A Game of Cat & Mouse by Astrid Cielo

By: Unknown on Monday, October 14, 2013

Title:  A Game of Cat & Mouse

Author:  Astrid Cielo

Series:  Pinewood Creek Shifters #1

Published:  November 15th 2012 by Astrid Cielo

Page Count:  238

Genre:  Paranormal Romnace

Shelf:  Books I Bought

Rating:  ★★★★★

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Caleb Anderson took over the job as alpha of his pride upon his parent’s sudden death. Ever since the females of his pride have been relentless in their bid to become his alpha female, but Caleb won’t settle for anything less than his true mate. Escaping for a few moments to relax in his favorite spot may have been the best thing to ever happen to him, especially when his true mate just happens to scurry by.
Miranda Sullivan could not be more lost in the woods behind her new house. When cougar shifter Caleb finds her he is determined to claim her. Falling hard and fast for the sexy cougar is the least of a mouse shifters worries. Now Miranda must defend her place as Caleb’s alpha female against a crazy and angry kitty cat! What’s a tiny little mouse to do?

Adult-content rating: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages.

My Review:

This is definitely the biggest twist on shifter mates that I’ve ever seen. I wouldn’t have been able to come up with this one in my wildest dreams. It was brilliant. Not only that, but the story itself was quite well developed. Everything was clearly laid out for the audience while keeping you enthralled and entertained.

Cielo brought her story out in vivid colour with her past paced, in your face writing style. She laid out this shifter community in a manner that you can’t help but visualise. She also draws her audience into the community, allowing them to become a part of the story. You can’t help but giggle at the characters when they refuse to swear yet find themselves in hot and racy situations (that definitely add to the story, rather than detracting from the storyline). You also feel the tension and impending issues while the storyline progresses.

I love how Cielo has some minor overlaps of scenes as she switches perspective from character to character. It really draws you into the story and lets you get to know both of the main characters intimately. Cielo ensures that we get to know these two individuals on many different levels, making them complete and well-rounded individuals. On top of that, they are people that you want to know in real life. You don’t want to leave them behind at the end of the novel (thank God for sequels). The supporting cast was also quite well developed. You don’t get to know them quite as intimately as the main characters, but you know them well enough to be neighbours. It helped add to the sense of community in the novel.

As a whole, this was a brilliant introduction to this shifter community, leading you into the series with a brilliant kickoff. At the same time, Cielo doesn’t leave you hanging at the end of the novel. It is a complete story in and of itself. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to anyone who wants a racy shifter novel.

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