| Title | : | Tiger Magic (Shifters Unbound, #5) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0425251217 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780425251218 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 308 |
| Publication | : | First published June 4, 2013 |
He doesn’t have a name. He doesn’t have a clan. The humans who held him prisoner for forty years have taken them away. He knew nothing but captivity until nearly a year ago, when he was released into the light. Now Tiger lives in the Austin Shiftertown, where he struggles to belong and searches for an identity.
Carly Randal thinks her fabulous life is complete—until her car breaks down on the side of the road, and a wild-looking Shifter is the only one to help her. Tiger takes one look at Carly and knows instantly—she will be his mate. As Carly is drawn into his Shifter world, she risks everything she has for that forbidden something she still wants: passionate love.
Tiger Magic (Shifters Unbound, #5) Reviews
-
Written December 18, 2014
4.2 Stars - Always guaranteed interesting good m/f Shifter romances from Ms J Ashley - So also this time
Book #5
For me is a book from the
'Shifters Unbound' series always a good reading (listening) choice. Well written m/f PNR by, always delivering,
Jennifer Ashley. These romances are that kind of good paranormal suspense where we always get interesting stories, thoughtful topics and sweet —steamy enough— love-stories. So far my favorite Shifter series (in the m/f genre).
This 'Tiger' part wasn't an exception.
A thought out and well-structured story. Lovingly and interesting told (with smaller chapter cliffhangers), character to really love and care about and a good crime case.
I enjoyed from start to finish ...in ten hours.
***********************************************
This fifth full length novel is about Carly Randal, a (human) art gallery working girl who meets a wild-looking shifter —a tiger haired man— when having a car break.
Tiger is a quite new Austin Shiftertown member.. The man called 'Tiger'" is a huge very strong shifter who struggles to belong and searches for an identity. A man without a real name, family and his own clan.
Tiger was a prisoner for 40 years and knew nothing but captivity until nearly a year ago when he was released by some of our shifter friends (book #4).
Carol is a southern woman with dreams who just realizes that her wealthy "dream boyfriend" is cheating (on the kitchen counter).
A fast speeded love-mate-story take off and there are a lot of problems to resolve. Luckily is this a though young lady who is prepared to do next to anything for this amazing kind man she just met.
***********************************************
The
Shifters Unbound series:
These "SU" books are stand-alone serie parts. There is always a new couple and a new love-story but as always when reading a series about a bigger bunch of new and old characters is it most fun (and maybe best) to follow them (in two different shifter town's) from book to book."Twenty years ago, shape shifters of all kinds banded together and announced themselves to the world, only to be shunted to areas no human wanted ("Shiftertowns").
They are forced to wear Collars that control their hunting and fighting instincts (referred to by Shifters as "Taking the Collar")."
My reviews and raiting:
***********************************************
Tiger Magic is in some ways more (painfully) sentimental than previous books. Tiger's past history, his horrible upbringing and long (40 years) painful life in an animal cage, does this part extra tender and heartbreaking emotional.
Unusually tearful yes, but still a story about strong believable characters. - Fortunately are Ms Ashleys romances never ever sugar-sweet or "cheesy sticky". It just felt so very good to fell some tears and cry for this gorgeous caveman hero a couple of times.
There were a lot of "My Mate!" but for once was this (in every PNR...) repeated shifter expression in its right place. I smiled every time I heard it. (Tiger was a freaking great 'oldish style' shifter-alpha hero. - Straight from the cave.)
As always also a storyline with a pointing finger on social inequality and race (species) discrimination.
***********************************************
The audiobook edition of Tiger magic:
This was my forth time with a Shifters Unbound romance as an audiobook. This part like the earlier, narrated by a pleasant female voice, belonging to
Cris Dukehart. She does it great. (Listening length this tim: 10 hrs.)
***********************************************
Tiger Magic may be one of the better ones in this great (mature adult adapted) PNR series. Looking forward to the next one.
I LIKE - always... when there is a cuddly Shifter -
Shifters Book 5. Tiger (who was introduced in Mate Claimed) and Carly. This one is set in the Austin Shiftertown.
-
This one has been my favorite out of the series so far! I loved Tiger and Carly; but I especially loved my Tiger!! Even though he was in captivity from the time he was created in a lab by bad men...he had such a vulnerability to his personality. He also had this child-like innocence to him in how he viewed the world. I mean, it is understandable that he did. He was held in captivity for more than 40 years..with no contact with anyone. It makes you feel such empathy for Tiger. Of course, he is quite feral, and everyone stares at him, including his shifter "Family." Tiger always felt alone because of it. Then along comes Carly-who is human; and engaged. (no this is not a love triangle!) As soon as Tiger lays eyes on her; he knows that she is his mate. A whole series of events happen, but one thing is never doubtful, and that is that Tiger and Carly belong together.
