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Southern Sanctuary #7
To Shackle A Shrew
The Merrow were a notorious bunch of liars, cheaters and scoundrels. Descended from a long line of swindlers, conmen, pirates and politicians. Unfortunately for Devon Patel, Makura Princess, she’s expected to marry one of the Merrow Royal Princes. Hiring the services of the Southern Sanctuary match maker therefore seems like a smart first move. But before Devon can blink she’s trapped in the Southern Sanctuary and suffering through fourteen blind dates from hell. Worse still, it seems someone out there really wants Devon dead. Lumbered with the annoying Liam Chambers, who says he just wants to protect her. Devon’s not sure if she can trust a Merrow who smiles at her all the time and has a sneaky way of getting under her skin. Decisions? Decisions? Should she go with her gut and kill the Merrow, or go with her heart and kiss him? Liam Chambers isn’t your typical Merrow. He doesn’t lie, cheat or steal. Which is probably why his family hate him so much. And whilst he may not be interested in getting married, to his complete shock he finds himself very interested in the Makura Princess he has sworn to protect. The more the royal diva snaps, snarls and threatens to kill him, the more Liam wants her. Before too long Liam doesn’t just want to protect Devon, he wants to shackle himself to the shrew for life.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 15, 2015
2 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
Jane Cousins
22 books151 followersAn optimist, yet overly sarcastic. Big on bringing the laughs and the heat to her paranormal romance and cosy mystery series. A huge fan of snark, with a side order of bickering and a double heaping of banter. Delivering to the page sweet alpha males and their more than a match female counterparts. Before wrapping it all up in a hugely satisfying HEA each and every time.
Living in Melbourne, Australia, with her blue tongue lizard, that pokes it head out from under the porch twice a year. When not writing, can generally be found reading.
The Beast of Gloomenthrall - a snarky, fun & hot stand alone romantasy - Released January 2025
Currently hard at work on book 15 - To Crave A Curse (Southern Sanctuary series)
Follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JaneCousinsW... or Twitter for all the latest - @JCousins_Author
or - become a fan on Goodreads, read my blog and get all the latest news.
Living in Melbourne, Australia, with her blue tongue lizard, that pokes it head out from under the porch twice a year. When not writing, can generally be found reading.
The Beast of Gloomenthrall - a snarky, fun & hot stand alone romantasy - Released January 2025
Currently hard at work on book 15 - To Crave A Curse (Southern Sanctuary series)
Follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JaneCousinsW... or Twitter for all the latest - @JCousins_Author
or - become a fan on Goodreads, read my blog and get all the latest news.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 10, 2019
She comes from a race of bitchy women who have a tendency to kill and maim first and ask questions later.
He comes from a race of men who are con-men, shysters, and scammers who don't like to work for a living.
It's the perfect match!
Except, someone is trying to kill her for some reason. She's kind of used to death threats, so she doesn't take it very seriously.
"..."you know me, on any given day I upset what, two, three people and they're always 'I'm going to get you'. Who can take that seriously?"
Yeah, I liked her. She is bitchy, sarcastic, and gives zero fucks about it. What's not to like?
Unfortunately for him, he keeps getting hurt whenever someone tries to kill her.
Oh well, the price of loving someone who makes people want to kill her.
He's the goldfish. In case you didn't know.
So, Devon is a princess of some bitchy mermaid species and Liam is a prince of the smarmy mermen. Their families have a betrothal contract so she has to marry either him or one of his 14 brothers. As part of the contract she has to go on a date with each of them and then pick one.
Let's just say that her dates have quickly become a favorite among the locals. They place bets on how it will go, and are always entertained.
One date:
"You brought a prostitute to our date?"
"I prefer the term high-end escort, and please, call me Monique."
"Hold on.... High-end? As in (he has) money?"
Well, maybe if he is rich enough for an expensive prostitute, he is rich enough to marry her. A girl's gotta eat.
But, yeah, the dates aren't going that well.
Liam, the merman prince who keeps getting hurt, so is stuck in her house, is starting to look better all the time. Of course, he is homeless... doesn't have a steady job.... and when he does work, it is taking pictures of naked bimbos. Still, better than hooker-dater.
This book was really fun. I loved Devon's bitchy ways and I loved Liam's everything. One of my favorites of the series.
He comes from a race of men who are con-men, shysters, and scammers who don't like to work for a living.
It's the perfect match!
Except, someone is trying to kill her for some reason. She's kind of used to death threats, so she doesn't take it very seriously.
"..."you know me, on any given day I upset what, two, three people and they're always 'I'm going to get you'. Who can take that seriously?"
Yeah, I liked her. She is bitchy, sarcastic, and gives zero fucks about it. What's not to like?
Unfortunately for him, he keeps getting hurt whenever someone tries to kill her.
Oh well, the price of loving someone who makes people want to kill her.
He's the goldfish. In case you didn't know.
So, Devon is a princess of some bitchy mermaid species and Liam is a prince of the smarmy mermen. Their families have a betrothal contract so she has to marry either him or one of his 14 brothers. As part of the contract she has to go on a date with each of them and then pick one.
Let's just say that her dates have quickly become a favorite among the locals. They place bets on how it will go, and are always entertained.
One date:
"You brought a prostitute to our date?"
"I prefer the term high-end escort, and please, call me Monique."
"Hold on.... High-end? As in (he has) money?"
Well, maybe if he is rich enough for an expensive prostitute, he is rich enough to marry her. A girl's gotta eat.
But, yeah, the dates aren't going that well.
Liam, the merman prince who keeps getting hurt, so is stuck in her house, is starting to look better all the time. Of course, he is homeless... doesn't have a steady job.... and when he does work, it is taking pictures of naked bimbos. Still, better than hooker-dater.
This book was really fun. I loved Devon's bitchy ways and I loved Liam's everything. One of my favorites of the series.
May 26, 2017
Once the mean girl, now the heroine
Stumbled onto this series and devoured all 8 over the course of a week.
Devon is a great heroine without losing any of her Makura Princess personality. Liam is the best of a bad family but is not without his faults. Like previous couples they succumb to the attraction but fight the permanent bond until the end.
As always the side characters and the world are a delight. Can't wait to see what Alma has in store for Eli and Rafe.
And, yes I did originally have the review for Thief here because I shouldn't multitask.
Stumbled onto this series and devoured all 8 over the course of a week.
Devon is a great heroine without losing any of her Makura Princess personality. Liam is the best of a bad family but is not without his faults. Like previous couples they succumb to the attraction but fight the permanent bond until the end.
As always the side characters and the world are a delight. Can't wait to see what Alma has in store for Eli and Rafe.
And, yes I did originally have the review for Thief here because I shouldn't multitask.
July 18, 2020
Only this author could take the mean girl from book 2 in the series and turn her in to a heroine worthy of her own book. Better still, Devon is still bitchy, ornery and terse. Adored her.
Finding herself trapped in the Southern Sanctuary until she goes on 14 blind dates set up by the magical local matchmaker Devon is dealing with a lot. Her dates are all butt holes, they are Merrow after all and she expects no less. But she had to choose one of them to marry and they are not making her job any easier. So much fun.
Loved watching Devon find her feet amongst the eccentric magical locals who take her to their bosom, despite her surly ways. Confounding her at every turn with their niceness.
The betting books were an inspired idea. The interfering Great-Aunts and their magic gone awry was perfection. And Liam, our sexy hero who may or may not be a great guy (though we know he is) who can't help but find himself falling for Devon and her bitchy ways and wanting to protect her from his a-hole half-brothers and father - damn, I do like a bad boy with a heart of gold.
There was joy here. You could tell the author loves this world and these characters. Adored how she didn't soften Devon but still made her relatable and someone I could root for. I laughed almost constantly and when I wasn't, I was sighing over how awesome the romance was.
HEA giddy happy. I'm back on the cloud, squealing with delight. Loved this.
Finding herself trapped in the Southern Sanctuary until she goes on 14 blind dates set up by the magical local matchmaker Devon is dealing with a lot. Her dates are all butt holes, they are Merrow after all and she expects no less. But she had to choose one of them to marry and they are not making her job any easier. So much fun.
Loved watching Devon find her feet amongst the eccentric magical locals who take her to their bosom, despite her surly ways. Confounding her at every turn with their niceness.
The betting books were an inspired idea. The interfering Great-Aunts and their magic gone awry was perfection. And Liam, our sexy hero who may or may not be a great guy (though we know he is) who can't help but find himself falling for Devon and her bitchy ways and wanting to protect her from his a-hole half-brothers and father - damn, I do like a bad boy with a heart of gold.
There was joy here. You could tell the author loves this world and these characters. Adored how she didn't soften Devon but still made her relatable and someone I could root for. I laughed almost constantly and when I wasn't, I was sighing over how awesome the romance was.
HEA giddy happy. I'm back on the cloud, squealing with delight. Loved this.
July 24, 2016
OMG, just loved it. Devon, our h, was fantastic. Can't remember the last time I read a story with such a snarky, bitchy h, that I still adored and wished her a HEA. Devon snaps, snarls and genuinely has trouble understanding why anyone would want to be her friend - and she finds herself in the Southern Sanctuary where the magic/eccentric family appreciate skills and wit - so of course love her.
Our H, Liam was confident, charming and the trials he goes through to win Devon were hilarious - loved him and his interactions with Devon's aunt.
A steamy romance, a mysterious bad guy, those 'bad' blind dates, lots of great witty secondary characters (new & old) and of course as expected - lots of fun and laughs.
Jane Cousins hasn't failed me yet. This story felt fresh, funny and provided a great HEA, but at the same time hints at future romantic entanglements for other characters - just wonderful. Thanks for all the laughs.
Our H, Liam was confident, charming and the trials he goes through to win Devon were hilarious - loved him and his interactions with Devon's aunt.
A steamy romance, a mysterious bad guy, those 'bad' blind dates, lots of great witty secondary characters (new & old) and of course as expected - lots of fun and laughs.
Jane Cousins hasn't failed me yet. This story felt fresh, funny and provided a great HEA, but at the same time hints at future romantic entanglements for other characters - just wonderful. Thanks for all the laughs.
February 10, 2017
Devon was such a wonderful surprise. When I first realised she was the bitchy frenemy of Nell from book 2 I was a little bit unsure - but now, all hail the bitch. Devon was snarky, snarling, dryly humorous. She's a Makura Princess, so proud, confident and a bit of a diva, but in a very good way. She's also deadly and kick-butt.
Liam, our H, is one of the dreaded Merrow, liars, cheaters, general scumbags. Except he does his best to avoid his father and brothers and travels the world trying to shake off them and the Merrow reputation.
Thanks to major family pressure Devon is expected to choose one of the Merrow Princes to marry. She's already had one bad engagement (see book 2) so she approaches Alma, the Southern Sanctuary matchmaker, who is typically manipulative - turning Devon's life on its head. Suddenly she finds herself stuck in town, with friends, and a job and 14 blind dates on her agenda.
And the wily Merrow Princes don't intend to make those dates easy - none of them wish to marry Devon, and they each sneakily try to give Devon the worst date experience ever. Great set-ups.
Liam meanwhile has heard on the grapevine that someone intends to kill Devon, and nice guy he is, steps up to try and protect her - but Devon doesn't need protection - eventually the two after much bickering and snapping learn to work together.
Loved this - the atypical bitchy heroine just was the icing on top. The romance was all things great. We got a visit from a heap of favourite secondary characters. And spent more time in the Southern Sanctuary getting to know it and the residents.
This had action, a wonderful romance and loads of laughs .
Liam, our H, is one of the dreaded Merrow, liars, cheaters, general scumbags. Except he does his best to avoid his father and brothers and travels the world trying to shake off them and the Merrow reputation.
Thanks to major family pressure Devon is expected to choose one of the Merrow Princes to marry. She's already had one bad engagement (see book 2) so she approaches Alma, the Southern Sanctuary matchmaker, who is typically manipulative - turning Devon's life on its head. Suddenly she finds herself stuck in town, with friends, and a job and 14 blind dates on her agenda.
And the wily Merrow Princes don't intend to make those dates easy - none of them wish to marry Devon, and they each sneakily try to give Devon the worst date experience ever. Great set-ups.
Liam meanwhile has heard on the grapevine that someone intends to kill Devon, and nice guy he is, steps up to try and protect her - but Devon doesn't need protection - eventually the two after much bickering and snapping learn to work together.
