Horse shifter Nick has dedicated his life to creating a safe haven for other shifters, men and women who can shift into animals at will. His one rule? Never trust a witch. When a feral–an un-bonded shifter–is killed, Nick must work with MWP copper Jamie MacDougal to catch the killer. Nick has one problem, though: Jamie is his witch. Nick is prideful, and strong spirited, and he hates the idea of working with someone like Jamie.
Nick’s pride keeps him from wanting to work with Jamie, but his honor finally nudges him in the right direction. Jamie, who wants nothing more than to catch the killer, and get over a dead lover, feels guilty when he realizes he has potential feelings for Nick–a man who is as stubborn as an wild horse.
Nick, on the other hand, wants nothing to do with Jamie. Although his body has other ideas. Learning that this man is his witch only complicates his budding feelings for the man.
When the two men eventually have sex, they realize that there’s something much more personal at stake than just the murder case. Both Jamie and Nick realize that there’s a spark that’s been ignited, even if Nick tries to deny that he felt anything for the copper.
Nick’s stubborn and prideful for a good reason: he has trust issues. He doesn’t want to be tied down, even if it means to someone he could love. Jamie has guilt over his dead lover, a man who died during the war. Jamie, because of his disability with his missing foot, only wants to be treated with respect.
Nick and Jamie eventually start seeing eye-to-eye after they form a temporary bond to help figure out the murder of a feral. Nick even let’s Jamie ride on his back after shifting into horse form, something that came off as a big step for Nick.
I’ve personally had my trust broken with past boyfriends, so I can understand a little bit why Nick is so guarded. I also have some disabilities, most of them not visible to the naked eye–like my autism–and can understand why Jamie wants to be treated as an equal.
I liked how Nick and Jamie put aside their differences to crack the case. I also liked how Nick grew to trust and develop feelings for Jamie, the last person you’d think he’d fall in love with.
I don’t want to spoil the bang-up ending, but I can assure you that this novel was worth it. It was worth the frustrating moments, and worth the trust issues.
If you like historical paranormal romance, Hexslayer and the Hexworld series is for you. I recommend starting with the first book in the series, Hexbreaker.
The Nerdy Nook 
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