Buck Naked by Evangeline Anderson (Cougarville #1)
Released: April 4, 2017
Paranormal Romance
Swerve
Reviewed by Mandi
I wanted to try this one because I have a weakness for shifters and based on the cover and title, our hero shifts into a buck! Or actually, he shifts into an Irish Elk. They turn into prehistoric animals – the Irish Elk has been extinct for seven thousand years. Another man changes into a Cougar from the Paleolithic era. I liked this twist and wish it would have been explored more. Either way, it sounded a little different.
Sadie has just turned forty, her kids are out of the house and she is recently divorced. Wanting a new start in life, she moves to the small, rural town of Cougarville to an older cabin left to her in a will. It’s in the middle of nowhere except for one grumpy neighbor. She decides to open a small CPA firm on main street and hopes to settle happily. But happiness will have to wait. Unknown to Sadie, she is a shifter who is just about to start her rejuvenation, meaning her shifter gene is about to go into effect. She noticed her wrinkles go away, her butt and boobs get firmer and her grey hair disappears. Odd, she thinks but doesn’t have an explanation.
Well, maybe Samantha was right and her body was just reacting favorable to her recent divorce from her ex. Maybe it was a – What did you call it? One of those things that happened to your body because of your mind? Oh right – maybe it was a psychosomatic reaction to getting away from Jeff.
Cougartown is pretty much all shifters, and when Sadie goes out, the unattached men in town all start craving her, and the women in town all start hating her. Sadie has no idea why each shop owner kicks her out, and why each woman wants to fight her. They hiss “Juvie” under their breath and she ends up very confused and lonely. The only person that will give her the time of day is her neighbor, Mathis.
Mathis is the Elk shifter and is very curious as to why an unattached juvie is living next door to him. Mathis lost his mate ten years ago and has vowed to never love again. But his Elk is very attracted to Sadie and he starts to go into rut. When Sadie shows up starved and freezing, he cares for her and starts to protect her from the towns people (by rubbing his scent all over her.). They have such a connection, it’s hard for Mathis to not kiss her or do other things, and when he does, he feels extreme guilt over his dead mate. Will he move on?? Will Sadie ever discover what she is?? Spoiler alert – yes and yes *wink*
This is a goofy little story that was a fun read although a little too goofy at times. Sadie doesn’t know for quite a while that she is a shifter and that part actually worked well for me. Her confusion and eventual realization of what she is played out pretty well. I liked her attraction to Mathis, who is a huge, grizzly type guy with a heart of gold. He pines after his dead mate, but his feelings for Sadie eventually win out. Because he was with his late mate for such a short period, he is able to find another soul mate.
Not in the ten years since his Kathleen had died had he gone into rut. And he didn’t intend to break his record now.
Unfortunately, his cock had other ideas.
Damn cocks and their pushy ideas!
Did I love that the a forty-year old heroine had to lose her wrinkles, grey hair and saggy butt to find love? Not really. I also thought Sadie didn’t really act forty. Not that I thought she was a teenager running around, but I don’t know – if I had no idea what her age was, I would have guessed more around 25. It didn’t feel to me like she already had kids and a previous marriage. She felt more fresh and new in life (and yes, I understand she was kind of starting a new life as a shifter).
The story moves along at a nice pace and there is the expected villain who tries to alpha his way into Sadie’s life. She finds friendship in some of the people in town and I most likely will try the second book.
Grade: C+
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