Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Big Game’s Flame
SERIES: Kontra’s Menagerie
AUTHOR: Charlie Richards
PUBLISHER: eXtasy
LENGTH: 78 pages
RELEASE DATE: November 3, 2023
BLURB:
On the Road: After a rescued rhino shifter begins building a new life in a small rural town, finding his mate means he’ll need to accept help once again.
After being rescued from witches by demons, Aaron finds himself left with a group of biker shifters to be rehabilitated until he regains his ability to shift. Once he does, due to being alone for a long time and being at loose ends, he sticks with the guys until he can figure out his next move. When the bikers take him into the territory of a wolf shifter pack, he’s surprised to discover them welcoming and friendly. Deciding to take them up on their offer to stick around and build a life, Aaron accepts a part-time volunteer position at Stone Ridge’s firehouse. While there to meet the fire chief, he’s shocked to meet his mate—a human named Thoron Ballaro. Even better, Thoron knows about shifters… sort of. When he and Aaron begin navigating a life together, he learns that Thoron has a six-year-old son… and that Thoron’s ex-wife is an opinionated bigot. Can they figure out a way to keep Thoron’s ex from causing trouble while cementing their life together?
REVIEW:
Note: This is the 37th book in this series, but it works as a stand alone as long as the reader has some knowledge of this paranormal world. There is crossover with The Wolves of Stone Ridge series here also 🙂
Aaron, a black rhino shifter is part of a group of different types of shifters who had been held captive by a coven of witches who used spells to keep the shifters in their animal form. They were part of a traveling zoo and until they were freed by the Horseman of the Apocalypse, they had no hopes of escaping or shifting back to their human forms. They have been looked after by Kontra Belikov, a grizzly bear shifter who is the Alpha of a rather eclectic nomadic “pack”. Some were still stuck in their animal form. Most have been released from the spells but they are still getting used to being back in their human form. Kontra offers the group an option to stay in Louisiana where they have been recovering or join the rest of the pack as they go to visit Alpha Declan’s wolf pack in Stone Ridge Colorado. Aaron decides to travel with the pack.
When they arrive in Stone Ridge, he is impressed with the Alpha and his group. They have a lot of land and have access to the town services. Declan is the head Park Ranger and a lot of the pack are involved in either the Fire Department, Sherriff’s department or the Park system. Aaron needs a new identity since he hasn’t been human in decades and a new profession. He had been a firefighter in one of his last lives, so he decided he’d like to try that.
While he’s training another firefighter, Thoron, enters the gym where he’s working out – bench pressing 600 lbs (not a human feat) but Thoron already knows about shifters – or werewolves as he calls them. He’s known for some time but not said anything. But Aaron’s eyes bug out and he calls Thoron Mate and runs off. Thoron goes to the fire chief and he admits he knows about shifters and he knows the new guy is one. Thoron assumes that Aaron is a wolf too. But it turns out that he doesn’t know quite as much as he thinks he does 😉
Luckily for Aaron Thoron doesn’t freak out. But he’s got some baggage – his ex-wife namely. Thor is bi so Aaron being a man isn’t an issue either. He’s got a 6-year old and he really really likes Aaron 🙂 Despite a few hurdles, they pretty easily come together to create a new family 😀
This is a typical Charlie story following the formula. I really liked Thoron and Aaron and their dynamic together. Tommy, Thoron’s son is adorable. It’s nice to see the Wolves of Stone Ridge too, so there is a nice crossover here. All in all, an expected outcome and a very quick read. Fans of the story will enjoy this quick story that provides an HEA for a new couple
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
eXtasy