Blood Howl

Sep 20, 2011 Simsala*is getting slow* rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, paranormal, suspense-crime, new-author, purring-beasts, werewolves, comfort-reads, td-teaser

4,5 stars

Niggles? - Yes!
-The plot doesn`t make sense.
Why should a powerful alpha-werewolf and packleader hire a human gun-for-hire,to "deliver" an almost helpless and clueless young werewolf to him and his pack?
-A slightly awkward timeline and change of POV`s.
-Getting answers out of these authors is - I quote MandyM:"like pulling teeth - they are not very generous".
-Some loose ends.But Blood Howl is the first part of a series...
-Lack of worldbuilding.Again,series - there may be more in the next...more

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Dec 09, 2011 MandyM rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m-romance

4.5 stars. Excellent shifter romance with a dark sexy edge. Jed Walker is an ex-soldier now turned gun-for-hire. His favourite past-times are blowing things up and being dominated by random older men. His latest contract is an acquisition job for a client who won't tell him what the 'package' is. Only that he'd know once he saw it. But when he spies the innocent and fey Redford Reed his acquisition contract turns into a full-time protection job.

Red has been kept locked away in his grandmother's...more 4.5 stars. Excellent shifter romance with a dark sexy edge. Jed Walker is an ex-soldier now turned gun-for-hire. His favourite past-times are blowing things up and being dominated by random older men. His latest contract is an acquisition job for a client who won't tell him what the 'package' is. Only that he'd know once he saw it. But when he spies the innocent and fey Redford Reed his acquisition contract turns into a full-time protection job.

Red has been kept locked away in his grandmother's house ever since his parents were killed. No contact with the outside world and living under a terrible curse, he is completely taken aback but at the same time mesmerised by the whirlwind arrival of Jed Walker. He doesn't know what Jed wants of him, he thinks it might not be all that good, but he can't stop himself from following the man wherever that leads.

But Jed's mysterious client has not given up and the two men find themselves battling to survive against an ancient and very powerful enemy.

I LOVED this book. Shifter romances are one of the most popular sub genres in MM fiction but it isn't often that you find them as well written as this gem. The authors are slow to reveal Red's secrets and the whole book has a very mysterious air. As the reader sometimes I felt that I really didn't know what was going on. It was like I was clinging helplessly to Jed and Redford as the danger is revealed and their attraction builds. But I never wanted to let go for a second. But of course it all pays off in the end. The chemistry between the two MC's is incredibly HOT! Wow! It's the best sexual tension I've read for quite a while.

There was just a small problem in the end where I wasn't sure of something that happened to Jed and had to reread it a couple of times to be sure. I am delighted to see on another website that this is the first in a planned urban fantasy series because there is still A LOT to explore and discover in this strange world. I will definitely be grabbing any further releases from these great new authors. (I'm hoping that David and Victor are future MC's cause those two were fascinating). Highly recommended!

Note: Can't help but be amused by the authors subtle nods to the Little Red Riding Hood tale.(less)

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Jun 09, 2012 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, gay, ebook, done, 2012, reread, paranormal, romantic-suspense, favorites

4.5 stars. Very good paranormal m/m romance about a guy, formerly Special Forces, who now offers those skills for hire. When a job goes in an unexpected direction, he has no idea how much his world is about to change... If a few more questions had been answered by the end of the book, this could have been a five-star read. ~~Maybe there will be a sequel?~~

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Sep 27, 2011 Deeze rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This had good points and bad points for me.

The good points were the characters, especially Jed. I loved his whole way of talking and thinking.

The bad points were what for me were plot holes. (view spoiler) It was little things like that (and there were a few )that kept me from...more

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Sep 25, 2011 Cayce rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m

4 stars.

This book worked perfectly for me. Or maybe I was in the right mood. Anyway, I got all the things I wanted from this book. A story, that doesn't take itself too seriously. A funny and sarcatic MC, Jed, who babbles and says dirty jokes when he feels insecure. He is like Motoharu from Punch Up. And a werewolf, Redford, who is so innocent and cute. It was amusing to watch how he reacted to Jed's dirty mind. And Jed has at least seven lives, he is an unstoppable force, a Rambo.

It alternates...more

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Nov 02, 2011 Yvonne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Yvonne by: Laura M

Shelves: q4-gb-2011-read, m-m, m-m-shifter

In a way, this book plot wise is a mess and is very uneven. The basic premise, hiring a human gun for hire, Jed, to retrieve helpless, naive, not the kind of guy to put up a fight Redford is just totally senseless, especially when you find out who does the hiring(view spoiler)

Story wise, there's numerous plot holes (more like craters) that never get filled. The world building is virtually...more In a way, this book plot wise is a mess and is very uneven. The basic premise, hiring a human gun for hire, Jed, to retrieve helpless, naive, not the kind of guy to put up a fight Redford is just totally senseless, especially when you find out who does the hiring(view spoiler)

Story wise, there's numerous plot holes (more like craters) that never get filled. The world building is virtually nonexistent consisting mainly of 'werewolves exist.' Except for the fact that he's a violent thug, the bad guys plans for Redford don't seem all that evil. The action is the shoot em up kind where things blow up, bodies disappear & people have superhuman strength after injury. Disappointedly, some of the action you did want to see, happened off the page.

The writing also feels a bit choppy and awkward sometimes. Ex: "As the flames flickered, a kaleidoscope of burnt reds and oranges, the rumble of a motorcycle cut an underscore to the pop-hiss of burning."

The saving grace for the story is actually the main characters, Jed & Red (I'm not crazy about rhyming names). The book really focuses and puts most of its energy on the relationship between the two. Red who is extremely sheltered, shy & naive is a nice contrast to the more worldly Jed with the goofy sense of humor. They have lots of sexual tension Harlequin style--sex interruptus via phone calls, uninvited visitors, the full moon etc. They are kind of hot together despite the nicknames Jed uses for Red, like Fido. Also you have have to ignore the inconsistency of Jed continuously saying he's a total Sub, bottom etc. but then falling for timid, the farthest thing from a Dom, Red.

There's also a couple of interesting characters like David & his nerdy friend, who may or may not be human. (We actually learn very little about anything or anyone in this book) The next book may be about him and I may get the sequel to this. I'm hoping the next book is a little more cleanly written.

So I recommend this book for those who like a good romance and aren't bothered by plot inconsistencies and all of the above things mentioned. (less)

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Sep 20, 2011 Maya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hearts

Blood Howl by Robin Saxon and Alex Kidwell
Sanguis Noctis, Book 1
4.5 Stars
Reviewed for www.heartsonfirereviews.com

Jed Walker is an ex-soldier turned mercenary who spends his free time picking up married men for quick blow jobs and older men who will dominate him. They only things he takes seriously are his weapons and his love for his cat. He is hired via phone by a man named Fil to recover 'the only thing of value' in a particular home. When he gets to this house and realizes that the thing of v...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Qi rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When the tone was tongue-in-cheek, this novel is worth four--almost five--stars. As the other reviewers have said, Jed and Redford really make this novel. Like when Jed first finds out about the werewolf bit:

For a moment, Jed stared, waiting for the punch line, because werewolves weren't real. They just weren't. Republicans were real. Mobsters were real. Werewolves were just a bedtime story, like the tooth fairy and straight men who turned full-time gay.

Unfortunately, the tone isn't always tongu...more When the tone was tongue-in-cheek, this novel is worth four--almost five--stars. As the other reviewers have said, Jed and Redford really make this novel. Like when Jed first finds out about the werewolf bit:

For a moment, Jed stared, waiting for the punch line, because werewolves weren't real. They just weren't. Republicans were real. Mobsters were real. Werewolves were just a bedtime story, like the tooth fairy and straight men who turned full-time gay.

Unfortunately, the tone isn't always tongue-in-cheek. In fact, it goes all over the place, from angsty and purple to OMG ACTION IS GOING ON (over in that little area off screen) to cool and badass to mushy romance.

The next big stumbling block for the potential reader are the massive plotholes which appear out of nowhere. Why would a reasonably intelligent man take an assignment that's basically, "Go to that house and get that thing--you'll know what thing"? Why would anyone give those directions in the first place? Why the hell would a powerful man who has no qualms with sending tons of armed men out to get one guy in broad daylight hire someone else to kidnap a rather weak werewolf? Why doesn't he just set up outside of Jed's house early in the book with one of his snipers to kill him? Basically, plot holes.

But perhaps the reader is willing to put up with all of this for the love of werewolves or action. It's worth it, right? Every action movie ever is rife with just as many plot holes as this!

Well, I hate (love?) to be the bearer of bad news, but every action scene is a fade-to-black. Every scene that I'd gotten to before stopping (4/5 of the way through) was from Redford's POV and he's not seeing very much. And the wolves? There are only two instances of wolves appearing at all. Once we have Redford shifting for the first time and Jed stares into his eyes and domesticates him before we go to the next chapter where Redford is waking up. The other is Redford seeing other wolves--literally, that's it. He sees them, chats with a woman, and the story moves on. So genre fans will be disappointed.

All in all, the story wasn't well thought out. The writers probably should have spent some more time world building and plot developing rather than just slapping ideas together and calling it a novel. Too bad; I really did like the characters.(less)

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Sep 02, 2012 Barb Manning rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gay-romance, paranormal-romance, romance-reviews, romance

Blood Howl: Sanguis Noctis Book One by Robin Saxon and Alex Kidwell is the first book in a two-part set that tells the story of Jed Walker, a mercenary and Redford Reed, werewolf and hapless object of his pursuit.

The action is almost non-stop as Jed tries to figure just who Fil, his client is and what he wants with Redford. While the two of them flee the clutches of Fil and his minions, the attraction and care for each other builds. Saxon and Kidwell bring together two lonely individuals who nev...more Blood Howl: Sanguis Noctis Book One by Robin Saxon and Alex Kidwell is the first book in a two-part set that tells the story of Jed Walker, a mercenary and Redford Reed, werewolf and hapless object of his pursuit.

The action is almost non-stop as Jed tries to figure just who Fil, his client is and what he wants with Redford. While the two of them flee the clutches of Fil and his minions, the attraction and care for each other builds. Saxon and Kidwell bring together two lonely individuals who never understand the depth of their loneliness until they meet each other. The scenes between these two guys are entertaining and sometimes poignant.

Kidwell and Saxon tell the tale of Blood Howl with wit and humor. Jed, in particular, tries to come off as a wisecracking, gun-wielding tough guy. He doesn't have a care in the world except where his next job will take him. Redford, on the other hand, is quiet and somewhat reserved. Much of his life focuses on protecting others from his monthly change into a werewolf. Despite their differences, there's some serious sexual tension between Jed and Redford; it's immediately clear that they care a great deal for each other.

While, Saxon and Kidwell focus much of the attention of Blood Howl on Jed and Redford, there are a couple of interesting secondary characters. David, a fellow mercenary and information broker and Victor, a professor in obscure history are prominent in the sequel, Blood in the Sand: Sanguis Noctis Book One.

Blood Howl is a fun read with characters that immediately engage. Still, there are a few niggling issues. Saxon and Kidwell devote very little to time explaining how Redford came to be a werewolf or why obtaining him is so important to the villain of the piece, Fil. This is perhaps one of the few weaknesses of the story. Why is Redford hiding in his dead grandmother's house? Why can't Fil just retrieve Redford himself? Why does Fil need to hire Jed for such a seemly simple job?

Aside from these plot issues, Blood Howl is an interesting romantic mystery with some shifter flavoring. This is not the usual paranormal shifter romance with alphas and omegas and wolf pack politics. Nevertheless, Jed and Redford's story is worth reading.

Reviewed by Creative Ink Romance Reviews.
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Jul 21, 2012 Plainbrownwrapper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mm, read-again-maybe

I really loved the two main characters here. They were strong, engaging, appealing, and unusual.

I can hear you asking me -- oh? what's so unusual about an ex-military assassin type in a romance? -- but trust me, Jed isn't any typical ex-military assassin type, not at all. Instead, he is desperately and often masochistically repressing his nearly terminal misery under a camouflage of confident cockiness and callousness, hiding it from himself as well as others. In fact, Jed is repressing his vuln...more I really loved the two main characters here. They were strong, engaging, appealing, and unusual.

I can hear you asking me -- oh? what's so unusual about an ex-military assassin type in a romance? -- but trust me, Jed isn't any typical ex-military assassin type, not at all. Instead, he is desperately and often masochistically repressing his nearly terminal misery under a camouflage of confident cockiness and callousness, hiding it from himself as well as others. In fact, Jed is repressing his vulnerability so much that Redford is the only one who sees it at all. It's a joy to see some of his camouflage *and* some of his misery break down over the course of the book. And of course Jed is also naturally off-the-wall, and that's also a lot of fun to see. ;)

And now I can hear you asking me -- oh? and what's so unusual about a werewolf in a romance? -- and again, trust me, Redford isn't *anything* like a "typical" werewolf. This kid has been locked up and isolated his entire life. He doesn't know how to be a human *or* a werewolf out in the world. I thought the authors did a great job of playing up his wolf-like behaviors -- unease in crowds, sensitivity, skittishness, and so on -- and I loved seeing him grow.

Oh, and the prose -- the prose throughout Blood Howl is definitely a cut above the norm. Good, strong prose that really grabs you and throws you into the action. Good stuff there.

But, of course, nothing can be perfect. First, the title. Sorry, folks, but that's a really dumb title. Please ignore it completely when you're considering whether to read this.

And then the plot. Sad, but true. There were several times throughout the plot where the characters did REALLY DUMB THINGS. It was annoying, it was distracting, and I hope the authors improve with subsequent books.

BUT -- overall -- did I mention that I loved the characters? I really did. And despite the dumb plot, I'm gonna rush over to the Amazon page for the sequel (Blood in the Sand) -- and I'm gonna buy it, and I'm gonna read it right this very minute in order to find out what happens next. Loved those characters. (less)

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Jun 03, 2012 Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: werewolves, explosions, violence

4 1/2 Hearts

First published at MM Good Book Reviews

http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.co...

Redford is a trapped in a lonely existence, in a dull drab house, until Jeb cons his way in. Jeb is an odd job man and the more dangerous the jobs are the better. When he takes a job to steal something and he’s told that it’s the only thing of value at the house he thinks it’s an easy job.

This book was brilliant. It’s not your usual werewolf story and there are no instant mates or love. Redford, you just f...more

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Feb 02, 2012 ManOhMan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

Reviewed by Joe: I really liked this book. It was interesting and very well written. Ms. Saxon and Ms. Kidwell collaborate very well together and I am anxious to read more of their work. I hope that they continue to write more stories involving Jed and Redford because I really liked them and I would love to read more adventures about them.

Both of the characters are crisp, sharp and distinct, the dialogue is vivid and the descriptions paint a nice picture. The reader is able to visualize every s...more

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Oct 30, 2011 LenaLena rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mm

This book felt... uneven. Like it couldn't make up its mind about whether it wanted to be emotionally gripping or funny. A lot like Jed, who can't make up his mind about whether he is a angry loner badass or a (pretty lame) comedian. Maybe if I had found him funny it wouldn't have been as bad. As it is, the book gave me whiplash in jerking me in so many different directions.

The plot left me with many questions:
(view spoiler)...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Kerry sullivan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gay-fiction, romance, shifter-werewolf, thriller-suspence-mystery

This book was reviewed for Musings of a bookworm
The synopsis
Gun for hire Jed Walker doesn't figure it for a difficult job-a simple smash and grab retrieval-except his new client doesn't want money or goods. He wants shy, gorgeous Redford Reed, a man who turns Jed's world upside down inside a day. He is in no way prepared to fall hard and fast for his newest assignment.
Redford Reed lives his life locked in his grandmother's house, haunted by a terrible curse and watching the world pass him by unt...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Madame X rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-urban-fantasy, mm-romance, romance-ends-with-hea-or-hfn

A title like BLOOD HOWL suggests a book that’s violent and gritty and dark, but Jed and Redford’s story is sweet and funny more than anything else. Yes, it features a nasty villain who wants to kidnap Redford and force him to join the local wolf pack, and yes, there are a few gunfights, but most of the book is about Redford melting Jed’s hard heart and Jed’s protective nature releasing Redford from a lifetime of anxiety and fear.

The thing that impressed me most about BLOOD HOWL was its humor. J...more A title like BLOOD HOWL suggests a book that’s violent and gritty and dark, but Jed and Redford’s story is sweet and funny more than anything else. Yes, it features a nasty villain who wants to kidnap Redford and force him to join the local wolf pack, and yes, there are a few gunfights, but most of the book is about Redford melting Jed’s hard heart and Jed’s protective nature releasing Redford from a lifetime of anxiety and fear.

The thing that impressed me most about BLOOD HOWL was its humor. Jed is the sort of guy who hides his real feelings behind jokes, so he’s always making cracks – and the humor flows naturally and well. It doesn’t try too hard; I never laughed out loud but I never groaned, either, and I was left with an impression of a guy with great banter, someone who’d be fun to hang out with.

Redford’s a good straight man. He was bitten and transformed into a werewolf at an early age and, for his own good, his grandmother limited his social interactions thereafter. So he’s got a very limited understanding of the world and how to relate to others. His innocence is the perfect foil for Jed’s humor – he doesn’t get most of Jed’s jokes or innuendos, and I liked Jed better because he never made Redford feel bad or awkward about that.

The main paranormal element here is that Redford is a werewolf & for most of the novel I was ready to peg BLOOD HOWL as paranormal lite. There’s a scene where Redford transforms for the full moon but even that was underwhelming; the paranormal aspects just don’t seem important or pervasive here. I will say, though, that a key plot twist towards the end relied upon Redford’s wolf nature to excellent effect.

I recommend BLOOD HOWL but prospective buyers should make sure they know what they’re getting into here. The tone struck me as light, sweet, and funny. It didn’t have the undertones of fear, dominance, and power play common to most paranormals. Redford, the werewolf, could not be less scary. But if you’re looking for some humor mixed in with hot gay sex, this could be a good choice.
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Sep 22, 2011 Jj Nightsong rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, shifter, gun-for-hire

Cover - Different, avoiding humans entirely yet including story elements. Funny how the wolf's eyes are left out of the picture, much like the usual chesty men are faceless.

MC's - Jed, ex-special ops, currently gun-for-hire. Red, werewolf. Story is told thru their alternating 3rd person POV's. And oddly, having rhyming names didn't bother me at all. I have bigger problems with names that start with the same letter.

I wanted to like this book. The opening chapter held a lot of promise. The main ch...more

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Sep 18, 2011 Merith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I nearly backed out of this story reading the first chapter; the overly prosaic 40s PI writing style was kind of getting to me. Luckily it calmed down as the story went on and gave us what I think the authors were after without all the OTT descriptors.

Jed (since no one calls him Journey) had built a thick shell, a complete persona that is larger than life to keep people at a distance, only connecting to do two things - sex and to kill. His feelings and internal monologue about this distance is...more

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Sep 14, 2011 Arthur rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4.5 stars

This is a sweet story. Yes, it's werewolf story, but the plot is not about pre-destined mates, although the connection between the MCs is immediate. A client put an order for Jed to get something from Redford's house. Jed is a gun-for-hire who always goes for quick impersonal sex (in which he always bottom). His type: big married men who'd like to have a quick release or curious about having gay sex. Jed was surprised that the order actually to kidnap Redford, an innocent twenty-somethi...more

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May 29, 2012 Cindi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, m-m, series

4.5 stars

In full disclosure I have to say that I got turned off by the werewolf type books awhile back. Nothing against them other than my simply getting burnt out. Between that and sparkly vampires I pretty much read way too many of these types of stories and swore I'd never read another one. I discovered these authors during the Hop Against Homophobia blogs recently. So I was curious and decided to give this book a shot. I am very glad I did. This is much different from the others I've read. S...more 4.5 stars

In full disclosure I have to say that I got turned off by the werewolf type books awhile back. Nothing against them other than my simply getting burnt out. Between that and sparkly vampires I pretty much read way too many of these types of stories and swore I'd never read another one. I discovered these authors during the Hop Against Homophobia blogs recently. So I was curious and decided to give this book a shot. I am very glad I did. This is much different from the others I've read. Sure it has the werewolves and while they may be the center of the story they don't take it over. Even if they would have it would have been okay because of the way they are written.

I am a sucker for opposites attract stories. Jed and Redford (Jed and Red... I got a kick out of that) are so different from each other that it's laughable in some places. A lot of places actually. Jed is the ultimate bad ass man whore and proud of it. Redford is the epitome of innocence. Jed is hired by some unknown person to abduct Redford for whatever reason. For Jed the reason doesn't matter as long as he gets paid. But when Jed goes to do the job he can't follow through. There is something about Redford that makes him want to protect him, not turn him over to the bad guy.

Jed's character got tiring in a few places but Redford always reeled him in. At first the use of all the pet names (Sugarlips? lol) was a little much but it got cute after awhile because once you discover Jed you realize that is part of his character. Red was simply perfect. So sweet and innocent. He had been sheltered his entire life and it showed. It was such a pleasure watching him come out of his shell.

I really enjoyed this. I enjoyed watching Jed come down from his bad ass (and slutty) ways. It was so sweet once he realized that all he needed was Redford.

There is some drama and quite a bit of action but everything comes together nicely. The HEA isn't easy coming but it does get there. The ending was perfect.

For once my timing with a series was perfect. I discovered this book last week and the 2nd in the series is coming out this week. I look forward to reading David's story and seeing more of Jed and Red.

As much as I read, it's always nice to discover new authors. In this case I found two. I can't wait to read more by them.(less)

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Feb 24, 2012 Tam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, canine-shifters

The strength of this story for me was the characterization of Jed. Jed is now a mercenary of sorts after leaving the army. He’ll blow shit up for you, steal things, doesn’t usually kill people as a rule, but he’s not against that really. He’s also continually “on”, he babbles, he flirts, every other phrase out of his mouth is a sexual innuendo, and he’s an unrepentent slut. He appreciates feeling “wanted” for those moments in a bathroom or back alley, and he has no desire for a relationship. He’...more The strength of this story for me was the characterization of Jed. Jed is now a mercenary of sorts after leaving the army. He’ll blow shit up for you, steal things, doesn’t usually kill people as a rule, but he’s not against that really. He’s also continually “on”, he babbles, he flirts, every other phrase out of his mouth is a sexual innuendo, and he’s an unrepentent slut. He appreciates feeling “wanted” for those moments in a bathroom or back alley, and he has no desire for a relationship. He’s got his cat, Kneival and a great apartment.

However when he takes on a job to retrieve something “valuable”, he soon finds out that thing is Redford. Redford is in his mid-20′s but totally naive about life. He has no internet or TV, he hides out in his house 24/7 reading books left by his deceased grandmother. Redford is a werewolf, the type who change on the full-moon and chains himself in the basement to protect innocents. However even when he confesses to Jed he’s a werewolf, Jed just figures he’s nuts, but attracted to the guy and trying to help him escape from the guy who wants him.

There is lots of running and shooting and bad guys after them in this, but there is also Jed being amazed at a home-made meal, Redford trying to get up to speed on all the sexual innuendo thrown his way, the cat, Jed’s contact David and his boy-toy, all of it mixed up well for me.

The story switches from Redford’s POV to Jed’s and I liked that Jed knows in large part why he doesn’t want a relationship, he’s aware of being damaged, and he knows Redford is getting under his skin. He likes the guy and doesn’t want to hurt him, but he’s freaking out that he feels that way at the same time. And he was just so damn amusing (or annoying at times) that I wanted him to work it all out. He’s also the kind of guy who has nicknames for everyone from sweetheart and darlin’ to more crude and cute, calling Redford “furry butt” and other canine-related names.

Redford seems unusually naive for a 26-year-old (or around there), but then he was homeschooled and his Grandmother rarely let him out of the house. This was one little niggle, if he only turned into a werewolf for 12 hours once a month, why not send him to school and just keep him home for that one night? I never really understood why the bad guy wanted him either, except that he didn’t want a werewolf who was not under his control because it could expose them. I guess. To be honest I was so caught up in Jed and Redford, I didn’t care all that much.

So I quite enjoyed this, although the authors definitely got me curious about David and his guy. Redford notes that David doesn’t smell quite human and Victor makes an indication that may lead me to believe he is a vampire. Maybe there will be a book about David and Victor or his true love. I’d definitely check it out. If you like quirky banter (which mostly goes over one character’s head to his great puzzlement) with the opposites attract/slut-innocent pairing, it was quite fun even if the mystery plot left me still a bit confused as to the purpose beyond getting the guys together. I was okay with that actually.

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Sep 19, 2011 Lady*M rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-romance, paranormal

This isn't a bad book, not really. In fact, the writing is good, Jed is just the kind of character I am often going for - morally ambiguous, snarky, with a sense of humor, even if he is a little bit too much of attention grabber to be a Special Op guy (but, hey, this is fiction!), while Red is sweet and it was nice to read how his confidence grew.

But... I just couldn't bring myself to care. Part of the problem is practically non-existent world-building. Yes, there are werewolves and some of them...more This isn't a bad book, not really. In fact, the writing is good, Jed is just the kind of character I am often going for - morally ambiguous, snarky, with a sense of humor, even if he is a little bit too much of attention grabber to be a Special Op guy (but, hey, this is fiction!), while Red is sweet and it was nice to read how his confidence grew.

But... I just couldn't bring myself to care. Part of the problem is practically non-existent world-building. Yes, there are werewolves and some of them aren't very nice and there are other... beings - we just don't know what they are. And... that's it. I know sometimes keeping information from your readers could keep up their interest, but if you keep everything from them - why would they care? And there were some things that just didn't make any sense. As one reviewer mentioned, the bad guy had these super powers, had lived for thousands of years, had the gang of his personal baddies - and he needed Jed to get him one unprotected, frightened man? Not to mention that we never really get to see Jed - super fighting machine - in action. Almost all the action happens off-page, except part of the final confrontation which wasn't very exciting either (the super bad guy was disposed of in a jiffy), which was quite a letdown. All the unknowns and inconsistencies kept me from really caring for Jed and Red (and how cute is that?). The sexual tension between them was veeery promising, but then they were interrupted so many times that when they finally got to do anything, my main reaction was: Thank you, god! I would have also liked reading more about their previous lives: Jed's self-deprecation hides serious insecurities and I would like to know what happened to him, Red's complete self-isolation seemed unnatural too me (in spite of his condition and grandma's special brand of 'loving') for a young, healthy man and I would have liked some additional explanation. You can say that, while I liked individual (and very good) parts of this book - writing, Jed, Red, David, etc. - on the whole, the book disappointed me.

Speaking of David, he and his boy-toy Professor appeared in just a few scenes and caught my interest more than Jed and Redford as a couple did. If history is anything to go by, the next book will be about David (and boy-toy Professor?) and I will make sure to pick it up, because I do want to know more about this world, more about these characters and, in spite of my complaints, I can see the qualities of Blood Howl. (less)

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Sep 30, 2011 Td rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sims-is-trying-to-kill-me, assassins, shifters, where-is-the-popcorn

This was another one where I felt the need to completely surrender, give myself over, enjoy, take it for what it was, not worry about much else or go mad. It didn't work too well this time. It doesn't matter what type of book it is all I ask is that it makes sense, just a little bit and we're good. I will find a way to justify everything else. The questions kept popping up- what? why? how? huh? but...but what, WHY? Seriously? Getting the answers, the few times you did get them, raised even more...more

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Jan 15, 2012 Crys Harris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The premise is ridiculous. Why would a powerful alpha not just snatch Redford from his home? It's not like he has anyone. It's ridiculous that Redford lives in the middle of the city if he's so dangerous. It's ridiculous that Redford is so clueless, even though he's a hermit. He has a tv, books, newspaper, and lives in modern times. This book is also short on details. I'm all for using exposition to give up plot details, but the authors just keep us in the dark a lot. It's frustrating. I want mo...more

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Sep 22, 2011 Valentina Heart rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Valentina by: Nikyta

Shelves: glbt, glbt-sf-futur-fantasy-paran

4.5 stars

This book is funny, witty, perverted, action filled and pretty much star winning. I did like the overall story, but the big point winners were definitely Jed and Red. Great character realization can really either make the book or just ruin it if done badly. In this case it didn't take me long to love both of them and I really laughed from the first page to the last.

The thing is, this book also had an amazing plot, or at least an outline of one. The whole werewolf world was different and...more

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Sep 18, 2011 Robin Covington rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, romance-reads

I love a book with snappy dialogue, a tight plot and characters who grab you by the throat and dare you to wuss out, think about how early you have to get up in the morning and close the book.

I couldn't do it - I stayed up so late that I'm dragging around like a zombie today in between taking peeks at my favorite parts over and over again.

The blurb tells you all about the plot but it is the characters who will get you with this one. Jed is a readers dream - funny, smart, sexy and so witty that I...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Sue rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: werewolves

A bit of a suspension of disbelief needed at the invincibility of Jed, but if you can do that (and let's face it, you can, because werewolves, yes?) this is a nicely crafted, fast-paced story of a hit man falling in love with his target.
Shades of 'Zero at the Bone', very competently handled, just with a mad alpha determined on acquiring Redford, the lone wolf, as part of his pack.
I loved the clueless reaction once Jed found himself needing to protect Redford; the language and whole concept of l...more

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Sep 13, 2011 Ami rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm-romance-or-erotica, mm-shifters

This is the first book I read from both authors (and I think it's also their debut) and since it's about shifters, I just can't help it. I have a thing with shifter's stories :). The story is written from both MC's point of view. Jed is a gun-for-hire. Redford is his latest job. Jed is supposed to retrieved Redford; but one look at the younger guy changes his mind. Red seems to trigger Jed's protective instinct ... even when later Red tells Jed that he is a werewolf (and Jed is sure that werewol...more This is the first book I read from both authors (and I think it's also their debut) and since it's about shifters, I just can't help it. I have a thing with shifter's stories :). The story is written from both MC's point of view. Jed is a gun-for-hire. Redford is his latest job. Jed is supposed to retrieved Redford; but one look at the younger guy changes his mind. Red seems to trigger Jed's protective instinct ... even when later Red tells Jed that he is a werewolf (and Jed is sure that werewolves are fairy tales!)

The charm of this story for me is Redford (or Jed's beloved nickname for him, Fido). Eversince he got the werewolf bite and his parents were killed, Red has been living with his grandmother, practically homebound. He continues living like a hermit after his grandma dies. He deals with his werewolf situation alone. He has a cage, chains, muzzles to keep him for going out and hurting people. He never really ventures outside. Relationship, sex, and even kiss are foreign things for him. So his childish innonence is ADORABLE!! I just love his reaction to everything "new", from the first kiss, to playing basketball, to the first love making, even to innuendos thrown by Jed. It's so cute *sigh*. He wins my heart over, every single time!!

While Jed, uhm, I don't know what to make of Jed. I mean, there is nothing "seriously" wrong with him. I like him just fine. But his inner monologues seem to bit jumpy most of the times, he tends to ramble and using some modern references that just a bit too much. Also, a couple of times, there's part where I think that it needs to be told in Jed's point of view, but what we get is from Red, so there seems to be gap in writing about what happen to Jed; and it doesn't help me to grasp his character better. I think I find myself wishing more of Redford's point of view instead of Jed.

But all in all, I do enjoy this. It's cute to have a werewolf story that has NOTHING to do with "mate". A virgin werewolf, with human child innoncence is not something I come across often :). Plus the chemistry of Jed and Red is palpable, and I already say that Red is PLAIN ADORABLE, don't I?! *grin*. The ending is aww-worthy too :)(less)

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Oct 31, 2011 L.E.Olteano rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, blog-review, reviewed, received-for-review

As soon as I started it, I was in love with Jed. Well, not in love-in love, but I loved the guy, you know? He's smart, witty, very alert, hands on (in a lot of ways, lol), he has a great sense of humor and he's a deadly, ex-cover-op sort of guy that is the human equivalent of a killing machine, that's very into pet names of all sorts that will have you lol-ing your bits off. I know I did. I kept picturing this well built, killer-looking dude, prancing around the place and calling guys "sweetchee...more As soon as I started it, I was in love with Jed. Well, not in love-in love, but I loved the guy, you know? He's smart, witty, very alert, hands on (in a lot of ways, lol), he has a great sense of humor and he's a deadly, ex-cover-op sort of guy that is the human equivalent of a killing machine, that's very into pet names of all sorts that will have you lol-ing your bits off. I know I did. I kept picturing this well built, killer-looking dude, prancing around the place and calling guys "sweetcheeks", "darlin'" and the likes. Which he does, and he's over-the-top hilarious, a lot of fun to follow around.

Red was the adorable sort of guy, all big eyes and novice about a lot of things. I guess we could say he's the cute type, you know? Now, as the characters sound right now, I bet you're thinking it's all clear right? Well there's a twist. You ever noticed how in many romance stories, when there's a werewolf, he tends to be all alpha? Or he's like a beta, and the alpha is out to buy fruit during the whole book, or something? Well, I won't give you details or anything, but this story has a special kind of werewolf. And a special dynamic to the relationship as well. If you think you have it all mapped out just from the sound of it, you'll be quite surprised when reading.

So, the main things I liked were the main couple, I really liked David too, and wished to somehow have read more about him (hint~hint at writing his story xD), and the fact that things seemingly predictable turned out to have a special twist.
The writing is very easy to follow, and clear, and funny, what with Jed being the main star of the event a lot of the time. I would have liked it more if it would have been an omniscient narrator that would have told me the tale, instead of it being clearly divided into this and that point of view, but that's just a preference of mine.

The plot is not overly elaborate; there's stuff going on, guns blazing, perps doing some nasty, but not overly much, the focus is on Jed and Red's relationship mostly. I liked that, it didn't feel like there was something missing, and once in a while I like a plot that is more forgiving on my attention span; I mean, if I'm gonna read a romance, I'm gonna want romance from it, not a twirly twisted mind-discombobulating story that'll have me half-bald by the end of it, you know? Some stories work fine with this sort of relationship-focus, if the characters are charismatic enough and the whole reading experience is fun. This book is one of those stories.

The overall rating is more of a 3,5 then an entire 4 butterflies, but I liked it too much to be a 3, I mean I was giggling almost all the while as I read it. There's something to be said about a book that makes you giggle even though one of the characters, or more, go through some intense life-changing experiences. You're curious, am I right? Well go and read it, it'll be a great experience.

And I really like the cover, too. It gives me a break from those naked hotstuds showing off their admittedly awesome skin, I mean you think there's never too much of a good thing, but even skin tends to get boring when everyone's showing, you know? This cover is intriguing, and beautiful, and it has a special vibe to it, it grabs your attention. I knew this would be a special read, and it turned I was (as usual) right.

I highly recommend this if you enjoy smut, angst and are in need of a serious mood lifter.(less)

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Jan 15, 2012 Nessa Warin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, fantasy, gay-and-lesbian

This book presents an interesting world. I'd like to have gotten a little more about Jed's history and I was a little uncomfortable with how quickly they fell into bed, particularly given Redford's past, but overall, I enjoyed this a lot. It was well paced and exciting with intriguing characters and a well-thought out world. The werewolf definitely wasn't stereotypical and the pack structure was particularly intriguing. Also, the side characters were intriguing enough that I'd be interested in m...more

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Sep 17, 2011 Moniqee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The plot is not bad and the style of writing is good. However, what screws up the whole thing is the built up of the background story.

I have so many misgivings. Examples - It is kind of laughable that the big bad villain needs one hire gun to kidnap the victim when there is no ward ( whatsoever ) to prevent the villain from snatching the victim ( invisible in his own neighbourhood ) from his home in the first place. The hero is just plain human and no way could he survived bullet shots to plot...more

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Blood Howl (Sanguis Noctis #1)

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