Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Outfoxing their enemies will be a bear of a task.

Fox shifter and aspiring journalist David ends up with a target on his back after hacking the Moreau Initiative, the shifter world’s greatest enemy. But he won’t let that keep him from the campus tour road trip that’ll help him become the next Anderson Cooper… even if his family insists he travel with a grumpy grizzly bear bodyguard.

Buddy Brady is older, sexy, and too damn distracting for David, and as the sexual tension builds, so does the suspicion around the repeated attacks—first in Chicago, then in New York. Someone is tracking them, and all clues point to a traitor in the shifter ranks. Worst of all, they could be after David’s family….

First edition published by Dreamspinner Press, July 2019.

Book Review

This latest installment in the ‘Buddy's Cafe’ series is as entertaining, action-packed, and suspenseful as the first three volumes. Set in a contemporary world where shifters are not known to humans and congregate at certain universities and places where they feel comfortable, the stories are loosely connected but can be read as standalones. ‘Fox Hunt’ features David, a fox shifter who wants to be a journalist, and Buddy, a grizzly bear shifter hired to be his bodyguard after David inadvertently draws the attention of the Moreau Initiative. This group out to experiment on shifters briefly appeared at the end of the previous book, but they grow into full-blown villains now. Watching David and Buddy try to evade them while on a road trip to visit prospective universities for David’s master’s degree was exciting as well as occasionally very funny.

David tells the story in first person, and finding out what was going on in his head was very entertaining. He has the best intentions, but somehow manages to create trouble by the bucketload whatever he does. He isn’t really as self-confident as he pretends to be, so he has a difficult time dealing with criticism – especially from his “perfect” older brother. But David’s determination to be independent and make something of himself is admirable, and giving up, no matter what the opposition, is not in his nature. It also means he tends to ignore danger, so having Buddy along is definitely a good thing!

Buddy may be a physically strong man ideal for bodyguard duty, but he is just as emotionally vulnerable as David. He is somewhat insecure, which emerges only slowly, he thinks he doesn’t stand a chance with David, and his overprotective tendencies actually save his and David’s life more than once. Buddy needs recognition and for someone to see his true self, and being with David slowly pulls him out of his self-protective shell. It was a joy to see David encourage him and Buddy responding to someone who believes he is more than what he looks like.

David and Buddy are extremely attracted to each other from the start – though neither one can believe the other one likes them. The whole bodyguard thing gets in the way of them opening up to each other at first – mostly because David is stubborn and doesn’t want to accept that he really needs Buddy’s protection. But as the danger increases and they get to know each other better, they realize that they work well together and that opening up and admitting their feelings is not a bad thing. It’s a great journey for both of them, and added to the road trip with its interesting scenery, the continuing threats, and the twist around who is behind all the mayhem, this makes for a great read!

If you like realistic shifter worlds with secrets, danger, and a powerful villain, if you think that a wily fox shifter and a somewhat grumpy bear shifter might be a good fit, and if you’re looking for a read that is exciting, action-packed, funny, and very touching, then you will probably like this novel as much as I do. I’ll keep saying it – may there be many more books in this series – and may they be published soon!

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. The first edition of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novel, 239 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	03-May-2022
Price	$3.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Fox-Hunt-Buddys-Cafe-Novel-ebook/dp/B09QK1C3XB