Gideon Wells has been cast out of his bear shifter clan for being a curse, and he’s inclined to believe they’re right. After all, everything from fertility rates to shifting abilities have gone down the tube since he was born. Then when his car catches fire and mutant scorpions—he thinks they’re mutants, anyway—almost get him, he’s more certain than ever that he’s bad news.
Not that he’s just going to roll over and die.
Ignoring a prophecy might not be wise, but coyote shifter Miller Hudson has seen and heard too many false prophecies to put any faith in the one proclaiming him to be the alpha and, along with a mystery bear mate, the saviour of the now-defunct coyote den he grew up in. Besides, there’s no need for the den to be brought back together. None of them can shift, so what’s the point?
Then the buzzards circling overhead on the far edge of his property lead him to the very last thing he ever expected to find.
Reader Advisory: This book contains references to and threats of assault and rape, scenes of fisting and mild BDSM.
I love a unique shifter story, something beyond getting a sniff of a life mate, some drama, some soul bonding sex and HEA. I also love a Bailey Bradford story so I was a lucky unicorn when this came through. I love the setup for Off Course; A faulty bear shifter, Gideon who gets the boot from his clan and Miller, a coyote shifter who can’t shift and who is without a den. There are no obvious alpha males here and characters are not what you would expect from their appearances. I love that. Gideon is a hot mess. The poor bear can shift, but he has absolutely no self-confidence and the other super shifter powers one would expect like heightened senses are lost for him. His clan blames him for so many things and he ends up out on his own, driving through the desert in his POS car just looking for a place to land. He’s unlucky in his bear-ness and he’s unlucky in love. He’s a big guy, he’s a bear in just about every sense and his appearance comes with certain expectations that just aren’t him. He floats from bed to bed, just trying to convince himself that he is loved.
Miller is a diminutive badass. He’s a natural born leader, but he’s got no den to lead. And frankly, the idea of leading his family and friends and possibly failing is scary as hell for him. His den has disbanded, none of them can shift anymore, but they are all still close and care for one another very much. They are still an extended, if unorganized family of sorts. There’s a prophecy though and the arrival of Gideon gives the disbanded den some cautious hope. Miller’s mom is his champion and the connection with the “old ways”. She helped steer the men and give them encouragement when it was needed. All of which was done in a mama badass way that totally worked. I loved her character and their relationship.
This definitely felt read like a “beginning of a series book”. I’m hoping there will be more info on Gideon’s past coming. It wasn’t like there were unanswered questions, I just feel like I need to know more about him and his perspective for him to become a fully fleshed out character. One of my favorite things about Bailey Bradford books is the connection between the MC’s and the connection between Gideon and Miller took some time to develop. It made sense given Gideon’s past, but I didn’t get a true sense of him until about half way though and I want more of him. If his past comes looking for him and he has his new strength and confidence to help him deal, it would be a major win.
Off course doesn’t end on a cliffhanger necessarily, but everything is a long way from being solved and resolved which was totally fine by me because I plan on reading the next one for my Gideon. He and Miller are seriously hot together and if you are a fan of expected roles being turned around, this one will be a win for you. It certainly was for me!
Check out more about Off Course over on Goodreads!
****A copy of this story was provided for an honest review****
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