Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: How to Love Thine Enemy
SERIES: Howl at the Moon
AUTHOR: Eli Easton
NARRATOR: Matthew Shaw
PUBLISHER: Pinkerton Road LLC
RELEASE DATE: October 6, 2023
LENGTH: 6 hours and 16 minutes
BLURB:
Can a forbidden love heal the rift between two enemy tribes?
Legend says that, centuries ago, the sled dogs and the Inuit were so deeply bonded that the dogs rose up on two legs and became men. The Qimmig and the People lived together happily, until one of the Inuit betrayed the dog-men. The Qimmig fled, vowing never to return.
Taq figured that was just another story elders told around the campfire. But when he witnesses two guys survive a polar bear attack by shifting into dogs, he has to rethink everything. Could the Qimmig really exist? And could they have anything to do with the special, golden-eyed boy he’d played with as a child?
Cupun has missed his old friend, Taq. But it is forbidden for the Qimmig to have anything to do with one-skinned Inupiat. When a series of events brings Taq back into his life, the feelings of protectiveness and joy awakened in his dog’s heart tell him that Taq is his soul’s mate.
But neither the Qimmig nor the Inuit are prepared to accept this bond. Are the boys fated for tragedy? Or will their love find a way?
How to Love Thine Enemy is a star-crossed lovers/Romeo and Juliet trope set in Alaska. Friends-to-lovers, doggie shifters, and destined romance with a little wilderness adventure.
REVIEW:
Note: While this is the sixth book in this series, it can be read as a standalone. However, it has spoilers for previous books. It isn’t as closely tied to the previous books in the series, which I highly recommend.
Taq and Cupun are reunited after Taq sees something he shouldn’t while he’s out fishing with his father. He thinks maybe he’s crazy at first when eh sees two men that turned into dogs. Could the legend of the Qimmig be true?? After Taq tries to follow up on what he sees as a way to potentially help his village that is losing the battle with rising sea levels, he’s injured. He’s rescued and has to remain with his rescuers until he can return to his village. He realizes that one of his rescuers is his long lost friend Cupun. Others have made fun of him and assumed that Cupun was his “imaginary friend” and after Cupun disappeared, well it broke Taq’s heart.
When they are reunited, Taq figures out right away that Cupun is different – and that he is like the men he saw change. He realizes a little too late that making this public will have terrible ramifications for Cupun and his pack. He needs to figure out a way to help both Cupun’s pack and his villabe.
When he returns though and announces that Cupun helped save him and is his boyfriend, well that does not go over well. Cupun’s alpha is already unhappy about this situation and when Taq’s family rejects them as well, then Taq and Cupun feel they have alternative but to leave. Their plan goes awry though and they are places in extreme peril. Can Taq’s village and Cupun’s pack save them?
As a fan of this series, I was thrilled to see a new book written in this world. Sort of 😉
This episode takes place far removed from Mad Creek in the wilds of a remote Alaskan village, although there are some crossover characters. In this story, there is a reunion of sorts that leads to the central romance. I loved the way the author set the stage for the legend of the Qimmig and then tied that to the Quickened that we have seen in the rest of these books. This book also touches on a number of big issues as well – such as prejudice and homophobia, lack of support for native communities, climate change and how that is affecting the most vulnerable populations among others.
Matthew Shaw does his usual outstanding job of narrating this series. I loved his voices for both the Qimmig and the local villagers. Their voices seemed to really “fit” their personalities – whether dog or man 😉 This series has been so beloved and it was wonderful to revisit the dog shifters again. I could read about these “dog men” forever.
RATING: 
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