What do you think?
Rate this book
Shifters Unbound #9
Guardian's Mate
The New York Times bestselling author of White Tiger returns as primal desire draws two lone shifters into each other’s arms...
She wasn’t ready to lead...
Chosen as the Guardian of her Montana Shiftertown, wolf Shifter Rae Lyall is facing opposition—for no woman has ever been selected for this powerful position. Still adjusting to the new authority thrust upon her, Rae travels to train with Zander Moncrieff, a Shifter healer, tasked with teaching her about her new role and its responsibilities.
He wasn’t ready to love...
A polar bear Shifter, Zander wears no Collar and follows no rules but his own. Rae finds him arrogant and demanding, yet compelling and intriguing. Zander has no wish to mate but the sassy Guardian is drawing him out of his shell, stirring feelings long suppressed. And when a new threat looms over Rae’s home, she and Zander must race to the rescue, forced closer to danger...and to each other.
She wasn’t ready to lead...
Chosen as the Guardian of her Montana Shiftertown, wolf Shifter Rae Lyall is facing opposition—for no woman has ever been selected for this powerful position. Still adjusting to the new authority thrust upon her, Rae travels to train with Zander Moncrieff, a Shifter healer, tasked with teaching her about her new role and its responsibilities.
He wasn’t ready to love...
A polar bear Shifter, Zander wears no Collar and follows no rules but his own. Rae finds him arrogant and demanding, yet compelling and intriguing. Zander has no wish to mate but the sassy Guardian is drawing him out of his shell, stirring feelings long suppressed. And when a new threat looms over Rae’s home, she and Zander must race to the rescue, forced closer to danger...and to each other.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 6, 2016
180 people are currently reading
2184 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Ashley
210 books7,330 followersNY Times Bestselling author Jennifer Ashley writes historical, contemporary, and paranormal romance, historical mysteries, and urban fantasy as Jennifer Ashley, Allyson James, and Ashley Gardner.
Jennifer's novels have been translated into many different languages, and earned starred reviews from Booklist and Publisher's Weekly. More about her books at http://www.jenniferashley.com and http://gardnermysteries.com.
Jennifer's novels have been translated into many different languages, and earned starred reviews from Booklist and Publisher's Weekly. More about her books at http://www.jenniferashley.com and http://gardnermysteries.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 285 reviews
October 6, 2016
Zander’s story was an unexpected, amusing, extensive adventure!
The book starts with the fact that in the thirteen hundred years since the Guardians’ swords have been forged, a Guardian had never been a female. And yet at the Western Montana Shiftertown, a female named Rae is chosen by the goddess to by a Guardian.
I believe, it is about bloody time!
Some of her fellow shifters are intimidated by her and some don’t believe in her and think she is a fraud. The reality is that she has to go away to learn to be a Guardian, i.e. to learn to use her sword and to be able to send the souls of the dying or dead shifters to the Summerland (their idea of heaven) before an evil Fae can snatch them.
Well, here comes Zander. Zander is a lonely polar bear who everybody believes he is a wacko. Zander is a healer. He can heal shifters when no medicine can help them. Since he has a Goddess gift, he is the best option for trainer.
Perfect team, you may think: Zander can heal the dying shifter and if nothing can be done, Rae can turn him/her into dust and send him/her to Summerland.
The problem is that Zander really likes to be alone. He is not miserable being lonely, he is really happy.
Of course when Zander and Rae are thrown literally together on his boat somewhere in Alaska, he finds out he can be happier and more complete. And we realize we didn’t really know Zander before this book, although we thought we had figured him out.
Here are some things you didn’t know about Zander from his description in the previous books, but you will discover in this book:
He
- has faithful human friends
- knows how to have a good time
- has a very good excuse for being isolated and a loner
- likes women and he has no trouble finding company
- is so darned nice
- And the big surprise: He is not crazy or even half crazy
A big quest is waiting for Zander and Rae. The adventure will start after Rae completes her first assignment and she and her new friends start a drinking spree in a town nearby. The adventure will involve fistfights, bounty hunters, ships chasing, a mystery fog in the sea, exchange of ships in pirate style, a broken sword, new friends you haven’t thought of and naturally true love in the end.
Concluding, I think it is really interesting the fact that shifters in their mid 30s and even early 40s are behaving immaturely as if they are in their early 20s. That happens because until they go through their Transition stage around 30 years old, they are considered cubs and nobody takes them seriously.
Ray is just after her Transition, so I guess she must be a bit over 35, while Zander is a bit more than 150 years old.
As a result she behaves like an inexperienced little girl most of the times, while he behaves like a man who has seen too much and nothing scares him any longer.
Obviously there is this big age difference, but this will not stop the mating bond to be formed.
Anyhow, the next book will be published in April 2017. Happy waiting!
The book starts with the fact that in the thirteen hundred years since the Guardians’ swords have been forged, a Guardian had never been a female. And yet at the Western Montana Shiftertown, a female named Rae is chosen by the goddess to by a Guardian.
I believe, it is about bloody time!
Some of her fellow shifters are intimidated by her and some don’t believe in her and think she is a fraud. The reality is that she has to go away to learn to be a Guardian, i.e. to learn to use her sword and to be able to send the souls of the dying or dead shifters to the Summerland (their idea of heaven) before an evil Fae can snatch them.
Well, here comes Zander. Zander is a lonely polar bear who everybody believes he is a wacko. Zander is a healer. He can heal shifters when no medicine can help them. Since he has a Goddess gift, he is the best option for trainer.
Perfect team, you may think: Zander can heal the dying shifter and if nothing can be done, Rae can turn him/her into dust and send him/her to Summerland.
The problem is that Zander really likes to be alone. He is not miserable being lonely, he is really happy.
Of course when Zander and Rae are thrown literally together on his boat somewhere in Alaska, he finds out he can be happier and more complete. And we realize we didn’t really know Zander before this book, although we thought we had figured him out.
Here are some things you didn’t know about Zander from his description in the previous books, but you will discover in this book:
He
- has faithful human friends
- knows how to have a good time
- has a very good excuse for being isolated and a loner
- likes women and he has no trouble finding company
- is so darned nice
- And the big surprise: He is not crazy or even half crazy
A big quest is waiting for Zander and Rae. The adventure will start after Rae completes her first assignment and she and her new friends start a drinking spree in a town nearby. The adventure will involve fistfights, bounty hunters, ships chasing, a mystery fog in the sea, exchange of ships in pirate style, a broken sword, new friends you haven’t thought of and naturally true love in the end.
Concluding, I think it is really interesting the fact that shifters in their mid 30s and even early 40s are behaving immaturely as if they are in their early 20s. That happens because until they go through their Transition stage around 30 years old, they are considered cubs and nobody takes them seriously.
Ray is just after her Transition, so I guess she must be a bit over 35, while Zander is a bit more than 150 years old.
As a result she behaves like an inexperienced little girl most of the times, while he behaves like a man who has seen too much and nothing scares him any longer.
Obviously there is this big age difference, but this will not stop the mating bond to be formed.
Anyhow, the next book will be published in April 2017. Happy waiting!
September 17, 2016
I was surprised by how much I really enjoyed this hot, relatively low-angst romance between a wolf shifter and a bear shifter.
Rae is a lupine chosen to become guardian of her shiftertown. The problem is, no female has been chosen as guardian before. Ever. Not only that, Rae is a lupine in a den of felines. It made things hard not only for Rae but for her father who is the alpha of their shiftertown.
The solution? Send her off to live with a taciturn bear out in middle of Alaska. Zander is a bear shifter who happens to be an extraordinary healer. His gifts made him a bit of a loner. That and he's totally batshit crazy. Or at least acts like one. I loved Zander. Underneath all that gruff exterior lies a real sweetheart who would cut off his own arm before hurting anyone, especially Rae.
Now, I didn't read the previous books in the series, but I feel like I didn't get totally lost because of Jennifer Ashley effortless writing style. I did get to meet a lot of characters from previous books, and it didn't bother me that there were a lot of them. I want to go back and read the other books in the series though. I definitely like this shifter/fae world that Ms. Ashley has created.
ARC provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review.
Rae is a lupine chosen to become guardian of her shiftertown. The problem is, no female has been chosen as guardian before. Ever. Not only that, Rae is a lupine in a den of felines. It made things hard not only for Rae but for her father who is the alpha of their shiftertown.
The solution? Send her off to live with a taciturn bear out in middle of Alaska. Zander is a bear shifter who happens to be an extraordinary healer. His gifts made him a bit of a loner. That and he's totally batshit crazy. Or at least acts like one. I loved Zander. Underneath all that gruff exterior lies a real sweetheart who would cut off his own arm before hurting anyone, especially Rae.
Now, I didn't read the previous books in the series, but I feel like I didn't get totally lost because of Jennifer Ashley effortless writing style. I did get to meet a lot of characters from previous books, and it didn't bother me that there were a lot of them. I want to go back and read the other books in the series though. I definitely like this shifter/fae world that Ms. Ashley has created.
ARC provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review.
