Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.49 AVERAGE
4.49 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
My favourite cop duo are back and on the brink of having a baby. Just as they are about to take six months of leave, a distraught father arrives with his daughter in tow, desperately seeking help. As his son has been kidnapped, but to Quaid's horror, the father waited three days to report it.
And as much as Quaid wants to forget the case and walk away, one look at the forgotten little girl brings back his own childhood trauma. So Az encourages him to take on the case, but it’s far from simple, and time is running out, as their surrogate, Bryn, is getting closer to giving birth.
But will Quaid, along with his partner Jordan, Az, and Ruiz, be able to find the missing boy before the birth? And with spicy moments, great humour, emotion, and a perfect ending to a fantastic series, Paternal Instinct is a joy to read, especially when you delve into Nicky's author notes.
I would happily recommend it to all, particularly fans of the series. 🩷
And as much as Quaid wants to forget the case and walk away, one look at the forgotten little girl brings back his own childhood trauma. So Az encourages him to take on the case, but it’s far from simple, and time is running out, as their surrogate, Bryn, is getting closer to giving birth.
But will Quaid, along with his partner Jordan, Az, and Ruiz, be able to find the missing boy before the birth? And with spicy moments, great humour, emotion, and a perfect ending to a fantastic series, Paternal Instinct is a joy to read, especially when you delve into Nicky's author notes.
I would happily recommend it to all, particularly fans of the series. 🩷
Safety info, content warnings and tropes down below.
Ugh, I'm not ready to let go of Aslan and Quaid. It's a bit dramatic, but after 8 books with the same couple you get really attached, and even though I love both characters so much, Quaid has had a special place in my heart since the very beginning. Watching him go from a deeply insecure and hurt person to someone who laughs, trusts and is secure in himself again has been so lovely and beautiful. Aslan and I had a bit of a rocky start, but it just goes to show the character development he went through as well. The way he fought for his sobriety, supported Quaid through his insecurities, and eventually let his walls down and let go of his playboy ways was simply amazing, and I'm so happy I stuck with these books even when I wanted to strangle Aslan a little bit.
I felt on the verge of crying through so much of this book because it really did feel like they got a real happy ending. Watching Quaid get his biggest wish -- becoming a dad -- made me cry a river, and the fact that the author gave them that and pushed through her own trauma to give Quaid a baby was equally heartbreaking and sweet. I can only hope it was even the smallest bit healing.
Their final case was all sorts of dramatic and intense, and even though I sort of guessed some of the mystery early on, it's always entertaining coming along for the ride as the cast of characters figure it out too. And speaking of the cast, Costa Ruiz might just be the best side character of all time. His development from angry and bigoted to being Quaid's best friend was so sweet and genuine. Their bromance is my favorite thing ever.
This was the perfect final book for them, and I can't wait to collect the 6 audiobooks I'm missing so that I can relisten to the whole series an unhealthy amount of times.
And yes, after 8 books I still don't care for Torin, lol.
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Established couple
Romantic suspense
Becoming dads
Police detectives
Race against time
Cat dads
Solving a mystery
⚠️ Spice menu ⚠️
Storage room sex
Mild exhibitionism
Sensual massage
Massage oil
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Public sex
Mention of pregnancy compilations and near-death of unborn child (minor character)
Missing child
Brief mention of SCs not being able to conceive children
MC recovering from eating disorder
Alcohol consumption
Violence (minor SC stabbed off page)
Mention of statutory rape between SCs
Themes of infidelity (between SCs)
Gun violence (bad guy shot and killed)
On-page labor and birth
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Romantic suspense
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
Main characters’ age: 37/38 and 44/45
Series: Series
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 363
Happy ending: Yes
“You drive me insane, hot stuff. There isn’t a single day that passes when I don’t thank god I got over my fear of dating and asked you out.”
I massaged the tips of my fingers over his scalp and cradled his head in the palm of my hand. “What do you need, hot stuff? How can I help?” “This. More of this.” He burrowed deeper into my arms. “Don’t let go yet.” “Never.” I held him close, keeping his seams from unraveling like I’d been doing for years.
“You slay me, Quaid Valor. I didn’t think I could love you more, but you always prove me wrong. You’re already an amazing dad.”
Ugh, I'm not ready to let go of Aslan and Quaid. It's a bit dramatic, but after 8 books with the same couple you get really attached, and even though I love both characters so much, Quaid has had a special place in my heart since the very beginning. Watching him go from a deeply insecure and hurt person to someone who laughs, trusts and is secure in himself again has been so lovely and beautiful. Aslan and I had a bit of a rocky start, but it just goes to show the character development he went through as well. The way he fought for his sobriety, supported Quaid through his insecurities, and eventually let his walls down and let go of his playboy ways was simply amazing, and I'm so happy I stuck with these books even when I wanted to strangle Aslan a little bit.
I felt on the verge of crying through so much of this book because it really did feel like they got a real happy ending. Watching Quaid get his biggest wish -- becoming a dad -- made me cry a river, and the fact that the author gave them that and pushed through her own trauma to give Quaid a baby was equally heartbreaking and sweet. I can only hope it was even the smallest bit healing.
Their final case was all sorts of dramatic and intense, and even though I sort of guessed some of the mystery early on, it's always entertaining coming along for the ride as the cast of characters figure it out too. And speaking of the cast, Costa Ruiz might just be the best side character of all time. His development from angry and bigoted to being Quaid's best friend was so sweet and genuine. Their bromance is my favorite thing ever.
This was the perfect final book for them, and I can't wait to collect the 6 audiobooks I'm missing so that I can relisten to the whole series an unhealthy amount of times.
And yes, after 8 books I still don't care for Torin, lol.
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Established couple
Romantic suspense
Becoming dads
Police detectives
Race against time
Cat dads
Solving a mystery
⚠️ Spice menu ⚠️
Storage room sex
Mild exhibitionism
Sensual massage
Massage oil
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Public sex
Mention of pregnancy compilations and near-death of unborn child (minor character)
Missing child
Brief mention of SCs not being able to conceive children
MC recovering from eating disorder
Alcohol consumption
Violence (minor SC stabbed off page)
Mention of statutory rape between SCs
Themes of infidelity (between SCs)
Gun violence (bad guy shot and killed)
On-page labor and birth
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Romantic suspense
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
Main characters’ age: 37/38 and 44/45
Series: Series
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 363
Happy ending: Yes
“You drive me insane, hot stuff. There isn’t a single day that passes when I don’t thank god I got over my fear of dating and asked you out.”
I massaged the tips of my fingers over his scalp and cradled his head in the palm of my hand. “What do you need, hot stuff? How can I help?” “This. More of this.” He burrowed deeper into my arms. “Don’t let go yet.” “Never.” I held him close, keeping his seams from unraveling like I’d been doing for years.
“You slay me, Quaid Valor. I didn’t think I could love you more, but you always prove me wrong. You’re already an amazing dad.”
5 stars for the narration, 5 for the story.
My review of the book is HERE, so I'll just add a few thoughts on the audio version.
Nick J. Russo delivers another superb performance. He knows this pair so well by now and it shows in the way he so effortlessly slips into character and the skill with which he conveys the strength and depth of their emotional connection. The secondary cast is appropriately voiced and expertly differentiated, so there’s never any confusion as to who is speaking, the pacing is spot on and he hits all the emotional beats of the story.
Paternal Instincts is a fantastic finale to this favourite series, and while I’m sad this is the end of the road for Valor and Doyle I’m delighted with where the author has chosen to end their story, giving them a spectacular send off with this emotional and immensely satisfying final instalment of their story. I’m so grateful to Nicky for creating these wonderful characters and stories, and to Nick for bringing them so vibrantly to life.
My review of the book is HERE, so I'll just add a few thoughts on the audio version.
Nick J. Russo delivers another superb performance. He knows this pair so well by now and it shows in the way he so effortlessly slips into character and the skill with which he conveys the strength and depth of their emotional connection. The secondary cast is appropriately voiced and expertly differentiated, so there’s never any confusion as to who is speaking, the pacing is spot on and he hits all the emotional beats of the story.
Paternal Instincts is a fantastic finale to this favourite series, and while I’m sad this is the end of the road for Valor and Doyle I’m delighted with where the author has chosen to end their story, giving them a spectacular send off with this emotional and immensely satisfying final instalment of their story. I’m so grateful to Nicky for creating these wonderful characters and stories, and to Nick for bringing them so vibrantly to life.
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
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:
No
The end of a series is always a little bittersweet. On the one hand, I got to watch these characters grow, change, adapt, and find their happy endings (innuendo more or less intended). On the other, I never feel quite ready to let them go. This is definitely true for Quaid Valor and Aslan Doyle.
I need to try to keep this short and sweet, because the love and adoration I have for this series and these characters is overwhelming.
Quaid and Aslan have had one hell of a time coming together. They've been through a hell of a lot over the course of their relationship, but they've always managed to make it through. They've grown both as a couple, and individually. They've supported each other unconditionally, but have never been afraid to call each other out on their shit. And now they're preparing for their greatest challenge yet - fatherhood.
Quaid has known for as long as he can remember that he's wanted to be a father. And Aslan has known that he'd do anything to ensure Quaid's happiness. Even though they're both more than ready for this, they have to get through one thing first - one hell of a case.
The case is twisty, turny, and honestly rather horrifying. As one question is answered, three more pop up to take its place. At no point did I truly feel like I had a grasp of what was going on, and I sure as hell did not see most of the revelations unfolding the way they ultimately did.
This was one hell of a cathartic ending to this series. A lot of themes and details concluded in a very satisfying manner for me. And I also loved the small hints at what was going on in the spin-off series - which is on my TBR (and we do not need to discuss just how massive my TBR is, please and thank you).
I love these characters. I love their journeys. I love everything about this series. I'm not quite ready to let them go just yet. And thankfully, I have the Shadowy Solutions series to look forward to! But I can also revisit this series over, and over again. And this is one of those series where I will most likely be doing that, time and again.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Audiobook Review – 5 Stars
Paternal Instincts by Nikki James
🎙Narrated by: Nick J. Russo
This final book hit me right in the heart. As someone who’s been on this journey with Aslan and Quaid from the very beginning…from enemies, to lovers, to life partners…Paternal Instincts felt like a beautiful, emotional full circle moment.
Watching these two grow over the series has been nothing short of incredible. From learning how to date to navigating trauma, commitment, marriage, and now parenthood through surrogacy (plus still having Oscar the cat, of course!), their evolution has been tender, raw, and deeply satisfying. I honestly got emotional more than once.
But beyond the romance and emotional moments, I’ve loved the suspenseful mystery elements throughout the series. Quaid’s cases, especially the missing persons ones, always had depth and urgency, and this book was no different balancing heart and plot like a pro.
Nick J. Russo has breathed life into this series with his narration. He’s done every voice, every emotional beat, every sarcastic exchange and heartfelt confession perfectly. I can’t imagine anyone else narrating this.
This series is something special, and while I’m heartbroken it’s over, I’m also excited about the spin off (Shadowy Solutions) with Tallus. Fingers crossed we get little glimpses of Aslan and Quaid again.
Bittersweet, moving, and so worth it. A perfect send off to a series I’ll always love.
Paternal Instincts by Nikki James
🎙Narrated by: Nick J. Russo
This final book hit me right in the heart. As someone who’s been on this journey with Aslan and Quaid from the very beginning…from enemies, to lovers, to life partners…Paternal Instincts felt like a beautiful, emotional full circle moment.
Watching these two grow over the series has been nothing short of incredible. From learning how to date to navigating trauma, commitment, marriage, and now parenthood through surrogacy (plus still having Oscar the cat, of course!), their evolution has been tender, raw, and deeply satisfying. I honestly got emotional more than once.
But beyond the romance and emotional moments, I’ve loved the suspenseful mystery elements throughout the series. Quaid’s cases, especially the missing persons ones, always had depth and urgency, and this book was no different balancing heart and plot like a pro.
Nick J. Russo has breathed life into this series with his narration. He’s done every voice, every emotional beat, every sarcastic exchange and heartfelt confession perfectly. I can’t imagine anyone else narrating this.
This series is something special, and while I’m heartbroken it’s over, I’m also excited about the spin off (Shadowy Solutions) with Tallus. Fingers crossed we get little glimpses of Aslan and Quaid again.
Bittersweet, moving, and so worth it. A perfect send off to a series I’ll always love.
adventurous
emotional
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes