HIS LION TAMER

TITLE: HIS LION TAMER

AUTHOR: CAITLIN RICCI

Pages: 116

Date: 30/04/2014

Grade: 4

Details: Received from Dreamspinner Press

            Through Love Romances and More

Own / Kindle

The blurb:

“Charlie thinks his Friday will be the same as any other working as an animator, until Quinn Fitzgerald and his rescued Asiatic Lion, Aseem, walk into the studio. While the lion is impressive, his handler is the real reason Charlie’s heart skips a beat. 

Quinn has devoted years of his life to rescuing big cats, so he can’t turn down the donation the animation company is offering in exchange for using one of his cats as a model. 

Charlie isn’t quite as confident as the handsome, charming man his sister teasingly calls Sex God Quinn Fitzgerald. He’s so nervous he can hardly talk to the other man, so he’s shocked when Quinn not only notices him but invites him to spend the weekend at his big cat sanctuary.” 

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My thoughts:

Note: This novella is derived from a combination of two novellas previously published by Silver Publishing: Taming the Lion Tamer and Lions in the Candlelight

Quinn Fitzgerald runs a sanctuary for large cats. When he brings his young Asiatic Lion, Aseem to an animation studio to model for the artists, all he expects in return is a donation and maybe some exposure for his sanctuary. What he didn’t expect to find was the interesting but very shy artist who draws a wonderful picture of the lion. When Quinn leaves his gives Charlie his card and invites him to come for a visit the following weekend.

Charlie is insecure and shy as well as very impressed with the self-assured and very attractive Quinn. He can’t believe the man would talk to him never mind invite him to his sanctuary. Despite his shyness and encouraged by his sister he decides to accept the invitation.

The weekend will change both men’s lives in ways they couldn’t have foreseen.

I should start by saying that this description only covers the first part of the book. I’ve got a feeling it may well have been the description for ‘Taming the Lion Tamer’ when this book was still two novellas’. I’m disinclined to expand on it though. I think it is nicer if you’re unaware of what or how much is still to come. I know I was very pleasantly surprised.

I enjoyed this book. It is a sweet, almost angst free romance about two men who are clearly made for each other. Quinn is loud, self-assured and in charge with a wonderful sense of humour and a big heart. In fact, Quinn was adorable. Charlie is far less secure in and about himself but brave enough to take the bull by the horn when opportunity stares him in the face. I loved reading about Quinn and Charlie together; the way they fitted and complemented each other was wonderful. They sparked off each other nicely and were very hot together too.

Charlie’s sister Lisa was an amazing secondary character, She is fun and completely over the top. I loved her and couldn’t stop laughing at her referring to Quinn as ‘Sex God Quinn Fitzgerald’.

It was nice to read a book in which we get some of the aftermath. Most romances are, for obvious reasons, about the road that leads to the two main characters getting together. There will be twists and turns, obstacles and U-turns but in the end, true love prevails. The reader leaves the characters at the moment when everything has at last come together and they can start the rest of their lives, together. This book gives a little bit more. The story goes on after the two men have found each other and decided to make a life together and I enjoyed it, even though I realise it is the result of this book previously being two stories. I enjoyed watching them living their daily lives in the sanctuary. I enjoyed seeing them still deliriously happy with each other after a few weeks, a few months, a year. And I loved the second happy ending we got to enjoy with Quinn and Charlie.

In fact, that’s the best way to describe this book: pure enjoyment. Easy to read, with likeable characters and a charming story this book gave me an afternoon of relaxed reading enjoyment. There are worse ways of spending your time.