Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter (Midnight Liaisons, #2) by Jessica Sims

Dec 04, 2012 Bianca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: shifters, paranormal-romance

Okay while I did enjoy this story it is mostly about the heroine. The Hero was not an alpha, just a nice big ol' guy. He was also a 27 year old virgin.... Really? He wasn't an actual "hero" a nice guy but meh.... It was a good story though about the heroine! I really enjoyed watching Sara come into her own power and overcome her fears! I also really enjoyed the world the author has created, I will definitely continue with this series. I was just disappointed in the lack of romance and the lack o...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Mandi Schreiner rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr, virgin-hero

When I heard from the author that this book had a virgin hero, I got excited. Then I heard he was a were-bear virgin hero. My excitement grew. Ramsey is the best type of virgin hero. He is a huge, huge man. Quiet but fierce. All other shifters fear him, even the cockiest of the wolves. And yet this fierce gentle giant has never been intimate with a woman before. Yes, let’s all just take a moment.

Sara Ward was in an abusive relationship six years ago to a man named Roy. Worse, he ends up biting h...more When I heard from the author that this book had a virgin hero, I got excited. Then I heard he was a were-bear virgin hero. My excitement grew. Ramsey is the best type of virgin hero. He is a huge, huge man. Quiet but fierce. All other shifters fear him, even the cockiest of the wolves. And yet this fierce gentle giant has never been intimate with a woman before. Yes, let’s all just take a moment.

Sara Ward was in an abusive relationship six years ago to a man named Roy. Worse, he ends up biting her one night and turns her into a werewolf against her will. Unable to leave him, her sister finally shows up and shoots him in the head. They flee and start a new life together, opening up an online dating service for supernaturals. But Sara is a wolf without a pack and in this world, female wolves are hard to come by. When the local wolf pack finally sniffs her out, they want her to mate with one of them and join their pack. Sara does not want this at all. Now that her sister is married to a cougar shifter Beau, she has some protection, but not enough. When the wolves kidnap another woman, and demand a trade with Sara, she panics but comes up with a plan. She will go to the meeting, retrieve the kidnapped girl, but then announce she is already mated, meaning she can’t join the wolves. But now she just needs a pretend mate.

The only man for the job is Ramsey. A bear shifter who is so big and fierce, even the wolves couldn’t best him for control of Sara. He quietly agrees to this plan, as Beau is his best friend and he would do anything to help his family. Ramsey left his bear clan when he was fifteen, their strict backwards rules were too much for him to deal with. He one day hopes to return to them, but he is not ready quite yet. When he meets Sara, with her crazy blue hair and teasing personality, it wakes something up inside of him. Sara is still very jumpy when it comes to men after being abused for so long, and Ramsey is a big, scary looking guy. Even though Sara knows he is there to protect her, it takes time for her to calm down. Good thing Ramsey has a lot of patience.

This book is just so adorable. Both Ramsey and Sara are good-hearted people who are a little lost in life. Pretend mating or marriages isn’t always my favorite set-up but this one worked so well for me. Ramsey is patient enough and kind enough to want to help Sara and protect her. He is so alpha, yet so gentle with her. Sara is not only being stalked and harassed by these wolves but she also has trouble shifting, to the point that her life could be in danger. Ramsey takes time to show her how to do it correctly. Sara is grateful for his help and never lashes out or takes what he gives without appreciation. She is scared – not only from her past relationship but because of these wolves, and she lets those around her help her, but she is also strong herself.

The conflict with the wolves develops nicely as does the introduction of supporting characters. We watch Ramsey going from being alone and living in a dump, to wanting to create a home (or a den) for his mate. She gives him what he is missing in his life. I sometimes wished we had his point of view in this story, as I was dying to know what was going on in his head.

And of course Ramsey being a virgin is so sexy. He is unsure how to act in bed, and gets very excited prematurely.

“Put your hands on me, Ramsey.”
He glanced down at my naked body for the first time, and I felt a shudder pass through his big frame. “I don’t… I’m not…”
“I know,” I said softly. I took his big hand in mine, “It’s fine.”
He gazed on me as if he’d been starving. “You’re so small and fragile and I’m..”
“Big,” I breathed. “I know. You won’t hurt me. I trust you.”
He is just so growly, and kind of shy, and blushes. I really wish authors would write more heroes like this. They are some of my favorites. Highly recommend this one.

Rating: B+(less)

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Dec 03, 2012 Patti Loves FAB Romance rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, paranormal, shapeshifters

PJV Quickie: I have been singing the praises of this book to anyone who will listen: A strong, silent hero and a heroine turned werewolf against her will with a crazed pack out to steal her – what’s not to love?

Review
Confession: I have been in a book funk for a couple of weeks, and I picked up Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter as a change from all the angsty YA romance I’ve been reading. Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter is proof that sometimes the “book gods” smile upon you…this was one of the be...more PJV Quickie: I have been singing the praises of this book to anyone who will listen: A strong, silent hero and a heroine turned werewolf against her will with a crazed pack out to steal her – what’s not to love?

Review
Confession: I have been in a book funk for a couple of weeks, and I picked up Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter as a change from all the angsty YA romance I’ve been reading. Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter is proof that sometimes the “book gods” smile upon you…this was one of the best shapeshifter romances I’ve read in quite some time! I had not read the first book in the series (Beauty Dates the Beast) before I read Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter, but I bought it as soon as I finished.

On to the review then…

Sara is a werewolf who was bitten, not born. She was bitten by her abusive ex-boyfriend who didn’t teach her anything about being a werewolf. Due to a set of circumstances that happen in book 1, the ex is no longer around to teach her anything even if she wanted him to. Now she lives with her human sister and her sister’s boyfriend, Beau, who is the alpha of a were-cougar clan. Female werewolves are rare, and there is a werewolf pack nearby who wants Sara, against her will, as a mate. To force Beau to give up Sara the wolves have kidnapped Beau’s sister and are holding her to trade for Sara.

Sara decides they will agree to the trade, then as soon as they get Beau’s sister, they will claim Sara has a mate and therefore is unable to join the wolf pack. She needs a fake mate, so Beau suggests his best friend, a big, scary bear-shifter named Ramsey. Ramsey is a were-bear that was exiled from his clan when he was 15, and has been with Beau’s Alliance ever since. He is gruff, a loner, and other shifters fear him due to his size and strength. He agrees to protect Sara and takes that promise very seriously…
_________________

Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter was absolutely adorable! I fell in love with Ramsey at first sight – big and strong, loyal, protective, and very inexperienced in the ways of women. As a heroine, Sara is a very sympathetic character – she’s been living with an abuser for years, and she bears the physical and mental scars from that. Ramsey is patient with her, helping her with her shifting (she was never taught the proper way) and keeping her out of the hands of a potentially abusive werewolf pack. I love when he starts to fix up his den for her and she starts to realize that he’s letting her steer the relationship; together, they make a great couple.

This story was so much fun! There are also some very entertaining side stories happening – Sara and her sister, Bath, run a shapeshifter dating agency, which is kind of neat. Bath is planning her wedding to Beau, and then there’s also Connor, one of the pack wolves, who has feelings for Beau’s sister, whom he got involved with while she was kidnapped. There is a whole cast of interesting secondary characters who have potential stories that I would love to read.

Ms. Sims works the romance and plot together well and paces it so that I’m never bored. There were several spots where I wondered about the worldbuilding, especially in the beginning, but we learned about it along with our heroine, so it was not a problem that I didn’t read the first book before reading Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter.

I absolutely cannot wait until August for the next book, Must Love Fangs.

Recommendations
Fans of shapeshifter romance will absolutely love Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter; great characters, interesting worldbuilding, and a nice romance to keep you turning the pages.(less)

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Dec 11, 2012 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Although this is book two it can be read as a stand-alone. This book picks up where Beauty Dates the Beast left off. Sara is Bathsheba’s sister from Beauty Dates the Beast. She is a bitten werewolf who is afraid of (with good reason) werewolves. When the local pack finds out she exists they kidnap a young female werecougar. Sara comes up with a plan to get the werecougar back. She’ll trade herself to the pack for the werecougar and then Ramsey a huge werebear will claim her as his mates. The wol...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Dotti Elrick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter picks up right where Beauty Dates the Beast leaves off. There is a lot of backstory thrown into the first chapter so a new reader should have no trouble picking up the story.
Sarah is a werewolf in hiding, she was turned against her will by her abusive boyfriend. Her only interaction with wolves is what she experienced at the hands of the one who turned her. Sarah and her sister killed him and went on the run, hiding from other wolf packs for the last six years.
No...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Anne Odom rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sexy, urban-fantasy

This book is much more enjoyable than it's pretty poor choice of title. I tend to like a bit more humor in my romantic adventure tales, but if you like yours more on the dramatic side, you'll like this one.

The first chapter is a little rough - throws a bunch of info at you at once and made me wary of how the book was going to go. It steadies out, though, finding a smooth pacing as it continues.

The male lead hit a soft spot for me -- the soft-hearted "humble giant" archetype is one of my favorite...more This book is much more enjoyable than it's pretty poor choice of title. I tend to like a bit more humor in my romantic adventure tales, but if you like yours more on the dramatic side, you'll like this one.

The first chapter is a little rough - throws a bunch of info at you at once and made me wary of how the book was going to go. It steadies out, though, finding a smooth pacing as it continues.

The male lead hit a soft spot for me -- the soft-hearted "humble giant" archetype is one of my favorites. I struggled with the female lead, as she spent most of the book cowering in fear and doubting herself. That said, her backstory provides the reason for this, and this book is about her journey back to a healthy self-concept. I think I would have liked it if she got there faster or if she had a more steady improvement throughout the novel.

Some of the emotional conflict between the main characters seems contrived -- the female lead makes up complications where it's pretty obvious they don't exist. While this is part of her character development, it still feels a little silly to have her make up these stories against so much obvious counter-evidence.

The sex scenes are a mix of cute, endearing, a bit humorous, and highly arousing. There is definitely an "oh my god, he's so big" thing going on here, but at least the penis is in proportion to the rest of the guy's body. And thankfully, there's no "will he even fit inside me?", because yes, honey, he will. Babies come out of your vagina, penises can go in. And even big penises are smaller than babies. :)

Seriously, though, if you read these kinds of books because you enjoy some explicit romantic sex with your adventure tales, you'll be satisfied with what you find in Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter.

I also enjoyed the unusual flip (these days) of the werewolves being bullies rather than irresistible romantic interests. The nastiness of the pack was well-painted, and the implied internal conflict of the pack was also developed well.

Final observation - I don't think the author knows that "Bear" is a term the gay community uses to describe men exactly like Ramsey: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_(ga.... This pulled me out of the story a bit, because every time anyone referred to Ramsey by his shifter nature, it made me giggle a bit.

Overall, I do recommend this book as a satisfying read for those who like more of an angsty and serious tone to their paranormal romantic adventures.

(less)

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Nov 04, 2012 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sara feels terrible, because she is hiding from the werewolf community they are attacking her family. They were able to get to her sister Bath and now she is in the hospital, and they also have taken Beau’s (Bath’s boyfriend) cousin Savannah. While looking over her sister Sara and Beau devise a plan to con the werwolves into giving Savannah back and keeping Sara safe from them. They decide to find a pretend mate for Sara so that she is no longer available to the wolf community. Beau chooses some...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Sobia rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Just a few things:

1)this is a PNR, written in first person, heroine's perspective throughout.

2) I didn't read the first book but didn't have any trouble following along. However if you want to read book 1 in the ML series, then you may want to read it first, as this (IIRC) spoils the first book.

3) The Hero was awesome...so much so that i resent not getting his pov....this is one of those books that would have been so so so much better written with the third person narrative...the way its writte...more

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Nov 09, 2012 Jenni Ebba rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sarah Ward is as down-to-earth as her sister from the previous novel Beauty Dating the Beast . And Ramsey is a to die for hero! I love this series for its light humor and take no prisoners romance. If anyone is a fan of Katie MacAlister's Dark Ones series, they definitely need to give this series a go. And my recommendation is NOT to start with this one, unless you want huge spoilage for the first. The series is about a shapeshifter coalition finding enemies in clans of werewolves.
After "escapi...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Lynsey (The Demon Librarian) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Find more reviews at The Demon Librarian.

I want a were-bear!

Well, I want one if he's anything like Ramsey, anyway. He's the strong, silent, stoic but gentle type of man-tree that just....sigh. Yeah, he was lovely. Built like a forest oak, with rare but devastating smiles, he totally won my heart in this second instalment of the midnight Liaisons series, this time featuring Bathsheba's werewolf sister, Sarah.

If you read book one, you'll recall the claim that was made to the werewolves at the end...more Find more reviews at The Demon Librarian.

I want a were-bear!

Well, I want one if he's anything like Ramsey, anyway. He's the strong, silent, stoic but gentle type of man-tree that just....sigh. Yeah, he was lovely. Built like a forest oak, with rare but devastating smiles, he totally won my heart in this second instalment of the midnight Liaisons series, this time featuring Bathsheba's werewolf sister, Sarah.

If you read book one, you'll recall the claim that was made to the werewolves at the end of that book. This book begins just a few days before that, with the conversation that led to that decision. What comes of that claim is Sarah having to prove to the werewolf clan that she's mated to were-bear Ramsey, because that's the only thing that could possibly save her from having to go and live with them—even the claim of your own clan isn't strong enough to separate a mated couple. The wolves, for their part, desperately need another female wolf for breeding, and since they're so rare, they're determined to do everything possible to snare Sarah. Except the thing is, Sarah isn't really mated to Ramsey. They barely know one another. It's all a big lie. And unfortunately, although brain cells aren't exactly abundant among the werewolves, even they don't believe her since she looks positively terrified of him. Of course, they don't realise that after Sarah's hellish past, she's terrified of most men. And Ramsey being so huge doesn't exactly help with her nerves, either. Still, she puts on her bravest face and tries to convince them of her love for her "Huggy Bear" in the hopes that they'll go away and leave her be. Sadly not. They remain unconvinced and insist one of their wolves remain behind to observe them. By living in Ramsey's house.

So, here we have two people—one nervous and jittery after being abused by her former boyfriend, the wolf who turned her, and one naturally quiet and shy who generally prefers to keep himself to himself—who would probably never have naturally come together of their own accord, but who are forced to act the part to maintain a deception. But what happens when you start to realize that you may not actually be acting anymore? Is the other person still just acting? Are you still playing the same game with the same rules? Or have things changed?

These confusing questions and feelings led to a wonderful and engaging paranormal romance. One I thoroughly enjoyed. Sarah and Ramsey's interactions were both swoon-worthy and, eventually, scorching hot. The relationship developed at the perfect pace and it just made my heart happy, as all good romances should.

The Big Bad in this case was the werewolf pack and their insistent claim on Sarah, which all comes to a head in the exciting final pages. There were also a couple of interesting developments with other potential couples in the series, and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more about them in future books.

A wonderful PNR, and again, a great audio production!
4 Stars ★★★★

(less)

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Nov 04, 2012 Tam B. rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book but think it might have helped if I'd re-read the first book in the series.

