MATE BOND (Shifters Unbound #7) by Jennifer Ashley-Review and Giveaway
Mate Bond
Shifters Unbound #7
by Jennifer Ashley
Genre: adult, paranormal, romance
Release Date: April 7, 2015
Amazon.com / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 7, 2015
To cement the leadership of his North Carolina Shiftertown, Bowman O’Donnell agreed to a “mating of convenience.” Two powerful wolf shifters, he and Kenzie keep the pack in order and are adored by all. Bowman would do anything to protect Kenzie, for in each other’s arms they’ve found far more than friendship. But as strong as their attachment is, they still haven’t formed the elusive mate bond—the almost magical joining of true mates.
Now with a monster ravaging the countryside and threatening the Shiftertown community, some in the pack fear that a pair without a true mate bond isn’t strong enough to lead. Bowman and Kenzie will have to rely on their instinctive trust in one another to save their Shifters—and the ensuing battle will either destroy them or give them the chance to seize the love they’ve always craved.
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REVIEW: MATE BOND is the seventh full length installment in Jennifer Ashley’s Shifters Unbound paranormal romance series. Jennifer Ashley’s shifters are persecuted and discriminated against by the humans but the humans have help in their attempts to bring the shifters under control using collars and segregated towns. This is shifter wolf alpha of the North Carolina Shiftertown Bowman O’Donnell, and his alpha mate Kenzie O’Donnell.
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 created. There is a war encroaching-one that will see humans side with the Fae in a battle for dominance, and their first line of defense was to collar and corral the shifters.
Approximately twenty years ago shifters were exposed to the human population. Out of fear, discrimination and specieism, the shifters were collared, in the belief that it would control aggression, then they were forced into segregated communities known as Shiftertowns. There are several Shiftertowns located throughout the world where shifters live in a relative but strained peace amongst their own kind.
Told from third person point of view, MATE BOND follows the search for a monster; a hybrid shifter whose genetic makeup is completely wrong ; a beast of unknown origins who attacked a bar full of shifters with the intent to hurt and kill. Because the beast was found and eventually destroyed on the North Carolina Shiftertown territory, Bowman sets into motion a plan to hunt the person(s) responsible for the abomination but finds himself in a dilemma when more than one supernatural power is discovered in the search.
Bowman O’Donnell is a mated, alpha male but he and his mate Kenzie, as well as most of the North Carolina pack, believe there is no mate-bond holding the couple together. With each sexual encounter, loving touch and even the birth of their son, Kenzie and Bowman hope for the elusive mate-bond to take hold. Kenzie and Bowman’s relationship is highly sexual as are most shifter couples but in this, the lack of a permanent bond ensures that someone else may be their true bonded match. Kenzie and Bowman’s mate-bond plays a major factor in the storyline development.
MATE BOND has an ensemble cast of supernatural and magical characters including shifters, Fae, hybrids, humans and a previously unknown paranormal being. The colorful and complex supporting cast of characters incorporates many of the previous storyline shifters as well as a couple from the Vegas Shiftertown Pack who are called in to help with identifying the beast’s connection to the Fae. We are introduced to Kenzie and Bowman’s twelve year old son Ryan who will one day take over the leadership of the North Carolina Pack; Police Officer Gil whose true identity and purpose is questionable; as well as Kenzie’s Uncle Cristian whose dislike of Bowman is well known by all.
MATE BOND continues to build on the Shifter’s connection to the Fae. There are moments of betrayal and heartbreak; family and love; discrimination and mistrust. Jennifer Ashley seamlessly blends the supernatural with the human world in a series where suspicion and prejudice are at the heart of the series. The shifters are discriminated against for their differences and the fear of the unknown.
MATE BOND is an entertaining and engaging storyline; an enjoyable and thrilling read with imaginative characters and a dramatic theme. The Shifters Unbound series is passionate, sensual, intense and romantic-an intriguing series that is a must read every time.
Reading Order
.5. Shifter Made
1. Pride Mates
2. Primal Bonds
2.5 Body Guard
3. Wild Cat
3.5 Hard Mated
4. Mate Claimed
4.5 Lone Wolf
5. Tiger Magic
5.5 Feral Heat
6. Wild Wolf
6.5 Bear Attraction
7. Mate Bond
Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.
Reviewed by Sandy
The Reading Cafe and Jennifer’s publisher are offering a paper copy of MATE BOND to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe
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9. Giveaway runs from April 6-10, 2015 2015
Great review, Sandy. This is a wonderful series. I just need to catch up. 🙂
Fantastic review Sandy. Love Jennifer’s Shifters Unbound series. Please enter me into the giveaway
Terrific review, Sandy. I love this series.
Fantastic review and great giveaway. Thanks for the great giveaways and promotions
Excellent review! Thanks for the head’s up on this giveaway.
Donn Bayar Repsher, gemgal14@gmail.com
I love Jennifer Ashley’s books!
Already Follow Jennifer Ashley on Facebook. As Make Kay
Already LIKE you on FACEBOOK and click GET NOTIFICATIONS
Already FOLLOW you on Twitter for an additional entry. As @MakeMeKay
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Great review!! Thanks for the giveaway!!
Already follow and like everywhere. Thanks so much for the chance.
Love this series and don’t know why I don’t have this pre ordered. LOL
I follow TRC on all the above listed sites.
Please enter me in the giveaway. Fantastic review and this will be a new author for me-love paranormal!! All above are already done except #7 – don’t do TSU. Thanks so much for the chance.
rboinaz@cox.net
Love Jennifer Ashley’s books. Please enter me in the giveaway.
Sounds like a great read!
I follow Jennifer on FB.
I like you/get notifications on FB.
+1 I follow you on TSU.
I love Jennifer Ashley! More books please.
I love Jennifer’s Mackenzie series!
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Another one of my favorite series! I just can’t get enough of these shifters, although Tiger Magic is my favorite so far! 😉 I would love to receive this title! Mberbeza@aol.com I already like Jennifer on FB, and Reading Cafe on FB, Goodreads, and TSU.
Sandy, well done. I’d lost interest in the series but this sounds really good. I think I’ll reread this series from the beginning and give it another try.
Great review and giveaway. Thanks for another wonderful opportunity.
Thanks for this great review, Sandy. I love this series. I would love to win this.
Loved the review ! I already follow your page on all formats,and follow Jennifer Ashley on FB … absolutely love this series and author and would love to win..Please enter me in this giveaway ! Thank you for the chance…
ruth.gutscher@cox.net
I love all the Unbound books. I have been waiting for release day for this one. I am not sure which is my favorite. I like them all so much.
Jennifer is one of my favorite authors! Please enter me in the giveaway!
This looks really good…I suspect if I read one I would be reading them all! Great review…please enter me into the contest…gshefty@gmail.com
Please enter me in the giveaway. Jennifer Ashley books are always a good read. Thanks!
I loved everything, please enter me in the giveaway.
sandragortiz@yahoo.com
Love that series
This looks like a great story line. I’m going to look at the first books in the series.
Great review and Giveaway. Congratulations Jennifer Ashley. Love the parnormal romances!
Great review. Thanks for the giveaway.
skpetal at hotmail dot com
This is a series I really, really want to read. It sounds fantastic!!!
Thanks so much!
mmafsmith AT gmail DOT com
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Sounds like a good bookshel