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Tomcat Jones #1
Tomcat Jones
Genre: LGBT Shape-shifting Paranormal
T.J. Jones never believed in love. A shape-shifting tomcat, he's had problems with one-night stands involving men who were horrified to find out what he was. After getting burned one too many times, he decides he'll shoot instead for becoming a grouchy lifelong bastard of a bachelor. That's before he runs into MacGowan, a smoking hot beach boy with an open heart and a sweet smile.
MacGowan, a ingenuous, open-hearted sex bomb, wants T.J.'s body, his love, his friendship, and his trust. T.J. doesn't dare tell MacGowan that he's a tomcat on the inside, but soon finds he has no choice when MacGowan's developing wizard's powers force the issue. Not only is he unwittingly MacGowan's familiar, but MacGowan's powers make him unable to control his shape-shifting.
A relationship's hard enough for an easy-going beach boy and a grumpy, closed-off bachelor. But what's a man to do when he's literally a tomcat?
Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, male/male sexual practices.
T.J. Jones never believed in love. A shape-shifting tomcat, he's had problems with one-night stands involving men who were horrified to find out what he was. After getting burned one too many times, he decides he'll shoot instead for becoming a grouchy lifelong bastard of a bachelor. That's before he runs into MacGowan, a smoking hot beach boy with an open heart and a sweet smile.
MacGowan, a ingenuous, open-hearted sex bomb, wants T.J.'s body, his love, his friendship, and his trust. T.J. doesn't dare tell MacGowan that he's a tomcat on the inside, but soon finds he has no choice when MacGowan's developing wizard's powers force the issue. Not only is he unwittingly MacGowan's familiar, but MacGowan's powers make him unable to control his shape-shifting.
A relationship's hard enough for an easy-going beach boy and a grumpy, closed-off bachelor. But what's a man to do when he's literally a tomcat?
Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, male/male sexual practices.
163 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2009
5 people are currently reading
173 people want to read
About the author
Willa Okati
218 books217 followersWill Okati is made of many things: imagination, coffee, stray cat hairs, daydreams, more coffee, kitchen experimentation, a passion for winter weather, a little more coffee, a whole lot of flowering plants and a lifelong love of storytelling.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 8, 2010
The Review:
Honesty from the outset~
Thomas Cattrell (T.J.) Jones?? His parents - or the author - hated him. No question about it. *g*
First things first~
To be very blunt, I've had hits and misses with this author in the past and, as a result, I tend to lean towards her more 'quirky' - for wont of a better description - stories.
I'm not sure how other readers feel; however, I've found it is in these where her gift at story telling really shines. Her writing and plots flow beautifully; the affection for her protags comes through which also helps the reader to engage with them; her characters are delightfully drawn and (even the snarky ones) are appealing; her whimsy and her wit are woven throughout the story; and, her dialogue is just a joy to read. Happily, I found this was also the case for me with Tomcat Jones.
In addition to this, it was very satisfying to read a book that lived up to the potential of it's blurb.
T.J. Jones is a shape-shifting tomcat who has problems with one night stands *snicker*. Bitching to his best friend, Arden, about hook-ups who either have allergies or turn into quivering messes when he accidentally shifts, T.J. decides to ditch the idea of falling in love. At this very moment, he (literally) bumps into MacGowan, who he finds out has just moved into the apartment below him, and tumbles rapidly in lust (as any self-respecting tomcat would). It is not long before T.J. realises he is not only falling for the open-hearted MacGowan, but, as a result of MacGowan's awakening powers, also happens to be his familiar.
I know; there does seem like a heck of a lot of coincidences in there, doesn't there? Trust me, though, it definitely works. Suspend disbelief and enjoy Tomcat Jones for the unique and very entertaining read it is. *g*
Another highlight of the story are the characters, who I think many readers will quickly appreciate for their sheer goodness. Besides the adorable T.J. and MacGowan, the secondary characters of Arden, Mr. Jontan, Shavey and Sur Lune are each very appealing in their own right and all play important roles in the development of the story and the growing relationship between the two men. *Please note: Points will be awarded to those readers who can identify the person who reminds them of the snarky, sarcastic kitteh that is Sur Lune; a fascinating character who is a shape-shifter like T.J., but is permanently in cat form.*
A couple of issues/warnings~
There were a few places where, after all the going up and down of the stairs, etc, I was bit confused about where the protags actually were. However, it did suit the slapstick style of the scene/s and it's pacing so I was able to shrug it off pretty easily.
Towards the end, I was ready to slap T.J. round the back of the head for his constant excuses about not telling MacGowan the truth about his second nature. This even happened after he'd heard MacGowan's own concern about revealing the fact he was a wizard to T.J. The idiot!
My recommendation~
This is an entertaining romp with engaging characters. I would definitely recommend it if you're interested in a couple of hours of light-hearted, romantic fun.
Honesty from the outset~
Thomas Cattrell (T.J.) Jones?? His parents - or the author - hated him. No question about it. *g*
First things first~
To be very blunt, I've had hits and misses with this author in the past and, as a result, I tend to lean towards her more 'quirky' - for wont of a better description - stories.
I'm not sure how other readers feel; however, I've found it is in these where her gift at story telling really shines. Her writing and plots flow beautifully; the affection for her protags comes through which also helps the reader to engage with them; her characters are delightfully drawn and (even the snarky ones) are appealing; her whimsy and her wit are woven throughout the story; and, her dialogue is just a joy to read. Happily, I found this was also the case for me with Tomcat Jones.
In addition to this, it was very satisfying to read a book that lived up to the potential of it's blurb.
T.J. Jones is a shape-shifting tomcat who has problems with one night stands *snicker*. Bitching to his best friend, Arden, about hook-ups who either have allergies or turn into quivering messes when he accidentally shifts, T.J. decides to ditch the idea of falling in love. At this very moment, he (literally) bumps into MacGowan, who he finds out has just moved into the apartment below him, and tumbles rapidly in lust (as any self-respecting tomcat would). It is not long before T.J. realises he is not only falling for the open-hearted MacGowan, but, as a result of MacGowan's awakening powers, also happens to be his familiar.
I know; there does seem like a heck of a lot of coincidences in there, doesn't there? Trust me, though, it definitely works. Suspend disbelief and enjoy Tomcat Jones for the unique and very entertaining read it is. *g*
Another highlight of the story are the characters, who I think many readers will quickly appreciate for their sheer goodness. Besides the adorable T.J. and MacGowan, the secondary characters of Arden, Mr. Jontan, Shavey and Sur Lune are each very appealing in their own right and all play important roles in the development of the story and the growing relationship between the two men. *Please note: Points will be awarded to those readers who can identify the person who reminds them of the snarky, sarcastic kitteh that is Sur Lune; a fascinating character who is a shape-shifter like T.J., but is permanently in cat form.*
A couple of issues/warnings~
There were a few places where, after all the going up and down of the stairs, etc, I was bit confused about where the protags actually were. However, it did suit the slapstick style of the scene/s and it's pacing so I was able to shrug it off pretty easily.
Towards the end, I was ready to slap T.J. round the back of the head for his constant excuses about not telling MacGowan the truth about his second nature. This even happened after he'd heard MacGowan's own concern about revealing the fact he was a wizard to T.J. The idiot!
My recommendation~
This is an entertaining romp with engaging characters. I would definitely recommend it if you're interested in a couple of hours of light-hearted, romantic fun.
August 26, 2013
This was just too adorable. I loved it when T.J. morphed into his tomcat form. Oh my god, he was just too cute. Anyway, I spent a very enjoyable couple of hours lost in this story, and I definitely recommend it to anyone else who wants a good laugh or two (or five! LOL).
June 9, 2009
Couldn't go past 20 pages. I'll have to try it another time!
November 4, 2009
Oh Willa Okati how I love your humor and your incredible mind! I mean, really and to have the amazing ability to weave such a great story into such a short timeline is even more incredible!
What I liked about this book: I'm not much of a cat-lover, sorry to all my feline-friendly folks out there, I'm a canine-lover all the way, but TJ was so awesome, I fell in love with him! When he's in kitty form, he's as adorable as he is sexy in his human form. The attraction between MacGowan and TJ is so strong that you know from the beginning it's going to be explosive and intense.
Her characterizations though, are what I love most about her books. I fall into every single one of them because the characters are "real" and alive and in this case... furry, funny and slightly bitchy. Love it!
Summary: T.J. Jones never believed in love. A shape-shifting tomcat, he's had problems with one-night stands involving men who were horrified to find out what he was. After getting burned one too many times, he decides he'll shoot instead for becoming a grouchy lifelong bastard of a bachelor. That's before he runs into MacGowan, a smoking hot beach boy with an open heart and a sweet smile.
MacGowan, a ingenuous, open-hearted sex bomb, wants T.J.'s body, his love, his friendship, and his trust. T.J. doesn't dare tell MacGowan that he's a tomcat on the inside, but soon finds he has no choice when MacGowan's developing wizard's powers force the issue. Not only is he unwittingly MacGowan's familiar, but MacGowan's powers make him unable to control his shape-shifting.
A relationship's hard enough for an easy-going beach boy and a grumpy, closed-off bachelor. But what's a man to do when he's literally a tomcat?
Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, male/male sexual practices.
What I liked about this book: I'm not much of a cat-lover, sorry to all my feline-friendly folks out there, I'm a canine-lover all the way, but TJ was so awesome, I fell in love with him! When he's in kitty form, he's as adorable as he is sexy in his human form. The attraction between MacGowan and TJ is so strong that you know from the beginning it's going to be explosive and intense.
Her characterizations though, are what I love most about her books. I fall into every single one of them because the characters are "real" and alive and in this case... furry, funny and slightly bitchy. Love it!
Excerpt: They made it three steps into the minihallway before the smell of MacGowan, the heat rising off his skin and the nearness of his cock just barely tucked into his jeans, not to mention his roving hands everywhere on T.J.’s skin and the way they stopped step-by-step to crash their mouths together all combined in one
big burst of want and got to T.J.
He stopped and pushed MacGowan to the wall. MacGowan cocked his head, pretended to be confused, given away by the dark, wicked tilt of his mouth. “Something wrong?”
“Yes.” T.J. kissed him quick and dirty. MacGowan tasted of beer and steak, savory, good. “I’m not doing this yet.”
“Not doing what?”
“Let me demonstrate.” T.J. dropped to his knees and buried his face in MacGowan’s open fly.
MacGowan made a noise no one could describe and bucked forward. He shoved his fingers through T.J.’s hair and gripped tight enough to make his scalp prickle deliciously. “Gonna do it?” he asked, gravel-voiced. “You like sucking cock that much?”
T.J. put out the tip of his tongue and dragged it over the rise and curve of MacGowan’s darkening
erection. He tasted amazing. “What do you think?”
“Christ,” MacGowan said. He tugged T.J.’s hair. “Stop. Don’t stop. I don’t care.”
T.J. felt bigger than himself, as if there was too much need to be contained inside one body, like he’d explode. He nosed his way to MacGowan’s cockhead, took it between his lips, and sucked for all he was worth.
MacGowan’s head hit the wall with a satisfying thud. “Oh—” He gripped the sides of T.J.’s head and pushed forward. “More.”
T.J. hummed around his mouthful of cock, slid the seal of his lips down the heavy length until firm bluntness hit the back of his throat. He breathed in hungrily when wiry hair tickled his nose, and
swallowed.
MacGowan jackknifed; he would have choked T.J. if T.J. hadn’t been prepared, hoping. He swallowed again, and a second time, exultant inside his head. Long dry spell or not, he hadn’t forgotten how to do this. Made a man feel like a man.
Definitely not like a cat.
“More,” MacGowan gritted out. He drew back to thrust forward, the path slippery with spit and precum. His cock pulsed in T.J.’s mouth, heavy on his tongue. T.J. drew off to taste him and rolled the salty traces over his taste buds while he moaned and craved more, and still more.
For the fun of it—if he was going to be this crazy, he’d do it right—he dragged the flat of his tongue up the length of MacGowan’s shaft and tickled under the head, teasing the thick vein beneath.
MacGowan giggled.
Okay, not the reaction he’d hoped for. T.J. drew off with an obscene sucking pop, not sure if he should be offended but leaning strongly in that direction. “This is funny to you?”
MacGowan shook his head, but merriment brought out a dimple in his cheek no matter how he tried to hide it. “Tickles,” he managed.
Tickles? What the—oh, no no no—T.J. tested the rasp, and a rasp it was, of his tongue over his lips. Cat tongue, rough and sandpapery, and if that was what MacGowan called tickling he didn’t want to contemplate the limits of the guy’s pain threshold. He scrubbed the back of his hand over his tongue until all he tasted was his own skin and the traces of MacGowan’s fragrance, and until the flesh was smooth and sleek once more.
“Hey.” MacGowan used his grip on T.J.’s head to tilt it up and look directly at him.
The heat, the blind need, tempered by confusion—T.J. hitched forward, grunted, and almost lost it there without a hand on him, not even his own. His cock pushed insistently at his open fly, demanded to be released from the constriction, precum wet on his belly and his head swimming. MacGowan prodded the join of his jaw. “Didn’t say you had to stop.”
T.J. fought to keep it in, to rein it back. “Want to come like this?” he asked, voice wrecked from the thickness of MacGowan’s cock thrust down his throat, the rasp thrumming through his bones. “Yes or no?”
“No. Don’t want to come before I’m in you,” MacGowan said, thumbing T.J.’s cheeks. “Get up. Move. Now.”
November 15, 2019
Interesting...
January 5, 2015
The (im)possibility to find love, when being a magical tomcat
"My name is Thomas Cattrell Jones, T.J. for short. My parents had a rotten sense of humor. I teach animal behaviour theory when the local college has the budget and the whim to take me on, and I turn into your basical tabby cat from time to time, more often than that if something rocks my world. What can I say, it's a thing"
T.J. is neither alone, nor lonely - his apartment is constantly besieged by
- BF Arden "one busybody mundane with a tendency to learn a little about a lot" and "alarmingly expressive eyebrows" that can simultaneously rise curiously and wickedly,
- Mr. Jontan - a curtly, scary wizard constantly dragging a stack of dusty antique magic rinds with him,
- Sur Lune, a man permanently stuck in feline form and T.J.'s cousin turned Psychokitty "with the temper of a rattelsnake and the questionable sanity of a Tasmanian devil".
T.J. does not believe in love - at least not for himself because, being a tomcat unable to control the after-glow shifting, his hook-ups run scared away as soon as they realise what he is ... "Or better, the guy's still there, he just can't breathe, because he's allergic to cats. Nothin' says 'don't call me, and I won't call you' like an asthma attack that won't stop."
There comes the new neighbor in the mix: MacGowan the "beach boy" with "sepia-sable hair and smoky gray eyes". His unstoppable impact on T.J.'s disposition brings the latter to the consideration whether "... stupidity was a by-product of testosterone."
It's not easy because T.J. does not have the guts to confess from the start what he is and MacGowan turns up to be a wizard who is not yet aware of his powers - powers that awakened because of T.J. who - in turn - is not only smitten with the new guy on the block, but happens to be his familiar as well.
Unsaid leads to complications and these deepen the misunderstandings till the point that an injured T.J. separates himself from the surprised and unsettled MacGowan. The presence of a certain Shavey, BF and self-appointed guardian of his wizard as well as prick extraordinaire when it comes to T.J., doesn't make things lighter.
The wounded pride must heal, the stubbornness must be overcome - what else are friends good for? - the misunderstandings eliminated and the truthfulness of MacGowan's feelings reaffirmed. Finally comes together what belongs together: wizard and familiar - as equals and true lovers, not (only) due to necessity.
"Falling for someone was magic, sure. After that, it was one step at a time, blindfolded in the dark, until you stumbeled across the place where it could be love. And if a guy had the balls, or his lover did, he somehow made it to the other side. Reason and logic, should and shouldn't none of that had anything to do with making a happy ending. That was what love was all about."
"Tomcat Jones" is neither dramatical, nor philosophical, it has neither 'angst' nor trauma. It is funny, hilarious, fluffy and sexy. It is not (entirely) realistic and not Shakespeare ;) but a witty, lively & lovely love story in a parallel universe - a pleasurable good read against boring evenings.
It also is the first book in a series I can wholeheartedly recommend:
- "Buddy Holiday": the "epic" short story about T.J.'s and MacGowan's "love time", vivid, quirky, full of magic & sex, sensuality and rage, self-doubt and devotion (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...) - for me a 4 stars as well
- "Karma Chameleon": "The Sorrows of Young" Arden on his way to embrace not only the (big) size and (multiple) skills of Shavey, but his stubborn & adamant L-feelings as well. To trust and open himself to become part of a pair instead of staying a stubbornly coward and lone brat. (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...) - another 4 Stars
I like Willa Okatis writing style and use of language - seems casual and flaky, but is well thought out and carefully colored.
I look forward to a fourth book - because Sur Lune & Mr. Jonathan deserve it that their story shall also be told :D.
"My name is Thomas Cattrell Jones, T.J. for short. My parents had a rotten sense of humor. I teach animal behaviour theory when the local college has the budget and the whim to take me on, and I turn into your basical tabby cat from time to time, more often than that if something rocks my world. What can I say, it's a thing"
T.J. is neither alone, nor lonely - his apartment is constantly besieged by
- BF Arden "one busybody mundane with a tendency to learn a little about a lot" and "alarmingly expressive eyebrows" that can simultaneously rise curiously and wickedly,
- Mr. Jontan - a curtly, scary wizard constantly dragging a stack of dusty antique magic rinds with him,
- Sur Lune, a man permanently stuck in feline form and T.J.'s cousin turned Psychokitty "with the temper of a rattelsnake and the questionable sanity of a Tasmanian devil".
T.J. does not believe in love - at least not for himself because, being a tomcat unable to control the after-glow shifting, his hook-ups run scared away as soon as they realise what he is ... "Or better, the guy's still there, he just can't breathe, because he's allergic to cats. Nothin' says 'don't call me, and I won't call you' like an asthma attack that won't stop."
There comes the new neighbor in the mix: MacGowan the "beach boy" with "sepia-sable hair and smoky gray eyes". His unstoppable impact on T.J.'s disposition brings the latter to the consideration whether "... stupidity was a by-product of testosterone."
It's not easy because T.J. does not have the guts to confess from the start what he is and MacGowan turns up to be a wizard who is not yet aware of his powers - powers that awakened because of T.J. who - in turn - is not only smitten with the new guy on the block, but happens to be his familiar as well.
Unsaid leads to complications and these deepen the misunderstandings till the point that an injured T.J. separates himself from the surprised and unsettled MacGowan. The presence of a certain Shavey, BF and self-appointed guardian of his wizard as well as prick extraordinaire when it comes to T.J., doesn't make things lighter.
The wounded pride must heal, the stubbornness must be overcome - what else are friends good for? - the misunderstandings eliminated and the truthfulness of MacGowan's feelings reaffirmed. Finally comes together what belongs together: wizard and familiar - as equals and true lovers, not (only) due to necessity.
"Falling for someone was magic, sure. After that, it was one step at a time, blindfolded in the dark, until you stumbeled across the place where it could be love. And if a guy had the balls, or his lover did, he somehow made it to the other side. Reason and logic, should and shouldn't none of that had anything to do with making a happy ending. That was what love was all about."
"Tomcat Jones" is neither dramatical, nor philosophical, it has neither 'angst' nor trauma. It is funny, hilarious, fluffy and sexy. It is not (entirely) realistic and not Shakespeare ;) but a witty, lively & lovely love story in a parallel universe - a pleasurable good read against boring evenings.
It also is the first book in a series I can wholeheartedly recommend:
- "Buddy Holiday": the "epic" short story about T.J.'s and MacGowan's "love time", vivid, quirky, full of magic & sex, sensuality and rage, self-doubt and devotion (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...) - for me a 4 stars as well
- "Karma Chameleon": "The Sorrows of Young" Arden on his way to embrace not only the (big) size and (multiple) skills of Shavey, but his stubborn & adamant L-feelings as well. To trust and open himself to become part of a pair instead of staying a stubbornly coward and lone brat. (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...) - another 4 Stars
I like Willa Okatis writing style and use of language - seems casual and flaky, but is well thought out and carefully colored.
I look forward to a fourth book - because Sur Lune & Mr. Jonathan deserve it that their story shall also be told :D.
Read
June 5, 2009The first impression I had of this novel it was for it to be longer, and I'm not speaking of the length of the book, but more on a space time thing: the novel is so full packed of action that when you finish it, you are almost surprise to realize that it lasted only few days in the life of the two main characters.
The feeling to be thrown into the story starts since the first pages, when T.J. meets MacGowan at the supermarket with the most old way to meet a possible lover, colliding you cart with the other one. T.J. was chatting with his best friend Arden of the impossibility to find a lover since when T.J. gets excited he tends to shift into a tabby cat without notice, and the possible lovers don't take it very well, most of the time they run away screaming. And then here he is, the perfect man, MacGowan, handsome and gentle, and apparently the non judgmental type, since he has the look of a man who lives day per day in most possible easiest way. And MacGowan is more than interested in T.J. and fate wants that he is also his new neighbor, so it's easy for them to meet. But when they are together, T.J. tends to shift even more in uncontrollable way than usual, and MacGowan finds a strange cat in his house where he went to sleep with a man... and he decides to adopt that cat and naming him Buddy. And Buddy / T.J. finds himself to like his new life as domestic cat, maybe more than his life as man.
I like both characters, but truth be told, I like most MacGowan, that has not the chance to shine like T.J.; this is more or less T.J.'s story and MacGowan remains a bit in second line, and I have to search for bit of him, like crumbs of bread. In the blurb, it seems that T.J. is the steady man in the relationship, he is a college professor where MacGowan is a beach boy; but as I read him, T.J. is a man that has still to decide what he wants from life, that sometime let his fears drive him more than his heart. MacGowan instead is a man who was burnt in the past more time than once since he lets his feelings drive him and he firmly believes in love. T.J. with his fears can't see it and is unable to really trust MacGowan to do the right thing.
In a way, T.J. is more open to love when he is in cat form; T.J. man and T.J. cat are two different completely being, and this is the most interesting thing in the novel. T.J. cat is a cat, and his priorities are totally different: food, catnap and cuddles (when he wants) are the only things important for him. Willa Okati manages to write a very personal character with this cat, totally separating him from his human side, and avoiding in this way the "trap" of bestiality, that often drives away certain readers. T.J. Buddy is not interested in MacGowan in a sexual way, MacGowan, from his cat perspective, is a slot machine for food and scratching behind the ears, nothing else. And when T.J. is a man, he looses all the "feline" behavior, in a way, it wouldn't do it worst if he preserved some of them, since T.J. Buddy has a better predisposition toward building a relationship, even if with hidden purposes.
Anyway the story is very nice, funny, fast paced and with a familiar mood that not often I find in paranormal story, and I like it.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002HE1JNY/?...
The feeling to be thrown into the story starts since the first pages, when T.J. meets MacGowan at the supermarket with the most old way to meet a possible lover, colliding you cart with the other one. T.J. was chatting with his best friend Arden of the impossibility to find a lover since when T.J. gets excited he tends to shift into a tabby cat without notice, and the possible lovers don't take it very well, most of the time they run away screaming. And then here he is, the perfect man, MacGowan, handsome and gentle, and apparently the non judgmental type, since he has the look of a man who lives day per day in most possible easiest way. And MacGowan is more than interested in T.J. and fate wants that he is also his new neighbor, so it's easy for them to meet. But when they are together, T.J. tends to shift even more in uncontrollable way than usual, and MacGowan finds a strange cat in his house where he went to sleep with a man... and he decides to adopt that cat and naming him Buddy. And Buddy / T.J. finds himself to like his new life as domestic cat, maybe more than his life as man.
I like both characters, but truth be told, I like most MacGowan, that has not the chance to shine like T.J.; this is more or less T.J.'s story and MacGowan remains a bit in second line, and I have to search for bit of him, like crumbs of bread. In the blurb, it seems that T.J. is the steady man in the relationship, he is a college professor where MacGowan is a beach boy; but as I read him, T.J. is a man that has still to decide what he wants from life, that sometime let his fears drive him more than his heart. MacGowan instead is a man who was burnt in the past more time than once since he lets his feelings drive him and he firmly believes in love. T.J. with his fears can't see it and is unable to really trust MacGowan to do the right thing.
In a way, T.J. is more open to love when he is in cat form; T.J. man and T.J. cat are two different completely being, and this is the most interesting thing in the novel. T.J. cat is a cat, and his priorities are totally different: food, catnap and cuddles (when he wants) are the only things important for him. Willa Okati manages to write a very personal character with this cat, totally separating him from his human side, and avoiding in this way the "trap" of bestiality, that often drives away certain readers. T.J. Buddy is not interested in MacGowan in a sexual way, MacGowan, from his cat perspective, is a slot machine for food and scratching behind the ears, nothing else. And when T.J. is a man, he looses all the "feline" behavior, in a way, it wouldn't do it worst if he preserved some of them, since T.J. Buddy has a better predisposition toward building a relationship, even if with hidden purposes.
Anyway the story is very nice, funny, fast paced and with a familiar mood that not often I find in paranormal story, and I like it.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002HE1JNY/?...
June 18, 2014
Liked the premise, but didn’t particularly care for it overall
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 4/10
PROS:
- There are details in the fantasy world that I found pretty adorable. How can you avoid being at least somewhat charmed by a story that contains phrases like “enchanted parasites”?
- The way TJ struggles to control his shifting and purrs or meows at inopportune moments is amusing. And the scenes in which he’s in feline form and functioning with the mind of a cat are cute. I liked the references to “his human,” the matter-of-fact arrogance, the self-importance. There’s a lot here that I think people who are familiar with cats will appreciate.
- Occasionally, the characters’ sarcasm made me chuckle. (see cons below also)
CONS:
- I was a little disinterested in the story because I found the characters’ behavior off-putting at times. They are hurtful and immature and self-pitying by turns.
- There were a lot of times when I had to pause in my reading because a sentence didn’t make sense or seemed as though it had come out of nowhere. The writing felt disjointed to me, and maybe that was intentional--an emulation of the magical qualities of its characters, perhaps--but it often left me blinking, trying to figure out what had just happened.
- I found the sex gratuitous. The guys seem always to be finding excuses to be naughty when they should be having rather important conversations instead.
- I like a bit of sarcasm. But it’s non-stop (in certain scenes) here, and I wanted the characters to slow down and just be real for a minute, rather than focusing so much on being smart alecky and clever.
Overall comments: I was intrigued by the plot, but I couldn’t connect with the characters as much as I wanted to. And I didn’t understand WHY…why the Big Misunderstanding, why the guys stay apart so long, why they are able to patch things up again so quickly. The story really fell flat for me.
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 4/10
PROS:
- There are details in the fantasy world that I found pretty adorable. How can you avoid being at least somewhat charmed by a story that contains phrases like “enchanted parasites”?
- The way TJ struggles to control his shifting and purrs or meows at inopportune moments is amusing. And the scenes in which he’s in feline form and functioning with the mind of a cat are cute. I liked the references to “his human,” the matter-of-fact arrogance, the self-importance. There’s a lot here that I think people who are familiar with cats will appreciate.
- Occasionally, the characters’ sarcasm made me chuckle. (see cons below also)
CONS:
- I was a little disinterested in the story because I found the characters’ behavior off-putting at times. They are hurtful and immature and self-pitying by turns.
- There were a lot of times when I had to pause in my reading because a sentence didn’t make sense or seemed as though it had come out of nowhere. The writing felt disjointed to me, and maybe that was intentional--an emulation of the magical qualities of its characters, perhaps--but it often left me blinking, trying to figure out what had just happened.
- I found the sex gratuitous. The guys seem always to be finding excuses to be naughty when they should be having rather important conversations instead.
- I like a bit of sarcasm. But it’s non-stop (in certain scenes) here, and I wanted the characters to slow down and just be real for a minute, rather than focusing so much on being smart alecky and clever.
Overall comments: I was intrigued by the plot, but I couldn’t connect with the characters as much as I wanted to. And I didn’t understand WHY…why the Big Misunderstanding, why the guys stay apart so long, why they are able to patch things up again so quickly. The story really fell flat for me.
July 18, 2009
TomCat Jones by Willa Okati
Erotic Paranormal-April 21, 2009
3 stars
In Tom Cat Jones the author Willa Okati introduces readers to adult homosexual erotica at the local grocery store! This is where we meet the main characters T.J. Jones and MacGowan for the first time. T.J. is a shape-shifting tomcat whose true nature has caused him to be burned in his previous relationships so he’s decided to become a grouchy lifelong bastard of a bachelor. Of course that’s until he meets MacGowan who is the complete opposite. He’s a smoking hot beach boy with an open heart and a sweet smile. When the two meet it is love at first sight but these two characters will have a lot to deal with if they want to truly be together. As the story develops the characters must deal with not only T.J.’s shape shifting but also MacGowan’s developing wizard powers and their affect on not only T.J. but also on their whole relationship.
When reading Tom Cat Jones you will find yourself adoring this insightful tale and enjoying an extended insight to the how the male house cat can behave especially when he’s your ideal man. As the relationship between T.J. and MacGown develops the action grows hotter than the midday sun. Willa Okati has subplots of previous relationships which will peak your interest aside from the main characters and make you want to know more about. T.J. and MacGowan. Both character which grow and develop during their time together and become better people for it.
I will be honest the entire erotica genre is new to me but I found the writing of Willa Okati different and intriguing with a true understanding of the desires and needs in an interesting male homosexuality relationship. I also give Willa Okati credit for so much insight in male bonding and the male nature.
Reviewed by Poppy from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Erotic Paranormal-April 21, 2009
3 stars
In Tom Cat Jones the author Willa Okati introduces readers to adult homosexual erotica at the local grocery store! This is where we meet the main characters T.J. Jones and MacGowan for the first time. T.J. is a shape-shifting tomcat whose true nature has caused him to be burned in his previous relationships so he’s decided to become a grouchy lifelong bastard of a bachelor. Of course that’s until he meets MacGowan who is the complete opposite. He’s a smoking hot beach boy with an open heart and a sweet smile. When the two meet it is love at first sight but these two characters will have a lot to deal with if they want to truly be together. As the story develops the characters must deal with not only T.J.’s shape shifting but also MacGowan’s developing wizard powers and their affect on not only T.J. but also on their whole relationship.
When reading Tom Cat Jones you will find yourself adoring this insightful tale and enjoying an extended insight to the how the male house cat can behave especially when he’s your ideal man. As the relationship between T.J. and MacGown develops the action grows hotter than the midday sun. Willa Okati has subplots of previous relationships which will peak your interest aside from the main characters and make you want to know more about. T.J. and MacGowan. Both character which grow and develop during their time together and become better people for it.
I will be honest the entire erotica genre is new to me but I found the writing of Willa Okati different and intriguing with a true understanding of the desires and needs in an interesting male homosexuality relationship. I also give Willa Okati credit for so much insight in male bonding and the male nature.
Reviewed by Poppy from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
January 27, 2010
Unique and humorous. The first time I read it, I had a smile on my face just about the whole time. Ridiculous and fun, it made my favorites before I'd even finished reading it.
TJ - the TomCat shifter - has a spastic sort of view to everything and although, at times, it's hard to keep up with what's going on, it's all pit and parcel to him and his life. He tries his best and yet just seems to be thwarted at the best of times. MacGowen - the not-yet-discovered Wizard - is precious, has a huge heart, and you'd really not want him any other way. He and TJ compliment each other wonderfully. And of course, the sex is EXPLOSIVE.
Just thinking back on it makes me giggle. The only setback, though not a terribly bad one I'm thinking, is how the last chapter or two slows and drags it down. TJ thinks MacGowen hates and blames him, MacGowen thinks TJ hates and blames *him*, and both are stubborn enough to not even try going to the other n an effort to sort things out and/or apologize. Gets confusing in their chit-chat, but clears up nicely in a way only Willa Okati knows how to do. ^_~
TJ - the TomCat shifter - has a spastic sort of view to everything and although, at times, it's hard to keep up with what's going on, it's all pit and parcel to him and his life. He tries his best and yet just seems to be thwarted at the best of times. MacGowen - the not-yet-discovered Wizard - is precious, has a huge heart, and you'd really not want him any other way. He and TJ compliment each other wonderfully. And of course, the sex is EXPLOSIVE.
Just thinking back on it makes me giggle. The only setback, though not a terribly bad one I'm thinking, is how the last chapter or two slows and drags it down. TJ thinks MacGowen hates and blames him, MacGowen thinks TJ hates and blames *him*, and both are stubborn enough to not even try going to the other n an effort to sort things out and/or apologize. Gets confusing in their chit-chat, but clears up nicely in a way only Willa Okati knows how to do. ^_~
December 27, 2013
None of it made much sense. I kept wondering if maybe this was a spinoff of something I was supposed to read first so I could have even the modicum of idea of who the side characters were. Nope. Apparently this is a series to itself. The details are all hazy and ignored and shunted off to the side somewhere, which is highly annoying.
It does get bonus points for the kitty-ness, though. Not much, but I did rather like how T.J. had the darnest time trying to keep all the feline bits that kept slipping out in.
The latter part gets kind of meh cuz there's not as much kitty-loving, and also 'cause I really don't like the name Buddy, and besides, it's obviously a dog name, and therefore not fit to dub unto a cat.
Still, I was looking for kitty-loving and I got that, even if the finer points of the plot only made marginal sense.
It does get bonus points for the kitty-ness, though. Not much, but I did rather like how T.J. had the darnest time trying to keep all the feline bits that kept slipping out in.
The latter part gets kind of meh cuz there's not as much kitty-loving, and also 'cause I really don't like the name Buddy, and besides, it's obviously a dog name, and therefore not fit to dub unto a cat.
Still, I was looking for kitty-loving and I got that, even if the finer points of the plot only made marginal sense.
July 9, 2010
I really enjoy reading shifter stories and adding a bit of magic to the mix drew my attention. Although MacGowan and T.J, the heroes, are likable their storyline and relationship just didn't grab me. I didn't like the wizard although the best friends were fun. I've enjoyed many of the author's other stories in the past but was disappointed with this one. Not a terrible story just okay.
October 25, 2010
A story with a shape-shifting tom cat has to be fun and this did not disappoint. The main romance between TJ and MacGowan was amusing with a nice touch of angst. The secondary characters were fascinating and I'd really like to know more about Mr Jontan and Sur Lune.
I'll be checking out the sequel.
I'll be checking out the sequel.
January 1, 2013
I liked this story overall, but found a lot of it confusing. And I wish I could say why, but I can't put my finger on it. It was just one of those stories where I couldn't fully engage with the MC's. There was a lot of confusion among the MC's and secondary characters and that spilled over to add to my own confusion. People who like shifter and wizard stories will probably like this one.
October 1, 2015
This was so cute. I just it when a shifter doesn’t know when they will shift. It makes for some interesting happenings. Throw in some magic, and you have a fun read. I will definitely be checking out the other books in the series.
October 2, 2010
A fun little paranormal romp
December 19, 2014
so different and I loved it. Reminded me of old farces :)
August 12, 2017
It was cute. Who doesn't want a kitten curled up in their lap purring? Add in some magic and you've got a comfy story to curl up on the couch with.
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