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Doubt #1
Beyond A Reasonable Doubt: Season One
DeMatteo Santiago is the Alpha of one of the largest prides in North America. He is a young, successful lion shifter, surrounded by a large family and his devoted lover. By anyone's account he has more than any one man can ask for, but his lion cares of nothing except finding their mate.
An unexpected business trip pits DeMatteo and his long awaited mate on opposite sides of the courtroom. But when challenged by ex-lovers, nosey siblings, and crazy hunters, DeMatteo realizes that finding his mate was the easy part. The real question is whether they will live long enough to be together.
This release is an M/M paranormal shifter romance. This series will contain, graphic violence, graphic language, and Mpreg. What it will not be is an instant mate fairytale, as forces set out to destroy everything and everyone.
An unexpected business trip pits DeMatteo and his long awaited mate on opposite sides of the courtroom. But when challenged by ex-lovers, nosey siblings, and crazy hunters, DeMatteo realizes that finding his mate was the easy part. The real question is whether they will live long enough to be together.
This release is an M/M paranormal shifter romance. This series will contain, graphic violence, graphic language, and Mpreg. What it will not be is an instant mate fairytale, as forces set out to destroy everything and everyone.
423 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 30, 2015
6 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Johnson
13 books22 followersWife. Mother. Former Marine. Author.
These are the titles that inspire and influence my life. I am a New York native that now resides in Lake Ariel Pennsylvania. Writing and story telling has been my constant passion since childhood.
I believe in love in all its forms and that everyone deserves their happy ending.
These are the titles that inspire and influence my life. I am a New York native that now resides in Lake Ariel Pennsylvania. Writing and story telling has been my constant passion since childhood.
I believe in love in all its forms and that everyone deserves their happy ending.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
December 17, 2015
I usually don't like to tear books apart like this but with this was it really difficult not to.
As an author, how could you rightfully charge $5 for a book that you haven't taken the time to even proofread? And if you did, how did any of this make sense to you?
I regret buying this book. I know Amazon does returns on Kindle ebooks but I've been having some issues with it. Every paragraph has some sort of grammatical/typo/tense change error. I'm not exaggerating.
A passage:
"(Italics) Was that disappointment Sean feeling? (End italics) DeMatteo wonders as he steps into the closet, seems his mate wanted him to join him in the shower."
I found three errors in those two sentences. Imagine how many are in the entire book.
Never mind that these characters totally fell flat for me. I didn't connect with DeMatteo at all, and felt that his name should have had some sort of nickname. Who wants to think the name DeMatteo over and over again? It's four syllables. Sean fell flat for me too, but not as flat as DeMatteo and I'm not sure why. It also seemed like some of the characters' reactions were a bit exaggerated or out of place. There was a scene where DeMatteo was suddenly roaring (in human form) when (I thought) he's been mostly a quiet, reserved guy for the whole book.
This was a mess. And with some books I'm able to look past all the errors but with this one it was impossible. I think most of the problems for me came in the fact that this was written in the present tense ("Sean walks" "DeMatteo roars"). The author needs to go back to the drawing board with this one or perhaps release the SECOND DRAFT of this for free to those who bought this one.
As an author, how could you rightfully charge $5 for a book that you haven't taken the time to even proofread? And if you did, how did any of this make sense to you?
I regret buying this book. I know Amazon does returns on Kindle ebooks but I've been having some issues with it. Every paragraph has some sort of grammatical/typo/tense change error. I'm not exaggerating.
A passage:
"(Italics) Was that disappointment Sean feeling? (End italics) DeMatteo wonders as he steps into the closet, seems his mate wanted him to join him in the shower."
I found three errors in those two sentences. Imagine how many are in the entire book.
Never mind that these characters totally fell flat for me. I didn't connect with DeMatteo at all, and felt that his name should have had some sort of nickname. Who wants to think the name DeMatteo over and over again? It's four syllables. Sean fell flat for me too, but not as flat as DeMatteo and I'm not sure why. It also seemed like some of the characters' reactions were a bit exaggerated or out of place. There was a scene where DeMatteo was suddenly roaring (in human form) when (I thought) he's been mostly a quiet, reserved guy for the whole book.
This was a mess. And with some books I'm able to look past all the errors but with this one it was impossible. I think most of the problems for me came in the fact that this was written in the present tense ("Sean walks" "DeMatteo roars"). The author needs to go back to the drawing board with this one or perhaps release the SECOND DRAFT of this for free to those who bought this one.
