Without Reservations (With or Without #1) in The Slash Pile

Mar 01, 2011 LenaLena rated it it was ok

Shelves: mm, kindle-lendable

I haven't been bitten (haha, I am so funny) by the whole vampire/werewolf thing yet. (I almost added 'zombies' to that list too, but is anyone actually writing about sex with zombies? Eew, I hope not). So this was my first m/m werewolf romance. It left me wondering what this wolf thing actually adds to the story? There is a hunt scene that doesn't seem to progress the story at all, and there is a lot of baring throats as a sign of respect, which gets old quick. The main use for the the story see I haven't been bitten (haha, I am so funny) by the whole vampire/werewolf thing yet. (I almost added 'zombies' to that list too, but is anyone actually writing about sex with zombies? Eew, I hope not). So this was my first m/m werewolf romance. It left me wondering what this wolf thing actually adds to the story? There is a hunt scene that doesn't seem to progress the story at all, and there is a lot of baring throats as a sign of respect, which gets old quick. The main use for the the story seems to be that one dude in this relationship, who, as a guy, is small and blond (I have been wondering if all m/m romances feature big, tall and muscular blonds, so I am glads to know they come in other sizes too) is actually a more powerful wolf, so that automatically balances out the fact that he is so much smaller than his massive Native American boyfriend in human form. That and the miraculous healing powers of their blood, apparently, which save a couple of lives along the way.

I got the feeling that I was supposed to be excited about the werewolf side of this story without it ever being made clear why I would be. That may be my lack of background in this type of book. Maybe I was supposed to read volume 1 first? Maybe I was supposed to watch/read Twilight?

Personally, I think this would have been a better book without the werewolf story line, for several reasons. Werewolves apparently know in their hearts when they meet their destined mates. Lovely when it happens to you, I'm sure, but it really takes a lot of tension out of the story, because once they meet, that is it then. Minor things like the big guy thinking he was straight so far will then surely be solved in good time. I think it would have been far more interesting if he had been attracted to the little white guy without knowing all along he was destined to end up with him.

It would have been more interesting if the little guy had to figure out how to hold his own in a relationship in which he is so much smaller and not ending up all girlie. It would have been more interesting if their acceptance in their society would not have been anywhere along the lines of 'Well, they're mates, so I guess we'll just have to accept that he's gay and dating this white guy who is not of our tribe'. And little guy's family would have been a bit more: 'Why the f*ck is our little rich Georgia Peach bringing us a big scary injun as a son in law?'. All this potentially lovely conflict and tension gone to waste!

Lois McMaster Bujold once said something along these lines about plotting her novels: 'I look at my protagonist and ask myself: what is the worst thing I can possibly do to him? Then I do it'. I think it would have been much worse for these guys, and better for us, if they had not been werewolves.
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Jan 20, 2014 Scarlett rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, shifters, type-mm, 4-out-of-5-stars, i-own-the-ebook, would-read-again, owned, enjoyed, unfair-mean-ex, issues-family-arguments

I really liked this book. It was a nice fluffy read with elements of suspense and great characters. It's widely recognised as a good read, so that doesn't surprise me, but I'm glad to have experienced that for myself!

The only issue I have is with Remi and Chay's Mum. Prejudice is not something that is gotten over quickly or easily, and there's no explanation of how the two have managed to deal with this, or signs of a slow awakening or anything. Instead there's just a sudden act or announcement ...more

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