Her Scottish Wolf by Theodora Taylor

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


For those looking for an interracial book with shades of Harlequin Presents with a black heroine, this would fit the bill. Good news is it's also a paranormal/werewolf romance.

Grumpy boss (check)
Plain Jane/Shy/Low Profile heroine gets her man and a great life (check)
Angsty angle (check)
Hot, steamy sexy paranormal romance (check)
Hunky hero with Scottish brogue (check)
Office romance (check)

I wasn't sure what to think when this book started. At first, I kinda hated Iain. He was being a total douche to Milly. And when she gives him her reasons why she's quitting, he goes full on a-hole with her. I didn't get him at all. I mean, who says that to someone who gives him that kind of news? It turns out that he had a plan all along, and things weren't how they seemed. His reasons for being a jerk become very apparent. Not an excuse, but there you have it.

There are some consent issues about something if I'm honest. If you've read Bitten, you know what I'm getting at. But it turns out better for Milly.

So that's not the happy ending, no Iain has to spend the rest of the book gaining Milly's trust. She has plenty of reasons not to want to be mated to him. Her life changes hugely, and I think any person in her situation would have had misgivings. I'm glad that she stayed true to herself and didn't lose her identity in the face of a very strong personality like Iain.

I loved the arguments between Milly's friend Tara and Iain's brother Magnus. They were a big source of entertainment, and Tara would go toe to toe with him in a way that Milly didn't with Iain.

For all the angst, there is some good humorous moments with Iain's villages wacky residents. There's some major culture shock for Milly, and Iain has to rearrange his life greatly, but he's got his mate, so that's all that matters.

I'd recommend this book, but we warned that Iain does start the book as a major ahole.



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Her Scottish King by Theodora Taylor

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Quite different from the first book in good ways. And more than one twist I did not see coming. Magnus is not exactly likable most of the time. He's really cocky and demanding. I know part of it is being an alpha werewolf and a famous Scottish rugby player. He didn't take Tara's rejection well, sure that they are fated as mates, and not able to understand she is running from their bond. I liked that Tara did have a legitimate reason for not wanting to mate with Magnus, and the reveal is really fascinating. Tara has a lot of layers to her that Magnus had to work to develop. It was good, though. He was used to getting everything he wanted easily. But that's how it works with your mate. While that bond is fated, that doesn't mean that your mate is not worth any effort and emotional commitment. And Magnus had to decide if his pride was worth more than losing his mate (ironically his father faced the same choice).

I liked that this wasn't a predictable book. Werewolf romance has some formula to it (as much as I love it), but Taylor did a good job of keeping things innovative.

It's not a five star because I didn't love Magnus. I really liked Tara a lot and she had a lot of dimensionality and strength to her, beautifully complex.



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Mate Hunt

Alpha Werewolf Romance

by J.S. Striker

Goodreads blurb:  A sexy panther shifter and an equally gorgeous wolf shifter are brought together in trying circumstances and can’t keep their paws off each other. 

Life as the ultimate shifter leader has never been easy for Dylan Masters, but he is an expert when it comes to navigating the very fragile world of supernatural politics—and now, he is in the market for a wife, one who will strengthen his ties and be at his side at all times. That plan is halted when shocking news arrives, and suddenly the wolf shifter who is used to sitting on his throne must now embark on a mission that involves dealing with a potential enemy, journeying through uncharted territory and meeting a woman who is all sorts of wrong for him—but feels all sorts of right… 

There’s a slavery business going on near her family’s lands, and that just wouldn’t do—especially not when Isabella Hart’s brother is a part of it. Like her clan, she doesn’t trust outsiders. But this time she has no choice, because she needs to do everything in her power to save her brother—including teaming up with a shifter leader who is too charming for his own good and may have more ulterior motives than he’s letting on. But what’s a woman to do when family depends on it? She needs to stomach it out—and not fall for the enemy in the process… 

Adult content. 

A HEA standalone HOT & SEXY shifter romance. 

About the Author:  J.S. Striker lives on the west coast with her hubby and 2 Great Danes. The coast is full of magical forests, the mountains and ocean often giving her inspiration for her stories. Having worked as a social worker most of her adult life J.S. is now giving writing all her energy and loving every minute of it.

Connect with J.S.:

~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~

My Thoughts - 4 out of 5 Unicorns - I really liked it!!!

***I choose what I read and review based on what intrigues me!!  Yes, I got a review copy of this book, but no one tells me what to think, feel, or write about any book!

The cover is amazing and my favorite type of shifter cover with both beautiful beasts!

This is a standalone HEA shifter romance, but it does have some topics of child slavery and abuse.  It is for adults only due to the violence and steamy content.  It is about 175 pages long.

I really enjoyed the love/hate relationship with Dylan and Isabella.  The mixed shifter world mixed with some witchy magic makes for a very interesting read.  I think some of the Alpha attitudes needed a smack down, but they were Alphas.  Isabella is fierce, and I love how she kicks butt.  Dylan is interesting, and the dynamic between Alphas is tense to put it lightly.  Simon and Robin are interesting, and I think there is a story waiting to be written about them.  They definitely click!  I can’t wait to see was J.S. cooks up next!

I recommend this book to any shifter fan who loves a mixed paranormal world with Panthers, Wolves, Witches, and magic with an HEA ending!

Interested in reading???

~ Amazon ~ AmazonUK ~

See my review of Erik!!!

Selenium Night by Kharma Kelley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Selenium Night is the first book in Kharma Kelley’s Shadow Shifters series. This is not my first time reading her work and based on my prior experience I went into this book with high expectations. She did not disappoint.

What the story is about.
In this new series, readers meet Adian Bloodlocke and Dr. Maddie Ardelle. Abandoned by his pack. Aidan, an Aristan shadowshifter grew up knowing nothing about his lineage. All that would change when the alpha of the Bloodlocke pack adopted him and raised as his own. Aidan’s new life taught him about family and unconditional love. In spite of this, there were members of the pack who despised him a situation which escalated when he became the pack’s alpha.

Then the unthinkable happened, his pack came under attack leaving death and mayhem in its wake. Now he is on a mission to hunt and capture the responsible party and ensure that pack justice is served. What he never counted on was that during his quest he would find love with the delectable Dr. Maddie Ardelle.

Dr. Maddie Ardelle moved to Brdgepoint Maine, to get the pieces of her life together. Her life lacked excitement. Therefore, the last thing she expected was to get caught in the middle of the ShadowShifter's feud. When the hot and sexy alpha came to her aid, she found herself caught in a world of passion, violence, and a lot of shifters.

The Story
Selenium Night is one of those books which holds you captive from the first page and you eagerly turn the pages because you have to know how the event will unfold.

I loved the world that the author introduced me to in this story. There are two species of ShadowShifters, Aristans created by Arista one of the moon sisters and the Thesians, created in retaliation by her twin sister Thesia. Since this time, both species have been sworn enemies.
ShadowShifters are human souls that were fused with the soul of a wolf. In their natural state they are humans, however they have the power to change in various forms of a wolf. They lived in plain sight of humans, but the humans had no idea they were living among supernatural beings. ShadowShifters are born not made.

The romance was refreshing and well done. It was slow burn, which is not typical for these kinds of stories. This is not shifter story where the hero recognises his mate immediately and lay his claim to her. The hero was drawn to the heroine but had a hard time reconciling his feelings as it was forbidden for his kind to mate with humans. They got to know each other and allowing their love to develop at a natural pace. She tugged at his heartstrings and he had this uncontrollable need to protect her, which proved detrimental to his mission.

Suspense, action and humour were sprinkled throughout the pages of the book, making it a true page-turner.

The Characters

The Characters were well fleshed out. I was invested in them and could not help but root for them. Aidan is strong, determined and protective. His life growing up was hard, but that was until his circumstances changed. However, the pain of the past haunted him. Maddie had experienced her share of hurt and as such was not looking for a relationship. I could relate to her uncertainties regarding her developing feelings for Aidan. She was a likable heroine and it was clear Aidan was so enamoured with her. She is funny, selfless and brave.
They complemented each other. I enjoyed their initial contact, which provided me with some laugh out loud moments.

The secondary characters played an intricate role in making the story a page turner. My least favourite was Kieran, Adian’s adoptive brother. He is a true personification of evil. It was his actions that led to disaster that struck the Bloodlocke pack and he is the one Aidan is hunting.

The one thing I had an issue with is the author’s failure to delve deeper into the forbidden aspects of Aidan and Maddie’s relationship. They go their HEA, but it would have been good to know the effects in the future in light of the fact that Maddie cannot be a shifter.

Conclusion/Recommendation
The story delivered a heart-warming, emotional, suspenseful and action packed read. I do believe this is a great start to the series and I am eager to see what next the author has to offer. Fans of paranormal romance with strong sexy characters will enjoy Selenium Night.

3.5 STARS

Reviewing the audible version. I thought the narrator did a wonderful job with the story. He kept the pace of the book fast and interesting. He made our hero’s voice sound sexy yet dangerous. I also liked that he didn't increase his voice one octave higher to sound like a silly girl when giving voice to Melina.

The story in itself focused more on the relationship among all characters than world building. I wish it would have gone deeper into explaining what Melina’s family business was and why it made her doubt Kiernan’s initial interest in her. Although I suppose given the length of the story it provided a practical reason for the hesitancy. Melina and Kiernan had great chemistry and the animosity between their families made a lot of sense once it was explained. I only wish the story would have been longer because the story felt incomplete somehow, like they reached a HFN instead of a HEA.

All in all the plot was well written so I'd definitely recommend it to anyone that enjoys PNR.

*** This is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.***