Twenty years ago shape shifters and announced themselves to the world only to be shunted into “Shiftertowns” and forced to wear collars that control their hunting and fighting instincts (referred to as “Taking the Collar”).
Liam Morrissey, big cat-Shifter, is currently liaison between the Shifters of Austin, TX, and the humans of the city.

Kim Fraser, attorney, finds herself in the unique position of having to defend a Shifter on a murder charge. Kim ventures to Shiftertown to seek Liam’s help and stumbles across too many secrets that the Shifters want
kept secret. The unmated Liam is forced to protect Kim against the wrath of his clan leader and his own father, and to his surprise discovers a powerful attraction to
the sassy, sexy lady.

Pride Mates by Jennifer Ashley (Shifters Unbound #1)
January 26, 2010
Paranormal Romance
Paperback, 336 Pages
Leisure Books
I purchased this book

Twenty years ago, shifters came out to the public and since then, they have been portrayed as wild, reckless creatures that have limited rights and are discriminated against by many humans. If they don’t want to face immediate death, they must were a fae-made collar, one that expands when they shift so it is always on them. This collar supposedly keeps the shifters from acting violent, giving them severe pain if they cross that line.

Kim Fraser is an attorney who has been handed a shifter murder case, the first time in twenty years that a shifter has been on trial. Brian has been accused of murdering his human girlfriend, but as Kim collects evidence, she is pretty sure Brian is innocent. She goes to a local shifter Brian recommends, Liam Morrisey who she knows can help her gather support for her cause.

Liam is second in command of the alpha pack, his father Dylan is the master, second only to the leader, Fergus. Dylan doesn’t do small talk, and Fergus is feared by everyone, so most come straight to Liam with any problems. Liam lives with his father, his brother Sean and his nephew Conner in Shiftertown. Kim is frightened to enter Shiftertown, but she soon realizes it is a town like any other. Kids are playing in the front yards, people are swimming. She also witnesses the discriminations against them first hand. It is hard for many shifters to find suitable employment. They also are not allowed advanced cell phones or cable television, for fear more knowledge will make them a bigger threat to humans.

Liam and Kim have an instant attraction, and Liam starts sharing secrets about the shifters that he trusts Kim will never release to other humans. When Fergus gets wind of a human nosing around the shifters, he gets involved and things start to get messy. Liam will do anything to protect Kim, even if that means going up against his father and shifter law.

Besides Pride Mates, I’ve read two other books by Jennifer Ashley. Mortal Temptation, an erotic romance written under her pen name Allyson James which I did not like. Then last year I read her historical romance, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie and it is absolutely one of my favorite books I have read. So, I was very interested to read a paranormal romance by her – unfortunately I am not a fan.

My biggest problem is with Liam and Kim. In some paranormal books I have read, the shifter’s animal mates without the human having much say so I can understand the immediate “mine” attitude and quick attraction. That is not necessarily the case here. Liam, the human is attracted to Kim and in less than 24 hours he is professing undying love and devotion to her.

It struck him suddenly that he’d been waiting for something like this. Maybe all his life. He’d told himself he’d passed up potential mates to give other Shifter males a chance at happiness, but he realized now that he’d simply not found a woman he wanted to be with. Easy to be altruistic when he wasn’t making much of a sacrifice.

But when this sassy human female had walked into his office yesterday, with her blouse buttons straining, her short gray skirt smooth over her sweet rump, when she’d started laying out a heated, well-reasoned argument why he should help her before Liam could even speak, his well-ordered world had overturned.

For Kim’s part, she is a well educated lawyer, and Brian and Liam are the first shifters she has ever met. She repeatedly says she doesn’t know a lot about shifter culture and she is somewhat scared and hesitant around them. Yet, she allows this romance to happen and even though she doesn’t have control of the actual moment Liam bonds with her, she accepts it and just goes with it. I just don’t buy it. The character of Kim also tries to come off sassy and fearless, and I read her more disjointed and annoying.

I also thought the mystery surrounding Brian in prison and the resulting confrontation with Fergus and others to be anti-climatic. In what should have been an intense scene with Fergus, fizzled. I had no investment in Brian sitting in prison, no reason to root for him to get out. There is also an overabundance of lustful thoughts between Liam and Kim. I am all for sexy glances and appreciative remarks between the protagonists, but it didn’t matter what situation Liam and Kim were in – whether they were being threatened with violence or working on Brian’s case, there is constant sexual thoughts and it really took away from the story.

I did enjoy the supporting characters of Dylan and Connor. Dylan lost his mate years ago and is struggling with accepting a new love. He is also getting older and losing that edge he needs to stay dominant in the pack. Conner on the other hand is very young, and eager to show off his skills, although he is strong and with time will hone his muscles, he is quick to temper and quick to show immature emotion, which I thought played off really well again the other mature, dominant males.

Pride Mates is a disappointing paranormal romance. I am still eagerly anticipating the next in her Mackenzie historical romance series, and I think I will be sticking with her in that genre only.

Rating: 2/5

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