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Rogue Rescue #1
Course Correction
When seal shifter and rescue swimmer Nate decides to shake things up, he proposes a sexy bargain to the pilot he’s wanted for years. Now they’re bound for uncharted waters, but Gil just can’t resist an order from his favorite lieutenant.
+
Playing it safe has gotten him everything – except the one guy he’s always wanted.
As leader of a covert unit of rescue swimmers, following the mission plan is a matter of professional survival for seal shifter Nate Landry. But recent closure on a colleague’s death has Nate recalculating his own trajectory.
It could use a little nudge and a whole lotta juice, and he only has to glance across the cockpit for just the right source of turbulence.
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Following orders has kept him sane – until the guy giving them goes full throttle.
Chopper pilot Gil Espinoza has kept his thing for Landry on cruise control for eight long years. That the guy once chose a fellow shifter over Gil stung like hell but kept him on course.
Problem the good lieutenant just laid down new coordinates, a radical turn into uncharted waters.
And if there’s one thing Gil can’t do, it’s ignore an order from Nate Landry.
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COURSE CORRECTION is the 1st novel in the ROGUE RESCUE m/m shifter series.
opposites attract, colleagues to lovers, secret relationship, naughty bargain
Content This story includes depictions of caring for a parent with cognitive decline; sea rescues; and a missing person situation.
+
Playing it safe has gotten him everything – except the one guy he’s always wanted.
As leader of a covert unit of rescue swimmers, following the mission plan is a matter of professional survival for seal shifter Nate Landry. But recent closure on a colleague’s death has Nate recalculating his own trajectory.
It could use a little nudge and a whole lotta juice, and he only has to glance across the cockpit for just the right source of turbulence.
+
Following orders has kept him sane – until the guy giving them goes full throttle.
Chopper pilot Gil Espinoza has kept his thing for Landry on cruise control for eight long years. That the guy once chose a fellow shifter over Gil stung like hell but kept him on course.
Problem the good lieutenant just laid down new coordinates, a radical turn into uncharted waters.
And if there’s one thing Gil can’t do, it’s ignore an order from Nate Landry.
+
COURSE CORRECTION is the 1st novel in the ROGUE RESCUE m/m shifter series.
opposites attract, colleagues to lovers, secret relationship, naughty bargain
Content This story includes depictions of caring for a parent with cognitive decline; sea rescues; and a missing person situation.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 17, 2018
335 people are currently reading
445 people want to read
About the author
Mia West
49 books189 followersEpic romance, two heroes at a time! My story universe features warriors and blacksmiths, rescue swimmers and hockey players, treasure hunters and time travelers, and quite a few shifters. My favorite kind of hero: a grumpy f*cker who’ll do anything for the man he loves.
Read my entire universe free on AO3!
Novel-length ebooks are free on wide vendors.
Happy reading :)
~ Mia
Read my entire universe free on AO3!
Novel-length ebooks are free on wide vendors.
Happy reading :)
~ Mia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
October 16, 2021
I think I may now have an understanding of what "developmental editing" is, and how it can help a writer.
All the components are in place here for a great story. Aquatic shifters comprise a secret component of the U.S. Coast Guard Search & Rescue mission. The MCs are part of a 6-man crew, and I found all of them, plus their commander, interesting characters in their own right. The writing was good, seamless, and impeccably edited. Dialogue, tone, supporting characters — all good. I was a happy reader for the first third or so of the book, but by halftime I had to admit that something was wrong...
...Nothing was happening.
The story begins with a rescue mission, and we're dumped right into the action, but after that, the fact that the MCs are USCG SAR is irrelevant. They might as well have been accountants, dental hygienists, shoe salesmen, or janitors, for all the difference it made to the story.
Also completely irrelevant to the story: shifting. I have no particular interest in shifter stories — I just read them because they're there, so to speak — but those who like that subgenre have expectations I strongly suspect won't be met here. Nothing about shifters or shifting is integral to the story; it would be exactly the same story if set in the real world.
But the fundamental problem here... is that there is no problem here. No story problem, that is. Nothing at stake, nothing at risk, nothing to overcome, nothing to drive the narrative forward. Nothing to compel the reader's attention. Nothing happening except two guys getting to know each other. Which has its place, but isn't sufficient to hang a novel on. Not without some risk, some obstacle, some challenge, some SOMETHING.
THIS IS A BOOK OF MISSED OPPORTUNITIES. It's a fascinating, well-written world, peopled with interesting characters, where basically nothing happens. Well, there's a very slow-burn romance between the MCs. Yet despite the shifter, military, and action story opportunities, this is just a slow (slooooow) getting-to-know-you story between two likable but ultimately unremarkable guys.
That's why I began the review with the comment about developmental editing. The author brings to the table all the pieces for making a great story — except for the story itself. I'm thinking this is where a wise developmental editor could have stepped up and said, "You have some awesome stuff here — let's make shit happen!"
So much wasted potential, it makes me sad. And now I need to decide what to do — because when I bought this at a sale price, I preordered the next two in the series for the same price. Those books are about other guys on the team, and they're interesting characters. I'd like to know their stories!
But... I'm not up for a repeat experience of this book. Something needs to happen, and because of the specific story trappings it needs to involve — in more than a merely incidental way — A) shifters and B) search & rescue. Right now I'm thinking I won't cancel the preorders, and will give the series at least one more chance.
======
Also, for the record: 13 winks are too many winks. Too many by at least 12. Please back off on the wink-fests, authors. Winking is borderline creepy.
All the components are in place here for a great story. Aquatic shifters comprise a secret component of the U.S. Coast Guard Search & Rescue mission. The MCs are part of a 6-man crew, and I found all of them, plus their commander, interesting characters in their own right. The writing was good, seamless, and impeccably edited. Dialogue, tone, supporting characters — all good. I was a happy reader for the first third or so of the book, but by halftime I had to admit that something was wrong...
...Nothing was happening.
