Title: Fighting Instinct
Series: L’Ange, #2
Author: Mary Calmes
Narrator: Tristan James
Genre: Paranormal
Length: 7 hours and 25 minutes
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (03-13-15)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts
Blurb: Only a privileged few know L’Ange’s head of security Arman de Soto is a shifter, and even fewer know he’s been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the château’s overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman’s reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don’t mix—but Arman won’t give him up.
Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L’Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own. Including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he’s ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame, no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts.
It’s not until Linus’s past and Arman’s crusade exposes their secrets and opens L’Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can’t take. So he’ll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L’Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.
Product Link(s): http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Fighting-Instinct-Audiobook/B00ULRMJ2O
https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6253
Reviewer: Tams
Review: Arman de Soto was brought to L’Ange for one specific purpose, to protect Linus Hobbes. Not many people know that Arman is a shifter. Even fewer people know the specific type of shifter he is, and even less are privy to the fact that Roman’s late mother hired Arman and brought him to L’Ange for Linus.
Linus was frightened of his own shadow when Roman’s mother found him alone and scared in a hotel room. What she saw was an angel in her eyes, a wounded soul that she felt the fierce need to protect. So she brought him back to the safety of L’Ange and put him in charge of the chateau.
Linus is a shifter, as well, but his memories of his, let’s just say family, you will have to read the details for yourself, his memories are tainted. He was exiled when his lover outed Linus to save his own pride. And then, the same lover sold Linus off to a brutal wolf pack that violated Linus in every way possible.
For close to eight years, Linus and Arman have danced around their mutual attraction, never taking a step forward, until now. Something has shifted and while Linus has only ever been truly comfortable when he was around Arman, their bond is growing stronger and the instinct to fight the attraction is waning away. But Arman fears that once Linus learns exactly how far Arman’s hand of protection has stretched, that Linus won’t want him anymore.
I absolutely love everything about Mary Calmes. She is an auto buy for me every time because I know that no matter what the book is about, I’m going to enjoy it. The ability to weave these characters lives and stories together with vivid imagery that is so well written and described, you can almost smell the blood and see the snow.
This story in particular I really enjoyed how the story, Linus and the relationship between Linus and Arman all progressed in sync. Linus was scared and unsure in the beginning, and then as he and Arman grew closer and became lovers, Linus grew more confident and stronger. By the end Linus was as much of a force to be reckoned with as Arman was. With each hurdle they overcame, the intensity of the story grew as well.
Tristan James stayed on as narrator for this second story in the series and thank god he did. Calmes has already laid the foundation for book 3 and introduced an Irish wolf shifter into the mix, and no one can narrate the Irish baroque quite like James can. And I’m certain that James read this book before he started recording it, because much like the character of Linus, James narration of Linus sounded more confident as the story progressed. It was just the perfect marriage of author, storyline and narration.
Definitely a must listen! If you are a fan of shifter stories, a hopeless romantic, Mary Calmes writing or just an amazing story about finding your place and being strong and confident about who you are… you really will love this audible!
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *