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tinynavajo's review against another edition
4.0
*Thank you to the author for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own*
*Content/Trigger warnings: M/M, sexual themes, mild themes of dominance and submission*
This is the second book in the San Andreas Shifters series and I'm loving this adorable, quirky, queer pack of werewolves that now live in the San Fransisco Bay area. In this is book, we get to learn a little bit more about Tank, one of the "grunts" of the Shifters pack, a bisexual man who would love to just have someone to love and protect. We also learn a little more about werewolf lore and the placement and rank in packs as we learn more about Isaac, a man who is on the run both from his past and from someone.
Tank is working as a bouncer at a new club that has shifter-mingle night, due to the fact that more and more shifters are coming to this particular club. Isaac is our resident bartender/pseudo-psychologist, working to make the problems of San Fransisco's shifters less. When Tank and Isaac meet, something sparks between them and Isaac starts to worry. He is odorless and meeting a werewolf pack in Frisco was not in his plans. As he struggles to figure out what to do, Tank does what he can to show Isaac that not all werewolves are the same.
The more time these two spend together, the more Isaac's past seems to rush towards him and he decides that loving Tank is not worth what troubles it will bring. Tank is able to prove him wrong though, and with his pack, Tank is able to show Isaac that there is more than meets the eye to him and his family.
I love the characterization of this particular book because it's about listening; not only to who you are, but who your partner is as well. It's about finding your boundaries in a relationship and staying within those boundaries. It's about knowing when to run and when to stay, and it's about showing that you are able to listen to when someone says "no" and being able to stop. It's also about knowing that you have a place in your family or friends, else they wouldn't love you as much as they do, and knowing that your place is important.
Tank and Isaac help each other figure all of these out. Tank shows Isaac that he and his pack can listen and not sway opinion and are willing to let Isaac leave if that is what he wants. Isaac shows Tank that there is more to him than just being a "grunt" and that he is the foundation of the pack. They both help each see each other for what they truly are and what it means to be family.
I love it when books are able to do this and especially love it G.L. Carriger does it, because they do it in such a way as to open your eyes to all forms of love and acceptance. The way our world is becoming we need more books and characters that not only look different than us but love and act differently than us.
*Content/Trigger warnings: M/M, sexual themes, mild themes of dominance and submission*
This is the second book in the San Andreas Shifters series and I'm loving this adorable, quirky, queer pack of werewolves that now live in the San Fransisco Bay area. In this is book, we get to learn a little bit more about Tank, one of the "grunts" of the Shifters pack, a bisexual man who would love to just have someone to love and protect. We also learn a little more about werewolf lore and the placement and rank in packs as we learn more about Isaac, a man who is on the run both from his past and from someone.
Tank is working as a bouncer at a new club that has shifter-mingle night, due to the fact that more and more shifters are coming to this particular club. Isaac is our resident bartender/pseudo-psychologist, working to make the problems of San Fransisco's shifters less. When Tank and Isaac meet, something sparks between them and Isaac starts to worry. He is odorless and meeting a werewolf pack in Frisco was not in his plans. As he struggles to figure out what to do, Tank does what he can to show Isaac that not all werewolves are the same.
The more time these two spend together, the more Isaac's past seems to rush towards him and he decides that loving Tank is not worth what troubles it will bring. Tank is able to prove him wrong though, and with his pack, Tank is able to show Isaac that there is more than meets the eye to him and his family.
I love the characterization of this particular book because it's about listening; not only to who you are, but who your partner is as well. It's about finding your boundaries in a relationship and staying within those boundaries. It's about knowing when to run and when to stay, and it's about showing that you are able to listen to when someone says "no" and being able to stop. It's also about knowing that you have a place in your family or friends, else they wouldn't love you as much as they do, and knowing that your place is important.
Tank and Isaac help each other figure all of these out. Tank shows Isaac that he and his pack can listen and not sway opinion and are willing to let Isaac leave if that is what he wants. Isaac shows Tank that there is more to him than just being a "grunt" and that he is the foundation of the pack. They both help each see each other for what they truly are and what it means to be family.
I love it when books are able to do this and especially love it G.L. Carriger does it, because they do it in such a way as to open your eyes to all forms of love and acceptance. The way our world is becoming we need more books and characters that not only look different than us but love and act differently than us.
hannawidmann's review
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
tani's review against another edition
3.0
This one just didn't quite work for me. I didn't fall in love with the romance, with the characters, or with the story, and at least one of those is needed for a book to be truly successful. Worse, I think I mildly disliked Isaac? And on a technical note, there were a depressing number of typos/editing misses. Still, I read it quite quickly, and I won't claim that I hated it. It was fine for what it was, but at the end of the day, it was a bit mediocre for me.
lyndz_'s review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
emmalthompson85's review against another edition
3.0
I'm going to be honest, I as disappointed. I saw the author and thought I was in for a treat. This book is alright, but it is not great. The beginning drags, it suffers from that romance writer thing where she explains the same thing a million times. People just know things and there's some hand-waving about werewolves but no kind of mechanic by which being a werewolf allows them to know someone's true personality immediately on meeting them. I liked the characters and there's a lovely melodrama in the middle which I kind of adore but the quality of the writing let it down which is really not the problem I expected in this book.
The actual story starts at about 40%. The first 40% or so is all about establishing Isaac's normal world, his relationships with his friend and his boss, and Tank's normal world and the members of his pack. The problem is that none of Isaac's friends actually have any impact on the later plot so they're a waste of time and I didn't get a grasp on the pack until I saw them in motion which didn't happen until the second half of the book.
Then the drama picks up and we actually get some really good stuff. I like Issac and how vulnerable he is while he's allowed to still be strong in his relationship with Tank and I like how Tank was handled, how his problem is sense of self-worth and how that's dealt with. Once things actually start happening, the book is well formed and pacey. There were a LOT of characters and not all of them were used well or needed. Some of them are really compelling though. I really wanted to know more about some characters and I didn't feel like I was missing out by having not read the earlier books.
So, basically, I felt like there was a decent story here but it wasn't fully realised. The writing was not at the level I'd expect of an author with this pedigree.
I also feel like I need to point out, there's a character described as a drag queen and, while I am not a drag queen and can't speak for them, what the author is describing in the character (using female pronouns, female as a permanent identity as opposed to a persona for performance, referring to their male lover as straight), I think they actually mean a trans person. Which is a very different thing from a drag queen and kind of insulting to mix up so...
The actual story starts at about 40%. The first 40% or so is all about establishing Isaac's normal world, his relationships with his friend and his boss, and Tank's normal world and the members of his pack. The problem is that none of Isaac's friends actually have any impact on the later plot so they're a waste of time and I didn't get a grasp on the pack until I saw them in motion which didn't happen until the second half of the book.
Then the drama picks up and we actually get some really good stuff. I like Issac and how vulnerable he is while he's allowed to still be strong in his relationship with Tank and I like how Tank was handled, how his problem is sense of self-worth and how that's dealt with. Once things actually start happening, the book is well formed and pacey. There were a LOT of characters and not all of them were used well or needed. Some of them are really compelling though. I really wanted to know more about some characters and I didn't feel like I was missing out by having not read the earlier books.
So, basically, I felt like there was a decent story here but it wasn't fully realised. The writing was not at the level I'd expect of an author with this pedigree.
I also feel like I need to point out, there's a character described as a drag queen and, while I am not a drag queen and can't speak for them, what the author is describing in the character (using female pronouns, female as a permanent identity as opposed to a persona for performance, referring to their male lover as straight), I think they actually mean a trans person. Which is a very different thing from a drag queen and kind of insulting to mix up so...
louloureadsbooks's review against another edition
2.0
Listened to the audio. Good narrator, shame about the story.
Really enjoyed the Summage Solution. This story however, was a struggle. Seemed to me, to take ages for anything to actually happen, the story seemed to lack pace and there was a lot of internal thought repetition. Lots of "I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy" LOTS of it. Yawn. I began to agree.
I skipped many chapters, probably missed the story finally moving, I don't actually care.
Not sure if I'll bother with any more. Overall this was a miss for me
Really enjoyed the Summage Solution. This story however, was a struggle. Seemed to me, to take ages for anything to actually happen, the story seemed to lack pace and there was a lot of internal thought repetition. Lots of "I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy" LOTS of it. Yawn. I began to agree.
I skipped many chapters, probably missed the story finally moving, I don't actually care.
Not sure if I'll bother with any more. Overall this was a miss for me
darcerenity's review
4.0
The prose in this novel is as deliciously snug as the exact right style of skin tight jeans.
The language is blue, but well-fitted to the characters in question, the humor even more so. The humor is sharp and quirky and balances out the pathos of some of the back stories quite beautifully.
The characters are realistically drawn and likeable so that you feel genuinely invested in their journey toward a place of acceptance and belonging, discovering the ways they fit together as a couple, as part of a larger social family, and simply as themselves.
The themes (yes, themes. Even in a very steamy romance novel!) are handled with a deft and delicate touch, like a steel filigree that is surprisingly beautiful as well as strong.
I am amazed by this series in general, and this book in particular made me cry--but in that good way that is so rare and so special in works of art.
A must read for lovers of romance, hot sex, social comedy, and incredible writing.
The language is blue, but well-fitted to the characters in question, the humor even more so. The humor is sharp and quirky and balances out the pathos of some of the back stories quite beautifully.
The characters are realistically drawn and likeable so that you feel genuinely invested in their journey toward a place of acceptance and belonging, discovering the ways they fit together as a couple, as part of a larger social family, and simply as themselves.
The themes (yes, themes. Even in a very steamy romance novel!) are handled with a deft and delicate touch, like a steel filigree that is surprisingly beautiful as well as strong.
I am amazed by this series in general, and this book in particular made me cry--but in that good way that is so rare and so special in works of art.
A must read for lovers of romance, hot sex, social comedy, and incredible writing.
abrittlebee's review against another edition
3.0
Similar to the first in the series, this novel is pretty light and sweet. I appreciated the fact that this novel had a better pace in terms of conflicts and resolutions, however I didn't find the characters as engaging as the first book. I think that might be because of a Max-bias on my part though. I missed the smart-ass remarks
teresab78's review
5.0
4.5 stars
I loved Kirt Graves’ narration and I loved this story. I like that stereotypes are thrown out the window for the most part and those that fit are the bad guys. Tank was so sweet though a little insecure. I loved that Isaac gave him a chance even though Isaac was hiding. I’m looking forward to more in this series!!
I loved Kirt Graves’ narration and I loved this story. I like that stereotypes are thrown out the window for the most part and those that fit are the bad guys. Tank was so sweet though a little insecure. I loved that Isaac gave him a chance even though Isaac was hiding. I’m looking forward to more in this series!!
itsnotabear's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. another quick read. i didn't enjoy it as much as the first one but that could be because i read two consecutive immediately-in-love storylines within a 48 hour span. making the black protag the one who had been was definitely a choice. i wanted to like it more because i'm always a sucker for a big softe, so naturally i was so into a tank book, but i agree with other reviews that the attempts at development felt rushed and unfinished.
i want to say more good things because despite these facts i didn't not like the book, but my brain's fried and i'm very sleepy, so... oops.
Spoiler
enslaved (and more than once!)i want to say more good things because despite these facts i didn't not like the book, but my brain's fried and i'm very sleepy, so... oops.