The story begins with a rescue mission, and we're dumped right into the action, but after that, the fact that the MCs are USCG SAR is irrelevant. They might as well have been accountants, dental hygienists, shoe salesmen, or janitors, for all the difference it made to the story.
Also completely irrelevant to the story: shifting. I have no particular interest in shifter stories — I just read them because they're there, so to speak — but those who like that subgenre have expectations I strongly suspect won't be met here. Nothing about shifters or shifting is integral to the story; it would be exactly the same story if set in the real world.
But the fundamental problem here... is that there is no problem here. No story problem, that is. Nothing at stake, nothing at risk, nothing to overcome, nothing to drive the narrative forward. Nothing to compel the reader's attention. Nothing happening except two guys getting to know each other. Which has its place, but isn't sufficient to hang a novel on. Not without some risk, some obstacle, some challenge, some SOMETHING.
THIS IS A BOOK OF MISSED OPPORTUNITIES. It's a fascinating, well-written world, peopled with interesting characters, where basically nothing happens. Well, there's a very slow-burn romance between the MCs. Yet despite the shifter, military, and action story opportunities, this is just a slow (slooooow) getting-to-know-you story between two likable but ultimately unremarkable guys.
That's why I began the review with the comment about developmental editing. The author brings to the table all the pieces for making a great story — except for the story itself. I'm thinking this is where a wise developmental editor could have stepped up and said, "You have some awesome stuff here — let's make shit happen!"
So much wasted potential, it makes me sad. And now I need to decide what to do — because when I bought this at a sale price, I preordered the next two in the series for the same price. Those books are about other guys on the team, and they're interesting characters. I'd like to know their stories!
But... I'm not up for a repeat experience of this book. Something needs to happen, and because of the specific story trappings it needs to involve — in more than a merely incidental way — A) shifters and B) search & rescue. Right now I'm thinking I won't cancel the preorders, and will give the series at least one more chance.
======
Also, for the record: 13 winks are too many winks. Too many by at least 12. Please back off on the wink-fests, authors. Winking is borderline creepy.
October 25, 2018
** 2.5 stars **
The pros of this book for me were shifter element without insta love, well-edited and easy to read. It felt like every sensation and feeling in the book were muted, I didn't feel the MCs attraction at all, there was too much everyday activity described and by the time I got to 80% and nothing really happened of import I felt bored out of my skull. There were events that were left unexplained, characters mentioned that needed a little bit more than what was told, loose ends left untied.
I liked both MCs well enough, the secondary characters didn't leave any lasting impression on me, and the humor felt flat. When I reached 90% of the book and the most serious intimate scene I was so ready to finish this book. (the scene itself was uninspiring and I didn't feel any chemistry whatsoever between them). The shifter concept though was interesting, and the way they worked was kind of curious. I was happy to finish it and I don't think I will be continuing with this series.
The pros of this book for me were shifter element without insta love, well-edited and easy to read. It felt like every sensation and feeling in the book were muted, I didn't feel the MCs attraction at all, there was too much everyday activity described and by the time I got to 80% and nothing really happened of import I felt bored out of my skull. There were events that were left unexplained, characters mentioned that needed a little bit more than what was told, loose ends left untied.
I liked both MCs well enough, the secondary characters didn't leave any lasting impression on me, and the humor felt flat. When I reached 90% of the book and the most serious intimate scene I was so ready to finish this book. (the scene itself was uninspiring and I didn't feel any chemistry whatsoever between them). The shifter concept though was interesting, and the way they worked was kind of curious. I was happy to finish it and I don't think I will be continuing with this series.
September 26, 2020
Nate is a seal shifter and the leader of a team of marine shifters and their support staff. The shifters go into the water to assist with ocean rescues, alongside conventional human units. Nate's the search guy, while his team includes dolphins for close in work and a shark for safety patrol.
Gil Espinoza is their pilot, and one of a small number of humans aware of shifters. He's at home his chopper, more than anywhere else, but he's also dealing with an aging father whose mental acuity is going downhill. When Gil's not at work, his whole time and focus is spent on the father he loves, and making sure the time they have left together is positive and safe. He doesn't really have time and energy for a relationship, but this thing between him and Nate has been building a long time, and finally they're not content playing it safe anymore.
Despite the potential for action, this is a fairly low-key character-driven story, more sweet than angsty. I appreciated the interplay with secondary characters - this is very much a couple who do not develop in isolation, and there were some moments of good humor. The shark shifter is an intriguing secondary character, and I look forward to his book. (And I liked that their unit is commanded by a woman.) The two MCs sometimes take risks that seem out of character for how career-driven Nate has been previously, but I was rooting for them to reach their HEA.
Gil Espinoza is their pilot, and one of a small number of humans aware of shifters. He's at home his chopper, more than anywhere else, but he's also dealing with an aging father whose mental acuity is going downhill. When Gil's not at work, his whole time and focus is spent on the father he loves, and making sure the time they have left together is positive and safe. He doesn't really have time and energy for a relationship, but this thing between him and Nate has been building a long time, and finally they're not content playing it safe anymore.
Despite the potential for action, this is a fairly low-key character-driven story, more sweet than angsty. I appreciated the interplay with secondary characters - this is very much a couple who do not develop in isolation, and there were some moments of good humor. The shark shifter is an intriguing secondary character, and I look forward to his book. (And I liked that their unit is commanded by a woman.) The two MCs sometimes take risks that seem out of character for how career-driven Nate has been previously, but I was rooting for them to reach their HEA.
February 27, 2019
Playing it safe and following orders has never been so hot and readers can’t help but feel the burn and intense emotions of this m/m paranormal romance. Nate and Gil are strong, captivating characters that easily grab readers’ attention and holds them hostage throughout their gripping romance that has chemistry sizzling and sending sparks flying from every page. Since these guys have been denying their attraction for quite some time, readers can easily picture the explosive passion and the intense emotional toil flows from Nate and Gil throughout this romance, also their relationship is further complicated by home situations and the fact that they work on the same rescue team.
The story takes place at a steady pace that keeps readers glued to the pages of this intense and heated romance and the anticipation of just where this romance will end up keeps building throughout. Readers can’t help but be entertained by the relationship between Gil and Nate as the story progresses because of some amusing and delightful interactions between the couple during their work day while some emotional turbulent interactions adds depth to the romance and ensures that readers can’t help but hope that this couple reaches their happily ever after.
The story takes place at a steady pace that keeps readers glued to the pages of this intense and heated romance and the anticipation of just where this romance will end up keeps building throughout. Readers can’t help but be entertained by the relationship between Gil and Nate as the story progresses because of some amusing and delightful interactions between the couple during their work day while some emotional turbulent interactions adds depth to the romance and ensures that readers can’t help but hope that this couple reaches their happily ever after.
Want to read
February 27, 2025🎁 FREE on Amazon & on Apple iBooks today (9/7/2020)! 🎁
Want to read
May 4, 2020OH HEY, LOOK! Real Nate (from the last book of the Grizzly Rim series) DOES have his own book! YAY!
February 18, 2021
DNF ~30%
3rd MM romance in a row I've had to DNF, so maybe it's just me?? I really wanted to like this one, as it had so many things I enjoy--2 POC MCs! shifters!--but it really didn't work for me. Vague world building and the pacing and plot here just didn't make any sense. It was very choppy and jerky and the events unfolding just made no sense at all and left me feeling very confused--at one point I actually thought I somehow had skipped several chapters.
3rd MM romance in a row I've had to DNF, so maybe it's just me?? I really wanted to like this one, as it had so many things I enjoy--2 POC MCs! shifters!--but it really didn't work for me. Vague world building and the pacing and plot here just didn't make any sense. It was very choppy and jerky and the events unfolding just made no sense at all and left me feeling very confused--at one point I actually thought I somehow had skipped several chapters.
January 14, 2019
Interesting Premise
First read of this author but not my last. Interesting premise of water shifters in the Coast Guard. Love when I find a new author who has a good story without a number of editing errors.
First read of this author but not my last. Interesting premise of water shifters in the Coast Guard. Love when I find a new author who has a good story without a number of editing errors.
May 17, 2021
So I read a shifters trilogy. It's good. It's very skinny on the details, and somehow that worked well for me. I wanted more time with the characters, more intimacy. These two had eight years of history and it just wasn't enough.
May 4, 2025
Actual rating // 2,5 stars
Nice concept but overall it just felt lacking writing- and story wise I think. Much more possible. Despite that, I’m still thinking about starting the next book to see how that one is and if there’s progress - for me - since I already have it ready on my Kindle. We’ll see. It was a quick read and a perfect in between book at that.
Nice concept but overall it just felt lacking writing- and story wise I think. Much more possible. Despite that, I’m still thinking about starting the next book to see how that one is and if there’s progress - for me - since I already have it ready on my Kindle. We’ll see. It was a quick read and a perfect in between book at that.
October 25, 2018
Great start to a new m/m shifter series by Mia West! Nate Landry, leader of a water rescue team showed up as a secondary character in Embrace the Beast (Grizzly Rim #3 - another series I highly recommend) and it's great to see him getting his happy ending here. He and Gil Espinoza have worked together for 8 years, but only now is their attraction coming to the surface as Gil struggles to deal with an aging father with memory issues and Nate discovers what's been troubling Gil. Nate has his own issues, grief and feelings of personal responsibility for the loss of a team mate several years ago keeping him from going after what he wants - and what he wants is Gil.
As the two of them start confiding in each other, they also start up a secret relationship, a slow burn romance that culminates in some sexy scenes but with a lot of sexual tension to heat things up! I loved how the two of the them work through their issues and find a way to be together. The scenes with the rest of the team (who have stories coming up) are equally fun and the rock solid nature of their team shows in their dedication to the job, with some exciting water rescue scenes. An interesting worldbuilding note is that a non shifter can be turned by contact with shifter semen so Gil and Nate have to have that discussion, and be a little creative. There's a happy ending for the couple of course after a few rocky patches and I'm looking forward to continuing this series!
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the author for review.
As the two of them start confiding in each other, they also start up a secret relationship, a slow burn romance that culminates in some sexy scenes but with a lot of sexual tension to heat things up! I loved how the two of the them work through their issues and find a way to be together. The scenes with the rest of the team (who have stories coming up) are equally fun and the rock solid nature of their team shows in their dedication to the job, with some exciting water rescue scenes. An interesting worldbuilding note is that a non shifter can be turned by contact with shifter semen so Gil and Nate have to have that discussion, and be a little creative. There's a happy ending for the couple of course after a few rocky patches and I'm looking forward to continuing this series!
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the author for review.
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April 20, 2022
An odd read for me. There was so much promise for this story - slow-burn, older M/M leads,both POC, one’s a fricken SEAL Shifter. But there’s just something missing. I wish the story was more was fleshed-out because nothing really happens.
There’s no background given to set up the shifter lore. All we’re given is that it passes through semen and they’re hiding in plain sight, but that’s it! Oh, and they work hand in hand with the regular coast guard, but off in the periphery. There was no real meat to the story, everything just…was. And it just wasn’t enough.
There’s no background given to set up the shifter lore. All we’re given is that it passes through semen and they’re hiding in plain sight, but that’s it! Oh, and they work hand in hand with the regular coast guard, but off in the periphery. There was no real meat to the story, everything just…was. And it just wasn’t enough.
December 4, 2018
🐬🚁
I didn't read the summary for the story - so when I started reading I was surprised when I read shark,dolphins and seal.First story I've read about these type of shifters.Very interesting characters and story lines.Loved the happy ending♥
I didn't read the summary for the story - so when I started reading I was surprised when I read shark,dolphins and seal.First story I've read about these type of shifters.Very interesting characters and story lines.Loved the happy ending♥
January 3, 2020
This one was weird for me, but I enjoyed the story. Didn't even really feel like a shifter story, imo. Nate didn't seem to have any extra "powers" except for he could shift. I feel like it could have been 2 humans.
Read
October 20, 2020DNF...somewhere.