This is a truly magical story. I think that Jennifer Ashley out did herself with this one. She writes the "under-dog" character so well. I guess in a round about way when I sit and think about it; Tiger reminds me of Ian Mackenzie. Another one of Jennifer Ashlely's characters that I adore. He was unique too...and his heroine was like Carly...they were so protective of their men, and loved them unconditionally...through all their quirks!
This story is a must to read and especially if you have read any of these shifter town books. This is definitely one of the best!! -
I'm not going to waste too many words. Please read my many rants leading up to this review in my reading progress. I'm tempted to give it 2.5 stars for the plot issue below.
Tiger (the Hero): 5 stars. I'm a fan of Jennifer Ashley's The Madness of Lord Ian McKensie (prob got the title slightly wrong, but GR's book link not working for me). But that was the only book in that historical romance series that ever stuck in my mind, didn't really care for the others one way or the other. My point being, she writes good "pure, awkward" heroes, the ones that are innocent, either mentally not quite normal or emotionally. And I happen to like this archetype in Heroes. Men should be more innocent and pure! Loyal to a fault. That's why I read fiction. :)
Carly (always have to think hard to recall her name), the heroine: 2 stars. She ruined a perfectly good book for me. See my rants in the notes. Yes, she finally got with the program that Tiger is meant for her, yada yada. She's meh. Not the type of female that makes me admire them. She's got good moments, and she's got really bad moments. She was also not all that developed as a character. Random intro of her family. Mentions of her issues with her father, but nothing really digging deep. That whole thing with her fiance... Instead of getting me to her side, I felt no sympathy and no connection, only disdain for her choices. Maybe I'm just a hard judge. Maybe because it's so EASY to see how good Tiger is. The author jut didn't balance it. I don't recall the heroine from The Madness of... either, but I do recall I liked her better.
Plot that didn't make sense to me
I may look up if she has the novel written about the she-bear and Walker. I do like the action scenes, they were well written, esp. the big one toward the end. After that, felt like a bunch of pages were just fillers, except for the big reveal about what Tiger was made for. I kept expecting each page toward the end to be the last and yet it kept dragging out! That's when you know you're not reading the book again.
So there you have it, folks. I guess I'd recommend it for people who like Shifter romances. Don't know if I'd recommend it beyond that. -
Re read via audible
Prior comments:
This is the only book in the series I have read but it was a great one! I do not love the world the author has built, probably because it pits shifters against each other, makes them out to be a lower class and makes them wear shock collars. Really not ok with that one! Tried a shock collar once because someone suggested I put it on my dog - it hurt like a bitch! and that was just my leg!
Tiger has been kept in a cage for 40 years and is only recently free. He is more animal than human since he knows little about human interactions. I loved Tiger. He is so naïve of the world there is no filter. I loved his inner monologue. His thoughts were so pure (unadulterated by misconceptions or cynicism) and instinctual. He saw Carly, knew she was his mate, and that was all there was to it. While Carly may have needed a bit more time to come to grips with this, she did "go along for the ride" and befriended Tiger immediately. She had no real knowledge of shifters, other than their existence, so she had no preconceived notions or bias.
Both characters were strong and supportive of each other. Tiger had a lot of people working against him and Carly did all she could to support him. Tiger did the hardest thing ever to protect her. Unfortunately, it is something that brought down my score. I like mates to stick...no matter what. Notwithstanding that, this is a great story, light on the sex, but heavy on the couple bonding.
Safety Gang Safe
-
Now this review will be a bit shorter since I read this almost a week ago, and have been way too busy to write it until now. But especially since I had such a fun time reading this one, I knew I just had to share my review for it. Now I have been waiting for Tiger's story for quite some time now. I do want to say that as far as shifter series go, this one tops my list for sure. Jennifer Ashley has such a remarkable talent when creating these stellar amazing stories. I have loved every one of the shifter books, but I will say that Tiger is a SENSATIONAL read! I loved every moment. I couldn't put it down at all. There were so many things I enjoyed about this couple. One of the main things, is that to most shifters in shifter town, they are afraid of Tiger and what he will end up doing. When he meets Carly who isn't afraid of him at all, she is intrigued by him more than anything. She doesn't fight his claim on her that much, since they are complete strangers. I found it so adorable when Tiger interacted with the kids ( I guarantee your heart will melt!!!) He is so sweet and tender, and can be super alpha protective that definitely had me from the first page. Tiger is more unique than the other books, since he was created as a shifter, and not made as the other shifters are. In fact he is the only one in existence---so it has a twist to it that I felt was balanced pretty well, and there were many moments that got my heart rate up--who needs to exercise when you have a :"Tiger Hunk" to salivate after right? If you are looking for a love story full of adventure, spice and charm---this one is for you!!! Be read for one helleva ride folks!!
-
Another great addition to the series.
We have met Tiger when Iona saved him from the research facility in a previous book.
Tiger is currently living with the Austin shifters trying to figure out his place. Since he was created by scientists and not fae he is having problem adapted to the shifters society. The main differences are the following:
-He does not really understand the point of being an Alpha shifter. Since he is stronger than everyone else in shifter town, he does not understand why shifters are showing teeth to each other in order to establish their superiority.
-He does not recognise Liam as a leader. He appreciates the fact that someone needs to make the decisions, but he is not really afraid of Liam. He is just being nice and polite to him.
-He has special powers that shifters don't have. He is highly resistant to bullets and fire.
-With strong sense of smell. Much stronger from the other shifters. He can detect lies and pregnancies in their beginning.
-He cannot survive real collars, which is normal since they contain fae magic and he was not created by fae.
Is Carly enough for this "unique, amazing, smarter than anyone whould ever understand" guy? To be honest I was not entirely convinced... but he seemed happy with her. So I am somehow ok with her being his mate.
In this book we also see a slight change in the behaviour of people towards shifters. 'Normal' people seem to be friendlier to shifter towards the end of the book. No idea if this will last, but it is nice. -
I loved this book!
Tiger, who has been abused for years on end by humans, emerges as a strong, caring alpha male who is tender and protective of his human mate, Carly. Carly is no doormat; I laughed when I read her confrontation with her unfaithful fiancé. The two are perfect for each other. I also enjoyed reading about the growing struggle for independence by the Shifters.
I highly recommend this for fans of fantasy and romance.
- Lynn H. -
review posted on Got Fiction? Books
I read the teaser at the end of the last book, and I shouldn’t have-because it made me want Tiger’s book soo badly! But now that I’ve read it, I can say it was worth the wait!
If you remember, Tiger was created in a secret lab, held there for 40 years, experimented on and tortured. Rescued by the Las Vegas shifter pack in Mate Claimed, he is sent to live in the Austin Shiftertown until they can sort out what to do with him.
Being that Tiger was created in a lab, no one really knows how volatile he is. In this series, the Shifters are treated as second class citizens, being segregated and “collared.” In the past few books, we’ve seen that some of the shifters are wearing fake collars, and Liam Morrissey, the alpha of Austin Shiftertown, is taking a huge risk in not putting an actual collar on Tiger.
One day, while Tiger is out running, he comes upon a human woman stranded on the side of the road. Tiger knows instantly he is seeing his mate. So it makes absolute sense to Tiger to walk up to her and ask her if she needs help, then to stick with her.
Carly has what she thinks is the perfect life. She has a great job, a great fiancé, and she’s content. But when her fiance’s classic car breaks down, the mysterious stranger who walks out of a field and helps her fix the car makes her feel. . .things. Things her fiancé doesn’t make her feel. Pushing that aside, she offers to give Tiger a ride home, but she has to stop off and change first.
Stopping off at her fiance’s house though, involves more than just a change of clothes. She walks in on him banging another woman. This starts of a series of events where everything between Tiger frightening him, then shooting him become the least of Carly and Tiger’s problems. As holds true for most of Ms. Ashley’s novels, there is never just one plot, and there is never just one clear-cut villain.
With so many shifters being subjected to racism, you’d think they’d be more sympathetic towards Tiger, yet many of the alphas of nearby shiftertowns want Tiger taken care of. Tiger and Carly have so many different things going on, and while Carly is very attracted to this strange sexy male in her life, she isn’t ready to trust just yet. And even though for Tiger, this is a case of insta-love since he sees Carly as his mate, it isn’t necessarily the same for her. The author takes her time and develops Carly’s emotional arc, taking her from previously engaged to attracted to Tiger to in love with Tiger. It never feels out of character, or as if it happened too quickly.
Tiger Magic is a story of love, compassion, understanding, betrayal and redemption. With a hero such as Tiger, you can’t help but fall in love with him, and want him to come out on top.
*** ARC provided by author -
Originally posted at
http://smexybooks.com/2013/06/review-...
Favorite Quote: “I’m a little afraid, sure [...] it’s not everyday I slap duct tape over a man’s mouth and stuff him in my truck.”
Tiger was held in a secret lab for forty years; experimented on and tortured. Rescued by the Las Vegas shifter pack, he is sent to the Austin pack until they can figure out what exactly to do with him. Unusual in his make up, Tiger is a loner who makes all shifters, except for children, very uneasy. Not sure where his life is going, when he happens upon a human woman stranded on the side of the road, he knows instantly he is seeing his destiny.
Carly Randal has a fabulous life with a supposedly faithful fiance and a job she loves. When her car breaks down in the middle of the desert, she turns to see a single shifter staring at her across the sand. Not having interacted much with shifters, she is surprised when her body and mind both zero in on the shifter-shouting MINE.
When circumstances push Carly in to Tiger’s world and his arms, she finds her original impressions of shifters radically changed. As she slowly gets to know him better, she is willing to do anything to protect him and the love that is developing between them. Shifters, humans, and politics be damned. Tiger now belongs to Carly and she’ll take on the world to keep him by her side.
Tiger Magic is the fifth book in Jennifer Ashley’s Shifters Unbound series. A true paranormal romance that delivers well developed characters, devious plots lines, steamy romance, and engaging dialogue. I love the balance created in here between the sexy romance and the heart pounding action. Though you know your happy ending is coming, the path that you follow to this conclusion is fraught with peril and heartbreak and all you can do ride it out as Ashley weaves her magic around you. Evolving world building allows for easy comprehension even though it is rather convoluted. These are not stand alones. Filled with multi layered plots that further expand the storyline and take us in new directions; you will find yourself devouring each page as new subplots yield bigger clues and dangerous situations, leading us towards our final outcome.
Tiger Magic brings the series back to the Austin pack and old friends. I am a HUGE fan of Ashley’s writing and I have waited awhile to finally get Tiger’s story. We first met Tiger in Mate Unclaimed. Used and abused from birth, Tiger is now free from the lab but is at an impasse in his life. Since he is not a registered shifter, his containment collar is fake. He obeys the Austin alpha, Liam, because he chooses to, not because he is submissive to him. In a lot of ways, Tiger reminded me of Lord Ian from Ashley’s Highland series. Though Tiger does not has Aspergers like Ian, he does have a black and white way of looking at the world and it provides much humor that intertwines well with the seriousness of the plotlines. He reminds me of a child as he experiences many “firsts” in his life after his confinement. His “flight or fight” instincts are finely honed and he will do whatever it takes to protect those he feels need protecting. Including taking out anyone who gets in his way. Yet, he isn’t a chest beating alpha. He doesn’t force his will on anyone, he just wants to live his life according to his own moral code, without interference.
Ashley couldn’t have penned a better couple than Carly and Tiger. Their differences are the key that makes them perfect for one another. Your heart breaks when you learn of the betrayals Tiger has faced and the fear he lives with daily by his own kind. Tiger has spent his life alone; first in the lab and now in the world. Being different only serves to isolate him for those who should embrace him. Carly is a delightful heroine; honest, forthright, passionate, funny, and lovingly protective. There is no guile to her. No heavy angsty secrets. She will champion the underdog in any fight and all she really wants is to find herself a love who will be true to her. With both our protagonists, what you see is what you get and it’s a refreshing outlook in the recent trend of emotional romances with badly damaged, uncommunicative lovers.
The chemistry and sexual tension between Tiger and Carly is hot and heavy, with a strong undercurrent of playfulness. No closed bedroom door scenes in here. Tiger wants Carly and makes no bones about it, but his “wooing” of her is sweet and seductive.
“I know what I was made for. I was made for you.”
It helps that Carly is no pushover and she is comfortable in her sexuality. Though Tiger is working from the insta-lust/love “mate” perspective, Ashley still takes her time in developing their romance from physical to emotional. She allows Carly to find her own way to Tiger and on her own terms. My only qualm is I would have liked a bit more personal conflict between Tiger and Carly. They connect rather easily in the book and external circumstances are their only main obstacles to overcome.
The main conflicts are the meat of the story as Ashley reveals the reasons behind Tiger’s confinement and the people responsible. Racism, which is a main component of this series, raises it’s ugly head as Tiger fights it on multiple levels. We see many old faces from past installments, adding depth and continence to the arc. Conner had to be my favorite character in here, besides our protagonists. His unfailing loyalty to Tiger is both sweet and humorous. He sees the real Tiger and fights hard for his friend.
“He’s not going to hurt me. I’m a cub and a friend. He’s not going to hurt Carly, either, obviously. It’s just trackers, Guardians, Shifter leaders, and dumbass security that upsets him.”
There are some fabulous side stories that will leave you jonesing for more as Ashley teasingly gives us clues to future storylines. We also meet some new characters who promise us some wild rides in the future. I REALLY hope we see more of Walker and Rebecca
The ending is an intense, emotional roller coaster ride of deception, betrayal, and redemption as Ashley further sets the stage for a ending finale to this series that promises to be a climatic and epic ending . Ashley continues to be a favorite author for romance. I recommend this paranormal romance to all readers who love their heroes and heroines to be kick ass, sexy, funny, and always willing to cross the line for those they love.
Overall Rating: B+ -
This was a pretty good read, I think. Though this is not a series that I follow, this is the 1st book I've read in this series, I have to say for an on going plot it was quite easy to follow the story.
