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Awakenings #2
Instinct
Genre: LGBT Shape-shifter Paranormal
Series: Awakenings; Previous Book: Virgin
Joam is a varnal, a shape-shifter endowed with otherworldly sexual powers. Until recently a virgin, all Joam wants to do is drive his new lover Blake, a former hustler, wild. But the hotter things get between them, the more out of control Joam's varnal powers become.
The next thing he knows, he's shifting without warning and drawing dangerous quantities of sexual energy from Blake, leaving his soulmate in a blissful, comatose state for days. Terrified that he will kill Blake, Joam withdraws, but Blake misunderstands the reason for this sudden distance, and fears that Joam is rejecting him for his past.
Meanwhile, all is not as it seems at the quiet farmhouse retreat where the two have found refuge after a traumatic experience in Joam's hometown. If Joam and Blake don't break out of their intoxicating cycle of denial and excess in time, it may be too late for both of them.
Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, exhibitionism, same-sex practices (f/f, m/m), ménage, sex while in shifted animal form, violence (rape of hero by villain), voyeurism.
130 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 28, 2009
93 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Freely
34 books110 followersJessica Freely can't resist a wounded hero. As a reader and a writer, her favorite stories are of soul mates finding redemption in each other's arms. Married to the love of her life in a beautiful relationship based on mutual goofiness, Jessica also warps minds as an instructor in Seton Hill University's Writing Popular Fiction MFA program. Her dog, Ruthie, doesn't seem to care that Jessica's an award-winning and best-selling author in multiple genres. She just wants to play tug of war with Jessica's pages.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 8, 2010
Although this is a sequel to Virgin, the story can be read alone and there is only slight continuation from the previous book. Unfortunately the problems I had in the first book continue with this second installment but are exaggerated even more. The ending has a clear resolution but also enough room for more books in the series and I wouldn’t be surprised if the story and characters were continued. The book contains sex scenes of animals in shifted form between each other and humans as well as a non-consensual rape scene so readers with sensitivities to such scenes should be aware.
The story picks up where the last book left off with Joam and Blake on the run from the mess left in Joam’s hometown. With Joam’s employer Higgs dead and the businessman Walsh on their trail, the duo is soon discovered by the police and on the run again. A mysterious stranger offers the men help and shelter with a small group out in the country. This group explains they are also shape-shifting varnals and can help teach Joam about his nature. Confusion and fear cause miscommunications between Joam and Blake while Joam tries to understand and control his volatile nature. Things are not as they seem either, which could lead to a potentially explosive situation.
Joam and Blake were only together a few days in the previous book before the situation in Joam’s hometown intensified. Now, the insecurity and newness of the relationship creates problems between the still young and immature men. Joam is trying to discover what his shape shifting nature entails while worrying about potentially hurting Blake. These two men cling to each other and have formed a deep bond, partly due to their mutually bad pasts. Both Joam and Blake attempt to be strong and understanding but still have a lot of innocent naivete. While Joam makes numerous bad decisions, due to his lack of experience and sophistication, Blake’s past as a rent boy should have made him more wary. Blake seems to suffer from intense insecurity about his past and therefore can’t focus on much other than his relationship to Joam. Above all, these two young men struggle to stay together amidst the confusion going on around them.
Since most of the action takes place at the isolated farmhouse, the dynamics between the different characters are the main focus. Unfortunately the emotional scenes lack energy and interest beyond the main characters of Joam and Blake. The supporting characters are flat and predictable, culminating in an ending easily telegraphed. The story follows the same format and progression as the first book so there are few surprises, which create empty characters moving the action along. The typically evil stereotypes of the first book are given more subtlety in this story but both Joam and Blake persist on making the same mistakes over and over. This includes that after the dramatic and magic filled ending, the two immediately make the same mistakes again with another group of people. This resistance to learn and adapt make the characters frustrating.
