ALL OF ME by Cardeno C

Publisher:               Dreamspinner Press          

Published:               01/06/2014 

ISBN:                     978 1 63216 082 9

Genre:                   Paranormal / Romance / M/M

Book Format:          E-book

Obtained via:          Publisher

Reviewed by:          Helena Stone, helenastone63@gmail.com

Rating:                  4

Abel Nasa and Zakai ‘Kai’ Berura were destined to be together from before they were born. Both are destined to become Alpha’s to their packs and in an effort to strengthen the packs, their parents bonded them before they were even conceived. Even without their parents planning these two men would have found each other. From the very first moment Abel and Kai meet it is clear they are two parts of one whole and the future looks bright and secure. On the day they were to be formally bonded Abel sees something he experiences as a betrayal of everything he believed in as well as his love for Kai. Without looking for an answer Abel leaves.

Ten years later Abel is in charge of his pack and hasn’t been in contact with Kai since the day it all went wrong. When Kai’s younger sister arrives to demand Abel help her brother, his first reaction is to refuse. One look at a near death Kai changes everything though; the bond between the two men is too strong to be denied regardless of what happened in the past. And Abel learns that you can’t always trust your own eyes; sometimes they don’t tell the full story.

Some novellas are exactly the right length as well as much too short. “All of Me” is one of those for me. I really enjoyed the story and the characters in it. Everything we need to know is told in a smooth and unhurried way. And yet I couldn’t help wishing for more time with Abel and Kai; I had gotten quite attached to them over the course of 54 pages.

We get the story from Abel’s perspective and seen through his eyes all his decisions and his pain make perfect sense. I could feel how badly he was hurting when he made his shocking discovery and understood how it still had an effect on his thoughts and actions even a decade later.

Of course, once we find out what exactly happened to Kai it was impossible not to feel sorry for him as well as impressed with him for everything he had gone through. (I know I’m being somewhat obscure here but I don’t want the spoil the full story for those who haven’t read it yet).

One thing I always like in Shifter stories and loved in this one is the bond between two mates destined to be together. It is hard to imagine anything more romantic than that. Of course the bond being unbreakable has a flipside; not even betrayal or a long time apart can diminish the pull. The one he was meant to be with is lost to Abel and with it his ‘joy de vivre’.

The reunion and reconciliation was a bit too quick and easy for my liking. On the other hand, their actual bonding after all the secrets have been revealed and forgiven was wonderful and just about right as far as pacing and detail were concerned.

Overall this was a rather sweet, well written and very sexy paranormal romance by an author who is slowly claiming her place on my ‘must read’ list.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.