September 11, 2020
MAJOR Plot spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.
4.5 stars
I have been looking to reading more M/M romance because I have been interested, and I haven’t read any M/M romance where the M/M romance was the focus. In fact the only real M/M romances that I have read have been from the Shadowhunters universe, which even though the romance was important it wasn’t the focus of the entire story. I was just really in the mood for a M/M romance and kind of jump into that type of romance. So for the past month or so I was looking for a good M/M romance to dive into, but the things I found didn’t really appeal to me or were too short that I knew I was probably not gonna like it because it wouldn’t be enough for me like most novella type of stories are. After a month of searching within my means, I kind of gave up. Then I came across this story and immediately became intrigued. Not only was it a M/M romance, but it was a shifter/paranormal romance, which I seem to have been into as of late. So, I decided to pick this one up and read it.
Let me tell you I was not disappointed at all. It hit all the right spots that I needed as I was reading it. It had everything that I wanted and more so. It wasn’t just one thing that made this good. It was everything combined to make for an interesting and very compelling read. It had a lot more tropes than I thought it was going to from the synopsis, making for a great and most welcome surprise especially since those were tropes that I completely dug and wanted. It just made for a really satisfying M/M romance and just romance in general. This was the perfect gateway to the M/M romance world and makes me want more especially if they were like this one. It just really impressed me.
Now let’s get into the details of why I liked this:
First off, I really, really liked the fact that that these two had feelings for the past eight years for each other since Gil came to work for this shifter rescue squad. The attraction between the two of them was immediate and intense, yet the ignored it. For one, they were co-workers, and there was a non fraternization policy at work, though that was a less obstacle than the other one. Secondly, Both Gil and Nate didn’t believe that the other was attracted to them. Yes, they flirted, but neither found the other serious especially in Gil’s case who seemed to be a natural flirt to Nate and nothing more. So, they just thought there would be no way they could be together because it wasn’t mutual, but that didn’t stop them from fantasizing about the other over the years. So, all this sexual tension just kept building and building and building until every time they were next to each other they were internally on fire for each other. Just that heat and chemistry just was so good, so good. But it wasn’t just the physical attraction that kept building, but their feelings for each other kept on growing and growing. They developed and deepened over the years that became very intense and strong. There was love there even if it was recognized or realized at the start of book. So, just all that tension, longing and angst was great.
Another thing that was really great about them was the rapport between them. Even though they were co-workers, they were friends too. They had this nice level of respect between them that that I really enjoyed seeing. They understood each other to point, which came in handy as they worked so closely together over the years. There was a connection and bond there as well. They were just really a big part of their lives. I thought it was adorable when Gil stayed home from work, and Nate’s first reaction was “Where’s Gil?” He was a little sad that Gil called from work, and he missed because Gil had become a big part of his work life, and when that was gone he missed it. I just thought it was cute too.
I really enjoyed the flirty moments between them. They knew how to get under each other’s skin and tease each other after all those years working together. It was fun to see Nate, who was as straight laced and very much a ruler follower, flirt back and play the game along with Gil once their attraction between them came to forefront. It just showed off the hot sparks between them as they banter back and forth. That cockpit scene where they were with the team in the helicopter, but Nate and Gil only could talk to each other due to their coms, which was their own personal line they used while flying, was so freaking hot and spicy I nearly had to fan myself. They didn’t touch each other. They just used words, but they aroused each other so much that it was a wonder that helicopter didn’t catch fire and go down. It was that was sexy. I’m not usually a fan of dirty talk and sometimes if it’s too much it can turn me off of a romance, but their dirty talk totally worked for me. It was hot and steamy, let me tell you. It just previewed what was going to come for these two down the road.
Even though this build up between them had been happening for eight years, they didn’t just skip to the sexy times stuff. There was a moment in the club that I thought they were going to go there right away, but Gil stopped it because he knew he wanted more with Nate. He told Nate that he wanted more than a roll in the sheets and wanted to date him because he really like him. Nate agreed so they started dating and took it slow. The dating between them was so cute and adorable yet hot and spicy at the same times. Some of the little dates nights that they had together were just really sweet and loving. I loved how Nate came over to Gil’s house to cook for Gil and his dad. That made my heart swoon. I loved the stuff with the nephew. They really got to know each other, discovering more beneath the surface that they never came into contact with before because they never went this deep. They started to get what made the other tick as well as issues and insecurities that they other had that neither of them realized even though they had known each other for the past eight years. I really appreciated that because not only did it show the increase of emotional intimacy between the two of them, but it showed how important it was to have a relationship that was more than just based on the physical. So, I really liked the dating stuff, and it was more than other romances that I have read had.
But just because they were doing the dating thing, didn’t mean they weren’t doing the spicy thing either. There were some sexy moments between them that just continued to build and build the more time they dated. Those dancing scenes in Gil’s living room were very sensual yet very hot. There were some heated make out scenes. They were some sexy touch-touch moments that resulted in a lot of pleasure for both. There were just lots of caresses, kisses, and touches that really brought up the heat level between the two of them. It got more intense and fiery as they went on. It was so good. I really liked seeing that steady build of both the physical and emotional combined together in equal measure. It made for a nice balance between the two, which I really appreciated.
When their actual full blown love scene did come, it majorly satisfying because of that building of both those aspects in their relationship. Their relationship very much became that loving and caring relationship that I felt deep in bones and in my heart. So when they did consummate their relationship, it just felt like a culmination of what they built together the last eight years as well as when they started dating in this story. It was that satisfying for both of them after all that sexual tension that had been between them as well as the deep feelings they had for each other. This was just a physical representation of what they felt in their hearts. It was very loving, intense, spicy, and bonding. They finally got the ultimate closeness with one another that they had been yearning for so long. Plus it was a really hot scene so couldn’t go wrong there either. It just was great scene for so many reasons.
There were other things that I enjoyed also aside from the romance. I liked the fact that this had military vibes to it, which I wasn’t expecting. There were this group of shifters that participated in search and rescue. They were a secret part of the Coast Guard. Nate was a lieutenant, which I thought was cool and showed off his high position, making him even sexier. I loved whenever Gil would call him lieutenant because he would do it in such a flirty way that it just would make me chuckle and put a smile on my face whenever he did it. Just think of Nate in a military uniform just made him even more sexy in my opinion.
Not only was he lieutenant, but Nate was also a seal shifter, which was why he was in the special group. I have never read a seal shifter. I didn’t know going in how I was going to feel about it because I’m used to either wolves or cat that were more of the conventional, aggressive predator family with a more alpha feeling to them. However in this story, Nate being a seal shifter totally fit the story perfectly since he was a search and rescue that mainly rescued people from water. So with him being a seal shifter he could help people by looking for them in his seal form. It wasn’t weird or strange. It just was who Nate was. I appreciated that it was unique from any shifter romance that I have ever read before. Plus they were two really cute moments when Nate was a seal. One was when Nate took Gil and his father to fish, and he turned into the seal swimming around the boat doing tricks in order to please Gil’s father and make him happy. Then there was the scene were Gil and Nate took a sensual, midnight swim together with Nate being a seal and swirling around Gil. Plus it was cute to see Gil tickle Nate’s seal whiskers. So I really enjoyed that too.
Overall I really did enjoy this read. This was what I was looking for in a M/M romance. It was sweet. It was tender. It was caring. It was loving. It was sexy. It was sensual. It was intense. They plenty of build up between them over the eight years they had known each other as they fought their attraction to each other. I loved their hot and steamy chemistry. I liked it was slightly forbidden being that they worked together. I loved the intensity in the story. I liked their flirty banter as they tried to push other’s buttons, which just made it all the more sexier. I loved that they dated before they consummated their relationship. They had some really great and special date moments like the dancing or the midnight swim. Things that weren’t of the sexual nature, but as a means to build intimacy between them. I enjoyed that this was a paranormal romance with a mix of military that added to the story without taking away from the romance between Nate and Gil. It wasn’t an overly complicated world either being that this took place in real world, yet hidden from the “regular” people. Don’t get me wrong I love world building in paranormal romances, but I did like the simplicity of this one. It was just enough without being too much. I really appreciated that. It was just a good, fun and entertaining time that made me smile and chuckle and raise my pulse while reading it. I would definitely consider this a win in my book. I could see myself reading this one again if I wanted a sassy, sexy, and sweet read all combined in one. This makes me want to try more M/M romances in the future with the hopes it would be like this one.
4.5 stars
I have been looking to reading more M/M romance because I have been interested, and I haven’t read any M/M romance where the M/M romance was the focus. In fact the only real M/M romances that I have read have been from the Shadowhunters universe, which even though the romance was important it wasn’t the focus of the entire story. I was just really in the mood for a M/M romance and kind of jump into that type of romance. So for the past month or so I was looking for a good M/M romance to dive into, but the things I found didn’t really appeal to me or were too short that I knew I was probably not gonna like it because it wouldn’t be enough for me like most novella type of stories are. After a month of searching within my means, I kind of gave up. Then I came across this story and immediately became intrigued. Not only was it a M/M romance, but it was a shifter/paranormal romance, which I seem to have been into as of late. So, I decided to pick this one up and read it.
Let me tell you I was not disappointed at all. It hit all the right spots that I needed as I was reading it. It had everything that I wanted and more so. It wasn’t just one thing that made this good. It was everything combined to make for an interesting and very compelling read. It had a lot more tropes than I thought it was going to from the synopsis, making for a great and most welcome surprise especially since those were tropes that I completely dug and wanted. It just made for a really satisfying M/M romance and just romance in general. This was the perfect gateway to the M/M romance world and makes me want more especially if they were like this one. It just really impressed me.
Now let’s get into the details of why I liked this:
First off, I really, really liked the fact that that these two had feelings for the past eight years for each other since Gil came to work for this shifter rescue squad. The attraction between the two of them was immediate and intense, yet the ignored it. For one, they were co-workers, and there was a non fraternization policy at work, though that was a less obstacle than the other one. Secondly, Both Gil and Nate didn’t believe that the other was attracted to them. Yes, they flirted, but neither found the other serious especially in Gil’s case who seemed to be a natural flirt to Nate and nothing more. So, they just thought there would be no way they could be together because it wasn’t mutual, but that didn’t stop them from fantasizing about the other over the years. So, all this sexual tension just kept building and building and building until every time they were next to each other they were internally on fire for each other. Just that heat and chemistry just was so good, so good. But it wasn’t just the physical attraction that kept building, but their feelings for each other kept on growing and growing. They developed and deepened over the years that became very intense and strong. There was love there even if it was recognized or realized at the start of book. So, just all that tension, longing and angst was great.
Another thing that was really great about them was the rapport between them. Even though they were co-workers, they were friends too. They had this nice level of respect between them that that I really enjoyed seeing. They understood each other to point, which came in handy as they worked so closely together over the years. There was a connection and bond there as well. They were just really a big part of their lives. I thought it was adorable when Gil stayed home from work, and Nate’s first reaction was “Where’s Gil?” He was a little sad that Gil called from work, and he missed because Gil had become a big part of his work life, and when that was gone he missed it. I just thought it was cute too.
I really enjoyed the flirty moments between them. They knew how to get under each other’s skin and tease each other after all those years working together. It was fun to see Nate, who was as straight laced and very much a ruler follower, flirt back and play the game along with Gil once their attraction between them came to forefront. It just showed off the hot sparks between them as they banter back and forth. That cockpit scene where they were with the team in the helicopter, but Nate and Gil only could talk to each other due to their coms, which was their own personal line they used while flying, was so freaking hot and spicy I nearly had to fan myself. They didn’t touch each other. They just used words, but they aroused each other so much that it was a wonder that helicopter didn’t catch fire and go down. It was that was sexy. I’m not usually a fan of dirty talk and sometimes if it’s too much it can turn me off of a romance, but their dirty talk totally worked for me. It was hot and steamy, let me tell you. It just previewed what was going to come for these two down the road.
Even though this build up between them had been happening for eight years, they didn’t just skip to the sexy times stuff. There was a moment in the club that I thought they were going to go there right away, but Gil stopped it because he knew he wanted more with Nate. He told Nate that he wanted more than a roll in the sheets and wanted to date him because he really like him. Nate agreed so they started dating and took it slow. The dating between them was so cute and adorable yet hot and spicy at the same times. Some of the little dates nights that they had together were just really sweet and loving. I loved how Nate came over to Gil’s house to cook for Gil and his dad. That made my heart swoon. I loved the stuff with the nephew. They really got to know each other, discovering more beneath the surface that they never came into contact with before because they never went this deep. They started to get what made the other tick as well as issues and insecurities that they other had that neither of them realized even though they had known each other for the past eight years. I really appreciated that because not only did it show the increase of emotional intimacy between the two of them, but it showed how important it was to have a relationship that was more than just based on the physical. So, I really liked the dating stuff, and it was more than other romances that I have read had.
But just because they were doing the dating thing, didn’t mean they weren’t doing the spicy thing either. There were some sexy moments between them that just continued to build and build the more time they dated. Those dancing scenes in Gil’s living room were very sensual yet very hot. There were some heated make out scenes. They were some sexy touch-touch moments that resulted in a lot of pleasure for both. There were just lots of caresses, kisses, and touches that really brought up the heat level between the two of them. It got more intense and fiery as they went on. It was so good. I really liked seeing that steady build of both the physical and emotional combined together in equal measure. It made for a nice balance between the two, which I really appreciated.
When their actual full blown love scene did come, it majorly satisfying because of that building of both those aspects in their relationship. Their relationship very much became that loving and caring relationship that I felt deep in bones and in my heart. So when they did consummate their relationship, it just felt like a culmination of what they built together the last eight years as well as when they started dating in this story. It was that satisfying for both of them after all that sexual tension that had been between them as well as the deep feelings they had for each other. This was just a physical representation of what they felt in their hearts. It was very loving, intense, spicy, and bonding. They finally got the ultimate closeness with one another that they had been yearning for so long. Plus it was a really hot scene so couldn’t go wrong there either. It just was great scene for so many reasons.
There were other things that I enjoyed also aside from the romance. I liked the fact that this had military vibes to it, which I wasn’t expecting. There were this group of shifters that participated in search and rescue. They were a secret part of the Coast Guard. Nate was a lieutenant, which I thought was cool and showed off his high position, making him even sexier. I loved whenever Gil would call him lieutenant because he would do it in such a flirty way that it just would make me chuckle and put a smile on my face whenever he did it. Just think of Nate in a military uniform just made him even more sexy in my opinion.
Not only was he lieutenant, but Nate was also a seal shifter, which was why he was in the special group. I have never read a seal shifter. I didn’t know going in how I was going to feel about it because I’m used to either wolves or cat that were more of the conventional, aggressive predator family with a more alpha feeling to them. However in this story, Nate being a seal shifter totally fit the story perfectly since he was a search and rescue that mainly rescued people from water. So with him being a seal shifter he could help people by looking for them in his seal form. It wasn’t weird or strange. It just was who Nate was. I appreciated that it was unique from any shifter romance that I have ever read before. Plus they were two really cute moments when Nate was a seal. One was when Nate took Gil and his father to fish, and he turned into the seal swimming around the boat doing tricks in order to please Gil’s father and make him happy. Then there was the scene were Gil and Nate took a sensual, midnight swim together with Nate being a seal and swirling around Gil. Plus it was cute to see Gil tickle Nate’s seal whiskers. So I really enjoyed that too.
Overall I really did enjoy this read. This was what I was looking for in a M/M romance. It was sweet. It was tender. It was caring. It was loving. It was sexy. It was sensual. It was intense. They plenty of build up between them over the eight years they had known each other as they fought their attraction to each other. I loved their hot and steamy chemistry. I liked it was slightly forbidden being that they worked together. I loved the intensity in the story. I liked their flirty banter as they tried to push other’s buttons, which just made it all the more sexier. I loved that they dated before they consummated their relationship. They had some really great and special date moments like the dancing or the midnight swim. Things that weren’t of the sexual nature, but as a means to build intimacy between them. I enjoyed that this was a paranormal romance with a mix of military that added to the story without taking away from the romance between Nate and Gil. It wasn’t an overly complicated world either being that this took place in real world, yet hidden from the “regular” people. Don’t get me wrong I love world building in paranormal romances, but I did like the simplicity of this one. It was just enough without being too much. I really appreciated that. It was just a good, fun and entertaining time that made me smile and chuckle and raise my pulse while reading it. I would definitely consider this a win in my book. I could see myself reading this one again if I wanted a sassy, sexy, and sweet read all combined in one. This makes me want to try more M/M romances in the future with the hopes it would be like this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2022
Was hoping for a little... More?
I like paranormal (and shifter) stuff as well as action-focused books, so finding them combined is usually a treat. You know, when done right.
And this book? Romance. Sure, one of them can turn into a seal and sure, they're some rescue operatives but honestly? 90% of the book is just about the relationship and that is actually a shame. If I wanted contemporary, I would not be here and set it's not so unusual. I can think of one other series that have done this with more success - THIRDS, the terian unit or what it's called.
And that's not even counting my current obsession I mean favourite series by Charlie Adhara (which mixes shifters with detective stuff in like the best way).
The book is okay. The romance sweet. I just hoped for more so if you just want romance with something a teeny bit extra, you should enjoy this one.
I like paranormal (and shifter) stuff as well as action-focused books, so finding them combined is usually a treat. You know, when done right.
And this book? Romance. Sure, one of them can turn into a seal and sure, they're some rescue operatives but honestly? 90% of the book is just about the relationship and that is actually a shame. If I wanted contemporary, I would not be here and set it's not so unusual. I can think of one other series that have done this with more success - THIRDS, the terian unit or what it's called.
And that's not even counting my current obsession I mean favourite series by Charlie Adhara (which mixes shifters with detective stuff in like the best way).
The book is okay. The romance sweet. I just hoped for more so if you just want romance with something a teeny bit extra, you should enjoy this one.
December 10, 2022
Search and Ye Shall Find
I'm always on the hunt for new and exciting shifter stories that don't include mpreg, and Rogue Rescue fits the bill perfectly!
Mia West is new to me, a recommendation from a social media group that stood out enough I clicked the link to see what Course Correction and the Rogue Rescue series was about.
I was delighted, and I mean DELIGHTED to find Mia's writing richly descriptive and swiftly engaging, with fleshed-out characters, a compelling plotline and delicious tension. It's the kind of storytelling that hooks you in, keeps you enthralled, and pushes your emotions to places that both hurt and comfort.
By the end of the book, I signed up for Mia's newsletter faster than Mackey can shift.
Easily five stars, and I cannot wait to read the rest of Rogue Rescue and discover everything else by this author.
I'm always on the hunt for new and exciting shifter stories that don't include mpreg, and Rogue Rescue fits the bill perfectly!
Mia West is new to me, a recommendation from a social media group that stood out enough I clicked the link to see what Course Correction and the Rogue Rescue series was about.
I was delighted, and I mean DELIGHTED to find Mia's writing richly descriptive and swiftly engaging, with fleshed-out characters, a compelling plotline and delicious tension. It's the kind of storytelling that hooks you in, keeps you enthralled, and pushes your emotions to places that both hurt and comfort.
By the end of the book, I signed up for Mia's newsletter faster than Mackey can shift.
Easily five stars, and I cannot wait to read the rest of Rogue Rescue and discover everything else by this author.
September 22, 2023
I’m not one for shifter books but I do enjoy MM romances so here I am.
I guess this one really appealed to my life of thrillers and adventure. After all it’s based in a search and rescue team. Granted one with a point of difference, but still.
The issues I found is this book in the adventure and thrill fest is a little lacking. It’s adventurous to some extent in terms of the relationship and the expectation of belief in the story. There was a good introduction to the various characters in the team and it appears there’s some tenuous links to some of the authors other works though to some extent some are based significantly in the past.
I grabbed these as a bundle of the authors works she has made free for the moment from Amazon. It’s always generous when authors do this. I look forward to more adventure int eh next one (hopefully).
I guess this one really appealed to my life of thrillers and adventure. After all it’s based in a search and rescue team. Granted one with a point of difference, but still.
The issues I found is this book in the adventure and thrill fest is a little lacking. It’s adventurous to some extent in terms of the relationship and the expectation of belief in the story. There was a good introduction to the various characters in the team and it appears there’s some tenuous links to some of the authors other works though to some extent some are based significantly in the past.
I grabbed these as a bundle of the authors works she has made free for the moment from Amazon. It’s always generous when authors do this. I look forward to more adventure int eh next one (hopefully).
November 14, 2023
This book has a solid and lovely romance between two men - Nate, a lieutenant and seal shifter for a search and rescue team, and Gil, one of the team members. Although the two men have known each other for eight years, neither one has had the courage to make the first move until now. Gil is also dealing with the dementia of his father and Nate is coping with unrealistic expectations of his strict military father. When the lines of communication finally open, it seems like a brighter future for the couple
Since this book is about a search and rescue team, I was hoping for more action, dramatic rescues, and maybe an overarching mystery. There is little of that in this book, but the romance is nicely built and satisfying.
Since this book is about a search and rescue team, I was hoping for more action, dramatic rescues, and maybe an overarching mystery. There is little of that in this book, but the romance is nicely built and satisfying.
problematic-and-or-ai
November 12, 2025🚩 AI cover
quote from the author's website:
bffr🫠🙃🤡
#genAIisnotethical supporthumancreatives #supportrealartists
ss taken on Nov 12, 2025:
quote from the author's website:
"I do, however, use AI tools to create my covers.
In 2024, I started using generative AI to create images for my book covers. I found myself needing to re-cover the Sons of Britain series, and since I give away my ebooks, I decided to use currently free AI tools for image generation. For all of my series, I used Microsoft Designer’s Image Creator to generate images, then Canva to add the title text. I don’t use artist names in my prompts, but general descriptive words and phrases (eg: brushstroke style, stern expression, feather texture)."
bffr🫠🙃🤡
#genAIisnotethical supporthumancreatives #supportrealartists
ss taken on Nov 12, 2025:
January 25, 2026
Great book, I loved the search and rescue theme of the book, the dynamic between Gil and Nate has humour and heart and a banter that just read so naturally, I really enjoyed the slow burn and heat of Gil and Nate the evolution of their relationship was natural and progressed at a believable rate, I absolutely recommend
September 26, 2023
Unique shifter book
This was entertaining, funny,sweet,a little sad at times and I would say low to mid angst. Not a lot of smexy times but it had its make out moments.Definitely has a hea and I am so looking forward to the next!
This was entertaining, funny,sweet,a little sad at times and I would say low to mid angst. Not a lot of smexy times but it had its make out moments.Definitely has a hea and I am so looking forward to the next!
March 19, 2024
I cannot believe Mia just gave us these incredible books for free. I stumbled upon this series by pure chance while browsing Amazon outlet for e-books and I'm so glad I did! I'll definitely continue this series and try out Mia's other stuff too.
June 12, 2022
2.5* je suppose que c’est Ok… de bons éléments mais beaucoup d’incohérences et un certain manque de fluidité. Dommage
March 4, 2026
I'm so glad this series started on a good foot. It kept me entertained til the end. I'll be reading the next books and hope they are both as good as this one.
May 29, 2022
I enjoyed reading this book so much that I want to read the next one in the series. Nate, a seal shifter, has been interested in his teammate Gil for several years. Both men at in the Coast Guard and there are rules about fraternization. But the two men find ways away those rules. There are no world ending plans in this book. It is about two men trying reconcile the past, to be present in today, and plan for the future. This is a good book.
October 7, 2021
This was certainly a good enough book to keep interest, but it did feel a little lacking overall to just not quite keep that interest going for future books. Some of that lies in the pains of the usual setup of a world and some of it lay in the characters themselves.
As can often be an issue with shifter books it was a bit of a bother trying to figure out the parameters of this world and what all was going on with shifters. Were they in the open? How do they shift? How do their jobs work? It was made clear that while the team has shifters and they are known by their employers,, not everyone knows about them. Possibly not even some of the other rescue teams, which it was a little weird how that would work as that is a difficult thing to keep under wraps. Not to mention that you would think those rescued might notice the heavy involvement of animals and then the subsequent naked guys. It also really wasn't made clear that Gil isn't a shifter. I know, that may seem clear in the book blurb, but just reading the book I wasn't entirely sure for quite a while whether he was on the shifter team because he was a shifter and just didn't shift because he was the pilot. Really, it doesn't even make clear how you get the job that is with the shifters when it's a secret.....so overall, just lots of difficulty in setting up the world and what was going on.
When it came down to the relationship lots of it was stymied by the old annoying standby of not communicating. Gil was always interested in Nate but then he saw him hooking up with another team member and decided the guy must not like humans (?????). Nate never wanted to make a move because it was inappropriate. Then there is a really weird aside about a teammate who died and what they hell that had to do with anything was unclear. When they do finally communicate and start getting together there wasn't a huge spark but they are also still hiding things from each other (family problems and money concerns). It take a bit for them to open up and some of it is finding out they have some similar circles of friends. It was sweet enough and kept things moving, it just didn't really create further interest in either the couple or the people around them.
The story leads right into the next book with trouble for the dolphin shifters (because dolphins getting video taped is bad.....right). It has some potential but after this first book the drive to get it isn't really there.
As can often be an issue with shifter books it was a bit of a bother trying to figure out the parameters of this world and what all was going on with shifters. Were they in the open? How do they shift? How do their jobs work? It was made clear that while the team has shifters and they are known by their employers,, not everyone knows about them. Possibly not even some of the other rescue teams, which it was a little weird how that would work as that is a difficult thing to keep under wraps. Not to mention that you would think those rescued might notice the heavy involvement of animals and then the subsequent naked guys. It also really wasn't made clear that Gil isn't a shifter. I know, that may seem clear in the book blurb, but just reading the book I wasn't entirely sure for quite a while whether he was on the shifter team because he was a shifter and just didn't shift because he was the pilot. Really, it doesn't even make clear how you get the job that is with the shifters when it's a secret.....so overall, just lots of difficulty in setting up the world and what was going on.
When it came down to the relationship lots of it was stymied by the old annoying standby of not communicating. Gil was always interested in Nate but then he saw him hooking up with another team member and decided the guy must not like humans (?????). Nate never wanted to make a move because it was inappropriate. Then there is a really weird aside about a teammate who died and what they hell that had to do with anything was unclear. When they do finally communicate and start getting together there wasn't a huge spark but they are also still hiding things from each other (family problems and money concerns). It take a bit for them to open up and some of it is finding out they have some similar circles of friends. It was sweet enough and kept things moving, it just didn't really create further interest in either the couple or the people around them.
The story leads right into the next book with trouble for the dolphin shifters (because dolphins getting video taped is bad.....right). It has some potential but after this first book the drive to get it isn't really there.
January 18, 2019
Almost gave up on the first scene because connotations were somewhat creepy. I’m glad I didn’t because the story is very good. It took some time for me to get used to writing style. It felt choppy at beginning. But the world described is very interesting and all characters came off strong and distinct from the first time they show up on the page. (And I don’t mean just main characters, but all of them.)
Nate is unit leader and determined to put his duty above all else, even his attraction to fellow team member Gil. That means that poor Gil thinks that his crush on Nate is unrequited. It has been that way for years, until Nate decides to move from status quo.
I liked each team member as they were introduced. I’m very glad I found this series when three books were out, since I don’t have to wait to read about others on the team. I can already guess I’m going to like them!
Back to this one: we have unit of shifters who work for Search and Rescue. There is seal, shark and two dolphins. I’m sucker for shifters stories and it’s nice seeing something else other than werewolves.
I enjoyed seeing Nate and Gil together for the first time. They don’t say anything that indicates their mutual interest, but peeking in their heads we get different story. They have hots for each other.
The pinning is EPIC. They play cat and mouse for good part of the book and it only slowly becomes something more. It’s a game and they keep raising the stakes, teasing each other. They match each other with each move. Finally they start to talk and start moving toward being something more. Dinner! Dancing! I about melted on the spot, it was so sweet.
They do get their happy end, but not without some hiccups on the way. The story hits both hot-as-burning and sweet-as-pancakes-with jam marks.
Off to read the second one!
I received copy of this book in exchange for review.
The review is also posted on Gay Book Reviews
Nate is unit leader and determined to put his duty above all else, even his attraction to fellow team member Gil. That means that poor Gil thinks that his crush on Nate is unrequited. It has been that way for years, until Nate decides to move from status quo.
I liked each team member as they were introduced. I’m very glad I found this series when three books were out, since I don’t have to wait to read about others on the team. I can already guess I’m going to like them!
Back to this one: we have unit of shifters who work for Search and Rescue. There is seal, shark and two dolphins. I’m sucker for shifters stories and it’s nice seeing something else other than werewolves.
I enjoyed seeing Nate and Gil together for the first time. They don’t say anything that indicates their mutual interest, but peeking in their heads we get different story. They have hots for each other.
The pinning is EPIC. They play cat and mouse for good part of the book and it only slowly becomes something more. It’s a game and they keep raising the stakes, teasing each other. They match each other with each move. Finally they start to talk and start moving toward being something more. Dinner! Dancing! I about melted on the spot, it was so sweet.
They do get their happy end, but not without some hiccups on the way. The story hits both hot-as-burning and sweet-as-pancakes-with jam marks.
Off to read the second one!
I received copy of this book in exchange for review.
The review is also posted on Gay Book Reviews
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