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Shifters #1
Secret Chemistry
Not all werewolf societies are created equal. The one Tim Evans grew up in detests those not of “pure blood”—so when Tim discovers his mate is Jay, a male fox-wolf hybrid ten years his junior, it shocks him, to say the least. Too young to claim his mate and too weak to protect him from the rest of the pack, Tim fears for Jay’s life. When a human gets hold of Jay, Tim believes he has lost him forever.
The next eighteen years are hell. Tim devotes his life to his family and running their stable, but anger and depression threaten to consume him. Then fate brings Jay back into his life. Tim knows Jay feels the same attraction he does—mates always do. So why won’t Jay act on it?
The next eighteen years are hell. Tim devotes his life to his family and running their stable, but anger and depression threaten to consume him. Then fate brings Jay back into his life. Tim knows Jay feels the same attraction he does—mates always do. So why won’t Jay act on it?
220 pages, Paperback
First published January 10, 2013
4 people are currently reading
735 people want to read
About the author
Chris T. Kat
26 books207 followersChris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, together with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there's any spare time, she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks, or crafts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
March 15, 2013
This review can be found at The Armchair Reader.
At a gathering, thirteen year old Tim notices a strangely enticing smell but before he can figure out what it is, chaos starts to rein within his pack. Some of the pack want to hunt a den of hybrids, which causes hostility among the wolves. Forced to go home when the wolves turn violent, Tim can’t resist the smell for long and follows it to a mother and a young fox/wolf hybrid named Jay. Noticing the hybrid is his mate, protective instincts compel Tim to do everything in his power to get them to safety. Unfortunately, while trying to save Jay, he ends up getting injured and forced to leave Jay’s side. Now, eighteen years later, Tim’s life hasn’t exactly been alluring but he’s finally put into a situation to reconnect with Jay when Jay and his father want to buy a horse from Tim’s family’s ranch. Jay, though, doesn’t understand the instant connection between the two, which causes Tim to explain to Jay his own existence. Not only that but now Tim has to break it to his family that the mate he’s been yearning for is not only male but the very shifter that caused so much unintentional chaos and hatred almost two decades earlier.
This story starts off a bit odd in that the Jay and Tim meet when they are very young. In fact, the first third of the book revolves around their first encounter at such an early age. Some readers might have an issue with this because, while they don’t mate, the connection is there and very real even though Jay is only three and Tim is thirteen. In my opinion, it worked with this story because the separation they are forced to endure for eighteen years has molded them into the individuals they are in present day. More than that, it allows the reader to get a sense of how their connection formed and grew without there being flashbacks throughout the story, which is part of why I adored this book so much because I’m not that fond of sporadic flashbacks.
Another reason I loved this book is because of the characters. When you first see Jay, he’s a toddler and probably one of the cutest things I’ve ever read. He’s so innocent and trusting of Tim right away because of their mate bond so there are a few sweet moments between the two when they’re young, which I found completely adorable. Jay, at twenty-one, is much more bolder and feisty. He won’t put up with Tim’s irrational or possessive behavior (at least not often) so it made for an entertaining read watching Jay put Tim in his place. Tim, on the other hand, is fiercely protective of Jay from the start and those feelings didn’t diminish in their eighteen-year absence. Actually, I really loved how alpha male he was. I found his jealousy and possessiveness extremely amusing but he was also very gentle with Jay. Their chemistry is really hot and the sexual tension between them is even better.
The plot deals with a few things. First is the fact that Jay is a hybrid and, therefore, wanted dead. Tim’s father has a hatred for hybrids because of what happened to Tim’s mom for trying to protect them. So, one of the conflicts is getting Tim’s family to understand their mating and accepting it. The other major conflict is the fact that Tim has made some rash decisions in the past eighteen years that has made him unfit for being an alpha. This means not only is their relationship forbidden but there can only be one alpha pair and that is not supposed to be Tim and Jay but Tim’s brother, Robin, who is more submissive than anything else, and Robin’s eventual mate. It’s interesting how it all plays out and the emotions that run rampant through every character in this book but there’s also a whole host of interesting shifter capabilities (like sensers and their healing ability) that I loved reading about because it made this shifter story unique in its own way, which made this read stand out from ordinary shifter stories. One of the highlights of this book is definitely Tim’s little brother Robin. He’s such a delight to read about because of his mischievous behavior and his very naughty comments. I loved reading every scene he was in.
I really adored this story but it’s not without its problems. First off, the story ends with the assumption that trouble will strike again. I don’t want to go into too much more detail because that will ruin the enjoyment, I think, but I’m just going to say that while it’s an HEA, it’s left open-ended because there’s the realization that more conflict is bound to happen because of their mating. My only other problem was the sister, Debra. She was a real piece of work and I would have happily strangled her if I could have. I’m curious, though, with all her animosity if she’ll be the cause of the problems sure to come. More than that, I’m still left wondering, what does Tim look like? Being from Tim’s POV, we never really know (and if it’s told, I unfortunately missed that). I feel like I should also warn readers that this book has shifter sex in it. While this didn’t bother me, I know that is not some readers’ cup of tea.
Overall, this was a delightful read that was both adorable and hot. It’s intense at times but the characters are definitely loveable and entertaining with a plot that is very intriguing. The world is different but easy to follow and even though it has a sort of open ending, I’m curious where the story will head from here. I’m also wondering if the sequel will be about Jay and Tim or about Robin and his eventual mate. Really looking forward to finding out!
At a gathering, thirteen year old Tim notices a strangely enticing smell but before he can figure out what it is, chaos starts to rein within his pack. Some of the pack want to hunt a den of hybrids, which causes hostility among the wolves. Forced to go home when the wolves turn violent, Tim can’t resist the smell for long and follows it to a mother and a young fox/wolf hybrid named Jay. Noticing the hybrid is his mate, protective instincts compel Tim to do everything in his power to get them to safety. Unfortunately, while trying to save Jay, he ends up getting injured and forced to leave Jay’s side. Now, eighteen years later, Tim’s life hasn’t exactly been alluring but he’s finally put into a situation to reconnect with Jay when Jay and his father want to buy a horse from Tim’s family’s ranch. Jay, though, doesn’t understand the instant connection between the two, which causes Tim to explain to Jay his own existence. Not only that but now Tim has to break it to his family that the mate he’s been yearning for is not only male but the very shifter that caused so much unintentional chaos and hatred almost two decades earlier.
This story starts off a bit odd in that the Jay and Tim meet when they are very young. In fact, the first third of the book revolves around their first encounter at such an early age. Some readers might have an issue with this because, while they don’t mate, the connection is there and very real even though Jay is only three and Tim is thirteen. In my opinion, it worked with this story because the separation they are forced to endure for eighteen years has molded them into the individuals they are in present day. More than that, it allows the reader to get a sense of how their connection formed and grew without there being flashbacks throughout the story, which is part of why I adored this book so much because I’m not that fond of sporadic flashbacks.
Another reason I loved this book is because of the characters. When you first see Jay, he’s a toddler and probably one of the cutest things I’ve ever read. He’s so innocent and trusting of Tim right away because of their mate bond so there are a few sweet moments between the two when they’re young, which I found completely adorable. Jay, at twenty-one, is much more bolder and feisty. He won’t put up with Tim’s irrational or possessive behavior (at least not often) so it made for an entertaining read watching Jay put Tim in his place. Tim, on the other hand, is fiercely protective of Jay from the start and those feelings didn’t diminish in their eighteen-year absence. Actually, I really loved how alpha male he was. I found his jealousy and possessiveness extremely amusing but he was also very gentle with Jay. Their chemistry is really hot and the sexual tension between them is even better.
The plot deals with a few things. First is the fact that Jay is a hybrid and, therefore, wanted dead. Tim’s father has a hatred for hybrids because of what happened to Tim’s mom for trying to protect them. So, one of the conflicts is getting Tim’s family to understand their mating and accepting it. The other major conflict is the fact that Tim has made some rash decisions in the past eighteen years that has made him unfit for being an alpha. This means not only is their relationship forbidden but there can only be one alpha pair and that is not supposed to be Tim and Jay but Tim’s brother, Robin, who is more submissive than anything else, and Robin’s eventual mate. It’s interesting how it all plays out and the emotions that run rampant through every character in this book but there’s also a whole host of interesting shifter capabilities (like sensers and their healing ability) that I loved reading about because it made this shifter story unique in its own way, which made this read stand out from ordinary shifter stories. One of the highlights of this book is definitely Tim’s little brother Robin. He’s such a delight to read about because of his mischievous behavior and his very naughty comments. I loved reading every scene he was in.
I really adored this story but it’s not without its problems. First off, the story ends with the assumption that trouble will strike again. I don’t want to go into too much more detail because that will ruin the enjoyment, I think, but I’m just going to say that while it’s an HEA, it’s left open-ended because there’s the realization that more conflict is bound to happen because of their mating. My only other problem was the sister, Debra. She was a real piece of work and I would have happily strangled her if I could have. I’m curious, though, with all her animosity if she’ll be the cause of the problems sure to come. More than that, I’m still left wondering, what does Tim look like? Being from Tim’s POV, we never really know (and if it’s told, I unfortunately missed that). I feel like I should also warn readers that this book has shifter sex in it. While this didn’t bother me, I know that is not some readers’ cup of tea.
Overall, this was a delightful read that was both adorable and hot. It’s intense at times but the characters are definitely loveable and entertaining with a plot that is very intriguing. The world is different but easy to follow and even though it has a sort of open ending, I’m curious where the story will head from here. I’m also wondering if the sequel will be about Jay and Tim or about Robin and his eventual mate. Really looking forward to finding out!
keep-in-mind
January 7, 2013Look at this! I totally dig the cover, so cute! 
And the blurb's promising too. Then I read the excerpt and found out that one of the mates is just 3 years old when they first meet (awwww - I can stand babies in my books when they are in shifted form *heh*) (the other is 13). Then they part and reunite after 18 years. Smells of "legal age". I can be wrong, but still. Meh. *rolls eyes*
And the blurb's promising too. Then I read the excerpt and found out that one of the mates is just 3 years old when they first meet (awwww - I can stand babies in my books when they are in shifted form *heh*) (the other is 13). Then they part and reunite after 18 years. Smells of "legal age". I can be wrong, but still. Meh. *rolls eyes*
Want to Read
February 9, 2013This cover is so beautiful!
January 11, 2013
4 Hearts
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/
Tim is thirteen when he first discovers his mate, but the pull is too much to ignore and against the orders of his mother and brother he seeks him out. Tim gets the shock of his life when he discovers his mate is still a cub of only three and that he is also a wolf/fox hybrid, but the danger his mate is in forces him to try and protect him because Tim’s pack is on the hunt… for hybrids. Eighteen years of struggling to cope without his mate takes its toll on Tim until one day his mate turns up looking to buy a horse, but although he seems attracted to Tim he doesn’t seem to have an idea about shifters or mating… just what is Tim supposed to do?
This story is split into two parts, 1993 when Tim is thirteen and first finds his mate and 2011 when he meets him for the second time. Thirteen year old Tim risks his life to protect the wolf/fox cub that is his mate, he knows that if any of his pack finds them, then Jay won’t have a chance of survival, but in the process of saving the cute cub he lands in the hands of humans and Tim thinks he may never see him again. When they meet again eighteen years later Tim is over the moon, but he quickly realizes that Jay has no clue of the world they live in or the danger that he is in… including from Tim’s own father, the Alpha of the pack.
I really enjoyed this story and was pleased with how quickly it moved along. During the first part of the story you can feel Tim’s torn feelings on having disobeyed his family, but also his confusion and elation of having found his mate, you get the fear of having to run to protect his mate and the devastation of having to leave him in the hands of humans. Jay is an absolute sweetheart as a cub and you will fall in love with the little cheeky cub, and it is heart breaking when Tim and Jay are torn apart. During the second part of the story we have them meeting as adults, Tim struggles to contain his wolf and not to just mate Jay in front of the world, while Jay is confused by the powerful attraction he feels for a stranger. Tim has to explain everything concerning the shifter world to Jay, in-between hot bouts of sex and then Tim has to protect Jay when his father discovers Jay is a hybrid.
I have to say that this story was interesting with its shifter world, the fact that they could recognize mates from an early age and that while they have fast healing they still receive scars and that there are some injuries that can’t be healed was more realistic than some shifter stories. It was also really interesting seeing the way the pack ranking worked or rather how they tried to force it to work, and I am hoping that there will be a book for Robin (Tim’s brother) because he is such a great character that he deserves his own happiness. All the characters are great in their own way and Tim’s family is as interesting as the main characters are, and the main characters Tim and Jay are brilliant.
I will recommend this to those who love shifters, tension, conflict, attraction, pining, danger, escapes, really hot sex and a happy ending.
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/
Tim is thirteen when he first discovers his mate, but the pull is too much to ignore and against the orders of his mother and brother he seeks him out. Tim gets the shock of his life when he discovers his mate is still a cub of only three and that he is also a wolf/fox hybrid, but the danger his mate is in forces him to try and protect him because Tim’s pack is on the hunt… for hybrids. Eighteen years of struggling to cope without his mate takes its toll on Tim until one day his mate turns up looking to buy a horse, but although he seems attracted to Tim he doesn’t seem to have an idea about shifters or mating… just what is Tim supposed to do?
This story is split into two parts, 1993 when Tim is thirteen and first finds his mate and 2011 when he meets him for the second time. Thirteen year old Tim risks his life to protect the wolf/fox cub that is his mate, he knows that if any of his pack finds them, then Jay won’t have a chance of survival, but in the process of saving the cute cub he lands in the hands of humans and Tim thinks he may never see him again. When they meet again eighteen years later Tim is over the moon, but he quickly realizes that Jay has no clue of the world they live in or the danger that he is in… including from Tim’s own father, the Alpha of the pack.
I really enjoyed this story and was pleased with how quickly it moved along. During the first part of the story you can feel Tim’s torn feelings on having disobeyed his family, but also his confusion and elation of having found his mate, you get the fear of having to run to protect his mate and the devastation of having to leave him in the hands of humans. Jay is an absolute sweetheart as a cub and you will fall in love with the little cheeky cub, and it is heart breaking when Tim and Jay are torn apart. During the second part of the story we have them meeting as adults, Tim struggles to contain his wolf and not to just mate Jay in front of the world, while Jay is confused by the powerful attraction he feels for a stranger. Tim has to explain everything concerning the shifter world to Jay, in-between hot bouts of sex and then Tim has to protect Jay when his father discovers Jay is a hybrid.
I have to say that this story was interesting with its shifter world, the fact that they could recognize mates from an early age and that while they have fast healing they still receive scars and that there are some injuries that can’t be healed was more realistic than some shifter stories. It was also really interesting seeing the way the pack ranking worked or rather how they tried to force it to work, and I am hoping that there will be a book for Robin (Tim’s brother) because he is such a great character that he deserves his own happiness. All the characters are great in their own way and Tim’s family is as interesting as the main characters are, and the main characters Tim and Jay are brilliant.
I will recommend this to those who love shifters, tension, conflict, attraction, pining, danger, escapes, really hot sex and a happy ending.
January 12, 2013
I have some very mixed feelings about this book. I loved the first part. Even though it was very detailed it was also incredibly sweet and little Jay and Tim stole my heart.
The second part now…..not so much. Because the author just hit forward 18 years, without describing at all what those years meant for Tim without his mate. I expected pain, anger, angst but that whole period was just brushed off in 2 sentences. Then you get adult Robin, who’ll probably be the focus in book 2 that is just acting like he’s three years old. Baffling. What’s more, absolutely every single character in this book is immature! What the hell???? And they have a problem with nudity. Hello, you’re werewolves!!!!!!
Then, Tim finds Jay and I’m expecting some gut wrenching emotion. Do I get it? Nope!
Just some insta-love, instant acceptance from Jay and a lot of sex. Although I’m not complaining about the sex ;)
And then we get the end of the book where a lot of things are being thrown at us and I’m just confused. The characters seem to have multiple personalities because they change so fast and the future is not looking well for Jay and Tim. And then it is ?????????????
Baffling book. Still, I guess it was an ok read. The first part redeemed it for me.
June 22, 2014
At the tender age of thirteen, Tim is a responsible young man who loves his siblings, especially his little brother Robin, who is only one. Tim and his family are all werewolves. His father, Ralf, is the alpha of their pack. But trouble is brewing one day when Ralf is away from home and Tim’s mother Paula is confronted by other pack members over the issue of hybrid pups. Some wolves think they are abominations and the pups that result from such unions should be killed.
Tim has been restless all day, but he doesn’t know why. He keeps smelling something wonderful, that seems to call to him. When the trouble erupts with his mother and the others, she telepathically tells her children to run home immediately. Tim intends to obey but suddenly he smells that scent again, and it’s stronger now, closer. He can’t do anything less than search for the source. He finds and chases a wounded mother wolf and her pup—and, to Tim’s amazement, the pup is the source of the scent. Tim is shocked on two counts—the pup is his mate, and he is a hybrid.
Tim realizes the pup is not ready to be mated, and neither is he. All he can do for now is get him to safety, and keep an eye on him until he is ready, painful though that decision is. But things beyond his control occur and he has no idea where his mate—his Jay is—and there is nothing he can do about it.
Fast forward eighteen years. Tim has never mated. And the pack won’t accept him as alpha, because of his behavior after losing Jay. Ralf chooses Robin, instead, who is less than enthusiastic over the prospect of becoming alpha. Tim has never ceased pining for his Jay. Will he ever see him again?
