Ronan, a Kodiak bear shape-shifter, like all bears, liked his solitude, but that ended when he was forced to leave Alaska for Shiftertown. The government even forced him to let other bears live with him. Each of the bears had their own problems due to their treatment. Now scores of Shifters surrounded him all of the time. Still he was lonely with no mate of his own. But he had conquered his fear and his shyness.
He had been in Elizabeth’s store to buy a gift for one of the shifters who lived in his house when he had smelled her fear and her rage. Crouched down at the time, examining merchandise, the robber and Elizabeth were not even aware that he was in the store. As the robber led the owner into the back room, Ronan shifted, tore down the back room door and swiped a paw across the robber, knocking him out. But the robber had managed to get off a shot from his shotgun, grazing Ronan’s arm and then Elizabeth sprayed Ronan with the pepper spray. When the police arrived, Ronan had been arrested, feeling the sting of the handcuffs that were infused with fae magic, since Shifters had very little rights, even forced to wear a collar to prevent them from becoming violent. Ronan realized that there was more to Elizabeth than met the eye and he was determined to find out all he could about her.
Elizabeth knew that if Ronan had not been there, she would be dead. Having been a juvenile delinquent herself, she recognized those qualities in the robber. As she waited at the police station to testify for Ronan, she received a phone call from her frightened sister. Their house was surrounded and some thugs were trying to get in. Ronan’s friend, another shape-shifter, took care of the problem by sending his trackers to her house. After getting out, Ronan took her and her sister to his home in Shiftertown. Elizabeth wanted to go home, but the men who were after her were dangerous and Ronan was not willing to risk her life. He had been sentenced to not leaving Shiftertown, except to go to work and back for one month.
Elizabeth never thought she could be attracted to a shifter, but Ronan made her feel safe. He was the biggest living creature she had ever seen. She finds herself falling for him. But when her past collides with her present, will he be able to save her?
A danger-filled read, BODYGUARD, a novel from talented author Jennifer Ashley’s SHIFTER UNBOUND series, is an exciting, adrenaline pumping, suspense-filled paranormal romance that grabbed my attention from the very beginning. Elizabeth has had a problem with trust most of her life, but has never met anyone as big hearted as Ronan. With him, she finds a new way of life, one she does not want to leave. But can she submit him to the danger that has become her life. This nail-biting story is packed with passion, loyalty, gang members, shape-shifters of all sorts, romance and love…a story that Ms. Ashley brings to life right before your eyes. This is the first novel I have read in this series, but it definitely will not be my last. I recommend BODYGUARD, although you may want to start with the earlier books to get the full background of this delightful series.
