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Second Skin
Shane Kalman looked forward to exchanging military life for a civvy job where he could freely be out of the closet, but the position he lands is nothing like he imagined. He didn’t plan to work undercover for a corrupt detective agency, much less gathering dirt on the city’s most dangerous crime boss. And he sure as heck didn’t expect to have his mind temporarily switched with a tabby cat in order to do it.
His fellow agent, Jamison Rees, is a charmer and sometimes a German shepherd, but Shane doesn’t need animal instincts to know that he’s hiding something. When the job goes south and Shane’s brother becomes a target for the crime boss’s wrath, all evidence points to a mole in the detective agency. A dog may be man’s best friend, but is he a cat’s? Can Shane trust Jamison at all?
His fellow agent, Jamison Rees, is a charmer and sometimes a German shepherd, but Shane doesn’t need animal instincts to know that he’s hiding something. When the job goes south and Shane’s brother becomes a target for the crime boss’s wrath, all evidence points to a mole in the detective agency. A dog may be man’s best friend, but is he a cat’s? Can Shane trust Jamison at all?
233 pages, ebook
First published December 12, 2013
88 people want to read
About the author
Genna Donaghy
12 books31 followersGenna is a recent transplant to Oregon from central California and is continually amazed by the sheer amounts of rain and people who obey the speed limit.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 11, 2015
3.5
I think this falls under the speculative fiction category with a LITTLE bit of romance. The ending is "open ended" in regard to the plot, and as for the couple, Shane and Jamieson, it's barely a HFN. BUT it's an interesting plot that kept me reading for hours until I finished in one sitting, and if there's a follow-up to this story I will definitely get it.
I think this falls under the speculative fiction category with a LITTLE bit of romance. The ending is "open ended" in regard to the plot, and as for the couple, Shane and Jamieson, it's barely a HFN. BUT it's an interesting plot that kept me reading for hours until I finished in one sitting, and if there's a follow-up to this story I will definitely get it.
May 31, 2016
(My ideal rating is 4.5, partially because I think perfect ratings make people skeptical. Alas no half-stars.)
I stayed up to 4:30 AM reading this book on a night where I knew the next day wouldn't allow for much recovery. I was so dead when I left work I couldn't form full sentences anymore, and had been forced to resort to facial expressions and leading half-statements to interact with customers. I lost my car keys for the first time ever.
When I got home I read for two more hours, until I finished, before finally going to sleep.
This book is SO GOOD GUYS OMG READ IT NOW WHY ISN'T IT IN ACTUAL STORES. Ahem.
Second Skin opens on unemployed veteran Shane Kalman preparing for a job interview, and a few pages later he's a cat. (This is as much summary as you'll get from me. Also, I *didn't* read the summary before buying, so the cat thing was a massive surprise.) From there it's all cute animals and great action and good, tightly planned story-telling. This book knows where it's going from the start, and doesn't meander about. The romance is hot and has you invested from early on, yet doesn't consume the rest of the book.
I loved the characters, the romance, and the risky, finicky nature of the human-to-animal, mind-swapping technology. Also the animals. A high point was srs!bsns ferret running like a furry wiggling shoelace with a >:( face, oh my god. Also the story. And the book. I loved the book.
Commence making everyone I can think of buy it. Hey you, reading? Have you read Second Skin??
I stayed up to 4:30 AM reading this book on a night where I knew the next day wouldn't allow for much recovery. I was so dead when I left work I couldn't form full sentences anymore, and had been forced to resort to facial expressions and leading half-statements to interact with customers. I lost my car keys for the first time ever.
When I got home I read for two more hours, until I finished, before finally going to sleep.
This book is SO GOOD GUYS OMG READ IT NOW WHY ISN'T IT IN ACTUAL STORES. Ahem.
Second Skin opens on unemployed veteran Shane Kalman preparing for a job interview, and a few pages later he's a cat. (This is as much summary as you'll get from me. Also, I *didn't* read the summary before buying, so the cat thing was a massive surprise.) From there it's all cute animals and great action and good, tightly planned story-telling. This book knows where it's going from the start, and doesn't meander about. The romance is hot and has you invested from early on, yet doesn't consume the rest of the book.
I loved the characters, the romance, and the risky, finicky nature of the human-to-animal, mind-swapping technology. Also the animals. A high point was srs!bsns ferret running like a furry wiggling shoelace with a >:( face, oh my god. Also the story. And the book. I loved the book.
Commence making everyone I can think of buy it. Hey you, reading? Have you read Second Skin??
February 25, 2014
4 stars. Where's the sequel?! Review to come.
January 30, 2015
There was some twinkle of idea behind this, some good writing, but I couldn't get past how badly criminal investigation part is written. I guess this is an issue with every reader when they read about something they have professional knowledge of, but as much as I understand creative freedom, sometimes it's just...impossible to turn my brain off.
Here,I got an eye twitch because it drove me crazy how author wrote DA's work. :|
I mean, if you are DA, here is a little hint:
When you are trying to build a case against someone you shouldn't conduct illegal experiments on humans against their will especially when you know that odds for surviving it are one out of ten. :|
That's worst crime than the one you're trying to pin on guy!
And guess what? Evidence gathered this way is 1)not acceptable on court and 2)incriminating for DA.
So, it's not just that your case is fucked up, you also managed to throw yourself in jail. Congratulations.
NO. that's just.... how am I supposed to believe these are good guys?!?!?!?!?
And the worst thing: DA chick who was responsible for all that is forgiven at the end and becomes part of the family.
April 3, 2014
This book is the perfect balance of sci-fi and romance. You have to let go of reality to go with the basic premise of the story, but it is so well written and so much fun that it is easy to go with it.
Shane is a veteran desperate for a job, but does not get what he expects with his most recent job interview, because really no one expects to end up trapped in a cat with a shepherd as a partner. Jamison is an interesting character, sometimes a dog, maybe a good guy – maybe a not-so-good guy (but completely adorable). Even the boss, Sal, who is not really a very nice man has some interesting depth.
Shane is a veteran desperate for a job, but does not get what he expects with his most recent job interview, because really no one expects to end up trapped in a cat with a shepherd as a partner. Jamison is an interesting character, sometimes a dog, maybe a good guy – maybe a not-so-good guy (but completely adorable). Even the boss, Sal, who is not really a very nice man has some interesting depth.
November 12, 2017
Second Skin is a very creative piece of speculative fiction. I love Jed the idea of transferring your consciousness into an animal.
I enjoyed the variety of characters with all their flaws. I liked the little bit of romance we got - a bit of any enemy to lovers thing going on.
I loved the scenes with Shane in the animals. It really get authentic.
I wish there was a sequel. (I found that this book has been rereleased under the name Skin Deep. I prefer this cover though)
I enjoyed the variety of characters with all their flaws. I liked the little bit of romance we got - a bit of any enemy to lovers thing going on.
I loved the scenes with Shane in the animals. It really get authentic.
I wish there was a sequel. (I found that this book has been rereleased under the name Skin Deep. I prefer this cover though)
April 16, 2018
Original, and more investigation than romance
May 7, 2014
Hi guys ;) So here’s one that really took me by surprise. I received a RC of the book by MUSA for my interview with the author and didn’t know what hit me :) A unique set-up that felt fresh and never went the way I expected. Instead of having a magical/ paranormal shifter aspect, the ability to experience the world and solve mysteries in a second skin is solved here in a scientific way, that made everything feel more ‘realistic’ and distracting, while it was balanced out by some well-placed humor. While some aspects of the story were not completely convincing to me, I had a lot of joy reading this story and was very much hooked by the different story and the intriguing characters to the last page. 4.25 stars
Originally Published on: Prism Book Alliance
http://www.prismbookalliance.com/2014...
The Cover: The cover is simple, but effective. The fact that there’s a cat and a dog on there was intriguing to me. Usually only great cats get attention in the literary skinwalker world.
The Title: Second Skin is a great title. Short, memorable, an alliteration (both words begin with ‘S’) and in combination with the animals on the cover you get the idea of ‘skinwalkers’. For me the subtitle was a bit misleading: Skinwalker Detective Agency sounds so upbeat, cute and fun that I was taken aback at some of the distressing events!
I now review at and own http://www.rainbowgoldreviews.wordpre...
The Story: Okay, wow – so the story :) As I mentioned before, I got this ARC for my interview with Genna Donaghy and I wanted to be surprised, so I didn’t even read the blurb. From the the cover ant title, I thought that it would be about shifters, using their abilities to turn into animals to solve mysteries. In some ways that was true, but the ability to walk around in animal bodies is explained in a scientific way and the whole thing felt much more dangerous than the usual romanticized and usually magical ability to shift in most paranormal shifter romances.
This is more a romantic mystery with sci-fi aspects that I’m sure lovers of shifter novels will love for its fresh perspective on skinwalker lore. I really don’t want to give away too much from the story itself, because I thought it was delightfully twist-ful and should remain mostly unspoiled.
I can tell you that it is like nothing else I’ve read, though. Some very dark and flawed characters and some amusing and sometimes hilarious and fun banter.
It kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time and it was very hard to put the book from my hands. A very interesting mystery with some fun turns and a constant dark and dangerous atmosphere that always brought a certain urgency to the scenes, even if it was one of the comical relief scenes that provided some “breathing” in the very thrilling ride. I must admit that some reactions and events were not completely credible for me – even taking into account that no one really knows how people would react in such situations – but I really loved the read and can highly recommend it for readers, who want to try something different :)
A special shout-out for the way the sensory processing of the animals was handled. It’s rare that I feel the differences of how the senses work in an animal as opposed to a human body and the author managed to do that quite well; which was tremendously interesting to me and a great source of entertainment in the story <3
Originally Published on: Prism Book Alliance
http://www.prismbookalliance.com/2014...
The Cover: The cover is simple, but effective. The fact that there’s a cat and a dog on there was intriguing to me. Usually only great cats get attention in the literary skinwalker world.
The Title: Second Skin is a great title. Short, memorable, an alliteration (both words begin with ‘S’) and in combination with the animals on the cover you get the idea of ‘skinwalkers’. For me the subtitle was a bit misleading: Skinwalker Detective Agency sounds so upbeat, cute and fun that I was taken aback at some of the distressing events!
I now review at and own http://www.rainbowgoldreviews.wordpre...
The Story: Okay, wow – so the story :) As I mentioned before, I got this ARC for my interview with Genna Donaghy and I wanted to be surprised, so I didn’t even read the blurb. From the the cover ant title, I thought that it would be about shifters, using their abilities to turn into animals to solve mysteries. In some ways that was true, but the ability to walk around in animal bodies is explained in a scientific way and the whole thing felt much more dangerous than the usual romanticized and usually magical ability to shift in most paranormal shifter romances.
This is more a romantic mystery with sci-fi aspects that I’m sure lovers of shifter novels will love for its fresh perspective on skinwalker lore. I really don’t want to give away too much from the story itself, because I thought it was delightfully twist-ful and should remain mostly unspoiled.
I can tell you that it is like nothing else I’ve read, though. Some very dark and flawed characters and some amusing and sometimes hilarious and fun banter.
It kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time and it was very hard to put the book from my hands. A very interesting mystery with some fun turns and a constant dark and dangerous atmosphere that always brought a certain urgency to the scenes, even if it was one of the comical relief scenes that provided some “breathing” in the very thrilling ride. I must admit that some reactions and events were not completely credible for me – even taking into account that no one really knows how people would react in such situations – but I really loved the read and can highly recommend it for readers, who want to try something different :)
A special shout-out for the way the sensory processing of the animals was handled. It’s rare that I feel the differences of how the senses work in an animal as opposed to a human body and the author managed to do that quite well; which was tremendously interesting to me and a great source of entertainment in the story <3
October 23, 2014
I have to say that what brought me to this author was actually her novel Touch Me Not. I love reading a book where destinies are already made and there's a fated pair. When I read the synopsis for Second Skin I have to admit I was a little weary. Although I love a good shifter m/m romance story I feel like I've read so many that they either have to blow me out of the water or I have to be in the right mood to enjoy them.
Last night I was going through my to read list and saw Donaghy's Second Skin and decided to just get a sample off amazon. With just that I was enthralled and I found myself buying the book. Totally worth it.
What I enjoyed about this book is its not like a shifter book at all. I won't tell you anymore than that so as not to ruin anything, and despite there not being a fated pairing in this book I loved it all the same. I also have a bit of a soft spot for the ukes that need a hero to come save them in a time of crisis. However if it was only that that captured my attention we can all assume that I would enjoy just straight romances. I did at one point in time and every once and a while I will sit down and read one that is an up and coming bestseller but what really gets me in m/m romances that despite that one moment of weakness and vulnerability, the need to rely on the seme, the uke is almost always fiercely independent and lovable. That's really what I look for and love to read in m/m romances. The constant banter between the two lovers before the seme swoops in and saves the uke from an unfortunate demise and yet he still keeps his own independence and strength as he proves throughout the novel that he wants to stand as an equal rather than a lowly damsel in distress.
So overall I recommend this book, the romance is really slow starting and may seem a little bit rushed but I think that's because I was expecting it to be a romance off the bat and really it's a work of fiction with romance, not just a romance. So if you enjoy Genna Donaghy's other novels you'll like this one, and if you're looking for something new in m/m literature this would be a good one to go with. Basically just buy it, read it and enjoy it. You know you will.
Last night I was going through my to read list and saw Donaghy's Second Skin and decided to just get a sample off amazon. With just that I was enthralled and I found myself buying the book. Totally worth it.
What I enjoyed about this book is its not like a shifter book at all. I won't tell you anymore than that so as not to ruin anything, and despite there not being a fated pairing in this book I loved it all the same. I also have a bit of a soft spot for the ukes that need a hero to come save them in a time of crisis. However if it was only that that captured my attention we can all assume that I would enjoy just straight romances. I did at one point in time and every once and a while I will sit down and read one that is an up and coming bestseller but what really gets me in m/m romances that despite that one moment of weakness and vulnerability, the need to rely on the seme, the uke is almost always fiercely independent and lovable. That's really what I look for and love to read in m/m romances. The constant banter between the two lovers before the seme swoops in and saves the uke from an unfortunate demise and yet he still keeps his own independence and strength as he proves throughout the novel that he wants to stand as an equal rather than a lowly damsel in distress.
So overall I recommend this book, the romance is really slow starting and may seem a little bit rushed but I think that's because I was expecting it to be a romance off the bat and really it's a work of fiction with romance, not just a romance. So if you enjoy Genna Donaghy's other novels you'll like this one, and if you're looking for something new in m/m literature this would be a good one to go with. Basically just buy it, read it and enjoy it. You know you will.
October 29, 2014
Loved it. Will read again, and am really hoping we get a book two.
October 27, 2014
I wasn't sure at first if I'd like this book, but I really do. It's a take on shape shifters which is awesome. I hope she has a second book coming out for "Second Skin." Worth a read that's for sure.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews