Customer Reviews

With Caution

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is good and advances Langley's werewolf universe nicely. The characters that she created in "Without Reservations" appear and continue to develop, especially Jake and Remi. Langley made clear that they were intended mates in the previous book, but kept Remi from discovering that fact. He learns it early on here and Langley does a good job of developing a credible plotline for the two to become lovers and mates, and much more. I won't give any more away other than to say their relationship affects their wolfpack in ways that show Langley developing the "rules" and "facts of life" for her fictitious werewolves in ways that were not clear in either of her two previous works in this series. In fact, the reason I gave this book four stars instead of five is that in several ways, characters in earlier works were not consistent with some of the "rules" she brought out in this work. Also, the Remi we see (and become quite fond of) in detail in this book is consistent with the Remi we saw late in "Without Reservation," but does not seem like the same character who pitched a royal fit when he walked in on Chay and Keaton making love in the earlier work. That made me a bit uncomfortable in the last book, but it worries me more in this one. Still, both quibbles are minor, enough to downgrade slightly to four or four and a half stars (instead of five), but the characters are a delight, many interesting new ones introduced, a despicable villain introduced, and the way paved for at least one more (probably a whole series) of additional books in this universe. If you like Langley, you'll enjoy this book and should buy it.

A J.L. Langley's book is a sure reading. You will find a good story, hot sex, a lot of humor and romance for your heart. Yesterday I bought three books, but when I had to choose from what book start my reading, I had no doubt: J.L. Langely will not deceive me

With Caution is the third in the With or Without series, even if it is strict connected only with Without Reservation. Remi was turned in werewolf by Jake in the first enstallment in the series, and he has now to learn how to live like a werewolf and in a pack. In the Chay and Keaton's story, Remi had expressed a lot of doubts and a lit of homophobic behaviour, and so when Jake had turned him and discovered that Remi was his mate, he was worried that Remi couldn't accept it.

But Remi is very attracted from Jake, all in Jake appeals him, scent, body and mind. Even the protective attitude of Jake is something that Remi finds reassuring and for the first time he thinks to be able to share with someone else his problems. Remi is out from an abusive father who now treats Remi's brother, Sterling, who is only 14 years old.

Remi is a brave character, but he has not the force to face his father's brutality alone. He is for attitude and nature, a submissive: he needs the help, but over all the added force of his mate, Jake. And Jake is an alpha male, and a dominant character both in life then in sex. So he is the right mate for Remi.

I have the strong feeling that Remi's character is changed a lot from the previous enstallment. In Without Reservation he is an interesting supporting character, but apart the physical beauty and a cocky attitude, no more else gave you the real impression of him. Instead he is a complex character, with a secret past which is a real twist in the actual story (no want to give off the story, so no hints on it).

As always the sex is a main aspect of the story and a strong point of force of it. It's masterly written, very arousing but not crude: J.L. Langley has the ability to get you excited (yes for real) without being graphic. Reading her sex scenes you have not the feeling to read an "hot to do" guide, and despite it, you are reading a good and explicit sex scene.

Like in the other books in the series, the family (in the case of werewolf, the pack) is a main value: old good feelings and the idea that you are stronger if you lean on your pack. And they are also a great source for other stories in the series (I will look forward for Sterling and Rhys's story, and who will be Matt's mate?)

With Caution is a long book, more than 200 pages, but sure when you will arrive to the epilogue, you'd like to have more.

In this new installment of the With or without series our focus is on Remi, Chayton's friend the gorgeous half Native American guy who was attacked and then turned into a werewolf. The last time we see Remi we learn that Jake is his mate. I was really happy that With Caution came out and it was only going to be based on Remi and Jake's relationship. I really loved this book, though I have to admit I was a little put off of the fact that the story strayed a bit from the original characters at times focusing more on Sterling, Remi's younger brother. It should also be noted that Remi is submissive in this story a really big change in his personality when he was really dominating in the last. There also a few surprises and secrets that we learn about Remi that come from long suppressed memories and powers with him becoming a werewolf. Its a good read with lot's of foreplay and sex so for all m/m fans enjoy!

Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.

Rating: 7/10

PROS:
- Even though Remi is depicted in Without Reservations as a total jerk, this book not only explains his bad attitude enough to make him sympathetic but also develops him (with the help of the right partner and a loving relationship, of course) into a character I genuinely admired by about a quarter of the way through the story.
- Lots of fun, accepting secondary characters. Jake's pack is awesome; I really enjoyed reading about their camaraderie and their loyalty to each other.
- The beginning of yet another story with the same characters that I am (im)patiently waiting for Langley to release. She does an excellent job setting up another romance toward the end of the current volume--Jake and Remi are introduced at the end of Without Reservations and then have their own volume in With Caution. I very much hope that the two characters who are introduced at the end of this book have their own story coming soon.
- Jake is lovely. I like the idea of an uber-masculine man caring deeply about someone else and turning to putty when the other person is around; this is why I'm so anxious to see whether Langley follows through with the next romance in the series in particular.

CONS:
- The BDSM stuff struck me as odd. Granted, I know nothing of the lifestyle except what I've read in books, so if you're an expert on the scene, please excuse my ignorance here. But Jake and some of the other characters think of Remi as the ultimate submissive, and I didn't see much in his actions that went beyond superficial, vanilla submission (nothing like the soul-searching that occurs in the Deviations books, for example). It could be that this book just depicts a less severe level of the lifestyle than some of the others I've read, except that the characters in this story refer a few times to "earning leathers."
- One semi-voyeuristic sex scene that's bizarre and made me a little uneasy while I was reading it.
- The story's villain is about as one-dimensional as they come: he's evil and disgusting and horrible...so much so that his continued cruel actions repeatedly drew me out of the story. I kept thinking, "At least show me a reason why he's so single-mindedly vicious."

Overall comments: I've read other m/m romances that swept me off my feet more than the stories in this series, but these are wonderful when read together. They've got some tension/plot; hot, graphic, plentiful sex; and strong characters with sweet romances.

When Remington Lassiter was attacked by a rogue werewolf in "Without Reservation", J.L. Langley's previous novel, he was left shredded and near-death. Jake Romero, a werewolf who had been acting as a bodyguard for Keaton in that story, found Remi, recognized him as his mate, and gave Remi his blood to heal him. This also turned Remi into a werewolf himself. Remi was raised by an abusive father who is horribly homophobic. Remi tries to protect his younger brother Sterling from the father since Sterling still lives at home. Should Remi do anything to anger his father Dirk, it will be taken out on the Sterling. Unfortunately, Remi's closest friends are gay, and merely visiting them will anger the father.

To also add complications to his life, he is a new werewolf who has little control over the sensations and transformations that come along with being one. The most disrupting of the traits is that Jake Romero is Remi's mate. Everybody has a mate, the one person in the world that complements that person in every possible way. Even though Remi is straight, being near Jake arouses him and overwhelms him with emotions that he not only has no control over, but which he doesn't understand.

"With Caution" is a fine complement to "Without Reservation". The main characters of Remi and Jake were introduced in that novel, and in this one, we get to see them mature and step into their new roles. J. L. Langley manages to mix excitement, danger, and eroticism all seamlessly, adding in a bit of humor when needed. It's enthralling to see Remi faced with pure lust and attraction for Jake, but not understanding why since he's straight. We spend quite a bit of time in Remi's head, and we learn his motivations and empathize with him. Jake is also a complex character in a difficult situation. He knows Remi is his mate, and the attraction is just as strong for him as it is for Remi. Jake is also a very dominant Alpha, and his first instinct is to throw Remi down and make him submit, but such an act on the unready Remi will merely scare him away. Jake walks a fine line between staying near enough to Remi to gain his trust, but still keep his arousal and instincts under control.

Remi's brother Sterling is a wonderful character, one of more endearing ones I've read in fiction. Fourteen years old, accepting, exuberant, irrepressible, chronically inquisitive and talkative, he is a wonderful kid and it's very clear why everyone who meets him goes out of their way to protect him. He is absolutely dear to the story.

The story is interesting and this interpretation of the werewolf genre is very well thought out. The pacing is very good. Just when you start to feel the story is getting too comfortable, a surprising twist is thrown in that livens it up again.

It's a hot, steamy, exciting piece of paranormal male romance.

I think I should start off by saying I didn't expect a re-write of LOTR with gay characters. That aside, for what the subject matter is, I thought the characters were rich (though there could have been a bit more... the book left you wanting more from Remi/Jake and their surrounding friends), the plot was better paced than its predecessor (which I also liked). I think the world the author creates could actually evolve into something like the Sookie Stackhouse novels (but with gay characters...hmmm, if the True Blood series is such a success maybe the author could shop it to LOGO or HereTV? Albeit with better acting than their other offerings... but I digress.)

I particularly liked the intrigue of this book better. I got caught up in the mystery as it unraveled (though I saw the younger brother's situation from a mile off... I think the revelation of that could have been planned better). I think the highest praise comes in the form of how the author treats the Native American influence. She presents it well but doesn't feel the need to invent things about the culture if she doesn't know anything about them (as a native man I am particularly sensitive to how natives are portrayed in novels/media) so job well done on that count alone.

The only other thing that got to me was that the author used the term 'slanted' when writing about two men approaching a kiss. 'Slanted?' Really? You couldn't come up with a better term or at least alternates that could be cycled so that particular word didn't appear tagged onto each male/male kiss?

All n' all a good guilty pleasure read. Something to read at the beach or in the park. Though the arousal factor could present interesting moments. LOL!

Would like to see more from this world. It definitely has the potential to grow beyond this offering.

I read J.L. Langley's series that started in Without Reservations out of sequence. I started with With Caution, which actually I think helped me appreciate the first book more. While I enjoy J.L. Langley's style of writing, I think that With Caution is the weaker of the two books. Jake Romero is a great original character and she gets him right, but in trying to create more of a back-story for Remington Lassiter, J.L. Langley went askew.

Remington is a badly written, feminized character who seemingly needs a man to either abuse him or save him. I found neither appealing. While the sex scenes between Jake and Remi were hot, the pairing of these two men would have better served if the author had made Remington less feminine and more of an equal with Jake. She did that perfectly with Chay and Keaton in Without Reservations. Even though Keaton was described as "Little Bit," and small in stature, he still was a masculine man who could stand up to his lover (Chay) and all of members of the wolf pack. Somehow, the author lost that in the Remington characterization and instead went the way of Japanese sterotypes of seme and uke. That is a shame, as I would have enjoyed this book so much more without those generalizations in the plot.

While I could not give this book a 5-star rating, I did enjoy the series overall. And I am looking forward to Sterling and Rhys' story, as neither of those characters seem to fall into the previous sterotypes I have mentioned before.

This is another book I've reread and reread. The characters are endearing, the writing is mature, and the plot is good. I'm hoping Ms. Langley has another in the series up her sleeve with Rhys and Sterling...

A case of mistaken identity stripped Remington Lassiter of his humanity when he was viciously attacked and almost killed by a rogue werewolf in Without Reservations: With or Without, Book 1. Now he's trying to deal with the impulses of his new wolf nature, and it isn't helping his peace of mind that every time he gets anywhere around private investigator Jake Romero, Remi can't control his arousal. Finding out Jake is the one who saved his life by turning him werewolf and that Jake is his mate answers many of Remi's questions, but his little brother Sterling shows up, bruised and scared, and gives Remi a terrifying reminder of the consequences of being true to himself - and who would pay the most brutally for it.

Remi's haunted by a recurring dream he doesn't fully understand, full of yearning for his mate, and desperately trying to save his little brother from their father. Being wolf has only complicated a difficult, tenuous existence. One that his father seems intent on ending.

With a much smoother narrative, more realistic dialogue, and a deeper, more complex story, Langley has improved greatly on her With or Without series in this second installment. Remi and Jake are good together, and Remi's brother Sterling is utterly charming (high point of the book for me). Jake's partner Rhys and his friends are all strong secondary and ancillary characters, and the threat of Remi's father is far more intense and well developed than the suspense aspects of the previous book. Remi's past is brutal and heartbreaking, and the effects on his personality and character are realistic and traumatic. All in all the characters are likable and the story is sound.

I did have a few issues, though. Remi and Jake were introduced in the previous book and while Jake was at most an ancillary character, Remi was more of a secondary character and was given more story time. The Remi of that book is virtually unrecognizable in this one, though. Some of his less pleasant actions and reactions in that one are explained, but there isn't enough to warrant the complete shift of personality to a loving, giving person who's first and last concern is for his brother. I liked him a lot more, don't get me wrong, but the inconsistency in his character was a problem for me.

I also had a few problems with how Jake and Remi, and by extension, their friends and pack, dealt with the very serious threat of Remi's father. Not to mention my utter disgust over Remi's mother's willingness to stay in such a violently abusive relationship. It's tragically realistic - happens every day - but it's not something that makes for a pleasant read. And frankly, with so many werewolves around, I just couldn't understand why Remi's father didn't "accidentally" end up as dead as he deserved before the situation degenerated to the degree it did. Especially with the lives of Sterling and their mom on the line. It's not like precedent hadn't been set in the first book to allow for killing in self defense.

As I've indicated in other reviews, my personal preferences for M/M romantic and sexual relationships trends away from dom/sub behavior and relationships, and that is theme in the sexual relationship between Jake and Remi. On top of that, Remi's willing submission further created an inconsistency in his personality between this book and the first. On a more pleasing note, Remi wasn't effeminate, nor as generally submissive in nature as Keaton was in the first book, even with his Omega status in the pack, so that helped. The surrounding story and the appeal of the characters allowed me to still enjoy the book, even with those issues.

I was pleased to visit J.L. Langley's site and find out that the next book in the With or Without series is complete and with Langley's editor. If things go as indicated on her site, that book, WITH ABANDON, will be available in December of this year. I'm looking forward to it, but even more so Sterling and Rhys' book, WITHOUT FEAR, which is in production but on hold at the moment. There's just something about Langley's characters and the world that she's created here for this series that are appealing to me, even with the issues I had with this one and the last. More books in the series is good news.

Warning: This book contains graphic and explicit (and hot!) M/M sexual scenes and situations and includes themes of sexual dominance and submission.

Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.

This is a good book, but in my opinion not as interesting as the author's first in the series Without Reservation. I guess I missed the first book's characters Chay and Keaton (they do appear in the second but not as much as would have liked).