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When half-Fae, half-Shifter Andrea Gray flees an abusive would-be mate, the only way she is allowed to relocate to the Austin Shiftertown is if a Shifter there claims her as mate. Sean Morrissey, the Guardian of his clan and all of Shiftertown, is mateless, lonely, and has a tough job--to send the souls of deceased Shifters into the afterworld. He volunteers to claim her, sight unseen, but doesn't realize that one look at the gray-eyed, dark-haired Andrea will stir the mating frenzy in him. Even though the mate-claim isn't finalized, official, or yet blessed, Sean will do anything to get Andrea into his life and keep her there, forever.
DISCLAIMER: I purchased this book.
Title: Primal Bonds
Author: Jennifer Ashley
Series: Shifters Unbound #2 Pages: 298
Published by Berkley Year: 2011
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Format: Paperback
Goodreads
(Note: I read this book for a game of Bookshelf Bingo on GoodReads. This is the same review I posted for the challenge. I have not modified it for my blog)
I read the first book in this series in August 2011. Despite the nearly two year gap, I remember enough about the first book to not feel completely lost.
I really like Andrea and I can see why someone would tag this book “strong heroine”. Everyone kept saying she was submissive, and low on the hierarchy, but she acted like an alpha female (probably got that from her father). She was a lot stronger than I expected when I read the blurb and I liked the fact she avoided making some really dumb decisions — like taking that fae’s words as gospel and doing what he asked. She questioned the truth of his words and told Sean about the encounter.
As to the romance, it seemed just a bit…flat? I expected her to be more reluctant, as per the usual conflict in these types of paranormal romances. I expected it based on the blurb. Andrea didn’t avoid him much — basically, there was no “chase”, if that make sense.
It took awhile for the plot to really pick up steam. Stuff happens, but then nobody seems to do much about it at first. I felt that there should have been more conflict here, too, to balance out the lack in the romance.
Right in the middle of the book, I stopped to read the sort-of prequel, “Shifter Made”, and learned about the origins of Sean’s sword. Gave some interesting insight, since there was a discussion in the present day about the need for a Guardian still (would the soul still go to the Summerland whether there was a Guardian present or not).
I will continue this series. I do like the world building, though I did question the almost random seeming things that Shifters weren’t allowed to have. They can have cell phones. . .but not voice mail?
Started: 15 June 2013
Finished: 17 June 2013
Challenges:
Baker’s Dozen
Mount TBR
Quick Fix
Sequels
GoodReads Group: SOS Bookshelf Bingo
