With Hearts of Flame (Deluxe Limited Edition): A Dark Academia Romantasy Novel of Vampires and Dragons Featuring Stenciled Edges and Illustrated Endpapers (Bloodwing Academy, 4)
Briar Boleyn
Rescued: A Fated Mates Gay Shifter Romance (Southwestern Shifters Book 1)
by Bailey Bradford
About this book
Gabe Staley has always been an outcast in the small, judgmental town of Shasta, Texas. His life is defined by quiet compassion and an endless mission to protect the vulnerable from local cruelty. Everything shifts the night he rescues a severely wounded wolf, only to discover that the creature is actually Mika Blackwell, a brooding shifter cast out by his own kind for being gay. What begins as a desperate act of mercy quickly ignites into a fated-mate connection that neither man can deny.
This gripping paranormal romance masterfully blends the grumpy-sunshine and enemies-to-lovers tropes as the guarded, wary Mika learns to lower his walls for the fiercely determined Gabe. As their slow-burn attraction deepens, they are forced to navigate the complexities of pack dynamics and the looming threat of Mika’s past. When the ruthless Alpha who exiled Mika returns to finish what he started, the couple must rely on a growing found-family to protect their newfound sanctuary.
Perfect for fans of immersive world-building and high-stakes emotional journeys, this story is a testament to the courage required to love against all odds. It is a heart-pounding exploration of belonging, identity, and the raw, transformative power of destiny.
- Publication Date
- May 25, 2026
- ASIN
- B0DYR1QM3B
Reader Reviews
June 26, 2025
Gabe Staley is used to being an outcast in the small town of Shasta TX. He spends his life trying to save dogs from the cruelty of the Sheriff. When he is called to save an injured wolf, Gabe has no idea his life is about to change. That beautiful black wolf is a shape shifter called Mika Blackwell. He, too, is now an outcast, from his pack who banned him. Realizing that Gabe is his mate, Mika will do what he can to keep him safe. And the two will need each other if they are to survive. Bailey...
July 3, 2013
This was a close call between the 3 and 4 star rating. I decided to rate upwards because the story delivered exactly what it implied in the blurb, a love story between two guys (a human and a wolf shifter) that are trying to make their relationship work against a backdrop of prejudice. The story line was good, and characters were well drawn; but I felt the whole story was underdeveloped- the author could have really produced an excellent 5-star book if he had stopped writing sex scenes (by the...
March 27, 2015
Same old, same old. A sweet one, this novel. Both Gabe and Mika are likeable characters. Todd and Alan are nice as well (although I feel their story has been somehow neglected). But the story relies too much on gratuitous sex (there is a lot of sex) and it lacks anguish and conflict. All the tension seems to be softened by the main characters prurience. Even with their friend beaten to pulp at the hospital, they seem to think more about having sex than about finding out the culprit. Mika’s...
May 14, 2011
Unlike others I found this book to be very good. Now I will admit the sex is one of the main centers of this story, but it explained early on why. When mates find one another they can't help but crave the other's body, so I found it mixed together nicely. Plus the plot was good though it did at times feel a little rushed. But I have found this to be a normal \"issue\" with short stories. As for finding out why the sheriff is cruel to animals that is also explained, it is how it has always been...
March 15, 2014
This was my first time reading Bailey Bradford and I must say that this was a pretty good sorry. Gabriel spends most of his time rescuing abandoned dogs, making sure the sheriff didn't kill them, the story never goes into why the sheriff has this unhealthy need/hatred for stray animals and the need to kill them. Gabriel gets called to a neighbors house by Todd, a deputy (who is also in on the rescuing of strays and is Gabriel's best friend), where Gabriel sees a black injured wolf, who is Mika....
