Reviewed by Nikyta J.

TITLE: Wild Magic

SERIES: Triad, Book 4

AUTHOR: Poppy Dennison

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 108 Pages

BLURB: Joseph Anderson was heartbroken when his childhood best friend Dominick Levent moved away. Years later, Joseph is a successful real estate broker with good friends, an easy smile, and a stunning house. When he finds a dying mountain lion who miraculously shifts into Dominick’s sister, Joseph must find Dominick and reunite him with the two young sons she left behind.

When mountain lion shifter Dominick gets a call telling him his sister is dead, he rushes home to protect his nephews and avenge his sister. Seeing Joseph brings back the feelings Dominick tried to bury and he dares to hope Joseph’s newfound knowledge of shifters means they can finally be together.

REVIEW:

First things first. If you haven’t read the Triad series… well, you seriously need to get your butt in gear and read them because they’re great. Different, intense at times but still has enough soft and sweet moments to make it not too heavy but an engaging read nonetheless.

With Wild Magic, it’s no different. While we aren’t experiencing the wolves as much, we’re taken in a different direction in what’s happened to the surviving mountain lions that no one knew about and the fear that they’re still in danger. For those that have read the Triad series, you’ll know why this is so significant. I loved the fact that we got to see more of the cats but also enjoyed exploring how a human reacts to knowing about shifters.

It was interesting to see the relationship between Dominick and Joseph, who were best friends back when they were teenagers. Unfortunately, Dom had to break off their friendship when he realized he was in danger of spilling his shifter secret to Joseph. When they meet again, Joseph is still hurt by Dom’s sudden withdraw but he’s willing to put aside his feelings for the boys… especially when he still yearns to be in Dom’s arms. This story goes beyond that, however, by eventually bringing both types of shifters together that will ultimately set things to right. Along the way is the possibility of trouble and the fear that Dom might not be enough for his nephews to survive while also exploring a little of Dom and Joseph’s rekindling relationship.

I loved that Joseph was so willing to get Avery and Blake to safety even when he just got the shocking of a lifetime. He’s a sweet, successful and tender man. Dominick is hard to explain. When he hears about what happened to his sister, he’s lost. He has no idea how to raise two little boys and even less of an idea of how to keep them safe. It was obvious to me that he still wanted Joseph so I found his need to protect both the boys and Joseph so adorable. Joseph and Dom together fit perfectly, IMO, because where Dom was nervous and unsure, Joseph gave him a shoulder to lean on and where Joseph was unsure, Dom gave him the strength to figure things out. I just loved these two and Dom’s little nephews! Soooo cute! I had this little “OMG, I KNEW IT!” moment when I realized who Avery and Blake were… it was great and I’m curious if other readers will make the same connection that I did.

I only had two issues with this book. One, I felt like Avery and Blake spoke and acted much older than the ages of six and four. Second, the resolution to the conflict was very anti-climactic to the point that I was left wondering if that was it. Beyond that, I wished the story, in general, had been longer so that some of the scenes and what was glossed over could have been expanded on. I wished there had been a tad more emphasis on the romance because there wasn’t enough to make me really understand their feelings (as there were with the previous couples) but I’d love to know where Joseph and Dominick go from here and to see their actual mating.

In the end, I adored this story just as much as I enjoy all of Ms. Dennison’s books. I’ve always loved this world and I’m happy that we got more of a taste from it but from a cat’s point of view instead. It was definitely interesting and I loved the moment when the connection between the previous Triad books and this one became known. I sincerely hope there’s more to come of this series because I’m not ready yet to let it go!

Nikyta’s Rating: 

BUY LINK: Dreamspinner Press  ::  All Romance eBooks

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Nikyta J. is one of the official reviewers on The Blog of Sid Love.

To read all her reviews, click the link: NIKYTA’S REVIEWS

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