Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: The Alpha Experiment
SERIES: Mismatched Mates #5
AUTHOR: Eliot Grayson
PUBLISHER: Smoking Teacup Books
LENGTH: 219 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 29, 2021
BLURB:
Studying shifter genetics takes brains, patience…and sometimes simulating mating rituals with your alpha-werewolf bestie. You know, for science…
Brilliant geneticist Newton McEwen, the only human in a family of werewolves, has devoted his life to researching the scientific key to shifter magic. Now he’s being blackmailed and his life’s work is threatened if he can’t produce results.
Alpha werewolf Colin Kimball is a newly-minted pack leader with a mountain of responsibilities, but when his lifelong best friend tells him he needs help, Colin drops everything to run to his aid. But Newt’s not just looking for a brawny bodyguard to watch his back—he needs help with an experiment, one he can’t carry out alone.
Out of academically approved methods, and desperate to accelerate his research, Newt’s trying a last-ditch approach, with himself as the test subject. And the very alpha Colin as the catalyst.
Determined to succeed, Newt’s willing to get up close and personal with Colin as many times as it takes. Only feelings weren’t a variable logic-minded Newt took into account. Now not only is Newt’s career on the line, his most important relationship is at stake. Can they outwit Newt’s blackmailer and move on from their experimentation…or will they lose the friendship that means everything to them?
The Alpha Experiment features not-so-scientific mating rituals, magical handcuffs, some very inappropriate outdoor activities, knotting, and a guaranteed happily ever after. Even though it’s number five in the Mismatched Mates series, it can be read as a standalone. The series does not contain mpreg.
REVIEW:
This is definitely one of those friends-to-lovers books that I love. Neither really has a clue how they feel about each other, until one does but won’t act on it because the other is supposed to be straight.
But this one had a funny twist to it. All in the science, Newt was trying to figure out all kinds of genetics pertaining to werewolves and even himself, seeing as he’s the only one in his family who was born human. But when it comes to needing more information, Newt has an idea about how to get his experiments to work. And it involves Colin. And a whole mess of miscommunication that leaves the two of them pretty much not speaking at all, after being best friends for YEARS.
But I’m glad it happened in this way. I knew something was up with Colin when Newt kept mentioning certain things. And the way his actions were. Pure alpha there. And poor clueless Newt, is not getting it. Not a clue. He thinks it’s just hormones. And then it saddened me to a point because Newt thought so little of himself, that he couldn’t believe that anyone would be interested in him. Because he was a plain boring human. Much less the fact that certain things were very new to him.
But I adored this book. Because one thing that remained a constant is they were friends. Yes, things became strained. Very strained. But they had a bond that couldn’t be denied in any way. No matter how much they may have tried to fight it. For Newt being super smart, sometimes he was very clueless. And for Colin, sometimes that alpha brain was working overdrive. But you could tell from the get go how much they cared for each other. How much their lives revolved around each other and how bad it was for both of them if apart too long.
It’s a sweet story. It’s got an evil man that gets what he deserves, an awesome teacher that’s a friend of Newt’s, and two best friends who just needed a little push.
RATING: 
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