To Catch a Threeve by Alexis Duran

 Axel Blackwood catches a thief and is astounded to see that he closely resembles Liam Alloway, the love he lost seven years ago in an attack by the evil woodland folk known as threeves. Axel suspects he's fallen prey to dark magic, but can't help becoming infatuated with his prisoner. He's overwhelmed with the hope that he can at last bring his lost lover home, despite everything that warns him it's all a diabolical trick.

Bryn Darrow, the half-threeve, half human orphan sent to trick Axel and rob him of much more than a simple gem finds himself equally as fascinated with his handsome human captor and the lure of someplace to call home, but he knows deep down that the constable is in love with a dangerous illusion. When he's commanded by the threeves to murder Axel and steal a witch's powerful grimoire, he's forced to decide between the only family he's ever known and the one person who might rescue him from a life of isolation and pain.

Will Axel and Bryn be forced into a deadly confrontation before they can discover the truth?

I’m not usually a fantasy fan, but I read Alexis Duran’s Touch of Salar and really liked it, so I decided to give this one a try. I’m really glad I did. To Catch a Threeve tells the story of Axel, the county’s constable who has lost his fated true love Liam years before when they were attacked by a band of threeves. Threeves are reminiscent of wood sprites or fae who despise humans and rob or attack them in the woods.

Seven years after the loss of his beloved Liam, Axel and Liam’s brother Drummond are charged with delivering a precious gem to another kingdom. Axel has a bit of magic at his disposal, so he detects they are being stalked. When it comes to pass that someone tries to snatch the jewel away, Axel is shocked to discover that the thief bears a striking resemblance to his long thought dead Liam. The thief – half human, half threeve – claims that his name is Bryn and that he has no idea who this Liam person is.

From there, it’s a battle to discover who Bryn really is, why they were sent on a mission with only two men to protect a priceless jewel and whether they should be more worried about devious humans or devious threeves. Oh, and of course, the various witches.

I really enjoyed this tale and my heart was invested in what would happen with poor Bryn. I rooted for him to find true love with Axel whether he was the real Liam or not, and I hoped for Bryn to discover who he really was. What I especially liked about this story was how every time I thought I knew how it was going to play out, it went in a different direction. But it all made sense and was very clever in how the mystery of who Bryn actually is finally gets revealed.

The chemistry between Axel and Bryn was electric. They were both very likable characters despite the contentiousness of their situation. Even when Bryn was being the bratty thieve, he was still loveable. Obviously – Axel felt the same way! Although the sex scenes were explicit and sensual, they weren’t off the charts smokin’ hot. But I think they worked for the story and the characters.

Overall, I would recommend this sweet story that has a dash of danger and black magic to fans of fantasy and tales of lost lovers reunited. I give To Catch a Threeve 4 Lizard Claws.

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