Shifting Pride

by Laura Diamond

Sixteen-year-old Nickie Leone has proof that her missing (presumed dead) father is still alive. Receiving his watch in the mail is the first in a line of clues bringing her closer to discovering his whereabouts. But clues aren’t the only new thing in Nickie’s life. There’s the Memorial Banquet her mother insists she help prepare for, there’s the new kid/hottie, Xavian, and...well, the growth of whiskers and a tail!

Filled with secrets and a new love of tuna fish, Nickie must partner up with Xavian (don’t you know he’s a shapeshifter too?) to rescue her dad before she loses him forever. Oh, and she needs to figure out how to be a cat, too.

Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Shapeshifters, Paranormal Romance

ebook

First published November 1, 2012

About the author

Laura Diamond is a board certified psychiatrist currently specializing in emergency psychiatry. She is also an author of all things young adult—both contemporary and paranormal. An avid fan of sci-fi, fantasy, and anything magical, she thrives on quirk, her lucid dreams, and coffee. When she’s not working or writing, she can be found sniffing books and drinking a latte at the bookstore or at home pondering renovations on her 225 year old fixer upper, all while obeying her feline overlords, of course.

Reviews

[Karen Bynum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the novella prequel (New Pride by Laura Diamond) and absolutely loved it! Laura's gift for writing the young adult voice is amazing! So I couldn't wait to start Shifting Pride. This full-length young adult novel was a fun, fast-paced read with a mystery element weaved in. As much as I love plot, for me, I want to connect to the characters on a deep emotional level, and Laura definitely delivers!

The heroine, Nickie, is so sassy and kick-ass. Yet, she has this authentic, teen personality. Despite the loss of her dad and discovering that she's a werecat, she's able to grieve, learn and come through everything that's thrown at her as a stronger person.

Oh and the hero, Xavian, hot! A total bad-ass werecat with the sweetest sarcastic side ever! He matches Nickie so perfectly. Even if they don't realize it for a while!

This is a fantastic coming-of-age paranormal romance with a very real teen voice. Highly recommend!

Now, for some of my fave quotes from Shifting Pride:

Like a magnet luring iron shavings, the book tempted me with its mysteries.

Ending up in an asylum didn't sound any more appealing than shifting species.

(This is my all time fave!) He brought it out of me. It being instant rage.

Xavian drove like an expert stunt driver high on meth and Red Bull.

Another honk from the horn enticed me to open my eyes. It was better to see death coming.

The accusation shattered the air, and shards of it sliced into my soul.

The audience ate conflict like it was a heaping bowl of Haagen Dazs's Dulce de Leche ice cream.

As Xavian said, I'd developed the ability to be my own furnace, and for once I didn't mind the cold.

[Kerry sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was reviewed for Musings of a bookworm

I was really impressed with this book, I was expecting an insipid story that was predictable and that is not what I got. It was billed as if you like twilight your like this and I think this sells the story short as it is a complex and exciting story with a credible love story mixed in. This really a story about a girls fight to find her missing father and it pulls you right in from the very first page. This might be written for the young adult market but I am a long way from young and I loved it and I don't usually like YA books, I tend to find the language used annoying and juvenile (Yes I know YA books are written for juveniles so the language is going to reflect that) but this one treated the reader as if they had real intelligence and this is what makes this book work for the older market too. There are points in the story where I was on the edge of my seat holding my breathe and just not able to put my Kindle down, and I have to say although I got this book as a ARC as part of a tour i would happily buy this book and recommend it to all those who thought who want a great story that will keep you wanting more and I know this will go on my re-read list as a go to book when I am in a reading slump. This book would get anyone excited about reading again so go read it!!

[Rach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Shifting Pride. From reading the book description I knew I was going to like it from the start.
Nickie’s father had gone missing a year ago and although people thought he was dead she knew he was alive and wanted to get proof so people would believe her.
Xavian moved into the neighbourhood and he was always there when something happened, when Nickie was threatened in some way. Pretty much like an annoying Guardian Angel (in Nickie’s eyes).
Nickie started getting cravings for tuna, now this would not be strange except she hated tuna. Still she thought it was something to do with grieving for her father (who loved tuna) and that was why she was wanting it.

I loved Nickie and Xavian’s relationship, she couldn’t work him out but there was something about him. He would do anything to protect her and once Nickie fell in love with him, she too would do anything to save him.
The book was full of werecats, adventure, mystery, suspense and a fantastic love story. It was brilliant.

[Antonia van Zandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this down. Right from page one, I was hooked by the characters and the storyline. Nickie is on a mission to find her father, even though no one but her believes he is still alive. What she discovered about herself, her father and her new found gorgeous friend, kept me glued to the page so much so, I read it all in one sitting. Laura Diamond is a real find and I shall look forward to catching up and reading more of her super stories.

[Lynn Rush · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Review to come.

[Buffy Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty fun YA read. The mystery throughout the beginning was kind of creepy and unnerving in some ways, and would be tough to take for a sixteen year old still struggling without her father. The mystery felt a little drawn out when parts of it were a little predictable, but it didn’t detract from the story.

It took me a bit to get a read on Xavian, but never really felt he’d be a bad guy, so I occasionally wanted to knock a little sense into Nickie for being so harsh and overreacting with him so much. Then again, it was kind of funny to see her so flustered around him. When some of the little changes start happening, it’s nice to see that it affected her in everyday things and people took notice. I also appreciated that the names were a little different than I’m used to seeing. Sometimes it’s the small things that stand out.

The ending felt like kind of a blur – it happened pretty quickly – and I feel like I now have more questions than I did before, particularly when it comes to how things were handled after the final conflict. There were some dark moments, mainly when Nickie is captured and Derek wants to force her to be his mate…at sixteen. Thankfully there’s nothing graphic. The only remotely graphic scenes are the fight scenes. I love that we see plenty of the characters in cat form, and that’s how most of the fighting occurs.

Overall it was a good, well balanced story. The chemistry between Nickie and Xavian is strong, the mystery is cryptic, and the action is exciting.

[Dani Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though this book is Young Adult, I really enjoyed reading it. I'm 32 and I didn't feel like I was reading something written for a younger audience. I was immediately pulled into the story from the first chapter...and it's just keeps getting more exciting with each chapter. A book is really good when I feel anxious reading it because it means I'm totally enthralled and anxious to see the outcome. I personally love stories about mythical and mystical creatures...so shape shifting panthers were awesome! This book was especially great reading for me because Nicki, the main character, has a thought process like mine...so reading her narrative really flowed with my brain. Needless to say...I really enjoy Laura's writing style.

I love that Laura uses her background as an influence for her books because I 100% agree that young adults are at more of a crossroad than any other time in their life. Great fiction can be a crucial and empowering thing in a young person's life....I can remember every book I read during that time in my life that had a profound impact on my psyche...in a positive way. This is one of those books that I would have loved when I was at that crossroad in my life.

[Phaedra Seabolt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a pleasant change of pace for me. I love cats and so far have loved any werecat shifter book I have picked up. This particular story took me about eight hours to read. In the beginning you may be a little confused, but the main character Nickie is very confused. You get pieces of the puzzle fast enough to realize that Nickie is not ordinary and perhaps the people she surrounds herself with are not normal either. Her dad is missing, a new boy moves to the neighborhood whom is driving her crazy mentally and physically, her mom seems to willing to accept that her dad is probably dead, and to top it off, she's getting weird notes in different hand writings tell her conflicting things while always trying to convince her that she might be a werecat. How odd is that?

Well I absolutely loved the story. There were several twists that kept me wondering what would happen next. The biggest surprise came at the end. It's not a cliffhanger so don't think that is the surprise, but I was left with one big question that I hope means there will be a second book. I can tell you that there is a prequel to Shifting Pride called New Pride. As soon as I find time to read it, I plan to.

Read more reviews at Identity Discovery Blog.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, and I was sad when I read the last words. Diamond has created such an interesting world, complete with complex pack politics and an engaging mystery, and nestled it so neatly within our own. I feel like I could walk out my door and find a new shifter friend, or enemy. What I appreciated most about Shifting Pride is the care Diamond takes in interspersing shifter info and lore into the story, be it with a book Nickie finds or folklore other shifters share with her. Diamond is very thorough in her world-building and it definitely adds to the overall realism of this shifter tale.

Diamond does a fantastic job keeping the pace snappy. She gives us just enough information without overloading the reader or making her plot predictable. With each new revelation, I was anxious to see how she manipulated the information and was not disappointed. I kept hanging on to each word, each sentence, each paragraph, each page, hoping right along with Nickie that she would soon be reunited with her dad.

Shifting Pride is a must-read for anyone who enjoys an engaging story. Even if one strips away the shifter element, we’re still left with a great book about a daughter who will stop at nothing to bring her missing father home.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura pens "Shifting Pride" in a well developed plot that will keep you turning the pages with her characters that are interesting and likeable. Surprisingly there was no cliffhanger even though there is a sequel to this book, "New Pride", which I can't wait to read. Highly recommended for all (YA and not so YA) who love werecats, mystery, adventure and suspense thrown in to a nice love story.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author which was provided for an honest review.

[Catherine Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm already a huge fan of The Mercy Falls trilogy about wolf shape shifters so I was keen to read another shape shifter novel and I loved the different style and characterisation. Awesome read! Congrats Laura!

[Anne Michaud · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's impossible to not get into this novel: Nickie's voice becomes your own and her struggles of turning into something else leaves you breathless - and then there's the sexiness that is Xavian. A cool take on shapeshifters as we experience it firsthand ♥ highly recommended ♥

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stayed up late last night to finish, so that says a lot! Definitely an exciting page-turner.

[Michael Offutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Shifting Pride" is a coming of age young adult novel where instead of finding herself, Nicki learns that she's a werecat. But she isn't just any werecat...she's the daughter of a really powerful one whose been missing for a year to hide out from the despicable Derek (the leader of the local cat pride). And really what makes Derek so despicable is he's an old guy with the whole saggy skin and face-licking fetish that likes young girls similar to that FLDS Prophet Warren Jeffs. He's in a similar position of power, using his position to get young girls to screw and then to kill those that oppose him and mount their heads on walls. That part kind of reminds me of "The Governor" from "The Walking Dead" who keeps trophies of his victims in fish tanks.

Well in the midst of all this is Xavian, and he is smoking hot. Let me reiterate this girls...if you want a perfect boyfriend, Xavian is it. He's charming, drives a BMW, his parent's house is all modern with contemporary furnishings, Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances, and marble countertops. In contrast the villain has horrible interior decorating ideals, relying on post-Victorian crap that probably smells of mothballs. Oh and Xavian's natural scent/musk from his sweat smells like Old Spice. Like seriously...he smells like "Palm Trees, Sunshine, and Freedom." That's not me...that quote comes from the Old Spice stick and their commercials. And that's Xavian to a tee.

Just like any perfect boy, Xavian is delicious. And like all YA, this is a white-washed story filled with creamy-skinned perfect boys and girls. Xavian is rockin' six-pack abs, eyes that are "cerulean"...Do you know what Meryl Streep in the role of Miranda Priestly says of "Cerulean" from "The Devil Wears Prada?" It's one of my favorite quotes and here it is just for you:

‘This… stuff’? Oh. Okay. I see. You think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select… I don’t know… that lumpy blue sweater, for instance because you’re trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don’t know is that that sweater is not just blue, it’s not turquoise. It’s not lapis. It’s actually cerulean. And you’re also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves Saint Laurent… wasn’t it who showed cerulean military jackets? I think we need a jacket here. And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. And then it, uh, filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic Casual Corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and it’s sort of comical how you think that you’ve made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you’re wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room from a pile of stuff.'

Oh I love Meryl Streep...she was such a bitch in that movie.

Anyway, yes...Xavier's eyes are "cerulean" and that just makes him more yummy. And he's the real deal. By the end of the book they are living happily ever after in the Pride.

Okay the best thing I liked about this book are the parents. Most YA books tend to have the parents missing or killed. Not so in "Shifting Pride." Laura breaks the stereotype and forges her own territory by making loving parents central to the core of this book. Bravo, Laura! Bravo! *claps

The thing I didn't like so much was how everyone just took turns getting rescued. In order it was 1) Xavian rescued Nicki from going cat and killing her family 2) Nicki and Xavian rescued dad from the zoo 3) Nicki rescued Xavian and Dad from Derek and 4) Tiffany rescued the first three. So yeah...there's a lot of rescuing and people falling into places where they need to be rescued after they just rescued someone else.

That kind of plot device is a little weak, but who cares since there's so much eye-candy in this book.

I recommend the purchase and reading of "Shifting Pride" for all ages. It's safe, it's great, and I literally read it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down.

[Pixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can also see my reviews at The Bookaholic

I don’t normally read a lot about shifters, more specifically any type of werewolf or wolf-type creature usually, because to be bluntly honest about it I’m just not a big fan of the supernatural being in most cases. I’ve had rare instances of picking up a few books here and there that have involved shifters or werewolves and have actually enjoyed them, but as I said, it’s rare. A good ninety-percent of the time, those reads end in disaster so I tend to stay away and keep to my favorite kind of species instead when it comes to reading any kind of paranormal creature.

However, Shifting Pride was a different case. Sure these were shifters…but there was a little spark of interest at the back of my mind when I found that it was about were-cats. I don’t find this often in any paranormal read, so despite my wariness towards shifter reads, I had the urge to read this title because of that. Well, it might also help that I really adore cats, too. :P

Shifting Pride starts with the action right away as you’re immediately pulled into the story and mystery of what is going on in Nickie’s life. I felt sympathy and empathy for her with her constant struggle through the loss of her father, as well as her trying to have the most normal life that she can…until it starts to go a bit haywire, of course. The only minor nitpicks I may have was that I got a bit aggravated at her overreactions toward her mother as well as Xavian at times--it felt as if there were moments when she couldn’t stop and take a calming breath. But it wasn’t a big deal and not enough to take away the story for me. I liked Xavian’s character and the bits of humor I felt from his and Nickie’s interactions often. It was cute. Even when Nickie kicked him in no-no’s.

Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. The story paced along quite well and I enjoyed reading about the characters, this interesting were-cat shifter species, their unusual world, and interactions. It’s action-packed, compelling, and fun. Diamond crafted a unique story and I look forward to reading much more of her work in the future.

<3
Pixie

[Ashley Torbeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nickie might think she's a normal teenage girl, but the building evidence in the first few chapters of Shifting Pride lead to the revelation of a world within our own that is both terrifying and exhilarating. And Nickie gets dragged right into the middle of it all. Before long, the fur is flying and Nickie is fighting for her life and on the hunt for the father everyone else thought was dead.

I have to admit, I really liked this book. The tension throughout the story kept building and building, keeping the reader intrigued and flipping pages at light speed to get to the next scene. There were a couple of instances where the pace lost a tiny touch of steam, but I really don't think it impacted the story overall, which was fast-paced and action packed. The subtle hints at Nickie's impending transfiguration is excellent. Oh, and never before has a book caused me to develop a food craving, but now all I want is tuna!

There were a couple of inconsistencies in the voice and tense of the story, and the board game they're playing is described as a movie-themed board game, most of the descriptions sound far more like Monopoly than a movie style game. For me it was a little distracting and I had to go back and reread it, but it was still not so overwhelming that it took away from the story.

I would have liked to have seen a little more tension when the two foes faced off, but it was still a very enjoyable read. I actually lost myself in the book so much so that I managed to read a hundred pages in an hour, and didn't even realize I had made that much progress. I love it when a book can keep me engaged so much that I lose time in my day.

Overall, I would give Shifting Pride 4/5 stars. I really enjoyed the book, and would recommend it to any Young Adult fans or fans of Paranormal/Fantasy stories.


Reviewed by Ash T of Fae Books (www.faebooks.co.uk)

[Buffy Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty fun YA read. The mystery throughout the beginning was kind of creepy and unnerving in some ways, and would be tough to take for a sixteen year old still struggling without her father. The mystery felt a little drawn out when parts of it were a little predictable, but it didn 19t detract from the story.

It took me a bit to get a read on Xavian, but never really felt he 19d be a bad guy, so I occasionally wanted to knock a little sense into Nickie for being so harsh and overreacting with him so much. Then again, it was kind of funny to see her so flustered around him. When some of the little changes start happening, it 19s nice to see that it affected her in everyday things and people took notice. I also appreciated that the names were a little different than I 19m used to seeing. Sometimes it 19s the small things that stand out.

The ending felt like kind of a blur 13 it happened pretty quickly 13 and I feel like I now have more questions than I did before, particularly when it comes to how things were handled after the final conflict. There were some dark moments, mainly when Nickie is captured and Derek wants to force her to be his mate 26at sixteen. Thankfully there 19s nothing graphic. The only remotely graphic scenes are the fight scenes. I love that we see plenty of the characters in cat form, and that 19s how most of the fighting occurs.

Overall it was a good, well balanced story. The chemistry between Nickie and Xavian is strong, the mystery is cryptic, and the action is exciting.

[Erin Danzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE, LOVE, LOVED this book! I couldn't put it down! Even to the point that I woke up in the middle of the night and read for an hour just to see what happened next!

Laura Diamond created a beautifully crafted story about cat shape-shifters. I fell in love with her story after reading NEW PRIDE, but SHIFTING PRIDE made me fall in love with her writing. The story grabs your attention from the beginning and doesn't let go until the very end. Fraught with danger, romance, action, adventure and even a trip to the Bronx Zoo, SHIFTING PRIDE shows a new take on shapeshifters, getting us away from the wolves. I love big cats to begin with and this novel played into that perfectly.

I loved Xavian from the moment he walked onto the page. He quickly clawed his way up my "book boyfriend" list as the novel progressed. He's funny, protective, charming, irritating, and even pretty cute. ;) I love how he watched out for Nickie right from the start, even when she had no idea what was going on.

Nickie is a very strong character. She made the hard decisions and followed through. She sought answers even when she wasn't sure she wanted the answers. I love Nickie.

SHIFTING PRIDE is a great stand alone novel! I very highly recommend it to ANYONE who loves shape-shifters!

[Angela Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shifting Pride by Laura Diamond is not a story for the romantically challenged. And set aside any thoughts that werewolves rule the shifting sector. These cats step up to the plate and knock this one out.

To keep this from being spoilerish, I'll refrain from referring to certain scenes, but I'll just say that Laura knows how to deliver a kissing scene that gives the imagination plenty to work with. There are several scenes to enjoy.

The star ranking is a subjective matter that I can definitely understand being easily arguable. I'll even present part of that argument myself. Laura does an excellent job establishing, early on, that the MC has and is dealing with some serious family issues. The voice is unique and I love it. It helped me to sustain my suspension of disbelief. I just had a few occasions where I found myself wanting to take the MC to task for reactions that toed that line of disbelief.

Bottom line: Is this a book I would recommend. HECK YEAH!!!!

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered this book through Twitter. Ever since reading about shapeshifters in the Sookie Stackhouse series, I've avoided them like the plague, but decided to give this one the chance. And I was pleasantly surprised.

Nickie is a likable character and not clingy or all into the new guy the way a lot of heroines can sometimes be. In fact, she is always angry with Xavian at first. The banter between them was a lot of fun and kept the story interesting.

I love how we were able to watch Nickie slowly became a cat with hints dropped here and there that the transition was coming. The adventure that came into the end of the book was well told and gave a satisfying ending. I was unable to put this book down - I really enjoyed the world that Laura Diamond created. I highly recommend Shifting Pride to anyone who is into paranormal and romance.

[Kerri Cuevas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story! It’s been a while since I read a great shifter story. The main character, Nickie is ambitious and spunky. I love her determination, and loyalty to her family. The relationships were true, and the story had me flipping through the pages to see what happened next. Shifting Pride has just the right amount of romance (with the yummy Xavian), and adventure. I look forward to reading more stories from Laura Diamond.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was thrilled to have the chance to read a YA shifter story.

The characters are well created and easy to invest in. The storyline is mysterious and intriguing. The relationships are complicated and interesting.

Well worth the read. Can't wait to read New Pride next.

[Lburt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, I didn't love it. I'm can't put my finger quite on way. The only thing that pops to mind is how easy it seemed for the group to break out of Derek's prison. The beginning was a bit slow as well. But like I said I did like the book.

[M.R. Polish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book! Great and unique.

[Bodea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm kind of surprised by the high rating. Full review to come.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

so this book was adorable and I loved it very much!

[Helena Fili · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this more than I first thought I would.

Full review's coming soon.

[Liz Calderone · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7