Darwin's Natural Selection (Human Design, #2)

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Darwin's Natural Selection (Human Design #2)

3.47 of 5 stars 3.47 · rating details · 36 ratings · 13 reviews

Tom Cooper’s life was changed with one swift act of brutality. It’s been months and he still can’t forget that night, still lives in fear…especially fear of intimacy. So when a big, beautiful construction worker expresses interest, Tom freezes with every touch. How can the same man inspire both lust and terror? His hungry looks seem both dangerous and delicious?

Darwin Blo...more

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Published October 12th 2012 by Ellora's Cave

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Oct 14, 2012 Simsala*is getting slow* rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, contemporary, meh

A story like a nursery rhyme.
With every repeat of the chorus a word or event gets added.

Three-fourths of the book were nothing but telling about a slowly progressing relationship between a saint and Bambi frozen in the headlights.
Lots of lovey-dovey stuff that was kinda cute but with the third round of telephone sex - because Tom was too afraid to get touched - the story slowed down to snail`s pace and as they finally came together I was already asleep.
I skimmed the last quarter and finally som...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Kristy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013

First off....I LOVE Katie Allen's books. I've read them all, and the nook that led me to her was the first Human Design book, Experimenting With Ed. I love, love, loved that book.....so the follow-up had some big shoes to fill. And for the most part, I was not disappointed. This story is m/m, which I love....the sex was suuuuper hot, but the storyline just left me sort of, I don't know....blah.

This book was Darwin's story. He's the 2nd in the group of five guys that are escaped "experiments". Th...more First off....I LOVE Katie Allen's books. I've read them all, and the nook that led me to her was the first Human Design book, Experimenting With Ed. I love, love, loved that book.....so the follow-up had some big shoes to fill. And for the most part, I was not disappointed. This story is m/m, which I love....the sex was suuuuper hot, but the storyline just left me sort of, I don't know....blah.

This book was Darwin's story. He's the 2nd in the group of five guys that are escaped "experiments". They all had their memories wiped away, so all they remember is their time in the lab and what has happened to them since their escape. The government was trying to build a better soldier....enhanced senses, enhanced strength, enhanced everything. But they all got tired of being human lab rats, so they escaped and have all been living new lives in various parts of the country.

So, back to THIS particular book. Darwin is a construction worker and he sees Tom Cooper one day on his work site. Tom is the designer of the building that Darwin is helping to construct. After building up his courage, Darwin finally goes up to Tom and gives him his phone number. Lucky for Darwin....Tom is gay. Tom doesn't plan to call him at first (even though Darwin is INSANELY HOT). You see, Tom is pretty fresh out of a bad relationship in addition to being the victim of an hate crime which left him beaten and hospitalized. But fast-forward a little bit, and Tom finally calls Darwin. Come to find out, Darwin is just about the nicest and most patient guy on the planet. And he and Tom work through all of Tom's fears together. (And it involves some super hot phone sex, y'all!)

But we all know this can't last, because the government is actively looking for Darwin. And thanks to Tom's asshole of an ex-boyfriend, he gets found. Not wanting to go back to being a lab rat, Darwin goes on the run...taking Tom with him. Aaaannnnddddd this is the part of the book that caused me to give it 3 stars. The escape and the little bit that came after seemed so rushed. Like, there was all this action and critical plot points occurring, but it was only a chapter or so dedicated to it. More time was spent talking about Tom's sister's engagement dinner that it was on the big escape that was the final act of the book.

Overall, I liked the book. I loved the characters and the romance was hot.....but the end just sort of fizzled and went limp. And when we're talking about two hot dudes having hot dude-on-dude sex.....nothing should go limp. Ever. Solid three stars, though. And Katie Allen remains one of my favorite authors.(less)

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Nov 13, 2012 Gabbi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: angst, elloras-cave, favorites, gay-romance, heroes-with-mental-challenges, i-hope-this-will-be-a-series, series, top2bottom-reviews, katie-allen

This is the first book I’ve read by Katie Allen and it definitely won’t be my last! I really enjoyed the different twists and turns the plot of this book has as well as the humorous and sexy side of Ms. Allen’s voice.

Six months ago Tom was brutally attacked as part as a hate crime. Since the attack, Tom suffers from almost debilitating panic attacks and he constantly struggles at trying to get his life back to some kind of normalcy. One day at a job site he is approached by a very handsome const...more This is the first book I’ve read by Katie Allen and it definitely won’t be my last! I really enjoyed the different twists and turns the plot of this book has as well as the humorous and sexy side of Ms. Allen’s voice.

Six months ago Tom was brutally attacked as part as a hate crime. Since the attack, Tom suffers from almost debilitating panic attacks and he constantly struggles at trying to get his life back to some kind of normalcy. One day at a job site he is approached by a very handsome construction worker, Darwin. Being around Darwin immediately makes Tom anxious and when Darwin asks him out, Tom almost has a full blown panic attack. But Darwin doesn’t seem fazed by Tom’s reaction and give him his number and tells him to call him. Thinking of nothing but to escape, Tom quickly leaves, but Darwin’s kindness and Darwin’s phone number seem to be almost all he can think about.

When Tom is forced to bring a date to his sister’s dinner party, Tom manages to gather up his courage to call Darwin. Tom just knows that Darwin will turn him down because of the flaky way he acted, but to Tom’s surprise, Darwin seems to be thrilled he called and asks him out. This both confused and excites Tom, but he is determined to try to keep his anxieties at bay and have a good date. When they meet the next night, Tom quickly realizes that Darwin is truly as beautiful on the inside as he is on the outside. He’s kind, thoughtful, and sexy as hell, and is somehow able to put some of Tom’s fears to rest. Despite his fears and anxieties, Tom finds himself truly becoming enamored of the handsome Darwin and slowly starts to become more comfortable around him as they continue to get to know each other. As trust and friendship turn to passion, Tom knows he must face his fears and anxieties if he ever wants to have a real relationship with Darwin. But there’s more to Darwin than meets the eye. There’s a mystery about him that Tom can’t seem to figure out and when Darwin finally comes clean about whom he really is Tom’s trust and love for Darwin is really put to the test.

I really loved this book! I thought it was very well-written and between the action, romance and likeable characters, I ended up reading this book cover to cover in one sitting. Both heroes are very interesting and sexy men. Although Tom has many anxieties and fears, he’s really stronger than he realizes he is. I liked how much personal growth he goes through as he starts to allow Darwin into his life. Once he made his mind up about Darwin, Tom became a force to be reckoned with. Also, I though Darwin was a truly sweet and wonderful man. His patience with Tom was lovely as well as his ability to put aside some of his own needs to help Tom with his anxieties. I thought that both men were perfect for each other and I enjoyed their story immensely.

Darwin’s Natural Selection is the second book in the Human Design series. I admit I have not read the first book in the series, but honestly, this book is really well written enough to be a stand-alone book. I didn’t feel lost and kept up with the story very easily. Since the first book is a M/F book, I’m not sure when I’ll be getting around to reading it, but since I really liked this book a lot, I’ll probably eventually do it. There is a definite happy ending at the end of the story, but since it looks like there’s going to be at least three more books, it definitely ended with a bit of cliffhanger for me. This didn’t bother me in the least because this too ended in a positive note. I’m definitely interested in seeing how everything turns out, so I’ll be keeping an eye on the rest of the series. Recommended!(less)

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Nov 11, 2012 Top 2 Bottom Reviews Interviews and More rated it 5 of 5 stars

http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.com/

4.5 Kisses

This is the first book I’ve read by Katie Allen and it definitely won’t be my last! I really enjoyed the different twists and turns the plot of this book has as well as the humorous and sexy side of Ms. Allen’s voice.

Six months ago Tom was brutally attacked as part as a hate crime. Since the attack, Tom suffers from almost debilitating panic attacks and he constantly struggles at trying to get his life back to some kind of normalcy. One day at a j...more http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.com/

4.5 Kisses

This is the first book I’ve read by Katie Allen and it definitely won’t be my last! I really enjoyed the different twists and turns the plot of this book has as well as the humorous and sexy side of Ms. Allen’s voice.

Six months ago Tom was brutally attacked as part as a hate crime. Since the attack, Tom suffers from almost debilitating panic attacks and he constantly struggles at trying to get his life back to some kind of normalcy. One day at a job site he is approached by a very handsome construction worker, Darwin. Being around Darwin immediately makes Tom anxious and when Darwin asks him out, Tom almost has a full blown panic attack. But Darwin doesn’t seem fazed by Tom’s reaction and give him his number and tells him to call him. Thinking of nothing but to escape, Tom quickly leaves, but Darwin’s kindness and Darwin’s phone number seem to be almost all he can think about.

When Tom is forced to bring a date to his sister’s dinner party, Tom manages to gather up his courage to call Darwin. Tom just knows that Darwin will turn him down because of the flaky way he acted, but to Tom’s surprise, Darwin seems to be thrilled he called and asks him out. This both confused and excites Tom, but he is determined to try to keep his anxieties at bay and have a good date. When they meet the next night, Tom quickly realizes that Darwin is truly as beautiful on the inside as he is on the outside. He’s kind, thoughtful, and sexy as hell, and is somehow able to put some of Tom’s fears to rest. Despite his fears and anxieties, Tom finds himself truly becoming enamored of the handsome Darwin and slowly starts to become more comfortable around him as they continue to get to know each other. As trust and friendship turn to passion, Tom knows he must face his fears and anxieties if he ever wants to have a real relationship with Darwin. But there’s more to Darwin than meets the eye. There’s a mystery about him that Tom can’t seem to figure out and when Darwin finally comes clean about whom he really is Tom’s trust and love for Darwin is really put to the test.

I really loved this book! I thought it was very well-written and between the action, romance and likeable characters, I ended up reading this book cover to cover in one sitting. Both heroes are very interesting and sexy men. Although Tom has many anxieties and fears, he’s really stronger than he realizes he is. I liked how much personal growth he goes through as he starts to allow Darwin into his life. Once he made his mind up about Darwin, Tom became a force to be reckoned with. Also, I though Darwin was a truly sweet and wonderful man. His patience with Tom was lovely as well as his ability to put aside some of his own needs to help Tom with his anxieties. I thought that both men were perfect for each other and I enjoyed their story immensely.

Darwin’s Natural Selection is the second book in the Human Design series. I admit I have not read the first book in the series, but honestly, this book is really well written enough to be a stand-alone book. I didn’t feel lost and kept up with the story very easily. Since the first book is a M/F book, I’m not sure when I’ll be getting around to reading it, but since I really liked this book a lot, I’ll probably eventually do it. There is a definite happy ending at the end of the story, but since it looks like there’s going to be at least three more books, it definitely ended with a bit of cliffhanger for me. This didn’t bother me in the least because this too ended in a positive note. I’m definitely interested in seeing how everything turns out, so I’ll be keeping an eye on the rest of the series. Recommended!

The Human Design books in series order are:

Experimenting with Ed

Darwin’s Natural Selection(less)

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Oct 14, 2012 J rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 15, 2012 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Having not read the first in the series, I was a little leery to read this book. But someone whose taste I trust recced it, and I'm glad I took the chance. You don't read about too many heroes who suffer from severe anxiety, and I really enjoyed how patient and understanding Darwin was with him. He didn't push, he let Tom come to him at his own speed.

The pacing was good, and I really enjoyed the author's writing style and voice. I laughed out loud quite a few times.

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Nov 19, 2012 Leah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favs, abuse-or-hurt, angsty, lol-funny, m-m-romance, resilience, queersoldier, opposites-attract, sequel-part-of-a-series, warmfuzzies, yummy-re-reads, slow-burn-build

This is a solid 4 star read but I'm i bumping my rating up to counter the low ratings of other obviously psychopathic reviewers! *shrugs* The dialogue in this book is witty, sexy and laugh out loud funny. I think I just found a new favorite author ;D

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Oct 14, 2012 MostlyDelores rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-romance, romantic-suspense

3.5 stars. I have been waiting for this book FOREVER. No book could live up that, but it didn't seem to have the same... sparkle that I expect from Katie Allen. And the story just stops towards the end because this is book two of a five book series, with an arc that won't be resolved until book five (I assume). So, not a cliff hanger, but not HEA (yet) either.

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Nov 07, 2012 Tracey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Absolutely loved this book. I could relate to Tom on so many levels. Wish we could all find our own Darwin's!

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Sep 25, 2012 Pummpie marked it as to-read

I've been waiting for this book with breathless anticipation !!!!!

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Oct 14, 2012 Mandi Schreiner rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, erotic, m-m, awkward-shy-hero

I'll write a review tomorrow :)

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Jan 10, 2013 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wonderful. Handled the issue of PTSD linked to an attack on a gay man with great sensitivity and tenderness. At the same time the book retained Katie Allens trademark wit and eroticism. Darwin was a great hero.

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Oct 12, 2012 L O V E L E S S marked it as wish-list

Shelves: elloras-cave, must-have, wish-wish

Ooooh~
This sounds so good... :D

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Apr 27, 2013 Robin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, romance-sci-fi

Apr 10, 2013 Jeis added it

Apr 04, 2013 Dana rated it 1 of 5 stars

Apr 02, 2013 Demetra Roussakis marked it as to-read

Apr 02, 2013 Mel marked it as to-read

Mar 30, 2013 ❀Ꭱėɳee marked it as to-read

Shelves: lendable

Mar 23, 2013 Sheena Mckellar rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books, mm

Mar 22, 2013 Gregory Olds marked it as to-read

Mar 12, 2013 ~*coffee*lover*~ marked it as to-read

Mar 09, 2013 Nareh marked it as to-read

Shelves: wish-list

Mar 10, 2013 Jeanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: hot-steamy, favorite-heroes, military-spec-ops, mm, paranormal-romance, series, tortured-heroes, read-and-own-amazon

Mar 08, 2013 Kellie Dennis marked it as to-read

Shelves: my-books

Mar 07, 2013 Maria Pedersen marked it as to-read

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Feb 12, 2013 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbt

Feb 01, 2013 Kristie marked it as to-read

Shelves: as-of-1-27-13-new

Jan 25, 2013 Sandy marked it as to-read-asap_er-compt

Shelves: part-of-a-series, added-from-others-shelves, gr_friend_rec-or-loved-it_damn_you_

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About Katie Allen

Katie Allen grew up in the Midwest with a horde of sisters (five) and one beleaguered brother. After an enjoyable four years working on her creative writing/art degree, and two not-so-pleasant years struggling towards her MBA, Katie somehow ended up as a mechanical engineer in Denver, Colorado.

When she's not writing or working to pay for her unfortunate equine addiction, Katie rides horses, reads...more

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Darwin's Natural Selection (Human Design #2)

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