This book was first published in 2011 (same year the US last launched humans to space), and it shows. And yet, the promise pulled me past clumbsy sentences and sometimes confusing paragraphing, and even repetition, which I usually can't stand, to read the whole thing. It cries out for a thorough edit, and yet may not withstand that. But here's the thing. I started reading the kindle sample of book 2, A Boy and His Dragon, and that one shows technical improvement (at least at the beginning). Had I not done that, had I only started this one, I might have given up on the series.

But I did. So I will read the next one, at least.

I wrote this earlier:

...Oh my goodness, the end of Chapter 5. Oh, oh, oh.
If this subgenre's your jam, know this one's good points out-shown the bad for me.

3,6 stars

This was pretty much exactly what I was looking for: short, sweet, entertaining, and without much substance. A fair assessment would be: I enjoyed it, but it wasn't anything special. Might pick something else in the series, down the line. ( )

Werewolf cop, with a Siren? Mermaid? partner. And a half-fairy love interest, not that he's admitting it. The problem is that the story wouldn't be all that different if there wasn't any magic involved - it's basically the love interests making assumptions and misunderstanding each other (a trope I greatly dislike). It's rather explicit (more than I like), and a M/M romance. Mildly interesting world, not a lot of detail (well, it's only one book). I wouldn't mind reading more by Cooper, but not excited. ( )

I really liked the world building (and I have a whole new series to read now yay!!)
Cal and Ray were so frustrating and so cute.
Overall this book was just adorable! ( )

Prejudice is a very human thing – or so I thought until I read this book. R. Cooper has built an intriguing supernatural world, in which “Beings” of all types have come out and are now more or less integrated into human society. They have faced prejudice against them with varying degrees of success, and you’d think they wouldn’t have the same issues within their society. You’d be wrong. Part of what I found so interesting about this world is the fact each species has it own society, and doesn’t always know a lot about the others. Take werewolves, for example. They have their rules and ways of doing things including Mating for life. Then there are fairies, who live a totally different existence, and are all about the pursuit of happiness. According to Ray, the narrator and one of the main characters in this heart-wrenching love story, that means fairies cannot be faithful, nor do they have lasting relationships. As it turns out, that is not entirely true, and Ray’s prejudice almost costs him everything he wants most.

Ray is the epitome of a werewolf. Big, strong, growly, and convinced he knows best. He is controlled at all times, because losing it could cost lives. He has faced human prejudice and is a successful police detective, but his own view of the world is not as open and tolerant as you might expect. The truth about his beliefs emerges only slowly, through his interactions and attempts to solve a particularly complicated series of murders that may or may not be connected. This is very well done, and I loved the gradual reveal of his back story with Cal. All of his sensory perceptions, centered around smell, fascinated me as much as the way he thinks. Or doesn’t think, as the case may be.

Cal is a half fairy and an extremely fun character. He lives off sweets, is always happy, and tries to make others happy as well. He surprises Ray with his tenaciousness and dedication to solving the cases, and his insights are spot on. The entire fairy society in this world is one I have not seen described like this before and I want to know more! Cal’s attempts at seducing Ray are fun to watch, and his ability to intuitively understand others (a skill Ray lacks) come in very handy.

If you like stories about unusual supernatural beings, if a werewolf who thinks he knows everything and has to learn to set aside his prejudice sounds like an interesting character, and if you like mysteries who are as hot as they are full of suspense, then you will probably enjoy this novel. I wish it were longer and cannot wait to return to this world in the next volume of this series! ( )