Under a Shifter's Moon

PUBLISHER: Black Lyon Publishing, LLC
AUTHOR: Kari Thomas
GENRE: Paranormal Contemporary, Romance, Jaguar Shifter
OTHER: M/F
LENGTH: 200 pages
HEAT LEVEL: Boiling
RATING: 5 roses!
REVIEWED BY: Willow


BLURB:
He was fated for another, but created to love her …

Decreed by Elders, alpha Jaguar Shifters Lyon Savage and his brother must decide Pride rule in a way not seen for centuries. Under a Shifter’s Moon, a mating can take place with a chosen human to produce a child, and the father of that child will become the one Alpha. Now Lyon must choose the love of his Truemate—or accept the decree to save his Pride and secure his future.

Strong and selfless, Kitlene is a rare woman whose blood, like her niece’s, carries something of the Shifter within its DNA. Willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of family, she offers herself to the Alpha Cat whose very presence pulls at her soul—and whose love brings with it a deadly complication.

REVIEW:

Born Alpha twins, Bryce and Lyon have vied for the coveted right of Alpha leader over their jaguar clan their whole lives. But Alphas never give in. Neither is willing to concede to the other, causing a division in the pride. Trouble brews amongst the other shifter races. A rumor of an impending war with the humans has everyone on edge.  Bryce is in favor of this war, feeling as though the jaguars should join with other cat shifters and dominate the earth, but Lyon is more conservative. Jaguars should be wild and free, as they’ve always been.  Living with the humans, among the humans, is the best course of action, for one species cannot live without the other. Their numbers are dwindling. Mating with humans might be the only way to save their species.

Kitlene and Ariel have known about their destiny for most of their lives, but neither of them is quite prepared when their protector, one of the jaguar Elders, tells them it’s time for Ariel to do her duty and marry Lyon. Ariel is young and immature, so she responds as any teenager would, with tears and temper tantrums. Unable to bear the grief in her niece’s cries, Kitlene decides to go to Lyon and offer herself instead. Problem is; Kitlene carries another gene, one that will kill her upon birthing a child.

When Lyon hears that his destined bride has run away, he’s furious with the Elders for not protecting her better. Out on the streets alone, she will be the target of all shifter species, and not in a good way. Little does he know she’s on her way to him.  When one of his body guards tell him she there, at his club, he’s all but ready to give her the lecture of her life for putting herself in danger, as well as the future of his pride. He marches across the club, set to verbally tear in to her, but when he sees her, he’s hit with a sucker punch that nearly drops him to his knees.  Their attraction is unmistakable, could she be his Truemate? Something most shifters never find? Could fate have been this kind? Ah, but therein lies the cruelty of destiny, for it is Kitlene who stands before him, her eyes full of fear, strength, and challenge. Not Ariel, his destined bride. And then, all Hell breaks loose.

Kari Thomas has once again created an amazing world of shifters, weaving them right into modern society and human lives.  In Under a Shifter's Moon, she’s taken great care to create characters that really get into your heart.  The budding love between Lyon and Kitlene, as well as a few other characters, will have you crying, laughing, and turning each page with fervor to know what happens next. A whole myriad of emotions awaits you as you slip out of everyday life and enter the world of the jaguars and count the days until the Shifter Moon arrives. I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves Urban Fantasy, it definitely delivers. Romance, excitement, and danger all balled into an easy to read few hundred pages. Thank you, Ms. Thomas, for once again giving me the pleasure of experiencing your talent.