Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Where We Are
SERIES: Saint Lakes Series #4
AUTHOR: April Kelley
PUBLISHER: Hard Rose Publishing
LENGTH: 175 Pages
RELEASE DATE: March 10, 2017
BLURB:
One’s a sinner and the other’s a saint, yet somehow, they end up fated mates.
Forrest Somerset is a bobcat shifter on a mission. When you’re fated mates with an idiot vampire, the only recourse is to save him from himself. But what does he do when Angel’s trouble past makes him the bad guy?
Angel has a few wrongs to make right. If that means he has to turn himself over to the shifter council, then he’ll do it. He’ll do anything to keep his mate and the Saint Lakes safe.
But what happens when Angel’s good intentions go sideways and the only person who can save him is his little bobcat shifter?
Where We Are is the adventurous novel in the MM Paranormal Romance Saint Lakes series. If you like daring cat shifters and noble vampires, then you’ll love this romantic story.
Buy Where We Are to continue the Saint Lakes story.
REVIEW:
Angel knew that his crimes while with Nicolono’s coven could land him in jail. Nevertheless, the need to atone for his past was strong before he felt safe enough to bond with his fated mate, Forrest. Unfortunately, Forrest took Angel’s undertaking as rejection, and he’s not easy to convince otherwise. Forrest may look like the weaker of the two, but his mindset is sharper and more stubborn than anyone’s. He doesn’t need physicality to force his point; he can do it with words.
The Sinner and the Saint – a classic story combination. Where We Are is the fourth book in the Saint Lakes series. I enjoyed reading the story. However, I’ve given it 3.5, a good book, better than average, for the following reasoning. This story is more of a talky, proving that if you want to unite people, words are more effective, which is admirable. There is some action, and plenty of other things to like, but for my reading preferences, it didn’t quite hit the levels that made my heart pump and wow.
The story is told in the third person from Forrest’s viewpoint, although Angel’s voice is heard in the prologue. Worldbuilding paints an expanding picture of the world outside Saint Lakes. This includes meeting friends and family and reconnecting with the good parts of a person’s past. I was chuffed to discover more about what happened to Rory, the bear shifter café chef from book one. I hope to hear more about him in the future, as Rory and his mate’s first meeting was rather terse. I also enjoyed the individual reminiscing about childhood family holidays.
So far, having read the books consecutively, days apart, I noticed that the story construction tends to follow a pattern. Some probably won’t like the predictability; conversely, one can ensure that there will be plenty of boners, some steamy-loving, biting, and a bit of angsty drama within the pages. Angsty drama doesn’t tend to last long either, which love it or hate it, is down to personal preference.
Forrest is a stubborn bobcat shifter with a gift for words. To this end, he is sent on a three-fold mission. Firstly, to prove to his mate that he is an equal. Secondly, to keep said mate out of jail. Thirdly, take steps to unify the vampire and shifter councils. And while doing all this, see if evidence can be found of human manipulation – although this last part is nice to have.
The vampire and shifter councils have been around for eons, and they haven’t yet united, which gave me pause because these scenes seemed too short for such a mammoth undertaking as the start of unification. The idea of the negotiations seemed scarier than the actuals.
In conclusion, I love all the characters, especially Forrest’s quiet yet indomitable nature. He comes across as the quiet one at the back of the class that you dare not cross for fear of the repercussions. And while negotiations are always preferable to fisticuffs, everything in this tale was a touch too amicable for me to score higher. Although, the story is recommended reading as it forms an integral part of the series.
RATING: 
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