A Shifter U TaleOutfoxing their enemies will be a bear of a task. Aspiring journalist and fox shifter David ends up with a target on his back after hacking the Moreau Initiative, the shifter world’s greatest enemy. But he won’t let that stop him from the campus tour road trip that’ll help him become the next Anderson Cooper… even if his family insists he travel with a grumpy grizzly bear … with a grumpy grizzly bear bodyguard.
Buddy Brady is older, sexy, and too damn distracting for David, and as the sexual tension builds, so does the suspicion around the repeated attacks—first in Chicago, then in New York. Someone is tracking them, and all clues point to a traitor in the shifter ranks. Worst of all, they could be after David’s family….
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FUN! FUN! FUN!
This is my first book by J. Leigh Bailey and I must say that I’ve become this author’s newest fan,because after I finished reading it I have David and Buddy to ad to my list of favorite characters.
David has a knack for getting himself in trouble or putting his foot in his mouth. He’s irreverent, sassy and with absolutely no filter. He’s just so darn cute!
And Buddy…he’s my favorite kind of man: big and gentle,stern and caring,protective and giving and I love how sweet and adorable he can sometimes be.
Fox Hunt is also a mystery and full of action,because somebody wants David dead. But despite the fact that his and Buddy’s lives are in danger, the story is told in such an entertaining way that I couldn’t stop snickering all through reading it. The book is funny,hot,thrilling and I couldn’t put it down.
So you’re looking for laughter,intrigue and romance, Fox Hunt is the book for you.
I would rate this 4 stars.
This is the fourth book in this series, but can sincerely be read as a standalone. I haven’t read all the series in order, but didn’t feel at a disadvantage at all. In fact, this is a great example of how to blend pertinent information into a story without awkward or wordy recaps. In the course of doing a favor for a friend, David hacks something that brings him to the attention of the Moreau Initiative, a group of scientists researching and experimenting on shifters. He mother assigns him a bodyguard, Buddy aka Theo, he doesn’t think he needs, as he goes on a three week cross-country road trip for a college campus tour before he starts graduate school for journalism.
This is a great road trip story featuring a slew of tropes: age gap, forced proximity, fake boyfriends, gentle giant, and bodyguard crush. Since Buddy is a bear shifter, there is some humor thrown in during a leather night at a LGBTQ+ Irish pub. David’s skills match his foxy, inquisitive nature, lending him maturity when he could fly off the handle and derail things. I like that he stops and thinks. His family plays a large part as his mother is the head of the Western Division Shifter Council Headquarters, his older brother Aidan is her aide, and his mother’s fiance Darren is a member. I liked that there is a strong female leader who can direct the shifters, even in battle. Although Buddy’s family is not highlighted in this book (I think his brothers are in previous books), he helped raise his brothers. His patient and nurturing way is just what David needs. David’s fierce loyalty and consideration is just what Buddy needs. Though fast, they grow close by being honest and sharing confidences. The action throughout the book was always leading to a violent conclusion. It’s a shame the bad guys here, at every step of the way, are quite one dimensional, and none too clever. Also, the emotional exchanges with and between the other characters are not as rich as those between David and Buddy. This was an enjoyable ride, with an interesting plot, likeable leads, and a fast but realistically compact romance in intense situations. I think I’ll go back and read the ones I missed.
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
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Fox Hunt (Shifter U #4), by J. Leigh Bailey
268 Pages
POV: 1st person, one character
Content Warning: mentions of human/shifter trafficking and experimentation (off page)
Fox Hunt is another great action/adventure/romance book in the incredible Shifter U series. It is so rare that I pick up a series and give every book 5 stars. That each book is unique from the others, that it is just as engaging, entertaining, and wonderful as the others. I can count how many series fits that bill on one hand. This series just joined the list. It could go on forever and I’d read every book, without fail.
For me, the series is a case of two-halves. Books 1-2 are directly linked by an overarching plot, characters, events and timeline, flowing and linking with each other. Books 3-4 are the same. Though Fox Hunt *could* be read as a standalone from the rest in the series (as it does recap the events of the previous book well enough) I would definitely suggest reading *at least* Book 3: The Night Owl and the Insomniac, before you delve in. It will make things much clearer, as the events here began with Joey/Yusef and Owen’s story.
Now, I’ll freely admit, I’ve wanted a Buddy book since Book 1, when he first made his appearance. I thought he’d end up with the skittish human, Jesse. Then, in Book 2, David made his appearance only briefly; it wasn’t until his part in Book 3 that I really wanted him to get his own story. By then, I was hoping he’d end up with someone tough, dominant and brash, like the Shifter Council guy, Benedict Snow. So, colour me surprised when the two most interesting characters ended up in a book TOGETHER! I didn’t see it coming. But I loved every second of it.
Buddy – or, Theo – was everything that I wanted for David, and everything that I hoped he’d be, when I kept getting glimpses of him throughout the series. David was just as awkward, twitchy and nosy as a journalist should be, and Buddy was the tough on the outside, teddy-bear on the inside kind of guy I hoped he’d be. Together, the chemistry was off the charts.
I could go on all day about what a great story it was, but there’s only so much I can say without mentioning the plot, which gets all spoiler-y. So…brilliant action/adventure plot, well paced timeline, engaging and charming characters, slow burn romance with some sexy times, and intense chemistry. It was everything I wanted it to be and more.
I can’t wait for the next installment of the Shifter U series. I’ve got my fingers crossed for a Benedict Snow appearance.
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Favourite Quotes
“And if that didn’t just swell me up with pride. He wanted me badly enough that he had to resort to yoga to keep control?”
“We stood facing each other, not touching, with bare inches separating us. It felt important. It felt real. I knew it would only take one move from Buddy—one caress, one kiss, one brush of skin—and I’d be gone.”
Fox Hunt by J. Leigh Bailey is the fouth book in the ShifterU series but can be read as a stand alone. It is a light and fun read with lots of action, mystery, suspense, danger, fun… and shifters! Oh and a sweet evolution of a relationship and scorching heat! David and Buddy take us on a great ride that I thoroughly enjoyed.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.