This book is told exclusively from Sara's point of view. Sara is a human who was turned to a werewolf by an abusive ex-boyfriend and unhappy about it. Consequently she'd never "made friends" with her wolf and it has caused problems. On top of that the local pack is forcing her to join them and to effectively become their mate. In steps Ramsey to play her mate and save her from the wolves.

I liked Ramse...more

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May 10, 2013 Sangria rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Wow! This book should be called 'Devour' because that's exactly what I did to it! The book continues off from book one except it's written from Sara's point of view, the young werewolf sister.

I decided to listen to the audiobook for the first book and decided to read this sequel because I really liked Sara's character and I'm so glad it didn't disappoint! Actually, I can't believe how quickly I read this baby! The steamy scenes are hot in this book and the humor is just as good, if not better, t...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Lisa Annesley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, pnr, shifter, bear-shifter, wolf-shifter, funny

Sara is a wolf shifter who was turned by an abusive ex-boyfriend. She has been hiding her true nature for years. But now the secret is out and the local, lawless wolf-shifter pack wants to claim her for their pack and their mate. In order to keep herself safe from the pack, she takes bear-shifter Ramsey as her fake mate. But the pack is not letting her go so easily. And neither is Ramsey.

Although Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter is a light read with many humorous moments, real danger threatens S...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Melissa Mason rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, were

Sarah Ward, a female werewolf, would do anything to not join the local werewolf pack. When events happen that force her hand, her sister's man helps the situation by having his bodyguard/friend pretend to be Sarah's mate. Still jumpy after an abusive ex-boyfriend, Sarah isn't looking for romance. This alone had me intrigued on what was going to happen.

Ramsey is a were-bear and not someone that anyone would want to mess with. He's the perfect man to help Sarah avoid the mating attempts of the loc...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, fantasy, paranormal, romance, shapeshifters, urban-fantasy

So, I actually liked this one.

So much so that yesterday instead of watching television, I simply listened to this.

However, I must say.. I don't like reading books about abuse victims, especially from the victim's point of view. I have no tolerance for women or men who do not leave the abusive relationship. Which made me unsympathetic for a lot of Sarah's plight.

But I ended up liking the rest of the book a lot.

And it was a nice change to have the main male character not be a sex god. Okay he was...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-paranormal-scavenger-hunt, paranormal

So I just finished Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter and I enjoyed it. Sarah is a werewolf who is afraid of everything, including her inner wolf due to being a victim of domestic violence. To make matters worse, a local pack want to force her into becoming a member of their pack, where she would once again be someones plaything. Needless to say, this is not appealing to her. To get out of these predicament, she turns to a bear of a man (aka shapeshifting bear) to pretend to be her mate. Little di...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Paranormal Haven rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-read-by-stephanie

Sara's only interaction with werewolves was her abusive relationship with her ex-boyfriend Roy that resulted in her turning. She's terrified to join the Anderson pack, especially when they make it clear she will be expected to mate, but she won't be going in alone. With help from her pretend were-bear mate Ramsey, she's ready to take the burden of her secret off her sister Bathsheba's shoulders, and help free the were-cougar cousin of Bath's fiance.

Sara's ex did a real number on her self-esteem...more Sara's only interaction with werewolves was her abusive relationship with her ex-boyfriend Roy that resulted in her turning. She's terrified to join the Anderson pack, especially when they make it clear she will be expected to mate, but she won't be going in alone. With help from her pretend were-bear mate Ramsey, she's ready to take the burden of her secret off her sister Bathsheba's shoulders, and help free the were-cougar cousin of Bath's fiance.

Sara's ex did a real number on her self-esteem and courage. Over the course of the book, she gets some of her feistiness back. I'm not a fan of when a character makes unrealistic changes and thankfully that wasn't the case. She makes progress in getting past what Roy did to her and learning what it means to be a wolf while not becoming unrecognizable. Sara isn't a dominate heroine but she still manages to be fun, sweet and has an edge when pushed too far. A combination that I think worked perfectly for her.

Ramsey is what you'd expect in a were-bear. He's big, strong, keeps to himself and if he's angry, you better run. He's also patient with Sara and knows when to push when it came to helping her shift and when to give her space. He cares deeply for her, even if she doesn't always believe it, and turns his home into a proper den for her. I like him as the protector but I love him as the caring man who would do anything for Sara. He's a fantastic hero and my favorite so far in the series.

As for the romance, Sara and Ramsey are sweet together and when she realizes that he has no experience when it comes to sex, she has a lot of hot fun with her huggy bear. Just because he lacks experience doesn't make Ramsey a slouch in bed. The sex was made even better by them having a connection outside of the bedroom. There was nothing I didn't like about this pair.

While the romance takes center stage, there are other things happening in this book. A shortage of females has a local pack taking extreme measures to get Sara to join them. The Anderson alpha isn't happy to see Sara mated, so he and his sons try and prove her mating is a fraud. The lengths they're willing to go puts more than just Sara and Ramsey's relationship at risk and added some intensity to the story. It also introduced a character I couldn't help but fall for. Connor Anderson is not like his cousins. He wants what's best for Sara and has feelings for the were-cougar captive Savannah. I felt bad for Connor because he's head over heels in love and Savannah understandably doesn't want to talk to him. I don't see these two getting a full length book but I'd purchase a novella if they got one.

This installment in the Midnight Liaisons series is better than the first. Ramsey and Sara are a solid couple with a romance that was as meaningful as it is sexy and sweet. I've had fun with this series so far and I can't wait to see what Sara, Bath and their paranormal dating agency Midnight Liaisons have in store next.
- Stephanie(less)

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Jan 31, 2013 Brenda rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was just reading this last night and thing is I don't know what I really think of this book. Its the second book following "Beauty dates the beast" I liked Sara a bit more in the first book, in this one she's kind of wimpy and scared throughout untill almost the end where she suddenly finds courage to face the werewolfs because they poisoned Ramsey (who by the way wears plaid button up shirts, and all through the book I kept picturing this giant guy that resembles a Lumberjack, yup not sexy) i...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Janice (the_red1) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-in-a-series, good-guy-hero, paranormal, romance, romance-done-right, smexy-times, troubled-heroine

Lovely PNR. Ramsey was a truly swoon-worthy hero, and Sara was very engaging, sympathetic, and a lot stronger than she gave herself credit for. Their romance was very sweet and believable. I thoroughly enjoyed their story.

My only complaint is that the wolves were depicted as abusive douchebags, and as a diehard werewolf fan, I didn't like that one bit. In fairness, though, the end of the book sorta took care of that, so I really shouldn't grumble.

All in all, Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter wa...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Ria rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: shapeshifters, werewolves, pnr, read-in-barcelona

Though a big improvement on the first book in the series, Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter was not without its problems. Taken as a light and fluffy PNR, it does the trick, presenting fun characters, an engaging love story and a suitable dash of peril. Yet I couldn't help but feel the author could have done MORE, given the great world chock full of politics and challenges and the central pair struggling to face the pain in their pasts. Things were just a little too breezy and everything worked o...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, reviews

The local wolf pack is after werewolf Sara Ward, to join their pack and to mate with one of the wolves. To save herself she comes up with a plan to mated already. Were-Bear Ramsey Bjorn agrees to pretend to be her mate. But neither of them expected to actually fall in love.

Excellent follow up to Beauty Dates the Beast. I loved Sara and Ramsey's story. The back story of Sara's past is heart wrenching, and Ramsey Bjorn is exactly what she needs. Even though she doesn't realize it at first. Ramsey...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Penny Watson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I got into a werewolf-y mood this week, and was desperately searching for a shapeshifter book.

So, in desperation, I splurged on this cute-looking novel by Jessica Sims--Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter.

I discovered that Jessica Sims is also Jill Myles, who wrote my favorite time warp-caveman-dinosaur romance, Island Heat.

Needless to say, this book was the perfect answer to my shapeshifter desperation. It was adorable! First of all, the characters were very appealing. The hero Ramsey is a delic...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: B+

…And when I grumbled about my weird tastes as a wolf and how he didn’t have the same, he leaned in and kissed my brow. “Bears like a taste of everything.”

The naughty gleam in his eyes made me blush.

Ramsey’s playful side was buried, but it was there. I was pretty sure he didn’t show it to many people, and it pleased me that he’d shown it to me.

Sara is a bitten werewolf who, even years after the bite, is still struggling with this change....more Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: B+

…And when I grumbled about my weird tastes as a wolf and how he didn’t have the same, he leaned in and kissed my brow. “Bears like a taste of everything.”

The naughty gleam in his eyes made me blush.

Ramsey’s playful side was buried, but it was there. I was pretty sure he didn’t show it to many people, and it pleased me that he’d shown it to me.

Sara is a bitten werewolf who, even years after the bite, is still struggling with this change. It’s painful for her to shift, she’s never learned the ways and whys of it because the man who bit her was an abusive ex-boyfriend who’s no longer around. But now, as one of the rare female werewolves, she’s being pursued by the local wolf pack and being forced to join them so she can mate with the male wolves. She says hell no, but circumstances are such that her options are limited and to avoid a war among the shifters she comes up with a plan to put the wolves off for a bit: she’s telling them that she already has a mate. Now, she needs to actually find a mate and Ramsey is the lucky(?) guy. He’s a were-bear, a huge man, quiet, keeps to himself, doesn’t have his own clan and is best friends with Sara’s soon to be brother-in-law, Beau. He agrees to the plan and they become fake-mates.

Ramsey takes Sara to his home since they need to keep up the mated pretense as a wolf is tasked with shadowing Sara to not only report to their alpha, but to help Sara with her shifting. Ramsey’s home is a rundown, trashed place. Sara has no idea what she’s gotten herself into, but for Ramsey a change starts to happen. He’s been in this rundown house for 12 years, but now he has a reason to repair it and make it a home. The mating takes on a real feel to it for both of them as they spend more time together. I loved getting to know these characters as they got to know each other. Ramsey’s mate was set for him when he was a child, as is the way with bears. He was exiled from his clan when he was a young teen for befriending and defending Beau, a were-cougar. He’s been away from his family and his intended mate for years with no desire to ever return. But, this also means he’s not a serial dater. He’s a no-dater in fact and remains a virgin. His and Sara’s scenes together in the bedroom were so sweet. They ranged from hand holding to kissing to more intense moments that had Ramsey feeling embarrassed at times and so filled with need for Sara. I loved seeing Sara realize that this was all new for him and their romance progressed at a great pace. Not fast at all, but rather nice and slow as both characters had their own issues and concerns to work through before they were finally together completely.

“I want to touch you, Sara.”

“That’s a good start,” I said softly, unable to look away from his mouth. “Keep going.”

“I…keep thinking about your mouth on mine. Thought about it all day.” His breathing became quicker, the scent of his familiar musk stronger. “How it would feel on my body. What you would look like if I touched your…breasts. What you look like naked.”

My breath caught in my throat at his scorching words. “You’ve seen me naked,” I said softly.

“Not while you’re under me,” he said softly.

A shudder of lust ripped through my body, and I grew instantly wet. “That sounds…sexy as hell, Ramsey.”

He growled low in his throat, sending a ripple of anticipation through my body.

Their fake-mating becomes more and more real as the story goes and the wolves who want to force Sara into their pack don’t go away. They push every chance they get, they force Sara into uncomfortable situations and push the limits with not only Sara and Ramsey but the Shifter Alliance, who want the wolves to join them and be run under a few more rules. Sara grows up a lot during this story. She goes from being a frightened woman, scared of her wolf side and scared of men thanks to her lousy ex and comes into her own with Ramsey’s help. She gains confidence in herself and in the love she feels for Ramsey and she’s also able to meet some wolves who aren’t all asses and help her realize that there are decent wolves out there. I also liked that Sara comes clean to Ramsey about her past and the issues she’s struggling with, namely being touched or having people startle her. Ramsey, ever the patient bear, takes his time and helps her through it. He simply takes every chance he can to hold her hand, kiss her or constantly be near her and it helps her find comfort where she’d never been able to before.

There’s an interesting side story with Conner a werewolf, and Savannah a member of Beau’s clan who’s a were-cougar. The two shifters have big issues that come at the start of this story which aren’t resolved by books end. My hope is they’ll get their own story told soon, the set-up is too good and I want to know more about them!

I haven’t read book one in this series, Beauty Dates the Beast, but had no trouble catching on to the storylines at the start of Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter. I found Sara to be charming, a bit sarcastic and little off the wall in a good way. She’s an interesting mix of unique and sure of herself in one way, but still nervous and skittish and that’s where Ramsey comes in. He’s such an easy going, quiet man, but when his mate is threatened he turns fierce. I loved seeing his protective side come out and he was a calm, safe place for Sara to turn to when she needed it. A fun, enjoyable read and I really liked getting to know this world that Jessica Sims has created and seeing the romance grow between Sara and Ramsey.(less)

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Mar 30, 2013 Lover of Romance rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, shifter-romance, vampire

Ever since Sarah was turned, she has been on the run with her sister, hiding from those that would capture her because she is a wolf shifter. Now circumstances force Sara to go forward with a plan that is daring but dangerous. Sarah must convince the pack that she and Ramsey are true mates. Sarah suffered abuse from Roy, the shifter that turned her, and ever since has had a fear of being touched, and now she must prove that she is mated to a were bear, and scares her more than anything even thou...more Ever since Sarah was turned, she has been on the run with her sister, hiding from those that would capture her because she is a wolf shifter. Now circumstances force Sara to go forward with a plan that is daring but dangerous. Sarah must convince the pack that she and Ramsey are true mates. Sarah suffered abuse from Roy, the shifter that turned her, and ever since has had a fear of being touched, and now she must prove that she is mated to a were bear, and scares her more than anything even though she knows in her mind he would never hurt her. Now they are thrown together, and must show affection, and before she even realizes it, she starts to fall hard for the silent yet hunk of a were bear Ramsey, and even though the odds are against them, their love for each other will set them free....Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter is the newest addition to the Midnight Liasons series. After reading the first one, I just fell in love with the world that Jessica Sims has created, and I think I enjoyed this one even more......it was truly an amazing read, filled with a tender filled romance that could reach any reader. I just loved Sarah and Ramsey together, their story was truly magical. Even though in the beginning Ramsey scares Sarah, there is a spark that lights up immediately whenever they are near each other. Its obvious even from the first page, the connection these two have, and I just loved seeing it grow into something extraordinary. One aspect I truly loved in this story that you don't see very often, is the hero being a virgin and never having sex before. I just love it when authors do this, and Sims did it with such talent, as if it was a normal occurrence in novels (when we all know it isnt). I also enjoyed the conflict part of the plot involving the other wolves, who try to convince Sarah she belongs with them, and I truly loved the danger aspect of the story, kept things interesting. Overall a sweet and sexy love story that will curl any readers toes, a story that will delight you, characters that will charm you, and a read you don't want to miss out on!!!! AN UNFORGETTABLE ROMANCE!!!!!
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Oct 27, 2012 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, review, paranormal-romance

Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2012/10/26/...

I’ve been a Jill Myles/Jessica Sims/Jessica Clare fan-girl for a long time now, but I think the Midnight Liaisons series just might be my favorite of all her works. Snark and fun paranormal romance is the one genre to never fail me!

Sarah hates that her sister, Bath, feels the need to mother her constantly, especially since Sarah’s the reason Bath was pulled into the supernatural world. She doesn’t want to have to hide behind...more Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2012/10/26/...

I’ve been a Jill Myles/Jessica Sims/Jessica Clare fan-girl for a long time now, but I think the Midnight Liaisons series just might be my favorite of all her works. Snark and fun paranormal romance is the one genre to never fail me!

Sarah hates that her sister, Bath, feels the need to mother her constantly, especially since Sarah’s the reason Bath was pulled into the supernatural world. She doesn’t want to have to hide behind Bath’s skirts any longer, but the escalating problem with the wolf clan has Sarah scared to death. Sarah thinks she’s come up with a plan to not only get the wolves off her back, but also to get Beau’s (her brother-in-law) cousin back from captivity.

Ramsey, Beau’s right-hand man and werebear, is quick to volunteer for Sarah’s plan and act as her mate to get the wolves to quit sniffing around. Everything would have gone fine if Sarah hadn’t shown them all just how difficult the shift was for her. Now, Ramsey has a fake-mate, and a wolf roommate watching their every move. He’s willing to do anything and everything to keep Sarah safe – but will it be enough to keep the wolves at bay?

I adored this story way more than the 1st in the series. Both Ramsey and Sarah are wonderful characters. Their romance was so fun to watch develop and Sims has such a fun voice throughout the entire book. Let me start with my absolute adoration for Ramsey.

Ramsey wasn’t the typical Alpha hero: overbearing, over-protective, in-your-face with a huge personality. But, he was absolutely hero material. He was a bit shy, more beta-hero-esque who chose to take a backseat approach. But believe me… when he needed to be, he could be Alpha all the way! I loved the fact that he was a virgin hero, especially as we learned more about the bear culture and his past experiences with women. Despite his hardened exterior and overall gruff nature, I wanted to cuddle him like the giant teddy bear he really was. Ramsey was one of the better romance heroes that I’ve read in all of 2012.

While I had some reservations about Sarah after the first book, I really fell in love with her in this one. We get to learn so much about her past, how she was turned and why she has such a deep-rooted fear of other wolves. As her story unfolded, I just wanted to wrap her up and keep her safe in any way possible. Watching her face her fears with the wolves was both amazing and heartbreaking, as I could FEEL her worries and fears spill across the pages.

I loved the romance between these two. It had a marriage of convenience feel to it which I adored. Add in the virgin hero and I was absolutely SOLD on these two. I loved that Ramsey was so patient in his dealing with Sarah’s fear of men and wolves. He really was so incredibly careful and loving toward her. Likewise, when it came to the sexy times, Sarah provided the same kind of shelter and care to Ramsey. She saw through the rough exterior, got past all the shyness and was able to find the man underneath it all. <3<3<3

All in all I absolutely adored this story. Ramsey was the perfect kind of hero: mixture of Alpha and Beta and 100% incredible. Sarah was a little tortured, but given her past, I absolutely understood it. I loved her interaction with the wolves, especially once she got past her fears. She wasn’t afraid to stick up for herself and other, weaker women like her at the end. Their romance was so well done, and readers who like the marriage of convenience trope will love this! So will virgin hero lovers. I can’t wait to see where Sims takes the series next.
I give Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter an A-(less)

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Apr 20, 2013 Francesca the Fierce ~Eyelet Ecstasy~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-2013, read-audio-books, genre-paranormal-romance

This was such a quick and enjoyable read! I actually enjoyed it more than the first book and I can’t really pinpoint the why. Maybe it’s because I like to see a heroine that has gone through abuse take charge of her life and not let things “happen” to her again. Maybe it’s the fact that I LOVE a big brooding hero, tough on the exterior, who is also a sweet teddy bear on the inside and … a virgin!

We met Sarah in book one when her human sister, Bathsheba, was dedicating her whole life to protecti...more

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Mar 01, 2013 Christine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult

I am such a sucker for pretend relationships turning into the real thing. You guys have no idea. It’s definitely one of my tropes when I’m reading fanfiction and I tend to like it just as much in romance novels, which is why I was so happy about the premise of this book.

This is the second book in the Midnight Liasons series from Jessica Sims (aka Jill Myles) and it follows Sarah, who was one of the main characters from the first book. I liked Sarah in Beauty Dates the Beast and I liked her even...more

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Oct 25, 2012 All Things Urban Fantasy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-abigail, october-2012-hotp

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy See site review for similar titles

DESPERATELY SEEKING SHAPESHIFTER, book two in the Midnight Liaisons series, picks up right on the heels of BEAUTY DATES THE BEAST and focuses on werewolf Sarah and werebear Ramsey who are forced to pretend to be mates in order to protect Sarah from an abusive Pack that wants to forcibly claim her. It’s super flirty, super sexy, and super fun.
Sarah and Ramsey are a fantastic couple. Sarah’s been running for years after...more Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy See site review for similar titles

DESPERATELY SEEKING SHAPESHIFTER, book two in the Midnight Liaisons series, picks up right on the heels of BEAUTY DATES THE BEAST and focuses on werewolf Sarah and werebear Ramsey who are forced to pretend to be mates in order to protect Sarah from an abusive Pack that wants to forcibly claim her. It’s super flirty, super sexy, and super fun.
Sarah and Ramsey are a fantastic couple. Sarah’s been running for years after an abusive boyfriend bit her and turned her into a werewolf. Female werewolves are very rare, so the local pack is demanding she join and mate with them, and they are willing to go to any length to get her. The only way to keep herself safe is to find a pretend mate before the wolves get to her. In desperation, Sarah turns to Ramsey, an exiled wear-bear who works as an enforcer for the Shifter Alliance.

There were numerous sexy turns in DESPERATELY SEEKING SHAPESHIFTER as this very unlikely pair came together. What I especially loved was that there was an even give and take between these two. Ramsey helped Sarah learn how to shift and trust again, and gentleness is what allowed Sarah to boldly help educate him in the bedroom—yep, our big, hot hero is a virgin (due to some regulations from his former pack). Ramsey was this hulking giant who knew when to be tough and when to be soft. He was so selfless with Sarah in every possible way, and yet he would lose control as they were forced into greater and greater intimacy. Things got super, super steamy. And Sarah, despite her abusive past, wasn’t a victim. She recognized the things that triggered fear and bad memories, and she fought hard to break them and not let her past control her future.

DESPERATELY SEEKING SHAPESHIFTER gets everything right whether it was a frightening encounter with the psychotic wolf pack, one of Sarah and Ramsey’s scorching hot ‘lessons’, or a playful moment with one of the supporting–and future lead-characters. The Midnight Liaisons series definitely has long term relationship potential. Up next in the series, were-cougar Josh helps Sarah and Bath’s friend Maria in her quest to hook a vampire…before her secret ailment can kill her. It will be published in Summer 2013.

Sexual Content:
Scenes of sensuality and graphic sex. Attempted rape.

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Nov 25, 2012 Bry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, series, urban-fantasy, 2012

Sarah is a werewolf, and not one born into it, but turned by an abusive and hateful old boyfriend. She has been hiding from the local weres, with the help of her sister Bathsheba, but her days of hiding are over. The local wolfs know about her and they want her. And her only means of escaping becoming one of their mates is to already have a mate.

In comes Ramsey, a werebear, and the muscle for the Alliance of Weres. He is a giant of a man, and the epitome of the strong and silent type. But under...more Sarah is a werewolf, and not one born into it, but turned by an abusive and hateful old boyfriend. She has been hiding from the local weres, with the help of her sister Bathsheba, but her days of hiding are over. The local wolfs know about her and they want her. And her only means of escaping becoming one of their mates is to already have a mate.

In comes Ramsey, a werebear, and the muscle for the Alliance of Weres. He is a giant of a man, and the epitome of the strong and silent type. But underneath it all is a vulnerable and fiercely loyal man. He agrees to pretend to be Sara's mate (kinda like when people marry for a greencards) so that she cannot be forced to mate with a wolf.

Only the pretense is harder for them they either imagine, as everyone wants proof of their relationship. They expected just to have to hold hands from time to time and make a few public appearances, but so much more was needed, and eventually wanted by both Sarah and Ramsey.

Sarah was so victimized by her asshole boyfriend that her damage ran seriously deep. Ramsey wasn't wholly without baggage either due to his leaving his bear clan, not to mention his natural shyness. So they were insanely cute together. One the ultimate protector, the other desperately needing it but not wanting it because she thought it made her weak.

I really loved Ramsey, he was an ultimate gentleman who wanted nothing but the best for Sarah. And I actually expected Sarah to get on my nerves, but I really enjoyed her. She grew up so much in this book, both physically and mentally. Frankly I was proud as hell of both of them. And once their relationship became real holy crap it got hot. Like supernova hot and I felt the need to fan myself. Lordy!

The Anderson wolves, the local wolf clan made for great villains, and their alpha Levi seriously was damned crazy in the head. The things he does and says to try and get Sarah into their pack is just disgusting.

I am so glad I read this book and decided to keep going with the series. I really enjoyed the first book, Beauty Dates the Beast, and I am not sure why I forgot about the series, but now I am glad I remembered it! Sadly though the 3rd book doesn't come out until August 27, 2013. Argh! It's so long to wait! But I definitely will because the teaser chapter at the end of this book was fantastic! (less)

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Nov 09, 2012 Bells rated it 4 of 5 stars

In book 1 of the series with the help of her sister, Sarah Ward did her best to hide the fact that she was a werewolf. However one of the local wolf clans discovered her existence and wants her to join their clan. There is a shortage of females and they feel that she would be a great addition but in all honesty their kind of scary. She does need their help however to learn how to shift properly so that she doesn't hurt herself. In order to insure her safety, a were-bear by the name of Ramsey com...more

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Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter (Midnight Liaisons #2)

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