Stray by Rachel Vincent

Stray (Shifters, #1)

by Rachel Vincent

I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.

Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.

I'd been warned about Strays--werecats without a Pride--constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.

This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back...for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever--and whoever--I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays--'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them....

Reviewed by Linda on

4 of 5 stars

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4.5 stars
What a great introduction to a new series! Faythe is a very strong, young woman, who is ready to fight anyone and everybody for what she believes in. Even when she is scared stiff, she is somehow able to get back into it, and fight for her life.

Faythe had been away from her meddling shifter family for five years, running away both from a broken relationship and responsibilities she didn't want, she completed her BA in English lit (gotta love that one!)

Marc, her ex, came to pick her up when a female cat went missing, and she was brought back home to her family, who still wanted to meddle in her life, and make her be responsible.

Both Marc and Faythe are very strong-mindend, and taking no shit from anybody. But Marc still wants Faythe, and she only wants to get back to school, and be far away from thoughts about marriage, having loads of children and perpetuating Pride tradition.

When her cousin disappears as well, and all the cat-shifters find out that the first disappeared cat, Sara, is dead, Faythe has a really hard time to deal with it. On a drunken night, she hooks back up with Marc (which actually peeved me a little, I didn't want getting back together to be a drunken experience), then, she thinks about running away, but doesn't anyway. Only to be snatched herself.


The things she learns while in captivity are horrible! And the story is really dark and scary for a long while, but in the end, she is able to still win and save herself and her cousin.

I am hoping this series will continue to be about Faythe and Marc as a couple - I would love to see them both grow, and understand each other - and be really hot together :D

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 21 December, 2011: Finished reading
  • 21 December, 2011: Reviewed