4.5 stars. An engaging fanfic in which alpha were-wolf Dean is attracted to omega were-panther Castiel. A little long, skimmed some.

I've read more than a book or two by B.A. Tortuga but 'Just Like Cats and Dogs' is my first shifter book by this author and 'damn, what was I thinking?' I loved this book. It was fun and entertaining and there was a story here...a serious kept me interested story.

Sam's a feline shifter who grew up in a family of wolves...I know that right there tells you this is not your usual shifter story, right? If you're thinking poor Sam never stood a chance at fitting in you've pretty well nailed it, but in spite of that Sam's got family. His momma loves him, his brother Grey (who happens to be a wolf shifter and by the way Grey's blind) loves him, his sister Helena (and I apologize if I got this name wrong, I suck with names) anyways, Helena's got the heart and spirit of a wolf...she just can't shift and then there's Gus...Gus who is Sam's best friend's brother and the bane of Sam's existence or at least he was when they were younger  but things have changed. Sam's all grown up and somehow Gus just can't stop noticing.

I just loved, loved, loved these two their snark and banter was simply adorable and at times hilariously funny...

"Hey Puss."

"Yeah Pup." 

That's right this is how these two talked to each other...only better...way better!

I was totally taken with these two from the word go. I loved how Gus wanted to take care of Sam, once he accepted that Sam was his mate he was willing to do whatever it took to get his mate back and then to make a life where Sam could belong...where Sam was truly part of the pack. Didn't matter what you could shift into or who you were if you weren't willing to run with Sam you could move on and you truly have to read the story to understand just how important this is and why. 

One of my other favorite things about this story was the fact that whether they were in their animal or human form these shifters retained a lot of their characteristics. Sam likes tuna it doesn't matter whether he's a human or a cat...he likes his tuna. Gus likes his steak and he's got a sweet tooth, but not Sam. Sam doesn't do sweet can't really taste it but give him salty and he's all in. Sam likes to groom his mate...he's a cat right and we all know how fastidious cats are when it comes to grooming. There are all these little quirky things that are a part of their character and I just loved that they were a part of the person no matter what their form was. It worked and at times just added to the humor of the story. 

Every now and then more than anything else I enjoy a story that makes me laugh and I mean that in a good way. This one made me laugh in that 'oh my god this is so precious, I can't believe it' way and not in the 'why the hell am I reading this book?' way. I think of all the shifter books I've read this one is definitely one of my favorites and seriously what could be more fun than a litter of pups...I know a litter of pups with a cute kitten thrown in?  

Joe Formichella was the narrator for this story and while B.A. Tortuga isn't a new to me author this is a new to me narrator and for this story overall I really liked the narrator's voice. He used this laid back easy drawl that overall just really worked and while there were a few instances when I felt the narration getting a bit stilted, luckily it never lasted long enough to really distract me from the story and that slow easy drawl of his just really seemed suited to the characters in this book. For me it just worked really, really well and I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent with Sam and Gus and can't wait to see what's in store for this series...and yeah, I freely admit I'm probably going to hold out for the audio it was just a whole load of fun having this story read to me...what can I say we all need to indulge our inner child from time to time. 

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An audio book of  'Just Like Cats and Dogs' was graciously provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a bit of time to warm up to this story, because it felt a little disjointed at the beginning, but then it sucked me right in and I ended up enjoying it quite a bit.

Sam, a feline shifter, was adopted as an orphan by a large family of wolf shifters who are part of an even larger pack. Being a cat, he never really fit in with the wolves, even though his mother tried hard to make him feel welcome. As soon as he could, Sam left the pack and struck out on his own.

Gus, a wolf shifter from the same pack, someone who bullied and tormented Sam when they were younger, can't quite believe it when he runs into Sam again by chance and feels a mating pull toward the cat.

Both Gus and Sam, as well as the rest of the pack, are rather animalistic even as humans, and I really liked that part of this mythology. They growl, they snap, they bite, they play; Sam thinks about tuna a lot (I mean A LOT), which was funny, and Gus was enamored with mostly raw meat and sweet stuff, especially chocolate in all forms.

They both realized early on that they were mates, even if that caused friction because of their different shifter species. Both of them eventually decide that the mating pull is more important and just go for it.

I giggled a lot, especially at the nicknames they have for each other - Puss and Pup. Hard to explain unless you read this book, and then I won't have to explain. I liked how Gus instinctively realized what Sam needed, and how he was hellbent on getting his Puss everything he wanted, even if that came at a cost to himself.

There are obviously struggles, what with the family dynamics for both of them, but they stick together and make it work. And there are some more sinister forces at work too that they have to overcome. Sorry, no spoilers here. You'll just have to read this book yourself.

I had some niggles though. I can excuse the lack of condom use bc they're shifters and thus immune to human diseases, though I would have liked to see it discussed at least. Sam's 17 siblings - only one of them really stood up for him, with the others treating him more like an outcast. Even his sister Helena, though initially on his side, struck out for me eventually. I had some confusion with some of the situations at Sam's loft in NYC, which I can't discuss without giving away a plot point, unfortunately.

Overall, this was a good and engaging story (once I got past the early parts), and I'm interested in checking out the next one in this series when it's available.


** I received a free copy of this book from its publisher. A positive review was not promised in return. **

More pets get euthanized for "being bad" than die form old age, cancer, accidents... This Dr. (I love him) knows that is not right and has put his genius into solving it.