Primal Bonds (Shifters Unbound #2) by Jennifer Ashley
Paranormal Romance
March 1, 2011
Paperback, 320 Pages
Berkley Sensation

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote:  “Your father told me you were the Guardian.”

“I am. She just likes handling my sword.”

When Ashley Gray requests refuge from her pack and an unwanted mate claim, Sean Morrissey claims her as his mate; sight unseen. When Sean finally meets her he knows he has found his true mate, but Ashley has her own agenda and her intense attraction to Sean spells nothing but trouble. As Sean and Ashley begin the intricate mating dance they will be drawn into a conspiracy that will test everything they have-even their lives.

This is my first time reading Jennifer Ashley’s shifter series. I am a huge fan of her historical romances and the urban fantasy series she writes under the pseudonym Allyson James. I found myself curious to see if how her voice would fare in a paranormal romantic setting. Happy to say, I found myself as enchanted here as I am with her others. There are minute differences that I really appreciated. Often an author who writes in different genres and/or under different names has such a strong presence that you hear it in each story regardless. I have found Ms. Ashley has a unique ability to give you a different feeling in each series she writes. As if it’s someone new writing the story.

Ashley is half fae and half shifter. Raised in a lupine (wolf) pack, she is considered an outsider and barely tolerated. When the alpha’s son wants to mate claim her and won’t take no for an answer, she applies to her aunt’s pack for refugee. Since she can’t be grated asylum without protection, the alpha’s brother and Guardian of the clan, Sean Morrissey, claims her as a matter of convenience. When Sean and Ashley meet, the attraction between them in intense. As time goes by, the attraction deepens and Sean begins to want a permanent mate bond with her. But Ashley is like no shifter he has ever met. Her fae half gives her special healing powers and a seeming indifference to the packs hierarchy. This only endears her more to Sean.

As they find their way around each other, they also have to deal with the increasing violence between humans and the shifters.

Our main protagonists, Ashley and Sean are both two heavily developed characters. Each rich in personality, it was enjoyable to watch these two dance and fuss with each other. The chemistry is apparent from the first page and only gets hotter and more sensual as the story progresses.

Ashley is wonderful in that Jennifer Ashley doesn’t succumb to the normal shifter story line by having our heroine cowered by her Alphas. Ashley may be submissive in the hierarchy of the pack, but you don’t see her bowing to anyone. She holds her own against Sean and others; not in a bitchy manner, but rather as a warrior wrapped in diplomacy.

Sean is just as delightful as we watch his wicked humor and oh so good looks slowly win Ashley over. The sexy Irish accent doesn’t hurt either. He is very protective of her but doesn’t attempt to break her spirit. We and she both know it’s the mating frenzy. His job as the Guardian weighs heavily on him (he helps the dying shifters cross into Summerland) but Ashley helps soften his gift and shows him the good he does. They are perfect for each other and it shows.

Our secondary characters are as visible and dominant as Ashley and Sean. I enjoyed seeing Liam and Kat from Jennifer’s first book of this series, Pride Mates, and seeing how their life together has turned out. We get a nice but powerful smaller romance of two important characters within the Austin pride that adds a nice touch to the ending and also opens up an interesting door of opportunity. Jennifer expands the arc by divulging deeper into the lives of the sifters, their town dynamics, and their dealings with humans.

The mystery and suspense factored nicely upon the romance. Ashley is like no shifter seen before. Her fae half gives her special healing powers and an ability to work outside the pack bond. When Ashley begins to dream of unknown bonds trying to bind her; she feels it’s an omen of things to coming. As Ashley dreams become more vivid, she soon becomes the catalyst for the storm that has been brewing.

All in all Primal Bonds is a fast paced very sexy paranormal romance with a bite of suspense and mystery. Well written in a easy going conversational style, you find yourself engrossed in the lives of these shifters very quickly. Multiple story lines co exist peacefully along side each other without any particular one over whelming the other. Intertwining and overlapping until they merge into a fantastic ending that satisfies the main plot and this reader.

Rating: B

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