Pride Mates (Shifters Unbound, #1)

by Jennifer Ashley

Collared and controlled, Shifters are outcast from humanity, forced to live in Shiftertowns. But waiting within are passions that no collar can contain...

Like most Shifters, Liam Morrissey has learned that trusting humans leads to no good. But when beautiful attorney Kim Fraser enters Shiftertown alone in order to prove her client's innocence, Liam's alpha nature leaves him no choice but to offer his protection.

• ISBN10: 1101532572
• ISBN13: 9781101532577
• Publish Date: 1 April 2010 (first published 26 January 2010)
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Berkley Books
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[stacey_is_sassy]

Not too bad for an old timer...

The Shifters Unbound series has been on my radar for a while and I've finally gotten around to read/listen to it. I'm a sucker for shifter romance and this definitely brought something new to the table. It's not often that (in the reading world) shifters are expected to be tamed/held back/denied their natural inclinations. In Pride Mates we're introduced to shifters who have to wear a collar to identify and harness their strengths and natural abilities. These collars were created by the Fae and cause them pain if they try to remove them or act in a violent way.

So, to say I'm gobsmacked is an understatement. Why would I want the shifters that I love to see wild and uninhibited, be tamed? Well, luckily for me, we still get a bit of the wild. There's still the raunchiness, possessiveness and growliness I love, it's just a bit more controlled.

I enjoyed Pride Mates but admit that it's showing its age a wee bit. I can't pinpoint exactly why but it could be the language, or maybe even how the characters acted. The narrator does an OK job and I was able to follow the story easily.

I will definitely be back for more in the series as I enjoyed meeting this clan and hope to see a few more of the shifters find their HEA.

[Melanie]

My review and an extended sample of the audiobook are posted at Hotlistens.com.

Shifters have come out and they took steps to help the humans feel comfortable around them. They wear collars to keep them aggression in check. They also live on something similar to reservations. They can’t have some of the basic luxuries that humans can have.

Kim is a human lawyer who drew the short straw to represent a shifter who is on trial for murder, which should be able to happen with his collar. The suspense is a little predictable, but there are some twists that I did suspect. The romance was wonderful and full of passion. There is a bit of the instant connection between the two. I’m excited to see where this series goes.

Narration
I liked the narration. Pride Mates is the only book that Traci Odom narrates for this series. There is a change in audio publisher, so there was also a change in narrator. I thought she did a great job with this book and would’ve been happy if she continued with the series. I haven’t listened to the second book yet, so I don’t know if the change is for good or bad yet.

[Berls]

So I already knew I liked Jennifer Ashley, but I was shocked to discover that I liked her PNR even more than her HR. Turns out, she's got a talent for coming up with a unique fantasy world with vibrant characters - I'm not sure what I liked more in Pride Mates because both were fantastic. Full review to follow.