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Everything That You Are
In a foolish moment of pride and fear, Michael cast aside his destined mate, leaving Kaden to suffer the brutal consequences, but he will risk anything, even life itself, to make amends and win his mate’s love.
Born of the union between a werewolf and a mage, Kaden was forced to hide his existence and power from both species. But when a stranger crossed his path one night, he was tempted to risk his heart and life to meet this man. They were not alone, however. An alpha witnessed Kaden’s harsh rejection and kidnapped him immediately afterward, subjecting him to years of torture and manipulation of his power.
Michael, a newly made alpha, had never been attracted to men, so when he discovered that his mate was male, shock and fear caused him to make the worst decision of his life. He spurned Kaden and the love the younger man offered. Ridden with guilt and loss, Michael went back to search for his mate only to find him gone.
After four years of scouring the countryside for Kaden, fate brought them back together, but Michael finds that winning Kaden’s heart is not his only challenge. Kaden’s kidnapper will never give up his obsession with the young beauty, but neither will Michael. Will their love be strong enough to defeat evil and the burden of past mistakes?
Reader Advisory: This book contains graphic language and violence.
Born of the union between a werewolf and a mage, Kaden was forced to hide his existence and power from both species. But when a stranger crossed his path one night, he was tempted to risk his heart and life to meet this man. They were not alone, however. An alpha witnessed Kaden’s harsh rejection and kidnapped him immediately afterward, subjecting him to years of torture and manipulation of his power.
Michael, a newly made alpha, had never been attracted to men, so when he discovered that his mate was male, shock and fear caused him to make the worst decision of his life. He spurned Kaden and the love the younger man offered. Ridden with guilt and loss, Michael went back to search for his mate only to find him gone.
After four years of scouring the countryside for Kaden, fate brought them back together, but Michael finds that winning Kaden’s heart is not his only challenge. Kaden’s kidnapper will never give up his obsession with the young beauty, but neither will Michael. Will their love be strong enough to defeat evil and the burden of past mistakes?
Reader Advisory: This book contains graphic language and violence.
161 pages, ebook
First published June 27, 2011
10 people are currently reading
240 people want to read
About the author
Nikki McCoy
27 books59 followersI have always been a lover of books, particularly those with the dichotomy of the strong alpha male and the weaker love of their life which they must rescue. After reading all I could find in M/F books, I decided to give M/M fiction a try and my addiction skyrocketed.
Hot, sexy men times two? No contest. Unfortunately, I was reading faster than the authors could produce. Eventually, I resorted to imagining my own stories and my mind took off from there.
I have to admit, though, I am a bit of a recluse. If not for the joy and humour my husband and four boys bring to me, I would never have ventured this far.
Hot, sexy men times two? No contest. Unfortunately, I was reading faster than the authors could produce. Eventually, I resorted to imagining my own stories and my mind took off from there.
I have to admit, though, I am a bit of a recluse. If not for the joy and humour my husband and four boys bring to me, I would never have ventured this far.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
July 2, 2011
This is my first book by Nikki McCoy and I really, really enjoyed this story of Kaden and Michael. I have to admit that with the start of the book I was not impressed with Michael and he was quickly heading to my Top Ten Hit List until he had Nick turn the car around.
In many ways, this is a story about the consequences of actions and sometimes the long range effects. Even though the author does a good job having Michael do what it takes to win back the trust of his mate, I also approved of Kaden's reticence to accept Michael back. Kaden felt the mate pull but he wasn't a slave to it and I enjoyed the control that Kaden retained because of that.
I do have to say that Michael's parents rocked and Missy was adorable. Maybe Ms. McCoy will continue this rich world with Nick's story. I know that I would enjoy coming back here.
In many ways, this is a story about the consequences of actions and sometimes the long range effects. Even though the author does a good job having Michael do what it takes to win back the trust of his mate, I also approved of Kaden's reticence to accept Michael back. Kaden felt the mate pull but he wasn't a slave to it and I enjoyed the control that Kaden retained because of that.
I do have to say that Michael's parents rocked and Missy was adorable. Maybe Ms. McCoy will continue this rich world with Nick's story. I know that I would enjoy coming back here.
March 12, 2013
A big thank you to my GR friend Mandy for pointing out this book as a good healing/comfort book for my healing/comfort shelf! Poor MC Kaden sure did go through the ringer in this one! Love that big, bad Alpha male shifter comfort from his mate Michael. :)
Recommended for those who love the hurt/healing/comfort/m/m/shifter thing.
Recommended for those who love the hurt/healing/comfort/m/m/shifter thing.
July 20, 2011
I enjoyed this book and the characters of Kaden and Michael, though at the beginning of the story, Michael was not my favourite person. He redeemed himself quickly though and I found myself hooked into the pain he was having upon realizing he'd turned his back on his mate.
Kaden was obviously suffering a different kind of pain, both physically and emotionally. He was a fascinating character to me, being a were and a mage and having that awesome power of transmitting emotions. The abuse he suffered was astronomical and I have to say I wasn't all that comfortable with his and Michael's first mating, but as I said Michael redeemed himself in all kinds of ways, in all kinds of support and love.
The secondary characters were very interesting, especially Michael's parents' who I instantly loved. The scene of Kathleen and Kaden dancing around the kitchen made me smile and they way they called the younger man "son" was truly beautiful. In a lot of ways this may have been a typical shifter story - smaller man/bigger Alpha, love lost and found - but I thought the distinct personalities of the characters and the secondary characters, plus the addition of mages made it both interesting and unique.
I look forward to reading more of Nikki's work.
Kaden was obviously suffering a different kind of pain, both physically and emotionally. He was a fascinating character to me, being a were and a mage and having that awesome power of transmitting emotions. The abuse he suffered was astronomical and I have to say I wasn't all that comfortable with his and Michael's first mating, but as I said Michael redeemed himself in all kinds of ways, in all kinds of support and love.
The secondary characters were very interesting, especially Michael's parents' who I instantly loved. The scene of Kathleen and Kaden dancing around the kitchen made me smile and they way they called the younger man "son" was truly beautiful. In a lot of ways this may have been a typical shifter story - smaller man/bigger Alpha, love lost and found - but I thought the distinct personalities of the characters and the secondary characters, plus the addition of mages made it both interesting and unique.
I look forward to reading more of Nikki's work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2013
The beginning was very confusingly written. A lot seemed to have been omitted and there was information the author took for granted, and thus didn't impart to the readers. The author took the opposite route of info-dumping: not providing the information at all. It wasn't written in such a way that we could pick up on it, read the subtle clues and therefore not feel so poleaxed when certain pieces of indispensible information was revealed.
The main problem is that the author fashioned xyr universe, and yet didn't bother tell us much about it. Xe is operating under certain assumptions xe is able to make because xe knows the universe, while the reader, unfamiliar as xe is with the author's universe, is left to flounder.
Ah, no I get it. It makes sense if you read the blurb.
The blurb is the missing prologue.
That's horrible. Your book shouldn't ever be carried by your blurb. Which came first, the blurb or the book? That's like asking if the sparknotes for The Odyssey came before Homer wrote it =_=
There were gimmicks. Gimmicks are annoying.
A lot is not revealed when it should be.
Random, inapproprioately timed sex was random. And inappropriately timed. Extremely so.
A mishmash of cliches and subgenre tropes cemented together by...I don't know. Probably just held together by a couple of threads.
The lack of information makes everything seem like farce. Weird shit is happening for apparently no reason, making it sometimes come off as comical.
You know, Michael comes off sounding like a lesser of the two evils situation. Sure, he "loves" Kaden, of the "I will never let you go. Ever. For any reason. Any at all."
His family goes along with him to coerce/extort Kaden into staying until Stockholm can set in. I mean, until he realizes he loves Michael and forgives him for perceived wrongs that really weren't Michael's fault (even though for some reason, the rest of his family blamed him for leaving Kaden in danger. Uh...how could they have known the situation? Unless their reasoning is "now that you've found your mate, clearly the only safe place for said mate to be is with you; therefore, you shouldn't have left your mate in danger, i.e. bereft of your presence." Either way, it's a bunch of clusterfuuuuuck.)
Some reason, I feel like all I really got out of this story was, "Damn. I really wish I had some bacon right now."
Oh, and "Holy shit, they're all creepy bastards."
And "Someone please help Kaden ___." (Look. A Hannibal fandom reference. See what this book's doing to me?)
For some reason, I felt like one of the morals of this story was "women are property."
Something about the proprietary way Michael sometimes referred to his mother...
The sister...Ah, the sister.
First off, her name's Missy, which is a bitch name if I've ever heard one. Secondly, she comes off as so damn vapid in her introduction. Blathering about "OMG! Did you know black holes had four dimensions? I looked it up on NASA. A friend told me her teacher told her they had two, but NASA says they have four. And ahmigawd and no way and OMG and did you know?"
And another thing. Jade is a pretty atypical guy name. How did he think that would help make him incognito? Because who needs common sense, right?
And the the sister blathers on some more. And then talks about doing complex caluclations. "Like, omg. I'm not an airhead. I like totally do math and can calculate complex things. I love to read, too. I'm getting an encyclopedia and it's going to be totally cute. And-"
I can't force myself to mimic this...this anymore.
She must be that chick from Legally Blond.
The signs of an impending first shift...you can tell us what they are, you know.
There's nothing endearing about this story at all. I feel nothing for this but a sort of mild-to-moderate disgust.
The main problem is that the author fashioned xyr universe, and yet didn't bother tell us much about it. Xe is operating under certain assumptions xe is able to make because xe knows the universe, while the reader, unfamiliar as xe is with the author's universe, is left to flounder.
Ah, no I get it. It makes sense if you read the blurb.
The blurb is the missing prologue.
That's horrible. Your book shouldn't ever be carried by your blurb. Which came first, the blurb or the book? That's like asking if the sparknotes for The Odyssey came before Homer wrote it =_=
There were gimmicks. Gimmicks are annoying.
A lot is not revealed when it should be.
Random, inapproprioately timed sex was random. And inappropriately timed. Extremely so.
A mishmash of cliches and subgenre tropes cemented together by...I don't know. Probably just held together by a couple of threads.
The lack of information makes everything seem like farce. Weird shit is happening for apparently no reason, making it sometimes come off as comical.
You know, Michael comes off sounding like a lesser of the two evils situation. Sure, he "loves" Kaden, of the "I will never let you go. Ever. For any reason. Any at all."
His family goes along with him to coerce/extort Kaden into staying until Stockholm can set in. I mean, until he realizes he loves Michael and forgives him for perceived wrongs that really weren't Michael's fault (even though for some reason, the rest of his family blamed him for leaving Kaden in danger. Uh...how could they have known the situation? Unless their reasoning is "now that you've found your mate, clearly the only safe place for said mate to be is with you; therefore, you shouldn't have left your mate in danger, i.e. bereft of your presence." Either way, it's a bunch of clusterfuuuuuck.)
Some reason, I feel like all I really got out of this story was, "Damn. I really wish I had some bacon right now."
Oh, and "Holy shit, they're all creepy bastards."
And "Someone please help Kaden ___." (Look. A Hannibal fandom reference. See what this book's doing to me?)
For some reason, I felt like one of the morals of this story was "women are property."
Something about the proprietary way Michael sometimes referred to his mother...
The sister...Ah, the sister.
First off, her name's Missy, which is a bitch name if I've ever heard one. Secondly, she comes off as so damn vapid in her introduction. Blathering about "OMG! Did you know black holes had four dimensions? I looked it up on NASA. A friend told me her teacher told her they had two, but NASA says they have four. And ahmigawd and no way and OMG and did you know?"
And another thing. Jade is a pretty atypical guy name. How did he think that would help make him incognito? Because who needs common sense, right?
