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Tristan's Despair

(Shifters' Haven #8)

Lavinia Lewis (Goodreads Author)

3.71 · Rating details · 161 ratings · 20 reviews

Wolf shifter Tristan Ambrose is delighted to finally meet his mate, but is human Joey Brooks prepared for the constant danger that life with a shifter entails?

When wolf shifter Tristan Ambrose unexpectedly meets human Joey Brooks outside the guesthouse where they both stay, he couldn’t be happier to have finally found his mate. But Joey is an ambitious young newspaper repo ...more

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ebook, 95 pages

Published October 11th 2013 by Total E-Bound (first published October 10th 2013)

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Nov 15, 2019 Kathleen Bradbury (Bulfon) rated it it was amazing

Fantastic story! Characters that will steal your heart. A storyline that keeps you on the edge of your seat and glued to your kindle! For me it was a love- hate deal as the characters face their demons. You will feel their emotions and struggles. A definite must read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

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Oct 18, 2013 Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews rated it liked it

Shelves: paranormal, paranormal-shifter

3 Hearts

Review written for MM Good Book Reviews

This story is part of a series and must be read in order. Tristan finds himself stuck between a rock and a hard place when he meets his mate, while he is delighted to meet his mate he is horrified to learn that he is a reporter who is there to dig up the truth behind the fires that plagued the town. Joey is an ambitious reporter determined to get to the truth, but when he gets involved with local Tristan he discovers more than he bargained for. Tris 3 Hearts

Review written for MM Good Book Reviews

This story is part of a series and must be read in order. Tristan finds himself stuck between a rock and a hard place when he meets his mate, while he is delighted to meet his mate he is horrified to learn that he is a reporter who is there to dig up the truth behind the fires that plagued the town. Joey is an ambitious reporter determined to get to the truth, but when he gets involved with local Tristan he discovers more than he bargained for. Tristan has to discover if he can trust Joey with the towns secrets and Joey has to decide if a story is more important than love.

This is a great addition to the Shifter's Haven series giving us a new couple with problems to solve and a storyline that weaves previous plots into this one. Tristan is feeling the weight of pressure from his brother and pack when he discovers his mate Joey, after all Joey is asking questions that they can't answer to a human, but Tristan doesn't want to deny his mate. Joey is instantly attracted to Tristan and thinks he knows one of the towns secrets, but it isn't long before he realizes his error. Joey knows he has a hard choice before him and although Tristan has come to mean everything to him, giving up his dreams is hard to do.

Tristan and Joey make a great couple and they do face some hostility at first because of Joey's job, but a mate is a mate and Joey's job isn't their only problem. We discover that the storyline from Pete's Persuasion lingers on with the discovery that the arsonist has sort protection from another pack, the news astounds the pack but Joey and Tristan have more to worry about when wolves attack them. We see both Tristan and Joey suffer from their decision and it takes them both long enough to pull their heads out of their arses and come up with a way to be together.

I did enjoy this story and enjoyed seeing the wolves of Wolf Creek again, seeing how they had moved on from the devastation that befell them in Pete's Persuasion and catching up with the hunt for Evelyn. The story is well written and a nice light easy read, there's a couple of tense scenes and some great sex scenes and it was also really nice to see that although there's still the instant attraction and the urge to mate, it isn't easy sailing for Joey and Tristan.

I recommend this to those who love shifters, a progressing storyline, great characters, a touch of danger, great sex, hot shifters and a brilliant ending. ...more

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Oct 05, 2013 Ro rated it really liked it

The reader advisory that the book can be read standalone but is better as a series is on target. I haven’t read all the books in this series and while I was able to understand and enjoy this book I think it would have been easier had I known the back story. There is enough given about the insane villain here so that you aren’t lost, however.

Tristan and the pack have been threatened by Evelyn, who appears to have disappeared, so they never know when the next attack will happen. She’s not messing The reader advisory that the book can be read standalone but is better as a series is on target. I haven’t read all the books in this series and while I was able to understand and enjoy this book I think it would have been easier had I known the back story. There is enough given about the insane villain here so that you aren’t lost, however.

Tristan and the pack have been threatened by Evelyn, who appears to have disappeared, so they never know when the next attack will happen. She’s not messing around – she burnt down a bar and several homes, not seeming to care who dies. Tristan is the little brother of the Sheriff and is feeling strangled that his brother cares about him. Tristan, I have to admit, comes across as a spoiled child sometimes. He is sneaking out to “hang back with a bear or two and maybe get laid” while the danger is still present. He ends up meeting a nice guy, Brandon, who ends up helping him after a bar fight erupts.

Reporters have come to Wolf Creek to find out more about the fires and left empty-handed. One, however, is determined to get to the bottom of not only the fires but why Wolf Creek people won’t talk about it. This is Joey, a human who it turns out is the mate of Tristan. Joey overhears and sees a conversation between Brandon and Tristan where Tristan goes a little wolfy. Joey thinks he knows what is going on. He’s also insanely attracted to this gorgeous man. For his part, Tristan knows Joey is his mate and wants him. Like right now.

One thing that was confusing was Tristan had gone out to get laid, would have slept with Brandon if he hadn’t scented Joey as his mate and yet later turns out he’s a virgin. It is only after sex that Tristan realizes how far off Joey was with his assumptions that he knew what Tristan was. Now way?

There were a couple things I really liked about the Pack dynamics here. One, something I feel is never addressed in “mate bond” stories, Tristan and Joey have a conversation about what happens if the mate is already in love with someone else, what happens? (FYI, Tristan explains that while it would hurt to leave someone you were in love with, the bond supercedes any emotion. That’s so sad for the one left behind, for sure.) Also, when Tristan begins the shifter dominance of “you won’t, you will, do this”, Joey is having none of it. He’s more “And don’t growl at me,” rather than just blindly accepting.

I liked how Joey didn’t just cave to the mate bond. Yes, he feels it but he wanted his life. They have to figure out how to make that work. Take with a grain of salt, though, that it still happens super fast. Recommended for shifter fans, especially as a quick snack.
...more

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Oct 27, 2013 Phaney rated it liked it

Shelves: m-m

Ah, I know flawed characters are a good thing – in theory. But Tristan’s flaws are precisely the kind that rubs me wrong. Young guy in denial of his issues, trying to prove his adulthood and how he needs no supervision by behaving irresponsibly.

Tristan’s black jeans turned blue during his bike ride. Hm… I wonder what this book isn’t telling us about the time he spent with Brandon. :P

Joey’s side of his meeting with Tristan is hilarious, though. (view spoiler)

I appreciate ...more

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Sep 10, 2013 Hc rated it liked it

Shelves: mm, year-2014-review, profession-cowboy, shifters, shifters-canine, library

This is a weird one for me. Tristan was kind of all over the place. First he catches wind of his mate while attempting a hook up. Then later he tells his mate that it's his first time doing anything. There was a definite impression of prior experience at the beginning... at least to ME. But what about Tristan saving it for his mate? Ah a conundrum.. knock knock which was it supposed to be?

So the other big major thing is the time apart these two spend and where they end up. (view spoiler) ...more

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Jan 07, 2014 Jacq ~ rated it liked it

Nice read. Grrrr. MINE, my favorite part. Short and sweet!

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Nov 06, 2019 Patricia Hoffstaetter rated it really liked it

Shelves: finished-reading

I quite enjoyed reading this MM shifter romance & found the plot intriguing with some unexpected suspenseful situations or occurrences.
The characters are quite likable with interesting, complex personalities & are realistically flawed but they continue to develop throughout the story-line. There are character crossovers but this book can be read as a standalone although I would suggest that you read the series.
There is: a wolf shifter (Tristan) is delighted to discovery his human mate (Joey) o ...more

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Nov 06, 2019 John-Torleif Harris rated it really liked it

Tristan and Joey were an interesting pairing - and I found it odd that they weren't together for much longer than they were together, during the course of this story. Even though we've known Tristan from the other books, I would have liked to have delved more into his feelings about not really fitting in the Wolf Creek, small town. As it was, though there was some hint of his feelings, I was a bit unsatisfied with the seeming impulsive nature of his decision at the end of the book.

I did love the ...more

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Nov 13, 2019 Cynthia Brooks rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Joey is a newspaper reporter from Dallas and wants to get the scoop on the arson attacks happening in Wolf Creek. Tristan a wolf sifter is restless and doesn't know what to do, then he sees Joey and knows that he's his mate. He finally is at peace with himself. Joey feels the pull to Tristan but doesn't think he can be happy in a small town. Can these two find a way to be together? I really enjoyed this book. ...more

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Nov 08, 2019 Courtney Turner rated it it was amazing

Tristan and Joey’s story is a bit different then the others. This book has a lot less angst in it. They fall hard and fast but Joey who is human doesn’t know much about fated mates and thinks his job back at home is more important than a new relationship with Tristan but he soon finds out leaving Tristan behind wasn’t he really wanted. You will fall in love with these two and their happily ever after

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

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Nov 10, 2019 Mim Crenshaw rated it it was amazing

This pairing had me a little wary. I was worried about Joey and his ambitions...if he would actually see the real Tristan and keep quiet about the pack. They had great chemistry, but I wish we couldve seen more of their feelings and thoughts on certain things. It was definitely well written and very enjoyable. Please keep them coming.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

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Jan 01, 2020 Nessa rated it really liked it

Tristan finally finds his mate, Joey, who just happens to be a human reporter who is out to find out about the horrible fires that had killed and injured so many in Wolf Creek. I enjoyed their relationship although, the author did a great job of conveying the despair that Tristan felt when Joey had left him. The story was nicely written and the characters were intriguing. I truly loved this series. This was excellent. =)

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Nov 05, 2019 Molly rated it really liked it

Love is the greatest risk. Is it one worth taking?

Finding the half that makes him whole brings him into a different world.

Things will never be the same in so many ways. He must decide if the risk of live and everything that goes with it is a risk worth taking

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

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Nov 06, 2019 Sara Sigler rated it it was amazing

Great book, glad I took a chance to read this book. Seemed like Tristan was having a bad life with the drinking but then he found his mate and they got their problems sorted out and stayed together yay!

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Dec 27, 2019 Tayra Sanders rated it really liked it

I truly enjoyed this book. I loved the twist and turns and ups and downs of this intriguing story. I enjoyed the characters.

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Dec 07, 2014 Tina rated it really liked it

I enjoyed Tristan’s Despair by Lavinia Lewis. While this story is eighth in the Shifters’ Haven series, it can be read as a stand alone. I appreciated that Ms. Lewis tied up loose ends in such a way that it was easy to follow even if you were reading the series out of order which I have tended to do.
I thought Ms. Lewis gave us two likeable characters in Joey and Tristan. Both men were relatively young but had strong ideas of who they were and what they wanted. I loved that both were willing to ...more

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Feb 06, 2014 Kelly H. (Maybedog) rated it liked it

Shelves: where-kobo-cast, how-ebook, what-lgbtq, what-male-protagonist, how-series, what-paranormal-romance, what-modern-fantasy, what-shifters, where-kobo-obtained, where-grr-mine

Notes:

Lots of telling.

Awesome showing that it takes time to be ready to take in the penis.

UK English spellings like learnt in a book that takes place in the US.

Wow that was a sudden ending. Felt like half a story. It had potential to be a better book but the ending ruined it.

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Mar 07, 2013 Sussan rated it liked it

Shelves: mm-books

Interesting storyline but was missing the connection between Joey and Tristan. Personally I think it needed to be more in depth

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Sep 13, 2013 Shelley rated it liked it

Shelves: 2013, mm, mm-challenge-2013, paranormal-fantasy-uf, romance, shifters

3.25 stars

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About Lavinia Lewis

Lavinia Lewis

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Lavinia discovered reading at an early age and could always be found with her nose in a book. She loved getting lost in a fantasy world even then. When her parents bought her a typewriter for Christmas at aged eleven, her fate was sealed. She spent hours dreaming up characters and creating stories. Not a lot has changed.

Lavinia is a Welsh Valley girl who has lived all over the UK. Today she lives ...more