His Refused Mate by Jade Marshall

His Refused Mate by Jade Marshall
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Wolf shifters are fated with one mate. Losing your mate or refusing it causes immense pain and, in some cases, death. But what if fate gives you a second chance?

Payton has been on her own for longer than she can remember, even when she was still part of a pack. Being refused by her fated mate has her fleeing, starting a life of solitude away from any other shifters

Caine is the Alpha to his pack and although he loves his pack dearly, he longs for his true mate. When he catches her scent he will do everything to make her his. But can he convince her to take a chance?

While Peyton hasn’t enjoyed the last few years effectively being a servant in her Alpha’s house, she has the warm, loving memories of what her family life had been before her father had left and the life as Peyton knew it had irrevocably changed. On the morning of her eighteenth birthday she thought something might change, but she could never have guessed that it would have been her whole world shifting around. In a matter of minutes she’d discovered her one true mate only to have him refuse her and sever their bond, casting her callously aside without even attempting to try. Caine is rightful Alpha of a small pack and while he’s been desperately lonely the last eighteen months he’s determined to wait for his true mate – for the life partner the goddess has chosen for him. When Caine and Peyton find each other how will they manage to merge their two very different lives?

While I was a little disappointed that this enjoyable short story was quite predictable, I was impressed that the author managed to infuse the book with a few really interesting and relatable main characters. Peyton still held compassion and had a strong streak of independence that I really enjoyed. I was considerably relieved when Caine didn’t just beat his chest and let his ego or arrogance overtake his brain when Peyton refuse to submit immediately to his claim they were mates. I loved how Caine was willing to show and prove himself to Peyton, to show her he could support her and take some time to really get to know her and what she wanted from their relationship. This really helped sell me on the story.

There is some conflict in this short story and I thought for the most part it was handled really well. I felt the author put a really interesting twist on the end result of the conflict and could easily see how it could become important in the next few books as Caine’s brothers also find their own true mates. I feel readers looking for a unique or vastly different paranormal romance might not find themselves completely satisfied with this story but I admit I really enjoyed Peyton and Caine’s characters and found that reading their interactions was time well spent.

A fun and sexy short story this was a good paranormal romance.