Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Under His Embrace

SERIES: Hybrid Heat #5

AUTHOR: Kiki Burrelli

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 192 pages

RELEASE DATE: September 14, 2018

BLURB:

Can three broken men feel whole again?

Inexperienced alpha, Fritz knows he is called to protect Link. The fox shifter has lost everything he loved in a tragic attack, including–he thinks–his mate. When Link decides to volunteer for the shifter exchange, which means he’ll have to leave the pristine forest setting to operate under the authority of the manipulative, yet cunning, Sibelius in New York City, Fritz knows he must follow. Who else will protect Link in the big city? Fritz doesn’t go without bringing his own shame. He can’t help but think if he was a more experienced alpha, he’d be able to help his fox better.

Haunted by the ghosts of his past, Link is eager for a change of scene. And if he gets to help take down the Protectors of the Pure—an anti-shifter terrorist organization—then he’ll at least have a chance at avenging his family. But grief travels and it doesn’t take long before it has caught up with him. He’s more thankful than he’ll ever admit for Fritz’s company, but living the sheltered life he had on his family’s farm did little to prepare him for the world and Link doesn’t think he’ll ever be good enough for Fritz.

Then they meet Crius, an onyx dragon shifter running from his own demons. He’s in town along with representatives from the other dragon tribes to help fix the mess they caused. Crius had planned on spending his time wallowing, but that’s before he spots two naïve shifters in a big bad city. It’s clear they are in over their heads in every way. But what isn’t clear is why Crius cares. The young shifters obviously have a past, one that doesn’t include Crius and he doesn’t think he can take being shoved aside again. But, his inner dragon will not allow the fox or hybrid out of his sight and before he knows it, the pair has become a trio.

Meanwhile, the Protectors of the Pure are fighting a political game. They know they need the public’s favor if they want to be able to release the shifter “cure” to the general population and they will use every dirty trick in the book to achieve that goal.

Will the three fractured shifters face the Protectors unscathed? More importantly, will they be strong enough to put aside the trauma of their pasts to embrace a pregnancy that no one saw coming? 

REVIEW:

This is such a good series. Again, there are a few things to deal with. If you’ve read this series or kept up with it, you know there are evil people who are wanting to ‘cure’ the shifters of their animals. They are kidnapping, murdering and many other things in the name of their cause, while blaming the shifters of bad things that they aren’t even doing. So, if any is a trigger, be careful. Like I said, it’s a very good series and I’m loving it.

Link hasn’t been right since he lost his family to the Protectors. And the man he thought was his mate. He can’t accept anyone else trying to love him, no matter how bad he may want it. So, when the time comes for him to move on, he accepts it. But Fritz can’t accept him leaving, and follows him. They jump right in to what Bel wants them to do, but almost end up in serious trouble themselves. From designer drugs from some of the dragons. What they don’t expect is to be saved by a dragon.  If it wasn’t for Crius, they could have died or worse. But what they don’t realize as well, Crius is more than just their savior. He’s their mate. But Link still isn’t ready. And he’s never going to be until he deals with it all. But the Protectors have a way of making it worse and they force Link into it, causing Crius and Fritz to continue to deal with it in ways he doesn’t want to. But him dealing with it finally causes him to see what he’s been missing all along. His true mates. Now even more, Link knows he has to protect his mates and family and those other shifters from the Protectors. But putting himself on the line may not be the smartest way to do so.

My heart broke for Fritz in this one. I felt so bad for Link in what he’s having to deal with. Losing his family and the man he thought was his mate is shattering. Anyone knows that. But Fritz knows he’s Link’s true mate and trying to wait for Link to see him, really see him, past the grief and everything else, is getting too much. He doesn’t know how much longer he can wait. But he also knows, he’d never force Link into something he wasn’t ready for. He wants Link to come to him because he wants him and because he realizes what they are to each other. Then adding Crius to the mix, just makes it all more confusing. But it can’t be denied they are mates. For Fritz, it’s harder to accept because he is an alpha. And Crius is nothing but alpha supreme. So how does he submit his alpha to someone else? Surprisingly…..with a lot of ease. 

It’s hard for all three of these guys. In some way they are all broken to a point, with pasts that hinder them in a way. But in each other, they find completeness. Doesn’t mean it’s an easy thing either. It’s very hard. They navigate a lot of doubts, fears, and feelings of inadequacy. But once they accept they are what each other needs, it all falls into place. And a surprise they weren’t expecting gives them a new hope for things to come. 

RATING: 

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