Shadow Shifters: Damaged Hearts—a deeply emotional, unforgettable New Adult paranormal romance series by A.C. Arthur about the men who are sworn to protect the females—human or otherwise—from the savage fury of his own nature…Taken in by a shifter family after his parents’ tragic deaths, Caleb Ramsey was thrust into a world of training and loyalty, when his half-breed status should have sentenced him to death. Desperate to escape a family that he can never truly belong to, Caleb leaves at nineteen to find his place outside the Shifter warrior world. The beautiful girl in the bar was not a part of his plan. Neither was finding out more about the boyfriend she claims to have. He should have walked away, should have continued on his own path. But when Caleb realizes the danger Zoe is in, all of his warrior urges come roaring to life…Zoe Fallon has always been a romantic idealist. Losing herself in romance novels as a way to escape an abusive past, she is now finally free to go out and find her own Prince Charming. So when a gorgeous man literally sweeps her off her feet, she wonders if she may have found the guy of her dreams. But things aren’t always what they seem. The brooding customer who seems to show up each time she’s in need is an enigma, and yet she’s drawn to him in a way she’s never experienced before. But he has his own secrets, and Zoe has to ask herself—if Caleb is truly her happily ever after, in Hunger for You by A.C. Arthur. (Blurb via Goodreads)
{Details} ebook, 80 pages. Published
June 10th 2014
by St. Martin's Griffin. Source: ebook provided in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to A.C. Arthur and St. Martin's Griffin.
{Rating} 4/5 - I really like it!
{Review}
{Rating} 4/5 - I really like it!
{Review}
"I'd say she was like a breath of fresh air, but I don't talk like that." (page 1, line 1)
I've enjoyed the Shadow Shifters/Damaged Hearts series. With Hunger for You, book three in the series, I'm glad to see it come full circle, to see these guys I've come to love find love, acceptance of themselves and their natures. Hunger for You can be read as a standalone, each of the novellas can be read as a standalone, but I encourage you to read the entire series.
Caleb is fighting against his nature, avoiding the connections to his adopted family, avoiding connections to humans; he's just getting through life, and then he sees this girl and he goes all stalkerish, but it in a good-ish way. Zoe makes him want things. To watch over her, protect her, to get close to her. But he fights his attraction, fights caring for her at all, he doesn't want to care for anyone, but he can't escape his nature any more than he can escape his feelings for her.
Zoe has been through a lot, survived a lot. I didn't think she was as complicated of a character as Caleb, or nearly as interesting but I respected how strong she was. To have endured what she had and to keep going, to learn to love and trust someone again.
