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Peckers #3
Masked Booby
Book Three
Mickey, Keyser, Clyde….
He goes by many names, calls many different countries home, and has a wardrobe that rivals most professional theater companies, but some days it’s impossible to remember who he really is. It’s the price he pays for the adrenaline. The Masked Booby. A man torn between his instinct to survive and his bird nature of taking a dive.
Irwin Stephens is in love—in love with life, his home, and the animals he watches over every day at work. He doesn’t have a man to call his own, but everything else is so perfect he can’t complain. Except maybe about the scratchy khaki uniform all zoos seem to require with fiendish glee.
When Mickey meets Buff Zookeeper, it should be a one-night love nest, but something besides peckers is up in the land down under.
Mickey, Keyser, Clyde….
He goes by many names, calls many different countries home, and has a wardrobe that rivals most professional theater companies, but some days it’s impossible to remember who he really is. It’s the price he pays for the adrenaline. The Masked Booby. A man torn between his instinct to survive and his bird nature of taking a dive.
Irwin Stephens is in love—in love with life, his home, and the animals he watches over every day at work. He doesn’t have a man to call his own, but everything else is so perfect he can’t complain. Except maybe about the scratchy khaki uniform all zoos seem to require with fiendish glee.
When Mickey meets Buff Zookeeper, it should be a one-night love nest, but something besides peckers is up in the land down under.
86 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 10, 2015
1 person is currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Jacques N. Hoff
4 books16 followersAbout Jacques N. Hoff
My father told me all about the birds and the bees. The liar. I went steady with a woodpecker until I was twenty-one. I now travel the world in search of the hottest peckers—in tandem with my best friend Simon Spoonwell and his blue jay partner Jay Azure. What you read here is all true. Well, at least in the world of UCPeckers it is. Wherever you see peckers, you may just find me there.
About the Authors
Jacques N. Hoff is the brainchild of SJD Peterson and S.A. McAuley—two authors who shouldn't be allowed to interact with each other (at least in public). It was either co-write hot pecker porn or plot world domination. It's not clear which outcome will take the forefront on any given day.
Social media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/UCPeck...
E-mail: jacquesnhoff@gmail.com
The UC Peckers world
Welcome to the world of Undercover Peckers. Where love is instant the moment you find your mate. Where there’s only one true pecker for every man. Where the sex is so hot it will singe your tailfeathers. Where bird watching is both a recreation and a preoccupation—that usually leads to feathers flying. Let Simon and his avian shifter mate Jay lead you through this world of sinful and ridiculous exploration.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 5, 2015
~2.5~
I've waited ages for this book to come out. I really enjoyed the other two books in the Peckers series, but this one was a bit of a letdown.
I still found this story to be accessible, cute, and flufftastic, but the connection between the MCs was MIA.
The plot focuses on the rescue of Atticus, a shifter puffin, from an Australian zoo, yet Atticus is sedated and thus absent from the story.
Atty's friend, Irwin, a zoo keeper, calls UC Peckers to help him rescue Atticus from a dire situation. (If you can find a less sexy name for an MC than Irwin, I'd like to hear it.)
One of the Peckers who comes to the rescue is the mysterious Mickey, a masked booby shifter. Mickey is a total tool, used to putting on airs so he doesn't let his mask slip (mask—get it?).
Inside, though, Mickey is vulnerable and feels terrible guilt over something ... he did as a baby? Nah, he's really just a douche.
Mickey's total personality shift really threw me in this story. His admitting to Irwin being his mate came completely out of left field.
The two men didn't interact enough to justify this change of heart, which felt like an unearned case of enemies to lovers.
The first two books were lightly steamy and funny, but this book had almost no steam (a perfunctory one-page sex scene at 60 percent). It also wasn't particularly funny.
My favorite part was the lovey-dovey stuff between Sebastian (the avian vet) and Louis (the cockatoo), the MCs from book 2.
I am still going to read the fourth book in the series (hopefully Atty's story), but this one fell flat.
P.S. I'm not a fan of cartoony covers anyway, but this one is atrocious. I gag every time I look at it.
I've waited ages for this book to come out. I really enjoyed the other two books in the Peckers series, but this one was a bit of a letdown.
I still found this story to be accessible, cute, and flufftastic, but the connection between the MCs was MIA.
The plot focuses on the rescue of Atticus, a shifter puffin, from an Australian zoo, yet Atticus is sedated and thus absent from the story.
Atty's friend, Irwin, a zoo keeper, calls UC Peckers to help him rescue Atticus from a dire situation. (If you can find a less sexy name for an MC than Irwin, I'd like to hear it.)
One of the Peckers who comes to the rescue is the mysterious Mickey, a masked booby shifter. Mickey is a total tool, used to putting on airs so he doesn't let his mask slip (mask—get it?).
Inside, though, Mickey is vulnerable and feels terrible guilt over something ... he did as a baby? Nah, he's really just a douche.
Mickey's total personality shift really threw me in this story. His admitting to Irwin being his mate came completely out of left field.
The two men didn't interact enough to justify this change of heart, which felt like an unearned case of enemies to lovers.
The first two books were lightly steamy and funny, but this book had almost no steam (a perfunctory one-page sex scene at 60 percent). It also wasn't particularly funny.
My favorite part was the lovey-dovey stuff between Sebastian (the avian vet) and Louis (the cockatoo), the MCs from book 2.
I am still going to read the fourth book in the series (hopefully Atty's story), but this one fell flat.
P.S. I'm not a fan of cartoony covers anyway, but this one is atrocious. I gag every time I look at it.
September 17, 2024
3 Stars
In this third instalment of the always sweet, tongue-in-cheek Peckers series, we follow an Aussie zoo keeper named Irwin Stevens—yep, you read that right—as he goes to extreme lengths to help his puffin shifter bestie, Atticus, escape captivity, with the aid of the American-based UC Peckers.
As the puffin heist gets underway, Irwin finds himself caught up in an unexpected attraction with Mickey, a rare masked booby shifter and the UC Peckers ring-in master thief.
The plot surrounding Atticus’s rescue was eventful and quite nerve-racking, considering the light and fluffy nature of this series, but I also found it to be the most engaging part of the story, as the relationship between Irwin and his moody, elusive mate, Mickey, fell a bit flat in the romance department—at least when compared to the likability of the previous couples, like Sebastian and his adorable cockatoo husband Louis (who both, thankfully, play solid supporting roles here).
It was probably my least favourite of the series, but it’s still an easy, breezy and amusing read. At the very least, those avian shifters certainly entertain.
In this third instalment of the always sweet, tongue-in-cheek Peckers series, we follow an Aussie zoo keeper named Irwin Stevens—yep, you read that right—as he goes to extreme lengths to help his puffin shifter bestie, Atticus, escape captivity, with the aid of the American-based UC Peckers.
As the puffin heist gets underway, Irwin finds himself caught up in an unexpected attraction with Mickey, a rare masked booby shifter and the UC Peckers ring-in master thief.
The plot surrounding Atticus’s rescue was eventful and quite nerve-racking, considering the light and fluffy nature of this series, but I also found it to be the most engaging part of the story, as the relationship between Irwin and his moody, elusive mate, Mickey, fell a bit flat in the romance department—at least when compared to the likability of the previous couples, like Sebastian and his adorable cockatoo husband Louis (who both, thankfully, play solid supporting roles here).
It was probably my least favourite of the series, but it’s still an easy, breezy and amusing read. At the very least, those avian shifters certainly entertain.
May 23, 2021
Um, one MC's name is Irwin Stephens - he's Australian and works in a zoo - all of which just made me think of Steve Irwin every time I saw the dude's name.
Aaannnyywwwaayyy...this is definitely not my favorite of the series. With the others I definitely chuckled, laughed, and giggled my way through... sadly, not once with this one.
The plot was disappointing as the whole point of the story is to break Irwin's best friend Atticus, a tufted puffin shifter, out of the zoo before he gets euthanized yet we never get to see the final breakout (though since Atty's the M.C. of the next book Tufted & Tatted he's probably all right).
It was disappointing that there is still no world building, which was worse since Mickey was born a Masked Booby, but even he doesn't know anything about why or how he shifts.
More disappointing is that Irwin and Mickey are True Mates but don't really have much interaction until the very end.
The best part of the story, for me, was getting to see Sebastian and Louis (from book 2) again. They're so damn cute.
I'm chalking this up to an off day for the writers and moving on to book 4.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
Aaannnyywwwaayyy...this is definitely not my favorite of the series. With the others I definitely chuckled, laughed, and giggled my way through... sadly, not once with this one.
The plot was disappointing as the whole point of the story is to break Irwin's best friend Atticus, a tufted puffin shifter, out of the zoo before he gets euthanized yet we never get to see the final breakout (though since Atty's the M.C. of the next book Tufted & Tatted he's probably all right).
It was disappointing that there is still no world building, which was worse since Mickey was born a Masked Booby, but even he doesn't know anything about why or how he shifts.
More disappointing is that Irwin and Mickey are True Mates but don't really have much interaction until the very end.
The best part of the story, for me, was getting to see Sebastian and Louis (from book 2) again. They're so damn cute.
I'm chalking this up to an off day for the writers and moving on to book 4.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
September 10, 2015
This series is pretty camp and super fluffy, but I thought the books were a lot of eye-rolling fun.
If you enjoyed the Lost Shifters series by Megan Derr, I suspect that you'd like this series, too, as this series has a very similar feel.
Book 1 was by far my favorite, with me connecting a bit less with book 2, then book 3 not really delivering the same *feels* that I got from the first two books in the series.
If you enjoyed the Lost Shifters series by Megan Derr, I suspect that you'd like this series, too, as this series has a very similar feel.
Book 1 was by far my favorite, with me connecting a bit less with book 2, then book 3 not really delivering the same *feels* that I got from the first two books in the series.
June 4, 2015
This is a Masked Booby. Just for reference.
In this 3rd installment of the UC Peckers series, Jacques N. Hoff takes the reader to Australia, where a Puffin shifter has been kept sedated in a Zoo, because said shifter refuses to mate with a female puffin, bc reasons.
Irwin Stephens (cleverly disguised nod to Steve Irwin) is one of the zookeepers and friends with Atticus, the puffin, and of course wants to help him.
Basically, this book starts off where the 2nd one left off. Mickey, the con artist/criminal is flying to 'Straya with Sebastian and his mate, Louis (the cockatoo from book 2), to free the poor puffin man.
Mating imperatives are a bitch, as Mickey finds out quickly upon meeting Irwin.
Hilarity ensues with Irwin twin brother Steven, an unfortunate mishap with a tiger, one line zingers and a big water bird trying his best to ignore the mating pull.
I would have liked to have seen the actual release of the poor puffin, but maybe we'll get that in book 4. There's gonna be a book 4, right? RIGHT?
I love how the author gives each bird a distinct personality, one that is ultimately superbly suited for each of their mates, and how each character has distinctive traits that are in tune with their respective bird aliases.
This is a super fun series. Recommended. Must be read in order to get full impact.
Please write another. :)
** I received a free copy of this book from its publisher. A positive review was not promised in return. **
June 27, 2015
I love this series, it' just plain fun with really charming characters. The only thing I would have wished for was more Irwin and Mickey time. Mickey has been a mystery and I still don't have a complete grip on his character alone which I like to have to be able to appreciate a couple. Irwin is great and I loved reading about him. Can't wait for Atty's book. Even though he was sedated for almost the whole story, it really piqued my curiosity about him. If Irwin likes him, I'll like him.
September 15, 2015
I needed something to make me laugh, so naturally, I jumped at the opportunity to read another 'Peckers' book. These books are funny, filled with puns, have wonderful characters, sweet love stories, and everything you could need to brighten up your day.
Mickey is a thief, and has performed all manner of illegal things ever since his birth hatch threw him out. Mickey is a masked booby, and he was hatched, until one day he shifted and became a human. Oh, the terror. He's been on his own ever since, doing whatever he has to in order to survive. He reluctantly helps UC Peckers when they need him, but he's not fond of getting close to anyone. Too afraid to let anyone see his scars, his fears, and the real Mickey.
Irwin works the night shift at the zoo. His best friend is Atticus, a tufted puffin, and Irwin knows his shifter secret. Trying to help Atticus, Irwin contacts UCP who jump right on board with rescuing poor Atticus. But rescuing Atticus isn't all it's cracked up to be. Certainly not when it puts Mickey eye to ankle with a tiger. Although, the sparks flying between Mickey and Irwin is certainly worth a second glance.
Oh what a delightful addition to the series. It was so sweet to see Mickey finally be vulnerable and learn to accept both sides of his nature. Irwin is adorable and watching them fall in love was very sweet. And yes, I'm looking forward to more books in the 'Peckers' series. Because, you know, you can never have too many peckers.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews
Mickey is a thief, and has performed all manner of illegal things ever since his birth hatch threw him out. Mickey is a masked booby, and he was hatched, until one day he shifted and became a human. Oh, the terror. He's been on his own ever since, doing whatever he has to in order to survive. He reluctantly helps UC Peckers when they need him, but he's not fond of getting close to anyone. Too afraid to let anyone see his scars, his fears, and the real Mickey.
Irwin works the night shift at the zoo. His best friend is Atticus, a tufted puffin, and Irwin knows his shifter secret. Trying to help Atticus, Irwin contacts UCP who jump right on board with rescuing poor Atticus. But rescuing Atticus isn't all it's cracked up to be. Certainly not when it puts Mickey eye to ankle with a tiger. Although, the sparks flying between Mickey and Irwin is certainly worth a second glance.
Oh what a delightful addition to the series. It was so sweet to see Mickey finally be vulnerable and learn to accept both sides of his nature. Irwin is adorable and watching them fall in love was very sweet. And yes, I'm looking forward to more books in the 'Peckers' series. Because, you know, you can never have too many peckers.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews
August 3, 2015
Irwin works in a zoo and is trying to rescue a puffin shifter he’s found being drugged and kept in captivity. He stumbles upon Undercover Peckers and asks them for help. They send in the crew, including Mickey the masked bandit and all kinds of shenanigans ensue.
Mickey sees himself as a loner, a one and done kind of guy, so he resists the pull Irwin has on him. Irwin is just plain attracted to Mickey, clueless to the internal struggle, and insulted by Mickey’s actions.
When all is said and done, the crew manages to save the puffin and Mickey and Irwin find their HEA.
**
As usual there are a lot – A LOT – of hilarious puns and ridiculous dialog. The pace of the story is quick and the reader must follow closely to keep track of all the players.
I enjoy the mind games of these stories and the light hearted romance. I think, compared to the other two books in the series, that the “story” took precedence over the romance and I missed it. I wanted more time spent with Mickey and Irwin and maybe a bit less building around the rescue. For me this detracted from my enjoyment, but I’m still a fan and will definitely look forward to the next installment.
Mickey sees himself as a loner, a one and done kind of guy, so he resists the pull Irwin has on him. Irwin is just plain attracted to Mickey, clueless to the internal struggle, and insulted by Mickey’s actions.
When all is said and done, the crew manages to save the puffin and Mickey and Irwin find their HEA.
**
As usual there are a lot – A LOT – of hilarious puns and ridiculous dialog. The pace of the story is quick and the reader must follow closely to keep track of all the players.
I enjoy the mind games of these stories and the light hearted romance. I think, compared to the other two books in the series, that the “story” took precedence over the romance and I missed it. I wanted more time spent with Mickey and Irwin and maybe a bit less building around the rescue. For me this detracted from my enjoyment, but I’m still a fan and will definitely look forward to the next installment.
November 13, 2017
2.5*
The third installment in the Peckers series is about the development of the romance between Irwin the zookeeper and Mickey (or whichever alias he is using this week) the Masked Booby, avian shifter. These books have to be read in order for them to make sense. Although a different couple is featured in every book and they each get their happy for now ending, there is one continuous story being told that unravels as we progress through each book. Technically, you could read these as stand-alone novels but you will only really understand what's going on if you read them in the proper sequence.
Irwin has known about his friend Atticus' shifter ability (he's a Puffin) for the last couple of years but Atty is one of the birds being used (or rather, refusing to be used) as part of a breeding programme. Unfortunately for Atty (who is gay), he finds the females on the programme to be rather assertive and in return, Atty is having difficulty keeping his anger and aggression in check. His behaviour has become so extreme, the staff consider him a liability and are contemplating having him euthanised. Being fitted with a tracking device, Irwin has been unable to help his friend successfully escape but with the help of the crew of UC Peckers, an elaborate escape plan is being concocted.
Mickey (criminal mastermind) is happy to help but he's a guy who likes being alone, so his undeniable attraction to Irwin is messing with his head and the best way for him to deal with these new feelings is to act like he's in the school playground and be generally mean to Irwin. Irwin knows that he is attracted to Mickey but if he's going to pretend his feelings don't exist, then so will he.
This book certainly has some funny moments but the constant adolescent bickering between our two MC's means it's not quite as light-hearted as the previous books but knowing that Irwin is Mickey's mate, it all has to work itself out somehow. The pair do eventually get their act together and set in motion the plans to get Atty released before it's too late.
Copy received from publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Cheryl from Alpha Book Club
Alpha Book Club
All Alpha Males Accepted
alphabookclub.org
The third installment in the Peckers series is about the development of the romance between Irwin the zookeeper and Mickey (or whichever alias he is using this week) the Masked Booby, avian shifter. These books have to be read in order for them to make sense. Although a different couple is featured in every book and they each get their happy for now ending, there is one continuous story being told that unravels as we progress through each book. Technically, you could read these as stand-alone novels but you will only really understand what's going on if you read them in the proper sequence.
Irwin has known about his friend Atticus' shifter ability (he's a Puffin) for the last couple of years but Atty is one of the birds being used (or rather, refusing to be used) as part of a breeding programme. Unfortunately for Atty (who is gay), he finds the females on the programme to be rather assertive and in return, Atty is having difficulty keeping his anger and aggression in check. His behaviour has become so extreme, the staff consider him a liability and are contemplating having him euthanised. Being fitted with a tracking device, Irwin has been unable to help his friend successfully escape but with the help of the crew of UC Peckers, an elaborate escape plan is being concocted.
Mickey (criminal mastermind) is happy to help but he's a guy who likes being alone, so his undeniable attraction to Irwin is messing with his head and the best way for him to deal with these new feelings is to act like he's in the school playground and be generally mean to Irwin. Irwin knows that he is attracted to Mickey but if he's going to pretend his feelings don't exist, then so will he.
This book certainly has some funny moments but the constant adolescent bickering between our two MC's means it's not quite as light-hearted as the previous books but knowing that Irwin is Mickey's mate, it all has to work itself out somehow. The pair do eventually get their act together and set in motion the plans to get Atty released before it's too late.
Copy received from publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Cheryl from Alpha Book Club
Alpha Book Club
All Alpha Males Accepted
alphabookclub.org
October 23, 2017
I ADORE THIS SERIES.
This one is definitely my favorite! :)
This one is definitely my favorite! :)
September 30, 2017
Great continuation of the series. Mickey has a disguise for every occasion and an accent to go with it. Some of his 'names' made me laugh. He is however so lonely. Irwin is wonderful. A true hero who places others needs before his own. I wish the ending were just a bit longer since I spent most of the book waiting for these two to finally come together as mates.
Adult read
Adult read
November 13, 2015
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.75 stars
Masked Booby is the third book in the Undercover Peckers series. These stories are fun, clever, and a bit silly. You can probably figure that out just from looking at the author’s name (read it out loud fast if you don’t get it at first). The stories are full of bird puns, silly humor (the MC is an Australian animal lover named Irwin Stephens, a play on Steve Irwin), and crazy situations. What I enjoy most about this series is that is just good, light entertainment. There is nothing angsty or heavy or intense here. The stories aren’t meant to be taken too seriously. But they are a nice fun break from a more intense read and I always find myself entertained.
The series follows Simon, who is mated to a jaybird shifter, and who has started the Undercover Peckers as a refuge for bird shifters in need. This story reunites us with Simon, as well as with Louis and Sebastian from Cockstrut. Although I think you could easily follow the plot here without reading those books, the characters do make a significant appearance in this book. I like the way the series carries the overarching idea of the organization and how they step in to help out different shifters. I also like the way the authors works in the various bird traits to the characters and makes the different breeds fit with their personalities (I say authors because Hoff is a pen name for a writing team).
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
3.75 stars
Masked Booby is the third book in the Undercover Peckers series. These stories are fun, clever, and a bit silly. You can probably figure that out just from looking at the author’s name (read it out loud fast if you don’t get it at first). The stories are full of bird puns, silly humor (the MC is an Australian animal lover named Irwin Stephens, a play on Steve Irwin), and crazy situations. What I enjoy most about this series is that is just good, light entertainment. There is nothing angsty or heavy or intense here. The stories aren’t meant to be taken too seriously. But they are a nice fun break from a more intense read and I always find myself entertained.
The series follows Simon, who is mated to a jaybird shifter, and who has started the Undercover Peckers as a refuge for bird shifters in need. This story reunites us with Simon, as well as with Louis and Sebastian from Cockstrut. Although I think you could easily follow the plot here without reading those books, the characters do make a significant appearance in this book. I like the way the series carries the overarching idea of the organization and how they step in to help out different shifters. I also like the way the authors works in the various bird traits to the characters and makes the different breeds fit with their personalities (I say authors because Hoff is a pen name for a writing team).
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
June 13, 2015
This is book three but you don’t have to read in order, though it would help you understand the other characters better and the books are so much fun it wouldn’t hurt!
Irwin is worried about his bird shifter friend Atticus an endangered puffin. Atticus refuses to mate with his breed and becomes violent so the vets are keeping him sedated. Not knowing where to turn Irwin seeks help online and finds a cheesy site called UC Peckers. Not knowing where else to turn he calls and finds that Sebastian and the team are willing to help him.
Mickey doesn’t want to help and when he meets Irwin he is ready to bolt. But will the buff zookeeper be able to see the man or bird behind the mask?
This is another fun story. There is lots of humor, some action and some sensuous, hot mansex. The characters are sweet loveable and funny. I can never get enough of the cocky Louis (I couldn’t help the pun). I will say the story came to such a quick sudden ending I didn’t see it coming. I guess the storyline had ben explained away but I was expecting a bit more about Atticus. Maybe I will be lucky enough to get that in another story soon!
If you like Buff Zookeepers, shifters especially birds, humor, bird puns, funny t-shirts, mates, and some sweet loving man-sex this is for you.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Irwin is worried about his bird shifter friend Atticus an endangered puffin. Atticus refuses to mate with his breed and becomes violent so the vets are keeping him sedated. Not knowing where to turn Irwin seeks help online and finds a cheesy site called UC Peckers. Not knowing where else to turn he calls and finds that Sebastian and the team are willing to help him.
Mickey doesn’t want to help and when he meets Irwin he is ready to bolt. But will the buff zookeeper be able to see the man or bird behind the mask?
This is another fun story. There is lots of humor, some action and some sensuous, hot mansex. The characters are sweet loveable and funny. I can never get enough of the cocky Louis (I couldn’t help the pun). I will say the story came to such a quick sudden ending I didn’t see it coming. I guess the storyline had ben explained away but I was expecting a bit more about Atticus. Maybe I will be lucky enough to get that in another story soon!
If you like Buff Zookeepers, shifters especially birds, humor, bird puns, funny t-shirts, mates, and some sweet loving man-sex this is for you.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
March 2, 2017
I like this series! I really do hope there's more to come!
I love how the other couples are featured in the book.
I do think that Irwin and Mickey should have had more time. By the time it was getting to the "them" part, the book was already almost done. :(
Still enjoyed nevertheless!
I love how the other couples are featured in the book.
I do think that Irwin and Mickey should have had more time. By the time it was getting to the "them" part, the book was already almost done. :(
Still enjoyed nevertheless!
Want to Read
December 1, 2014Irwin Stephens...Steve Irwin. :)
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews