Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Charlie and the Panther
SERIES: Land and Sea: A Shifter Series
AUTHOR: Vinni George
NARRATOR: Declan Winters
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 6 hours and 21 minutes
RELEASE DATE: June 10, 2025
BLURB:
What happens when fate intertwines shifters from land and sea
Matteo Garras wants to be left alone. Most people take the hint. Apparently, Charlie Marsh isn’t most people. From the moment the alpha—who smells like sunshine—sits down next to Matteo at the local shifter bar, Matteo’s world tilts on its axis, making him want a future he didn’t think he could have, one he doesn’t think he deserves.
Charlie has always had a thing for grumpy cats, so his instant attraction to Matteo isn’t a surprise, but the intensity of his feelings and his possessive desire to protect the brooding omega are. The more Charlie gets to know Matteo, the more he realizes they have in common, including scars that are more than skin deep.
When pain from Matteo’s past tries to make him push Charlie away, fate pulls them back to each other, binding them together forever and giving Charlie the chance to show Matteo he deserves everything he’s ever dreamed of having.
Contains mature themes.
REVIEW:
This is another case of mates who aren’t sure what’s going on when they feel the initial pull. Charlie has been drawn to Matteo since he started showing up at the bar he frequents. Matteo isn’t exactly friendly though. Charlie is an alpha and Matteo is a surly omega. He’s got scars on his face but Charlie couldn’t care less. He’s got plenty of his own scars. In fact he almost died from his injuries and despite shifter healing, his whole back is a mass of scars. Charlie is a manatee shifter who got run over by a boat. His friend Dominic (who we met in the last book in this series) saved him. Matteo’s scars aren’t life threatening but he seems like he has a bit of a chip on his shoulder. He’s a panther shifter who has returned to his Claw (shifter community) after serving in the military. Charlie is interested. Matteo is very hesitant to even talk to Charlie. But he relents and then a storm comes up and he’s a bit spooked. He also has his motorcycle so Charlie offers to take him and his bike home and Matteo relents.
Charlie wants to get to know Matteo. But Matteo goes to great lengths then to avoid Charlie after pulling away from Charlie’s closeness after he helps him clean up his charter boats after a storm. Eventually they end up agreeing to get together to watch a movie. But then Matteo never shows up. And then Charlie gets worried when nobody else has seen him either. He can’t get through to Matteo by phone, so he goes to his home. Matteo is in a bad way. He’s in heat for the first time since he was a kid and it’s bad. Nobody has helped him and he’s dehydrated and malnourished. Matteo asks Charlie to help him which Charlie insists on since he knows consent for Omegas is super important. Especially when Charlie learns Matteo is a virgin. Charlie is there for Matteo and helps him through his heat.
Charlie has been falling for Matteo since they first met but Matteo tells Charlie to go – that he isn’t good for anyone. Charlie is devastated but he’s not staying where he isn’t wanted 🙁 Neither of them counts on the consequences of being apart because it turns out they are fates mates. Uh oh. There will definitely be consequences!
This story had a lot of hurt/comfort vibes. Both men had dealt with some pretty big issues: some physical and some psychological. Turns out that together, they are much better! Charlie has to work a little bit to convince Matteo that he is lovable. And of course there are next generation comb land/sea shifter babies to contend with! Dominic and Dante and Merrit and Everett and even Jonah and Edwin are there for Matteo and Charlie 🙂 Even the kids get into the act! This was a nice full circle moment for this found family of interspecies shifter couples and their offspring. So happy to see Matteo come into his own here and get the life he always wanted.
As usual Declan Winter does a superb job performing this story. Matteo is a pretty dark character given all the mistreatment he’s been through. He gruff and a truly a loner until Charlie batters down his walls 🙂 I loved their light and dark contrasts. The characters from past stories are spot on here and I enjoyed everybody showing up to help this newly established family get off to a good start. Recommended!
RATING: 
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