While some of the dialogue was a bit campy/cheesy, I do love the character of Tiger I like how his character was portrayed. His innocence untouched. He's simply a creature of instinct & heart. He keeps things straight forward, simple, real, & sexy.
His mate Carly, she was alright, I guess. I don't dislike her. But there was nothing really remarkable about her either.
I do like all of the other characters here. It appears you get a lot of revisits from main characters of previous books.
One minor thing that kinda bothered me about this story, is that everything seemed to take place in or around a car. Like most of the character interactions were in this type of setting.
And the whole mystery of who Tiger really is and why he was created, fell short for me.
But all in all this was a decent read. If you follow this series or if like me, you were just curious about this book, I would recommend it. -
4.5 Stars
My favorite of the series! Tiger is just so misunderstood and really a sweetie on the inside. I adored him! Carly stuck by her man, which I loved. I have one itty bitsy nitpick though
Also, the shifters of shiftertown really treated poor Tiger bad and did such a disservice to him. Thank goodness for cute cubs that loved him anyway.
Graham's up next and we got a little excerpt. Anticipation has begun! -
I absolutely loved this book and I loved Tiger! And I loved that when no one believed in him Carly did. And I have to admit at first I was unsure of Tiger myself. I love this series and this for me was one of the best books.
Can't wait for the next! -
Well, the silent ones are always my favorites. This book was not an exception. It was so nice following Tiger, I love his honesty not only with others but with himself, he sees the truth in things and simply follow them.
The heroine was a little crazy but I so enjoyed her character. She was crazy refreshing.
You need to be ready to see all the bad things that Tiger suffered on his captive time and the things that is still happening. Poor thing, so much suffering.
Anyway I am loving this series and super recommend if you enjoy paranormal romance. -
BASICS
Love triangle?
Cheating?
HEA?
Any Descriptive Sex w/OW/OM/Ex?
Would I read more by this author/or in this series? Maybe, but not for now.
Rating: 5 stars
Review
I really and truly loved this one. The main reason for that is H, who is sooo wonderful, knows what he wants and goes for it. There is also a lot of action and danger going on and H does everything he can to protect the ones he loves, even if that means leaving them and watching over them from afar, but not for a long while, it gets resolved pretty quick.
I also liked h and secondary characters, they make the story more funny and spicy.
Worth a read! -
Since the beggining of the book, I felt a special bond with the protagonist, Tiger and not just because he is damn hot! He is a very interesting character in all ways. We first meet Tiger in the previous book of the series and I imediately fell in love.
As always, Ashley's writing captivated and excited me. The meticulous plot and the tons of action and romance terns each page into a small miracle. Tiger's sweet ferocity and his mate, Carly's wounded heart is the perfect combination for a fantastic, erotic adventure.
Riveting until the very last sentense, it will keep you longing and breathless.
For more reviews you can visit my blog
https://helenasbooks670176047.wordpre... -
Tiger is someone we met at the end of the last book when he is saved from research facility. He was created by humans to be a test subject. They've run various tests on him to see how much pain and abuse he can endure. Out of the other test subjects, he was the only one that survived. He's had a really horrible life and when we met him in the previous book, he was very feral. However, we get to see Tiger start to adapt to being free, or at least as free as the humans allow shifters. He is no longer caged, starved, and tortured. Even though he is free from the research facility, he still has a target on his back and there is still interest and concern about the rare tiger that seems to be rather resilient to death.
Not only do we have the humans coming in trying to get their hands on Tiger for more testing, but the other Shifter leaders are concerned about Tiger and don't trust him. They want him Collared with the magical collar that contains the beast (something that would ultimately kill Tiger) or have him executed. It was sad to see that even though he was free and with other Shifters, he was still viewed upon as different, and just about everyone treated him as if he were a ticking time bomb.
Carly was the only person that didn't treat him differently. She didn't always have one eye on him, or worried about how he'd react to certain situations. Every time Tiger reacted with force towards something, she reasoned that it was normal response. You wake up with bullet holes in your abdomen, chained to a hospital bed, with military men pointing rifles at you? Of course you're going to go crazy and start tearing stuff up. He was frightened, in pain, and fighting for his life. There were so many times when everyone around Tiger would say his behavior was volatile and Carly would look at them as if THEY were crazy for suggesting Tiger would harm anyone for no reason at all. It was her belief and trust in him that really broke my heart, because she was the only one that did.
I loved that this story have so many things going on at once. Like I said before, we have the humans trying to get him back for experiments, the Shifters who want him contained and controlled, the romance between him and Carly, and the big question of why Tiger was created. What was his purpose? What was their end goal for him? The pieces fall into place during this book and you realize that Tiger wasn't created to be a killing machine like so many fear... but you're going to have to read the book to figure it out. ;) -
(RabidReads)The Shifters Unbound series is another one of those that I am determined to read as many of them as I can. However, after starting out reading them in order, I seem to be all over the place as far as the order that I read/listen to them. And you know what? It really doesn’t matter. Sure, the right way is to probably read them in order, but I’ve never been lost or confused.
Tiger, the hero of this book, was first introduced in a previous installment, and to be honest, I can’t remember which one. A tiger shifter with orange and black hair, Tiger had been raised in a cage, horribly tortured by humans, and never given any freedom until he was freed after forty years, and brought to Shiftertown, outside of Austin, Texas. Because of this horrible background, he experiences horrific rage when upset. He has however, managed to build a life of sorts in Shiftertown. He’s learned to be a mechanic and he often takes care of the small children in the town, as he has an affinity with them. When he meets Carly(an ultra feminine human with a southern accent), it’s love at first sight for him and he recognizes immediately that she’s his mate. Carly, however, is already engaged. But maybe not for long?
Because Tiger is not a normal shifter after being experimented on, he is in demand by various bad guy elements-so to speak. This is the basis of much of the action, life and death moments, and all sorts of not very fun moments for him, and in turn for Carly. We meet the various villains, go through Carly’s introduction to the shifters world, and watch a pretty steamy romance develop-and no cheating. All this in a fast paced, well written story that kept me listening pretty much non-stop when I was able.
Wounded by his horrible life, Tiger ended up being a great hero and proved that, time and time again, by his many heroic deeds. Carly was perfect as a non-judgemental human woman in a world where shifters are marginalized and bullied. These two together were a treat to read about and I was happy to finally get Tiger’s story. I also loved being back into Shiftertown where more and more of the characters are familiar to me. Not all of the books happen there however, but when it doesn’t happen there it just adds to the story and keeps things interesting. So I am happy either way.
Narration? Cris Dukehart was new to me, but I think she did a fairly good job. Her voice for Tiger was stilted much of the time, but then that’s Tiger’s personality(he’s still learning about his human side)so I thought even that was good. Male voices were actually done well and that’s a criteria for me for good narration by a female narrator. I even thought Carly’s southern accent was spot on. So 4.5 stars for narration and I would be happy to listen to Dukehart again.
Fantastic read and I highly recommend this book and the whole series to adult paranormal romance fans! -
Rating: B ... Heat: Hot
Tiger, who we first met in Mate Claimed, is a simple kind of man. All he wants is a mate and a few cubs. Love? Well, a guy like Tiger doesn’t even know how to want or miss a thing like love. Raised in cages, put through hellish tests that were the cruelest kind of abuse, and violated in the name of science… Tiger’s never been on the receiving end of love. Even now that he’s free and living in a Shiftertown, almost everyone fears him or is wary of him because of his strength and his temperament. Tiger is used to people keeping him at a distance.
Until Carly Randal. Who, when Tiger first scents her, he knows she’s his mate. No question, no doubt. He doesn’t care what Liam or Sean or any of the other shifters say, he knows. Carly’s the first person, human or shifter, who doesn’t look at him with fear in her eyes. Even when she’s having a crap day – her car breaks down, she catches her loser of a fiancé doing some chick on their kitchen counter – there’s something about Tiger that makes everything okay. He immediately calms her down and makes her feel protected. Cherished. Safe.
Which shouldn't be the case with such a hulking, beastly-looking kind of man. A man who reacts with claws out and a growl in his throat the instant he senses danger. And Tiger is constantly surrounded by danger. Lots and lots of danger, from all sides. The government, the leaders of the other Shiftertowns. People want to study him, kill him, or both. So finding someone that he can trust implicitly means a great deal to him. And is more than little bit baffling for Carly.
Though there is insta-love (insta-mate?) on Tiger’s side, it’s not the same for Carly. She feels for him, deeply, and cares for him… but she wants to get to know him first. And I love the way that Tiger and Carly are forced to get to know each other. The complexity and the high octane environment they’re living in puts them both in incredibly vulnerable positions, where they only have each other to rely on. They have a very intense relationship from the very start.
And Carly, she is one tough chick! When most women would’ve been crying and cowering under the covers, she really steps up and embraces the crazy world she’s thrust into. Then there is my sweet, uncomplicated Tiger. Having been raised in captivity, surrounded only by scientists, he’s a bit odd. A little… off. And it’s incredibly endearing. He doesn’t do lip service or platitudes. He says what he thinks and means what he says, which turns into some of the sweetest words a man can say. Oh, Tiger! My heart roars for you!
The pace did drag a little. Which is somewhat expected, since the first half of the book covers only two days. But, overall, I was once again easily drawn into the Shifter world. I liked being back in Liam’s pack and seeing Dylan (Liam’s father) and Fionn (his brother Sean’s father-in-law—and a Fae) having to come back in and get the dirty deeds done. Those are two very dangerous men. I know Fionn is a very old man but I kind of still wish he’d get his own book. The things he’s seen and done, yeah, that’d make for a very dark hero indeed.
