Born To Be Wild

Author:         Christine Warren

Genre:           Paranormal Romance

Format:        Print and Ebook

Purchase:    Born To Be Wild (The Others)


From the Publisher: 

Josie Barrett brings out the animal in men. Literally. As the local veterinarian in a town that’s approximately seventy percent Others—mostly shapeshifters—Josie deals with beastly situations all the time. It’s practically part of her job description. But when the werewolves of Stone Creek, Oregon, start turning downright feral, Josie smells a rat—among other, more dangerous critter. 

Teaming up with the ferociously sexy Eli Pace, a full-time sheriff and part-time were-lion, Josie tries to contain the shapeshifting problem before it spreads like a virus. But when more shifters get infected—and stuck in their animal forms—the fur really begins to fly. Josie and Eli have to find the cause, fast, before the whole town goes to the dogs. But first, they have to wrestle with a few animal urges of their own.



My Review: 

This is the 9th full book in "The Others" series by Ms. Warren.  The heroine in this book is Josie Barrett, the veterinarian, is an interesting character.  She has been pretty much focused on one thing and one thing only since she has been a small child, becoming a veterinarian and taking over her dad's practice.  She really hasn't had much of a life outside of that goal.  She has now reached the goal and is beginning to realize that she is missing a major relationship in her life, she hasn't had a date in quite some time and realizes that she is lonely.  The thing is that she is not sure what she is going to do about that.  She has known about the existence of  the "Others" since she was a small child, it's the open secret of her town.  She has also known Eli Pace, the sheriff, for 3 years and has known that he is a shifter of some kind, just not which brand.  It isn't until he brings an injured lupine to her clinic that she suddenly sees him in a different light. 

Eli Pace is the town sheriff and he is also a lion shifter.  He brings an injured lupine to Josie's veterinary clinic due to an emergency, the town Dr. is on vacation and she is his only hope. While he is at her clinic, he suddenly realizes that Josie is his mate.  However, he is torn as to what he should do as he has a professional responsibility to keep things on a business basis.  Pretty soon he decides that there is no reason why he shouldn't be able to have both a professional relationship and a personal, more intimate relationship with Josie and sets about to do that.  Eli is described pretty much as perfect male specimen.  He is tall, strong and very attractive.  The only thing that I felt was missing between the heroine and hero was some of the "heat" that the other books in the series had.  Otherwise the romance is developed in a nice pace.

The shifters in the community have an "unseen" enemy who is conducting some kind of test on their abilities as "Others", testing to see if their strengths and weaknesses can be identified and possibly exploited.  It isn't until near the end of the book that you understand entirely who the enemy is and what is at stake.  I personally didn't have a problem with who the enemy is and how it is revealed and handled.  Like the rest of the books in the series there is a happy ending for our couple.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 Crowns