Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Kingston
I love being a locksmith. My job is to help people fix their lives when things go awry. A badly sprained ankle has me laid up, but I dislike being idle. A friend suggests I hire an assistant. Little do I know how truly chaotic my life is about to become. I think he’s cute, but never does it occur to me how important he might just become in my life.

Ethan
I’ve held a series of jobs since graduating from business college, but none has captured my attention. Assisting a grouchy locksmith proves to be one of the more interesting challenges. Only when I discover something truly astounding about him, my entire world view changes.

 

 

Unlocked and Unlost is an opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine, age gap, paranormal shifter gay romance with a stodgy racoon shifter and the glorious squirrel shifter fated mate he didn’t see coming.

 

Book Review

If you’ve ever wondered how fast a squirrel can talk and how very many subjects one can cover in two minutes of rapid-fire conversation, tune in to this delightful shifter story.

 

Both main characters and several secondary characters have personalities to match what we could only imagine their corresponding animals might be. This leads to some awkward moments and humorous discussions over, for example, whether berries or peanut brittle make the best snack choice. It also accounted for Ethan’s squirrely personality. LOL  

 

Their meet-cute is adorable— in animal form in the backyard— as a squirrel and a raccoon. Kingston, the crochety older man, is overwhelmed by the highly energetic and motor-mouthed younger Ethan until he realizes Ethan is exactly what he needs in life. Not only is Ethan a breath of sunshine and fresh air, he proves to be a competent assistant with a heart of gold. Kingston, a third-generation locksmith, had been set in his ways and had firm opinions on how he wanted his business and personal life run but is bowled over when Ethan sweeps into his life.

 

The only area I found lacking in the story was in the minimal personal time between the two characters as they built their relationship. I would have liked to see Ethan and Kingston discover more about each other through one-on-one dialogue exchanges and intimate moments in their home, rather than through the narration, which told readers what happened between them but without the personal dynamic. I find that more dialogue makes me feel more into the story, like I’m with the characters as events happen rather than just being told about them. At times I was sure a fast-forward button had been pushed and we readers missed the day-to-day interactions during the unfolding relationship. By the end of the story, the men were living their HEA, settled in for the future with family and friends and, to be honest, it was difficult to become immersed in their relationship when it sped by so fast.

 

That being said, I still found the story enjoyable and most definitely would love to meet Ethan in person. That guy is adorable!

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book was provided by the author via GRRT for the purpose of a review.

 

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novella, 135 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	13-May-2025
Price	$2.99 ebook, $12.99 paperback
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Unlocked-Unlost-Gabbi-Grey-ebook/dp/B0F2GNDJ99