Claws

Misfits of Mistvale #1

by Stella Rainbow

Devon has waited years for his mate. Ollie is puzzled by the concept of romance.

Devon

I've waited patiently for Fate to make my paths cross with the man who would be mine. I never expected it to be another small-cat shifter, let alone someone who had spent his whole life believing himself to be a pet cat.

With the help of a dragon, I broke the curse stopping Ollie from shifting, though the warlock who cursed him was still out there and I didn't know if I was strong enough to protect him.

Ollie

I spent my whole life in a cat's body, knowing the world around me through my cat eyes. Until I met Devon. He introduced me to a world of magic and love, and I couldn't believe my luck when he found me.

With Devon, I finally had my forever home. If only I could convince him he wasn't weak just because he was small. If only I could learn to be human.


Devon wants his mate to hurry up and find him, Ollie just wants a forever home, Fate makes sure their paths cross, Cam and Micah bomb the pack school, no really, OKAY it's an air freshener bomb, they highjack the book for moment, cat shifters are ADORABLE, the dragon breaks a curse, Ollie is a clueless human, Noel introduces Ollie to EDUCATIONAL videos, Devon teaches him ALL THE THINGS, Ollie wants to learn romance, Mistvale family to the rescue.

Claws is a 55k words gay romance starring a snuggly cat shifter who doesn't understand humans, a graysexual bobcat shifter who will slowly realize small doesn't mean weak, and a found family who will support them every step of the way.

Claws is the first book in the Misfits of Mistvale series and each book in this series can be read as a standalone.

Genres: Shapeshifters, M M Romance, Romance, Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal, Queer

Paperback

First published October 8, 2021

About the author

Stella Rainbow is the pen name of a twenty something woman from India. Her heart is too full of rainbow colored stories to be limited by the lack of awareness in her home country.

Stella spends her days cuddling up with her cat, typing out new stories, daydreaming and reading all the books she can get her hands on.

She loves talking to her readers and other book lovers, so don't hesitate in contacting her on any of her socials or emailing her at authorstellarainbow@gmail.com

Reviews

[BookSafety Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

“Hey, what are you up to?” I asked as I took a seat beside him, placing the tray on the coffee table. Ollie immediately dropped the remote on the couch before turning to me and burying his face in the crook of my neck. He rubbed his stubbled cheek against my skin, marking me like he would’ve in his cat form, and a purr-like rumble came from his throat. I found it absolutely cute the way he acted like a cat at times.

This book had tons of cute shifter moments and shiftery manners and behavior, which I massively enjoyed. Cute premise. Unfortunately it kinda dragged in the second half because there was nothing more that could happen, kinda. They were together and happy, so a ‘what now?’ sort of situation. It is also supposedly book 1 in a series but felt book 10 in an interconnected series with all of the side characters and existing couples. Quite frustrating.

Oliver froze in my arms, and I pulled away, worried I’d pushed too much. He wasn’t looking at me, though. He was staring at the rather large bulge in his pants. As I watched, he hesitantly brought a hand close to his hard-on and…poked it. I bit my lip to stop the laugh that wanted to burst out. I knew he was self-conscious about not knowing how to be human, and the last thing I wanted to do was make him think I was mocking him for it. He looked up at me with wide eyes. “Why is it…doing that?”

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
House cat shifter
Bobcat shifter
Stuck as cat
Graysexual MC
Fated mates
Scenting
Purring
Paranormal romance
Found family
Virgin MC

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Feelings of shame due to body scarring
Physical and verbal bullying of MC (past, some details)
Self harm (ice cold showers as ‘punishment’)
Unsafe sex (condoms not discussed)

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Paranormal shifter romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
Main characters’ age: 62 and not specified (shifters age differently)
Series: Standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 249
Happy ending: Yes


He lay down beside me immediately, his nose touching mine again. He pulled my head closer with his front paws and proceeded to chew on my ear, making me huff. When my ear was acceptably chewed out, he started grooming me, and I settled in for the night, a purr starting to build in my chest as I cuddled with him.

“What… Ollie! What are you doing?” I didn’t want to let go of his hair because I knew the moment I did, he’d leave. So I hung on as he turned around to face me, balancing on my hind legs as I rested my front paws on his leg again. “Oh, sweetheart, you don’t want me to go?” I growled in agreement, and Devon leaned over and hauled me up into his arms. I immediately tucked my face into the crook of his neck and started purring.



You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...

[Raven and Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the characters of Mistvale! Ollie and Devon are so adorable together and are a perfect addition to the group! I already knew Devon but Ollie is new. He doesn’t realize he is a shifter because he has lived all of his life as a house cat(that he can remember.) But Devon knows instantly that there is more to Ollie than that..he is his mate. Now he just has to figure out how to help Ollie shift and learn to be human again. A really cute story that also lets us revisit some favorite characters. I can’t wait to see who else we will meet here in the magical community.

[peach]

DNF @ 35% Cute but mediocre, I put this book down many days ago and never felt and urge to pick it back up. I also get annoyed when a book says it's the first in a series but it actually has a bunch of side characters and backstory from some other series so it doesn't feel like a standalone or series starter at all, which was the case here.

[Amur Thera · Rating 5 out of 5]

The good
+ Devon's patience with his mate
+ Ollie's cat skills
+ Devon's cat toys, and Ollie finding them all
+ Ollie's first time as a human
+ Ollie's view on the world and how he never hesitated to ask Devon's friends for help
+ The way Devon's graysexuality was handled
+ Ollie being there for Devon in return when he shares about his past
+ Ollie romancing the shit out of Devon
+ The kitty cuddles. The way they groomed each other was so adorable!
+ Playing with Little Wes as cats

The neutral
o That one helpful friend sent Ollie porn videos as education. Porn is not really a reliable source to learn about sex, but at least it made Devon have to explain
o Their first sexually intimate interaction happened when Ollie didn't really know enough about what it was and what it meant in my opinion, which made it a little weird and too soon. But Ollie enjoyed himself, so that was fine
o There were approximately five million side characters. But everyone was a friend/family so that was easy to remember

The bad
- When the warlock showed up, Ollie decided to forgive him based only on the eventual results of his actions (bring fated to Devon). But that doesn't say a thing about what he did to Ollie, so now the forgiveness felt really superficial
- No matter how awkward, I wish the reader could have seen the meeting with their old Pride. It was a rather essential part of the storyline for both main characters


This book was just so romantic and sweet. The main characters were adorable and their cat scenes were great. I love shifter books with lots of shifter time. I would definitely recommend this book!

[Tabitha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the idea of a shifter role reversal: instead of a human who has spent their whole life not knowing they’re an animal shifter, the MC is a cat who has spent his whole life not knowing he’s a human shifter. I thought it was going somewhere interesting in the first few chapters, when we get some insight into how the cat MC feels about being a not-quite-right cat, but the book quickly devolved and became basically a “Born Sexy Yesterday” trope. The always-known-he’s-a-shifter MC has to explain sex and romance and even erections to the never-knew-he-wasn’t-a-cat MC, and it’s just horrible.

“But why is it doing that? Am I sick? Is something wrong?”

I placed my palms on his cheeks and made him meet my eyes, partly so he would stop tempting me by staring at his erection. “Nothing is wrong, Ollie. It’s just your body reacting to stimulation. Completely normal. Sometimes when two people who like each other kiss, they get aroused by it. Their dicks turn hard, and they want to do more than kiss their partner. Does that make sense?”

Ollie hummed. “What is more than kissing?” […]

“There are a lot of things that constitute more than kissing,” I said, cringing at how clinical that sounded. [me too 😂 here’s your sign!!]

“Will you show me? Like you showed me kissing?” he asked, his eyes wide and curious.

Bleh! As if tomcats need their lil red rockets explained to them!

(It is just so unsexy when a love interest has to explain how sex and sexuality works to their oblivious would-be partner… it’s way too “parental” and squicks me out. I want my MCs to know that tab A goes into slot B, dang it! *pounds fist on table* I also hate virgin trope and any time one MC says “I’ve never been attracted to anyone before you, EVER” and they’re not canonically demi/ace.)

All this silly explanation did was make me realize that it’s actually kind of unlikely that the cat MC wouldn’t have been neutered by at least one of his many owners throughout his life, and how psychologically traumatizing it could be for a cat shifter to wake up one day as a human and he’s got this whole new body—wow!—but it’s not intact, and maybe he needs some reassurance that he’s “still a man” from his human mate.

Then I thought of the fact that normally in shifter romances, the shifters don’t mate in their animal forms, and are attracted only to other humanoids, but this guy really thinks he’s a cat, so maybe he thinks he’s kinda nuts because like, he knows he has a sex drive, but other cats just don’t do it for him, but humans do?! And massive relief when he finally learns he’s supposed to be attracted to humans after all.

Then I realized I was just coming up with way better book ideas than the book I was currently reading, and I got sad :(

The latter half of the book lacked the ick factor of the first half. After the MCs get intimate for the first time, it becomes a pretty average, if slow, shifter story. The warlock who cursed the MC shows up, and surprise surprise, it’s not what we thought. At least no one gets kidnapped in this one 🙄

[Jacquie Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of the typical Stella Rainbow sweetness. Although it can be read as a standalone, I'd recommend the Mistvale novels, or at least My Elf Daddy, where Devon features.
Plenty of laughs as Ollie comes to grips with being a person rather than a cat. Some closure for the characters and some new people to the family
A short but sweet read

[Haylee Wireman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adored all the ooey gooey sweetness!
Devon and Ollie were such a sweet couple and I loved their relationship from the beginning.
This is such a loving, low angst story, that gets right in your feel goods.

[Judy Ferrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Track

Devon first learns of his mate when he scents him on a friend. HD then tracks him to a local animal shelter. There's only one problem, Ollie is trapped in his cat form.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

**********Contains Spoilers**********

I really enjoyed this book. This book has all the sweetness that I’ve come to expect from one of Stella Rainbow’s stories. Devon’s torso is severely scarred because his birth Pride were a bunch of ab*sive a*seholes that constantly made him think he was weak all because he’s a Bobcat shifter and they’re all bigger Cat Shifters. They used to make him fight the bigger Cats and basically try and beat the weakness out of him he’s Greys*xual. Ollie has been stuck in his Cat Shifter form for as he was cursed by a Warlock but with the help of Mistvale’s resident Dragon Raiden he helped break the already weakened spell so Ollie could take his human form. With the help of his mate Devon and their other family/clan members especially Noel all helped Ollie get used to being human again. I loved that even though Ollie had spent the last 20 years as a Cat he helped Devon realise that his old Pride were wrong and he’s not weak and I think Fate knew what it was doing when it matched these two together, as they’re great together. I enjoyed the cameos from the rest of their family/Clan members throughout this book. I’m glad the Warlock Ephram made a grevious mistake in cursing Ollie so he couldn’t shift and wants to make up for it by offering to protect Ollie for the rest of his life. The way to look at it thought if he hadn’t cursed Ollie, Devon and Ollie never would’ve met, neither would their Alpha Reba met her mate and Ephram’s pregnant sister Rhiannon and Firey the Dolphin Shifter never would’ve met his mate Jules either so Fate definitely had a hand in everything and I’m guessing Ephram will eventually find his mate. I’m looking forward to reading Jules and Firey’s story next. I’d definitely recommend this book, series, universe and author to everyone.

[Mandy (MP Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Devon has spent years waiting for his fated mate, never imagining it would be Ollie—a fellow small-cat shifter who’s lived his entire life believing he was just a pet. With the help of a dragon, Devon breaks the curse that kept Ollie trapped in feline form, but the warlock responsible still lurks in the shadows, and Devon fears he may not be strong enough to protect the man he’s come to love. Ollie, newly human and wide-eyed, is overwhelmed by the magic and affection Devon offers. As he learns to navigate the world on two legs, he’s determined to prove that love isn’t about size or strength—and that Devon is more powerful than he realizes. Together, they must face danger, transformation, and the delicate art of becoming whole.

I loved this story of rediscovery, gentle devotion, and the magic of finding home in someone else. I loved their connection and the way that Ollie was the strong one reminding Devon of his worth and value. They were so cute together when they curled together on the bed. This was easy to read and understand. This was an MM story with mature content.

[Trouble89 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purrfectly Sweet

All the sweetness I’ve come to expect from a Stella Rainbow book. I love Mistvale and all it’s characters, and this book was no different. Ollie and Devon are perfect for each other. Ollie, trapped as a housecat for most of his life, has to learn to navigate the world as a human. Devon never felt good enough, strong enough, perfect enough, until Fate puts Ollie in his path. This book is low angst, but it hit all my feels. There are some cute moments with Ollie navigating everyday things we take for granted. I just wanted to wrap Devon up in a big hug, and loved how Ollie accepted all of Devon, banishing his fears and worries. There’s lots of visits from previous characters, and some new ones added to the clan, who I hope show up in future books. Fun, sweet, quick read.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

sweet but not stand-alone

Really lovely book but was disappointed that this was labelled as a stand-alone and book 1. There’s so many other characters that clearly have there own story previously and I felt so lost, like I was missing a huge chunk of book. I found the other books when I was part way though but the blurbs made them sound a little unconnected so I didn’t read them as this did say it was book 1.
By the time I got to the end I just wanted it to be over which is a shame because it was a lovey story.
I was thinking of going back to the other books but the bits of information about the other characters kinda spoiled it and I don’t think I’d enjoy it the same. Definitely find the other books and read those first.

[Rissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Right off the bat, we were introduced to all these people and I was so confused. I checked and sure enough it was labeled as the 1st book of the series. As I kept on reading, more people were made known and we are expected to know who they are and what their backstory is. Lots of inside information that I was clueless about.

Finally, I finished the book and it was cute and mystery solved. The author described all their other books complete with character names and descriptions. That should have been on the front, lol. It would have helped a whole lot. It did kind of work somehow because it intrigued me so I want to look at the backlist for these other books.

Good to know, I wasn't the only one lost - read some other reviews. LOL

[El · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my 2nd time reading a Stella Rainbow book, all her stories have great premises and intriguing characters, but they fall flat. The interactions are very mundane—and after stripping off the hook that got me wanting to read it in the first place, there really is nothing else to keep my attention. Really unfortunate because it’d have been a great one.

Another reviewer mentioned that this was the first book in this series but felt like book 10, from all the interconnecting couples being in the same world/universe—and I agree. I haven’t read the others and there’s a lot of focus on them (unless you’ve read them, you’ll probably like it, but if not, it really is quite a drag to learn about all these side couples—and it’s A LOT of them).

[Tonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Puurrrrfect

I adore these two. It is so good to see everyone again and how they like to flock around and protect everyone, even the newest members, in their clan. It was good to see how Ollie is able to show Devon the strength he has and how special he is to all his friends. And it was rewarding and fun watching Ollie learn all there is to know about his new world. Even when he would get frustrated there was endless patience from all those around him. I really like how inviting the clan is to others, even those that may have wronged them, if they feel they may benefit from the close ties of their group.

[Jes Jester · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this installment of the series/universe of these novels. However, like I stated in my last review of this series, I feel like there's too much of a formula for these books. Like, wash, rinse, repeat. So, while I enjoyed the concept of this one more than the others, there's really only 1 more that I want to read. I think it will be the next installment, as the characters were introduced in this one.
I hope the formula is a bit different, so I don't feel like I know the plotline beforehand.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is going to be a fun series.

I have read each one of the other Mistvale series. I have enjoyed them all. With Devin and Ollie, they're meeting, your trials and tribulations, and finally the realizations have warned my heart. They make a really cute couple. I like the fact it Miss Rainbow has brought in quite a few characters so that I know there are definitely going to be more books in this series. I look forward to reading each one of them. Miss Rainbow is definitely tweaked my interests.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book for an honest review.
I’m happy to say I’ve read most of the Mistvale series already as picked up the first last year and fell in love with the characters.
This one follows Caleb’s friend Devon we met in My Elf Mate. This is a sweet read with heat nearer the end. Devon is a bobcat that has been treated badly by his initial pack that means he’s not easily trusting, we meet Ollie a cat stuck in animal form due to a spell. We see Devon take Ollie back to his home and try and help him free his human form.
A good entertaining read

[Danis ❤️ MM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ollie is cute as a cat shifter stuck in his cat form for over 20 years and not knowing his a shifter. Devon is...well Devon.

I think I would have liked more of the Ollie being awkward in his human body but the author made this really short. it was also a bit odd that Ollie had such a hard time warming up to Caleb because he smelled like dog (wolf shifter), when he seems completely fine with Rebba (also a wolf shifter).

There's really no angst in this other than Devon's issues with how he was treated by his former pack. Overall pretty fluffy.

[Angela Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a super cute story with a pretty unique premise. I loved the idea that Ollie really truly thought he was a cat and had no idea shifters were even a thing. And watching him learn how to be human was very cute. Devon was so good for him. He was so patient and sweet. I also enjoyed the sexuality rep. I had never heard of gray sexual so it was interesting to get a glimpse of what that could be like. It was super cute and sweet with some good background for Devon, a slight hint of danger and some good closure.

[Jamie Lee Zonneveld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claws is the first book in the Misfits of Mistvale series by Stella Rainbow. Although this is the first book in the series it has characters from My Elf Daddy and the Mages of Ravenshie. This book is about Ollie and Devon. Ollie has spent his whole life as a cat, not knowing he is a shifter until he meets Devon. I really liked the story of Devon and Ollie. Their story was sweet, sexy, fun, full of feels and very well written. Can't wait for the next book.

[Xochitl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mistvale’s world is full of magic, friends and fated love, so every one of the sweet love stories is a must read if you want to treat yourself. This book 1 in a new spinoff series is the perfect complement to the general plot. I loved everything about it and specially Devon and Ollie together. They are so cute and endearing that made my heart warm and fuzzy throughout the book. A lovely addition to the series!

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay! Cat shifters

Cat shifters are my favorite and this story has two! It was like coming home by stepping back into the world of Mistvale. Devon finds his mate in a cat who doesn't know he is a shifter. Ollie always knew he was a special cat but had no idea he was a human cursed to stay in his shifter form. There were a lot of sweet moments and patience as Ollie learns to be human. I loved seeing all the familiar faces again and meeting a few new characters.

[Brey (lil Sebastian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was soooo cute!!! I literally feel like the author looked at their cat and was like hmmm 🤔 I wonder what it would be like to write a book where the point of view is from a shifter house cat that doesn’t know it’s a human. This was fated mate so there was little to no angst. It was a nice little comfort read and I am excited to read the next book that has a dolphin 🐬 and merman 🧜‍♂️ romance!!

[Denise Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely addition to the Mistvale stories.
Ollie and Devon make the perfect couple.
Deven had been waiting a long time for his fated mate, but when he met him, Oliver , he was surprised he didn't shift from a cat. When he did finally shift after the curse was broken it was fun reading how Devon introduced him into becoming human.
Fun sweet read
Best to read in series but can be read as stand-alone

[Tara Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all the sweet feels from a Stella Rainbow book. They never disappoint!

I loved this first book in a new series! Ollie and Devon are so great together. The story felt fresh but also comfortably familiar. It was great to see some characters from previous books! I can't wait for the next installment!

[Amanda Murch · Rating 5 out of 5]

love it

I adore stellas book and this one was perfect for me. This book had perfect characters with Ollie and Devon (I think Devon had stolen my heart as a new favourite). The story line was great and well written with lots of heat, fun times and intrigue! I can’t wait to see what she writes next! Xx

[JILL Stock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going from strength to strength

I really really enjoy this series the characters are so good and their tos to their happy ever after are always totally sweet. I do not give plot spoilers so don't look for any all you need to know is that you need to read this book and this series you will not be disappointed.

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!!! I loved how it was such a unique read. Ollie has been always stuck in his animal form, and it was great to read about him learning how to be a human with his mate Devon's and their friends help...

[Janet Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved Ollie and Devon, they make a fantastic addition to the Mistvale family. Loved the light and fluffiness! I loved how Stella gave us a glimpse into previous characters lives. I cannot wait for Jules’s story! I’m voluntarily reviewing from an advanced copy that I received.