I was psyched to be back in the SHIFTERS universe after such a prolonged break. I didn't remember much about Abby's character, but the Faythe & Jace bits were like getting a hug from an old friend. The protagonist's emotion fueled responses to a threatening situation led to some rash decisions which left me screaming at my eReader. Yes, Rachel Vincent managed to get that kind of reaction out of me in only 30-ish pages! I kept expecting Wade to be like Miss Sanders; however it took Faythe five books to become the beloved heroine that she is today, so I'm more than willing to keep an open mind with regards to her potential as the lead in the first installment of this author's WILDCATS spin-off series. This short was nearly perfect, and for a novella that's saying something! 4.5 stars ( )

A short story that is the lead in to a spin-off series from the author’s werecat series that ended back in 2010. Abby, met as a victim in the prior series, is now at college and on a camping trip with friends that goes horribly wrong. She’s got to face the type of thing she’d experienced before without letting it paralyze her. Plenty of tension and emotion.

The book also includes the first chapter from Lion’s Share, the first book in the new series and the short story is a nice tie-in to lead us here. The new series, instead of following one character, will be a werecat couple du jour romance.

This has wet my whistle for going back and re-reading the first series while waiting for the new one. ( )