E.J. Russell - Single White Incubus

Does a bear shift in the woods?
Well, partially. That was what got grizzly shifter Ted Farnsworth into trouble. He wasn’t trying to break the Secrecy Pact. He just wants people to see the real him. So he signs up with the mate-matching service Supernatural Selection — which guarantees marriage to a perfect partner. Not only will Ted never be lonely again, but once his new beaver shifter husband arrives, they’ll build Ted’s dream wilderness retreat together. Win-win.
Quentin Bertrand-Harrington, scion of an incubus dynasty, has abstained from sex since nearly killing his last lover. When his family declares it’s time for him to marry, Quentin decides the only way not to murder his partner is to pick someone who’s already dead. Supernatural Selection finds him the ideal vampire, and Quentin signs the marriage agreement sight unseen.
But a mix-up at Supernatural Selection contracts Quentin with Ted. What’s Ted supposed to do with an art historian who knows more about salad forks than screwdrivers? And how can Quentin resist Ted’s mouthwatering life force? Yet as they work together to untangle their inconvenient union, they begin to wonder if their unexpected match might be perfect after all.

Comment: I saw a recommendation for this book somewhere and the person said the story was sweet, therefore I've decided to try it, even though the cover seemed a little cheesy...

In this novel we meet shape shifter Ted, a happy kind of person and very unlike most bear shifters, in the sense he likes being among people and talking with friends. Since this causes him some problems with the shifter regulations, he decides to find a mate through a paranormal selection and a company will find him the perfect match. At the same time, incubus Quentin also wants a mate because he is becoming weaker and needs suppressants for his incubus tendencies, especially after a previous boyfriend almost died. He believes a vampire might be the perfect match, but will it?

After what seems to be a mistake, both Ted and Quentin find themselves paired up and both agree they should cancel the match but the process is more difficult than they assumed. In the meantime, the longer they get to know each other, can it be that they are suited to one another after all?

The cover of this book is a little cheesy, I thought as soon as I saw it. The blurb seems rather silly too, even for someone who likes PNR, but the opinion of the person who recommended it was strong enough to make me want to try it anyway. I'm glad I did because while this isn't perfection, it's quite entertaining and easy to read.

In the world created by the author, there are plenty of different species and being living among humans and often with the looks of humans. These beings have a Pact, where they agree to keep their identities safe from human knowledge but their lives are pretty much interwoven with humans everywhere. I also got the impression this is a spin off of other series (then I checked and it is so) but the actual plot could be read without feeling I was missing things. Still, it is obvious this is part of a bigger picture.

Ted is what I would call a cute and adorable type of person, sort of bubbly and optimistic but he struggles to maintain distance and he has willingly participated in one or two schemes so that he could have people around, such as shifting and letting a photographer catch him at a distance, meaning people are curious about the area and come and go, meaning Ted always have people to chat with. This caused him problems with the shifter rulers, and he doing therapy as well. Finding a partner is vital to keep him grounded but I was so happy to follow Ted's thoughts, he is a sweet guy and a little naive, making him very friendly, I was rooting he would be able to find love.

Quentin is the more serious of the two and he feels his incubus needs are too much for a partner and his previous boyfriend almost died, and that is why he thinks a vampire would be suitable but meeting Ted and going through the process of the whole matching mistake and how to solve it, means they have to spend time together and any romance reader would immediately know this is half way to show a pair is meant to be. Quentin also improves the longer he is in ted's company and I liked seeing him deciding he would want to be happy.

I actually think the author did things right while developing the plot, at the right pace and the fact this is PNR could suggest insta love and that could be the way to go, but the development of the guys' feelings and what happens to them and around them reinforces the depth of their emotions as they deal with things. I was certainly entertained and motivated to keep reading and discovering if the matching issues had been intentional or not and how they would realize they didn't want to stop being a couple.

The plot isn't complicated, basically the guys deal with several issues, both emotional and of their daily lives, while contemplating the other person and how slowly they start realizing they are much more than what they thought when they met. Ted has his trust issues, how easily he is convinced others would not cause him problems but do, and Quentin is a cynic and wants to prevent someone from being hurt by being with him, letting this fear cloud his choices and how he sees life.

Perhaps the story is a bit silly cute and not as dazzling as one could imagine, but it was sweet and serious at the right amount. I'm even interested in the intended partners of each guy, who were paired up along with these two because of the same mistake, even though we only have a few references to them or to how they would be better choices. But it is all a matter of love and friendship and I will read that second story too, at some point. I was positively surprised by this book, and by the author.

Grade: 8/10