Easy and light and hot and sweet and tender and real and… ok I’ll stop but I could give you all the positive adjectives I can think of to describe Not A Game. Another big winner from Cardeno C. Don’t miss it.

As the layers of the story are peeled back and the true nature of the characters and their intentions are revealed, I found myself murmuring an “awww”, something this author is known to inspire in readers.

What I Liked: Ethan may be the younger man here but he knows his mind and is willing to fight for Miguel which I loved. Ethan has a pure love for Miguel that allows no doubts or fears and I enjoyed this earnest romance. Miguel tries valiantly to send Ethan away, both because they're different species and because he doesn't think he's a good for Ethan but Ethan isn't having it. Ethan sees right through Miguel pitiful attempts to push him away and stands firm in his love and acceptance for Miguel and this made for a delightful romance in my opinion. The sexual intimacy is much more frequent and graphic than I remember in book one but since I love erotic romance that was a good thing. I also enjoyed how biologically Miguel and Ethan were destined to be true mates. This fact strengthened the insta-mate trope that is used here and makes it a tad different than other romances in the genre. What I Also Liked: I also liked the inclusion of Ethan's wolf pack and Miguel's vampire clan. Ethan is the runt of his pack and has been treated as such for years so to see Miguel stick up for him and truly value him was a just what I wanted. Miguel's dark nature is brilliantly showcased in how he deals with his clan when they cause potential harm to Ethan. In romances readers are often told a hero is powerful and ruthless but this book shows…

I love the way Cardeno C spins a tale. Even a short story like this one was so beautifully told.

I recommend this to those who like new and unique shifter stories, those who love their M/M romance with some smoking hot sex scenes, including a first time experience. And, of course, to those who love and follow Cardeno C. You won't be disappointed.