A supernatural rodeo with werewolves, vampires, and loads of other paranormal beings? All doing what cowboys do best – except in a supernatural way? Yee-haw and bring it on! With a unifying theme of “homecoming”, all three stories show characters who find a home. In the first story it’s a return to an old place long missed, in the second story it’s finally finding a group of people to belong, and in the third story it’s all about finding the mate and home you’ve always wanted, even though it may be a little unexpected. I totally enjoyed all of them!

Welcome to the Pack by BA Tortuga
This story proves that supernatural beings can be just as selfish and nasty toward their fellow beings as humans. Actually, this makes sense since it is humans who “think them up”, but bear with me here. Even though it is fiction and all make-believe, the sense of “reality” is great when all these creatures behave just like humans – or worse!

Denver is a werewolf, the younger of twins, who left years ago so his older brother Denton could rule the pack. Unfortunately, that brother is killed by a demon bull (under very suspicious circumstances, I must add), and now Denton is suddenly called back from the human rodeo to run the pack and work in the paranormal arena. Luckily he remembers how everything works from before he left, but he has his work cut out for him!

Blaine is an outcast werewolf who is treated pretty badly, just because he was not born into the pack. He is bullied all the time, never has enough to eat, but has nowhere else to go so he perseveres. He also loved Denton – a love that remained unrequited since Denton was straight. I loved how Blaine suddenly has hope for a better future when Denton turns up and makes it very clear his sense of justice is pronounced and someone’s origins don’t matter to him half as much as their work ethic.

If you like the idea of a supernatural rodeo where all the bulls are far more dangerous than normal, and some of the other rodeo workers are vampires, ghost riders, etc., and if you’re looking for an entertaining and suspenseful read full of hot cowboys, then you will probably like this novella.

Oklahoma Rain by Kiernan Kelly
What I really liked about this story is how it shows the danger and effects of reverse discrimination. For once it isn’t humans who reject supernatural beings, or Supes, instead it shows how Supes deal with a human suddenly in their midst. Granted, he is only a child, and that helps, but some of them still have an issue accepting him.

Blaze is a psychic, a Supe who shows no visible signs of his talent. He supports the wizards who set up the protective spells (so humans never find out the rodeo is full of paranormal talent – that made me laugh), but looks human. When he finds another psychic and the boy he rescued, Blaze wants to help them, but knows he has an uphill battle to fight with the rodeo owners. Not that this stops him, he is determined to help Zack and the kid.

Zack has a very rare psychic talent, and a need to protect Mikey ever since he rescued him from being beaten up after he was stolen from an orphanage. Zack himself used to live on the streets, so he is more determined to help the kid than most. His talent is needed by the supernatural rodeo, so he is allowed to stay and gradually begins to trust that he has finally found a home. I loved watching him open up and learn to trust Blaze, to the point where they work together to solve the crisis they find themselves in.

If you like the idea of a supernatural rodeo and want to explore more of the paranormal talents needed to make it run smoothly, and if you’re looking for a suspenseful read full of hatred from a bigot on the one hand and a developing romance on the other, then you will probably like this short novella.

Big Bear, Little Bear by Julia Talbot
The third story in this wonderful collection tackles the topic of finding a true home with a lover, as opposed to the home you grew up in. Ben has been hoping for Ozzie to notice him for a very longtime, but it takes him being hurt and needing help to recover before Ozzie gets over his hesitation.

Ben, the horse trainer and a black bear, is attracted to Ozzie, but thinks he is not enough for the big grizzly to notice him. After he gets hurt badly in an accident involving hell hounds and his horses, his road to recovery is much longer than he expected. But one good thing happens: Ozzie finally shows an interest in him.

Ozzie is the rodeo’s clown (at least in summer, since he hibernates in winter) and a huge grizzly bear. He is interested in Ben but wants him to grow up a little. After the accident he can’t hold back any longer, especially when he gets suspicious about Ben’s medication and the fact that Ben is no longer able to shift. Ozzie won’t rest until he gets to the bottom of what is wrong, and I am very happy he is so persistent! Ben needs all the help he can get.

If you like the idea of a supernatural rodeo and want to explore more of the paranormal talents needed to make it run, and if you’re looking for an emotional read full of great food and naps (these are bears, after all) on top of developing love, then you will probably like this short novella.


NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )