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A Loving Nip #6
Not a Line of Bull
Cassium Jones is closing in on his fourth century mark and over the years has held many roles, from farmer to soldier to vampire enforcer. Now, he’s ready to settle down in moderate relaxation…if working a cattle ranch can be considered relaxing. He loves the wide open spaces, the fresh clean air, and even tending the animals. Handling the maintenance and care for the Angus cows in the northern pastures offers plenty of solitude, and he should have been left pretty much alone. Instead, Cassium stumbles upon an injured Angus bull amongst the livestock, and realizes the bull is not only a shifter, but his beloved, his soul mate. Cassium learns Garth has been driven from his herd for disobeying a controlling alpha, leaving behind two young children. While Cassium is happy to help reunite the bull shifter with his kids, is he ready to take on the role of parent when all he wanted was to retire?
89 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 15, 2015
21 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 6, 2015
A younger 30 year old Angus bull shifter with 2 calves was interesting, especially paired up with a 300 year old vampire with 12 children. I loved the story, but unfortunately, it felt incomplete because the book was so short. I wanted to see Cassium and Garth live as mates and a family unit. I wanted to see Garth and his children integrate with the vampire coven and the 21st century. This novella is $3.82 on Amazon and is not worth the money. There are great shifter novellas in the MM Romance events that leave a wonderful complete full feeling compared to this book - and they are free!
This author is definitely choosing quantity over quality these days.
September 25, 2015
Yes, my addiction continues. I don't know why I keep doing this to myself. To be honest, either I'm becoming disillusioned with Richards' stories or her writing is taking a nosedive in the intrigue department. When I read her earlier works, the true mates angle and the low angst kept me interested and happy. Richards' stories, however, appear to be getting shorter and shorter, so there's less fluffy romance, less action, less...just less.
Regardless, I'll probably buy her next one. Someone help me.
Removed from Kindle
Regardless, I'll probably buy her next one. Someone help me.
Removed from Kindle
October 5, 2015
Charlie Richards writes several paranormal romance series: Wolves of Stone Ridge, Kontra’s Menagerie, A Paranormal’s Love, A Loving Nip
Wolves obviously centers around wolf shifters, Kontra’s centers around a hodgepodge of shifters including a bull and a chameleon, Paranormal centers around gargoyles and Nip centers around vampires. All of the series tend to overlap and share common characters, so even though each series can be read separately, reading all the books in all the series will undoubtedly give you more insight because they all bleed into one another.
That being said, you don’t even have to read one series from start to finish as each book is totally a standalone.
In this case, we see Cassium out fixing fences on the property of his coven. He’s “retiring” for a while (hiding from humans to protect his identity) and taking it easy. He’s almost 400 years old and has experienced a lot in life, he’s not looking for adventure.
While out in the field he smells blood, follows it and finds a shifter bull hiding among the other cows, and that shifter is his beloved/mate!
Garth was beat up then escaped his herd because he didn’t want to bond with the woman his alpha had declared was the best match for him. He’s scared because he’s never been outside of his herd and he’s worried about the children he left behind. When Cass finds him he’s initially frightened because the alpha had warned them that all vampires are evil. Cass is nothing but kind and wins Garth’s trust.
Cass helps Garth to re-learn some “truths” the alpha got wrong, help to bring back his kids and save his herd from the evil alpha and find love along the way.
**
What I love about Charlie’s books is how comforting they are, but still unique. Each story follows a common style, but the characters are always special – either with personality quirks, back history, shifter forms, etcetera. In this case Garth is a super-sweet guy who has been so isolated he’s like a kid, but all grown up!
There is just a touch of danger and some new characters being brought in to make you think on the next book to come and a bit of hot smexy times.
I really love all four of these series and devour them when a new one comes out. I highly recommend it to fans of shifters, gargoyles and vampires everywhere!
Wolves obviously centers around wolf shifters, Kontra’s centers around a hodgepodge of shifters including a bull and a chameleon, Paranormal centers around gargoyles and Nip centers around vampires. All of the series tend to overlap and share common characters, so even though each series can be read separately, reading all the books in all the series will undoubtedly give you more insight because they all bleed into one another.
