It goes without saying that I am a fan of Mary Calmes' writing, but I will say it anyway, and
Fighting Instinct is part of a series I love. This is my 3rd reread - I think? What is it I love about this book.
Again - world building, character development and plot all feature strongly, but over riding these elements (for me) is the evolution of contrasts between the two main characters and how they fit together in spite of, or because of, those differences. They are opposites in almost everything but evolve with their separate pieces into two pieces of a whole. Linus' sleek beauty versus Arman's blocky functionality; Linus' cool civility versus Arman's base crudity and so forth - right down to one is a filled with empathy and compassion and one is without either.
Another item that draws me to this book is the vendetta that Arman is on - it is not justice that Arman seeks, but vengeance. Now people tend to cringe at the word vengeance and instead state that what is needed is justice - that justice is a civilized concept where vengeance is not. ME? I am drawn to vengeance in my stories - why? Simply because I do not believe that justice helps any victim heal emotionally.
For further thoughts and meanderings on this check out my review/examination of transgressive elements at https://meanderingthoughts6.ca/ ( )

After the brilliant first book in this series, ‘Old Loyalties, New Love’, my expectations for this sequel were pretty high. I am happy to report that ‘Fighting Instinct’ fulfilled each and every one – and then some! One of the main characters is secretive, super hot, and deadly-to-his-enemies head of security Arman, the other is mysterious, lonely, deer shifter Linus. And while very few people know what kind of shifter Arman is (including me until it’s revealed about halfway through the book), it’s clear he is a predator – adding the dynamic of predator/prey to the evidenly already complicated relationship. I mean – these men have known each other for over seven years and haven’t done anything about the pull they feel toward each other. There is bound to be something going n beneath the surface, and I couldn’t wait to find out what it was. This story has it all: intrigue, suspense, fascinating characters, new and well thought out shifter species, and a need for revenge and closure that drives the characters to do whatever is needed to achieve their objectives while slowly realizing exactly how much they love each other.

Arman – what can I say? He is a former Marine, has got a team of men helping him keep L’Ange secure, and is dedicated to killing off an entire pack of werewolves. That much I knew from book one, but in this story I finally found out why he’s doing it. And no, I am not saying what it is since that would be a huge spoiler. Suffice it to say, I think he is morally right to do it. It proves how much he is a fundamentally good guy despite the cultivation of an image as a cold, heartless man, and shows how loyal he is to Linus even is they have not gone beyond the kissing stage - and even that is a huge secret. Arman will go to any length to protect Linus, and he ends up having to go after the enemy in their home territory.

Linus is living under an assumed name, hiding form something in his past, and even Arman doesn’t know the whole story. When Linus finally reveals all the details, I was as shocked as Arman about the hatred, cruelty, and total devastation Linus was exposed to – and survived! Linus is much stronger than he seems, and as the final stages of Arman’s revenge approach and their relationship begins to take physical form, Linus truly grows into his own. He is magnificent inside and out, and he leaves anyone who has ever insulted, demeaned, and treated him cruelly in the dust. I was elated to see him become who he was meant to be.

Linus, as the “prey” in this relationship, may seem like the weaker partner. I think not even Arman realized how wrong that assumption would be. He did know that Linus had to be strong to survive what he did, but the full extent of Linus’s suffering and growth only comes to full fruition when both men open up and truly become a couple. Mating between predator and prey is not just complicated, but in this world, apparently, not allowed. Not even interspecies matings are sanctioned, so Linus pairing up with Arman is shaking up a lot of preconceived notions. Arman, being the kind of shifter he is, has quite a few ideas about what life should be like that get proven wrong, and he learns as much abut himself (grudgingly) as he does about Linus. I loved how both of them changed and developed over the course of this breathtaking adventure.

If you are looking for a fluffy romance, this isn’t it. If, on the other hand, you want a powerful love story that transcends species and other obstacles, this is your book. If two men who clearly love each other yet have practically all of nature’s laws against them sound interesting, then you should give this story a try. And if you’re looking for a read that is emotional, deeply touching, and as suspenseful and action-packed as any blockbuster movie, then you will like this novel as much as I did. And if you haven’t read the first volume, I strongly suggest you do. Not only is it as amazing as this sequel and I’d recommend you read it anyway, but the back story about both characters will also help you enjoy ‘Fighting Instincts’ even more.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

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Story: 7
First MC: 8
Second MC: 8
Secondary characters: 6
Mystery: 5
Suspence: 7
Sexual tension: 7
Humor: 4
Hotness: 6
Product placement: 7
Ridiculousness: 5
Annoying: 3
Audio: 8
To re-read: 10 ( )

So I have now learned that getting into the tub with the intent of starting a Mary Calmes book is a surefire way to end up sitting in the freezing cold water for three hours because you are so engrossed in the story. Or, at least, that is what happens to me. The thing is, this book isn't perfect, but it was just so damned readable and I am =totally sucked into this world, no matter how much it doesn't make sense at times.

And once again, I apologize if what I say makes little sense, because I'm once again reviewing a book while high haha.

For those of you (like me) who thought that this would be a book about Tucker (the jackal) and Arman (the whatever-he-is) - nope. It's Arman and Linus (the white stag), which was...surprising, because I don't think they even really interacted at all in the previous book. But they have this huge backstory that we weren't privy to in the first book in the series, which almost felt like a cop-out, because their "relationship" felt really sudden and intense without warning. Arman and Linus go from zero to sixty in just a few pages, with Arman telling Linus in one chapter that he's going to go out and fuck someone else because Linus apparently isn't giving it up, and in the next chapter they are destined mates or something. But since their romance has been building for seven years off-page, we're just supposed to be accept the whiplash pace.

And let's face it - Arman is a dick. He knows that Linus was brutally raped by multiple wolf shifters, and yet he's yelling at Linus about fucking some other guy since Linus won't let him fuck him. I mean, on the one hand, I can understand Arman's frustration here, because he's been somewhat celibate for a while, and he and Linus AREN'T in a relationship, at least not when he says that. But he plays with Linus' emotions and leans into blackmail territory to get Linus to sleep with him, which just isn't cool either. But apparently that's okay, because being an alpha must mean also being a jerk to your mate?

Or maybe it's okay because Arman has a magical healing dick. Linus has been so traumatized by being gangraped over the span of months that he has remained celibate for seven years. Seven years of celibacy and fear. But one tumble with Arman between the sheets (with a brief moment of hesitation) and all is right in Linus' sexual world. I just don't see that as being realistic. At all.

The author throws in a shit ton of new characters and new mythos in the last quarter of the book, and it was hard to keep my mind straight over who was affiliated with which pack, etc, etc. And it's pretty clear that Jon is going to get a book of his own (I believe his story is the next book in the series - which I will NOT start in the tub! LOL).

This entire book takes place over the span of like three days, so it's...crazy fast. But I just couldn't put it down, in spite of all the ranting above. There's just something about this series that makes me want to devour it. I would have enjoyed the book a lot more, however, if we had seen more development (and at a slower pace) and watched Arman win Linus' trust. ( )