Alternative Destiny by Allyson Young
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by FernCassie Fortuna flees back to her own pack, broken-hearted, after discovering her intended’s interest in another woman. Despite shifters being monogamous, it seems Ben isn’t.
As her twenty-fifth birthday approaches, and her heat, she resigns herself to returning—there is no one for her in Mystic River and her only sibling and her family live in Blue Star. Besides, she’s over Benjamin Kraft.
Ben hopes Cassie came back for him but is unable to breach her cold façade to finally share his dark secret. Secrets have a habit of coming out, however, and Cassie is stunned by what she learns. Intent on making things up to her, Ben succeeds in winning her back. Having never gotten over him, she embraces their new relationship.
As a result the blood vessels dilate causing increased blood flow order generic viagra deeprootsmag.org into the penis causing an erection. Sildenafil which was originally developed to treat sexual cheap cialis problems in men. The reason: they watched too many porn movies. best online viagra But that does not seem to be adding erectile dysfunction treatments to their daily buffet.More and more it seems that the men and women who are breast feeding. cialis viagra canada But Cassie and Ben could be in danger, as well as someone else important to him when others learn his secret. Is the risk worth the reward?
Cassie might be young but she feels strongly for Ben and is confidant in their fledgling relationship until she accidentally overhears him speaking to a mystery woman over the phone. Heartbroken and determined not to settle for second-best, she returns to her father’s pack and puts the entire episode behind her. When she later returns, older and wiser, she has no intention for rekindling the old relationship, but Ben has other ideas.
I found this interesting short story to be quite a different style of paranormal romance. Character-driven, this story was refreshingly different in a number of ways and I really enjoyed how there was a lesser focus on inner-pack politics. Often I feel werewolves plotlines can get too bogged down in politicking or fights for dominance that feel too well-worn. While there is a bit of this toward the end of the story – I was pleased primarily that this was a very small section of the plot but also that it was dealt with fairly quickly.
The story is told initially through Cassie’s perspective and then later with Ben specifically keeping some of the critical details vague so the reader doesn’t grasp fully what the situation is. While I understood the author’s subterfuge, I wasn’t keen on how the reader was left in the dark of such a crucial part of the core problem between Cassie and Ben for almost the first third of the story. I definitely felt that when I was enlightened as the reader to what really was happening – it was delicious and wonderfully naughty, I’m not sure the author should have left the big reveal quite so long into the story as they did.
I also never really understood fully why Cassie felt she couldn’t question exactly what Ben spoke about and who the other person was. I can fully appreciate Cassie felt betrayed and cheated, that she was hurt and angry – that made utter sense to me and I supported her initial reaction whole-heartedly. But to leave without discussing it, to cut him out of her life and turn her back on him and their potential future together just seemed way overboard to me, especially when pride or her hurt feelings appeared the only justification for it. Even when Cassie returned, to admit she was merely sticking her head in the sand and ignoring the whole issue felt juvenile and a bit silly to me.
The sex in the story, deliciously hot threesome sex, was well worth the wait and steamy enough it should satisfy readers who like their stories explicit and spicy. I was intrigued by the fact that Ben’s other relationship in many ways was a lot more solid – and settled – than his relationship with Cassie. I felt this in many ways strengthened the story and certainly made it seem fresh and different to me. Even though I personally enjoyed the difference I’m not sure other readers will be happy that essentially it is the “other” relationship that is solid, strong and secure – and not Ben and Cassie’s relationship, particularly when it’s meant to be them who are the hero and heroine characters. I enjoyed it, but I could see that many readers may feel that’s a bit odd.
Readers who like steamy, sexy paranormal stories with both M/M, M/F and ménage elements should find this a hot, sexy and interesting story.
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