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Wolves of Stone Ridge #5
Finding Balance
Out of the cage: Sometimes you don’t need a leash to bind two being together.
Todd Abernathy spent three weeks in a cage. Experimented on by scientists, he retreated deep into his wolf to survive. The night of his rescue, the scent of his mate was the only thing that convinced him to return to human form. Small for a wolf shifter, it didn’t surprise Todd when his brother Phillip insisted on joining the local wolf pack with him. His larger, younger half-brother had felt responsible for him since puberty. But Phillip couldn’t help him find the mate he’d scented, and when Todd finally figured out that Detective Lyle Sullivan was the man he was searching for, the human had been captured by the same men who’d experimented on Todd.
Lyle’s escape almost comes too late, because the experiments done to him scramble his DNA, nearly killing him. The only way to save Lyle is to complete the experimental procedure the scientists started on him. Todd’s relief that the recovering Lyle recognizes him as his mate is short-lived. Lyle starts exhibiting increasingly aggressive and dangerous tendencies. Can Todd find a way to help his mate accept what’s happening to him and teach him how to co-exist with the new creature living inside his mind? Or will Lyle lose himself to the beast and force his friends to put him down?
Todd Abernathy spent three weeks in a cage. Experimented on by scientists, he retreated deep into his wolf to survive. The night of his rescue, the scent of his mate was the only thing that convinced him to return to human form. Small for a wolf shifter, it didn’t surprise Todd when his brother Phillip insisted on joining the local wolf pack with him. His larger, younger half-brother had felt responsible for him since puberty. But Phillip couldn’t help him find the mate he’d scented, and when Todd finally figured out that Detective Lyle Sullivan was the man he was searching for, the human had been captured by the same men who’d experimented on Todd.
Lyle’s escape almost comes too late, because the experiments done to him scramble his DNA, nearly killing him. The only way to save Lyle is to complete the experimental procedure the scientists started on him. Todd’s relief that the recovering Lyle recognizes him as his mate is short-lived. Lyle starts exhibiting increasingly aggressive and dangerous tendencies. Can Todd find a way to help his mate accept what’s happening to him and teach him how to co-exist with the new creature living inside his mind? Or will Lyle lose himself to the beast and force his friends to put him down?
112 pages, Nook
First published January 1, 2012
25 people are currently reading
231 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
September 26, 2020
Finding Balance (Wolves of Stone Ridge #5) by Charlie Richards
January 1, 2012
The story plot was enjoyable and pulling enough. I have to admit that this "dirty talk" between Lyle and Todd wasn't really attractive or even HOT, but hey, maybe for some it will. The basic plot of this series continues where the previous book ended and will still go on in the next one.
February 5, 2012
newly made experimental reptile shiftier is quick to accept new situation. no drama, but no chemistry.
July 7, 2017
Another piece of the veil around the scientists’ experiments is lifted, and we end up with not only an explanation for the kidnappings, but a new type of shifter. One who has no idea how to control his animal. The focus of the story is on two men, both of whom have been kidnapped and tortured and/or experimented on. Learning to trust and knowing how their relationship will work isn’t easy for them – hence the title.
Todd is a pretty well adjusted wolf shifter. Well, he is now, we find out later on that this hasn’t always been the case. It partly explains why he is so able and willing to help Lyle through his problems. Of course, the other part is that he’s drawn toward his mate. His ability to hold back his need to be claimed because Lyle isn’t ready yet was amazing, and showed great control of his animal.
Lyle has a lot to deal with, and in typical macho fashion attempts to power through it. Increasing aggression and an inability to control his animal make him clamp down harder. Listening to the advice of the other shifters isn’t easy, because it contradicts what he has learned as a human. It isn’t easy, but thank God for Todd who can bring some semblance of rationality back to him!
This fifth book is really beginning to let the ongoing story unfold well. The conspiracy is more obvious, the villains are getting more slippery, and the recurring characters from previous books are great fun to watch. If you like shifter stories where a guy is learning about being a shifter, if mates who know they belong together but can’t quite figure out how to make it work interest you and if you enjoy hot shifter-on-shifter action, you may like this book.
NOTE: It makes sense to read the other books first; you may miss a lot of the enjoyment otherwise.
Todd is a pretty well adjusted wolf shifter. Well, he is now, we find out later on that this hasn’t always been the case. It partly explains why he is so able and willing to help Lyle through his problems. Of course, the other part is that he’s drawn toward his mate. His ability to hold back his need to be claimed because Lyle isn’t ready yet was amazing, and showed great control of his animal.
Lyle has a lot to deal with, and in typical macho fashion attempts to power through it. Increasing aggression and an inability to control his animal make him clamp down harder. Listening to the advice of the other shifters isn’t easy, because it contradicts what he has learned as a human. It isn’t easy, but thank God for Todd who can bring some semblance of rationality back to him!
This fifth book is really beginning to let the ongoing story unfold well. The conspiracy is more obvious, the villains are getting more slippery, and the recurring characters from previous books are great fun to watch. If you like shifter stories where a guy is learning about being a shifter, if mates who know they belong together but can’t quite figure out how to make it work interest you and if you enjoy hot shifter-on-shifter action, you may like this book.
NOTE: It makes sense to read the other books first; you may miss a lot of the enjoyment otherwise.
January 7, 2017
We’ve skipped a couple books, but the players are still the same. Lyle is Gordon’s partner on the police force and we saw that he was taken at the end of book 3. In book four he’s found but in danger and by now that situation has resolved a bit and we find him recovering at Declan’s place with Todd, who by now has realized Lyle is his mate.
Lyle is now a shifter, but we don’t know what kind, only that it seems reptilian. Todd, of course, is all in, but he doesn’t know how Lyle will react to all the changes in his life.
**
What I love about this book is how fierce Lyle’s animal is and how badly it wants Todd. I love it when it breaks through and marches through town searching for Todd! I also loved seeing Lyle and Gordon work together to help Todd and Grady.
There is a lot of very hot smexy times in this short book, and sometimes I was wanting more relationship building and less fucking, but… in the end it’s still a super fun book which moves the overall story arc forward, introduces us to some new players and gives us one of my favorite characters in the series – which is Lyle in his shifted form. (He’s a bit different than other shifters as you’ll find out and that makes him just a little bit more awesome!)
4.5 of 5 stars
Lyle is now a shifter, but we don’t know what kind, only that it seems reptilian. Todd, of course, is all in, but he doesn’t know how Lyle will react to all the changes in his life.
**
What I love about this book is how fierce Lyle’s animal is and how badly it wants Todd. I love it when it breaks through and marches through town searching for Todd! I also loved seeing Lyle and Gordon work together to help Todd and Grady.
There is a lot of very hot smexy times in this short book, and sometimes I was wanting more relationship building and less fucking, but… in the end it’s still a super fun book which moves the overall story arc forward, introduces us to some new players and gives us one of my favorite characters in the series – which is Lyle in his shifted form. (He’s a bit different than other shifters as you’ll find out and that makes him just a little bit more awesome!)
4.5 of 5 stars
August 25, 2012
In the previous story, it was revealed what happened to Kyle and I felt so sorry for him and all he went through. Even though these stories are on the lighter side, there are still some really big baddies who torture and experiment on people, animals and shifters for what ultimate reason I haven't worked out. Lyle was one of the humans taken and given experimental DNA injections that almost killed him. Drake did the only thing he could to save him which was to finish altering his whole being.
Lyle is now a shifter and must learn to control his animal and come to terms with what has happened to him. All is not bad because he discovers that he has a sweet wolf shifter for a mate. Todd went through his own troubles so he is uniquely qualified to help his mate through the process of being a shifter.
I enjoyed this plot and was just dying to know what Lyle's animal was (and it was a doozy). There was a small fear that Lyle would have to be dealt with if he couldn't control his animal. The bad guys rear their heads again and must be dealt with even as there is a surprise plot twist in regard to them.
Again, another good installment to the series!
Lyle is now a shifter and must learn to control his animal and come to terms with what has happened to him. All is not bad because he discovers that he has a sweet wolf shifter for a mate. Todd went through his own troubles so he is uniquely qualified to help his mate through the process of being a shifter.
I enjoyed this plot and was just dying to know what Lyle's animal was (and it was a doozy). There was a small fear that Lyle would have to be dealt with if he couldn't control his animal. The bad guys rear their heads again and must be dealt with even as there is a surprise plot twist in regard to them.
Again, another good installment to the series!
January 9, 2012
I’ve found myself addicted to this series, it’s a nice, well written shifter read. However this has to be my favorite installment to the series to date. The plot is unusual, the shifter is a lizard shifter which again is unique, and the characters are impressive. I love the fact that Mr. Richard's characters are never the stereotypical leading men even in the shifter world. The author always flips the switch and makes characters that you can really relate to.
My previous concerns voiced in my last review was not see this time around. The author did a much better job of weaving the other books in the series without out overloading the reader. At no point in time did I feel lost or confused because of missing a book and even though I read the pervious one which held a lot of these characters in it, I’m confident that this would still be able to stand alone.
For more of the review pls visit: http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/1/post/2...
My previous concerns voiced in my last review was not see this time around. The author did a much better job of weaving the other books in the series without out overloading the reader. At no point in time did I feel lost or confused because of missing a book and even though I read the pervious one which held a lot of these characters in it, I’m confident that this would still be able to stand alone.
For more of the review pls visit: http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/1/post/2...
June 29, 2012
A Nile monitor shifter! This series just gets better and better. It does end on a cliffhanger, so I hope the next one gets here soon. Lyle handles his change with trouble, which I liked. To just accept something so life altering with complacency would have made me think he's drugged! While he calls Todd angel, it is not with the awful frequency Ailean used the term little mate. Interesting and fun, now let's find out what happens to Dragus.
August 23, 2024
Not only does Lyle, a human no less, experimented on and basically given an animal, but an unusual animal at that. I loved that once he figures out to stop fighting it and follow his animal's instincts, everything starts to fall into place. Since he's such a top, Todd gets the better end of the deal and a great mate with the end results of this dangerous experiment. This is one of my favorites of this series!
December 2, 2013
I really was anxious to find out how Lyle was doing after the last book ended. This explains that. It was very "me, mine" type but that's ok with me as its shifters. I liked the concept embedded in here of having to control yourself regardless of what your nature wants to do. There are plenty of folks who could take a lesson from this book in how to control themselves.
July 5, 2018
When life throws you new DNA
Unique in this series as there is a human, Lyle, who has actually been turned into a shifter. In this world paranormal creatures are born, much like normals, they cannot 'turn' anyone. So Lyle at first doesn't believe this could have happened and then finds himself having to learn how to deal with sharing his body with a predator.
The reason Lyle is able to start handling his transition is the presence of his mate. Todd is a wolf shifter who was himself rescued from the research facility. There he scented Lyle as his mate, but wasn't able to find him. Having the man come changed worries Todd, as he fears that his fated mate will be taken from him too soon. Todd has had plenty of loss and adversity in his life and his sweet nature is a guiding and grounding force to get Lyle through the major changes in this book.
Unique in this series as there is a human, Lyle, who has actually been turned into a shifter. In this world paranormal creatures are born, much like normals, they cannot 'turn' anyone. So Lyle at first doesn't believe this could have happened and then finds himself having to learn how to deal with sharing his body with a predator.
The reason Lyle is able to start handling his transition is the presence of his mate. Todd is a wolf shifter who was himself rescued from the research facility. There he scented Lyle as his mate, but wasn't able to find him. Having the man come changed worries Todd, as he fears that his fated mate will be taken from him too soon. Todd has had plenty of loss and adversity in his life and his sweet nature is a guiding and grounding force to get Lyle through the major changes in this book.
October 17, 2017
It was what I was expecting.
If you've read one, you know what you're going to be getting into.
Low on the romance, high on the sex.
Not a lot of story line, but enough to not be PWP.
It's fun, and light. A nice breather read.
I enjoyed the MINE GRRR!
A scientifically made shifter was an interesting concept.
I haven't read books 2-4, so I probably would have enjoyed it a tad more if I had.
If you've read one, you know what you're going to be getting into.
Low on the romance, high on the sex.
Not a lot of story line, but enough to not be PWP.
It's fun, and light. A nice breather read.
I enjoyed the MINE GRRR!
A scientifically made shifter was an interesting concept.
I haven't read books 2-4, so I probably would have enjoyed it a tad more if I had.
June 27, 2017
It was a fun, light-hearted read. Unfortunately it seemed to be more about sex than a romance or relationship type book. The characters are shallow and the men too easily accept their situation. I wanted to really like this book but it just needed more. The author needed to make this more a story.
November 23, 2018
Insta love/mate without any character building...
Lyle could have been such an interesting person, but we very little of him as a person. Tod is like a week shadow in the story. I still enjoyed it at times, but the sex got boring. It felt like about half the book was sex and the other things were just filling for the word count...
Lyle could have been such an interesting person, but we very little of him as a person. Tod is like a week shadow in the story. I still enjoyed it at times, but the sex got boring. It felt like about half the book was sex and the other things were just filling for the word count...
May 23, 2019
Good overall story but no chemistry between MCs.
October 9, 2019
Detective Lyle and Mechanic Todd
May 29, 2021
This has been the best book in the series so far.
Want to read
December 18, 2023Lyle arriba
September 8, 2024
It is the year for rereading - a standard Charlie story but the so called 'dirty talk;? missed by a mile. To 'out of place' for what little we know of Lyle.
February 27, 2017
Mad scientist
A shifter is made not born mates are found and the battle with the group trying to experiment with shifters continues
A shifter is made not born mates are found and the battle with the group trying to experiment with shifters continues
October 20, 2013
So this is book 5 of the series. This story continues with Lyle (now turned shifter) and Todd. Of course, it continues with the mystery of the mad scientists and corporation who has it out against shifters. I sadly had to give this story 2 stars. I felt the story didn't flow very well at all. I felt that the author spent to much time writing smutty scenes and taking away from developing the plot. The plot came across as choppy and not together. Pretty much Lyle has been turned and he has to learn to a. accept it. b. learn to control his animal(which was a surprise).
Lyle wakes up to see an 'angel' aka Todd. They hit it off very quickly. Then towards the end of the book, it was like the author want, 'Ohh, I forgot, didn't Lyle have a boyfriend, better throw in a quick meet and break up scene...' Then it seemed that the end of the story was rushed to a 'cliffhanger' including the face off scene with the bad guys.
With all that said, the conflict between the shifters and the villains is very intriguing and I will be continuing the series because I want to see how it all plays out.
Lyle wakes up to see an 'angel' aka Todd. They hit it off very quickly. Then towards the end of the book, it was like the author want, 'Ohh, I forgot, didn't Lyle have a boyfriend, better throw in a quick meet and break up scene...' Then it seemed that the end of the story was rushed to a 'cliffhanger' including the face off scene with the bad guys.
With all that said, the conflict between the shifters and the villains is very intriguing and I will be continuing the series because I want to see how it all plays out.
March 30, 2013
Another excellent addition to the series. I did have a problem though, in the first book when talking of the mating bond it says that if one mate's life ends the other dies too as a result. I was confused when everyone was acting like if someone was hurt they'd have to live without them. It felt like the author forgot her own lore for this series, so I reduced it a star.
A minor complaint that has nothing really to do with the author and more about the publisher's formatting-
The author tends to do a quad space between time jumps or PoV changes, but the way the formatting is done sometimes its hard to see them so it can be confusing for a few seconds. Again, this has nothing to do with the author and therefore doesn't bear on my rating of the story. Just something I thought the reader should be ready for.
A minor complaint that has nothing really to do with the author and more about the publisher's formatting-
The author tends to do a quad space between time jumps or PoV changes, but the way the formatting is done sometimes its hard to see them so it can be confusing for a few seconds. Again, this has nothing to do with the author and therefore doesn't bear on my rating of the story. Just something I thought the reader should be ready for.
December 28, 2019
3rd Read 8-1-19
Lyle!!
2nd Read April 2015
First Read Dec. 18th, 2013
EEK!!! I was REALLY looking forward to reading this one. Lyle! For one, I loved how the pain wasn't glossed over. I liked how he didn't have any control of what was going on and didn't really understand. I liked how he just KNEW Todd was keeping him sane.
What really got me was
Oh and is Lyle going to go back to being a Detective even after the Chief incident?
Lyle!!
2nd Read April 2015
First Read Dec. 18th, 2013
EEK!!! I was REALLY looking forward to reading this one. Lyle! For one, I loved how the pain wasn't glossed over. I liked how he didn't have any control of what was going on and didn't really understand. I liked how he just KNEW Todd was keeping him sane.
What really got me was
Oh and is Lyle going to go back to being a Detective even after the Chief incident?
May 24, 2013
2012 Review:
These two made an incredibly sweet pair. I loved that with all the difficult circumstances thrown at them, they never did that whole rebelling against their connection thing, and with the way the story went it did feel like some relationship development took place. Of course sex was still the trigger, but it felt much more like a romance again.
I just want to hug the stuffing out of them. So much lovingness goes to my head. ^_^
What I am not terribly fond of is the increasing danger in the overall back story. I tend to prefer safety. But with any luck, the next rescue will take place fast enough for me to enjoy my romance again.
These two made an incredibly sweet pair. I loved that with all the difficult circumstances thrown at them, they never did that whole rebelling against their connection thing, and with the way the story went it did feel like some relationship development took place. Of course sex was still the trigger, but it felt much more like a romance again.
I just want to hug the stuffing out of them. So much lovingness goes to my head. ^_^
What I am not terribly fond of is the increasing danger in the overall back story. I tend to prefer safety. But with any luck, the next rescue will take place fast enough for me to enjoy my romance again.
October 3, 2015
Notes:
Lots of dirty talk.
Terribly unoriginal meme of having a dream he's heing sucked off and awakening to find it's true.
Started with a hospital scene, yeah!
People don't talk like that. Too formal and stiff.
He'd never felt that he never wanted to hurt the main he was having sex with? The double negatives don't say what he means, I don't think.
Mild BDSM (spanking, punishment during sex)
Why did he think his boyfriend would just break up with him when he disappeared? He was probably worried! That was way too easy.
Wolves aren't color blind. A common but inaccurate conception.
Same old same old but good peril.
3.5 stars
Lots of dirty talk.
Terribly unoriginal meme of having a dream he's heing sucked off and awakening to find it's true.
Started with a hospital scene, yeah!
People don't talk like that. Too formal and stiff.
He'd never felt that he never wanted to hurt the main he was having sex with? The double negatives don't say what he means, I don't think.
Mild BDSM (spanking, punishment during sex)
Why did he think his boyfriend would just break up with him when he disappeared? He was probably worried! That was way too easy.
Wolves aren't color blind. A common but inaccurate conception.
Same old same old but good peril.
3.5 stars
January 9, 2012
Full Review: http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/1/post/2...
I’ve found myself addicted to this series, it’s a nice, well written shifter read. However this has to be my favorite installment to the series to date. The plot is unusual, the shifter is a lizard shifter which again is unique, and the characters are impressive. I love the fact that Mr. Richard's characters are never the stereotypical leading men even in the shifter world. The author always flips the switch and makes characters that you can really relate to.
I’ve found myself addicted to this series, it’s a nice, well written shifter read. However this has to be my favorite installment to the series to date. The plot is unusual, the shifter is a lizard shifter which again is unique, and the characters are impressive. I love the fact that Mr. Richard's characters are never the stereotypical leading men even in the shifter world. The author always flips the switch and makes characters that you can really relate to.
July 25, 2012
Ha! A new shifter type. As Lyle is trying to adjust to being turned, he has trouble accepting his new life and the shifts. Todd, however, is his guardian angel and he realizes as soon as he is coherent that he has a deep bond with him. Still we are trying to catch the no-good scientist who have captured and experimented on the shifters and there's still a hostage to recover. Let's see what happens next!
September 6, 2013
I love this series. I was so excited to see what animal Lyle would turn into. Now based on the amount of sex in this book I half expected him to be a shifter bunny, sweet cheesus! There was too much sex and not enough plot in this book. Not sure what it was but Lyle did not ring true to me. I guess we didn't get to know him as well from previous books. Lyle being all possessive-aggressive took me by surprise. I liked it better when Ailean did it in the previous book.
November 8, 2016
this one deserves negative stars!
A newly changed Shifter, is immediately attracted to his mate, accept the situation and learns to control his animal and dumps his boyfriend in the process. That's it plus tones of out of the cane sex which doesn't help the story in any way!
The characters are shallow and one dimensional, and plot almost no-existing and the whole writing feels like a patch work of badly edited paragraphs.
A newly changed Shifter, is immediately attracted to his mate, accept the situation and learns to control his animal and dumps his boyfriend in the process. That's it plus tones of out of the cane sex which doesn't help the story in any way!
The characters are shallow and one dimensional, and plot almost no-existing and the whole writing feels like a patch work of badly edited paragraphs.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews