Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Notorious
SERIES: Shifter Scoundrels, Book 1
AUTHORS: Charlie Cochet and Macy Blake
NARRATOR: Gary Furlong
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 8 hours and 54 minutes
RELEASE DATE: December 1, 2022
BLURB:
Caspian Drake knows what it takes to get ahead in modern-day shifter society. He is an Earl, after all, and known for his wit, style, and ability to charm the pants off of anyone he chooses. Getting his best friend Brandr, the Prince of the Dragons, in and out of trouble is only one of his many talents. When a horrible attack shakes Cas’s world, he’s forced to pair up with Saphir Vepkhia, the esteemed tiger shifter and former Captain of the Royal Guard.
Upon retirement, Saphir is granted the title of Baron Archer and, much to his dismay, becomes part of royal society. Years later, when he’s summoned to the palace, the last thing Saphir expects is for the king to request a favor that ties him to the scoundrel, Caspian Drake. Despite his misgivings, Saphir accepts the assignment, knowing it will give him the access he needs to infiltrate the wealthy and powerful while trying not to get outfoxed by the exasperating Earl.
Forced into a fake relationship by an outdated matchmaking ritual, Cas and Saphir each face the upcoming season with their own agenda. The secrets pile up as the two mates navigate the complexities of a modern world that plays by historic rules. But the closer they get to the truth, the greater the danger–and their attraction to each other–grows. With their lives on the line and the very foundations of their society at risk, Cas and Saphir must unravel the mystery, even if it means creating a scandal more notorious than their newfound love.
REVIEW:
Caspian Drake is an Earl whose best friend is the Prince Brandr, only son of the king. He’s also a fox shifter who has been asked by his best friend to be the first of his royal guard/protector/spy. Never mind that he’s also a bit of a rake – finding no shortage of partners, male or female. But he’s not interested in a relationship. Then his world is turned upside down.
Saphir hates every single thing about the aristocracy. From the parties to the clothes to the ridiculous social season, he wants no part of it. But since he’s been made an Earl upon his retirement from the Royal Guard, he doesn’t have a choice. Especially since it will affect his younger sister. He’s also tasked by the King to help with the mystery and trying to keep Cas out of trouble. That second one? A HUGE ask 😉
When Saphir and Cas are matched at the annual matchmaking ritual, Cas vows not to be caught I mean he never has been before. But he hadn’t counted on Saphir. And thus begins their season of flirtation, mystery, intrigue and attempts to solve a murder. Saphir is none to happy to be paired with Cas, but he realizes there is a lot more going on under that devil may care rake that he presents to the world. He’s much smarter, feels things more deeply and is deeply dedicated to his king. If they can only figure out how to work together, maybe they can get this done without anyone else getting killed!
Well this is a pretty fun kickoff to a new series by two authors whose individually penned books I’ve enjoyed in the past. The characters are good mix of serious and fun. The banter between the two MCs who don’t WANT to like each other but cannot deny their attraction is very entertaining. They obviously have difficulty communicating – mostly because they are both keeping secrets. Necessarily at first. They also are both dealing with grief/loss which makes then sympathetic to each other. Both have taken on huge responsibilities which weigh on them, despite not really wanting it any other way. I felt like maybe their change of heart was a little bit quick, but it’s clear that this is a case of two people definitely balancing each other out in so many ways. I had a few niggles about the world itself – mostly around how these shifters never ever mentioned clothes and given the rather formal/fussy dress of the day, this seemed odd as they shifted back and forth – especially during the final climactic scenes. Nevertheless, I found Cas and Saphir to be a compelling couple and I loved their interaction with the rest of the secondary characters. The mystery kept me interested in seeing how our guys would be able to ferret out the culprits in the murder plot against the prince. Saphir’s sister and Cas’s valet and the other members of the aristocracy were well written and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next with this couple and the overarching mystery. While there is definitely an HEA here, there are still many more adventures to come I think.
The narration of this book by Gary Furlong was absolutely delightful! I loved his take on the rather rakish Cas who of course is hiding his substance under considerable style 🙂 Saphir’s rather grumpy and hesitant personality was also perfectly performed. The king’s gravitas was apparent in this book also but he was definitely portrayed as a compassionate ruler who was still dealing with a devastating loss while trying to make sure that more lives were not lost. The many secondary characters were so fun and their voices really suited their personalities – whether rather imperious leaders of spies, a young lady in her first season, a shy and somewhat socially awkward scientist, or a disappointed and angry parent, I “got” all of that from this really talented narrator. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book and will be awaiting the audio presentation with bated breath. Recommended
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