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A Tooth For a Fang

(Leader Murders #1)

Liv Olteano (Goodreads Author)

3.65 · Rating details · 570 ratings · 108 reviews

Three days. Three dead bodies. One newly turned, broken-hearted lycan tracker to figure out the connection.

The one summer Rick Barton takes a vacation, all hell breaks loose. Running from an abusive relationship leads him into the arms of hard-nosed lycan Travis Chandler, who gives him little choice but to become a lycan too and join the Paranormal Bureau of Investigation. ...more

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ebook, 216 pages

Published September 3rd 2014 by Dreamspinner Press

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Best M/M Fantasy Books of 2014 (high fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal and the other fantasy subgenres)

86 books — 271 voters

September 2014 MM Releases

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· 570 ratings · 108 reviews

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Start your review of A Tooth For a Fang (Leader Murders #1)

Aug 29, 2014 Rosa, really rated it really liked it

Shelves: alpha-male, shifter, mm-gay-fiction, uf-or-pnr, romance, a-reviewed, read-2014

Fine. I admit it. I read this book because of the title. And the cover. And because I've been reading Teen Wolf (Sterek) fanfiction lately and in my head the two main characters looked like Derek and Stiles. It's a sickness. But it worked out well for me as A Tooth for a Fang is an enjoyable read.

description

Take these dudes and add 15 or so years.

Rick has recently left his abusive boyfriend/boss and is taking a beach vacation before finding another job. Instead of getting a great tan, however, he gets bit ...more

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Nov 30, 2020 * A Reader Obsessed * rated it liked it

Shelves: 2020, crime-mystery-suspense, lgbt, mm-love, hurt-comfort, para-supernatural-uf, lawmen-investigators-firemen, shifters, mates

3.5 Different but the Same Stars

What this offers is an alternate universe with subtly different rules regarding classic tropes. This employs a new take on werewolf mates where there’s definitely a connection and compatibility that’s needed, but the bond is not necessarily set in stone. There’s a series of bites that needs to be received and given, and things can technically be severed.

This starts off with Rick, who is just out of a very abusive toxic relationship, and when he spots a handsome g ...more

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Sep 05, 2014 Lilia Ford rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle-lent, mm-paranormal, uber-alphas, review-posted-amazon, mm-shifters-weres-vampires, cops-fbi-lawmen

4.5
Excellent. This surprised me a lot, which honestly is hard for the shifter genre. First off, it's very well-written, and despite containing several popular "werewolf" features--ie. mating--is definitely a fresh take on a genre plagued by highly derivative, lazy books. The set up is fairly reminiscent of Men In Black, featuring an agency devoted to policing supernatural creatures, and a new recruit matched with an old hand. But the "mating" aspect of the partnership was far more than just a ca 4.5
Excellent. This surprised me a lot, which honestly is hard for the shifter genre. First off, it's very well-written, and despite containing several popular "werewolf" features--ie. mating--is definitely a fresh take on a genre plagued by highly derivative, lazy books. The set up is fairly reminiscent of Men In Black, featuring an agency devoted to policing supernatural creatures, and a new recruit matched with an old hand. But the "mating" aspect of the partnership was far more than just a catchy set-up, reverberating through the story on a number of different levels.

I was really impressed by the characterization here, especially the narrator, Rick. We learn early on that he has just managed to escape an abusive relationship that lasted for years. It's the kind of set-up that I generally find manipulative and/or generic, but for once I thought it got the treatment it deserved. Rick is not the usual "tragiboy" in need of rescue (most often by a Dom) that we so often see, but he does have profound trust issues and self-doubt that lurk behind his clever banter and scalding chemistry with Travis. He rises remarkably quickly to the challenges of his new job and his sudden immersion in the paranormal world, but he's haunted (quietly) by his doubts over why he didn't leave his ex-lover sooner, doubts over his masculinity that he didn't defend himself better, and whether he can be in a relationship with someone who has claimed such absolute power over him without his consent--as Travis has--even if that person seems decent. Moreover, his experience with abuse is not simply a hurdle he must get over on the way to a relationship; it also gives him vital insight and sympathy into what it means to be in someone else's power, and even becomes key to his success as an investigator.

