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A Scurry of Squirrels #1
Squirrel Circus
Can you forgive being rejected by your mate?
For as long as Jyran Pechman can remember, he's dreamed about finding his soulmate. As a child, he lost his family, and he's been moving around ever since. He hates it, and he wants nothing more than to have a home. A mate. A place to belong.
Gideon Everett might have dreamed about the day he'd find his mate, but his mate was never an unorganized, nut-hoarding squirrel shifter in those dreams. Wolves eat squirrels, so when Jyran walks into Gideon's bar, he throws him out and tells him he wants nothing to do with him. He has a reputation to think about, and he will not be known as the wolf who mated a squirrel.
Being rejected hurts more than Jyran ever imagined, and he swears never to set foot in Gideon's bar again. After the initial shock, Gideon is almost sure he made the right decision. Almost. What if he made the wrong decision? Now when he knows his mate is out there, can he live on as if they've never met, or does he have to ... ugh ... apologize?
For as long as Jyran Pechman can remember, he's dreamed about finding his soulmate. As a child, he lost his family, and he's been moving around ever since. He hates it, and he wants nothing more than to have a home. A mate. A place to belong.
Gideon Everett might have dreamed about the day he'd find his mate, but his mate was never an unorganized, nut-hoarding squirrel shifter in those dreams. Wolves eat squirrels, so when Jyran walks into Gideon's bar, he throws him out and tells him he wants nothing to do with him. He has a reputation to think about, and he will not be known as the wolf who mated a squirrel.
Being rejected hurts more than Jyran ever imagined, and he swears never to set foot in Gideon's bar again. After the initial shock, Gideon is almost sure he made the right decision. Almost. What if he made the wrong decision? Now when he knows his mate is out there, can he live on as if they've never met, or does he have to ... ugh ... apologize?
133 pages, ebook
First published January 21, 2023
12 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
Holly Day
65 books157 followersAccording to Holly Day, no day should go by uncelebrated and all of them deserve a story. If she’ll have the time to write them remains to be seen. She lives in rural Sweden with a husband, four children, more pets than most, and wouldn’t last a day without coffee.
Holly gets up at the crack of dawn most days of the week to write gay romance stories. She believes in equality in fiction and in real life. Diversity matters. Representation matters. Visibility matters. We can change the world one story at the time.
Holly gets up at the crack of dawn most days of the week to write gay romance stories. She believes in equality in fiction and in real life. Diversity matters. Representation matters. Visibility matters. We can change the world one story at the time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
January 25, 2023
Awwww, this was so cute and ……refreshing ! Ok, Gideon was a jerk but I was expecting way worse after reading some reviews. And Jyran was ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL!!!! My heart melted for him and he was so endearing hiding nuts all over the house gaaah, loved him!!! It’s amazing how much I enjoyed this shifters book !
February 9, 2023
3*** stars
This was rather pricey for an only 133 pages novella and I’d love to say meeting adorable squirrel-shifter Jyran was worth every penny. —well he was, only the book wasn’t. In the end.
It was perfect, really, I loved this book to pieces. Even Gideon’s shitty behavior. It caused the desperation and intense longing I crave. I couldn’t put it down.
BUT…
I would never take it upon myself to tell an author how to tell the stories that pop into their heads but I really wished the author would’ve chosen a different path here. The plot-twist and accompanying betrayal that happened cut deep and was imo unnecessary to tell Jyran’s and Gideon’s love story that was already hard enough to handle for Jyran —with his mate’s rejection and all. And for the length of a novella at that. This whole thing put a huge damper on my enjoyment of this.
It really is a pity that, in the end, I couldn’t love this book. But ugh! Jyran really was sweet as pie.
This was rather pricey for an only 133 pages novella and I’d love to say meeting adorable squirrel-shifter Jyran was worth every penny. —well he was, only the book wasn’t. In the end.
It was perfect, really, I loved this book to pieces. Even Gideon’s shitty behavior. It caused the desperation and intense longing I crave. I couldn’t put it down.
BUT…
I would never take it upon myself to tell an author how to tell the stories that pop into their heads but I really wished the author would’ve chosen a different path here. The plot-twist and accompanying betrayal that happened cut deep and was imo unnecessary to tell Jyran’s and Gideon’s love story that was already hard enough to handle for Jyran —with his mate’s rejection and all. And for the length of a novella at that. This whole thing put a huge damper on my enjoyment of this.
It really is a pity that, in the end, I couldn’t love this book. But ugh! Jyran really was sweet as pie.
January 22, 2023
I really like Jyran. Nesting & nut stashing were very cute. Amir seems great too, hopefully he’ll pop again in the future.
Gideon was an asshole that remained an asshole for too long and then was too easily forgiven.
Adara was inconsistent and didn’t really have her priorities straight, considering Jyran apparently was her #1 priority, but she left him alone more than once knowing he was potentially in danger.
I guess no one cares about the wolveagle? Or the squirrel circus? Just going to leave that loose end hanging, I guess.
Gideon was an asshole that remained an asshole for too long and then was too easily forgiven.
Adara was inconsistent and didn’t really have her priorities straight, considering Jyran apparently was her #1 priority, but she left him alone more than once knowing he was potentially in danger.
I guess no one cares about the wolveagle? Or the squirrel circus? Just going to leave that loose end hanging, I guess.
December 22, 2024
This was truly awful. Not even close to enough time spent on-page working things out or even developing the chemistry between the MCs. There's the rejection, SIX YEARS spent apart where they both sleep with others, and the majority of the story is about a stupid kidnapping plot. Then only in the final chapter do they suddenly get together, which is where I closed the book in frustration.
As the story kept going with the barest amount of interaction between the MCs, I kept looking at the dwindling amount of pages left and got more disappointed with how this was done. If you're going to write a story about rejected mates, the reconciliation needs to be just as prominent and there needs to be even more time spent on developing the relationship between the MCs to show the reader that these characters are actually good together. You need to put in actual romance and chemistry instead of relying on the label of "fated mate" to do all the work for you. This was lazy writing and a waste of my time. I don't recommend this book to anyone.
As the story kept going with the barest amount of interaction between the MCs, I kept looking at the dwindling amount of pages left and got more disappointed with how this was done. If you're going to write a story about rejected mates, the reconciliation needs to be just as prominent and there needs to be even more time spent on developing the relationship between the MCs to show the reader that these characters are actually good together. You need to put in actual romance and chemistry instead of relying on the label of "fated mate" to do all the work for you. This was lazy writing and a waste of my time. I don't recommend this book to anyone.
February 8, 2023
Loved it!!!
Definitely one of Holly's very best! Two awesome MCs who I could not get enough of! Will definitely be rereading this again!
Definitely one of Holly's very best! Two awesome MCs who I could not get enough of! Will definitely be rereading this again!
February 6, 2023
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.5 stars
I wanted to like this book more than I did, and that ultimately comes down to Gideon. While I liked the premise of the story, the interesting cast of characters, and particularly Jyran, Gideon was my sticking point, and because of that, my enjoyment of the book went down.
I really liked Jyran. Not only was he well drawn, but he had a charm about him. He was a contradiction in that he very much liked organization and order, but he’s also a squirrel shifter, so he had a tendency to stash food away and forget where he’d hidden it. He runs his best friend’s career and is so good at what he does. But given his status as a squirrel shifter, his kind has also been hunted, and he’s in a constant state of fear. I found Jyran endearing and wanted nothing more than to wrap him up in a hug.
But Gideon is another matter entirely.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
3.5 stars
I wanted to like this book more than I did, and that ultimately comes down to Gideon. While I liked the premise of the story, the interesting cast of characters, and particularly Jyran, Gideon was my sticking point, and because of that, my enjoyment of the book went down.
I really liked Jyran. Not only was he well drawn, but he had a charm about him. He was a contradiction in that he very much liked organization and order, but he’s also a squirrel shifter, so he had a tendency to stash food away and forget where he’d hidden it. He runs his best friend’s career and is so good at what he does. But given his status as a squirrel shifter, his kind has also been hunted, and he’s in a constant state of fear. I found Jyran endearing and wanted nothing more than to wrap him up in a hug.
But Gideon is another matter entirely.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
January 28, 2024
I really enjoyed Squirrel Circus from Holly Day. It was a very sweet, often funny, sometimes frustrating story that kept me flipping the pages.
Gideon was an absolute jerk, and it took him way too long to accept Jyran, even though he was clearly invested in him long before he kicked his pride to the curb. At least Jyran had Adara, and I loved how protective she was of him.
Jyran though stole the show! I loved how his squirrel traits came out in his human form, and these traits were the reason for some of the funniest parts of this book - no spoilers, they are just too cute to spoil!
Holly Day is one of my 'go to' authors if I'm in a book slump, her writing and characters are always going to get me out of any book funk that I'm in. I find her writing style truly addictive, and Squirrel Circus is a perfect example.
Highly Highly Recommended!
Gideon was an absolute jerk, and it took him way too long to accept Jyran, even though he was clearly invested in him long before he kicked his pride to the curb. At least Jyran had Adara, and I loved how protective she was of him.
Jyran though stole the show! I loved how his squirrel traits came out in his human form, and these traits were the reason for some of the funniest parts of this book - no spoilers, they are just too cute to spoil!
Holly Day is one of my 'go to' authors if I'm in a book slump, her writing and characters are always going to get me out of any book funk that I'm in. I find her writing style truly addictive, and Squirrel Circus is a perfect example.
Highly Highly Recommended!
January 8, 2023
A wild, emotional, amazing ride with a sweet HEA
I will admit I tested up quite a few times reading this. Jyran was such a sweetheart and I wanted to just grab him up and cuddle him and give him all the cushions and nuts he wanted. He’d had such a rough life and despite having a person who loved him to the moon and back, the fact that it was a friendship love and he’d had so much heartache left him being very hard on himself. He deserved a HEA so much. Gideon was… okay, he was frankly horrendous initially. As a person he was mean, prejudiced, rude and sometimes cruel. I hated him initially. However, and this honestly to me is what shows the writing was impeccable, I didn’t hate him by the end of the book. I actually ended up really liking him. I think (and I’ll stay vague because I don’t want to give spoilers), that a lot of his reaction was based on fear. Not entirely, there was a fair bit of prejudice mixed in, but as we saw more of him I got the feeling that it was mostly the fear of what could go wrong that caused him to lean into those prejudices - if that makes sense. He made the effort though once he realised how much of an idiot he was being and that was what mattered. He made his actions count (words are all well and good but I’d rather see a character show they accept they messed up and work to change it than just say they understand they got it wrong). There was a good bit of action with the subplot and some truly awful baddies who definitely got their comeuppance (which was incredibly satisfying). I really loved Adara as a secondary character. She was such a good friend and I was really happy that we got a strong, kind, funny, well-meaning female best friend. As is usual with Holly’s books all the secondary characters were fantastic and I’m really intrigued by Konrad and Amir (could we maybe, possibly, hopefully get another book with them in it… pleeeease?). I feel like I could go on forever about how much I loved different things in this book (especially how an shifter’s animal’s quirks translated to their human form - adorable!). It’s definitely going to be a long standing reread for me.
I will admit I tested up quite a few times reading this. Jyran was such a sweetheart and I wanted to just grab him up and cuddle him and give him all the cushions and nuts he wanted. He’d had such a rough life and despite having a person who loved him to the moon and back, the fact that it was a friendship love and he’d had so much heartache left him being very hard on himself. He deserved a HEA so much. Gideon was… okay, he was frankly horrendous initially. As a person he was mean, prejudiced, rude and sometimes cruel. I hated him initially. However, and this honestly to me is what shows the writing was impeccable, I didn’t hate him by the end of the book. I actually ended up really liking him. I think (and I’ll stay vague because I don’t want to give spoilers), that a lot of his reaction was based on fear. Not entirely, there was a fair bit of prejudice mixed in, but as we saw more of him I got the feeling that it was mostly the fear of what could go wrong that caused him to lean into those prejudices - if that makes sense. He made the effort though once he realised how much of an idiot he was being and that was what mattered. He made his actions count (words are all well and good but I’d rather see a character show they accept they messed up and work to change it than just say they understand they got it wrong). There was a good bit of action with the subplot and some truly awful baddies who definitely got their comeuppance (which was incredibly satisfying). I really loved Adara as a secondary character. She was such a good friend and I was really happy that we got a strong, kind, funny, well-meaning female best friend. As is usual with Holly’s books all the secondary characters were fantastic and I’m really intrigued by Konrad and Amir (could we maybe, possibly, hopefully get another book with them in it… pleeeease?). I feel like I could go on forever about how much I loved different things in this book (especially how an shifter’s animal’s quirks translated to their human form - adorable!). It’s definitely going to be a long standing reread for me.
January 27, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The rejected fated mates added to the secondary story within the story. I was very interested in seeing how it all finished up.
I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion
I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion
February 5, 2024
I read Konrad and Dahy's story first and found out that Gideon pushed Jyran, his mate, away for many years. It made me want to read their book.
Oh my god, I hate this type of story! Gideon was a fucking asshole; he flat-out refused his mate at first glance, even before they got to know each other. I didn't blame Jyran for seeking comfort in another man's embrace because of what Gideon did to him, but to read about Jyran, who is currently in a relationship, kind of stung a little.
For six fucking years, Gideon didn't try to reconnect with Jyran; he was hooking up with another man instead. I think the only one who felt miserable was Jyran, and thankfully he had his best friend, Adara, by his side.
How dare Gideon suggest to Jyran that they have sex before Jyran is out of Gideon's life? Gideon didn't even acknowledge their mating pull; he just wanted to have a good time with Jyran. What a POS Gideon was!
Oh my god, I hate this type of story! Gideon was a fucking asshole; he flat-out refused his mate at first glance, even before they got to know each other. I didn't blame Jyran for seeking comfort in another man's embrace because of what Gideon did to him, but to read about Jyran, who is currently in a relationship, kind of stung a little.
For six fucking years, Gideon didn't try to reconnect with Jyran; he was hooking up with another man instead. I think the only one who felt miserable was Jyran, and thankfully he had his best friend, Adara, by his side.
How dare Gideon suggest to Jyran that they have sex before Jyran is out of Gideon's life? Gideon didn't even acknowledge their mating pull; he just wanted to have a good time with Jyran. What a POS Gideon was!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2023
Damn! Gideon is an asshole! A complete and total creep. His attitude is horrible. I felt bad for Jyran. He can’t help he was born a squirrel shifter and nobody deserves the kind of shit Gideon was shoveling. At his own fated mate no less. Again, I say he is a complete and utter twat and Jyran deserves so much better in life. Eventually Gideon realizes his prejudiced ideas are stupid and he grovels appropriately. There will never be another mate for either of them and slowly Gideon sees sense when danger threatens Jyran. This is actually a good book but you have to get past Gideon’s bad attitude. I loved the characters of Adara and Jyran, even Gideon (he grew on me after a while.) You don’t see many books about shifters other than the typical wolves, bears, and big cats. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 23, 2023
Squirrel Circus isn't your typical instalove fated mates story. Jyran, a squirrel shifter, wants nothing more than to find his mate. Gideon, a wolf shifter, also wants to find his mate - as long as they're another wolf. Gideon's first reaction was to reject Jyran, though he couldn't say no to fate forever. I really enjoyed this book. Gideon's reaction to Jyran felt real. He knew what he wanted and was going to fight fate for as long as he could. I think Gideon and Jyran are perfectly matched, they just had to work a little harder to get their happy ending. Another wonderful story from a fabulous author. I definitely recommend this book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 9, 2023
Squirrel Circus by Holly Day did the impossible for me - it made me like a werewolf story. At this point in time, I’m usually bored with werewolf stories, having read them since the last century. This was not an insta-love book, as are many fated-mates books. I enjoyed reading about Jyran, the squirrel shifter, mated to Gideon, wolf shifter who wants nothing to do with Jyran. I did not care for Gideon for his treatment of Jyran, whereas Jyren was a fun character to read about. The story was more interesting with additional paranormal creatures, such as vampires, who made the worldbuilding more entertaining. I received an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 30, 2025
July 2025
Kindle edition
Uh where was the apology? Gideon was a jackass up until Amir went aww. He didn't deserve Jyr at all. Six year rejection? Nope. Jyr needs to go be besties with Amir. The vampire was cool and the only one that made any sense. I liked that she tried to play bridge between them but remained on Jyr's side. Curious about Konrad, at least he doesn't hate on squirrels. I liked Jyr, gutted for him about Justin. Didn't like Gideon. This felt like giving into an agreement for an arranged marriage.
Kindle edition
Uh where was the apology? Gideon was a jackass up until Amir went aww. He didn't deserve Jyr at all. Six year rejection? Nope. Jyr needs to go be besties with Amir. The vampire was cool and the only one that made any sense. I liked that she tried to play bridge between them but remained on Jyr's side. Curious about Konrad, at least he doesn't hate on squirrels. I liked Jyr, gutted for him about Justin. Didn't like Gideon. This felt like giving into an agreement for an arranged marriage.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2023
I absolutely loved this book!! It has sweet, hilarious, angst, action, betrayal, hurt and HEA… all the stuff needed for a great read!! Love the parts about nuts being hidden/falling out of weird places… laughed so much, when Gideon denied the mate bond, my heart just hurts for Jyr. This is a fast paced will habe you hooked from start to finish.
I received this as an advanced reader copy, I voluntarily give my review
I received this as an advanced reader copy, I voluntarily give my review
January 7, 2023
I'm really impressed by how much was in this shorter read. I basically read it nonstop, too, which is pretty great going because my attention span is not great.
Super slow burn because Gideon needs to get his head out of his butt. Plenty of shifters and some fantastic worldbuilding.
Loved everything about it
Super slow burn because Gideon needs to get his head out of his butt. Plenty of shifters and some fantastic worldbuilding.
Loved everything about it
January 26, 2024
Cute and quirky short story. Jy, a squirrel shifter, is adorable, Gideon, his mate definitely isn't! For all it's cute, there is some sadness and angst in the story. I just wanted to reach in and hug Jy. However, the characters as a whole are interesting and engaging, and there seemed to be a certain amount of depth and growth in the book too. An interesting read, with a different take on the whole shifter/true mate trope.
August 28, 2024
This book had surprisingly funny moments. I enjoyed the story for Jyran and Adara. Sadly, Gideon was such a bigoted ass for most of the book. Even if I’m glad Jyran found his mate, I think he deserved way better (and this is including Gideon’s behaviour in the second book).
Rant after thinking about this book for a day:
I can’t get over how some wolf shifters are hunting and eating OTHER HUMANS (yes, shifters are also human, whatever else they shift into, squirrel or bear or wolf). How can there be no repercussions? How have no powerful creatures (Adara is probably not the only kind and compassionate vampire) worked to stop this??? Even if it is a ‘shifter’ affair. For predatory shifters to have massacred entire families of other shifters? As hard as it is to stand up against bigotry, where are the wolf shifters that feel strongly that you should NOT murder other humans?
Gideon’s attitude about the danger Jyran faced was very alarming and almost ruined the story for me. His distress about taking on the daunting task of keeping Jyran safe and his accompanying reluctance felt very selfish. It was more about Gideon and how it would also affect Gideon. I never felt like he truly internalised how horrific it is that J’s FAMILY was massacred and that he lives every day afraid of being attacked because people literally don’t think he should exist. He even seemed shocked that Jyran didn’t want a wolf mate. That level of delusion was scary.
If you boil things down, this story is about genocide. Jyran’s entire species has been driven almost to extinction. Gideon is cavalier about it and made a joke about a squirrel sandwich (at the start). I could accept a premise where these horrific things are happening, but not a romantic MC who does not recognise that it is awful (and not just inconvenient for him).
Rant after thinking about this book for a day:
I can’t get over how some wolf shifters are hunting and eating OTHER HUMANS (yes, shifters are also human, whatever else they shift into, squirrel or bear or wolf). How can there be no repercussions? How have no powerful creatures (Adara is probably not the only kind and compassionate vampire) worked to stop this??? Even if it is a ‘shifter’ affair. For predatory shifters to have massacred entire families of other shifters? As hard as it is to stand up against bigotry, where are the wolf shifters that feel strongly that you should NOT murder other humans?
Gideon’s attitude about the danger Jyran faced was very alarming and almost ruined the story for me. His distress about taking on the daunting task of keeping Jyran safe and his accompanying reluctance felt very selfish. It was more about Gideon and how it would also affect Gideon. I never felt like he truly internalised how horrific it is that J’s FAMILY was massacred and that he lives every day afraid of being attacked because people literally don’t think he should exist. He even seemed shocked that Jyran didn’t want a wolf mate. That level of delusion was scary.
If you boil things down, this story is about genocide. Jyran’s entire species has been driven almost to extinction. Gideon is cavalier about it and made a joke about a squirrel sandwich (at the start). I could accept a premise where these horrific things are happening, but not a romantic MC who does not recognise that it is awful (and not just inconvenient for him).
February 11, 2023
Jyran was a sweetheart but Gideon was most definitely not
I love Holly's books but this one had me wanting to put it down and not pick it up again. Jyran was absolutely adorable and deserved a wonderful mate who would care for him and give him the security he desired and so badly needed. What he got was an arrogant, insensitive, thoughtless, superior arsehole, who took one look at him and dismissed him out of hand, all because Jyran was... gasp... a squirrel shifter. Oh, the horror! How could a squirrel ever be a fitting mate for a wolf? The most powerful, majestic, magnificent creatures imaginable? Nope, not going to happen.
And can we talk about Gideon's double standards? Gideon was allowed to have as many hookups as he desired in the six years after he rejected Jyran without even looking at him, let alone getting to know him, but finding out that Jyran had actual relationships in that time offended him as he thought there'd be no other but him for Jyran. Talk about a hypocrite.
After Gideon's despicable behaviour towards his mate, he didn't deserve to be forgiven so easily. He put Jyran through hell and it seemed as though he only changed his mind because of horniness and only finally wanting Jyran because other people did and he was jealous. Jyran just capitulated far too easily and I wanted him to tell Gideon to go to hell and find someone who really deserved him, but I understood why he couldn't do that.
There were things that weren't properly wrapped up at the end. A character was not dealt with, nor was the plot point relating to the title of the book.
Adara was a great character and I liked Amir, but Gideon spoiled it for me. Jyran is five stars, Gideon is one star, and Adara and Amir ensured it was a three star read.
I love Holly's books but this one had me wanting to put it down and not pick it up again. Jyran was absolutely adorable and deserved a wonderful mate who would care for him and give him the security he desired and so badly needed. What he got was an arrogant, insensitive, thoughtless, superior arsehole, who took one look at him and dismissed him out of hand, all because Jyran was... gasp... a squirrel shifter. Oh, the horror! How could a squirrel ever be a fitting mate for a wolf? The most powerful, majestic, magnificent creatures imaginable? Nope, not going to happen.
And can we talk about Gideon's double standards? Gideon was allowed to have as many hookups as he desired in the six years after he rejected Jyran without even looking at him, let alone getting to know him, but finding out that Jyran had actual relationships in that time offended him as he thought there'd be no other but him for Jyran. Talk about a hypocrite.
After Gideon's despicable behaviour towards his mate, he didn't deserve to be forgiven so easily. He put Jyran through hell and it seemed as though he only changed his mind because of horniness and only finally wanting Jyran because other people did and he was jealous. Jyran just capitulated far too easily and I wanted him to tell Gideon to go to hell and find someone who really deserved him, but I understood why he couldn't do that.
There were things that weren't properly wrapped up at the end. A character was not dealt with, nor was the plot point relating to the title of the book.
Adara was a great character and I liked Amir, but Gideon spoiled it for me. Jyran is five stars, Gideon is one star, and Adara and Amir ensured it was a three star read.
February 12, 2024
Let me start by saying that I guess my thoughts on Gideon vear in a bit of a different direction than most of the other reviews. From the beginning, I can see how he looks like an asshole, and I am not saying that he isn't, per se. But I want to put forth the idea that in the back of his mind, he feared that he couldn't keep Jyran safe from the shifters around them. Yes, he is a wolf, but he isn't the Alpha of the pack. He is a bar owner who is just trying to get by like the rest of us and sees Jyran as small and weak and in need of more protection than he can provide. Were mistakes made? Hell, yeah... basically, Gideon was an idiot to not look to his pack and his friends for the help that he would need to keep Jyran safe... idiot! 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
OK, now to move on to the story! I found it to be entertaining with a well-rounded set of characters! First off... I loved Adara!!! While I don't read F/F I am always glad to see a strong female character (or 2) in my M/M books and Adara certainly fits the description! Jyran... yeah, he is a tough nut to crack! (Sorry, I couldn't resist!) He comes across as the competent man that he is, and everyone sees him that way too, except himself and Gideon, who didn't even take the time to get to know him before he rejected him... did I mention Gideon was an idiot?
Also, Jyran had some mad skills in not only the business area of Adara's career but also in the tree-jumping and ball-bashing department! Yep, this boy wasn't going down without a fight! I will say that even though they were mates... he should have made Gideon grovel more... a lot MORE! Just sayin'!!! 🤣🤣🤣
Sidenote: I really wanted to learn more about the damn Squirrel Circus... grrr
OK, now to move on to the story! I found it to be entertaining with a well-rounded set of characters! First off... I loved Adara!!! While I don't read F/F I am always glad to see a strong female character (or 2) in my M/M books and Adara certainly fits the description! Jyran... yeah, he is a tough nut to crack! (Sorry, I couldn't resist!) He comes across as the competent man that he is, and everyone sees him that way too, except himself and Gideon, who didn't even take the time to get to know him before he rejected him... did I mention Gideon was an idiot?
Also, Jyran had some mad skills in not only the business area of Adara's career but also in the tree-jumping and ball-bashing department! Yep, this boy wasn't going down without a fight! I will say that even though they were mates... he should have made Gideon grovel more... a lot MORE! Just sayin'!!! 🤣🤣🤣
Sidenote: I really wanted to learn more about the damn Squirrel Circus... grrr
January 25, 2023
First of all, the blurb is rather misleading:
After the initial shock, Gideon is almost sure he made the right decision. Almost. What if he made the wrong decision? Now when he knows his mate is out there, can he live on as if they've never met, or does he have to ... ugh ... apologize? makes it sound like he apologizes the next day. In fact, he is sure he is right and ignore Jyran for the next several years, while Jyran pines miserably. And Gideon never really apologizes, circumstances bring them into proximity and he can't bring himself to let Jyran die or be enslaved.
Gideon is a jerk. His reasons for not liking Jyran, whom he's never spoken to, are basically racist. He makes jokes about eating squirrels! Gid never redeems himself, nor do we see any reason for Jyran to want him other than the overwhelming attraction caused by their fated-ness. So from a romance genre perspective, this was really dissatisfactory for me. Also, they don't actually follow up on the Circus plotline?! What the heck? Aren't there other people enslaved there? They don't save them?
BUT I did like the writing and I like the other characters and plot elements. If this had been an Urban Fantasy adventure with Adara the vampire musician and her squirrel-shifter best friend being attacked by bad guys and overcoming their evil plot, I would have been happy with it. If secondary character Amir gets a book of his own I'll probably pick it up.
Note: I received an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review. I'm sorry I didn't like it better. I have read several of this author's books and liked several of them more (and one or two less).
After the initial shock, Gideon is almost sure he made the right decision. Almost. What if he made the wrong decision? Now when he knows his mate is out there, can he live on as if they've never met, or does he have to ... ugh ... apologize? makes it sound like he apologizes the next day. In fact, he is sure he is right and ignore Jyran for the next several years, while Jyran pines miserably. And Gideon never really apologizes, circumstances bring them into proximity and he can't bring himself to let Jyran die or be enslaved.
Gideon is a jerk. His reasons for not liking Jyran, whom he's never spoken to, are basically racist. He makes jokes about eating squirrels! Gid never redeems himself, nor do we see any reason for Jyran to want him other than the overwhelming attraction caused by their fated-ness. So from a romance genre perspective, this was really dissatisfactory for me. Also, they don't actually follow up on the Circus plotline?! What the heck? Aren't there other people enslaved there? They don't save them?
BUT I did like the writing and I like the other characters and plot elements. If this had been an Urban Fantasy adventure with Adara the vampire musician and her squirrel-shifter best friend being attacked by bad guys and overcoming their evil plot, I would have been happy with it. If secondary character Amir gets a book of his own I'll probably pick it up.
Note: I received an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review. I'm sorry I didn't like it better. I have read several of this author's books and liked several of them more (and one or two less).
November 13, 2023
Amazing premise. Hilarious, in fact. I have never read anything with a squirrel shifter. This universe took on a more literal meaning to shifters by trying to focus on the respective animal’s unique qualities (which is interesting and fun to read about). Book starts off very entertaining and is great for about 10% of the way through and then it falls flat.
The leads have an extremely shallow relationship that doesn’t go any further than ‘my mate instincts want me to fuck you’, which is surprising given how it was set up. The start made me think we were going to develop this relationship properly. But it just never happened. The plot felt very rushed. There’s a kidnapping, very unrealistic self sacrifice followed by long dialogues of telling instead of showing, and then the quickest most unsatisfying ‘resolution’. The grovelling, which is supposed to be the most satisfying bit, felt so insincere and forced. To make things worse, the last 40% of the book felt like the author was shoving me through to the finish line because they were late for something.
Quite disappointed with this because I wanted it to be good given how much I enjoyed the premise. There was a lot of potential despite it using a beaten-to-death plot and predictability. There was just …. no juice to the characters.
You have to give me *something*. Either you give me strong characters so I can excuse a predictable plot OR your original plot line carries your flat characters. This book gave me neither.
The leads have an extremely shallow relationship that doesn’t go any further than ‘my mate instincts want me to fuck you’, which is surprising given how it was set up. The start made me think we were going to develop this relationship properly. But it just never happened. The plot felt very rushed. There’s a kidnapping, very unrealistic self sacrifice followed by long dialogues of telling instead of showing, and then the quickest most unsatisfying ‘resolution’. The grovelling, which is supposed to be the most satisfying bit, felt so insincere and forced. To make things worse, the last 40% of the book felt like the author was shoving me through to the finish line because they were late for something.
Quite disappointed with this because I wanted it to be good given how much I enjoyed the premise. There was a lot of potential despite it using a beaten-to-death plot and predictability. There was just …. no juice to the characters.
You have to give me *something*. Either you give me strong characters so I can excuse a predictable plot OR your original plot line carries your flat characters. This book gave me neither.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2025
Skipped a lot. The pairing is just to obscure. I don't care that much if 1 or 2 stars. Bit to humor the obscurity I want to write a short review:
• writing was okay but a little bad at times. Like the author didn't want to write and just finish it
• the pairing was hilarious. In shifter pairing you sometimes get interest/attraction apart from the mate feeling stuff. Here they didn't. It didn't really fit in the writing style to actually write out developing feelings for each other and I somehow got vibes of a weird 'older-junger-guy' friendship where they are 2 friends of a friendgroup that don't work as a pairing of 2 and ironically worked as friendgroup in the car scene, where they tried to rescue squirrel man (forgot their names). Got the sitcome vibe there
• weirdly deep insight on random world building. There was a vampire rockstar best friend, a bear, a squirrel, a Werewolf,... Just themed after theme thrown into the story, where the author saw fit
At the end I wouldn't recommend to read it, it was still hilarious somehow🤷♀️
• writing was okay but a little bad at times. Like the author didn't want to write and just finish it
• the pairing was hilarious. In shifter pairing you sometimes get interest/attraction apart from the mate feeling stuff. Here they didn't. It didn't really fit in the writing style to actually write out developing feelings for each other and I somehow got vibes of a weird 'older-junger-guy' friendship where they are 2 friends of a friendgroup that don't work as a pairing of 2 and ironically worked as friendgroup in the car scene, where they tried to rescue squirrel man (forgot their names). Got the sitcome vibe there
• weirdly deep insight on random world building. There was a vampire rockstar best friend, a bear, a squirrel, a Werewolf,... Just themed after theme thrown into the story, where the author saw fit
At the end I wouldn't recommend to read it, it was still hilarious somehow🤷♀️
January 13, 2023
🐺Action, snark and fated (though strangely matched) mates🐿
I've read plenty of shifter romances but I never imagined I would enjoy one with a squirrel shifter as a main protagonist. Wolves, bears, even wild cats, yes, but a tiny squirrel? But I was totally convinced and charmed by Jyran and his idiosyncracies, like his love of nuts and his constant hiding, losing, finding,and moving of his previous nut caches. And, though small in his shifted form, he's plucky, resourceful and an escape artist. (And actually better organized than expected!)
So, yes, I enjoyed this MM adventure romance. And how, without specifically trying, Jyran wins over the respect and devotion of his very reluctant, fated wolf shifter mate.
And I really liked the inclusion of a larger than life female vampire as Jyran's initial protector.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
I've read plenty of shifter romances but I never imagined I would enjoy one with a squirrel shifter as a main protagonist. Wolves, bears, even wild cats, yes, but a tiny squirrel? But I was totally convinced and charmed by Jyran and his idiosyncracies, like his love of nuts and his constant hiding, losing, finding,and moving of his previous nut caches. And, though small in his shifted form, he's plucky, resourceful and an escape artist. (And actually better organized than expected!)
So, yes, I enjoyed this MM adventure romance. And how, without specifically trying, Jyran wins over the respect and devotion of his very reluctant, fated wolf shifter mate.
And I really liked the inclusion of a larger than life female vampire as Jyran's initial protector.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
January 27, 2023
Jyran is a squirrel shifter - which is a pretty rare thing. Most shifters tend to be either predator animals or larger prey and squirrels have been hunted extensively. Gideon is an Alpha wolf shifter, just running his bar and trying to get by. He's not looking for anything serious and certainly not a fated mate that is "food"! In fact, he outright rejects Jyran and figures as long as they haven't claimed each other then "no harm, no foul" and he can just ignore the pull he feels for the tree rat! Gideon has such strong preconceived notions of what Jyran must be like that he refuses to consider anything different. But when Jyran is kidnapped, Gideon can not sit by while what's "his" is in danger. It's going to take some luck, some courage on Jyran's part and a special vampire best friend to get them all out of this in one piece and avoid Jyran being sold to a squirrel circus!
This was a fun read with a different dynamic than I've ever read before. The world building is really interesting and I liked seeing a world where lesser shifters are the definite minority. I love Holly Day's books! They are quick reads that are well written and always give you a new perspective - no matter what the subject matter! 😊
This was a fun read with a different dynamic than I've ever read before. The world building is really interesting and I liked seeing a world where lesser shifters are the definite minority. I love Holly Day's books! They are quick reads that are well written and always give you a new perspective - no matter what the subject matter! 😊
September 30, 2023
2,5/5
Ani sama historia, ani tym bardziej ich relacja mnie nie przekonała.
A Gideon to już w ogóle kompletnie słaba postać, nawet jeśli zaakceptujemy ten pierwszy etap, gdzie jest dupkiem, to nawet jak mu się "zmieniło" do końca książki jest praktycznie bezużyteczny i ciągle myśli o Jyranie z góry i stereotypowo. Ani się nie zrehabilitował, w momencie kryzysu też praktycznie jest bierny, inteligencją też nie grzeszy, jego jedyna cecha to ego i patrzenie na innych z góry.
A główny powód całej tajemnicy w fabule został po prostu porzucony na końcu xd miałoby to sens, gdyby ta książka miała kolejną część, ale z tego co widziałam autorka pisze same standalone, więc bym się nie spodziewała
Największy plus historii to Jyran, Adara też spoko postać, a o Amirze chętnie przeczytałabym osobną książkę, ale jak wyżej, autorka przeważnie nie kontynuuje serii, a szkoda
Ani sama historia, ani tym bardziej ich relacja mnie nie przekonała.
A Gideon to już w ogóle kompletnie słaba postać, nawet jeśli zaakceptujemy ten pierwszy etap, gdzie jest dupkiem, to nawet jak mu się "zmieniło" do końca książki jest praktycznie bezużyteczny i ciągle myśli o Jyranie z góry i stereotypowo. Ani się nie zrehabilitował, w momencie kryzysu też praktycznie jest bierny, inteligencją też nie grzeszy, jego jedyna cecha to ego i patrzenie na innych z góry.
A główny powód całej tajemnicy w fabule został po prostu porzucony na końcu xd miałoby to sens, gdyby ta książka miała kolejną część, ale z tego co widziałam autorka pisze same standalone, więc bym się nie spodziewała
Największy plus historii to Jyran, Adara też spoko postać, a o Amirze chętnie przeczytałabym osobną książkę, ale jak wyżej, autorka przeważnie nie kontynuuje serii, a szkoda
January 22, 2023
Gideon is an absolute jerk with an inflated ego the size of the cosmos.
As a wolf shifter he believes he has superiority over others and when he finds out his fated mate is Jyren, a squirrel shifter, he's absolutely vile towards him.
Sweet Jyren just wants to be loved and the safety of a home.
He tries to move on with his life but it's difficult.
It takes a life threatening situation and the admiration of someone else for squirrels to get Gideon to realize that Jyren is a capable mate and that he actually cares for him.
There were tense moments, drama and some fast paced action dealing with the threat to Jyren.
I personally would have loved to see him suffer more before being forgiven by Jyren.
As a wolf shifter he believes he has superiority over others and when he finds out his fated mate is Jyren, a squirrel shifter, he's absolutely vile towards him.
Sweet Jyren just wants to be loved and the safety of a home.
He tries to move on with his life but it's difficult.
It takes a life threatening situation and the admiration of someone else for squirrels to get Gideon to realize that Jyren is a capable mate and that he actually cares for him.
There were tense moments, drama and some fast paced action dealing with the threat to Jyren.
I personally would have loved to see him suffer more before being forgiven by Jyren.
January 22, 2023
I have a new book boyfriend. Jyran Pechman is such an interesting sweetheart. Like all of us, he has his strong points and his weak ones. His persistant competance reminded me of Mark Rober's Backyard Squirrel Maze (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFZFj...). And the moving about of his food stash of my flower bulbs moving around my yard when they're dug up and reburied. January 21 is Squirrel Appreciation Day. I'm a total fan of Holly Day's holiday appreciation books and this one was most satisfying. I also loved Adara Queen, Jyran's rock star boss, and grumpy bar owner Gideon Everett. I highly recommend this book.
December 14, 2023
Okay - this is cute. Characters are semi-developed, and there is little world-building. The plot is okay and the entire thing is cute; however, it drove me crazy. The entire plot is built on the fact that in this world squirrels re hated. Yep HATED. strong word. Not looked down on because they are prey, but hated. Why? No reason was given. It is so bad they are almost extinct and squirrel families live apart. Kids are sent to boarding schools and family members live in different towns. They only get together for family celebrations.
At no time does anyone give any explanation for why. In other words, the entire plot is based on a huge hole!
At no time does anyone give any explanation for why. In other words, the entire plot is based on a huge hole!
October 13, 2025
3 stars
This was cute. Too much drama for such a short story, but I appreciated Gideon and Jyran's relationship development. Gideon was a total jerk with Jyran and it took him 6 years to surrender to their love, but when he went into protective mode, he knew he wanted to have Jyran as his mate for life.
The story lacked of romance, though. I would have loved to see an intense mating scene and Gideon's claim of Jyran in front of the pack.
I'm interested in Konrad and Amir's stories, I hope I'll get the chance to read them.
This was cute. Too much drama for such a short story, but I appreciated Gideon and Jyran's relationship development. Gideon was a total jerk with Jyran and it took him 6 years to surrender to their love, but when he went into protective mode, he knew he wanted to have Jyran as his mate for life.
The story lacked of romance, though. I would have loved to see an intense mating scene and Gideon's claim of Jyran in front of the pack.
I'm interested in Konrad and Amir's stories, I hope I'll get the chance to read them.
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