3.25 out of 5 stars
E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 2nd edition, 261 pages. Published August 12th 2019 by Self-Published (first published December 26th 2014)
Blurb:
A snowstorm in the South—on New Year’s Eve—is a perfect recipe for a catastrophe. After two soul-crushing bad breaks, Kirk’s waiting for disaster number three to strike when, naturally, two stray cats arrive on his doorstep during the storm and decide to make themselves at home. Tenderhearted Kirk lets them stay even though there’s something decidedly odd about his overly friendly felines.
Out of the punishing weather and full of tuna, Dolf and Tal are happy to be snug in Kirk’s house. But then their human goes outside for firewood and suffers a nasty fall that leaves him unconscious. Now the two cats have no choice but to reveal themselves.
Kirk wakes up to find the two kitties are actually Dolf and Tal. They’re cat shifters—and his destined mates. Being part of a feline threesome is enough for Kirk to grapple with, but soon he learns they come from a clowder that doesn’t believe humans and shifters should mix. Kirk knew those two cats would be trouble. Little does he know the real trouble lies ahead.
Likes:
- The triad was well balanced.
- Hot smut.
- Cat shifters.
- Inclusion and prejudices were one of the book’s central themes.
- Lots of single men for future books.
- Kink and fetishes.
- Some intensity in the plot near the end.
Dislikes:
- Non-romantic subplot didn’t start until halfway through the book.
- Foot fetish mentioned once and then never brought up again.
- Lots of time covered in only a few paragraphs.
- Info dumping about cat shifter society.
- Not enough small moments of falling in love.
- No reason given for Dolf and Tal’s names.
- Tal starting the mating process without asking permission.
- Not much backstory on any of the characters.
- Change in tense between the men’s point of view chapters.
This book feels like a first novel. It has that ‘still figuring things out, rough around the edges’ feel of an author who isn’t hasn’t fully mastered seamless plots yet. It’s not M.A. Church’s first novel, but it is relatively early in her career. That’s not a pass. Honestly, I think the book could be structured better. I’ve felt that was about many of Dreamspinner Press’s books over the years, and even though this book has been republished on Kindle Unlimited, there’s a disclaimer under the blurb that says it’s the same exact text as back in 2014.
That being said, the romance is fun. This was a reread for me, and I picked up again because more books in the series have come out in the years since I first read it. I didn’t remember much about the book, other than that the romance is between three men. I thought that the interplay between the threesome was well done. They are each likeable and unique, add to the relationship in important ways, and fit together well.
The smut definitely stands out as one of the book’s best features. There are a number of sex scenes that are both hot as hell and add to the story and relationship. Kirk is the perfect addition to Tal and Dolf, who are an established couple. Kirk is kinky and versatile, which fills a need for both Tal and Dolf. I did notice that Kirk’s foot fetish was brought up in the beginning and then never mentioned again.
I wasn’t happy with the fact that Tal started the mating process without Kirk’s permission. I understand Tal’s excuse, and realize that having the mating happen so early in the book drives the entire plot. But I’m a big fan of consent. It was also strange to get more than two-thirds of the way into the book, when the men are mated and living together, and have them realize they’re falling in love. While I think that doing things in the wrong order can be a unique way to spice up a romance, it didn’t quite work for me here.
I also didn’t love the amount of info dumping in the book. Because the mating is so sudden, Tal and Dolf have to fill Kirk in about all aspects of cat shifter life and society. It’s still info dumping if it’s dialogue. This is where I think things could have been structured better. The story takes off towards the romance at the detriment of things like world building and defining the characters. I know surprisingly little about any of the men beyond their jobs, Dolf’s family, and what they like in bed. I don’t even know where Dolfoon and Talise’s names come from.
The first half of the book is focused solely on the romance and introducing Kirk to the clowder. Lots of time is covered, with gaps summed up in a few paragraphs. The buildup towards the ‘I love you’ moment felt choppy. The non-romantic plot didn’t start until halfway through the book, and definitely made the book more interesting. There was some nice intensity near the end.
It was nice to see cat shifters instead of the typical werewolves. As a cat owner, I have to say that the descriptions of the cats were spot on. I also liked that Kirk got some benefits of being mated to Tal and Dolf, despite not being able to turn into a shifter himself. And I have to give props to M.A. Church for making one of the book’s central issues one of inclusion.
My final gripe about the book is that Kirk’s chapters are told from first person point of view, whereas Dolf and Tal’s chapters are from the third person. It was a weird choice. Not only was it annoying to keep flipflopping, but it made Kirk seem much more open and accessible to the reader. Which, in a book about equality between a triad of men, didn’t make sense.
Overall, while I enjoyed this book, it lacked depth and polish. If I had picked it up after reading something with amazing world building and unforgettable characters, I would have felt massively disappointed.
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