Story Rating: 4.25 stars
Audio Rating: 4.5 stars
Narrator: Gary Furlong
Length: 6 hours, 54 minutes
Audiobook Buy Links: Amazon/Audible | iBooks
Book Buy Links: Amazon | iBooks
Jason Reaves is woken in the dead of night to someone setting his house on fire and he barely escapes with his most prized possessions and his service dog, Mouse. Now in dire straits, Jason opens an envelope his deceased father left for emergencies and finds he has a place to go and a promise of marriage from a Duke Everard. Though Jason never knew the man existed, he calls in the debt hoping for safety and protection.
Cormac Donegan, Duke of Everard, has been sidelined since the night the prince, his fiancé, was killed. Cormac’s usual shifter healing has not kicked in the way it was supposed to and he still suffers the effects of that fateful night a year ago. When a sassy, and unwell, human shows up at his door, several things become apparent: Jason is a human who has no idea the shifter world exists, someone is trying to kill the man, and Cormac needs to honor the promise his own father made in order to keep Jason safe.
As the weeks progress, Cormac is both trying to find out who is after Jason, as well as perform his service to the king in sorting out the mystery surrounding the prince’s death. He also fully intends to marry Jason and bring the man into the shifter world. But the more the two men get to know each other, the clearer it becomes that they are right for each other. Affection and attraction turn to more, but before Cormac can reveal the truth, Jason is attacked and he’s brought crashing into the shifter reality.
Cormac is still determined to keep Jason safe, and Jason takes the news rather well. As more clues are revealed, other truths become clear and the mystery unfolds further. But through it all, the two men find a love that will last, even if the danger isn’t over.
Dangerous is the second book in the Shifter Scoundrels series by Charlie Cochet and Macy Blake, and it’s best read in order. Most of this book deals with the relationship between the two MCs and only a little progress is made in the overarching plot. It also has a concurrent timeline with the first book, Notorious, though it eventually catches up to the end of the first story where readers were introduced to the Cormac, Jason, and Jason’s dog Mouse.
The characters are where this book shines for me, as both Cormac and Jason are endearing in their own way. They are also both facing their own disabilities, with Cormac still suffering physically and Jason living with POTS. I thought the authors did a pretty good job with showcasing these disabilities, in particular the POTS. Neither character is defined by their issues, but it is part of the whole that makes them up. They also have a lovely grumpy/sunshine dynamic. Cormac is irritable and short at times, but he has a softer center. Jason is strong and can stand on his own, but he has a perpetually positive outlook that brings humor and fun to their interactions. I really liked them both, and loved the chemistry between them. Their romance is gentle and sweet, but with enough heat to keep things moving. I enjoyed them together a great deal, and loved the way they played off one another.
On the whole, I found this book was easier to fall into for me than the first, probably because all the groundwork was already laid. The mix of historical feel and contemporary world is a little more prevalent here and, as a reader, I was already primed for the world building. I was hoping for more advancement of the murder mystery plot, but ultimately the clues revealed only push that storyline slightly forward. There is still much we don’t know here, which works well for the upcoming book. However, I found myself a little underwhelmed with that side of things, as I had hoped for more progress here in this story.
Gary Furlong continues to narrate the series and listening to his performance of the book elevates the story for me. His narration is spot on for the most part, bringing the right emotion to each scene. The characters are unique and consistent, both throughout the book and the series. I will say that I was thrown off at first by Furlong’s choice of accent for Cormac, given his name and the heritage that implies. But really, it’s a small quibble in the grand scheme of things. Furlong does a great job, which makes listening to this series a joy.
If you’re a fan of these authors, shifter stories in general, or an interesting twist to world building, along with great characters, then definitely give this series a try. I especially recommend it in audio.
