Melanie's Book Reviews

Cougar’s First Christmas is a novella in the Cascade Shifters series and as the title suggests we have a cougar to swoon over. Sean Fisher is a cougar shifter who has chosen to make Christmas all about his girlfriend Lauren by proposing and making her his mate. Lauren Spencer is human and really shouldn’t be with a shifter, it’s illegal for starters but with people being attacked by the Human Purity movement – times are scary for those connected to the shifters.<br>They are both willing to take the risk and start by setting off to meet Lauren’s parents…..but on the way they are crashed into and forced off the road. When Lauren comes to, Sean is gone and the only thing Lauren can think to do is contact the one person she knows will help him – his alpha. With that phone call, Lauren is thrust into the shifter world where she must show her mettle and demand that Sean be rescued…. Will they ever be together again? Will Lauren be able to give him her secret Christmas present? Will the shifters even accept her? I really enjoyed this book and loved the Christmas theme, what could be more perfect than a Christmas proposal? I liked that Sean & Lauren’s relationship isn’t allowed but that they’re willing to take the risk for love, there’s something about a forbidden love that pulls at your heartstrings more because you know they could be dragged apart at any minute…. And of course that is what happens. We became aware of the shifter enemies in book one and it is carried over well here, we see just what they’re about in how far they will go to get their way. Everyone hates prejudice apart from those who inflict it but the lengths some will go to in the name of purity is horrid and really makes you feel just what the shifters are up against…. And that is just one of the enemies. It was nice to see a few familiar faces too as the shifters rally for Sean’s rescue and it was good to see how they reacted to Lauren. Even though there was plenty of drama and plenty of sexytime to steam up those pages…. there is an overwhelming sense of family, love, hope, acceptance and new beginnings. This was a great dip into the Cascade Shifters world and complimented book one perfectly – I look forward to more