‘Oh no. I let my Wolfkin side take over a wee bit too much.
I licked him. Now he’s mine, my inner wolf tells me.
Waaah! He’s gonna think I’m so weird!’
I absolutely loved this book! It was such a beautiful story, not only of healing and love, but of found family. Great world building and wonderful characters. I loved Shae and all the MEOW Squad members. The group overall is fun, warm, quirky, loyal, caring, and funny. They are also all very skilled and work smoothly as a team. I liked that they each had different strengths. My heart hurt for Shae’s abuse by his family. I really enjoyed his road to healing in this book- especially the uniqueness of the island (I won’t say more).
Cheerful himbo Griff was so precious. I loved his optimism and empathy. He made me laugh out loud a number of times. And I could completely see ‘Wolf Boy’ through Shae’s eyes as an adorable anime character with the wolf ears, fluffy tail that could wag in a blur, and whose puppy eyes were deadly to even the rest of MEOW Squad. The praise kink was both understandable- due to his past with his family- and adorable because I kept hearing, “Whose a good boy?” in my head in the way one says to their pet dog. And I loved it. His insecurities made me want to hug him (and pet his ears) even more.
Dallas “Papa Bear” was one of my favorite characters. The leader of the team, but also a caregiver trying to take care of everyone and keep everyone fed. (I definitely want his book! His mate will be a lucky man indeed!) I was also very drawn to vampire Harper and would love to read his book and learn more about him. Beautiful, mysterious, and strong.
This story had healing, trust, and love. It had suspense and tension in regards to Shae’s family and the unknown. How his father and stepmother was handled was great. But nothing was as perfect as Bella. So, so satisfying! It was one of my favorite scenes. Not just for her comeuppance, but also because in that moment, we really see how far Shae has come from the beginning of the book.
As much as I LOVE Tentacular Tales (and Monster’s Hollow), this is my favorite. I really, REALLY hope we get more books with MEOW Squad!!
Joel Leslie delivers another superb performance bringing this book to life. Everyone has a unique voice from cheerful Griffin, strong Zane, seductive Harper, adorable Haku, and even haughty Margaret Divine. As always, you can really hear the emotion and love come through. Forever my favorite narrator!
Overall: 5 stars
Performance: 5 stars
Story: 5 stars