A Man's Worth

Brac Pack #31

by Lynn Hagen

[Siren Everlasting Classic ManLove: Erotic Alternative Paranormal Romance, M/M, shape-shifters, HEA] Being one of the last Lakeland bears to mate, Bryce isn't too happy when he finds out the man fated to be his has covered his scent for years. Tired of Ahm shimmering in and out of his life, Bryce finally puts his paw down and demands Ahm make a choice. Either be with him, or never show his face around Bryce again. Ahm shimmers away. Ahm is the revered leader of the Shadow elves. His tribe is grounded deep in tradition, and turns their backs on anyone who mates outside their race. But when Ahm finally tells his cousin that he has a male shifter for a mate, the tribe calls a hunt on Ahm's head. With a cursed bracelet on his wrist and nowhere to run, Ahm calls for help. What he hadn't expected was a clan of bears to come to his rescue. But Bryce isn't a part of the rescue party, and he isn't so sure he wants Ahm around. Can the two find a way to work out their differences before the tribe finds Ahm, and can Ahm find a solution to a growing problem in his tribe before his beloved race becomes extinct? ** A Siren Erotic Romance

Genres: M M Romance, Paranormal, Shapeshifters, Romance, Fantasy, Gay, Vampires

146 pages, Paperback

First published April 8, 2013

About the author

Lynn Hagen loves writing about the somewhat flawed, but lovable. She also loves a hero who can see past all the rough edges to find the shining diamond of a beautiful heart.

You can find her on any given day curled up with her laptop and a cup of hot java, letting the next set of characters tell their story.

Reviews

[Candice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3rd Reading 1-6-15
Man, my heart broke for Bryce. Did Ahm really apologize or grovel enough? Not really. He put Bryce through hell. I am NOT a happy camper. Nope. But, I did laugh once they were together. They were fun, but I wanted more from Ahm.

2nd read June 2014

First read 11-11-13
Bryce and Ahm. Wow. Didn't see that one coming. I wasn't ready for it to end though and I laughed my ass off at the "names" they came up with and the garlic spray bottle under the pillow. HA!

Okay, all of my reviews for this series have been super short or no review at all. I PLOWED through this series. I think I started it on the 5th of November and it is now the 10th. Yes, that means I have read 31 books in 5 days. I am tired. I can't say this was my favorite series, but it was super addicting. It was fun and cute. The Alphas were hot and protective (overbearing at times--buckling them in their seat belts, etc.) The mates were young and dumb, but some were fierce and stubborn. I loved seeing all the species (timber wolves, grey wolves, tiger shifters, ocelot shifters, vampires, fey, demons, shadow elves, wood elves, hellhounds, half-breeds). There's a little bit of MPREG, kink, and mates with stories that will make you cry--well at least I did. Late in the series we meet some rare breeds such as a buffalo and rhino shifters. Those stories are told in Brac Village series, which I will start tomorrow.

[Aղցela W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was book 31 in the "Brac Pack" series. Bryce Lakeland is the last bear to be mated turns out his mate has been masking his scent for years. Ahm is the leader of the Shadow elves his tribe doesn't accept mixed mates or make mates year grew up believing this. Bryce is tired of his mate shimmering in and out of his life so he tells him to choose but when his tribe finds out they try to kill him. His cousin Nara who wants to rule tries to kill him. This was a good read I felt bad for Ahm. What the Shadow elves didn't realize is that the Lakelands take care of of their own. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Aleja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lo amé. Bryce y Ahm sin duda, aparte de Nicholas y Jason, son mis personajes favoritos de ésta serie.

[Shortstone · Rating 2 out of 5]

For the 31st book in a long line of books, the template format continues. I am wondering if this author, as well as several other popular authors, just have a fill-in-the-blank story document on their computers. They fill in character names, throw in a relationship obstacle, flesh out a little character development, and introduce a couple of new story lines that won't get addressed until some future book (gotta keep that money coming in with an extended series). Usually the first couple of books are better but after that it is the same format over and over. Please give me a developed book for my time and money! Is that too much to ask for? Before I open these types of books, I know the main characters are going to end up together. I like romance and happy endings. But these series of books lately don't have any closure. I like series. I like seeing characters reappear and new story lines for them. I don't like that authors are not putting any effort into finishing the story lines they introduced themselves in order to rack up a book count for more sales. They aren't even cliffhangers, but flat out ignoring issues that are part of the relationship for the characters the book is supposed to be about! One of the best series I've read is the Cut & Run series by Abigail Roux. Now that is how a series should be written.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good, but a couple of things kept me from truly enjoying it.

1. I never understood the sudden change of heart of Ahm. He'd gone years and suddenly he couldn't deny his mate.

2. The stupid names. I realize it was supposed to be cute and funny, but I found it annoying and not funny at all. It actually ruined most scenes that could have been romantic or moving.

[Sara Murillo ♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

AHNM. ES. HERMOSO.

Este libro tiene algo especial...

Estoy enamorada, lo admito. Amo a su pequeña ;;

[Hc · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I thought this was the new series Brac Village (we'll see how 'new' it ends up being..) but find out we get the down low on Ahm and Bryce... while it ends up being an ok read there were several things bothering me.


Ahm's reason for ignoring and refusing his mate seems ridiculous. What I mean is, not so much the 'reason' but refusing to TALK or EXPLAIN anything to his mate, just making decisions without giving Bryce a chance. He consistently hurts Bryce.

Bryce refusing to help rescue him when he calls for help but then later freaks out and takes out some shadow elves who attack him and then realizes his one and only mate is the only thing that will make him happy. I commend his ability to forgive but seemed to get past that too quickly. Ahm should have had to work at it more to earn Bryce's trust.

While I adore male pregnancy books, I just wanted to smack both MCs! After being told that it looks like he's a possible distant relative of Christian's why would they not have thought that pregnancy was a possibility and take precautions just in case.

Lastly...why did Ahm lose his blue color? Is one of his ancestors from Christian's lineage? Or could the skin color change and DNA similarities be a shadow elf evolution to combat the species issues with babies? I wanted SOME of these (if not all) answered and was left frustrated by the lack.

[Pete W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another one of the miscommunication trope that I don't like very much but I felt it par on course with Ahm's personalities.

Ahm was as infuriating as ever. Some aspect of this book were written as if we already knew some of the infos. I am assuming it was written in other books of this same universe.

[Gomawoyo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author is contradicting herself. Near the beginning of the book she wrote how Ahm spied on Bryce ever since he found out that Bryce is his mate and that he'd gotten to know him pretty well from afar, I read over a half a book now and Ahm is regretting how he never stuck around his mate enough to get to know him.

Aren't elfs immortal? I don't see how Ahm's race has dwindled down to under a thousand considering this fact and the fact that they're usually a peaceful species, which Ahm claimed several times. I do know they were at war with Wood elves but it's my understanding that they were dominating since Carter went to procure a peace of land from Maverick for his people to escape Shadow elves to. There was no complete explanation given as to their near extinction because even with the babies dying and women avoiding getting pregnant they should still be a thriving race.

What kept bothering me throughout the book was that there was no mention of how Bryce even figured out that Ahm was hiding his scent?

Regardless of everything I had a laugh and a cry which is what I look for in a book, to tug at my emotional strings.

[CB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I delved into the Bracverse a 2nd time and now there are 121 books - yikes! I loved this Universe the first time I read it several years ago and now I love it more, I really do, but I've only been able to read these series (and I have expanded to all the books that are currently out in each):
Brac Pack
Christian's Coven
Zeus's Pack
Demon Warriors
The Exiled

These are the series that start the Universe. Reading them in order is a must. Each book has it's own love story but there is an underlying story that plays out throughout them all. As you get towards the end of these series, other series come into play and I noticed that, since I did not read them, I missed some of the characters being mentioned (good and bad) but I was still able to follow because the main ones stay the same.

One day I WILL buy these and read them all!!! (For the correct order, just look on the Internet for Lynn Hagen Reading Order):
Brac Village
Shadow Tribe
BPNG (Brac Pack Next Generation - Brac Pack kids)
The Remus Brothers
Wolves of Desire

[D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ahm is so unfair to Bryce! He refused Bryce but when Bryce having fun with other people, Ahm stake his claim on Bryce, called him as his. What a joke!

[Gabrielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 estrellas
Bryce me ha gustado mucho, ahm no tanto por sus prejuicios, pero en general estuvo bien.

[Phaney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where to start? I don’t know what to think about this one.

Let’s just make this clear: Miscommunication is such a bad premise for a plot. Or plot point. Pity that it’s so popular.

Bryce was nice at first, but then he turned into a sullen kid and I lost all patience with him.

Ahm? Well. Ahm. Epic leader of his people. Let’s emasculate him.
Okay, it could have been worse, but you bet I was sputtering when the pregnancy possibility first reared its ugly head (before anyone actually said as much). In combination with Bryce being all toppy it really seemed as though Ahm would be turned into one of “the mates”, i.e. the women. Luckily it did not go quite that far, which is why I am not raging now.

FYI, asexual means the ability to procreate without a partner. That is not how Christian’s thing works. Also, usually it’s the females (or single-gendered organisms) of a species who can basically clone themselves by using unfertilized eggs or some such thing. Sperm’s not what does this.
Oh, but I should stop right now. Thinking about the concept of male pregnancy too hard will only make my head explode and science doesn’t really have a say in this fantasy world anyhow.

And this is a small thing, but… Seriously? Ahm’s best buddy was named Bryne and his mate now is named Bryce? WTF? And he shall never be mentioned again. So, why?

Anyway. I had a rocky passage with this book. In the end it could have been a lot worse. (Also a lot better but let’s not go there.)
So I will leave with a quote that I actually really like.

His reflection in the darkened glass looked detached.

He stared at it, lifting his hand to his neck. The reality of it, buoyed with the shock, made him feel disconnected for a moment, but he knew it was the reality, and he knew it was the shock, and he knew there was chaos behind those eyes in the empty window.

[Dylan St. Jaymes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one. There were cameos from the other characters but not so many that you got the feeling they were taking over the story. Ahm and Bryce had a tough road to travel, getting over prejudices, misunderstandings and miscommunications but the two of them prove that fate never gets it wrong.

I confess that I wasn't all that excited for this book simply b/c I wasn't all that fond of Ahm due his characterization in some of the other stories, plus I had been really hoping that Abe was going to be mated to Bryce. I just adore that little guy and its obvious that he's lonely and it kind of breaks my heart that he's going to be at the ranch surrounded by all those couples and everyone is going to have their mate and he's going to be alone-even more so than he was before :(

The plot twists in this one universe just keep coming and we get a pretty big one with Ahm and his connection to another character in this one. I have a feeling before it's all over there are going to be a lot more secrets being brought out into the light of day.

[Ana Banda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valió mucho mucho mucho muuuuucho la espera! Me encantó. Al principio odie mucho a Ahm; ¡Hasta llorar me hizo! Pero luego fue recuperando mi corazón.
A pesar de que estos libros suelen ser cortos la autora sabe enfocarse y amo que estos hombres rudos sean tan tiernos :3
Ame a Bryce completamente! & Ame las últimas 10 páginas con esa super noticia! ¡Quiero muchos muchos más libros de la familia Lakeland! *.*



.
Con un profundo gruñido, Chauncey metió la mano debajo de la almohada y sacó una botella de spray. ¿En serio? El hombre no le había estado mintiendo. Ahm tenía que luchar contra la risa. Chauncey Lakeland dormía con una botella de spray llena de jugo de ajo.
«Qué cobarde».

JAJAJAJAJAJAJAJA lo mejor fue ese final tan gracioso! Pobre Chauncey xD

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story except I found that the characters could have been developed a little more. It was like watching a Tyler Perry movie. A long time to build up to the point of the relationship actually getting somewhere then the book suddenly rushes through.

Looking at Ms. Hagen's portrayal of Ahm throughout the series has made it seem kind of unbelievable that his character would suddenly change and settle into ranch life. Yes he was lonely & alone but it just seems too sudden a change.I was kinda disappointed. Yet I find myself still looking for more. The pregnancy was a nice twist & his relationship to Christian was unexpected yet believable since Panahasi is the creator of these races anyway.

[Breni Diaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Otro de los libros que también me encantaron. Toda esa tención y futuro incierto que no solo rompe el corazón de Bryce, sino también el mío. Ahm y Bryce son el uno para el otro, tan contrastantes como Riley y Sterling.

05/04/22: Amé el final. La broma hacia Chauncey fue muy divertida.

06/05/2024: ¿No es maravillosa la intensidad con la que ambos se unen en el sexo? Sobre todo la de Bryce hacia de Ahm.

[Ivka_s_knihou · Rating 5 out of 5]

god, this is one of the favourite books in the series for me. just because the angsty parts was so very well written. they really twisted my insides with hurt. i like books like this. im not very fond of mpreg but i can oversee this issue here because i seriously loved Bryce and Ahm. Especially Ahm.

[Mae Hanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Riley Lackland has met his mate, Ahm the Shadow Elf. Problem is - Ahm has covertly been rejecting Riley for years, and even if Riley wasn't fully aware at the time, he now knows the lengths Ahm went to in order to keep their being mates from him.

The writing at the beginning seemed very juvenile to me, very unlike the other the folks in Brac Village, even if they are funny as hell.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another adventure with well known characters in Lynn Hagen's Brac Pack's Series. I was disappointed that Ahm's character seemed to change, from a stern mysterious warrior leader to someone who is squeamish over birthing critters. I did like the relationship between Bryce and Ahm, their banter was entertaining. The final encounter was somewhat anti-climatic though.

[Kylia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one. I could both see why Bryce was so angry and Ahm's reasoning, considering he was trying to find a solution for his dying people.

I do wonder though if the pregnancy is as simple as it seems. Is there another answer for his people out there? And I find it interesting he's still on the Ultionem even though he's no longer the leader of his people...

[Princess Anya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book just like the rest of the series, I laughed out loud at the end of the book. I just love books that make that happen, of course it would have been better had I not been in a breakroom full of people.

Please keep the great books coming!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know that this story was any better than the rest of the series that I've read but I just had to add a star because of the hilarious pet names and the last scene in the book. Made me actually laugh.

[~RMG · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another okay read, though I would've enjoyed it a bit more if not for the 'endearments' the two MC's kept dishing out at each other. They were meant to be funny, a game between the mates, but I kept getting annoyed, rolling my eyes, whenever they came up.

[Bobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I juts loved this book, it made me laugh in loads of places but especially at the end when they jumped out of the closet and Ahm had on the false vampire teeth and Chauncey got the bottle of garlic water to spray them.

[~SexyBookWorm~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the conflict between Ahm and Bryce. It felt real and authentic.
However, I don't like using the term "asexual" for a paranormal man who is able to get pregnant. I've seen it used it other books and I don't think it works.

[Georgine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just keeps getting better and better!

Just loved the story of Ahm and Bryce...the pregnancy and relation to Christian is a very nice touch.

[Mandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

What can I say? I love this series :)

[~♥ Elle ♥~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was predictable. It was fun reading about the Lakeland brothers though.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally loved the final part. The only but I put to Mrs. Hagen, is that she always leaves me wanting to read more XD