FINAL DECISION: Ashley always melds the romance with the plot and ongoing storyline in these Shifter books! I loved Peigi and Stuart and am glad that she finally got a happy ending. She is one tough bear and has been through a lot and certainly deserves her happiness.

THE STORY: Peigi is a bear Shifter who has taken on caring for cubs that are not her own. Stuart Reid is a Dark Fae Iron Master; he has the ability to manipulate iron. Peigi and Reid have a bond, but neither has been quick to move on their attraction to one another. Reid disappears when he hears the call from his people, and he and Peigi search for how he can return. But Peigi also senses danger and is determined to stay at Reid’s side to protect him.

OPINION: Peigi and Reid have built a family together and have finally moved to develop their own relationship. Both have lost family in different ways and yearn for being part of a unit. There is a sweetness between the two as the story begins and it is interesting how that turns up in heat as the story progresses.

Peigi really shines in this book as she grows and confronts her past. Reid is a darling and his devotion to Peigi really works here.

The plot of this book moves the overall storyline of the series forward. This book also revisits past storylines — especially giving more detail about Peigi and Reid.

WORTH MENTIONING: I loved that many characters from the series make appearances in this book.

CONNECTED BOOKS: IRON MASTER is the twelfth book in the Shifters Unbound series. The story here is self-contained, but this book is much better to read as part of the series. There are many characters and situations from prior books in this novel. The rules of this universe are not re-explained here so new readers will probably be confused.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

FINAL DECISION: A reworking of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, this novella takes the familiar story into new directions to good effect. I especially enjoyed seeing so many of the beloved characters from the series, getting background and updates.D

THE STORY: Dylan Morrissey forgoes the traditional and family oriented Shifter Yule celebrations to continue his work to eventually free the Shifters. When Dylan comes to New Orleans and the haunted house, he is treated to a vision of the past, present and future which challenges his priorities.

OPINION: I really enjoyed the twist on the Christmas Carol story. Instead of being a scrooge who needs love and compassion in his heart, this Christmas Carol is about Dylan moving on from the past to see that he cannot do everything alone. The guides on his journey, Ben, Zander and Tiger, are all funny and perfect for their roles. I especially liked that Dylan is compensating for his own feelings of being a failure and trying to “fix” his mistakes. But, of course, Dylan ends up making so many more mistakes.

The best part of this novella is getting to see so many of the characters from the series and getting updates on what is going on in their lives. This is a very nice Christmas novella that works especially well for fans of the series who will enjoy seeing what is going on with the characters.

WORTH MENTIONING: I always appreciate that the novellas move the overarching story forward and are not just asides. Here, there will clearly be long term consequences of Dylan’s recognition that he cannot save the Shifters himself.

CONNECTED BOOKS: A SHIFTER CHRISTMAS CAROL is book 11.75 in the Shifters Unbound series. The story here is self-contained, but it much more rich if a reader is familiar with all the characters from the Shifters Unbound series who make appearances throughout the story.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

FINAL DECISION: I love, love, love Tiger. I would read a story about him going to the grocery store to buy stuff for dinner, but this story resolves some things from his novel so it is a wonderful companion. So glad to get another glimpse of my favorite Shifter couple.

THE STORY: In the middle of the night, Tiger gets the feeling that someone needs him and takes off. But his mate is not allowing him to endanger himself alone again and insists on going along. Tiger knows that someone, somewhere needs him and he has to go.

OPINION: I love when novellas in a series have a purpose. This one definitely is a must read in the series as it has some big secrets that are revealed. But what I love most is the characters of Tiger and Carly who already make such a loving unit.

I love Tiger because he is so honest and centered. He doesn’t have the instincts or interest in deception so we always know exactly what he thinks and feels based upon his viewpoint. This story turns that on its head for a while when we don’t understand his actions, but (of course) everything is neatly explained in the year.

The story is centered around the big reveal so I won’t go into that because it would be a spoiler, but I did love seeing how Tiger and Carly relate to one another as a settled couple and Conner is a cutie.

The story has some action and drama and I loved seeing all the Austen Shifters again. The nice thing about this story is that it has consequence for the series and the characters.

And what is truly to love about this story are the characters. Ashley has created a whole society filled with multi-dimensional characters so their cameos here all have consequence and a nice homecoming feel.

I recommend this novella for everyone who is a fan of the series.

WORTH MENTIONING: We get to spend some time with Conner Morrissey as well. I hope we get to see him more in the series.

CONNECTED BOOKS: TIGER STRIPED is book 11.5 in the Shifters Unbound series. This novella is an update on the characters of Tiger and Carly from TIGER MAGIC. I recommend reading that book first to get to know the characters.

STAR RATING: I give this novella 5 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this novella from the author in order to prepare this review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

Sweet Romance But It’s The Shifter Info Revealed that Is Really Good

FINAL DECISION: Enjoyable with a less experienced Shifter male and a woman who has tried to find love in the wrong places. This novella expands readers knowledge of what is going on in the Shifter universe. Sweet and fun.

THE STORY: Mason McNaughton is a wolf shifter (youngest brother of Broderick from BAD WOLF) is tired of the feral feline living in his house driving him crazy and sometimes trying to kill him. He decides to help search for a cure which leads him to a psychic in New Orleans Jasmine Samuelson. Mason doesn’t believe in psychics but Jasmine is known for finding people and Mason needs her help to find the elusive Guardian healers who might be able to turn the feral back from his madness. Jasmine finds Mason sexy but she has had bad luck with men including a shifter who broke her heart before.

OPINION: This romance is sweeter and less intense than others in the series as this short novella has a lot of plot to get in. That being said, I enjoyed seeing Mason who is somewhat younger and more inexperienced than the typical Shifter in this series fall in love. Mason is really sweet even as he says that Shifters are wild and dangerous. The connection between Jasmine and Mason is quick and there is little conflict between them except for Jasmine’s wariness because of her past. I enjoyed this book especially because of the return glimpses of some of my favorite Shifters. This is not that deep of a book, but it is enjoyable and expands the Shifter universe.

WORTH MENTIONING: Lots of cameos from series favorites! There are lots of cubs arriving soon!

CONNECTED BOOKS: WILD THINGS is book number 7.75 in the Shifters Unbound series. It can be read as a standalone EXCEPT a reader has to understand a bit about the Shifters because it is not explained here.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

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Great Novella with Sexy Shifter and Lots of Cameos

“It was hard to protect a woman who went charging ahead before Broderick could check that the way was safe.”

THE STORY: Broderick McNaughton is a wolf shifter who lives in the Austin Shiftertown. Readers of the Shifters Unbound series will know that the shifters are treated as second class citizens, forced to live in designated town with few rights. They are magical creatures having been created by their enemies the Fae to be entertainment and weapons of war.

Broderick knows something is wrong when he awakens in a strange place. He realizes that he has been abducted. The people who abducted him want information about the Shifters. Broderick escapes and returns to the Austin Shiftertown and his sort of girlfriend Joanne Greene. Joanne is human and her relationship with Broderick is complicated. The two are circling around one another at the same time that they are attracted to one another. Broderick’s abduction brings them closer together as they work together, use Joanne’s skills as a hacker, to discover who is threatening the Shifters.

The mystery includes a murdered Guardian, appearances by and updates about Austin Shiftertown residents and a real partnership between the main characters.

OPINION: I really liked this novella. The story is snappy and I was surprised at the resolution. It was a definite suspense/mystery story. With unexpected appearances and surprise resolutions, this book is a treat for fans of the series.

Ashley does a great job of keeping the overarching storyline of the series moving forward without allowing the plot to become too complicated.

Broderick is a fun hero. Sexy and brave, he doesn’t think much of himself at times because he is not part of the leadership of the Shiftertown. This story, however, shows that he has an important role and that he is important to those around him. He is a shifter who does his job. I especially liked that he is interested in what Joanne does because it is important to her and wants to know more about it only because of the importance in her life.

Joanne is a character that has grown. I liked that Ashley has redeemed this character who was a negative character when first introduced. There is much here about characters not being simply good or evil. Throughout the series, many characters who had negative appearances have their motivations explained, their opinions changed and become better people because of their life experiences. Joanne is smart and able to take care of herself but has learned a lot and has a more humble view of the world.

This is a bridge book which finishes up some loose storylines and allows the story to continue in future books. It is a good one.

WORTH MENTIONING: Readers of LIon Eyes will be happy to have some additional resolution regarding that story here. Also, I was especially pleased to see Tiger again. He happens to be one of my favorite characters and plays an important role in this story.

FINAL DECISION: I loved this novella. Broderick was a compelling hero who seemed kind and compassionate but with a hell raising side. The romance is not as strong here as with other of the books in the series, but the appearances by other characters makes up for it.

CONNECTED BOOKS: BAD WOLF is book number 7.5 in the Shifters Unbound series. A reader doesn’t have to follow the whole series to enjoy this book. This book is most closely connected with BEAR ATTRACTION and the novella LION EYES so readers might enjoy BAD WOLF more if those are read first.

STAR RATING: I give this novella 4.5 stars.