Finally the Texan Wolf find his mate, but she's been traumatized by feral shifters and he has to work his charm on her.
( )

It was nice to read Ellison's story. I really enjoyed him in the earlier books and was happy to finally see him get his heart mate. I liked the relationship between Mara and Ellison. It was not rushed and not the instal-love you seam to get in some novella's.
If you have not read the other novella's or books in Jennifer Ashley's Shifters Unbound series before this I recommend you read them.

( )

Maria a young women traumatized by her torturous handling by a feral pack of shifters in Mexico is try hard to make a new life for herself. She is living is a Shiftertown, a place where Shifters are segregated from humans and forced to wear shock collars. She takes care of the cubs, learns english and tries to save for school. Unfortunately, her fear of shifters is so deep that she does not trust them enough to feel safe. She dreams of leaving. She is gruff, argumentative, and just plan stubborn.
Ellison, a massive wolf shifter dreams of Maria. he stays a safe distance out of respect for her and the other shifters responsible for her. That dose not stop him from wanting her. He is always there, always putting himself on the line for her safety and happiness. he does this while his life is in chaos, his sister's mind has 'left the building'.
Everything changes when one of the cubs is danger. The whole pack comes together including Maria. (She brings too much, spit and fire for my taste) She fights, argues and charges into everything like a wild bull. Thing resolved pretty quickly, perhaps too easily.

I enjoyed the story. I had a hard time liking Maria. She charged first, not considering her actions. I loved the rest of the characters. Tiger was my favorite. he is also the main for the next book which I will not be missing. ( )

To be honest, I was completely prepared to NOT like this book based on some of the reviews I'd read prior to reading this. However, that was not the case. I was totally hooked from the beginning. This is the first book I read in the series and I can't wait to read more. I think the book works fine as a stand-alone, but obviously with all the characters it will make more sense to go back and read all their stories, although I don't think it's essential. I am definitely looking forward to Tiger's story! ( )

Read for Fun (Kindle)
Overall Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 4.00
Character Rating: 4.50

First Thought when Finished: Lone Wolf by Jennifer Ashley totally rocked for a novella.

Overall Thoughts: Y'all know I am not a fan of novellas but clearly Jennifer Ashley writes them in a way that makes me swoon. I can't speak to how this would hold up if you hadn't read the series BUT if you are a fan of the series already--THEY CAN'T BE MISSED. This was the perfect story for Ellison and even though I read it AFTER Tiger Magic, it played really well as a setup to that story. Ellison has always made me swoon with all his Cowboy Swagger. Maria was a perfect fit for him. This also had a little bit of Pablo in it which for a murky grey guy is kind of growing on me. You just can't miss these stories if you are a fan of the series. They are swoony and action packed!

Part of my Read It, Rate It, File It, DONE! Reviews

Highlighted Passages

Maria called him asshat, because Ellison liked that word, and she liked Ellison

“There is no reason to start small. If you want something, you go for it. You never know in this life when it will all be taken away.” ( )