Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Waiting for Raine
SERIES: Comet Lake Chronicles #1
AUTHOR: Layla Dorine
PUBLISHER: NineStar Press
LENGTH: 327 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 27, 2021
BLURB:
Every Gathering, Raine hides from potential mates, knowing that in a society where tri-bonds were the expectation, a wolf wanting a mate all to themselves was an anomaly.
Enter Gabriel. They’d met two years before, both left disappointed when no bondmark appeared on their wrists at that time. Gabriel’s been hunting, but there’s been no sign of Raine, outside of the one brief visit that didn’t end the way he’d hoped for.
Fast forward to the present Gathering. He’s stumbled onto Aiden, a wolf miserable in his own pack due to the way he’s treated. Born with a disability, he knows he can’t keep up, but no one has taken the time to teach him where his true potential lies—until Gabriel that is. Gabriel’s protective instincts kick in almost immediately.
Now Gabriel has one wolf he desperately wants to care for and another who has been hiding from him. Unfortunately, it might not be a challenge Gabriel is up for.
REVIEW:
Fabulous start to a brand new series that I can’t wait for more.
Raine dreads that the surrounding packs all around have arrived for the annual Midsummer/Matesummer gathering. Tri-bonds are the norm in packs but Raine believes in monogamy because his mother ingrained in him deeply that there is only enough love for two in a relationship and the third will always be left out. When Gabriel, who fought and was badly and permanently damaged when he was being attacked, returns two years later the yearn is there but he knows he must fight it at all costs. When the mating mark starts appear lightly on his wrist he is sent off by his father with Gabriel and thrown out of his only home. Sent off with Gabriel who has chosen another mate also.
Raine suffered so much at the hands of his mentally ill mother. I don’t get how his father could have allowed this when they literally were under the same roof. I know his dad was just trying to give her space but she almost cost him love in the future with her warped and twisted beliefs.
I fell for all three men eventually. I had hard thoughts against Gabriel but I could see how he arrived at his concerns. The lack of communication was key to their dysfunctional relationship. And dear, sweet Aiden was the key to unlocking them and making them whole. I loved how he stood up to Gabriel and put it out there how wrong he was to Raine. But it was almost to late. And Raine’s fierce protective side saved them all even though it almost cost him his own life.
This is the first book I have ever read that had members of a wolf pack that were born of both sexes (intersex/hermaphrodite). It took me a bit to comprehend what I was reading. When I did I felt for Raine. Not only had his mother kept him so isolated from his family and the world before her death, but filled his head with so many untruths and toxic ideas. I know she was extremely mentally ill but she cause so much damage to him. His ability to recover from her making him believe that he was defective and that this wasn’t a natural occurrence in families and in packs showed how resilient and strong he truly was.
This was a wonderful book that this very talented author created. It is a paranormal universe that you can’t wait to get back to. I look forward to the next book with great anticipation and I am thankful I got the opportunity to go on this insightful journey.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
[…] Read More » […]