Jaguar Moon - New Review from Romance Reviews Today

Devante is the prince of his people, the Jaguar, a race of shape shifters descended from ancient Mayans. The Jaguar king and queen are dead, and it’s time for him to take his throne. To do that, he needs to join his Jaguar Sun line with the line of the Jaguar Moon, the only problem is that Miakoda is the last woman remaining of that line and she’s a hybrid, a forbidden blend of Jaguar and Leopard. His father personally cast out Miakoda and her parents, and she’s highly unlikely to forgive the slur. Devante has been planning to give her time to settle into the Wildlife Sanctuary and then he will reveal himself to her and ask her to be his mate. But time has run out; his visions show Miakoda’s death, and Devante can no longer wait to claim his Queen.

Miakoda is lonely; since her parents' deaths there has been no one to talk to, no one whom she can share her true self with. Because she's a Leguar, none of the Nahual, the shape shifter races, are willing to associate with her. The king of the Jaguar made that quite clear; she can still remember her mother’s despair when the Nahual Council turned her family away. Convincing herself that she doesn’t yearn for their acceptance and company is, even now, difficult at times. After Devante saves her from a shifter attack, Miakoda is both grateful and annoyed. How dare he interfere in her life?

Devante reveals to Miakoda that her parents were not a love match. During the Great War between the shifters and the vampires, Sinock, a breeder, assured the Nahual council that hybrids would be stronger and better able to defeat the vampires. The council voted to allow the inter-breeding, and the results weren’t what Sinock promised. Many of the hybrids were deformed or became psychotic, the perils of mixing basic natures that don’t agree. For example, a lion who needs a pride, and a tiger who prefers to be solitary. Sinock was banned and took his revenge by kidnapping Miakoda’s parents, the heirs to their respective thrones, and forcing them to breed. They weren’t the love match Miakoda believed they were. Fast forward to today, hybrids are disappearing and going rogue at alarming rates. The council has made the decision to bring the hybrids back into the Nahual fold, and they need a representative; who better than a queen who is, herself, a hybrid?

In SCENT OF A MATE, we are introduced to the Nahual, a fascinating people: wolves and jaguar, bear and leopard, many races with differing perspectives on life. Devante understands his obligation; he must represent the Jaguar on the council, and if that means mating with a hybrid, so be it. Once he meets Miakoda, he realizes that it isn’t such a bad thing to mate with her. She’s brave and loyal, strong and sexy, a mate to be treasured, not tolerated. Miakoda can’t stand the thought that her parents were denied their rightful places in life because of her. Hearing about their history only makes her hate the council more than she already does, but she also feels the pull to help the hybrids. How can she resist the urge to help those who are like her? Being the queen of the Jaguar is not a position she yearns for, but if it will help her people, it must be done. Time spent with Devante reveals his noble and caring personality; perhaps being mated to the sexy Jaguar won’t be something she does just to help her fellow hybrids.

Secondary characters are many, and I look forward to reading more about them in future Jaguar Moon books. Ethan is Devante’s friend and fellow Jaguar. Manus, king of the Leopards and Mia’s uncle, makes it clear that Mia is under his protection. Biorn, Ulfric, and other members of the council offer their opinions even when they’re not requested. Many other members of the Jaguar clan, as well as several hybrids, add to this wonderful story.

SCENT OF A MATE has all the requisites of a truly superior book: danger and romance, a tightly written storyline, and characters who all are unique and interesting in their own right, as well as realistic dialogue and a setting that is both unusual and well described. Don’t miss the first in the Jaguar Moon series, a true keeper. SCENT OF A MATE deserves a place in your library.
Romance Reviews Today
Lori Ann