Adapting Instincts

Instincts #4

by S.J. Frost

A single soft kiss, just a gentle brush of lips…but was it meant as a beginning, or a good-bye?

Every day, Carl Anderson wondered if the man…the vampire…who gave him that kiss would appear in his life again. In that time, he’s worked to come to terms with the existence of vampires, and the dangers they and their enemies pose. Always looking over his shoulder for a vampire or hunter stalking behind him, Carl wishes he could feel safe again, like he did when Egill was at his side.

As a Viking warrior and member of vampire society’s ruling body, the Tribunal, Egill Dalgaard is used to being in control of all things. But months ago, he did something that started to unravel his orderly life. He gave a kiss to a man who he was drawn to, and now, he hasn't been able to stop thinking about. He has his reasons for keeping his distance, but when he sees Carl again, all logical thoughts begin to fade.

When Carl’s actions inadvertently put Egill’s immortal life in danger, Carl must decide which path to take; whether to walk deeper into vampire society, or turn his back on the only man who’s ever made him feel secure.

Genres: M M Romance, Vampires, Paranormal, Romance, M M Paranormal, Fantasy, Contemporary

210 pages, ebook

First published March 15, 2013

About the author

S.J. Frost resides in Ohio with her family, pets, and horses. Her short stories have been featured in several erotic and romance anthologies, and her novels are published through MLR Press. Rock stars, vampires, fantasy heroes, and more, she enjoys dabbling in many different sub-genres in gay romance, but no matter what she writes, love and passion are the driving forces in every story.

Reviews

[Purplegirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

It looks like I haven't written a review for any of the books in this series even though it is one of my favorites. I enjoyed this book not as much as the others but it was still really good. One thing that I like about this series is that we see all the MC's throughout all the books. It has not been a situation that we have to wonder what was happening with Titus, Andreas, Daniel and Ryu. They are integral parts of every book. Daniel and Ryu will always be my favorites.

There was a few things that were glazed over that I would have liked to have seen the turning and animal branding. But overall, it is a solid 4 star read. This story was quite sweet.

I wonder if another story is coming out with Matthew.

[Susan65 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I seriously love this series. It is always amazing to meet back up with Andreas and Titus especially...I have an on-going love/hate relationship with Daniel and Ryu, and I've loved Carl and Egill from day one, so I was really excited to finally have Carl get his HEA.

It wasn't easy, but damn, he tried so hard to please everyone that he ends up pissing everyone off instead. Poor thing. However, I could absolutely relate to him. He was ONLY HUMAN, had only seen the negative associated with vampires, and was still a good, kind and decent guy. So really, the pissy vamps need to regroup and back off. Especially the nasty Tribunal chick. It was awesome watching Egill, and all the guys actually, come to Carl's defense...loved it.

Out of all the books in this series, I think this one was the most sweet, with the least amount of angst and no bloody battles...well one little one, but they all lived so that doesn't count. :-)

So? Who is next? I am pretty sure most want Matthew to have a story, and I do too BUT, I am thinking maybe Li? And I still want to know how Troy is too.

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love this series, and I have been waiting for Carl's book since book one. There was just something about Carl that attracted me. I think part of it was his lack of self confidence. I mean, we are surrounded by all of these Alpha males and even Andreas was extremely confident in the beginning of his relationship with Cal. It was nice to find a character that was not perfect and whose relationship had to evolve a bit.

When I saw Egill interact with Carl in book three, I thought, ahhh here's going to be the next book. Egill is one of those tall warrior men that are actually more than just calling him an Alpha male. In fact, we learn a lot about him and I loved his backstory. He is actually quite sensitive. He and Carl make the perfect couple.

Now, here my problems with Daniel and Ryu. Granted, this is not with the writing, but the characters.

Daniel: This guy has moments of such self involvement that drive me crazy. I really dislike how he constantly makes fun of Carl under the ruse of humor. Which, considering how low Carl's self confidence is, it just shows how shallow Daniel's character is. Of course, he does have his moments where he is sweet, so it is hard to hate him completely.

Ryu: He is pretty much an A-hole to Carl in the majority of the book. I partially understand it because of what happened in the last book, but he is rather not a forgiving person. Of course, that does not mean poorly written, just means I don't like him. I really did not like their book because of both of the characters.

This is actually one book in the series where there is not a huge bloodbath like the previous three books. This one is primarily about character and relationship development, which might be why I liked it so much. I did not care for book two that much, although I loved book three with the conclusion of Cal and Andreas's romance.

What is hardest of this series (and Frost's Conquest series) is that the love story of the first couple overshadows the rest of the cast.

I can't wait to re-read this book. Maybe a future blogpost! I love this author.

[Juliebookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read all the books in this series and loved them all. This one keeps that trend going. When I finished Loving Instincts, I wanted to read Carl’s story right away. Something about him touched me. Maybe because he’s got self-esteem issues and he doesn’t realize how wonderful he is and feels he’s just an average guy. He felt very real. And I wanted to see him with Egill. I thought there could be something special there. This story brings them together and it was beautiful!

And I don’t know why, but I felt like this story got back to the roots and feel of Natural Instincts. Maybe because it was another story of a new relationship where they didn’t really know each other instead of established couples or friendships. Or it could be now everyone is settled into their lives and I mean Titus, Andreas, Daniel and Ryu. They don’t have change happening directly to them, so they’re able to be who they’d always been, Titus is as strong and alpha as ever, Daniel is hilarious and mouthy, Andreas is caring and supportive, Ryu is the quieter one but when he shows his badass side is there waiting to come out. It was great to see them all again. And it wouldn’t be an Instincts books without the pets! I think that’s one of the things that makes these books so special is the connection with everyone and their pets.

I’ll admit when Matthew came back, I didn’t know what to expect. Almost as soon as he came back, I wanted him to go away. I didn’t want him to ruin things with Carl and Egill. But Frost avoided that and somehow made me actually like him and feel bad for him by the end. Now I think I might want to read a story with him!

Also, at the end when Carl got shot, I thought it was going to be one of those usual things that happen in vampire stories where the partner is hurt and dying, so the vampire turns them to save them. But it wasn't! It was an unexpected and nice change that Frost did from the usual.

Loved Carl. Loved Egill. Loved them together. They’re a great addition to the couples and this is a great addition to the series! Now for more!

[Sunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up because ginger vikings and Norwegian Forest Cats.


I wasn't as engaged in this story. Carl irritated me at times and some of his thoughts and actions were accompanied by eye rolling and sounds of exasperation on my part. Also, not much happened for most of the story and I was a little bored. The last part of the story was better, though, if a bit of a fairytale. *shrugs* I liked it :)

[Candice · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I wasn't real thrilled with Carl in the earlier books, I did end up liking this one, but seemed to round out the series for me. This one was more focused on Carl and Egill, but we still get a glimpse of the other main couples from this series. It seemed that a lot was glossed over with this one and things that were detailed more in the other ones, weren't in this one, but still an enjoyable read.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love this series! There wasn't a part of this book that I didn't enjoy. Not many books can do that for me. I sometimes skip pages or skim some of the boring parts. I never do that with these books.

[Trisha Harrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adapting Instincts was my least favourite of the series. Yeah, it's a shame because I loved the others, but this didn't make me fall as hard or as fast. The first and third books are perfection. The couple is now on my favourites list, so maybe I'm just too hung up on those two to enjoy other books. Maybe it's a good thing I'll have to wait for the next book. Hopefully I will enjoy that one more.

My main issue with this book was the couple. They were just as sweet as Titus and Andreas and Daniel and Ryu, but there was a bit of a bump in the road that annoyed me. I had seen it coming, expected it, but it wasn't enough. I was just so unhappy with that little section of the book that I couldn't get past it. Others will not have the same problem, I think, unless you are like me and hate seeing two MC's apart for a silly or not so silly reason. It's really a shame because all of the others got 5 stars.

I love how S.J. Frost doesn't forget about her past couples. They were all one big happy family still, and a strong presence in the book. Daniel. Oh, Daniel was just so funny. He's a breath of fresh air and provides some much needed humour in the series. From other reviews people will know he was not always my favourite, but I adore him as a secondary character now. His teasing of Carl just left me with a grin on my face.

Another theme I have noticed... Titus, Ryu, and now Egill have all lost men they loved. Normally that annoys me. And I really try hard to avoid books with a dead lover. But here, I feel like that makes the story slightly more unique. It's so well done, and it doesn't take from the current couple in the book. I love that about the series.

This series is just amazing. I would recommend it to all m/m vampire fans.

[Beacullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about Egill and Carl, which at first I thought, great not really interested. But it really was verry good. I was curious about Egill, and his backstory was really very good. He's a Viking that was turned by the leader of his clan, who would turn his men as a reward. I was really glad to see Carl find some happiness. He's always been sort of on the sidelines, always looking for love but never quite finding it. He's really great with Egill. I was glad also to read a little more about the other guys and what their up to, nice to see everyone get a hea.

[CheapReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really a 3.5. I had been looking forward to Carl and Egill's story since they were introduced and I wasn't disappointed. There is very little conflict in this book and it all centered around their relationship. I did enjoy catching up with Andreas, Titus, Daniel and Ryu. I think I missed some of the action from the previous books. But overall, the book was enjoyable.

[Brandilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know that this is a story that needed to be told, really. I kind of felt like #3 was the pentacle of the series and this was just trying to hang on its coat-tails. That being said, it was an enjoyable read and I am glad Carl and Egill were able to get their HEA.

[Chanty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmmmm, I just did not connect to Carl. He was simply lacking...in everything. I could not believe that a viking warrior vampire would fall for dumbass Carl.

[August June 💘 · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's up with these humans? Andreas in Loving Instincts and Carl in this book acting TSTL. These 2 seemed intelligent and clever in other books but when they became MCs, something happened to their brains and they acted STUPID! At least, this book did not show Eggil has not been shown as sappy as Titus in Loving Instincts.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hated Carl almost the entire book. It wasn't until about 75% that I started to like him again like I did the first three books.
I didn't know wether to give the book 3 or 4 stars so I settled on a compromise. 3 on goodreads and 4 on amazon.

[Ro Dubose · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
The discovery of real vampires has Carl Anderson questioning his beliefs. After all, it is the vampires who saved his life when the hunters would have killed him and it is the vampire Egill Dalgaard that Carl will never forget.




Adapting Instincts is the fourth book in the Instincts series. Carl loves his job at the zoo working with the primates but Carl is lonely without his best friend, who is now living in Africa with his eternal partner. Carl is intelligent, in addition to being a compassionate man. Nevertheless, his acts of compassion without forethought give Carl the appearance of being untrustworthy to some of the vampires. Combined to that the obstacle of Carl’s low self esteem; the possibility of having a relationship with Egill is not very promising. The proposal to join his best friend’s animal sanctuary in Africa is the only positive thing Carl has in his life until Egill returns for a short visit. The understanding Carl and Egill acquire about each other deepens their desire to move forward into a relationship.




S.J. Frost has created another superb addition to this captivating series. In this enjoyable installment, the characters are emotionally engaging with a blend of dramatic action, Daniel’s snarky humor, sensual lovemaking as well as feisty pets with attitude. Carl stirred my ire on more than one occasion but he redeemed himself as the story developed. All of the characters featured in the first book Natural Instincts are included in Adapting Instincts.




This series is best read in sequence

[Pianisuparse · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 'Mmm yes Carl scores himself oe mighty fine Viking vamp. Loving this series' stars.

[Rachel Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will admit, this one will not go down as my favorite in the series, which is kinda sad because I have always loved Carl. I loved getting to see him find his HEA but I feel like him becoming a vampire and fully becoming part of their world was glossed over and summarized too much...I would have loved getting to read about spending more time with Egill at his castle and becoming a vampire rather than just reading "a month later."

Also, I absolutely LOVE getting to see all of the previous characters and how they play big roles in all the stories, it's not like they are just mentioned in passing and that's it. I love Andreas and Titus and Ryu and especially Daniel, so it's great to see the whole gang back together. I could definitely read about this group over and over again...it's one of my favorite vampire series. Still highly recommended, and you definitely have to read the previous books as I think this would be hard to fully enjoy on its own.

[Becky Condit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adapting Instincts by S.J. Frost is the love story of two men but with a unique supernatural twist that makes this a breath of fresh air in a genre that's been flooded with mediocre stories. The basics are covered in the blurb, but you need to read the story to really appreciate the rich details that bring this character driven tale to life, with a smoothly flowing plot filled with enough angst, passion, pain, love, betrayal, and political intrigue that you feel like you've been granted a glimpse into the lives of real life people who could be your next door neighbor. The book is told in chronological order, with enough detail provided by flashbacks to tie the story together in a fantastic whole. I really enjoyed the HEA ending and would happily recommend this book to everyone.

Trish's original 4 sweet pea review appears on May 8, 2013 at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....

[clear skies · Rating 3 out of 5]

The series is a cheesy love-fest were humans mate with their eternal vampires and live happily ever after. The main characters of this series Andreas and Titus were boring as hell. However, I liked Carl Andreas's best friend.

Carl has had issues about relationships failing and him not thinking of himself quite highly. Add the fact he gets a 101 in "vampires are real" in ten seconds the guy is pretty sweet and a lot more interesting than his best bud Andreas.

Typically Carl is paired with Egill and together they make a sweet couple. The author attempted to instil some issues especially some mistakes Carl makes. However, like the previous books there is too much sex. I mean everything is made better with some sex and blood.

Overall Carl and Egill are more pleasing to read than Andreas and Titus. I felt some of Carl's issues and wished they were developed more. The end was highly rushed, and whilst I think the animals in the story were cute - it became overkill.

[315 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second series of this author I've read in the past month... and I'm learning that none of her books have that 'slow burn' I enjoy it most other books. It's not bad and I wouldn't say they are all 'insta-love' books but it's just missing that element that for me really just makes me burn for the chars in the book. None of this makes the book less enjoyable but it also doesn't push the books in the series from a 5 start to that extra umph on my 'more than 5 star' shelf.

The chars from the previous books are very much apart of this story. I grew to like them more but my views from Ryunosuke did a complete 180. He went from a kind person that I enjoyed reading to an unreasonable and insensitive asshole. I won't miss him if he isn't in any of the following books.

I really liked both of the main chars in the book but I just didn't feel that spark.

[Bitchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story wasn't as sweet as two and three were, but I felt it skimmed over things I wanted to see. I thought Egill and Carl fell in love too quickly, and too much of it happened off page. I also didn't like that Carl's change took place off page. All in all, I found this installment in the series to be less exciting, with little to no action, and more filler to give Carl a happy ending than anything else.

Still looking forward to Renart and Troy's story, and hoping to see Nevin again in a future book. I'm also intrigued by Li, Ryu's Ninja enemy.

[JustJen "Miss Conduct" · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I'm still really enjoying this series. I'm probably in the minority in that this was not my favorite book so far. I never took a huge liking to Carl though he did grow on me a bit more in this story. He tries so hard to help everyone but never seems to make the right decisions.

One of the things I do enjoy is seeing the other characters, especially Titus and Andreas. I'm looking forward to the next installment to see where things go from here.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this series and it was great seeing Andreas & Titus and Ryu & Daniel again but in this fourth installment I didn't really connect with the MCs. Carl and Egill's story felt like it was all show & tell. I didn't get a chance to "live it" with them, especially Carl's turning, which I felt should have been a much bigger part of the story.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one started out strong and ended strong but got a little mediocre in the middle for me. Carl was a bit of a whiny bitch but I did enjoy him and Egill as a couple. Loved seeing all the characters from the previous books and I liked it enough to continue with the series. It's a very interesting vampire world SJ has created here.

[Tierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a special place in my heart for this series. I really like the take on vampire society and how the vampires were created in the first place. The characters are all unique with interesting back stories. This book in particular I liked a lot. It was nice to finally see Carl and Egill find happiness together.

[Riayl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable. I had one niggle, I felt kind of cheated that we don't get to see Carl get changed, that is a rather large scene to skip in a vampire book, especially a vampire romance. but it didn't really detract from my enjoyment so much as having it would have enhanced my enjoyment.

[Séphora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the couple Carl & Egill but I'm disappointed by the lack of actions, with all the potential of enemies only those not standing a chance has been chosen. If only there will be some more actions it will pump up the level of this serie to another level. However I love happy endings so its still a pleasure to read of one the books.

[Wendy❤Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Carl and Egill finally getting their story, but Titus and Andreas are still my favorite vampires and I was glad that they were included as secondary characters along with Ryu and Daniel. This one didn’t strike as much of a chord with me as the previous books and we didn’t get as much up close and personal drama as vampire and man came together, but still good stuff!

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5


Funny and sexy. A lovely addition to a enjoyable series. Read my full review here http://wp.me/p220KL-1gr


For all of my reviews and thoughts on writing visit http://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords...

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.1 stars. Overall, a pleasant read but the plot was a bit superficial compared to other instalments in this series. Although the romantic relationship was rushed, I liked the characters individually.