Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Give Him Hell
SERIES: Hellhound Champions, Book Three
AUTHOR: Macy Blake and Casey Drake
NARRATOR: Michael Dean
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 6 hours and 56 minutes
RELEASE DATE: October 31, 2022
BLURB:
Nick Smith is a man with a mission: Find the place where he’d been held captive as a child and discover what happened to the kids he left behind. His memories are in flux, returned to him after being blocked for the past 14 years, along with his ability to shift into his lion form. Nick is ready for answers. Instead, he finds a huge Viking of a man with flaming eyes and more power than Nick knew existed.
As a hellhound, Jedrek is often sent on missions that lead to nothing. It’s part of the gig. He’s a champion of the fire goddess, tasked with keeping the secret of the supernatural world safe. When he gets called to a house of horrors he’d not visited in years, the last thing Jedrek expects to find is an out of control alpha lion who brings to life feelings he’s never felt before.
The mysteries of Nick’s past collide with a powerful, evil force causing havoc in the supernatural world. Nick is convinced he can determine who is behind the current rash of dark magic—especially if he has the strength of a hellhound at his side. And if that hellhound is one he can’t keep his mind or hands off? Well, that suits the lion instincts roaring back to life just fine.
REVIEW:
Give Him Hell is hands-down the best book in Macy Blake’s Hellhounds Champions series, and one of my favorites in the entirety of her The Chosen One universe. Why? Nick Smith. Nick is the older brother of Sawyer Smith, star of The Chosen One series, and if you’ve read the stories in this universe in order, you’ve seen him before, albeit briefly. His strong, assertive personality shows through even in glimpses, though. He is a shifter with a fascinatingly complex personality. Reflective of his inner lion, he has a fierce protective streak and undying loyalty for those he loves and those put in his care to protect.
Nick is a loose cannon, very much lacking self-control when we first see him in Give Him Hell. While that wildness serves him well to some extent, it needs tempering, and Jedrek is just the hellhound to do it. The battle of wills between these two is epic, but what makes this romance so riveting is how both Jedrek and Nick learn to compromise, to give and take without ever sacrificing their self-respect or respect for each other. They are both arrogant, but they have the goods to back it up.
Give Him Hell is the story of Nick Smith finding himself and his purpose and embracing it with every irascible part of him that belies the huge heart and generous spirit he hides beneath the surface. Nick is big dick energy personified, but he needs balance, and Jedrek is his perfect match. He’s no slouch in the BDE department either, and Jedrek’s swagger and self-worth are not diminished by his pairing with Nick, even in yielding to Nick as alpha.
Nick is actually quite similar to Meshaq, the Hellhounds’ alpha, in that he’s a soft-hearted leader that cannot look away from injustice or turn away those in need. Despite all of Nick’s bluster, he’s got a heart of gold, and the mission that’s revealed to him perfectly dovetails with everything important to him. There’s a reason Nick’s a lion shifter: he is indeed the king of the jungle – a jungle of abandoned shifter children left in his care.
Give Him Hell bridges into the spinoff Magical Mates series, where Nick, Jedrek, and his compound are the center point. Nick’s bravado, OTT antics, and larger-than-life personality lead to some extremely funny scenes, and his dedication to those put in his care will give you all the feels.
Hearing this excellent story brought to life by Michael Dean is gravy. He channels Nick and Jedrek with a clear understanding of their personalities. His performance is excellent, intuitive, and technically precise. Dean is a marvel in his audio performances of the books in Blake’s Chosen One universe because of the sheer number of distinct voices he needs to consistently deliver over the course of many books: different clans and races and correspondingly different accents, dispositions, and attitudes.
Blake’s Chosen One universe spiderwebs and the best reading experience is achieved by following her recommended reading order on her website. You can read the Hellhounds Champions series independently from the rest of the universe, but you should read the books within the series in order. So make sure you read Hell on Earth and Hell to Pay before Give Him Hell.
I highly recommend the Give Him Hell audiobook. Blake and Dean’s collaboration here is spot-on. Once you’ve listened to this audiobook, you will definitely want to partake in the Magical Mates spinoff series if for no other reason than we get to see a lot more of Nick in all his glory.
RATING: 
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