Synopsis:

Leonas is a cranky panther shifter set in his ways. He handles security for an exclusive brothel and takes the safety of the staff at The Twig and Berries seriously, to the extent of sacrificing his personal life in favor of work.

When the young vampire messenger Jeno shows up with heart eyes and disturbing news, Leonas is taken aback. Who is this curious youth and why is he hitting on Leonas of all people? More importantly, when is he leaving? Because Leonas has no time for romance.

Though Jeno is running from a dark past, he can’t help but to stop in his tracks for Leonas. The grumpy cat shifter might be prickly on the outside, but inside? Well, Leonas is prickly there too. He needs someone like Jeno to escape the lonely trap of his own making.

Will Jeno escape the snare of Hungary’s notorious opium slingers? Can Leonas break the chains of his past? Together, they stand a chance, but suffering alone is all they’ve ever known.

Thank you to Gay Romance Reviews for an eARC of this title.

I have discovered that I really enjoy low stakes fantasy romances and this was no exception. I really loved reading about Leonas and Jeno and their relationship. There wasn’t a lot wrong with this book, it was light and fun, and sweet in all the right places. There was a bit of a mystery and tension between the characters as their histories and feelings clashed, but it was more soft and sweet than anything. I liked seeing Leonas struggle with his feelings for Jeno and see how the two worked to have a relationship even with their differences.

I would definitely want to read the other books in this series. I really liked how it was a low stakes story that took place in a cool fantasy world. It’s definitely a world that I want to know more about. I really enjoyed the all the little hints of lore and world building. I’m not someone that needs tons of world building in a story if the plot doesn’t focus on the world building or things going on outside of the characters relationships.

Overall, this book was really fun and I would definitely read more in the series. This is the second book I’ve read from Lee Colgin and I would absolutely be reading more in the future.

Rating: 4/5 stars