Review: Lion’s Share by Rachel Vincent

Lion’s Share
(Wildcats #1)
by Rachel Vincent
Publisher: Self-published
Publication Date: Feb. 23, 2015
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating:

Abby Wade has a dangerous secret.

Two months ago, she disobeyed an order, but instead of kicking her out of the Pride, Jace offered her a job. Since then, she’s been battling a completely inappropriate crush on the young, hot Alpha. But when accepting his job offer seems like the only way to keep her skeletons safely in their closet, Abby doesn’t hesitate.

Jace Hammond has a big problem.

A rogue is slaughtering humans in his territory, and he must eliminate the threat before the entire shifter species is exposed. There could not be a worse time for Abby to accept a job he only offered as a boost to her confidence. Abby is smart, beautiful, and resilient—more than enough to distract any man from the mission. Unfortunately, she may just be the worst enforcer ever to hold the title.

As they hunt the killer, Abby’s secret becomes a threat to Jace’s authority and to her own life. But the real danger is the grip she has on his twice-shy heart.

My thoughts…

I really enjoyed Rachel Vincent’s urban fantasy series, Shifters, and was so excited to see that not only did Jace get a story, but Abby does as well. I feel like, even though this is a spin-off series, it’s best to read Shifters before diving into the Wildcats series. Mainly because there is so much world building in the previous series that is a bit lacking in Lion’s Share. Plus, Jace plays a huge role in the previous series and he goes through a lot of stuff in that series. Actually, so does Abby. So, I really advise you to read the previous series before jumping in to Lion’s Share.

Since this is a paranormal romance and not an urban fantasy, things move rather quickly in the story and not everything/everyone is as fleshed out as you would expect them to be. However, since I was already well acquainted with the vast majority of characters in Lion’s Share, I didn’t need a lot of character development. It has been a handful of years since I finished the series, and I will admit that when the gang all gets together in the beginning, I felt a bit lost. I had forgotten everyone’s stories and all the little nuances that took place in the previous series. So, I could see that being an issue for someone who is completely new to the world the author created.

While Abby definitely has some growing to do, I mean, she’s only 21 years old, I felt like she handled herself really well. She seemed both immature and mature at the same time. I don’t know how that is at all possible but she managed to pull it off. I really liked that she wasn’t afraid to fight for what she wanted, however sometimes the way she went about it wasn’t always the most productive solution. Regardless, I really admired her and all the things she managed to pull off in this book.

Jace, oh man, I felt SO BAD for him at the end of the Shifters series. So I was over the moon when I found out he was getting his own book with a HEA. I felt like the dude deserved it. And in all honesty, I can’t picture anyone better suited for him than Abby. He’s the temporary Alpha of his territory but when it comes to Abby, it’s not that he can’t say no to her, it’s that she outmaneuvers him and spars with him so much that he ends up getting backed into a corner. The best part about it though is that considering he’s an Alpha, he should be puffing out his chest and gets all angry but instead Jace just kind of shakes his head and follows her. I loved the two of them together.

I think Wildcats is a great series for all the Shifter fans to be able to live in the world a bit longer. I mean, things were resolved in Alpha… but not really. I like that we are slowly going to be able to see other get HEA’s and I can’t wait to see who gets paired off next.

*One thing I recommend is reading the free novella, Hunt, before starting Lion’s Share. What happens in Hunt is kind of the catalyst for Lion’s Share.

Favorite quote…

“When love is not madness, it is not love.”

If you’re interested in this series, check out my reviews for the Shifters series
Stray
Rogue
Pride
Prey
Shift
Alpha