I totally loved this book. I must say that Chris T. Kat writes everything well, but when she writes about children and animals, she shines. Her affinity for them is obvious in every detail. Her shifters, in their animal form, are so realistic and endearing. She especially excels at playful banter and repartee between her characters.
I’ve read some criticisms of the book and don’t understand or share them. There’s an eighteen year gap between the first and second parts of the story. But to fill that in with what happened is totally unnecessary and would have bogged everything down. As for complaints about Tim’s knot, well, that’s how dogs and wolves are built. It’s there nature. Not like Chris invented it.
The relationship between young Tim and young Jay is precious. Of course, she had to let them grow up before they could mate. Duh. They were thirteen and three. When they meet again, they are ready, and the chemistry between them is hot, hot, hot.
I can’t wait for the next book—Secret Energy. This was a great read. Like a freshly baked cinnamon roll, it’s sweet, gooey, and sensual. Did I mention the sex is hot? It sure is. A must read for fans of Ms. Kat, and those who enjoy hot shifter stories.
January 17, 2013
In 1993, thirteen-year-old werewolf shapeshifter, Tim, discovers he is mated to a hybrid wolf-fox, Jay. This is not good because hybrids are looked down upon and killed almost immediately since they are a threat to the pure werewolf bloodline. His troubles only seem to double when he discovers that his mate not only a hybrid, but male and currently only three-years-old. Tim looks past all of these things and connects with little one on a purely platonic level while trying to save him from being murdered. In the process, the two are separated and Tim must spend the next 18 years wondering what became of his mate. When an adult Jay unexpectedly comes back into his life in 2011, Tim vows to never let him go, even if it means giving his own life to protect his one and only.
I typically do not read shapeshifter books, but found this one to be quite interesting. It has a great mix of suspense, romance and angst all rolled up into a rather engrossing storyline. An 18-year time jump could be disastrous, but Chris T. Kat handled it in a way that allowed the reader to see the growth of the characters without feeling as though we had been haphazardly thrown into another time period. Both of the MCs were very likable and I found myself rooting for their reconciliation.
In my opinion, the stand out character was Robin, Tim's younger brother. He was absolutely adorable and I hope he gets his own book someday. Utilized as comic relief and a voice of reason between the characters, I found myself wanting to know more and more about him. I felt as though Tim's other siblings sort of disappeared after a while and wished their stories could have been wrapped up a little better.
All in all, Secret Chemistry was a very enjoyable read that I would definitely recommend to others.
The author provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read my interview with Chris T. Kat at Slashsessed.
I typically do not read shapeshifter books, but found this one to be quite interesting. It has a great mix of suspense, romance and angst all rolled up into a rather engrossing storyline. An 18-year time jump could be disastrous, but Chris T. Kat handled it in a way that allowed the reader to see the growth of the characters without feeling as though we had been haphazardly thrown into another time period. Both of the MCs were very likable and I found myself rooting for their reconciliation.
In my opinion, the stand out character was Robin, Tim's younger brother. He was absolutely adorable and I hope he gets his own book someday. Utilized as comic relief and a voice of reason between the characters, I found myself wanting to know more and more about him. I felt as though Tim's other siblings sort of disappeared after a while and wished their stories could have been wrapped up a little better.
All in all, Secret Chemistry was a very enjoyable read that I would definitely recommend to others.
The author provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read my interview with Chris T. Kat at Slashsessed.
August 31, 2014
Tim, a 13 year old wolf-shifter, feels a strong pull from someone. He has never felt it before, but he knows that he had to find whoever is giving him this feeling. He tracks the scent to a young hybrid wolf-fox-shifter named Jay. Jay us very young, a toddler -- but Tim knows that he has the pull of true love.
In order to reach his true love, Tim has disregarded orders from his alpha father and mother to stay home while there is a fight occurring for leadership of the pack. In the fight, Tim's mother sustains paralyzingly injuries.
Tim and Jay run for their lives since a portion of the "turf war" includes death to all hybrid shifters like Jay and his family. There is a dramatic scene that separates the two true lovers from each other . . . So in chapter 2 of the book, we fast forward 18 years.
The two true lovers are still not together, but at least age is no longer an impediment. It ends up that the two lovers meet again when Jay's father is buying him a horse from Tim's family farm. The minute that Jay and Tim are together again there are fireworks. They need to complete their mating bond that had started 18 years earlier. It is very romantic indeed.
While completing the mating bond, it is clear that Jay has no idea that he is a shifter. So, while his instincts direct him what to do, he has no conscious understanding about what is happening to him. Ultimately, Tim explains the entire story to Jay (who surprisingly remembers bits and pieces of the story from when he was younger.). Tim also explains the potential problems of a coupling between a pure bred wolf shifter and a hybrid wolf-fox shifter.
Well, when the two new mates return to their families after completing the mating bond, Tim's father, Ralf, goes ballistic since Jay is not a purebred werewolf. The prejudice against half-bloods is palpable, and Ralf tries to attack Jay. Tim defends his mate against his father's attack.
In the attack, Tim's mother is more severely injured, and it appears that her paralysis will be worse. Then we learn that Jay has the natural abilities of a healer, and with the help of Tim's brother, all of the damage to Tim's mother is repaired (including most of the paralysis from two decades before).
Well . . . After one hell of a day (since the major portion of this book takes place in one day), there is a happy ending for now. But, there is clearly a sequel that will be needed to finish this story.
All in all, I give this book five stars. I am really looking forward to reading the sequel and seeing where the story line goes.
In order to reach his true love, Tim has disregarded orders from his alpha father and mother to stay home while there is a fight occurring for leadership of the pack. In the fight, Tim's mother sustains paralyzingly injuries.
Tim and Jay run for their lives since a portion of the "turf war" includes death to all hybrid shifters like Jay and his family. There is a dramatic scene that separates the two true lovers from each other . . . So in chapter 2 of the book, we fast forward 18 years.
The two true lovers are still not together, but at least age is no longer an impediment. It ends up that the two lovers meet again when Jay's father is buying him a horse from Tim's family farm. The minute that Jay and Tim are together again there are fireworks. They need to complete their mating bond that had started 18 years earlier. It is very romantic indeed.
While completing the mating bond, it is clear that Jay has no idea that he is a shifter. So, while his instincts direct him what to do, he has no conscious understanding about what is happening to him. Ultimately, Tim explains the entire story to Jay (who surprisingly remembers bits and pieces of the story from when he was younger.). Tim also explains the potential problems of a coupling between a pure bred wolf shifter and a hybrid wolf-fox shifter.
Well, when the two new mates return to their families after completing the mating bond, Tim's father, Ralf, goes ballistic since Jay is not a purebred werewolf. The prejudice against half-bloods is palpable, and Ralf tries to attack Jay. Tim defends his mate against his father's attack.
In the attack, Tim's mother is more severely injured, and it appears that her paralysis will be worse. Then we learn that Jay has the natural abilities of a healer, and with the help of Tim's brother, all of the damage to Tim's mother is repaired (including most of the paralysis from two decades before).
Well . . . After one hell of a day (since the major portion of this book takes place in one day), there is a happy ending for now. But, there is clearly a sequel that will be needed to finish this story.
All in all, I give this book five stars. I am really looking forward to reading the sequel and seeing where the story line goes.
January 17, 2013
It's rare for me to not finish a book, but unfortunately, this will be one of them. I was really looking forward to a good 'were fic, and I like the idea very much of a hybrid breed mixing with pure breed wolf 'were, but this story just fell apart for me. I loved the first part. Action packed, cute interaction between the the two. Had me all excited for a good read.
The first off-putting issue for me was the POV's: author vs character and often both in the same sentence. Whoever edited this book needs to have their hand slapped for allowing that to go on. Either write the story in character POV or do it in the authors, but don't mix them. That is just bad bad editing. The story had potential, but I couldn't stay engaged because of how badly this book was edited.
The second thing: No two men would talk the way they do to each other in this fic. EVER!"Jay blinked at Tim’s heartfelt outburst. Chuckling, he teased, “Well, then, go forth and ravish me.”
REALLY? Boo.
After I read that line, I had to close down my pdf file. Included in this was the youngest brother, Robin commenting on how aroused his brother is. If there was some of history that had explained how close this family was, then maybe that wouldn't have had eye-rolling.
Then thee was this: I felt like the author had to jump 20 years to get them to the point where they had to have sex, because when they first meet there's such an age gap: 3 and 13 yrs. Squick!
What would have made it okay(the young age) is if Tim had the opportunity to watch Jay grow, but no, Jay is whisked away in a car and appears 20 years later hot to "do the deed." THAT was so totally unrealistic. There should have been courting and rituals and stories of the hybrids and a slow seduction building up to that special moment of bonding and mating.
Who meets a person, and all within 20 minutes, are so horney they can't wait to funk each others' brains out?? Even if they were destined to be mated?
So... alas, I won't finish this. Makes me sad because I know how hard it is to write and tell a story in a convincing manner. I know this author had to have put that effort into this one but it fell short of my expectations.
