Sounds weird to say I found this horror story refreshing, but I did! It is told from a straight, single male's point of view, and from the beginning, it is the story of a romantic relationship between him and a female friend he's had for several years that begins and develops as they together fight off an invasive species. What is outstanding about the relationship is that it is not idealized in any way, but is so very realistic. Don't worry though - this is still a horror novel! There is plenty of terror that grows steadily from the first unusual snake that the female lead is called in to remove, to the end of the story when the new couple faces down an impossible foe they hardly believe exists.

The female love interest is the "expert in the field," and calls the shots, and the male narrator is completely comfortable with that, and even finds her more attractive as he sees how competent she is at her job (which is snake wrangling, or in the case of the invasive species, killing). He trusts her abilities and follows her lead, without getting in the way or trying to "be the man." I also really appreciate that the story is part-romance and told from the male's point of view. He isn't a stereotypical romantic guy, he isn't overly sensitive, but he cares about her as a friend before they get involved with each other. He's wary of getting involved - not because of the trite "it'll ruin our friendship" but because he's been hurt recently by a cheating partner and isn't ready for a repeat of that. He's, as is said a few times in the book, "one of the good ones."

This is a fun read. I enjoyed the plot and the female partner to the male lead who is strong, tough, intelligent, and bold, but also a single mom who is decidedly feminine - but not in a way that makes her appear weak. She might need help or assistance, but she doesn't need rescuing.

There were a lot of choices that the author made regarding the relationship between the two main characters, and I think he made great decisions. Bravo!

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Created Jun 25, 2022 at 7:52pm • Submit your own review...