Tag Archives: Jennifer Ashley

Midnight Wolf ( Shifters Unbound #11) by Jennifer Ashley-Review & Giveaway

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MIDNIGHT WOLF (Shifters Unbound #11) by Jennifer Ashley-Review and Giveaway

MIDNIGHT WOLF
Shifters Unbound #11
by Jennifer Ashley
Release Date: April 24, 2018
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal, shifter, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 24, 2018

Angus Murray, bouncer for a New Orleans Shifter bar, is sent to round up an elusive, Collar-less Shifter woman, Tamsin Calloway, who is causing trouble for Shifter Bureau, and possesses information they want. If Angus refuses, he risks losing his cub. He finds Tamsin but she’s slippery and not about to be rounded up quietly.

In fact, quiet is nothing Tamsin will ever be. She leads Angus on a wild chase, but he’s determined to bring her in to save his son.

Can Tamsin convince Angus she’s worth helping before she’s locked away by Shifter Bureau, Collared, or perhaps killed?

••••••••

REVIEW: MIDNIGHT WOLF is the eleventh full-length novel in Jennifer Ashley’s contemporary, adult SHIFTERS UNBOUND paranormal/ fantasy romance series. This is lupine shifter/tracker Angus Murray, and Tamsin Calloway’s story line. MIDNIGHT WOLF can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but for cohesion and backstory I recommend reading the series in order as there is a continuing arc focusing on the impending war with the Fae.

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 battle creatures they had created for war. 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 dual third person perspectives (Tamsin and Angus) MIDNIGHT WOLF follows lupine shifter and tracker Angus Murray as he is forced by the Shifter Bureau to track an uncollared shifter of unknown origin. Enter Tamsin Calloway, a rogue, female shifter, and the woman with whom Angus will fall in love. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Tamsin and Angus as our couple tries to stay one step ahead of the Shifter Bureau whose intent is to dissect and destroy our story line heroine.

Angus Murray is a single father, working as a bouncer when threats against his family force our hero to go on the hunt. With his cub in custody Angus has no choice but to do the Bureau’s bidding, as he searches for the rogue female he knows nothing about. Tamsin Calloway has spent most of her life on the run. Collar-less, and without support of any kind, Tamsin finds herself on the Bureau’s most wanted list for a series of crimes but none more so than the information she keeps secreted in her mind. Meeting Angus Murray never felt so right or so wrong including the maternal feelings that arose when she met Angus’s motherless cub.

The relationship between Angus and Tamsin is a forced friendship in order for our heroine to survive. Targeted by the Bureau, and thusly Angus Murray, Tamsin must succumb to her captor or find herself on the receiving end of imprisonment or worse. Falling in love was never on the agenda but a mate bond is claimed by Angus to protect the woman with whom he has fallen in love. The $ex scenes are passionate but limited, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a very large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including the return of Tiger and Carly, Ben, Zander and Rae, Dimitri and Jaycee, Dylan and Sean, as well as the introduction of bear shifter and carnival owner Dante, his mate Celene and their daughter Brina, and Angus’s son Ciaran. The requisite evil has many faces including several members of the Shifter Bureau.

The world building continues to focus on the potential war between the shifter and the Fae, but follows the ongoing discrimination of shifters: the laws to collar and control, as well as the segregation and Shiftertowns meant to isolate those deemed different.

MIDNIGHT WOLF is an exciting, detailed story line about trust and betrayal, family and friendship, fated mates and happily ever afters. The premise is thrilling and fascinating; the characters are colorful, energetic and inspiring; the romance is intimate and animated. MIDNIGHT WOLF is a welcome addition to Jennifer Ashley’s Shifters Unbound- a cross-country journey as fated mates stay one step ahead of a potential take down and catastrophic danger to all involved.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Shifter Made .5
Pride Mates
Primal Bonds
Bodyguard
Wild Cat
Hard Mated 3.5
Mate Claimed
Perfect Mate 4.5
Lone Wolf 4.6
Tiger Magic
Feral Heat 5.5
Wild Wolf
Bear Attraction 6.5
Mate Bond
Lion Eyes
Bad Wolf 7.5
Wild Things 7.75
White Tiger
Guardian’s Mate
Red Wolf

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Excerpt provided by Penguin Random House Publisher

 

Tamsin Calloway looked younger than in her photo. She had a wave of bright red hair flowing back from a broad forehead, her face narrowing to a somewhat pointed chin. He couldn’t tell the color of her eyes from this distance, but her skin was the pale hue of a true redhead, one from the northern climes of Scotland. Angus had seen Fae inside Faerie with hair that color.
She sat at a table that held seven other men, all human. Her cards hung negligently in her hands while she leaned forward with a little smile, as though eager for the next bet. They were playing Texas Hold ’em. The cards showing on the table were two queens, a jack, and a ten. Plenty of money sat in a pile in the middle. No chips, just cash.
As Angus paused, trying to decide on his approach, one of the men at the table glared at Tamsin. “I’ll raise you a hundred.” He shoved in a stack of twenties.
“I’ll see that,” Tamsin said without losing her smile.
Four of the other men groaned and tossed down their cards. “Fold,” they each said, with one saying, “I’m toast.”
Three men and Tamsin left. Two put in their money, leaving it to the man who’d raised the last time. He plucked up two more twenties and a ten and let them drop into the pile. “Another fifty.”
Tamsin shrugged and added her money. Another man threw his cards down in disgust. “I’m out.”
Now it was Tamsin and the other two. One man looked at his cards, the five on the table, and the pot. He sighed and pushed his chair back. “Damn it.”
The remaining man watched Tamsin. He hunched forward, anger in every line of his body. If he didn’t win, things might go bad for Tamsin.
“Call,” the man snarled.
Tamsin laid down her cards. “Two little ladies make four of a kind.”
A string of foul words came out of the man’s mouth. His cards fell from his hand, nowhere near anything to win.
“You cheating bitch!”
Tamsin raked the money to her and rose. Ignoring the raging man and his friends, who were telling him to suck it up, she looked across the room and straight at Angus.
Angus froze in place, doing his best to be just another Shifter looking to relieve boredom in this backwoods casino.
Tamsin wasn’t fooled. The eyes that met Angus’s told him she’d already seen him, recognized him for Shifter, and knew why he was here. Her eyes were a hazel shade, the light over the table showed him, almost golden, the color of whisky. Her faint scent came to him over the stench of humans and smoke—warm, like nutmeg.
Tamsin stuffed double handfuls of cash into her pockets, at the same time moving back from the table on quick feet.
“Gotta go, boys. Thanks for the game.”
Two more strides, a flash of a grin over her shoulder, and she faded into the shadows.
Angus charged across the room after her. A heavy curtain hid the wall she’d run toward, and Angus jerked it back to find a window, wide-open and letting in the fog.
Angus scrambled through the window, jerking his bulk through the tight fit, and landed on the veranda that surrounded the house.
Mists flowed between him and the trees beyond, and there was no sound. Tamsin, her flame hair, and nutmeg scent, had vanished.


 

Jennifer’s publisher (Penguin Random House) is offering winner’s choice of any ONE (1) print book from the series to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

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3. Please follow Jennifer Ashley on Facebook.

4. Please like Penguin Random House on Facebook

5. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

6. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

7. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

8. Giveaway open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from April 24-28, 2018

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Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley – Review & Giveaway

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Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley – Review & Giveaway

 

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Death Below StairsAmazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / Book Depository

Description:
Highly sought-after young cook Kat Holloway takes a position in a Mayfair mansion and soon finds herself immersed in the odd household of Lord Rankin. Kat is unbothered by the family’s eccentricities as long as they stay away from her kitchen, but trouble finds its way below stairs when her young Irish assistant is murdered.

Intent on discovering who killed the helpless kitchen maid, Kat turns to the ever-capable Daniel McAdam, who is certainly much more than the charming delivery man he pretends to be. Along with the assistance of Lord Rankin’s unconventional sister-in-law and a mathematical genius, Kat and Daniel discover that the household murder was the barest tip of a plot rife with danger and treason—one that’s a threat to Queen Victoria herself.

 

Review:

Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley is the 1st book in her new The Below Stairs Mystery series.  Though Ashley writes in many different genres, this was the first time I was going to read a Victorian style mystery.  What I enjoyed the most about this mystery was that it spent a lot of time in a mansion, which had a wonderful feel of ‘Downton Abbey’, with the normal household staffing with housekeeper, cooks, house steward, maids, footman, valet, butlers, etc. 

Kat Holloway, our heroine, is a well known cook, who takes a job in household of the Rankin family, after her recent job ended when her employers moved.   She is a smart, confident, independent, a strong heroine, who immediately shows her strength to the household staff, even to the master of the house, Lord Rankin.   Kat, who is just around 30 years of age,  is also very loyal and protective of those she works with, and will stand up for them.  Before the next day begins, she discovers the dead body of her assistant, and a murder investigation will begin.

Daniel McAdam, our hero, is not a member of the household, but he is a friend (future love interest) of Kat, and when she decides to investigate, it will be Daniel who will step in to help her.  Daniel is sort of a mystery man; one who cares for Kat, and she slowly for him, but one who seems to have different disguises.  Who is Daniel McAdam?  He can look like a gentleman; a servant, a spy or is he with the police. Either way, he is one of the good guys, and very protective of Kat.  Daniel also has a young son, who was a nice added element.  Kat has her own secret, with a daughter, Grace that lives with a friend, since Kat cannot take care of her, having to work all the time to pay the bills. 

As they investigate the murder, Daniel with help from Kat, and two other very good secondary  characters begin to realize that this murder was a cover-up of a higher complex crime that could go as high as the safety of the Queen.   There were a number of situations where their lives were in danger.

The mystery was good, but the background, with all those secondary characters (especially Lady Cynthia and Daniel’s friend) made this a very good read.  I did like Kat and Daniel together and as a team.  I expect we will see more romance between them in future books.  If you enjoy Victorian stories, with a mystery theme, a Downton Abbey background, two very good leading characters and very well written by Jennifer Ashley, I suggest you start this series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Giveaway

Jennifer Ashley’s publisher, is graciously offering a paper copy of DEATH BELOW STAIRS to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. LIKE 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

8. Giveaway open USA only.

9. Giveaway runs from January 11- 15, 2018

 

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Red Wolf (Shifters Unbound #10) by Jennifer Ashley-Review and Giveaway

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RED WOLF (Shifters Unbound #10) by Jennifer Ashley-Review and Giveaway

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RED WOLF
Shifters Unbound #10
by Jennifer Ashley
Release Date: May 2,2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal/fantasy romance

Red Wolf

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / BAM /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 2, 2017

Lupine Shifter Dimitri has always had to defend himself to other Shifters. As a red wolf, he’s not considered a “pure” wolf, and the battles have honed him into a tough fighter, a champion of the fight clubs. Jaycee Bordeaux, a leopard Shifter, is Dimitri’s staunchest defender and oldest friend. Dimitri is determined to turn that friendship into a mate bond.

Jaycee loves that idea, but she knows that a mate bond can’t be forced. And when Dimitri and Jaycee are called on to go undercover to protect collared Shifters, she knows the dangers ahead will make or break their future together.

••••••

REVIEW: RED WOLF is the tenth full-length installment in Jennifer Ashley’s contemporary, adult SHIFTERS UNBOUND paranormal/fantasy romance series. This is Lupine shifter Dimitri Kashnikov, and leopard shifter Jaycee Bordeaux’s story line. RED WOLF can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but for cohesion and backstory I recommend reading the series in order as RED WOLF continues the latest arc of the series focusing on the impending war with the Fae.

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 battle creatures they had created for war. 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 dual third person points of view (Dimitri and Jaycee) RED WOLF follows lupine shifter Dimitri Kashnikov, and leopard shifter Jaycee Boudreaux as they are tasked by their leader Kendrick to infiltrate a suspected shifter alliance between the shifters and the Fae. Dimitri and Jaycee are two of Kendrick’s best and loyal trackers and they have been assigned to ferret out the shifter behind a series of missing shifters and a cult-like organization. What ensues is the strengthening relationship between Dimitri and Jaycee, and the struggle to gain control when magical forces are put into play.

RED WOLF takes the reader into the land of the Fae where friends become foe, where enemies become the only chance for survival.

The relationship between Dimitri and Jaycee has already been established but Jaycee has yet to accept Dimitri’s mate claim, and struggles with the idea of a happily ever after. Throughout the story Dimitri and Jaycee’s bond strengthens; there is no question about their love for one another. The $ex scenes are intimate, and mostly implied, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language or text.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including several previous story line couples and leads, as well as a new group of shifters, fae and the return of the ever present goblin.

RED WOLF is a story with action, suspense, romance and magic. There are moments of betrayal and revenge; retaliation and battles; revelations, friendships, survival and love. The premise is engaging and electrifying; the characters are colorful, numerous and dynamic; the romance if passionate and fated. RED WOLF brings the shifters closer to war with the potential for an unexpected ally from the other side.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Giveaway

The Reading Cafe and Jennifer’s publisher are offering a paper copy of RED WOLF to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. 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

8. Giveaway open to USA only

10. Giveaway runs from May 4-9, 2017

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Guardian’s Mate (Shifters Unbound #9) by Jennifer Ashley-Review & Giveaway

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GUARDIAN’S MATE (Shifters Unbound #9) by Jennifer Ashley-Review and Giveaway

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GUARDIAN’S MATE
Shifters Unbound #9
by Jennifer Ashley
Release Date: September 6, 2016
Genre: adult,contemporary, paranormal, romance

Guardian's Mate

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

giveaway

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.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. 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

8. Giveaway open to USA only

10. Giveaway runs from September 1-5, 2016

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White Tiger / Wild Things (Shifters Unbound 8 & 7.75) by Jennifer Ashley-Reviews & Giveaway

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White Tiger/ Wild Things (Shifters Unbound 8 & 7.75) by Jennifer Ashley-reviews and giveaway

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Shifters Unbound 7.75 and 8

WHITE TIGER
(Shifters Unbound #8)
by Jennifer Ashley
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal, romance, shifters

White Tiger

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 5, 2-16

A woman is lured into the shadows of a dangerous manhunt…
Wanted and on the run…

For twenty years, Kendrick, a white tiger Shifter, has been the Guardian of un-Collared Shifters who spend their lives living in secret—and in fear of being shunted into Shiftertowns. When Kendrick’s group is discovered and forced to flee, Kendrick is more desperate than ever to protect them

His only salvation was in a beautiful stranger.

In a diner in the middle of nowhere, lonely waitress Addison Price has seen a lot of unusual drifters come and go, but none has ever captivated—and intimidated—her like the imposing fugitive who wields a broadsword with incredible skill. But when he risks all to protect her, Addison’s fear turns to empathy—and empathy to desire as she learns more about her savior. Soon she’s more than willing to help the crushingly sensual white tiger and his cubs in a passionate bid for freedom. Whatever the cost.

••••••

REVIEW: WHITE TIGER is the eight full length installment in Jennifer Ashley’s contemporary, adult SHIFTERS UNBOUND paranormal romance series. This is white tiger shifter and Guardian Kendrick Shaughnessy, and human/waitress Addison Price’s story line. WHITE TIGER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty although I recommend reading the series in order for cohesion and backstory, as well as familiarity with the other characters. Many of Jennifer’s novellas are ‘stepping stones’ to future installments.

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 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 WHITE TIGER focuses on Kendrick’s need to protect his family-his three cubs- from the people hoping to take down the man they once called their leader. Kendrick is an ‘uncollared’ shifter who had great plans to bring together all of the other uncollared shifters in the hopes of creating a world of perceived freedom and comfort but on the run to protect his young cubs, Kendrick finds himself drawn to a human waitress who calls to his heart. What ensues is an attack against Kendrick that finds Addison Price protecting what our hero loves most-his cubs.

Addison is human; a waitress whose own love life is mired in betrayal and heartbreak but a woman who is determined to leave her old life behind. When Kendrick is attacked, Addison finds herself protecting his cubs, and promising she will be there for them in the future. What ensues is a building relationship between Addison and Kendrick, and the timely return of the shifters who owe Kendrick their lives.

WHITE TIGER is a story about betrayal; about a leader who believes he has failed his pack and clan; and a story where friends turn to enemies when there is no leader left to follow. Kendrick’s first mate died giving birth, and our hero is having a difficult time accepting that there is another woman that calls to his heart. The $ex scenes are provocative without the over the top sexually graphic text.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including many of the characters previously introduced in earlier story lines such as the former alpha Dylan whose hold on many of the shifters is quite strong and deep. We are introduced to Kendrick’s family-his cubs Brett, Zane and Robbie- as well as the shifters who have long waited for their leader to return-Seamus McGuire, Jaycee Bordeaux and Dimitri Kashnikov. There is a slight love triangle vibe happening with Jaycee’s return and her love for the man that she follows. Zander Montcrieff, first introduced in WILD THINGS returns as the ‘crazy’ Healer. Zander’s story will be told next in GUARDIAN’S MATE (September 2016). Gil (Ben) returns as the intrepid ‘gnome’-the last of his kind, and a man without a home.

WHITE TIGER brings together many of the shifters that were scattered in an earlier story line. An eclectic mixture of uncollared shifters who thrown their allegiance to a White Tiger who promised them a future without bars. The premise is entertaining and intriguing; the characters are charismatic; the romance is a slow build for two people from different worlds. Jennifer Ashley continues to write the story lines we enjoy ! If you are a fan of shifters, then check out SHIFTERS UNBOUND by Jennifer Ashley.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

__________________

Wild thingsWILD THINGS
(Shifters Unbound 7.75)
by Jennifer Ashley
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal, romance, shifters

ebook only 99¢ : Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 22, 2016

Wolf Shifter Mason McNaughton is tired of the crazy feral living in his house, endangering him, his brothers, and his sweet auntie Cora. Ferals are Shifters who’ve reverted to the wild stage, forgetting all about the joys of pizza and satellite TV. Not to mention, Mason is sick of waking up to the feral’s rampages in the bedroom next to his. The feral has been given sanctuary, so Mason can’t throw him out—the only thing to do is to find a way to cure him.

The problem is, Shifter healers—elusive, Goddess-touched Shifters who have the healing gift—are few and far between. Mason volunteers to go in search of one, and is sent to a psychic in New Orleans who might have an idea of where to start looking.

Mason doesn’t believe in psychics, but Jasmine, the psychic in question, seems to at least put on a good show. Jasmine believes in Shifters all right, but she vowed after her Shifter boyfriend dumped her to never have anything to do with them again.

The easiest way to get rid of the growly Lupine, Mason, is to help him, but Jasmine never dreams what that help will drag her into.

A short novel of the Shifters Unbound series.

••••••••••••

REVIEW: WILD THINGS by Jennifer Ashley focuses on the hunt for a shifter healer who has the ability to cure the ‘feral’ rage without having to destroy a life in the process. This is human psychic Jasmine Samuelson, and wolf shifter Mason McNaughton’s (Broderick’s brother-Bad Wolf) story line.

SOME BACKGROUND: 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.

There is within the shifter a true animal that on occasion will surface and destroy the man within. In the case of Aleck (Broderick’s brother in law), a feral feline shifter given sanctuary in Shiftertown, there is no known cure except the possibility of the power of the reclusive shifter healer. WILD THINGS follows Mason McNaughton as he goes in search of the one person who may be able to help locate the healer- a woman who would call to Mason’s very soul. What ensues is the building relationship between Jasmine and Mason as they search for someone who may not exist.

The relationship between Mason and Jasmine is one of immediate attraction but Mason does not believe in psychics; and Jasmine has been burned by a shifter from her past. But the mate bond doesn’t lie and there is something about Mason that enhances Jasmine’s ability with magic. The $ex scenes are limited, intimate and intense.

WILD THINGS has a large ensemble cast of characters including an extensive and growing family tree, as well as the introduction of healer Zander Moncrieff-a rare shifter with a gift to heal. Zander is a rarity not only because of his ability but also because of type of shifter. Zander’s story will be told in Guardian’s Mate (September 2016). Oh, and we can’t forget Jasmine’s place of residence-a house with a mind of its own.

The world building continues to focus (in a limited capacity) on the discrimination against the shifters with reference to collars and segregation. The fear of reprisal, pain and imprisonment keeps the shifters virtual prisoners in their homes and towns. There is prejudice and specieism amongst the shifters themselves-some shifters are more welcome than others.

WILD THINGS is a quick read with fascinating characters and the beginning of a new journey for the Shiftertown shifters. The premise is entertaining; the characters are colorful and animated; the romance was a little subdued but sexy none-the-less. If you are a fan of Jennifer’s SHIFTERS UNBOUND, you will want to check out WILD THINGS for a peak at the future.

Own a copy

Reviewed by Sandy

Giveaway-Purple:Black

The Reading Cafe and Jennifer’s publisher are offering a paper copy of WHITE TIGER to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

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8. Giveaway open to USA only

10. Giveaway runs from April 6-10, 2016

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Lion Eyes / Bad Wolf (Shifters Unbound 7.25 & 7.5) by Jennifer Ashley-a review

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LION EYES / Bad Wolf (Shifters Unbound 7.25 & 7.5) by Jennifer Ashley-a review

Shifters Unbound

_______________

Lion Eyes
Shifters Unbound 7.25
Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes Anthology (June 12, 2015)
by Jennifer Ashley
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal, romance, shifters
Release Date: July 2015

Lion EyesLION EYES can be found in the DARK AND DAMAGED ebook anthology ONLY 99¢: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June/July/Aug 2015

Bree has just decided to give up trying to be a Shifter groupie when a lion Shifter slams into her truck and tells her to drive. Seamus is on the run from hunters, other Shifters, and who knows who else. All Bree knows is that he’s compelling, needs her help, and most intriguing of all, wears no Collar …

Seamus McGuire fears he’s gone crazy—feral—and become a killer. His only hope of getting away from the hunters and police on his tail is Bree, a human woman who not only knows a lot about Shifters but has great compassion for them.

Things are more complicated than they seem, however. Seamus is on a mission, to protect those in his care after the destruction of Kendrick’s compound of un-Collared Shifters. Seamus must keep it together and keep his charges hidden, but at the same time, he’s pulled to Bree as he’s never been pulled to a woman before. He needs to prove he’s innocent and not crazy before it’s too late for himself, Bree, and those he’s vowed to protect.

••••••••••••

NOTE: Lion Eyes debuted in the boxed set DARK AND DAMAGED (June 12, 2015) and will be released on its’ own  August 2015.

REVIEW: LION EYES is the latest novella in Jennifer Ashley’s adult SHIFTERS UNBOUND paranormal romance series. This is lion shifter Seamus McGuire, and shifter groupie Bree Fayette’s storyline. All of Jennifer’s Shifter Unbound storylines can be read as stand alones but for cohesion and backstory, I highly recommend reading the series in order as many characters and premises cross over between novels. Jennifer always gives the reader a hint as to what is to come including an introduction to new characters and potential new storylines.

BACKGROUND: 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 magic-infused collars and segregated towns. The Shifter history reveals that the Fae created the Shifters but in doing so left a little bit of magic behind.

Told from dual third person perspectives LION EYES follows the hunt for a killer. When two humans are found ripped apart, a feral shifter is suspected of the killing. Enter Seamus McGuire, an uncollared and rogue lion shifter who doesn’t recall the events leading up to the murder; but a bloodied and wounded Seamus soon takes refuge with Shifter groupie Bree Fayette and the mating frenzy begins to take hold. With Seamus the number one suspect, the trackers from the Austin Shiftertown go on the hunt for the shifter they believe is responsible for the attack.

The relationship and mating between Bree and Seamus is quick to develop but, in defense, the Shifter male knows when he has met his mate and, in this, Seamus tries to hold himself back knowing that to mate with Bree would put her in danger as Seamus is potentially a wanted man. The $ex scenes are limited, intimate and seductive.

Many of the previous storyline characters play secondary and supporting roles throughout the novella for a familiar and cohesive blend between storyline installments-the inclusion allows for another glimpse into the lives of the couples, the children and the shifters we have come to love.

The world building continues to focus on the Shiftertowns, the persecution of shifters, and their history: from collaring, Fae magic, and The Guardians who keep peace within the species.

Jennifer Ashley writes a fascinating, entertaining and engaging paranormal series with a blend of several different shifter species who, in order to get along, must exist side by side and together, along with the humans who are determined to keep them under control.

Reviewed by Sandy

_________________

Bad WolfBAD WOLF
(Shifters Unbound 7.5)
by Jennifer Ashley
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal, romance, shifters

ebook ONLY 99¢: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 14, 2015

Wolf Shifter Broderick is stuck looking after his three younger brothers and a Collar-less Shifter who is driving him crazy, but he’s putting up with it for Joanne, the human woman he, for some reason, wants to impress. Joanne Greene, while grateful to Broderick for rescuing her sister, doesn’t know what to make of him. She’s been a loner most of her life, better able to relate to computers and coding than to people, until she’s drawn into the world of the Shifters.

Broderick is everything Joanne is not—a fighter and a tracker, from a rough-and-tumble family, better at working with his hands than understanding the netherworld of Joanne’s computer programmer life. Broderick is also extremely protective, wanting to draw her under his care as he does everyone else.

When Broderick is captured, mistaken for a Guardian, it’s Joanne who figures out that hackers are after the Guardian Network, the database that holds the deep secrets of Shifters past and present. Strangely, Broderick now holds the key to stopping the deadly danger of the network’s breach, and Joanne with her coding skills is the only one who can help him.

••••••••••••••

REVIEW: BAD WOLF is the latest installment in Jennifer Ashley’s adult 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 magic-infused collars and segregated towns. The Shifter history reveals that the Fae created the Shifters but in doing so left a little bit of magic behind. This is wolf shifter/alpha Broderick McNaughton, and human/computer geek Joanne Greene’s storyline.

Told from third person point of view BAD WOLF follows the abduction and rescue of Broderick McNaughton, and the discovery that someone is searching for a way into the Guardian Network. The Guardians hold the secrets of the Shifter species and their connection to the Fae. What ensues is the search for the people responsible for Broderick’s abduction, and an unexpected trip to Faerie where Joanne and Broderick find themselves prisoners of the Fae. A couple of surprises greet our couple upon their arrival.

The relationship between Joanne and Broderick is one of friendship but Broderick refuses to believe that Joanne is his mate. The romance is limited; it is almost an afterthought as our couple traverse between worlds and attempt an escape in order to save their lives.

The secondary and supporting characters include several of the previous storyline characters –Seamus, Sean, Tiger and Spike as well as the Broderick’s younger brother Mason. Someone presumed missing and dead makes a surprising appearance.

We are introduced to Commander Kian of the Fae army; and feline shifter Daragh whose life is no longer his own. The requisite evil comes in many forms but a young computer hacker by the name of Cilla will soon realize that tampering with things she knows nothing about has placed her in a very precarious position.

BAD WOLF is a fast paced storyline that continues to move the focus of the series towards the Fae connection to the Shifter species. The premise is interesting and engaging; the characters colorful and energetic; the romance was a little lacking. If you are fan of Jennifer’s SHIFTERS UNBOUND series, BAD WOLF is another welcome and entertaining addition.

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
7.25. Lion Eyes
7.5. Bad Wolf

Reviewed by Sandy

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Bear Attraction (Shifters Unbound 6.5) by Jennifer Ashley-a review

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Bear Attraction (Shifters Unbound 6.5) by Jennifer Ashley-a review

Bear Attraction

ebook only $1.99: Amazon.com / Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 17, 2015

As the military liaison between the human Shifter Bureau and Shiftertown, Walker is often stuck trying to appease both sides—and angering both. So when bear-Shifter Rebecca is captured taking a run in a restricted area, Walker comes up with a compromise: if Rebecca helps him find a missing woman—thought to have been abducted by a Shifter—she won’t be charged and executed.

As a bear used to roaming for miles, Rebecca hates being confined, distrusts anything involving humans, and—worst of all—the strong and handsome Walker starts triggering her mating need. They have no choice but to work together but both Walker and Rebecca find it hard not to mix business with pleasure.

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: BEAR ATTRACTION is the latest novella in Jennifer Ashley’s contemporary, adult Shifters Unbound paranormal, romance series focusing on the shifters from Shiftertown USA. This is human Shifter Bureau liaison Walker Danielson and Kodiak bear shifter Rebecca. BEAR ATTRACTION can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. As per Jennifer’s style of writing, many of the previous storyline characters and couples play a secondary and supporting role. Any important background information is revealed when necessary.

SOME BACKGROUND: Approximately twenty years earlier 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 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. But once in awhile, a shifter crosses into human territory and the resulting upheaval is handled by the government’s Shifter Bureau. Not all shifters were caught under the Shiftertown ordinance; some remain free and un-collared, while others go rogue and feral.

Told from third person point of view, BEAR ATTRACTION finds Walker and Rebecca working together on an assignment. Technically, Rebecca is under Walker’s custody because she trespassed onto human-owned land and the Shifter Bureau frowns on any shifters leaving their assigned territory. As part of Rebecca’s punishment, she must aid Walker in the search for a missing human female known to frequent shifter bars posing as a shifter groupie. What ensues is a foray into shifter nightlife where our couple finds more trouble at every stop. Even amongst shifters there is discrimination against different kinds.

There is a prior history between Rebecca and Walker; an attraction that finds our couple secretly desiring one another but a desire that has never been acted upon. Throughout the storyline, their attraction builds; there is an overriding need to protect; and the mate bond growing stronger. The $ex scenes are limited but the sexual tension is high-so great that the other shifters sense the mate bond before Rebecca and Walker admit it to themselves.

The secondary roles include many of the previous storyline characters including some of the younger cubs and children. We get an up close look into the shifter’s personal lives, their loves and their families; as well as the introduction to several new characters and the possibility of a shifter breed not previously known to exist.

The world building continues on the theme of discrimination and prejudice against a species because of their differences. Fear is rampant within the human population, perpetuated by the Shifter Bureau whose aim is to control with intimidation and collars.

BEAR ATTRACTION is a fast paced story with a little bit of suspense, mystery, romance, fun and $ex. Jennifer Ashley’s wonderful and passionate family of shifters are a tight knit community where shifters of all species have been welcomed into the town but there is no denying that safety is a matter of degrees. BEAR ATTRACTION is a welcome addition to the Shifters Unbound series and a go-to 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

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Wild Wolf (Shifters Unbound #6) by Jennifer Ashley-a review and giveaway

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WILD WOLF (Shifters Unbound #6) by Jennifer Ashley-a review and giveaway

Wild Wolf Banner

Wild Wolf

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 1, 2014

In the latest Shifters Unbound novel, a man has resigned himself to a life half lived. But a beautiful, courageous woman has him longing for something more…

Graham McNeil knows that his pack is unruly, but he’s not sure he can take the next step toward pack stability. After losing his first mate long ago, Graham has worked hard to keep his heart in check. Besides, even if he was inclined to choose a new mate, his girlfriend, Misty, is human—a fact that won’t sit well with Graham’s old-fashioned pack.

But Misty is going through a crisis of her own, one that brings danger and death to the pack. With the wolves doubly convinced that there needs to be a shake-up, Graham must now defend his leadership and save the woman he has grown to love—before Shiftertown is pulled into an all-out war.

•••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: WILD WOLF is the sixth full length instalment in Jennifer Ashley’s contemporary, adult, paranormal Shifters Unbound series focusing on the shifters and their mates from Shiftertown, USA. Like many shifter storylines, 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. This is wolf alpha Graham McNeil and the human female Misty’s story.

The storyline follows Graham and Misty as they fall victim to those trying to take control of the shifters. When Misty’s floral business comes under attack, she calls Graham for help only to discover that they have been drawn into a trap where powerful forces are at work. Not only does the government try to control the shifters but, so too, does another supernatural species looking to take back what they lost in the past.

Jennifer Ashley continues to pull the reader into a story where the collared shifters become pawns in a world run by the governments who have perpetrated the persecution of the shifters because of their differences and similarities. We watch as discrimination sets the tone for an entire species because they are misunderstood and present too many unanswered questions.

WILD WOLF brings the Shifter Unbound series on the cusp of a new direction with the integration of a potentially new hybrid species and a war with a supernatural power who have slowly found their way into the shifter population. Many of the previous storyline characters play pivotal roles throughout the story as well as the introduction of future storyline characters and a new supernatural power not previously known to the readers.

Jennifer Ashley has written a suspense-filled and revealing storyline. With the introduction of two new supernatural powers and an upcoming war that has been building for several books, Jennifer takes the reader into a world where trying to fit in is made impossible by predisposing stereotypes and discriminating individuals who want nothing more than to bring the shifters under their control.

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
Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

giveaway

Berkley/NAL and The Reading Cafe is offering a paper copy of WILD WOLF by Jennifer Ashley to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. Please register using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

4. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

5. Giveaway runs from April 4 to April 9, 2014, 2014

6. Giveaway is open to USA and CANADA only.

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