Stripping His Armor

Shift & Seek #1

by Mia West

He wants to control the map…
...but his ex marks the spot.

Dolphin shifter and treasure hunter Vince Ito just got his dream find King Arthur’s sword.

Unfortunately, he also got his mission partner, the one man he ever let past his defenses, only to get wrecked.

Now he has to see the guy every day. Travel with him over his home turf of northern Scotland.

Well, no way is he going to eat with him too. Or share a room with him.

Or crack open the whisky that led to his first intoxicating taste of command.

+

Hawk shifter and adventure photographer Lachlan McAlistair remembers exactly how it all went down.

And he’ll be damned if he’ll give Vince that kind of power over him again.

Any realist knows there’s no sword to be found. So Lach will play along and collect his check.

No unnecessary time alone with Vince. No chatting, no joking, no reminiscing.

And definitely no admitting he’s developed a craving for Vince’s brand of discipline.


Stripping His Armor is the 1st novel in the new Shift & Seek m/m shifter series.

Set your coordinates for a disoriented control freak, a Scot who knows just how to push his buttons, some damn fine whisky, and two guys secretly hoping for a second chance.

Tropes!: second chances, opposites attract, forced proximity, fake relationship

Content This story involves depictions/descriptions of a consensual D/s dynamic, alcohol production & consumption, firearms & hunting, murder, and attempted murder.

SHIFT & SEEK Series
When he’s a treasure-hunting shifter, there’s nowhere to hide.
1. STRIPPING HIS ARMOR
2. EXPOSING HIS SECRET
3. CLAIMING HIS PRIZE

SHIFT & SEEK is a follow-up series to GRIZZLY RIM and ROGUE RESCUE!

Genres: Paranormal, Shapeshifters, M M Romance, Fantasy, Romance, LGBT, Queer

203 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 3, 2020

About the author

Epic romance, two heroes at a time! My story universe features warriors and blacksmiths, rescue swimmers and hockey players, treasure hunters and time travelers, and quite a few shifters. My favorite kind of hero: a grumpy f*cker who’ll do anything for the man he loves.

Read my entire universe free on AO3!

Novel-length ebooks are free on wide vendors.

Happy reading :)

~ Mia

Reviews

[Teal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this would be where my persistence in reading the author’s work finally paid off.

Something about Mia West’s writing clicks for me. She has (almost) all the tools, from intriguing premises to convincing characterization to a fluid writing style that’s easy to read without ever being simplistic. Yet everything of hers I’d read before fell short in one particular way: the plot/execution never lived up to the premise. Specifically, not much ever happened over the course of a story, despite how action-packed the blurb sounded.

It was through being disappointed repeatedly by her books that I finally understood what a developmental editor could/should do. And I fervently wished she’d hire one, because there’s always so much potential in her setups.

When I started this, her most recent release, I had a feeling that this would be the time she brought it all together and finally made the magic happen. Even when it was revealed early on that the second-chance romance here involved BDSM, I told myself to hang in there, that it wouldn’t be a problem for me if the rest of the story was as good as it looked like it was going to be. (Turns out I was wrong: I’d rather have a poke in the eye with a sharp stick than ever have to read another D/s sex scene.)

Alas… the magic did not happen. Not much of anything happened for more than half the book, other than relationship stuff. Which would have been fine, if this had been just a contemporary romance. But the blurb promised shifters and a search for King Arthur’s sword, so I was perhaps not unreasonably expecting some action outside of the bedroom.

But when things finally did kick into gear, I ended up wishing the guys had just stayed in bed.

There was simply too much stupid. I could not believe in the Bad Guy. Okay, the spoilers that follow are going to be super-spoilery, so don't peek if you intend to read the book. The Bad Guy got turned EVILLLLLLL by spending too much time in The Chamber of Doom? And he killed -- well, if you've read the book, you know who. And he was planning to kill -- you know who too. (Apparently even behind spoiler tags I can't let myself get too spoilery lol.) But I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. It was a major characterization fail. He'd have to be a sociopath to do that, and if he was a sociopath, someone around him would have at least had an inkling -- especially the you-know-who who'd known him all his life. Sorry, but it didn't work, and I didn't buy it.

Oh, and the Assistant Bad Guy is suddenly back to being everyone's friend at the end of the book? WTF? How did that happen??? And speaking of WTF, whatever happened to the Bad Guy himself? You can't hold that type of shifter captive, so it's not like he was carted off to jail, tried for his crimes, and imprisoned. Why is there no follow-up? Why is there no explanation? Why are all these things left hanging? Why is there no closure? Why why why why why okay you get my drift.

(And in case you're wondering, the next book in the series deals with a different couple and a different situation, and these are NOT plot threads that would be useful for a segue into the next installment. They're just... loose ends that should not have been left loose.)

I have more questions, but they'd have to be hidden behind spoiler tags too, and it's not like I'm going to get any answers. Ugh. I might -- might -- maybe -- finally give up on this author after this. Can I learn from my experiences? We shall see. At any rate, this started out looking like a 4-star read, but that last third of the story, when they got out of bed and started doing stuff, drove it right into the ground. So 2 stars it is.

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're like me and see how the blurb promises a dolphin shapeshifter searching for Arthurian relics and decide you must try this, don't. Neither of those things gets much page time or details. It's basically just a second-chance romance about two not-that-memorable characters who broke up for Reasons and are now working together, the spark is still there blah blah.

As a romance it was adequate, which is why I give it 3 stars. I didn't find the characters particularly striking or feel emotionally invested in the outcome, but I did think their personalities worked both in terms of how they were attracted to each other and why they broke up initially. The writing was decent.

The actual plot, from set-up to investigation to mystery to dramatic finale was extremely underdeveloped and didn't make a ton of sense. It didn't matter that Lach was a photographer. It only minimally featured into the plot that the characters could turn into various animals. For adventurous treasure hunters they were pretty inert about hunting. Sten's character went whichever way fit the needs of the moment. What's up with the rich benefactor Cross, is he senile? Why the hell did MAJOR Hamish decide to blow up the distillery and kill his son and some other people? Just because he found his son disappointing? Hamish owed everything legally, he had no need to do anything to anyone. This made to sense in terms of motivation.

1 star for plot and 3 stars for romance, eh, mathematically and for my personal taste 2 stars, but I bumped it up since I think it's intended for romance readers. I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. If you want a mysterious book about odd people searching for King Arthur's sword try The Camelot Shadow -- no dolphins, no spanking fetish.

[Rhosyo MT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely!❤️

My favorite part, by far, was how the Sons of Britain series made its appearance here :).

Finally we have dragons!!!! I have A THEORY ABOUT THOSE and I need to read Uthyr's story right now to make sure I'm right about it!

Very enjoyable and fun to read 😊

[Elizabeth Hillebrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet story!!!

I have only red the son of britain's series by this author before, and this was amazing. It had everything in it to tell a wonderful heartfelt story.
The love I could feel coming off the pages was just everything!!

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3 stars

This story features a lot of tropes. In this book you will find:

A dolphin shifter and a hawk shifter with actual on page shifting in chapter one
Treasure hunters
Second chance romance
Fake relationship
Scenic Scotland
Men in kilts
Whiskey
Sharing a room
Submissive tendencies
Chemistry and spanking
Yet despite all of these tropes, the book did not feel like it relied on them too heavily in the beginning and it started out fun.

Vince and Lachlan had a thing a few years ago for six months and it ended badly. They still see each other at work sometimes, but have never cleared the air and still both clearly want the other. They are not outwardly thrilled about working together. We get caught up a little bit on their past, but I would have definitely liked more time with the two of them as that was the best part of the story for me.

Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.

[Ed Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was really good. I’m sorry that I haven’t read the first book with Lachlan, Vince and Sten. This was very exciting although I have to admit I wasn’t surprised by what happened towards the end. I don’t want to spoil anyone’s reading so I’ll just say this is an excellent enemies to lovers book.

[Blandrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dolphin and a hawk shifter, chasing artefacts from King Arthur, under a whiskey distillery in the Orkneys.

Yes.

[Patricia Hoffstaetter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this entertaining MM shifter romance. The world-building is splendidly well-done. The plot is engaging & interesting with well-developed, likeable characters that are endearing & perfectly flawed with good chemistry between them. There is some good support from the secondary characters. The plot is well-written with some intrigue & realistic emotional struggles.
There is: Two male shifters (a dolphin shifter & treasure hunter, Vince) & (a hawk shifter & photographer, Lachlan) have a past history with each other & having to work together is causing their attractions to flare again, various kinds of shifters, intrigue, suspense, secrets, adventure, action, twists & turns, legends, artifacts, unease, danger, threats, explosions, distrust, deceit, betrayal, complications, unexpected help, contentment, some steam & a wonderful satisfying conclusion.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/19/2023)! 🎁

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and have already downloaded the next two books in the series. In this book, dolphin shifter Vince and his former lover and coworker Lachlan, a hawk shifter, accept a lucrative job to seek out Excalibur, Arthur's legendary lost sword. The journey leads them to Lachlan's family home and business, a successful distillery. Lachlan's father wants to demolish the older section of the distillery while Lachlan would like it preserved for historical purposes and to function again as part of the larger business.

As Vince and Arthur spend time together, their attraction for each other heats up again. As they dig into the mystery, danger and intrigue rise up. The land itself reveals secrets. Will this lead to the discovery of the ancient sword or will the hurdles be too big?

I wasn't really a big fan of shifter romances, but this author has opened me up to enjoying shifter characters much more than before. The book stands alone with an HEA for the MCs and a cliffhanger for the overall mystery. I'm really glad that I read the Sons of Britain series before because there is a great tie-in. I look forward to reading Bk 2 in the series!

[C.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

You had me with Arthurian! Great adventure. Excellent thread with other series. Vince, Dolphin shifter usually led missions seeking hidden treasures. Lach, photographer contracted to work on teams. Sten, wolf shifter led this new mission, was an ex of Lach's and an Arthurian enthusiast along with Vince. They each brought their individual talents and insights into the task. Can they get along considering the fractured romantic entanglements? Hamish is Lach's Dad and a little forceful and dismissive of Lach's gifts. He also doesn't believe in Lach's dedication to the older original distilleries. Hamish turns out not to be exactly who he presents. There are more complexities in the mission. Vince and Lack work through trust issues and faith issues. Where is Hamish? Great story. Excellent beginning. Nicely done. Ms West, did an excellent job drawing the characters and a sustaining theme. I received an ARC from Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. Nice cover art!

[Emily Pennington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a lover of shapeshifter stories, and reading that this book would have both a treasure hunting dolphin and a photographer hawk hired to look for King Arthur’s lost sword, I was all set for adventure. Instead, I was unexpectedly thrown into a BDSM dominance thing that is not something I will read. The focus of the book is on the past relationship of Vince and Lachlan that lasted for six months before ending badly . They never worked things out but apparently both would be willing for the relationship to flare back up. Lachlan just wants to collect a paycheck and clearly believes the sword does not even exist. And the tension between them is palpable.

This book was not a comfortable read for me, and I didn’t particularly like the characters for various reasons. The biggest disconnect for me was that it did not meet my expectations and there was nothing to draw me into the story.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging story with well developed, likeable characters and a storyline that is intriguing with some truly unexpected twists, danger, adventure, action, hard truths, secrets, mystery, and more.
Vince and Lachlan have a history but neither has gotten over the other and now, working so closely together, the tension is palpable. Their connection is undeniable but they have issues to work through and danger to survive before they accept the genuine love they have for each other - mixed in with some pretty steamy sexy times - and settle in for a heartwarming HEA.
I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next book in this series. I would definitely recommend it.

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

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, let me say that I say that I will choose a Mia West book without reading the cover because I know I will enjoy it no matter what the story line is. Lachlan, Vince and Sten head to Lachlan's family home in search of Arthur's sword. It's there, they just know it. Lachlan is a brave man to head to his estranged father much less with 2 ex-lovers. The pull between Vince and Lachlan is strong and he craves Vince's discipline, but they butt heads too often to make it work, right? There are twists and turns in this tale of shifters.

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

[Jennifer Soppe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely second chance romantic suspense read

Vincent, a mission team lead, has a rocky past with Lachlan, a freelance photographer, and is dreading their next mission to find an iconic Arthurian artifact. As the story progresses their past bleeds into the present, not all obstacles are physical, and finding the artifact may not be the treasure they gain. Mia West’s Stripping His Armor is a lovely second chance romantic suspense read with loveable and not so loveable characters. I will definitely be picking up the rest of the series and looking into her other books that tie in.

[Kathleen Bradbury (Bulfon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

One heck of an amazing read that is a non-stop bundle of suspense! The nail-biting storyline will keep you on edge with anticipation for making the perfect choice and a great HEA! Emotionally engrossing, witty, exciting and enjoyable! Lip-biting hot chemistry! An amazing bad boy must read that will have you rooting for Mr. Right to take a hike!

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

[Daniel Brehm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really interesting read. Although there are some plot issues atbfirst , but resolve later in the book, you do question why it was written in that manner. You also tend to loose fact that the main characters are shifters, and question if that aspect of the characters were essential to the story of to the characters. Overall, I did enjoy the book, because I liked the characters arc line. Not a bad read.

[AND 1515 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super Awesome Book...
by and1515

Mia West hits a slam dunk this book is so refreshingly thrilling and intriguing,
and Vince and Lach definitely have a very complicated history together however these two are simply charming and downright intoxicating.

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

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book one in the Shift & Seek series a great M/M shifter story that kept me turning pages on this second chance story. Dolphin shifter and treasure hunter Vince Ito and Hawk shifter and adventure photographer Lachlan McAlistair's story. I want to read the next book. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Elvira · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is full of adventure and complexity and features like able characters. I had a great time with Vince and Lachlan’s characters they were well developed and engaging. The storyline was well written and flowed smoothly.

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

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a few MW titles and this is her best one. I was rooting big time for a second chance for our two MCs, and for a way for Lach to save the distillery. The shifter aspect was enjoyable but not the dominant drama of the book (which is my preferred approach to shifter romances). No fated mates or such....

[Síle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah I don't know about this one… This story didn't captivate me as much as I might have liked. In all honesty, I was pretty confused during most of it.

Also, I still don't know if I dealt with Scots or the Irish. I will read the other books in this series at some point. And I hope they'll be a wee bit better.

[Jewel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

I was left with some questions regarding how the plot wrapped up. 1) Why did Bertie help Hamish? 2) What happened to Hamish? 3) How long HAD Archie been with the family? It's alluded to that Archie knew Arthur, personally. He's not Gallahad (who was a white dragon, not red), so who is he and how is it he has lived for 1500 years??

[Sue Milkovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!! FOOD FOR THOUGHT

This is a REMARKABLE BOOK. Vince is a sea shifter. Lachlan is a bird shifter. They are former lovers who are back for round two. This is a Book seeped in legend. It will open your mind to a tale you think you know. MIA WEST has taken me to a whole new place with this Book. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!!!!

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Adventure
Great start to a new series. Loved this treasure hunting adventure and dolphin shifters perfect. Loved the storyline you get everything from adventure, action and discipline. Loved the characters Lach and Vince they complete each other. Can’t wait for book two

[Sandy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great second chance romance. I loved the story and the characters. I can not wait to read more from this author.

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

[Jocelyn Whaley · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's was a great story. I love the idea of second chance romances and I love shifters. I was glad that Vince and Lachlan were able to get together. Good Job. Ready for the next book in the series.

[Andria Potter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dnf'd about forty percent through. Just not feeling it, may come back to it. 3 ⭐

[Melissa Polk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn't realize this was related to the Into the Fire and Sons of Britain series. Now I kind of want to reread all of them.

[Enirehtak Melas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was intrigued by Lachlan’s character in the previous series.
Something about a Scotsman just automatically grabs my attention. Must be the accent *fans self* 🤤🥴.

Vince had to grow on me, and I don’t know if he ultimately did. I didn’t like the impression he made on me in that same other series.

Now, I want to say that I loved this one but something was missing. Didn’t like that Lachlan hid his past relationship from Vince and didn’t like that Vince did Lach dirty before. The ending with Lach’s father threw me off and Sten’s revelation made me not like him. It was all discombobulating in a way.

I don’t really know what to make of it.

*ARC in exchange for an honest review*