I enjoyed this very much - which surprised me, and that's not a comment on the author. I've loved all of the books I've read by Kaje Harper (Tracefinder is one of my favourite trilogies). However, I'm not wild about shifter stories and so I usually avoid reading them, but for various reasons, I gave this one a try, and I'm glad I did.

From the beginning of this first instalment in the Hidden Wolves series, there's a clear sense of it being much more than a human/shifter gay romance, and no mention of Omegas (thank goodness). Politics, discrimination, power struggles and insurgence arise as themes early in the story, playing out around and through Simon and Paul's growing romantic connection.

I loved Simon from the moment we see the world through his eyes. Paul is a little harder to get to know, and I'm still ambivalent about his journey of self-discovery, largely because I'm not a fan of the trope rather than how it fits into the narrative in this instance. That aside, I was hooked quickly by their relationship and fairly raced through the last third of the book, confident the author would deliver a happy ending but unsure how many casualties there would be on the way there.

I went straight on to read [b:Unsettled Interlude|17792791|Unsettled Interlude (Hidden Wolves, #1.5)|Kaje Harper|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1365743944l/17792791._SX50_.jpg|24887287] and already have [b:Unexpected Demands|13420202|Unexpected Demands (Hidden Wolves, #2)|Kaje Harper|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327181985l/13420202._SY75_.jpg|18818259] lined up. I think that says it all.

Full review on other edition: [b:Unacceptable Risk includes Unsettled Interlude |56848384|Unacceptable Risk includes Unsettled Interlude (Hidden Wolves, #1-1.5)|Kaje Harper|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1611680199l/56848384._SY75_.jpg|91553349]

Oh man, so sweet.

Injured near-death shifter saved by a vet on cold snowy evening on deserted road in Wisconsin( I think Wisconsin, can't quite recall.. some cold state).
It's like a set up for a lifetime romance movie.
But hey, there is a place in my heart for such stories.

I'm a big fan of courting in love stories. The MC, Simon, actually make an effort to get to know his love interest rather than insta-love and HEA before you can take your next breath.

This book is filled with breakfast donut deliveries and drop by's at the Vet's clinic for some sweet moments over Thai food.

This isn't the best thing I've ever read, but it warmed my heart all the same.

It's an adorable shifter story with some angst that's related to the packs abhorrent feelings towards gay shifters.

You also get a GFY trope.

You get a soul-mate.

The writing is pretty basic but I thought it worked just fine. There might not have been any flowery descriptions or an immersion in an alternate world and the environment was basically described as cold and snowy on multiple occasions but whatever... It didn't really matter. It held my attention and entertained me. I might even give the second book in the series a try.

I recommend it for a light sweet shifter romance story. If you enjoyed Eli Eastons Howl at the moon series this will be right up your alley.

I love the werewolves genre, even though it has been stretched completely out of proportion, white-washed, sugar-coated and beaten into every shape known to man.

I love it because I continue to hold out hope that someone will get it right. And Harper did!

First, I truly appreciate it when the monsters are still monsters. The werewolves in this book have clothed themselves in high moral reasons for being scary, but it doesn't matter: they are still scary! These are the kind of werewolves that aren't going to pile together in a big puppy pile and share stories and hot chocolate (which I have had the misfortune to read in another book. It was traumatizing). These dudes are big, bad, and not to be caught on the wrong side of. Loved it!

Our heroes were smart and realistic. Sure, Simon is a werewolf, but he isn't moving cars with his bare hands when he's not being watched. Nope, he's a carpenter. He's trying to survive in a tense political situation. He's not an alpha, he not the biggest, or the baddest, or the smartest. How refreshing is that??

And while he's busy surviving and still trying to enjoy life, he bumps into workaholic veterinarian, Paul. Paul has some issues, but he's not afraid to go toe-to-toe with Simon when he things Simon's "dog" has been in a fighting pit. The scenes in the vet clinic were rendered wonderfully with enough detail to make it real, but not so much it lost or bored me.

This book was well-written with no noticeable typos. The story was tight and built tension really well with plenty of plausibility. Everything was rendered with a natural touch and I was never tossed out of the story by a discrepancy.

I totally recommend this story. A very good read!

I think this lingered on my TBR pile for so long because of the cover. I mean, seriously, it's terrible.

HOWEVER, the book? Is great. A fresh take on the werewolf romance (I can't imagine myself writing that sentence 5 years ago), with less magic and more (logical) brutality. I'm looking forward to the next one.

4.3* So not "he's me mate" instalove, but some serious attraction. And some realistic issues that could cause the angst. And so good to see that this isn't an easy HEA. More a real life constant work in progress.