M/M shifter romance is so niche, so rarely done right and what is slowly but surely becoming a favourite genre. I stumbled onto Annabelle Jacob’s’ Regent’s Park Pack series on Goodreads and by golly was that a brilliant find! Let me just put everyone out of their misery (ha!) and say that this book was amazing and I can’t wait to read more in the series. Now sit back and relax as I count the ways in which Nathan and Jared’s story had me oohing and aahing and wishing for my own shifter boyfriend!
The Regent’s Park Pack is a group of shifters who turn into wolves in the night (the night of the full moon that is). They live in a world where everyone knows they exist and are subject to two sets of laws- this of the human world and those of the shifter world. In terms of human law shifters are free to bite humans and in so doing give them the chance to turn into shifters with the rising of the full moon but the agreement for a shifter to bite a human has to be in writing and filed with human authorities. If a shifter bites a human without his or her consent, the human is free to choose the shifter’s punishment, including the punishment of death.
Jared has a dark past with shifters and the last thing he wants to deal with on a night out is any shifter trouble. Too bad there are a couple of shifters out at the club and one of them catches his eye despite his firm stance on getting involved with shifters. Nathan is attracted to Jared on sight but before he can convince him to change his mind and take a chance on him he is called away on Pack business. There a rogues on the loose and before they know it Nathan and Jared’s paths will cross again, a misplaced bite will have they sharing an apartment and more than a kiss or two and an unexpected bond may form.
The writing style of the author was so great. There was enough humour to offset the serious moments but the angst factor was pretty up there (yay for angst!) I enjoyed this new imagining of shifter and human society coexisting and the challenges it posed for both the human and shifter characters in the story as they tried to navigate each other’s society without getting on the wrong side of the law.
Jared was this guy with a past with shifters and more than enough reason to be angry with them. He considered them arrogant and cocky and was more than happy to be one of the few humans not giving anything to spend a night with a shifter. He was firm in his beliefs and I loved how he gave as good as he got. With a human/shifter dynamic it was easy to see how Jared could have ended up being submissive to Nathan but that was really not the case. The two bickered back and forth and it was hilarious to read.
Nathan was actually one of those arrogant, cocky types which I actually found to be hilarious and such a fun pairing thanks to the author (I see what you did there Annabelle). He was so self-assured and wouldn’t budge in his confidence even when Jared tried to pretend he wasn’t into him (a losing battle if I ever read one!) What I loved the most about him was his attraction to Jared and how protective he was of him. He was so possessive but caring and honestly my heart skipped a beat every time I read the scenes between them. There were moments of uncertainty and vulnerability on Nathan’s side that had me wanting to reach into the book, hug him and tell him everything would be ok.
The book had an action plot that I would definitely say was secondary (but no less gripping). The Regent’s Park Pack had to join forces with their uneasy allies the Primrose Pack to try and eliminate the threat to not just each pack but Nathan and Jared in particular. There was no love lost between the two packs but with a common enemy on their doorstep they had no choice but to combine forces. Working with others was a challenge to Jared who was more than a little jealous at times (for which I didn’t blame him!) This part of the story had me gripped and honestly I couldn’t wait to see how it would be resolved!
Overall, this book got a well deserved, gritty but heartwarming 4.5 stars!
And yes, I immediately jumped onto the next book in the series. A review of that will be up soon!
TK MAJ
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