***I received this ARC copy from PENGUIN GROUP Berkley, NAL / Signet Romance, DAW - Ace Hardcover via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. *** 
 What should have been a simple and relaxing trip to Arizona to buy a horse for Anna for her birthday as well as for Charles to reconnect with an old friend, turns into anything but relaxing when they find themselves helping to hunt a Fae that is kidnapping human children and replacing them with a fetch aka changling and who has made the unfortunate decision to mess with the werewolf pack in the area. 
 Of all the characters in the Mercy Thompson world, Charles and Anna are my favorites. I've enjoyed watching as not only their relationship has grown and strengthen, but how they have as individuals. Charles, while still standoffish with those not in his tight knit circle, we are seeing a more playful side when it comes to Anna. And Anna has grown in leaps and bounds. She was always a fighter but now she isn't afraid to speak her mind, in part it does have to do with her being an Omega and having Charles as a mate, but it's also because she has the confidence in herself to put herself out there because she knows she can handle things on her own. In Dead Heat we are shown how much stronger they are as a mated pair. Charles is no longer blocking himself from Anna and they are doing much better at communicating with each other, but not everything is wine and roses. The issue of children is something that is swirling around between then shock of all shocks, we find out that Charles has a friend, a human friend. This was a definite surprise but it also added another layer to who Charles is and gave, not only me a better insight to the engima that is Charles, but also helped Anna gain a better understanding to the man that is her mate. 
 The hunt for the Fae plotline was well written. Fae kidnapping human children and putting a changling/fetch in that child's place is a well known story and I enjoyed how it was used in the book. The twists and turns were well done and I didn't figure out who the Fae was until it came to light at the end. It was very nice to catch up with Special Agent Leslie Fisher of the FBI and to find out that not all Cantrip agents are jerks or serial murders. 
 My one, okay maybe two, issues, I had with this book was that parts of the story just dragged for me, especially in the first half of the book. The issue with the Fae is brought to light in a fantastic way in the very beginning, it was a total WTH is going on moment for me, but then it takes a while after that initial moment to get back to it and get the hunt going. There is a valid reason for that, which I won't go into here since it is a spoiler, but I wish that it could have been moved along at a quicker pace. The other issue, which falls into the 'it's me not you' realm are the horses. I have much respect and appreciation for the detailed explanations that went into the breeding/training/showing of them, but like Anna it went right over my head and I felt my eyes glaze over. If you are a horse aficionado you will definitely love and appreciate it, but if not it may be a lot to take in. And I know I said two issues, and this isn't an issue per se, but I do wish that there had been a little more of Brother Wolf in the story like he'd been in Fair Game, I know that the need for him to be as much of a presence wasn't as necessary, but I really enjoyed him in the previous book. 
 Overall, Dead Heat is a great addition to both the Alpha and Omega series and the Mercy Thompson world and backed up all the reasons why I love Charles and Anna.