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The only way to break free is to let go.  In order to protect his shifter kin, FBI agent Trey Walters hides his ability from his employers. For him, a vacation means a whole midwinter month in the Canadian wilderness, free to live in his wolf skin. When he happens upon a rare lynx shifter, he's fascinated. And his protective instincts kick into overdrive. The young man needs to be shielded from werewolves and humans alike, whether he likes it or not. Jonah can hardly wrap his head around the fact that other shifters exist, much less endure the presence of a stranger in his lonely sanctuary. Blaming himself for his brother's death, he lives in self-imposed isolation. Trust? Forget it. Yet Trey's patience penetrates Jonah's fear, and it doesn't take long for him to fall like a rock for the wolf. Trey vows to return after his next undercover mission is over. As months stretch into years, however, Jonah fears that Trey has broken faith with him--or is dead. There's only one way to find out. Leave the safety of his lair and venture into a dangerous, deadly world...

227 pages, Paperback

First published February 24, 2010

10 people are currently reading
438 people want to read

About the author

Joely Skye

15 books150 followers
Joely Skye has written for more years than she can remember. Her latest writing passion is romance and shapeshifters. She lives with her husband and two children in Canada.

To learn more about Joely Skye, please visit www.joelyskye.com or her Yahoo Group.

She also writes as Jorrie Spencer (www.jorriespencer.com).

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5 stars
182 (24%)
4 stars
293 (38%)
3 stars
218 (28%)
2 stars
44 (5%)
1 star
16 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
Profile Image for Jimmy Hanson.
412 reviews12 followers
April 27, 2010
I have to admit, I liked Trey but really didn't think a pairing could be pulled off with him. He was too tough, too aloof, and had too much of the wolf in him. But the way Joely Skye describes him in "Lynx," it encompasses him as such and yet so much more at the same time.

Jonah is interesting for a shapeshifter and perfect for a cat - strangely innocent/naive and yet powerful/deadly when threatened. His methods of stalking, waiting with the utmost in patience far surpassing any other breed of cat or other, was coolness incarnate. I was also especially surprised - pleasantly so - when Jonah's imprisonment was ever-so-briefly compared to the imprisonment of a wolf, and/or a cougar. All three - a lynx, a cougar, and a wolf - have different temperaments and react to situations differently; I admire the fact that Joely Skye could put that across so well and so accurately.

I would have loved to see the interactions between Jonah and Trey's family - Liam especially - and have hopes that that will happen in the next novel or so. ^_^
Profile Image for Betryal.
720 reviews3 followers
April 10, 2010
The action that unfolds and the storyline in this one is incredible. You'll be taken from practically A to Z over a course of 4 to 5 years if my calculations are correct. I might have lost count, but who cares.

I liked the characters, but was miffed with Trey on and off for a small time frame...ok every time he left Jonah for how ever long a period of time and it was great to see Jonah as a tough character that did just lay back and accept it all. He was stubborn, strong willed, didn't give in so easily and that was refreshing in a character not to just roll over and take what was handed to him without choices. He made choices and turned the Alpha dog Trey become the underdog. It's brilliant.

The writing is pristine, story memorizing and it's drastically different from all the other Were books I've read. It's superb!

267 reviews
April 26, 2011
It’s been a while since I read the previous books in this series. I wondered if that would affect my enjoyment of this installment. Ultimately, though, I think it gave me a better perspective on whether it works on its own or not.

Trey’s main goal in life is to protect shifters and those he loves, all without letting anybody get close. It’s safer that way. For him. For them. While on vacation, he follows rumors of a giant lynx and tracks the shifter to what looks to be a cave. It’s more than that. It’s a home, hidden away from the world, and there he meets Jonah. All of his life, Jonah has been taught to fear discovery. His family dead, he lives alone but finds himself craving company. That’s why he takes to Trey’s wolf, while Trey remains in animal form in an attempt not to scare him. When Trey makes his identity known, Jonah is nervous and wary, but his curiosity and Trey’s patience finally win. Gradually, the two men get to know each other, their attraction growing the entire time. The biggest problem, however, is that Trey needs to return to the world, to his job, to the family and shifters he protects. In order to best protect Jonah, he needs to leave him behind.

It’s ironic that Jonah nicknames Trey Enigma when he’s in wolf form at the beginning, because through the previous books in this series that I read, Trey has always been this rather enigmatic figure in the protagonists’ lives. He comes and goes, helps when he can, but little is known about him. This novel is the chance to see his other side, and in that regard, it succeeds. We finally get to know the man behind the wolf, and the wait was worth it. He’s smart, loyal, patient, and ultimately kind. Yes, he’s emotionally closed off, but he does that out of fear of more people dying. Jonah coaxes him to open up, and it’s a slow, careful process that mirrors the growth of their relationship. I didn’t completely buy the turnaround for Trey’s interest in Jonah from platonic to sexual, but once it was there, I believed it.

Then Trey leaves. And this is where the book starts to fall apart. The author’s note explains a lot. Trey moves in and out of people’s lives in the previous books, and the cases he’s involved with occur in the times when he is away from Jonah in this one. While it works to describe the path of their relationship, from a storytelling perspective it ends up being very disjointed. The story jerks along, stopping and starting, due to the limitations imposed by this set-up. It takes a solid half of the story for Trey to leave the first time, and then, we become privy to patches of plot and time jumps to encapsulate the events of the rest of their relationship’s growth. This doesn’t make for smooth reading at all. It’s not helped that much of Trey’s life is still left a mystery for Jonah for a great deal of the book, the events of the other books only briefly mentioned. I’d read the other books and still had to struggle fitting pieces and characters in where Trey might mention them. This doesn’t really work as a standalone very well at all.

That being said, I still enjoyed it, but that’s primarily because I was invested in Trey. I wanted to see his story, and I was willing to sit through whatever it took to get it. That helped to compensate for a lot of the other shortcomings that might have otherwise stopped me before I got to the ending. Jonah is a sweet kid, but his innocence grated on me after a while, and I don’t think I would have liked him as much if Trey hadn’t been there to balance it out. I also felt mildly shortchanged by the climax. After so much time worrying about him, it felt like it was handled too cleanly and swiftly. I thought, “That’s it? That’s all it took?” I expected much more, and I was disappointed with what I got.

But Trey got his happy ending. For that, I’m glad. And for that, it was worth it.
Profile Image for Ami.
6,240 reviews489 followers
April 12, 2010
Of all the shapeshifter characters, Trey is the one that intrigue me the most. He appears in three stories and I wonder about this enigmatic wolf. So I'm really happy to hear that he gets his own story in "Lynx". At first, I thought the story will take place after "Feral" -- but after heading to the chapters, I realized that this is the life of Trey in between all of his undercover operations.

I enjoy the story -- it portrays the relationship of Trey and Jonah, a hermit lynx shifter, beautifully. From the beginning when Trey came across Jonah and his hidden cave, become friends, and lovers. Though the story feels a bit rushed going to the end -- after Trey left for the third time after leaving Jonah for almost 4 years -- still I think the two of them belong to one another. Several scenes just squeezed my heart tight due to the thick emotion between the two. I'm glad that the author says that Trey will still make an appearance in future shapeshifter books.
Profile Image for Ter.
414 reviews1 follower
August 28, 2010

(I don't know if this is a spoiler or not so I marked it is)
This book should be read after the 3 Minders and the other 2 Shifters ones. Then keep in mind that this one covers the time period of the other books it's just Trey's story.
(I admit I was a bit confused at first) cause Marked-shifters 1 book dealt with someone he talks about, then I realized the time frame over laps all.

Overall I really liked Trey once I got to know him in this book, and Jonah we saw grow into a very strong determined (stubborn at times) young man. I loved the confrontation at the end..
Great book, wonderful read..


This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Rae.
7 reviews4 followers
May 7, 2013
DNF. I just couldn't get into it. I found the writing to be overly simplistic at times, extremely repetative, and just kind of ... boring. Sorry, I do see that a lot of people have enjoyed this book, but it just did nothing for me.
Profile Image for Elisa Rolle.
Author 107 books237 followers
October 25, 2015
2010 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)
Profile Image for Chris.
2,882 reviews209 followers
January 4, 2011
Pretty good paranormal m/m romance about Trey, a werewolf who hides his nature and works for a blacks ops group in the US government. When running as a wolf in the Canadian Shield, he encounters a giant lynx shifter, and life will never be the same for either of them. While I enjoyed this book, I had trouble with how large, critical parts of it occurred offsides... and it distanced me from the story. The author's note at the end of Lynx actually explains the offsides bit. Trey has been in Skye's books Monster, Zombie, Minder, Marked, Feral, and The Strength of the Wolf and it was finally time for his story. Since Lynx was occurring at the same time as those books, with much of the critical stuff happening in other books, it ends up being sort of an odd read.
Profile Image for Halon W.
99 reviews
September 7, 2025
should i have probably started at the beginning of this series? yes. did i start with this one first anyway? yep. have i now conned myself into reading the rest of the series to see what absolute nonsense trey was getting up to amidst other stories? unfortunately for my ever-growing to-read list, yeeup

love non-wolf shifters, so seeing the differences between trey and jonah's experiences was neat. jonah's personal growth was interesting to journey through. would enjoy seeing them in the future once they've had a chance to settle down proper and get some solid downtime
Profile Image for SaturNalia.
1,318 reviews47 followers
September 14, 2025
Trey, a wolf shifter, is on vacation wondering the Canadian wilderness when he stumbles upon a human. Jonah, a lynx shifter, is a recluse living in the wilderness without knowledge that other shifters exist. I liked the first part of this story. Trey and Jonah together learning about each other and being together. Story lost cohesion when multiple separations occurred because Trey had to go on missions. Jonah and Trey were very interesting characters with dark pasts and lots of emotional damage to work through. Sadly that didn't happen, I wish they had a better story.
443 reviews1 follower
June 21, 2022
79/186
Historia z potencjałem, ale jakaś nudna
Profile Image for Jordan Lombard.
Author 1 book58 followers
September 9, 2011
Just finished this book and I have to say I was a little disappointed because it didn't measure up to the first two.

The only problem I had consistently throughout the series was her constant switching of POVs without warning. I like to always know who's head I'm in without having to go back, reread and guess. But this book had an additional problem that I couldn't get away from which was the fact that it's set before and after the other two books and glosses over what happened in those books. It also glosses over what happened in books in another series I didn't realize was related, which was jarring for me, especially with the author's note explaining that at the end of the book rather than at the beginning. I think this book would have been better if it had been written as a collection of shorts set between all the other books. Each story could have had an author's note explaining where in the series it belongs. Other books have done this before and it's worked out pretty well. Having parts that were clearly important to the story glossed over because I should have read them made it seem like a lot of telling versus showing and I felt a little gipped.

Otherwise, I absolutely loved the first two books in the Northern Shifter's series and will definitely reread them over and over again in the future.
Profile Image for Lee.
620 reviews
December 23, 2011
Lynx, another great book in Ms. Skye's Shifter series, continues with Trey's story. Now Trey has never been one of my favorite characters in this series. He always seems so cold, evasive, secretive, and just very much a lone-wolf. He's popped into the other books for a few scenes and then he's gone. Well, in Lynx we get to know Trey a lot better. He becomes a fountain of information and warms up enough that he attracts the attention of a lynx shifter fifteen years his junior. Even though Jonah is a shifter he is very naive and unaware that there are other shifters in the world. He is seen as a very innocent and helpless being, but as the story unfolds we find out that he has a lot of inner strength and he knows how to take care of himself and he isn't afraid to fight for what he wants.

I loved the first part of the book, the lengthy give and take, the courtship between Trey and Jonah, but the story became a bit disjointed when Trey began his trips back to civilization. I understand why it was done that way, but it just didn't feel right. Nonetheless, I liked the book and I think Ms. Skye did an excellent job with the series. I give Lynx four stars.

Profile Image for Deanna.
2,736 reviews65 followers
January 8, 2013
This was a beautiful story with depth and emotion. Emotion from characters not used to expressing emotion is a difficult thing for a writer to pull off and Skye did pull it off. I have not read the other stories so can honestly say that this story can stand alone. I will read the others though. I want to know more of Trey.
Jonah was a surprising character. I like that I can still be surprised by a character. At first he seems fragile and weak, but he is neither. He abounds with deep strength and unusual patience. It is trust and openness that these two must learn. The way each acts in relationship to the animal within shows an understanding of the true nature of the real animals. Good book. Well worth reading.
Profile Image for Jaylee.
Author 16 books80 followers
April 28, 2015
A book about TREY! Trey was never one of my fav characters and I was a little worried I wouldn't be interested in this book at all, but oh man. Seeing Trey push himself into that caring role, and seeing him so attached, and like, seeing the backlash of all the awesome "powerful father figure who comes in to save the day" things he does in the other books, like... idk man. I wish the scenes post-Gabriel had been fully fleshed out instead of just glossed over, because I really would have liked to see how he handled that besides a quick like "he was a mess." lol.

I seem to be accidentally reading these in the perfect order, haha. And as always I'm very AHHHHH!!!! AWESOME!!! fangirly about all of them.
Profile Image for Felicia (Ferishia).
633 reviews37 followers
May 2, 2010
I read the previous 2 books in this series and loved them, but I was waiting to read Trey's story. He has been appearing throughout the other books and I knew he was going to get his own story. He's the type of man-wolfshifter character I love. Strong, cold, seemly unfeeling and uncaring. Until he meets that one person that will melt him and bring him to his knees. That person is Jonah, and of all things Jonah is the shocker is that he is a young but rather large lynx-shifter. Their coming together story is fascinating, steamy and heart-wrenching. And I love every moment. Definitely on my re-read list.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kathleen.
1,440 reviews141 followers
November 25, 2014
A shifter story told outside standard shifter culture. Just a Lynx and his wolf that begins with a chance meeting in wintery Canada. Complex characterizations, a sexy seduction, a missing partner, and the heartrending loss of innocence. Head and shoulders above many similar stories.

Merged review:

Well written shifter tale

A shifter story told outside standard shifter culture. Just a Lynx and his wolf that begins with a chance meeting in wintery Canada. Complex characterizations, a sexy seduction, a missing partner, and the heartrending loss of innocence. Head and shoulders above many similar stories.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Janie.
1,702 reviews2 followers
December 3, 2014
While at times I felt like a ping pong ball trying to follow whose POV it was, the story was very well written and I liked the theme behind it. I am addicted to stories that have a good amount of angst in them and this one didn't let me down. The time gap was perfect and the change it brought to Jonah's character was wonderful. I would have loved a picture of Jonah's house, it was described so wonderfully it just sounds so magical. Trey is such a strong and protective mate and he fits in with Jonah just right. I enjoyed the ending and would like to read more about what their lives will be like as an official couple without Trey taking off every month for work.
Profile Image for Barb ~rede-2-read~.
3,747 reviews113 followers
January 16, 2013
I liked this story even more than the first two. Trey was not a very warm character in either of the other books but he was never mean either. I'm so glad we got to see this other side of his personality and learn more about his background. When he meets Jonah, a lynx shifter, he may not realize it at first but his heart is about to soften up.

I enjoyed the way the author referenced back to the other books Trey has been in and really liked the way she brought Jonah's strength to the surface. They make a terrific couple and I'm so happy with their HEA.
Profile Image for Sue Milkovich.
1,725 reviews16 followers
June 16, 2014
Wonderful wrap up to so many holes in the first two books. Trey and Jonah are a terrific couple because they both have to be so physically and mentally strong to live the way they do. I loved both characters but was glad to get a better understanding of Trey and what he is like during his down time. This review is in no way doing this wonderful book justice. It is a terrific story in this series. It was released I believe in 2010, I'm way behind on this particular series but enjoying it none the less. I recommend this book and this series!!
Profile Image for Sarina.
766 reviews1 follower
March 19, 2017
It was interesting finally getting to see Trey's story and how it weaved into the previous two books. I liked seeing how he tried to unbend for Jonah even as he chastised himself for allowing the connection. My only real complain is that there wasn't as much action in this book as there was in the previous two; there was way more waiting in this book than in the others and while that was okay, it still wasn't quite as enjoyable as the others. I'll still continue with the series as I really like the characters and it will be interesting to see if they show up again in the future.
Profile Image for Tristan.
918 reviews20 followers
November 21, 2015
3.5~4/5

The first half of the book was amusing at most. It was a slow start to set the story up, but I feel like the author fail to use its fullest for the later half of the story. With that being said, the latter half of the book was amazing. I loved it! I loved the plot the progression and how the character grew. However all of the time-skipped did wear me down. Thankfully the book end before I got irritated.
Profile Image for Rhianon.
153 reviews19 followers
May 18, 2010
Skye did a commendable job of piecing together a viable timeline and back-story for a character who spends too much time off-screen in other stories throughout the course of his relationship.
There were definitely times when the whole thing felt like a poorly sewn patchwork quilt threatening to fall apart at the slightest tug.
I might have had a different perspective if this wasn't the first of the series that I read... So maybe I'll revisit it some time in the future.
Maybe.
Profile Image for JustJen "Miss Conduct".
2,384 reviews156 followers
December 1, 2011
I did not get pulled into this one as quickly as I did the first two. I never really had any feelings one way or the other about Trey up until this point, though he grows on me more and more. He's always been all business and responsibility, and it is nice to seem him get to experience a little more than that in his story. Jonah - what's not to love. He is so sweet and innocent, yet feisty and fierce when he needs to be. I will definitely continue reading this series.
Profile Image for Meggie.
5,330 reviews
June 21, 2012
I simply love this third part. That's because at last we have got Trey story. This book is like a summery of Treys good work true the years. Between them Jonah tried hard to create his own personal heaven with his own found lover Jonah. Jonah was good for Trey and I was glad, they didn’t give up on each other. The writing style was clean and fast through the years. It's always a pleasure to re-read this book.
Profile Image for Ayanna.
1,632 reviews62 followers
September 5, 2013
Lotsa comma weirdness. Comma splices, appelations not offset by commas, other comma stuff...

And wtf. Do textbooks have dedications? What kind of weird-ass math textbook did he find?


I have some kind of issue with this series as a whole. Either that or with the author's writing. There just seems to be some subtle undertone of dysfuntionality about it all. Something that's more codependent-y than love-y that bothers me. Can't quite put my finger on it...
Profile Image for Mike.
1,174 reviews30 followers
September 25, 2015
My favorite of the Northern Shifters series, this story follows Trey the alpha as he introduces an isolated Lynx shifter to the a wider world. The beginning of the novel covers the growing friendship and attraction of the two protagonists followed by a section with suspense, action and potentially life-threatening developments. I found the author's exploration of an evolving relationship across these varied themes to be quite entrancing.
Profile Image for Bookbee.
1,477 reviews23 followers
May 20, 2011
I'm so glad Trey got his own story and his own...Jonah! I really, really liked this story right up to the very end. Everything was wrapped up too quick and neat, literally in just a couple of pages. For me, the climax just didn't match the build-up. That being said, it was still a most satisfying read!
Profile Image for Eliza.
Author 133 books1,335 followers
May 18, 2010
While I was reading the book, I thought at times the pacing was too slow for me. But in the end it turned out to be a lovely bittersweet romance that probably would not have been the same without the slower paced segments.
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