What a complete change of pace coming from Darkness into Smiley, both five star reads, but the names are synonymous of the stories themselves, of course, since the heroes chose these names for a reason. 13 books into the series and it is still going strong while each story is completely unique and satisfying. I would say any of these books could be read as a standalone, but they're just so good, I would recommend starting at the beginning with Fury, which to date, still remains my personal favorite and lays the foundation for all other installments. Smiley is the first primate species featured in the series and overall, it was great to discover some of the differences about them, but what stood out the most is that is the most romantic and tender of all the books to date.
Vanni is tricked by her fiance into attending an important benefit for her soon to be father in law's "church" which very specifically targets New Species as not only an abomination but a threat to the world. When she discovers she's not there for a romantic weekend getaway, she's seriously pissed off and instead of going to her room, she heads off to the bar where she meets Smiley, a new species. At first, Vanni is nervous because she doesn't want Smiley to know she's with people who are anti New Species, but as the night progresses, they end up connecting really well, until Vanni starts experiencing hot flashes and dizziness. Smiley soon realizes that while they've been sitting together with drinks, they've both been drugged, very specifically with the breeding drug from his Mercile days. From there all hell breaks loose. Smiley is drawn to Vanni and although she seems to be the primary suspect for their drugging, he can't help but believe her innocent.
The story has a kick start and things progress rather rapidly, with plenty of mistrust and danger past the half way point, but then things slow down and progress into a lovely courtship to win Vanni's heart. Smiley remains stalwart and completely supportive of Vanni's innocence and he'll stop at absolutely nothing to protect her. This is not a story of miscommunication or stubborn denial of one's feelings, but a slower progression of getting to know one another and trusting one another to build a lasting relationship. It's a different pace than Ms. Dohner's typical Alpha male role since primates are evidently much more sensitive than canines or felines and quite frankly, this makes me even more eager to read about Jericho. We have a short reunion with Fury, Justice, and Slade along with a quick cameo of Darkness, and I loved how supportive the New Species were in this installment overall. All I can say is, thank you and please keep them coming!
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