"What a dynamic! So often with men, communication is forgotten, and the assumption is that the other person should know what is in someone’s head. There is a definite Dominant/submissive piece here, with Todd wanting and needing to be directed, but also I think because it helps with his focus. At the same time though, Richard feels it is wrong to be that type of person, so they must learn to communicate what is best for each other.
They do a good job of finding that happy place in order to be what the other person needs, and I really enjoyed their journey towards an HEA."

Now, this is not your usual sexy alpha man with the hunky-dory body where his head disappears from the breadth of his wide shoulders, pecs bursting out of his tees or arms ripping his sleeves. No. Think the other way around. Think, normal man meets a cuter than normal man and they fall in love. Simple. Madly romantic.

This is definitely a book written for the smiles and feel-good moments

I don't read a lot of shifter books. Because reasons. But now, now that I've read this first book in the Mates series, I'm about halfway to being convinced that I've been missing out. Holy hot boysecks, Batman.... The part how they were drawn together, so perfect for each other, from the very beginning recognizing their true mate bond ...I loved the easy banter, the deeply formed relationship....Fully developed characters give this book the extra oomph. Witty dialogue, snarky snark and humorous banter had me laughing out loud on many occasions, and only CC can manage to make me giggle and go 'awwwww' at the same time....Let's not forget, this is a shifter book. A book about shifter mating, and holy cow, that first time for these two - it nearly melted my Nook. I felt like I was intruding on something sacred when Zev and Jonah make love for the first time....this was a wonderful story to convince me of the merits of shifter stories.

Themeatticly, this is a story about coming out, which is kind of tired and over used, but I loved this version. Ben is very introspective throughout the story, but his self-depreciating humor makes it very entertaining. He often speaks to you, the reader, in a most endearing way. Micah was such a wonderful character. Strong and steady. And what made him so wonderful was that he melted into such a lover at just the right times. There is plenty of erotic sex in the book, but it never seemed gratuitous. It always just seemed fit the flow of the story as both men learned to love and feel comfortable with themselves and with each other. Perhaps the funniest character was Micah's mom. What a hoot! Micah's depiction of talking on the phone was hysterical. And then when you meet her, she's just as funny. The perfect Jewish mother!