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Shadowed Lover (Blood Bound #1)

Lauren Dawes (Goodreads Author)

4.24 · Rating details · 25 ratings · 17 reviews

Loyalties will be tested.

Brooding leader of the Revenant, Drake is still haunted by the loss of his twin sister over a decade ago. Tasked with investigating a string of female kidnappings in the jaguar shifter world, he’s also asked to protect the Leo’s only daughter, who turns out to be a lot more than he bargained for.

Betrayals will be revealed.

Headstrong daughter of the ...more

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Published May 11th 2020 by Vixen Publishing

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Apr 10, 2020 Elysian Fields rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs, ku

This story was very fun; it was steamy, action packed, had sassy characters and a well delivered plot. I started this story and was immediately taken with the depth of the characters the author created. Each was unique and fun to read about but also felt like a real person, like I had known them for years. The story is about a man hired to protect a woman, but it is also a story of mystery, hunting down a killer and the passion that develops between the two in the process. It was well balanced a ...more

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Apr 05, 2020 Leila Matthews rated it it was amazing

I received an ARC in return for my honest review.

Neve is a strong willed female shifter, daughter of her prides Leo, and determined to be more than a wife and mother as is expected of her.

Drake is the leader of the Revenant, the elite Shadows. 10 years ago his twin sister disappeared and now Drakes position means he is charged with investigating multiple kidnappings of female jaguar shifters.

Neves cousin disappears and in an attempt to keep his only child safe her father asks Drake to protect h ...more

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Apr 13, 2020 April Simms rated it really liked it

Shadowed Lover is a great read full of suspense, mystery, and romance. It’s a thrilling introduction to a new world of panther shifters and the society they live in. The characters were well written - Drake is a caring, protective, leader and Neve is a strong feminist. I loved their spirited banter throughout the story. I must admit the secondary characters' story pulled at my heartstrings and left me wanting more information about them. I'm looking forward to learning more about their story in ...more

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Apr 13, 2020 Danica Peck rated it it was amazing

Captivating. Addictive. Heartwrenching. Passionate. These are just a few words I would use to describe Shadowed Lover.

I received an ARC of this book and I absolutely loved it. The characters were sassy and strong. The story line was complex and engaging with emotions, the action, the story plot.

The first few chapters, I had to really focus on the different character views. But as soon as my head was used to it, it was an easy flow and gave more depth to the story.

I look forward to the next in ...more

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Apr 10, 2020 RogueThreads rated it really liked it

I was lucky enough to receive an advanced reading copy of this book for an honest review. I really enjoyed it. I did find the multiple views a little stuttering to the story to begin with, but it ended up working out once I got used to it. The story is fast paced and once I got used to it jumping people; an easy read that kept me hooked.

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Mar 11, 2020 Lauren Dawes rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

EXCERPT
© LAUREN DAWES 2020

Stripping out of his sweats, he thought about the cat who inhabited his body, sharing his blood, his instincts, and his brain. He thought about him coming to the surface of his mind. Between one breath and the next, Drake’s vision changed from color to muted shades of blue and gray. Throwing his head back, he roared and let the beast out.
For three hundred agonizing seconds his bones broke and reset. His muscles and tendons were torn and reformed to fit his cat’s sleeke EXCERPT
© LAUREN DAWES 2020

Stripping out of his sweats, he thought about the cat who inhabited his body, sharing his blood, his instincts, and his brain. He thought about him coming to the surface of his mind. Between one breath and the next, Drake’s vision changed from color to muted shades of blue and gray. Throwing his head back, he roared and let the beast out.
For three hundred agonizing seconds his bones broke and reset. His muscles and tendons were torn and reformed to fit his cat’s sleeker, more lithe body. His jaw throbbed as the larger incisors took up residence, his whole face elongating and flexing. Finally, fur started to sprout.
Like all Shadows, his coat was solid black. There were no hints of rosettes beneath the solid swallowing color—he was all oily darkness. All fluid grace.
When the pain finally subsided, he flexed his whiskers forward and stretched out his new body. There were a few pops and groans as his new bones slid into shape and he finally felt like he was seated in his new skin properly.
Sensing eyes on him, he threw one last look at the house. Grayson was standing in between the jambs, his eyes cycling between human and cat. The guy eventually nodded, having gotten a good enough read on Drake’s emotional grid—which was, BTW, fucking screwed up—and retreated back into the house. Drake huffed.
Turning, he started pawing through the underbrush, his fur getting tangled in burrs as he passed. He didn’t know where he was going—all he knew was he had to keep moving. This news had shaken him to the core, and although he didn’t know the female, he knew the feelings her parents and siblings must be running through because he had suffered through them too.
Regret.
Fear.
Anger.
With a small snarl, he picked up the pace, not bothering to dampen his footsteps as he went. He had no intention of hunting, but if a deer was stupid enough to get in his way right now, he’d be sure to show it a good time.
He ran until his lungs burned like they were laced with shards of glass and his muscles ached, but still the same thought was banging around in his head: it had happened again. ...more

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May 11, 2020 The Caffeinated Book Addict rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2020

☕️☕️☕️ 3.8

This review is definitely going to be a little more critical than I usually write. I know I usually focus on my feelings about the book in my reviews. And these are still just my feelings and opinions, but there are some things I wanted to touch on to explain my rating for this book.

I'm going to start off with saying that for the most part, I did enjoy Shadowed Lover. I liked the writing, and most of the characters. But from the synopsis I got the impression that it would just be our ☕️☕️☕️ 3.8

This review is definitely going to be a little more critical than I usually write. I know I usually focus on my feelings about the book in my reviews. And these are still just my feelings and opinions, but there are some things I wanted to touch on to explain my rating for this book.

I'm going to start off with saying that for the most part, I did enjoy Shadowed Lover. I liked the writing, and most of the characters. But from the synopsis I got the impression that it would just be our two main characters points of view, but we get a few characters pov's and this just kind of drove me crazy. It was very off putting in the beginning of the story.

I enjoyed Neve and Drakes chapters the most, and when it came to them I found myself really into the story. But as soon as one of their chapters would end and we got another characters pov, I would lose interest and it would take a minute to get back into the story. Multiple point of views is just not my thing, and I really wish I has known about it before going into this book.

There was one character in particular that we get chapters from that I honestly don't know what the point was. I found myself wanting to skim over their pov every time. It still didn't make sense by the end of the book. They really didn't have any importance to the story in this first book. Maybe they will later on, but I would have enjoyed it more without their chapters.

The other two characters we get get chapters from, I don't want to spoil anything so I won't say who, I can understand one of them. It was important to the story, but the other one honestly felt like maybe that character should have had their own book, instead of chapters in this one. They felt more like a main character to me and that just didn't jell very well with it being Neve and Drake's story. I enjoyed both of these characters chapters, but the one that felt like it should have its own book, was still distracting from the main story to me.

Like I said, I did really like this book. I really liked Lauren's writing. In Neve and Drakes chapters, I was captivated and on the edge of my seat. I found myself really getting into the book when it came to them. I would have enjoyed this book so much more if it had just been the two main characters.

There is still much to be answered in the future books, and Shadowed Lover definitely caught my interest enough that I will most likely continue reading this series.

Overall I liked the writing, the story and the plot, and Neve and Drake. I am interested to see how certain things will play out in the future books. It was a great start to the series, I just wish it had been focused on our main characters instead of a little bit of everyone.

*ARC received in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
...more

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May 11, 2020 Cierra McCauley (Cierra's Corner) rated it liked it

Shadowed Lover is new and full of action! Dawes is a new author for me, the blurb pulled me in and the book cover is so gorgeous. I think this was a great foundation book, Shadow lover has so much going on. I did get a bit lost in all the detail and background information, which seemed like about 50% of the book. The other 50% which I thought was the storyline, I genuinely enjoyed. It's interesting and definitely an original, the main parts of the story grip you and pull strongly on your emotion Shadowed Lover is new and full of action! Dawes is a new author for me, the blurb pulled me in and the book cover is so gorgeous. I think this was a great foundation book, Shadow lover has so much going on. I did get a bit lost in all the detail and background information, which seemed like about 50% of the book. The other 50% which I thought was the storyline, I genuinely enjoyed. It's interesting and definitely an original, the main parts of the story grip you and pull strongly on your emotions. Shadowed Lover is written in a thrid-person/multiple points of view way that was a bit confusing for me. There was no immediate distinction as to what character you were getting and it switches about from character to character throughout the book so you kinda just have to be ready and go with it, someone else might not have the same problem I did following the story. I found this very stressful a few times having to go back a reread the start of a chapter to grasp who's view we were getting and what was happening. I haven't read very many books written this way. Shadow Lover is also a supernatural world mixing with our world, so there was lots of information to take in and so much going on in this book as far as learning the politics of this species. That I got a little bit confused about trying to keep up with who was who and what their position was. Once all that was out of the way I really did like the characters and the main parts of the story. I have to say though, the main couple for this book aren't who I loved the most, I'm definitely more keen on some of the other character's stories. Neve and Drake are shooting sparks and all kinds of sexy but they were a little too insta-love for me. I'm super intrigued by Grayson and Mateo. And would love to have more of Katie and Jett and his family. Like I said earlier I think this book was a great foundation book and even though I had some issues working things out along the way, I am very much looking forward to the rest of this series. I received an arc in exchange for an honest review. I would rate this book at 3.5 Stars. ...more

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Apr 27, 2020 Heather Russell rated it it was amazing

WOW this book really draws you in! The world of Panther shifters that Lauren Dawes creates really pulls you in and makes you want more! I can’t say enough how much I really enjoyed this book! I’ve already read it twice and it really is a breathtaking fantastic book!

One Kick Ass female panther that wants to break out of the expected mold. Neve isn’t the typical female panther shifter. Neve wants more than to be just a wife and mother. She trains with the enforcers of her pride.
When Drake the le ...more

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May 09, 2020 Julia Red Hatter Book Blog rated it liked it

Shadowed Lover has a lot of action and suspense from the first page. The characters were well defined and I enjoyed getting to know all of them. There is a lot going on in this story with a few different point of views. I did get confused going back and forth and I felt that the different POVs took a little away from the story. I found myself a few times skimming over certain POVs.

Neve and Drake were great. I really liked Neve and how she wanted to be her own person instead of what the pride ex ...more

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May 13, 2020 Susanna Fazekas rated it it was amazing

Yet another fantastic book written by Lauren Dawes! I was pulled in to the story within the first couple of sentences. If you like dark urban fantasy that's action-packed with some steamy romance, then I would highly recommend this book! I couldn't get enough of this book; I would like to read more! Can't wait for the next one to come out. I also really like the different POV's of the main characters. Also, the world of the Shifters is highly intriguing and mysterious. It's a really well-written ...more

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May 08, 2020 Ashley Carr, LSoR rated it it was amazing

4.5 Stars

This is a new author to me and I definitely will be continuing reading her work!! If I have a criticism of a book I’d like to get that out of the way first and with the multiple POV’s it was slightly confusing. But once the story hit its groove I didn’t notice it as much. Neve is a strong, independent and sassy female panther shifter. She wants more out of life than just being a mother and a mate. Her father allows her to train as an enforcer for the pride. Drake is the leader of the ...more

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May 10, 2020 Rachel Osborne rated it it was amazing

What a first book of what's going to be an amazing series. This first book has action, adventure and steamy scenes that will have you wanting book two as soon as you finish this book. The characters are beautifully created and keep you engaged throughout the book. The plot thickens and flows at a steady pace, keeping you wanting to find out what's happening each and every pages you turn. It's a fun book and a very enjoyable read. Dawes has created a beautiful book that has everything you could w ...more

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May 10, 2020 Taylor Merchant rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-books-i-ve-read

I received an ARC for an honest review

This is a story about a man hired to protect a woman, with some mystery, hunting down the killer, and a lot of passion with the two main characters. Drake is caring and protective. Neve is a strong and a feminist. This was a great book into a new panther shifter world. The secondary character left you wanting more of their stories too. It was a great read and would highly recommend.

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May 07, 2020 Raveen Vann rated it it was amazing

This is my favorite book by this author and what an amazing book it is! I absolutely fell in love with the story as well as Neve and Drake. Everything about this had me so very intrigued. Just couldn't get enough of this at all. ...more

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Apr 30, 2020 Inga Lady Of Bookland rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-read-in-2020, 5-star-books, adult, arc, books-published-in-2020, e-book, fantasy, guilty-pleasure, paranormal, romance

I LOVED IT!

Shadowed Lover is one of the best urban fantasy and paranormal romances that I have read this year, but you must be warned that this is a dark story with such themes as kidnapping, captivity, rape and grizzly murder, however, the romance is not dark, not abusive nor unhealthy.

The story was fast-paced, action packed and bloody, but also sweet and entertaining with some banter, humor and steam intertwined with the darkness, pain and fear.

It had it all – suspense, mystery, romance and ac I LOVED IT!

Shadowed Lover is one of the best urban fantasy and paranormal romances that I have read this year, but you must be warned that this is a dark story with such themes as kidnapping, captivity, rape and grizzly murder, however, the romance is not dark, not abusive nor unhealthy.

The story was fast-paced, action packed and bloody, but also sweet and entertaining with some banter, humor and steam intertwined with the darkness, pain and fear.

It had it all – suspense, mystery, romance and action with entertaining plot, well developed characters, complex world, engaging story with some twists and turns, darkness, pain and a range of emotions that will leave you raw. But it offers also loyalty and betrayal, blood chilling events and lightness with humor as well, and chemistry with sparks that will ignite on the page and make you fall in love with these intriguing characters.

This book is told from 6 different POVs.

However, there are 2 POVs that take main stage in this story Drake (a leader of a Shadow unit of Revenant, they are jaguar shifters with some supernatural powers who are also stronger and faster than the rest of the shifters, so Shadows serve as protectors and security for the rest of them, but Revenants make sure that other Shadows follow the rules) and Neve (a daughter of a Leo – leader of one of the jaguar shifter prides – Black Claw pride) with their romance and investigation of the kidnappings.

We also get several chapters from Katie (a jaguar shifter and Neve’s cousin who gets kidnapped), Jett (a jaguar shifter and Shadow, who is part of Revenant unit with Drake) and Avah (a human journalist who wasn’t connected to the rest of the events of this world yet but we could see glimpses of coming connection in the next book). Then there are couple of chapters from Asher’s (a jaguar shifter and the villain of the story) POV.

What else can I say? I loved it, I was hooked from the first pages and I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next. I fell in love with these characters, I fell in love with the story that made me feel alive and raw, the characters and story had depth and flaws that made them perfect. I couldn’t put this book down as it took me on an emotional roller-coaster of a ride with its entertaining banter, sweet romance, emotional depth, blood-chilling darkness and heart-breaking suspense. ...more

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Sep 17, 2020 Katt Faëhart rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. So i really do love the concept pf the Jaguars instead of wolves you as shifters. I really did devour this book in a few hours. I do love the story and the twist of crime and paranormal fantasy in one book. I really did enjoy this book.

Though there are some things i didn't really like.

1. There are a lot of point of views. Maybe i just wanted to focus more on Neve and Drake so that's why i feel this way but it was just annoying for me. I do feel that Jett 's(i think thats his name) was important ...more

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About Lauren Dawes

Lauren Dawes

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Lauren Dawes is a USA Today Bestselling Author. She's an urban fantasy/paranormal romance writer and the author of the Half Blood Series and the Dark Trilogy. You won’t find any friendly vampires in between the pages of her books; just blood, teeth and violence.

When she’s not writing, she’s reading or designing book covers. She currently lives in Canberra, Australia with her husband, daughter and ...more