Tag Archives: Shifter

My Defender (Bewitched and Bewildered # 8)

By Alanea Alder

Synopsis

When a mysterious illness begins to sweep through Noctem Falls affecting the children, Eleanor Kimball is called to the city to see if she can determine what is wrong. As a pediatrician Eleanor loves children and desires many of her own, however, after several dating disasters she has not only sworn off men, but has given up her dream of a family, and the promise of a destined mate.

After discovering Grant in Noctem Falls she is faced with her own insecurities and finds it hard to believe in his love.

Grant Douglas is a man of few words and doesn’t do well surrounded by others. He is scared to death of finding a mate. He believes the harshness of his past, where he struggled to survive, didn’t cultivate a gentle heart. After a series of terrifying nightmares where his mate is at risk, Grant has decided he doesn’t want a mate at all.

When he meets Ellie, he realizes there are some things worth fighting for. Even if it means putting himself out there by becoming the Alpha he was born to be and facing the power he desperately tries to hide.

As Ellie starts to believe in Grant’s love it will take every ounce their combined strength to discover why the shifter children are suddenly falling ill before it’s too late.

Review

MY DEFENDER is the eighth book in the Bewitched and Bewildered series and was another enjoyable read. The story continues on from MY CHAMPION and follows the mating of Grant (wolf shifter) and Ellie (elephant shifter), and we’re still in Noctem Falls.

As I’ve said in my reviews of the last couple of books, the romance and relationship side of the story is lacking, but that doesn’t really bother me anymore. Instead, I choose to focus on everything else that is going on in this paranormal world that connects these books together.

I don’t remember much about Ellie, other than she’s a really sweet, caring and loving woman. I don’t even remember Grant from the previous two books, even though he’s one of the top Unit Warriors at Noctem Falls, and I assume readers have met before. But while I might not have remembered him at the start, I don’t think I’ll be forgetting about him any time soon. From how he comforts children, to hearing about everything he went through between the ages of twenty and fifty, you can’t help but admire his strength, his compassion and his ability to adapt and survive.

MY DEFENDER is told in dual POVs, with the epilogue being told in Etain’s POV as he’ll get the next book. While each book is about a different couple, the books in this series cannot be read as a stand-alone and must be read in order.

My Defender (Bewitched and Bewildered # 8)

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Bewitched & Bewildered Series

My Champion (Bewitched and Bewildered # 7)

By Alanea Alder

Synopsis

Declan Lionhart has been running interference between the Founding Families and the citizens of Noctem Falls since the day he arrived in the city. His hopes of being a simple unit warrior crumbles in the face of their troubles and it looks like he will always be bound by his family’s political legacy. But with current tensions skyrocketing to unimaginable levels, Declan’s laid back persona and easy smile are needed now more than ever.

Kari Delaney has finally achieved everything she’s ever wanted. The business she created from scratch is booming and she has her dream custom built condo in the heart of the small town where she was raised. But all that changes the day she gets her evacuation notice.

Despite being a vampire, Kari hates Noctem Falls and the politics that permeates every aspect of life within the city. Under protest she and her younger brother leave for the City of the Night.

Declan is smitten with his little general and the strength she exudes. But when it’s just the two of them he begins to break down her carefully constructed walls and shows her that even though he’s easy going, he is still an Alpha, and his lion is demanding her heart.

When the entire city erupts into chaos with matings being dissolved and Founding Families making alliances, Declan realizes it will take every trick he learned at his father’s knee to maneuver through the murky political waters swirling around them. Both he and his mate race against time to keep the people of the city safe, despite homesick children, disastrous dinners, Meryn’s wacky revenge plans and an unexpected pairing.

Review

MY CHAMPION is the seventh book in the Bewitched and Bewildered series and was another enjoyable read. The story continues on from MY GUARDIAN and follows the mating of Declan (lion shifter) and Kari (vampire), and we’re still in Noctem Falls. With twenty books planned for this series, I assume that each of the four pillar cities will get five books apiece, and that only the highest ranking Unit Warriors for each city will have stories written about them.

I’ll be honest, I don’t remember much about Declan at all. Kari was a bit more memorable with her take-charge-and-get-things-done personality, but I can’t say much else about her either. Why? Because unlike the first five books in this series, the couple and their relationship hasn’t been the main focus of the story for books six and seven. Instead, the focus has shifted to Meryn and trying to figure out what’s going on in the paranormal world. While I’m very interested in the conspiracies that have been going on for centuries, I’m disappointed that it’s at the expense of the romance side of things.

On top of the lack of romance, there are a few other minor issues. I agree with what others have said about Meryn becoming more childish as the series progresses. I’m hoping we’ll see the old Meryn again in future books, especially when she seems to be connected to everything that’s going on. Quite a few conversations felt disjointed and hard to follow, with topics changing at random before turning back around to a previous topic. Finally, with so many new characters being introduced, they’re all starting to blur together. I found myself having to stop quite a few times and saying to myself “Who is this person again?”.

If you’re still reading this review, you might be wondering why I’ve given MY CHAMPION 5❤ when it sounds like I didn’t enjoy the book. Well, it’s because despite what I’ve said above, I did enjoy it. There were scenes that had me laughing out loud and the story arc has me chomping at the bit for the next book.

MY CHAMPION is told in dual POVs, with the epilogue being told in Grant’s POV as he’ll get the next book. While each book is about a different couple, the books in this series cannot be read as a stand-alone and must be read in order.

My Champion (Bewitched and Bewildered # 7)

My Rating:

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Bewitched & Bewildered Series

The Devil in Disguise (Bad Things # 1)

By Cynthia Eden

Synopsis

Don’t make the devil angry…

Luke Thorne loves having one hell of a good time. As the ruler of every dark creature to walk the earth, he certainly has more than a bit of a bad side. He lives for danger and isn’t the type to lose his heart—mostly because he doesn’t have one. Then she walks into his life.

Mina James is seduction in the flesh, a perfect temptation that the devil himself couldn’t pass up. Too late, Luke realizes he’s let a real siren into his life, a woman who is bent on using his dark powers to free herself from hidden enemies. Since Luke isn’t the type of man to be used, he should walk away from her, but…something about Mina draws him close.

Soon he’s realizing that she isn’t who she appears to be. Not dark and cold, but burning red hot. Mina is a woman fighting for her life—and the Lord of the Dark suddenly finds himself in an unlikely role…hero. Luke isn’t going to let her enemies destroy Mina. He will fight heaven and hell to keep her. But in the end, the secrets they both carry may just rip apart a love that should never have been…

There are Bad Things in the world…very, very bad. Are you ready for them?

Review

I’ve read over a dozen of Cynthia Eden’s books over the years and quite liked them, but THE DEVIL IN DISGUISE was just an okay read for me. It was easy to keep turning the pages, but by the end of it, I just didn’t have any strong feelings about the story one way or the other. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either.

I didn’t take a lot of notes while reading, and in the few days between finishing the story and writing my review, I don’t remember much about the story at all. What I do remember is that Luke wasn’t the big bad guy I was expecting him to be. Verbal threats aside, he actually came across as quite tame. I was also left confused as to what Luke is. Is he the devil? Is he a dragon shifter? Is he both? I honestly have no idea.

THE DEVIL IN DISGUISE is told not only in Luke and Mina’s POV, but in the POV of several other characters as well. It comes with a HEA and sets us up for book two, ON THE PROWL, which will be about another couple connected to Luke.

The Devil in Disguise (Bad Things # 1)

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Bad Things Series

Forbidden Desire (Lee County Wolves # 3)

By Teresa Gabelman

Synopsis

From the moment Marcus Foster saw Roxy Patel, he knew she was his mate. Remaining patient because of her troubled past, he was determined to build her trust. She was his and nothing would change that, not even time.

Leaving her past behind, Roxy refused to remain a broken shell of a woman. Determined to start afresh, moving to a new town was just what she needed. With the help of her new friends, and a wolf shifter wanting to make her his own, all Roxy needed was the chance to thrive again.

Review

FORBIDDEN DESIRE is the third book in the Lee County Wolves series, and while the last Foster brother has now been mated off, the series has been left open for more books. More wolves have been brought into the pack for protection, and their alpha—Garrett—has come to a decision that will greatly affect the pack. I am interested in seeing where the author will go from here.

I liked Marcus, but Roxy was definitely the stand-out character. Garrett rescued her from her abusive husband, and she’s been living in hiding with the pack ever since. She’s been using that time well; building up her confidence and breaking free from the conditioning her husband instilled in her.

We got to see the previous two couples, but more of Garrett and Janna because Janna’s pregnant and Garrett’s still being challenged for his alpha position. Hunter was his usual playful self and really brought in the humor.

“Why don’t you claim her, bro?”
“Because she’s still married.”
“Okay, well let’s kill the son of a bitch and then she won’t be married anymore. Easy fix.”

FORBIDDEN DESIRE is told in dual POVs and comes with a HEA for Marcus and Roxy.

Forbidden Desire (Lee County Wolves # 3)

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Lee County Wolves Series

Winter of the Wolf (The Wild Hunt Legacy #2)

By Cherise Sinclair

Synopsis

After years in foster care, Breanne Gallagher has the stable life she’s always wanted, living with her foster-sister, working as a chef, enjoying her comfortable routines. Then one devastating night, a hellish creature invades her apartment and shatters her fragile existence. Shifting between monster and man, it slaughters her foster sister and assaults Bree. Alone, wounded, her beloved home tainted by gruesome memories, Bree flees to a tiny wilderness town, following her only clue to her past.

Shapeshifting warriors, Zeb and Shay move from one pack to another, hunting the hellhounds which prey on their kind. Assigned to Cold Creek, they take over management of a decrepit fishing lodge for their “human” cover. Their first renter is a pretty human female who trembles at the sight of them—yet stands her ground. Furious at the hurt they see in her eyes, the protective nomads are drawn into helping her. Although no shapeshifter is ever attracted to a human, her scent is oddly compelling, and her ferocious determination to conquer her fears ignites longings neither loner ever expected to face.

Bree is healing, learning to shoot the biggest pistol she can find, and overcoming her fears, especially of the two deadly, disconcertingly attractive hunters. Her life is getting back on track…until she tries to save a little girl from a hellhound and discovers everything she knows about herself is false.

Review

Winter of the Wolf being book 2 of the Wild Hunt Legacy had everything a romantic paranormal I love had.

Zeb and Shay were totally alpha, however, they were incredibly protective of Bree and fought their way to finding a home.

Winter of the Wolf although a romance also includes a couple of side storylines. One included the local wolf pack and its dynamics and changing of the guard. The Wolf Pack runs and the interactions at these times provided great action.

At the beginning when we first meet Bree the hellhounds are introduced. Action and drama are continued throughout with Zeb and Shay hunting them down. Zeb and Shay definitely fought Bree’s demons and slowly allowed her to be able to feel safe again.

It was great to see Vicki, again and how she is adapting to her life as a shifter. When Callum assisted Bree in a heartwarming manner at her first Gathering I felt such relief for her.

Bree’s family history was interesting along with how she grew up, she had such a compassionate and nurturing personality. Personally, Bree was very easy to connect to from the first chapter. Bree cooking, caring and assisting Zeb and Shay in the lodge business was just heartwarming.

This story flowed well for me providing high and low moments. The sexual chemistry between these three was sensual, romantic but also highly erotic at times.

In conclusion, Winter of the Wolf continues the Wild Hunt Legacy series in an easy to read and was highly enjoyable.

Winter of the Wolf (The Wild Hunt Legacy #2)

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Wolf Hunger (SWAT #7)

By Paige Tyler

Synopsis

Wolf shifter and SWAT Officer Max Lowry falls hard for she-wolf Lana Mason, but things spiral out of control when wolf hunters track her down, and Max realizes Lana has no idea who—or what—she really is.

Review

Wolf Hunger is the seventh installment in the SWAT series. Max, like all the other SWAT members had a tough transition. He still has a hard time controlling his shift especially if he is confronted with domestic disturbance calls. Lana is just back from college and moved back in with her parents. Her dad is also Deputy Cheif.

I loved Max. He had such a rough childhood that led to his transition then he works hard to fight for the kids that are suffering. The moment he meets Lana he is blown away by her. Unfortunately she has a very protective father who also happens to out rank Max.

This is a very confusing time for Lana. She doesn’t know how special she is yet. But she does know that she is crazy for Max and she isn’t going to let anyone make relationship decisions for her.

I think that this is my favorite so far in this series. There is definitely a rollercoaster of emotions that happen both inside of their relationship and with the other parts of this story. There is still “the one” theme that is happening but I love the fresh take with Lana’s situation. Plus, we go deeper into what the Hunters are doing and who is involved. I still love all the guys and the advice they give because each of them may know that they have someone out there but winning over that person is another story.

I love this series!!! Each member of SWAT brings something new and you want to fall in love with each of them. I can’t wait for the next installment.

Wolf Hunger

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Hour of the Lion (The Wild Hunt Legacy #1)

By Cherise Sinclair

Synopsis

As a dedicated covert ops agent, Victoria Morgan follows two rules: accomplish the mission and protect the innocent. When bitten by a werecat—yeah, that was a sucky day—she must investigate beings that shouldn’t exist and are hard as hell to identify. Just how can she tell if a person is human–or an animal-shifter who enjoys Bambi-sized snacks?

During her investigation, she finds a real home and friends for the first time. Sweet, right? But there’s a flip-side: the bad guys are waiting for her to turn into something four-legged with a tail, the shifters suspect her of spying, and she has fallen in love with a pair of Thumper-eating werecougar brothers.

Her duty is to expose their existence. Or she could follow her heart and protect them with all of her deadly skills.

Review

Hour of the Lion was a fast-paced read with lots of mystery and action. However, it also included moments of emotion and deep connection between characters that helped to build a wonderful romance story.

Vic was headstrong, bold, determined and an honorable woman who was very easy to connect with. Her emotional detachment was explained well and it was really full-filing to watch her find her own family.

Alec and Calum are great shifter characters and independent of each other but when they tag team – the sparks definitely flew. The sex scenes both individually and together with Vic were off the charts hot and steamy. The gatherings and traveling to the mountain helped provide history and explanation for me. Callum’s daughter was another highlight especially her interactions with Vic and also when they first shift.

My only complaint was the character being Wells as it felt a bit rushed towards the end for him and how quickly he changed his perspective.

In conclusion, I am looking forward to the next installment in this series as I would love to hopefully see Vic pregnant by these two incredible alpha men.

Hour of the Lion (The Wild Hunt Legacy #1)

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Forbidden Seduction (Lee County Wolves # 2)

By Teresa Gabelman

Synopsis

Hunter Foster single-handedly exposed the shifter community after shifting in front of humans to protect a Vampire Council Warrior. With no regrets, he heads home to answer for his crime of breaking an outdated law.

Back in his town, he is faced with rogue packs challenging their alpha, his brother, as well as the woman he has spent years avoiding. Finally, he has to come to terms with what his wolf has been telling him and what he as a man has been fighting against.

Review

FORBIDDEN SEDUCTION is the second book in the Lee County Wolves series, and it’s been over two years since I read the first book, FORBIDDEN HUNGER. Because of that, I wondered if I’d have a problem following on from the first story, and I did, but not for that reason. I hit a few trouble spots because some characters and events introduced and talked about in this book relate to a different series. Because of that, I did feel like I was missing something, but it didn’t really affect my enjoyment of the story.

I liked Hunter, but his treatment of Emily when they were younger meant he had a lot to apologize for, and I don’t think he apologized enough. That being said, I did feel that he was truly regretful for how he treated her and will spend the rest of his life making it up to her.

I loved Emily. She was very sweet and she’d make sacrifices for those who deserved it, even if it came at her expense. Her sister was a vile human being, and as much as I loved that Emily did stand up to her most of the time, there were some times that she didn’t and during those times, she did come across as a bit of a doormat. If anyone deserved to be bitch-slapped, it was her sister. But when she confronted Hunter about how he hurt her in high school, she was absolutely magnificent.

“Never in a million years did I think you or anyone else for that matter would have to be threatened to take me out. I’m actually a pretty nice person who’s fun to be around.”

FORBIDDEN SEDUCTION is told in dual POVs and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. Although, as I said above, it is connected to another series and if you haven’t read that other series, you might feel a little lost a few times throughout this story. It’s a fairly quick read and a good way to spend a few spare hours, and I already have the third book waiting on my Kindle.

Forbidden Seduction (Lee County Wolves # 2)

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Lee County Wolves Series

Mating Needs (An A.L.F.A. Novel #2)

By Milly Taiden

Synopsis

A cougar shifter meets his mate and match in this latest sexy paranormal adventure in the A.L.F.A. series as another Alpha League Federal Agent finds love and passion in the midst of danger by the New York Times bestselling author of Elemental Mating.

Review

Mating Needs is about a woman who had to make a tough decision to save the lives of the people she loves. And she is still making sacrifices in order to do the right thing.

Amie is a witness to bank robbery gone wrong by members of her mafia family. She must make the decision to go against her family and do what is right or say nothing. She decides to do what is right but that means that she will need protection. Frank, an old boyfriend that Amie left a text to say goodbye to, is now her protector. Both of them still have feelings for each other as long as they can survive her family.

I thought this book was so much fun. Amie has a great heart and really makes the town that Frank takes her to open up. She has so much to give the world and she doesn’t hold back once she is let loose. Frank has a lot to figure out. He still loves Amie but he doesn’t know why she left him.

The town is full of characters that really complete this book. I love Frank’s mom, she loves her son and the person she believes is his mate. I also fell for all the other shop owns and the meat guy. They all added so much to this story.

I also love the way the Milly Taiden added an extra problem for Frank by making him try to keep the fact that this town is made up of shifters a secret. Amie has no idea that shifters even exist and that just adds to the fun.

Mating Needs

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Wicked Bite (Realm Enforcers 5)

By Rebecca Zanetti

Synopsis

As she hunts for a drug lord killing her fellow witches, all Nessa Lansa’s instincts point to the Grizzly motorcycle club. That might be because their leader, Bear, is the strong, silent shifter type: warm brown eyes and more muscle and alpha male than any woman can ignore. Which makes Nessa’s plan to seduce and betray him all the more dangerous . . .

Bear doesn’t trust the curvy, blue-eyed witch. But Nessa can heal the injuries that sap his strength. And since he can’t stop thinking of her lush body and teasing smile, her plan to mate him to reclaim her own power is highly tempting. Just one problem. Once a desire this wild is loose, no one will ever control it . . .

Review

I have been waiting for Bear’s story since I read Wicked Burn. Just like all the books before this one in this series, there is non-stop action, fast paced, twist and turns and a budding romance. Rebecca Zanetti has carefully crafted all these characters together to make a seamless storyline.

Bear is a loner and sick. In an effort to save his sister in Wicked Burn he changed into a dragon when his true form is a bear. You can only change into one form. This change is now tearing apart his cells and they are not getting any better.

Nessa has stepped down from her seat on the Coven Nine Council. She has traveled to Seattle to help heal Bear and to present him with a crazy idea. She has many secrets that will change the shape of Bear’s world.

I really love these two together. Bear needs someone like Nessa. Their banter is so much fun to read. She keeps him on his toes. Nessa drives Bear crazy in all the right ways. Bear is completely loyal but he expects honesty. He wants to help Nessa survive but he has other issues that he has to address. Nessa wants to help Bear heal but she also has another agenda that she is trying to accomplish. Not to mention the twists and turns that happens in this story to throw everyone off their game. They still have an Apollo problem and there is still a group out there trying to kill witches.

I love where Rebecca Zanetti has taken this series. I just can’t get enough!!!

Wicked Bite

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