And the the sister blathers on some more. And then talks about doing complex caluclations. "Like, omg. I'm not an airhead. I like totally do math and can calculate complex things. I love to read, too. I'm getting an encyclopedia and it's going to be totally cute. And-"
I can't force myself to mimic this...this anymore.
She must be that chick from Legally Blond.
The signs of an impending first shift...you can tell us what they are, you know.
There's nothing endearing about this story at all. I feel nothing for this but a sort of mild-to-moderate disgust.
July 13, 2011
This author was new to me so I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm glad I picked this one up because I got drawn in pretty quickly. I loved all the angst and and emotional upheaval. I could picture the hurt and shame on young Kaden's face when Michael rejected him as his mate. I could feel the despair when Michael couldn't find his mate for 4 long years, and the hopelessness and pain Kaden suffered during his years of captivity. What Kaden had to endure was heartbreaking so his reluctance to immediately forgive Michael was understandable. But even though Michael made a huge mistake in walking away from Kaden when they first met, he realized his mistake almost immediately and went back for Kaden as soon as he could. I admired Michael's patience and the way he was willing to do anything to earn Kaden's trust and love. Kaden being half mage was a nice little twist and his power to be able to feel and project emotions to others was really amplified with Michael because they were mates. I loved the supporting characters, especially Michael's parents and Kaden's sister. They added a lot of humor in between the many moments of drama. The constant danger of Kaden being kidnapped again, along with the emotional turmoil they went through while trying to build their relationship, really held my interest and I look forward to reading more from this author :)
June 28, 2011
3.5 stars
The plot is pretty, uhm, common. I don't think it offers anything different -- and you can actually guess the whole story by the blurb. Still, I find it to be pretty engaging. I like the idea of half-breed (werewolf/mage) that is of Kaden. I find my heart goes out for him, imagining the torture that he must face for 2-years, being kidnapped after Michael's rejection. So it's been a delight watching his character progresses throughout until he shows his wolf side. There are also some tender moments that make my heart squeezed (like when Michael gives Kaden a bath).
Aside from Kaden, my favorite characters are actually Michael's parents, especially his Mom. That woman ROCKS my sock! I need more mother figure in m/m romance like that *lol*.
My complaint is possibly the alternate POV change from Michael to Kaden (and vice versa) that happens without some sort of sign. A couple of times I feel confused because my brain set with one's POV then suddenly, the next paragraph, it's actually from the other.
The plot is pretty, uhm, common. I don't think it offers anything different -- and you can actually guess the whole story by the blurb. Still, I find it to be pretty engaging. I like the idea of half-breed (werewolf/mage) that is of Kaden. I find my heart goes out for him, imagining the torture that he must face for 2-years, being kidnapped after Michael's rejection. So it's been a delight watching his character progresses throughout until he shows his wolf side. There are also some tender moments that make my heart squeezed (like when Michael gives Kaden a bath).
Aside from Kaden, my favorite characters are actually Michael's parents, especially his Mom. That woman ROCKS my sock! I need more mother figure in m/m romance like that *lol*.
My complaint is possibly the alternate POV change from Michael to Kaden (and vice versa) that happens without some sort of sign. A couple of times I feel confused because my brain set with one's POV then suddenly, the next paragraph, it's actually from the other.
June 27, 2011
This story was well staged. The writing style pulled me into the plot instantly. All emotions, in this story, were really deep and real. I really liked that. Personalities of all main characters made this story truly enjoyable. Main cover for this book is simply gorgeous!
Definitely HIGHLY recommended well written shifters book!
Definitely HIGHLY recommended well written shifters book!
June 18, 2014
A fantastic little 'short'!
Was it perfect? No, there were quite a few inconsistencies. But you know what; I really enjoyed it :D
Was it perfect? No, there were quite a few inconsistencies. But you know what; I really enjoyed it :D
December 18, 2013
This is kind of hard for me to rate. Why? Because while I like the story subject, I didn't really care for the delivery.
For me, the relationship between Michael and Kaden was nice. I liked how reserved Kaden was at first with Michael, considering what happened after their previous meeting. However, I didn't like how Kaden blamed Michael for everything. Was it REALLY his fault that he was kidnapped?
Then there's Michael. Okay, I liked him and thought his heart was in the right place, but the barn scene was UNCALLED for! I wanted to hate him right then and there. But, I kept on reading.
I actually REALLY hate the whole "let's put off telling us about the danger" thing. No, you sit your ass down and talk about what was going on. If I were Michael I would want to know why those people were in the barn and how Kaden knew them. But, no, he let Kaden wait and wait and wait to tell him. REALLY? You're mate is in trouble and you don't want to know what's going on in case that danger comes for him?
THEN
LOVED Missy by the way :) Also, Michael's mom. Constantly making food and sewing clothes, but watch out for Mama wolf when protecting her pups. YIKES!
Overall, it was okay.
For me, the relationship between Michael and Kaden was nice. I liked how reserved Kaden was at first with Michael, considering what happened after their previous meeting. However, I didn't like how Kaden blamed Michael for everything. Was it REALLY his fault that he was kidnapped?
Then there's Michael. Okay, I liked him and thought his heart was in the right place, but the barn scene was UNCALLED for! I wanted to hate him right then and there. But, I kept on reading.
I actually REALLY hate the whole "let's put off telling us about the danger" thing. No, you sit your ass down and talk about what was going on. If I were Michael I would want to know why those people were in the barn and how Kaden knew them. But, no, he let Kaden wait and wait and wait to tell him. REALLY? You're mate is in trouble and you don't want to know what's going on in case that danger comes for him?
THEN
LOVED Missy by the way :) Also, Michael's mom. Constantly making food and sewing clothes, but watch out for Mama wolf when protecting her pups. YIKES!
Overall, it was okay.
October 7, 2011
It's not a new story in plot or premise, though perhaps done better than many others. It's a nice, readable story, but it is like the author says of herself:
And boy does Kaden need rescuing all the time. There are parts of this story that are fairly dumb - with as much that has happened to Kaden, one would think that Michael wouldn't allow certain things to happen, and yet he does. Their actions don't always match to the situations.
Just a quick add: One thing that bothered me quite a bit... a silly thing that kept irritating me throughout the story, the author used the word 'span' instead of 'spun', as in "he span around to face the door". She used the word at least 4 or 5 times.
I have always been a lover of books, particularly those with the dichotomy of the strong alpha male and the weaker love of their life whom they must rescue.
And boy does Kaden need rescuing all the time. There are parts of this story that are fairly dumb - with as much that has happened to Kaden, one would think that Michael wouldn't allow certain things to happen, and yet he does. Their actions don't always match to the situations.
Just a quick add: One thing that bothered me quite a bit... a silly thing that kept irritating me throughout the story, the author used the word 'span' instead of 'spun', as in "he span around to face the door". She used the word at least 4 or 5 times.
September 23, 2014
This book bugged me in that I wasn't able to fully suspend my disbelief/belief, and enjoy it fully. I didn't like the alpha MC very much and he just didn't feel right. The major thing that bugged me was that I wasn't able to fully grasp the dynamics of the relationship between the MCs. The word "boy" was the trigger. One would think Kaden would be annoyed being called that since he had to grow up fast selling himself at age 17 or thereabouts to take care of his family. It seemed incomprehensible to me that he would accept being seen as a boy or a pup, and especially when their relationship didn't seem like a dom-sub type. If it were, I missed the note somewhere.
July 4, 2017
Had two of my pet peeves
1) An MC who apparently is soooo pretty and frail and feminine, everyone lusts for him and he's constantly getting raped or almost raped. O.o
And (this kinda goes with this first one)
2) An MC who is raped after finding/connecting with his mate. A tortured past is one thing, but I just don't like it when a character has happiness in his hands, only to have it ripped away. Plus I always find the "everything's ok now" a bit unbelievable, it takes more than a hug to get over being raped and get back into sexual excitement with your lover.