As I suggested, I found these aspects all the more resonant for never being overplayed. There's a part of me (the psycho part) that usually wishes these stories pushed harder on the domination; I think what Olteano did was far deeper and richer, and luckily the relationship between Travis and Rick was genuinely hot while also being complex and conflicted. I very much hope this is the beginning of a new series. Olteano is a terrific writer and I can't wait to read more of her stuff.

Bottom line; very highly recommend.

...more

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Aug 27, 2014 Ami rated it really liked it

Shelves: new-to-me-authors-2014, mm-mystery-suspense-thriller, mm-shifters, new-to-me-mm-authors-2014, arc-books

I decided to go for this book for two reasons. One , it’s a shifter story. Yep, despite the fact that I usually have issues with how M/M handles shifter (and mating) stories, I am simply like a moth to a flame whenever I see a summary for a shifter book. Plus the summary of this book promises DEAD BODIES (yes, I am also a huge mystery fan, especially serial murders). Second , uhm, the reason might be silly, okay … but the two guys on the cover look like adult Stiles and Derek (from the TV I decided to go for this book for two reasons. One , it’s a shifter story. Yep, despite the fact that I usually have issues with how M/M handles shifter (and mating) stories, I am simply like a moth to a flame whenever I see a summary for a shifter book. Plus the summary of this book promises DEAD BODIES (yes, I am also a huge mystery fan, especially serial murders). Second , uhm, the reason might be silly, okay … but the two guys on the cover look like adult Stiles and Derek (from the TV series Teen Wolf). While I don’t watch that series at all, I see photos and I’ve read a few fan-fictions. So yeah, those reasons, haha!

Did I enjoy this book, by the way?

Yes, I did. I thought the strength of this book came from the first narrator, Rick Barton. Despite coming out of an abusive relationship, he didn’t felt like a victim to me. I mean, he wasn’t doused in self-pity and angst … even later on, he showed that he wasn’t unaffected by it. Plus with all the sudden changes in his life, being roped into the Paranormal Bureau of Investigation (PBI) with minimum training, and dealing with serial killers, Rick was still able to work through it. The banter between he and Travis felt good and enjoyable.

I was also quite intrigued with secondary characters, like the doctor Tail, and it was fun to have a real TROLL in an urban fantasy book (haha!). Travis came to me at first as an ass – but at the same time he was (borrowing a friend’s term) a touchy-feely kind of ass, and Travis actually amused me with his “I don’t give a sh*t about what people think of me” brash attitude.

The mystery itself was decent – and I would like to applaud the author for being able to present complex motivation that drove the villain. It wasn’t simply black and white; in fact, I was quite sympathetic with the villain. It was a refreshing take for a murder-mystery fan like myself.

I did have issues with a few things. The way Rick was brought into PBI, the way that Travis just bit him like so and then gave Rick only two options: “join me as lycan or live forever in discomfort due to the lycan virus” screamed non-consensual. Travis’ power with his ‘Alpha Voice’ that could simply made Rick do ANYTHING also prone to power-abuse. It made me feel uneasy. Then the whole issue about the motive behind the villain’s action – it wasn’t properly addressed. I can’t say anything more because it would become a spoiler, but let’s just say that I was disappointed with how THAT issue was handled.

However, despite my personal issues, I still thought this book was entertaining. Heck, I even tolerated Travis calling Rick pet names (including my hated word ‘baby’) because it was said in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way, to make Rick annoyed. Bottom line, it was fun to read. I checked the author’s website and this book was listed as the first in a series called “Leaders Murder”. I assume there will be more to this world coming from this author and I would gladly read the sequel.

...more

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Aug 31, 2014 ❧A Bookish Berkeley Girl❧ added it

I stopped at 75%.

Sweet, Cute and Funny yet, Something was missing?

and, I found what was missing was me.

I really was not in the mood for cute and Funny Today.

So, me and the book did not work out.

What were my niggles.....

The Execution, was a fail for me, I did not like it..."mate or die" and it was not just the idea of that , it was the way it was written, their first encounter. It just started me off wrong in this book. This made for no warm and fuzzy feels for these guys.

The descriptive wr ...more

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Sep 01, 2014 Sandra rated it really liked it

Shelves: hearts-on-fire-reviews, shifter-stuff, m-m, urban-fantasy, paranormal-romance, humorous

3.5 stars I read almost exclusively M/M these days, although for a while I was on a huge Urban Fantasy kick. So you can imagine my excitement when I saw this and thought, "Oooooh! Gay Dresden Files!?!?" Well, not exactly. This dose have a UF feel to it, but with the strong focus on the relationship and mating, it is decidedly more Paranormal Romance. That's not a bad thing per se. It just is.

I don't have a ton of specific 'likes' to list off, I just enjoyed it. It's well written, the dialogue is 3.5 stars I read almost exclusively M/M these days, although for a while I was on a huge Urban Fantasy kick. So you can imagine my excitement when I saw this and thought, "Oooooh! Gay Dresden Files!?!?" Well, not exactly. This dose have a UF feel to it, but with the strong focus on the relationship and mating, it is decidedly more Paranormal Romance. That's not a bad thing per se. It just is.

I don't have a ton of specific 'likes' to list off, I just enjoyed it. It's well written, the dialogue is natural, and I liked the interaction between the two MC's. There are good secondary characters across the board. The murder mystery plot was decent and intriguing, but they didn't focus wholly on that where we got bored with it.

Now for the easier part, criticisms. That sounds harsh, these are mostly little niggles that I noticed and feel the need to mention, for whatever reason. Now, I am not a cop. I have no cop friends or family members, but even I was a little bit insulted by the implication that just about anyone can up and be a detective. I know they didn't mean it like that, and they did clarify later on that they purposely did not ever turn actual cops because they tend to have split loyalties and feel conflicted about it. But really. He's an accountant or whatever one day, and a star detective the next. No problem.

Next was Rick and how he feels about his past. This seemed a little all over the place to me, changing depending on what best suited the particular scene or scenario. At first he seemed very casual and unaffected by it. Then it begins to be some huge issue in their relationship. It just seemed a little too... convenient, at times. For all his supposed trust issues, this whole mating bond with minimal choice really should have been more of a problem for him than it was. And although he was bitten, he never actually shifts! I feel a little cheated by this.

Lastly, the mystery gets somewhat resolved, and somewhat left open for the next book to continue on with the case. That's fine, I didn't feel cheated. But I think they should have had a better idea of the scenario behind the killings at least (view spoiler)

But I'm so onto the next book. I want a confrontation with Mitch. I want (view spoiler) to get his comeuppance, or at least address how shitty shit was. I want more Tail (view spoiler) I want to learn more about Timmy and have him not be a dick, maybe a friend to Rick, meet his mate. I want to see change in the council and the paranormal community (view spoiler) I think you get the idea, I want more! Next please. :)

Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, reviewed for Hearts On Fire ...more

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May 19, 2016 Jaime rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-star, alpha-book-club-reviews, male-male-romance, m-m-paranormal, level-3-heat, level-4-heat, m-m-shifters, m-m-mystery

4 "Balls Deep" Stars

This was a fun book with mystery, sexy shifters, an out of control mate, and two MC who are brought together under unusual circumstances. Our MC are Rick Barton - human and Travis Chandler - Lycan. Travis finds himself in need of a mate and partner so what does he do, he makes one - as he forces the change from human to lycanthropy on to his new mate Rick. Rick isn't really sure what to make of this man who has taken him to a strange place, introduced him to strange people/an 4 "Balls Deep" Stars

This was a fun book with mystery, sexy shifters, an out of control mate, and two MC who are brought together under unusual circumstances. Our MC are Rick Barton - human and Travis Chandler - Lycan. Travis finds himself in need of a mate and partner so what does he do, he makes one - as he forces the change from human to lycanthropy on to his new mate Rick. Rick isn't really sure what to make of this man who has taken him to a strange place, introduced him to strange people/animals and then basically told him that his life will never be the same he either takes the next bite to become a lycan or he goes crazy. With odds like that it is no wonder that Rick takes the next bite and transitions into a lycan, where he is identified as a unique Lycan with unique abilities - all of which help his new partner Travis.

The Chemistry between these two fluctuates throughout the book and Rick goes from wanting to murder Travis to wanting to hold him down and have his way with him. Rick isn't quite sure what to make of the other people he has been introduced to, some of them he likes immediately and others he is leary of - choosing to only interact with them if need be. As leaders of the paranormal community continue to be murdered in strange ways, Ricks new ability (even though he is a baby lycan) proves to be very helpful in tracking and identifying who could be behind the murders. Will it be enough though or will the forces work against Rick and Travis - and more leaders lose their lives?

Beyond dealing with murders and some very hormonal paranormal beings, Rick has to deal with taking care of and satisfying his new found mate. He wonders how his life changed so drastically and then he remembers, he was bitten. Now he has to wonder will he get the third bite and be released from Travis's hold on him and if so, does he want it or is he happy being mated to the cranky and slightly unstable Lycan? Check this book out for lots of fun, a great mystery, and some interesting characters that you are sure to fall in love with! 4 Stars -

❥❥**´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•`*Review Copy provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Jaime from Alpha Book Club
description

...more

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Nov 07, 2016 DaisyGirl rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-pnr, m-m, genre-romance, i-own, pissed-me-off, non-con-dub-con, ugh-stupid, dishonorable-unethical, loaned

1.5 (1.0) Star(s)

Sheesh I had trouble with this one. First the positive: I read this through cover to cover so it had me turning the pages. Now for my gripes:

- Poor world building. No unauthorized persons were supposed to know about being lycan (or other paranormals) but everyone knew about the Paranormal Bureau of Investigations (PBI)? The (human) police helped the PBI but didn't know about them? A number of inconsistencies hindered my ability to grasp exactly how this world worked.

- A F*cktard

1.5 (1.0) Star(s)

Sheesh I had trouble with this one. First the positive: I read this through cover to cover so it had me turning the pages. Now for my gripes:

- Poor world building. No unauthorized persons were supposed to know about being lycan (or other paranormals) but everyone knew about the Paranormal Bureau of Investigations (PBI)? The (human) police helped the PBI but didn't know about them? A number of inconsistencies hindered my ability to grasp exactly how this world worked.

- A F*cktarded Paranormal World. This world was built upon alphas and submissives. Okay, cool right? I love PNR! Well, what’s not so cool is that alphas chose their submissives and bit them (without their consent). Then these bite victims were given a “choice” to receive a second bite (and become the same paranormal type of being as the alpha (lycan, werewolf, etc.)) and a submissive OR die a slow and painful death. Hmmm, not much of a choice at all IMO. After the second bite, the alpha can control the submissive using the ‘alpha voice.’ There are no rules or expectations placed on alphas and some submissives are abused. Uh-huh, yeah. The submissive can eventually be set free by being given a third bite but it is in the alpha’s sole discretion whether to give that third and final bite. Fun times! NOT!

-Herman and Amanda Weiss
(view spoiler)

-Travis Chandler and Rick Barton
The happy-go-lucky MCs I’m supposed to swoon over giddily embraced their unequal power dynamic and thought that since Travis didn’t “make” Rick do anything too bad, it was all good. Well, I didn't buy it. Rick just got out of an abusive relationship. As an abuse survivor, the power dynamic in this world would make my skin crawl. Rick’s acceptance of Travis and embrace of this paranormal world rang false and left me feeling incredulous.

Bottom line: Not for me. (Not even a little bit.) ...more

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Aug 30, 2014 Nikyta rated it it was amazing

Shelves: broken-to-bits, dreamspinner-press, contemporary-fantasy, the-blogger-girls, m-m, wolf-shifters, published-on-amazon, deception-betrayal-lies-omissions, in-sickness-and-in-health, mates

This review can be found at The Blogger Girls review site.

4.5 stars

Rick Barton’s got nothing left to live for; no partner, no job and no home so he’s spending his summer on vacation. At least that is until a gorgeous sun god captures his attention and bites him. Now left with a choice, Rick can either live a life in pain or be turned into a lycan by Travis and work for a secret paranormal agency. Feeling there’s no other choice, Rick lets Travis bite him, thinking he’s prepared for his new life This review can be found at The Blogger Girls review site.

4.5 stars

Rick Barton’s got nothing left to live for; no partner, no job and no home so he’s spending his summer on vacation. At least that is until a gorgeous sun god captures his attention and bites him. Now left with a choice, Rick can either live a life in pain or be turned into a lycan by Travis and work for a secret paranormal agency. Feeling there’s no other choice, Rick lets Travis bite him, thinking he’s prepared for his new life as a lycan. Unfortunately, Rick soon finds out that Travis didn’t exactly tell him everything and now he’s neck deep in an investigation trying to find a paranormal being mutilating others. But that’s not all, with Rick’s new transformation and being Travis’ partner, comes with more than just a super sniffer but a strong compulsion to mate Travis even though he may not be ready for it. Will these two be able to catch a killer and settle into their new found relationship or will everything end before it even begins?

Holy shitzle! This was one of the best books I’ve read in a few weeks! I’ll be honest and admit I didn’t really read the blurb before I started it. I knew it was paranormal and I knew it involved a secret paranormal agency (which I’m a sucker for) and I was sold on reading it. And boy am I glad I did! Once I started it, I was instantly drawn into the story and taken on a wild ride filled with humor and a good mystery. I loved Rick as a character who was a mix of confident, shy and snarky. With his tracker skills, I loved the way he was so curious about how things smelled but I also loved that he had a great sense of humor. There were a lot of times throughout the book that I cracked up over something either Rick or Travis said or even on just the way Rick would describe something he saw or how he compared things together.

As for Travis, he’s going to be a love him or hate him type of character. I, personally, LOVED him because he was so unlikable at times but sweet at others. He pissed a lot of people off because of his “I don’t give a shit” attitude but that’s what was so appealing about him. He held nothing back when it came to ANYTHING, except for Rick and pushing him into doing something he didn’t want to. Another reason I loved Travis was because of how gentle and caring he was towards Rick. As Rick’s alpha, he could have easily forced Rick to conform to Travis’ expectations but instead, he let Rick set the pace, he let Rick decide when things would stop or move forward. Travis might have been the alpha but Rick had all the control. Travis, though, was also insecure over certain stuff such as relationships and keeping his partners. If a partner wanted out, Travis would let them go even if it killed him. He’s sorta sad but I loved how possessive he was of Rick and I especially loved how intense the emotions were between them but also the chemistry they stirred up. They were SOO HOT together!

I ADORED this book but I did have a few issues. Mainly, the author had a habit of having characters ‘clack’ or ‘smack’ their lips and it grew a tad annoying and repetitive to read about. Personally, I couldn’t really understand why characters were doing that during certain conversations and the only reason I noticed is because the words weren’t exactly something used in other situations. Plus they were used in too close of a proximity to the other times and in the exact same short sentences “he/she smacked/clacked his/her lips.” Other than that, I really wish we could have actually known exactly who committed the murders, how and why they did instead of just the mastermind behind it. For example why would someone have killed the first victim especially since she was barely an adult?

Overall, this was still a fabulous novel in an intriguing new world. I was drawn right into the story and loved the characters, pacing and overall mystery of the plot. Not to mention Rick and Travis had such great chemistry that I loved seeing them banter and tease each other. I’m soooo glad this is the first in a series because I just CANNOT WAIT for the sequel! ...more

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Jun 06, 2015 Tam rated it really liked it

Shelves: m-m, police-crime-mysteries, vampires, canine-shifters

A bit of a mixed bag with a bit of everything in the paranormal. Chandler kind of runs over Rick, turns him without his permission, more or less tricks him into mating and yet I found Rick had a good head on his shoulder and a fair bit of spunk and could put up with Chandler's rather frenetic life. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I'd definitely pick up the next one. ...more

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Jan 21, 2016 Jo * Smut-Dickted * rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m-romance, read-on-kindle, paranormal-romance

More edgy then I thought it would be. It does go very fast - and sacrifices some character and plot development for it. There was a bit of whiplash at times with how fast things were going. The mystery was great - loved the different powers. Very invested in continuing the series!

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May 12, 2015 JR rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: humans and shifters

Shelves: favorites, romance, shifter, ptsd, leo, mystery, action-adventure, vampire, werewolf

Rick Barton has escaped an abusive relationship that has left him suffering from PTSD. Enjoying the beach and his vacation, he is drawn to a handsome man in the water. Suddenly, Rick isn't himself anymore, but a newly turned lycan. He has Travis Chandler to thank for his new existence, the mysterious man in the water. From here on out, it is down the rabbit hole for Rick and the reader, as he discovers the new world of the Paranormal Bureau of Investigation. There's no time to adjust as Rick is ...more

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Aug 30, 2014 Riina Y.T. rated it liked it

Shelves: paranormal, crime-y, mystery-and-crime, shapeshifter

3 or 4 ✮ ? –––– I'm undecided. I sort of loved/hated it ;)

Not seriously hated, no, it was enjoyable! I just wished some things were different...

I loved Travis – he's a cocky bastard and so full of himself, but he's also endearingly sweet. Yep, I'd love to see him again.

Sadly I didn't warm up to Rick .. not fully, no *sniff* Sometimes there is just a certain type of character / voice I am unable to warm up to :(

Their banter was mostly fun, but just a tad over the top from time to time. I could ...more

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Sep 18, 2014 Jacq ~ rated it it was ok

I wanted as real as possible this was "Straight Up Comedy....If you want just laughs and giggles this is your read. Just not for me.

All the possibilities...

...more

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Aug 27, 2014 Neko rated it it was amazing

Shelves: dreamspinner-press, shapeshifters, werewolves

HAHAHA YES!
I totally loved it.

Sequel??? SEQUEL?!?!?!?!
Because I seriously need more. Like NOW. NOW NOW. RIGHT NOW. ♥

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Sep 03, 2014 Dena rated it really liked it

Shelves: m-m, shifters

very good! recommend and would love more books with this couple/world.

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May 24, 2015 Erica rated it really liked it

I kept feeling like I shouldn't be enjoying this as much as I was. I suppose that's the definition of a guilty pleasure. ...more

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Jun 27, 2015 MostlyDelores marked it as did-not-finish

Shelves: urban-fantasy, m-m-romance, did-not-like

DNF at 13%

The tone is abrupt and juvenile, and the dialogue is just bad.

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May 15, 2016 Elaine White rated it it was amazing

Shelves: divine-magazine

Book – A Tooth For A Fang (Leader Murders #1)
Author – Liv Olteano
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 216

Cover – Moody and Gorgeous!
POV – 1st person, one character POV
Would I read it again – Yes

Genre – LGBT, Paranormal, Crime, Romance

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK, BY THE AUTHOR, IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine

*Trigger warnings: the story deals with off-page domestic abuse of all forms, as well as mental abilities that could be, and are, compared to the control exercised dur ...more

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May 28, 2018 Claudia marked it as not-for-me

Shelves: first-in-series, m-m, shapeshifters, lgbt, mystery, paranormal, dnf

I tried reading it but the writing and how the characters are described is just not for me

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Sep 07, 2015 O'Lynch rated it liked it

Shelves: shifter

This book was full of great snark. I wanted to love it so much! For the most part I did, but a few things bothered me. I'll go ahead and list those below, but I will say that I don't regret buying this book. There's no cliffhanger.

Issue 1: What the heck does 'clacking lips' mean? I've never heard/seen/done this before, yet it was mentioned several times. Along with smacking lips. and none of this occurred while eating. It sounds like a dumb thing to have an issue with, but it was mentioned A LO ...more

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Aug 24, 2014 jules0623 rated it it was ok

Shelves: genre-thriller-mystery-crime, misogyny, relationship-m-m, rape-assault-dub-con, abuse, genre-paranormal-magic-fantasy, asshole-mc, bullying-intimidation-stalking

Interesting look at the non-consensual aspect of turning but it did make the romantic aspect of this story hard to take. I am thinking this might be the first of a series so there would have been time to turn the non-con aspect of the MCs relationship into a friendship which could then move to something romantic later rather than rushing that aspect here (which made it a very uncomfortable read as the relationship was very one-sided).

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Aug 28, 2014 Ericka Walden rated it liked it

I couldn't help but feel as though I was continually "MISSING" something. ..a back story. ..a hidden meaning. .. just something. I never really warmed up to either M/C's. Didn't hate em, didn't really like em. Both had issues, both still have issues. .. I guess the issues are being dealt with? ? I'm guessing again that this is a HEA?? Or HFN?? Can I expect another book to follow this? ? ...more

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Sep 09, 2014 Duck rated it liked it

Shelves: meh-i-did-not-care-much, hfn, paranormal, shifters-mates, abuse-physical-mental, quick-and-painless, low-angst

I might be the minority with this one, but I didn't love it. The world building was interesting. The relationship sort of took a backseat to the storyline. I kept waiting for more but then the story ended and that was that. It wasn't bad, but I wanted more relationship and interaction between MCs. ...more

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May 12, 2015 K rated it liked it

Shelves: shifters

3.5 stars
Urban fantasy crime story about a non consentially turned lycan and his mate becoming law paranormal enforcement agents on the track of a serial killer. some interesting ideas and quirky characters but it lacked develolment in the main plot

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Sep 20, 2014 Colette rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, m-m, romance, mystery, police-detective, shifters

Fun fun read, I hope there will be more from the PBI

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Aug 28, 2015 Mimi rated it liked it

Shelves: mm-fantasy, mm-abuse, mm-supernatural-fantasy, mm-shapeshifters, mm-mystery, mm-paranormal-romance

3.5 stars Nice plot, easy to follow. Will have you laughing in some places. Overall I liked this book. Going to read the second book in a couple of days.

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Aug 24, 2017 Danielle Gypsy Soul rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, m-m, mystery, paranormal, glbt, shapeshifter, action-adventure

3.5 Stars. This was an interesting book and an interesting world. I really liked Rick's character and normally I have a hard time with characters that have been in abusive relationships - it just isn't something I personally like to read and there is usually a bit of self-pity and a lot of angst but it was surprisingly absent in this book which I really liked. Rick never comes across as a victim to me yet he still has things he has to deal with in regards to his abusive ex. He's thrown into so m ...more

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Sep 25, 2014 ItsAboutTheBook added it

Shelves: faye

Review can be read at It's About The Book

Rick Barton is newly single and jobless. His abusive boyfriend, who is also his former boss, is no longer in his life. It’s a positive yet scary change, so Rick treats himself to the first vacation he’s had in years. While lounging around on a beach Rick spots an incredibly sexy man. They have a brief and sexy interlude in the water that ends in a rather painful bite. Later that day Rick becomes sick. Rick manages to end up in the hospital. The sexy b Review can be read at It's About The Book

Rick Barton is newly single and jobless. His abusive boyfriend, who is also his former boss, is no longer in his life. It’s a positive yet scary change, so Rick treats himself to the first vacation he’s had in years. While lounging around on a beach Rick spots an incredibly sexy man. They have a brief and sexy interlude in the water that ends in a rather painful bite. Later that day Rick becomes sick. Rick manages to end up in the hospital. The sexy biter shows up for a visit. As it turns out the sexy biter is named Travis Chandler, and the bite was a job offer. Unfortunately, it was an offer Rick can’t really refuse. Rick can “heal” himself by becoming a full lycan and coming to work for the Paranormal Bureau of Investigations, or he can remain in limbo, nauseated, in pain, and jobless. Technically, Rick did fill out a job application for something and he doesn’t want to be miserable and jobless, so he chooses the second bite. On top of that non-choice, Rick also learns Travis will be Rick’s Alpha and work partner. And because of his hormones being all out of whack from being recently turned, Rick will experience an intense sexual attraction to Travis. Yay. Good times. Rick is now a detective and is getting a crash course in paranormal politics and behavior from his Dr while still in a hospital bed. Unfortunately, Rick doesn’t have time to lay about. He’s got training to start and a murder to solve. That’s bad enough, but he also really wants to have sex with Travis on top of it. Thanks a lot, hormones.

