Apex Investigations: Books 1 and 2, Julia Talbot

I think I was expecting something a little grittier, a little sexier, but what we got instead was something that was more fantastical, sweeter, and something I truly enjoyed.  With a fox shifter in danger and a wolf who feels the need to protect, I was all set to enjoy a good shifter romance.  Adding in the shifter surprises and the family dynamic of the pack, and I was all in.

There were little things that were a bit inconsistent, like eye colors changing, and a few things that felt a little rushed and superficial, and the safe house procedures were laughably abysmal, but overall I was drawn into the relationship and the whole pack.  The pack itself was interesting to me with its mix and dynamic between all the different shifters.  It really was a case of choosing your own family and there are certain characters that intrigue me more than others.  I'm definitely coming back for more of the series.

But back to Fox and Wolf.  We didn't really dive deep into the characters and that was a bit of a shame.  What I learned, I liked, but there was so much more to be said.  The drama surrounding them and bringing them together seemed quite far-fetched and seemingly nonsensical until you get into book two...but we'll get there.  For now, it felt a little too big, a little too much.  It fits later though.  And the fox-sense is so true to species and not paranormal/otherworldly.  For a lot of people they might see it as a bit of psychic-ness, but it's an actual trait that foxes have to sense danger before it catches them and I loved that addition.  Overall I was impressed by the individuals and can't wait to get going with everything that's coming their way.  4 stars.

Brock didn't really endear me to him in book one, but knowing there's damage and softness under all the bluster and offense helped a little to open me up for more of him in this book.  I'm also not typically a fan of second-chance romances (though I can't seem to not read them) and I wasn't sure how to feel about what we learned of Brock and Grizz.  All my apprehensions were pretty unfounded once I got into their story.  Once they got on the same page they were both all in and I couldn't believe the amount of sweetness, sappiness, and nuzzling, and possession coming from Brock.  It was fantastic!

The story, however, was less fantastic.  Not by much, but seeing how it followed the same formula as the first, it was just a whole lot of action and drama packed into a short story and could have used some flow adjustment.  It was still good in terms of giving me surprise after surprise and keeping me on my toes, but the antagonist wasn't clear-cut.  Yes, it's part of the whole series' trajectory, but we're left with far more questions than answers.  I suppose it keeps us right in the thick of things with the characters of the series, but I can't help wanting a little more resolution than we're given.

This was much more well-rounded on the relationship side of the story than Fox and Wolf.  We're also drawn far deeper into the pack's dynamic and I'm even more interested in finding out what happens with everyone, especially Kit.  There's a lot going for this series, in my opinion, and while it's not as clean and with a clear flow as other books and series in this genre, I can't help but want to come back for more.  4 stars.