Garen: Shifter Romantic Suspense

Rubicon International, Volume 1

By: Ann Gimpel

Narrated by: Gregory Salinas

As an agent for an international espionage firm, Miranda has her hands more than full. Between secretly lusting after her boss, Garen, and making sure the dirty little secret about her double life as a wolf shifter remains hidden, she's still a virgin at nearly 30. Sent to eliminate the head of a human trafficking organization in Amsterdam, she barely escapes with her life. Injured, frightened, and under attack the second her private jet lands in the US, she's not certain where to turn. Garen's watched Miranda just as surreptitiously as she's been eyeing him. Unfortunately, the fact that she works for him is a dealbreaker. Plus, he has a few secrets of his own that have kept him single. When Miranda insists on heading up a covert operation, he can't come up with a plausible reason to stop her. Watching her sprint headlong into danger damn near kills him. He wants to hold her, love her, protect her. Miranda's life is on the line. Will Garen risk exposure to save her?

©2013 Ann Gimpel (P)2016 Ann Gimpel

Interesting mix

I found this audiobook had an interesting mix of action scenarios as well as sexual tension between Garen and his mate. I also enjoyed the bantering between Garen and his fellow agent/friend Lars. There was plenty of romance as well as a mix of the unknown. The performance was very well done as well. I found it to be a great listen.

I received this book as a gift in exchange for an objective and honest review.

Shifters working for international spy company

I enjoyed listing to this book even though I'm not usually a fan of a male narrator, he grew on me with the different accents for the characters. Ann Gimpel did another great job giving all of the background details of the story so I could easily picture everything that was going on and how Garen and Lars developed Rubicon International into a large corporation. Lots of steamy action and secrecy between Garen and Miranda as they discover the depths of their feelings for each other. Overall this book had everything I look for in a shifter romance; action, secrets, plenty of steam, revelations, and of course a happy ending.

Shifters and spy networks

This was a great story. The book starts out during America's revolutionary times and recounts the birth of Rubicon, a for hire spy network started by two shifters Lars and Garen. Fast forward to the future and you get inside the super secretive company and meet Miranda, a tough spy in training who Garen has fallen for. The rest of the story has a lot of action and hot sex. The only problem I had was that while I loved the narration of most of the characters, Miranda came across as sounding a little whiny and I don't think that was author's intention. All in all it was a wonderful story to listen to. I would definitely recommend.

Enjoyed the story...Ann Gimpel on the go...

If you could sum up Garen: Shifter Romantic Suspense in three words, what would they be?

dramatic, suspenseful, enticing

What did you like best about this story?

This story offers a different twist on shifter romance with twists and turns on the way to happy ever after.

What three words best describe Gregory Salinas’s performance?

Cadence slow, flat

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Shifters...international suspense

Any additional comments?

I like the storyline but was not crazy about the performer...his cadence seemed to be a bit slow for me and there wasn't enough inflection to his voice...seemed a bit flat to me. That is always a risk for an audiobook...sometimes you like the narrator...a lot...other times, leaves you wanting more. I still enjoyed the story but was left wondering what it might have been like with a different narrator.

Great Start to Series

This book is the first book in the Rubicon International series. I have read other books from this author and I was not disappointed in this book. This is a standalone. And no cliffhanger at the end though it is open-ended for future books. There is violence and hot steamy shifter sex. Definitely 18+.

The author packed a lot of emotion and action into this read. The book blurb adequately describes the storyline so I'm not going to repeat that info here. The author managed to richly describe the background of the company which is the basis of the series, the characters, and get you caught up in the emotions between the main characters.

There is plenty of action as well as twists and turns in the book. I really enjoyed this book and storyline. I hope we see more of Garen and Miranda in future books.

I have both read the ebook version as well as listened to the audio version of this book. Gregory Salinas did an excellent job with his narration. This book has graphic sex scenes and I can't imagine having to voice them. They are sometimes hard enough to read but hearing them described had me fast forwarding at times.

Shifter, leader, alpha and the spy

What made the experience of listening to Garen: Shifter Romantic Suspense the most enjoyable?

Garen and Lars are the founders of Rubicon International, an espionage agency. As they are shifters, the agency grew over time and their agents are hand selected by passing a couple of tests. Garen has a few other secrets, one is that he is into Miranda, one of his spies. Miranda has a mission in Europe, Amsterdam, where she has to eliminate the boss of a human trafficking organization. Something goes wrong, Miranda is able to kill the, but she can only escape injured and with her identity exposed. Lars helps her escape from Europe and brings her to Garen, who wants to lock her away in order to protect her. Miranda is attracted to him and to the Alpha of her shifter race and Garen as her boss does his best to keep his distance. Miranda is not a full agent yet and Garen puts her through tests while fighting his need for her, his change in closeness and distance and actions confuse her. When Miranda comes up with a plan to go undercover into a local branch of the organization it is needless to say that Garen is not pleased.

Will they uncover the secret of the other and find a way to be together or will they decide on what kept them satisfied for so long, their work?

I loved this book, not your typical shifter world, but one with friendship, loyalty and a fight against a very realistic bad organization. The story twists and turns as it develops. You learn about the main characters pasts and also what drives them currently. Great story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Garen and Lars, because of how they were written. Smart,sexy, strong, mysterious...

Which character – as performed by Gregory Salinas – was your favorite?

Garen

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Miranda fought for her life.

Garen

Garen: Loved this story. Garen is a shifter who runs Rubicon International. He has feelings for a trainee which is against the rules in the company.Miranda is an operative who has kept it a secret she is a shifter. With the suspense love and Magic the story comes together quite well. Could not put the story down till done!!

Wow it's fantastic

Two shifters Lars and Garen came up with Rubicon international in 1773. Fast forward a few centuries and Rubicon it a strong agency full of shifters. Getting more is a problem since the can't take out an ad. So the new people are given test with the last one being I'd your now a shifter you don't pass.
Garen has had his eye on Miranda since she joined his company. But he can't tell if she is a shifter or not but his wolf will not stop howling for her.
Miranda has put her job before her personal life. No one can know she is a shift after all her life depends on it. Since she started working for Garen he has been the star of her dream BUT company rules make them a no no. So he is off limits.
Until after a mission gone bad and her boss comes on to her. What's a girl to do? Say no? Yea thing only get complicated after that.
Miranda has bad guys after her and Garen stick to her like glue until he find out she is a shifter like him. The to save his secrets he pulls away.
Can they learn to trust and let their wolves have their way? Can Garen keep her save from the group after her?

OH man ! What an awesome story. The characters are to die for, the story plot is fabulous. There is action, drama, mystery, and spice. Oh yea and bad guys, lots of them! I don't know why but I love bad guys in the story lol.
I think this series is going to be awsome. I can't wait for the next book.