REVIEW: Single White Incubus, by E.J. Russell

Title: Single White Incubus

Series: Supernatural Selection

Author: E.J. Russell

Genre: Paranormal

LGBTQ+ Category: MM/Gay

Publisher: Riptide

Pages: 288

Reviewer: Pat

Get It On Amazon

About The Book

Does a bear shift in the woods?

Well, partially. That was what got grizzly shifter Ted Farnsworth into trouble. He wasn’t trying to break the Secrecy Pact. He just wants people to see the real him. So he signs up with the mate-matching service Supernatural Selection—which guarantees marriage to a perfect partner. Not only will Ted never be lonely again, but once his new beaver shifter husband arrives, they’ll build Ted’s dream wilderness retreat together. Win-win.

Quentin Bertrand-Harrington, scion of an incubus dynasty, has abstained from sex since nearly killing his last lover. When his family declares it’s time for him to marry, Quentin decides the only way not to murder his partner is to pick someone who’s already dead. Supernatural Selection finds him the ideal vampire, and Quentin signs the marriage agreement sight unseen.

But a mix-up at Supernatural Selection contracts Quentin with Ted. What’s Ted supposed to do with an art historian who knows more about salad forks than screwdrivers? And how can Quentin resist Ted’s mouthwatering life force? Yet as they work together to untangle their inconvenient union, they begin to wonder if their unexpected match might be perfect after all.

The Review

I’m not a big fan of shifter books, having read so many that the plots have started to be the same old, same old for me. But the blurb for E. J. Russell’s Single White Incubus sounded just different enough that I decided to take a chance on it. And am I glad I did!

I fell in love with affable and loveable bear shifter Teddy Farnsworth. Unlike the majority of bears, Ted craves company even with winter hibernation coming on. Consequently, he’s been in deep do-do since playing what he thinks of as harmless pranks to get attention. Lately, he has let himself be caught mid-shift by a tabloid photographer who sells the picture as evidence of Big Foot. Not only is the yeti community incensed, but the bear shifter council isn’t pleased either.

To provide Ted with the companionship he needs, he’s ordered to register with Supernatural Selection and be matched with the perfect mate. What a great idea, right? And it seems to work out. Ted, the head of a construction company, is paired with a beaver shifter, someone else who knows about the building trade.

The glitch is what makes the book a delightful treat. Although Supernatural Selection is run by a coven who swear by their accuracy and acumen, when the contracts are printed up, Ted seems to be paired with an incubus, not the promised beaver!

Not only that, but Quentin Bertrand-Harrington, whom Ted at first mockingly calls Q-Bert, was supposed to be matched with a vampire, a being that Q-Bert couldn’t kill via sex. Ted on the other hand? Well, he and Q-Bert better not be attracted to one another, for a multitude of reasons, but the biggest one is that Q-Bert just might slay Ted if they consummate their relationship.

Needless to say, unexpected plot developments, high jinx, and laughs ensue. I haven’t had so much fun reading a book in quite a while. As the obstacles to their mating pile up, Ted and Q-Bert find more and more reasons to be together, ignore all the dire consequences, and end up falling in love. Disaster, right?

Well, since this is a romance—and a really enjoyable one at that—suffice it to say there is a happy ending. Whether it’s between Ted and Q-Bert or Ted and his beaver shifter or Q-Bert and his vampire is immaterial. It’s the getting to the perfect match and being completely entertained by the fun twists and turns that’s important.

Author Russell not only charmed me with this first book in the Supernatural Selections series, but she keeps up the surprises and delight throughout the rest of the books too. Readers looking for a few hours away from the daily grind will adore both Russell and the supernatural world she builds.

The Reviewer

Pat is a writer and reviewer of MM romance who currently lives in Sacramento, California

U Might Have Missed

Word Count: Information not available

Character Identities: Information not available

Summary: “A major voice not only in American literature but also in the LGBTQ genre. Highly recommended.” –Grady Harp, Top 100 Amazon Hall of Fame Reviewer. We thought the aliens wouldn’t find us. We thought we could trust the Maintainers. We were wrong. The Iroquois scientist Taldra became Leader of our world a year before the alien shapeshifters attacked. Her twin gay sons, Telius and Argen, will rally to her side. Telius, a former time traveler, wants to marry his boyfriend, a former spy. Argen, a prodigy with a troubled past, modifies a handsome captain’s vessel for the battle. Our world’s other protectors hold dark secrets that might pose an even greater threat than the invaders.

Check This Out Too

Word Count: Click here to reveal110000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay, Genderfluid, Genderqueer, Non Binary (Click here to hide)

Summary: Love and acceptance in the small-town of Hollyridge, where there's romance around each corner and dog-friendly wine bars in every neighborhood. Love in Hollyridge is five interconnected novellas, all dual POV. Featuring: age-gap, finding home, loving again, match-making dogs, supportive friends, friends to lovers, instalove, fabulousness, gender fluid character, gay awakening, sleigh rides, hot cider, true love. ♥ Love Limited Edition Will a goofy Labrador, bookish magic and a little assistance from friends, help two men realize their chance at happiness? Brett Tanner never thought he’d love again, it was too much to ask, or want. Then Rory stumbles into Brett's bookstore one evening, awakening his heart. Rory is struggling to find his place in the world. He'd thought moving to the big city was what he needed, but maybe home is where his heart belongs? Originally published in the anthology, Between the Covers. Has been lightly re-edited. ♥ Love Vintage Blend One man is rebuilding his life; the other is trying to keep his from falling apart. Zach is struggling to keep his boutique winery afloat and the summer intern is one more body that will help it happen. One look at Jeff, and Zach knew it was going to be a long, hard summer. ♥ Love Finds a Home Wyatt loves Bennett. Bennett believes he is unlovable. One of them is wrong. ♥ Love From a Stone Skylar Jones has arrived in Hollyridge. Wallace has never hidden his sexuality but as an older, gay, man in a small town, he’s well aware of the haters. Sky is who he is, with no shame. If people don’t appreciate that he’s fabulous they can look the other way. Sky does, however, have a weakness for grouchy old bears and ugly dogs. ♥ Love Comes Home: bonus holiday novella. Elvis has left the building. Again. Rockstar Milo Zajac is back in Hollyridge, hoping to figure out what to do next. Impulsively he bought an old house that needs a lot of work, and he's living there with his husky, Elvis, a master escape artist. When a young husky dog shows up on Davey Childs's ranch, he takes it to the vet, only to discover the irresponsible owner is the grown-up version of the boy he had a crush on in high school. It figures that the eighteen year-old who blew him off has grown into a man who lets his dog run wild. But...it's the holiday season, magic happens. Maybe the two lonely men will find their way back to each other. Maybe the right time is now, not ten years ago.