Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter

Midnight Liaisons, Book 2

By: Jessica Sims

Narrated by: Leah Mallach

Sarah Ward, the werewolf sister of Bathsheba from Beauty Dates the Beast, and co-owner of their paranormal online dating agency Midnight Liaisons, is voluntarily traded to a wolf clan in exchange for a kidnapped female were-cougar. Fearful of what might happen to her while with the wolf clan, she and Ramsey, a were-bear who's part of the were-cougar alliance, pretend to be engaged so he can stay with her for protection. The last thing either of them expect is for their pretend engagement to lead to a very real love affair....

©2012 Jessica Sims (P)2012 Tantor

Scared werewolf and Scary werebear = great match

Leah Mallach was awesome as the narrator. She made a timid and easily scared Sarah also appear to exude strength.
After getting a hint of Sarah's plight in book 1, I really enjoyed her story. Sarah truly suffered from PTSD from that past relationship. I love how much the sisters cared about each other. Ramsey was a bowl of surprises as he had more depth to his character than people thought. Ramsey scared everyone but he felt very deeply and was considerate and thoughtful.

This audiobook was just as good as book 1. This sequel wasn't as funny but it was emotionally engaging. The plot and writing really gave us likeable characters. This was a great fake romance stories. If you want a story with almost every supernatural you can think of, this one is for you.

I'M NOW DESPERATELY SEEKING BOOK 3

Ramsey (a were-bear) but who is really just a gentle giant, agrees to pretend to be mated to Sara (a were-wolf) to protect her from all the other were-wolves from a local pack who only want her in their pack to mate with her. But she was turned by a vicious were-wolf who abused her and so she now has trust issues and is frightened of everything - including Ramsey.

Touching, tender, sensual, sweet and moving all describe the relationship between the two Wereshifter lovers as they both learn to trust and depend on each other. It's also got some great new characters and also some from the previous book and some nasty werewolves too as they all try to save Sara from a fate worse than death.

As with all the follow-on books to any series, I wished I'd of listened again to the previous book - in this case it's 'Beauty Dates The Beast' which may have helped refresh me with the names, places and backgound story etc.

Worth a credit? Any paranormal romance lover should enjoy this book as I did, so it's a definite YES and I'm looking forward to the 3rd book in the trilogy 'Must Love Fangs' (hints of vampires doesn't it) but I'm afraid we have to wait til August 2013 for this.

I want a bear shifter of my own!

First Impression:

I want a bear shifter of my own!

What I liked:

Everything!

What’s not to like about a sexy, strong and silent were-bear? Ramsey is the everything that Sara needs. Protector, friend and sexy mate all rolled up into one.

Sara has been in hiding from other sups. She was turned against her will into a werewolf by her abusive boyfriend. But at the end of book 1, Beauty Dates the Beast, Sara’s secret about being a werewolf is out of the bag and the local wolf pack is in need of a female. And the fact that Sara hasn’t managed the art of shifting everyone is wondered that she will not last much longer if she doesn’t figure it out.

Sara is inexperienced at shifting and Ramsey is inexperienced with women. They help each other out with their stamina problems. But after all practice makes prefect and Ramsey is a sex god in the making.

What I didn’t like:

Nothing!

The Narration:

Leah Mallach did a good job with the female characters but like many female narrators she didn’t do some of the male characters justice. But with the book being a light and fun read I think she hit the snark level just right. I think after listening to two books in the series I’m use to her narration. I don’t know I would seek out books just because she was the narrator but I happy to continue the Midnight Liaisons series on audio.

Lasting Impression:

A fun and sexy series to turn to when I’m in the mood for a light and fun listen.

Will I continue this series:

Yes! Book 3, Must Love Fangs is on my audio wish list.

Similar Books/Series:

Pride Series by Shelly Laurenston
Naked Werewolf series by Molly Harper

Narrator makes even the guys sound whiny.

She sounds very whiny. Story is a bit whiny also. Needs a better narrator.

Steamy and exciting all in one book.

awesome story. Romantic, steamy and adventure all in one story. Enjoyable to listen to. Narrator is awesome.

this story left me with mixed feelings

The story didn't have a fairytale ending. Instead it was bittersweet. The bitter taste came when this Sims introduced the widespread issue of domestic violence into the storyline. I couldn't fully enjoy the happy ending due to the widespread nature of the packs mentality toward women. I'm not foolish enough to believe it will be all roses and smiles for the packs after this. Joining the alliance will not affect the mindset of abusers and setting up women with men known to have the abuser mentally (or the perpetuation of it) is outright stupidity. The sweet part , of course was the consistency of caring the main couple showed for one another and the way they choose to commit in spite of the obstacles that still faced them.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

After previously listening to, and unable to finish, three books from the Romance Package library before starting this book and those books had me cringing and feeling duped and annoyed I have finally found a book that was worth listening all the way through. This book was filled with romance in the real sense of the word and not just lustful scenes that is suppose to be passed off as romance. Romance books should always be about tugging heartstrings and growing emotions between the characters and this book had that in spades. Extra bonus is that the book was also funny and sweet at times. There were so many moments where I giggled or sighed from subtle romantic moments. And the narrator's performance was outstanding. I am now curious about listening to or reading another book by Jessica Sims.

Great book

I'm new to the paranormal/shifter genre and this book definitely has me wanting to listen to more. I have a soft spot for the quiet but solid alpha male. This book has so much going for it. It's sweet, sexy, steamy and adventurous. I'm looking forward to more in this series and this genre.

From timid & afraid to ruler of her own life.

In Beauty Dates the Beast we meet Sarah and Ramsey and get to know them a decent amount as characters. That's why it seems so unlikely at the end of that book that Ramsey declares Sarah as his mate. If you think about it, though, it makes sense (even before listening to the beginning of this book). Who was in charge of Sarah's safety while she was apart from Bathsheba? Ramsey.

The Anderson pack's mentality and behavior is seriously disturbing. I was very concerned about Sarah's ability to stand up to them ultimately. Even with Ramsey's protection, it was clear she would eventually have to stand her ground without anybody else's help. I absolutely loved how that came to be. Sarah starts as a timid, afraid woman with a terrible past. Over the course of the book we get to see her evolve into a woman with confidence. As with her sister, Bathsheba, in Beauty Dates the Beast, Sarah ultimately ends up being the hero. It is she who gets both herself and Ramsey out of a seemingly no-win situation (though without Connor's help, she probably wouldn't have fared quite as well). The book includes some disturbing mentalities and situations, but does feature a HEA ending for all but two. The book does not have a cliffhanger. I cannot wait to move onto Must Love Fangs!

Overcoming pain.

I loved how the lead heroine Sarah overcame her past physically abusive relationship to the strong woman that she was forced to become. The book is well written with a lovely narrator. This book proves that love can overcome anything if you give it a chance.