Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  In the Pink

SERIES:  Valleywood

AUTHOR:  Virginia Kelly

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  404

RELEASE DATE:  September 28, 2023

BLURB:

You’d think winning the Powerball would be the most exciting thing to happen in a poor flamingo shifter’s life, and it was, until my family moved from Florida swampland to glamorous Valleywood. Swimming pools, movie stars, and every flavor of supernatural you can think of. Where a family of shifters can live in a huge pink mansion and not worry about normal human riffraff.

Unfortunately, the famous actor next door, Dmitri Barlovski, is not only the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen, but also turns out to be a territorial swan shifter. When my little brother gets caught playing in the swan’s koi pond, things escalate between me and Dmitri until I punch him in the face and he threatens to have me put in jail. Fun times.

As Dmitri and I get to know each other, different kinds of sparks start flying between us despite a ton of reasons why we don’t belong together. His dad, a goose mafia kingpin, hates me. I’m not Dmitri’s type—at all. We’re not even the same species.

None of that matters because Dmitri and I belong together and no one will stand in our way. Not Dmitri’s homicidal father, two terrifying cassowary bodyguards, or my well-meaning but crazy relatives. Not even Dmitri himself when he tells me over and over he’ll never have a mate.

In the Pink is #23 in the multi-author series Valleywood. It’s an urban fantasy MM romance with a redneck flamingo shifter, a Valleywood movie star swan shifter with stabby tendencies, gangster geese, massive Australian murder birds, a flamboyance of nosy—and noisy—flamingos, a sex demon, and really excellent shrimp salad.

REVIEW:

Note:  While this book is part of a multi-author series, it is a complete standalone.

Beau and his family have moved to Valleywood from Florida after winning the powerball.  They are a family of “mostly” flamingo shifters that didn’t have much.  Beau’s parents were never around and between his cousin Zeke, his Meemaw and his sisters, they are a tightknit family looking out for the 8 year old twins, Atticus and Finch 😉  When Atticus gets into the new neighbor’s koi pond, well the neighbor is NOT happy.

Dmitri is happy on his own.  His ballerina swan-shifter mother wasn’t especially “nurturing” and father is the head of the North American goose-shifter mafia who wants Dmitri to take over from him.  Dmitri is an Oscar-nominated actor who wants nothing to do with either parent.  Unfortunately for everyone, Beau and his family have moved into the pink monstrosity between Dimitri’s house and his father’s house 🙂

Beau isn’t too happy with Dimitri’s treatment of his little brother.  In fact, he punches Dmitri and instead of calling the police, Dmitri insists that Beau’s family has to work for him for a week.  But the more time Dmitri and Beau spend together, the more the sexual chemistry between them sizzles – in a most unusual way.  Because Dmitri is an omega who NEVER wants and alpha or children or a family or to be controlled.  And Beau is an alpha who it turns out has a real submission kink.  Could this really work?

Everything is going swimmingly 😉 until Dmitri discovers that many he cannot control his need for Beau.  And the consequences of that may be dire for everyone!

OMG!  This books was so sweet and hilarious and fun!  Dmitri and Beau are completely adorable 🙂  Beau’s family is a hoot – Meemaw, the twins, Zeke (I would love to hear his story, hint hint), Cynthia and Henny are the redneck flamingo shifter family I didn’t know I needed.  Dmitri’s North American goose mob boss and his bodyguard/enforcers are the spectres that hangs over our unlikely heroes.  Beau’s submissive awakening is both cute and sexy.  Dmitri’s unlikely pairing with this rogue flamingo shifter is quite the surprise – mostly to him!

There is so much fun and snark here!  I absolutely adored the back and forth and push-pull of these two.  The families and their personalities were an absolutely delightful addition.  Henny is the precocious teenager than everybody wants but then has to deal with 😉  The twins are so adorable.  But the real stars are Dmitri and Beau – who although complete opposites in so many ways – are absolutely perfect for each other.  The kinks align.  Beau is a wonderful mate for Dmitri and he just “gets” him.  Dmitri is a domineering personality, but in the end, he realizes that Beau is the absolutely right guy for him and he gets his spectacular HEA as he deserves.  And everyone else does too 😀

This is one of my favorite Virginia Kelly books!  The snark, the banter, the humor but mostly the love and respect and sexy steamy love story are spot on here.  Highly recommended.  It’s pure joy this story.  Read it.

RATING: 

BUY LINKS:

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