A great start to a new series, this first book does a good job introducing the crew (and future main characters) as well as a lot of the background of how this 'world' works. Whether or not all of it is realistic was less important to me than whether it looked like an interesting place (it does), if the characters are cute and/or drool-worthy (they are) and if the storyline looks like there will be an overall background story spanning across the series as well as individual romances. After all, we're talking paranormal sci-fi, and how 'realistic' can that be? As long as it stays within the confines of its own rules, I'll be fine and ready to enjoy the rest of the series.

Gigi is a man in need of protection from a stronger mate, a fact that becomes immediately clear. He's survived the horrors of being sold into slavery, has even managed to escape, but needs help if the wants to get away from his former master on a permanent basis. His sense of humor and propensity to get into trouble had me laughing out loud several times.

Remy is a big, badass, ex-special forces guy (only hints about that situation so far) who is just the right man for Gigi. He may not have been looking for a mate, but once he sets eyes on Gigi, he becomes an animal - in the true sense of the word. Luckily, he has some brains to balance his overpowering testosterone levels, so he lets Gigi have a job and a life, rather than just locking him up in his cabin. His ability to step back and let Gigi be a partner was wonderful.

Together, these two are very hot! They also work well as a team in a crisis, even if the immediate need to 'reclaim' each other afterwards was a tad amusing. Since it made for some very hot sex scenes, I'm not going to complain! If you like shifter stories, sci-fi tales, or a combination of the two, and appreciate a hot alpha male taking care of his quirky mate, you will like this book. I did, and definitely look forward to the next one.

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