Stephen Jurgens has always gone his own way, both professionally and personally. Disowned as a child by parents who did not approve of his gifts, Stephen struck out on his own and, along the way, became a highly sought-after psychic. Between his own private clients and the consulting work he does for Revelations, business has never been better. If only his love life was meeting with as much success. Despite his efforts to reach out and enjoy the dating scene, his heart remains drawn to only one man—Maddox Blackwood.
Alpha of the Pontiac wolf pack, Maddox Blackwood is the only man Stephen has ever met who has the power to destroy him. Their initial meeting led to a rejection of epic proportions that left Stephen wary of any kind of romantic entanglement. Now, eight years later, Maddox is back and ready to claim Stephen as his own, as he should have done all those years ago. The only question is, can Stephen find it in himself to forgive the past and accept the future Maddox is offering?
All thoughts of mating are put on the back burner when Revelations receives a call for help from a local cougar pride. People are dying, but are their deaths as mundane as they appear or is something more nefarious plaguing the Pride lands? With their investigation underway, Stephen and his team soon discover that things aren’t always what they seem, and just because you don’t see something, doesn’t mean it isn’t hunting you.
Stephen was an interesting character, and I really enjoyed him in the beginning of this story. Smart, articulate, and fine being on his own, after he was heart-broken a few years prior, he has made a name for himself, and is highly sought after as a medium.
I enjoyed learning about his gifts, his past, and how he interacted with the other characters. I found him to be fierce in his own right, even if he isn’t a shapeshifter.
What threw me about him was his behaviour once Maddox got under his skin. His personality kind of transformed into someone insecure and needy. I didn’t like that change in him. It didn’t appear to be hidden in the beginning of the story, and drawn out of him; it sort of developed through Maddox’s persistence, and didn’t mesh with what I had learned about him already. I was not a fan of that change, and I’m somewhat disappointed in it. I would have been fine if he only submitted in the bedroom, but the way he behaved in general, after the first sex scene, sent me mixed messages about him.
Maddox was a typical growly Alpha. He was of course, sexy. Growly = sexy ya see. But with the age difference and the fact that Stephen said “No”, the stalking lost some of its sex appeal for me.
I also had a slight issue with the dirty talk. It wasn’t so much dirty talk as a full conversation, which drew out the sex a little too much. I’m okay with long sex scenes, but they are a real balancing act. Too much dialogue and it becomes unrealistic and boring. This was the case a few times during their love making. I wanted them both to stfu and just finish so I could move back to the plot. That is not a good feeling for me during an erotic-romance. I want the sex as much as the plot, but for this story, the sex didn’t really hold my attention.
I really enjoyed the development of Stephen’s other gifts, and the overall plot. It was somewhat consistent, and the supporting characters worked well together. I wanted to know the side characters more, and hope that this series gives these characters a chance to shine.
A few inconsistencies had me lost. The blurb says Stephen was rejected by Maddox eight years ago, and makes it sound like this is the reason he won’t go back for more, but that is not the case. Or at least not what I got from the story.
Stephen was burned by another shifter 2 or 3 years prior, and that is why he doesn’t trust the term “Mate”. It was used against him by the previous boyfriend and so he has little faith when Maddox comes along, even though he feels the pull. There is a very large age-gap between Maddox and Stephen, Maddox being younger, and so Stephen has even less trust in his maturity, and his sincerity. I was a little lost because of these inconsistencies, but it wasn’t enough to ruin the enjoyment of the story.
Magic isn’t really my thing. Neither are psychic’s or ghosts, but this was put together in a really well thought out way. I haven’t read the first book in this series, but I am considering it after this one. I think this is a solid read, and I’m interested to see where this cast of characters started, and where this series is heading.
Recommended to fans of paranormal, supernatural, and magic urban fantasy stories. There are Shifters, demons, and of course, a Psychic as the hero.
A review copy was provided in exchange an honest review.
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