That being said, you don’t even have to read one series from start to finish as each book is totally a standalone.
In this case, we see Cassium out fixing fences on the property of his coven. He’s “retiring” for a while (hiding from humans to protect his identity) and taking it easy. He’s almost 400 years old and has experienced a lot in life, he’s not looking for adventure.
While out in the field he smells blood, follows it and finds a shifter bull hiding among the other cows, and that shifter is his beloved/mate!
Garth was beat up then escaped his herd because he didn’t want to bond with the woman his alpha had declared was the best match for him. He’s scared because he’s never been outside of his herd and he’s worried about the children he left behind. When Cass finds him he’s initially frightened because the alpha had warned them that all vampires are evil. Cass is nothing but kind and wins Garth’s trust.
Cass helps Garth to re-learn some “truths” the alpha got wrong, help to bring back his kids and save his herd from the evil alpha and find love along the way.
**
What I love about Charlie’s books is how comforting they are, but still unique. Each story follows a common style, but the characters are always special – either with personality quirks, back history, shifter forms, etcetera. In this case Garth is a super-sweet guy who has been so isolated he’s like a kid, but all grown up!
There is just a touch of danger and some new characters being brought in to make you think on the next book to come and a bit of hot smexy times.
I really love all four of these series and devour them when a new one comes out. I highly recommend it to fans of shifters, gargoyles and vampires everywhere!
October 27, 2015
I needed more from this one. I needed more of Garth living around other paranormals. I needed to see how the kids handled it too. I wanted to see Cassium around the kids. I wanted to see the kids get excited about their own space, cheese, buying clothes, etc. I wanted to hear them call Cassium "Dad" or whatever. This could have been amazing, but it was way too short and we missed out on so much that could have been.
Also, a lot of the action took place off page. I wanted to see that :(
Also, a lot of the action took place off page. I wanted to see that :(
September 27, 2015
An old vampire looking after a herd of cows and a young sheltered Angus bull shifter driven from his herd. Many options available but we still got a short story with a little bit of many things. Nothing dramatic but still enjoyable.
September 23, 2015
This was short and sweet, I liked having a bull shifter with a vampire.
January 15, 2018
I like the idea of a vampire (Cassium) mating with a bull shifter (Garth) Definitely different, and a light pleasant read. Cassium finds Garth on his ranch with broken ribs, and very beat up. He saves him, and eventually Garth's two children. This was interesting, with a bit of danger, likable characters (except for maybe one), and lots of heat. =)
September 14, 2018
Safety
Garth escaped his heard after a near fatal beating. Cass was in seclusion so finding an injured bull that was is beloved was a gift. With the help of his coven a happy life for all was achieved
Garth escaped his heard after a near fatal beating. Cass was in seclusion so finding an injured bull that was is beloved was a gift. With the help of his coven a happy life for all was achieved
January 3, 2025
Nice story, but the excitement was over in basically a paragraph!
Getting back the kids seemed too easy.
Couldn't there have been a chapter where the 'evil' alpha and goons were faced by Cass?
Not happy.
Getting back the kids seemed too easy.
Couldn't there have been a chapter where the 'evil' alpha and goons were faced by Cass?
Not happy.
April 18, 2018
Great read always good ending
October 21, 2019
Cowboy Cassium and Bull Garth
May 24, 2024
Vampire x Angus bull shifter. These books keep me entertained and I keep coming back to them. They’re a fun time.
January 21, 2016
The Grass is Greener with the Other Herd
Cassium Jones is an old Vampire. He's fought in quite a few wars over the past few centuries. He's acted as an Enforcer. He's been with several different covers. He's done a great deal, but as he approaches his fourth century he was ready to relax. Not sitting on his laurels. He feels he still has a lot to contribute to the right coven. That turns out to be Jaymes Martinez vacation cattle ranch. Every forty years or so Vampires usually need to move to reinvent themselves because they age so much slower than Humans. Luckily for Cassium he is able to go to a more remote part of the ranch. Living in solitude is not a problem for him, but he still interacts with other Vampires, its just he now comes in contact with only an occasional Human ranch guest. But checking & repairing the fence line and keeping track of the cattle leads him to a startling discovery. A huge severely injured Angus bull.
What is shocking is the scent of the wounded animal's blood. Not only does he smell like a shifter, but Cassium's Beloved! Getting him back to his cabin won't be easy, but Cassium does and tends to his wounds. He has to inform his Master Vampire and Second in Command, but they give him a little while to be with his other half before descending on the cabin.
The tale of Garth's life before being driven from his Herd and nearly killed is heartbreaking. His Alphas & Betas were cruel, backwards, and ruled with an iron fist. No one was allowed to break the rules without dire consequences. Initially it was hard for Garth to trust the Vampire because of all the horror stories spun by his Herd Alpha. Then having Cassium reciprocate his attraction is so foreign it leaves him a ball of confusion. But as Cass and the rest of the Vampires show him a life so far removed from his previous existence, there is a small spark of hope ignited. And the concept of True Mates or Beloveds blow him away. In his Herd all marriages were arranged.
Cassium is eager to give his Beloved a fresh start. But he is hesitant about the thought of raising young children in his middle life years. And all Garth talks about once he regains his full strength is going back to his former Herd to retrieve his two calves. Especially after being shown the world outside his serfdom Herd. Garth wants his kids to experience freedom, have the opportunity to learn, to grow up to become whatever they chose to be, and be allowed to find their own True Mates.
Cassium Jones is an old Vampire. He's fought in quite a few wars over the past few centuries. He's acted as an Enforcer. He's been with several different covers. He's done a great deal, but as he approaches his fourth century he was ready to relax. Not sitting on his laurels. He feels he still has a lot to contribute to the right coven. That turns out to be Jaymes Martinez vacation cattle ranch. Every forty years or so Vampires usually need to move to reinvent themselves because they age so much slower than Humans. Luckily for Cassium he is able to go to a more remote part of the ranch. Living in solitude is not a problem for him, but he still interacts with other Vampires, its just he now comes in contact with only an occasional Human ranch guest. But checking & repairing the fence line and keeping track of the cattle leads him to a startling discovery. A huge severely injured Angus bull.
What is shocking is the scent of the wounded animal's blood. Not only does he smell like a shifter, but Cassium's Beloved! Getting him back to his cabin won't be easy, but Cassium does and tends to his wounds. He has to inform his Master Vampire and Second in Command, but they give him a little while to be with his other half before descending on the cabin.
The tale of Garth's life before being driven from his Herd and nearly killed is heartbreaking. His Alphas & Betas were cruel, backwards, and ruled with an iron fist. No one was allowed to break the rules without dire consequences. Initially it was hard for Garth to trust the Vampire because of all the horror stories spun by his Herd Alpha. Then having Cassium reciprocate his attraction is so foreign it leaves him a ball of confusion. But as Cass and the rest of the Vampires show him a life so far removed from his previous existence, there is a small spark of hope ignited. And the concept of True Mates or Beloveds blow him away. In his Herd all marriages were arranged.
Cassium is eager to give his Beloved a fresh start. But he is hesitant about the thought of raising young children in his middle life years. And all Garth talks about once he regains his full strength is going back to his former Herd to retrieve his two calves. Especially after being shown the world outside his serfdom Herd. Garth wants his kids to experience freedom, have the opportunity to learn, to grow up to become whatever they chose to be, and be allowed to find their own True Mates.
September 30, 2015
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I love this series sooo much!!!
After living for almost 400 years, Cassium gives no thought to finding his “beloved”… after all, he lives in a remote cattle ranch, totally by himself… how could he find his beloved, unless he stumbled upon him? And, that’s exactly how they meet each other!
After refusing to follow his Alpha’s orders, Garth was beaten and had to flee to save his own life. Fortunately, he finds an Angus herd and even injured, he hopes to hide between the cattle, but fate has other plans. As soon as Cassium finds the injured Angus bull he realizes he just found his beloved. As soon as he gets to know more about his beloved, Cassium is thrilled by him, but first, he needs to figure how to help his beloved to get his kids back and to protect him from his old herd…
Garth knows kindness for the first time when he meets Cassium and he can’t believe in all the things the vampire makes him feel, because it goes against all that he ever heard from his Alpha… like mates don’t exist, males couldn’t be couples… It’s so sweet to see Garth’s innocence and how awed he is by Cassium’s caring, acceptance, support and protection. They are perfect for each other and so very hot together!!!
I love this series sooo much!!!
After living for almost 400 years, Cassium gives no thought to finding his “beloved”… after all, he lives in a remote cattle ranch, totally by himself… how could he find his beloved, unless he stumbled upon him? And, that’s exactly how they meet each other!
After refusing to follow his Alpha’s orders, Garth was beaten and had to flee to save his own life. Fortunately, he finds an Angus herd and even injured, he hopes to hide between the cattle, but fate has other plans. As soon as Cassium finds the injured Angus bull he realizes he just found his beloved. As soon as he gets to know more about his beloved, Cassium is thrilled by him, but first, he needs to figure how to help his beloved to get his kids back and to protect him from his old herd…
Garth knows kindness for the first time when he meets Cassium and he can’t believe in all the things the vampire makes him feel, because it goes against all that he ever heard from his Alpha… like mates don’t exist, males couldn’t be couples… It’s so sweet to see Garth’s innocence and how awed he is by Cassium’s caring, acceptance, support and protection. They are perfect for each other and so very hot together!!!
November 8, 2015
Just loved it. Charlie Richards is one of those rare authors where I don't even use Amazon's reading sample button :D
Cassium and Garth are another lovable couple and a perfect addition to the Loving Nip series. Garth was so sweet in his, well, innocence. Although he has two kids, he was shy when it came to his attraction for Cassium. And I wanted to wring his old alpha's neck for torturing his pack like he did.
And Cassium? Great guy. He came across as a rough hermit in Paul's book, but here I found him sympathetic and a strong fighter who defends his loved ones. The way he accepted Garth's kids made me so happy. Like always, I wanted the book to be longer, but that's just me :D Can't get enough of Charlie's shifters.
Cassium and Garth are another lovable couple and a perfect addition to the Loving Nip series. Garth was so sweet in his, well, innocence. Although he has two kids, he was shy when it came to his attraction for Cassium. And I wanted to wring his old alpha's neck for torturing his pack like he did.
And Cassium? Great guy. He came across as a rough hermit in Paul's book, but here I found him sympathetic and a strong fighter who defends his loved ones. The way he accepted Garth's kids made me so happy. Like always, I wanted the book to be longer, but that's just me :D Can't get enough of Charlie's shifters.
July 29, 2023
Hmmm - while still a good story, this one added nothing to the ongoing issues in the background.
On a major re-re-read of the Stone Ridge world. I usually enjoy Charlies' short stories and novellas (the occasional one is a clunkier) but I have found that the best way to read them is to series binge and read them in the recommended reading order for the 'world' instead of by series. This gives a much more satisfying read with a more consistent plot line and world. Even the clunkers become acceptable as a small part of the whole. The characters are still good, and as usual Charlie uses stereo types with skill and develops characters indirectly. The only characters that develop depth are those who appear and then reappear frequently.
On a major re-re-read of the Stone Ridge world. I usually enjoy Charlies' short stories and novellas (the occasional one is a clunkier) but I have found that the best way to read them is to series binge and read them in the recommended reading order for the 'world' instead of by series. This gives a much more satisfying read with a more consistent plot line and world. Even the clunkers become acceptable as a small part of the whole. The characters are still good, and as usual Charlie uses stereo types with skill and develops characters indirectly. The only characters that develop depth are those who appear and then reappear frequently.
May 10, 2016
Bull Shifter and vampire M/M romance set on a ranch.
Cassium Jones has been alive for four hundred years and tried a bunch of different careers, his recent interest is in working a cattle ranch when he falls in love.
Cassium learns Garth is a bull shifter (I guess a cow is the lady version, but bull shifter sounds funny).
Death threats with no real danger once Garth finds safety with Cassium. So no big stakes in this story to push it forward.
Cute fluff M/M romance, it was too short for a 3 star level character development.
89 pages
2 stars
Cassium Jones has been alive for four hundred years and tried a bunch of different careers, his recent interest is in working a cattle ranch when he falls in love.
Cassium learns Garth is a bull shifter (I guess a cow is the lady version, but bull shifter sounds funny).
Death threats with no real danger once Garth finds safety with Cassium. So no big stakes in this story to push it forward.
Cute fluff M/M romance, it was too short for a 3 star level character development.
89 pages
2 stars
August 6, 2016
Not so bad.
I mean, I could have easily gone for more plot instead of the final sex scene but if you’re into that, it was kinda cute. Yeah, more plot overall would have been nice. However, that is true for every book in these series, so it’s not really worth commenting on.
At the very least things seemed to flow a little more naturally in this volume, and I appreciate that.
So yes, not a bad instalment in this very long saga. It’s actually book sixty-nine by my count. Heh, it’s a pity the characters did not have a round of that in celebration.
I mean, I could have easily gone for more plot instead of the final sex scene but if you’re into that, it was kinda cute. Yeah, more plot overall would have been nice. However, that is true for every book in these series, so it’s not really worth commenting on.
At the very least things seemed to flow a little more naturally in this volume, and I appreciate that.
So yes, not a bad instalment in this very long saga. It’s actually book sixty-nine by my count. Heh, it’s a pity the characters did not have a round of that in celebration.
November 8, 2015
I managed to miss the "vampire" part in the blurb. I wouldn't normally read something with vampires, but this one wasn't bad. I enjoyed it, but not enough to consider reading the rest of the series. It's just me not interested in vampires I'm sure it would be fine for anyone who doesn't mind them.
April 10, 2016
Formulaic.
Dull. I expect light & fluffy from Charlie and have recently been losing interest but usually enjoy her stories as a quick diversion as I relax.
I'd rather she took some time to add some depth to her stories rather than crank them out so quickly.
This isn't awful just dull. I think most of my disappointment comes from knowing she is capable of better.
Dull. I expect light & fluffy from Charlie and have recently been losing interest but usually enjoy her stories as a quick diversion as I relax.
I'd rather she took some time to add some depth to her stories rather than crank them out so quickly.
This isn't awful just dull. I think most of my disappointment comes from knowing she is capable of better.
December 14, 2015
Another quick cute read that won't stand out in this series. Interesting to see a bull shifter... Could have really turned on the dominating streak in him but he's too....not at the bottom of the ladder but feels like a few steps up cus he's just not a take charge guy.
November 29, 2015
Actually I thought this was surprisingly good. Garth and Cassium make a very hot couple. Garth is very innocent and a tad naive but Cassium is perfectly patient and loving with him.
Great sex too... exactly what you would expect from a Bull ;-)
Great sex too... exactly what you would expect from a Bull ;-)
September 19, 2015
rounded up - 3.5
September 24, 2015
Not a Line of Bull (A Loving Nip Book 6)
This was excellent and I can't wait to read more of this series. I hope it's soon too I will be watching for more to come..
This was excellent and I can't wait to read more of this series. I hope it's soon too I will be watching for more to come..
January 9, 2016
Full review can be found at The Novel Approach
July 18, 2016
Not bad. I always do find this author's endings way too abrupt. One more paragraph won't kill you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2025
A cowboy and his bull
Super fast read; this time about a bull shifter and his vampire fated mate. No angst, all the feels, and a nice bit of heat.
Super fast read; this time about a bull shifter and his vampire fated mate. No angst, all the feels, and a nice bit of heat.
June 5, 2021
💖😍👬🐂
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