So I’ve had this book in my TBR for a bit, not too long, but I gave it a whirl this week and I quite enjoyed it. I’ve not read either author before but I’d definitely check out any further works by the two.

Title: Blood Howl
Author: Robin Saxon & Alex Kidwell
Length: 200 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: m/m paranormal (wolf shifters)

Blurb:

Gun for hire Jed Walker doesn’t figure it for a difficult job-a simple smash and grab retrieval-except his new client doesn’t want money or goods. He wants shy, gorgeous Redford Reed, a man who turns Jed’s world upside down inside a day. He is in no way prepared to fall hard and fast for his newest assignment.

Redford Reed lives his life locked in his grandmother’s house, haunted by a terrible curse and watching the world pass him by until Jed shows up, sent by a man who will stop at nothing to claim Redford as his own. Teaming up with Jed is Redford’s only chance at survival, but as the violence escalates, so does the tension between them. Even though they each finally have something to live for, now it’s going to take all Jed’s skill and every bit of courage Redford has just to stay alive.

Review:

The strength of this story for me was the characterization of Jed. Jed is now a mercenary of sorts after leaving the army. He’ll blow shit up for you, steal things, doesn’t usually kill people as a rule, but he’s not against that really. He’s also continually “on”, he babbles, he flirts, every other phrase out of his mouth is a sexual innuendo, and he’s an unrepentent slut. He appreciates feeling “wanted” for those moments in a bathroom or back alley, and he has no desire for a relationship. He’s got his cat, Kneival and a great apartment.

However when he takes on a job to retrieve something “valuable”, he soon finds out that thing is Redford. Redford is in his mid-20′s but totally naive about life. He has no internet or TV, he hides out in his house 24/7 reading books left by his deceased grandmother. Redford is a werewolf, the type who change on the full-moon and chains himself in the basement to protect innocents. However even when he confesses to Jed he’s a werewolf, Jed just figures he’s nuts, but attracted to the guy and trying to help him escape from the guy who wants him.

There is lots of running and shooting and bad guys after them in this, but there is also Jed being amazed at a home-made meal, Redford trying to get up to speed on all the sexual innuendo thrown his way, the cat, Jed’s contact David and his boy-toy, all of it mixed up well for me.

The story switches from Redford’s POV to Jed’s and I liked that Jed knows in large part why he doesn’t want a relationship, he’s aware of being damaged, and he knows Redford is getting under his skin. He likes the guy and doesn’t want to hurt him, but he’s freaking out that he feels that way at the same time. And he was just so damn amusing (or annoying at times) that I wanted him to work it all out. He’s also the kind of guy who has nicknames for everyone from sweetheart and darlin’ to more crude and cute, calling Redford “furry butt” and other canine-related names.

Redford seems unusually naive for a 26-year-old (or around there), but then he was homeschooled and his Grandmother rarely let him out of the house. This was one little niggle, if he only turned into a werewolf for 12 hours once a month, why not send him to school and just keep him home for that one night? I never really understood why the bad guy wanted him either, except that he didn’t want a werewolf who was not under his control because it could expose them. I guess. To be honest I was so caught up in Jed and Redford, I didn’t care all that much.

So I quite enjoyed this, although the authors definitely got me curious about David and his guy. Redford notes that David doesn’t smell quite human and Victor makes an indication that may lead me to believe he is a vampire. Maybe there will be a book about David and Victor or his true love. I’d definitely check it out. If you like quirky banter (which mostly goes over one character’s head to his great puzzlement) with the opposites attract/slut-innocent pairing, it was quite fun even if the mystery plot left me still a bit confused as to the purpose beyond getting the guys together. I was okay with that actually.