Shapeshifting police officer Bobby Pooch wants to build a stable life with the woman he loves, but working in the same department with Chantelle and his underlying feelings for Sam makes for a complicated situation, further marred by the inherent threats of their occupation.The job has already left its mark on the human officer, Sam Sanders, his injuries affecting not only his ability to walk but … but putting him behind a desk and damaging his self-esteem. Little does he know his love for Bobby isn’t as requited as he believes and may turn Sam more than husky.Chantelle Shepherd, also a shifter, wants both men to be happy, but that means convincing them of their love for each other and her willingness for the three to form the happy, secure family unit, for which they all yearn.From “Hounding the Beat,” they move on to celebrating Christmas with plastic “Mistletoe and Whine,” their lives dogged by outside influences which threaten not only the relationships they’ve fought so hard to form but their very lives, providing them with plenty of “Paws for Thought.” Together these three stories leave no doubt Bobby, Chantelle, and Sam are in for Ruff Trouble.
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Rating: 4 stars out of 5
This is a new to me author. These stories were published previously, I believe separately, so this is a complete trilogy. The first story is Hounding The Beat. Chantelle and her police colleague Bobby, are supernaturals or supes. They keep it secret that they are romantic partners so they won’t be transferred away from each other at work. As canine shifters, they can smell the emotions of others. Sam, Bobby’s former human police partner, was injured in the line of duty and is now desk bound. It’s Chantelle who wants them to “make up” as she realizes Sam is in love with Bobby and she has caused the distance between them. Neither Sam, nor Bobby, knows the other is bisexual. Chantelle encourages their relationship, and once Bobby is honest with himself about Sam, he and Chantelle set out to seduce Sam together. Sam is moody, has low self esteem, and is disbelieving of them wanting to share what they have with him. Trusting Sam with their secret will change all their lives.
I liked all three of these characters, helped by having all three points of view. It does move from care to love quite quickly, but it’s always clear that while Chantelle and Sam are attracted to each other, Bobby is the glue that holds them together, the one they both love best. This is erotic romance, so there is one sex scene after another. Since Bobby is the Alpha canine shifter, there is some knotting involved but all the sex is while they are all in human form.
Mistletoe and Wine is the second story. In order to resolve having three police officers involved with each other in the same precinct, Sam and Chantelle have quit and opened a bar/restuarant together. They have moved away from London to a place better suited to their canine impulses to run in the woods. Bobby is now a country cop. Here the sex gets more intimate. This includes all possible combinations (m/f, m/f/m, m/m/f, m/m) as they work to be a triad and pack. There is quite a bit of violence in this due to a criminal with a grudge.
Paws for Thought is the third story. When they go back to London for a ceremony to honor their old Sarge, Chantelle gets kidnapped. This is also somewhat violent as Sam and Bobby try to find her before something happens to her, and before the police do. Decisions made in the last story and during Chantelle’s captivity prompt changes in their future. I’m trying not to spoil what plot there actually is; I think fans of Kate Douglas’s Wolf Tales series should like this, although this has a bit more depth. The scenes are steamy hot and the care and comfort is clear. The connection between the characters is forged through consent, compromise, and agreement. Although the three plots are simple and obvious, each one serves to move the romantic relationship further along. For erotic romance, I would recommend this. I would say it might be best to read them one story at a time, with breaks, so you can enjoy all the sexy scenes without them getting to be too much.
Cover Design: Written Ink Designs with the image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License. I am assuming the couple is Sam and Chantelle, with the wolf as Bobby in the foreground. I would guess this is meant to represent the first story, as Sam is in uniform, and leaves the police force by the end. I have to say, this cover is a little more sweet than the carnal nature displayed repeatedly in this book.