There is little world building and almost no information regarding the shape shifters. Varnals are dog like creatures with high sexual abilities but any information offered is suspect from unreliable sources so the rules regarding their magic changes as needed for the story. At the end of two books set in this paranormal and magic filled world, there is still no solid concept about these creatures and the magic that governs them. What the animals are capable of, not capable of, what they need or don’t need is still undescribed and unexplained. This creates a shifting world that changes on a whim. Added to this are the sex scenes between Blake and Joam when Joam is in full varnal form, as well as a rape scene of Blake with a varnal. Although those scenes are not prolonged, some readers are likely to be turned off by their inclusion. The scenes aren't particularly erotic or enticing and involve some unrealistic dynamics.
Overall, this is a decent sequel that continues the same problems as the first book but simply with another set of characters in a similar, isolated setting. None of the characters progress or mature, which is unfortunate, but there is potential with future books. The ending resolution is obvious and uninspired which is the tone for most of the story. Fans of the first book will likely enjoy the second offering for its similarities, but nothing original or inventive is presented. This is a quick and easy read that will appeal mostly to fans of the first story, even as this offering can be read on its own.
The story picks up where the last book left off with Joam and Blake on the run from the mess left in Joam’s hometown. With Joam’s employer Higgs dead and the businessman Walsh on their trail, the duo is soon discovered by the police and on the run again. A mysterious stranger offers the men help and shelter with a small group out in the country. This group explains they are also shape-shifting varnals and can help teach Joam about his nature. Confusion and fear cause miscommunications between Joam and Blake while Joam tries to understand and control his volatile nature. Things are not as they seem either, which could lead to a potentially explosive situation.
Joam and Blake were only together a few days in the previous book before the situation in Joam’s hometown intensified. Now, the insecurity and newness of the relationship creates problems between the still young and immature men. Joam is trying to discover what his shape shifting nature entails while worrying about potentially hurting Blake. These two men cling to each other and have formed a deep bond, partly due to their mutually bad pasts. Both Joam and Blake attempt to be strong and understanding but still have a lot of innocent naivete. While Joam makes numerous bad decisions, due to his lack of experience and sophistication, Blake’s past as a rent boy should have made him more wary. Blake seems to suffer from intense insecurity about his past and therefore can’t focus on much other than his relationship to Joam. Above all, these two young men struggle to stay together amidst the confusion going on around them.
Since most of the action takes place at the isolated farmhouse, the dynamics between the different characters are the main focus. Unfortunately the emotional scenes lack energy and interest beyond the main characters of Joam and Blake. The supporting characters are flat and predictable, culminating in an ending easily telegraphed. The story follows the same format and progression as the first book so there are few surprises, which create empty characters moving the action along. The typically evil stereotypes of the first book are given more subtlety in this story but both Joam and Blake persist on making the same mistakes over and over. This includes that after the dramatic and magic filled ending, the two immediately make the same mistakes again with another group of people. This resistance to learn and adapt make the characters frustrating.
There is little world building and almost no information regarding the shape shifters. Varnals are dog like creatures with high sexual abilities but any information offered is suspect from unreliable sources so the rules regarding their magic changes as needed for the story. At the end of two books set in this paranormal and magic filled world, there is still no solid concept about these creatures and the magic that governs them. What the animals are capable of, not capable of, what they need or don’t need is still undescribed and unexplained. This creates a shifting world that changes on a whim. Added to this are the sex scenes between Blake and Joam when Joam is in full varnal form, as well as a rape scene of Blake with a varnal. Although those scenes are not prolonged, some readers are likely to be turned off by their inclusion. The scenes aren't particularly erotic or enticing and involve some unrealistic dynamics.
Overall, this is a decent sequel that continues the same problems as the first book but simply with another set of characters in a similar, isolated setting. None of the characters progress or mature, which is unfortunate, but there is potential with future books. The ending resolution is obvious and uninspired which is the tone for most of the story. Fans of the first book will likely enjoy the second offering for its similarities, but nothing original or inventive is presented. This is a quick and easy read that will appeal mostly to fans of the first story, even as this offering can be read on its own.
June 18, 2012
same review given for v1: Virgin
Virgin and Instinct are a simple 2 book series about Joam and Blake. Blake's a male prostitute who ran away from the city after witnessing the murder of a friend and fellow hustler by a dangerous man. He ends up running into Joam, a varnal which is similar to a type of shapeshifter, who's lived under the thumb of one of the three men who run the small town he was born in.
I was impressed with many aspects of this short series, including the aim to create a totally new version of what a shapeshifter is, and the clever way that the author took a theme that the reader would expect (someone or group showing up to explain things and teach the couple about their new lives) and handle it in a completely unforeseen way.
Despite many good points, there were a few things that I thought would've made the story much better that didn't exist and were never handled such as any background or descriptions to explain the world the characters lived in. The whole concept of the varnal and that magic was used in this world wasn't explained well, if at all, which made understanding and having an image of the settings very hard. It took away somewhat from the enjoyment of what was going on because the reader didn't have any background or knowledge to work off of.
One thing that was never really explained was the reason for Walsh, the dangerous varnal, to continue to pursue them no matter the cost which was a huge plot hole.
Overall though, I found it a fun read and would definitely recommend it to all shifter fans simply for the neat twists and turns, plus the unique shifter concept presented.
Virgin and Instinct are a simple 2 book series about Joam and Blake. Blake's a male prostitute who ran away from the city after witnessing the murder of a friend and fellow hustler by a dangerous man. He ends up running into Joam, a varnal which is similar to a type of shapeshifter, who's lived under the thumb of one of the three men who run the small town he was born in.
I was impressed with many aspects of this short series, including the aim to create a totally new version of what a shapeshifter is, and the clever way that the author took a theme that the reader would expect (someone or group showing up to explain things and teach the couple about their new lives) and handle it in a completely unforeseen way.
Despite many good points, there were a few things that I thought would've made the story much better that didn't exist and were never handled such as any background or descriptions to explain the world the characters lived in. The whole concept of the varnal and that magic was used in this world wasn't explained well, if at all, which made understanding and having an image of the settings very hard. It took away somewhat from the enjoyment of what was going on because the reader didn't have any background or knowledge to work off of.
One thing that was never really explained was the reason for Walsh, the dangerous varnal, to continue to pursue them no matter the cost which was a huge plot hole.
Overall though, I found it a fun read and would definitely recommend it to all shifter fans simply for the neat twists and turns, plus the unique shifter concept presented.
December 7, 2013
I can't really like this book because it contains a lot of things I avoid reading.
I almost gave up on it, but the ending almost redeemed it, so I'm glad I actually finished it. The last 10-15 pages are really the best of the whole book.
I almost gave up on it, but the ending almost redeemed it, so I'm glad I actually finished it. The last 10-15 pages are really the best of the whole book.
November 18, 2010
I loved the fast pace of the story, and how the relationship between the two heroes continued to build. Although this is a sequel to Virgin(which I loved), it stands alone. I was impressed by how tender the love story is, considering all the action and mayhem. The decisions Joam makes lead to most of the plot complications, and that took some skill on the part of the author. Never do the characters seem to be tossed adrift in the plot.
October 20, 2009
Unfortunately, this book wasn't as good as the first one in the series. The fantasy element got even more ungrounded. The lead characters went from sweet to snipping at each other. And the major obstacle (plotline) of the story seemed more contrived. Or at least, deja vu all over again. I doubt I'll search out book three, should book three ever be published.
July 24, 2010
2.5 stars
Uhm, I still like the characters BUT there are many things that bother me in this book -- especially the love-making between human/varnal AND the idea of non-monogamous sex play. It's just plain stupid!! Though it turns out to be a ploy, it just drains my liking. Still, I kind of like Joam and Blake
Uhm, I still like the characters BUT there are many things that bother me in this book -- especially the love-making between human/varnal AND the idea of non-monogamous sex play. It's just plain stupid!! Though it turns out to be a ploy, it just drains my liking. Still, I kind of like Joam and Blake
September 9, 2014
The 2nd book in a 2 book series. The 1st book basically introduces the characters, I think this is where most of the interesting story happens. I recommend reading both of them for an entertaining afternoon.
April 24, 2012
Contain one scene on 'swinger', mmff.
May 6, 2014
More complete than the first book - good ending.
August 6, 2011
Not as good as the first one. not bad.
August 9, 2013
Just as good as Virgin. I love this one as well. ^_^
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews