Tag Archives: Shifter

Only In My Dreams (Halle Pumas # 5)

By Dana Marie Bell

Synopsis

Gabriel Anderson has accepted a unique position in the shifter world. He’s about to become a Hunter, one of the few trained and sanctioned to hunt down the rare rogue shifter dangerous to humans and shifters alike. But there’s one catch: the man who recruits him tells him to hold off on marking his mate until after his training. Gabe agrees, unaware that his decision could cost him more than he ever dreamed possible.

Sarah is devastated by Gabe’s seeming desertion. His friendship with another woman threatens the bond that could have been built between them. In a bid to win her mate’s heart Sarah decides to flirt with another man, something the possessive Gabe can’t handle. When Gabe finds out that the erotic dreams of dominating his mate have a basis in reality he loses no time in attempting to claim what is his.

If he can’t, the only place he’ll ever have her is in his dreams…

Review

ONLY IN MY DREAMS is sadly the final book in the Halle Pumas series, but it does set us up for the Halle Shifters spin-off series, so yay! There’s already another spin-off series, but unlike the Poconos Pack, the Halle Shifters series will take place in Halle as well, so we’ll see some of the characters from this series again.

Gabe is the town’s Sheriff and the pride’s Marshal’s Second, and Sarah is the pride’s Omega, which in this series means that she outranks him. Gabe was just about to claim Sarah as his mate when he was ushered away for Hunter training by the Senate. Unfortunately for both of them, he’s gone for six months and, in their case, absence does not make the heart grow fonder. Thanks to miscommunications, insecurities and jealousy, their relationship had almost imploded by the time he returned home.

ONLY IN MY DREAMS is told in dual POVs and comes with a HEA for Gabe and Sarah, the final two leaders of the Halle Pride. While each novella could technically be read as a stand-alone, it’s best to read the series in order as each one focuses on a different couple. As with the previous novellas, there’s plenty of hot sex to enjoy, but Gabe is into domination and some light kink, so it’s by far the hottest sex in the series.

Only In My Dreams (Halle Pumas # 5)

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Halle Pumas Series

Steel Beauty (Halle Pumas # 4)

By Dana Marie Bell

Synopsis

Coping with a devastating injury is hard enough for Belinda “Belle” Campbell. Forced separation from her destined mate while she heals is almost more than she can endure. Until she is strong enough to take up her duties as Luna of the Poconos Wolf Pack, however, the safest place for her is Halle. Now, after months of being alone, she is more than ready to be claimed. But is the pack ready for a Puma Luna?

Rick Lowell has waited long enough to bring Belle home where she belongs. He’s aware of the danger, as well—and it isn’t long before a bitch with an eye on Belle’s position issues a challenge. The only way to put down the threat is for Belle to defeat the usurper in combat.

There’s only one problem. Thanks to the pins in her broken hip, Belle can’t shift. Without that tactical advantage, it won’t be a fair fight. With his new mate’s life on the line, Rick is forced to make a decision that will change everything.

That is, if Belle gives him the chance to make it.

Review

STEEL BEAUTY is the fourth book in the Halle Pumas series⎯as well the prequel to the Poconos Pack series⎯and takes place from where the previous book ended. We’ve seen a little bit of Belle (puma) throughout this series, and we met Rick (Poconos wolf alpha) in the previous book when he came down to help the Pride deal with a rogue wolf.

Belle was seriously injured in the previous book protecting a pride mate and, at the beginning of this story, Rick was forced to leave her⎯unclaimed and with her pride⎯for several months until she had healed enough to defend herself. This was done in order to protect her from his pack’s dominant female, Gina, who wanted Rick⎯and the alpha female title that goes with him⎯for herself. While every female we’ve met before has been strong in their own way, Belle was the first one we saw that actually kicked some arse…and it was good.

STEEL BEAUTY is told in dual POVs and comes with a HEA for Rick and Belle. While each novella could technically be read as a stand-alone⎯as each one focuses on a different couple⎯it is best to read the series in order. As with the previous novellas, there’s plenty of humour and animalistic sex to go around.

Steel Beauty (Halle Pumas # 4)

My Rating:

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Halle Pumas Series

Wolf Hunt (SWAT#6)

By Paige Tyler

Synopsis

A STORM IS BREWING…
Remy Boudreaux is back in his hometown, New Orleans. He’s there with three of his fellow Dallas SWAT officers for a week of training with the NOLA PD. On the eve of a tropical storm, Remy and his buddies prowl the French Quarter. One tantalizing scent captures Remy’s senses, forcing him to follow until he is face to face with Triana Bellamy—his beautiful high school crush.

After reconnecting, Remy and Triana are close—very. Remy struggles to keep things casual. Ever since his partner—and first love—was killed on the job, he’s kept women at a distance.

But when a mysterious wolf pendant ropes them both into danger, Remy’s protective instincts kick in. He may have to reveal his true self…and hope Triana accepts him.

Review

I was really excited to read Wolf Hunt. This seres has really grown on me. Remy is an interesting character. He had a traumatic transition into his werewolf life that had him swearing off falling in love. It left him emotionally unable to move to a new relationship. Triana is an old friend that now looks like she could be “the one.”

I could really sympathize for Remy. He truly felt love for another woman that had him believing that he would never fall in love again. But I wanted to slap him more than once. He doesn’t want to hurt Triana but he can’t see having a future with her. He has to find a way to get over his past and move on to his future.

Triana is head strong and independent. She has her own secrets and there is a mystery revolving around her father’s brutal murder. And even though the case is cold she will not give up on trying to find justice for him. I also love the fact that she has her own reservations about the relationship but even though she doesn’t know about “the one” she feels a bond that she cannot turn away from.

Paige Tyler decided to take the SWAT team out of Dallas for Wolf Hunt and send them to New Orleans, which is one of my favorite places. This made for a great location and added some more revelations for Remy and the other members of the pack. They must somehow help take down a drug dealer that also has secrets of his own. Paige added tons of actions and suspense to this novel and I couldn’t put down the book in the last fight scene.

I still love the idea of “the one” and look forward to the continuation of these series.

Wolf Hunt

My Rating:

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Cat Of A Different Color (Halle Pumas # 3)

By Dana Marie Bell

Synopsis

Dr. Adrian Giordano is quite happy with the way his life is going. His two best friends are happily mated, and he’s still sanely single. He has friends, a thriving business, and the occasional Saturday night date. Then Sheridan Montgomery comes to town. His inner Puma responds to the husky-voiced snow princess in a way that tells him his life is about to be turned upside down.

Sheri can’t believe her luck could be this bad. Instinct tells her Adrian is her mate, but the last thing she wants to do is drag him into her messy life. She’s on the run from a big bad wolf—an ex who won’t take no for an answer. Worse, if he catches her, he’s got the teeth (and the Pack!) to take what he wants.

She doesn’t stand a chance alone, but with her friends—and the persistent Adrian—by her side, she might just survive.

If her ex doesn’t eat the yummy Dr. Giordano for lunch, that is…

Review

CAT OF A DIFFERENT COLOR is the third book in the Halle Pumas series, and as with the previous two books, it was a light, fun and quick read. We’ve met Adrian very briefly before (he is Max’s business partner), but we haven’t met Sheri until now. She was turned by Max in college to protect her from a stalker ex-boyfriend, who happens to be a wolf shifter. His harassment has become so serious that she has finally requested to become a member of the pride for extra protection.

CAT OF A DIFFERENT COLOR is told in dual POVs and comes with a HEA for Adrian and Sheri. While each novella could technically be read as a stand-alone, I think it’s best to read the series in order, to fully understand how the pride works. The usual amount of humour⎯and animalistic sex⎯is present in this story as well, but thanks to the stalker ex, there is a darker scene that could be a trigger for some readers.

Cat Of A Different Color (Halle Pumas # 3)

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Halle Pumas Series

Sweet Dreams (Halle Pumas # 2)

By Dana Marie Bell

Synopsis

Getting attacked by some crazed she-devil, complete with claws and fangs, certainly wasn’t on Rebecca Yaeger’s agenda when she agreed to attend a local masquerade. In a few slashing moments, Becky learns things about her friends and the man she loves that she never would have suspected.

When Simon rescues Becky from an unprovoked attack by one of his Pride, he finally confirms what he’s long suspected: she’s his mate. Carrying her off to his home and dressing her wounds gives him the chance he’s been waiting for—to taste her and mark her as his. And she’s far sweeter than anything, or anyone, he’s ever had before.

Just as their problems seem a thing of the past, a strange illness begins to haunt Becky, threatening to turn their sweet dreams into a nightmare.

Review

SWEET DREAMS is the second book in the Halle Pumas series, and as with the first book, it is a light, quick, fun and sexy read. We met Simon and Becky in the previous book, as Simon is Max’s best friend and pride beta, and Becky is Emma’s best friend. They’ve been crushing on each other for a long time, but a threat to Becky forces Simon to finally act.

SWEET DREAMS is told in dual POVs and comes with a HEA for Simon and Becky. The beginning of this story overlaps with the ending from the previous story, so I would recommend reading this series in order. I devoured this entire series back in 2010 (and a couple of times since then), and each book is just a nice way to spend an hour or so on something fun and easy.

Sweet Dreams (Halle Pumas # 2)

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Halle Pumas Series

The Wallflower (Halle Pumas # 1)

By Dana Marie Bell

Synopsis

Emma Carter has been in love with Max Cannon since high school, but he barely knew she existed. Now she runs her own unique curio shop, and she’s finally come out her shell and into her own.

When Max returns to his small home town to take up his duties as the Halle Pride’s Alpha, he finds that shy little Emma has grown up. That small spark of something he’d always felt around the teenager has blossomed into something more—his mate!

Taking her “out for a bite” ensures that the luscious Emma will be permanently his.

But Max’s ex has plans of her own. Plans that don’t include Emma being around to interfere. To keep her Alpha, Emma must prove to the Pride that she has what it takes to be Max’s mate.

Review

I first read THE WALLFLOWER back in 2010 and I’ve read it a couple of times since then, but I’ve never reviewed it for our blog. This is the first book in the Halle Pumas series and introduces us to Max (the alpha) and Emma (his mate). This is a series I quite enjoy because all the books are light, quick and fun to read. Oh, and the sex is animalistic and hot!

“I want Livia to grind her teeth into powder when she sees you on my arm. And then I want us both to smile at her and wish her well after she bows down to you.”
“Damn, Max, you should have been a girl. That’s totally bitchy.”

Max has returned to Halle to take over the Puma pride; a right he earned years ago when he was still human. He’s not looking for his mate, but he finds her anyway when he sees Emma for the first time since he left, and he wastes no time in claiming her. Emma is the town’s wallflower; the Plain Jane that the popular girls pick on, even though high school has been over for almost a decade. Everyone underestimates her strength and when she gets a taste of her power, she wields it beautifully.

When he’d used his power to force an answer out of her in that alley, she’d actually walked away from him, back turned, head held high. He still couldn’t decide if he wanted to fuck her or spank her for that.

THE WALLFLOWER is told in dual POVs and is a great way to spend an hour or two.

The Wallflower (Halle Pumas # 1)

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Halle Pumas Series

Bear to Have and Hold: Kodiak Den #5

By Amy Lamont

Synopsis

Wedding planner Kayla Mackenzie specializes in creating spectacular destination weddings in exotic locations. But when her newest clients decide they want to get married in the wilds of Alaska, anxiety rears its ugly head. Sticking to cosmopolitan cities and tropical beaches allows her to avoid the one creature that scares her more than the words “prenuptial agreement.” But heading to the heart of werebear country means she’ll have to face her biggest fear.

Outdoor adventure guide Trent Black gets grouchier each day that goes by without finding his mate. But the last woman he expects to ignite his possessive instincts is a high maintenance human like Kayla. It’s bad enough she hates everything to do with the outdoors, but her obvious fear of bear shifters leaves him questioning his attraction. When fate steps in and strands them in a late winter blizzard, he has one chance to help her to overcome her fear and open her heart.

Review

Bear to Have and Hold is a classic of story of girl meets boy and boy just happens to be a bear shifter. The story is a tale of acceptance and forgiveness. It is also about seeing things for what they really are.

I liked Kayla because she has faults but she’s okay with them. And her best friend is not afraid to point them out. She is a successful business woman that is just going through the motions of life. She has her fears and she has to understand and overcome them.

I loved Trent. He is perfect for Kayla. He is an outdoorsman that lives his life and does more than go through the motions. Kayla learns a lot from him.

This book has a good heart to it. It was short but had good characters in it.

Bear to Have and Hold

My Rating:

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Lone Cougar (Solo Shift #2)

By Nicole Lake

Synopsis

Sam:

I didn’t particularly care for Ryan when he showed up for his first massage. And I don’t particularly care for him now, even if he’s the hottest thing in Green Holler. Especially because he’s the hottest thing in Green Holler.

He reminds me of every player I met in high school and college, he travels constantly because of his work, and I’m sure he’s got a girl in every airport. And his work? He’s the guy Dad hired for advice on expanding his art store, and I can just see him changing it into McArts or something cheesy.

Not that I’m looking for a man anyway. I don’t ask for much. Just a man who’s not a complete jerk, doesn’t mind living out here in the middle of the Ozarks, and won’t freak out when he discovers that shifting’s real and his girlfriend’s an owl shifter.

And Ryan’s not that man. Right?

Ryan:

The woman at the B&B’s trying to get me to date Sam–short for Samantha, she’s careful to point out. Not going to happen, even if Sam’s the most beautiful woman I’ve seen. For one thing, there’s plenty of beautiful women out there, but not enough damn-good massage therapists like Sam. On top of that, her dad’s my client, and that mixture of business and pleasure is a bad idea.

Why would anyone give up their big-city dreams, go back home to this Ozark tourist trap–sorry, I mean “this quaint Ozark town”–and hang up a shingle as a massage therapist, even a damn good one? I don’t get it, but I can’t afford to settle down like she did. With all the consulting gigs I do, I’ve got to stay on the road all the time.

Besides, when I’m on the road, no one can get close enough to find out about my cougar, and I can have a good time any night I want, anywhere I want, with almost any woman I want, with no commitments.

I’m not scared of commitment, but what woman’s going to commit to a guy who’s also occasionally a cougar? Certainly not Sam.

———————-

Imagine yourself as a shifter alone in a world that doesn’t know shifting exists.

This is the Solo Shift world: no packs, no guidance, no mates, and no prospects until chance, luck, trust, and love all intervene.

Review

Lone Cougar is a story about two people who are drawn together. They are attracted to each other but know that they would never really be more than a one time thing. Sam and Ryan may only be perfect for each other.

Sam a girl who had dreams of moving away but her heart only belonged to this small town. She is bright and sweet. She had a real family feel to her but she feels that she will never have a family of her own because she doesn’t know if she would be able to share her secret that she is a sifter.

Ryan comes off like a player. He is helping Sam’s dad with his business and at the same time finding a connection with Sam. He also believes that because of his secret that he will never be able to settle down.

Lone Cougar has a good story base. I like the idea of two people that are unique, who don’t know that there are any other shifters in the world, are somehow attracted to each other. The story itself lost the energy about half way through the book and there was places that seemed awkward. The exclamation point was overused. I’m not sure if this was because this was an ARC or if this was really apart of the story. I did enjoy getting to know these two characters and this small town.

Lone Cougar

My Rating:

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Undiscovered (Amoveo Rising #1)

By Sara Humphreys

Synopsis

He’s the man of her dreams
A long time ago, Zander Lorens was cursed to walk the earth stripped of his Dragon Clan powers. Every night, trapped in a recurring nightmare, Zander relives his darkest moment. He can hardly believe it when the dream changes and a beautiful young woman appears. Zander believes she’s the key to ending his torment. Finding her in the real world is one thing, but how will he convince her of who-and what-she really is?

She’s the end to his nightmare
Rena McHale uses her unique sensitivity as a private investigator, touting herself as a “human divining rod” and finder of the lost. By day she struggles with sensory overload, and by night her sleep is haunted by a fiery dragon shifter. Nothing in her life makes sense, until the man from her dreams shows up at her door with a proposition…

Review

Undiscovered is a story of guilt, family and love. It also explores relationships on many levels. Brothers, girlfriends, adoptive parents and lovers. Plus finding out that dragons still exist.

Zander and Zed are twins that are dragon shifters. They are cursed. Zander stuck in human form and Zed trapped in hibernation as a dragon. This curse happened all over a girl that the brothers were fighting over. Zander will do anything to free Zed, even sacrifice his own happiness. He believes that if he can get Rena, Zed’s mate, to him that the curse will be broken. The only problem is Rena doesn’t know anything of his world and definitely doesn’t subscribe to being anyone’s mate.

Rena is an independent soul. She was on the streets when she was found by Vito, who would become a kind of adoptive parent to her. Rena knew she was special because she could sense things through touch. Even though she knew that Zander was different and was pushing her away for reasons she couldn’t understand, she couldn’t help but want him.

As they made their way across the country to help his brother, their bonds deepen. Zander must make a decision between the love that he feels for Rena and for his brother.

Fans of the Amoveo series will love Undiscovered. It has all the elements that makes that series so good. We get to revisit the characters of that series in this book which is a nice treat. This novel sets this new journey for the dragon shifters up. They aren’t necessarily part of the Amoveo but they have the same qualities that made the Amoveo special.

Undiscovered

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My Guardian (Bewitched and Bewildered # 6)

By Alanea Alder

Synopsis

The next chapter in the Bewitched and Bewildered series is about to begin.

Meryn and Beth have been summoned by Beth’s uncle and council elder, Magnus Rioux to the vampire’s pillar city of Noctem Falls. Meryn in a city of vampires, what could go wrong? Aiden and Gavriel are about to find out.

Eva Mae Miller has been around for a long time. But never in all of her centuries has she ever had to turn to vampires for sanctuary. But when whole paranormal families begin disappearing in her quiet Texas suburb, Eva knows that it’s time to set her pride aside and join the other refugees heading to Noctem Falls for protection.

Adriel Aristaios doesn’t know what to make of the small human his commander is mated to. Bethy assures him that Meryn is sane, but he’s not so sure. Magnus had to be out of his mind bringing a pregnant human and accident-prone Bethy back to the City of the Night, just as things are about to get ugly. To complicate matters Adriel is pretty sure the sassy, blonde shifter is his mate. How can he possibly do his duty and protect their Prince, when he has not only his commander’s mate and little Bethy to guard, but also the woman who has stolen his heart.

When racial tensions threaten to boil over and sink the city in chaos, Adriel surprisingly finds himself relying on wacky little Meryn and his mate to help keep things from turning violent. But as more information comes to light, it’s clear that someone is out to destroy his city. The question is will they find them in time?

Review

MY GUARDIAN is the sixth book in the Bewitched and Bewildered series and was another enjoyable read. The story continues on from MY BROTHER’S KEEPER and follows the mating of Adriel (vampire) and Eva Mae (tiger shifter) in a new location – Noctem Falls.

Adriel is the unit leader at Noctem Falls and reports only to Prince Magnus and Aiden. He is also related to Gavriel and is therefore the second of only two living Ambrosios family members remaining. He’s a man who believes in rules and routine, but learns to lighten up thanks to his new mate, Eva Mae. Eva Mae is a Russian tiger shifter who has lived in Texas for the past 150 years with the local wolf pack. She’s a very easy going woman, a stark contrast to how rigid Adriel is, so they even each other out well. She also has a strong maternal instinct and is very protective of people who are younger and/or weaker than her.

What I found interesting was that there wasn’t much couple time between Adriel and Eva Mae. Eva Mae doesn’t even appear in the story until the 30% mark and up to that point, the story focused on the new location and the introduction of the new characters. After she was introduced, she spent more time with Meryn than with Adriel. Ultimately, the story focused on Meryn (who arrived at Noctem Falls with Aiden, Beth, Gavriel and Ryuu), Prince Magnus as he determines who his allies are, and a new threat that appears specific to Noctem Falls. There was another brief mention of inaccurate and misleading information in their history books, but there were no answers provided so I’m thinking it’s some kind of conspiracy that will come to light later. There’s also a possibility that the alpha of Eva Mae’s wolf pack, Stefan, has some sort of connection to Meryn, but that was also left unresolved…at this time.

MY GUARDIAN is told in dual POVs, with the epilogue being told in Declan’s POV, as he will get the next book in the series.