Rating: 3 stars
Buy Link:  Amazon
Length: Novella

Raven has had a difficult and painful life, but the two things he values most are the two things that keep him going. Raven raised Storm as his own after his parents were murdered. They have been all each other have had for centuries, but now Raven has more. He’s finally found his mate.

Raven has been in love with his mate, Cale, since he met him ten years ago. But back then, Cale came to the pack severely damaged and looking for protection from his abusive pack. So Raven vowed then to give Cale time to heal before he claimed his mate and, in the meantime, Raven would get to know him and become his friend.

Ten years ago, Cale knew he’d met his mate, but he wasn’t in the right frame of mind to have a mate at the time. Over the years, Cale has noticed the close relationship between Raven and Storm and has come to the conclusion that if his mate didn’t want him, at least he could be happy with someone else.

When Raven finally decides to claim his mate, misunderstandings lead to hurt and Raven walks away confused and broken. Once Storm explains the father/son relationship he and Raven share to him, Cale immediately realizes his mistake and wants nothing more than to find Raven and apologize. But it may be too late. An old enemy of Raven’s has resurfaced and is threatening not only the bond between Raven and Cale, but now their lives are now in danger as well.

Raven’s Dream is the second book in Kam Miller’s Portland Pack series.  These books are best read in order to completely understand the characters and the events leading up to this story. I read the first book in this series and I liked it. I really wanted to like this story more, but I had found too many problems with the book as a whole.

As with book one, the characters in this book are very likable, but in this story I didn’t feel much of a connection to them. They are both mentally strong characters. Raven is patient and understanding. He’s supportive and loving of all that he considers family. He’s strong and protective. He’s a good balance to Cale. Cale remains fearful of permanence. At first, the mating scares him, so he sees a relationship between Raven and Storm that isn’t there. His confidence is shot, but he’s stronger than he sees himself. His past is horrific, yet he saved himself and his best friend. He has learned to overcome. And although I do like the characters, I just felt that there was something missing.

The world that Miller began creating in Liam’s Happiness continues its progression in this book. It’s a good world. One of a variety of shifters – not only wolves. One of secret vendettas between packs. One of wars between shifters that humans never know about. It’s a secret world of hope, love, support, and safety. It’s a good world that I’ve enjoyed delving into.

So, on to the book’s downfalls. I found this storyline to be just okay. The sex scenes are way over the top and most are gratuitous. The dialogue is cheesy, unbelievable, and somewhat irritating after a while. And the major conflict isn’t really resolved by the end, leaving more questions than answers that may be resolved in the coming installments of this series.

But my biggest problem with this story is in the telling. And that’s just it; this story is all telling and no showing. I did this…he did that…then I did that and he did this. After a while it was just frustrating and difficult to read. It was a decent story, but it could have been an even better story with more detail and “showing.”

In the end, Raven’s Dream is just an okay story that could have used more…just more. Like I said before, I liked the first installment in this series, so I don’t think I’m going to write it off just yet, but this is not a book I plan on re-reading.