THE FRIEND CONTRACT
(A HAMILTON BROS NOVELLA)
DRIA ANDERSEN
ISBN# B0893MP629
June 2020
Self-Published
https://www.driaandersen.com/
E-book
$1.99
140 Pages
Paranormal Romance
4 cups
Gabriel Hamilton is a bear shape shifter. He works in the family business of contracts and other miscellaneous business dealings. His best friend is Naomi and she belongs to a family of panther shape shifters. They have been best friends forever because he decided if that was the only way he could be in her life he would take what he would get. But he is also in love with her. He thinks he has found a way to get her to marry him with a little white lie.
Naomi’s ability to actually shift shape is latent. It is there but has never manifested so she thinks she can not have a true mate because of the latency. She tried once with a different boyfriend from a fox family. She was pregnant with their child but when she tried to accept his bite in the mating, she ended up losing the baby. Once that happened, he dumped her, and Gabriel beat him up pretty bad for hurting Naomi.
Gabriel tells Naomi his family has betrothed him to another bear but he does not want to marry her so he asked Naomi if they can claim to be betrothed until his family gives up on the other bear. Naomi panics a little at the thought of Gabe marrying someone else. She loves him more than anything else but does not want to tie him to her since she can not actually mate. They discuss terms and form a sort of contract for the pretend betrothal or the “friend contract”. In the interim he convinces her that they can sleep together since they are betrothed.
I enjoyed this novella even though going into what I guess is a series without realizing it I did not fully understand some of the terminology and dynamics. Gabriel and Naomi have an easily definable chemistry and their unshakable loyalty to each other only deepens it. Their sex is steamy, and their family relationships are strong with some good humor thrown in too. Overall, it is a quick, easy read that will make you want to read more about their world.
Vicki
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
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