StalkingBuffaloBillRating: 4.5 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel


Donnie is a young coyote shifter working as a barista. He’s sweet and kind…and maybe a little hyper. Donnie also has a crush on a handsome man that comes to the café every day, ordering the same drink and sitting in the same spot by the fireplace.

For all intents and purposes, William is a buffalo shifter and a professor at the shifter-friendly university in town. However William (never Bill!) has a past that’s come back to haunt him. William tries very hard to stay away from Donnie, trying to protect the younger man, but Donnie has other plans.

Soon, it becomes clear to William that Donnie’s not going to back off, and the threat must be eliminated. So, the men will have to work together (along with a few of Donnie’s friends) to save each other. However, even if they can do that, is it enough to prove they can build a life together when everything settles down?

challenge month 2017 copyI chose Stalking Buffalo Bill for the New To Me Author Week in our Reading Challenge Month because…well…I’ve not read any books from J. Leigh Bailey, and I have a genuine love of shifters. We’ve all read wolves and bears, but when’s the last time we’ve seen a buffalo? I was intrigued. I also like stories about former undercover agents, and the May/December trope is a favorite of mine as well. When I read the blurb, I knew I had to give this one a try. I was not disappointed.

First, I want to start by talking about Donnie and William. From the first page, Donnie took a place in my heart. He was adorable, and I was crazy about how much he liked William. I could picture him making goo goo eyes at William from across the room, and it made me smile. I liked William right off the bat as well. I have a thing for grumpy bearded guys. The chemistry between Donnie and William was obvious…and hilarious. These two gave me quite a few laugh out loud moments. They were already charming and sexy, and the humor took it to a whole new level.

The mystery/intrigue plot was well written and well thought out. I admit I had to go back and reread a passage or two because I felt like I missed something, but that wasn’t a problem for me at all. It was exciting, and I was completely caught up in it. The pacing was fast, but I didn’t get overwhelmed by it. I was pleased at how it all tied up. Imagine a field full of coyotes (including one who does a mean hyena call), a few bears, some birds of prey, and even a bobcat. Now, imagine you’re a bad guy surrounded by all these animals. Frankly, it was awesome!

There were plenty of background characters in the story. Some played a bigger role, like Ford, who worked at the café with Donnie. Others were small, but they all fit where they were supposed to, and they enhanced the storytelling. Never did I feel like too much attention was being paid to a lesser character.

I’m going to give a brief mention of the sex. As I said, Donnie and William had a great chemistry. The sex scenes were outstanding. In fact, even though they were pretty explicit, they were always sweet and romantic. Here is my favorite example.

I lay back against the pillow and beckoned him to me. He braced himself over me, taking his time kissing me, tracing my face, nuzzling my neck. Worshipping me. No one had ever made me feel special like this before. He watched me, my reactions, as if every shiver, every shudder was important to him.

I was drowning in a cloud of his tenderness and adoration. When his lube-slick fingers pressed between my asscheeks, I sighed and arched into the touch. He sealed his mouth to mine, the fierce, hungry kiss dulling my senses even more. I was floating on instinct, on an inherent drive to be one with William. It wasn’t about sex or lust or orgasm. It was about connection and love.

See? It still gives me goose bumps.

The book wrapped up nicely. I was frustrated for about five minutes, but the payoff was SO worth it. If I thought the sex scenes were romantic…whew! I’m not going to give it away, but I will say William was watching Donnie as much as Donnie had been watching him. Sigh…

I am very happy I chose this book. I am also going to guarantee I’ll read other books this author has written as well. My big hope is this will be the start of a series. The blurb on Amazon says “A Shifter U Tale”, so…fingers crossed. I highly recommend this one.

This review is part of our Reading Challenge Month for New to Me Author Week! Leave a relevant comment below and you will be entered to win a fabulous prize from Riptide Publishing. One winner will win a set of Advanced Review Copies before the books are released (or if it is a non-U.S. winner, an electronic copy of the books upon release). Commenters will also be entered to win our amazing grand prize sponsored by Dreamspinner Press (a loaded Kindle fire filled with DSP books!). You can get more information on our Challenge Month here, and more details on New to Me Author Week here. And be sure to check out our prize post for more details about the awesome prizes!

A review copy of this book was provided by Dreamspinner Press.

kenna sig