Control

Written by: Mary Calmes & Cardeno C.

Word Count: 68,181

Audiobook narrated by: Greg Tremblay
Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins

Vy Aleknos is the leader of a hawk shifter flock. Openly gay since he was a teen, Vy is proud and self-assured on the outside, while secretly worrying he'll be forced to spend his life alone because two males can't be mates. When bear shifter Robert Cimino appears in Vy's small town, Vy realizes his concerns were unfounded - he has a male mate, and a sexy, dominant one to boot.

Robert is a bear shifter who refuses to shift. Immediately attracted to Vy, he deviates from his normal pattern and seeks more than a one off with the powerful, bristly hawk. But Robert's affections are rooted in his human form, and when Vy discovers Robert doesn't recognize him as his mate, he pulls away. If Robert wants to stay with Vy, he must convince a man deeply ruled by his animal instincts to give their relationship as humans a chance.

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4 Stars!

Hawk Shifter and Head of his Ket, Vy, has begun to come to terms with the fact that he may never find a mate. Being gay, Vy has to deal with the fear that he may never have a mate, unless it's a woman. While he likes to portray himself as the confident and best leader he can be, he is also extremely insecure and can't hide the fact that he's got a bit of a chip on his shoulder. When a trip to a local hardware store leads him to recognize the scent of his mate, he isn't sure if he should be ecstatic that he's found them or scared that it's possibly a woman he'll have trouble accepting.

It comes as a surprise when his mate turns out to be a large bear shifter. Robert may be a bear shifter but he never actually shifts. So the fact that he doesn't understand the depth of the feelings he has for Vy makes things very difficult. It also doesn't help that the town fears Robert and the fact that he could potentially be stronger and more dominant than Vy, their leader. Robert has to convince everyone that he and Vy work and Vy can actually control him. As long as they see Vy is Top Dog (no pun intended) then they can let go of there reluctance towards Robert.

This is a very different shifter story from what I'm used to but with authors Mary Calmes and Cardeno C. I couldn't pass it up. Unfortunately, while I liked the uniqueness of the story, I had a hard time completely falling in love with Vy. He had a huge chip on his shoulder that he just couldn't get rid of throughout most of the story and that made him hard to completely feel a connection with.

I really liked Robert and truth be told, I thought he was sweet and while his bear wasn't present most of the time, well, it didn't really matter. His human side was extremely likable and he made s good mate for Vy. I really felt like I could read more about his character.

Overall, this was an entertaining story and I enjoyed it. I'm a huge fan of these authors and I'd love to see them collaborate on another story soon. I'd recommend Control to fans of PNR.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Johnnie

Written by: Cardeno C.

Word Count: 56,233

Audiobook narrated by: Greg Tremblay
Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins

A Premier lion shifter, Hugh Landry dedicates his life to leading the Berk pride with strength and confidence. Hundreds of people depend on Hugh for safety, success, and happiness. And at over a century old, with more power than can be contained in one body, Hugh relies on a Siphon lion shifter to carry his excess force.

When the Siphon endangers himself and therefore the pride, Hugh must pay attention to the man who has been his silent shadow for a decade. What he learns surprises him, but what he feels astounds him even more.

Two lions, each born to serve, rely on one another to survive. After years by each other’s side, they’ll finally realize the depth of their potential, the joy in their passion, and a connection their kind has never known.

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This book was such a novel approach to the shifter genre. I absolutely appreciated the originality that the shifters in this story were more animal-like with limited, if any, interaction with humans. I loved how different it was from other shifter stories I read in that sense and how those differences accentuated the uniqueness of the relationship between Johnnie and Hugh.

I adored Greg Tremblay's narration of the story. His voice has a really pleasant timbre and the way he modulates his tone depending on the scene and how he does all the different characters' voices, just adds up to the experience of listening to this fabulous story.

Definitely a book I'd love to read/listen to again as soon as possible!

Rating: 5 Shifting Stars!!!

Meet CC

Cardeno C.—CC to friends—is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few awwws into a reader’s day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno’s stories range from sweet to intense, contemporary to paranormal, long to short, but they always include strong relationships and walks into the happily-ever-after sunset.