I received a copy of this book to review from Netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity.
An interesting take on the classic fantasy romance with good worldbuilding and likable characters. The writing was sharp with lots of witty aspects. The story moves pretty quickly with good pace.
There are multiple trigger warnings so please check before reading. The story is tropey at times and quickly resolved.
Overall, a good read.

I already got the first book in this series from NetGalley and then I missed the second one, so I had to purchase it to read it before this one. I'm so glad I did. I love this whole series so much. All 3 books revolve around a different couple but all of them are between a Vampire and a Shifter which I'm just really here for.

This particular one was between a Vampire and a Coyote and I enjoyed it just as much as I enjoyed the first two books. The characters from the first 2 books make appearances in this book as well but it's definitely not necessary to read all 3 books. They can technically all been read individually but of course they're all amazing so I'd recommend all of them.

This one here is about Samuel, a 180+ years old vampire who had a terrible past considering relationships and he closed himself off and vowed to never date again. Ever. That of course is until Rudy came into his life. Rudy believes them to be fated mates and he approaches Samuel multiple times to persuade him to go out with him, to get to know him, that they are mates and that they need to be together. Samuel isn't so happy about this annoying other person, pestering and following him all the time. That is until things change and bad things happen and bad people from the past come back.

I really enjoyed this installment and I've read it so quickly because I just couldn't stop anymore. I truly love this series and I hope there will be some more books in this series. I definitely need more Shifter/Vampire series to read.

Not necessary to read the previous books in the series, though it will add dimension, of course. The characters were fun and I look forward to more of the series!

Wonderfully well-written characters whose story I was drawn into from the beginning. It can be read as a standalone but reading the previous books will help to flesh-out to overall series arc. All in all an enjoyable addition to the series.

*I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley*

Having read the previous books in Lee Colgin's series, I was quite interested to check out the newest book in the They Bite series - Forbidden Need. I was really pleased with book, and will definitely continue with the series should there be more. I highly recommend reading these books in order; while they are new protagonists, there is a lot of crossover from previous books, especially in regards to the overarching conflict. The protagonists of the story were a delight. Rudy was too cute for words, and I loved how persistent he is when faced when the grumpy Samuel. This is very much a case of "the grumpy one and the sunshine one" which happens to be one of my favourite tropes. This book has a great plot, some interesting action, and great interactions between two well-developed and interesting characters. Definitely a great book to pick up!

Even though this is book 3 in the series, I think you could read it without reading the first two books and not be lost. I'm just not sure why you would want to because they were really good as well. I loved Samuel & his snarkiness. What he went through even before he was turned was heartbreaking. Even though Samuel came off as a rude & down right nasty person, you could see that underneath it all was someone that just wanted to be loved but was afraid to give his heart to someone again. Rudy we met briefly in book 2 & I didn't like him. I didn't like his attitude, but then again he didn't play a huge role in that book so I didn't really get to know him. Boy was I wrong about him. He was so sweet and when he sees Samuel & gets a whiff of him, he knows that Samuel is his mate & there is nothing he won't do to get him. Samuel is being stalked and he doesn't want anything to happen to Rudy so he does everything he can to push him away. But when push come to shove, Rudy stepped up and showed he was a force to be reckoned with. I really loved watching these two get to know each other & finally claim each other.

(I was lucky enough to also be given copies of the first two books in this series, so my review centers around all three and how well they The They Bite series centers around a world full of supernatural beings, with the focus predominantly on vampires and werewolves (and other types of shifters, such as coyotes). Each book focuses on a different male/male pairing, but each pairing is between a vampire and a shifter, pairings that in the book's world are essentially unheard of until these characters fall in love.

These books can be read alone, but I would recommend reading them in order, as each successive book in the series centers around a character readers met in the previous book. This also means we get to see some more of the couples from the earlier books, which I loved.

Forbidden Bond centers around an alpha werewolf and a vampire from a highly prestigious family, who meet when Sinclair (the vampire) attends an all-werewolf college. They essentially become the foundational couple that opens up the possibility of interspecies dating between what were once two enemy factions. Forbidden Love is about a vampire who is a doctor, who meets a werewolf (both characters we met in the first book) due to a major event from the first book. Forbidden Need takes a vampire character from the previous two books, who seemed very cruel and unfeeling, but when he meets a coyote shifter, his character is shown to be so complex, and I went from not liking him at all to absolutely loving him.

Colgin does such a great job with this series. The characters are compelling, their romances are beautiful, there is just enough tension to keep things suspenseful, and the ending leaves readers feeling satisfied. I flew through these three books, and I really hope this series continues on!work together)

A very nice and romantic supernatural M/M romance. Loved the characters and the storyline throughout the book.

This is the third book in the They Bite series and since I read the first two books and liked them, I figured I would read this one as well and I'm glad I did.

In the last book Samuel really had me intrigued because he's a lethal vampire. He's called on when uncomfortable things need to be done. He's a loner but has a couple of long time friends that he's close with but even they don't know all of his secrets.

Rudy is new to town but soon spots Samuel in a bar he tries to ask him out but is flatly turned down. But that doesn't stop Rudy for long because he's persistent. But Samuel doesn't date and when we see into his past, it's all too obvious why he never gave dating a second chance.

Rudy knows that Samuel is his mate but Samuel refuses to accept it or even acknowledge Rudy most of the time. But Rudy isn't about to give up that easy and goes about being in the same places that Samuel frequents. Rudy even gets some help from one of Samuel's friends. Samuel is a very closed off vampire and he has every right to be but when Rudy runs into some trouble, Samuel can't stop the alpha male in him from coming out and coming to his rescue.

Just when these two are finding each other, a terrible vampire from Samuel's past finds him and puts both their lives in danger. Now they have to find a way to stay safe and stop the villain from winning.

This was such a good story but I really liked the first two stories in this series as well so I'm not surprised. I will gladly keep reading this series since the books are so good.

Disclosure: I was given an ARC of this book via NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

A highly enjoyable and engrossing story that kept me hooked. I liked the characters, the world building and the plot.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I really enjoyed the characters of this book, enough so that it has made me want to go back and read the first two. Bad girl, I started with book 3. It had been awhile since I read a Vampire story and I realized how much I missed it. Bonus points because it includes a Vampire mating to shifter!

Rudy was just plain adorable and sweet. He was basically the opposite to Samuel’s gruff and don’t mess with me exterior. Even through multiple rejections to get Samuel to spend time with him Rudy never truly gave up. He knew they were fated and swore to himself it was worth the effort. Why would fate give him a mate, just to have him reject him. His positive outlook was so cute and eventually it wore down even the grumpy Samuel.

Samuel has lived for many years and his life has never been rainbows and butterflies if you catch my drift. Even his current job working for the Vampire counsel as an interrogator is quite gruesome. He doesn’t date. He doesn’t hook up. His life is carefully ordered and he likes it that way. It isn’t until Rudy comes into his life that he realizes how lonely his existence really was. Rudy is patient and kind with Samuel. He lets him go at his own pace and forgives him when he lashes out because he knows that is what Samuel is used to.

Watching Samuel begin to care of Rudy was my favorite part of the book. When an old foe from his past resurfaces Samuel is frantic to keep Rudy out of harms way. This was an eye opener for him to the depth of his feelings when he sees how far he will go to protect Rudy. All hands are on deck to take out this new evil against Vampires and unfortunately neither are spared from the damage. Thankfully their bond is strong enough to help them through all the drama that ensues and leaves us with an HEA ending.

Forbidden Need takes the trope of "grumpy-sunshine" M/M pairing to new heights

I haven't read the previous 2 titles of the author's "They Bite" series, but it wasn't necessary for me to understand what's happening in this world. And quite an interesting world it is! There's coyote shifters and a vampire council and the aftermath of a war between vampires and shifters — plus, vampires can be both born and sired! Amidst all this, the idea of "fated mates" is a rare thing, let alone the idea of interspecies mates!

Enter Rudy and Samuel. At first, these characters are so extreme in their differences you seriously wonder how they will ever end up together. But Rudy can sense right away that they are fated mates, so he tries to bridge the gap. Again. And again. And again. Not unlike the ACME cartoon coyote (but much kinder), poor Rudy keeps trying and comically failing to grab Samuel's attention — to the point that you feel sorry for him. Samuel on the other hand, you want to smack in the face right away. You want to ask him, "what has happened in your life that made you such an asshole"?

And here's the great thing about this book. The author, using flashbacks from the characters' lives, slowly peels off the first layer of their personalities (in Samuel's case it takes a lot of layers) to reveal all the hidden trauma that lies within. Because they've both suffered; they're both in pain. They just express it differently. In the end, acknowledging that trauma and finding strength in each other, is what makes this HEA so satisfying.

Steamy supernatural romance. Samuel, a vampire, with a troubled and dark past feels a malevolent being in the shadows. Rudy, a coyote shifter, sees Samuel and wants him. What ensues is a steamy, thought provoking tale full of twists and turns. This is a standalone in the series with the characters from book 2 making appearances.

I'm a little late to the party for this series as Forbidden Need was my first (both in the They Bite series and by the author) but I am hooked!

Rudy is a coyote shifter that is new in town. He's suffered a terrible loss and in an attempt at re-focusing his life has moved closer to friends from school. On meeting his friends at the shifter bar in town for a drink he is immediately and inextricably entranced by a grumpy and obstinate vampire. Samuel has no interest in the coyote or any romantic entanglements at all even if he the shifter smells intoxicatingly good and calls him mate. Slowly, the couple make their way together, through the pitfalls and torments of Samuel's past while one of those metaphorical demons tries to attack his future.

I am not a huge fan of the ever-suffering hero that has been set upon by horrendous torment after torment particularly of those in Samuel's past. It's just heartbreaking. I do enjoy it when two main characters come together to work against those, again, metaphorical demons and show growth and trust. It's just a beautiful thing to see people grow and trust. The chemistry between the two was pretty steamy and I love how that aspect was not rushed or turned into insta-love/lust (although it did happen a little quickly... but ya know fated bonds and stuff so its a bit easier a pill to swallow).

As I said before, I was completely hooked into this book and well the whole series pretty much from the beginning. I am so going to be looking into the author's backlog and future installments!

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This was an adorable story! I thoroughly enjoyed it! The characters were sweet, and it was a simple, wholesome feeling read. Something light to fall into and fairly satisfying, complete with dopey grin.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked.

I was a bit worried, since the first book was not to my liking and to be honest I still haven't read the second. But luckily it was not necessary to be up to date with the previous stories, to enjoy this one.

Rudy is great, I really liked his personality and the way he approached Samuel, how he slowly gained his trust. They as a couple were sweet, sexy and cute. I took a while but Sam decided to give Rudy a try, and it was very good.

The story has flashbacks of the past of Sam and Rudy, with the first we learn about his life before and after converting, we see why it is how it is today and it is not a surprise that he acts that way.
With Rudy we see his relationship with the family and especially with his younger sister, an important part of his life and the reason why he decided to move.

As the pages go by, Rudy and Sam get closer, talk and try to get to know each other. That was my favorite part, although it is a story of destiny mates, it is not insta love, in fact it takes time, not much, but there is more development of the relationship.


of course the sexy parts weren't bad;)

Wow, I guess it really was my last read's fault that it took me *TWELVE DAYS* to finish, because I devoured this one in less than 24 hours!

Samuel, the Vampire Council's enforcer, wasn't very prominent in the first book, but as Dr. Ben's best friend in the second book, I loved his snarky-assed attitude right from the get go and really wanted him to get his own story.

So when I saw that ARC's for his book were available, I immediately snapped it up on NetGalley and was not in the least disappointed.

As this book began, Samuel was still the same rude and grumpy asshole that I'd previously seen, but for some unknown reason (*cough-fated-mates-cough*), the moment that upbeat, personable, coyote shifter Rudy saw Samuel in a bar, it was a done deal.

But Rudy was nothing if not persistent, even against the most cutting of Samuel's rebukes, and this was a romance, after all, so as expected, the relentless canine shifter wormed his way into the bitchy, little vampire's cold, previously-dead heart. And since I enjoy stories with a bit of a chase, it was awesome to see!

Although the humor wasn't completely ratcheted up enough to give full-on frequent belly laughs, the laughs were there with enough regularity to keep me chuckling quite a lot, like in the exchange below, where Samuel had FINALLY stopped running full-speed away from Rudy.

“You know you’re even prettier when you’re not angry with me.”

Samuel opened his eyes, took in that ridiculous smile, and laughed out loud. “You’re quite infuriating.”

“Have you met you?” Rudy’s grin widened.

“Touché.”

I really enjoyed finally getting the back story of Samuel's painful 180 year past, through a series of flashbacks, which also introduced us to the present day Big Bad in the book.

Let's just say that the young vampire had *very* shitty tastes in boyfriends, to the point that those choices had followed him for over a century and might've cost him his life.

Less enjoyable, though, were the parts of the book surrounding the loss of Rudy's younger sister. When all was said and done, I didn't feel as though that entire story line was needed at all, but that's just me.

I also really liked how, even though Rudy was written as a much less powerful, less capable fighter than Samuel, it was Rudy that kept stepping up to the plate when situations had gone completely off the rails.

The relationship angst here was always kept to manageable levels, along with the steam, but I found the feels to be much higher than I'd actually expected.

In regards to pacing, the book was very good at keeping me completely invested from the first page until the defeat of The Big Bad; however, the parts after that landed a tiny bit flat, if I'm being 100% honest.

Overall, I'd rate this book at around 4.25 stars for the excitement and sheer enjoyment and recommend it to anyone who has already read the first two books. : )

This is book three in the "They bite" series. Full disclosure – I loved the supporting character, Samuel in the last book so I was delighted when I discovered he was one of the main characters in Forbidden Need. When I first encountered Samuel I described him as  "all sharp edges and pointy bits." I'm happy to say he is still the same in this third book of such a great series.

Colgin's world is one that I quite enjoy. Vampires can be born or sired. There has been some political strife between shifters and vampires that has resulted in some hard feelings and some violence. There can be interspecies "mates" but the idea of fated mates is one that is more fully explored in this book.

When young Coyote shifter Rudy sees Samuel he knows there's something special about him. It doesn't take Rudy long to work out that Samuel could be his mate. He doesn't know much about fated mates, but his heart is open and loving and he just wants to be near Samuel.

Gruff and sharp Samuel is true to form in this book. He's built up walls that allow him to maintain an emotional distance from the people around him. His best friend is probably Benjamin who is the main character in book two. In fact, it's Samuel who encourages Ben to take on his werewolf partner, Nathan. If only Samuel would easily apply that same advice to himself.

Through brief flashbacks of the past, Colgin reveals what has happened to Samuel since he was born. Soon, the reader finds out that Samuel has fought hard to be the person he is. There is a lot of trauma and violence in his past, and he has learned to protect himself by shutting himself off from relationships. Samuel is a lovely and complex character. Despite his thorny outside, I already liked him because of his brief presence in the second book of the series. The flashbacks combined with his reluctant interest in Rudy made me like him even more.

Rudy is the more loveable of the two characters. The shifters in Colgin's books tend more toward being free-spirited and a bit less bound by tradition than they are their hearts. I like that as it makes sense to me. It's clear that the author has put a lot of thought into the world and the characters because it's very consistent throughout the series.

This is probably my favorite book so far in this series!

This is the third book in the 'they bite' series and like the previous books, it features a relationship between a vampire and a shifter. In this case, we have Samuel a vampire over a hundred years old and Rudy, a Coyote shifter in his thirties.
As vampires go, Samuel is a particularly grumpy one. Even so, there is something that is almost innocent about him when it comes to relationships. He has had a number of bad experiences over his long life and although it has led him to become the hardened warrior that he is, when he meets Rudy a softer and more vulnerable side to him comes out. Some of the story is told via flashbacks to both Rudy and Samuels youth and we find out more about what has shaped both of their characters.
I enjoyed seeing the unfolding relationship between them. From the start, Rudy is convinced that Samuel is his, but it takes Samuel much longer to come around. After all that he has been through, he's not convinced that he deserves the kind of relationship and happiness that Rudy is offering him.
This third book is another great read and one that I really enjoyed.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This had me hooked from the start. Rudy was lovable and his tenacity was endearing. Samuel was mean and hard and not overly likeable but once you started to read his history you understood why he was like he was and he grows on you. Although there was some pretty dark topics included it was lightened by Rudy’s personality even though he had some tragedy in his life too. The unlikely pairing of these two made it more interesting and the acceptance from their friends and family made it heartwarming.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review
3.5*