January 10, 2016
Needs better editing. There are quite a few errors and words missing or left unfinished. Aside from that the world building is incomplete, and the reader is left not quite understanding the paranormal world. I did like the story, but it felt like a second draft.
There should also be a note that is not a HEA, it does end in a cliffhanger.
In the end I did like the story, and would be interested in reading the next book.
There should also be a note that is not a HEA, it does end in a cliffhanger.
In the end I did like the story, and would be interested in reading the next book.
dnf
September 14, 2016Too many grammatical errors to finish.
June 19, 2016
This story had potential however I gave this a VERY weak 2 stars and here's why:
First the characters Sean and Dematteo have no us stance as characters whatsoever. Sean comes off as this shallow dumb pushover male and Dematteo comes off as this dumb, shallow, meathead who is overly aggressive. I hate insta-love stories. I wouldn't have minded if they had bonded but there was some resistance and drama. The author makes every issue with the character fit by forcing them to accept without any resistance. All Sean does is yell and temper tantrum you don't see any actions from him. It's like a lot of random ingredients thrown together that make a cake or pie but they aren't mixed and baked correctly so that all the pieces fit together.
It's doesn't help that this is mpreg. If you're doing shifter mpreg to book it has to be done carefully so that it seems like a story of its own. It also reads like a lot of wolf shifter stories. I'm not quite sure if lions mate for life, In fact I'm more than sure they don't considering there's only ever a handful maybe 2-5 males in a pride. This would have been better as a lesbian romance story. You can't write a shifter story with wolf shifter traits and call it a lion. It's the phrase if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck. This has wolf shifter characteristics, it reads that way as well therefore this is a wolf shifter story. I know it's fiction but look into the actual biology of animals that aren't wolves there's probably some unsurprising differences.
I read that this is her first novel, which I can also appreciate it's you'll have been put through its paces and torn apart a plethora of times before someone made a mistake and published this. The tense of that story makes it hard to connect and immerse yourself into the story. Not interested in series sequels.
First the characters Sean and Dematteo have no us stance as characters whatsoever. Sean comes off as this shallow dumb pushover male and Dematteo comes off as this dumb, shallow, meathead who is overly aggressive. I hate insta-love stories. I wouldn't have minded if they had bonded but there was some resistance and drama. The author makes every issue with the character fit by forcing them to accept without any resistance. All Sean does is yell and temper tantrum you don't see any actions from him. It's like a lot of random ingredients thrown together that make a cake or pie but they aren't mixed and baked correctly so that all the pieces fit together.
It's doesn't help that this is mpreg. If you're doing shifter mpreg to book it has to be done carefully so that it seems like a story of its own. It also reads like a lot of wolf shifter stories. I'm not quite sure if lions mate for life, In fact I'm more than sure they don't considering there's only ever a handful maybe 2-5 males in a pride. This would have been better as a lesbian romance story. You can't write a shifter story with wolf shifter traits and call it a lion. It's the phrase if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck. This has wolf shifter characteristics, it reads that way as well therefore this is a wolf shifter story. I know it's fiction but look into the actual biology of animals that aren't wolves there's probably some unsurprising differences.
I read that this is her first novel, which I can also appreciate it's you'll have been put through its paces and torn apart a plethora of times before someone made a mistake and published this. The tense of that story makes it hard to connect and immerse yourself into the story. Not interested in series sequels.
December 21, 2016
2.5 Stars Audible Edition
The premise of this story is good but the execution is lacking. Very poorly edited with numerous mistakes including calling the MC's by the wrong names. There are multiple POV's that make this a jumbled mess and it ends on a huge cliff hanger. I won't be reading the next book. And, while the narrator was okay, the sound quality was horrendous at different points in the audio book.
The premise of this story is good but the execution is lacking. Very poorly edited with numerous mistakes including calling the MC's by the wrong names. There are multiple POV's that make this a jumbled mess and it ends on a huge cliff hanger. I won't be reading the next book. And, while the narrator was okay, the sound quality was horrendous at different points in the audio book.
November 27, 2016
Loved the story but needed editing and grammar help!
Read
January 29, 2026DNF at 31%
One word: bad!
One word: bad!
July 24, 2016
Hit and Miss - 3.5 Stars
I love shifter stories, and mpreg is a guilty pleasure for me, so when I saw this up for grabs, I pounced (pun intended)! There are aspects to this book that I really enjoyed, and others that bothered the daylights out of me.
DeMatteo is a lion shifter, and head of a huge pride, almost too huge as I had issues keeping the siblings straight in my head, but that’s on me. Thrust into the role upon the deaths of his parents, he’s had twenty years to grow into the job, yet he also maintains an outside job as an attorney. A messy divorce-to-be puts him face to face with a human, Sean, and he’s staggered to sense that this fragile human is his mate. Now comes the hard part – explaining who and what he is, and hoping for the best. But wait! There’s a bedmate DeMatteo’s been living with for fifteen years who needs to move out in a hurry, and he’s less than pleased to be ousted, even though DeMatteo has always been up front about this stipulation. Anger, hurt, betrayal, and chaos quickly ensues!
I liked the uniqueness of the shifter species and the fact that the alpha does something other than just live on-site and solve pride issues. The plot is a bit contrived. It was readily apparent who the bad guys were nearly from the start, because none of them came out of left field, particularly. The summary states that this is not an instant mate fairytale, yet it is precisely that. DeMatteo finds him, mates him, bites him, and poof! they’re partners in life. The book bounces around enough that it is difficult to stay on track. Good storyline overall, but the presentation could have been smoother. The chemistry between the two main characters is sizzling, and the sexy times are frequent and hot.
My main issue with the book is that it stops smack dab in the middle of things. It is neither an HEA nor an HFN. It just stops! Fortunately, book two, Where Doubt Remains, is currently available, as is a prequel story, Erasing All Doubt: Alpha's Rule The Beginning 0.5. Do not read Erasing All Doubt before you read this book, however, as it gives away all the key players that are supposed to be mysterious in this segment. Due to the abrupt end and the jarring plot presentation, I am rating this at 3.5 stars. Once you get into it, it’s good, but it’s initially a struggle.
ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review by Divine Magazine.
**Same worded review will appear on Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.**
I love shifter stories, and mpreg is a guilty pleasure for me, so when I saw this up for grabs, I pounced (pun intended)! There are aspects to this book that I really enjoyed, and others that bothered the daylights out of me.
DeMatteo is a lion shifter, and head of a huge pride, almost too huge as I had issues keeping the siblings straight in my head, but that’s on me. Thrust into the role upon the deaths of his parents, he’s had twenty years to grow into the job, yet he also maintains an outside job as an attorney. A messy divorce-to-be puts him face to face with a human, Sean, and he’s staggered to sense that this fragile human is his mate. Now comes the hard part – explaining who and what he is, and hoping for the best. But wait! There’s a bedmate DeMatteo’s been living with for fifteen years who needs to move out in a hurry, and he’s less than pleased to be ousted, even though DeMatteo has always been up front about this stipulation. Anger, hurt, betrayal, and chaos quickly ensues!
I liked the uniqueness of the shifter species and the fact that the alpha does something other than just live on-site and solve pride issues. The plot is a bit contrived. It was readily apparent who the bad guys were nearly from the start, because none of them came out of left field, particularly. The summary states that this is not an instant mate fairytale, yet it is precisely that. DeMatteo finds him, mates him, bites him, and poof! they’re partners in life. The book bounces around enough that it is difficult to stay on track. Good storyline overall, but the presentation could have been smoother. The chemistry between the two main characters is sizzling, and the sexy times are frequent and hot.
My main issue with the book is that it stops smack dab in the middle of things. It is neither an HEA nor an HFN. It just stops! Fortunately, book two, Where Doubt Remains, is currently available, as is a prequel story, Erasing All Doubt: Alpha's Rule The Beginning 0.5. Do not read Erasing All Doubt before you read this book, however, as it gives away all the key players that are supposed to be mysterious in this segment. Due to the abrupt end and the jarring plot presentation, I am rating this at 3.5 stars. Once you get into it, it’s good, but it’s initially a struggle.
ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review by Divine Magazine.
**Same worded review will appear on Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.**
July 28, 2016
This story was very suspenseful for me. In saying that, I could not put this book down. I read the entire thing in approx. 6 hours.
This story is filled with very overprotective alpha lions, witches, some brainwashed hunters and a very psychotic lion who thinks he has been wronged.
I love DeMatteo and Sean. DeMatteo, a very good divorce attorney, has known he was gay for a long time and has been actively looking for his mate. Sean, a junior partner at his father's law firm, has only ever had relationships with women but that doesn't stop him when he feel an instant attraction when the two lawyers meet for the first time and sparks fly.
Both MC's are in current relationships when they meet and when both break up with their current flames, neither one takes it very well.
This book does have a cliffhanger ending but there is a second book to this story. I usually want to have an HEA or at least an HFN ending but this was still a good book regardless of the ending.
There are some grammatical and tense errors but nothing so bad that my mind couldn't overlook it. And I am usually one of those people that can't stand grammatical errors and end up stopping to fix the error in my head before I can continue.
** I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review
This story is filled with very overprotective alpha lions, witches, some brainwashed hunters and a very psychotic lion who thinks he has been wronged.
I love DeMatteo and Sean. DeMatteo, a very good divorce attorney, has known he was gay for a long time and has been actively looking for his mate. Sean, a junior partner at his father's law firm, has only ever had relationships with women but that doesn't stop him when he feel an instant attraction when the two lawyers meet for the first time and sparks fly.
Both MC's are in current relationships when they meet and when both break up with their current flames, neither one takes it very well.
This book does have a cliffhanger ending but there is a second book to this story. I usually want to have an HEA or at least an HFN ending but this was still a good book regardless of the ending.
There are some grammatical and tense errors but nothing so bad that my mind couldn't overlook it. And I am usually one of those people that can't stand grammatical errors and end up stopping to fix the error in my head before I can continue.
** I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review
September 26, 2016
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/book-tou...
DeMatteo Santiago is the Alpha of one of the largest prides in North America. He’s young and successful, has a large family, and a devoted lover, but his lion side is worried with finding his perfect mate. When he finds his mate on opposite sides of the courtroom, it’s like a dream come true. He’s finally found his mate! But when ex-lovers, siblings, hunters, all come into play, he realizes finding his mate was the easy part: living long enough to be together is the tough part.
I enjoyed the whole lawyer/attorney angle. DeMatteo is a divorce lawyer, and his mate Sean turns out to be a lawyer too. Being a lawyer too, I thought this was very intriguing, and I loved the whole side of it. Lawyers don’t usually work well as couples, but they did so here. Sean and DeMatteo are very intriguing.
The plot is rollercoaster-fast, and a few of the twists took me by surprise. I can’t wait to read the second book.
DeMatteo Santiago is the Alpha of one of the largest prides in North America. He’s young and successful, has a large family, and a devoted lover, but his lion side is worried with finding his perfect mate. When he finds his mate on opposite sides of the courtroom, it’s like a dream come true. He’s finally found his mate! But when ex-lovers, siblings, hunters, all come into play, he realizes finding his mate was the easy part: living long enough to be together is the tough part.
I enjoyed the whole lawyer/attorney angle. DeMatteo is a divorce lawyer, and his mate Sean turns out to be a lawyer too. Being a lawyer too, I thought this was very intriguing, and I loved the whole side of it. Lawyers don’t usually work well as couples, but they did so here. Sean and DeMatteo are very intriguing.
The plot is rollercoaster-fast, and a few of the twists took me by surprise. I can’t wait to read the second book.
July 14, 2016
This is the second novel in the Doubt Series dealing with paranormal lion shifters, witches, and humans. The story continues to progress into a dramatic, action packed, love story. DeMatteo meets another lawyer, Sean Herr. The minute the two meet DeMatteo knows that Sean is his true mate and Sean feels the sudden attraction to this beautiful man. It doesn't take long for the two to get together. But human hunters are out to kill them, especially Sean, who is unknowingly a witch. They are all a part of a prophecy that is playing out. I found myself holding onto the edge of my seat as the drama plays out. I loved both DeMatteo and Sean. They are HOT, the sex is HOTTER, and its going to get even more so. A lot of surprises. Don't miss this novel/series. You will not be disappointed. The novel was brilliantly written and the chain of events keeps you engrossed and holding your breath. Great Paranormal Read!! I applaud Sharon Johnson in her beautiful writing ability.
October 19, 2016
Wow. I loved this book. This is the first book I have read by Sharon Johnson. This book is well written and an enjoyable read. The book has some happy funny parts and some sad parts. There is one question that is ask twice in this book that had me laughing out loud enough that I woke one of my sons. This book is about the Alpha finding his true mate and having the pregnant mate taken. Unfortunately there is a cliffhanger. So I am off to read the rest of this series. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
November 6, 2016
Sex, mystery, and romance amped up to a new high. This story has a little bit of everything. Magic, shifters, people trying to kill, true mating and steamy sex. What happens when an alpha male and an alpha male are true mates? What is someone tries to get between them? This is a must read.
I give this 4 out of 5 clouds and a chili pepper rating of 7, for several explicit scenes. Not suitable for those under 18 years of age.
This product or book may have been distributed for review; this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.
I give this 4 out of 5 clouds and a chili pepper rating of 7, for several explicit scenes. Not suitable for those under 18 years of age.
This product or book may have been distributed for review; this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.
December 3, 2015
A few errors but still a great story.
On a whole I really liked the story. The book itself was somewhat sloppily written. Quite a few spelling and grammar mistakes. However, it wasn't bad enough to make me stop reading.
I found the storyline and characters different and refreshing. I thoroughly enjoyed that it was about lions instead of wolves. It could use some fine tuning but I definitely plan on reading the next book in the series.
On a whole I really liked the story. The book itself was somewhat sloppily written. Quite a few spelling and grammar mistakes. However, it wasn't bad enough to make me stop reading.
I found the storyline and characters different and refreshing. I thoroughly enjoyed that it was about lions instead of wolves. It could use some fine tuning but I definitely plan on reading the next book in the series.
December 13, 2015
I genuinely liked the story and characters, but the "he walks" "he thinks" "he eats" present tense was awful. I very nearly put the book away after the first few sentences! I also didn't realize this was a TBC cliffhanger; I don't care to have to go track down extra books just to get to a good stopping point. Add in some grammar issues- like "arraignment" when they wanted "arrangement"- and I can't bring myself to continue the series.
July 31, 2016
This book had the concept. I am all for more Mpreg but some how I just didn't fall for the characters like I wanted too. The timeline of the book just didn't work for me because sometimes the time seemed to last too quickly for what was going on or I didn't know how much time had past at all, and it obviously had. This was my biggest issue, overall it was a decent read and I will continue with the next installment just to fulfill my curiosity with the cliff hanger.
August 4, 2016
What do you get when you put a smart, strong and sexy lion alpha, a powerful and gorgeous witch alpha mate, a psychotic hunter, and a delusional ex companion lion into a story? An amazing book, Sharon Johnson gives us a book with magic, mystery, intrigue, romance and hot sex. "Beyond A Reasonable Doubt" has everything you can ask for in a book. I loved it. I received this book in exchange for an honest review
July 20, 2016
I loved this so much. It was amazing and the characters were so much fun. I found myself not liking certain characters because they were evil lol.. but they added so much character to the story and so many amazing things happened. I loved this and I cannot wait to read the next one and I'm glad I got to review it
Want to read
December 14, 2015Stopping at 14%...just until the next book is released. Also. ..I'm getting a headache from the grammatical errors sprinkled all through the first half of this installment. .. I want to continue, but I think I'll ...not pass. ...just. ...wait a bit. The story itself is very intriguing. ..
December 21, 2015
Okay.
This book was quite good but nothing astounding. There was some weird grammatical thing going on in a few places and a fair few mistakes a decent proof reader would have picked up but I think I liked it just enough to be interested in what comes next
This book was quite good but nothing astounding. There was some weird grammatical thing going on in a few places and a fair few mistakes a decent proof reader would have picked up but I think I liked it just enough to be interested in what comes next
December 29, 2015
Good read.
I really liked the plot and characters in the book. The editing was poor and that is the main reason I gave it three stars. I often had to read a sentence twice. But I really liked the book and wish it could have ended with a HEA instead of a cliffhanger with a TBC.
I really liked the plot and characters in the book. The editing was poor and that is the main reason I gave it three stars. I often had to read a sentence twice. But I really liked the book and wish it could have ended with a HEA instead of a cliffhanger with a TBC.
September 26, 2016
In a more experienced writer's hands, this plot might have worked. However, as it stands, this book is a mess of dull, one-dimensional characters, headache-inducing plot, and high school level SpaG errors.
August 17, 2016
I liked this book, it just didn't 'grap' me. I liked the setting and the characters and the idea's the author had however the writing style was not to my taste.
December 9, 2015
Third person passive voice. No thanks. Dnf
January 26, 2016
I enjoyed the story waiting on Part 2 to find out what happens next...
October 14, 2016
Get a proofreader.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews