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Shifters and Partners #13
Second Time Charm
I've wanted to work with a wolf partner for as long as I can remember. This is my third — and final — chance of being chosen by one.
You know what they say. Be careful what you wish for.
I had no idea wolves could be as broken as my new partner is. He has an intense phobia of dogs, his attitude reeks, he barely knows how to take care of himself, and doesn't care about much of anything — except having lots of sex.
That's the best thing about our partnership, the sex. But sometimes I wonder if it's worth it. I don't know how to fix this. He's difficult, annoying, handsome as hell...and I don't want to give him up.
My dream come true is starting to feel like a nightmare. But the one he's living turns out to be far worse.
A shifters and partners novel
Heat level: medium
63,000 words
EXCERPT
They say the third time's the charm.
They're full of shit.
One time, you're rejected, fine, you move on. The next time? Well, you're still holding out. So that third time is going to hurt all the more.
I always figured, if you get past the third time, you're either too stubborn to ever give up (and will probably get what you want eventually from sheer cussedness) or you're just too stupid to give up and will get the heartbreak you probably deserve. No way to know which is true about yourself, probably.
But that seems pretty harsh when I'm the one looking down that barrel.
It was my third time. And it would be my last, if I couldn't snag a partner to bring back with me.
I didn't get it. On paper, I had the right qualifications. I'd sailed through the course the first time, and the second time it had been even easier. This time? I could've done the work in my sleep.
But so far, I hadn't caught the eye of a wolf who wanted to work with me.
I suppose I didn't stand out from the crowd. I was motivated, hard-working, well-trained, and fairly level-headed. I even played well with others, which was more than could be said for some of the applicants here. But everyone here seemed to be at least as qualified as I was.
Some indefinable quality of personality made others stand out enough to find a wolf partner. Apparently I had all the personality of a turnip or a rock. I'd always thought I had a decent personality. Maybe I was too quiet, and didn't tell many jokes, but I hadn't had to face just how utterly boring I was until now, when I was looking down the barrel of my third time charm.
The first two times, I'd done my best to spend time with every single wolf in the program, hoping I'd click with at least one of them. It hadn't happened. Or at least, I'd liked most of them well enough, but none of them had really liked me.
I was starting to wonder if the rumblings and rumors I'd previously dismissed were true, or could be. That many of the wolves who went through the program were secretly hoping to find a mate. A human they felt was worthy of them, to get married to and live happily ever after. If so, I foresaw even less hope for me this time.
I'd only barely been let back into the program a third time. It was my last try. I was already a laughingstock back at the precinct. Apparently I was Mr. Big Shot, who thinks he's going to swan off and find himself a wolf partner to shower glory on the precinct (and himself, because of course in this narrative I'm a selfish, vainglorious asshole), coming back to boos and sneers, a failure.
I was hoping that didn't happen. On paper, I had all the qualifications. I should be able to find a partner.
You know what they say. Be careful what you wish for.
I had no idea wolves could be as broken as my new partner is. He has an intense phobia of dogs, his attitude reeks, he barely knows how to take care of himself, and doesn't care about much of anything — except having lots of sex.
That's the best thing about our partnership, the sex. But sometimes I wonder if it's worth it. I don't know how to fix this. He's difficult, annoying, handsome as hell...and I don't want to give him up.
My dream come true is starting to feel like a nightmare. But the one he's living turns out to be far worse.
A shifters and partners novel
Heat level: medium
63,000 words
EXCERPT
They say the third time's the charm.
They're full of shit.
One time, you're rejected, fine, you move on. The next time? Well, you're still holding out. So that third time is going to hurt all the more.
I always figured, if you get past the third time, you're either too stubborn to ever give up (and will probably get what you want eventually from sheer cussedness) or you're just too stupid to give up and will get the heartbreak you probably deserve. No way to know which is true about yourself, probably.
But that seems pretty harsh when I'm the one looking down that barrel.
It was my third time. And it would be my last, if I couldn't snag a partner to bring back with me.
I didn't get it. On paper, I had the right qualifications. I'd sailed through the course the first time, and the second time it had been even easier. This time? I could've done the work in my sleep.
But so far, I hadn't caught the eye of a wolf who wanted to work with me.
I suppose I didn't stand out from the crowd. I was motivated, hard-working, well-trained, and fairly level-headed. I even played well with others, which was more than could be said for some of the applicants here. But everyone here seemed to be at least as qualified as I was.
Some indefinable quality of personality made others stand out enough to find a wolf partner. Apparently I had all the personality of a turnip or a rock. I'd always thought I had a decent personality. Maybe I was too quiet, and didn't tell many jokes, but I hadn't had to face just how utterly boring I was until now, when I was looking down the barrel of my third time charm.
The first two times, I'd done my best to spend time with every single wolf in the program, hoping I'd click with at least one of them. It hadn't happened. Or at least, I'd liked most of them well enough, but none of them had really liked me.
I was starting to wonder if the rumblings and rumors I'd previously dismissed were true, or could be. That many of the wolves who went through the program were secretly hoping to find a mate. A human they felt was worthy of them, to get married to and live happily ever after. If so, I foresaw even less hope for me this time.
I'd only barely been let back into the program a third time. It was my last try. I was already a laughingstock back at the precinct. Apparently I was Mr. Big Shot, who thinks he's going to swan off and find himself a wolf partner to shower glory on the precinct (and himself, because of course in this narrative I'm a selfish, vainglorious asshole), coming back to boos and sneers, a failure.
I was hoping that didn't happen. On paper, I had all the qualifications. I should be able to find a partner.
180 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 4, 2017
10 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 3, 2018
Second Chances Make for Great Happy Endings
Ever been the kid picked last in gym class? Yeah. I've been that kid; Zachary Sinclair is that guy in the Shifters & Partners program where he's on his third -and last- try to land a wolf shifter partner to bring back to his precinct. I really loved seeing the perspective of a guy who had done the program not once, not twice, but was on his third go around without having "clicked" with a wolf. It added a bit of realism since they always have more humans than shifters to give the wolves plenty of options. Someone has to go home alone, right?
Turns out it was Zack. A lot.
He's not a bad guy. He's a kind of average guy really. I liked him a lot because he was pretty much an Everyman character. It struck me as amusing he wound up getting into trouble because Simon initiated a sexual encounter between them while they were in training. Simon comes across as a very standoffish sort of wolf who has a lot more feral to him than the average shifter. He's no pushover. I really enjoyed how he wasn't physically perfect too. He's got scars. He's got issues. He's a headache most of the time---but he's the kind of headache Zack can handle since he's Zack's last shot.
Simon had failed to work things out with his first human partner which was why the program directors were nervous about him starting something physical during the training. He was unpredictable. He was needed though so they pretty much let him get away with whatever which was exactly what he wanted. I found him like an annoying brat most of the time who I couldn't help liking. I have to admit I enjoyed seeing Zack try to get to know him without ever really knowing how to do the whole get-to-know-you thing at all.
Second Time Charm was unique in a lot of respects to the other books in the series. I think my favorite aspect was that Hollis Shiloh addressed the question of what happens when the shifter isn't satisfied with a human's stamina? I mean, shifters are described as being faster, stronger, and more than humans in all ways. They're probably also more demanding sexually too, right? I liked that Zack brought in sex toys to supplement the times he just wasn't physically able to meet the demands of his partner, but he wanted to be there for him anyway. I liked it wasn't something he got really down on himself about. I know a lot of guys who are completely intimidated by the idea of toys in the bedroom. I liked the way they made it workable for Simon and Zack.
Simon had a much more difficult pack than any of the other shifters we've met to date. I liked seeing the intolerance of his pack even if it did make me sad to think he'd suffered so much. I think it was the diversity involved which made me enjoy it more. I loved seeing the way he "clicked" with Zack because Zack had chosen to be nice to a gay teen when he really didn't have to be. It was fitting for Simon to respond to someone who'd offered comfort he'd never received to someone who had been in a similar situation to his own life.
Second Time Charm isn't a light read. I rank it highly as one of my favorites in the series because it's got more pain to it which touches on real issues for me. I also just really loved the characters. It can be read as a standalone. I think I'd recommend this one to anyone who is comfortable with topics of abuse and fans of hurt/comfort reads. I really love the Shifters and Partners series and look forward to the next one.
Ever been the kid picked last in gym class? Yeah. I've been that kid; Zachary Sinclair is that guy in the Shifters & Partners program where he's on his third -and last- try to land a wolf shifter partner to bring back to his precinct. I really loved seeing the perspective of a guy who had done the program not once, not twice, but was on his third go around without having "clicked" with a wolf. It added a bit of realism since they always have more humans than shifters to give the wolves plenty of options. Someone has to go home alone, right?
Turns out it was Zack. A lot.
He's not a bad guy. He's a kind of average guy really. I liked him a lot because he was pretty much an Everyman character. It struck me as amusing he wound up getting into trouble because Simon initiated a sexual encounter between them while they were in training. Simon comes across as a very standoffish sort of wolf who has a lot more feral to him than the average shifter. He's no pushover. I really enjoyed how he wasn't physically perfect too. He's got scars. He's got issues. He's a headache most of the time---but he's the kind of headache Zack can handle since he's Zack's last shot.
Simon had failed to work things out with his first human partner which was why the program directors were nervous about him starting something physical during the training. He was unpredictable. He was needed though so they pretty much let him get away with whatever which was exactly what he wanted. I found him like an annoying brat most of the time who I couldn't help liking. I have to admit I enjoyed seeing Zack try to get to know him without ever really knowing how to do the whole get-to-know-you thing at all.
Second Time Charm was unique in a lot of respects to the other books in the series. I think my favorite aspect was that Hollis Shiloh addressed the question of what happens when the shifter isn't satisfied with a human's stamina? I mean, shifters are described as being faster, stronger, and more than humans in all ways. They're probably also more demanding sexually too, right? I liked that Zack brought in sex toys to supplement the times he just wasn't physically able to meet the demands of his partner, but he wanted to be there for him anyway. I liked it wasn't something he got really down on himself about. I know a lot of guys who are completely intimidated by the idea of toys in the bedroom. I liked the way they made it workable for Simon and Zack.
Simon had a much more difficult pack than any of the other shifters we've met to date. I liked seeing the intolerance of his pack even if it did make me sad to think he'd suffered so much. I think it was the diversity involved which made me enjoy it more. I loved seeing the way he "clicked" with Zack because Zack had chosen to be nice to a gay teen when he really didn't have to be. It was fitting for Simon to respond to someone who'd offered comfort he'd never received to someone who had been in a similar situation to his own life.
Second Time Charm isn't a light read. I rank it highly as one of my favorites in the series because it's got more pain to it which touches on real issues for me. I also just really loved the characters. It can be read as a standalone. I think I'd recommend this one to anyone who is comfortable with topics of abuse and fans of hurt/comfort reads. I really love the Shifters and Partners series and look forward to the next one.
February 3, 2020
This was a difficult and heartbreaking book. A cop is trying for his third and last time to match up with a wolf partner. He finds one, but the wolf acts irrationally and refuses to talk about anything. He tries everyone’s patuence and is always making demands and enemies. A crisis forces his hand and leads to a resolution.
Typos: To spelled as to, your as you, Marine is always capitalized when referring to USMC personnel. Wrong character reference (“my eyesight being better than Jared’s”). Jared is not present in this scene and he’s with Ray.
Typos: To spelled as to, your as you, Marine is always capitalized when referring to USMC personnel. Wrong character reference (“my eyesight being better than Jared’s”). Jared is not present in this scene and he’s with Ray.
May 18, 2017
Rating: 2 stars
This book was really hard for me to read. I ended up skimming a lot of it. My main problem was I hated Zack as the main character of this book. As this book was written exclusively from his point of view, it made for some very hard reading. I really liked his partner Simon. What he went through broke my heart. The way Zach treated him throughout much of the book was atrocious. I never felt the connection between either of these characters. By the end of the book, I still was not on board with their romance. A friend lent me her copy of this book. I am really glad she did and I didn't actually pay for it.
If you want a good series about wolves and partners, read Cooper West's Guardsmen series.
This book was really hard for me to read. I ended up skimming a lot of it. My main problem was I hated Zack as the main character of this book. As this book was written exclusively from his point of view, it made for some very hard reading. I really liked his partner Simon. What he went through broke my heart. The way Zach treated him throughout much of the book was atrocious. I never felt the connection between either of these characters. By the end of the book, I still was not on board with their romance. A friend lent me her copy of this book. I am really glad she did and I didn't actually pay for it.
If you want a good series about wolves and partners, read Cooper West's Guardsmen series.
November 11, 2018
Good book
But, for me, I cannot fully enjoy a book where the character gives away their dog. I know he struggled a lot and tried to compromise, but I couldn't get over it. Good otherwise
But, for me, I cannot fully enjoy a book where the character gives away their dog. I know he struggled a lot and tried to compromise, but I couldn't get over it. Good otherwise
August 21, 2019
Value or no value
A story of a life of abuse and desperation. No hope no worth only pain and no self worth. Two find each other out of desperation and a bond stronger than all the fear was formed. Nice to have a happy ending
A story of a life of abuse and desperation. No hope no worth only pain and no self worth. Two find each other out of desperation and a bond stronger than all the fear was formed. Nice to have a happy ending
January 12, 2018
3.75*
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews