The Mating by Nicky Charles

The Mating
(The Mating Series, Book #1)
by Nicky Charles

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Elise had no idea when she came home that day that she'd end up mated to a complete stranger. A new Alpha and the need for an alliance between packs have made her a pawn.

Elise has grown up in the lap of luxury being the Alpha's daughter and even though her pack is very traditional than most, she's content to one day marry her long-time friend, Bryan, and settle down. Yet, things unexpectedly change when Kane, an Alpha from a local pack, shows up and Elise finds herself mated to him within a few hours. Life quickly changes as Elise has to leave the only home she's ever know to live with a practical stranger and be the new alpha female of a different pack. Somewhat pleased that her new pack members are more "modern" than her previous one and while settling herself into her new role, Elise suddenly finds herself involved in a deadly plot that begins to drag her down a dangerous road. Can she put her trust in Kane and stand up for herself as the new alpha female or will the darkness drag her under?

I quickly became absorbed in this story! It was written in such a way that it was a joy to read and hard to put down. Elise was very straightforward and easy like as a character because she displayed a nice balance between naivety and curiosity. Kane was also very likeable since he came off as macho but in a good (I'm charming and considerate) way that is just so yummy in male leads. Their budding relationship was very prominent in the story and not overshadowed by the overall mystery of the tale, which can sometimes happen in a whodunit type of novel. Overall, great read that has me itching to check out the next books in the series. Also FREE nook eBooks on: Book #2 & Book #3.

Likes: Elise was very open minded about life and I think that made her more enjoyable throughout the story. Plus, the book had a lot of plot twists which were nice to unravel in the end.

Dislikes: As in any other shape-shifter society stories, there are always those "set" roles when it comes to pack members: the women are in the kitchen, the men out hunting, etc. -- all very evident in this tale but not overwhelmingly irritating.

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