I got bored. And if a giant comet would kill all the characters I would be like 'eh'. ( )

Not the usual KG. Sure enough first 15 or so percent of the book was good, but then it strayed (ha-ha.... that totally makes sense now!) ... so, then ....it strayed into werewolves being green and organic and environment friendly and just.... just... ugh! :/

I was hoping for rough, tough and sexy, but I got this instead

( )

There are quite a few different “shifter worlds” out there, but, as far as I can see, they fall into two basic groups. One is full of what I call “fluffy cuddly” shifters – basically they are humans who can/have to change into some type of animal and may or may not keep a few of the animal characteristics when they are human. There are lots of these around, and I have read and really enjoyed many of them. ‘Stray’, however, is not part of that universe. This book is part of the second group of what I call “rough & gruff” shifters. They are beings who can take human form, but they are much closer to their animal nature than their human part, they have different and separate cultures and behaviors, and often remind me more of aliens in the way I need to approach them – not making any assumptions, but instead learning based on their behavior is essential for understanding them.

Kari Gregg has created a world in this book where lycans have been persecuted, are still mostly segregated and discriminated against, and despite some movement toward equal rights, are still a hunted minority. They live in groups, need touch, and privacy is a foreign concept for them. There are lots of other little details in this story that confirm their different way of living and thinking, and I loved discovering each one. There is mating and bonding, but it is not a “fated” thing, it is as much a matter of choice as it is for humans, albeit driven, initially, by strong lust flaring up into mating heat.

The main character in this story makes things even more interesting. Luke is half human, half lycan, but what is called “human dominant” in this world. It means he presents as a human, mostly, but he is stuck between two worlds: not lycan enough to seamlessly fit into a pack, not human enough to be accepted by any but the most tolerant humans. He has tried living as a human, but the constant need to hide his lycan traits are driving him mad. His attempts to join other packs have been unsuccessful, and he doesn’t want to return to his birth pack. Discovering Dean and his “pack of strays” makes Luke hope that he can fit in with the other “misfits” – who are all lycan – better than somewhere else.

His journey to acceptance, not just by the pack and Dean, but of himself, is fascinating. Luke has learned to see himself as so human that he misses a lot of the hints his lycan half is giving him. Dean’s interest baffles him, but he doesn’t get (or trust) that Dean might be interested in more than a few weeks of lust-driven fun. It takes Luke a while, and his friends’ help, to realize what is actually going on, and I loved sharing that journey of discovery with him.

If you like unusual shifter stories that focus more on the cross-cultural aspect of a relationship than major plot twists and turns, if you want to know more about a half human lycan who tries to figure out where he belongs in a new pack, and if you’re looking for a read that is character-driven and contains more than one scene of lusty bedplay (and knotting!), then you will probably like this novella.


NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )

25% into the book and it has *all* been exposition. Incredibly boring. ( )