Shiver (Unbreakable Bonds #1) & Lucas (Unbreakable Stories #1) ~ Jocelyn Drake & Rinda Elliott

Wow!!!

This was one of those books that grabs you and doesn't let go. In fact, even when I put this book down to do something else, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Shiver is book #1 in the Unbreakable Bonds series by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott. It follows a group of four friends who find love amongst tragedy and heartache, while trying to outwit a powerful enemy from their past. Shiver is the story of Lucas and Andrei.

Lucas and Andrei are smoking hot together, but it was more than that. Their chemistry, both sexual and personality-wise, was electric. Andrei brought out Lucas' softer side; he broke down those barriers that even his closest friends (very close, closer even than brothers) couldn't. Even though Andrei was well and truly capable of looking after himself, Lucas' care, possessiveness, and protective instincts gave him a level of peace.

The relationship between the four friends: Lucas, Snow, Rowe, and Ian was an interesting one. They are very close and intimate with each other, but it's not sexual. It's an exciting dynamic, and whoever ends up with each of the men will need to be able to accept it for what it is and not get jealous. I think it will make for interesting times ahead!

The suspense was very well done. I had had a niggle about the eventual bad guy earlier, but ultimately dismissed and forgot him. It was a real 'who is it?', and 'why are they doing it?', right until the end.

I had initially intended to read book 2 - Shatter first (as the story line grabbed me), but a few reviews said to start with Shiver first. I can say that I agree entirely with that assessment. I think it is vital to come to terms with the relationship between the four men before jumping into a more advanced story. The four friends' relationships with each other are critical, and I think a lot of the nuances would be missed if you didn't start with this book.

Anyway, it is certainly no hardship to start with this book, and I highly, highly recommend it!

Lucas (Unbreakable Stories #1)

This anthology of short stories is more like an extended, extended epilogue. Although the stories all have their own titles, they really just flow from one to the other.

This is a truly beautiful way to finish Shiver, and even after reading these, I'm not quite ready to let Lucas and Andrei go just yet.

I can't recommend strongly enough that you read these stories after Shiver.