I loved this book and it’s audio companion and have read and re-read it many times (and re-listenened!).

This book is a beautiful balance of heartbreak, romance, eroticism, political intrigue, action and mystery.

This is the first book in the Mates series and is a fun one I like to re-read. Zev is the son of a pack alpha and is supposed to mate with a female wolf. Only, he's finding himself more and more attracted to his best human friend, Jonah. And there's no such thing as a gay shifter. This is a bit different from my usual fare because there wasn't a clear villain or straight plot line. It was more like a peak inside the lives of these two men, which is perfect if that's what you're looking for. I love the two heroes, and I loved reading as they fought (or tugged) on their chemistry and created a bond.

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…

It's a very short, sweet story that makes you smile and sigh and - just as all Cardeno's stories do - feel good inside.