Loved this - the atypical bitchy heroine just was the icing on top. The romance was all things great. We got a visit from a heap of favourite secondary characters. And spent more time in the Southern Sanctuary getting to know it and the residents.
This had action, a wonderful romance and loads of laughs .
October 16, 2016
Agree whole-heartedly with another reviewer - Devon, the h, was once the mean girl (from book 2) and is now the heroine. And how great is she! She still snarks and snaps. Has an exceedingly dark sense of humour. But at the same time, she is funny, has family problems and is exceedingly cool.
With a failed engagement behind her - Devon employs the SS matchmaker to help her chose which Merrow Prince to marry. Fourteen bad blind dates follow. As Devon tries to find the best of a bad bunch amongst the lying, cheating Merrow.
Liam, the youngest of the bunch, is a good guy pretending to be bad. When he meets Devon he's instantly attracted. But whilst marriage isn't for him, that doesn't stop him flirting and doing his best to protect Devon from the mysterious fire-powered bad guy.
The set-ups are great. Sweet, cute, witty and smart. The romance has sparks from the moment they meet, right through until they eventually fall into hot sexy love.
Love this world, and all the secondary characters. Just so much fun.
With a failed engagement behind her - Devon employs the SS matchmaker to help her chose which Merrow Prince to marry. Fourteen bad blind dates follow. As Devon tries to find the best of a bad bunch amongst the lying, cheating Merrow.
Liam, the youngest of the bunch, is a good guy pretending to be bad. When he meets Devon he's instantly attracted. But whilst marriage isn't for him, that doesn't stop him flirting and doing his best to protect Devon from the mysterious fire-powered bad guy.
The set-ups are great. Sweet, cute, witty and smart. The romance has sparks from the moment they meet, right through until they eventually fall into hot sexy love.
Love this world, and all the secondary characters. Just so much fun.
January 3, 2016
This can be read as a stand alone, but it is so much more enjoyable when the series is read in order. This is a wonderful mix of humor, action, magic, supernatural beings, and steamy romance. We met the heroine, Devon in To Trap a Temptress and it is awesome to see her discover what it is like to have friends. Oh the trouble she has trying to fulfill her betrothal contract! Liam is so funny and though they both try to deny it, they are perfect for each other. I can't wait to see who the author has Alma the family matchmaker pair up next! This has a HEA (happily ever after) for the main couple and there are no cliff hangers at the end. I highly recommend this book and the whole series.
February 25, 2018
A bitchy, snarly, snappy heroine that I didn't hate! Only Jane Cousins could achieve that feat. Devon, who we met back in book 2 hasn't changed (thankfully) and is taking the lead in this book, JC gave her so many layers (blunt, witty, loyal, family probs) that I found myself falling in love with her refreshing take on the world.
The premise was hilarious - the betrothal contact, all those wonderfully hideous blind dates, the local residents getting in on the action. Loved that Devon requested the matchmaker's help to make a decision and it all still went sneaky, wily and magically weird.
Liam made an interesting Hero. Underneath he's all loyal, true and solid, but it takes a while to scratch off the layers of blue gunk for Devon to see that. (read the book that sentence totally makes sense).
The ending was a riot as Devon and Liam finally get their own back for all the years of manipulation. Another satisfying HEA. My only complaint is that I read these books way too fast and they seem to be over in a blink of an eye. Which is totally on me since they are full length.
Have a very real suspicion that once I finish this series I will be turning around immediately and doing a re-read. Yeah. What a wonderful problem to have.
The premise was hilarious - the betrothal contact, all those wonderfully hideous blind dates, the local residents getting in on the action. Loved that Devon requested the matchmaker's help to make a decision and it all still went sneaky, wily and magically weird.
Liam made an interesting Hero. Underneath he's all loyal, true and solid, but it takes a while to scratch off the layers of blue gunk for Devon to see that. (read the book that sentence totally makes sense).
The ending was a riot as Devon and Liam finally get their own back for all the years of manipulation. Another satisfying HEA. My only complaint is that I read these books way too fast and they seem to be over in a blink of an eye. Which is totally on me since they are full length.
Have a very real suspicion that once I finish this series I will be turning around immediately and doing a re-read. Yeah. What a wonderful problem to have.
August 22, 2019
The feel good factor was in the stratosphere. Had so much fun reading this 7th book in the series, they just keep getting better and better. Not many authors could take a hard as nails bitch like Devon and make her likeable, loveable even. She was all snarks and snarls, and yet I adored her.
Liam was breezy, charming and underneath it all a knight in white armour.
So much to love about this tale. The blind dates were hilarious. And loved how the wacky magical family set up betting books around the dates. Love this town and the population. Favourite characters make an appearance; Nell & Drum. And the wonderful scheming match maker, Alma.
You will laugh often and loud if you read this book. And yet, at the same time the romance was charming yet managed to deliver a high sizzle factor. LOVED.
Liam was breezy, charming and underneath it all a knight in white armour.
So much to love about this tale. The blind dates were hilarious. And loved how the wacky magical family set up betting books around the dates. Love this town and the population. Favourite characters make an appearance; Nell & Drum. And the wonderful scheming match maker, Alma.
You will laugh often and loud if you read this book. And yet, at the same time the romance was charming yet managed to deliver a high sizzle factor. LOVED.
February 6, 2020
Devon decides to get help from Southern Sanctuary determining the most feasible Merrow to marry to fulfill her marriage contract.
What I enjoyed:
* I liked Devon. She is bitchy, but owns it. She slowly integrates herself in Southern Sanctuary almost against her will.
* Liam is a charming rascal.
* The "dates" with the Merrow brothers are quite entertaining.
What could have been better:
* The book seemed slow for the first half
* I really want to understand how all the water clans work
What I enjoyed:
* I liked Devon. She is bitchy, but owns it. She slowly integrates herself in Southern Sanctuary almost against her will.
* Liam is a charming rascal.
* The "dates" with the Merrow brothers are quite entertaining.
What could have been better:
* The book seemed slow for the first half
* I really want to understand how all the water clans work
July 15, 2019
A bitchy heroine that you can't help but adore - she's brutally frank, socially clueless and just darn wonderful. Liam, the Hero, likewise bucks the stereotype - he comes from a race of conmen and liars. Somehow these two just work.
Love how Devon actually hires the wily matchmaker - in this case, be careful what you wish for. She has to go on a blind date with all his 14/15 brothers and choose one to marry. Hilarious, just love the locals making the dates into a social/betting event.
Love this world, the characters and the storyline was just pure fun. Jane Cousins has quickly shot to the top of my favourite authors list.
Love how Devon actually hires the wily matchmaker - in this case, be careful what you wish for. She has to go on a blind date with all his 14/15 brothers and choose one to marry. Hilarious, just love the locals making the dates into a social/betting event.
Love this world, the characters and the storyline was just pure fun. Jane Cousins has quickly shot to the top of my favourite authors list.
January 30, 2017
I read books 5-9 of this series back-to-back in roughly 5 days. They all run together in my head now. They were all about the same - light, funny romance with action mixed in in good ways. All of them have their first sex scenes at approximately the 60% mark, per Kindle. The characters all come to the same conclusions, reversing their opinions about staying single and carefree over the course of a few pages. Formula? Yes. But it's still good, and the characters are very endearing. Definitely worth reading.
January 18, 2018
Another great read. I'll be honest I did not like Devon at all through most of this story, but that's exactly what Devon want's me to feel, hah! She's so prickly, and difficult and grrrrr in places that I in turns wanted to throw a bucket of ice water over her head or force a hug on her. And talk about stubborn!!!EEEISH!
Loved Liam but he's also not the most lovable of characters, which makes him perfect for Devon, they just fit so wonderfully. They both drove me nuts through a night of forced reading because I just had to find out how they would get out of the mess they were in.
Loved Liam but he's also not the most lovable of characters, which makes him perfect for Devon, they just fit so wonderfully. They both drove me nuts through a night of forced reading because I just had to find out how they would get out of the mess they were in.
April 8, 2018
Terrible title but ok
Taming of the shew is an inherently sexist phrase. To shackle a woman speaks of slavery and control. I hate that there is the suggestion that a strong woman who speaks her mind has to be a shrew. I actually passed on reading this book for several years because of the title and its connotations. It’s a shame that the need to alliterate created such a demeaning title. Devon isn’t a shrew. She is a strong woman.
Taming of the shew is an inherently sexist phrase. To shackle a woman speaks of slavery and control. I hate that there is the suggestion that a strong woman who speaks her mind has to be a shrew. I actually passed on reading this book for several years because of the title and its connotations. It’s a shame that the need to alliterate created such a demeaning title. Devon isn’t a shrew. She is a strong woman.
February 11, 2021
If you liked the previous ones you'll like this one. Don't get discouraged by Devon being the heroine, she really grows on you..
While I prefer the previous books in the series, this one was still quite good. I just got really annoyed with the repetitive denial of the main characters. While on one hand it was entertaining how clueless they were about the status of their relationship, on the other hand it just felt cheapening.
While I prefer the previous books in the series, this one was still quite good. I just got really annoyed with the repetitive denial of the main characters. While on one hand it was entertaining how clueless they were about the status of their relationship, on the other hand it just felt cheapening.
Read
March 11, 2021It was okay but same pattern as the rest. The couple is highly resistant to love and then faces their feelings and end up together. The mystery was okay. But overall, I think this is it for the series for me. It's getting highly repetitive.
September 18, 2021
Another fun book in the series
I’ve been looking forward to Devon’s book ever since she appeared in Nell’s book and this didn’t disappoint. I really enjoyed seeing the southern sanctuary from an outsider’s perspective. And I loved learning about two new magical species.
I’ve been looking forward to Devon’s book ever since she appeared in Nell’s book and this didn’t disappoint. I really enjoyed seeing the southern sanctuary from an outsider’s perspective. And I loved learning about two new magical species.
December 23, 2015
Jane Cousins is definitely the most underrated author on my must-read list of authors. Her books are smart and hilarious, and the only other author who can make me laugh out loud and giggle to myself is Shelly Laurenston!
In "To Tackle a Shrew" Jane Cousins delivers a smart and wickedly funny romance, with just the
right amount of intrigue alongside a brilliantly crazy cast of characters. Devon, the heroine in this tale, was first introduced to us in "To Trap a Temptress" and must now continue her search to find a husband out of 14 brothers descended from a long line of liars and swindlers. The premise is clever, and the results are hilarious. I absolutely love that Devon can let her freak flag fly unrestrictedly in Southern Sanctuary, and finds love because of it.
In "To Tackle a Shrew" Jane Cousins delivers a smart and wickedly funny romance, with just the
right amount of intrigue alongside a brilliantly crazy cast of characters. Devon, the heroine in this tale, was first introduced to us in "To Trap a Temptress" and must now continue her search to find a husband out of 14 brothers descended from a long line of liars and swindlers. The premise is clever, and the results are hilarious. I absolutely love that Devon can let her freak flag fly unrestrictedly in Southern Sanctuary, and finds love because of it.
December 17, 2015
So much fun. Devon was a fantastic h, and what a bitch! But funny, and interesting and a great match up for Liam, the H. Loved this couple - their interactions and unwanted attraction to each other was a hoot and half.
Characters from previous books popped by - oh how I love Drum. To add to the fun and really help flesh out this world. This author is always giving little hints as to coming main characters and I'm adding Gigi to my list of characters that I want to see have her own book (though Darcy first... PLEASE)
The dialogue sparkled, there was humour, action and great villains for our h/H to overcome - and the HEA was sweet, funny and sexy. And whilst Devon softened moderately for our H - she still remained bitchy, practical and devious - a fun and different kind of h, that I found myself completely rooting for.
Love this author - Love this series. Can't wait for book 8.
Characters from previous books popped by - oh how I love Drum. To add to the fun and really help flesh out this world. This author is always giving little hints as to coming main characters and I'm adding Gigi to my list of characters that I want to see have her own book (though Darcy first... PLEASE)
The dialogue sparkled, there was humour, action and great villains for our h/H to overcome - and the HEA was sweet, funny and sexy. And whilst Devon softened moderately for our H - she still remained bitchy, practical and devious - a fun and different kind of h, that I found myself completely rooting for.
Love this author - Love this series. Can't wait for book 8.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews