Summer of Awakenings

Assassin/Shifter #15

by Sandrine Gasq-Dion

This book is part of a series.It contains Graphic language, violence, and homosexual relations.

Glory days? If high school was their glory days, the outcast gay teens at the outreach centers run by Caden Fournier were screwed. For most of them, the torment they received at those schools and at the hands of their own families was enough to make living on the street seem like a better proposition.

Enter Camp Pride and its devoted staff of volunteers and backers. For college students Kory Maguire and Will Cooper, the camp was a way for them to help abandoned and confused gay kids find their way in life. And it didn't hurt that the incredible hunks - ex-Navy SEALs Jacob Steele and Seth Ralston - were working there, too. Straight Kory ran into Jacob in Seattle several times and found himself having lots of definitely un-straight thoughts about him. Will had been abused by his ex-boyfriend and was skittish of all men now - especially if they were twice his size, like Seth.

Werewolves Jacob and Seth have found their mates in Kory and Will. But have the fates gotten it wrong? What if Kory can't commit to a relationship with a man? Is Will too skittish to trust and give himself to someone so much more powerful than he? And can everyone put their own problems aside so that the campers can feel safe and find strength in being loved?

Genres: M M Romance, Paranormal, Shapeshifters, Romance, Contemporary, Abuse, M M Paranormal

268 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2013

About the author

I have been blessed in this life to not only have parents that support me, but kids that do as well. I grew up in a loving but "Old School" French household. My parents worked for the airlines (TWA) so I was able to see a lot of Europe as a kid. I moved to Seattle Washington at the age of 22 and stayed there for twelve years before moving to Alaska for a little over two. Fairbanks, AK was one hell of an experience and I wouldn't hesitate to go back! I spent a little over a year in South Carolina before moving back to Arizona. I then left for Kansas for five years and now reside in Arizona. I've been connected to the military in one way or another for over half my life and wouldn't change a thing about it. Writing has become my full time job and I've never been so happy doing a job I love and being able to do it in my jammies. I plan on writing until I dry up and die. Hopefully, that won't happen soon!

Reviews

[Susan65 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Multiple love interests in one book just don't seem to work for me. I find that I can not connect or relate to the guys because their time is split. I do like Seth and Jacob but wished for more of them and their mates. The best part of this book is the appearance of Nikolai and Devin...can not wait for those two books.

So trying to keep everyone straight I created a basic spreadsheet.

So...did I miss anyone? Make a mistake? Let me know.

Assassins/Shifters Series

Couples

Mateo/Riley - Humans (Mateo - Skull Blaster/Assassin - Riley - Wealthy Business CEO)
Josh/Mark - Humans (Josh - Skull Blaster Assassin - Mark - Doctor)
Sam/Dakota - Werewolves (Sam - Skull Blaster/Assassin - Dakota - Beta to John (Washington Pack)
Troy/Sawyer - Werewolves (Troy - Skull Blaster/Assassin - Sawyer - ?? )
Jagger/Xander - Werewolves (Jagger - Beta / Business man - Xander - Architect)
Taylor/Grayson - Werewolves (Taylor - Jagger's brother/businessman Grayson - Xander's brothers/architect)
Caden/Kellen - Werewolves (Caden - Wealthy French Businessman - Kellen - Paramedic)
Derek/James - Human (Derek - Retired Gen. - leader of the Skull Blasters -James - Gov. Big Wig)
Keegan/Vince - Human (Keegan - FBI Special Agent - Vince - Russian Assassin)
Wyatt/Preston - Werewolves (Wyatt - Student (youngest bro to Sawyer, Grayson and Xander) - Preston - Fireman)
Tucker/Austin - Werewolves (Tucker - Cop - Austin - Fireman)
Wesley/Kurt - Werewolves (Wesley - Cop - Kurt - Fireman)
Nicholas/Sebastien - Werewolves (Nick - Cop - Bastien - Student)
Wayne/Connor - Werewolves (Wayne - Leader of all werewolves - Connor - Created for Wayne)
Tristan/Scott - Werewolves (Tristan - X Navy Seal - Scott _????)
Chance/Logan - Werewolves (Chance - Warlock - Logan - Fireman)
Jacob-Werewolf/Kory Human (Jacob - X Navy Seal - Current Swat team - Kory - Student)
Seth- Werewolf/Will - Human (Seth - X Navy Seal - Current Swat team - Will - Student)

Singles
Devin - Human - (Psycho FBI Special Agent)
Andrei - Human - (Russian Assassin)
Nikolai - Human - (Russian Assassin)
Cole - ?? Fireman
Chaz - ?? Fireman
Colin - Werewolf Student

[JustJen "Miss Conduct" · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid 3 stars. Books with more than one couple going on just tire me out. I suppose with so many characters, it is bound to happen here and there.

This book is about Jacob and Kory, who are really sweet, and I enjoyed their story quite a bit. Kory is totally innocent. Jacob has waited for Kory to come to his own realizations about whether he is into guys or not. When Kory finally convinces Jacob he likes and is totally into Jacob, he holds nothing back. These guys make a really nice couple.

This book is also about Will and Seth, who I didn't enjoy quite as much. They just didn't seem to have much of a connection.

Of course, some of my favorite moments involved Nikolai and Devin and Andrei. Devin's attitude toward Andrei is something else, and I love how Andrei counteracts that on every level. I seriously cannot wait for their story.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Fast and easy read with very low angst.

[Cindra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series has an ever-growing cast of characters, not to mention the the intertwined cast of established characters. And while I'm really enjoying the expansion of the world-building, story-lines, assassins, shifters, and relationships, I almost feel the need to create a "family tree" chart of sorts. Having difficulty keeping up with who's related by blood or adoption, who's romantically attached, who belongs to which assassin team, and who belongs to which wolf-pack.

That being said, I loved this story; it delved into the next generation of MCs and secondary characters. And I'm sure we'll see more of both in future installments. Completely loved the idea for Pride Camp; Riley and Caden are fully invested in creating a safe place for young people to be themselves, without fear of censure, neglect or abuse.

[Michi Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good as always!
Loved both couples!
But... please let the next book be Nokolai's story!!
Please!
Pretty pretty please!

[*Nan* · Rating 4 out of 5]

I consider this series my "beach reads". They are quick easy reads that are enjoyable but not a lot of angst.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another nice story. Although I had higher hopes for Kory and Jakob but I liked it. Seth and Will were the sweeter couple for me

[Phaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd cover, what with the girls on it. And do we even have a black guy?

But I did like the book.
Despite being a double feature, the guys and their stories – while not wildly different – were definitely different enough to avoid that echoing effect in the previous double sets. At least Kory and Will are not copies of each other; they come with their individual sets of issues. And they do not insist of playing through events in perfect synchronicity.

In spite of my concerns, I still liked Kory a lot. And the big dudes are both sweet. And Will is nicely needy.
Although Will’s history confused the hell out of me. Nothing really matches up with his first appearance, or even with the information later on. Maybe this is just me misremembering. But I can’t figure this out anymore so I decided to stop trying and take every new sentence as immediate gospel. (Or die trying! *shakes fist*)
I also enjoyed the camp’s comfort theme – although it is taken to an overly perfect and mushy extreme here. Nothing subtle, that’s for sure.
Only… Um. Just how young are some of these camp kids?

Again with all the really pointless recapping. We do not need the summaries of previous books to read this one. All we need is what concerns the protagonists of this one!
Also, it’s kind of disturbing that everyone even remotely connected with these guys knows every detail of everyone else’s life to the point where they can provide mental exposition about it….

Can everyone talk to animals now (and be understood, I mean)? I noticed this in the previous book too but… why even bring in Conner and Aiden if it’s a general trait now?
Not only that but the animals apparently understand human language just as well.
Oh but given the explanation we get by the end for yet another additional power… I guess it’s fair to say that deus-ex-machina can be taken literally now. I should stop rolling my eyes at this; I’d only get hurt.

Timeline… Rest in peace. <3

Jacob Steele and Seth Ralston were perfect trainers. Not only did they have the muscle, but the height as well.

You see, that’s actually what makes them less than perfect self-defence trainers in my opinion. How will the kids ever identify? Wouldn’t it be so much more convincing if they saw a scrawny, small dude kick a bigger guy’s rear?
Also, I thought it was the instructors who had to wear the padded suits. (That scene was weird.)

By the way, you guys do realize that female wolves don’t have high survival rates and can’t be allowed freedom due to their violent nature, right? So having a likely baby girl wolf on the way is actually really, really bad news. (That goes at you, too, Nadine. You who insisted on having cute granddaughters to take shopping… Jeez.)

I have to say the Big Dramatic Event in the middle was beautifully unexpected. Bizarre, but unexpected in a good way.

As usual, the ending then takes its sweet time, revelling in all the perfection and reciprocal sex it can gather.
It’s a thing with these books, I guess. They’re usually over by the time the second third ends and simply party on for in-story months.

[Riayl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than the other double couple books so far. Kory and Will are different from each other with different issues so I didn't have to read the same exact storyline twice over. I still feel that both of these couples could have (and should have) had books of their own. My only major gripe was getting through the very beginning of the book which felt like one of those filler/recap episodes in an anime. Epic skim time.

[Chelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one got bonus points from me for the earthquake AND the sinkhole.

I am waiting for a book where somebody hears the infamous Markov name and has never heard of Vince or Nik, and but knows some other random Markov like Jimmy Markov, the loan shark in Detroit.

[I~❤️~Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

✮4 Stars✮

[Guy Etchells · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here we go…..book 15. Once again we have a double romance which in this series has never gone down particularly well with me. I find that I favor one couple's story over the other or the two stories are too similar and simply repetitive.

This is the romance of Kory Maguire and Jacob Steele, Will Cooper and Seth Ralston & it all takes place at Camp Pride which is an outreach center for abused & neglected young people. It’s like summer camp!

Seth and Will ended up becoming my favorite couple. In my head, Seth is Henry Cavill, so it was very easy to picture him from that point.

I don’t have much to say this time. It was a good addition to the series and tied up the story of Kory and Jacob which started a few books ago. Old characters appeared to help prepare the camp which is always great to see. Colin Greystone and Nikolai Markov’s ongoing strange relationship takes a step forward during a disaster in the final act of the book and is clearly setting up events in book 17.

I enjoyed this one as it had that great summer feel.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great add to the series. Here we see 2 couples we met before finally get their happy ending. Kory Maguire, Jacob Steele and Will Cooper, Seth Raison. Super sweet guys who are both dealing with different problems that keep them from opening up. Main plot advances and I couldn't put it down. Can't wait for the next.

[Centoria Coffil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and the camp and outreach centers were wonderful.

[DaCon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
2016 Re-read

[Tj · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this could have been a really good read but it was just too spread out. Too many characters and love situations going on to really grab my interest as a reader.

[T.M. Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summer revolves around the stories of Kory Maguire, the young not sure if he's gay or straight brother of Kurt Maguire; and Will Cooper. For fans of this series, you'll remember Will's drunken escapade a couple books back. As usual the sprinkling throughout the story of our favorite characters like Caden Fournier, Riley Flynn-Esposito, James Jacobs and uber sexy Nikoli Markov define Gasq-Dion's unique style of storytelling.

Kory Maguire is completely clueless in the romance department. The young, shy, reserved college boy has no idea how to approach the foreign feelings he has for Ex Navy Seal, Jacob Steele. Jacob has known for quite a while that Kory is his mate, but he wants Kory to come to him on his own terms. When experience and inexperience collide these two learn a lot about themselves and each other, as well as teaching each other a thing or two along the way.

Will Cooper is confident in the fact that he is gay. His reservations come from a failed, abusive relationship with a man that just won't let go. Just days before he left for Camp Pride he had a run in with said ex, that resulted in Will at the bottom of a flight of stairs. After an accident at the camp leaves him unconcious, Will awakes to 6'2 dark haired, muscle bound, burly Ex Navy Seal Seth Ralston hovering over him. Yeah, he damn near jumps out of his skin. He quickly learns that Seth won't hurt him, but the bruises from the abuse he suffered at the hands of his former lover are still fresh in his mind, as well as on his body.

Page after page we watch as Kory decides what to do about Jacob and his fastly growing feelings for the man, that defy everything he was taught growing up. Will slowly opens up to Seth as he shows Will that love doesn't come with conditions and attempts to help him come to terms with his abusive past.

Niko is still hot for Colin, but Colin is still giving him "The Hiesman"! Gasq-Dion managed to squeeze in a few new juicey tid bits for their storyline as well. And best of all, we get a sneak peak into The Lyon's Den at the end of the book! I cannot wait for the explosion that is Devin Lyon's and Andrei Panchanko in book 16.

This is definitley a ***** 5 star read! Gasq-Dion crams a lot into less than 200 pages and manages to bring something fresh to the story as well.

[Kelly (Maybedog) · Rating 3 out of 5]

We never get blistering heat in Seattle and certainly not at the beginning of summer. We're lucky to get anything other than rain in June.

Skyler Foxe is a main character in another popular series.

His eyes are chartreuse? That's romantic. Not.

A person of color! Girls!

We do have a camp like this one and there's a huge problem with kids going off to have sex. The concern is safety, not only regarding disease but peer pressure, physical pressure, issues with boundaries, especially kids who've been abused, statutory rape, etc.

Can't leave campers alone in a cabin for hours, especially abused and frightened ones who act out.

Cool that little guy tops first time.

Really hate this frequent underage mate with someone at least in his late 20's. What do they have in common? That age difference isn't as big a deal later on but one of these guys is 19 and the other guy is at least in his mid-20s. That's a big difference.

Electronics at camp??

Spokane is not Earthquake country. The biggest earthquake in that area was 4.0 which you can't even feel unless you're really close. It's Western Washington where the risk is.

Good mentioning the sound of an earthquake. It's so loud.

They were setting up camp two weeks. Then a month passed until the earthquake. Then a few more weeks passed where everything was good. Then they tell Will's mother that they've know each other about a month?

I don't like the multiple pairs as MCs in one book but this one worked better than the others in the series because at least Will and Kory were different.

Good peril with earthquake but I wanted to see a confrontation with Gary that was perilous but ended with Will taking back control.

As usual, all these books have major info dumps, poor segues that are rather random. Head hopping mid paragraph. Thinking a bad headache equals migraine (which it can be but isn't always and usually is a lot more). So hard to keep the names straight as there are so many characters and almost all are the same. I need a family/pack/character tree because most of the time I'm lost as to who is who. The only non-WASP white sounding names are Mateo from the first book and Nicolai which sounds too similar to Nicholas.

[Gigi]

Sorry to say I did not finish this book. Not that it wasn't good. It was! But I already read this book. It was called Reflash and it was #10 in the Assassin/Shifter series. Instead of 2 Navy SEALs and 2 collage kids falling in love, Reflash had 2 police officers and 2 firefighters falling in love. And, frankly, that's about where the differences lie.

So, I won't rate Summer of Awakenings but Reflash is a 5 and on my favorites shelf. I do plan on reading more of the Assassin/Shifter series and hope this was just a fluke.

Cannot recommended unless you loved Reflash so much that you must experience it again through new characters. And if you haven't read Reflash, I say read that one instead. Firefighters people! And police officers! And firefighters!

[Heidi Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Most of it takes place at the now open Camp Pride where kids helped by the outreach centers can go and feel loved and that they matter and deserve so much better than the abuse they have faced. In this book we get the story of Kory, Kurt's younger brother, and his mate Jacob; and Will Cooper and his mate Seth. Kory is unsure of whether or not he is gay, because his father has drilled it into him that gay is wrong. But he has seen the love between his brother and Wesley. He has feelings for Jacob and they are getting stronger by the minute. Jacob is a self defense instructor and part time councilor at the camp. He sees that Kory is coming along and might be willing to explore the connection between them. Will Cooper has been beaten and abused by his ex, Gary. He is jumpy and fearful of others. When he gets hurt at camp, Seth realizes that he is his mate. Can he get close to will, or is Will so damaged that he won't let him in? Seth is afraid that his size will ruin it for him. Can love bloom between these unlikely pairings? Or will Jacob and Seth have to go through life without their mates? And what happens when tragedy strikes the camp? If you love Sandrine's story telling, you will be blown away by this installment of the series. I love how new characters are introduced, and other stories go on in the background. These books are like an episode of a soap opera. There is just too much in them to describe. If you love sexy men and their even sexier love lives, this book is for you. I am ever amazed at the depth of the stories in these books and how they hint at the future books making sure you are on the edge of your seat for a wild ride!

[✿~Danielle~✿ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jacob Steele & Kory Maguire

Seth Ralston & Will Cooper

3 stars

Read August 2014
Read May 2016

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Glory days? If high school was their glory days, the outcast gay teens at the outreach centers run by Caden Fournier were screwed. For most of them, the torment they received at those schools and at the hands of their own families was enough to make living on the street seem like a better proposition.

Enter Camp Pride and its devoted staff of volunteers and backers. For college students Kory Maguire and Will Cooper, the camp was a way for them to help abandoned and confused gay kids find their way in life. And it didn't hurt that the incredible hunks - ex-Navy SEALs Jacob Steele and Seth Ralston - were working there, too. Straight Kory ran into Jacob in Seattle several times and found himself having lots of definitely un-straight thoughts about him. Will had been abused by his ex-boyfriend and was skittish of all men now - especially if they were twice his size, like Seth.

Werewolves Jacob and Seth have found their mates in Kory and Will. But have the fates gotten it wrong? What if Kory can't commit to a relationship with a man? Is Will too skittish to trust and give himself to someone so much more powerful than he? And can everyone put their own problems aside so that the campers can feel safe and find strength in being loved?

[Sadonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, it's like crack. I cannot stay away from these books! They second I get them, I HAVE to read them.

This installment has Seth and Jacob finally in the same location as Kory and Will - setting up and running the Pride Camp. Will is not recovered from his abusive boyfriend and is as jumpy as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Seth recognizes the signs of abuse, but he is worried because his intimidating appearance isn't working in his favor. Jacob and Kory in the meantime are getting closer right away and Kory confides in Will. Then a disaster strikes that pulls everything together.

We do get appearances from Wayne and Riley and Caden and the little boys rescued in the last book as well as a few other visitors to the Pride Camp. We also get a visit from Nikolai who we now know won't get his story for two more books - much to his chagrin I'm sure as patience isn't his strong suit - especially after he and Colin are drawn together in this one :)

The only thing I didn't really like in this one was the device that is used as a crisis to get everyone to the endgame. But, hey, it's fiction!

[DebbieReadsBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

i came across this series on a facebook page advertising about 7 books, reduced to 77p/99c so i took the plunge and bought one. (its back to full price now)

it is part of a series, and i have not read them, and i think i maybe should have. the whole supporting cast of characters is MASSIVE and it took me a while to place everyone with who they were with and where they fit in the story.

I liked the fact these wolves were turned and not born, but there was talk of several different bloodlines, and i got a little confused!

the scenes between the main 4 characters, NOT a menage, by the way, which i thought it was from the blurb, are both sweet, and hot, and not too explicit, just right. I was going to go back and get the other books at 77p, but it appears they have gone back up. i have added the FIRST book to my wishlist, and maybe i'll work my way through them, eventually!

some interesting characters, though, and i liked it!

[Luka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really amazing just like all of the others in this series!! I love this author! All of her characters are awesome and there is not one couple I did not like. They were really funny too! I always have "Another one bites the dust" in my head lol! I was really looking forward to this book coming out and it didnt disapoint! I have now finished reading The Nik of Time and it was awesome too. I cant pick a favorite book cuz theyre all good but my favorite character is Devin Lyons. He is totally badass and sooo funny. Especially when he's with Andrei! My secon fav is Nikolai and it's for the same reasons. They both are hot funny and badass! I TOTALLY recommend this series!! Thank you so much Sandrine for sharing your amazing stories with us!!

[Sherryt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I guess I might be one of the only readers that DOESN'T have a hard time keeping characters straight. Since this IS a series, characters from past books come into the picture. I LOVED it! Was so happy to see Kory come around and make a go of a relationship with Jacob. Will finally letting Seth in just warmed my heart. Plus we got to meet new troubled teens, Riley, Wayne and Caden made an appearance and we got to see Sebastian and Wyatt from previous books as well as their friends from the football team.I DEVOURED this book from page one to the end and I will keep coming back for more! I suggest a spread sheet of the characters if you have a hard time remembering who's who. For me, this just means more and more books coming my way!

[Monica Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this is the second time I have now read this book and i am so glad that I made this decision. The first time i was way too excited about the series and just couldn't wait to find out what happens next to really take in the whole picture, what do i mean by that? Well as an huge m/m romance reader this series ticks all the boxes but thats not all it does, this book in particular bought me to tears more than once. It's an insight into the struggles a lot of young people face in today's society and it was definitely an eye opener for me.
Now don't get me wrong on this it still has all the elements of sexy hotness that if your a fan of Sandrine like me you have come to love, but it also has that little something extra that for me makes her books that bit more special.

[Britney]

I liked this book, but it came somewhat as a surprise to me. I knew Kory's background and his story, but Will's story came from outfield. I mean in a past book Wes was really upset that his ex dumped him but in this book he is afraid of Gary and is being stalked by him. (if anybody else saw this coming could you tell me what I missed?) I mean he was really really forward in Reflash (his first appearance) but then he is really quite shy in this book. Not that this is a bad thing, I thought Will was really cute and he compliments his other half nicely, but it was just a little confusing. Anyway, great book, can't wait for more.

[Candice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

This wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be :( I was kind of bummed, because I really like Kory/Jacob & Will/Seth. This just didn't work for me. Maybe because it seemed like they didn't spend much time together? They were working on the camp and getting things ready for that, it just didn't seem like they got to know each other or even talked. If they did, we didn't see it.

I wonder what the reason for keeping the human mates in the loop with the telepathy is. I know in case they get in trouble, but it sounded like there's more of a reason that Aiden knows but is not saying. Hmmm....

FINALLY Andrei and Devin's story is next. YUM!!!!

[Joelle Mendes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the dual couples

If you had told me that I would love books that focused on two couples instead of one, I'd have said you were nuts. But I love these books. The dual storylines keep me engaged and are really fun to read. I've been waiting for Jacob to claim Kory and loved them growing closer here. But Will and Seth really stole the show for me. I guess it's my mad love for the sweet guys who need love. I will admit that I really wanted to see Seth wipe the floor with Gary but I loved his reason for not doing so even more.

What I love most about this series is that we keep getting introduced to new characters that are going to get great stories of their own.

[Lila Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the last book I needed to read to be upto date with this series. As well as the other two connected to it. It was nice to catch up with all the summer events since they are mentioned in other books. Plus I like learning how the kids got together. It's definitely a hard to follow series, but interesting enough.

The two couples in this book worked great, but I wanted a little more angst into the relationships.