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Paranormal Hunger #1
Forbidden Devotion
Young heir Sinclair Davis is the only vampire at a werewolf university. Surrounded by a pack of unwelcoming shifters, his first meeting with their alpha ends in blood.
Alpha wolf Mitchel Edgehill is furious when the university sends a vampire to be housed among his pack. But what can he do? The paperwork's been signed. They'll have to find a way to coexist.
As violence escalates between species, the uneasy truce between Sinclair and Mitchel turns amorous. Though desire burns between them, their union is forbidden.
When the pair attend a peace conference, a terrorist group attacks, and Sinclair is kidnapped. Can the alpha wolf work with vampires to save him, or will war break out after all?
***
Forbidden Devotion is an enemies to lovers MM urban fantasy in a college setting. It's the first of a series but can be read as a standalone with its own HEA and no cliffhanger. This book was previously published as Forbidden Bond by Lee Colgin. It's been revised and re-edited though the love story remains unchanged.
Alpha wolf Mitchel Edgehill is furious when the university sends a vampire to be housed among his pack. But what can he do? The paperwork's been signed. They'll have to find a way to coexist.
As violence escalates between species, the uneasy truce between Sinclair and Mitchel turns amorous. Though desire burns between them, their union is forbidden.
When the pair attend a peace conference, a terrorist group attacks, and Sinclair is kidnapped. Can the alpha wolf work with vampires to save him, or will war break out after all?
***
Forbidden Devotion is an enemies to lovers MM urban fantasy in a college setting. It's the first of a series but can be read as a standalone with its own HEA and no cliffhanger. This book was previously published as Forbidden Bond by Lee Colgin. It's been revised and re-edited though the love story remains unchanged.
278 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 23, 2019
193 people are currently reading
699 people want to read
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May 17, 2020
Werewolves are prickly, obnoxious assholes. Until you get to know them.
After the Great Wars, there was absolutely no love lost between the vampire and werewolf races, but 26 y.o. Living vampire Sinclair insisted on earning his PhD from Borson University, an esteemed werewolf school, and would not be deterred.
Upon arriving at Borson, Sinclair was immediately met with hostility from his werewolf housemates, but he refused to let them run him off, as he had a degree to earn, and no amount of snarling and snapping would keep him from his goal.
Things began looking up when Sinclair finally met 32 y.o. dorm Alpha Mitchel, in spite of their extremely confrontational initial interaction. Much like the rest of the wolves, Mitchel wasn't happy to have a vampire under the same roof as his pack. At least until he let himself give in to the draw he had to the smaller, younger supe.
I enjoyed seeing how Mitchel's animosity toward Sinclair changed over time, working their way past old prejudices and seeing one another as kind, caring individuals, then maybe even as mates. This happened slowly and felt believable and organic to me.
Much of the drama in the story was due to the vampires insisting that the existence of supernatural beings be divulged to humans, breaking the Edict of Secrecy. Something strongly opposed by the more fearful werewolves.
Then, after an inter-species tragedy occurred, the entire supernatural community was forced to come together, which culminated in an even greater disaster that required their unity to overcome.
There were also some familial prejudices and disapproval to surmount, but I especially loved Sinclair's parents and their efforts to support their son, regardless of their own initially-reluctant feelings.
The story was well-paced, but I would've honestly liked a slightly more expanded pre-epilogue ending, as that part felt a bit more rushed than the rest of this mates story.
I'd rate this story at around 3.5 stars and am hoping that the next book in the series will be Nathan and his vampire doctor's. : )
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My ARC copy of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
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June 13, 2020
2.75 stars
It's always difficult to write a less than stellar review about a book written by a relatively new author who seems like such a lovely person. But. I must remind myself I don't write reviews for authors. They are for me, and prospective readers. So...
There was nothing really new here, nothing unexpected. It was not only predictable, it felt very much like "paint by the numbers". Very little world building; I simply could not get a sense of the campus at all or the shifter building where the vampire scholar was housed. The pivotal disaster scene lacked that exciting, angsty edge to make it believable, to really draw the reader into what should have been a devastating sense of loss and fear. Both the protags and the supporting cast were mostly cookie-cutter characters with uninspiring, sometimes stilted dialogue.
The book just lacked that pop that makes a really good story.
It's always difficult to write a less than stellar review about a book written by a relatively new author who seems like such a lovely person. But. I must remind myself I don't write reviews for authors. They are for me, and prospective readers. So...
There was nothing really new here, nothing unexpected. It was not only predictable, it felt very much like "paint by the numbers". Very little world building; I simply could not get a sense of the campus at all or the shifter building where the vampire scholar was housed. The pivotal disaster scene lacked that exciting, angsty edge to make it believable, to really draw the reader into what should have been a devastating sense of loss and fear. Both the protags and the supporting cast were mostly cookie-cutter characters with uninspiring, sometimes stilted dialogue.
The book just lacked that pop that makes a really good story.
April 16, 2024
~3.5~
My Lee Colgin reading streak continues with the Paranormal Hunger series, which is set in the modern world. Vampires and werewolves are in a tentative peace treaty, but fear, distrust, and prejudice are rampant.
Pack alpha Mitchel is furious that a vampire exchange student is bunking with his wolf pack at a prestigious werewolf university (which admits humans, who have no idea supernaturals exist, but not vamps).
He physically assaults Sinclair but eventually apologizes. Sinclair accepts the apology reluctantly. The "enemies" vibe doesn't last long. Mitchel and Sinclair are drawn together like magnets.
Sinclair is a living vampire, a new-to-me fictional concept. He was naturally conceived to vampire parents but has chosen not be turned into a full immortal vampire. That means Sinclair can eat human food and hang out in the sunlight (not all day, but a couple hours won't hurt him). It also means he's more vulnerable to all kinds of threats.
There's a political plot involving humans finding out about the supernatural world. Vamps want the humans to find out; werewolves don't. There are tensions on both sides, so a peace convention is held to bring everyone together. But tragedy strikes!
You get the idea; suffice it to say, the story is well paced and kept my attention.
We're introduced to some interesting secondary characters, vamps and wolves unlike.
The dialogue felt overly structured at times, and the relationship jumped too quickly from "kind of friends" to "obsessively in love" but I still blew through this story.
My Lee Colgin reading streak continues with the Paranormal Hunger series, which is set in the modern world. Vampires and werewolves are in a tentative peace treaty, but fear, distrust, and prejudice are rampant.
Pack alpha Mitchel is furious that a vampire exchange student is bunking with his wolf pack at a prestigious werewolf university (which admits humans, who have no idea supernaturals exist, but not vamps).
He physically assaults Sinclair but eventually apologizes. Sinclair accepts the apology reluctantly. The "enemies" vibe doesn't last long. Mitchel and Sinclair are drawn together like magnets.
Sinclair is a living vampire, a new-to-me fictional concept. He was naturally conceived to vampire parents but has chosen not be turned into a full immortal vampire. That means Sinclair can eat human food and hang out in the sunlight (not all day, but a couple hours won't hurt him). It also means he's more vulnerable to all kinds of threats.
There's a political plot involving humans finding out about the supernatural world. Vamps want the humans to find out; werewolves don't. There are tensions on both sides, so a peace convention is held to bring everyone together. But tragedy strikes!
You get the idea; suffice it to say, the story is well paced and kept my attention.
We're introduced to some interesting secondary characters, vamps and wolves unlike.
The dialogue felt overly structured at times, and the relationship jumped too quickly from "kind of friends" to "obsessively in love" but I still blew through this story.
January 4, 2023
This was enjoyable, but found lacking in some areas for me.
This is a re-release, revised and re-edited. I think, personally, it could do with some more revising.
I tagged this enemies-to-lovers, but I do that very loosely, because we only get really one good scene to show the enemies part, then there are apologies made and then we just kinda skip over a few months of them skirting around each other before they have a scene again and just aren't enemies at all anymore and quickly turn into love.
It wasn't done the best, in my opinion. I did like Sinclair and Mitchell and I did like them together, I did. But the transition from "enemies" to lovers was done too fast, and it didn't really show how they went from enemies to not enemies very much at all.
Also, I couldn't even tag this as "forbidden romance" even though you'd think I could, given the title, but pretty soon into these two being together, everyone basically knows and is okay with it and that's that?
The only one with a real problem with it is Mitchell's uncle, but Mitchell just ignores his disapproval to date Sinclair and the epilogue hints that eventually his uncle just came around to them.
What's the point of the premise being that they're forbidden to be together if it's not really played into at all?
Mitchell's pack at the college has come to like to Sinclair too, so there's no problem there. Sinclair's parents are worried but not disapproving.
And what about the wider supernatural world knowing? We don't get to see that reaction, but seeing as relations between werewolves and vampires gets better at the very end, I'm assuming it wasn't so bad.
So...doesn't really live up to its title with that.
I probably could have given this 4 stars if it had, and if it had leaned more into the "enemies" part of this.
It was all just too easy. Even when Sinclair gets kidnapped, it ends within hours with them rescuing him, so...what even was the point? Just to get Nathan, another shifter, set up for his romance, I guess?
So, while I enjoyed these two together - I do think, once they were out of enemies territory, even though the transition wasn't done well, once they were solidly in the romance phase, that was done well. I did enjoy their scenes together, of them falling in love. That was pretty enjoyable, so 3 stars it is.
There just could have been improvement here and there to make this even better. All problems were just tied up too neatly. Even at the end, when humans find out, we find out in the epilogue that one Alpha werewolf has done really well keeping peace between humans and supernaturals, so no biggie after the , it's all good. No tension anymore! It's just all too easy.
Will I try this author again? Maybe, maybe not. The romance and chemistry was good and enjoyable, but other parts just needed improvement to really make this good. I'll think of checking this author out in the future. But for now, I won't be reading more.
A solid effort, just not good enough for me in quite a few areas, unfortunately.
This is a re-release, revised and re-edited. I think, personally, it could do with some more revising.
I tagged this enemies-to-lovers, but I do that very loosely, because we only get really one good scene to show the enemies part, then there are apologies made and then we just kinda skip over a few months of them skirting around each other before they have a scene again and just aren't enemies at all anymore and quickly turn into love.
It wasn't done the best, in my opinion. I did like Sinclair and Mitchell and I did like them together, I did. But the transition from "enemies" to lovers was done too fast, and it didn't really show how they went from enemies to not enemies very much at all.
Also, I couldn't even tag this as "forbidden romance" even though you'd think I could, given the title, but pretty soon into these two being together, everyone basically knows and is okay with it and that's that?
The only one with a real problem with it is Mitchell's uncle, but Mitchell just ignores his disapproval to date Sinclair and the epilogue hints that eventually his uncle just came around to them.
What's the point of the premise being that they're forbidden to be together if it's not really played into at all?
Mitchell's pack at the college has come to like to Sinclair too, so there's no problem there. Sinclair's parents are worried but not disapproving.
And what about the wider supernatural world knowing? We don't get to see that reaction, but seeing as relations between werewolves and vampires gets better at the very end, I'm assuming it wasn't so bad.
So...doesn't really live up to its title with that.
I probably could have given this 4 stars if it had, and if it had leaned more into the "enemies" part of this.
It was all just too easy. Even when Sinclair gets kidnapped, it ends within hours with them rescuing him, so...what even was the point? Just to get Nathan, another shifter, set up for his romance, I guess?
So, while I enjoyed these two together - I do think, once they were out of enemies territory, even though the transition wasn't done well, once they were solidly in the romance phase, that was done well. I did enjoy their scenes together, of them falling in love. That was pretty enjoyable, so 3 stars it is.
There just could have been improvement here and there to make this even better. All problems were just tied up too neatly. Even at the end, when humans find out, we find out in the epilogue that one Alpha werewolf has done really well keeping peace between humans and supernaturals, so no biggie after the , it's all good. No tension anymore! It's just all too easy.
Will I try this author again? Maybe, maybe not. The romance and chemistry was good and enjoyable, but other parts just needed improvement to really make this good. I'll think of checking this author out in the future. But for now, I won't be reading more.
A solid effort, just not good enough for me in quite a few areas, unfortunately.
December 20, 2019
Vampires and werewolves are enemies, yet at the moment they live in peace, after the Great War had killed many of them. But that doesn't mean that vampires and werewolves still don't hate each other. This doesn't stop Living vampire Sinclair from applying to a werewolf college to study supernatural history, as they are the only ones teaching that particular subject. Sinclair is forced to live in student accomodation filled with nothing but a pack of young werewolves who hate his guts as soon as he walks through the door. What Sinclair didn't expect was how incredibly handsome the Alpha of the pack, Mitchell, was. Mitchell is not very welcoming to Sinclair because of him being a vampire. Sinclair needs to find a way to befriend the wolves or his stay at the college will be most miserable. In the meantime the supernatural is fighting to stay at peace with each other after a few disturbing altercations happen, all the while keeping the supernatural world hidden from humans. Sinclair's and Mitchell's relationship soon turns into that of great love for each other. When Sinclair gets kidnapped, Mitchell will do whatever he can to save his love.
When I read the synopsis of this book I was very much intriqued. My love for fantasy and a LGBTQIA+ romance all wrapped up in a lovely novel about friendship, family and love. I really am a sucker for a good gay romance story and I usually find them better then the traditional man/woman romances we read so much about. Don't get me wrong, I like both romances but with men on men romances it always hits me harder. I care about the characters more and I truly can feel their love through the pages and this story was no different.
However, what I didn't like so much about this novel is the insta-love that was very present in this book. Although the tags of the book says this is a slow burn, I don't agree with that. To me, the 'from enemies to lovers' bit happened very fast. They were barely enemies besides the fact that they were different species. They didn't really have any fights or even arguments, they mainly had a few glares and then all of a sudden they were friends. This didn't bother me too much as I generally don't mind insta-love but even for me this was way too fast.
What also disappointed me was that the kidnapping was also very fast and the rescue mission was very disappointing to me. I wanted to see more badassness from both the vampires and the werewolves, as they are so beautifully described as these powerful creatures.
But I really loved this book. So much so that I couldn't put it down for very long. This was an excellent read and I look forward to reading more about the sweetest ever vampire, Sinclair and his strong and sexy Alpha.
I received a review copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley.
When I read the synopsis of this book I was very much intriqued. My love for fantasy and a LGBTQIA+ romance all wrapped up in a lovely novel about friendship, family and love. I really am a sucker for a good gay romance story and I usually find them better then the traditional man/woman romances we read so much about. Don't get me wrong, I like both romances but with men on men romances it always hits me harder. I care about the characters more and I truly can feel their love through the pages and this story was no different.
However, what I didn't like so much about this novel is the insta-love that was very present in this book. Although the tags of the book says this is a slow burn, I don't agree with that. To me, the 'from enemies to lovers' bit happened very fast. They were barely enemies besides the fact that they were different species. They didn't really have any fights or even arguments, they mainly had a few glares and then all of a sudden they were friends. This didn't bother me too much as I generally don't mind insta-love but even for me this was way too fast.
What also disappointed me was that the kidnapping was also very fast and the rescue mission was very disappointing to me. I wanted to see more badassness from both the vampires and the werewolves, as they are so beautifully described as these powerful creatures.
But I really loved this book. So much so that I couldn't put it down for very long. This was an excellent read and I look forward to reading more about the sweetest ever vampire, Sinclair and his strong and sexy Alpha.
I received a review copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley.
June 13, 2021
2.5 Stars
I've been wanting to read this book for quite a while, but unfortunately, I was pretty underwhelmed. I've read one other book by this author and I think her writing style just isn't for me. *sad face*
I've been wanting to read this book for quite a while, but unfortunately, I was pretty underwhelmed. I've read one other book by this author and I think her writing style just isn't for me. *sad face*
December 22, 2022
4.5
"Forbidden Devotion" was an absolute joy to read!
Lee Colgin wrote a gem of a book, and a wonderful, sweet and sexy romance that kept me hooked from the very start.
Sinclair and Mitchel's story was absolutely delightful: it has a dash of enemies-to-lovers and a smidge of forbidden-relationship and fated mates. Despite Mitchel's initial antagonism and all the mistrust between them, their mutual dislike morphed into friendship and then intense attraction and love fairly quickly, but their love didn't feel rushed at all.
I absolutely adored them together, and I loved them individually even more: Sinclair in particular, I loved him so much. He's so sweet and friendly and cheerful and just, very, very endearing.
I also completely loved the plot: the world-building is fairly simple and straight-forward, but I found it very fascinating nonetheless, and the story was very addictive too!
I also ADORED the whole cast of side characters: Nathan and Erika and Sinclair's parents, they were all pretty cool.
I'm very excited, and so damn curious, to read the sequel!
Thank you GRR for the ARC. I received it in exchange for an honest review.
"Forbidden Devotion" was an absolute joy to read!
Lee Colgin wrote a gem of a book, and a wonderful, sweet and sexy romance that kept me hooked from the very start.
Sinclair and Mitchel's story was absolutely delightful: it has a dash of enemies-to-lovers and a smidge of forbidden-relationship and fated mates. Despite Mitchel's initial antagonism and all the mistrust between them, their mutual dislike morphed into friendship and then intense attraction and love fairly quickly, but their love didn't feel rushed at all.
I absolutely adored them together, and I loved them individually even more: Sinclair in particular, I loved him so much. He's so sweet and friendly and cheerful and just, very, very endearing.
I also completely loved the plot: the world-building is fairly simple and straight-forward, but I found it very fascinating nonetheless, and the story was very addictive too!
I also ADORED the whole cast of side characters: Nathan and Erika and Sinclair's parents, they were all pretty cool.
I'm very excited, and so damn curious, to read the sequel!
Thank you GRR for the ARC. I received it in exchange for an honest review.
April 6, 2023
4.5 enthusiastic stars for my first book by this author. Very likable MCs and a great supporting cast. My only complaint would be that it was over too soon. I wanted to be part of this werewolf/vampire world a little longer with these characters. Thankfully it’s the first of a series, so there’s more fun to be had.
May 31, 2020
Hmmmmm.... I don’t know.... this one seemed too simplistic a story for me. After Slay My Love, I’d hope for something as layered but this was just very straightforward. I’m a little bummed especially since it’s 2 species who’ve always hated each other and barely kept the peace out of self preservation than actually living in harmony. It had the potential to be more complexed and layered 😔
December 30, 2019
Not a bad book per se but this feels like a re-hash of all the urban fantasy tropes in one book. There was nothing in there that I haven't seen, and most it it I've read about at least four or five times. The story was predictable, the dialogues often wooden, the relationship insta-lovey and even the main characters felt generic and were only defined by their (blurry) physical attributes. The writing style was at best invisible, at worst clumsy. It often felt like lower-tier fan fiction :/
One thing I'd still give it : the plot was reasonably original and intriguing. This could have been a REALLY enjoyable book if it was more fleshed out and if serious editing and in-depth style reworking were done.
Meh.
NB : one star = infuriating two stars = meh without an ounce of enjoyment.
One thing I'd still give it : the plot was reasonably original and intriguing. This could have been a REALLY enjoyable book if it was more fleshed out and if serious editing and in-depth style reworking were done.
Meh.
NB : one star = infuriating two stars = meh without an ounce of enjoyment.
March 4, 2020
**grm**
The story was interesting, but there were too many things left unclear and also if the epilogue closes this book well enough, I still was left with many questions. I wanted to understand what will happen to Mitchel and Sinclair now that they are mated, and in the 4 years after, that we had in the epilogue, the author could have told us something more about it. I really hope that they will find a way to have the same life span. I also think that the world building lacked a bit, and we got just a little glimpse of what is really going on or how the supernatural community works. I wished for more pages and better explanations, but I still rated this book 4 stars because It was a nice start of a new series and I loved to see a vampire and a wolf as mates.
The story was interesting, but there were too many things left unclear and also if the epilogue closes this book well enough, I still was left with many questions. I wanted to understand what will happen to Mitchel and Sinclair now that they are mated, and in the 4 years after, that we had in the epilogue, the author could have told us something more about it. I really hope that they will find a way to have the same life span. I also think that the world building lacked a bit, and we got just a little glimpse of what is really going on or how the supernatural community works. I wished for more pages and better explanations, but I still rated this book 4 stars because It was a nice start of a new series and I loved to see a vampire and a wolf as mates.
January 9, 2020
Sinclair was admitted into the Borson werewolf university through an exchange program even though he is a vampire. Since vampires and werewolves don't get along...at all this worried his parents quite a lot. Sinclair was a living vampire which is exactly what it sounds like, he was born a vampire but has yet to be turned so he can still be hurt or killed like a human.
Mitchel is the alpha for the werewolves at Borson University. He always has female werewolves flirting with him even though everyone knows he's gay. The females seem to think he should carry on his family name by having babies with them but he's just not interested.
When Sinclair moves into the supernatural dorms with the werewolves, he's met with a lot of snarls, disgusted looks and a lot of unfriendly faces. Even Mitchel initially hates him but after a while Sinclair and Mitchel find themselves sneaking peaks at each other.
They spend some time together and find that they really like each other. When Mitchel's pack finds out that he's dating Sinclair, most of them are ok with it because they have gotten to know him a little more and know he's an ok guy. Things seem to be going well until they both tell their families that they are dating. While Sinclair's family is open to it but scared for his safety, Mitchel's uncle is absolutely against it.
With vampires and werewolves still fighting and supernaturals still being killed during those fights, things are not easy between the different species. With all that going on there's also a vote going on with the supernaturals to figure out whether they should come out to the humans. Of course the werewolves and the vampires don't see eye to eye on that either which is making things more tense for everyone. But when the humans find out about the supernaturals before they can finalize the vote and some of them take Sinclair hostage, both the vampires and werewolves will have to come together in order to get him back.
I really liked this book because vampires and werewolves are my favorite supernaturals when reading paranormal romance. Both Sinclair and Mitchel were great characters. I really loved Mitchel's pack and some of them really stood out as great secondary characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a fun enemies to lovers supernatural romance.
Mitchel is the alpha for the werewolves at Borson University. He always has female werewolves flirting with him even though everyone knows he's gay. The females seem to think he should carry on his family name by having babies with them but he's just not interested.
When Sinclair moves into the supernatural dorms with the werewolves, he's met with a lot of snarls, disgusted looks and a lot of unfriendly faces. Even Mitchel initially hates him but after a while Sinclair and Mitchel find themselves sneaking peaks at each other.
They spend some time together and find that they really like each other. When Mitchel's pack finds out that he's dating Sinclair, most of them are ok with it because they have gotten to know him a little more and know he's an ok guy. Things seem to be going well until they both tell their families that they are dating. While Sinclair's family is open to it but scared for his safety, Mitchel's uncle is absolutely against it.
With vampires and werewolves still fighting and supernaturals still being killed during those fights, things are not easy between the different species. With all that going on there's also a vote going on with the supernaturals to figure out whether they should come out to the humans. Of course the werewolves and the vampires don't see eye to eye on that either which is making things more tense for everyone. But when the humans find out about the supernaturals before they can finalize the vote and some of them take Sinclair hostage, both the vampires and werewolves will have to come together in order to get him back.
I really liked this book because vampires and werewolves are my favorite supernaturals when reading paranormal romance. Both Sinclair and Mitchel were great characters. I really loved Mitchel's pack and some of them really stood out as great secondary characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a fun enemies to lovers supernatural romance.
January 8, 2020
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
This story caught my attention because I am a fan of vampire/shifter pairings (you can see my Favorites list here), as well as enemies to lovers stories. Forbidden Bond works really well showcasing both of those themes. The story actually has a bit of a Romeo and Juliet vibe to it. We have two factions, the vampires and werewolves, with historic animosity and a barely contained peace. Both Mitchel and Sinclair are the children of prominent families in their supernatural community. And there are those on the outside who do not want to see their mating. The story plays on this theme nicely, setting the men up as adversaries at first (or at least Mitchel sees Sinclair that way), but ultimately with the men falling for each other despite the fact that tensions are high between the wolves and the vampires.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
4 stars
This story caught my attention because I am a fan of vampire/shifter pairings (you can see my Favorites list here), as well as enemies to lovers stories. Forbidden Bond works really well showcasing both of those themes. The story actually has a bit of a Romeo and Juliet vibe to it. We have two factions, the vampires and werewolves, with historic animosity and a barely contained peace. Both Mitchel and Sinclair are the children of prominent families in their supernatural community. And there are those on the outside who do not want to see their mating. The story plays on this theme nicely, setting the men up as adversaries at first (or at least Mitchel sees Sinclair that way), but ultimately with the men falling for each other despite the fact that tensions are high between the wolves and the vampires.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
December 26, 2019
2.5
Reading the synopsis Forbidden Bond should have been right down my alley but the holes in the world building were just too big for me to ignore and that's maybe also one of the reasons why I wasn't able to really connect to the romance. It was a nice pastime, though - until the unnecessary torture scene. Afterwards I more or less flipped through the pages while I asked myself if it was again some case of too high expectations.
Reading the synopsis Forbidden Bond should have been right down my alley but the holes in the world building were just too big for me to ignore and that's maybe also one of the reasons why I wasn't able to really connect to the romance. It was a nice pastime, though - until the unnecessary torture scene. Afterwards I more or less flipped through the pages while I asked myself if it was again some case of too high expectations.
December 21, 2019
Forbidden Bond is the first book in the They Bite series by Lee Colgin. This is an m/m shifter romance with no mpreg. I am hooked on this and need more books about this universe immediately.
Seriously though, the world created here fascinated me. The characters - vampires, werewolves, humans- they called to me to hear their story. The story told here was interesting and entertaining. A mix of angst, humor, sweetness and heat. I love the enemies in a sense, turning into friends and then lovers. I really am excited for more books.
Seriously though, the world created here fascinated me. The characters - vampires, werewolves, humans- they called to me to hear their story. The story told here was interesting and entertaining. A mix of angst, humor, sweetness and heat. I love the enemies in a sense, turning into friends and then lovers. I really am excited for more books.
May 23, 2020
This was a wonderful story, a lot sweeter than I thought it would, seeing as Sinclair and Mitchel were supposed to be enemies. Once they got to know each other thought, things changed. It had a very sweet ending too!
January 29, 2023
DNF @ 5%.
I’m scratching my head how humans “outnumber” supernaturals 10:1. That’s a lot of supernaturals, and yet humans don’t know about you? And vampire birth rates are declining, but there’s still a 10:1 human to supernaturals?? Also, don’t make me read a newspaper article in the first chapter. Yuck.
I’m scratching my head how humans “outnumber” supernaturals 10:1. That’s a lot of supernaturals, and yet humans don’t know about you? And vampire birth rates are declining, but there’s still a 10:1 human to supernaturals?? Also, don’t make me read a newspaper article in the first chapter. Yuck.
February 4, 2020
***3.5 stars***
This is a first for me from this author, and I did enjoy it :-) I liked the story and the news updates through the book that helped tie/explain things. I can’t wait for the next one, which I assume will be Nathan’s story.
This is a first for me from this author, and I did enjoy it :-) I liked the story and the news updates through the book that helped tie/explain things. I can’t wait for the next one, which I assume will be Nathan’s story.
June 10, 2020
Great read!!
December 23, 2019
Sinclair Davis is a young vampire who is forward thinking. There is a political debate being undertaken about revealing the existence of the supernatural world to humans. Sinclair has decided that he wants to attend a werewolf University. Sure, there’s a truce between vampires and werewolves but Sinclair knows that it’s a tentative peace. There’s a lot of judgement and assumptions and, sometimes, outright violence. Sinclair is convinced that attending the werewolf university is the thing he needs to do in order to become a supernatural historian.
When Sinclair arrives at his residence, he finds himself face to face with a pack of unpleasant werewolves. Things only get worse when he meets Alpha, Mitchel Edgehill, he practically attacks Sinclair the first time he sees him - protective of his pack. Later, once Mitchel realizes that he signed the paperwork allowing Sinclair to stay with his wolves he bites his tongue and apologizes.
There’s an uneasy truce between the two men. Sinclair wanders on the campus and eventually stumbles across the cabin that Mitchel has made his home. The two men slowly find that they have more in common than they initially thought.
The politics in this novel are really interesting. I liked the idea of the supernatural factions having to come together to decide whether or not to reveal their presence to humans. There are some great arguments made on both sides by the author and I could imagine that kind of a situation becoming a reality. (I can only hope. I can’t be the only person who would love to live in a world in which supernatural creatures are our neighbours!)
This story revolves around the relationship between Sinclair and Mitchel. I really liked the way that these two characters got to know each other. Mitchel reacted on pure instinct at first and it was a great way for the author to show the tension between the two factions! I enjoyed the way that the two men were so tentative with each other... getting to know each other very slowly. It was a great way for the author to reveal the differences... for instance, Sinclair is a “living” vampire. His parents are vampires and he has some special abilities but he’s not as indestructible as a “Turned” vampire.
I always enjoy the dynamics of werewolf packs when they are well-written and Colgin does a great job. Even though the pack at the university was part of the supporting cast, they were well developed characters and I enjoyed reading about them. Is it wrong that I’m hoping for more? :)
Sinclair is a very interesting character and probably my favourite. I feel as though there are a lot things that will come up in his future and I’m curious to see how he will resolve everything. I can’t imagine having to make the decision about whether or not to become a vampire. I’m sure a lot of people who read this genre have pondered the question from time to time. Sinclair has to choose wisely. He is aging as long as he isn’t turned so what is the ideal time of life to become immortal? I would love to see this story progress.
I really enjoyed this novel! Glad to recommend it to anyone who enjoys the genre.
When Sinclair arrives at his residence, he finds himself face to face with a pack of unpleasant werewolves. Things only get worse when he meets Alpha, Mitchel Edgehill, he practically attacks Sinclair the first time he sees him - protective of his pack. Later, once Mitchel realizes that he signed the paperwork allowing Sinclair to stay with his wolves he bites his tongue and apologizes.
There’s an uneasy truce between the two men. Sinclair wanders on the campus and eventually stumbles across the cabin that Mitchel has made his home. The two men slowly find that they have more in common than they initially thought.
The politics in this novel are really interesting. I liked the idea of the supernatural factions having to come together to decide whether or not to reveal their presence to humans. There are some great arguments made on both sides by the author and I could imagine that kind of a situation becoming a reality. (I can only hope. I can’t be the only person who would love to live in a world in which supernatural creatures are our neighbours!)
This story revolves around the relationship between Sinclair and Mitchel. I really liked the way that these two characters got to know each other. Mitchel reacted on pure instinct at first and it was a great way for the author to show the tension between the two factions! I enjoyed the way that the two men were so tentative with each other... getting to know each other very slowly. It was a great way for the author to reveal the differences... for instance, Sinclair is a “living” vampire. His parents are vampires and he has some special abilities but he’s not as indestructible as a “Turned” vampire.
I always enjoy the dynamics of werewolf packs when they are well-written and Colgin does a great job. Even though the pack at the university was part of the supporting cast, they were well developed characters and I enjoyed reading about them. Is it wrong that I’m hoping for more? :)
Sinclair is a very interesting character and probably my favourite. I feel as though there are a lot things that will come up in his future and I’m curious to see how he will resolve everything. I can’t imagine having to make the decision about whether or not to become a vampire. I’m sure a lot of people who read this genre have pondered the question from time to time. Sinclair has to choose wisely. He is aging as long as he isn’t turned so what is the ideal time of life to become immortal? I would love to see this story progress.
I really enjoyed this novel! Glad to recommend it to anyone who enjoys the genre.
September 9, 2023
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley
~
Forbidden Devotion: Paranormal Hunger, 01 by Lee Colgin
(previously published as: Forbidden Bond: They Bite, Book 1)
★★☆☆☆
278 Pages
3rd person, dual character POV
Content Warning: torture scene, gun violence, kidnap
Themes: MM, Shifter, Werewolves, urban fantasy, vampires, forced proximity
When I requested this book, it was being published as Forbidden Bond in the They Bite series, however due to illness it took me a long time to get around to reading it, and it's since been republished as Forbidden Devotion in the Paranormal Hunger series.
As I'd accidentally bought the new release, thinking it was a new series by the author, I thought it would be best to review *that* version, rather than the previously published version, for the author's sake and any future readers.
Personally, while I prefer the new covers, I do like the old titles and blurbs better. I feel like the new blurb for this book gives far too much away about the plot. If you deleted the entire last section of the blurb then it would be less spoiler-y, but it still doesn't have the cohesion of the original blurb.
That being said, I will NOT be reading the original published version to do a comparison. I had no intention of comparing them, but thought it worth noting the differences between the cover/blurbs I had access to.
~
PLOT
I've only read one book by the author before and loved it, so I went into this hoping for the same feeling, but I'm sorry to say that didn't happen. While the story had lots of potential, there were just too many errors that couldn't be overlooked.
In terms of the main plot concept – a vampire moving to study at a werewolf university – it's quite original. The concept of there being a truce between vampires and werewolves is good, and the idea of a vampire and werewolf falling in love, with a forced proximity concept was different. The idea of a “living” vampire is interesting, but ended up being a disappointment.
The other aspects of the plot, as well as the execution, were nothing original. It felt like an amalgamation of various other books/ideas I've read in the genre. The vampire/werewolf concept is similar to L.C. Davis' Kingdom of Night trilogy, and the whole peace talks incident strongly reminded me of the MF story The Perfect Luna by Marissa Gilbert.
I'm disappointed that this was advertised as an enemies-to-lovers story, because that wasn't really the case. To me, there was nothing between Sinclair or Mitchel that could describe them as enemies. No, Mitchel didn't take Sinclair's arrival well, but that doesn't automatically make them enemies and Sinclair never held a grudge against him. In fact, the ONLY thing marking them as enemies is their species – the fact that one is a vampire and the other a werewolf. Beyond that, the characters themselves are never enemies-to-lovers.
The first kiss between them happens at 39%, and it's almost insta-lust and insta-love between them from the first time they meet.
I wasn't fond of the fact that they shared one kiss, didn't talk about being in a relationship or even wanting one with each other, but Mitchel announces to the entire werewolf pack that they're in a relationship and he makes a mating bite without asking Sinclair or even warning him about what it means. That is way too rushed and without Sinclair's input. It didn't feel comfortable, and as the entire relationship was rushed, I could just never really believe in their relationship from the start. It had very little substance, even by the end of the book.
Sadly, I felt like the world-building was almost non-existent. It was so thin and lax that it felt like we were supposed to rely on pre-existing lore. Beyond the peace/treaty situation, there was no explanation for how vampires or werewolves lived in this world, what laws or limits they lived within. Because of that, I constantly felt like I didn't understand the choices that were made, because some would have made sense if an explanation of this world's lore would have been given at some point prior.
Unfortunately, some plot choices were far too convenient for the sake of the plot, and never made sense in terms of the flow or the characters, like the cheesy conversation between Josh and Mitchel where Mitchel said he'd rather mate a vampire than Erika and is warned to be careful what he wishes for. It was cringe-inducing, especially as events were already well underway by then. Other choices led to plot inconsistencies, such as when Mitchel is surprised when Becket says he drove Sinclair to campus, because he already knew this from Sinclair so there was no reason for this to be a surprise.
As well as the editing issues which I'll go into in a minute, there were some HUGE plot gaps that were never resolved or places where we were TOLD and not SHOWN what was happening. There were so many scenes that I wanted to see in detail because the author had made a big point of them being important or a huge factor in the plot, but when it actually came time to show them they were either ignored or glossed over with a vague explanation of what happened that we never get to see for ourselves.
Sinclair's mother being “the big guns” that he'd need to convince if he wanted to go to a werewolf university, yet we never see that conversation.
Mitchel makes a big deal of going to the “alpha gathering” but we're never actually told what that means or what it involves. We don't get to see any of the important aspects of that gathering, only one dance that doesn't amount to much.
Wee're *told* that the professors and students are unwelcoming to Sinclair, but we're never shown that. It's a pivotal moment for Sinclair's time on campus, but we never get to see it. I wanted to see him meeting his professors and his students, and how his first class went.
Mitchel and Sinclair make speeches to the peace rally, which are SUPER important, but we get about two lines of Mitchel's speech and nothing more. We never get to see anything about what they say, even as they're prepping the speech, so I can't understand why it wasn't shown. I wanted to see the speech, see the impact, the way people responded. But it felt pointless to put so much emphasis on a plot point and then just ignore it.
I had a problem with the “living” vampire concept. This could have been any human/werewolf story because of that concept, which left me disappointed. Sinclair is so completely “not” a vampire that his birth-nature has very little to do with the plot and gives him very little advantage over a human. The only part of “vampire” nature that actually applies to Sinclair is the blood-drinking, which forces a bond between Sinclair and Mitchel.
For me, the scene where Sinclair needs to drink Mitchel's blood is pointless and unnecessary, due to the way the plot was written. I honestly don't see WHY Sinclair needed to drink from Mitchel, because we're told that Sinclair knew he would get weak from the sun. If that was the case, why didn't Sinclair go to meet Mitchel, prepared for the worst. He's supposed to be the smartest vampire in existence, so I would expect him to be smart enough to prepare for all eventualities, meaning he would take time to rest or take blood with him, just in case. That's the kind of character he was written as, but he never made those logical choices. And the argument can't be made that he didn't have access to blood, because he had literally just received a care package from his friend Hazel which contained packages of synthetic blood. If that scene hadn't come first, I might have believed the need and urgency for Sinclair to feed from Mitchel, but it didn't. And it wasn't a life or death situation either, just that he was weak and had broken a few bones that would eventually heal, so the urgency wasn't believeable.
Which also leads me to the point that the world-building is so thin that we're never told whether synthetic blood acts the same as fresh blood, which would have been a distinction that would have made all the difference to the feeding scene.
Instead, everything felt too convenient. Just like the scene where Sinclair arrives at Mitchel's house in the middle of the night to find Mitchel wasn't there. He'd been to Mitchel's house before, but instead of going inside, he lies outside and falls asleep. Fine. I get that it might make sense – although, nothing in this story says that a vampire can't enter a property without permission, so I don't see why he didn't wait inside. But when Mitchel returns home, he decides NOT to take Sinclair inside where it's warm, but to lay a blanket over him, shift and lie outside with him. Why? They are literally right outside his house. Why not go inside? Oh, because it's convenient for the plot to make Mitchel shift, while makes Sinclair feel special for seeing the shift and again forces them into proximity. Because, of course, if Mitchel had taken Sinclair inside to lie on the sofa, or he'd found Sinclair there, then that whole scene wouldn't have happened. I'd rather have had it happen organically, but I feel that way about a lot of scenes in this book.
The aftermath of the biggest event in the book was rushed, and I'm really disappointed that we never got to see Ramsey and Sinclair being properly introduced, considering Ramsey put up such resistance towards their relationship. It was such a huge plot point that I'm not sure why it was glossed over.
~
ISSUES
For me, the flow of the story suffered from the editing choices and mistakes. The writing felt choppy and inconsistent, and there are NO time jump markers until the Epilogue. You get about halfway through the second page of a chapter before you find out it's been days or weeks since the previous chapter.
There are multiple editing issues, and since this isn't an ARC or pre-final edits version, I have to take them into account in my review. There are some obvious things, and some mis-spellings that make you pause and pull you out of the story, e.g. “whim. he reached”, “The alpha wolf I road here with”. Then there are some grammar issues where I can't tell whether it's a word choice problem or an editing issue, but there were a lot, e.g. “None of them three was a good enough scent tracker”
On top of that, there were a lot of areas were it took three or four sentences to say what should have taken just one sentence to say. There were also incomplete sentences that really didn't help with the flow of the story e.g. “One last deep breath, a polite knock, and a gulp as he waited.”
Although it's not an editing issues, as such, it's a definite editing choice that didn't work well for me – the use of italicised thoughts. They were more prominent in the first third of the book and none of them felt particularly necessary, as they were either preceded or followed by something in the main text that make the thought clear or obvious, e.g. when Mitchel is choosing his tie, we get an “Ugh. I hate this.” only for the entire following paragraph and preceding sentence to make that obvious.
~
Overall, I feel like the massive plot gaps and rushing don't leave any room for me to believe in the romance. Everything that could make this plot good, strong and original is skimmed over and wasted on a story that's 90% romance without any substance. The story loses all strength and heart because of these missing details and the lack of world-building. It's frustrating, because there was some good potential and the characters could have been brilliant if they'd been more fleshed out, but due to the rushed nature of the entire book – from rushing towards the romance, brushing past important plot points and desperate to reach the climax – it left no room to feel comfortable or settled within the story and really feel immersed.
Copy received through Netgalley
~
Forbidden Devotion: Paranormal Hunger, 01 by Lee Colgin
(previously published as: Forbidden Bond: They Bite, Book 1)
★★☆☆☆
278 Pages
3rd person, dual character POV
Content Warning: torture scene, gun violence, kidnap
Themes: MM, Shifter, Werewolves, urban fantasy, vampires, forced proximity
When I requested this book, it was being published as Forbidden Bond in the They Bite series, however due to illness it took me a long time to get around to reading it, and it's since been republished as Forbidden Devotion in the Paranormal Hunger series.
As I'd accidentally bought the new release, thinking it was a new series by the author, I thought it would be best to review *that* version, rather than the previously published version, for the author's sake and any future readers.
Personally, while I prefer the new covers, I do like the old titles and blurbs better. I feel like the new blurb for this book gives far too much away about the plot. If you deleted the entire last section of the blurb then it would be less spoiler-y, but it still doesn't have the cohesion of the original blurb.
That being said, I will NOT be reading the original published version to do a comparison. I had no intention of comparing them, but thought it worth noting the differences between the cover/blurbs I had access to.
~
PLOT
I've only read one book by the author before and loved it, so I went into this hoping for the same feeling, but I'm sorry to say that didn't happen. While the story had lots of potential, there were just too many errors that couldn't be overlooked.
In terms of the main plot concept – a vampire moving to study at a werewolf university – it's quite original. The concept of there being a truce between vampires and werewolves is good, and the idea of a vampire and werewolf falling in love, with a forced proximity concept was different. The idea of a “living” vampire is interesting, but ended up being a disappointment.
The other aspects of the plot, as well as the execution, were nothing original. It felt like an amalgamation of various other books/ideas I've read in the genre. The vampire/werewolf concept is similar to L.C. Davis' Kingdom of Night trilogy, and the whole peace talks incident strongly reminded me of the MF story The Perfect Luna by Marissa Gilbert.
I'm disappointed that this was advertised as an enemies-to-lovers story, because that wasn't really the case. To me, there was nothing between Sinclair or Mitchel that could describe them as enemies. No, Mitchel didn't take Sinclair's arrival well, but that doesn't automatically make them enemies and Sinclair never held a grudge against him. In fact, the ONLY thing marking them as enemies is their species – the fact that one is a vampire and the other a werewolf. Beyond that, the characters themselves are never enemies-to-lovers.
The first kiss between them happens at 39%, and it's almost insta-lust and insta-love between them from the first time they meet.
I wasn't fond of the fact that they shared one kiss, didn't talk about being in a relationship or even wanting one with each other, but Mitchel announces to the entire werewolf pack that they're in a relationship and he makes a mating bite without asking Sinclair or even warning him about what it means. That is way too rushed and without Sinclair's input. It didn't feel comfortable, and as the entire relationship was rushed, I could just never really believe in their relationship from the start. It had very little substance, even by the end of the book.
Sadly, I felt like the world-building was almost non-existent. It was so thin and lax that it felt like we were supposed to rely on pre-existing lore. Beyond the peace/treaty situation, there was no explanation for how vampires or werewolves lived in this world, what laws or limits they lived within. Because of that, I constantly felt like I didn't understand the choices that were made, because some would have made sense if an explanation of this world's lore would have been given at some point prior.
Unfortunately, some plot choices were far too convenient for the sake of the plot, and never made sense in terms of the flow or the characters, like the cheesy conversation between Josh and Mitchel where Mitchel said he'd rather mate a vampire than Erika and is warned to be careful what he wishes for. It was cringe-inducing, especially as events were already well underway by then. Other choices led to plot inconsistencies, such as when Mitchel is surprised when Becket says he drove Sinclair to campus, because he already knew this from Sinclair so there was no reason for this to be a surprise.
As well as the editing issues which I'll go into in a minute, there were some HUGE plot gaps that were never resolved or places where we were TOLD and not SHOWN what was happening. There were so many scenes that I wanted to see in detail because the author had made a big point of them being important or a huge factor in the plot, but when it actually came time to show them they were either ignored or glossed over with a vague explanation of what happened that we never get to see for ourselves.
Sinclair's mother being “the big guns” that he'd need to convince if he wanted to go to a werewolf university, yet we never see that conversation.
Mitchel makes a big deal of going to the “alpha gathering” but we're never actually told what that means or what it involves. We don't get to see any of the important aspects of that gathering, only one dance that doesn't amount to much.
Wee're *told* that the professors and students are unwelcoming to Sinclair, but we're never shown that. It's a pivotal moment for Sinclair's time on campus, but we never get to see it. I wanted to see him meeting his professors and his students, and how his first class went.
Mitchel and Sinclair make speeches to the peace rally, which are SUPER important, but we get about two lines of Mitchel's speech and nothing more. We never get to see anything about what they say, even as they're prepping the speech, so I can't understand why it wasn't shown. I wanted to see the speech, see the impact, the way people responded. But it felt pointless to put so much emphasis on a plot point and then just ignore it.
I had a problem with the “living” vampire concept. This could have been any human/werewolf story because of that concept, which left me disappointed. Sinclair is so completely “not” a vampire that his birth-nature has very little to do with the plot and gives him very little advantage over a human. The only part of “vampire” nature that actually applies to Sinclair is the blood-drinking, which forces a bond between Sinclair and Mitchel.
For me, the scene where Sinclair needs to drink Mitchel's blood is pointless and unnecessary, due to the way the plot was written. I honestly don't see WHY Sinclair needed to drink from Mitchel, because we're told that Sinclair knew he would get weak from the sun. If that was the case, why didn't Sinclair go to meet Mitchel, prepared for the worst. He's supposed to be the smartest vampire in existence, so I would expect him to be smart enough to prepare for all eventualities, meaning he would take time to rest or take blood with him, just in case. That's the kind of character he was written as, but he never made those logical choices. And the argument can't be made that he didn't have access to blood, because he had literally just received a care package from his friend Hazel which contained packages of synthetic blood. If that scene hadn't come first, I might have believed the need and urgency for Sinclair to feed from Mitchel, but it didn't. And it wasn't a life or death situation either, just that he was weak and had broken a few bones that would eventually heal, so the urgency wasn't believeable.
Which also leads me to the point that the world-building is so thin that we're never told whether synthetic blood acts the same as fresh blood, which would have been a distinction that would have made all the difference to the feeding scene.
Instead, everything felt too convenient. Just like the scene where Sinclair arrives at Mitchel's house in the middle of the night to find Mitchel wasn't there. He'd been to Mitchel's house before, but instead of going inside, he lies outside and falls asleep. Fine. I get that it might make sense – although, nothing in this story says that a vampire can't enter a property without permission, so I don't see why he didn't wait inside. But when Mitchel returns home, he decides NOT to take Sinclair inside where it's warm, but to lay a blanket over him, shift and lie outside with him. Why? They are literally right outside his house. Why not go inside? Oh, because it's convenient for the plot to make Mitchel shift, while makes Sinclair feel special for seeing the shift and again forces them into proximity. Because, of course, if Mitchel had taken Sinclair inside to lie on the sofa, or he'd found Sinclair there, then that whole scene wouldn't have happened. I'd rather have had it happen organically, but I feel that way about a lot of scenes in this book.
The aftermath of the biggest event in the book was rushed, and I'm really disappointed that we never got to see Ramsey and Sinclair being properly introduced, considering Ramsey put up such resistance towards their relationship. It was such a huge plot point that I'm not sure why it was glossed over.
~
ISSUES
For me, the flow of the story suffered from the editing choices and mistakes. The writing felt choppy and inconsistent, and there are NO time jump markers until the Epilogue. You get about halfway through the second page of a chapter before you find out it's been days or weeks since the previous chapter.
There are multiple editing issues, and since this isn't an ARC or pre-final edits version, I have to take them into account in my review. There are some obvious things, and some mis-spellings that make you pause and pull you out of the story, e.g. “whim. he reached”, “The alpha wolf I road here with”. Then there are some grammar issues where I can't tell whether it's a word choice problem or an editing issue, but there were a lot, e.g. “None of them three was a good enough scent tracker”
On top of that, there were a lot of areas were it took three or four sentences to say what should have taken just one sentence to say. There were also incomplete sentences that really didn't help with the flow of the story e.g. “One last deep breath, a polite knock, and a gulp as he waited.”
Although it's not an editing issues, as such, it's a definite editing choice that didn't work well for me – the use of italicised thoughts. They were more prominent in the first third of the book and none of them felt particularly necessary, as they were either preceded or followed by something in the main text that make the thought clear or obvious, e.g. when Mitchel is choosing his tie, we get an “Ugh. I hate this.” only for the entire following paragraph and preceding sentence to make that obvious.
~
Overall, I feel like the massive plot gaps and rushing don't leave any room for me to believe in the romance. Everything that could make this plot good, strong and original is skimmed over and wasted on a story that's 90% romance without any substance. The story loses all strength and heart because of these missing details and the lack of world-building. It's frustrating, because there was some good potential and the characters could have been brilliant if they'd been more fleshed out, but due to the rushed nature of the entire book – from rushing towards the romance, brushing past important plot points and desperate to reach the climax – it left no room to feel comfortable or settled within the story and really feel immersed.
December 27, 2019
This book was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was so cute, omg *heart eyes* I thought it was just gonna be another cliché paranormal romance book with flat characters and bad dialogue but damnnnn this was fun!
Writing style: The style was great! Everything was flowing nicely together and I was flying through the pages. The worldbuilding was well done, just enough information was given to understand what kind of world we're dealing with and no infodumping. Also, the smut was very tastefully written 👌🏼
Characters: I liked everyone! They were all so cute and aaah 😍 Mitchel and Sinclair (the main characters) are so different from each other and that makes them so cute together. I'm just all heart and starry eyed because of them.
Story: It's your typical wolf falls for vamp, the species are enemies so people aren't very happy with the relationship and it all turns out okay in the end. And yet it's still so very different. The author just wrote this story so tastefully that I didn't care if I've read stories like it, it's still a little different, it's still a different couple.
The characters, tasteful writing and the absolute cuteness of it all, will leave you wanting more. This lovely book gets three stars from me.
This book was so cute, omg *heart eyes* I thought it was just gonna be another cliché paranormal romance book with flat characters and bad dialogue but damnnnn this was fun!
Writing style: The style was great! Everything was flowing nicely together and I was flying through the pages. The worldbuilding was well done, just enough information was given to understand what kind of world we're dealing with and no infodumping. Also, the smut was very tastefully written 👌🏼
Characters: I liked everyone! They were all so cute and aaah 😍 Mitchel and Sinclair (the main characters) are so different from each other and that makes them so cute together. I'm just all heart and starry eyed because of them.
Story: It's your typical wolf falls for vamp, the species are enemies so people aren't very happy with the relationship and it all turns out okay in the end. And yet it's still so very different. The author just wrote this story so tastefully that I didn't care if I've read stories like it, it's still a little different, it's still a different couple.
The characters, tasteful writing and the absolute cuteness of it all, will leave you wanting more. This lovely book gets three stars from me.
December 27, 2019
Yes, deer
I love enemies to lovers and when you add in vampires and werewolves, well, it’s an automatic winner for me. Sinclair is brave, clever and I think forward-thinking when he makes the decision to study at a werewolf university. He and Mitchel have an unforgettable introduction but despite the mistrust they have a strong pull to one another. Mitchel surprised me with his actions and personality. He’s an alpha no doubt but he’s also very open and willing to venture into the unknown.
One thing is certain. These two are absolutely cute, sweet, and hot together. I adore how they tease and love each other. Speaking of, Sinclair has a sexy but possibly ineffective way of making threats and Mitchel chooses unique gifts. They’re both stubborn and I think they’ll have their hands full with each other. They belong together and I pity anyone who gets in their way. Danger, explosive action, and hope feature in this amazing introduction to a new fantasy world. With its intriguing cast of characters and suspenseful storyline, if you’re like me you won’t want the book to end.
I love enemies to lovers and when you add in vampires and werewolves, well, it’s an automatic winner for me. Sinclair is brave, clever and I think forward-thinking when he makes the decision to study at a werewolf university. He and Mitchel have an unforgettable introduction but despite the mistrust they have a strong pull to one another. Mitchel surprised me with his actions and personality. He’s an alpha no doubt but he’s also very open and willing to venture into the unknown.
One thing is certain. These two are absolutely cute, sweet, and hot together. I adore how they tease and love each other. Speaking of, Sinclair has a sexy but possibly ineffective way of making threats and Mitchel chooses unique gifts. They’re both stubborn and I think they’ll have their hands full with each other. They belong together and I pity anyone who gets in their way. Danger, explosive action, and hope feature in this amazing introduction to a new fantasy world. With its intriguing cast of characters and suspenseful storyline, if you’re like me you won’t want the book to end.
December 30, 2022
Lee Colgin’s Forbidden Devotion was a story I was eager to love, yet it was one that left me unable to love it to the degree I had hoped. That is not to say I disliked it, as that is not the case. However, it was one that I could have loved a lot more.
For me, this one felt a little too quick and easy. There was an interesting story within, yet things changed too rapidly for me to feel a true investment in the relationship. Add in the fact that details were missing about the bigger world, and the intensity of the storyline was never quite reached. Despite this, I found myself powering through it in no time. I wish there had been more to it – I feel a good edit would have helped develop this better, plus another proofread would have helped – but it was okay for easy reading.
All in all, this was okay for quick reading. I doubt I’ll dive into the next book in the series, but it worked for passing a bit of time.
For me, this one felt a little too quick and easy. There was an interesting story within, yet things changed too rapidly for me to feel a true investment in the relationship. Add in the fact that details were missing about the bigger world, and the intensity of the storyline was never quite reached. Despite this, I found myself powering through it in no time. I wish there had been more to it – I feel a good edit would have helped develop this better, plus another proofread would have helped – but it was okay for easy reading.
All in all, this was okay for quick reading. I doubt I’ll dive into the next book in the series, but it worked for passing a bit of time.
December 23, 2019
A new author for me with this book which I received as advance reader copy.
A great start to the story as they hate each other on sight well Mitchel does. Brilliantly told with both POV's of Sinclar and Mitchel. Scenes are never boring as the tale progresses forward. Other characters add to the story, peace and war always on the edge. Drama and bad scenes toward the ending but concludes with a HEA. I enjoyed reading this book and being the first of more to come in the series.
The world's between shifters vs vampire and humans where at an edge, but negotiations where about to start to hopefully achieve piece..
Sinclair 26 and had his own plans different from his vamp parent's. Attending a Uni to get his degree but the catch is it a werewolf Uni.
Mitchel 32 Alpha wolf at the University housing rooms with his young pack.
A great start to the story as they hate each other on sight well Mitchel does. Brilliantly told with both POV's of Sinclar and Mitchel. Scenes are never boring as the tale progresses forward. Other characters add to the story, peace and war always on the edge. Drama and bad scenes toward the ending but concludes with a HEA. I enjoyed reading this book and being the first of more to come in the series.
The world's between shifters vs vampire and humans where at an edge, but negotiations where about to start to hopefully achieve piece..
Sinclair 26 and had his own plans different from his vamp parent's. Attending a Uni to get his degree but the catch is it a werewolf Uni.
Mitchel 32 Alpha wolf at the University housing rooms with his young pack.
December 22, 2019
Sinclair is a living vampire attending Borson a werewolf University to his get his doctorate in the study of Philosophy of Historical Supernatural Studies in an exchange program with Moore the vampire University. Having faught each other in the Great War vampires and werewolves aren't on good terms so it is difficult at best for Sinclair and when the Alpha Mitchel shows up days after and attacks him it makes it worse until they start working things out. Slowly they begin to build a relationship but it will be horribly difficult with the history between these to supernatural races espically when right in the middle of a vote for supernaturals to come out to the humans which the vampires are campaigning for. This was an interesting well written story, enjoyed it.
December 26, 2022
Dnf at 28% I expected something completely different, an intense, angsty forbidden love story and instead I got immature teenagers and boring story telling. Honestly if anyone knows any decently written mm romance books with this type of vampire/wewolf, forbidden love story, please let me know. I feel they're surprisingly hard to find.
August 21, 2023
***3.75 stars***
January 22, 2023
When I first read this description I was a bit weary that this would be primarily focused on the war between vampires and werewolves and the relationship would either happen too fast or not really be focused on at all. I was really happy that Lee proved me wrong! And I was soo happy that I took a chance and read this book.
Sinclair is a scholar, he wants to study more of the history between vampires and werewolves and hopefully in doing that he will be able to help prevent another war from breaking out. The place where he can do that is Borson, Borson has a large library and an extensive collection of literature and not to mention all of the history he can learn by attending that campus. The problem? It's in werewolf territory, he won't just be passing them by, he'll be living with them and attending school with them. Sinclair is determined to go, despite his parents apprehensions he knows he has to attend, he needs to.
Upon his arrival he quickly realized that the werewolves did not want him there, however, over time he not only stands up to them but also earns their support and respect. Sinclair also can't help but fall for Mitchel, the alpha that's in charge of all of the students on campus. Sinclair never thought he would fall for a werewolf, but sometimes fate has other things in mind.
Mitchel has been the alpha of Borson's students for years, he's getting older. Each year that goes by he realizes how lonely he's getting, he loves being an alpha but he's missing something. He never expected that what he was missing was a not quite dead vampire who's willing to stay out in the sun just to help him.
I have read other books by Lee Colgin previously that I have really enjoyed. This one was just as good as those, if not better. The pacing was excellent, the relationship between Sinclair and Mitchel didn't happen right away, at first they started out as enemies. Then overtime they got to know one another and they learned that each other's species weren't as bad as what they had been taught. Sinclair had to earn the trust and respect of the pack which I really appreciated.
I frankly dislike when plot lines are quickly developed or when relationships between characters develop too soon and are underdeveloped. Whether the relationship be platonic or romantic. But that did not happen here.
Mitchel was such a sweet and caring alpha, he genuinely loved being an alpha for the college kids. He valued them and they valued and respected him. He also was the first to make an effort with Sinclair. Sinclair's character was witty, smart, flirty, kind, stubborn, and snarky at times. He just wanted to belong.
The slow burn! Oh it was soo good, at times I just wanted them to get together but I'm so glad the author prolonged that happening. I enjoyed seeing other characters having their own personalities and having a purpose for being apart of the story.
For those wondering if there was any action scenes, I can tell you there were! And that, let me tell you was really well done. There were a couple spicy scenes toward the end of the book but I think they helped the storyline along. They weren't just there for no reason.
Something I found really unique to this book was how Lee incorporated the chapters of Supernatural Times Reporter. I thought that was so great and special to this story, I really enjoyed it. I'm excited for Nathan's story, I'm going to go dive into it right now!
'It was hard not to admire Sinclair's beauty when they were this close. His clear pale skin, flushed cheeks, button nose. His pink tongue as it darted out to wet plush lips. That golden hair gleaming in the sunlight. The play of muscle beneath excess layers of clothes. He was just Mitchel's type.'
(Disclaimer! Once you start this book you won't be able to put it down!.)
*I received an early copy of this book and this is my honest review.*
Sinclair is a scholar, he wants to study more of the history between vampires and werewolves and hopefully in doing that he will be able to help prevent another war from breaking out. The place where he can do that is Borson, Borson has a large library and an extensive collection of literature and not to mention all of the history he can learn by attending that campus. The problem? It's in werewolf territory, he won't just be passing them by, he'll be living with them and attending school with them. Sinclair is determined to go, despite his parents apprehensions he knows he has to attend, he needs to.
Upon his arrival he quickly realized that the werewolves did not want him there, however, over time he not only stands up to them but also earns their support and respect. Sinclair also can't help but fall for Mitchel, the alpha that's in charge of all of the students on campus. Sinclair never thought he would fall for a werewolf, but sometimes fate has other things in mind.
Mitchel has been the alpha of Borson's students for years, he's getting older. Each year that goes by he realizes how lonely he's getting, he loves being an alpha but he's missing something. He never expected that what he was missing was a not quite dead vampire who's willing to stay out in the sun just to help him.
I have read other books by Lee Colgin previously that I have really enjoyed. This one was just as good as those, if not better. The pacing was excellent, the relationship between Sinclair and Mitchel didn't happen right away, at first they started out as enemies. Then overtime they got to know one another and they learned that each other's species weren't as bad as what they had been taught. Sinclair had to earn the trust and respect of the pack which I really appreciated.
I frankly dislike when plot lines are quickly developed or when relationships between characters develop too soon and are underdeveloped. Whether the relationship be platonic or romantic. But that did not happen here.
Mitchel was such a sweet and caring alpha, he genuinely loved being an alpha for the college kids. He valued them and they valued and respected him. He also was the first to make an effort with Sinclair. Sinclair's character was witty, smart, flirty, kind, stubborn, and snarky at times. He just wanted to belong.
The slow burn! Oh it was soo good, at times I just wanted them to get together but I'm so glad the author prolonged that happening. I enjoyed seeing other characters having their own personalities and having a purpose for being apart of the story.
For those wondering if there was any action scenes, I can tell you there were! And that, let me tell you was really well done. There were a couple spicy scenes toward the end of the book but I think they helped the storyline along. They weren't just there for no reason.
Something I found really unique to this book was how Lee incorporated the chapters of Supernatural Times Reporter. I thought that was so great and special to this story, I really enjoyed it. I'm excited for Nathan's story, I'm going to go dive into it right now!
'It was hard not to admire Sinclair's beauty when they were this close. His clear pale skin, flushed cheeks, button nose. His pink tongue as it darted out to wet plush lips. That golden hair gleaming in the sunlight. The play of muscle beneath excess layers of clothes. He was just Mitchel's type.'
(Disclaimer! Once you start this book you won't be able to put it down!.)
*I received an early copy of this book and this is my honest review.*
February 10, 2023
This is a good book! Sinclair is the heir of a powerful vampire family. But he chooses to go to graduate school at a university for werewolves. Of course he is treated poorly. None of his friends and family want him to attend. But Sinclair wants to study so he can make a difference between vampires and werewolves. Werewolf alpha Mitchell is furious when he learns that the vampire will be living with his pack. Everyone knows the two groups do not mix well and there is a long history of violence between the two groups. But as the tension increases, Sinclair and Mitchell grow closer. What are a vampire and werewolf to do when they fall in love with each other? Sinclair is kidnapped during a peace conference and the two groups must work together. Will this be enough to avert more violence? I am looking forward to reading the next book.
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