Reviewed by Marieke
TITLE: Secret Energy
SERIES: Shifters
AUTHOR: Chris T. Kat
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 274 pages
BLURB:
When wolf shifter Robin agreed to cover for his older brother Tim and Tim’s lover Jay, he never imagined feeling so stifled. Tim’s overprotective attitude suffocates him. Pressure from within—the urge to find his own mate—mounts daily. With a little help from Jay, Robin finally convinces Tim to let him go for a run alone, but he has no inkling that his life will change forever as a result.
Unexpectedly, he finds his mate Peter Brannigan, an old and special soul, and the one shifter who can bring balance to Robin’s life. The new couple spend days together, developing their bond as mates. Yet even as they explore and cement their relationship, crisis looms just ahead when an old enemy of the pack shows up and kills someone Robin loves.
REVIEW:
This was the second book in this series, and I absolutely loved the first one. That’s why I really wanted to read this one. I was hoping for another tear jerking story, because the first one did give me wet eyes.
There were, however, not as many tear-inducing scenes. There was a lot more action in this one, though. There were moments that had me really scared and afraid to read on.
Robin is a bit of a brat, acting immature at times, even if he means well. But then again, he IS very young. Tim, from the previous book, is a very overprotective brother. Of course, that is very understandable, but so not the way to handle a nineteen year old. If you tell them they can’t do something, you can be sure that is exactly what they will do. And so, Robin does everything Tim, Jay, and later his mate, tell him not to.
Peter is old, very very old. He doesn’t look old of course, but he’s more than a century older than Robin. It makes him talk old fashioned and act it too. It is a part of his charm, and I love that about him. What I do not like is, his cold and a bit demeaning. He acts as if he knows best, even if he’s turned quite cold and aloof from other people.
When Jay’s father dies, the story turns dark. It’s the one moment I did have trouble keeping my eyes dry. The way Jay reacts though, kind of feels wrong for me. They say a true mate is forever, yet Jay almost breaks the bond. It also feels as if he doesn’t feel consoled or comforted by his mate.
Jay’s can’t deal with the grief and lashes out at everyone. Not just once, but a whole lot. That turned me off a bit, even if it was very understandable; it made the story less enjoyable for me. Took away the focus from Peter and Robin. When they stay at the safe place with the bear-shifter’s clan, he really made angry.
This book felt completely different than the first one, which isn’t bad, yet it took me a while to come to terms with it. It did make me feel a whole lot of emotions, and I guess that’s a good thing in a book––even if they were not all pleasant. I do hope there will be a next story in this series, there were more bear-shifters I want to get to know.
RATING: 
(more like 3.75 stars)
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