Stone Wings: The Gargoyles of Arrington Book 1, Jenn Burke

There was something full of yearning in this story underneath the denial, the fake situation, the danger, and the reconciliation of curses, pasts, and hearts.  I truly enjoyed the book and am eagerly jumping into book two, quite glad it's on KU.

Drew and Josh had a slow, nice road to travel romantically and I can't say it was riveting, incredibly spicy, or even all that captivating.  It slowly swelled and filled my mind until I couldn't imagine they had any other option than to fall in love and make everything work.

There are other reviewers that have feelings about what happens when the curse breaks but I honestly don't have an issue with that.  I read so often when the temporarily supernatural being retains certain supernatural traits rather than the author letting the curse just break.  To me it seems that letting the curse break and return them to their original state prior to the curse is more believable than trying to come up with a reason as to why they should keep part of their cursed state merely because it would be helpful in the issues they were going to face, you know?

The drama surrounding the pride in their area and their distant past was interesting and a little too simplistic in their connection, but the biggest piece of interest was the element of their past.  When the story of their curse was related to Josh it was pretty obvious to me that there was going to be a piece of it that would return and despite being right I didn't predict the reason for all the turmoil.  I appreciated that.

Overall I thought the story was very sweet and I admired the person who initiated the reconciliation, feeling that the appropriate person stood up to the other to call them out for their choice made out of fear.  And ending the story with the lead-in to the next book in the series felt right as well, that it wasn't just a HEA for the couple and a vague forboding for what's coming, it was something concrete, something that was a bit more believable as what could happen next.

And, side note, the wolf pack being involved really added something intriguing to the story and has me all kinds of curious.  It answered some questions, raised some interest, and brought a lot of elements of the story to life.  I'm eager to see where Rian's story takes us and how things will evolve around their clan.

*$4.99 on Amazon or FREEon KU!

The Raven & His Selkie, Amelia Bishop

It actually took me a few tries to sink into the idea of finishing the book.  Not because it was bad or disappointing, but because it wasn't captivating for me at all.  I liked it by the time I finished it, but it didn't grab me at the start or hold my attention in the middle either.  It was a truly interesting start to a series and I will be continuing with it if more books in the world are written, it's just that it'll probably be a case of me being willing to wait for it to be on KU instead of requesting an ARC of it.

Murdoch was playing the game of the Selkie Prince and playing it well despite his intense desire to not come into the ruling leader's seat.  His reluctance was intriguing to me and I wanted to see how that played out.  It went fine enough, but the moment of challenge seemed so forced and far-fetched with characters playing a role instead of being something organic.  Forcing Murdoch to make a choice between blood and heart was one thing, but the way it played out was unnecessary and it felt overly dramatic.

The bonding issues between Murdoch and Grigory were far more intriguing because of the species difference and the lack of knowledge of fated mates.  I was constantly being disappointed in Murdoch's impatience and Grigory's inconsistency.  The misunderstandings were believable though juvenile and when Murdoch was finally educated about Grigory by another source things started really coming together.  I liked their journey from that point.  Though I actually dislike how the dominance switch thing played out...it just felt kind of icky and more forced than accepted and given.  I had to start skimming because it made me uncomfortable.

Grigory was actually my favorite of the two men because he was written in a way that actually made me feel both for and about him.  His upbringing, his longing, his control, his care...all of it made him far more real and complex than Murdoch and he was why I finished the story.  Seeing his evolution was worth it.

The overall story and plot and complications in their world are why I want to continue the series, if it becomes one.  I'll be back for more...eventually.

*$3.99 or FREE on KU!

Murdoch, a Selkie, joins the Immortal Alliance of Six, an otherworlder task force. There he meets Grigori, and the two soon realize they are fated mates. As they fight threats to the otherworlder population, they also fight to come to terms with their unexpected mate bond.