal.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2011
115 people are currently reading
1,702 people want to read
About the author
R. Cooper
75books952followersI'm R. Cooper, a somewhat absentminded, often distracted, writer of queer romance. I'm probably most known for the Being(s) in Love series and The Suitable 'Verse stories. Also the occasional story about witches or firefighters in love.
You can visit my website for updates or sign up for my . My newsletter is free! And comes out once a month or once every two months or so.
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If you just want book release updates, I have a .
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You can visit my website for updates or sign up for my . My newsletter is free! And comes out once a month or once every two months or so.
Otherwise... have some social media links if you want updates and whatever the hell else I am talking about.
**With Meta's current policies, I do not use FB or Insta or Threads for anything but the bare minimum.**
You can also support me on Patreon if you like
If you just want book release updates, I have a .
Also, I now have a where I will try to track my reading in an organized fashion.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 364 reviews
June 3, 2018
This is my first and let’s just say I wasn’t disappointed. But I have to say that this is very different from the usual paranormal/shifters books writing style that I’m used to. This is written more like a prose in a speaking style rather than as a novel, well, at least in my opinion. 😁 Nonetheless, it was quite interesting and enjoyable. 😉
It’s been a while that beings (magical creatures) have come to light and live in the human world. And Ray Branigan, the werewolf, is the first homicide detective of this town. Working together with many police officers and dealing with murders every day is not easy but it’s even more difficult when your colleagues are scared of being bitten to death by you. Prejudices and ignorance. And to add to Ray’s misery, he’s been secretly in love with Cal Parker, the half fairy and his destined mate, for a couple years now. Ray is a werewolf which means they mate for life while faires are known for being non-committed hedonists. 😁 This relationship is doomed even before it has started. And Ray’s resolve for not getting involved is not helping when his mate is being shirtless and wiggling his cute little butt in his face all the time. 😂
Cal Parker, half-fairy half-human, and a consultant of police department where Ray works. Cal’s been chasing the huge, virile and sexy werewolf for a couple years now but for the reasons unknown to him, Ray seems to be scared to be with him despite Cal knows that Ray covets him. And Cal isn’t known for giving up easily. It’s his life mission to seduce Ray to be his and he’s going to win him over one way or another.
Meanwhile, the most gruesome murders of all time are happening in this town and a serial killer is still on the loose. So Ray and Parker has to set aside their wants and urges and work together to catch this very dangerous killer. And little did they know, finding and stopping this killer will not only rescue their lives but also their hearts.
It was difficult to get into the writing style at first because it was quite different from the ones I’m used to. However, I do think it was really interesting, refreshing and a unique story. 😊 Since this is the very first book of a very long series, we clearly didn’t have a lot of background when it comes to this world but I think it’s a very promising start. However, all stories in this series are standalones and you don’t need to read them in order to enjoy them to the fullest. This is unlike most shifters stories since this is very low on heat and it’s much more emphasized on the storyline and the portrayal of our MCs. Overall, it was short, fluffy, sweet and different. I liked it a lot. I’m looking forward to reading more books in the series. 😌
Favorite excerpts from the novel: ❤️
“Bad dog. Just for that, no biscuit.�
Fairies lived for sunshine, not the light of a fat, silver moon. They couldn’t even sit still, everyone knew that, and they had no concept of long-term monogamy. Why should they, living for so long? Ray had never heard of a Fairy/ Were mating anyway. Cal might want him, did want him. But not for life, however long it ended up being for a half-fairy.
To mark Cal as his, to bite his sweet skin and drag him away, piss at his feet, do whatever it took for the rest of world to understand and back off.
Ray Ray. Look at you. Look at you. You can� just drag me� anywhere. Anywhere you want to take me, and I’m there. There you are, and here I am. Just take me.
“Soft.� Cal had been sweet, was always sweet, even when he was breaking Ray’s heart. “Soft,� he’d said. “You’d think you’d be scary. But you’re soft.�
“The ‘werewolves can go all night� thing.� Actually, Cal wasn’t doing too badly in that department either. “Oh, that.�
“Callalily Parker is my mate.�
“That is what I want, you silly, silly puppy. I have been trying to tell you that since like day one. Since day three. Since your bathroom. Since laying eyes on you.� “Really?�
“I know everyone says we just run around looking for new things to make us happy, but nobody ever talks about what happens when we find what makes us happy, do they? What did I tell you then, Ray?� He’d said, There you are.
3.75 a werewolf loves a lollipop-sucking, butt-wiggling fairy stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
It’s been a while that beings (magical creatures) have come to light and live in the human world. And Ray Branigan, the werewolf, is the first homicide detective of this town. Working together with many police officers and dealing with murders every day is not easy but it’s even more difficult when your colleagues are scared of being bitten to death by you. Prejudices and ignorance. And to add to Ray’s misery, he’s been secretly in love with Cal Parker, the half fairy and his destined mate, for a couple years now. Ray is a werewolf which means they mate for life while faires are known for being non-committed hedonists. 😁 This relationship is doomed even before it has started. And Ray’s resolve for not getting involved is not helping when his mate is being shirtless and wiggling his cute little butt in his face all the time. 😂
Cal Parker, half-fairy half-human, and a consultant of police department where Ray works. Cal’s been chasing the huge, virile and sexy werewolf for a couple years now but for the reasons unknown to him, Ray seems to be scared to be with him despite Cal knows that Ray covets him. And Cal isn’t known for giving up easily. It’s his life mission to seduce Ray to be his and he’s going to win him over one way or another.
Meanwhile, the most gruesome murders of all time are happening in this town and a serial killer is still on the loose. So Ray and Parker has to set aside their wants and urges and work together to catch this very dangerous killer. And little did they know, finding and stopping this killer will not only rescue their lives but also their hearts.
It was difficult to get into the writing style at first because it was quite different from the ones I’m used to. However, I do think it was really interesting, refreshing and a unique story. 😊 Since this is the very first book of a very long series, we clearly didn’t have a lot of background when it comes to this world but I think it’s a very promising start. However, all stories in this series are standalones and you don’t need to read them in order to enjoy them to the fullest. This is unlike most shifters stories since this is very low on heat and it’s much more emphasized on the storyline and the portrayal of our MCs. Overall, it was short, fluffy, sweet and different. I liked it a lot. I’m looking forward to reading more books in the series. 😌
Favorite excerpts from the novel: ❤️
“Bad dog. Just for that, no biscuit.�
Fairies lived for sunshine, not the light of a fat, silver moon. They couldn’t even sit still, everyone knew that, and they had no concept of long-term monogamy. Why should they, living for so long? Ray had never heard of a Fairy/ Were mating anyway. Cal might want him, did want him. But not for life, however long it ended up being for a half-fairy.
To mark Cal as his, to bite his sweet skin and drag him away, piss at his feet, do whatever it took for the rest of world to understand and back off.
Ray Ray. Look at you. Look at you. You can� just drag me� anywhere. Anywhere you want to take me, and I’m there. There you are, and here I am. Just take me.
“Soft.� Cal had been sweet, was always sweet, even when he was breaking Ray’s heart. “Soft,� he’d said. “You’d think you’d be scary. But you’re soft.�
“The ‘werewolves can go all night� thing.� Actually, Cal wasn’t doing too badly in that department either. “Oh, that.�
“Callalily Parker is my mate.�
“That is what I want, you silly, silly puppy. I have been trying to tell you that since like day one. Since day three. Since your bathroom. Since laying eyes on you.� “Really?�
“I know everyone says we just run around looking for new things to make us happy, but nobody ever talks about what happens when we find what makes us happy, do they? What did I tell you then, Ray?� He’d said, There you are.
3.75 a werewolf loves a lollipop-sucking, butt-wiggling fairy stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
May 8, 2011
I wish I could give more stars to this story because truthfully, I do like some things. I think the idea is sweet, and I totally welcome the fact that Ray (as a Werewolf) does not immediately jump on his mate, Cal (the Fairy) since he thinks Fairies cannot stay with one person for the rest of their lives. Pining over (being frustrated) over Cal, being in love, and well, everybody knows about it, making bets, and keep saying that he is Taken, is something amusing :). Though I wish that Cal as character is being explored more, because as Fairy, he interests me.
UNFORTUNATELY, the writing just THROW ME OFF!! I'm so annoyed with it. Undeveloped sentences, weird word choices, man, reading this is a STRUGGLE and this is a novella for cryin' out loud. I read mainstream urban fantasies too, and sometimes I struggle for those, but most often it's because of the jargon and world building. This one doesn't eally have complicated world building but the way the story is written makes it feel like reading gibberish one time too many. And I'm not an native English speaker, so I probably struggle more than those who are.
It's just too bad, because I can actually see enjoying this more and giving it my great 4 or 4.5 stars criteria.
UNFORTUNATELY, the writing just THROW ME OFF!! I'm so annoyed with it. Undeveloped sentences, weird word choices, man, reading this is a STRUGGLE and this is a novella for cryin' out loud. I read mainstream urban fantasies too, and sometimes I struggle for those, but most often it's because of the jargon and world building. This one doesn't eally have complicated world building but the way the story is written makes it feel like reading gibberish one time too many. And I'm not an native English speaker, so I probably struggle more than those who are.
It's just too bad, because I can actually see enjoying this more and giving it my great 4 or 4.5 stars criteria.
October 22, 2015
Book Review: 5 stars
I give out 5 stars for 2 reasons. One, I think the book is...
...and should be read by everyone. Two, I've read it multiple times and enjoy it each and every time. This is important because I'm addicted to rereads, but not a lot of books hold up. What I thought was pretty good the first time is more like blah blah blah shut the fuck up the second time. Some Kind of Magic falls under the latter category. (The I like it multiple times category, I mean, not the shut the fuck up--you get me, right?)
Actually, the fact that I even liked it in the first place amazes me. The whole story could really be told in about 4 pages. The killer is so obvious they could've arrested him directly after the first murder and then Ray and Cal could've sat down and had one honest conversation. BOOM. And they lived happily ever after.
But, you know, I don't give a shit. I love the world Cooper creates, I love her characters, I love how she uses fairy tales to create misunderstandings between her heroes. She strikes me as a person who loves stories and I love that.
Audio Review: 3 stars? 2 if I'm being frank.
As for the audio. Hmmmm...I know I'll listen to it multiple times also. I listened to it 3 times in the past 3 days already. But that was partly because I kept falling asleep. Ron has the perfect voice for growly werewolf Ray, but it doesn't work for the rest of the story. Also, he pauses weirdly in the middle of sentences. And I sometimes couldn't tell the difference between Ray and Cal when they were talking.
But I still enjoyed it. I'd just recommend you read the book first so you have some familiarity with what's going on before listening to it.
I give out 5 stars for 2 reasons. One, I think the book is...
...and should be read by everyone. Two, I've read it multiple times and enjoy it each and every time. This is important because I'm addicted to rereads, but not a lot of books hold up. What I thought was pretty good the first time is more like blah blah blah shut the fuck up the second time. Some Kind of Magic falls under the latter category. (The I like it multiple times category, I mean, not the shut the fuck up--you get me, right?)
Actually, the fact that I even liked it in the first place amazes me. The whole story could really be told in about 4 pages. The killer is so obvious they could've arrested him directly after the first murder and then Ray and Cal could've sat down and had one honest conversation. BOOM. And they lived happily ever after.
But, you know, I don't give a shit. I love the world Cooper creates, I love her characters, I love how she uses fairy tales to create misunderstandings between her heroes. She strikes me as a person who loves stories and I love that.
Audio Review: 3 stars? 2 if I'm being frank.
As for the audio. Hmmmm...I know I'll listen to it multiple times also. I listened to it 3 times in the past 3 days already. But that was partly because I kept falling asleep. Ron has the perfect voice for growly werewolf Ray, but it doesn't work for the rest of the story. Also, he pauses weirdly in the middle of sentences. And I sometimes couldn't tell the difference between Ray and Cal when they were talking.
But I still enjoyed it. I'd just recommend you read the book first so you have some familiarity with what's going on before listening to it.
June 7, 2023
Well, this one was kind of bad. The author’s evolution and growth is quite obvious between this first one and the ninth I loved. This one is short and meh.
May 20, 2016
It had all the makings for a great story: magical creatures in a cool world, great main characters, cute romance, and some smile-worthy moments, but the writing was really disjointed with dialogue that was really hard to follow. I spent too much time looking back to figure out who was talking or who they meant when they were talking about someone. It wasn't clear to follow.
September 26, 2020
*3.25 Stars*
Fairies, Werewolves, Wizards, Sirens, Trolls...
This is fantasy heaven for me.
💛The romance 💛
Unfortunately one of my least favorite romance tropes.
The one where both MC's love one another but are kept apart due to misconceptions & fear.
Still, there was enough banter, UST and sweet/tender nicknames being tossed back and forth that my romantic soul was satisfied.
🌸Cal Parker🌸is this vibrant, shimmery, sugar addict half-fairy. Sigh he was just delightful and so utterly lovable.
Ray Branigan is the resident idiot Alpha Were Detective. Stubborn fool our Ray. But also incredibly sweet and when he bestows ever changing flowery nicknames to Cal, melt-your-heart, swoon-worthy moments. 😍🌷
Biggest flaw to Some Kind of Magic is it's writing.
Oh my god, I was fighting tooth and nail to remain in the story because I was so captivated by the characters, the setting and the romance but the writing was painful. It was just, I don't even know, endless run-on sentences, oddly put together sentences and paragraphs. I even purchased the audiobook, thinking perhaps having it narrated would be easier but even the narrator was winded trying to make his way through the odd paragraphs and disorganized sentences. He finally gave up and accepted he wouldn't make any sense 🙄.
Grrr.
BUT this is R. Cooper's second book, released in 2011. It's forgivable because there is a wonderful story at the heart of it, and I enjoyed it despite my dilemma with the writing. Which I have a feeling will only get better from here on out since this author has plenty of books now and I'm sure an editor. Fingers crossed.
Recommend depending on the level of forgiveness one is willing to bestow on the writing.
Fairies, Werewolves, Wizards, Sirens, Trolls...
This is fantasy heaven for me.
💛The romance 💛
Unfortunately one of my least favorite romance tropes.
The one where both MC's love one another but are kept apart due to misconceptions & fear.
Still, there was enough banter, UST and sweet/tender nicknames being tossed back and forth that my romantic soul was satisfied.
🌸Cal Parker🌸is this vibrant, shimmery, sugar addict half-fairy. Sigh he was just delightful and so utterly lovable.
Ray Branigan is the resident idiot Alpha Were Detective. Stubborn fool our Ray. But also incredibly sweet and when he bestows ever changing flowery nicknames to Cal, melt-your-heart, swoon-worthy moments. 😍🌷
Biggest flaw to Some Kind of Magic is it's writing.
Oh my god, I was fighting tooth and nail to remain in the story because I was so captivated by the characters, the setting and the romance but the writing was painful. It was just, I don't even know, endless run-on sentences, oddly put together sentences and paragraphs. I even purchased the audiobook, thinking perhaps having it narrated would be easier but even the narrator was winded trying to make his way through the odd paragraphs and disorganized sentences. He finally gave up and accepted he wouldn't make any sense 🙄.
Grrr.
BUT this is R. Cooper's second book, released in 2011. It's forgivable because there is a wonderful story at the heart of it, and I enjoyed it despite my dilemma with the writing. Which I have a feeling will only get better from here on out since this author has plenty of books now and I'm sure an editor. Fingers crossed.
Recommend depending on the level of forgiveness one is willing to bestow on the writing.
January 7, 2013
There was a lot I liked about this story. Cal and Ray were great, I felt the chemistry and the frustration.
The world of magical beings was interesting and nicely done, although more hinted at in some cases. I guess the author is saving details for other books in the series.
The mystery was probably easy to guess for most people, but still a nice little bit of intrigue to keep others like me guessing.
But I had a real problem with the style of writing. I found myself almost constantly re reading paragraphs to try to make sense of things, or to go back to remember what the original line of thought was. I can’t really describe it, but its like there were too many words in this book. I know that sounds silly, but I just found myself lost in all the thoughts and feelings being constantly referred to.
Overall a nice story, but for me it could of cut out large chunks of word building
The world of magical beings was interesting and nicely done, although more hinted at in some cases. I guess the author is saving details for other books in the series.
The mystery was probably easy to guess for most people, but still a nice little bit of intrigue to keep others like me guessing.
But I had a real problem with the style of writing. I found myself almost constantly re reading paragraphs to try to make sense of things, or to go back to remember what the original line of thought was. I can’t really describe it, but its like there were too many words in this book. I know that sounds silly, but I just found myself lost in all the thoughts and feelings being constantly referred to.
Overall a nice story, but for me it could of cut out large chunks of word building
March 9, 2015
Well hello there very entertaining book. It took a bit for me to get the feel of the writing but once I did I was totally swept up in the story. Such longing. Such sweetness. Very enjoyable and left me with a great big sugary sweet smile on my face.
May 12, 2011
The Plot
One short, easily-solved mystery to introduce us to Fairies. A second long, but also easily-solved mystery to give us the climax. Then a really long flashback of how Cal and Ray met and the big misunderstanding that led up to the beginning of the story. In short, the plot was convoluted.
The writing was bad because it felt like I had to climb into the author's head to know what was going on. There were numerous, random flashblacks that took me a few minutes to realize they were flashbacks. The sentence structures were just awkward and presented themselves as incomplete thoughts.
For a mystery story, it was 10% mystery (and not that good of a mystery) and 90% of "want Cal but can't have Cal due to racist misunderstanding about Fairies" angst. There was very little investigating going on.
The Characters
Ray was supposed to be this tough and intimidating werewolf police detective. It was bit a unbelievable that he had a hard time asking Audrey about Fairies culture. It was more unbelievable that it took him a long time before he even asked Audrey. And for a werewolf, he should have known better than to hold racist belief about another species, or Beings as they are called in the book. I couldn't give him leniency for this because as detective it's important to separate fact from fiction. Otherwise, it's hard to solve cases when people think all Werewolves are savages and all Fairies are just sluts.
I really like Penelope but she was never fully developed as a support character. For one thing, what kind of Being was she? I think she was supposed to be a mermaid or naiad. She seems to pop in and out of the story for Cal's convenience rather than for actual investigation.
The author should have known better to name Cal and his father Calvin. From what I understand, Cal is short for Calvin so effectively both father and son had the same name. Unless there's a huge reason why they had the same name, this was a big faux pas on the author's part.
Cal was kinda annoying how he keeps sucking on lollipop and munching on candies after candies. I get Fairies like sweet, but I didn't get a reason of why they do. It's no wonder that the police had a hard time taking Cal as as serious police consultant if he's acting like a little kid.
The World Building
There were more telling than showing to be honest. Even then, readers never understand why Beings came out to the humans, why Cal is a lone-wolf, why Beings are needed as police, why zombies are possible but not vampires. Then there's the Fairies, why do they have wings when it seems like they didn't use it to fly and why do they shed glitter and sparkle like skin cells.
Moreover, why did it take the author a long time to say demons were real or the police characters to realize a demon could have been one of their suspects.
Conclusion
Pretty much the only thing the book had going was its beautiful book cover. 2 stars for it-was-ok. FYI, I rated this on the scale of mainstream Urban Fantasy books.
One short, easily-solved mystery to introduce us to Fairies. A second long, but also easily-solved mystery to give us the climax. Then a really long flashback of how Cal and Ray met and the big misunderstanding that led up to the beginning of the story. In short, the plot was convoluted.
The writing was bad because it felt like I had to climb into the author's head to know what was going on. There were numerous, random flashblacks that took me a few minutes to realize they were flashbacks. The sentence structures were just awkward and presented themselves as incomplete thoughts.
For a mystery story, it was 10% mystery (and not that good of a mystery) and 90% of "want Cal but can't have Cal due to racist misunderstanding about Fairies" angst. There was very little investigating going on.
The Characters
Ray was supposed to be this tough and intimidating werewolf police detective. It was bit a unbelievable that he had a hard time asking Audrey about Fairies culture. It was more unbelievable that it took him a long time before he even asked Audrey. And for a werewolf, he should have known better than to hold racist belief about another species, or Beings as they are called in the book. I couldn't give him leniency for this because as detective it's important to separate fact from fiction. Otherwise, it's hard to solve cases when people think all Werewolves are savages and all Fairies are just sluts.
I really like Penelope but she was never fully developed as a support character. For one thing, what kind of Being was she? I think she was supposed to be a mermaid or naiad. She seems to pop in and out of the story for Cal's convenience rather than for actual investigation.
The author should have known better to name Cal and his father Calvin. From what I understand, Cal is short for Calvin so effectively both father and son had the same name. Unless there's a huge reason why they had the same name, this was a big faux pas on the author's part.
Cal was kinda annoying how he keeps sucking on lollipop and munching on candies after candies. I get Fairies like sweet, but I didn't get a reason of why they do. It's no wonder that the police had a hard time taking Cal as as serious police consultant if he's acting like a little kid.
The World Building
There were more telling than showing to be honest. Even then, readers never understand why Beings came out to the humans, why Cal is a lone-wolf, why Beings are needed as police, why zombies are possible but not vampires. Then there's the Fairies, why do they have wings when it seems like they didn't use it to fly and why do they shed glitter and sparkle like skin cells.
Moreover, why did it take the author a long time to say demons were real or the police characters to realize a demon could have been one of their suspects.
Conclusion
Pretty much the only thing the book had going was its beautiful book cover. 2 stars for it-was-ok. FYI, I rated this on the scale of mainstream Urban Fantasy books.
September 22, 2024
3 Stars
Werewolves, faeries, magic, dragons, mates and demons! I was in supernatural nirvana with this story. The world-building was remarkably imaginative, and thank goodness for that, because nobody wants to come across the same old retelling of a story every time they crack open a book.
Predominantly, I would classify this as a paranormal romance, but there was a solid (but quite predictable) crime/mystery plot woven throughout, too. As far as genres are concerned, these are two of my favourite book themes, so this story had me intrigued.
The romance was sweet and endearing, but somewhat unsatisfying. It was drawn out for full effect. I’m a massive fan of a slow-burn, but not when the longing and frustration felt by the characters could easily be remedied by having an actual discussion about their feelings, instead of making assumptions about one another. This was definitely my biggest problem with this particular story. I liked both MC’s well enough � Ray (the werewolf detective) was your typical alpha male character, broody and lovesick for his “mate�; Cal (the faery consultant) was feisty, cheeky and an all-round enjoyable character to read. The two had chemistry, but they constantly communicated in half-sentences which was highly annoying to read. I wanted to scream “just tell him already!!� on a number of occasions -- the term “use your words� comes to mind. I don’t like being frustrated unnecessarily, but I guess there wouldn’t be much of a story if these hidden feelings had been revealed and acted upon from the get-go.
The writing style irked me the wrong way, too. This could be a personal reaction, but I often found myself re-reading passages out of confusion as to what was going on, or more specifically, what was being said. The dialogue was choppy. Like I mentioned earlier, everyone spoke in half-sentences, possibly with the expectation that we, as readers, would draw our own conclusions. I like to think of myself as a semi-intelligent individual, and if I can’t work out what the hell is going on (when I’m clearly meant to), then there must be something slightly off. I’ve read an R. Cooper story before and I didn’t have this problem, so I assume it’s a specific style of writing she’s applied to this series alone. It’s different, but it just didn’t work for me personally.
All things considered, I enjoyed the story, and the characters and the themes involved, and will definitely give the rest of the series a read.
Werewolves, faeries, magic, dragons, mates and demons! I was in supernatural nirvana with this story. The world-building was remarkably imaginative, and thank goodness for that, because nobody wants to come across the same old retelling of a story every time they crack open a book.
Predominantly, I would classify this as a paranormal romance, but there was a solid (but quite predictable) crime/mystery plot woven throughout, too. As far as genres are concerned, these are two of my favourite book themes, so this story had me intrigued.
The romance was sweet and endearing, but somewhat unsatisfying. It was drawn out for full effect. I’m a massive fan of a slow-burn, but not when the longing and frustration felt by the characters could easily be remedied by having an actual discussion about their feelings, instead of making assumptions about one another. This was definitely my biggest problem with this particular story. I liked both MC’s well enough � Ray (the werewolf detective) was your typical alpha male character, broody and lovesick for his “mate�; Cal (the faery consultant) was feisty, cheeky and an all-round enjoyable character to read. The two had chemistry, but they constantly communicated in half-sentences which was highly annoying to read. I wanted to scream “just tell him already!!� on a number of occasions -- the term “use your words� comes to mind. I don’t like being frustrated unnecessarily, but I guess there wouldn’t be much of a story if these hidden feelings had been revealed and acted upon from the get-go.
The writing style irked me the wrong way, too. This could be a personal reaction, but I often found myself re-reading passages out of confusion as to what was going on, or more specifically, what was being said. The dialogue was choppy. Like I mentioned earlier, everyone spoke in half-sentences, possibly with the expectation that we, as readers, would draw our own conclusions. I like to think of myself as a semi-intelligent individual, and if I can’t work out what the hell is going on (when I’m clearly meant to), then there must be something slightly off. I’ve read an R. Cooper story before and I didn’t have this problem, so I assume it’s a specific style of writing she’s applied to this series alone. It’s different, but it just didn’t work for me personally.
All things considered, I enjoyed the story, and the characters and the themes involved, and will definitely give the rest of the series a read.
September 8, 2016
Cal.
Just yum. *sighs*
A piece of advice - while reading this book, keep sweets/biscuits/tarts/chocos handy.
Just yum. *sighs*
A piece of advice - while reading this book, keep sweets/biscuits/tarts/chocos handy.
March 7, 2024
Feels like being pulled in too many directions
February 2, 2013
3.5-4 stars � Overall, I thought this was a really fun urban fantasy romance (that had the extra bonus of a mystery to solve.) I super dug the AU world where “Beings� exist alongside humans, Beings including fairies, werewolves, sirens, demons, and goblins.
The story follows police detective (and werewolf) Ray who is investigating a sudden rash of murders. To his chagrin, along comes police consultant (and half-fairy) Cal, who Ray has been battling an intense attraction to for two years. His cause is not helped by the fact that Cal very much returns the attraction, but Ray is entrenched with the idea that werewolves and fairies, even half-fairies, can’t work due to their own innate natures, so he attempts to continue his campaign of Cal-abstinence. Fortunately for him (and for us readers), Cal is one tenacious half-fairy.
What I liked: The world-building and its various details were a lot of fun, and it was great how those details popped up consistently throughout the story. (e.g. All the smells that scent-sensitive Ray could smell; the constant sugar that Cal was ingesting; Ray’s police partner (a siren) and her regular need to ingest salt water, etc.) Those details really added a lot as well as helped set the scene.
Cal and Ray had fun energy when they were bouncing off each other (Ray always pushing away, Cal pushing back), and I loved Cal’s upbeat nature as well as the flickers of serious emotion that would slide in when he was really trying to reach Ray. The UST was well-handled and wasn’t overly frustrating, even though most of it was created by Ray’s own self-imposed fears.
What was harder for me: There is something about the writer’s style that made the book at times confusing. It felt like I was missing a step sometimes--a line of dialogue, a turn of the conversation, a connecter that made a train of thought make easy sense. I sometimes would hit these bumps, and wonder how one line connected to the other and then I just said, “whatever� and plowed forward. I kind of wished there was a stronger editor at hand that would have gone in and marked those sections, like, “What do you mean here?�
There was also some structural issues-—a big scene from the past is saved to reveal at the end, and I think this was done to help build up tension and add meaning to the HEA, but I think it made things overly confusing and it would have been fine to have that scene spelled out earlier.
But even with the confusion and what not, I really liked the characters, their growing relationship, and the overall fantastical world they lived in. So, if you like magic mixed in with your m/m romance, this may be up your alley.
I hear good things about the in the series, so I’m looking forward to checking that out as well.
The story follows police detective (and werewolf) Ray who is investigating a sudden rash of murders. To his chagrin, along comes police consultant (and half-fairy) Cal, who Ray has been battling an intense attraction to for two years. His cause is not helped by the fact that Cal very much returns the attraction, but Ray is entrenched with the idea that werewolves and fairies, even half-fairies, can’t work due to their own innate natures, so he attempts to continue his campaign of Cal-abstinence. Fortunately for him (and for us readers), Cal is one tenacious half-fairy.
What I liked: The world-building and its various details were a lot of fun, and it was great how those details popped up consistently throughout the story. (e.g. All the smells that scent-sensitive Ray could smell; the constant sugar that Cal was ingesting; Ray’s police partner (a siren) and her regular need to ingest salt water, etc.) Those details really added a lot as well as helped set the scene.
Cal and Ray had fun energy when they were bouncing off each other (Ray always pushing away, Cal pushing back), and I loved Cal’s upbeat nature as well as the flickers of serious emotion that would slide in when he was really trying to reach Ray. The UST was well-handled and wasn’t overly frustrating, even though most of it was created by Ray’s own self-imposed fears.
What was harder for me: There is something about the writer’s style that made the book at times confusing. It felt like I was missing a step sometimes--a line of dialogue, a turn of the conversation, a connecter that made a train of thought make easy sense. I sometimes would hit these bumps, and wonder how one line connected to the other and then I just said, “whatever� and plowed forward. I kind of wished there was a stronger editor at hand that would have gone in and marked those sections, like, “What do you mean here?�
There was also some structural issues-—a big scene from the past is saved to reveal at the end, and I think this was done to help build up tension and add meaning to the HEA, but I think it made things overly confusing and it would have been fine to have that scene spelled out earlier.
But even with the confusion and what not, I really liked the characters, their growing relationship, and the overall fantastical world they lived in. So, if you like magic mixed in with your m/m romance, this may be up your alley.
I hear good things about the in the series, so I’m looking forward to checking that out as well.
June 17, 2011
This book was full of quirky ideas and fun moments. The actual mystery is halfway original, given that the book’s focus apparently isn’t really with the mystery but with the character development instead.
The character of Cal was likeable, sassy, lascivious and a little pushy, just what Ray needed. They did make sense together. I also liked the fact that in this case, the werewolf and his mate don’t jump into bed within two minutes after the first handshake. Ray’s prejudices gave him some depth and room for character growth. If you know werewolves, Ray’s problems were even comprehensible, even though he became a bit repeptitive about them.
I really liked some of the minor characters, like Penn, and Nasreen � and the bespectacled, slightly dorky demon named Steve was priceless.
However, the story flow didn’t work for me. We learn near the beginning that Ray realized two years ago that Cal is his mate, during one fateful night when Cal came to Ray’s house, wanting to confront him about an incident which happened earlier at the police station. This fateful night comes up several times, parts of it are even told in flashbacks. Which would have been perfectly sufficient to explain both Cal’s behavior and Ray’s dilemma. But near the end, the entire night is taken up again in one long flashback passage that goes on and on, hashing and rehashing everything that has been mentioned already. It felt redundant, since the major misunderstanding between Cal and Ray had been resolved by then, and the sexual tension between the two needed neither any further explanation nor more buildup, since it had crested already.
If you don’t mind a bit of repetitiveness, I’d recommend this book anyway as a nice and entertaining read with some original ideas and a refreshingly different take at the werewolf / mate trope.
Find the full review here:
The character of Cal was likeable, sassy, lascivious and a little pushy, just what Ray needed. They did make sense together. I also liked the fact that in this case, the werewolf and his mate don’t jump into bed within two minutes after the first handshake. Ray’s prejudices gave him some depth and room for character growth. If you know werewolves, Ray’s problems were even comprehensible, even though he became a bit repeptitive about them.
I really liked some of the minor characters, like Penn, and Nasreen � and the bespectacled, slightly dorky demon named Steve was priceless.
However, the story flow didn’t work for me. We learn near the beginning that Ray realized two years ago that Cal is his mate, during one fateful night when Cal came to Ray’s house, wanting to confront him about an incident which happened earlier at the police station. This fateful night comes up several times, parts of it are even told in flashbacks. Which would have been perfectly sufficient to explain both Cal’s behavior and Ray’s dilemma. But near the end, the entire night is taken up again in one long flashback passage that goes on and on, hashing and rehashing everything that has been mentioned already. It felt redundant, since the major misunderstanding between Cal and Ray had been resolved by then, and the sexual tension between the two needed neither any further explanation nor more buildup, since it had crested already.
If you don’t mind a bit of repetitiveness, I’d recommend this book anyway as a nice and entertaining read with some original ideas and a refreshingly different take at the werewolf / mate trope.
Find the full review here:
August 6, 2016
I give all the stars, and my hugs, to Cal. A precocious fairy trying to tempt a disbelieving were, desperately wanting the rough sex suggested by the were's demeanor and disarmed by the soft heart he also discovers.
He earned a top spot on my list of favorite characters with his exuberance, his expressiveness, and his sweet naughtiness. I loved seeing him react to Ray, just as I enjoyed Ray's reactions to Cal. Ray was so possessive and growly and turned on.
My only complaint...even though I understood Ray's misgivings, I did not like that the resulting communication issues lasting so long. Poor Cal, too often hurt and confused by Ray's actions. The delight he showed when Ray slipped and revealed his attraction helped, though.
Last, but not least, I loved the sex, and only wish there had been more :)
He earned a top spot on my list of favorite characters with his exuberance, his expressiveness, and his sweet naughtiness. I loved seeing him react to Ray, just as I enjoyed Ray's reactions to Cal. Ray was so possessive and growly and turned on.
My only complaint...even though I understood Ray's misgivings, I did not like that the resulting communication issues lasting so long. Poor Cal, too often hurt and confused by Ray's actions. The delight he showed when Ray slipped and revealed his attraction helped, though.
Last, but not least, I loved the sex, and only wish there had been more :)
November 1, 2019
3.25 Stars
I thought I would like it more than I did, but the seemingly unnecessary longing/push-pull between the MCs had me as frustrated as they were! Ray is definitely your Alpha werewolf, and Cal is positively adorable with his candy/suckers and flirty nature. The crime-solving element (challenge read requirement) was a bit boilerplate and took a backseat to the sweet and sexy inter-species romance. I just wish they'd resolved the tension by having a conversation a little earlier in the story.
Maybe it was listening to this rather than reading it (even speeding up the playback faster than ANY BOOK so far) but the conversations felt stilted and a little awkward at times, and it was hard to tell when the story moved to flashback scenes. I think I'll put it on the re-read shelf in case I want to continue on with the series.
I thought I would like it more than I did, but the seemingly unnecessary longing/push-pull between the MCs had me as frustrated as they were! Ray is definitely your Alpha werewolf, and Cal is positively adorable with his candy/suckers and flirty nature. The crime-solving element (challenge read requirement) was a bit boilerplate and took a backseat to the sweet and sexy inter-species romance. I just wish they'd resolved the tension by having a conversation a little earlier in the story.
Maybe it was listening to this rather than reading it (even speeding up the playback faster than ANY BOOK so far) but the conversations felt stilted and a little awkward at times, and it was hard to tell when the story moved to flashback scenes. I think I'll put it on the re-read shelf in case I want to continue on with the series.
July 9, 2019
The writing was terrible. Sometimes I come across a book written in third person, when I can't tell if in sentences like this: "He looked his way and glowered at him." who the "he" and "him" refers to, especially at a crime scene with 5 people in the conversation and even more around the scene, doing their investigating thingy. This is such a fundamental mistake, someone ought to notice. An editor or a beta reader, I dunno. So this made me confused at times... a lot of the time actually. And other editing problems turned up along the way. This book needs a major revision.
Aside that *-*
Fairies *-*
I loved the story. It kind of reminded me of Devotion by Grace R. Duncan though. The big misunderstanding. These guys loved each other from the moment they met, but for some stupid reason they couldn't be together. If only they talked to each other sooner, years of suffering could have been prevented.
I loved the banter between the MCs. Cal was so sweet. Literally. Imagine your in a candy shop.... the smell, the colors, your tastebuds exploding. That was Cal, our half-fairy, with teensie wings, always annoying Ray and flirting with him.
Then there was Ray, our werewolf detective, who was utterly enchanted by Cal, his mate. Only he couldn't do anything about it, because fairies aren't meant to be tied down for long term. They're always fluttering about excitedly, looking for the next shiny, new thing, which Ray thinks includes him too. But werewolves mate for life. Conclusion: they're not a good match apparently. So Ray endured and suffered silently.
The whole misunderstanding came from the misconception of how fairies usually behave. These beings don't know much about each other, only the legends they heard.
The mystery as such was not bad I think, but I wasn't paying much attention to that part (still, I could guess the culprit by the end). All my focus was on the couple. The chemistry between them was palpable and I was almost entranced by their connection. Given the heavy flirting and how Ray constantly described his feelings for Cal, I expected the sex scenes to be more graphic and I was disappointed when I didn't get my wish. But it was just as frantic and all-consuming as how I imagined.
Overall I really like the idea of these beings finding love where they least expect it. I enjoyed this story. I'm hoping the writing gets better going forward. Also hoping for dual pov. :)
Aside that *-*
Fairies *-*
I loved the story. It kind of reminded me of Devotion by Grace R. Duncan though. The big misunderstanding. These guys loved each other from the moment they met, but for some stupid reason they couldn't be together. If only they talked to each other sooner, years of suffering could have been prevented.
I loved the banter between the MCs. Cal was so sweet. Literally. Imagine your in a candy shop.... the smell, the colors, your tastebuds exploding. That was Cal, our half-fairy, with teensie wings, always annoying Ray and flirting with him.
Then there was Ray, our werewolf detective, who was utterly enchanted by Cal, his mate. Only he couldn't do anything about it, because fairies aren't meant to be tied down for long term. They're always fluttering about excitedly, looking for the next shiny, new thing, which Ray thinks includes him too. But werewolves mate for life. Conclusion: they're not a good match apparently. So Ray endured and suffered silently.
The whole misunderstanding came from the misconception of how fairies usually behave. These beings don't know much about each other, only the legends they heard.
The mystery as such was not bad I think, but I wasn't paying much attention to that part (still, I could guess the culprit by the end). All my focus was on the couple. The chemistry between them was palpable and I was almost entranced by their connection. Given the heavy flirting and how Ray constantly described his feelings for Cal, I expected the sex scenes to be more graphic and I was disappointed when I didn't get my wish. But it was just as frantic and all-consuming as how I imagined.
Overall I really like the idea of these beings finding love where they least expect it. I enjoyed this story. I'm hoping the writing gets better going forward. Also hoping for dual pov. :)
November 9, 2015
I finally succumbed to that cover. And a good sale price. I knew I shouldn’t, knew the author’s style bugged me, but I gave it a try anyway. My mistake.
The police work is just set dressing for what’s really a one-note plot point repeated for the whole book: will they clear up a prior misunderstanding and live happily ever after. To get to the conclusion we all know is coming, we have to slog through writing that’s cluttered with minutia. I don’t need to know how everyone is positioned, what their facial expression is and where they are looking every single minute. On top of that, it’s sometimes unclear as to who is speaking or who they are speaking about. I had to do a lot of rereading to clarify things.
There are also two things I’m still unsure about, either because I missed the answers in all the muddle or because it was just not made clear. At one point Ray is upset when, after thinking they had finally made a real connection, Cal just leaves without a word. Cal’s behavior is odd but we never find out why he left. Then the big misunderstanding is finally played out for us in a flashback near the end, except it kinda wasn’t. Turns out we’ve heard about a lot of it already. I was expecting to see some specific thing Cal did or said that Ray misinterpreted, but It was kind of anticlimactic after brooding on it for the whole book. It didn’t seem like enough of an explanation for all the angst.
Should’ve been a DNF.
The police work is just set dressing for what’s really a one-note plot point repeated for the whole book: will they clear up a prior misunderstanding and live happily ever after. To get to the conclusion we all know is coming, we have to slog through writing that’s cluttered with minutia. I don’t need to know how everyone is positioned, what their facial expression is and where they are looking every single minute. On top of that, it’s sometimes unclear as to who is speaking or who they are speaking about. I had to do a lot of rereading to clarify things.
There are also two things I’m still unsure about, either because I missed the answers in all the muddle or because it was just not made clear. At one point Ray is upset when, after thinking they had finally made a real connection, Cal just leaves without a word. Cal’s behavior is odd but we never find out why he left. Then the big misunderstanding is finally played out for us in a flashback near the end, except it kinda wasn’t. Turns out we’ve heard about a lot of it already. I was expecting to see some specific thing Cal did or said that Ray misinterpreted, but It was kind of anticlimactic after brooding on it for the whole book. It didn’t seem like enough of an explanation for all the angst.
Should’ve been a DNF.
May 9, 2020
I was confused through about 75% of this. The writing style is odd. You often can't tell who's talking and it felt some of the sentences were not finished. It seemed like the author's brain was going too fast to write it down.
The premise was good though.
The premise was good though.
August 31, 2024
I thought this was gonna be a cute lil pining story.. no. It was bad.
I was confused half the time... Who/what were they talking about? The way it's written, it's hard to figure out who was saying what.
There's so much pointless case stuff at the beginning.
Why was the bad dude obsessed with Ray? why would he kill ppl for him!?
I have no clue. Makes zero sense to me...
The romance wasn't cute. Unfortunately, we only get Ray's POV... He's the world's biggest dick. He made Cal feel like shit constantly. I wish we had his POV.
Ray didn't want people to believe old Weres tales but did the same thing with Fairies' stories on relationships. Deciding how a relationship with Cal would be without communicating with him at all. FOR 2 YEARS. . just breaking our dude's heart, turning him down, and treating him like trash all the time 🙄 he's talking about how skanky fairies are, but he's the one who reeked of sex with someone else in front of Cal. He sounded pretty skanky to me.
I wasn't a fan of this.
Ps- I went back to read the morning after their first sexy time...
The way Cal acted made no sense.. it was so weird! Why did he call Ray a naughty dog and then run away? So confusing!
I was confused half the time... Who/what were they talking about? The way it's written, it's hard to figure out who was saying what.
There's so much pointless case stuff at the beginning.
Why was the bad dude obsessed with Ray? why would he kill ppl for him!?
I have no clue. Makes zero sense to me...
The romance wasn't cute. Unfortunately, we only get Ray's POV... He's the world's biggest dick. He made Cal feel like shit constantly. I wish we had his POV.
Ray didn't want people to believe old Weres tales but did the same thing with Fairies' stories on relationships. Deciding how a relationship with Cal would be without communicating with him at all. FOR 2 YEARS. . just breaking our dude's heart, turning him down, and treating him like trash all the time 🙄 he's talking about how skanky fairies are, but he's the one who reeked of sex with someone else in front of Cal. He sounded pretty skanky to me.
I wasn't a fan of this.
Ps- I went back to read the morning after their first sexy time...
The way Cal acted made no sense.. it was so weird! Why did he call Ray a naughty dog and then run away? So confusing!
October 16, 2015
Growly self-restraint contrasted by light sugar-spun glitter, longing so obvious you can taste it, mounting tensions until the inevitable blissful explosions. There's a little mystery and a lot of miscommunication. An interesting introduction to the 'beings' verse. Easy to get so caught up in the emotions that make this simple story seems far more than it is.
--
And I really like the cover :)
--
And I really like the cover :)
February 27, 2013
I really enjoyed the main story and characterization, but the side plot and back story were muddled and confusing. Needed more sleep to attempt this one.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
July 23, 2024DNF.
This is the first book from this author that was hard for me to read. Choppy writing, sloppy world building, and it's hard to feel the main character.
If I weren't stuck reading it in the Libby app, maybe I would persevere, but I can't imagine buying it
This is the first book from this author that was hard for me to read. Choppy writing, sloppy world building, and it's hard to feel the main character.
If I weren't stuck reading it in the Libby app, maybe I would persevere, but I can't imagine buying it
October 8, 2015
3.5 stars Okay so here's the deal. I read a lot of reviews of this book from friends and other ŷ users, it seems like a lot of 3 and 4 star reviews with some outliers. Some of the criticisms are that the mystery made up such a small percentage of the plot, most of the story is just Ray resisting Cal, the world-building behind why faeries are the way they are isn't explained... and I agree with all of that. But it just didn't bother me all that much.
This is a case where I really do think listening to the audio instead of reading the book improved the experience. I think reading it some of these things may have felt repetitive and gotten annoying. But I enjoyed the narration by and think that this particular story was made lighter and more enjoyable by listening to it.
Yes, people's names and nicknames weren't always explained well and this took some time to work out. Yes, sometimes Ray's voice was too light and too similar to Cal's. But again, it just didn't really bother me. Maybe this book hit me at the right time. I realized after the fact that I've already listened to book 2, , by a different narrator and also liked it (although had some criticisms). So it seems like this a good audio series for me as a light paranormal romance series.
Received audio version from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, reviewed for
This is a case where I really do think listening to the audio instead of reading the book improved the experience. I think reading it some of these things may have felt repetitive and gotten annoying. But I enjoyed the narration by and think that this particular story was made lighter and more enjoyable by listening to it.
Yes, people's names and nicknames weren't always explained well and this took some time to work out. Yes, sometimes Ray's voice was too light and too similar to Cal's. But again, it just didn't really bother me. Maybe this book hit me at the right time. I realized after the fact that I've already listened to book 2, , by a different narrator and also liked it (although had some criticisms). So it seems like this a good audio series for me as a light paranormal romance series.
Received audio version from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, reviewed for
Read
November 2, 2012More complex and dark than you would think, Some Kind of Magic is not your usual fairy tale (pun intended). While the generic theme is about police detective trying to solve a crime, the main theme is about the internal fight werewolf Ray is having to not give up to the mating bond that is driving him towards half-fairy Cal.
It’s fun since, even if this is a gay romance, it’s about prejudices: oh, Ray has no problem at all with the fact that both Cal than him are guys, his problem is with the fact that Cal is a fairy and fairies are flimsy. They are not capable of long-term commitment, always flying from flower to flower (this is a metaphor, Cal is not actually little enough to do that�) and instead werewolves mate for life.
All the story is centered around Ray and Cal, on how Cal is always finding a new way to make Ray going crazy, and how Ray is self-punishing himself denying his wolf the proximity of his mate. I liked the concept of prejudices that are not linked to the gender of the people involved in the relationship, but I think I found another metaphor here: Ray has prejudices towards Cal, he doesn’t think Cal will be able to commit to an exclusive relationship, Cal is a “fairy”� can you see where I’m leading?
Take off the supernatural nature of both men, make Ray a simple cop and Cal a simple man, do not Ray’s prejudices resemble that of a straight guy towards a gay guy? I pretty much of the idea that is what the author was pointing too, but she wanted to make it lighter, less dark, and making the two men a real fairy and a werewolf allowed her more freedom, but also gave to the story a lighter tone.
It’s fun since, even if this is a gay romance, it’s about prejudices: oh, Ray has no problem at all with the fact that both Cal than him are guys, his problem is with the fact that Cal is a fairy and fairies are flimsy. They are not capable of long-term commitment, always flying from flower to flower (this is a metaphor, Cal is not actually little enough to do that�) and instead werewolves mate for life.
All the story is centered around Ray and Cal, on how Cal is always finding a new way to make Ray going crazy, and how Ray is self-punishing himself denying his wolf the proximity of his mate. I liked the concept of prejudices that are not linked to the gender of the people involved in the relationship, but I think I found another metaphor here: Ray has prejudices towards Cal, he doesn’t think Cal will be able to commit to an exclusive relationship, Cal is a “fairy”� can you see where I’m leading?
Take off the supernatural nature of both men, make Ray a simple cop and Cal a simple man, do not Ray’s prejudices resemble that of a straight guy towards a gay guy? I pretty much of the idea that is what the author was pointing too, but she wanted to make it lighter, less dark, and making the two men a real fairy and a werewolf allowed her more freedom, but also gave to the story a lighter tone.
June 25, 2021
3.5 I struggled much with the writing style stars...
Well, I shouldn't compare books, I know, but you see, a crime/mystery story with paranormal elements - such as i.e. unusual, fantastical MCs - is one of my favourite tropes, so... I can't help but juxtapose Being(s) in Love with one of my best-loved series ever: The Bureau series by Kim Fielding.
Kim Fielding's books in this collection are short, so that's not my problem with Beings. But I struggled a lot with R. Cooper's writing style and storytelling.
What I didn't like:
- the crime mystery was booooring, if that's how detectives solve murders, then no, thank you.
- we know very little about Ray, the first werewolf detective on the force, and even less about Cal, his half-fairy consultant for magic stuff. (We only have Ray's POV here and we still have a very limited look on his regular life)
- the whole retrospective flashback kind of ending was weird and, like, the easiest way to cope with the MCs' issues? IDK
- generally the writing, the construction of the sentences, the unusual wording - all of it pulled me out of the story :(
What I liked (and what made me still give it more than 3 stars):
- even though we don't know much about Cal, he seems to be such a happy, carefree and "sweet" person - I liked him and his attitude towards Ray a lot ;)
- descriptions of other fairies (Nasreen), and generally their part of the city - I loved their easily distracted, sweet-tooth kind of nature and their colourful neighbourhood
- the secondary characters: Penn, Ben and even Calvin
Well, I shouldn't compare books, I know, but you see, a crime/mystery story with paranormal elements - such as i.e. unusual, fantastical MCs - is one of my favourite tropes, so... I can't help but juxtapose Being(s) in Love with one of my best-loved series ever: The Bureau series by Kim Fielding.
Kim Fielding's books in this collection are short, so that's not my problem with Beings. But I struggled a lot with R. Cooper's writing style and storytelling.
What I didn't like:
- the crime mystery was booooring, if that's how detectives solve murders, then no, thank you.
- we know very little about Ray, the first werewolf detective on the force, and even less about Cal, his half-fairy consultant for magic stuff. (We only have Ray's POV here and we still have a very limited look on his regular life)
- the whole retrospective flashback kind of ending was weird and, like, the easiest way to cope with the MCs' issues? IDK
- generally the writing, the construction of the sentences, the unusual wording - all of it pulled me out of the story :(
What I liked (and what made me still give it more than 3 stars):
- even though we don't know much about Cal, he seems to be such a happy, carefree and "sweet" person - I liked him and his attitude towards Ray a lot ;)
- descriptions of other fairies (Nasreen), and generally their part of the city - I loved their easily distracted, sweet-tooth kind of nature and their colourful neighbourhood
- the secondary characters: Penn, Ben and even Calvin
September 15, 2016
This is the kind of book where you either accept the premise and subsequent goings on or prepare yourself to have a really bad time.
I read it a little over 2 years ago and the lasting impression I have is generally positive. The wackadoodle pairing of a srs bizness!werewolf and the bubbly and flirty!half-fairy worked for me at the time I read it. From what I remember, I was in the mood for something light and this novella delivered.
HOWEVUH, the mystery was rather weak. It was ridic easy to figure out who was the villain.
Again, I kept reading because I was charmed by Cal and Ray's snarky-sweet dynamic
Do keep in mind that Cooper's v. quirky writing style made for a slightly tiresome reading. It's distinctive to the point of being off-putting.
Behold Exhibit A [context: Cal has shown up at the police precinct where Ray works. They have a conversation.]
The lower lip came out for another pout, but Cal stopped and pulled back, for about three seconds, and then he plopped his butt right back down on the edge [of the table] like he always did. Like his ass belonged there. As though it wasn't bad enough Ray's reports sometimes shimmered and smelled like double rainbow orgasms.
I have NO IDEA what a "double rainbow orgasms" is or might smell like, but it's a v.,v. memorable paragraph.
Like I mentioned at the beginning of this rather informal review, the reader's expectations get a tad askew. It's not the best shifter novel out there. I'd recommend to borrow it if you feel compelled to read it.
I read it a little over 2 years ago and the lasting impression I have is generally positive. The wackadoodle pairing of a srs bizness!werewolf and the bubbly and flirty!half-fairy worked for me at the time I read it. From what I remember, I was in the mood for something light and this novella delivered.
HOWEVUH, the mystery was rather weak. It was ridic easy to figure out who was the villain.
Again, I kept reading because I was charmed by Cal and Ray's snarky-sweet dynamic
Do keep in mind that Cooper's v. quirky writing style made for a slightly tiresome reading. It's distinctive to the point of being off-putting.
Behold Exhibit A [context: Cal has shown up at the police precinct where Ray works. They have a conversation.]
The lower lip came out for another pout, but Cal stopped and pulled back, for about three seconds, and then he plopped his butt right back down on the edge [of the table] like he always did. Like his ass belonged there. As though it wasn't bad enough Ray's reports sometimes shimmered and smelled like double rainbow orgasms.
I have NO IDEA what a "double rainbow orgasms" is or might smell like, but it's a v.,v. memorable paragraph.
Like I mentioned at the beginning of this rather informal review, the reader's expectations get a tad askew. It's not the best shifter novel out there. I'd recommend to borrow it if you feel compelled to read it.
September 10, 2015
3.5 stars (I am generously adding on .5 for the creativity and world building)
**EDITED**
After reading this entire series (a couple of the books more than once) I will say that this one is my least favorite of the books. I did enjoy it and found it very entertaining, but I did not love it the way I did the others.
This story made me feel like someone handed me a dot-to-dot picture where I started on dot 30 and needed to get to dot 100. I was at about dot 60 before I really understood what the heck the picture was going to be. I kept thinking to myself - did I miss something? I even went back and re-read the first couple of chapters because I was so feeling like I was missing an important fact or two, but no, it was just the way the plot developed.
I will say that the story is very imaginative, but there was not enough romance for me! I read love stories because I like romance. I don't need men to act like chicks, but I do like them to be able to actually have a relationship and fall in love. Drama is fine, but there needs to be a relationship. These two men did not have a relationship, they had a bass-ackwards half of a dot-to-dot picture until they finally got to dot 99, and then it was all oh yeah, we're in love.
**EDITED**
After reading this entire series (a couple of the books more than once) I will say that this one is my least favorite of the books. I did enjoy it and found it very entertaining, but I did not love it the way I did the others.
This story made me feel like someone handed me a dot-to-dot picture where I started on dot 30 and needed to get to dot 100. I was at about dot 60 before I really understood what the heck the picture was going to be. I kept thinking to myself - did I miss something? I even went back and re-read the first couple of chapters because I was so feeling like I was missing an important fact or two, but no, it was just the way the plot developed.
I will say that the story is very imaginative, but there was not enough romance for me! I read love stories because I like romance. I don't need men to act like chicks, but I do like them to be able to actually have a relationship and fall in love. Drama is fine, but there needs to be a relationship. These two men did not have a relationship, they had a bass-ackwards half of a dot-to-dot picture until they finally got to dot 99, and then it was all oh yeah, we're in love.
August 23, 2012
3.5*
Enjoyable story and I liked the world it was set in, where humans and Beings coexist.
But I did have a bit of a problem sometimes following everything, since thoughts weren't always finished and things seem to jump.
I understand the conflict Ray had, but really, he has been a victim of prejudice his entire life, yet he still let's his own prejudices get in the way of loving and claiming his mate.
Two years seemed like a very long time for two intelligent adults not to be able to talk to each other and figure out the issues keeping them apart.
The mystery was ok, I figured it out pretty quickly, but I guess it needed to stay a mystery for the big showdown.
Enjoyable story and I liked the world it was set in, where humans and Beings coexist.
But I did have a bit of a problem sometimes following everything, since thoughts weren't always finished and things seem to jump.
I understand the conflict Ray had, but really, he has been a victim of prejudice his entire life, yet he still let's his own prejudices get in the way of loving and claiming his mate.
Two years seemed like a very long time for two intelligent adults not to be able to talk to each other and figure out the issues keeping them apart.
The mystery was ok, I figured it out pretty quickly, but I guess it needed to stay a mystery for the big showdown.
June 9, 2016
Entretenido cuento de hadas cargado de tensión sexual, lenguaje y descripciones floridas muy a tono con el relato. Creo que seguiré con alguno más de la serie.
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