Rating: 4.25 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel

Dr. Donovan McGinnis has made his home in Sumatra, and his life’s work is dedicated to conservation and preservation of the rainforest and the animals within. Especially the Sumatran tiger. While in the jungle, checking for poachers’ traps, he comes across a young tigress who has been caught. With the help of his team, Donovan frees her and takes her back to the conservation center for treatment so she can be tagged and then released.

Kersen comes from a long line of weretigers and is committed to keeping his tribe’s secret safe. When his sister is captured, he knows he has to free her. And he must ignore the strange calling to the beautiful man that rescues her. But before Kersen can get his sister free, she bites Donovan, inadvertently infecting him with her blood. Now Kersen has to convince Donovan to go with him before the man shifts for everyone to see.

Donovan has a hard time believing Kersen’s story, especially when he can’t remember what happens when he shifts. But soon he has no choice but to accept it and do what he must to control it. His entire life is wrapped up in saving the rainforest and the rare animals that live there, and he’ll do anything to stop the deforestation. But while he’s trying to keep corporations from winning, he’s also falling in love with the sweet young man who has been at his side. It’s too soon to fall in love and mate though, isn’t it? But none of that matters when Kersen and his tribe are threatened. Donovan will stop at nothing to keep them all safe.

All I had to read was “tiger shifters” and I was on board for checking this story out. But once I started, I was transported to a different place, immersed in a world of hostile rainforest threatened by poachers and different way of life. The author did a really great job about bringing the world to life, and I could clearly see the surroundings the characters described. It really added to the story overall, and gave a great sense of place.

The characters, both the MCs and the secondary, were well drawn and distinct. Donovan’s passion and drive for conservation and preservation comes through clearly, and there’s no doubt he has a huge heart and an intelligent mind. His commitment to his cause is admirable, and I loved his consistency throughout the story. I really like that he questioned the existence of shifters, but didn’t have a hard time accepting it. After all, he’s a scientist, and he would definitely deny something like that. But once he has empirical proof, there’s no way he can continue to do so. And he’s just a committed to keeping the secret as he is to conserving the land.

Kersen may be young, but he is stalwart and true, and just as determined to keep his people safe. His environment is a hostile one. His tribe may accept him for who he is, but the world at large wouldn’t have any trouble running roughshod over his home and exterminating his people if that’s what it took to gain what they want. Kersen loves his family and feels guilt for his part in his sister’s capture, but he is the kind of guy you want to have on your side when facing the unknown. His caring and concern for Donovan was evident from the start. More than just his attraction,and his need to keep the weretiger clan a secret.

The chemistry between the MCs was really great. From the moment they met, there was a bubbling tension beneath the surface and the way they came together felt natural and real. I liked that their core beliefs matched up, and that the differences in their education and culture meant very little. At the heart of it, their relationship was about two men finding what they needed in the other and everything else didn’t matter. I wouldn’t exactly call this an opposites attract story, though there are certain those aspects, because these guys had similar beliefs and motivations from the start. I will say, however, that the love declarations didn’t work quite as well for me. The connection was strong and palpable, and there’s no doubt that Kersen and Donovan absolutely belong together. But the actual feelings of love came a bit too soon for me considering they’d only known each other for a few days. That said, these guys totally worked together and the romance was nicely interwoven with rest of the plot.

So yeah. I definitely enjoyed this book. The writing was great, the pacing smooth, and the progression of the relationship made sense for all that the characters were going through. If occasionally things worked out a little too easily, it was easy to accept and roll with. And you can’t get better than weretigers. This book is one I can easily recommend.