Silver Publishing, $3.99, ISBN 978-1-920468-91-0
Fantasy Romance, 2010
Twenty-year old Jay, who likes to dress up as a Goth, is being battered bloody by the local bully until his first love Kyle takes him under his… er, wing, makes Jay his mate, and they live happily ever after. Oh, and Kyle can shift into a jaguar while the bad guy shifts into a grizzly bear. Basically, this is a story of Jay being a victim until he sleeps with the right person and his life becomes so much better as a result.
Jaguar Mate is a short story. Even when I take that into consideration, however, and overlook the limitations in characterization and story development, I find this to be a vaguely unsatisfying read. A big reason for this is because Jay doesn’t actually do anything to stop being a victim. He just happens to sleep with the right guy who sweeps into his life and solve every problem of his. Therefore, it is hard to root for someone who pretty much happens to be lucky.
There is not much left to said about this short story. It is what it is, a sappy rescue fantasy, and it doesn’t do much beyond offering a quick diversion from the mundane. I just wish Jay has done something to deserve his happy ending.
