Clash of Claws

Shifter Guardians Academy #1

by Elizabeth Dear

In the world of the shifter elite, a safe female is one without power. For me, that means hide or die.

When wraiths invade my neighborhood and shit goes sideways, becoming a Guardian might be the only way to earn myself—and my beast—protection.

The elite training program begins at the local shifter college, so I pack up my swords and my brother, and off to school I go.

It’s no surprise that Guardian training is sexist as hell. But I didn’t expect to be trapped inside the campus walls, battling magical simulations rather than joining the real forces as they wage war on the monsters outside.

For me, the stakes are higher than bragging rights and points on the leaderboard.

I won’t be distracted, especially not by the pull I feel to the most powerful quad of males in the program.

Heath Blackwell, the dominant Alpha wolf and quad leader;

Wyatt Gale, the cocky playboy bear shifter;

Aiden Blackwell, the uptight jaguar who’s also my professor;

And Elijah Harrow, the terrifying yet entrancing basilisk.

I’ll fight this infuriating attraction because I know the score. Powerful quads want a central bond, and that will never be my future.

Become a Guardian. Stay alive. Nothing else matters.

This is a paranormal romance set at a supernatural college in present-day USA. It is a “why choose” romance, which means our heroine will have multiple love interests and will get her happily ever after with ALL of them by the end of the series. This is book 1 of 3, and it will end in a cliffhanger. It is intended for readers aged 18+ and contains foul language and spicy scenes. Detailed content warnings can be found in the Author’s Note. Happy reading!

Genres: Why Choose, Fantasy, Paranormal, Shapeshifters, Romance, Romantasy, Paranormal Romance

388 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 24, 2025

Reviews

[Celia Liver · Rating 1 out of 5]

The men were literally perfect throughout the whole book, until the last freaking ten pages, when they each turned into some of the biggest jerks I’ve ever seen in an RH.
In what world would the author think readers would enjoy reading that?

And seriously, how are people on Goodreads calling this an amazing novel with “sweet guys” and a “kickass heroine”? The poor girl gets her ass either handed to her or saved at least three times in this book.

For god’s sake, this thing has a 4.72 out of five!!!
Seriously, for what?

Four men who make the heroine fall completely in love with them, touching her, talking to her, acting like they care, only to publicly reject her in front of the whole school and then go kiss and date other women right in front of her at the ball.


I’m so freaking tired of all these goddamn RH books making jealousy the biggest source of drama. It’s just bad. And honestly, this kind of book never deserves such high ratings. But I guess a lot of readers just care that the guys are handsome, pure Wattpad energy.

I’m sorry for this rant, but it applies to way too many RHs I’ve read. I just wish at least one review on this site would call out how much of a jerk these guys were. Because, seriously, who would date them? Not me, not anyone. They’re just mean playboys.

I’ll stop here, and I don’t regret a single word of this review.
Plot ? Politics ? Blood ? Fights ? RH ? I’m all for it.
But it’s time we start respecting our heroines. They deserve way better than these trashy, fake “whore men.”

[Hannah Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best read of the year so far (I know it’s only February, but STILL!!!!)

I just knew I was going to regret reading this before the next book is out. The way I physically NEED the next book isn’t even funny. I might actually write Elizabeth Dear and beg her to send me an ARC. That’s how down bad I am for this universe.

I absolutely love anything with shifters, so this was 1,000% my cup of tea from the get go. And I’m not a big why choose girlie, but this was absolute perfection. I especially loved our FMC, Avery. She’s sooo badass, but never gets annoying about it like in other books. Also, her brother Ian adds so much to the story. I feel like sibling storylines often feel so forced and just hold the MC back from the main storyline. This isn’t the case here at all, and Ian and Avery’s relationship was really meaningful for the plot.

It’s been a while since a book has consumed me like this, but I couldn’t put this down. It gave me almost Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac vibes, but shorter and easier to follow.

I was able to figure out the FMC’s beast pretty quickly, but I was still glad to finally find out I was right. And these men?? Don’t even get me started. They were each so delish and unique in their own ways. They were making me soooo mad in the last 20% of the book, though. I’m going to need to see some maaajor groveling (not even to Avery, I’m going to need them to grovel to ME), and I hope they deliver.

Also, this is a sloooowww burn which I usally hate, but it's so well done here that I almost didn't notice??

preread
Remember when I asked you guys to choose my next read without knowing which book? This was the shifter romance option.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wait this was so good? It's nothing really revolutionary, but this was very entertaining. I couldn't put it down. I really liked all of the characters, the slow-burn romance, and the shifting world. Book 2 better have a whole bunch of groveling from these guys!

[Lucie V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

✅ Multiple POVs
✅ Characters
✅ GREAT sibling bond
✅ Kinda addictive despite the weaker plot
✅ Shifters & some rune magic
✅ Academy setting & secrecy that makes sense
✅ Pace
✅(🆗) Plot
🆗 Usual jealous girl Academy drama 🙄
🆗 Weird smutty moment
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: misogynistic alpha males, blood & injuries, deaths (not graphic)
🔥 Spice level : 🌶️🌶️.5 / 5

The plot is not the most elaborate, but it does hit the spot if you are looking for an entertaining RH in an academy setting. Avery enrolls in a shifters-only Academy, and the reasoning behind it makes sense. She is a very rare and powerful shifter, and would be hunted down if people knew about her animal, so she needs to enroll and become a guardian since they are a separate entity from the Council. This way, the Council wouldn’t be able to control or threaten Avery.

I like that there is a logical reason for Avery’s presence at the Academy, and that she keeps her goal in mind. Even when she begins to fall for the guys, or when there are problems with other students, she never forgets about her goal, and never lets her lust or anger get the better of her. The part I did enjoy less (no surprise here) is the usual cliché mean-girl jealous drama. It is one of the reasons I am very picky with any Academy setting series: too often, there is too much juvenile drama, and I am just too old for this shit. Jealousy shouldn’t be the biggest source of drama in a book.

The way the guys did a 180 and went from being friendly to being complete jerks to Avery annoyed me a little bit, too. I do like the angst it added, and the way this book ends promises some good grovelling in the sequel, but I still think that it was too abrupt and jarring. We have some chapters from the guys’ point of view, so we can understand their reasoning, but Avery does not. Also, they didn’t just decide to give her the cold shoulder; they were actively mean to her, insulting her and treating her like she was shit under their shoe. They could have simply ignored her or, as she says, “use their big boys’ words” and tell her that they didn’t want to be friends with her anymore, and I am sure she would have left them alone. She would have been hurt, but she would have respected it, and Avery is too stubborn in her endeavor to become a guardian to let the guys steer her away from her goal anyway. So, the added angst was nice, but the way it was done was not great.

The one spicy scene was also too abrupt. It’s as if the author knew Avery and the guys were not nearly ready to spend some sexy time together, yet felt pressured to add some smut to the book, because it is a reverse harem after all. The act and who it happened with didn’t bother me; what was weird is the way it came to be: it felt so sudden and out of the blue, I couldn’t even sit down and enjoy it, because I kept thinking “WTF?!” in a loop. I did have to give 2.5 on the spice scale, because it is not fade-to-black, but there is no penetrative sex, and there is only one not too long spicy scene.

Avery and Ian have such a wonderful and heartwarming sibling bond. Their love and support for each other shines throughout the book. Ian is not simply there to add a friendly figure at the Academy; he interacts with Avery and other students, and he always has his sister’s back. No matter what. I just love how even though he is a fox, smaller than many of the other shifters, he is fierce and never hesitates to help Avery (because she does not need someone fighting for her) and is always ready to go kick some asses on her behalf, too.

The love interests (or future love-interests) are interesting, but not the greatest I've read about. I have to say, though, that Wyatt and Heath did feel pretty similar for most of the book. I can say that Wyatt is a bear shifter, and Heath is a wolf shifter, but honestly, besides that, there is not a lot to distinguish them. They are both good characters: intense, driven, and sexy, but their voice felt too similar at times.

Aiden is the sexy teacher, but the fact that he is barely a few years older than Avery made it weird. He tries to assert his authority and use the “this is an order from your teacher” card, but he feels like a twenty-something young dude, not like a mature teacher (I was hoping for more North Draven vibes, here). He remains an interesting and compelling love interest, don’t get me wrong, but I believe I would have enjoyed his interactions with Avery more if he’d been a little older, or felt older at least.

Elijah is the more intense member of the group. The one who fixates immediately on Avery, and is more reluctant to keep her at arms’ length. I did like him a lot, but I was hoping for him to put up more of a fight when the others decided to give the cold shoulder to Avery. He said that he was not willing to hurt “his Dove”, but then he let the others be mean to her and never tried to intervene or help her, even when he saw that it hurt her. I know it’s a mostly misogynistic society, and it’s all “bros before hoes”, but still, from what we saw in the first 80% of the book, I was hoping that he would remain in Avery’s corner, or try harder at least.

Avery also has a few friends at the Academy, and I hope Mal will be there in the second book. I love reverse harems, but a girl also needs to have a few friends besides the love interests. In this case, Avery had Mal, her boyfriend, and Ian’s boyfriend. They have a healthy friendship that better remain in the next book. I am a little wary that, since a part of the next book will happen off-campus, the friends will be swept aside and forgotten…

I need to give a special mention to George. The seven-foot bright purple python was one of the best secondary characters in the book, and he better remain at Avery’s side for the rest of the series. I am also glad the second book is out already, because I need to see them all grovelling.


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[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never know how to rate Elizabeth Dear books, because I enjoy the hell out of them, but they’re never anything deep or absolutely amazingly well written. They're like cozy comfort food, to me, not a gourmet meal. So, this is 4 stars for “I had fun reading it,” but not for, “it was amazing on a technical level, and had such depth.”

This is the first book in a paranormal RH trilogy. Avery (21) is a shifter, living in a world where shifters are under attack from creepy paranormal creatures called Wraiths. A military-type force called Guardians keep them safe. In this world, most women are latent, and it’s rare for a female shifter to actually be able to turn into an animal. For Plot Reasons, she grew up pretty isolated from main shifter society, but now she has to join it by attending their college, and training to become a Guardian. There, she meets the 4 heroes, who are all high level shifters. She also learns their society is sexist as hell. Her childhood where she learned to fight was pretty utopian. She’s rare in their world, and most people at their college are awful to a woman who can fight and shift.

Elizabeth Dear has a formula, but that's not a bad thing. It works for her, I like the way she writes characters. Plus, she changes her plots and subgenres just enough that her books don't feel like she keeps writing the same thing. So if you've read her other stuff, this has all the usual suspects. A kickass heroine, whose personality is similar to her other heroines. (She’s strong and knows her worth, and people try to bully her, but she hits back harder). A fun gay brother. Supportive parents. Terrible sexist people around the heroine (who will no doubt suffer satisfying deaths, later on). Heroes who are mostly Good Guys (and their personalities are similar to other Elizabeth Dear heroes). Except in this one, the guys do something shitty at the end. But, I don’t mind that, it sets up grovel in book 2 that will be deliciously angsty. It’s also the worst thing Elizabeth Dear heroes have done, so I’m excited to see how she writes them out of the hole that they dug for themselves.

Some aspects of it were predictable, like I’m sure most readers will easily be able to guess what Avery’s “beast” is. I don’t mind being able to predict stuff, though. It’s better to be able to follow the breadcrumbs than for a story to throw in a “twist” that comes out of nowhere and makes no sense.

This book kind of felt like Elizabeth Dear going, “The Bonds that Tie series was a good idea, but J Bree fucked it up, so let me put my own spin on it, and not fuck it up.” I don’t mean to say it’s copying it, it’s different enough to be its own thing. Also, that series itself isn’t unique. A lot of RHs have similar concepts (like the Evelyn Maynard series, and also Void by Coralee June, which both came out before it). I have no idea if this author even read The Bonds that Tie. But it did have enough similar ingredients (the heroine attending a supernatural college where she's underestimated. The heroine being secretly powerful and hiding what she is. People at college trying to bully her for being different. A society structured around RH relationships that form “bonds” that make them more powerful. A college where they do military-esque training exercises). Again, those are all tropes that nobody owns. The Bonds that Tie didn't invent them, so I'm in no way saying this is copying it. Just that if you liked that series at its start, but then got disappointed it squandered its potential and got bad, then you may like this book.

Anyway, this wasn’t super deep, but it was a lot of fun. It even made me think a pet snake was cute! Snakes aren't cute! But George is. It does end on a cliffhanger, but it sets up a deliciously angsty grovel scenario for the second book.

[Cindy ✩☽♔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth Dear has done it again!

Once again, she’s given us a kickass female lead capable of taking down just about anyone in her wake. She’s also delivered another group of sexy, mostly well-meaning men, who are also idiots in need of a good shake. Because the twist at the end of the book was not a twist to me. They’re just all too blind to see the obvious.

I loved Avery and the guys overall, and I am rooting for them to work things out. But I want to see some groveling first because how dare they leave our girl when she needs them most!? If they had just listened to her, she would not have suffered 😩

I also adored Avery’s entire friend group. Her brother Ian, his boyfriend Brody, their childhood friend Mallory, and Mallory’s mate Allen. They are a solid bunch and I hope we see more of them in the next book as well.

I will confess the book was a bit predictable for me, but I chalk that up to my being a veteran of the genre. Regardless, I still had a great time reading this and finished the entire thing in a single day.

I need the sequel book asap 😆

[Darcey · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS WAS SO FUN!

I had to tear myself away from this book for work, and the instant I got home I ran for my kindle. So, so addictive and entertaining - the fmc was badass as hell but not annoyingly so, her bond with her brother was SO CUTE, the friend group was adorable, the worldbuilding was interesting and fun to read about, and the mmcs were swoonworthy and distinctive enough.

This hit the spot for trashy entertaining RH romance, no doubt.

[Mikky · Rating 4 out of 5]

July 2026 - Reread

The audiobook for book #2 just released, so my mood reader brain decided to stop rereading another series and picked this up instead. This is why I can't have set monthly TBR lists. I will drive myself into a slump and up a wall.

Now that that's out of the way! I still really enjoyed this book. I can't wait for the FMC to make her men grovel and maybe get in a kick or two in the right sensitive places. But that's just me! ;) I can already feel the cliffhanger for book #2 coming and how the wait for book #3 will not be fun ♡
____________
April 2026 -

My Review:

This was an overall good book! It kept my attention extremely well. I've read enough books by this author to recognize that I really enjoy her writing style. I will say, though (and this isn't meant to come off as mean) this author only writes one type of FMC (based on all the other books I've read by this author). She's always feisty, straightforward, has a penchant for violence/fighting and is always very good at it. At some moments, she does come off as nOt-lIkE-oThEr-gIrLs which isn't great, but they're few and far between. This isn't me bashing anything by any means! FMC's that are written like that can be quite entertaining. I'm also one of those people who, when I find a book that works for me, I will read 1001 identical books with few changes in the storyline by different authors because I really enjoyed it once, why not enjoy it 1001 more times?

All that to say, Avery was pretty entertaining throughout the story! As I've said, she's headstrong and will defend the people she loves to the death. I hated how she was pushed aside by the MMC's. The hot and cold thing they had going on was fascinating in the beginning, but quickly became annoying. However, I liked how she dealt with it. She's not a pushover and can kick *ss. I hope she punches each one in the dick at least twice while they grovel for a few months begging for her forgiveness after what they did.

The MMC's started off very interesting! They each had their individual personalities and styles. My favorite was Elijah. Those red flags are heart-shaped, baby! That all went downhill with the last 2 or so hours of this book. Shifter society is extremely sexist. To the point where too many men believe that Avery/any woman is an abomination if she has a beast. Men in this society only want a "mate" for breeding and as a "central bond" to amplify/transfer power between the men in the bond. It's like women are a means to an end for them. If I'm being honest, it's a little too close to home when we look at real-world statistics and the number of women dying at the hands of men in the year of our lord 2026. Moving on from that tangent, I hated how the MMC's decided that Avery wasn't good enough while never actually giving her the chance to confide in them. That alone would make me flip a table. Considering how mean and dismissive they were of her, I would kick them all to the curb mate bond or not. They better do some heavy, heavy groveling in the next book, and Avery better make them pay for what they put her through. I'm not afraid of DNFing a book when groveling isn't done right.

Avery is a white tiger! Out of all my guesses, that one was never even on the list! It's been a while since I've read a book with a tiger shifter main character.

[KC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t be like me and start this at 10:30 pm, you’ll definitely be losing sleep!

After the latest wraith attack, Avery must enroll in shifter college to become a Guardian, the esteemed hunters who protect the world from wraiths. Not only is becoming a guardian as a woman frowned upon, it’s also never been done. The Guardians are male primes while females of this world should be latent and bonded with, not fight on the front lines. Avery is there to do what hasn’t been done before but she may get more than she bargained for with the Blackwell quad around.

Avery is a complete badass FMC! I love how she embraces her skill and shatters the misogyny that always surrounds her. Of course her cleverness and skill with blades catch the attention of the most sought after alphas on campus. Their dynamic and banter will leave you kicking and screaming. Elijah is my absolute favorite! Unhinged and possessive!

I’m so curious to see how Avery will continue to challenge the institutions and beliefs of their society. There are also hints that something more sinister is going on so I’m excited to see how that goes.

Avery’s relationship with her brother is a highlight of the story. They have such a strong bond, always supporting and caring for each other. And George is the other standout. He’s the goodest snake ever!

If you’re looking for an addicting, why choose paranormal romance, pick this up asap!

[ulmee · Rating 2 out of 5]

“my beast perked up”
“my beast preened”
“my beast flicked her ears in mildly aggressive interest”

and it’s the holy trinity of basic bitches: the flavorless alpha, the forearms having and glasses wearing professor and the hoe. this who you perking and preening for???

elijah is excluded from this list. any man who can turn into a big ass snake with a big forked tongue gets a pass from me.

[Надія · Rating 5 out of 5]

Офігезно🫠
Крута жгг, яка відгемселить любого - є.
Чотири мєга круті і найбажаніші женіхи - є.
Академія і змагання - є.
І дійсно відчувається вплив Морган Б.Лі🥹 до Мейвен ще далеко, але ох, як же мені це нравиця❤️

Женішки наші повели себе як довбодятли під кінець🤨 і я дууууже надіюсь, що жгг заставить їх вимолювати прощення хоча б третину наступної книги🙈

[Laura (lady_h_reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
“You’re shaking, sweetheart. Does that feel good, having Heath’s tongue between your gorgeous thighs? I’m so damn jealous of my brother right now. I’d love to be the one making you moan.”

Elizabeth Dear has delivered one of her best FMCs ever! Mix Mave (from Mave Fortune) with Jolie (A Knights Revenge) and Dylan (Dylan St Clare) and you get Avery. Outstanding!

The men… you’ll be the judge. Such highs followed by such lows. Can they be forgiven? I think they deserve a dick punch or two.

Once again, the supportive brother shines bright. Ian is just as BA as his sister. I loved their relationship.

Slower burn, why choose romance that ends in a killer of a cliffhanger. I don’t know how I’ll wait until April for the next installment.

Thanks to Elizabeth Dear for the eARC.

[Victoria Werngreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I JUST LOVE ME AN ACADEMIC SHIFTER REVERSE HAREM ROMANTASY 😍😍 I ate it up in 24 hours! if you like Cursed Legacies by Morgan B. Lee or The Bonds That Tie by J. Bree you should 100% give this a go! you will not be dissapointed 😌🤌🏼 they only bad thing is that the second book isn’t out yet😭😭😭

Avery is a freaking badddieee!! I like the guys (I think Elijah is my fave👀🐍 or George duhh🤦🏼‍♀️ ) and I adore Avery and Ian’s sibling-bond - they really got each others back! it is easy to read, fast paced, lots of cool fighting scenes and the lovable college scene!

I've laughed and giggled so much and just had the best time 🤭

I will say I did guess her beast kinda early on.. I don't know if that was supposed to be a big reveal, but it was cool nonetheless. like I said, if you like The Bonds That Tie or Cursed Legacies, I think this will be right up your alley! they do have A LOT of similarities but in my experience most of the RH shifter/paranormal college setting stories have very similar stories🤷‍♀️ some are just so much better than others and I think this has the potential to be in my top 4👏🏼

really excited for the next book and all of the growling teheheheheh😈🤭

1.5/5🌶️


mini spoiler:

I will say, the guys were DOUCHES in the end! like unnecessary douchy, but the author did warn us of some bullying and I've read Zodiac Academy, so I'll get over it 😂

[Daisy Delfin · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have read A Knight's Revenge and loved it, than you should try this series.

I loved all the books I read by Elizabeth Dear. And I have read seven so far. I loved the FMC, her brother and her family.

I actually also liked the guys, even if they made wrong decisions. But they were kind of understandable.

I'll have to wait till next year until I get my hands on the next book. And then there is another wait till the third and last book will be out.

Edit: in the middle of my latest reread I decided to listen to the audiobook. There are five narrators and I enjoyed the audiobook very much. It was so good!

[C0melibros · Rating 1 out of 5]

it's actually 1.2 ⭐

another rh where the characters lack emotional connection and it's all based on the fated mates trope to kinda "explain" the miscommunication between immature male leads.

idk what I was expecting but it all seemed so predictable, plain and sexist in the worst way possible.

-Avery beast casually is like the tiger from the legend they all use to justify their sexist thoughts, and is a great mystery during the whole book until the last chapter... how intriguing.
-The lack of understanding of the wraiths attacks from all the characters (even the teacher of the MOST PRIVILEGED COLLEGE) with only the female lead and her brother being the exception.
-The misogyny between nearly all female characters in this book was disgusting to read at the point of even wondering if the author is like that in real life.
-The unnecessary sexual harassment with Avery and just calling her a pick me, a b*tch, just because.
-The amount of "battles" thar are describe it's kinda tiring, specially cause they're all win by our female lead.
-The sexual scenes are so bad written, there's no real background for them they are literally fighting with guess what? another sexist character (yess my fav type of character) and then suddenly they're thanking the FL for saving their sister but they are also mad for her to be that careless with her own persona, and then she just let that happen even though she didn't need problems with more guys and

I think I'm masochistic, there's other reason why I wouldn't dnf this book. it had an interesting trama at the start but the lack of deep connection within the characters was something that annoyed me, the boys group didn't feel close to each other, they just payed attention to Avery because she seemed different and was out of the role of women in their sexist society. All of them were questioning her at some point (except maybe for the bear dad ) but when it was up to believe an old prophecy they didn't have enough brain cells to make their own arguments.

I can't get over the fact they called her pick me just cause they were trying to get over their desire for her because they didn't need someone with a beast.

just read it if you are a masochist as well but you're warned about what you'll find.

[Blaire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friends I read this whole book in one sitting. It was everything I want, need and love in a paranormal/shifter romance. I loved Avery. Her spirit was unstoppable and I rooted for her from the first word. The men…oh the men…you’re telling me I get an overprotective alpha, the morally uptight professor, a cheeky bear of a man and a tortured but soft for her soul all in one book? Say less.

“𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘋𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦—𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

There was so much pining and long looks across the dining hall. But then oh these boys…these boys and their stupid, misguided decisions. I won’t lie…it hurt. That ending hurt.

BUT this was an instant 5 ⭐️ for me and made its way right up there to the top of my favorite shifter romances along with the likes of Tessa Hale, Jaymin Eve and Ivy Asher. Elizabeth knew exactly what she was doing with this one and I am FERAL for book 2.

What you get:
- why choose
- animal shifters
- academic/war college setting
- she has things to hide and things to prove
- baddie FMC
- slow burn
- rivals to lovers

[Saraya · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25✨ finishing this at 3am because I couldn’t put it down & yes I predicted every part of the end BUT I will never say no to a fantasy academy/university setting idc I love it every time

[⊹ Gabriela | Asternyx ⊹ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best freaking Reverse-Harem I've read in a while.
Elizabeth did not dissapoint. I'm completely obsessed with everyone in this book!

[Books &Chaos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am absolutely FERAL for this book. Hands down one of my favorite reads of the year. I absolutely could not put it down. I almost wish I hadn’t binge read this whole book in one day because now it’s over and I feel empty without it. First off our FMC—a total badass with a sword! And she has caught the attention of not one shifter but FOUR (and an adorable snake friend🐍) Now this is my first time reading why choose so I was a little nervous I wouldn’t like it but I have zero regrets. This is so perfectly done. I am absolutely obsessed with every man in this book. I don’t think I could choose one to like best. I cannot wait to get my hands on book two! I need it like I need air.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tropes ✨:
Paranormal romance
War college
Why choose (MFMMM)
Central bond
Shifters
Bad ass FMC

🖤: “Was this love? If her existence didn’t make my beast so fucking feral, I would’ve thought so.”

