Title: Altered States
Series: Altered States #1
Author: L.E. Harner
Genre: Paranormal / Vampires
Length: Novella (41 pages)
Publisher: Published May 28th 2012 by M/M Romance Group @ Goodreads
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts
Reviewer: Thommie
Blurb: New Orleans Police Detective Sam Garrett can’t believe his bad luck when he’s assigned to investigate a string of gay-bashings turned deadly in the French Quarter. Especially when he realizes Travis Boudreaux, his new, hot, and most-likely-straight partner, plans to use him as bait. The worst part? They’ve got no back up because the rest of the city is preoccupied by another series of killings — the victims drained of blood.
Note: This book was written as part of the Love is Always Write event for the M/M Group. It is available free at All Romance eBooks.
Original Prompt:
This son of a bitch has been underneath my skin ever since he transferred into the department. Word has it that he’s one of the best damn homicide detectives in the city, but the fact of the matter is that he’s a Grade A arrogant asshole. Pretty much every time he opens his mouth, I want to slug him – or stick my tongue down his throat, I’m not always really sure which, or even if I want to choose one. My libido doesn’t seem to give a tinker’s damn that I’m pretty sure he’s straight, and while jerking off in the shower is starting to get pretty damn old, I foresee a lot more of it in my future – because the Chief just paired us up to work a new case…
Product Link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/886052-le-harner-altered-states
Review: This is a lovely, lovely read. No, there are no vampires starring in this novella, though they are mentioned and rumored to exist. And yes, by the end of the story those rumors turn to facts, but this first book has two lovely, completely humans as main characters and their story is fascinating.
NOPD Sam Garret is an out of the closet and proud man, with a skin not light enough to be white and not dark enough to be black. Yeah, he knows racism well. When he’s assigned a new partner, he thinks his little spot in Hell is going to get a tad bit hotter. Travis Boudreaux is hot, charming, and probably straight. That doesn’t stop Sam from banishing improper thoughts from his head though. When their gay-bashing case points that all victims are gay men of dark skin, and Travis has him go undercover, Sam believes that all his tortured have manifested…
I loved how their relationship started and escalated from there. The chemistry between this pair is excellent and they make a very intense couple to begin with. It comes as no surprise that Trav is not gay in the end, but the road they took till the moment Trav came out to Sam, how he did it and what followed after, for me that was a perfect plot, with a perfect intimate scene following. And as the air between the crackles, the reader easily captures that and the flowing emotions, the longing and the doubts that follow this pair.
The story turns a bit dark as it moves along. Not only there are people hunting and killing men right after raping and beating them, but also there are more corpses to be found, drained of blood, and rumors about vampires hunting the city are skyrocketing. Just when Sam and Trav were about to get their criminals, their case is pulled off due to unwanted media thinking they were among the vamp-victims. With no one to back them up, right at the last-minute Samn and Trav must deal with their stalkers/criminals on their own. Thing don’t always go according to plan though…
The romantic part was woven exquisitely with the action plot. No dragging there, nothing to make you feel awkward. The crime was solved in a most credible way, and the fact that the story didn’t shy away from the violence that is to be expected from such crimes was perhaps the best part of the book for me. And there are the shy tendrils of the paranormal world slowly making an appearance.
The end itself was a beautiful turn, the perfect shot of addiction, and if you had any lingering thoughts about the next book in the series, any doubts whether you’d grab it or not, they manage to vanish with a magic pop by the time the final line of this book enters your brain.
A lovely crime/suspense story that introduces you with an effortless way into a new world (paranormal) order. Strongly recommended.