Grayscale

ORCA #2

by Vinni George

Cal Hunter didn't hate Jack Grayson the moment he met him. He actually kind of liked the arrogant great white shark shifter . . . until Jack left Cal zip-tied to a bed and stole Cal's job. Now, every time their paths cross, things get heated, and they both have the scars to prove it.

Jack has always worked better alone, but there is something about Cal he can't get out of his system. So it shouldn't be a problem when they are forced to work together to figure out who is after one of the most famous pieces of stolen art in the world.

But both men are keeping secrets that compromise their mission, and when Jack's life is threatened, Cal has to decide if holding on to his own secrets is worth it. Turns out fate has one hell of a sense of humor.

Contains mature themes.

Genres: Shapeshifters, M M Romance, Fantasy, Enemies To Lovers, Audiobook, LGBT, Romance

240 pages, Paperback

Published February 7, 2025

About the author

Vinni George has been a lover of romance novels (of all shapes, sizes, and colors) since she first got her hands on one of her grandmother’s Harlequins and has never looked back. She lives in Ohio with her two favorite guys (her husband and son) and, hopefully—one day—a dog. When she’s not writing, Vinni can be found working for her family’s business, which provides plenty of plot bunnies. In her spare time, Vinni is a soccer mom who dabbles in performance art, quilting, and various culinary pursuits and enjoys traveling.

Vinni’s debut novel, Hold the Door, was a finalist and runner-up in Contemporary Gay Romance in the 2020-2021 Rainbow Awards.

Reviews

[Christina Sturgill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4/5 🌟
Spice: 2.5/5 🌶️
Characters: Cal and Jack

[Jacqueleen the Reading Queen♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Fate had fucked around, and now I was finding out how miserable it was to want someone I couldn't have."

Uhhh Yes Yes Yes!! Gimme all that UST Vinni!! I love it! I was excited to get Jack and Cal's story as soon as I saw them interacting in Black & White, the first book in the ORCA series. It was clear there was a lot more going on there than mutual dislike. Their needling banter is totally my jam, and I enjoyed their back and forth immensely. I enjoyed it even more when all that UST exploded into confessions and spicy times!

" Fuck, Cal. That's so hot...that's it, baby, gag on my dick."

I mean fire, right!? (I hope I used that correctly because I am so not one of those who are down with the lingo of the kiddos these days. I don't even know what rizz means and every time I hear it, I think of certain bodily fluid that rhymes, but I digress. Back to Jack and Cal.) It was fun being in both the MCs heads and knowing how they felt about one another, while both being too chicken to say anything. I mean these are badass mercenary men. Give them a gun and target for it and all is right in the world. Ask them to talk about their feelings? I'd wager they'd run for the hills.

I did really love these two together as a couple. Even on "missions" they are kind of opposite, so it helped them to play to their strengths and support one another. Another thing I enjoyed were the scenes involving Cal's twin, Quin. Now those two are even MORE opposite and it made me kinda sad that they both claim to have lost their closeness with one another as they aged. Since the next book Full Color stars Quin and a certain side character you will meet in this book, I'm hoping to see more bonding happening between the twins in the future.

[Xanthe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book in the ORCA series. This series' books have an overarching plot so I would recommend reading them in order but the romance aspect has a HEA for each couple in every book. There is mystery, a bit of suspense, shifters and fated mates but between two men who do not have a great history.
Cal and Jack have met on the job several times in the past, each one with Jack stealing Cal's target, once even leaving Cal zip tied after a heated moment together. There is a good amount that Cal doesn't know but his anger towards Jack is pretty justified in how he has made the orca shifter feel after every encounter. The two men have to work together, even somehow pretending to be on their honeymoon when things remain pretty tense between them, as they look into a famous missing painting that has already brought trouble to Cal's family. It takes them to Australia and then on a tour of some cities in Europe.
I felt for Cal as he seemed to be in the dark about a fair bit for a lot of the story, and then the distance that has grown between him and his twin, Quin, since they were young gets to him when a change is noticed. I was surprised by how sudden the ending seemed, but has left it in an interesting place to start off from for the next in the family to meet their fated mate and continue the investigation.
An entertaining story, always with something going on, whether between the MC's or in the investigation.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.75 stars

Grayscale is the second book in Vinni George’s ORCA series and it follows closely on the heels of the first book, Black & White. The series focuses on a group of orca shifter brothers who team up to work together in sort of a retrieval enterprise, locating both people and objects. This series arc connects the books and we learn at the end of the first story about an important stolen painting that Cal and Jack need to retrieve here. Even reading the first book not too long ago, I did feel like I was doing a bit of catch up to remind myself of the details and I could have used a little more recap here. So I do think the books are best read in order, and this one again ends with a lead in to the story continuation in book three.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[Kelly Gress · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Addition to Series

I like the storyline and the bigger story built in that carries from one book to the next. I'm glad Cal and Jack got the start to their HEA. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Kristel (hungryandhappy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was not as instalove as the first one. Even with them having hooking up a few times, things are not insta, it takes them awhile bickering and bantering to get together. The yearning! Loved it!

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay. I wasn't bored, exactly, but it also felt a bit formulaic. YMMV.

But that cliffhanger at the end made me mad. Not cool.

[Suzanne Bourgeois]

lol, so this is the total opposite of the last book in terms of how they dealt with fated mates. Poor Cal, tried so hard to avoid and ignore his fated mate. But Fate said nope, you have to at least acknowledge this bod before you can igore it, which meant, in the end accepting the bond and that the biggest pain in his ass was the man he did in fact love... Jack really should have told Cal what was up with his old job and the security leaks sooner, they could have been together a whole lot faster. But then again, if he had, whis book would have hit different, and really it hit just right.

Then we get to the plot of the book... for all that it's complicated and murky, it is fairly easy to keep track of. not that i know who did it or anything, but sometimes things can get too complex and hard to folow, and so far, this is not that. ORCA is methodically crossing people off their list and staying focused. I mean i know there are 2 more books so i know how long it will take them to solve it, but i have faith that they will get there in the end. Vinni George writes a good story with very little side tracking off the main plot.

[Ashley Yungbluth · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Grayscale" by Vinni George is book two in the "ORCA" series. I can't even say how much I love this series. I am so happy that I picked this series to start by Vinni George. The different shifters that Vinni writes about are absolutely amazing. In this book, Jack is a great white shark shifter, and Cal is an orca shifter. They bicker quite a bit and are teamed up to work undercover together to figure out what is going on. I enjoyed the banter between the two characters and the way they showed that even though they acted like they couldn't stand each other, they could work together. My favorite scene was when they got to the hotel room.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun read

Cal and Jack have been pining for each other for two years. When Jack is nearly killed, Cal’s protective instincts come out and both admit to mates. I love their bickering bantering love language.

[Alexandria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me laughing out loud. I think Cal is my favorite of the brothers. He has a tendency to act first, think later, but he has good intentions. He and Jack are teamed up. The biggest issue of working together may be their past. I loved how the two interacted. I liked that the book would switch between their POVs. There would be times that you thought Jack was being a jerk, but then you got to read why he did what he did.

This series should be read in order.

[Demian Grimm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grayscale is a second book in the ORCA (Organization for the Return of Criminals and Assets) series, and it picks up where the first book left off. You should definitely read the first book before diving into this one. It’s not a standalone and you’ll need that background to follow along.

The story centres around Cal, a mercenary who’s impulsive and doesn’t like taking orders (unless it’s in the bedroom), and Jack, who’s more of a lone wolf with a mysterious and somewhat reserved personality. The two are on a global mission to track down a stolen/missing painting, which also forces them to rely on each other despite their deep-rooted rivalry.

I was really looking forward to this book, in large part because of the chemistry between Cal and Jack. And in my opinion, that chemistry was one of the book's strongest points. Their sarcastic, teasing dialogue is fun to read. But I will admit, at times it can feel a bit too sharp, especially coming from Jack. His dry humour and closed-off personality might make him harder for some to warm up to.
Meanwhile, Cal’s impulsiveness sometimes borders on incompetence which feels unconvincing given his ex-special ops background. To be honest, for two highly skilled men, they mess up a lot during their stealth missions. And that made it hard for me to fully buy into their supposed expertise. That might be intentional on the author’s part, but it gets a little ridiculous after a while.

That said, when Cal and Jack finally do open up to each other, their dynamic really improves and becomes much more enjoyable. The "only one bed" trope gives us a few fun moments and helps build their connection. Still, I feel that their relationship and personal growth take a backseat to the larger plot. As soon as they admit their feelings, the plot rushes back to the painting hunt, leaving their emotional arc feel somewhat rushed and underdeveloped.

In contrast, the continued world-building is great, the global settings and intricacies of the ORCA organization are very interesting. However, the story stumbles with pacing and character development.
Another minor drawback for me is that this book feels like a filler story, meant to bridge the gap between books 1 and 3. It doesn’t fully explore Cal and Jack’s relationship, and it feels like a missed opportunity and a disservice to this story and the couple.

In the end, Grayscale is a really entertaining read with strong chemistry between MCs, really nice world-building, and plenty of action. I enjoyed reading the book, and I’m looking forward to the next, especially after that cliffhanger at the end.

I received a copy of this book from the author, and this is my unbiased review.

[Edga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg I devoured this book, it’s bloody amazing and I already can’t wait to read the next one. Cal has a secret, one he has worked for over 2 years to keep hidden. He has a mate, who appears, unfortunately, totally disinterested in him as a romantic partner. However, pairing up with said mate (Jack), for a job, starts a journey which Cal finds both frustrating and agonising. The author doesn't overload the reader with exposition, instead, they reveal details gradually through Rowan's investigation. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the different shifter forms and the subtle way descriptions are quite detailed and paint a powerful picture. Cal and Jack, when they get together absolutely explode. The UST is there all the way through, and when the exposé comes, all I can say is 🔥🔥🔥🔥 There are also other great characters in the story, Cal's brothers, from the previous books make an appearance, and I can only imagine Quinn's own HEA in the next book. Great dialogue, humour and a fantastic storyline, all add up to one brilliant book. Recommend the whole series.

[Jocelyn F · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC and leave this review voluntarily.

First off... I'm mad at you for that ending!!!

Phew, got that off my chest.. I liked this book a lot. Jack and Cal are on the trail for a famous painting and this was a ride on an international scale. It was filled with tension, hidden agendas, and snark.

Loved the teasing dialogue back and forth and I need more of these two. But seriously, the CLIFFHANGER you LEFT me on is NOT funsies Vinni!! I need Quinn's book yesterday!

[Julie Underhill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grayscale by Vinni George is the second book in her ORCA series. I suggest that you read the first book before this one because it introduces the characters and continuing plot. This is the story of two men who are shifters and personality opposites who have secrets and are working together on a case that leads them to find love. Caligula “Cal” Hunter is an orca shifter and Jack Grayson is a great white shark shifter and both are working for Cal’s brothers’ organization ORCA – Organization for the Return of Criminals and Assets. They have previously been together several times which left Cal not liking Jack very much because he ended up losing jobs to him, not knowing that Jack had his reasons for stealing them from him. Now they are working together to find the painting “The Evolution of Man” which was the most controversial and stolen piece of shifter art in the world. Their hunt leads them first to the far corner of Queensland to see Reuban Machas who has whittled down the list of suspects who might have the painting to three people: Azzura Scivolo in Venice, Vlk Mazal in Prague, and Stefan Dassleaar in Amsterdam. Being ocean shifters they don’t like flying in planes but they spend a lot of time on Reuban’s private jet going to these places to check out each of them out starting in Venice. They do some covert ops there and then go to Prague where they are almost caught, and then on to Amsterdam and the clues keep piling up. Meanwhile they also have a personal connection in that they make hot steamy love whenever they can. Cal has a reason for wanting Jack but he doesn’t say anuthing for 2 years and after Jack almost dying in Prague he lets that secret out. When that happens Jack also tells his secrets and luckily they don’t affect their relationship as it continues to build and they finally claim each other and say, “I love you”. I really enjoyed this book. It had me on the edge of my seat with lots of questions about not only what was going to happen next and if they could stay alive but also about the piece of art they were looking for and if they were going to find it. Cal’s grandmother, Juno, used to be an art thief and they think she might somehow be involved. His brothers also play an important part in the story. I also thought it was interesting that Jack would always strategize and want to control what was happening while Cal would go head first into situations with barely a plan. This often caused problems between them and also led to some interesting and funny conclusions to their ops. There was often snarky banter, especially when they were keeping secrets and they actually wanted each other for a long time before they finally became serious and called each other “mine”. I highly recommend this book, especially if you like mystery stories involving different kinds of shifters who often find themselves in problematic situations as they try to find clues and while they are at it they fall in love. The plot to this story will be continued in the next book and I can’t wait to read it to see what happens.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really got into this one. Loved the romance and characters and it really set up the next book to come.

Rating: 4.25🌈

Grayscale is the second book in Vinni George’s action adventure fated mate shifter series, ORCA. That’s both a family of orca shifters and an agency that they’ve formed to work together, Organization for the Return of Criminals and Assets (ORCA).

Each novel is working on an overall series mystery involving a family painting and matriarch while the brothers investigate and find their fated mates.

I believe I enjoyed Grayscale even more than Black & White, the first book in the series. Grayscale, which picks up right after the conclusion of Black & White, starts right in on enlarging the characters of orca shifter, Cal Hunter and his sometimes lover/competitive enemy, great white shark shifter, Jack Grayson. They’ve been in and out of each other’s missions and beds for 2 years, but Cal has been hiding from Jack and his family the fact that Jack is his fated mate.

This is one of those pull me/pull you relationships, where neither person is exactly communicating but their reasons makes sense actually. Their chemistry is hot, the fact they are fated mates totally believable as is the dynamic between them. Jack Grayson, confident of Rueben the enigmatic shifter who has been directing the team, has his own secrets too.

The characters are engaging, their personalities perfectly made for each other, and the story pulls in all the different characters as well as continuing the overall theme of the mysterious paintings and the grandmother’s connection.

I really got into this one. Loved the romance and characters and it really set up the next book to come.

Was it perfect? No. There’s a tremendous amount of subplots and history that was relayed in the first novel that was missing from this book, but the dynamic couple and adventure are still powerful enough to keep me connected from beginning to end.

Highly recommended. And loving the covers.

ORCA:
- [x] Black & White #1
- [x] Grayscale #2
- [ ] Full Color #3 - TBR early 2025

- [x] Outside the Lines (short story)

Cover Design: Alison Millsaps, Ozark Witch Cover Design

[Katriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read the first book in this series I was immediately invested in the Orca brothers lives. They each have their own individual personalities and quirks that I'm really excited to learn more about.

Cal and Jack have a lot of tension between the two of them, and while they both believe they hate each other.. there is a fine line between love and hate.

The mysterious and elusive painting that these two men are trying to track made this book really intriguing. This isn't just a romance book, but also a mystery and action book as well. I liked how they had to stake out different art thief's and had to try to figure out who had ownership of the painting. Those parts of the story were my favorite because in those moments we got to see these two men start warming up to each other more and more.

At first I thought Jack was a massive jerk for what he did to Cal, leaving him tied to a bed alone is messed up. However, upon reading further, I got to understand why Jack did what he did, and realized he wasn't as much of a jerk as I originally thought. Him and Cal both are perfect for each other, even while they exchange barbs to one another, there is still plenty of teasing and they really do care about one another.

With the first book I thought the Orca's saddlepatch changing when they met their mate was interesting, and I still find it to be interesting with this story as well. That concept is really intriguing and I love that Vinni created something new with that.

The scene where these two were in their shifter forms playing together was so adorable and quite funny at times. I wish there were more scenes of these two men swimming together.

I'm so excited for Quin and Dimitri's story that's coming out next, I'm eager to see both of those men get their happily ever after. This story does end of with a slight cliffhanger as there is an overarching plot throughout the whole series. I wouldn't recommend reading this as a standalone, what I would recommend is reading the first book and then this one.

[Elizabeth D · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 I really enjoyed getting the backstory between Jack and Cal and better understanding their dynamic. I liked when their teasing was playful, but it was sometimes a bit too barbed for my preferences. I enjoyed them figuring out how to work together, but I wish there’d been more opportunities for Cal to demonstrate his competence. We get to see a fair bit of Jack’s skills, but I found that Cal mostly came off as impatient and unthinking. It was clear from book one that was part of his personality, but I wanted to see deeper!

Instead, they’re mostly doing tasks not best suited to Cal, but then when we hit his wheelhouse, their stealth ops fail too, they get made at practically every location they visit, and the crowning incompetence for me was Cal’s orca chase in Venice. I don’t even mind so much the impulsive (though super foolish) chase itself, but why on Earth was Cal using his eyeballs to follow the boat? Sound and echolocation are way more practical and way more likely in my opinion. So then Cal just came across to me as a bad whale, which I like to hope he is not. (The scene that followed with Jack was quite cute, I just wish it had come about another way!)

I enjoyed when Cal and Jack finally opened up to one another more and started trusting one another. Their collaboration was much more enjoyable for me to read. The only one bed trope progressing through the book made me laugh.

I’m very much looking forward to Quin and Dimitri’s book, and I hope that we see some good Quin and Cal progress too.

I received an ARC from the author. This is my honest review.

[Kelly (Maybedog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so much better than the last book that I want to go back and lower my rating of that one. This was a slow burn but each remembered sex scenes they’d had with the other before the start of this story so there was still a ton of sex. Most of it was ordinary but the scene where they got together for real was hot.

But this had a real plot with a real mystery/thriller. They’re searching for a missing painting and the hunt starts in Australia and goes through two or three countries in Europe. It was a good story, well done with intrigue and backstabbing and chases. I enjoyed the story and was fully immersed. There was even a female although she was only in one scene. My only complaint is that there wasn’t a really big battle at the end, just another skirmish a couple of chapters before.

Near the end was the set up for the next book and then it ended, no resolution to the plot. The couple got together of course but that was it. The plot ended on a sharp drop cliffhanger. It was infuriating because I had to read the next one right away and I had other books I needed to get to.

The narrator had a cold in the beginning I think but he got over it fortunately for both him and us. Again he was weird as his voices were all the same just the MCs differentiated by a really well done accent. He also did other accents and emotion really well. I just hate when a narrator uses the same tone and timbre for all the characters.

[Manon · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all - this book ends in a cliffhanger for the overall story arch. And I really need to know how it will continue.
You need to read the first book to know the background of what these two are up to and who the rest of the characters are, it is not a stand-alone.

The story starts at your enemies-to-lover thrope. But it's very clear that both Cal and Jack have their secrets and while Cal's are clear on page and giving him tons of discomfort, Jack is more a closed book.

To be honest, I found Jack a bit difficult to warm up to, it took a while to get behind his sarcastic personality, which is nothing but a front, to figure out what exactly his goals and reasons are for acting like he does. His background could be made a bit clearer.

These two are the most bumbling operators I ever read, every time they try to be covert, it's clear that they don't succeed. While it adds to their growing problem that they can't ignore their attraction, from the story line development, it got a bit ridiculous.

From the point where they finally give in and Cal comes out with the truth, I really enjoy their bond and relationship. I like how Cal is torn about his twin bond and how to get back to a real relationship with Quin.

When the story about the painting actually speeds up, it is also basically over.

It's an in-between book.

[Book Fairie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 2 in the ORCA series and it's a series that definitely needs to be read in order as although the emergent relationship in each book focusses on a specific couple there's an overarching plot line that started in book 1 and will presumably only wrap up when all these delightful sea panda brothers get their mates (and one cousin too - there's a free novella in the same universe you can read on bookfunnel that's contiguous with book 1), and this one ends on a super abrupt cliffhanger so be warned! The overall plot focusses on the deceitful and duplicitous world of art thievery, and it's plot-first for most of the book (and since I know nothing about art, thievery or surveillance I found myself a touch lost at times), though the chemistry between our rival MCs who are fighting their fated mate bond is hot as anything. They're both lovely and skilled in their own way, though for someone who was in special ops Cal does seem all kinda incompetent. Bless him. An orca racing through the canals of Venice? That had me chuckling at the visual. Very much looking forward to Quin and Dimitri's book.

[Mandy (MP Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cal Hunter didn’t hate Jack Grayson the moment he met him. He liked the arrogant great white shark shifter until Jack left Cal zip-tied to a bed and stole Cal’s job. Now, every time their paths cross, things get heated, and they both have the scars to prove it. Jack has always worked better alone, but there is something about Cal he can’t get out of his system. So it shouldn’t be a problem when they are forced to work together to figure out who is after one of the most famous pieces of stolen art in the world. But both men are keeping secrets that compromise their mission, and when Jack’s life is threatened, Cal has to decide if holding on to his secrets is worth it. Turns out fate has one hell of a sense of humour.

I really enjoyed this story of the two men who tried to ignore their importance to each other but in the end, had to work together and accept what fate had in store for them. Lots of drama and some danger in this story as they follow leads from country to country looking for the missing painting. Lots of emotions and feelings in this story. This was an MM story with mature content.

[Sharon L · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I was grateful it felt like nothing had changed, even though we both knew everything had."

This is book 2 in the ORCA series (Organization for the Return of Criminals and Assets). The Hunter brothers come from a long line of art thieves and now the brothers are putting their skills to work. Each of the Hunter brothers have unique talents and I assume each brother will have their story told.

This story revolves around Cal, the mercenary brother that operates half-cocked most of the time and doesn't like to take orders. In this story Cal is teamed up with his nemesis Jack. Jack is a bit of a loner and usually works that way as well. If you haven't read book 1 in the series, stop and read it first otherwise you'll be a little lost or maybe even a lot lost.

I can't wait for Quin and Dimitri’s story since the book left us hanging as to what comes next for these ORCA boys.

Fated mates, interspecies mating, enemies to lovers or maybe not really enemies, no MPREG, not Omegaverse, brings the heat

[C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Grayscale" is the exciting second book in th ORCA series by Vinni George. It is an exciting rollercoaster of action, intrigue, and romance that spans a large part of the world. This is basically a continuation of the main plot started in book one so it should be read first.

Cal and Jack are a fun painring. The book falls into an interesting place between enemies to lovers, second chance and fated mates - plus, forced proximity. The tension between Cal and Jack is heavy as they are forced to work together to track down a very important stolen painting. They faced many dangers and these events bring them closer. There is plenty of steam and plenty of sweet moments mixed in with their adventure.

My only issue was in characterization. Sometimes Cal seemes too impulsive to be a professional, and Jack was sometimes a bit too mean with their banter. There is also a cliffhanger. It is a big one but at the same time, it's not too harsh an ending. I can't wait to see where the story goes with the next book.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cal and Jack are private operatives who keep running into each other on missions. Their chemistry is off the charts and they often end up in bed together. So far Jack has always gotten the upper hand and stolen the missions away from Cal. Cal is an orca shifter and knows that Jack is his fated mate. When they are sent on the search for a famous stolen painting things come to a head between the two. I really enjoy this format for a romantic suspense series. Each book contains a romance complete with an HEA but has a continuing suspense plot. This book is a bit short on the romance but not on the intimate times. The interaction between the characters is often snarky so maybe a better description would be that the romance isn’t typical. Hearts and flowers just would not fit these two. I recommend this book and series to anyone who likes spicy gay romantic suspense.

I listened to the audiobook. Narrator Declan Winters does a fantastic job with the voices of both main characters. Accents are not easy to pull off and Winters capably performs multiple accents in most scenes.

[Janireadsmm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! The angst and heat between Cal and Jack was perfect, and I just melted for poor Cal, it felt like he had the harder time in their fated mate situation. But he doesn't know everything and there are a lot of secrets to be uncovered between these two. This is an action filled book following a storyline that started in book 1 so these books really need to be read in order, and it's a shifter book but no mpreg. It has everything I wanted in the story, the plot was really well created and the smut was so good! We have mile high club fun and a little dominance play and Cal doesn't mind being tied up in knots. I loved the way it ended, just teasing at what was to come and the continuation of the story. This book made me crave food and a holiday, the authors set the scene beautifully in the various locations across Europe and beyond that these two are galavanting across. Also there is a moment where she puts these two in suits and Oh. My. God. Honestly, amazingly!!!

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing read! I was so excited for Cal and Jack’s story and was not disappointed. Cal and Jack have met more than once, hooking up each time they ended up going after the same target. However, Cal discovered that Jack was his fated mate due to a pattern forming on his saddle pouch on his neck after their first night together. Now, they’re thrust together to find a famous painting that has caused many deaths, which they are hoping to end more by finding it. Cal is not going to give in to his mate bond or attraction to Jack on this mission due to his feeling of guilt for getting his brother’s mate kidnapped. Now we’ll just see how long that lasts…

10/10 highly recommend and now cannot wait for Quin and Dimitri’s story! I would highly recommend reading the first book of the ORCA series as there is an overarching plot.

I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.

[ShelfLife · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good addition to the series. I wish it’d moved a little faster, especially for being just over 200 pages, but Cal and Jack’s relationship stays very one-note until an event causes them to be honest with each other. Then, bam!, they’re all in. So there’s no gradual buildup or time taken to let things sink in and accept their new dynamic. I did like both MCs, probably Jack a bit more, because he is tough, but a real gooey marshmallow on the inside. Once they are honest with each other, the emotion and chemistry is good, and the intimate scenes are spicy. It’s all on the milder side, imo, but done well.

The book is written really well with just a handful of errors here and there. The biggest is Cal is Cam one time.

I enjoy that this series has an overarching plot. However, the books aren’t being released close together, so I’ve forgotten most of the story by the time the new book comes out. Because of this, I may wait to finish the series once it’s complete.

[Amy Weller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic!

This book is amazing and I loved it! The next brother to get his happily after is Cal and what a tale it is! He knows who his fated mate is, it’s Jack, but the two have a bit of a complicated history. An op to find a missing painting will put the two together as they follow leads from Venice to Prague to Amsterdam. There are some issues along the way that will cause a bit of trouble and one of them will force Cal to reveal the truth of his feelings for Jack. They will finally find the painting but it will be time to call in reinforcements and Cal’s twin, Quin, is brought in on the operation. His story is next and I can’t wait to read it!

I read an ARC copy of this book and am volunteering my honest review.

[Juniper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack and Cal’s story has tons of punchy chemistry, which I loved, as well as a compelling storyline, which I also really enjoyed (mind the pending cliffhanger in re overarching plot, however). These two are fun to watch and it’s nice to get a sense of both their history with each other and what they could be as their relationship deepens. They’re each strong personalities and while they aren’t exactly the most subtle or seamless operatives, they’re dedicated at least. As a final thought, it’s not a bad idea, if you haven’t already, to start with book one of the series, in order to fully track the ongoing plot. Overall, an enjoyable read.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.