A-Z Challenge Review: Tempestuous by Morgan Hawke

Why I bought the book: I bought it after reading Torrid by this author (which I reviewed here) and it's been on my TBR pile for two years, believe it or not.

Plot: This is one of Morgan Hawke's Yaoi inspired books. The story is based on the Kitsune myths.  Rusty is a costume designer who manages a costume shop.  When a gorgeous looking man, Shiro, comes in to collect a costume he flirts shamelessly with Rusty and is very interested in Rusty's black fox mask which Rusty carved when he was a teenager. When Shiro tells Rusty that he's been looking for him for some time and that he has a fox mask just like Rusty's, Rusty is thrown into a confusing world where nothing is as it seems and where he is has no choice but to to submit to a man.

The story itself is a typical Yaoi.  The strong and attractive Shiro confuses Rusty who isn't gay, but feels mesmerised and intimidated by Shiro's assertion that they are meant to be together. The Kitsune myth is successfully integrated into the story and there was a nice blend of the modern with the fantastical. The part where Rusty makes his transformation was handled in a way that was amusing but also showed how baffled Rusty is at what is happening to him.  I especially liked the way he had difficulty in controlling his ears and tail.  There were, however, a few plot holes which irked me by the end.  For example, Rusty leaves his old life behind seemingly without regret.  There were also a few things introduced into the story which are never properly explained, such as Rusty's power to control the weather or the reason why he bleeds from a wound in his neck when he needs feeding.

Characters: I liked Rusty a great deal as a character and thought him rather sweet and noble.  His confusion is endearing and I was interested to see how things worked out for him in the story.  Unfortunately I didn't like Shiro who was far too smug and self-satisfied.  Like many Yaoi stories, Shiro as the Seme delighted in taking the upper hand but the inequality irked me a little and I just didn't feel any romantic spark between the characters.  Shiro almost drugs Rusty with his sexual advances making him unable to form a coherent thought; he uses sexual bondage and manipulation to get what he wants; and whilst all the sex is consensual, Shiro is totally in control and almost blackmails Rusty into bottoming for him.  What did work was the way the two men clash in a battle of wills and some of my favourite parts were those where Rusty is refusing to back down from Shiro or finds a way to circumvent the sexual manipulation. This just made me like Rusty more for standing up for himself.

Overall: The parts of this story which worked best for me were those which used humour to lighten the situation and where Rusty fights for his independence from Shiro.  I also liked the background to the story where we learn how Rusty has come to be as he is, and also some of the ways he has learned to survive. The rest of the story still worked and made sense, but my dislike of Shiro as a character rather clouded my feelings towards their HEA.  The story was still worth reading though and gets a grade of 'Good' from me.  Those who like Yaoi inspired stories should give this one a go.

Buy this book HERE.