Thursday, December 4, 2014

The Shifter’s Choice-Jenna Kernan

The Shifter’s Choice
Jenna Kernan
Harlequin Nocturne, Dec 1 2014, $5.75
ISBN: 9780373009343

Yonkers resident Sofia Touma was given the choice between prison and the marines.  After basic, she is flown to Molokai, Hawaii where Captain Travis MacConnelly warns her if she quits like her file shows she has done in almost everything in her life, she returns to prison.  Though he expects her to quit in thirty seconds, his wife Brianna persuaded him to give Sofia the assignment of teaching a depressed, suicidal marine sign language when the injured sergeant refuses to cooperate with anyone including his superior officer.

A werewolf attacked Sergeant Johnny Loc Lam and Captain Travis MacConnelly (see The Vampire’s Wolf); but whereas the latter moved on, the former has not adjusted at all.  Lam tries to frighten his new teacher away, but Sofia refuses to leave.  Instead she finds out what he has become; his inability to shift from the beast to human, and the connotation that sign language means to him no cure possible.  As they fall in love, he fears his adversaries who want the wolf all the time will use her as a pawn to control him.

The second military romantic fantasy is an enjoyable Beauty and The Beast tale due mostly to the sergeant’s unique disorder enhanced by his fear of what signing means to him, and his sign language instructor’s reaction to his condition.  Although the vampire subplot adds suspense, the relationship between the leads (and them to Mac and Brianna) make for an engaging paranormal drama.

Harriet Klausner

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