Title: Lone Wolf
Series: Shifters Unbound
Author: Jennifer Ashley
Genre: Romance
Blurb: Ellison Rowe is a wolf Shifter who has embraced all things Texas. He’s a cowboy through and through, complete with a Texas drawl, cowboy hat, and well-worn cowboy boots. He’s also lonely, though he feels obligated to look after his sister who is recovering from a hit-and-run accident that has left her striving to control her feral tendencies. Enter Maria, a human woman taking refuge with the Shifters, who volunteers to look after the cubs and help Ellison’s sister. Maria too is recovering from a haunted past—she was kidnapped and held hostage by a rogue Shifter and then disowned by her family when she was set free. Now she’s on her own, but determined to put her life back together and leave Shiftertown for good. But someone is attempting to abduct Shifter cubs, and Maria and Ellison know they must stop him. As Maria works with Ellison to track down the kidnapper, she finds her heart slowly awakening once more. And Ellison realizes that Maria may be just the one to bring light back into his life… THIS SIXTEEN CHAPTER, 43,000 WORD NOVELLA INCLUDES A PREVIEW OF THE UPCOMIING SHIFTERS UNBOUND NOVEL, TIGER MAGIC
Thoughts: I am a big fan of Jennifer Ashley’s Shifters Unbound series, and have read all of the previous titles in the series. And this title does not disappoint! For this novella, we are reintroduced to Ellison, the Pack’s best tracker, and Maria, the young human female who made a brief cameo in her previous books as a human female who was held captive by a group of feral shifters. I have been waiting to read more about both of these characters since their first appearance. This book takes place months after Maria’s rescue by the Shifters from Shiftertown – She has been taken under their wing and is working at the local Shifter bar, trying to earn enough money to leave the town and strike out on her own. Ellison has always been drawn to Maria, but hasn’t acted on it – in part to give her time to heal from her previous ordeal. But when someone else comes forward to try to claim Maria as his mate, Ellison realizes that he must come forward as a challenger for her affections. And in the midst of it all, attempts are made to kidnap the Pack’s cubs, and they must work together to get to the bottom of who’s behind it all.
As always, Jennifer Ashley manages to strike a perfect balance to her writing – she makes it easy for people who are unfamiliar with her works to jump right in and still have a clear understanding of events, yet not inundate people who are loyal readers with the same basic information over and over again. She brings the world of Shiftertown alive, and leaves you craving more! I wish that the book had been full-length (not just a novella), but was glad to have read this novel since it gave us a insight into a few more people that make up Shiftertown. While you can read this book as a stand-alone novel, I recommend reading all of her previous books as well. You don’t know what you are missing! And you might just discover a new series worth following!
Can’t wait for Tiger Magic due out June 4, 2013!!
Rate: A
