Book Review: Red River by Cardeno C.

Reviewed by Morgan 

Title: Red River
Author: Cardeno C.
Series: Pack #2
Heroes: Wesley Stone/Jobe Root
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 122 Pages
Publisher: The Romance Authors
Release Date: January 19, 2016
Available at:  Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Two Alpha shifters join together to lead their pack and build a family.

Commitment, loyalty, and strength aren’t enough to make Wesley Stone’s birth pack accept an Alpha with a physical imperfection, even if it’s a meaningless mark. Putting the safety of his pack above his own wellbeing, Wesley trades himself for another Alpha and agrees to mate with a stranger in a mysterious, insular pack.

Alphas from Jobe Root’s family have led the Red River pack from the first day shifters walked the earth. Now the time has come for Jobe to fulfill his destiny, but to do that, he needs his mate by his side. Spiritual, easygoing Jobe reveres Mother Nature and trusts in fate, yet he can’t help being nervous about how his mate will react to his new life in Red River, his new life with Jobe.

Two Alphas with contrasting personalities, different upbringings, and divergent beliefs come together for the good of their packs. But to stay together, Wesley and Jobe must see beyond the surface and embrace every facet of themselves and their union.

Review: Wesley was born with a deformity on his stomach that marks him as “other”. Despite all his strengths, his pack won’t accept him as the next successor to be Alpha, even when it becomes clear that there is nobody else for the job.

Jobe is part of a long line of Alpha-Alpha mated pairs whose family is the only one that can lead his pack. He must find his Alpha mate – soon – to help him take over leadership of his pack as his pack is slowly declining with the absence of the new leadership.

When a trade is struck between Jobe and Wes’ pack – Wes for another Alpha in Jobe’s pack – Wes is heartbroken. He’s only ever wanted to lead his pack and can’t believe that something as inconsequential as a cosmetic deformity would preclude that from happening. He’s worried about becoming a leader in a strange pack, worried about mating a man and worried about the pack he’s leaving in a stranger’s hands.

Jobe worries about rejection and hopes that Wes will come to trust and love him as a mate should. But, Jobe trusts fate, and fate tells him Wes is the right man for him to mate, despite all the fears and worries they share.

When Wes comes to his new Red River pack, there are lots and lots of false-starts and misunderstandings to be worked through, but he can’t deny his attraction to Jobe and only hopes it will be enough to get them through.

In the end, after the explanations and secrets have been shared, there is more to rejoice about than simply being a good Alpha and Mate and the HEA is so wonderful!

**

Cardeno C.’s shifter books (all the different series) are my favorites! I love the world building and the unique properties that get revealed in this one! I won’t tell you what they are – and spoil your surprise – but they are fun and sweet and exciting!

Jobe is the clueless one in this couple and Wes has his work cut out for him in bringing him around, but I love how sweet they are as a couple.

I loved book one, but this is EVEN BETTER! (I hope we get the omega’s story next – it sounds so good!) I highly recommend this book and all of Cardeno’s books very highly!

Overall Impression: It was amazing

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