This is a great shifter book, one of those where the actual nature of the animals, their behaviors and preferences, come through to the time the characters spend as humans. Besides being more consistent with what I personally happen to believe would be the case if there were shifters, it enriches the story by adding another level to the people as well as the plotline.

Sam is one of those guys who has never had an easy life, starting with growing up as a cat shifter amongst werewolves. He has no idea how to get out of the mess he has landed himself in since he left home. The friendship with Gus is just one of the many ‘weirdnesses’ in Sam's life and when it grows into attraction and more, his first response is to deny it. Of course, that leads to disaster.

Gus has had it easier, since he always fit into the werewolf pack on a physical level, but his lack of feeling at home is almost as acute as Sam's, it's just easier for him to deny. It does show up in what he does: traveling all over the world to dig for gems means he is away from the bigoted pack most of his time. He also denies his attraction to Sam - with dire consequences.

The story comes in two halves, really. Initially we get to know the pack, Sam and Gus's back story and how they end up where they are. The second half then shows how they live with the consequences - and let me tell you, some of that is hair raising. The tension kept me on the edge of my seat and, while the torture Sam had to endure was horrible, it also showed how strong he really is.

If you like shifter stories where the 'animal nature' is a part of the deeper character psychology rather than a bolt-on, if you like mysteries and finding out what has been going on behind the scenes, and if you like tension and suspense, don't miss this one!


NOTE: This book was provided by Torquere Press for the purpose of a review on Queer Magazine Online. ( )

This is a great shifter book, one of those where the actual nature of the animals, their behaviors and preferences, are present even while the characters are in human form. Besides being more consistent with what I personally happen to believe would be the case if there were shifters, it enriches the story by adding another level to the people as well as the plot. And just as an aside, it made reading this second edition just as much fun for me as the original version.

Sam is one of those guys who has never had an easy life, starting with growing up as a cat shifter amongst werewolves. He has no idea how to get out of the mess he has landed himself in since he left home. The friendship with Gus is just one of the many ‘weirdnesses’ in Sam's life and when it grows into attraction and more, his first response is to deny it. Of course, that leads to disaster.

Gus has had it easier, since he always fit in to the werewolf pack on a physical level, but his lack of feeling at home is almost as acute as Sam's – it's just easier for him to deny. It does show up in what he does: traveling all over the world to dig for gems means he is away from the bigoted pack most of his time. He also denies his attraction to Sam - with dire consequences.

The story comes in two halves, really. Initially I got to know the pack, Sam and Gus's back story, and how they end up where they are. The second half then shows how they live with the consequences - and let me tell you, some of that is hair raising. The tension kept me on the edge of my seat and, while the torture Sam had to endure was horrible, it also showed how strong he really is.

If you like shifter stories where the “animal nature” is a part of the deeper character psychology rather than a bolt-on, if you like mysteries and finding out what has been going on behind the scenes, and if you like tension and suspense, don't miss this one!


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )

An ARe Cafe top pick!

Just Like Cats and Dogs had a really good baseline. Sam is a feline shifter who was “adopted” by a wolf shifter. While many wolves in the pack accept Sam and his eccentric family (his father and mother also adopted 18 or so other strays) Sam is never really a part of the pack. During gatherings he is locked in a room for “his own safety”. Gus was Sam’s best friend’s older brother who enjoyed tormenting him often. The problem is now they are both grown up that torment has turned into lust…but obviously cats and dogs can’t mate, right?

There were some excellent steamy bedroom scenes. I mean truly erotic and spicy. Tortuga had the perfect blend of blush worthy details, while still not being too descriptive to cause the readers to skim over the detailed parts. It was a treat! The only thing that caused me to pause was the amount of times Sam and Gus called each other Puss and Puppy. It was almost every three sentences or so. It was reminiscent of a certain BDSM book I read where it was always the “young sub” and “older Dom” each time they came together. Besides that I adored them figuring out whether or not they had a relationship, and the hard part halfway through the book when Sam got kidnapped. There are also some great sibling scenes as well as more sweet and tender moments for Gus and Sam while Sam is healing. The author is really good at letting the readers know what type of torture Sam went through without being too detailed and turning the readers’ stomachs. It was just enough spice to add to a great bedroom read. ( )

I enjoyed this one. I loved Sam to pieces and him and Gus were smokin' hot together. I liked how their animal aspects fell over into their human lives (Sam's apartment is a great example!).

Recommended to fans of shifter books. ( )