[AllisterMarie aka Alli 🖤 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I AM OBSESSED! I have been craving a great shifter why choose romance, & this beyond sated me, but now I’m desperate for book 2! This book was so good I finished it in one sitting. If you like shifters, magic, why choose, college academy setting, deliciously sexy Professors, super hot classmates, TENSION, & an extremely powerful FMC you wanna be like, this is for you!

[e · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars 🌟

The ending was just cruel wtf.

I did enjoy this at first, however at the 60% mark I did end up getting slightly tired of everything. The ma.e leads were pissing me off immensely. I loved Elijah, he was probably the only one I actually cared for, alongside Avery, Ian and, of course, George.

I’ll defo read the next in the series because I need to find out what happens.

[Mareeva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could not care less about any of these characters

[julia ☆ [owls reads] · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sort of quick and entertaining read I was looking for! The shifter elements, set, and overall worldbuilding were pretty fun. The relationship between Avery and Ian was also lovely, specially as the story progressed and Avery found herself in more difficult situations. Her secret was pretty easy to figure out after some worldbuilding information was revealed, so it was a matter of time to wait for the other characters to catch up. For the guys: their distinct personalities were so much fun to read about! The one (1) sex scene was very abrupt, however, and I didn't appreciate how it came about. Same about the lack of communication.

[Reem · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okeeey
First, There was a lot of typos and mismatched sentences
Second, The story is just basic and predictable
Third, I didn’t like the guys that much, didn’t feel the connection

1 star for the snake and one for the fmc and her brother

[Just Josie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am giving this one 5 stars for the absolute compelling story that it was.

The FMC?
What a badass FMC.
Loved her.

The MMC’s?
Dickheads.
But totally into it.
I need to see some heavy groveling and I can’t wait.

The Plot?
I’m here for it. I want to see Avery succeed in her quest to become a Guardian.

The Side characters?
ADORED her brother.
Adored her fathers.
Adored George!

The Academy drama?
Yaaas to female drama and jealousy from others. Look I just love that, okay?

The steam?
Just yummy. It wasn’t overdone and I really appreciate that because I love a good storyline, and I felt like that was respected. Just a lovely slow burn for this slow burn lover.

The Fighting?
My girl was badass with a sword and that’s one of my favorite FMC. I just love a woman that doesn’t run from a fight.

The secret?
Annoyingly well done. I appreciated the anticipation.

Me?
I just ordered the books on paperback. I need my basilisk, my wolf, my bear and my jaguar on the shelf.
Excited is an understatement.

Read: 05.05.2026
1st rating: 5 stars
Genre/tropes: Shifters- college- fated males- why choose- romance- paranormal
Cover: 3.5 stars (a little bland but I appreciate it being discreet.
POV’s: Multiple POV’s- 1st person
Will I recommend: Yes

[britta ⋆˙⟡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

warms my little heart to know that in this year of our lord 2026 there are people (Elizabeth Dear) taking the time to put out well written, entertaining lighthearted little why choose fantasy ditties like this when we so desperately need them 🙏
4 🌟 she’s got a formula and it works for me, would’ve loved a little more flavor, something a bit new and different too 💛

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Ok, but why was this so good????

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧:
- why choose PNR
- elite war college
- central bond trope

[Sybrenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ THIS WAS GOOD😭 Elizabeth Dear just writes really good why choose! From the plot to the burn of the romance and the way i always end up stanning the FMC’s! (because they’re baddies!) & the way that there’s always some sort of mystery or questions that I have that has me continually turning the pages. I was so sat for this!!!

I loved the feminine power that our FMC exuded in this like she’s such a bad b*tch! & I loved the paranormal aspect of this book too and the way that we got to see bits of the fmcs beast personality without it actually having one, if that makes sense!
I also loved the fact that its in an academic setting with fights and challenges, i felt like a fly on the wall reading those scenes, like it was lowkey intense???!

Then, the burn and pull of the romance 😭 like the BALANCE of the mmcs with the FMC. I feel like they all shined in this book and there wasn’t a definitive favorite that authors tend to have when writing mmcs in why choose. Plus i didn’t hate any of them! But I’m so ready for book 2! BRING ON THE
GROVELLLLLLL

Idk, i liked this. I was entertained, immersed and invested in the story and characters.

[Pene|ope • Reading Slump, Send Help · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waiting years (and I'll wait forever) for this author to write Daisy's story from another series, so I lost my mind and decided to fix my lagging attention span for other books by Engaging in a New Series Before Completion.

What the fuck was I thinking actually. 

Now I'm sitting here hanging onto this cliff that I knew was coming and I just need to know how these stuckup, manwh0re, fake simulation-trained assholes make this up to her. Because right now I'd like my girl to go find another quad, any other quad, and be happy with them instead.

This is one of very few authors I've seen actually write grovel worth reading, so I trust her, I just cannot handle waiting.

[Mel B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sooooo

**SPOILERS**

Avery is a shifter who hunts wraiths in her Colorado town with her brother Ian, who is a fox shifter. After a particularly bad attack sidelined her, her dads decide she should go to shifter academy where she can train formally, get a better education and be protected. She and Ian head to the university with the intent on becoming guardians (the highest order of protective warriors). The thing is…there are no female guardians, oh, and female shifters without a beast soul are called parents and are only supposed to really go to school to attract powerful quads so their magic can bolster their male quad. Avery has a beast soul but doesn’t let anyone know because, we find out later, she’s a prime (the strongest shifter) AND a rarity that would have her hunted and killed. She doesn’t want to join a quad who would only see her as a womb to pop out shifter babies and/or a catalyst for more power.

She quickly finds that staying off the radar of the highest and strongest quad on campus is impossible! The Blackwell quad made up of Heath, Wyatt, Elijah and Aiden are all powerful and the leaders on the scoreboard in guardian training. They are immediately drawn to Avery, but they are nervous because their dad who is an alpha (prime) is basically blackmailing them with their younger sister’s life. He’s pretty much pimping her out, ready to auction her off to a powerful quad to cement alliances. They hover over Avery, protect her and treat her like gold until their father basically tells him that their sister Clara’s bonding is imminent. They need the power boost to challenge him so they decide to bond an acceptable latent female. They not only cut off contact with Avery, but they harass her, start a smear campaign against her and treat her like sh*t. Book one ends when they’re attacked in the woods. They send her off alone, basically to her death. She fights and her beast breaks free. They catch the tail end of her fight and see her beast form, she’s a prime silver tiger! What’s more…she’s their fated mate. Uhmmmm duh (lol) that was obvious from their first meeting, idiots. They hold her injured form and tell her that they have her. Avery thinks to herself that she doesn’t need or want them now, and that she rejects them. The book ends with her passing out.

**THOUGHTS/OPINIONS**

Well, I would’ve given this book more stars if the guys hadn’t been total jackasses at the end! I get it, many books have the fated mates turn against their fated for some nonsensical reason, in them. However not many have 85% or more of the story having the MMC’s treating the female like gold only to decide to become a-holes at like the twelfth hour. I really love Avery’s character, and I liked the MMC’s for the most part (even if they were described as man whores, I wasn’t exactly thrilled with that). I enjoyed their interactions and thought their hesitation made sense…because they still became friends with her, without bonding her like immediately, or pushing for a bond. Heck, Avery would’ve castrated them if they pushed for a bond, lol. What I hated was how MEAN and awful they were to her at like the end of the book. They could’ve ignore her, pushed her away etc WITHOUT actively smearing her and harassing her and calling her awful names. They absolutely could’ve given her the cold shoulder without becoming complete a-holes. All I can say is that I will be absolutely LIVID if Avery forgives them in book two. Since this is a three book series there better be EPIC amounts of groveling in book two. And no, she’d better not forgive them, hell, I hope she makes them feel every ounce of pain she felt at their betrayal, I’d love if she’d hook up with some other shifters. Again, this is a trilogy, so when they end up together it had better be in book three, because there isn’t enough groveling in the world to make up for what they put her through…so if she forgives them in book two I’ll riot!!!!