Book Review: Rescuing Jack by Caitlin Ricci

Reviewed by JustJen

Title: Rescuing Jack
Author: Caitlin Ricci
Heroes: Jack/Marius
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 200 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: February 7, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Werewolves are real. Marius enjoys the irony that everyone calls him a dog whisperer, not just because he’s a werewolf, but for his work at the local animal shelter. He has a unique talent for pairing families with their perfect pets upon first meeting them. But he’s still looking for acceptance and a forever family of his own. Then Jack comes into the rescue looking for a big, mean dog. To prevent Jack from making the wrong choice, Marius convinces him to adopt a needy spaniel mix instead. But when Marius learns Jack is tormented by horrible memories while at his apartment, he opens his home to the sweet, scared man. As their relationship grows, Jack feels comfortable telling Marius about the horrors he suffered. Marius hopes his steady presence, protection, and love can help Jack reclaim the pieces of himself broken on that terrible night.

Review:

This was a really sweet shifter story that doesn’t actually focus too much on the shifter aspect.  It takes place at a time when Werewolves have recently come out to the public.  Marius is one such wolf.  He works at the local animal shelter, using his paranormal gift to help pair up the animals with new owners.  He meets Jack when he comes in looking for a dog of his own.  But Jack has some issues.  He is a bit traumatized and mentally damaged from a recent attack/rape that occurred right in his own home.  After pairing Jack up with a similarly afflicted dog, the two eventually become friends.

Marius’ patience seems limitless when it comes to Jack and his issues.  He is in no hurry where Jack is concerned, instead willing to wait until Jack is completely comfortable with him.  These guys are total sweethearts, and it was nice to see them work through things and get to a place where they could be more.

This was just a nice, feel-good story that I quite enjoyed.  We never really found out the details behind Jack’s attack, and things wrapped up rather quickly in the end, so the pacing felt a bit off.  I also would have liked to have known a little bit more about Jack’s brother and his employee, Seth and seen a bit more closure where Jack and Marius were concerned..

All in all though, this was a refreshing paranormal.  The focus is on the characters and their relationship, and the werewolf aspect didn’t really come into play all that much, other than here and there when it affected how Marius did things.  I loved the animal shelter backdrop as well.

Overall Impression: I liked it

*I received a copy of this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review.*