The pack of outcasts and misfits in Elk Ridge, Colorado is back, and this time the focus is on Jason, the guy who works in the diner and cooks for the pack, and Riley, a stranger from out of town. Apparently, rumors of a supposedly extinct Argent of the royal wolf-shifter line being a pack member have reached the outside world. The idea of someone uncovering what Matt and the others have just discovered and begun to deal with in book one had me as worried as the shifters were. The royal line brings a lot of political power in this shifter world, so anyone uncovering their secret would bring a lot of political wrangling from power-hungry shifters to the pack. Not what any of them want or are ready for.

Riley is in trouble, and not just because his job as a journalist is on the line. He has already failed at numerous other professions he has tried, and the idea of disappointing his father yet again is too much. Riley desperately wants to belong, but ever since he came out to his father, the man has ignored him. Still, Riley wants to please him so badly it clouds Riley’s judgment to the point where he loses track of morals, his principles, and the pain he will cause Jason if he does go public with his story.

Jason is shy, hasn’t ever had a relationship, and wants so badly to have a partner he can love. Riley seems to be all those things, except for the fact he will leave town again once he finishes his travel guide, or so Jason thinks. Just when Jason begins to admit how deeply he is already in love, the sh*t hits the fan as he finds out it was all a lie. The depth of his pain and disappointment is palpable, and I was ready to wring Riley’s neck for what he did. I truly doubted they’d ever be able to put this behind them, but luckily, fate (and the author) had different ideas.

If you like shifter stories with men who fall for each other before they really know who the other person is, then have to deal with the consequences, if you like reading about broken trust and the hard road back to a true relationship, and if you’re looking for a light read that is as emotional as it is hot, then you will probably like this novella.


NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )