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Shape-Shifter #1
Second Nature
Lesbian Fiction: Shape-Shifter Romance.
Novelist Jorie Price doesn't believe in the existence of shape-shifting creatures or true love. She leads a solitary life, and the paranormal romances she writes are pure fiction for her.
Novelist Jorie Price doesn't believe in the existence of shape-shifting creatures or true love. She leads a solitary life, and the paranormal romances she writes are pure fiction for her.
Griffin Westmore knows better - at least about one of these two things. She doesn't believe in love either, but she's one of the not-so-fictional shape-shifters. She's also a Saru - an elite soldier, investigator, and if need be an assassin with the mission to protect the shape-shifters' secret existence at any cost.
When Jorie gets too close to the truth in her latest shape-shifter romance, Griffin is sent to investigate - and if necessary to destroy the manuscript before it's published and to kill the writer.
14 pages, Audible Audio
First published November 1, 2009
301 people are currently reading
3065 people want to read
About the author
Jae
127 books3,805 followersJae is the author of twenty-six award-winning romances between women. She lives in the sunniest city of Germany, near the French and Swiss borders. The writing bug bit her at the age of eleven.
She used to work as a psychologist but gave up her day job in 2013 to become a full-time writer and a part-time editor. As far as she’s concerned, it’s the best job in the world.
When she’s not writing, she is an avid reader of sapphic books, indulges her ice cream and office supply addictions, and watches way too many crime shows.
She used to work as a psychologist but gave up her day job in 2013 to become a full-time writer and a part-time editor. As far as she’s concerned, it’s the best job in the world.
When she’s not writing, she is an avid reader of sapphic books, indulges her ice cream and office supply addictions, and watches way too many crime shows.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 232 reviews
April 6, 2018
Great series! An impressive,funny,with very good chemistry and one of the best shapeshifting storyline and series which was also well written. Highly recommended to everyone
September 28, 2018
After watching the senate hearing all day yesterday, I needed something to take my mind off of the dread in my stomach. Two things I love, paranormal anything and books by Jae, so this was an easy choice. It was also exactly what I needed at this time and I really enjoyed it.
This book is about animal shifters. Not weres but beings that are born with the abilities to shift into certain animals. This book covers a wide array of animals but big cats are the most common, with a liger being the main character. The other main Jorie is an author who is writing a shifter romance book that happens to be a little too close to the truth. The liger woman Griffin is charged with finding out if Jorie is a threat to keeping their existence a secret.
The storyline of the book is pretty straight forward, and the main twist isn’t that hard to figure out, but I enjoyed all of it. It’s a very long book, but you really feel immersed in this human/shifter world. While this is a paranormal book, it’s not hard paranormal so I believe it would appeal to any kind of readers. It was just fun and I immediately wanted more when I was finished.
This is a very slow burn romance. I love slow burn, but this is pretty slow for such a big book. I do wish there was more time with the characters as a couple. However, considering how everything in the book unfolded, the slow pace seems to be realistic to the storyline.
Jae is one of my favorite authors, but she has written so much that I am still catching up. If you are in the same boat, I think you will enjoy this. If you are a paranormal fan, a romance fan, or just looking for a little adventure, this book is a fun read. It is not Jae’s best, but a good Jae book is still better than most.
This book is about animal shifters. Not weres but beings that are born with the abilities to shift into certain animals. This book covers a wide array of animals but big cats are the most common, with a liger being the main character. The other main Jorie is an author who is writing a shifter romance book that happens to be a little too close to the truth. The liger woman Griffin is charged with finding out if Jorie is a threat to keeping their existence a secret.
The storyline of the book is pretty straight forward, and the main twist isn’t that hard to figure out, but I enjoyed all of it. It’s a very long book, but you really feel immersed in this human/shifter world. While this is a paranormal book, it’s not hard paranormal so I believe it would appeal to any kind of readers. It was just fun and I immediately wanted more when I was finished.
This is a very slow burn romance. I love slow burn, but this is pretty slow for such a big book. I do wish there was more time with the characters as a couple. However, considering how everything in the book unfolded, the slow pace seems to be realistic to the storyline.
Jae is one of my favorite authors, but she has written so much that I am still catching up. If you are in the same boat, I think you will enjoy this. If you are a paranormal fan, a romance fan, or just looking for a little adventure, this book is a fun read. It is not Jae’s best, but a good Jae book is still better than most.
October 14, 2016
While this isn't high art--it lacks the pathos that made some of Jae's other books such emotional journeys for me--it is an entertaining paranormal romance with an interesting take on shapeshifters. The book is long enough that it has time to do a lot of both world-building and character-building, giving plenty of time to each, and it establishes a fairly solid romance along the way.
On the subject of characters, I really liked Jorie here. While initially presented as something of an introverted writer, she holds her own very well against Griffin's more aggressive personality. Jorie's smart, observant, and willing to stand up for herself against...well...damned near everybody except her mother. She's one tough human, and she adjusts to her situation with aplomb. Griffin was a little harder for me to take, at least initially. She, like most shape-shifters in the book, is an arrogant, self-important speciest, and she's one of the more liberal of the bunch. Fortunately, she starts to grow on you after awhile. People who fight for the underdog (or underhuman, in this case) tend to do that.
The shape-shifters, while not the most likable group of people, are pretty well-developed by the author. I like that she addresses little details--e.g. the characters maintaining the same mass in both forms--without getting too tedious. I love the idea that shape-shifters aren't just humans wearing fur suits when they transform, they're mostly-human in their human form, and mostly-animal in their animal form; each is a fully-formed entity, not just a temporary state of being. Other little touches, such as the importance of sharing food, respecting territory, etc. are all well done.
The plot is fairly fun, if not especially original. A human finds out about the shifters, the shifters want to know how. There's a pretty boring antagonist (the same banal guy you see in a lot of lesfic), but at least Jae adds a dollop of paranormal reasoning to his hatred, rather than just the usual misogyny and/or homophobia this time. He's still a one-dimensional alpha-tool, but hell, it's a paranormal romance--that's pretty much a staple.
With regard to the romance, it definitely was written in the tradition of Jae's sloooow-burn style, but she does that well in all of her books, and this one's no exception. I have found that some of her books tend towards rather rushed endings, a pet peeve of mine, but this one avoids that problem nicely. Nearly everything is neatly tied up, and the followup short story collection with which she always accompanies her novels felt like a nice bonus here, rather than a post-release patch to add a sex scene or take the place of an epilogue. The relationship builds at a good pace, the personalities are nicely balanced, there's some lovely give-and-take once Griffin starts to let her guard down, and the ending left me satisfied.
If you're looking for a good paranormal romance, or just a fun Halloween read, this is a decent pick.
4.5 stars, rounded down to 4.
On the subject of characters, I really liked Jorie here. While initially presented as something of an introverted writer, she holds her own very well against Griffin's more aggressive personality. Jorie's smart, observant, and willing to stand up for herself against...well...damned near everybody except her mother. She's one tough human, and she adjusts to her situation with aplomb. Griffin was a little harder for me to take, at least initially. She, like most shape-shifters in the book, is an arrogant, self-important speciest, and she's one of the more liberal of the bunch. Fortunately, she starts to grow on you after awhile. People who fight for the underdog (or underhuman, in this case) tend to do that.
The shape-shifters, while not the most likable group of people, are pretty well-developed by the author. I like that she addresses little details--e.g. the characters maintaining the same mass in both forms--without getting too tedious. I love the idea that shape-shifters aren't just humans wearing fur suits when they transform, they're mostly-human in their human form, and mostly-animal in their animal form; each is a fully-formed entity, not just a temporary state of being. Other little touches, such as the importance of sharing food, respecting territory, etc. are all well done.
The plot is fairly fun, if not especially original. A human finds out about the shifters, the shifters want to know how. There's a pretty boring antagonist (the same banal guy you see in a lot of lesfic), but at least Jae adds a dollop of paranormal reasoning to his hatred, rather than just the usual misogyny and/or homophobia this time. He's still a one-dimensional alpha-tool, but hell, it's a paranormal romance--that's pretty much a staple.
With regard to the romance, it definitely was written in the tradition of Jae's sloooow-burn style, but she does that well in all of her books, and this one's no exception. I have found that some of her books tend towards rather rushed endings, a pet peeve of mine, but this one avoids that problem nicely. Nearly everything is neatly tied up, and the followup short story collection with which she always accompanies her novels felt like a nice bonus here, rather than a post-release patch to add a sex scene or take the place of an epilogue. The relationship builds at a good pace, the personalities are nicely balanced, there's some lovely give-and-take once Griffin starts to let her guard down, and the ending left me satisfied.
If you're looking for a good paranormal romance, or just a fun Halloween read, this is a decent pick.
4.5 stars, rounded down to 4.
July 28, 2017
Four years ago I read this book for the first time. And now, seemingly randomly, I decided to reread this specific book (then proceed to read everything up to but not including the ‘True Nature’ book and spin-off short stories). Which reminds me – the short stories I read were great but . . . you really need to read Second Nature to be able to fully appreciate those short stories.
So, Second Nature. Second Nature contains multiple point of views, though the main characters, the two most important, are Jorie Price and Griffin Westmore. Jorie is 100% American, though has Asian features (she was adopted by her American parents when she was 3); while Griffin is . . . different. Jorie is a novelist, ‘famous’ for some books that cross over to several different genres, while still including heterosexual characters, though her latest book, still in the writing stage, involves lesbians. Which is where Griffin and the rest come in. See, Jorie works with a beta reader (at least more than one, though it is unclear if this current book only involve Ally or others as well), and that beta reader has noticed certain things in the chapters she has read that has lead her to report the issue to ‘the Council’.
The ‘things’ spotted? Well: 1) book involves shifters; 2) there are a bunch of shifter books out there so, why is it an issue?; 3) the story, characters, description of ‘everything’ seems really spot on to the ‘real world’ of the Wrasa – the world of the shifters. For you see, there’s this group of people who live alongside humans (well on the same planet) who just so happen to be a separate species. One of their forms, though, is close enough to human to pass. The shifters ‘shift’ from one form to another, two forms, human like and some animal like creature that usually gets ‘seen’ as something namable by humans (as in, a shifter who shifts into a bear like animal isn’t really shifting into a bear, but the creature is close enough to a bear to be seen that way (not werebear, but Maki). Oh, and they are not ‘were-something’, they are shifters – they are not humans who have been cursed, bitten, or whatever, they are a separate species.
Right, got distracted there.
Jorie’s book is problematic. How’d she get that information? What’s going on here? Is someone telling her things, is there a traitor Wrasa? The Saru, those people who operate as the Wrasa law enforcement officers, send two people to investigate. Cedric Jennings, a Syak (what humans would see as a werewolf), and Griffin Westmore (an Antapi – which literally means ‘both’, or hybrid, Griffin is half Kasari (which correspond to ‘lions’), and half Puwar (corresponds to tigers). Cedric has been tasked to investigate Ally, the beta reader, while Griffin investigates Jorie. Their task is to find the traitor feeding information to Jorie (she just knows too much for there not to be a traitor).
Certain problems pop up along the way. Like the part where Griffin’s nature, half-Puwar, and half-Kasari, cause issues for her (both in that other Wrasa see her as lessor (or, at least, Griffin sees them seeing her that way), though more in terms of the fact that Kasari are very big on families and living in prides, while Puwar are much more solo-type cats (think real-life lions vs. real life tigers). Mostly, though, the problem is that both Jorie and Griffin end up finding the other quite . . . attractive.
Great, outstanding book. Better read in book form than in dribblings in my review. So I’ll stop that now.
Rating: 5+
July 28 2017
So, Second Nature. Second Nature contains multiple point of views, though the main characters, the two most important, are Jorie Price and Griffin Westmore. Jorie is 100% American, though has Asian features (she was adopted by her American parents when she was 3); while Griffin is . . . different. Jorie is a novelist, ‘famous’ for some books that cross over to several different genres, while still including heterosexual characters, though her latest book, still in the writing stage, involves lesbians. Which is where Griffin and the rest come in. See, Jorie works with a beta reader (at least more than one, though it is unclear if this current book only involve Ally or others as well), and that beta reader has noticed certain things in the chapters she has read that has lead her to report the issue to ‘the Council’.
The ‘things’ spotted? Well: 1) book involves shifters; 2) there are a bunch of shifter books out there so, why is it an issue?; 3) the story, characters, description of ‘everything’ seems really spot on to the ‘real world’ of the Wrasa – the world of the shifters. For you see, there’s this group of people who live alongside humans (well on the same planet) who just so happen to be a separate species. One of their forms, though, is close enough to human to pass. The shifters ‘shift’ from one form to another, two forms, human like and some animal like creature that usually gets ‘seen’ as something namable by humans (as in, a shifter who shifts into a bear like animal isn’t really shifting into a bear, but the creature is close enough to a bear to be seen that way (not werebear, but Maki). Oh, and they are not ‘were-something’, they are shifters – they are not humans who have been cursed, bitten, or whatever, they are a separate species.
Right, got distracted there.
Jorie’s book is problematic. How’d she get that information? What’s going on here? Is someone telling her things, is there a traitor Wrasa? The Saru, those people who operate as the Wrasa law enforcement officers, send two people to investigate. Cedric Jennings, a Syak (what humans would see as a werewolf), and Griffin Westmore (an Antapi – which literally means ‘both’, or hybrid, Griffin is half Kasari (which correspond to ‘lions’), and half Puwar (corresponds to tigers). Cedric has been tasked to investigate Ally, the beta reader, while Griffin investigates Jorie. Their task is to find the traitor feeding information to Jorie (she just knows too much for there not to be a traitor).
Certain problems pop up along the way. Like the part where Griffin’s nature, half-Puwar, and half-Kasari, cause issues for her (both in that other Wrasa see her as lessor (or, at least, Griffin sees them seeing her that way), though more in terms of the fact that Kasari are very big on families and living in prides, while Puwar are much more solo-type cats (think real-life lions vs. real life tigers). Mostly, though, the problem is that both Jorie and Griffin end up finding the other quite . . . attractive.
Great, outstanding book. Better read in book form than in dribblings in my review. So I’ll stop that now.
Rating: 5+
July 28 2017
May 13, 2021
This was a bit odd, but less so now that I noticed it was written a dozen years ago. I have feet firmly planted in both LGBT and UF niche markets and this is only the second that straddles that divide that I've read. And for this one, at least, it's a bit of an awkward mix.
Jae toes a unique line with science/magic in this one with the shifters firmly science based (so, for example, they retain mass in both shapes so her 6' something liger shifter weighs 400 lbs. in her human form). But they have also relied on "dream seekers" for mystical guidance since forever and deeply mourn losing their last in recent years. So there's some precognition, but not the heavy woowoo hand-wave for shifting into different species.
Also, I kind of loved having a liger shifter who came about as a hybrid between two different shifter clans like you'd expect. And the resultant sterility issue being a concern and all that entails. Indeed, Jae obviously did her research and I loved seeing how the animal natures influenced the characters in both aspects of their lives in such nuanced ways.
Anyway, it's a bit plodding for a UF story. And the plot suffers a bit for having to rely on bad-guy PoV to convey a sense of urgency and threat (without the bad-guy PoV the true threat would remain hidden for most of the story and some events downright confusing). And the UF element made the lgbt romance part drag on for way longer than usual as well.
That said, the characters were outstanding and I loved seeing Jorie and Griffin get to know each other and learn to trust against expectations. And while the fractured shifter community was a bit tiresome at times, I liked their emphasis on acceptance and support (that was hidden from Jorie because of her loner nature and outsider status for a while).
So this ends up four stars but with the rider that purists for either romance or UF are going to struggle some. I continue to be impressed with Jae's talent and diversity and willingness to take on challenging stories.
A note about Steamy: There's a single explicit sex scene near the end putting this in the low end of my steam tolerance. It's pretty well-done and I liked how it played out.
Jae toes a unique line with science/magic in this one with the shifters firmly science based (so, for example, they retain mass in both shapes so her 6' something liger shifter weighs 400 lbs. in her human form). But they have also relied on "dream seekers" for mystical guidance since forever and deeply mourn losing their last in recent years. So there's some precognition, but not the heavy woowoo hand-wave for shifting into different species.
Also, I kind of loved having a liger shifter who came about as a hybrid between two different shifter clans like you'd expect. And the resultant sterility issue being a concern and all that entails. Indeed, Jae obviously did her research and I loved seeing how the animal natures influenced the characters in both aspects of their lives in such nuanced ways.
Anyway, it's a bit plodding for a UF story. And the plot suffers a bit for having to rely on bad-guy PoV to convey a sense of urgency and threat (without the bad-guy PoV the true threat would remain hidden for most of the story and some events downright confusing). And the UF element made the lgbt romance part drag on for way longer than usual as well.
That said, the characters were outstanding and I loved seeing Jorie and Griffin get to know each other and learn to trust against expectations. And while the fractured shifter community was a bit tiresome at times, I liked their emphasis on acceptance and support (that was hidden from Jorie because of her loner nature and outsider status for a while).
So this ends up four stars but with the rider that purists for either romance or UF are going to struggle some. I continue to be impressed with Jae's talent and diversity and willingness to take on challenging stories.
A note about Steamy: There's a single explicit sex scene near the end putting this in the low end of my steam tolerance. It's pretty well-done and I liked how it played out.
November 5, 2016
5 stars
Still 5 stars after a re-read. Great world building of the Wasa society and the shape-shifters themselves. I don't read a lot of paranormal i.e. warewolves & vampires so I didn't have any preconceived notions. This may help in accepting Jae's version. Though Jae is such a good writer that you immediately would buy into her world of shape-shifters.
I love Griffin & Jorie. A great romance - as another reviewer described- a Jae slow-burn romance. Perfect for this story. Jorie is probably one of the best characters I've read and one of my favorites. Relatively small in stature and introverted yet with her intelligence, strength and convictions she is able to hold her own in many of the situations she finds herself thrown into. Now if she can only decide if she is of Chinese or Japanese descent! There are a large cast of characters but each are well written and it doesn't feel overwhelming. Highly recommend this book!
Still 5 stars after a re-read. Great world building of the Wasa society and the shape-shifters themselves. I don't read a lot of paranormal i.e. warewolves & vampires so I didn't have any preconceived notions. This may help in accepting Jae's version. Though Jae is such a good writer that you immediately would buy into her world of shape-shifters.
I love Griffin & Jorie. A great romance - as another reviewer described- a Jae slow-burn romance. Perfect for this story. Jorie is probably one of the best characters I've read and one of my favorites. Relatively small in stature and introverted yet with her intelligence, strength and convictions she is able to hold her own in many of the situations she finds herself thrown into. Now if she can only decide if she is of Chinese or Japanese descent! There are a large cast of characters but each are well written and it doesn't feel overwhelming. Highly recommend this book!
June 15, 2020
A friend recommended that I read Second Nature. I’ve only just read one book so far on shape-shifter which I enjoyed though the book had more humour. Second Nature is similar but not the same. Shapeshifting is the only similarity between the 2. In SN, you have Griffin, a shapeshifter whose animal form is a liger, who was tasked to investigate Jorie, a novelist who was writing a new book about shapeshifter which was too close too comfort. Griffin was subsequently ordered to kill Jorie but refused and end-up playing bodyguard to Jorie. An interesting storyline and one which was well written with varied and colourful supporting characters.
Ratings: 4.5 ⭐️
Ratings: 4.5 ⭐️
July 10, 2025
Why didn’t I listen to this book earlier? I was hooked from the first lines. The conflict of interest, the lies, and betrayal, and the potential kill order hovering gave the book angst and suspense. Paranormal stories enable the description of a relationship with a feral dimension that I love: who knew scent could be telling way more than a thousand words? Jae must have done a lot of research on animal behavior because it was really interesting.
Griffin is all about duty and isolated from her family when the book begins. Her structured life is turned upside down when she meets Jorie (whose life is obviously turned upside down too), the subject of her investigation. When she starts questioning her beliefs and way of life, that was so interesting to me. I also really liked the dynamic between Griffin and all the members of her family, especially Leigh and Brian.The story is rich with a mix of paranormal, politics, high stakes missions, family dynamics, action, and romance. The punctual use of multiple POVs brought a lot, whether it's Cedric's or Leigh's. I just wished to see Griffin and Jorie more as a couple, but with the storyline, after all they went through, them taking time to get together is only more realistic. My curiosity was satisfied reading Natural Family Disaster; it has five really sweet and funny short stories that show glimpses of their life together.
Jae built a rich yet simple (enough for me) universe, and I can't wait to dive into the next books of the series. Abby Craden's narration was impressive.
PS: Now I can't help but wonder if Jae is a dream seer and sharing her life with a liger.
PPS: Why is it a tiger and not a liger on the cover?
Griffin is all about duty and isolated from her family when the book begins. Her structured life is turned upside down when she meets Jorie (whose life is obviously turned upside down too), the subject of her investigation. When she starts questioning her beliefs and way of life, that was so interesting to me. I also really liked the dynamic between Griffin and all the members of her family, especially Leigh and Brian.The story is rich with a mix of paranormal, politics, high stakes missions, family dynamics, action, and romance. The punctual use of multiple POVs brought a lot, whether it's Cedric's or Leigh's. I just wished to see Griffin and Jorie more as a couple, but with the storyline, after all they went through, them taking time to get together is only more realistic. My curiosity was satisfied reading Natural Family Disaster; it has five really sweet and funny short stories that show glimpses of their life together.
Jae built a rich yet simple (enough for me) universe, and I can't wait to dive into the next books of the series. Abby Craden's narration was impressive.
PS: Now I can't help but wonder if Jae is a dream seer and sharing her life with a liger.
PPS: Why is it a tiger and not a liger on the cover?
July 1, 2025
I was torn between slapping this review on Goodreads or keeping it in the Hall of Private Regret because I love Jae's work, but this book was a serious test of how far one sapphist will go to complete a bingo square.
A liger shapeshifter.
Somehow, a mythological creature would’ve made more sense to me than a genetically engineered zoo cat who emotionally imprints on her car. 😅
Sorry, Jae!
A liger shapeshifter.
Somehow, a mythological creature would’ve made more sense to me than a genetically engineered zoo cat who emotionally imprints on her car. 😅
Sorry, Jae!
November 8, 2020
‘Second Nature‘ by Jae, audiobook narrated by Abby Craden
‘Second Nature’ is book one of the Shape-shifter series by Jae. I’ve been wanting to read it for a long time since Jae is one of my favourite authors, so Halloween was a great time to do it.
Jorie Price is an author of shape-shifters paranormal books but when her latest fictional novel gets too close to true facts about that species, she has to be stopped at any price. Griffin Westmore is a liger shape-shifter and the elite soldier in charge of destroying the manuscript and avoiding the truth to come out. Even if that means killing Jorie.
I really liked the concept of this book, mortal enemies to lovers trope which isn’t that common in lesfic. There might be more with this premise, but I can only recall ‘Requiem for Immortals’ by Lee Winter. Jae knows how to build empathy and attraction from zero to skyrocket levels as slow-burn seems to be her specialty. ‘Second Nature’ is a clear example of this.
The plot has a good balance of action, intrigue and budding relationship. Don’t expect much in the romance department as this is book one of the series and there are a lot of things going on in the story. It wouldn’t have sounded realistic if the characters had much time for romance whole trying to avoid getting killed. However, Jae builds the anticipation of more romance to happen hopefully in book two.
Abby Craden narrated this one and its sequel ‘True Nature’ and as usual did an outstanding job. There are quite a few characters and Ms. Craden different voices were on point, especially for both leads. Her pacing of the narrative, packed with action but also with some intense emotional moments, was perfect. If you are looking for an entertaining shape-shifters audiobook and don’t mind a very slow burn romance on the side, search no more. 5 stars.
Available on Scribd
Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins
See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com
‘Second Nature’ is book one of the Shape-shifter series by Jae. I’ve been wanting to read it for a long time since Jae is one of my favourite authors, so Halloween was a great time to do it.
Jorie Price is an author of shape-shifters paranormal books but when her latest fictional novel gets too close to true facts about that species, she has to be stopped at any price. Griffin Westmore is a liger shape-shifter and the elite soldier in charge of destroying the manuscript and avoiding the truth to come out. Even if that means killing Jorie.
I really liked the concept of this book, mortal enemies to lovers trope which isn’t that common in lesfic. There might be more with this premise, but I can only recall ‘Requiem for Immortals’ by Lee Winter. Jae knows how to build empathy and attraction from zero to skyrocket levels as slow-burn seems to be her specialty. ‘Second Nature’ is a clear example of this.
The plot has a good balance of action, intrigue and budding relationship. Don’t expect much in the romance department as this is book one of the series and there are a lot of things going on in the story. It wouldn’t have sounded realistic if the characters had much time for romance whole trying to avoid getting killed. However, Jae builds the anticipation of more romance to happen hopefully in book two.
Abby Craden narrated this one and its sequel ‘True Nature’ and as usual did an outstanding job. There are quite a few characters and Ms. Craden different voices were on point, especially for both leads. Her pacing of the narrative, packed with action but also with some intense emotional moments, was perfect. If you are looking for an entertaining shape-shifters audiobook and don’t mind a very slow burn romance on the side, search no more. 5 stars.
Available on Scribd
Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins
See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com
June 23, 2020
I have to admit to finding this one a little difficult to hold my attention.
It's very well written, and has a full world of shapeshifter law to discover.
So I'm really not sure why it didn't quite hit for me.
But I would still highly recommend people giving this a go! Currently free on kindle unlimited.
It's very well written, and has a full world of shapeshifter law to discover.
So I'm really not sure why it didn't quite hit for me.
But I would still highly recommend people giving this a go! Currently free on kindle unlimited.
May 24, 2025
4.5 ★
PLEASE PLEASE AUTHORS, im begging on my knees for more paranormal romances. GIVE IT TO ME.
This wasn't so much a romance as it was a book about shape-shifters because the romance really only happens in the last 20% of the book. Regardless, it was thoroughly enjoyable. The world building is so immersive and believable, I've become an instant fan of the series (and I can't wait to buy the newest one next week!!). I loved both leads.
The bits and pieces about Jorie's writing process are so fascinating and insightful because they're obviously taken from Jae's own experiences as a sapphic romance author. How meta :)
I only wish there was more of the romance once the leads get together, but that is quickly remedied by Natural Family Disasters- the short story collection full of fluff/domesticity.
PLEASE PLEASE AUTHORS, im begging on my knees for more paranormal romances. GIVE IT TO ME.
This wasn't so much a romance as it was a book about shape-shifters because the romance really only happens in the last 20% of the book. Regardless, it was thoroughly enjoyable. The world building is so immersive and believable, I've become an instant fan of the series (and I can't wait to buy the newest one next week!!). I loved both leads.
The bits and pieces about Jorie's writing process are so fascinating and insightful because they're obviously taken from Jae's own experiences as a sapphic romance author. How meta :)
I only wish there was more of the romance once the leads get together, but that is quickly remedied by Natural Family Disasters- the short story collection full of fluff/domesticity.
June 4, 2020
Though I can't say that I specifically seek out paranormal shape-shifter books, if Jae writes it I will read it. Because the woman is good and she takes the time to flesh out characters and deliver fully developed stories. This is less of a romance than a "thriller" perhaps, but the slow burn of the connection between the two MCs is a thread throughout the book. If you're looking primarily for romance, it takes a really long time to get there. BUT if you're willing to make a time investment in an unusual and entertaining story with two strong female characters (while enjoying the delicious tones of Abby Craden) by all means, give this one a go. I'm glad I did!
July 3, 2022
4 stars
A interesting shifter story with well created culture and power-dynamics.
The romance part was decent as well.
But Jae has written better books
A interesting shifter story with well created culture and power-dynamics.
The romance part was decent as well.
But Jae has written better books
October 24, 2018
This is one of the last books by Jae that I haven't read yet. I was hesitant to try it because I am not really a fan of the supernatural/shape-shifting books. But, when you read a book by Jae it is impossible not to fall in love with it and the characters. She has this absolutely incredible way of creating a strong emotional bond between the reader and the characters, and between the characters themselves. Because of the supernatural abilities of the shape-shifters, the way smells were used in this book added a really interesting dimension. She really played to the readers senses, and brought a whole other level of intimacy to the book. Absolutely amazing. I promptly went out and bought the second book in the series because I couldn't get enough. Jae is just unbelievably fantastic and a true gift to this world.
I received a copy of this book from YLVA in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy of this book from YLVA in exchange for an honest review.
dnf
January 2, 2023I'm so sick of being let down by every one of my most anticipated books.
All I wanted was to finally read a sapphic shapeshifter romance.
But this book is a joke.
I wanted to dnf it every 5%, but managed to keep listening to it until 41%. And must give it up if I want to keep my sanity.
These shapeshifters want to kill a human writer because she writes a shapeshifter romance and too many details are accurate to their species. Like??
Do they know how many kind of shapeshifter romances are out there? Every writer adds something new to the table. Humans are just smart like that. Searching for logical connections and having unlimited imagination.
I highly doubt any reader would start to believe in shapeshifters just because they read a book about it. (I mean, the human stupidity is infinite, too, but they can believe any of the shapeshifter books. If they want to believe that much, it probably won't be that one book the mc writes.)
All I wanted was to finally read a sapphic shapeshifter romance.
But this book is a joke.
I wanted to dnf it every 5%, but managed to keep listening to it until 41%. And must give it up if I want to keep my sanity.
These shapeshifters want to kill a human writer because she writes a shapeshifter romance and too many details are accurate to their species. Like??
Do they know how many kind of shapeshifter romances are out there? Every writer adds something new to the table. Humans are just smart like that. Searching for logical connections and having unlimited imagination.
I highly doubt any reader would start to believe in shapeshifters just because they read a book about it. (I mean, the human stupidity is infinite, too, but they can believe any of the shapeshifter books. If they want to believe that much, it probably won't be that one book the mc writes.)
March 8, 2021
That was a fun read. I was really impressed with the world building abilities of Jae. And I really liked the descriptions of smell. I really think that biochemical reactions such as attraction and fear or lying and loving can be smelled. I especially like the idea of mate scent - starting to smell like your partner because of love. That makes absolute scent - ooops - sense to me.
The book itself was very fast paced and action laden. That was something I did not expect from a Jae book.
To sum it all up, this was great and how strange that I picked it up when I am in mourning for our cat (R. I. P. lovely Minka). It soothed my aching heart.
The book itself was very fast paced and action laden. That was something I did not expect from a Jae book.
To sum it all up, this was great and how strange that I picked it up when I am in mourning for our cat (R. I. P. lovely Minka). It soothed my aching heart.
February 4, 2017
Awesome story. I especially liked that this book is long enough to develop relationships both past and present. There's no insta-love in this book. Kudos to JAE for revealing a fascinating new world.
April 8, 2021
Great story! And this is coming from someone who isn’t the biggest speculative fiction fan. Only because I find them to be too wordy and confusing.
Jae does a good job slowly building the shape-shifter realm that I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the concept. There was also a lot of well written action and I was never confused during the scenes on what was happening.
If you’ve read Jae you know she’s the queen of slow burn, and she can be very funny. The dialogue is smart and witty so the slow burn isn’t dragged out and feels like a natural pairing. I was honestly scared that this being a shape-shifter romance there would be some sort of “imprinting”/instalove, but fear not!
Thank you Jae for yet another wonderful novel!
Jae does a good job slowly building the shape-shifter realm that I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the concept. There was also a lot of well written action and I was never confused during the scenes on what was happening.
If you’ve read Jae you know she’s the queen of slow burn, and she can be very funny. The dialogue is smart and witty so the slow burn isn’t dragged out and feels like a natural pairing. I was honestly scared that this being a shape-shifter romance there would be some sort of “imprinting”/instalove, but fear not!
Thank you Jae for yet another wonderful novel!
September 13, 2022
Rounding down for the inconsistency in which the Shapeshifter's sensitive hearing worked.
A well-written novel that holds up pretty well despite it's older publish date. It is a Jae book so lots of stuff happen even if it is not always full of high adrenaline scenes. The lore and how it was presented felt like it was written for the average paranormal reader. I had to work to decipher the aspects of the shapeshifter society before they were revealed to me, and I tend to find that is half the fun. How well the writer can convey depth without saying it outright is one of my favorite parts of any fantasy novel.
My two biggest complaints about the novel were that the main characters felt a little too similar. It does not have those two strong and distinct voices that Jae's newer novels do very well. The other complaint is that the shapeshifters could hear very well but sometimes their lack of hearing allowed other people to sneak up on them or mishear conversations. I would have liked either more explanation or consistency to tighten this part up.
Otherwise, it was a decent paranormal novel that would be a great intro for new readers looking to get into Jae's books. If you are an avid reader of Jae this probably won't replace your favorite "Jae book" but it was a decent read with lots of discussions of boundaries and communication.
A well-written novel that holds up pretty well despite it's older publish date. It is a Jae book so lots of stuff happen even if it is not always full of high adrenaline scenes. The lore and how it was presented felt like it was written for the average paranormal reader. I had to work to decipher the aspects of the shapeshifter society before they were revealed to me, and I tend to find that is half the fun. How well the writer can convey depth without saying it outright is one of my favorite parts of any fantasy novel.
My two biggest complaints about the novel were that the main characters felt a little too similar. It does not have those two strong and distinct voices that Jae's newer novels do very well. The other complaint is that the shapeshifters could hear very well but sometimes their lack of hearing allowed other people to sneak up on them or mishear conversations. I would have liked either more explanation or consistency to tighten this part up.
Otherwise, it was a decent paranormal novel that would be a great intro for new readers looking to get into Jae's books. If you are an avid reader of Jae this probably won't replace your favorite "Jae book" but it was a decent read with lots of discussions of boundaries and communication.
March 25, 2021
The more I read Jae's work, the more I fall in love with her writing style. Every story of hers is long, but far from boring. Jae is the queen at slow burn romances without leaving us frustrated.
Jorie and Griffin's relationship was unconventional, given that Griffin was a shapeshifter and Jorie was mortal with a special gift. At some point of any story I read by any author, I tend to become frustrated with one or both main characters when the plot thickens, decisions have to be made, and someone reacts irrationally. Second Nature didn't do that to me. Both protagonists held on to their rational thinking no matter the stakes or risks. I never got that ball of anxiety in the pit of my stomach and as much I love conflict, I also enjoy not pulling my hair out of frustration toward unnecessary drama. Jae put a lot of careful thought and intelligent research into this story, it was unlike any shapeshifter story I have ever read. She never glossed over the science of shapeshifters which gave the storyline a well rounded, deep arc, as opposed to some shapeshifter stories that mainly focus on the romance aspect of it. Jae gave us all and everything. I found myself laughing more than once whenever the big, tough, liger Griffin had to interact with Jorie's teeny, tiny, yet feisty kitty-cats. It added a hint of sweet to the story and made Griffin appear more relatable and down to earth. Jorie was not a woman to be trifled with. She was strong and stubborn and knew how to handle her own. Jae added a quirky spin to Jorie's character by having her be a pro poker player, and all throughout the book, poker vernacular was used by Jorie whenever she was faced with a problem to be solved. I like things like that, where you take one thing and use it as a metaphor for other things. Very nice, Jae.
If you love shapeshifter stories with action, humor, love, and big, protective beasts falling for fragile yet resilient humans, then give this a try. Big recommend!
Jorie and Griffin's relationship was unconventional, given that Griffin was a shapeshifter and Jorie was mortal with a special gift. At some point of any story I read by any author, I tend to become frustrated with one or both main characters when the plot thickens, decisions have to be made, and someone reacts irrationally. Second Nature didn't do that to me. Both protagonists held on to their rational thinking no matter the stakes or risks. I never got that ball of anxiety in the pit of my stomach and as much I love conflict, I also enjoy not pulling my hair out of frustration toward unnecessary drama. Jae put a lot of careful thought and intelligent research into this story, it was unlike any shapeshifter story I have ever read. She never glossed over the science of shapeshifters which gave the storyline a well rounded, deep arc, as opposed to some shapeshifter stories that mainly focus on the romance aspect of it. Jae gave us all and everything. I found myself laughing more than once whenever the big, tough, liger Griffin had to interact with Jorie's teeny, tiny, yet feisty kitty-cats. It added a hint of sweet to the story and made Griffin appear more relatable and down to earth. Jorie was not a woman to be trifled with. She was strong and stubborn and knew how to handle her own. Jae added a quirky spin to Jorie's character by having her be a pro poker player, and all throughout the book, poker vernacular was used by Jorie whenever she was faced with a problem to be solved. I like things like that, where you take one thing and use it as a metaphor for other things. Very nice, Jae.
If you love shapeshifter stories with action, humor, love, and big, protective beasts falling for fragile yet resilient humans, then give this a try. Big recommend!
June 12, 2020
3.5 stars - interesting take on shifters and how their society might work
It was a good read in that I wanted to know how the story line got wrapped up. There was some really good action and I cared what happened to everyone in the story.
I was not really feeling the romance. It was super duper slow burn which I am normally into, but it just never jelled for me.
I also had a hard time picturing a 400 lb woman in my head. I looked up 6 ft+ female bodybuilders to try and get something going in my brain but I dunno, it was hard. Every time they interacted, I just keep trying to figure out how that looked and I tossed my own dumb self out the story.
If the story line sounds interesting to you, it is totally worth reading. Enjoy!
It was a good read in that I wanted to know how the story line got wrapped up. There was some really good action and I cared what happened to everyone in the story.
I was not really feeling the romance. It was super duper slow burn which I am normally into, but it just never jelled for me.
I also had a hard time picturing a 400 lb woman in my head. I looked up 6 ft+ female bodybuilders to try and get something going in my brain but I dunno, it was hard. Every time they interacted, I just keep trying to figure out how that looked and I tossed my own dumb self out the story.
If the story line sounds interesting to you, it is totally worth reading. Enjoy!
October 19, 2020
Not my favorite Jae, but enjoyable nevertheless. A shape-shifter is sent to investigate and possibly kill a writer who is working on a novel about shape-shifters that is way too close to the truth to be coincidence. Rather predictable (in the paranormal plot line; I am well aware a certain amount of predictability is expected in Romance) and a little draggy at times, though I did love the sharp dialogue and fun characters. An easy 3 stars because Jae is just so delightfully consumable.
Kind of a side note, but it has been terribly confusing to me why all versions of this cover seem to have a tiger on it? Shouldn't it be a liger?
Kind of a side note, but it has been terribly confusing to me why all versions of this cover seem to have a tiger on it? Shouldn't it be a liger?
July 18, 2019
I am tail over whiskers in love with this book
June 25, 2020
“I told you. Don’t run. Never show weakness to a predator. If you run, I can’t help but give chase.”
This was fun! I haven't read paranormal romance in a while, and shifters are appealing to me in very specific ways. I loved everything about Griffin; her strength, her protectiveness, how she was described as being massive and graceful... 😍 New book girlfriend for sure. It was action-packed and detailed and I loved the slow progression of the romance between Griffin and Jorie. The earlier parts of the book were definitely my favourites, and I loved all the scenes with the kitties and Jorie's mother.
It didn't work for me in a couple important ways. One, I ADORE puns and I can like cheesy writing sometimes, but this got way too cheesy for me, with all the animal metaphors and whatnot. Two, all the world-building was done in a very info-dumpy kind of way. Three, I really dislike when in mystery-type books (and this wasn't exactly a mystery, but there were elements of it, and definitely things that needed to be solved) we're given the POV of all the players, and basically told right from the beginning who the bad guy is, every move he's making, what his motivations are, etc. There's a way that that can be done effectively and still leave the reader guessing, but that wasn't done here. We basically had all the information, and were just waiting for Griffin and Jorie to catch up. And this is totally subjective, but I also just generally don't like multiple POVs in romance. I feel like we seldom ever need perspectives other than the main characters, and giving others is actually detrimental to the pacing and storytelling. I don't want to know what Brian and Leigh and Ky are thinking. Give me that information in another way! Again, that's just me.
The one thing that didn't let me down at all was the romance/characters. They had tonnes of chemistry and I loved reading their story.
3.5 stars.
This was fun! I haven't read paranormal romance in a while, and shifters are appealing to me in very specific ways. I loved everything about Griffin; her strength, her protectiveness, how she was described as being massive and graceful... 😍 New book girlfriend for sure. It was action-packed and detailed and I loved the slow progression of the romance between Griffin and Jorie. The earlier parts of the book were definitely my favourites, and I loved all the scenes with the kitties and Jorie's mother.
It didn't work for me in a couple important ways. One, I ADORE puns and I can like cheesy writing sometimes, but this got way too cheesy for me, with all the animal metaphors and whatnot. Two, all the world-building was done in a very info-dumpy kind of way. Three, I really dislike when in mystery-type books (and this wasn't exactly a mystery, but there were elements of it, and definitely things that needed to be solved) we're given the POV of all the players, and basically told right from the beginning who the bad guy is, every move he's making, what his motivations are, etc. There's a way that that can be done effectively and still leave the reader guessing, but that wasn't done here. We basically had all the information, and were just waiting for Griffin and Jorie to catch up. And this is totally subjective, but I also just generally don't like multiple POVs in romance. I feel like we seldom ever need perspectives other than the main characters, and giving others is actually detrimental to the pacing and storytelling. I don't want to know what Brian and Leigh and Ky are thinking. Give me that information in another way! Again, that's just me.
The one thing that didn't let me down at all was the romance/characters. They had tonnes of chemistry and I loved reading their story.
3.5 stars.
July 2, 2010
I love me some shape shifters, even if these don't have Odo's shape shifting super powers but rather have a human and an animal form.
Fun and engrossing read once I got into it, the second half was unputdownable and I was a bit mad at the world for continuing to interrupt me.
The shape shifter society is described in great detail. I love being dropped into such complex fantasy worlds.
The first half had some lengths, the characterizations of the two societies and especially their interactions were a bit cliché and there were a few instances in which I was bored by the clues that were dropped to foreshadow the end of the book. They seemed too obvious in the way they were inserted. It felt like the author was telling me 'Hi, this is the author speaking, you need to pay attention now, this will be important for what's to come." Also, for the length of the novel, the ending seemed really rather abrupt.
But really, all that aside I had a good time with the book. And that's pretty much what you want to get out of reading, so there.
Fun and engrossing read once I got into it, the second half was unputdownable and I was a bit mad at the world for continuing to interrupt me.
The shape shifter society is described in great detail. I love being dropped into such complex fantasy worlds.
The first half had some lengths, the characterizations of the two societies and especially their interactions were a bit cliché and there were a few instances in which I was bored by the clues that were dropped to foreshadow the end of the book. They seemed too obvious in the way they were inserted. It felt like the author was telling me 'Hi, this is the author speaking, you need to pay attention now, this will be important for what's to come." Also, for the length of the novel, the ending seemed really rather abrupt.
But really, all that aside I had a good time with the book. And that's pretty much what you want to get out of reading, so there.
April 13, 2021
I’ve read both the first and the revised editions of this book several times. I love Jae’s take on the shape-shifter world. Her take on the science of things was refreshing. It wasn’t just expected to just be magic. They are shape-shifters and not weres. Definitely a slow burn between the two MCs but it’s well worth it. Jorie and Griffin are so good together. I was rooting for them from the very beginning. Griffin helps Jorie feel accepted and loved, and Jorie helps Griffin mend the rifts between her and her family. I also very much enjoy the difference in personalities and traits displayed between the different types of shifters. Such as the tigers need for isolation and the lions two leaders of the pride.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2016
4.5 stars but I rounded down. Something near the end was rushed which was disappointing.
Otherwise, great characters and steady, believable development individually. The relationship between Griff and Jorie slowly builds very nicely
The shifter society was great; engaging and deep. I loved all the secondary characters too.
Looking forward to the next in this series.
Otherwise, great characters and steady, believable development individually. The relationship between Griff and Jorie slowly builds very nicely
The shifter society was great; engaging and deep. I loved all the secondary characters too.
Looking forward to the next in this series.
June 3, 2025
Somehow I managed to skip this book and read True Nature first. I'm so glad I went back for it - a truly fantastic read that had me gripped. Jae is a brilliant writer who has taught me alot. This book is witty, amusing, romantic and has enough suspense to keep you on your toes and glued to the pages. I cannot recommend this read highly enough. Thank you Jae for you creativity and beautifully written works.
June 9, 2025
I love me some Jae! My review is located on www.lezficrev.blogspot.com
Enjoyed it just as much the second time. I even got taken in by a couple of the fake trails again. But not for too long.
***Read the revised version for Jae's appearance on Cocktail Hour and love the changes!***
Enjoyed it just as much the second time. I even got taken in by a couple of the fake trails again. But not for too long.
***Read the revised version for Jae's appearance on Cocktail Hour and love the changes!***
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