Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Silent Partner
SERIES: Fox Hollow Zodiac #3
AUTHOR: Morgan Brice
PUBLISHER: Darkwind Press
LENGTH: 221 Pages
RELEASE DATE: June 29, 2024
BLURB:
A psychic moose shifter. A handsome guy who is psychically silent. The chance for a fresh start, and a threat from the past that might get in the way.
Brandon Davis is a psychic and a moose shifter. He makes his living as a wilderness guide in Fox Hollow, NY—a town that is a haven for misfit shifters and psychics. Brandon has a profitable business, a found family of close friends, and a cozy cabin in the woods. Life is good, but he wishes he could find a special someone to share it with. Then he picks up the unmistakable scent of his fated mate–a handsome man who isn’t a shifter of any kind and whose thoughts he can’t read. The chemistry is undeniable, but can he fall for a silent partner?
Riley Henderson escaped a bad relationship with an ex-boyfriend he suspects is a psi-vamp. He left town and got a scholarship to the Fox Institute to explore his rare ability—his thoughts are mostly closed to being read by psychics. Getting away from his ex was worth being studied for his unusual silence as a “nil” or an “immune.” Especially since the situation comes with a stipend, an apartment, and a regular gig as a musician at one of the local hotels. Riley intends to go boy-sober until he meets a tall, dark-haired stranger with whom he has a sudden, intense connection. When he realizes Brandon is both a psychic and a shifter, Riley needs to figure out how they can overcome those differences to be together. And in the back of his mind, Riley worries—what if his ex shows up to ruin everything?
Silent Partner is a MM shifter romance filled with found family, a snarky moose, a soulful musician, sexy shifters, small town winter fun, fated mates, helpful psychics, lots of snow and a very happy ending.
REVIEW:
Fox Hollow is a small town known for its unusual inhabitants. Nevertheless, trail guide, EMT, and moose shifter, Brandon wasn’t sure he’d find his fated mate among them. And he was right. It took an out-of-towner to ping Brandon’s instincts. However, Riley is mundane, a musician, nil, and on the run from a stalking abusive ex. What could go right, and what could go wrong?
Silent Partner is book three in the Fox Hollow Zodiac series, and in theory, all installments can be read as standalone works, although previous knowledge may give more depth to the experience. I am a fan of Morgan Brice’s works, and I like some more than others. This is a good story, worthy of a place on the shelf. But, despite some outstanding elements, it’s not the work of genius that this author is capable of.
The story is told in the third person from the viewpoints of Brandon and Riley. Also, many scenes are lived by both Brandon and Riley, causing repetition. Much of the narrative features the good-natured, gifted residents, and the ideological layout of Fox Hollow. I liked the positive, caring atmosphere that surrounded the locals. There is also plenty of build-up to an incoming storm, a moose festival, and the danger on the horizon. When each event arrived (thinking in isolation), they were good, but the build-up oversold the event itself, making me expect more than was delivered. I felt like – ‘that was it’ and cheated of some potentially epic drama.
The star of the show is Brandon’s moose. He, alone, upgraded everything. He is snarky, and blunt, and I could have read a whole book from his POV – excellent. Brandon’s human side, much like Riley is a lovely person who overthinks, and almost has an entire romance in the head before it happens, including intuitive leaps of realization without conversing with the other person. Hence, when they finally go on a date, they jump to the spice with little foreplay. Which, considering Riley is sworn off men, hails to the power of the fated mate.
Silent Partner is one of those amicable tales where nothing is left to guesswork, as all possibilities are voiced by one means or another. Some will like this – personally, it depends on my mood as to whether I like everything laid on a plate for me or not.
RATING: 
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