Reviewed by Cindy
TITLE: Stray
SERIES: Outcast Mates book 3
AUTHOR: Lee Colgin
PUBLISHER: Colgin Enterprise
LENGTH: 243 Pages
RELEASE DATE: August 25, 2021
BLURB:
Leonas is a cranky panther shifter set in his ways. He handles security for an exclusive brothel and takes the safety of the staff at The Twig and Berries seriously, to the extent of sacrificing his personal life in favor of work.
When the young vampire messenger Jeno shows up with heart eyes and disturbing news, Leonas is taken aback. Who is this curious youth and why is he hitting on Leonas of all people? More importantly, when is he leaving? Because Leonas has no time for romance.
Though Jeno is running from a dark past, he can’t help but to stop in his tracks for Leonas. The grumpy cat shifter might be prickly on the outside, but inside? Well, Leonas is prickly there too. He needs someone like Jeno to escape the lonely trap of his own making.
Will Jeno escape the snare of Hungary’s notorious opium slingers? Can Leonas break the chains of his past? Together, they stand a chance, but suffering alone is all they’ve ever known.
***
Stray is a steamy MM Paranormal Romance featuring lusty incubi, greedy goblins, and mouthwatering lamb-on-a-stick. A grumpy/sunshine, age gap, opposites attract, reluctant fated mates pairing that must overcome the odds to win their forever HEA!
REVIEW:
Jeno has a past that just won’t let go. When he walks into the Twig and Berries and see Leonas for the first time, he’s absolutely smitten. Even the cat shifter’s snarly attitude doesn’t deter Jeno from his adoration. Everyone keeps telling him now scary Leonas is, but Jeno thinks they’re wrong.
Leonas is baffled by the young vampire’s determination to woo him. The only thing sharper than his claws is his tongue but he can’t find it in himself to be cruel to Jeno.
I love every visit to this lovely world that Lee Colgin has created. This is a very sweet story with just enough sadness to make sure it’s not overwhelmed or corny. The age gap makes it cuter, because poor Leonas has no idea how to deal with the adorable vampire with such a tragic past. Watching Leonas grow more and more protective over Jeno made me smile, as did Jeno breaking down the mile high walls that Leonas had been building for decades.
Of course, it’s nice to see the appearance of some old friends. Sebastian and Dominus always brighten my day! And the world keeps expanding too! Gnarl the wood nymph is hilarious!
There weren’t a lot of surprises for me along the way, but that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with just taking a lovely journey on a rainy afternoon with some lovely characters who are easy to love and root for.
Of course the steamy stuff is very steamy! Well written and I like that it didn’t take over the whole story. Of course, with a story like this it would be hard to do. The writing is sharp, the premise interesting and I did enjoy the dual perspective. It’s not something I usually enjoy but this worked out perfectly.
I wonder if there will be another story in this set? If there is, I will be looking forward to it! This author also has more books that are related to this series in a way, plus a couple other interesting looking stories! I think my TBR list is about to overflow!
RATING: 
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