Feral by Joely Skye

Title: Feral
Author: Joely Skye
Format: book

Shifters. As in shapeshifters. Or, more commonly, weres. In any case, this book is a homoerotic relationship between two shifters of different species. Meet Ethan, a cougar shifter, and Bram, a wolf shifter. As the synopsis goes, Ethan finds himself captured by Bram's pack and confined in a room. Bram becomes his babysitter, delivering his food and making sure nothing happens. And other duties. 

It's pretty commonplace that when two individuals are stuck in each other's company for an extended period of time, their initial relationship changes. For Ethan and Bram, they grow closer - even though it is forbidden for them to do so. 

Bram is the pack's omega (i.e. bottom of the totem pole), so he is obligated to follow the alpha's (Doug) orders to the T. The relationship Bram has with Doug is a complicated one thanks to certain events in the past. However, this complication doesn't seem to be portrayed as smoothly as a reader might hope. I had a problem with connecting with the characters. The fluidity of their conversation and their interactions with each other seemed forced and awkward. 

The wolves' feelings for each other didn't seem genuine, and I had a hard time connecting with either man. Bram especially was hard to sympathize with. I didn't feel like I could reach into his head and empathize with his actions.

As for Ethan, I could partially sympathize with him, but he too lacked enough depth for me to get really involved with his side of the story. The characters as a whole seemed too two-dimensional and shallowly developed. While the plot itself is interesting and had kicked off to a thrilling start, I didn't feel overly compelled to finish the book in one sitting like I might others.

I might have enjoyed the story better if I had a better understanding of the dynamics of either shifter species, and why it was so important to break through these psychological defenses. Or how.

And when it came to the sex... it seemed dry. It wasn't personal enough for my liking, or erotic enough to make me wonder if I should be sitting with a box of tissues at my side. It wasn't so much the description as the method it was told that turned me off. In combination with flat characters, I struggled to find it emotionally drawing. I was overly tempted to just skip it entirely.

I wouldn't recommend this as an 'introductory' book into the genre of gay erotica. But it might still appeal to someone who wants to pass the time with a bit of guy love when there's nothing else to read.

Overall: 2.5 out of 5