Alpha
Unit One, New York
Author: Chris T. Kat
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
American
release date: July 27, 2018
Format/Genre/Length: eBook/m/m/paranormal/181 pages
Overall
Personal Rating: ★★★★★
In a world in which humans and shifters have learned to live
together in comparative harmony, there are still some shifters who find
themselves subjected to an assortment of restrictions. Namely, small shifters and baby shifters. Small
shifters are looked down upon as unequal to their larger counterparts. Baby shifters are those who, unlike the
majority of shifters, become the immature version of their animals, even though
as humans they are adults. Baby shifters are forced to endure having their
spouses as their legal guardians, and they are forbidden from doing anything
too difficult or too dangerous. Such —as police work.
Nicholas Reed has just joined a combo human/shifter unit in
New York City known as Alpha Unit One, which specializes in drug crimes. However
Nick has a secret – he isn’t the human he pretends to be, he’s a shifter. Not
just any shifter, but a baby shifter, becoming a snow leopard cub in his animal
form. To keep his secret, he douses himself with cologne to cover the faint
trace of shifter he bears. He doesn’t feel as though he is any less than any of
his team members. As far as he is concerned, he’s doing what he has to do.
Sam Black is the head of Alpha Unit One, and a lion shifter.
Burned by a previous relationship by a guy who pretended to love him but only
wanted to use him, he is leery of new entanglements, and of humans posing as
shifters. Complications arise when he finds himself attracted to the new hire,
Nick. The attraction is mutual and strong. Nicky is fearful of his secret
coming out, but he can’t withstand the pull of his mate. Can he trust Sam with
his secret, and trust that Sam will allow him to continue to do the job that he
loves? Or is he putting his future as a cop in jeopardy?
Alpha Unit One is
hopefully the first in a new series by Chris T. Kat. I am a huge fan of Ms.
Kat’s books, and love to read them. She especially excels in m/m romances, and
one of her specialties is dealing with shifter stories. This book is no exception
to that rule. It’s obvious to me that she understand humans and animals, and I
love the way she draws her characters, especially the wise-cracking seme
(bottom or catcher) who engages in witty repartee with the more mature, solid
seme (top or pitcher). With this book,
she is delving into territory I’ve not seen before. Namely having shifters who
become the baby form of their animals. It’s an original idea and very
imaginative.
Besides Sam and Nick, the unit is populated with some very
memorable characters. One of my favorites is Roland, a wolf shifter who is
still suffering from the death of his wife, and Annie, the feisty tough shifter
who is married to a human, Jake, whom she madly loves.
Ms. Kat does characters very well, and brings them to life
as being imperfect and human. The story is about a group of cops, and it does
delve into their work, but mostly it is about the cops themselves. The police
procedural part of the story is interesting, and will keep you on the edge of
your seat wondering how they are going to make it out alive sometimes.
As far as the heat goes, there is a lot of it, and a lot of
love and romance. If graphic romance is not your thing, I would suggest a pass
on this book. But if you like hot guys who love each other and appreciate each
other’s bodies, if you like to read about shifters and especially shifters who
are different, and if you enjoy a feel-good romance, then this might just be
the book for you. I know there is a second book in this series, and I eagerly
await its publication.
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