GUARDIAN’S MATE (Shifters Unbound #9) by Jennifer Ashley-Review and Giveaway
GUARDIAN’S MATE
Shifters Unbound #9
by Jennifer Ashley
Release Date: September 6, 2016
Genre: adult,contemporary, paranormal, romance
Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / BAM /
About the book: Release Date: September 6, 2016
She wasn’t ready to lead…
Chosen as the Guardian of her Montana Shiftertown, wolf Shifter Rae Lyall is facing opposition—for no woman has ever been selected for this powerful position. Still adjusting to the new authority thrust upon her, Rae travels to train with Zander Moncrieff, a Shifter healer, tasked with teaching her about her new role and its responsibilities.
He wasn’t ready to love…
A polar bear Shifter, Zander wears no Collar and follows no rules but his own. Rae finds him arrogant and demanding, yet compelling and intriguing. Zander has no wish to mate but the sassy Guardian is drawing him out of his shell, stirring feelings long suppressed. And when a new threat looms over Rae’s home, she and Zander must race to the rescue, forced closer to danger…and to each other.
••••••••••
REVIEW: GUARDIAN’S MATE is the ninth full length installment in Jennifer Ashley’s contemporary, adult SHIFTERS UNBOUND paranormal/fantasy romance series. This is polar bear shifter/healer Alexander ‘Zander’ Moncrief, and lupine shifter/Guardian Rae Lyall’s story line GUARDIAN’S MATE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but for cohesion and backstory I recommend reading the series in order.
SOME BACKGROUND: Thousands of years in the past, the Fae created the shifters-a cross between beast and man-and in the ensuing time the Fae lost control and power over the creatures they had created. Approximately twenty years ago shifters were exposed to the human population. Out of fear, discrimination and specieism, the shifters were collared with Fae magic in the belief that it would control aggression; then they were forced into segregated communities known as Shiftertowns. There are several Shiftertowns located throughout America where shifters live in a relative but strained peace amongst their own kind.
Told from several third person perspectives GUARDIAN’S MATE focuses on the first female Guardian, chosen by the goddess, and the resulting fall out when the shifters of the Montana Shiftertown don’t take too kindly to a woman in charge. Hoping to protect his daughter from potential harm, Montana Shiftertown leader Eoin Lyall sends Rae to Alaska and reclusive polar bear shifter Alexander Moncrief for training and protection. What ensues is the building relationship between Zander and Rae, and threats against out couple when a vigilante bounty hunter takes aim at everything shifter. A group of feral shifters has targeted both human and shifter populations, and Zander and Rae are caught up in the fight.
Xander Moncrief is a healer imbued with magical, empathic powers that have forced our hero into a reclusive life where the pain and suffering of others is far from his mind. Rae is a young shifter, barely past her transition, and the first woman chosen as the Guardian of her kind. The Guardian is tasked with ‘sending’ their dead to the Summerland-the shifter ‘after life’-but Rae has never been trained to handle the magical sword that is usually passed down from father to son. Xander Moncrief must temper his emotions as it pertains to the feisty lupine Guardian but attraction and the mating frenzy begin to over power our couple even as they are on the run from the people trying to destroy their lives. The romance is very slow to build; the $ex scenes are intimate and provocative.
There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including several shifters we have met in previous story lines, as well as the introduction of lupine shifter Ezra Wilcox, a man whose aging father recently passed away; Miles Keegan, a boat captain who hides a secret from the people with whom he works; Zander’s friend Piotr Ivanov who adds a little bit of humor and fun; and human Carson McCade, a man out to avenge the attack on his wife.
GUARDIAN’S MATE is a story line that follows a new arc for the series focusing on an impending war between the shifters and the Fae. The premise is entertaining; the romance is a bit of push and pull as Zander tries to keep his distance while the couple is on the run; the characters are an eclectic and colorful mix of shifters and humans. GUARDIAN’S MATE is an imaginative tale of adventure, action and romance. If you like paranormal story lines about shifters and their struggle in a world controlled by humans and the Fae, check out Jennifer Ashley’s SHIFTERS UNBOUND series.
Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley
Reviewed by Sandy
The Reading Cafe and Jennifer’s publisher are offering a paper copy of GUARDIAN’S MATE to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.
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8. Giveaway open to USA only
10. Giveaway runs from September 1-5, 2016
Love her shifters. Please enter me in the giveaway.
cntrygirlzroc@yahoo.com
Great review, Sandy. I really enjoyed the earlier books of the series. Just haven’t had the time to catch up.
Please enter me in this giveaway.. loved the review. Follow you on all formats but Tumblr & Instagram .. follow Jennifer on FB and love this series .. Thank you for the chance
ruth.gutscher@cox.net
This sounds wonderful.Please enter me
Ashley’s shiftetown series is one of my very favorites . I can’t wait to read this new one! Thanksa
I love this series. I have missed a few. I would love this. Thanks for a shot.
Terrific review, Sandy. I love this series and Jennifer Ashley. Please enter me into this giveaway.
This series is on my list to read before the year is up! Please enter me!
Thank you so much!
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Wonderful review, thanks Sandy. I love everything shifter !Please enter me into the giveaway.
Fantastic review, thanks. Please enter me into the giveaway. I have read this entire series !
Looking forward to reading the next in this series!
I already do all these things:
Please follow Jennifer Ashley on Facebook.
4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.
5. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.
6. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.
7. Please follow The Reading Cafe on Tumblr
Sounds intriguing! I haven’t read a polar bear shifter before. Please count me in.
Thanks.
Wonderful review ! I love shifters, especially healers!!!! Please and thank you
I would be Honored to WIN a book by Jennifer Ashley!! I love shifters, and have yet to read any of her work! Please sign me up!! What a great review I am very interested now.
Thanks!!
Can’t wait to read and I already preordered the next one. eloisanne@gmail.com
Great Review, Sandy! I love the Shifters Unbound Series and I can’t wait to read this one, thanks for sharing. I did all of the above under either Eva Millien or Stormy Vixen
Thank you for the review! I love this series. We are always treat to something new.
Please enter me in the giveaway!
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Great review, Sandy. I am a big fan of this series. Who doesn’t like shifters.
Oooh! How awesome! Please enter me in the giveaway!
sandragortiz@yahoo.com
Great review Sandy I have been following this series would love to win it.
Sounds like a read I’d really enjoy. All requirements met except tumblr – I don’t have an account.
email: nichols.kathy@yahoo.com
Thanks for the review Sandy. Please enter me into the giveaway. Congrats to Jennifer on the new release.
I love this series. Thanks for this giveaway chance.
Follow on TSU and Goodreads.
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Please enter me. Thanks for the giveaway.
Please Enter Me
Please enter me in the giveaway
Looks great, thanks. Congrats to Jennifer. Please enter me into the giveaway.
Wonderful review and giveaway , thanks.
I loved Jennifer’s Historical series – haven’t tried this one yet.
Please enter me in the giveaway!
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Sounds awesome .Please enter me
Fantastic review! This is a great giveaway and I would love to win this book. I did everything on the list above. I followed Jennifer Ashley on F, Twitter, GR, and Tumblr! My email address is Volsfan09@ymail.com
Thank you for the chance! <3
This new release sounds fabulous! I would love to read it so thanks for the chance.
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