Bradford is one of my favorite shifter writers. Apparently I read this back in march and forgot to review it. I can't really remember but I know I loved mika's character. ( )

Rescued by Bailey Bradford, is the story of Mika, a wolf shifter that has been driven from his pack because he is gay and Gabriel is a rescuer of abandoned dogs. Gabriel rehabilitates the dogs and helps find them new homes. Gabriel finds an injured and sick Mika, in wolf form on his property and calls in the help of his friends Adam, a veterinarian and Todd, a Sheriff’s Deputy. Both of these men are also gay and have their own side story going on in the book. There is a lot of sex in this book once Gabriel accepts Mika as his mate.



Here are the things I did and didn’t like about Rescued.

PROS:

I liked the explanation of how werewolves were greeted. It was something different from the ordinary expected way.

The reaction of Gabriel to being freaked about finding out that Mika was a shifter seemed like how someone would react.


CONS:

The reading fell flat. I couldn’t get into the story and feel what the characters were feeling and I think it was because the story was more telling rather than showing. There was lots of description and why the characters thought such and such, but not much dialogue between the characters.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that Gabriel was a female. His reactions and behavior screamed ‘virgin female,’ even though he was highly attracted and aroused by Mika.

There were numerous situations where the characters argued with homophobic characters or pointed out homophobic reactions by characters to the readers. It came across as ‘preaching’ through the pages of the book, like telling the readers we shouldn’t think this or we should think like that. I didn’t care for the pushy aspect of the message that ran throughout the story.

There were lots of repetition about Mika’s insecurity and his fear of losing his mate. Also about how Gabriel never wanted to see that lost look on Mika’s face again. And how Gabriel so wanted to have sex with Mika but he just couldn’t. The reasons for the angst in this story felt forced and artificial.

This was a cute idea of a shifter romance, but the angst felt contrived and forced. It was more telling than showing with not much dialogue which made the story flat. I couldn’t get into the feelings of the characters. I give this 2.5 Stars but raise it to 3 stars because GR doesn’t give half stars.


( )

Love books that can make me laugh out loud. ( )

A nice paranormal novel with an “homemade pie” feeling, and this is a compliment. Often, shapeshifter stories about gay-shifters banned by their pack for something they cannot avoid tend to be highly dramatic and a little bit repetitive. Bailey Bradford prevented this issue infusing her story with a “comfortable” environment, two more or less average men (if you let aside the little detail one is a shapeshifter…) and obstacles to their love that can be solved with the power of love and good predisposition.

When Gabriel realizes the stray wolf he rescued is an handsome shapeshifter, Mika, he thinks twice that is not exactly “ordinary”, but then he also ponders that Mika is a wonderful partner, an attentive lover, and that he is all for loving and taking care of Gabriel forever and ever… well, in the end, the “shapeshifter” thing is not so important, and then it doesn’t really create trouble to their relationship, and so, why bother?

When Mika realizes that he has found his soul mate in Gabriel, the bitterness he proves in being an outcast, in having lost his pack, is not more important, Gabriel will be his partner, lover, mate, home, family, pack, and so why bother?

These are only two examples, but mostly the story follows this trend, Gabe and Mika ponder what is really important in life, and their love is always the winner. Everything else exists, they need to acknowledge it, but it’s not what has to shape their life and move their decisions.

I liked the feeling of Gabe and Mika being average guys, with the feet well anchored on earth, still young but with a wisdom you usually associate to much older men.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0857150820/?tag=elimyrevandra-20