Travis is Rick’s new partner, but his boss is Herman Weiss, the only legal werewolf pack leader. One of Weiss’ first comments concerns his wife and her ferociousness. Rick has no desire to meet the woman. Wolf. Whatever. Rick doesn’t want to meet her as Weiss is damn terrifying, and Rick doesn’t want to contemplate how scary his wife would have to be to scare Weiss. So, when Rick’s trainer gets killed in an elevator by Weiss’ wife he agrees to mate with Travis so Travis can be his trainer instead of Amanda Weiss. Training consists of going to work and investigating a murder. A dead werewolf woman. Rick and Travis don’t really have a lot of evidence, but what they do learn was the young woman was a potential alpha. After seeing a dead body and interviewing the victim’s mother, Rick gets to see where he’s going to live now. As it turns out, it’s right next door to Travis. Rick and Travis do get some sexy time together, but it’s very evident the men want different things for their relationship. Rick does not want to fall in love again. He’s working on getting over his abusive ex. He doesn’t need another domineering man in his life. Rick and Travis are awoken with news of another murder. It’s similar, but this victim is an older male Vampire head of his household. Rick again has to sniff for clues. When they go to inform the family of their leader’s death Rick is a bit shocked to find none of them seem too sad about it. Rick is able to pick up a scent there. It’s an important clue. Rick and Travis’ case begins to coalesce as their romantic attachment begins to heat up. That’s when there’s a third victim. It’s also when the evidence begins to point in a really ugly direction that puts Rick and Travis between a rock and a hard place.

In terms of concept and commentary this was absolutely one of the best books I’ve read in 2014. I love a good book with Alpha male characters as much as the next person, but sometimes I just have to face the fact that Alpha males can be creepy. Travis staked his claim on Rick and coerced Rick into a relationship, Travis used derogatory nicknames that eventually became a charming inside joke, Travis ordered Rick into sexual acts that were unwanted despite being enjoyable. Travis was a total sleazeball and a classic Alpha male character. The juxtaposition of the storylines of dubious consent or no consent to being turned into a paranormal creature, and Travis forcing a romantic relationship upon Rick was one of the most brilliant comments I’ve read on the Alpha male character. Ever. Rick’s life went from the fire to the frying pan. His ex, Mitch, was physically abusive. Rick didn’t consent to being beaten. But Rick also didn’t really consent to the things Travis did. Not saying no isn’t the same as saying yes. Alpha males take what they want, and at times I find that incredibly sexy. I am very thankful for the reminder that it’s also an example of taking without consent.

In terms of execution I felt this book was not that impressive. I didn’t need to be told about the obvious parallels between Mitch and Travis. The concept an office worker can become a detective with no training because instinct would take over was something I felt was poor world building. I really, really don’t understand how lips can clack. No, I won’t admit to trying to see if it were somehow possible, and I certainly didn’t try it repeatedly. I didn’t see a reason for Travis’ transformation from a sleazy Alpha to a caring and loving romantic partner. Travis always cared about and wanted Rick for himself, but I felt unable to reconcile the differences between the guy at the hospital at the beginning with the guy on his knees at the end. In short, I have really mixed feelings about this book. And now I’m actually going to highly recommend a book I felt was poorly executed. Really. ...more

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Apr 12, 2017 Ng rated it liked it

Shelves: 2017-2018-uc

3.5 stars

This book has so many nice things going for it.
- A serious mystery
-MCs who keep you entertained
-A lot of yummy, hot foreplay/romance without constant sex
-A very different take at paranormal society
-A villain whom you actually feel bad for

A single con:
-Slight non-con act at the beginning

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About Liv Olteano

Liv Olteano

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Voracious reader, music lover, and coffee addict extraordinaire. And occasional geek. Okay, more than occasional.

Lover of diversity and quirky character, spamificating the world via https://twitter.com/LiviaOlteano and https://www.facebook.com/LiviaOlteano .
Be afraid, be very afraid. :D ...more