Blood Howl (Sanguis Noctis #1), by Robin Saxon & Alex Kidwell

Gun for hire Jed Walker
doesn’t figure it for a difficult job—a simple smash and grab
retrieval—except his new client doesn’t want money or goods. He wants
shy, gorgeous Redford Reed, a man who turns Jed’s world upside down
inside a day. He is in no way prepared to fall hard and fast for his
newest assignment.

Redford Reed lives his life locked in his
grandmother’s house, haunted by a terrible curse and watching the world
pass him by until Jed shows up, sent by a man who will stop at nothing
to claim Redford as his own. Teaming up with Jed is Redford’s only
chance at survival, but as the violence escalates, so does the tension
between them. Even though they each finally have something to live for,
now it’s going to take all Jed’s skill and every bit of courage Redford
has just to stay alive.

 

Rating: 4 out of 5

You
know those movies where you know going in that you’ll really enjoy it
as long as you check your brain at the door? I’m thinking action movies,
superhero movies, that sort of thing. Big dumb fun. Sure, there’s
massive plot holes, but damn the movies can be fun! This is what we have here, in book form.Normally
I’d knock this book on a number of counts: no world-building, little
backstory on the main characters, ridiculous motivations by the
antagonists, and more. But you know what? The story was so much fun and I
enjoyed the characters so much, I will give it a pass.Jed is
pretty much a boisterous, amoral, grade-A asshole. Need someone
assassinated, somebody kidnapped, something blown up? He’s your guy.
This kind of broad character can be entertaining as long as you don’t
examine them too closely. Redford is a perfect foil for Jed. He’s
sheltered, naive, and quiet, an element of sweetness that is the perfect
antidote to Jed’s crassness. The two of them together are an adorable
couple. Also, some of the werewolf scenes are flat-out hilarious.As
noted above, don’t think about the plot too closely. Just go along for
the ride and have a good time! Saxon and Kidwell’s writing is enjoyable.
The dialogue is snappy and the side characters are for the most part
interesting. The big finale is definitely big, and has some intriguing
plot twists that make future books in the series quite interesting
indeed. I’m definitely going to continue to read the series!
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