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Shifter Squad #7

Vampire Matriarch

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On a quest to hunt down her mother, Lexi underestimates just how powerful the vampirism in her system has become. Intent on murder, she is instead drawn in by false promises and sweet lies. Katrina rules her nest through intimidation and fear, but she possesses a talent that no other undead creature has ever had before. This makes her far harder to kill than Lexi had anticipated. It will take cunning and ingenuity to end the master vampire’s life. Lexi isn't the only one who is suffering. Reece is going through his own form of torment. The perfect life he’d experienced in a succubus induced dream is just a figment of his imagination. Nothing is as he’d expected since leaving the Shifter Squad and joining his pack. At the next full moon, Lexi becomes something that has never existed before. Part wolf, part vampire and part something else, she sets out to confront the mate who abandoned her. Reece Garrett is responsible for her becoming an abomination. She decides that it is high time he answered for what he did to her.

323 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2015

35 people are currently reading
140 people want to read

About the author

J.C. Diem

117 books300 followers
I began reading horror and paranormal books when most girls my age were still reading fairy stories. I always dreamed that one day I would be able to write stories that readers could become lost in.

The Mortis, Shifter Squad, Hellscourge and Fate's Warriors series are connected, but can be read as stand alone series. The overarching theme about Fate's chosen champions will come to an end with my fifth series; Loki's Exile.

My sixth series, Hunter Elite, begins a new saga with the seventh series, Half Fae Hunter, as a spin off.

Send me an email at subscribe@jcdiem.com if you would like to receive updates about pre-orders and new releases.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for JadeShea.
3,235 reviews60 followers
November 30, 2018
Lexi looses the final connection to her mate, and now she's after her mother to make sure neither of them survive the confrontation. But when something bad happens, and Lexi is turned into something more, all she wants now is revenge on the one person who hurt her the most, Reese.

However, Reese is in his own form of torment. Life isn't at all what he thought it would be, and while Lexi was forced to end her bond, he is still connected to her, and he's in really bad shape.

This causes Lexi to do things she never thought were possible, and eventually she and Reese will have a lot to work through to fix the mess that has been made.

This book was wonderful! I thoroughly enjoyed getting to see a different side to Lexi. And I love that she's really powerful now. I also enjoyed seeing her get back at Reese, and learning more about that whole situation. Now, I'm even more excited to read more.
Profile Image for Just Josie.
1,138 reviews194 followers
June 27, 2019
Yes!!! Finally!!!!!

Again, I cannot express my love for these characters! As much as Lexi annoys me at times, she also completely intrigues me.

I cannot wait for the last two books !

Will I recommend: Yes!
Profile Image for Evora Blake.
25 reviews12 followers
November 1, 2015
It was much better than I thought it would be and it managed to resolve some of my previous concerns. I'm back to happily awaiting the next book.
75 reviews2 followers
November 2, 2015
Liked this one!

Spoiler Alert

Have to admit to mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, I think Reese got off easy. We went thru two and half books of Lexi’s anguish. I think we should have have at least had a couple of books of Reese suffering. I mean, we did really hate him for a while there. While I know the author can’t rewrite ( and I don’t think I would want her too), I am open to her writing a book from Reese’s point of view covering timeframe from book four when he was first controlled thru end of book seven when Lexi finally forgave him. It would provide a little balance on their angst and we would be able to see what he suffered. Because, right now, we’re only really see Lexi’s suffering. Besides, I feel like we're missing some really good parts of the story there.

I’m just going to be honest and say I’m really glad there was no cheating. I think after all Lexi suffered thru, if there had been a physical relationship between Gloria and Reese, I just would have lost interest right there. At that point, it would have been cheating just for the sake of cheating. There would have been no real reason for it except to cause more angst, and we already had more than enough. It also helped redeem Reese somewhat, at least in my opinion.

I loved, loved, loved seeing the kick butt Lexi back. I also really liked that even after she got her emotions back, she was set on getting over Reese and didn’t just forgive him when he said he was sorry. This girl was badass and didn’t care what most of them thought. About time she showed up. I thought she had died in book five.

I do think Reese could have been a stronger character in this book. I think he came off as a little bit of a wimp. At the start of this series, he was this uber strong alpha who had some resistance to the compulsion Lust subjected him to. I personally think it would have had more impact if he could have overcome the control, and been the one to come find Lexi and save her. I really didn’t care for the fact that she was, once again, the one going to find Reese. I think it conflicted with her “I no longer care attitude.”

I have to admit I’ve been wavering on my opinion of this series for the last couple of books. But, the author has redeemed herself, at least as far as I’m concerned. It’s not perfect, but hey, she’s a fairly new author and she’s trying. I think she did a pretty good job. She has a real talent for keeping you invested. Also, creating chemistry between your characters on the written page can’t be an easy thing. And Reese and Lexi have it in spades. I think she’s truly talented, but that isn’t the only reason I’m so impressed with her. She’s one of the few authors who actually encourages her readers’ opinions and then listens to them. I hope it's a practice she continues throughout her writing career. Frankly, even if she doesn’t always do exactly what I want in her books, just the fact that she considered my feelings would inspire my loyalty.

There is one other important point I would like to make about this author. And this is a huge deal to me. YOU ONLY HAVE TO WAIT TWO MONTHS FOR HER BOOKS! Also, she sticks with the series she is currently writing. Nothing more frustrating than an author who grows bored with her current series and moves on to something else, leaving her readers hanging. Or, is writing three different series at the same time and it takes two to three years for each book. Ms. Diem is committed to publishing each book on time so her fans don’t have to wait and I really appreciate the commitment it takes to accomplish this. It’s another practice that I hope Diem continues, and will definitely keep me loyal to her.

The book wasn’t perfect, but it did come thru. I think she did a great job answering most of the questions in this book and preparing us for the next one. Overall I’m happy with it!
Profile Image for Poetic Puppy.
312 reviews1 follower
November 23, 2017
Lexi is a woman on a mission and when that mission fails, she finds herself embracing a new one. Reece will have to get lucky if he wants to avoid Lexi’s wrath but when ‘the curse of Lexi’ strikes again things are set to change once more.

If you’re anything like me - a romantic at heart - then this is the book you’ve been waiting for since the succubus messed with Reece’s mind and the pair began to drift apart. Reece is about to step back into our lives but things have changed for both him and Lexi, so don’t expect for them to fall into one another’s arms the moment they see one another or else you’ll find yourself extremely disappointed. Lexi is still being mentally pushed to the edge and will have to face yet more revelations about who she is and who she’s becoming. Honestly, I thought I felt sorry for her in the last book but this one proves itself to be just as emotionally draining. If you’re invested in the story – which you really should be by now – you’ll hurt for Lexi and Reece and want to kill both of their mothers, or hoping that someone kills them for them. Revenge, heartbreak and unrequited love are just some of the things we have to look forward to this time around. Though to be fair we’ve been through our fair share of heartbreak and unrequited love already. So it’s no wonder that Lexi wants to end it all. Our girl is emotionally drained and can’t seem to see a way out of her current situation. And while things don’t go as planned, Lexi is set to learn even more about her family history. I really do feel sorry for our girl. But don’t despair; there is a ray of sunshine at the end of the extremely long, dark tunnel for Lexi. And if you haven’t read the Mortis Vampire Series yet – which I haven’t – there’s one hell of a spoiler coming up in this book, so if you plan to read the Mortis series, you might just want to put this book down for now and come back to it once you’ve finished reading Natalie Pierce’s story.
83 reviews
January 28, 2018
A good book

In the last couple of books I came to hate the main male charater in this series. And I wasn't high on the female charater either. But it all came together in this book. I was actually happy with the revenge she brought on Reese. I hate lovey dovey stories where someone gets away with everything/anything because their love interest is so smitten with them. I was afraid this is what was going to happen here to. But was I surprised. I hope we get to read more about the other team members HEA. This is a great series. I've bought and read every book in this series one after the other and I do recommend it. I will be checking out J. C. Diems other series when I'm finished with this one.
350 reviews24 followers
March 12, 2020
Series review up to book 7

This review will contain spoilers.

I had a hard time pinpointing how I feel about this series. Ultimately, I guess I would say disappointed. It had potential but failed to deliver for me.

Book 1 was interesting. I liked it in that way you find someone attractive but don't want to actually date them; I liked the book but I wondered if I would like the series. Here is what I liked in book 1: interesting and slightly unusual main character, range of secondary characters, a male lead who is supernatural and not hundreds of years older than Lexi, sniper stuff (cool!), a romance that doesn't happen in 5 seconds, and the start of decent world building. All that made it a decent read so I moved on to book 2.

I powered through book 2. There was a lot of rehashing of things brought up in book one, it hey, it's only book 2. I continued on despite disappointment.

By book 3 I was skimming. Not most of it, but enough. I was annoyed by all the "sobbing" (I mean seriously, at some point Lexi has to get over stuff) and the use of the word noisome. The characters hadn't grown at all and felt two dimensional. Still, I hoped that the relationship would get the plot back on track. FYI, it doesn't.

Books 4-7 had the same issues. Lexi cried about 10 times in 300 pages, everything she says in relation to Reece is "bitter"--the girl is 18! If she's that bitter all the time, how has someone not shot her to shut her up? And it's not like any of the causes for the bitterness are new. Instead, we rehash the same stuff from book one. And it's rehashed nearly every chapter. In the end, the stories just became about her complaining about how much she's suffered. Personally, I didn't think she had suffered more than the others. Life's tough kid; wake the f up and deal with it because everyone else is. And while the whole reveal of the soul mate thing was supposed to feel exciting, I just felt shocked because it was a cliche and frankly, I didn't think it needed calling out since it was obvious from book 1. Maybe if it had appeared in book 2 or 3, I would have been ok with it. But book 7? I had put that to bed over a 1,000 pages ago.

I am never a fan of repetition as it bores me, and these books had too much of it for me to work with. A more patient person may enjoy the books more. What also got to me was the lack of character development. The secondary characters did the same stuff, laughed at the same things, made the same lame jokes and never progressed to anything more. Frankly, I found Kala unlikable. She was only there to pro die laughs but she fell flat. In fact, she read like a demanding child rather than an adult woman. Lexi was similar; while independent at adult-l like at first, she rapidly becomes a whiney teenager who sobs hysterically when something doesn't go her way. She also refuses to listen to logic or anyone. Her relationship issues are all her but she puts the blame on anyone else. To me, that is a complete turnaround from the focused, controlled woman we see early in book 1. Flynn, Reece, and Mark just seem to hover in the background as clueless males. The stereotyping of all of them was not something I liked and thought lessened the story.

I don't intend to read farther in this series. I can largely tell what will happen anyway, and I am disappointed enough not to want to continue. I am sad that the series doesn't interest me further, especially with the multiple versions of Earth thing happening. I may try the third tie-in series. I tried the first and while interesting, put it away after two books because I was interested in this shifter timeline.

I would recommend this series to those who don't mind repetition, emotional characters, and want a darkish read that is lighter reading material. The spin on the supernatural is certainly interesting.
43 reviews3 followers
February 11, 2017
amazing loving this series and can't wait to start her other series and the books that entwine them all together
Profile Image for Laura.
1,229 reviews11 followers
November 10, 2015
The author continues to shine

This is book seven in the series. The author started where book six left off which is always nice for readers like myself. I can't stand books that start off elsewhere then tries to go back and forth. Lexi went through so many more trials during this novel. I had some mixed feelings about how she behaved and some of the things she did when she turned but all in all it turned out. I was upset at Reece during the previous novel but the author also cleared up all that mess with a reasonable explanation. He was as much an innocent pawn in this whole game of fate. This has been a good journey with the series and the authors ability to create an intriguing storyline. I'm looking forward to the next release in January!
Profile Image for India.
Author 14 books97 followers
November 9, 2015
Having been left on a cliff hanger with the previous book I was really eager to get my teeth into this one. Lexi finally gets to confront her mother, the vampire who bit her and Reece, and hoping to take her down, joins her nest. However, killing the vampire that made her would result in her own death, which makes things a little awkward for her.

This book is a fabulous blend of suspense and conclusions. J. C. Diem seems to have the chemistry for the series in a perfect formula and continues to produce great books with addictive qualities.

Profile Image for Airwreckah.
626 reviews11 followers
January 1, 2016
3.5

I thought this was gonna go somewhere like an ending to the story, but the last 20% just threw that idea in the garbage. Now there is a Ragnarok on the horizon and Fate is telling Lexi she is the all-powerful being who can avert this disaster? Blurgh. Why wouldnt it be less end of the world? Why does this always happen is books. You can escalate the drama without Ragnarok. It is possible.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Olivia.
549 reviews2 followers
January 11, 2020
Loved it

I have to say this book was the hardest to read in this series, and the first half nearly made me give up reading it. But the second half totally made up for it. Especially as there was romance there. As I admit that loved the romance part. Great book in the end, just got to wait for the next one. And think I'm going to start the mortis series.
Profile Image for Leah.
Author 60 books62 followers
November 18, 2015
Amazing!

I love this author and these stories get better and better!
This is my favorite book so far and I can't wait for the next book!
You must read the other series first and then this series. J.C. Diem
is one of the most creative and brilliant authors of our time!
350 reviews2 followers
November 2, 2015
Ups and downs

Which way Lexie will go after her encounter with mom has you going wow, then Reese is back too. Can she survive that pain and become a champion for fate, making the right decisions. Great story can't wait for the next one.
795 reviews4 followers
November 2, 2015
Drama continues

The team continues to be a family and strive to destroy the "bad" monsters. Reece and Lex finally come to a final stand off. Although, this book did not have a huge battle, it laid a foundation for the upcoming battle to stop a war and closed any loose ends.
Profile Image for Casey.
227 reviews38 followers
November 4, 2015
1.5 stars

I thought some stuff was gonna get started in this book but nope. Same old drama. The last 20% was the hardest to swallow. It took me 2 days to make myself read it and I did a lot of eye rolling.
Profile Image for karen jennings.
2 reviews
November 5, 2015
Dear God!! Perfect!

This book is amazing! I could feel the emotions of the characters throughout and the suspense was deadly. Can the next one come out earlier? I don't think I can wait until January.
3 reviews
November 11, 2015
Really liked it

Really liked this series and totally recommend it if you want a supernatural romance read. I can't wait for the next book to come out.
447 reviews3 followers
December 23, 2015
Great book

The series keeps you guessing from page one and is hard to predict. I think I found another favorite author☺
Profile Image for SJ.
2,366 reviews15 followers
June 10, 2022
Things are really starting to heat up. We get answers to previous questions but still awaiting more answers. We are getting g close to the end and I am so excited to see what happens next
100 reviews1 follower
November 3, 2015
Enjoyed the book and the series to date. Looking forward to the next book.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews

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