1) An MC who apparently is soooo pretty and frail and feminine, everyone lusts for him and he's constantly getting raped or almost raped. O.o
And (this kinda goes with this first one)
2) An MC who is raped after finding/connecting with his mate. A tortured past is one thing, but I just don't like it when a character has happiness in his hands, only to have it ripped away. Plus I always find the "everything's ok now" a bit unbelievable, it takes more than a hug to get over being raped and get back into sexual excitement with your lover.
May 10, 2017
Women are cooks and make quilts. Men are alphas and betas and ranchers and trackers. His sister is taken under the older woman's wing and taught to cook which she has a gift for. He, the effeminate male, eats dinners in the kitchen and helps clear the table but he trains horses. The men all figured out what happened in the space of 30 seconds but the sister was still clueless. She apparently is a teen but how is she so sheltered? When the mom finds out he's mated she's so excited she decides to make him a wardrobe of clothes. They don't even know he's poor yet. But a woman got to see and mother apparently. The mom wears ankle length flowed and lace. If it weren't for the dance club, I'd think this was a much earlier era. Of course the ex is s nasty piece of work.
Ugh. Michael calling him "boy." Not as in "the boy" which would be bad enough, but in the way masters call slaves.
I do like the sister though.
They didn't tell Henry that they were leaving? Given all he did for them?
I don't like a value judgement on s sex worker just because you don't like the job. People aren't generally in it voluntarily. I think that was the authors point. But the thing is that it isn't always about feeding your family. It can also be about being taught you weren't better than that or having no skills such as numbering illiterate or just needing a place to stay. Addiction is probably the most common reason though and addicts shouldn't be judged either. People become addicts for a reason.
This is better written with a better sense of place than the average shifter book but the trite character of the little guy including his looks (pale skin, white blond hair, diminutive size) coupled with his childlike innocence despite years of abuse is annoying. Add in that he acts like he's five without a five year old's assertiveness, and you get a rather unappealing typical shifter character.
Some head hopping. Not too egregious to be more than just annoying when the second half of a scene was from another's perspective.
The shower scene after the ravine incident was really good.
I'm glad the little guy stepped up in the end and rescued the big guy.
Lots of peril and OMG moments which made up for the sexism.
Ugh. Michael calling him "boy." Not as in "the boy" which would be bad enough, but in the way masters call slaves.
I do like the sister though.
They didn't tell Henry that they were leaving? Given all he did for them?
I don't like a value judgement on s sex worker just because you don't like the job. People aren't generally in it voluntarily. I think that was the authors point. But the thing is that it isn't always about feeding your family. It can also be about being taught you weren't better than that or having no skills such as numbering illiterate or just needing a place to stay. Addiction is probably the most common reason though and addicts shouldn't be judged either. People become addicts for a reason.
This is better written with a better sense of place than the average shifter book but the trite character of the little guy including his looks (pale skin, white blond hair, diminutive size) coupled with his childlike innocence despite years of abuse is annoying. Add in that he acts like he's five without a five year old's assertiveness, and you get a rather unappealing typical shifter character.
Some head hopping. Not too egregious to be more than just annoying when the second half of a scene was from another's perspective.
The shower scene after the ravine incident was really good.
I'm glad the little guy stepped up in the end and rescued the big guy.
Lots of peril and OMG moments which made up for the sexism.
August 5, 2018
It's not terrible, but it's not good. Nothing new about the story/plot, and the characters are pretty shallow. The entire book (characters, universe, plot, etc.) lacks depth. It wasn't so bad that I DNF'ed it, but I skimmed significant parts, especially toward the end. Various things felt rushed and out of place. I'll forget all about this book in a matter of weeks. 2.5 rounded up to a 3 because it's clear the author put in considerable effort, and that's respectable.
February 10, 2018
The book had some real potential and I like that the author didn't brush away Kaden's abuse. The dialogue was bit clunky and the writing a little awkward.
Still an enjoyable read.
Still an enjoyable read.
May 19, 2012
"I think I've discovered the secret of life - you just hang around until you get used to it.
~Charles Schulz.
The plot
Michael in a gay bar see his mate, the fragile and small (underage!?!?) dancer, Kaden.
The alpha werewolf is not gay. Scared about that discover he run from his destiny, to after discover his mistake. But it's too late. Life is not easy, and both Michael and Kaden will pay a high price for that single moment of doubt... a very high price.
I know it's in my noncon shelf but don't be scared. There is no description, but I must left this book there. . SO AGAIN, there is no description, but it's a strong theme, rape, and it's there in this book.
This story deserve my 5 stars because of...
The romance... it's CUTE!
The fact I was addicted to it. I got this ebook in a sale. When I do it I like to read the first paragraph. It's a insane thing, I know, but I always do it, just to check the files I get. Well, I never stop, or think in put this book down. It's a true page turner, so it's certainly deserve my 5 stars.
And most of all, the fact I love the secondary characters. Do you want a gay book with a very supportive family? This book is for you. Michael is denying himself, saying he is not gay... well, his parents are not, AT ALL, influencing him to be straight. Read it to see, how supportive is his mother, loving Kaden as his own son, and how strong is his father, wanting to see Michael happy, with another man or not, the only thing Michael's father want is the happiness of his family.
All the erotic scenes were perfect . Love them all!
But, I can't give more than 3 stars
I want too say it's perfect, but the writing didn't help me. English is not my language, and so when I read a book with long sentences and wrong punctuation I start to fell frustrated.
The plot is full of odd moments.
I love Kaden, because I LOOOOVE tormented heroes, and I despised Michael. For the fact he prefer to ignore a murder (yeah, I insist about it) for a while, and most of all, for what happened to Kaden. The fragile and sweet Kaden was raped and abused for 3 years! People, can you read about it, and love Michael knowing it's his fault? I try... very hard to forgive him, but it didn't work... I finish this book, because I love Kaden and want to read a HEA (Kaden deserve a HEA!!!), so it was him, JUST HIM that catch my attention... not his
Last remark it's a pity at the end .
3 stars
May 22, 2013
2012 Review:
Yes. Good book, a certain awkwardness in the phrasing and grammatical issues notwithstanding, but oh so very serious. This is one I’ve had on my to-read list for at least half a year after skimming through some of it to get an idea of what it was about. I am glad I braved it now, though.
While, yes, the violence and abuse were awful and the relationship started out with immense pain and guilt, it did not depress me at all. This is actually a really sweet book.
Sure, Michael was grievously at fault but his regret was deep and all-encompassing, which made me forgive him. He did try his best, even if he screwed up a lot.
However, one very annoying matter was the procrastination in regards to the murderers. I guess this is one of those plot contrivances where we’re expected to turn a blind eye to common sense just so that the plot can proceed the way the author wants it. Meh.
But I am nitpicking with that. Altogether this was good and I enjoyed it. Compared to my usual fare, it felt oddly long. In a good way.
It’s so nice to get away from those overly casual, sloppy books from the always same cast for a bit.
Yes. Good book, a certain awkwardness in the phrasing and grammatical issues notwithstanding, but oh so very serious. This is one I’ve had on my to-read list for at least half a year after skimming through some of it to get an idea of what it was about. I am glad I braved it now, though.
While, yes, the violence and abuse were awful and the relationship started out with immense pain and guilt, it did not depress me at all. This is actually a really sweet book.
Sure, Michael was grievously at fault but his regret was deep and all-encompassing, which made me forgive him. He did try his best, even if he screwed up a lot.
However, one very annoying matter was the procrastination in regards to the murderers. I guess this is one of those plot contrivances where we’re expected to turn a blind eye to common sense just so that the plot can proceed the way the author wants it. Meh.
But I am nitpicking with that. Altogether this was good and I enjoyed it. Compared to my usual fare, it felt oddly long. In a good way.
It’s so nice to get away from those overly casual, sloppy books from the always same cast for a bit.
February 14, 2017
Could have contained more groveling from Michael and more emotional scenes between Michael & Kaden but I liked it anyway.
March 21, 2015
I liked the first book I read by Nikki McCoy, Shattered Heart, this one also follows similar themes - wolves aside - so I expected to like this one.
Unfortunately, the characters just didn't work together. I never really saw them as a couple. The trauma Kaden goes through both when he was a hostage and the very second time he meets Michael would just never allow me to believe that he could recover enough to trust someone in so little time. Except, I suppose that would be the authors job to make me believe that every time they were intimate that Kaden's skin wasn't crawling. But it didn't happen.
Sure, I'd still recommend the book to anyone looking for a story about an abused mage and his wolf who can't control his animalistic urges.
Unfortunately, the characters just didn't work together. I never really saw them as a couple. The trauma Kaden goes through both when he was a hostage and the very second time he meets Michael would just never allow me to believe that he could recover enough to trust someone in so little time. Except, I suppose that would be the authors job to make me believe that every time they were intimate that Kaden's skin wasn't crawling. But it didn't happen.
Sure, I'd still recommend the book to anyone looking for a story about an abused mage and his wolf who can't control his animalistic urges.
September 29, 2011
Poor Kaden one gets the feeling the kid couldn't catch a break with bait and a net! Overall I liked it, I'm not sure why in the beginning he has to be dancing underage in a club and turning tricks on the side, if it was supposed to make him even more sympathetic then the 2+ years of being held captive did it wasn't necessary, didn't add anyting to the story and just adds to an unwelcome ick factor and if the blurb had mentioned it I wouldn't have bought it to begin with, whose he supposed to be the gay pretty (wo)man and I just mentally edited out anyway.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2015
This is a fairly typical werewolf plot line. I still enjoyed the twist of a half Mage and werewolf bloodline and what that character could do. I also enjoyed the female characters in the story. Michael's Mom is wonderful:) The only real problem that I had with the writing was the POV change was unclear and it would take me a bit to catch up to who's eyes we were "looking" though. Overall a fun read with a little angst to make it entertaining.
February 22, 2012
I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this one, but I was mostly pleasantly surprised. I'd say it was closer to a 3.5, but I felt OK with rounding up.
I never really liked the main character, but I did like his love interest. I know the werewolf thing is supposed to OK the "insta-gay" thing, but it was a little unbelievable to me, on an emotional and interpersonal level. Good story though, By the last quarter I was ready for it do wrap up though.
I never really liked the main character, but I did like his love interest. I know the werewolf thing is supposed to OK the "insta-gay" thing, but it was a little unbelievable to me, on an emotional and interpersonal level. Good story though, By the last quarter I was ready for it do wrap up though.
October 15, 2014
This author writes very strange. I start to like the story then stuff start happening that seem so unbelievable and unrealistic even in the context of the book, the plot does not really flow or at least not in a way that makes me understand wtf is going on. The dialogues make it even worse, they sound so awkward. Even though I wanted to like this book, I just could not get engaged with it. Nothing in it worked for me - the characters, the plot, nope not for me.
May 4, 2015
Kaden used to work as a striptizer in a club, earning some additional money selling himself on a side.
That's where he met his mate Micheal, only to get spurned by the man and left on a sidewalk.
The fact that Michael quickly realised his stupidity and returned for him didn't save him from years of abuse.
Reunited after a long time, two man have to learn to deal with their past if they want to look into the future together.
That's where he met his mate Micheal, only to get spurned by the man and left on a sidewalk.
The fact that Michael quickly realised his stupidity and returned for him didn't save him from years of abuse.
Reunited after a long time, two man have to learn to deal with their past if they want to look into the future together.
July 13, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. Yeah, there were several elements that are kinda cliche within the genre, but I think Ms. McCoy did a good job of putting her own spin on it. I don't want to give away the ending, but I have to say; I love it when a survivor is empowered to kick some serious ass...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2022
Really, really well done. I loved the world building in this and the MC's were not the usual. Kaden - that poor kid. And Michael's guilt. The parents and betas. Just a really awesome book and I hope there is more to come!
June 30, 2011
**** 4.5 ****
June 28, 2011
3.5 stars. The story had all the usual shifter elements but it was written pretty well and I liked the two MCs.
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