Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Eagle Man and Mr Hawk

AUTHOR:  Dawn Sister

PUBLISHER:  Beaten Track Publishing

LENGTH:  243 pages

RELEASE DATE:  October 18, 2016

BLURB:

Ethan isn’t good at first impressions. His job often gets in the way. It’s his dream job, one which suits Ethan’s big heart to a tee. His chosen career isn’t conducive to forming meaningful relationships, however, and it hasn’t really bothered him until now.

Then Alex appears on the scene… Bookish, shy, but gorgeous Alex, who might be put off by bad first impressions, and who Ethan thinks is quite possibly the most beautiful man he’s ever set eyes on.

Alex’s first impression of Ethan is not a particularly good one. In fact, he thinks the man is a raving lunatic, and their second and third encounter does nothing to change his opinion.

Ethan has his work cut out for him, if he is to pursue any kind of meaningful relationship with the irresistible Alex.

REVIEW:

Never in the history of ever has there been anyone who made worse first impressions than Ethan Shaw. Three times! The first time poor Ethan sees gorgeous newcomer to town, Alex Hawking, Ethan is dressed like a zebra in a furry onesie and black and white striped face paint. The next time, he’s is wearing a puffy Michelin Man outfit with a German Shepherd hanging off his arm. And much to Alex’s delight, the third time they meet, Ethan is standing on a hilltop in nothing but very tight, very brief camouflage undies that most certainly don’t camouflage the goods.  

“I should have guessed it was him straight away, because underpants and walking boots is what any self-respecting lunatic would wear when out for a stroll in the hills. What the hell?” 

To say Ethan is eccentric is an understatement. 

Everybody loves this gregarious, easy going, compassionate guy. In addition to running a wildlife rescue, Ethan trains and handles animals for television and movies. He’s a modern-day Dr. Doolittle who seems to be able to talk to his animals. Ethan’s “crew” consists of two dogs, two cats, two raccoons (no, this isn’t Noah’s ark), a cockatoo, an eagle, and a zebra who are all named after famous bears. I adore the storybook characters Paddington and Corduroy, and Yogi and Boo Boo, so I was tickled. 

Alex is an awkward, socially inept, self-deprecating book lover. Following a nasty breakup, he left the big city and moved across the country for a clean start where no one knows him. This is the first time in his thirty years he’s done something for himself rather than to please everyone else. Initially, he’s a judgmental snoot, unimpressed and angered by Ethan, but he comes around and finds himself quite interested in the charming animal whisperer. Likewise, Ethan fancies Alex: 

“The guy was a super-hot geek fest just waiting for me to sweep him off his nerdy little feet.” 

Ethan and Alex are both ridiculous, bumbling fools. They’re attracted to each other but everything that can go wrong, does go wrong in this comedy of errors. Days that start out wonderful end with animal emergencies, fainting, bleeding injuries, near fist fights, and Alex’s disappearing acts. Actions and words are taken out of context and result in feelings of dismissal, mortification, and rejection. It’s like they’re speaking foreign languages to each other. Eventually, after their umpteenth disastrous encounter, they find themselves going to great lengths to avoid each other around town. All the while, Alex thinks Ethan is an intriguing, gorgeous man he wants to know better, and Ethan regards Alex as a sweet, lonely man whom he has a strong urge to take care of. And then…finally…there’s that moment when the mood shifts from flirtatious to the point of no return when the air crackles with want and need.  

Author Dawn Sister paints a lovely picture of the verdant hills and valleys where Ethan and Alex both reside on the outskirts of a small village. The bright blue sky reigns over the Northumberland countryside where sheep and goats (and a zebra) outnumber the humans. 

I hope you fall in love with Eagle Man and Mr Hawk (titled after the nicknames the men have for each other) and its leading men as much as I have. I’ve been in the mood for quirky lately – something different – and this fits the bill. Highly recommended.  

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon