Amazon Cover
Shifter Mate Magic by Carol Van Natta
BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON
Pregnant Jackie Breton just escaped from a corrupt feline pack intent on selling her half-shifter baby to the highest bidder. She’s smart, independent, and has a desperate plan to keep her baby safe: Get away from the pride as fast and far as possible.
Trevor Hammond, prehistoric bear shifter, has been rejected by everyone in his life for… being born, basically. Well, except for the beloved aunt who raised him. He’s built a career as an independent trucker, but life would be much better with someone he can hold in his arms and claim as his own.
When Jackie meets Trevor at a truck stop, his bear demands he help her. His aunt even calls with a dire warning: Get Jackie to the magical sanctuary town in Wyoming before she’s killed.
Jackie thinks he’s sexy as hell, but too good to be true. She doesn’t trust shifters. With the feline pride hot on her trail, however, Trevor and the quirky town of Kotoyeesinay might be her only chance for survival. Even Trevor’s indomitable bear may be no match for the dangerous enemy seeking retribution.
MY REVIEW
First in series, so the special marketing price to pick it up. Not that I need much incentive to get a Carol Van Natta book, having read her science fiction romance thriller/mystery/police procedurals. The woman can write, her characters are intelligent, and diversity among her character – even the romantic leads – is common.
This book delivers on everything I have come to expect based on the other series I read by her.
One down side, it is short and there is some jumps that are abrupt. Usually related to when the romantic couple needs to be apart – since the story is about their relationship, what they do individually when they are apart for a week isn’t addressed. A quick gloss of “she got to know the town” and “he missed her”.
But again, this is when the couple is apart – so I understand the choice to focus on the relationship when they are together. Still, I think the book would have been better showing their development separately as well as together. Living with a void can be equally telling as living with a person.
The paranormal romance with shifters and magic users, elves, sanctuary, monsters, and dragons comes with a rich world all set to be developed throughout the Ice Age Shifter series. Great fun by a very good writer.
Addition – Meant to talk about what a WONDERFUL Alpha Trevor is. Recently I’ve been getting tired with shifter stories because the Alphas so often run right over the females. The insta-love of “fated mates” means the guy can pretty much do whatever he likes and the woman will do doe-eyes. Not here. I mean Trevor could – they are fated mates. But he stops himself every time his protective instinct would have him tossing her behind him and growling at the world. He lets her face her battles, protecting her back. He stops his instincts from overriding her emotional needs. Yet you never doubt if she needed him, he would be there, because he is. But he is there for the slow parts as well as the danger – the cuddles alongside the fights. I might actually start reading shifter romances again, or at least Ms. Van Natta’s.