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Paws and Magic #1
Aiden's Shepherd
A man who never knew magic and shifters existed gets a crash course when he saves an injured dog.
Aiden Grey is packed and ready to move and start a new phase of his life away from the family that kicked him out when he was eighteen. The night before he leaves he sees something fall out of the back of a van. Upon closer inspection, he is shocked to find that it’s not the bag he suspected, it’s a dog!
He decides to take the dog with him, and the two set off the next morning to Aiden’s new home. Everything is going well for Aiden and the German Shepherd he named Lex. That is, until said German Shepherd shifts into a man who claims Aiden is his mate.
Lex can’t believe he’s finally found his mate. But as happy as he is to have him, he still worries about his brother and pack, and where they have ended up.
With the revelation that shifters exist, secrets about Aiden’s past come to light. Secrets he didn’t even know existed. Suddenly, Aiden has to deal with not only the reality of shifters, but also ghosts and magic. But with Lex by his side he can handle anything—even his surprise guest.
Aiden Grey is packed and ready to move and start a new phase of his life away from the family that kicked him out when he was eighteen. The night before he leaves he sees something fall out of the back of a van. Upon closer inspection, he is shocked to find that it’s not the bag he suspected, it’s a dog!
He decides to take the dog with him, and the two set off the next morning to Aiden’s new home. Everything is going well for Aiden and the German Shepherd he named Lex. That is, until said German Shepherd shifts into a man who claims Aiden is his mate.
Lex can’t believe he’s finally found his mate. But as happy as he is to have him, he still worries about his brother and pack, and where they have ended up.
With the revelation that shifters exist, secrets about Aiden’s past come to light. Secrets he didn’t even know existed. Suddenly, Aiden has to deal with not only the reality of shifters, but also ghosts and magic. But with Lex by his side he can handle anything—even his surprise guest.
111 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2014
About the author
Beany Sparks
8 books26 followersBeany Sparks lives in Western Australia. She first started reading romance novels in 2008, but it wasn't until January 2010 when her Kindle got delivered (which she had brought herself on Christmas Day 2009) that the world of erotic romance opened its doors to her, and she hasn't looked back.
Since English was never her strong subject at school she never expected to write a story, let alone try to get it published. With suggestions and support from friends, her muse—“affectionately" known as PITA—was finally able to break free, and in January 2014 her first story was written. Since she can’t put PITA back in his box—she's tried!—Beany has decided to give in and team up with him.
Together they’ve made plans to write both MF and MM stories. Why? Because love isnt gender specific, love is love.
Since English was never her strong subject at school she never expected to write a story, let alone try to get it published. With suggestions and support from friends, her muse—“affectionately" known as PITA—was finally able to break free, and in January 2014 her first story was written. Since she can’t put PITA back in his box—she's tried!—Beany has decided to give in and team up with him.
Together they’ve made plans to write both MF and MM stories. Why? Because love isnt gender specific, love is love.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 20, 2014
4.5 stars... Seriously?? Oh man when is book two coming??,lol I have to say I really enjoyed this first book in the series and I'm eagerly awaiting the next one in the series. I thought Aiden and Lex were perfect for each other, super sweet and cute. That's about all I'm saying, I don't want to give anything away.
November 6, 2014
That was too cute. But. .. CLIFFHANGER?!?! Sigh. ...
March 31, 2015
*sigh* It means well. But the execution… I can only assume that this is a first book or something along those lines.
Everything’s stupidly convenient and needs to be said many times over. Any tension is derived from brief moments of forced misunderstandings (in the style of certain silly chain letter type fables where a boy says awful things to a girl only for it to turn out to have been phrased badly and he was actually expressing the complete opposite).
On the whole it just screams immature. I am pretty sure this is precisely what I’d have come up with at the age of, say fourteen. (I may or may not be in possession of evidence to that effect.)
Even the sex follows that for the longest while, in that one guy is a virgin (who never even exchanged so much as a handjob with a boyfriend; why on earth not? I get it about not wanting to do any of the truly intimate and invasive things, but this just boggles my mind), and they pretty much immediately upon meeting express how hot they are for each other and want to have sex, but then postpone it quite happily for several weeks in favour of just holding hands in the most innocent way. It’s… confusing. And very, very naive.
Then there’s the “plot”. It’s made from a number of very popular elements, but everything is served on a platter, so ridiculously over the top that, sadly, it makes the protagonists look rather silly as well.
I just don’t know. I was not particularly interested in finishing this, actually, but now that I did, I kind of want to read the second volume. Maybe it’s the semi-cliffhanger ending. Or maybe my hope that by the next book things have already improved. We’ll see.
Everything’s stupidly convenient and needs to be said many times over. Any tension is derived from brief moments of forced misunderstandings (in the style of certain silly chain letter type fables where a boy says awful things to a girl only for it to turn out to have been phrased badly and he was actually expressing the complete opposite).
On the whole it just screams immature. I am pretty sure this is precisely what I’d have come up with at the age of, say fourteen. (I may or may not be in possession of evidence to that effect.)
Even the sex follows that for the longest while, in that one guy is a virgin (who never even exchanged so much as a handjob with a boyfriend; why on earth not? I get it about not wanting to do any of the truly intimate and invasive things, but this just boggles my mind), and they pretty much immediately upon meeting express how hot they are for each other and want to have sex, but then postpone it quite happily for several weeks in favour of just holding hands in the most innocent way. It’s… confusing. And very, very naive.
Then there’s the “plot”. It’s made from a number of very popular elements, but everything is served on a platter, so ridiculously over the top that, sadly, it makes the protagonists look rather silly as well.
I just don’t know. I was not particularly interested in finishing this, actually, but now that I did, I kind of want to read the second volume. Maybe it’s the semi-cliffhanger ending. Or maybe my hope that by the next book things have already improved. We’ll see.
January 17, 2015
Perhaps its the what feels like a long wait for intimacy that I'm just not feeling it here. Not a whole lot of playing around sexually in the meantime so the passion feels severely lacking to me. Then find out Aiden is a super cool sorcerer but we don't see a lot happening on that front.
I'm not sure I'd say this is a bad book.. but I CAN say that the appeal for me is NOT high..
I'm not sure I'd say this is a bad book.. but I CAN say that the appeal for me is NOT high..
December 8, 2014
I'm not impressed with this book. The storyline developed fast and the main romance between Aiden and Lex wasn't in any kind fresh or extremely good. I was partly bored with the whole concept of a story.
The way it ended, was just laughable.
The way it ended, was just laughable.
October 9, 2021
2.5 stars - This was a nice story, but had some problems. E.g. some of the scenes included where unnecessary, the dialogue and story telling were repetitive and some of the scenes not on page would have been nice to actually read about. Overall it felt rather amateurish, like first-book-self-published-amateur. Still, it was nice and I liked it, so I am giving it 3 stars (I was in the mood for something simple and had low expectations) and am hopeful the author improves.
October 25, 2015
Reviewed at The Blogger Girls.
3.5 stars
The night before Aiden’s ready to move, he sees something fall out of a van and goes to inspect it only to discover it’s a badly injured dog. Bringing him inside and caring for him leads Aiden to taking the dog with him to his cabin. But what he thought was just a dog turns out to be much more when the dog shifts into a man. Aiden is beyond shocked but it isn’t long before he learns his grandmother may be dead but she’s also calling him and what she has to tell him is about to turn his world upside down.
This was such a cute story! I really liked the fact that Aiden grew so attached to Lex before he even knew Lex was a man or shifter. I also really liked the twist of Aiden’s grandmother ‘writing’ Aiden stories about his mate and his pack. While the characters weren’t very developed, they were still entertaining and I liked the chemistry between them.
I enjoyed this one but I felt like it was very underdeveloped to the point that I have way more questions than answers. I liked the pace of the story up until the end, where it turned too rushed for my tastes. I wanted to see more of Aiden learning about and developing his powers but also I wanted to know more about Lex and how his brother ended up finding him.
All in all, this was a cute start to a new series. I loved that it was about a dog shifter instead of the traditional wolf, it spiced things up a bit and I also liked how the story unfolded. I’ll be looking forward to reading the next book in the series but hope it has more answers than this one was able to give.
3.5 stars
The night before Aiden’s ready to move, he sees something fall out of a van and goes to inspect it only to discover it’s a badly injured dog. Bringing him inside and caring for him leads Aiden to taking the dog with him to his cabin. But what he thought was just a dog turns out to be much more when the dog shifts into a man. Aiden is beyond shocked but it isn’t long before he learns his grandmother may be dead but she’s also calling him and what she has to tell him is about to turn his world upside down.
This was such a cute story! I really liked the fact that Aiden grew so attached to Lex before he even knew Lex was a man or shifter. I also really liked the twist of Aiden’s grandmother ‘writing’ Aiden stories about his mate and his pack. While the characters weren’t very developed, they were still entertaining and I liked the chemistry between them.
I enjoyed this one but I felt like it was very underdeveloped to the point that I have way more questions than answers. I liked the pace of the story up until the end, where it turned too rushed for my tastes. I wanted to see more of Aiden learning about and developing his powers but also I wanted to know more about Lex and how his brother ended up finding him.
All in all, this was a cute start to a new series. I loved that it was about a dog shifter instead of the traditional wolf, it spiced things up a bit and I also liked how the story unfolded. I’ll be looking forward to reading the next book in the series but hope it has more answers than this one was able to give.
March 29, 2015
Wow the need for a change of pace is welcoming as it is frightening, yet Aiden Grey is anxiously ready to start his new life thanks to his grandmother. She took in a scare boy and helped him turn into the man he is today. For that he will always be grateful. Before he new it an abrupt noise that promised nothing good broke his solitude. Without question he steps out of his comfort zone to help a battered and abuse dog. The shepherd needs his help, Aiden knows he can't turn his back on this animal, the need to protect him is strong. Looks like his new dog buddy is in need of a new beginning and Aiden is happy to have the company. Lex is not only hurting and feeling displaced he is also freaking amazed that fate has also giving him a mate as sweet and brave as Aiden. He is absolutely perfect and more than he has ever dreamed of, now if he could only figure out how to tell Aiden that he belongs to him and he is a shifter. Aiden is special more special than even he realizes, Lex knows that fate would not have giving him a mate that won't accept him so he boldly shows himself to Aiden. Aiden is open minded, finding a hot man that wants to love up on him is not an issue in his book. Together these two men create an abundance of love and magic, together they will be the key to a new family and community. Together they will be able to right a wrong as they continually feel their bond intertwine with power and resilience. Love can be all consuming and forgiving it can also be whimsical and magical as these two handsome men prove.
April 15, 2016
Funny, unique book, very sentimental, interesting new author to watch for.
Full Review Pending
Merged review:
Aiden sees a mysterious van driving down his street late one night and it raises a red flag. When the van ejects a lumpy bundle, he’s even more concerned. He rushes down to make sure nothing in the street is left to cause an accident and he realizes the lumpy bundle is really an injured dog! Defying all safety concerns, he pulls the dog into his apartment, just as the van is returning. This freaks Aiden out, so when the dog is found to be ok, he decides to take the dog, whom he calls Lex, with him to scatter the ashes of his recently deceased grandmother at her cabin.
Grandma, it turns out, is a sorceress and she left a book behind to guide Aiden and now Lex.
Lex and Aiden, two virgins, slowly explore their new relationship and at the same time work through the magical puzzle laid out by grandma. They find their own HEA and leave the door open for a sequel with Lex’s brother.
**
All in all this was a fun, light read. It had a few unique twists to the shifter/fated mate tale and some fun magicks.
I enjoyed discovering this new author and her new shifter world and look forward to future works from her.
I give it 3.5 of 5 hearts.
Full Review Pending
Merged review:
Aiden sees a mysterious van driving down his street late one night and it raises a red flag. When the van ejects a lumpy bundle, he’s even more concerned. He rushes down to make sure nothing in the street is left to cause an accident and he realizes the lumpy bundle is really an injured dog! Defying all safety concerns, he pulls the dog into his apartment, just as the van is returning. This freaks Aiden out, so when the dog is found to be ok, he decides to take the dog, whom he calls Lex, with him to scatter the ashes of his recently deceased grandmother at her cabin.
Grandma, it turns out, is a sorceress and she left a book behind to guide Aiden and now Lex.
Lex and Aiden, two virgins, slowly explore their new relationship and at the same time work through the magical puzzle laid out by grandma. They find their own HEA and leave the door open for a sequel with Lex’s brother.
**
All in all this was a fun, light read. It had a few unique twists to the shifter/fated mate tale and some fun magicks.
I enjoyed discovering this new author and her new shifter world and look forward to future works from her.
I give it 3.5 of 5 hearts.
December 15, 2023
1.5 stars
In ten years he didn't make a single friend? Or the boyfriends he had didn't care at all?
This reads really simplistically, like a high school writing assignment about teenagers.
I understand why they didn't have sex in the heat of the moment but two weeks later they still haven't?
Never explained why he found Alex in dog form near the front door, unresponsive.
The story is now repeating almost word for word what the grandmother told Lex already. It could simply have said, "She explained the same things to Auden that she had already shared with Lex.
Telling telling telling.
How was that different from any other massage?
If she couldn't see anything about Lex, how did she know his name?
I probably won't read the sequel even though this ended on a cliffhanger.
In ten years he didn't make a single friend? Or the boyfriends he had didn't care at all?
This reads really simplistically, like a high school writing assignment about teenagers.
I understand why they didn't have sex in the heat of the moment but two weeks later they still haven't?
Never explained why he found Alex in dog form near the front door, unresponsive.
The story is now repeating almost word for word what the grandmother told Lex already. It could simply have said, "She explained the same things to Auden that she had already shared with Lex.
Telling telling telling.
How was that different from any other massage?
If she couldn't see anything about Lex, how did she know his name?
I probably won't read the sequel even though this ended on a cliffhanger.
October 3, 2014
My Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
I love German Shepherds and I love shape-shifter stories that are romantic. Aiden's Shepherd is one of those that just ticks the right boxes for me. It is light, the pace is not so fast but fast enough to get the story to develop as it should, the mystery is deep on Aiden's side and the thrill of what comes next is just enough to keep the read going.
Read the rest of the review and enjoy the tour:Book Blast, eARC Review, Excerpt & #Giveaway: Aiden's Shepherd by Beany Sparks
I love German Shepherds and I love shape-shifter stories that are romantic. Aiden's Shepherd is one of those that just ticks the right boxes for me. It is light, the pace is not so fast but fast enough to get the story to develop as it should, the mystery is deep on Aiden's side and the thrill of what comes next is just enough to keep the read going.
Read the rest of the review and enjoy the tour:Book Blast, eARC Review, Excerpt & #Giveaway: Aiden's Shepherd by Beany Sparks
October 10, 2014
3.5 STARS
I think the author has some great ideas in this first book that promise to make for an interesting series. I look forward to seeing where those ideas may lead us.
My review of Aiden's Shepherd can be found at Love Bytes
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2014/10/1...
I think the author has some great ideas in this first book that promise to make for an interesting series. I look forward to seeing where those ideas may lead us.
My review of Aiden's Shepherd can be found at Love Bytes
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2014/10/1...
March 26, 2015
Original review on Molly Lolly
Four stars!
This is a great first book in this series. It brought me in to the world Beany created and kept me wanting to know more, and what happens next. It’s a cute story where I enjoyed watching Aiden and Lex grow together and fall in love. Aiden’s Gran is a total hoot. The book ends on a sort of cliff hanger and made me want to read the next book right away.
Four stars!
This is a great first book in this series. It brought me in to the world Beany created and kept me wanting to know more, and what happens next. It’s a cute story where I enjoyed watching Aiden and Lex grow together and fall in love. Aiden’s Gran is a total hoot. The book ends on a sort of cliff hanger and made me want to read the next book right away.
October 21, 2014
This is a good fun read. Very romantic in how they don't just jump in bed, but let their relationship develop. My only "complaint" is the I want book 2 now! I'll just have to drop this one into my re-file so when book 2 comes out I can re-aquaint myself with the story...
Magic and Shifters together is always on my favorites list.
Magic and Shifters together is always on my favorites list.
October 20, 2014
Beany and PITA have tormented us with this book, it's been much anticipated and rightly so. You don't get many Dog shifter books and I loved it. Can't wait to see which breeds are used in the subsequent books.
June 4, 2016
1.5 stars rounded up
A barely there story is the best I can describe it. Two-dimensional characters, insta-love, a rushed "plot"and MC's that were just annoying to me. It reminded me, kinda, of a Stormy Glenn read.....which is basically that if you've read one, you've read them all.
A barely there story is the best I can describe it. Two-dimensional characters, insta-love, a rushed "plot"and MC's that were just annoying to me. It reminded me, kinda, of a Stormy Glenn read.....which is basically that if you've read one, you've read them all.
October 10, 2014
I thought this was a cute, sweet start to a new series. I will definitely check out book two!
October 11, 2014
Biden's Shepherd (Paws and Magic Book 1)
I Loved it it was great really great I can't wait to read more of this series I hope it's soon I will be watching for them ......
I Loved it it was great really great I can't wait to read more of this series I hope it's soon I will be watching for them ......
October 18, 2014
Nice change to have a dog instead of a wolf shifter. My only complaint is that it ended a little bit in the air so I now need to find book 2 to find out what else happens.
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October 26, 2014This book was read and reviewed by Donna for Love Bytes Reviews.
October 22, 2015
I really liked this book. It was almost perfect. There were only a few changes I would have made. But overall a ranking 5.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews