Okay but not as Good as Others in the Series, March 3, 2010


This book was okay but I didn't enjoy it as much as others in the series, all of which I've read. Josie is a vet in a shifter community but she doesn't treat shifters. Eli is the local sheriff and is a African Lion shifter. There was a bit right at the front where he tells her about waking up in odd places and that he once woke up in a kennel with a bunch of sled dogs. How did that happen? Did someone think that the african lion was a husky and he woke up human wondering where he was? I think maybe he must have been written as a wolf at first and this scene was missed in the edit. Speaking of editing I don't normally mention things like that and typos but this book was rife with them. I have seldom seen so many typos (wrong words the spellcheck missed) in a professionally edited and published work. I found at least 7 of them and I only started counting in the last half of the book.

I didn't really feel that there was much attraction between the hero and heroine. He had never noticed her in 3 years of being sheriff in a town that was described as small enough to walk end to end and they both frequented the only pastry shop daily yet they had never spoken before. Doesn't seem likely. Then when they do meet over a wounded shifter, he is basically immediately in love with her. There is very little discussion of her feelings for him but suddenly she is "in Love." I felt very little heat between the two much less any gentler feelings than pure physical.

The thing I found most disappointing about the novel though was that there was basically no reason for him to be a shifter. There is no discussion of shifter life style and pack dynamics. There are no actions that follow from a human falling in love with a shifter even if they are not a surprise to her.

Possible SPOILERS: He only changes to a lion twice and both times extremely briefly. He tracks using his senses while in human form. I know part of the plot dictated this but not until the end. Face it, one of the reasons we read shifter books is to see them shift and be the lion or whatever. He doesn't protect her in this form other than a brief fight and she doesn't pet him or admire him etc. All of these are things I like in shifter stories.

At the end there is a scene where she talks the shifter guys into going with them to catch the bad guys. Her reasoning was not sound and she shouldn't have been there so that sort of spoiled the end for me. Not to mention that the descriptions of the forest hideout of the bad guys dragged on and on and I skipped most of it. The end was a bit too facile and we never find out what happens to one of the major characters.

So if you're following the series go ahead and read it. It's not horrible but not near as entertaining as the earlier books in the series. ( )

hate-crimes, veterinarian, shifters, law-enforcement, suspense

I've read several of the books in this series, and this one definitely stands alone. The sheriff (a lion shifter) brings a badly wounded Lupine to the town veterinarian, and then the fur begins to fly. The problems escalate as does the suspense. It's a wild ride to the end! ( )

"4 out of 5 stars! Considering I hadn't previously read any other books from this series, I really got drawn into this novel. Especially since I really like shifter novels, plus..."

Check out my review and a TEASER here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2010/12/feasted-on-others-series-book-... ( )

The book is set in northwest Oregon, which would be cool except for the inclusion of a mention of 'woodchucks'. Had to do some research to find out that these are 'groundhogs'. Don't hear a lot about these being a problem. Moles yes, groundhogs never.

Storyline about the white supremacists group sounds like other cult groups we've had in Oregon, but not one I've heard of recently. Storyline was okay, but got a little too detailed on the bad guy's background. I honestly ended up skimming the last section of the book for the ending.

Author has apparently moved to the area too. ( )

There's nothing better than a good shifter book. Born To Be Wild is one of them. I really enjoyed this story. It's always nice to have a series that continues to build on the previous installment.

The book does and excellent job of illustrating the unseemly side of human nature and long standing prejudices in history that equate to "man even now still has a long way to go."

The romance between Eli and Josie is sweet and kind of funny as they weave their way through uncharted relationship territory. I highly recommend this series for anyone who enjoys a good shifter. ( )