Read
March 11, 2016Rae Lyall is the first female Guardian ever chosen. What are the Shifters to do? Send her to a crazy polar bear Shifter healer named Zander for training in how to use her newfound gift. (Pub date is Sep 2016)
October 3, 2016
Xander definitely peaked my curiosity in an earlier book and I was super excited to read this. He meets his little wolf when she, as a new guardian, is brought to him for training. They go through quite the adventure trying to get her acclimated to her role, dealing with others' negativity and refusal to accept her, being chased by a couple of shifter haters, and trying to find out what is happening to the shifter world as a whole. This is certainly an involved subplot with many things happening that affect the world the author created as a whole. In this story she also introduced us to a little redemption in a character that I had initially written off. This is definitely a slow burn romance. Little bits of tender moments keep us hooked in between all that action but they don't get truly intimate until about 77%, people, so be patient :-p I have seen long series start to wind down and lose the momentum they have when they start strong, but this one has remained solid throughout. The author keeps generating new conflicts and interesting couples that keep me firmly on the hook. I can't wait to experience what she has in store for us next. Safety: No OW/OM/Sharing, though the hero has quite a past. No rape or abuse.
November 8, 2021
Cris Dukehart does a fantastic job reading this one!
Action packed game-changing romance!
There has never been a female guardian for shifters in the 800 years that they have existed... until now.
This story deals with prejudice a lot. Sexist shifters and shifter hating humans.
Luckily, Zander is a pretty even-tempered guy, but he is NOT happy to have a young shifter barely past her transition left on his boat. Even if she does carry a cool medieval sword.
Rae has never been anywhere but her home in Shifter-town-Montana. A wolf shifter, she was found as a cub and raised by felines. Never quite fitting in, which is something she and Zander have in common... That and being Goddess touched/cursed.
You'll remember Zander from the previous book. A huge polar bear of about 150 years, with fantastical healing abilities.
There's a nice arc from their initial meeting where they decide they don't like and resent each other, to appreciation and respect, to desire and deep love.
This one's a nail biter!!!
Safety is all good.
4 stars only, because I found Zander's pushing Rae away through the middle part frustrating because he was so manipulative about it. I didn't feel like they were equals till almost the end.. And yes he is 100 yrs older, but that doesn't give him the right to treat her like a kid.
Action packed game-changing romance!
There has never been a female guardian for shifters in the 800 years that they have existed... until now.
This story deals with prejudice a lot. Sexist shifters and shifter hating humans.
Luckily, Zander is a pretty even-tempered guy, but he is NOT happy to have a young shifter barely past her transition left on his boat. Even if she does carry a cool medieval sword.
Rae has never been anywhere but her home in Shifter-town-Montana. A wolf shifter, she was found as a cub and raised by felines. Never quite fitting in, which is something she and Zander have in common... That and being Goddess touched/cursed.
You'll remember Zander from the previous book. A huge polar bear of about 150 years, with fantastical healing abilities.
There's a nice arc from their initial meeting where they decide they don't like and resent each other, to appreciation and respect, to desire and deep love.
This one's a nail biter!!!
Safety is all good.
4 stars only, because I found Zander's pushing Rae away through the middle part frustrating because he was so manipulative about it. I didn't feel like they were equals till almost the end.. And yes he is 100 yrs older, but that doesn't give him the right to treat her like a kid.
September 13, 2016
5 stars for this romantic and exciting story. I'm a big fan of Jennifer Ashley's Shifters, and this one might just be my favorite. Bear shifter Xander Montcrieff lives alone and likes it that way, until he meets Wolf shifter and Guardian Rae Lyall. Xander was a loner by choice, and Rae was an orphan wolf lovingly raised by her feline foster father. She was loved, but never felt as if she quite belonged. Two lonely people who come together in the perfect romance. The romance builds slowly and sweetly, against a backdrop of real danger for the entire shifter community. There's action and adventure, but also the beauty of their relationship. I loved this story.
March 26, 2023
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.
Introduction
Guardian's Mate is the 9th installment in the "Shifters Unbound" series and in this story we have the story of the bear friend to the stories previous "Zander" I can't tell you how much I ended up enjoying this one here. Just reading this made me realize why I love this series so much here and why it did so much for me. I really love the way that this author implemented this story with Zander and Rae. I loved seeing the Guardian in the book being the heroine. We have yet to see a female guardian and I loved the way that Jennifer Ashley developed this story in such a wonderful way.
My Outlook
Guardian's Mate is a story that bring two complete polar opposites from each other. The hero well is bold, honest and has connections to everyone, literally he probably knows everyone in the world that can help shifters Haha Then we have our heroine, who was adopted by her family as she was abandoned when she was just a cub. When the Goddess shines her light upon Rae and deems her a guardian, heads ROLL! How dare a woman be a guardian Haha Much of the shock comes from the fact that there has only been male guardians in the history of guardians, so it's more people need to come to terms with some change, people really don't like change at all. I really found the relationship with Zander and Rae to be fascinating. Their bantering is hilarious for sure, but they actually balance each other so well. We get some action to the serial plot of the series that I really got a kick out of too. It was fascinating seeing these two get mated and seeing them work through the issues that crop up with them.
The actual relationship that is focused between Rae and Zander, was interesting. At first we just see them working together on figuring out the guardian thing and spending some time in Alaska. We get to meet some new friends and man my heart just went out to Carl but loved how Zander and Rae were able to build a friendship with him. Then we get introduced to some feral shifters and yeah some pretty badass kick ass scenes here. There is a bit of mystery involving the guardian sword and trying to get it repaired without too many shifters finding out about it.
We do come across some of my favorite characters with Tiger, Ian, and Sean. And the humor of this book was so delicious, I had forgotten how funny this author can be in her witty banter but yeah you can bet that I will be continuing shortly with these books here.
Overall View
Guardian's Mate is a superb read that stole my heart in so many ways and I became so endeared to this story and most especially in seeing Zander finding his mate!
Rating Evaluation:
Plot: 5
World Building: 4
Cover: 5
Hero: 5
Heroine: 4
Steam: 4
Heart & Feels: 4
Ending: 4
Overall View: 4.25
August 21, 2016
Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2bEzuas
If you love shifters and haven't tried out Jennifer Ashley's Shifters Unbound series you're so in for a treat! Guardian's Mate? Total paranormal goodness complete with a sexy polar bear shifter. Noms!
The quick of it is that Rae has been chosen Guardian by the goddess. Only problem? She's practically still a cub and, well, female and there's never been a female Guardian before. And that has people nervous. Ergs! Training in her home town just isn't safe which lands her in the care of a polar bear. A polar bear who is just about as pleased about the arrangement as she is. Which is to say...not at all. lol
I loved Zander and Rae down to their paws! Both are rather isolated due to being "goddess touched" and without family (though she has an adopted one) and I loved seeing them start to put together their own little ragtag clan of sorts and heal that loneliness in each other. They're good people who will do anything for someone in need even when it hurts them in return and were just impossible not to adore and root for.
Heat-wise? Ergs. Their romance was a bit slower going but it was so damn fun watching them growl and nip and tease and finally figure out they were perfect for each other. They had that perfect combo of teasing fun, driving each other crazy and trying to resist which kept things entertaining. There's some stellar tension that just smoldered but it takes them a long while to seal the deal. It totally worked for me though.
Now. All the stuff that kept the nookie from commencing. There was a LOT happening in this one. It was non stop adventure and action as they dodged shifter bounty hunters and new enemies. Not to mention the Alaskan elements, fae magic and being goddess touched which is just a bitch all it's own. They had one seriously wild ride that brought about some interesting revelations and fascinating developments for the future of the shifters. It definitely kept me turning the pages to see what insanity would hit them next.
There were a lot of fun new characters as well that had me totally falling for them. Even Jake the Snake who was, indeed, a snake. <---impressive feat, that.
All in all, Ashley continues to knock out one fabulous read after another. Action packed and full of complex characters that are simply bad ass and rocking some awesome. Guardian's Mate delivered!
June 4, 2017
3.5 Stars. Rae has been chosen as the first female Guardian ever, and is promptly shipped off to Alaska to be trained by the healer Zander; or as she comes to refer to him, Big-Ass Bear. It's not long before they are thrown into a series of adventures together, some of them taking on a Jules Verne flair.
I had a lot of fun with the first half of the book; the arguing the bickering, and the road-trip style adventure. Unlike most of the other books in the series, the action wasn't confined to a Shiftertown and surrounding environs. Eventually Rae and Zander made it back to her Shiftertown, however, and the book slowed significantly. I began to wonder what the actual point to the story was other than a group of random scenes thrown together. Towards the end some things happened that drew the storyline back into the overall series arc.
A pretty good read. Fun, sweet romance, nice adventures in the beginning, but the pace slowed in the second half. Zander, however, has long been a favorite shifter of mine.
Full review closer to release date...
________________
Whenever an arc comes through and I get to cancel a pre-order, I get a cheap thrill. And when it's a Penguin book, I get the extra thrill of sticking it to one of the worst publishers to stick it to us...yeah, I'm petty that way... :D
Zander!!! Happy Dance...been waiting for his story, my big huggy Polar Bear...
I had a lot of fun with the first half of the book; the arguing the bickering, and the road-trip style adventure. Unlike most of the other books in the series, the action wasn't confined to a Shiftertown and surrounding environs. Eventually Rae and Zander made it back to her Shiftertown, however, and the book slowed significantly. I began to wonder what the actual point to the story was other than a group of random scenes thrown together. Towards the end some things happened that drew the storyline back into the overall series arc.
A pretty good read. Fun, sweet romance, nice adventures in the beginning, but the pace slowed in the second half. Zander, however, has long been a favorite shifter of mine.
Full review closer to release date...
________________
Whenever an arc comes through and I get to cancel a pre-order, I get a cheap thrill. And when it's a Penguin book, I get the extra thrill of sticking it to one of the worst publishers to stick it to us...yeah, I'm petty that way... :D
Zander!!! Happy Dance...been waiting for his story, my big huggy Polar Bear...
September 8, 2016
I only have one issue with Guardian’s Mate – it is just not long enough! Of course I also feel that way about every book I read by Jennifer Ashley. Her books have a way of sweeping you away into a new world, one you wish that you were really a part of.
Wolf Shifter Rae Lyall is an orphan and now she has been chosen as the first ever female Guardian. A lot of shifters think it is a trick and don’t believe she was really chosen so her adopted father takes her to the craziest polar bear shifter that has ever lived. This shifter named Alexander Johansson Moncrieff (but is called Zander by all who know him) is a special shifter. he has been blessed with the gift of healing.
When these two unique shifter get together an adventure for them both truly begins. Will they be able to survive and see where their feelings for each other take them…
Guardian’s Mate is the ninth book in the Shifters Unbound series by Jennifer Ashley. I have a hard time saying that it can be a stand alone book. You would get so much more enjoyment out of it if you read this series in order. This is one of my favorite series and I am already looking forward to the next book titled Red Wolf coming out April of next year.
Wolf Shifter Rae Lyall is an orphan and now she has been chosen as the first ever female Guardian. A lot of shifters think it is a trick and don’t believe she was really chosen so her adopted father takes her to the craziest polar bear shifter that has ever lived. This shifter named Alexander Johansson Moncrieff (but is called Zander by all who know him) is a special shifter. he has been blessed with the gift of healing.
When these two unique shifter get together an adventure for them both truly begins. Will they be able to survive and see where their feelings for each other take them…
Guardian’s Mate is the ninth book in the Shifters Unbound series by Jennifer Ashley. I have a hard time saying that it can be a stand alone book. You would get so much more enjoyment out of it if you read this series in order. This is one of my favorite series and I am already looking forward to the next book titled Red Wolf coming out April of next year.
February 24, 2017
As anyone who has read my reviews knows, I hate when the cover doesn't match the description. Zander is described as having short hair with two beaded dreads hanging from the front. The cover guy doesn't. Publisher: Have the cover artist/photographer match the descriptions in the book please! I'm sure if they contacted the author she could have helped them out.
The book itself was okay. Pretty predictable. And I've turned into such a jaded reader that when the sex scenes started, I skimmed. Lots of the perfect mate bonding with biting thrown in because they're shifters.
The ending was a "What the Fudge" moment. All of these ferals coming out of the proverbial woodwork and now both the collared and collar-less are in trouble for the same reasons. Pick one please! Give the shifters some sort of out! Anyway I'm going to take a break from this series. I'm starting to get everybody confused and I'm already over the new thorn in the shifters' sides.
The book itself was okay. Pretty predictable. And I've turned into such a jaded reader that when the sex scenes started, I skimmed. Lots of the perfect mate bonding with biting thrown in because they're shifters.
The ending was a "What the Fudge" moment. All of these ferals coming out of the proverbial woodwork and now both the collared and collar-less are in trouble for the same reasons. Pick one please! Give the shifters some sort of out! Anyway I'm going to take a break from this series. I'm starting to get everybody confused and I'm already over the new thorn in the shifters' sides.
September 14, 2016
Originally posted at Smexybooks-http://smexybooks.com/2016/09/review-...
Favorite Quote: “I know I’m crazy…It lets me get away with a lot of shit.”
Rae Lyall never expected to be chosen by the Goddess as the new Guardian for her Montana Shiftertown. As the first female Guardian ever, she catches quite a bit of backlash from her fellow shifters. Her foster father decides to send her away for training and Rae soon finds herself on a boat in the middle of nowhere with a crazy shifter who doesn’t want her or her sword anywhere around him.
Alexander Johansson Moncrieff (Zander) is a rare polar shifter who prefers quiet and solitude. Given the gift of healing by the Goddess as a young child, he knows what it’s like to be feared by his own people. Collarless and happy answering to no one, Zander is dismayed that Rae is slowly working her way past all his defenses. When a bounty hunter’s vendetta leads him to Rae’s home, Rae and Zander follow and discover a conspiracy brewing that could destroy them all.
Guardian’s Mate is the 9th book in Jennifer Ashley’s sexy, dark, and wickedly humorous PNR Shifter’s Unbound series. Fans have been waiting to learn more about the unpredictable Zander Moncrief since first meeting him in the novella, Wild Things. This installment is what I would call a bridge between the events in White Tiger and the next in the series. Ashley concocts a fun but relatively low conflict romance while building a new adventure filled story arc. She picks up a few loose story line threads from previous installments-starting all the way back to Mate Bond– and begins ties them all together, preparing us for the end of this series. Engaging narrative, new and old faces, and a multi-layered storyline will hook readers from page one.
Though Rae Lyall is a new character to the series, her family is not. She the foster daughter of the leader of the Montana Shiftertown. We met her father, Eoin, in Bad Wolf after their Guardian died under suspicious circumstances and Broderick (a wolf shifter from the Texas Shiftertown) returns the Guardian’s sword to them. Her town has been trying for months to get the Goddess to choose a new Guardian for them. It’s on their latest try that the Goddess finally comes through. Only she chooses Rae; making her the first female Guardian ever. This causes some serious strife in the town and among some of the surrounding shifters, many afraid of Rae and convinced her family have somehow rigged the ceremony. Rae’s father calls in a few favors and takes her to reclusive polar bear shifter so he can not only teach her how to defend herself but also keep her safe.
Raised in a household of male felines, Rae is strong, independent, witty, and quite alpha in her own right. She is understandably upset and a little afraid her father just drops her on some strange man in the middle of nowhere but she doesn’t submit nor put up with any of Zander’s outrageousness.
“Sweetheart, I promised I’d take care of you and get you home alright. I will do that. Do you trust me?” He had to raise his voice over the rush of the chaotic, crashing waves.
“No,” Rae yelled back.
“Hey, I will get you out of here whether you trust me or not. But it would be more fun if you did.” He grinned. “Would make me feel all warm and fuzzy.”“I’ll give you warm and fuzzy all right,” Rae said darkly.
Zander, Zander, Zander
We don’t know a lot about Zander beyond that he is a polar bear, a shifter healer, and he chooses to live isolated in Alaska. As Ashley reveals his backstory, we learn that he left his family years ago due to their issues with his gift. A closet sweetie who hides behind his size, sarcasem, and mysterious persona. He’s reclusive due to his empathic nature and the fact that his gift needs to be used only on those who truly need it. And those who need him, find him. Despite his whining for solitude, he has some close friends who have his back and a well-established network of “people he knows.”
“Where did you get a rocket launcher?”
“Wasn’t hard. I know a guy.”
Rae and Zander are perfect for one another. Both are orphans in a sense (Rae literally and Zander by choice) and unconsciously seek that one person who will love and accept them unconditionally. Zander respects Rae and the gift she has been given while Rae seems to instinctively understand the battle that rages inside Zander and provides a healing touch of her own. Their loneliness finds solace in one another and with the other loners they seem to pick up along the way, forming their own loosely defined clan. Playful banter and a slow burning romance flows under the main plotlines that are non stop in action, mystery, and adventure, leaving little time to fully explore this attraction they have for one another until things slow down.
Rae felt pliable and open. She wanted this man inside her with a mindlessness that would be alarming if she cared about such things right now. Rae closed her legs around Zander’s hips, urging him down. His sweatpants weren’t thick enough to hide how rigid his cock was, the beautiful length of it pressing hard on her between her legs. He wanted to be inside her as much as she needed him there.
Zander tore his mouth from hers again, his breath coming fast. “Goddess, Little Wolf, you’re gonna kill me.”
“Then we’ll die happy,” Rae said, smiling.
Zander growled, the note in it ferocious. “If I start with you, sweetheart, I won’t be able to stop myself. I’ll keep going no matter what. If the ship goes down, I’ll be too busy to care.”
“Me too.” Rae’s chest felt heavy, her nerves buzzing. “We almost died, Zander. We should celebrate.”
“No kidding. We will.” Zander’s eyes were alight with the same fire running through her. “We will, but later. ”
Ashley gives voice to a new story arc that builds off the original legend behind the creation of the shifters and fae. Bigotry, racism, and fear still play an integral role through the power of family, tolerance, and love help to offset it while Ashley uses all these to further power what’s to come. The addition of new information adds a sense of unpredictability while showing the inclusion of new characters is more than simply a means to extend the series. Everyone has a purpose though what exactly remains to be seen.
Tiger loosened his hold but spoke into Rae’s ear before he stood up. He might think he was whispering, but Zander heard every word.
“You must take care of Zander as well,” Tiger told her, then tried to drop his voice even lower. “He’s a little crazy.”
The ending resolves the main conflict in an explosive manner and more than solidifies the romance while leaving readers with questions and more then ready for book ten, Red Wolf, set to release May 2017. Fans of paranormal romance will enjoy Ashley’s latest installment that gives us an engaging hero and heroine whose gifts are the bridge that help form the connect to true love.
Grade: B
Favorite Quote: “I know I’m crazy…It lets me get away with a lot of shit.”
Rae Lyall never expected to be chosen by the Goddess as the new Guardian for her Montana Shiftertown. As the first female Guardian ever, she catches quite a bit of backlash from her fellow shifters. Her foster father decides to send her away for training and Rae soon finds herself on a boat in the middle of nowhere with a crazy shifter who doesn’t want her or her sword anywhere around him.
Alexander Johansson Moncrieff (Zander) is a rare polar shifter who prefers quiet and solitude. Given the gift of healing by the Goddess as a young child, he knows what it’s like to be feared by his own people. Collarless and happy answering to no one, Zander is dismayed that Rae is slowly working her way past all his defenses. When a bounty hunter’s vendetta leads him to Rae’s home, Rae and Zander follow and discover a conspiracy brewing that could destroy them all.
Guardian’s Mate is the 9th book in Jennifer Ashley’s sexy, dark, and wickedly humorous PNR Shifter’s Unbound series. Fans have been waiting to learn more about the unpredictable Zander Moncrief since first meeting him in the novella, Wild Things. This installment is what I would call a bridge between the events in White Tiger and the next in the series. Ashley concocts a fun but relatively low conflict romance while building a new adventure filled story arc. She picks up a few loose story line threads from previous installments-starting all the way back to Mate Bond– and begins ties them all together, preparing us for the end of this series. Engaging narrative, new and old faces, and a multi-layered storyline will hook readers from page one.
Though Rae Lyall is a new character to the series, her family is not. She the foster daughter of the leader of the Montana Shiftertown. We met her father, Eoin, in Bad Wolf after their Guardian died under suspicious circumstances and Broderick (a wolf shifter from the Texas Shiftertown) returns the Guardian’s sword to them. Her town has been trying for months to get the Goddess to choose a new Guardian for them. It’s on their latest try that the Goddess finally comes through. Only she chooses Rae; making her the first female Guardian ever. This causes some serious strife in the town and among some of the surrounding shifters, many afraid of Rae and convinced her family have somehow rigged the ceremony. Rae’s father calls in a few favors and takes her to reclusive polar bear shifter so he can not only teach her how to defend herself but also keep her safe.
Raised in a household of male felines, Rae is strong, independent, witty, and quite alpha in her own right. She is understandably upset and a little afraid her father just drops her on some strange man in the middle of nowhere but she doesn’t submit nor put up with any of Zander’s outrageousness.
“Sweetheart, I promised I’d take care of you and get you home alright. I will do that. Do you trust me?” He had to raise his voice over the rush of the chaotic, crashing waves.
“No,” Rae yelled back.
“Hey, I will get you out of here whether you trust me or not. But it would be more fun if you did.” He grinned. “Would make me feel all warm and fuzzy.”“I’ll give you warm and fuzzy all right,” Rae said darkly.
Zander, Zander, Zander
We don’t know a lot about Zander beyond that he is a polar bear, a shifter healer, and he chooses to live isolated in Alaska. As Ashley reveals his backstory, we learn that he left his family years ago due to their issues with his gift. A closet sweetie who hides behind his size, sarcasem, and mysterious persona. He’s reclusive due to his empathic nature and the fact that his gift needs to be used only on those who truly need it. And those who need him, find him. Despite his whining for solitude, he has some close friends who have his back and a well-established network of “people he knows.”
“Where did you get a rocket launcher?”
“Wasn’t hard. I know a guy.”
Rae and Zander are perfect for one another. Both are orphans in a sense (Rae literally and Zander by choice) and unconsciously seek that one person who will love and accept them unconditionally. Zander respects Rae and the gift she has been given while Rae seems to instinctively understand the battle that rages inside Zander and provides a healing touch of her own. Their loneliness finds solace in one another and with the other loners they seem to pick up along the way, forming their own loosely defined clan. Playful banter and a slow burning romance flows under the main plotlines that are non stop in action, mystery, and adventure, leaving little time to fully explore this attraction they have for one another until things slow down.
Rae felt pliable and open. She wanted this man inside her with a mindlessness that would be alarming if she cared about such things right now. Rae closed her legs around Zander’s hips, urging him down. His sweatpants weren’t thick enough to hide how rigid his cock was, the beautiful length of it pressing hard on her between her legs. He wanted to be inside her as much as she needed him there.
Zander tore his mouth from hers again, his breath coming fast. “Goddess, Little Wolf, you’re gonna kill me.”
“Then we’ll die happy,” Rae said, smiling.
Zander growled, the note in it ferocious. “If I start with you, sweetheart, I won’t be able to stop myself. I’ll keep going no matter what. If the ship goes down, I’ll be too busy to care.”
“Me too.” Rae’s chest felt heavy, her nerves buzzing. “We almost died, Zander. We should celebrate.”
“No kidding. We will.” Zander’s eyes were alight with the same fire running through her. “We will, but later. ”
Ashley gives voice to a new story arc that builds off the original legend behind the creation of the shifters and fae. Bigotry, racism, and fear still play an integral role through the power of family, tolerance, and love help to offset it while Ashley uses all these to further power what’s to come. The addition of new information adds a sense of unpredictability while showing the inclusion of new characters is more than simply a means to extend the series. Everyone has a purpose though what exactly remains to be seen.
Tiger loosened his hold but spoke into Rae’s ear before he stood up. He might think he was whispering, but Zander heard every word.
“You must take care of Zander as well,” Tiger told her, then tried to drop his voice even lower. “He’s a little crazy.”
The ending resolves the main conflict in an explosive manner and more than solidifies the romance while leaving readers with questions and more then ready for book ten, Red Wolf, set to release May 2017. Fans of paranormal romance will enjoy Ashley’s latest installment that gives us an engaging hero and heroine whose gifts are the bridge that help form the connect to true love.
Grade: B
January 29, 2023
Guardian's Mate
4 Stars
Rae Lyall, a lupine shifter adopted into a feline clan, is chosen as the first female Guardian (responsible for releasing the souls of deceased shifters into the Summerland). This does not go over well with the senior leadership of her Shiftertown, and Rae's adoptive father takes her to Zander Moncrieff, a polar bear shifter and healer, for training. Soon Rae and Zander find themselves on a quest that will change their lives forever.
Series note: Due to appearances by numerous characters from previous books and some advancement of the ongoing plot, it is recommended that the series be read in order.
While slow to start, the action picks up about 1/3 of the way in, and the last couple of chapters are intense and exciting. There is also (finally!) some compelling progression in the overarching fae-shifter, and Ashley will hopefully keep the momentum going in the next installments.
In terms of the romance, the initial focus on the age gap is strange (Zander is at least 150 years older than Rae, but then shifters live a long time). Thankfully Ashley moves past this quickly, and Zander and Rae are cute together. Zander's healing abilities and protective instincts make him a very appealing hero, and Rae's grudging and then whole-hearted acceptance of her role as Guardian is admirable. They make a formidable team, and it is fun watching them overcome all obstacles together.
All in all, an entertaining read with likeable characters. The next book returns to Kendrick's group of collar-free shifters, but I am hopeful that the development of the fae storyline will continue.
4 Stars
Rae Lyall, a lupine shifter adopted into a feline clan, is chosen as the first female Guardian (responsible for releasing the souls of deceased shifters into the Summerland). This does not go over well with the senior leadership of her Shiftertown, and Rae's adoptive father takes her to Zander Moncrieff, a polar bear shifter and healer, for training. Soon Rae and Zander find themselves on a quest that will change their lives forever.
Series note: Due to appearances by numerous characters from previous books and some advancement of the ongoing plot, it is recommended that the series be read in order.
While slow to start, the action picks up about 1/3 of the way in, and the last couple of chapters are intense and exciting. There is also (finally!) some compelling progression in the overarching fae-shifter, and Ashley will hopefully keep the momentum going in the next installments.
In terms of the romance, the initial focus on the age gap is strange (Zander is at least 150 years older than Rae, but then shifters live a long time). Thankfully Ashley moves past this quickly, and Zander and Rae are cute together. Zander's healing abilities and protective instincts make him a very appealing hero, and Rae's grudging and then whole-hearted acceptance of her role as Guardian is admirable. They make a formidable team, and it is fun watching them overcome all obstacles together.
All in all, an entertaining read with likeable characters. The next book returns to Kendrick's group of collar-free shifters, but I am hopeful that the development of the fae storyline will continue.
May 1, 2017
One of my favorites in the series. Zander and Rae are very likeable and strong. As a bonus, all the side characters were great (especially Piotr). A new development/story arc was introduced which I think is great. The overall story was kinda getting stale. So yeah, I really liked this one and I'm looking forward to what comes next.
September 5, 2016
3.75 stars rounded up
Guardian’s Mate is the latest installment of Jennifer Ashley’s Shifters Unbound series that has spanned for nine novels and several novellas for the past six years. Yes, there are a LOT of them *lol*.
This time, the focus is on Zander, the polar bear healer (whom everyone claims is insane, by the way) who was first introduced in the novella Wild Things, and Rae, a young wolf shifter who is just chosen to be the first female Guardian. Zander is tasked with training Rae how to fight with the Guardian sword because other shifters think she’s a fake considering the 1300 years there has never been a female Guardian. Zander lives alone all the way in Alaska, so Rae’s father think he’s the right choice.
Well, let me get things I disliked out of the way first. I found the second half of the book — and I use the term ‘second half’ loosely — to be rather boring. In this part, Rae and Zander are back in Rae’s Shiftertown and have to deal with a couple of things: find a way to fix the broken Guardian sword, as well as help search for feral shifters that have gone rogue. I felt like these issues were dragging. I kept wondering where the plot was actually going — especially in relation the whole set-up with the Faeries (and what they have been up to).
In addition, we also had the romance sneaking in, since Rae and Zander discovered their mate bond. It was a little muddy by then … although it went back on track after a while, and we get a little update about what the Faes are up to. Also, considering Zander’s main task was to train Rae … there wasn’t enough training happening in this book, IMHO. Things take a detour quite fast in the beginning, and as much as I liked how Rae progressed, I felt like that plot became a waste.
Other than that, I quite enjoyed it. The first half most especially — the bickering between Rae and Zander was entertaining! Rae loves her adopted family, her pack, and to be around them. So being dumped with a crazy grumpy solitary polar bear in ALASKA who has a pet SNAKE, is totally not her idea of fun.
I thought Rae was rather whiny at first. I wanted her to step up and to own her role as Guardian. But then I realized that Rae was a young shifter, pretty much a cub. She never leaves her family, never goes out of Montana. So her attitude was quite acceptable. Besides, Rae quickly shows that she could kick some asses.
And I loved Zander!! What can I say? That polar bear intrigued me from his very first appearance. I loved the fact that despite Zander claiming to be solitary, he actually has a vast array of network. Zander is the kind of person who knows people who knows people, you know? It was AMUSING to read how Rae became frustrated that Zander seemed to be able to drop a name out of a hat whenever they need someone to do something…
Plus the first half had a sense of adventure! We had bar fights, boat chase in a fog, and heck, even a whirlpool that sucked water into nothing. It was a different kind of situation from previous books. I think this is the first time the adventure happens in water, not on another land / Shiftertown.
Bottom line, I definitely liked this better than the previous novel (Kendrick’s story) or novellas (Broderick’s and Mason’s) although still not as much as I liked Tiger’s and Graham’s novels.
A Guest Review for The Blogger Girls
The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
Guardian’s Mate is the latest installment of Jennifer Ashley’s Shifters Unbound series that has spanned for nine novels and several novellas for the past six years. Yes, there are a LOT of them *lol*.
This time, the focus is on Zander, the polar bear healer (whom everyone claims is insane, by the way) who was first introduced in the novella Wild Things, and Rae, a young wolf shifter who is just chosen to be the first female Guardian. Zander is tasked with training Rae how to fight with the Guardian sword because other shifters think she’s a fake considering the 1300 years there has never been a female Guardian. Zander lives alone all the way in Alaska, so Rae’s father think he’s the right choice.
Well, let me get things I disliked out of the way first. I found the second half of the book — and I use the term ‘second half’ loosely — to be rather boring. In this part, Rae and Zander are back in Rae’s Shiftertown and have to deal with a couple of things: find a way to fix the broken Guardian sword, as well as help search for feral shifters that have gone rogue. I felt like these issues were dragging. I kept wondering where the plot was actually going — especially in relation the whole set-up with the Faeries (and what they have been up to).
In addition, we also had the romance sneaking in, since Rae and Zander discovered their mate bond. It was a little muddy by then … although it went back on track after a while, and we get a little update about what the Faes are up to. Also, considering Zander’s main task was to train Rae … there wasn’t enough training happening in this book, IMHO. Things take a detour quite fast in the beginning, and as much as I liked how Rae progressed, I felt like that plot became a waste.
Other than that, I quite enjoyed it. The first half most especially — the bickering between Rae and Zander was entertaining! Rae loves her adopted family, her pack, and to be around them. So being dumped with a crazy grumpy solitary polar bear in ALASKA who has a pet SNAKE, is totally not her idea of fun.
I thought Rae was rather whiny at first. I wanted her to step up and to own her role as Guardian. But then I realized that Rae was a young shifter, pretty much a cub. She never leaves her family, never goes out of Montana. So her attitude was quite acceptable. Besides, Rae quickly shows that she could kick some asses.
And I loved Zander!! What can I say? That polar bear intrigued me from his very first appearance. I loved the fact that despite Zander claiming to be solitary, he actually has a vast array of network. Zander is the kind of person who knows people who knows people, you know? It was AMUSING to read how Rae became frustrated that Zander seemed to be able to drop a name out of a hat whenever they need someone to do something…
Plus the first half had a sense of adventure! We had bar fights, boat chase in a fog, and heck, even a whirlpool that sucked water into nothing. It was a different kind of situation from previous books. I think this is the first time the adventure happens in water, not on another land / Shiftertown.
Bottom line, I definitely liked this better than the previous novel (Kendrick’s story) or novellas (Broderick’s and Mason’s) although still not as much as I liked Tiger’s and Graham’s novels.
A Guest Review for The Blogger Girls
The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
October 25, 2024
I just love returning to the Shifters Unbound series. It never gets dull and their is always something new to relish; a new element, a new couple, a new direction, etc.
Guardian’s Mate has so much to savor and a few surprises along the way! It’s action packed, full of adventure, and sexy shifters.
There was a lot of action and adventure packed into this novel. Our characters don’t get much downtime since they are dealing with Fae magic, being Goddess touched, dodging shifter bounty hunters, and new enemies. We are treated, along with our character, to one wild ride that gives us some riveting developments and captivating revelations.
Our couple made a great pair. I enjoyed these two together. Zander's a crazy "big ass bear”, yep, Rae calls him that and I loved it. ^_^ He's also got some hidden depth to him that only Rae sees and can bring out. Rae is young and now she's saddled with being a Guardian. WOW a Guardian! The first female Guardian picked. Lets just say the shifters aren’t to happy and some don’t believe the Goddess chose her. Well even shifters can be prejudice to. I enjoyed Rae. She has a little mystery about her and she’s stuck with a very tough job.
The romance was slow going; between Rae and Zander, but fun to watch them banter and tease and finally figure out they are perfect for each other. Theirs this smoldering tension between them that adds to the build up, so once they do hook up, yumminess befalls. I liked seeing the ragtag clan they sorta put together along with healing the loneliness each have deep inside. Their are also a lot of delightful secondary characters to appreciate.
If you enjoy shifters and haven’t yet tried Jennifer Ashley’s Shifters Unbound series you are in for a treat! Complete paranormal goodness ensues. We are treated to another fabulous read after another in this series.
Rated: 4 Stars
*Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy provided by Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley with the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.
Guardian’s Mate has so much to savor and a few surprises along the way! It’s action packed, full of adventure, and sexy shifters.
There was a lot of action and adventure packed into this novel. Our characters don’t get much downtime since they are dealing with Fae magic, being Goddess touched, dodging shifter bounty hunters, and new enemies. We are treated, along with our character, to one wild ride that gives us some riveting developments and captivating revelations.
Our couple made a great pair. I enjoyed these two together. Zander's a crazy "big ass bear”, yep, Rae calls him that and I loved it. ^_^ He's also got some hidden depth to him that only Rae sees and can bring out. Rae is young and now she's saddled with being a Guardian. WOW a Guardian! The first female Guardian picked. Lets just say the shifters aren’t to happy and some don’t believe the Goddess chose her. Well even shifters can be prejudice to. I enjoyed Rae. She has a little mystery about her and she’s stuck with a very tough job.
The romance was slow going; between Rae and Zander, but fun to watch them banter and tease and finally figure out they are perfect for each other. Theirs this smoldering tension between them that adds to the build up, so once they do hook up, yumminess befalls. I liked seeing the ragtag clan they sorta put together along with healing the loneliness each have deep inside. Their are also a lot of delightful secondary characters to appreciate.
If you enjoy shifters and haven’t yet tried Jennifer Ashley’s Shifters Unbound series you are in for a treat! Complete paranormal goodness ensues. We are treated to another fabulous read after another in this series.
Rated: 4 Stars
*Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy provided by Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley with the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.
January 1, 2017
A great addition to the series.
What happens when the Guardian of the Western Montana Shiftertown dies and the sword doesn't seem to want to choose a successor? What happens if it eventually chooses a female? Well the fit hits the shan, that's what!
Rae is the adopted daughter of the leader of the Western Montana Shiftertown but after the sword chose her in the Choosing ceremony things have become a bit hot, so her step-father takes her to Alaska to be trained by Zander Moncrieff, a half-mad 150 year old Polar bear shifter and healer. Rae is lupine while her adoptive family are feline but that has made no difference to the love they feel for each other.
This book was just one long adventure with Rae and Zander, a mad Russian called Piotr, a fellow lupine shifter and a broken sword. It reminds me why I love Jennifer Ashley books so much.
My only complaint? Who the heck is that supposed to be on the cover? Zander has white blonde hair, with two dreadlocks hanging on either side of his face which have beads braided into them, and a jet black goatee beard - it says so on page 7!
What happens when the Guardian of the Western Montana Shiftertown dies and the sword doesn't seem to want to choose a successor? What happens if it eventually chooses a female? Well the fit hits the shan, that's what!
Rae is the adopted daughter of the leader of the Western Montana Shiftertown but after the sword chose her in the Choosing ceremony things have become a bit hot, so her step-father takes her to Alaska to be trained by Zander Moncrieff, a half-mad 150 year old Polar bear shifter and healer. Rae is lupine while her adoptive family are feline but that has made no difference to the love they feel for each other.
This book was just one long adventure with Rae and Zander, a mad Russian called Piotr, a fellow lupine shifter and a broken sword. It reminds me why I love Jennifer Ashley books so much.
My only complaint? Who the heck is that supposed to be on the cover? Zander has white blonde hair, with two dreadlocks hanging on either side of his face which have beads braided into them, and a jet black goatee beard - it says so on page 7!
October 17, 2023
Ok this one was actually so fire! The elements that have been building up throughout the series are starting to all come together and we’re starting to understand more and more about the magic.
You ever feel nostalgic in the middle of something? That’s what this series is starting to feel like. I love this world and this band of characters and the shenanigans they all get up to. I’m like wow these crazy kids. Like we’ve lost the plot let’s be honest this started out in the Austin shifter town and now we’re in Montana and Alaska with a polar bear healer and a random lupine? YES SIR AND LOVING EVERY MOMENT! I was so excited for Zander to have his book I loved his dynamic with Rae
You ever feel nostalgic in the middle of something? That’s what this series is starting to feel like. I love this world and this band of characters and the shenanigans they all get up to. I’m like wow these crazy kids. Like we’ve lost the plot let’s be honest this started out in the Austin shifter town and now we’re in Montana and Alaska with a polar bear healer and a random lupine? YES SIR AND LOVING EVERY MOMENT! I was so excited for Zander to have his book I loved his dynamic with Rae
August 24, 2017
Zander.......LOVE him! Perfect teacher. Wonderful bada$$. Loving mate. Could not have been better with him and Rae. Great story!
August 31, 2016
4 stars
About the book: Release Date: September 6, 2016
She wasn’t ready to lead...
Chosen as the Guardian of her Montana Shiftertown, wolf Shifter Rae Lyall is facing opposition—for no woman has ever been selected for this powerful position. Still adjusting to the new authority thrust upon her, Rae travels to train with Zander Moncrieff, a Shifter healer, tasked with teaching her about her new role and its responsibilities.
He wasn’t ready to love...
A polar bear Shifter, Zander wears no Collar and follows no rules but his own. Rae finds him arrogant and demanding, yet compelling and intriguing. Zander has no wish to mate but the sassy Guardian is drawing him out of his shell, stirring feelings long suppressed. And when a new threat looms over Rae’s home, she and Zander must race to the rescue, forced closer to danger...and to each other.
••••••••••
REVIEW: GUARDIAN’S MATE is the ninth full length installment in Jennifer Ashley’s contemporary, adult SHIFTERS UNBOUND paranormal/fantasy romance series. This is polar bear shifter/healer Alexander ‘Zander’ Moncrief, and lupine shifter/Guardian Rae Lyall’s story line GUARDIAN’S MATE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but for cohesion and backstory I recommend reading the series in order.
SOME BACKGROUND: Thousands of years in the past, the Fae created the shifters-a cross between beast and man-and in the ensuing time the Fae lost control and power over the creatures they had created. Approximately twenty years ago shifters were exposed to the human population. Out of fear, discrimination and specieism, the shifters were collared with Fae magic in the belief that it would control aggression; then they were forced into segregated communities known as Shiftertowns. There are several Shiftertowns located throughout America where shifters live in a relative but strained peace amongst their own kind.
Told from several third person perspectives GUARDIAN’S MATE focuses on the first female Guardian, chosen by the goddess, and the resulting fall out when the shifters of the Montana Shiftertown don’t take too kindly to a woman in charge. Hoping to protect his daughter from potential harm, Montana Shiftertown leader Eoin Lyall sends Rae to Alaska and reclusive polar bear shifter Alexander Moncrief for training and protection. What ensues is the building relationship between Zander and Rae, and threats against out couple when a vigilante bounty hunter takes aim at everything shifter. A group of feral shifters has targeted both human and shifter populations, and Zander and Rae are caught up in the fight.
Xander Moncrief is a healer imbued with magical, empathic powers that have forced our hero into a reclusive life where the pain and suffering of others is far from his mind. Rae is a young shifter, barely past her transition, and the first woman chosen as the Guardian of her kind. The Guardian is tasked with ‘sending’ their dead to the Summerland-the shifter ‘after life’-but Rae has never been trained to handle the magical sword that is usually passed down from father to son. Xander Moncrief must temper his emotions as it pertains to the feisty lupine Guardian but attraction and the mating frenzy begin to over power our couple even as they are on the run from the people trying to destroy their lives. The romance is very slow to build; the $ex scenes are intimate and provocative.
There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including several shifters we have met in previous story lines, as well as the introduction of lupine shifter Ezra Wilcox, a man whose aging father recently passed away; Miles Keegan, a boat captain who hides a secret from the people with whom he works; Zander’s friend Piotr Ivanov who adds a little bit of humor and fun; and human Carson McCade, a man out to avenge the attack on his wife.
GUARDIAN’S MATE is a story line that follows a new arc for the series focusing on an impending war between the shifters and the Fae. The premise is entertaining; the romance is a bit of push and pull as Zander tries to keep his distance while the couple is on the run; the characters are an eclectic and colorful mix of shifters and humans. GUARDIAN’S MATE is an imaginative tale of adventure, action and romance. If you like paranormal story lines about shifters and their struggle in a world controlled by humans and the Fae, check out Jennifer Ashley’s SHIFTERS UNBOUND series.
Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley
www.thereadingcafe.com
About the book: Release Date: September 6, 2016
She wasn’t ready to lead...
Chosen as the Guardian of her Montana Shiftertown, wolf Shifter Rae Lyall is facing opposition—for no woman has ever been selected for this powerful position. Still adjusting to the new authority thrust upon her, Rae travels to train with Zander Moncrieff, a Shifter healer, tasked with teaching her about her new role and its responsibilities.
He wasn’t ready to love...
A polar bear Shifter, Zander wears no Collar and follows no rules but his own. Rae finds him arrogant and demanding, yet compelling and intriguing. Zander has no wish to mate but the sassy Guardian is drawing him out of his shell, stirring feelings long suppressed. And when a new threat looms over Rae’s home, she and Zander must race to the rescue, forced closer to danger...and to each other.
••••••••••
REVIEW: GUARDIAN’S MATE is the ninth full length installment in Jennifer Ashley’s contemporary, adult SHIFTERS UNBOUND paranormal/fantasy romance series. This is polar bear shifter/healer Alexander ‘Zander’ Moncrief, and lupine shifter/Guardian Rae Lyall’s story line GUARDIAN’S MATE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but for cohesion and backstory I recommend reading the series in order.
SOME BACKGROUND: Thousands of years in the past, the Fae created the shifters-a cross between beast and man-and in the ensuing time the Fae lost control and power over the creatures they had created. Approximately twenty years ago shifters were exposed to the human population. Out of fear, discrimination and specieism, the shifters were collared with Fae magic in the belief that it would control aggression; then they were forced into segregated communities known as Shiftertowns. There are several Shiftertowns located throughout America where shifters live in a relative but strained peace amongst their own kind.
Told from several third person perspectives GUARDIAN’S MATE focuses on the first female Guardian, chosen by the goddess, and the resulting fall out when the shifters of the Montana Shiftertown don’t take too kindly to a woman in charge. Hoping to protect his daughter from potential harm, Montana Shiftertown leader Eoin Lyall sends Rae to Alaska and reclusive polar bear shifter Alexander Moncrief for training and protection. What ensues is the building relationship between Zander and Rae, and threats against out couple when a vigilante bounty hunter takes aim at everything shifter. A group of feral shifters has targeted both human and shifter populations, and Zander and Rae are caught up in the fight.
Xander Moncrief is a healer imbued with magical, empathic powers that have forced our hero into a reclusive life where the pain and suffering of others is far from his mind. Rae is a young shifter, barely past her transition, and the first woman chosen as the Guardian of her kind. The Guardian is tasked with ‘sending’ their dead to the Summerland-the shifter ‘after life’-but Rae has never been trained to handle the magical sword that is usually passed down from father to son. Xander Moncrief must temper his emotions as it pertains to the feisty lupine Guardian but attraction and the mating frenzy begin to over power our couple even as they are on the run from the people trying to destroy their lives. The romance is very slow to build; the $ex scenes are intimate and provocative.
There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including several shifters we have met in previous story lines, as well as the introduction of lupine shifter Ezra Wilcox, a man whose aging father recently passed away; Miles Keegan, a boat captain who hides a secret from the people with whom he works; Zander’s friend Piotr Ivanov who adds a little bit of humor and fun; and human Carson McCade, a man out to avenge the attack on his wife.
GUARDIAN’S MATE is a story line that follows a new arc for the series focusing on an impending war between the shifters and the Fae. The premise is entertaining; the romance is a bit of push and pull as Zander tries to keep his distance while the couple is on the run; the characters are an eclectic and colorful mix of shifters and humans. GUARDIAN’S MATE is an imaginative tale of adventure, action and romance. If you like paranormal story lines about shifters and their struggle in a world controlled by humans and the Fae, check out Jennifer Ashley’s SHIFTERS UNBOUND series.
Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley
www.thereadingcafe.com
September 8, 2016
✦Review & Giveaway: Guardian's Mate: A Shifters Unbound Novel by Jennifer Ashley http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-6mz
Publication Date: September 6, 2016
Reviews by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated: 5 Stars #TopFav2016
(PAPERBACK COPY)
ENTER ON FACEBOOK HERE
Publication Date: September 6, 2016
Reviews by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated: 5 Stars #TopFav2016
I truly enjoyed reading about Rae and Zander. Their story takes the reader through a lot of territory, while seamlessly building their relationship. I felt an instant connection with them both right away and loved that neither of them fit into a stereotype, other than a sexy one. I even began to think of the sword as a character and really enjoyed that. It was a fast yet smooth story that pulled in people we knew and some new interesting players that I hope will pop back in now and then. Fun all the way around. I can’t wait to see where it brings us next.
*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.
Note from Cori: Totally loved this one too!
~*~*~*~
Kindle | Amazon PBK | B&N | Kobo | iBooks
~*~*~*~
(PAPERBACK COPY)
ENTER ON FACEBOOK HERE
~*~*~*~
September 11, 2016
After my disappointment with White Tiger, this was a breath of fresh air! It reminded me quite a bit of the first books.
Rae is an orphan wolf shifter taken in by a feline Montana Shiftertown leader when she was just a small child. She was left alone in the woods after her father and mother both died, although she can't remember the circumstances. Years later, when Daragh, the Guardian of her Shiftertown is killed, she is the one Chosen by the goddess to be the new Guardian - a first that's not accepted by anyone except her family, even some other Guardians. There's never been a female Guardian before. In an effort to protect her, and have her taught the information she needs to be a Guardian, her adopted father takes her to the one man he believes can help - the goddess touched healer Zander.
Zander is a polar bear shifter and a goddess touched healer. He's also slightly crazy if you ask other shifters. Zander recognizes a kindred spirit in Rae and while reluctant at first to train her, he knows that he is truly the only one that is willing to take her in and help her discover her own powers. He can't understand why the other Guardians and shifters are disputing her claim, after all, isn't the goddess herself a woman?
The passion and eventual mating dance between Rae and Zander was magical (no pun intended). I loved every second of their coming together, first as companions and then as friend and lover. They had incredible chemistry together, something that I found lacking in the last several books. It was just a pleasure to read this. I'm glad Jennifer Ashley got her mojo back.
5 stars
Rae is an orphan wolf shifter taken in by a feline Montana Shiftertown leader when she was just a small child. She was left alone in the woods after her father and mother both died, although she can't remember the circumstances. Years later, when Daragh, the Guardian of her Shiftertown is killed, she is the one Chosen by the goddess to be the new Guardian - a first that's not accepted by anyone except her family, even some other Guardians. There's never been a female Guardian before. In an effort to protect her, and have her taught the information she needs to be a Guardian, her adopted father takes her to the one man he believes can help - the goddess touched healer Zander.
Zander is a polar bear shifter and a goddess touched healer. He's also slightly crazy if you ask other shifters. Zander recognizes a kindred spirit in Rae and while reluctant at first to train her, he knows that he is truly the only one that is willing to take her in and help her discover her own powers. He can't understand why the other Guardians and shifters are disputing her claim, after all, isn't the goddess herself a woman?
The passion and eventual mating dance between Rae and Zander was magical (no pun intended). I loved every second of their coming together, first as companions and then as friend and lover. They had incredible chemistry together, something that I found lacking in the last several books. It was just a pleasure to read this. I'm glad Jennifer Ashley got her mojo back.
5 stars
September 14, 2016
4.5 of 5 Stars
Jennifer Ashley’s GUARDIAN'S MATE is an exciting adventure worthy of the Shifters Unbound Series. Wolf Shifter Rae Lyall is the first woman ever chosen to be a Guardian. She heads from her Montana Shiftertown to Alaska to train with Zander Moncrieff, a polar bear Shifter/healer. The two face numerous threats, needing to make sure they are not caught by Shifter Bureau. This contemporary PNR is suitable for adult audiences.
I really like both Rae and Zander. They get off to a rocky start. Rae is given the job of Guardian. A position she does not want and one other shifters are not supporting her in. Zander just wants to be left alone. The two are stuck with each other and make the best of the situation. They have great chemistry and entertaining conversations.
Rae is young is shifter years, just recently undergoing her Transition. Rae has no idea who her birth parents are. She was adopted by the feline leader of the Montana pack. Zander is a fun character. He is over one hundred and fifty years old. He is a collarless polar bear shifter that everyone thinks is insane. He is a goddess-touched gifted healer that cares greatly about the shifter race.
I love that characters from previous Shifter Unbound books make an appearance in this story, particularly, Dylan and Sean Morrissey.
I enjoyed the plot. It was fast paces and exciting. There were interesting twists and lots of obstacles to overcome. GUARDIAN'S MATE is a wonderful fit with the rest of the series. I’m looking forward to Jennifer Ashley’s next book in the series.
Complimentary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Jennifer Ashley’s GUARDIAN'S MATE is an exciting adventure worthy of the Shifters Unbound Series. Wolf Shifter Rae Lyall is the first woman ever chosen to be a Guardian. She heads from her Montana Shiftertown to Alaska to train with Zander Moncrieff, a polar bear Shifter/healer. The two face numerous threats, needing to make sure they are not caught by Shifter Bureau. This contemporary PNR is suitable for adult audiences.
I really like both Rae and Zander. They get off to a rocky start. Rae is given the job of Guardian. A position she does not want and one other shifters are not supporting her in. Zander just wants to be left alone. The two are stuck with each other and make the best of the situation. They have great chemistry and entertaining conversations.
Rae is young is shifter years, just recently undergoing her Transition. Rae has no idea who her birth parents are. She was adopted by the feline leader of the Montana pack. Zander is a fun character. He is over one hundred and fifty years old. He is a collarless polar bear shifter that everyone thinks is insane. He is a goddess-touched gifted healer that cares greatly about the shifter race.
I love that characters from previous Shifter Unbound books make an appearance in this story, particularly, Dylan and Sean Morrissey.
I enjoyed the plot. It was fast paces and exciting. There were interesting twists and lots of obstacles to overcome. GUARDIAN'S MATE is a wonderful fit with the rest of the series. I’m looking forward to Jennifer Ashley’s next book in the series.
Complimentary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 26, 2024
Fantastic twists to the series with this couple. He's a shifter healer and shocked the Goddess gave him a mate. She's also Goddess touched and know her pack will be reluctant to accept a female Guardian. Love the couple's story.
September 6, 2016
Jennifer Ashley's shifter world is hot and sexy, it's an amazing series I can't wait for the next book to come out... I enjoyed reading Rae and Zander's story
September 30, 2021
Ha, Zander just turned out to be my favorite hero of this series. He's just crazy awesome and amusing and caring. I absolutely loved following him in his adventures. And It looks like trouble also likes to follow him around.
The heroine was nice but nothing distinctive about her except the fact that she's the first woman to be made a guardian. But her as a person I didn't find anything positive nor negative to say.
The plot is getting to a higher point now. I can almost see a war in the horizon. I can't wait to finish this series.
The heroine was nice but nothing distinctive about her except the fact that she's the first woman to be made a guardian. But her as a person I didn't find anything positive nor negative to say.
The plot is getting to a higher point now. I can almost see a war in the horizon. I can't wait to finish this series.
May 9, 2018
4 stars.
I've been looking forward to Zander's story. Zander's big personality (well he is a polar bear after all) is very well-drawn here. I also liked that we're seeing some equal opportunity "hiring" from the Goddess with the first female Guardian. The pairing of Zander and Rae is definitely crazy and unusual but I think it worked.
I'm curious as to what's going to happen next with the fae.
I've been looking forward to Zander's story. Zander's big personality (well he is a polar bear after all) is very well-drawn here. I also liked that we're seeing some equal opportunity "hiring" from the Goddess with the first female Guardian. The pairing of Zander and Rae is definitely crazy and unusual but I think it worked.
I'm curious as to what's going to happen next with the fae.
September 4, 2016
Let me start off with...OMG!
And again...OMG!
I would do nothing but OMG throughout the whole review if I could. I'm guessing you all know how I felt about Guardian's Mate. But just in case you missed it...
OMG!
I really enjoy a lot of the books I read. More often then not I really like them, how else could I keep reading the genre I've picked without enjoying them. But once in a while a book falls in my lap that slaps me in the face.
Maybe I enjoyed this one so much because I might have read something before that wasn't as good. Sorry, that wasn't the case. Yes I already love her work as a author, but even with loving her work most of the time I only give her books four stars. Guardian's Mate is a five star book for me.
What's really shocking is that I don't often give them. I just couldn't not give it five stars. I enjoyed it that much.
You already get to know Zander in prior books. I don't know about you but I couldn't wait for his story (love me a bear). I knew it was going to be something special but...OMG! As you learned a little more about him in each book I wasn't sure who would be his perfect mate. She would have to be very special.
Rae is that woman.
I really loved her and I don't often say that about my heroines. She is so caring and sweet that her niceness hurts you a little. She's perfect for Zander. Deep down he's sweet too!. A little crazy but we forgive him for that. They get each other and did from the second they met.
So much happens in this story. At first I was a little worried that I would be bored with this book, I just couldn't figure out how entertaining the story would be with Zander and Rae just sitting on a boat learning her craft. I was wrong to doubt Ashley and her ability to write a great story. The whole story is action packed with laugh-out-loud humor. It's the type of book that grabs you by the short hairs and keeps you there.
In a way it takes a different turn from the beginning books, but really if you think about it, it's heading just where it needs to head. It seems to me that the hidden build up from each story brings you to this book. I do know one thing, It's going to be killer waiting for the next book so we can know what happens next. I can't wait, Red Wolf is out in May 2017.
To really enjoy this series please read the books in order. You'll know why when you do. Each book is very easy to read so it shouldn't be that hard to get through them.
Once again, OMG!!!!!
Reviewed for Romancing the Readers Blog:
http://romancingthereaders.blogspot.c...
Romancing the Readers Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/RomancingThe...
ARC received for a honest review
And again...OMG!
I would do nothing but OMG throughout the whole review if I could. I'm guessing you all know how I felt about Guardian's Mate. But just in case you missed it...
OMG!
I really enjoy a lot of the books I read. More often then not I really like them, how else could I keep reading the genre I've picked without enjoying them. But once in a while a book falls in my lap that slaps me in the face.
Maybe I enjoyed this one so much because I might have read something before that wasn't as good. Sorry, that wasn't the case. Yes I already love her work as a author, but even with loving her work most of the time I only give her books four stars. Guardian's Mate is a five star book for me.
What's really shocking is that I don't often give them. I just couldn't not give it five stars. I enjoyed it that much.
You already get to know Zander in prior books. I don't know about you but I couldn't wait for his story (love me a bear). I knew it was going to be something special but...OMG! As you learned a little more about him in each book I wasn't sure who would be his perfect mate. She would have to be very special.
Rae is that woman.
I really loved her and I don't often say that about my heroines. She is so caring and sweet that her niceness hurts you a little. She's perfect for Zander. Deep down he's sweet too!. A little crazy but we forgive him for that. They get each other and did from the second they met.
So much happens in this story. At first I was a little worried that I would be bored with this book, I just couldn't figure out how entertaining the story would be with Zander and Rae just sitting on a boat learning her craft. I was wrong to doubt Ashley and her ability to write a great story. The whole story is action packed with laugh-out-loud humor. It's the type of book that grabs you by the short hairs and keeps you there.
In a way it takes a different turn from the beginning books, but really if you think about it, it's heading just where it needs to head. It seems to me that the hidden build up from each story brings you to this book. I do know one thing, It's going to be killer waiting for the next book so we can know what happens next. I can't wait, Red Wolf is out in May 2017.
To really enjoy this series please read the books in order. You'll know why when you do. Each book is very easy to read so it shouldn't be that hard to get through them.
Once again, OMG!!!!!
Reviewed for Romancing the Readers Blog:
http://romancingthereaders.blogspot.c...
Romancing the Readers Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/RomancingThe...
ARC received for a honest review
September 10, 2016
ARC REVIEW
Love Zander!
I fell in love with the big polar bear in the previous books, man, Zander is big and gruff and all heart. Rae is a hero who never asked for it. She would have rather not been selected as the Guardian for her pack but it’s the hand the Goddess gave her so she’s sucking it up. I love this series, I remember the first time I read the first book I was hooked I think out of the series I’ve missed just one book. Jennifer Ashley is fantastic at what she does. Her characters are all written and likeable. The storyline it’s like a domino effect one thing leads to another that leads to another that leads to one big cluster fuck and so on. This was such a fun and entertaining book, to sound cliché, it will make you laugh it make you cry and it all leads to one very nice HEA.
Rae was adopted, she was found abandoned as a wolf cub and the feline Alpha of the pack raised her as his own. The Guardian was one of the ones who found her he was also one of her best friends. One day he was attacked by humans, murdered and had the sacred Guardian sword stolen. It was retrieved by Austin Shiftertown’s guardian and returned but for six months the Montana Shiftertown has held the ceremony to pick another Guardian but to no avail the Goddess has not spoken. Since the Guardian’s death Rae has been the only one who can actually touch the sword. To everyone’s surprise she was selected, the only female Guardian ever. The pack is having a hard time believing it, shunning Rae. Rae’s father fears that they might actually hurt her so he asks for help.
Zander is just looking for some alone time to decompress after his last mission. Zander is Goddess blessed he has amazing healing abilities but he takes it into him and that takes a lot out of him. Zander doesn’t want the responsibility of training a Guardian but one look at Rae and knows she’s something special. The adventures begin when Rae is called on to perform her Guardian duties on an older wolf whose time has come; she does so, further proving she really is the Guardian. Afterward one thing leads to another they end up in a bar fight then on the run from the police, then the coast guard, and a bounty hunter. The Bounty Hunter who has a grudge against all shifters actually catches them but then they have to work together to get out of a natural phenomenon known as The Graveyard. That really is just the start it all leads up to a big reveal about a sinister plot. All the while Rae and Zander fall in love.
Overall, great non-stop adventure. The supporting cast is just as fun as the main characters and the foreshadowing of what’s to come will definitely hook you to the books to come.
Love Zander!
I fell in love with the big polar bear in the previous books, man, Zander is big and gruff and all heart. Rae is a hero who never asked for it. She would have rather not been selected as the Guardian for her pack but it’s the hand the Goddess gave her so she’s sucking it up. I love this series, I remember the first time I read the first book I was hooked I think out of the series I’ve missed just one book. Jennifer Ashley is fantastic at what she does. Her characters are all written and likeable. The storyline it’s like a domino effect one thing leads to another that leads to another that leads to one big cluster fuck and so on. This was such a fun and entertaining book, to sound cliché, it will make you laugh it make you cry and it all leads to one very nice HEA.
Rae was adopted, she was found abandoned as a wolf cub and the feline Alpha of the pack raised her as his own. The Guardian was one of the ones who found her he was also one of her best friends. One day he was attacked by humans, murdered and had the sacred Guardian sword stolen. It was retrieved by Austin Shiftertown’s guardian and returned but for six months the Montana Shiftertown has held the ceremony to pick another Guardian but to no avail the Goddess has not spoken. Since the Guardian’s death Rae has been the only one who can actually touch the sword. To everyone’s surprise she was selected, the only female Guardian ever. The pack is having a hard time believing it, shunning Rae. Rae’s father fears that they might actually hurt her so he asks for help.
Zander is just looking for some alone time to decompress after his last mission. Zander is Goddess blessed he has amazing healing abilities but he takes it into him and that takes a lot out of him. Zander doesn’t want the responsibility of training a Guardian but one look at Rae and knows she’s something special. The adventures begin when Rae is called on to perform her Guardian duties on an older wolf whose time has come; she does so, further proving she really is the Guardian. Afterward one thing leads to another they end up in a bar fight then on the run from the police, then the coast guard, and a bounty hunter. The Bounty Hunter who has a grudge against all shifters actually catches them but then they have to work together to get out of a natural phenomenon known as The Graveyard. That really is just the start it all leads up to a big reveal about a sinister plot. All the while Rae and Zander fall in love.
Overall, great non-stop adventure. The supporting cast is just as fun as the main characters and the foreshadowing of what’s to come will definitely hook you to the books to come.
July 19, 2016
Guardian’s Mate by Jennifer Ashley was interesting and I liked the lead characters, Rae and Zander. The premise that Rae is the first female guardian and the fact that despite her divine selection she is still ostracized by her pack are relevant to our society today. Both Rae and Zander are, because of their gifts, outcasts which makes the reader sympathetic to them. The details of their harrowing journey off the coast of Alaska is written with very good detail. For all these reasons, I wanted to really like the book but instead I struggled some with it. The story was slow to progress. During their attempt to escape bounty hunters, we’re introduced to characters who participate in the climactic scene and spend some time watching Rae and Zander get to know each other but this portion of the book was too long. Rae and Zander spent too little time training (her entire purpose of being there) and the man hunting them was a little too easy to win over to assisting them. The two spent too much time resisting each other and too little time finally acting on their instant chemistry. I’d have liked to have seen more of Rae gaining skills, coming into her talents and responsibilities as a guardian, interacting with the pack and a buildup to the pack’s acceptance of her as guardian. The return to Shiftertown and the tracking down of the feral shifters should have been a larger part of the story.
With that all said, the book was still interesting. Ashley is imaginative and writes well and I’m sure fans of the series will enjoy this book as well. I give the book a 3 1/2 star rating.
With that all said, the book was still interesting. Ashley is imaginative and writes well and I’m sure fans of the series will enjoy this book as well. I give the book a 3 1/2 star rating.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 285 reviews