Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: The Trouble With Nerds
SERIES: Saint Lakes #13 of 13
AUTHOR: April Kelley
PUBLISHER: Hard Rose Publishing
LENGTH: 191 Pages
RELEASE DATE: May 30, 2024
BLURB:
When the past collides with his dragon shifter fated mate, only one of them will win.
Henri’s doesn’t have friends. He has his clan, which is more like a family. And he has work colleagues at the college where he teaches but he’s better friends with the mouse who lives underneath his couch. He has a good reason for steering clear of people. He’s been burned before. It seems he’s destined to always pay a price for trusting the wrong person. And that price might just be a deadly one.
Rocky is on a mission. First, he has to get his mate to talk to him. After he accomplishes that, he plans on earning his trust. And then they’ll get to the mating part. It has to be in that order because Rocky knows Henri’s secret. And that secret could change the fate for all paranormals.
How do you earn the trust of a nerdy turtle shifter when time is running out?
Rocky is just starting to figure that out when Henri’s past comes to Saint Lakes. He’ll protect his mate at all costs even if it means fighting a war he’s not sure they could win.
The Trouble with Nerds is the final book in the MM Paranormal Romance Saint Lakes series. It features the dragon shifter Alpha of his found family who will go to any lengths to protect his mate and an awkward scholarly turtle shifter who needs to learn to trust again. If you like mates with a size difference and a little snark thrown in, you’ll love this steamy romance.
Buy The Trouble with Nerds to find out the conclusion to the Saint Lakes series.
REVIEW:
Henri is an introvert who prefers books to people, but Rocky is Henri’s fated mate, so what is stopping them from sealing the deal? A secret – that’s what. For Rocky to claim his mate, he must first gain his trust. Unfortunately, time and proceedings are conspiring against them. Events are on the move, and the fate of the whole paranormal community is at stake.
Never underestimate the power of reading books. This is one powerful message, and it’s the one I was left with after reading this super story. The Trouble With Nerds is the thirteenth, and last in the Saint Lakes series. After twelve of the thirteen books, I wanted a conclusion to the overall arc, and now that it’s here, as much as I looked forward to the drama – I will also miss the characters – especially Fane. On the plus side, a spinoff series featuring a certain MOB boss who will hopefully call on their services is on the way.
The story is told in the third person from the viewpoints of Henri and Rocky. The world has developed with each new addition to the series. Seeing all the characters work together for the greater good was lovely.
Rocky and Henri are delightful shifters, and I adore their connection. Also, I loved Henri’s braveness and how his book smarts came in sooooooo useful. Henri isn’t a turtle that needs a dragon to protect him – that’s nice to have, and the person is more important than his shifter persona. Rocky has his time in the limelight, too, and he was every bit the dragon that was hoped for. Together, Rocky and Henri (well, the whole story) prove that the combination of brains, brawn, and proper nurturing make for a winning combination.
And, because I can’t think of anywhere else to do it – shoutout here to the mouse and cat serial killer lines – sheer brilliance.
Rocky and Henri’s journey to happiness takes up a hefty proportion of the book. I was glad that no corners were cut in this pursuit. But this is the final book, and after thirteen episodes, I wanted something epic to finish. The ending was good with some ‘oOOoohh, I like that’ bits. However, I’d have happily read a longer book for every shifter to have more of their moment. I know there is no ‘I’ in team, and the ending was a team effort, but after falling for the characters, a more extended goodbye would have been nice.
RATING: 
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