3.5 stars ( )

This is one of the more creative shifter stories I have come across. While the first two books in this series focus on more "traditional" werewolf/human couples in Stone Ridge, this volume picks more unusual animal counterparts. Since the town is known as a shifter refuge of sorts, I look forward to more inventive pairings like this. A tiger shifter isn’t all that unusual, but his mate (as you can see from the cover) is from such a rare species that even most shifters are surprised to find out about his existence.

Gordon is a doctor and as mild mannered and patient as anyone could wish for in a physician. Events quickly come to a head, though, and the other side of his animal nature comes out. I’m not going to say too much about his background because half the fun of reading this book (I think) is the slow exploration of what type of a shifter he is and what that means in terms of behavior and hang-ups.

Grady is a police detective and a tiger shifter. I loved how he was immediately focused on getting to know his mate, and how determined he was not to let anything stop him. Except – there are some external villains who keep both Grady and Gordon quite busy. The plot was an interesting one and kept me turning the pages.

If you like shifter stories with a twist, unusual shifters who show signs of their animal nature even in human form and enjoy a good plot with hints of a deeper conspiracy, you might like this novella. I definitely thought it was a good surprise to have something more unusual as part of a series that, initially, looked more focused on wolf shifters. ( )