Moonmates exist, but getting together is going to be a beast…. When Adrian Rothschild skipped his “werewolf puberty,” he assumed he was, somehow, human. But he was wrong, and he’s about to go through his Turn with a country between him and his Pack–scared, alone, and eight years late. Dr. Tate Lewis’s werewolf supremacist father made his Turn miserable, and now Tate works for Camp H.O.W.L. to … Camp H.O.W.L. to ease the transition for young werewolves. He isn’t expecting to offer guidance to a grown man–or find his moonmate in Adrian. Tate doesn’t even believe in the legendary bond; after all, his polygamist father claimed five. But it’s clear Adrian needs him, and if Tate can let his guard down, he might discover he needs Adrian too.
A moonmate is a wolf’s missing piece, and Tate is missing a lot of pieces. But is Adrian up to the challenge?
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Tate and Adrian are drawn together when the unthinkable happens. Their road to happiness is full of potholes from the past and construction on their future. I loved this world building and love Baker’s characters and dialogue. Her incredible imagery had me tending along with each shift. I might need to see a chiropractor now, but I’m not sorry. A must read!
A nice story
This is a fresh, intriguing take on the wolf shifter/mate genre. The premise of Camp H.O.W.L is original and interesting and I totally fell in love with Tate’s confidence. I felt like he was guiding and reassuring me along with Adrian through Adrian’s special problem.
I had really high hopes for this story after the first angst filled chapter. I expected a little more action / suspense or conflict. I was surprised with a gentle love story instead.
Don’t get me wrong; the gentle love story was really good and sucked me in.
But, I’m a little disappointed about Tate’s reason for backing away from Adrian. It didn’t feel dire enough to warrant all of the secrecy. Plus, I’m still wondering why Adrian’s Turn was so delayed. Wouldn’t that make him super special? Shouldn’t he have like super powers? I was hoping he would have a Pretty Woman moment to show his pack there was a darn good reason for the delay.
Although I didn’t get all of my questions answered, I did enjoy reading this story. The MCs are both likeable, well-written and the plot flows logically. The world in Camp H.O.W.L is believable and really smart. The secondary characters support the plot and are interesting, too. I’m keeping this on my re-read list because it was fun and just the right length to finish in an afternoon. I can’t wait to read more in the Camp H.O.W.L universe.
This was a great book. Lighthearted, sweet and funny. I have read many shifter stories, but Bru Baker managed to write one with a new and fresh take on the well-known tales.
Tate is a counselor at Camp H.O.W.L. to guide teenagers who are at the point of shifting. Shifting is a life-altering experience, and the teenagers need all the help they can get. He never expected to meet his moonmate. Yes, there is the mate trope, but it really is different from other shifter stories.
Adrian always believed himself human as he has never shifted. But then, at 27, he suddenly has all the symptoms of a Turn coming. He is ushered to the Camp where he has this immediate attraction towards Tate. That is the amazing thing and at the same time the difficulty in their relationship. Troubled by his past, Tate never believed in moonmates. Bondmates is one thing, but moonmates is one step too far. However, he can’t deny the chemistry between him and Adrian. Surprisingly enough there is only one sex scene in this book, but still, the sexual tension is high.
Tate and Adrian are lovely and well-developed characters. The writing is wonderful. Witty banter, sweet nothings, and some angst make this book a joy to read.
If you want to read a shifter story that is just a little bit different, then you definitely should pick this one up.
Adrian Rothschild is tired of being reminded every year that he is still human instead of a werewolf, so he schedules a business trip out of town on his 27th birthday. His mother is the Pacific Northwest’s Alpha werewolf, head of the West Coast Werewolf Tribunal, and CEO of Rothschild Architects were he works. He is feeling increasingly isolated from his family and his pack.
Dr. Tate Lewis works for Camp H.O.W.L. to ease the Turn for young adult werewolves, usually on the full moon when they are 19. This is a month long camp for the elite in werewolf society, so they are a bit spoiled which could be dangerous when combined with increased strength and mood swings. The camps give them a safe space to learn to control their change so they don’t get discovered by humans. One of the things I liked about the camp was that it is set up as a neutral space so anyone can come and no Pack politics are allowed. I was also happy they have need based scholarships and grants.
There is a bond created with weres during the Turn, and it is usually not, but can be sexual so the weres being 19 keeps things from getting icky as they are all the same age. The temporary bonds help keep bloodlust at bay. Tate is pack-less due to past abuse, and using the camp as a pack to get through the full moons. He shies away from roots and relationships. This is a little quibble, but Tate is a board-certified clinical psychologist and is listed as Adrian’s doctor, which could get his license revoked if they engage in a personal relationship. This was a matter of record as Adrian’s mom called the hospital. While I am glad this issue was addressed ethically to make sure there was no doctor/patient relationship formed and Adrian consented, there would be real consequences for Tate’s career and his license being revoked and that was discarded.
This is a story of moonmates, so if you don’t like the idea of fated mates, then this may not be your book. Having said that, one of the main conflicts is about Tate’s reluctance to be a slave to biology, or be trapped by the bond, so even with the forced proximity, they don’t just bond instantly. They get to know each other over several months. Adrian is hopeful and patient as Tate is the one still scarred by his past and has to work through how to get over his fears. The author creates some sexual tension, embarrassing moments, and has one explicit sex scene near the end that seems natural and a normal progression of their relationship. This is not mpreg, and there seems to be no plan to have that included in this series. Also, there is not much animalistic behavior if that is your thing; this is more like humans who happen to change shape.
Here’s a quote to give you a feel: “He separated his whites and colors. He ate quinoa. He paid his taxes. He had an IRA. He didn’t relish the idea of not being in control of his body, even if it was just for the initial shift.” Believe me, between the painful descriptions of changing into a wolf, the humor was appreciated.
Ryan is one of the campers we get to see grow and develop as he has to stay longer due to control issues. Most issues with their shifting seem to be due to psychological issues. One of the fun things was the class Tate teaches during camp, but then we don’t get the rest of the time and it faded to two weeks later. I suppose this is the difference between a novella and a novel, still, I pouted a little.
There are a few other side characters such as Kenya, who is friends with Tate and acts as Adrian’s therapist, the Director Anne Marie, the doctor Diann, Quinn the meditation instructor, Harris who is also a clinical psychologist and trained volunter forest ranger, and Blake the yoga instructor. We get more of Kenya and Diann as mentors and meddling friends, but they are still just sketched out.
The epilogue takes place 6 months later and shows us what their happily ever after looks like. Overall, this was entertaining, cute, and I enjoyed it. It did have some interesting, original ideas about werewolfdom, and I would recommend it for a fun read. There are three books so far, so I am going to go read the second one.
I would rate this 3.5 stars.
This one has an interesting take on the werewolf shifter thing.