Book Title: A Cowboy for Caleb (Great Plains Shifters #1)
Author: L.C. Davis
Publisher: Self-Published
Cover Artist: Wolf Conan
Release Date: October 11
Genre/s: M/M Romance, hurt/comfort MPREG with a HEA
Length: approx. 37k words
It is a standalone story, but is the first in the Great Plains Shifters series (the same universe as The Mountain Shifters).
Blurb
Falling for his deceased twin brother’s mate was never part of Dustin’s plan.
This midwestern Alpha might be a little rough around the edges, but he lives by a few simple principles and honor is chief among them.
Nonetheless, when tragedy strikes the Meadowlands Pack, Dustin feels he has no choice but to bring his twin’s mate home to take care of him. The only problem is, Caleb isn’t anything like Dustin expected of the city omega who stole his brother’s heart and divided their family.
What starts out as trying to do the right thing soon becomes a blurry series of complicated decisions that lead Dustin further away from the path he’s always followed—and further into the arms of the one omega he was never supposed to want.
Caleb has been through the worst a mated omega could fear. He’s lost his mate and their unborn child, and now he finds himself at the mercy of an Alpha who has every reason to hate him.
Despite being twins, Dustin and Caleb’s former mate, Alec, are nothing alike. Caleb wants nothing more than to please his new Alpha and secure his position in the pack, but Dustin seems to take everything he says the wrong way.
As forbidden tensions mount between Alpha and omega, Caleb begins to fear that Dustin will start taking his developing interest the right way.
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Excerpt
Dustin hadn’t been prepared for Caleb to take him up on his offer to stay and help him through his heat, even though he’d made it in all sincerity. He moved a bit closer, and the moment his hands made contact with Caleb’s skin, he knew he’d bitten off more than he could chew. He tried desperately to focus on the nonsensical plot of the movie, but the more he touched Caleb and the more he felt the omega’s tight muscles relax under his attention, the harder it was to think at all.
After all, some things didn’t require a whole lot of brain power. Instinct was more than enough. It was reining in those instincts that posed the real challenge.
The soft moan that passed Caleb’s lips was the thing that caved Dustin in all at once. The omega arched his back and leaned into Dustin’s touch, their pheromones mingling together in perfect harmony, as if their bodies had already decided how the night was going to go.
“That feels so good,” Caleb breathed.
“Good,” Dustin growled. He hoped Caleb would assume he was just hoarse and not angry, but knowing the Alpha’s voice was just rough with desire was probably even worse. “You’re tense.”
Caleb froze and looked over his shoulder. His eyes were dark and heavy with lust, and if there was any doubt in Dustin’s mind that the attraction he felt was a two-way street, it was gone now. Caleb turned slowly, and before Dustin could fully process what he was doing, the omega had slipped his arms around Dustin’s neck. His fingertips grazed Dustin’s skin, raising goosebumps all over his flesh.
“I know this is wrong,” Caleb said, his voice soft and husky but full of guilt. He wouldn’t meet Dustin’s eyes, which was just as well. The Alpha knew once he did, all bets were off. He wouldn’t be able to keep the truth inside any longer. “But I — I’m just so tired of feeling alone,” he whispered, tears slipping down his cheeks.
“You’re not alone,” Dustin assured him, stroking Caleb’s cheek. “I know I haven’t been there for you the way I should have. I’m just so afraid of making a mistake. Of giving in to the way I feel about you, and leading us into something we’ll both regret.”
“How do you feel?” Caleb asked, finally meeting his eyes. His gaze was searching, needful.
Dustin swallowed hard. “I think you know by this point. I’m pretty bad at hiding it, but God knows I’ve tried.”
Caleb gave him a small, rueful smile. “Maybe I’ve just been afraid to see it. Afraid that you’ll realize I feel the same way.”
“You don’t,” Dustin said, coming back to himself for a split second. He hoped it was enough. “You’re in heat.”
Caleb laughed. It was a soft, regretful sound. “I wish I could blame it on that. Maybe then I could sleep at night without feeling like such a horrible person.”
“You’re not a horrible person.” Dustin’s thumb swept across Caleb’s lips. They were so soft. How had he gone this long without kissing them? Without touching him…? “You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever met.”
The omega’s lips found his. This was it. This was the point of no return. If he crossed that line, if he returned the kiss, it was all over. He could no longer lay even a technical claim to goodness if he tasted the forbidden fruit and took more off the vine, but he had never felt quite as weak—or as strong—as he did with the omega in his arms.
In the end, the satin sin of Caleb’s lips brushing against his own was just too much. Dustin took the omega into his arms and his tongue slipped in past Caleb’s parted lips, taking the reins of control the way he’d always wanted. In all his wildest dreams—and Caleb had been the subject of plenty—he had never imagined giving in to temptation could taste so sweet.
Review
A Cowboy for Caleb (Great Plains Shifters #1) was graciously provided to me by Gay Book Promotions for an honest review.
“Cowboys and Cardinals..”
When I first came across the book, A Cowboy for Caleb, I immediately knew that I really had to read it for so many different reasons. Aside from the welcoming cover, set somewhere out west, a place that is inundated with strong cowboys, this book has so very much more than that. It quite frankly has it all. It’s a story, an mpreg story, which contains not only these cowboys, and, not just the regular run-of-the-mill cowboys, but, cowboys who are shifters as well. And, with that comes the Alphas, the Omegas, as well as the Beta shifters as well. See? Cool, right? This story has it all. When I first came across the blurb and the actual details, I just had to sit and let it all sink in. Because..wow. And..boy am I glad that I did.
A Cowboy for Caleb, by L.C. Davis is quite the story. It is an emotionally gripping story filled with such beautiful hope that it’s impossible not to strongly believe in its strength. It definitely brought out all of the feels from me. It’s a story about two young men, Caleb and Dustin, two very different kind of individuals, who find themselves facing one of the most difficult kinds of traumas they’d ever imagined. As both are faced with a different kind of pain, they are then faced with the addition of Fates natural intervention. How in the world are both grieving men supposed to handle such a feat?
As I read this absolutely heart-breaking, difficult-to-grasp, and, ultimately heart-warming story, I discovered that my emotions were somewhat all over the place. While I had welcomed the reading of this eye-opening story, I also found it to be somewhat of a challenge to completely understand, not only the main plot, but, also the sub-plot and questioned how it actually was all interconnected, as a whole. Unfortunately, I also wasn’t able to completely connect with both Dustin and Caleb that quickly due to the amount of sheer and utter pain and desolation Caleb was facing. Some yes, however, not completely. I also wasn’t able to connect with the whole Alpha strength, Head of pack mentality which seems to be infused within most of the shifters I’ve encountered within other books. Being truthful, it was kind of disappointing for all of this to be present during this read. With this overall confusion, I just could not understand the road the storyline had gone down, but, in the end, it was so…let me just say I bawled like a baby when…well, not only throughout the story, but, more so during specific parts, but, especially…when that part was right in front of my face. Gah, it was so difficult to read, but..it was beautifully understood.
There were many different secondary characters, a select few, okay, maybe one…who drove me nuts..but, throughout the story, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about all of them, many, if not all, I look forward to seeing again in future books, of this Great Plains Shifters Series. *cough* Zander *cough*
I loved A Cowboy for Caleb. I was hooked on the puffy-eye-producing, heart-clenching main storyline, despite some of it being somewhat hidden, and, with its smooth pace, it’s suspenseful undertone, I was unable to put it down. While I had hoped for more of the cowboy, western, and, shifting aspects, along with, some more character background to have been included, there was so much more to the story that actually brought me to my knees, and overrode anything small that may have been lacking. Overall, I’m so glad to have read it..:)
*star rating: 4 stars*
About the Author
L.C. Davis is an M/M romance author with a passion for representation. Series include The Mountain Shifters, Great Plains Shifters, Kingdom of Night and Queer Magick.
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