Retrograde by Bailey Bradford

Retrograde by Bailey Bradford

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


It’s no secret that I love the Southwestern Shifters series and loved that I got to gorge myself on the series in August. So you won’t be shocked to learn that I was beyond thrilled when I found out about Retrograde’s release and I nearly went through the roof when I discovered that Bradford had written it as another chapter in Marcus and Nathan’s life. I love all of the couples in the series and each has a special place in my heart, but with all the Nathan has dealt with as Marcus was under attack from more than one quarter, it felt right for them to get another installment in the series and Bradford managed to make me love this couple even more than I already did.

Because of assassination attempts and challenges for Marcus’s position, Nathan has been on edge for a while and having to kill another individual (even one who was bad) in order to save Marcus’s life makes that edge even finer. It’s not that Nathan regrets saving Marcus’s life or even that he killed to do so, but rather that he was forced to take another’s life. Having been raised by a human, Nathan still finds the easy acceptance of violence among shifters too much to bear at times. Sensing that his mate needs to get away and realizing that they need a chance to reinforce their bond before an upcoming conference of the Alpha Anaxes, Marcus makes arrangements for a short getaway for just the two of them. Having the chance to let their wolves run free in a safe environment that’s not fenced in, to spend time alone with just the two of them, and to connect sexually on a more primal level does wonders for both men. Yet even on vacation they can’t seem to get away from the needs of other wolves when they discover a wild pack of young shifters who know nothing about the shifter society. Thank goodness Marcus and Nathan know of a wolf who loves to take in strays – Gabe. But when demands of Marcus’s position require that they return to the compound, they are once again faced with treachery when another plot to take out an AA is discovered. For once, Marcus wasn’t the target but because it was being attempted in his home it affected him no less. Thankfully Marcus has a pack filled with loyal and intelligent shifters who were able to help thwart yet another assassination attempt and strengthen ties with other honorable AAs.

Retrograde was another excellent addition to the Southwestern Shifters series. I loved watching Nathan and Marcus get back to nature so to speak and embrace their wolf so fully. It was obvious it did them good mentally, but it also made for some smoking hot sex scenes. They were lucky they didn’t start a forest fire with as hot as they got. I liked that Bradford made another AA the target in this novel and that for once Marcus didn’t have the bullseye on his back. I found his handling of the territory situation to be very telling of the kind of man Marcus is – a good man who only wants what’s best for all shifters. I loved meeting Lexxie and hope to see more of her in the future and learning more about her heritage. That Bradford foreshadowed the changes that are coming for Marcus and his pack made me so freaking happy because that means more books are in the future. But the end. Oh my word was the end sweet. I mean… We’ve got puppies!

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Retrograde (Southwestern Shifters #11) by Bailey Bradford blog post on Crystal’s Many Reviewers.


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