April Kelley

Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

The second book in the Pickleville series tells the story of Greg and Brian, who are introduced in [b:Whispers of Home|24899935|Whispers of Home (Pickleville #1)|April Kelley|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1423572703s/24899935.jpg|44549817] as secondary characters. The two seem an unlikely couple: Greg is barely out of his teens, a ranch hand who ran away from his childhood home, and Brian a nerdy accountant nearly ten years his senior. The romance is sweet, sometimes hot, and sometimes not-so-pleasantly explosive as can be expected - no couple is perfect.

For such a short book, a lot was happening in it. Maybe a tad too much at times. And as with the previous book, the lack of detail to editing is just simply off-putting. As much as I enjoy these books - they're quick and easy reads with fun characters, some smexy times, and good secondary characters, some of whose stories I'm sure are to follow - I am hesitant of buying more. On one hand, I like these characters and their stories, on the other... I keep wanting to dig out my red pencil.… (altro)

Finding a mate, in this world, is rare and not always easy. And in this story, the problem is not a lack of understanding who is someone’s true mate, rather, it’s the fact that the men in question come from very different cultures. It’s an interesting question to answer: whose mating ritual should be followed? And what happens if one of the partners has to face somewhat dire consequences if he makes an incorrect decision?

Kailu is a half wood elf/half human with two younger brothers, parents who are from mixed cultures, and a large family – all of whom expect him to follow proper courtship protocol as and when he meets his mate. But then the unexpected happens and Kailu meets his mate when he is looking for a Yule tree, only the man turns out to be a bear shifter and the conflict is preprogrammed.

Raider is a bear shifter who likes his solitude, left home when he first shifted (pretty much like every other bear shifter out there), and has not spoken to his parents in several years (which is somewhat extreme). Bear shifter matings are “fast and furious”, and Raider has a tough time understanding the idea of having to wait until he can meet (and be approved by) the family, and following some courtship ritual he has never even heard of.

The clash of the two sets of expectations is an obstacle Kailu and Raider have to overcome. It isn’t easy to figure out a way that will keep Kailu’s relatives happy, and it was fun to watch both men doing their best to solve the problem – fast. Raider is not the only one who is impatient to get “to the main attraction”.

If you like winter stories with a paranormal/fantastical touch, if men from different backgrounds having to figure out how to make a relationship work is your thing, and if you’re looking for an entertaining read with lots of stumbling blocks, then you might like this short story.


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