And I really hate writing this kind of review, so much, but if this author is serious about writing, maybe some of the things that are said here will be considered for future stories.
The first off-putting issue for me was the POV's: author vs character and often both in the same sentence. Whoever edited this book needs to have their hand slapped for allowing that to go on. Either write the story in character POV or do it in the authors, but don't mix them. That is just bad bad editing. The story had potential, but I couldn't stay engaged because of how badly this book was edited.
The second thing: No two men would talk the way they do to each other in this fic. EVER!"Jay blinked at Tim’s heartfelt outburst. Chuckling, he teased, “Well, then, go forth and ravish me.”
REALLY? Boo.
After I read that line, I had to close down my pdf file. Included in this was the youngest brother, Robin commenting on how aroused his brother is. If there was some of history that had explained how close this family was, then maybe that wouldn't have had eye-rolling.
Then thee was this: I felt like the author had to jump 20 years to get them to the point where they had to have sex, because when they first meet there's such an age gap: 3 and 13 yrs. Squick!
What would have made it okay(the young age) is if Tim had the opportunity to watch Jay grow, but no, Jay is whisked away in a car and appears 20 years later hot to "do the deed." THAT was so totally unrealistic. There should have been courting and rituals and stories of the hybrids and a slow seduction building up to that special moment of bonding and mating.
Who meets a person, and all within 20 minutes, are so horney they can't wait to funk each others' brains out?? Even if they were destined to be mated?
So... alas, I won't finish this. Makes me sad because I know how hard it is to write and tell a story in a convincing manner. I know this author had to have put that effort into this one but it fell short of my expectations.
And I really hate writing this kind of review, so much, but if this author is serious about writing, maybe some of the things that are said here will be considered for future stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2014
Like many of the other books I've read by Ms Kat, the story is interesting but the writing doesn't grab me. This started really promising but so many time I just found myself wondering "What the hell?." There was just too much going on at times. I'm assuming this is suppose to be part of a series because of the way it just drops off but I dont see myself touching the rest of this. Honestly if it wasn't for the beautiful cover I would regret purchasing this book.
December 21, 2014
I can always count on Chris for a super sweet story. Loved it! I can't wait to read about Robin :D
Want to Read
July 11, 2015I could stare at that cover all day!
Want to Read
January 11, 2013Not a big fan of shifter or werewolf story. But the cover is very beautiful
February 2, 2013
So I choose this one because I liked the cover, yes I regretted doing so in the past, and no I haven't learned from past experience. :)
Well the first part and in this case I am dividing the book into the past and present. Past is the first part of the book and that was actually pretty good! Tim is one of the Alphas sons but of course prejudice is everywhere and when fox-hybrid cubs are found in their pack territory the situation in the pack escalates. At the same time Tim who is thirteen, is pulled away from his siblings by a strange, alluring scent. It turns out the scent belongs to a male fox-hybrid Jay, who is 10 years Tim junior and apparently Tim’s mate. On the run from one of his packs fractions, it's upon Tim to rescue his mate, but unfortunately things don't go as planned and the two kids are separated after their brief time together. The humans take away Tim's mate, while Tim is in his wolf form and is unable to do anything against it.
Tim and Jay are really cute together, Tim being protective and Jay playful not fully aware of the danger he was facing. I was sad to see the boys torn apart. Still that was a very promising beginning, well written, story flows nicely and I liked the two main protagonists. All was well.
Part 2 - Present: 18 years have past
After Tim returned home he had some nasty surprises waiting for him, for one his Alpha was mad at him for disobeying an order from his mother and going off on his own. Second his mother was badly hurt and lost her ability to walk. Third, while being a natural Alpha this role has been denied to him, due his reckless actions and now his father feels a lot of resentment against hybrids, since if it wasn't for them the whole incident would not have happened.
Tim works for his parents and is rather withdrawn and sad by the loss of his mate. He is also aware that the prejudices are still there and that people would still want to hurt his mate even if he did find him again. Tim mostly despairs’ of finding his mate until a new customer comes to buy one of their horses for his son. Mhm, surprise it's Jay! My biggest surprise was what happened next. Tim can barely control himself, Jay as well, and after 18 years not seeing each other, they have sex the second they can get away from their parents. Yup, on the same day they met up again and there is shifter sex as well to look forward to! Was that my surprise? Nope, it wasn't even the somewhat painful sounding sex scene. They actually say that they have fallen in love with each other, after well maybe hours of seeing each other again and it's not like they were the best of buddies as children.
Brief argument and the father comes around, mother is healed by Jay, who is licking her in his fox form (still sounds kind of gross to me but oh well). After a promising start, instant lust and love ruined the good premise.
Should you read this story? Ok, the first part was quite good and I liked the supporting characters, like Tim's brother Robin. I'm interested in his story now, but afraid that it will go down the same way as Tim's story. The world building and the whole shifter society is interesting, so there was that. If you like instant love stories, with drama that reminds you of a soap opera, then this is just the book for you and of course if you are like me, are drawn to cute cover art.
Review was originaly written for Pants off reviews.
Well the first part and in this case I am dividing the book into the past and present. Past is the first part of the book and that was actually pretty good! Tim is one of the Alphas sons but of course prejudice is everywhere and when fox-hybrid cubs are found in their pack territory the situation in the pack escalates. At the same time Tim who is thirteen, is pulled away from his siblings by a strange, alluring scent. It turns out the scent belongs to a male fox-hybrid Jay, who is 10 years Tim junior and apparently Tim’s mate. On the run from one of his packs fractions, it's upon Tim to rescue his mate, but unfortunately things don't go as planned and the two kids are separated after their brief time together. The humans take away Tim's mate, while Tim is in his wolf form and is unable to do anything against it.
Tim and Jay are really cute together, Tim being protective and Jay playful not fully aware of the danger he was facing. I was sad to see the boys torn apart. Still that was a very promising beginning, well written, story flows nicely and I liked the two main protagonists. All was well.
Part 2 - Present: 18 years have past
After Tim returned home he had some nasty surprises waiting for him, for one his Alpha was mad at him for disobeying an order from his mother and going off on his own. Second his mother was badly hurt and lost her ability to walk. Third, while being a natural Alpha this role has been denied to him, due his reckless actions and now his father feels a lot of resentment against hybrids, since if it wasn't for them the whole incident would not have happened.
Tim works for his parents and is rather withdrawn and sad by the loss of his mate. He is also aware that the prejudices are still there and that people would still want to hurt his mate even if he did find him again. Tim mostly despairs’ of finding his mate until a new customer comes to buy one of their horses for his son. Mhm, surprise it's Jay! My biggest surprise was what happened next. Tim can barely control himself, Jay as well, and after 18 years not seeing each other, they have sex the second they can get away from their parents. Yup, on the same day they met up again and there is shifter sex as well to look forward to! Was that my surprise? Nope, it wasn't even the somewhat painful sounding sex scene. They actually say that they have fallen in love with each other, after well maybe hours of seeing each other again and it's not like they were the best of buddies as children.
Brief argument and the father comes around, mother is healed by Jay, who is licking her in his fox form (still sounds kind of gross to me but oh well). After a promising start, instant lust and love ruined the good premise.
Should you read this story? Ok, the first part was quite good and I liked the supporting characters, like Tim's brother Robin. I'm interested in his story now, but afraid that it will go down the same way as Tim's story. The world building and the whole shifter society is interesting, so there was that. If you like instant love stories, with drama that reminds you of a soap opera, then this is just the book for you and of course if you are like me, are drawn to cute cover art.
Review was originaly written for Pants off reviews.
July 8, 2017
I was quite hesitant at first when I saw 1 star from another readers and read their criticsm and huge disappointment about this book...however my instinct tells me that I should read this one. Who knows, maybe I'll like it. :)
Everybody have different tastes. And if I end up hate it, well...at least my curiosity satiated, because I try to give it a chance. So, I'm glad that I trusted my instinct. The story successfully captured my heart from the beginning towards the end. ^___^ And now I was looking forward for the continuation and maybe I'll try another book from this author while patiently waiting for the 2nd installment. ^___^
The 10 years age gap, the mating and knotting process, the healing process by Senser, the naked rules between male and female or between adult and pups, the possesiveness over their mate or any weirdness that were shown in this book are something that us human may find it quite incomprehensible. However I myself found it quite interesting. We can learn other species, learn their uniqueness. :)
So, I suggest before you read this book, keep in mind that they are not human. They are supernatural beings, and what maybe weird or gross for us human, they (the werewolves) find it as a natural thing : their bonding/knotting process is their nature way of reproduction to preserve their own races.
Furry sex and knotting in this book? A newbie may find it gross, disgusting, hard to digest etc. But I've seen the worst in yaoi mangas : super hardcore BDSM torture-your-lover-to-half-death, human raped by horse or dogs, etc. And to saw it graphically made it worst than just imagining it in your head, trust me. That was one painful and gross experiences for my eyes and my brain. x___x I was gonna throw up when I saw the images. It was far more disgusting than seeing the animal bonding. It was a case when curiosity kills the cat, just like that. I swear to myself to never bother to read super hardcore theme like that again. Not my thing, lol. Well, so furry sex and knotting (when they done it consensually) is nothing if you compare it with that hardcore and rape thing, imo.
Knotting process can be a bit revolting for some people, but they are wolves and foxes...and how is that different from dogs or cats mating? The shifters can shift into human form, have a human brain, but it's not their true form. I would say they just borrow the human form so they could survive in human world, hence why the clothes always disappear when they shift back into their true form. My guess : the torn clothes when they accidentally shifting would only invite any suspicion from human. Just think about this, would they have free time to collect all the torn pieces one by one, even the tiniest pieces with their snout everytime they suddenly feel the urge or need to shift urgently? so the clothes should just disappear completely whenever they shift. Problem solved. ;p).
Btw, I love Robin's personality (Tim's youngest brother) and I hope he can find his own mate and have his own love story too in the next book. :) Maybe with a fox shifter. ;)
Don't you think fox are quite endearing? Especially fox-wolf like Jay. He's one gorgeous fox-wolf. ;) And to pair a fox with wolf, perfect! :)
Maybe in the next installment we can finally see how the pack's response when they found out about Jay being Tim's mate.
Everybody have different tastes. And if I end up hate it, well...at least my curiosity satiated, because I try to give it a chance. So, I'm glad that I trusted my instinct. The story successfully captured my heart from the beginning towards the end. ^___^ And now I was looking forward for the continuation and maybe I'll try another book from this author while patiently waiting for the 2nd installment. ^___^
The 10 years age gap, the mating and knotting process, the healing process by Senser, the naked rules between male and female or between adult and pups, the possesiveness over their mate or any weirdness that were shown in this book are something that us human may find it quite incomprehensible. However I myself found it quite interesting. We can learn other species, learn their uniqueness. :)
So, I suggest before you read this book, keep in mind that they are not human. They are supernatural beings, and what maybe weird or gross for us human, they (the werewolves) find it as a natural thing : their bonding/knotting process is their nature way of reproduction to preserve their own races.
Furry sex and knotting in this book? A newbie may find it gross, disgusting, hard to digest etc. But I've seen the worst in yaoi mangas : super hardcore BDSM torture-your-lover-to-half-death, human raped by horse or dogs, etc. And to saw it graphically made it worst than just imagining it in your head, trust me. That was one painful and gross experiences for my eyes and my brain. x___x I was gonna throw up when I saw the images. It was far more disgusting than seeing the animal bonding. It was a case when curiosity kills the cat, just like that. I swear to myself to never bother to read super hardcore theme like that again. Not my thing, lol. Well, so furry sex and knotting (when they done it consensually) is nothing if you compare it with that hardcore and rape thing, imo.
Knotting process can be a bit revolting for some people, but they are wolves and foxes...and how is that different from dogs or cats mating? The shifters can shift into human form, have a human brain, but it's not their true form. I would say they just borrow the human form so they could survive in human world, hence why the clothes always disappear when they shift back into their true form. My guess : the torn clothes when they accidentally shifting would only invite any suspicion from human. Just think about this, would they have free time to collect all the torn pieces one by one, even the tiniest pieces with their snout everytime they suddenly feel the urge or need to shift urgently? so the clothes should just disappear completely whenever they shift. Problem solved. ;p).
Btw, I love Robin's personality (Tim's youngest brother) and I hope he can find his own mate and have his own love story too in the next book. :) Maybe with a fox shifter. ;)
Don't you think fox are quite endearing? Especially fox-wolf like Jay. He's one gorgeous fox-wolf. ;) And to pair a fox with wolf, perfect! :)
Maybe in the next installment we can finally see how the pack's response when they found out about Jay being Tim's mate.
July 26, 2017
Hmm, this book was a bit of a tough read and I had to force myself to finish. I read this based on my GR buddy’s review and I saw a lot of what she liked in the book. As other reviewers have said, the first part of this story is very engaging, and I am a sucker for destined mates meeting, then being torn apart. The book is basically comprised of two days; the first day when the two young shifters find one another, and the 2nd day which takes place many years later when they are reunited.
In the first part of the book, there were elements of their meeting that was sweet, but the way the author writes was a little frustrating too. Here we are, at the start of the book being given the impression that the meeting taking place could result in deaths, even his own mothers, and our hero is off cavorting and playing with his newfound mate. Sure he’s trying to keep the little guy safe but it almost felt like young Tim was able to cast off his worries when distracted by his mate, leaving me as the reader to do the worrying! But I loved sweet and sassy little Jay, a fox shifter with adorable attitude. I quite enjoyed ‘day one’.
The second part started off choppy but I met with anticipation; it’s the big reunion! We get some background on our now 31 year old Tim, and some of the changes in his life since he was a boy. His home life was a little confusing to me, we’re told the family is warm and loving but the father came across as harsh and the one sister is a right b*tch. So, we get our reunion and Tim is so keyed up he just about can’t control himself. His chemistry with Jay is combustible and I thought we were off to a good start, but from there the already rocky start just went straight on downhill. Sex within hours of being reunited- a painful knotting sex at that, a weirdly overprotective father (Jay’s), an invasive family (Tim’s) and unreasonable jealously towards his mate’s father (Tim toward Jay’s), and so on.
I really had a hard time reading it, I would skim two pages and stop and play a bubble pop game, then skim three more, then stop and check the weather. I was intrigued by the premise of the second book featuring Robin but felt I should read v. 1 first. I am glad that I read it, I got a good sense of this author and of Robin (I do plan to read book 2 at some point) but I needed a breather afterwards. I do appreciate my GR friends input, am not sorry I read it, just hope the second book brings home what the first book just missed. Oh, and might I add, what a GORGEOUS cover!
In the first part of the book, there were elements of their meeting that was sweet, but the way the author writes was a little frustrating too. Here we are, at the start of the book being given the impression that the meeting taking place could result in deaths, even his own mothers, and our hero is off cavorting and playing with his newfound mate. Sure he’s trying to keep the little guy safe but it almost felt like young Tim was able to cast off his worries when distracted by his mate, leaving me as the reader to do the worrying! But I loved sweet and sassy little Jay, a fox shifter with adorable attitude. I quite enjoyed ‘day one’.
The second part started off choppy but I met with anticipation; it’s the big reunion! We get some background on our now 31 year old Tim, and some of the changes in his life since he was a boy. His home life was a little confusing to me, we’re told the family is warm and loving but the father came across as harsh and the one sister is a right b*tch. So, we get our reunion and Tim is so keyed up he just about can’t control himself. His chemistry with Jay is combustible and I thought we were off to a good start, but from there the already rocky start just went straight on downhill. Sex within hours of being reunited- a painful knotting sex at that, a weirdly overprotective father (Jay’s), an invasive family (Tim’s) and unreasonable jealously towards his mate’s father (Tim toward Jay’s), and so on.
I really had a hard time reading it, I would skim two pages and stop and play a bubble pop game, then skim three more, then stop and check the weather. I was intrigued by the premise of the second book featuring Robin but felt I should read v. 1 first. I am glad that I read it, I got a good sense of this author and of Robin (I do plan to read book 2 at some point) but I needed a breather afterwards. I do appreciate my GR friends input, am not sorry I read it, just hope the second book brings home what the first book just missed. Oh, and might I add, what a GORGEOUS cover!
October 2, 2014
Tim stumbles upon Jay when Jay is only 3 and Tim is 13. Of course the two can’t mate at this point, even if Jay weren’t a detested hybrid. Tim must spend 18 long, miserable years away from Jay, not even knowing if he’d ever see him again.
When Tim and Jay finally do meet their chemistry is off the charts but Jay doesn’t even know he’s a shifter much less understand the crazy attraction he shares with Tim. Despite these obstacles, nature can’t be denied and the pair mate. Then all hell breaks loose. Walter, Jay’s father, tries to keep the pair apart as does Tim’s father. Tim’s mother and his siblings are only vaguely on their side, but it’s enough.
The two set up household, hiding from Tim’s father and the rest of the pack that would kill Jay. Tim, since he has been without his mate for 18 years, is crazy possessive of Jay and this causes problems on the domestic front.
Jay’s special talents manage to convince Tim’s father that hybrids are okay after all and the pair settle into a more comfortable life with one another, but danger still lurks outside the door – leaving us wide open for Book 2.
I was glad that I had book 2 in hand when I read book 1, though not a cliff hangar, it doesn’t feel like a complete HEA until after book 2. I really liked the intense chemistry the mated pairs feel for one another in Chris Kat’s shifter universe. The subsequent growly sex is super hot as a result, even if it doesn’t always make logical sense, you really got a feel for the animal side of their natures.
I liked the fact that no one character was all good or all bad. Even the bad guys had moments of kindness and the good guys had plenty of flaws keeping them real.
There were times when I wasn’t exactly sure of the motivation of the characters or of the “rules” regarding shifters and their mates. I wasn’t clear on how Jay could be kept in the dark or why he and Tim could even exist separately when supposedly once someone finds their mate they can’t be without them. It also didn’t allow for pack mates to be fated mates – how would that work if two young pack mates met at an early age? But those were small complaints.
Overall it was a good book with a great version of shifters and mates and an exciting “war” to be fought over the role of hybrids as a pseudo commentary against racism in general.
I recommend this book and give it 4 of 5 hearts.
When Tim and Jay finally do meet their chemistry is off the charts but Jay doesn’t even know he’s a shifter much less understand the crazy attraction he shares with Tim. Despite these obstacles, nature can’t be denied and the pair mate. Then all hell breaks loose. Walter, Jay’s father, tries to keep the pair apart as does Tim’s father. Tim’s mother and his siblings are only vaguely on their side, but it’s enough.
The two set up household, hiding from Tim’s father and the rest of the pack that would kill Jay. Tim, since he has been without his mate for 18 years, is crazy possessive of Jay and this causes problems on the domestic front.
Jay’s special talents manage to convince Tim’s father that hybrids are okay after all and the pair settle into a more comfortable life with one another, but danger still lurks outside the door – leaving us wide open for Book 2.
I was glad that I had book 2 in hand when I read book 1, though not a cliff hangar, it doesn’t feel like a complete HEA until after book 2. I really liked the intense chemistry the mated pairs feel for one another in Chris Kat’s shifter universe. The subsequent growly sex is super hot as a result, even if it doesn’t always make logical sense, you really got a feel for the animal side of their natures.
I liked the fact that no one character was all good or all bad. Even the bad guys had moments of kindness and the good guys had plenty of flaws keeping them real.
There were times when I wasn’t exactly sure of the motivation of the characters or of the “rules” regarding shifters and their mates. I wasn’t clear on how Jay could be kept in the dark or why he and Tim could even exist separately when supposedly once someone finds their mate they can’t be without them. It also didn’t allow for pack mates to be fated mates – how would that work if two young pack mates met at an early age? But those were small complaints.
Overall it was a good book with a great version of shifters and mates and an exciting “war” to be fought over the role of hybrids as a pseudo commentary against racism in general.
I recommend this book and give it 4 of 5 hearts.
October 18, 2015
★★★★ = I may not read it again but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I can understand why people didn't rate this highly. I can see the discrepancies. I realise the lack of details and the vaguely open ending. I get it...but I don't care. This, ladies and gentlemen, has the best sexual-tension-build-up that I've read in a long time.
I won't repeat the synopsis or plot (as others have already done that) but will just list why I gave it 4/5 stars:
The Positives:
✔ Werewolves - well, duh. That's why I'm here.
✔ Mates/Soul Mates - what can I say? I'm a sucker for life partners ;)
✔ Desire and Lust - oh, there is lots of that!
✔ Hot-animal-instincts Sex - knotting, people. Knotting!
✔ Slow Burn - Tim was waiting fifteen years for Jay; their reunion was explosive!
✔ Furry Sex - I'm not sure if this is a positive but it sure was different.
✔ Lovable Characters - I especially like Robin.
✔ Cover Art - I love the cover art and have been eying this off for a while now.
The Negatives:
✘ Open Ending - okay, lets clear something up: it was an open ending, as such, but it wasn't unsatisfying. It had resolve between Jay and Tim; the other aspects don't reeeeeally matter to me.
✘ Knotting - although I said this was a positive (and it still is) it was considered painful for Jay. 30mins of being tired together? ouch!
✘ Plot Focus - yes, this was about Tim finding Jay, again, so, the main focus was around Tim. We had other aspects of the story thrown in but I could sense that it was only to give background to the plot and wasn't focused on entirely. I didn't mind this as I was here for romance and hot werewolf sex...but I think this is why people gave it low rating. Also, because of the time jump, Tim's life (as well as Jay's) was cut out. Straight from first meeting to fifteen years later. Look, again, I didn't care as I was here for the romance but it missed the character connection that you only get from time with the character(s).
✘ One Sex Scene - it was one of the hottest sex scenes in the paranormal genre with the BEST sexual tension just before they "joined"...but there was only one :|
Conclusion? I enjoy this for the sexual tension and the love-scene, only. It was good enough for me to give it a higher score but the story, characters and all other genre themes lacked as a whole.
I read reviews for the second book, how it's about Robin, but at this stage I'm not sure if I will follow on from here. I was satisfied with this as a stand alone.
I can understand why people didn't rate this highly. I can see the discrepancies. I realise the lack of details and the vaguely open ending. I get it...but I don't care. This, ladies and gentlemen, has the best sexual-tension-build-up that I've read in a long time.
I won't repeat the synopsis or plot (as others have already done that) but will just list why I gave it 4/5 stars:
The Positives:
✔ Werewolves - well, duh. That's why I'm here.
✔ Mates/Soul Mates - what can I say? I'm a sucker for life partners ;)
✔ Desire and Lust - oh, there is lots of that!
✔ Hot-animal-instincts Sex - knotting, people. Knotting!
✔ Slow Burn - Tim was waiting fifteen years for Jay; their reunion was explosive!
✔ Furry Sex - I'm not sure if this is a positive but it sure was different.
✔ Lovable Characters - I especially like Robin.
✔ Cover Art - I love the cover art and have been eying this off for a while now.
The Negatives:
✘ Open Ending - okay, lets clear something up: it was an open ending, as such, but it wasn't unsatisfying. It had resolve between Jay and Tim; the other aspects don't reeeeeally matter to me.
✘ Knotting - although I said this was a positive (and it still is) it was considered painful for Jay. 30mins of being tired together? ouch!
✘ Plot Focus - yes, this was about Tim finding Jay, again, so, the main focus was around Tim. We had other aspects of the story thrown in but I could sense that it was only to give background to the plot and wasn't focused on entirely. I didn't mind this as I was here for romance and hot werewolf sex...but I think this is why people gave it low rating. Also, because of the time jump, Tim's life (as well as Jay's) was cut out. Straight from first meeting to fifteen years later. Look, again, I didn't care as I was here for the romance but it missed the character connection that you only get from time with the character(s).
✘ One Sex Scene - it was one of the hottest sex scenes in the paranormal genre with the BEST sexual tension just before they "joined"...but there was only one :|
Conclusion? I enjoy this for the sexual tension and the love-scene, only. It was good enough for me to give it a higher score but the story, characters and all other genre themes lacked as a whole.
I read reviews for the second book, how it's about Robin, but at this stage I'm not sure if I will follow on from here. I was satisfied with this as a stand alone.
October 9, 2013
Secret Chemistry is the first book in a new gay wolf shifter series by Chris T. Kat. This first story recounts the romance of young wolf shifter Tim Evans and Jayden Cox, a hybrid wolf-fox shifter. These two young men first meet as children in the aftermath of a wolf pack meeting that ends in a tragedy that will separate them for 18 years. On the night they meet, Tim is 13 and Jay is three. In addition to the 10-year gulf between their ages, Tim and Jay also face opposition in the form of ethnic prejudice from the pure breed wolves in Tim's pack.
The bulk of Secret Chemistry deals with Tim discovering that Jay is his mate and his attempts to ensure his safety. Kat handles this part of the book with skill. The characters are strong and colorful. Tim's younger brother, Robin is a charming delight. He lends the novel much of its humor and lightness. On the other hand, Tim's sister, Debra is completely obnoxious. Her behavior made me want to know more about her motivations. Why is she the way she is? Paula, Tim's mother is also a strong presence in the novel. Her courage in the face of a life-altering physical challenge makes for an interesting read. Indeed, several of the secondary characters provoke a great deal of curiosity with plot lines that maybe pursued in later novels.
As I read Secret Chemistry I got the feeling that I was stepping into the middle of a larger story. This can help with the realism of a novel, since in the real world you don't know the complete story of every person you meet, or situation you get involved in. Still, I kept getting this feeling that I was only hearing half the story. This feeling increases after the reunion. The plot moves entirely too fast from Tim finding Jay, essentially in his own backyard, to their first sexual encounter. Even understanding the whole "mate recognition thing" in wolf shifter stories, Kat moves the main characters from reunion to passionate sex much too fast. Another weakness in Secret Chemistry is the lack of back-story for Jay. What happens to Jay from age 3 to 21? Where's his mother? What happened to the rest of Jay's family? These are just a few of the questions I asked myself as I read Secret Chemistry.
Reviewed by Creative Ink Romance Reviews
The bulk of Secret Chemistry deals with Tim discovering that Jay is his mate and his attempts to ensure his safety. Kat handles this part of the book with skill. The characters are strong and colorful. Tim's younger brother, Robin is a charming delight. He lends the novel much of its humor and lightness. On the other hand, Tim's sister, Debra is completely obnoxious. Her behavior made me want to know more about her motivations. Why is she the way she is? Paula, Tim's mother is also a strong presence in the novel. Her courage in the face of a life-altering physical challenge makes for an interesting read. Indeed, several of the secondary characters provoke a great deal of curiosity with plot lines that maybe pursued in later novels.
As I read Secret Chemistry I got the feeling that I was stepping into the middle of a larger story. This can help with the realism of a novel, since in the real world you don't know the complete story of every person you meet, or situation you get involved in. Still, I kept getting this feeling that I was only hearing half the story. This feeling increases after the reunion. The plot moves entirely too fast from Tim finding Jay, essentially in his own backyard, to their first sexual encounter. Even understanding the whole "mate recognition thing" in wolf shifter stories, Kat moves the main characters from reunion to passionate sex much too fast. Another weakness in Secret Chemistry is the lack of back-story for Jay. What happens to Jay from age 3 to 21? Where's his mother? What happened to the rest of Jay's family? These are just a few of the questions I asked myself as I read Secret Chemistry.
Reviewed by Creative Ink Romance Reviews
February 22, 2013
Despite the sensitive cover and intriguing title, this is standard shifter fare. There are tortured mating issues, dumb alpha dynamics, and bizarre "what happens to our clothes when we change?" problems,
Werewolf Tim. finds his mate, Jay, when they are just children. Both become mate crazy when they are forcibly separated for nearly two decades.
These wolves aren't the brightest in the pack of shifter stories out there. They are curiously uncomfortable and unsure when their clothes vanish after shifting. You're werewolves, get over it! None of them wants to see anyone else naked, but they're always shifting, therefore always naked.
These wolves are possessive of their mates in a rather repugnant way. Tim, the dimwitted MC, attacks his mate's father when the dad embraces Jay. They all are quick to accuse each other of inappropriate sexual behavior. I was done when Tim's dad accuses Jay of "licking his wife's genitals". Right up in the living room, in front of everyone--why?
Jay actually was healing Tim's mother, who was confined to a wheelchair. But what the hell--Tim's younger brother also has healing talent! Why has he let his mother languish in a wheelchair for years? Why didn't he try to heal her when he found out he had healing powers??
??
The reason is because these are some dumbass, repressed, dysfunctional were animals. The element of bias against mixed were beasts doesn't emerge as a convincing reality for these wolves. But they are dumb enough for mindless prejudice.
In all fairness, I am not a fan of shifter stories. Too much silly pack hierarchy, ludicrous mating torture, and incompetent, rigid, alphas.
Even though the typography on this cover is whack, it does have a lovely illustration--worth an extra star!-- that seemed to promise a more sensitive, gentle look at shifters. Instead we get rabid possessiveness, body shame and inappropriate modesty. squick-inducing prurience, closeted wolf healers, and all kinds of inconsistencies. Plus yet another dumb, narrow-minded alpha bastard. These dogs have parvovirus, and need to be put down.
Werewolf Tim. finds his mate, Jay, when they are just children. Both become mate crazy when they are forcibly separated for nearly two decades.
These wolves aren't the brightest in the pack of shifter stories out there. They are curiously uncomfortable and unsure when their clothes vanish after shifting. You're werewolves, get over it! None of them wants to see anyone else naked, but they're always shifting, therefore always naked.
These wolves are possessive of their mates in a rather repugnant way. Tim, the dimwitted MC, attacks his mate's father when the dad embraces Jay. They all are quick to accuse each other of inappropriate sexual behavior. I was done when Tim's dad accuses Jay of "licking his wife's genitals". Right up in the living room, in front of everyone--why?
Jay actually was healing Tim's mother, who was confined to a wheelchair. But what the hell--Tim's younger brother also has healing talent! Why has he let his mother languish in a wheelchair for years? Why didn't he try to heal her when he found out he had healing powers??
??
The reason is because these are some dumbass, repressed, dysfunctional were animals. The element of bias against mixed were beasts doesn't emerge as a convincing reality for these wolves. But they are dumb enough for mindless prejudice.
In all fairness, I am not a fan of shifter stories. Too much silly pack hierarchy, ludicrous mating torture, and incompetent, rigid, alphas.
Even though the typography on this cover is whack, it does have a lovely illustration--worth an extra star!-- that seemed to promise a more sensitive, gentle look at shifters. Instead we get rabid possessiveness, body shame and inappropriate modesty. squick-inducing prurience, closeted wolf healers, and all kinds of inconsistencies. Plus yet another dumb, narrow-minded alpha bastard. These dogs have parvovirus, and need to be put down.
February 9, 2017
Une romance gentillette et sympathique à lire à ses heures perdues.
On a tous les bons points d'une fiction hurt/comfort gratuite de fictionpress : la séparation, la douleur, le déchirement de deux âmes soeurs séparées puis les retrouvailles, la joie, les surprises que nous réserve Jay...
En plus de ça on a droit à un monde et des personnages bien développés. On évite certains clichés inhérents aux romance entre shifters, ce qui n'est pas pour déplaire ! Le thème du racisme et de l'intolérance est bien abordé et puis même si les plottwists ne sont pas franchement très surprenants on a tout de même une intrigue de fond satisfaisante.
Cela dit, j'ai un peu regretté la fin : tout arrive trop vite et les changements d'attitude trop violents pour être crédibles.
Pour les personnages, plus qu'aux principaux j'ai accroché aux secondaires. Robin par exemple.
Jay aura quand même le mérite de ne pas coller au cliché du soumis qui est récurrent dans ce genre. Il est même parfois un peu trop têtu. J'ai beaucoup apprécié que le personnage nous réserve des suprises, notamment sur la manière dont il a vécu les années suivant sa séparation avec Tim. C'est intéressant et assez surprenant compte-tenu de son statut de métamorphe.
Tim est moins original, mais tout de même agréable et assez différent de ce qu'on attend de lui au début.
Bon roman, bien qui sera lu aussi vite qu'oublié.
On a tous les bons points d'une fiction hurt/comfort gratuite de fictionpress : la séparation, la douleur, le déchirement de deux âmes soeurs séparées puis les retrouvailles, la joie, les surprises que nous réserve Jay...
En plus de ça on a droit à un monde et des personnages bien développés. On évite certains clichés inhérents aux romance entre shifters, ce qui n'est pas pour déplaire ! Le thème du racisme et de l'intolérance est bien abordé et puis même si les plottwists ne sont pas franchement très surprenants on a tout de même une intrigue de fond satisfaisante.
Cela dit, j'ai un peu regretté la fin : tout arrive trop vite et les changements d'attitude trop violents pour être crédibles.
Pour les personnages, plus qu'aux principaux j'ai accroché aux secondaires. Robin par exemple.
Jay aura quand même le mérite de ne pas coller au cliché du soumis qui est récurrent dans ce genre. Il est même parfois un peu trop têtu. J'ai beaucoup apprécié que le personnage nous réserve des suprises, notamment sur la manière dont il a vécu les années suivant sa séparation avec Tim. C'est intéressant et assez surprenant compte-tenu de son statut de métamorphe.
Tim est moins original, mais tout de même agréable et assez différent de ce qu'on attend de lui au début.
Bon roman, bien qui sera lu aussi vite qu'oublié.
August 31, 2014
I was very happy with this book. Plus, it there is a promise of more to come. If there wasn't then my rating would have been very different. I can't wait for the next of this series to come out. The author did a very good job at the time lapse. The two of them meet when they were only 3 and 13 and well, that is just way out of my comfort zone.... But they meet back up almost two decades later.
Tim is the son of the alpha. He has several siblings. Some of the werewolves feel that hybrids taint the pureblood werewolf line. Their solution, kill them all. Tim's parents are on the other side of the debate. Tim breaks orders and ends up leaving the house because he is overcome with the need to follow a certain scent. He ends up meeting a hybrid(his mate) and ends up saving him. Unfortunately not everyone he loves fairs as well.
Two decades later, he meets his mate again. Their attraction/pull to one another is overwhelming. How far are they willing to go to stay together? How will Jay's adoptive father react? How will his Tim's father react when he finds out who Jay really is? Also, Jay has some special talents up his sleeve :-)
Also, I hope Tim's baby brother Robin will meet someone. He is a great side character in this first story.
Tim is the son of the alpha. He has several siblings. Some of the werewolves feel that hybrids taint the pureblood werewolf line. Their solution, kill them all. Tim's parents are on the other side of the debate. Tim breaks orders and ends up leaving the house because he is overcome with the need to follow a certain scent. He ends up meeting a hybrid(his mate) and ends up saving him. Unfortunately not everyone he loves fairs as well.
Two decades later, he meets his mate again. Their attraction/pull to one another is overwhelming. How far are they willing to go to stay together? How will Jay's adoptive father react? How will his Tim's father react when he finds out who Jay really is? Also, Jay has some special talents up his sleeve :-)
Also, I hope Tim's baby brother Robin will meet someone. He is a great side character in this first story.
April 23, 2013
The cover is kind of really adorable...
post-read EtA:
The cover is kind of adorable, although according to the book descriptions, rather inaccurate.
The story...I rather liked it when they were kids. I didn't really like Jay as a small child, though, but Idk if that's really cuz it's unrealistic or because I'm just too big of a hard-ass on small children. But seriously? A three year old who doesn't know how to use verbs?
I didn't really like it when they met again. The characterization was weird. They didn't seem to act in character after all that shit was set. I liked Tim's angsting, but it was a bit meh at times. The sex was so awk and squicky. I'm not sure what it is about it that squicked me so much, but I just skipped it all. I didn't like the character interactions at all and I actually rather disliked the author for the way xe made Robin act. (Literally that way; I don't dislike Robin - well, I do - but I dislike more the author because of Robin.)
It got preachy and weird and wtf.
*sigh
But the premise was so good D:
post-read EtA:
The cover is kind of adorable, although according to the book descriptions, rather inaccurate.
The story...I rather liked it when they were kids. I didn't really like Jay as a small child, though, but Idk if that's really cuz it's unrealistic or because I'm just too big of a hard-ass on small children. But seriously? A three year old who doesn't know how to use verbs?
I didn't really like it when they met again. The characterization was weird. They didn't seem to act in character after all that shit was set. I liked Tim's angsting, but it was a bit meh at times. The sex was so awk and squicky. I'm not sure what it is about it that squicked me so much, but I just skipped it all. I didn't like the character interactions at all and I actually rather disliked the author for the way xe made Robin act. (Literally that way; I don't dislike Robin - well, I do - but I dislike more the author because of Robin.)
It got preachy and weird and wtf.
*sigh
But the premise was so good D:
January 20, 2013
I did enjoy this sweet read.. It started off strong and captured my interest, the whole hybrid concept was fantastic but somewhere somehow my interest just waned.. Ralf really held my interest and I wanted to read more about him then I did Tim and Jay I wanted more of his mindset but all in all I can tell this is just the beginning and I think the author will fly with the rest of the series, it was not by far a horrible read it was enjoyable and entertaining, yes, sometimes certain scenes made you want to skip a page but that next page sucked you back in. I'm anal when it comes to my shifter and vampires and I hate when every book I read seems like I read it before. i like a lot of world building and pack dynamics, danger that lurks around every corner some evil villain ready to cause havoc and heartbreak and turns my characters world upside down. I noticed that shifter books nowadays are just not the same and it's like looking for a needle in the haystack to find that 5 star book, but none-the-less I will always make time to read even a one star because hey I love my shifters
October 13, 2014
This book will grab your attention from the very beginning and keep you interested to the end. I was so happy that this was shifter novel because then Tim and Jay could bond immediately after being apart for so many years. Tim is an unstable and sweet alpha male and I wanted him to find Jay so he could gain more control of his wolf again. Jay on the other hand is a sweet and sheltered young man with no idea what he is.
When you factor in that this is a shifter novel and Jay and Tim have had a connection from when they were children I did not think their relationship was too fast. Their relationship was by no means easy and they still had to deal with getting to know each other and deal with the prejudices in the pack so I think the romance was well done.
The main plot is not solved at the end of this book leaving room for more books, but we are left with a satisfying HFN for our heroes. Also at the end of the book the author hints that Tim’s brother, Robin, may be the focus of the next novel so I am excited to read it and see how the plot develops.
When you factor in that this is a shifter novel and Jay and Tim have had a connection from when they were children I did not think their relationship was too fast. Their relationship was by no means easy and they still had to deal with getting to know each other and deal with the prejudices in the pack so I think the romance was well done.
The main plot is not solved at the end of this book leaving room for more books, but we are left with a satisfying HFN for our heroes. Also at the end of the book the author hints that Tim’s brother, Robin, may be the focus of the next novel so I am excited to read it and see how the plot develops.
January 14, 2013
I am writing this as someone who has never read a book by this author before.
Pros: The concept was good.
The world building was interesting.
The spin on werewolf healing was very unique.
The first part of the book really drew you in and was exciting.
Cons: A lot of detail but nothing really happens. The whole book is really only five scenes. At one point I wanted to skip over some of the dialog just to get to the action. And the mating sex . . . Um, I wasn't really into that at all!
The ending felt rushed and too HEA based on some of the issues the book was covering.
Tim and Jay's story felt unfinished even for a serial book. Hopefully they will feature prominently in the next book as well.
Conclusion: It was okay. I didn't hate it, nor did I love it. I will pick up the next book in the series to see where the story is headed but I cant make any promises that I would see this series through to the end.
Pros: The concept was good.
The world building was interesting.
The spin on werewolf healing was very unique.
The first part of the book really drew you in and was exciting.
Cons: A lot of detail but nothing really happens. The whole book is really only five scenes. At one point I wanted to skip over some of the dialog just to get to the action. And the mating sex . . . Um, I wasn't really into that at all!
The ending felt rushed and too HEA based on some of the issues the book was covering.
Tim and Jay's story felt unfinished even for a serial book. Hopefully they will feature prominently in the next book as well.
Conclusion: It was okay. I didn't hate it, nor did I love it. I will pick up the next book in the series to see where the story is headed but I cant make any promises that I would see this series through to the end.
January 28, 2013
(This review may contain spoilers).
I entered the giveaway for this book, but unfortunately, didn't win a copy. I decided to buy it for my Kindle, though.
I'm not completely sure what to make of this book. I liked Jay and Tim in the first part, but I thought that the relationship moved too quickly in part two. I'm not a fan of immediate declarations of love, even though I did like the two characters together.
I really didn't like Debra in this book and I hope she doesn't have a very big part in the next book. I have to admit, I am interested in reading Robin's book next. In this book, he was quite an interesting character, if a little hard to read.
I did find that the conflict at the end was a little rushed. It could have done with being spread out more, along with the relationship forming. However, it was a sweet, quick read and I'll probably read another book if a second one comes out in this series.
I entered the giveaway for this book, but unfortunately, didn't win a copy. I decided to buy it for my Kindle, though.
I'm not completely sure what to make of this book. I liked Jay and Tim in the first part, but I thought that the relationship moved too quickly in part two. I'm not a fan of immediate declarations of love, even though I did like the two characters together.
I really didn't like Debra in this book and I hope she doesn't have a very big part in the next book. I have to admit, I am interested in reading Robin's book next. In this book, he was quite an interesting character, if a little hard to read.
I did find that the conflict at the end was a little rushed. It could have done with being spread out more, along with the relationship forming. However, it was a sweet, quick read and I'll probably read another book if a second one comes out in this series.
March 7, 2016
Chris T. Kat takes a genre classic -- fated mates -- and ramps it up in Secret Chemistry. This book earned a place straight onto my favorites list with it's unique story and strong characters.
The surprising thing about Secret Chemistry is that it takes place in only two days' time: one night 11 years ago, and one day in the present. Yet never did the story feel hurried, or the romance forced or rushed. The mating and love between Tim and Jay is so natural, and Jay in particular is such a vibrant character that I just couldn't stop grinning at him.
I also love that the cover shows them as they first meet. Just beautiful.
I can't wait for the next in the series to sort out some of the unanswered questions. And of course to see Robin find his man!
The surprising thing about Secret Chemistry is that it takes place in only two days' time: one night 11 years ago, and one day in the present. Yet never did the story feel hurried, or the romance forced or rushed. The mating and love between Tim and Jay is so natural, and Jay in particular is such a vibrant character that I just couldn't stop grinning at him.
I also love that the cover shows them as they first meet. Just beautiful.
I can't wait for the next in the series to sort out some of the unanswered questions. And of course to see Robin find his man!
August 5, 2015
The beginning was soo cute! Like mated Fox and the Hound... adorable... and then, they grew up.
~sigh~
~sigh~
January 24, 2013
Mr. P's Review:
First off this book contains something that might make people a little squeamish. When the story starts the werewolf boy is thirteen. His mate is three. There is no sex that occurs between them, but there is some cuddling in wolf form. This does not in any way impact the story, but it does help to show that these two belong together.
This is a nice story. Some of the wording is a bit stilted, but the story itself is pretty solid. It’s a different type of shifter story, and I do like my shifters.
Please see Mr. P's complete review on January 27, 2013 at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
Note: the link will not be live until January 27.
First off this book contains something that might make people a little squeamish. When the story starts the werewolf boy is thirteen. His mate is three. There is no sex that occurs between them, but there is some cuddling in wolf form. This does not in any way impact the story, but it does help to show that these two belong together.
This is a nice story. Some of the wording is a bit stilted, but the story itself is pretty solid. It’s a different type of shifter story, and I do like my shifters.
Please see Mr. P's complete review on January 27, 2013 at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
Note: the link will not be live until January 27.
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