Alaska, With Love (Assassin/Shifter, #2)
I love the characters (even if 95% of the good men are gay and while the women are strong and nice, they aren't at all kick ass. Everyone is perfect when someone comes out. EVERYONE. No one is taken aback at all. That is nice but also annoying because it is so ridiculously ridiculous especially given the subcultures the men are in.I really love the banter between the men. It feels real. For example:
After a few minutes [of silence], James was getting the idea Josh didn't know where to begin. He squinted, looking at Josh.
"What are you doing?" Josh sat forward.
"I'm trying to read your mind, since you're not offering me anything.
"Well?"
"There's nothing in there to read." James chuckled.
"Asshole."
It's an old joke but the way they call each other asshole all the time and insult each other, it just works well.
The pacing varies. The first half and the last couple of chapters are great but from page 57-100 there is very little other than sex, just a few 2-3 page interludes. The sex is hot but really, it was too much. And I'm not sure how many times they needed to ask and reassure and declare their devotion. They sure did it a lot.
There's not a lot of plot. Again, the first half had plot and it was good and then there was a bunch of sex and then a little plot again.
Moderate spoiler: The wolves are special but the MCs don't know that. Josh treats the one wolf like a pet. He should have at least commented to Mark that it's still a wild animal, to be treated as such respectfully, not a pet and never to forget it. People see wolves are adorable and sweet and forget that they're also powerful predators with different instincts and motivations.
The ending was a little anticlimactic for my level of need to have near death experiences. The first one was better in that regard.
Nitpicks:
They go hiking in fresh deep snow without snowshoes. (No, it couldn't have been plowed given the scenario.) And there are constant POV changes mid-scene, sometimes even the same paragraph.
3.5 stars rounded up because I really like where this series is going.