Title: To Catch His Mate
Author: J.D. Walker
Publisher: Amber Quill Press
Release Date: July 2015
Genre: Contemporary m/m
Page count: 95
Reviewed by: Kristin
Heat Level: 3 flames out of 5
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
I thought this was a delightful read. Set in Atlanta – and I do love my southern boys – Felix Cotter is an investigator for the Englemann Insurance Company. Thanks to his inner cat, he has the advantage of being able to smell lies and with his sharp sense of deduction can get to the bottom of the problem pretty darn quickly.
He is very devoted to his guardian, Ben Cotter, who still lives on his farm in Georgia. Felix makes a point to visit as often as possible; not only because it provides him an opportunity to let his cat out, but because he truly enjoys Ben’s company. However, the current visits have a third purpose…Ben’s health is deteriorating beyond the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and the old man won’t tell Felix what’s going on. I thought the relationship between Ben and Felix was an endearing counterpoint to the growing relationship between Felix and Tyler and was actually my favorite part of the book.
Tyler literally enters the scene from the balcony of a 15 story condo complex. While we soon find out Tyler’s tragic past has led him to his current predicament, I never really got a feel for his personality. We know he’s sweet, has the hots for Felix, doesn’t trust what his nose and instincts are telling him, and is man enough to stand up and say “I was part of the problem” then pay his dues. Since the book is written from Felix’s POV, perhaps this is enough?
I would like to comment that the very light BSDM aspect between Felix and Tyler felt off to me. I thought Felix calling Tyler “boy” came from left field and it never felt like it fit either character. Perhaps if a sentence or two had been added early on when establishing Felix’s life in Atlanta, that he like a bit of domination, then perhaps it would have felt more natural.
I had an issue with the ending: as Tyler goes off to pay his dues for his part in the insurance fraud, Felix retreats to the Georgia farm to wait for him. No mention of any kind of contact in the interim – no letters, no phone calls, no going to visit Tyler. On one hand I found this odd after the earlier passion between the two and the fledgling relationship starting to grow. But, on the other hand, it could be interpreted as Felix stepping back and saying, I love you, here’s where I’ll be when you’re ready. As a reader, I would have liked this more fleshed out and less ambiguous.
Overall, this is a short, well paced, very sweet story about love, loss and redemption.
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