shift in timeRating: 5 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | All Romance
Length: Novel


When he was thirteen, Morgan Monstros signed an oath in front of the council swearing to never to have sex with a man. Male witches, rare as they are, are meant to produce heirs. Gay witches are not to be tolerated. And although Morgan has no powers, he was born to two witches and therefore is expected to carry on the Monstros name. Morgan has known this his entire life and has avoided any temptation by remaining on Covenant Key, an island off the coast of Alabama, to run his family’s inn. When his sister leaves after break to go back to school, she leaves Morgan to take care of her cat since she can’t take it in the dorms. Morgan is not much of a cat person, but finds himself talking with the cat. Imagine his surprise, when during a freak storm, the cat turns into a man—a beautiful man.

After refusing a powerful witch, Fane Llewellyn was turned into a cat. That was in 1864. For decades upon decades, Fane has lived as a Siamese cat on Covenant Key with no purpose until he first saw Morgan Monstros. For years he’s known that Morgan was his, and now, human, Fane is ready to claim the man, but the oath Morgan took holds him back. Fane struggles with who and what he is, the loss of the family he remembers from so long ago, and strange memories that sporadically come back to him. His only solace is found in Morgan.

Following his heart, Morgan gives into his desires, but his oath signed in blood is not quickly forgotten. Brought before the council against his will, Morgan accepts his fate, but when his family shows up along with a pair of unknown wolf shifters, a battle begins that later they find out is only a small part of the war.  However, Morgan and Fane are determined to keep their loved ones safe by any means necessary, if it’s the last thing they do.

I’m going to tell y’all a secret. I’ve known about this book for a long time and I may or may not have asked the author one or two or twelve times how it was coming along. I admit nothing on that point. *wink* But in all seriousness, I’ve been waiting for this book for years—yes, years. And now I have it and it’s everything I hope it to be and so much more. Shift in Time is the perfect example of why I adore this author so very much. She can write anything she puts her mind to, and write it well. She’s written angsty soul crushers, controversial scene stealers, and sweet heart melters. This is a story of unexpected love and finding one’s self on that journey.

The greatest point of this book is the uniqueness of the world and of the story. This author took a genre that is done, done, and done again and made it very much her own. There’s a combination of witchery and paranormal that is refreshing. In a modern setting, these characters and their rules and customs take on an old world, well-lived feel. It’s not often that authors take us readers back to the time of the Civil War and as a girl born and bred in the south, I loved the inclusion of that part of this nation’s history and how it shaped Fane.  Then there’s the actual rules of the witch and shifter worlds and what happens when they crossover. It’s unique and creative. I love it.

The focus of this story is definitely the romance between Morgan and Fane—first how to avoid it, then how to work around it, then how not to die having it, then how to keep it. It’s a journey. As the guys learn more about each other, they learn more about themselves. Fane, he has the greatest growth throughout the path of the story. The poor guy has been used and abused by the best and is struggling to find himself again, but he has help in the form of a scared non-witch. There is so much I want to tell you about Morgan, so much that was done to him as a child by the grandmother who never liked him, so much injustice—but you’re going to have to read the book to get all those answers. And trust me they’re good.

The author adds in a cast full of personality complete both men’s families. I’m in love with the confused and gruffly alpha Falyn—I don’t want to give much away but I hope to see him again very soon. The cleverness of naming Morgan’s sisters after poisons—Jessamine, Kestar, and Laurel—added to the mystique of the witch family. But it’s both families in combination that give parts of the story such a full, warm feeling.

This story is filled with all sorts of complicated twists and turns. The surprises are endless. Mercy Celeste engages her readers with a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs. Her words are captivating as always. The lovemaking scenes are scorching. And the action is breathtaking. Above all, it’s on the lighter end of the Mercy spectrum. It’s sweet and funny and cute.

I couldn’t get enough of this story, and yes, after waiting so very long, I was beyond happy with the outcome. I can’t wait to see what’s next for this world (although I have my own wishes, I’ll keep those to myself for now.) I highly recommend Shift in Time by Mercy Celeste.

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