Review: Mongrel by Lee Colgin
SYNOPSIS:
Mongrel, a creature more wolf than man, leads a lonely life on the fringes of pack society—until the night a handsome vampire shows up with a mysterious request.
Bowie, a vampire cursed to a life of endless nights, maintains close ties with his human family. When young girls in their village go missing, he must act quickly. But to find them, he’ll need to convince the local werewolf pack to loan him their best tracker—a wolf known as the Mongrel.
Though he hates the slur, Andras is used to being called Mongrel. When Bowie refuses to refer to him by anything but his given name, Andras can’t help a flicker of unexpected trust toward the stranger. He volunteers to help Bowie, risking banishment.
Can two tenderhearted men overcome their traumatic pasts and work together to rescue the girls before it’s too late? Or will the world’s most prolific killer snuff the flames of their passion along with the lives of the captives?
REVIEW:
This paranormal story was a surprisingly enjoyable read for me. I have been on the hunt for a vampire romance for a while and stumbled across Mongrel in an author’s group. I decided to give it a go and while set in historical times with some touches of real events, I immensely enjoyed it.
So lets start with the cutest cinnamon rolls ever, Andras and Bowie. Andras is a werewolf with a heart of gold, and while he might be more wolf than man, his tragic backstory sets up for a resilient man looking for an escape. When Bowie arrives, Andras jumps at the opportunity to get away from his toxic pack. As these two men travel and traverse the countryside in search of the missing girls, they grow closer. I adored how open and friendly Bowie was, he was a ray of sunshine for being a vampire, which is a refreshingly unique narrative. Bowie with Andras was just a match made in heaven, they complimented and matched each other so well. It was the perfect case where characters just mesh and work, I adored their stolen moments of intimacy and tender conversations.
Then there is the plot line, while a work of fiction, the story pulls from the very real history of Elizabeth Báthory. If you never read her twisted, dark story, it’s the stuff of nightmares. I loved how it was weaved into the book and balanced with vampires, werewolves, and more. The plot was constantly filled with questions and twists, when I would receive one answer, several more questions would pop up and I loved that. The constant anticipation of the unknown and unraveling the mystery that is taking place had me fully immersed in the fictional world.
As a new to me author, I will definitely be checking out Lee Colgin’s other books. But this story definitely satisfied my vampire book craving.
LINKS:
