Review – Unbound anthology

Disclaimer: I’m a big fan of the Shifters Unbound series by Jennifer Ashley but I haven’t previously read the others in this anthology. If you have been following these series, your reading experience will likely be very different from mine.

Enforcer by Angela Knight

This is the climax of Angela Knight’s Time Hunters trilogy. Dona and Alerio have fought their attraction for 2 years. After a battle that almost took Dona’s life, Alerio decides to stop wasting time. They both want each other but they will have to fight both the ghosts of Dona’s past and their current enemy, the Victor, to have any shot at happiness.

I was a little lost with some of the futuristic phrases in this one but Dona and Alerio’s romance was easy to follow. Dona’s past was compelling and made the conflict believable and it was nice to see a heroine that kicked ass. Alerio was a little too perfect to me, and without any flaws, I wasn’t that interested in him. This was an okay read for me but I don’t think I’ll be picking of the other books in this series. Enforcer is the longest story in this anthology and takes up almost half of the book.

“First you kick Ivar’s cyborg ass, then you tell the girl how you feel. Viola: your basic happily ever after. All you need now is a fairy godmother and a magic glass dildo.”

Alerio’s swallow of ale slid down his windpipe. Once he stopped coughing, he wheezed, “Glass slipper, not glass dildo.”

“You’ve got your version, I’ve got mine.”

Perfect Mate by Jennifer Ashley

Cormac has arrived in the Nevada Shifertown looking for a mate, specifically Nell. Nell has spent more than half her life alone, has raised her two sons into adulthood, and has no intention of taking a new mate. But when a past shifter enemy shows up and endangers her oldest child, Cormac shows her that she doesn’t always have to go it alone.

Nell was a fierce heroine and I liked her strength and Cormac was everything I like in a bear shifter. However, this story was less than 24 hours long from the time Nell and Cormac meet until the I love yous and permanent mate bound. The romance itself seemed very rushed and I didn’t quite buy their HEA.

“No, he’ll have a snarling mama bear ready to kill for her cub,” Nell said. “I hope I rip this stupid dress when I shift to beat his ass.”

The Hunter’s Cabin by Jean Johnson

This is a steampunk story from the Vulland Chronicles. I was confused from the beginning and gave up less than halfway through. I can only assume that the earlier books in the series are necessary to understand this world.

No Surprise More Magical by Hanna Martine

During the old political regime, Kelsey and David were forced to become engaged. When the regime fell, David gave Kelsey what he thought she wanted and released her from the vow. Now they have to work together and both start to realize what they really want.

This story seemed to stand alone without having read Liquid Lies, the previous book in the series. Unfortunately, nothing about it held my attention and I found myself skimming often. I did enjoy the end and found it believable.

Genre: Sci-fi/Paranormal Romance
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Format: Print and digital

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