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…

Wake Me Up Inside is the first book in the Mate series from Cardeno C and I can't wait for more. Cardeno C has a straightforward narrative that delivers the story in a manner that makes it easy for the reader to follow the timeline of Jonah and Zev's relationship as it grows from childhood to adult. ... Take a good long look at that marvelous cover and it gives you an accurate picture of a scene in the book. Boy and wolf pup and Jonah and Zev, always together no matter the form Zev is in. How does that idea not draw you in? It is the characterizations that make or break a story for me and in Zev and Jonah we get two characters to connect with immediately.

A beautiful addition to the series. I loved Abe, and Jason had so much more to offer than he thought. Watching these two slowly merge their lives, with all the accompanying stuff that contains, including Jason's kids, was lovely. Jason needed Abe so much, and he didn't know it. On the flip side, Jason was the forever guy that Abe had always wanted. Even better? They both got the family they'd always dreamed of.

This is a lovely story about how we look at ourselves ... mostly it is a very sweet love story. It is about the choices we make and the opportunities we might never get to experience, depending on those choices. It is about loving yourself and reaching out. I thoroughly enjoyed the story. There were several very funny moments that had me laughing out loud and some that were heart-wrenching. Even with the serious subject matter that is central to the book, the story is thoughtful and has some light-hearted moments. A lovely addition to your holiday reading list.

I cried, cringed, melted and on a few occasions, laughed through this book and highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys romance that is not easily achieved, some angst and a lead character that is delightfully flawed that he seems perfect!