Tiger Magic is full of non-stop action and heart-stopping romance. I am very happy with how things turned out for my ferocious Tiger. Carly is the right kind of woman for him. I’m also excited with the developments going on with the Shifter Bureau and a new character we’re introduced to. Some very, very interesting things are coming our way in the Shifter universe!
One of which, that has me so excited I’m practically jumping up and down, is that Graham's book is next—Wild Wolf! That wily werewolf won't be easy to love, but someone’s got to. Can’t wait for 2014!
-- A
Romantic Book Affairs Review.
Find us on
Twitter and
Facebook too! -
After devouring
White Tiger and
Bodyguard, both part of the Shifters Unbound series, I knew I absolutely had to read Tiger Magic, because Tiger seemed so interesting when he was briefly mentioned in White Tiger. And, oh my gosh, Tiger Magic by Jennifer Ashley was so good!
What I Liked:
TIGER! Seriously, Tiger was my favorite aspect of the whole story. He is so my kind of hero. Tiger is strong, and other shifters aren't really sure what to make of him because of his unique circumstances (made and kept in captivity for 40 years), and sometimes they are afraid of him. But there is nothing to be afraid of with Tiger as long as you are a good person and not trying to hurt the baby shifters. He's so protective, especially with Carly and the cubs.
Tiger's innocence added a lot to the story, as well. After living his whole live in captivity he doesn't know many things, and seeing him learn them here is great, and made me love him all the more.
Carly is awesome, too. She's a strong woman, too, with a great sense of humor. And once she realizes that she cares deeply for Tiger, she holds nothing back.
The shifter cubs! Especially, Olaf. I met Olaf in Bodyguard, and I've loved him ever since. He was particularly adorable here.
Cris Dukehart's narration, as always, was spot on. She was great with Tiger's voice and inflection, and she was warm for Carly.
What I Struggled With:
Not much, to be honest. I loved almost everything about this book. It did veer into territory that I don't love (running from authority, etc.), but even still, I didn't really struggle with it much because I just loved the characters.
Final Thoughts
If you enjoy paranormal romance, you must give the Shifters Unbound series a try. I haven't been reading them in order, and I've been okay, but it could be easier if you did. Tiger Magic by Jennifer Ashley is my favorite in the series so far. There is something special about this novel, and Tiger in particular.
This review was originally posted on Quinn's Book Nook -
DNFed at ~65%
I started reading this book weeks ago and found myself with no desire to continue it or even the series. I have no idea where the author is going here - the shifters are more fighting among themselves than All the books are so predictable - a shifter meets a human woman, wants her immediately, they are hooking up in a few days and they decide to mate right away.
Also, I've never been a fan of the narrator so this is it for me with this series. -
Tiger Magic
4 Stars
Rescued from horrific experiments and relocated to the shiftertown in Austin, Tiger, a rare bengal shifter, feels like an outcast until the day he stumbles across Carly Randal broken down on the side of a deserted road, and knows he has met his mate. As Carly is slowly drawn into the dangers and intrigues of the shifter world, her one constant is the intensity of her feelings for Tiger. But will that be enough to overcome the obstacles in their path to happiness?
A sweet addition to the series.
Tiger and Carly are incredible together. Carly is openminded and loyal to a fault. Her love, trust and acceptance of him despite his fearsome visage is heartwarming. That said, the ease and speed with which she accepts Tiger and the other shifters into her life does require a certain suspension of disbelief, but that goes without saying given the paranormal genre.
Tiger is an amazing mix of intense strength and incredible innocence and vulnerability. On the one hand, he is personifies the threat and the danger inherent to the shifters, but on the other, he has such a magnificent heart and capacity for love. It is impossible not to feel for his suffering and root for his happiness.
As the setting is once again the shiftertown in Austin, Texas, we are treated to updates in the lives of the characters from the first two installments. Liam and Kim, Sean and Andrea, Dylan and Glory, and a host of others all put in an appearance and flesh out the secondary cast. Although I’ve not read any of the novellas, it is easy to follow the characters and the developments in their lives.
The plot revolving around the conflicting agendas of the various groups interested in Tiger’s true nature whether for good or for evil makes for interesting and suspenseful reading. There is, however, one plot point that doesn’t make sense and puts a small damper on the believability of the ending - why would
All in all, an enjoyable read and I’m glad I didn’t give up on the series after the disappointment of book #3. -
Re-read
I liked Tiger and felt for him from the moment Iona saved him. His story was heartbreaking: a shifter created in a secret laboratory and kept there (area 51) for 40 years or so. He was tortured and experimented on for the good of science.
From the beginning, the shifters didn't know what to do and how to deal with Tiger but Dylan saw something in him and took him to his town.
While the shifters didn't know what to do with him and how to control him, their children/ cubs knew better. They trusted and liked Tiger, and he was very protective of them.
When Tiger met Carly he knew she is his mate and stayed with her all the way.
Carly had a good life but Tiger opened up a world of possibilities and adventures for her. Her attraction was instant but her love for Tiger grew in time and that was great for the whole story.
I loved the fact that Tiger was indeed special and now he had someone in his life to love and love him back. He was not just genetically enhanced but he had a new set of powers that set him aside from all other shifters.
The whole book kept me on my toes with all the troubles that Tiger went through in finding his peace and place among shifters and humans.
I would have thought that the shifters after being marginalized and considered second class citizens by humans and animals by Fae would have had more compassion and understanding for Tiger. It was not the case and that was sad.
In the end, Tiger got his HEA with Carly and a cub on the way.
My favorite story for far.
-
I was so happy when I realized that this book centered around Tiger. From the start I liked him, hated how his life started out, but loved that with Liam and the Austin Shiftertown he had a chance at a real life.
I loved how Tiger recognized Carly as his mate right away. I thought it was funny how even though he kept stating the fact around Carly she didn't realize the implications. I also really loved that Carly was the one person to calm Tiger down. It was great to how the other shifters reacted to this.
I think the best trait that Carly has was her acceptance of Tiger and how she defended him, even against other shifters. I was glad that Tiger finally had someone in his corner. You would think that the other shifters would accept him instead they feared him when they shouldn't have. They should have trusted his actions, which have always been to protect those weaker than him.
I was intrigued by how the Shifter Bureau played into things. I hated how things started out with them, but loved how things ended. It is a great start to better acceptance for the Shifters. -
I have a mixed relationship with this series. I liked the first book, but found only ok the second. And I couldn't get interested into the sequels.
Tiger Magic came to my attention from friends' reviews. They all love this series and I thought to give it a try again.
Tiger Magic is simply too bland for my tastes. I liked seeing what happened to characters I had already met. But I wasn't that intrigued by Tiger, his story, his mate.
The story was too sugary for me. Plus, I found his background pretty unbelievable. You either follow Sci-Fi or Fantasy, a mix of the two has to be really strong. Here we are simply told that we have the capacity of engineering a complete new species, from scratches. As a final nail in the coffin, the supposed "good research" is pretty hilarious. They basically tortured him so he could be a good search dog. Sorry, the killing machine was much more believable. -
As reviewed on Read Our Lips:
23 was rescued from a research facility - spending his first 40 years as a specimen, prodded and tortured. Now the Austin Shiftertown has taken him in, trying to help him adapt to a life, but most of the inhabitants regard him with suspicion, uncertain what he´s capable of.
Stumbling upon a woman by the road he soon realizes this is his mate, but how to make her his?
Carly´s already late for work when her car brakes down by the road, and the only help available is a big shifter with black & orange hair.
When she offers him a ride, they set in motion something that will backlash in more ways than one.
Smutty fluff, action, suspense and shifters going berserk. -
Ok, since Tiger appeared in one of the previous books, (I read them out of order, so not sure of the exact sequence) I've been looking forward to his story. I also have to admit--I loved that he got himself a good little southern girl. (Can we tell that I too am, by birth, a southern girl?) I liked that she stood up for him, and more importantly--that she accepted him as HIM.
And, ok, I loved that my favourite of all the shifters appeared in this story too. AND that he had a fairly important part. Olaf is such a little cutie, and he is definitely my favourite of all the shifter cubs/pups. So to have him play a bigger role in this story--and to actually finally start to HEAL. . . Major, major, major bonus. -
Très très déçue par ce tome, j'ai eu l'impression qu'il y avait eu mensonge sur la marchandise. Franchement une telle différence de caractère pour un personnage entre 2 tomes, c'est assez perturbant. Tout est trop rapide, Tigre n'est pas du tout le personnage décrit dans le tome précédant, où est passé la bête sauvage enfermée depuis son enfance ? On ne devient pas comme ça d'un coup de baguette magique un petit minou tout docile alors que l'on a subit toute sa vie l'emprisonnement et la torture. Et son histoire d'amour est complètement bâclée., si au moins il y avait une histoire mais non en fait il n'y a que du vide.
En mot un bien beau gâchis, la série commencerait-elle à s'essouffler ? C'est bien possible, dommage. -
I loved, loved, loved this book. I loved how Tiger wasn't all caveman about Carly, he just knew what he knew and was satisfied with that. I liked how Carly was so open and although she was worried, she didn't second guess herself to death about Tiger. Also how she could see pain instead of anger when everyone else was freaking out, loved it. As you can see this is a love fest review. I would recommend this book to all of you romance, shifter, paranormal, fiction readers out there!
