Two very different men with a tumultuous history must overcome challenges from all sides and see past their society's rules to realize they are destined for one another.
Raised to become Alpha of the Yafenack pack, Samuel Goodwin dedicates his life to studying shifter laws, strengthening his body, and learning from his father. But despite his best efforts, Samuel can’t relate to people, including those he's supposed to lead.
When Samuel meets Korban Keller, the son of a neighboring pack's Alpha, he reacts with emotion instead of intellect for the first time in his life. Resenting the other shifter for throwing him off-balance, Samuel first tries to intimidate Korban and then desperately avoids him. What he can't do is forget Korban's warm eyes, easy smile, and happy personality.
When a battle between their fathers ends tragically, Samuel struggles to lead his pack while Korban works to break through Samuel’s emotional barriers. Two very different men with a tumultuous history must overcome challenges from all sides and see past their society’s rules to realize they are destined for one another.
The first thing I hated about him was his smile. Nobody genuinely smiles that much. It’s fake. I don’t trust fake people; they tend to hide things. And Korban Keller was as fake as they came.
He was older than me. Not by much, just a few years. With our packs being relatively close in proximity, I had seen him a handful of times when we were boys.
My clearest memory of him back then was of his eyes—they were a rich navy, the color of the deepest part of the ocean. He had a weird habit of tracking me with those eyes, and I wondered if it was because he planned to attack me or if he was waiting to catch me making a mistake so he could call me out on it in front of everybody. Whatever the reason, it distracted me, so when we were…
I loved this little sweet romance. I thought the whole thing was handled very sensitively and it was nice to watch a relationship develop and layers get peeled away. I was really invested in them as a couple and rooting for their happily ever after. A sweet love story, that had enough side story to keep it on the right side of sickly, I will definitely seek out others in this series.
Cardeno C's books are like a balm to my soul. I don't mind angst and drama when I know the payoff is a glorious HEA. ...This book blends tenderness with hawtness (CC's trademark!). ...The secondary characters, especially Samuel's gentle father, were wonderful! There was some conflict and angst, but once the guys found each other, they didn't let go! Wonderful writing, wonderful wolves, wonderful book!
I loved the characters and the symbolism throughout the book that reflects on our own 'pack lore' as humans. The book is paced just right so that as the reader you are drawn in and kept captivated until you finish the last sentence. I know that Cardeno C. will be on my list of favorite authors from now on and can emphatically say that if you are looking for a good love story, than this is it!
I love the concept of one true mate, and this story delivered it beautifully.