Rough It Up

I am a big fan of shifter tales, mostly because they create an entire world in which to immerse myself. Books give me that release from reality so if they are too real, they aren’t for me. I follow a few shifter series – Lora Leigh’s BREEDS, of course and newer authors like Kiera West and Thea Harrison. My favorite are the wolves, lions and I do love me a bear shifter too. But anyway in between new releases in the series I follow, I began exploring and found Rough It Up by Emma Hillman. Not a part of a series (which is where I gravitate), this book still peaked my interest. And I am holding out hope that other books may come about.

In Rough It Up, the heroine Alexa has believed herself a “mixie”, a half-breed lioness, her whole life. Abandoning her pack, this tough woman has been on her own for a long time and is used to taking care of herself. With a family who never cared for her and feeling of isolation because she never truly belonged, Alexa keeps away from shifters and is seeking a life for herself within the human population. So when she meets Jay, an obvious shifter, and he immediately scents she’s in heat, she’s appalled that he offers his help (yep, that kind of help!). Even with her inner lioness pushing her to take him up on his offer – especially since he’s pure perfection, she shoots him down. Her grit and fortitude are refreshing in a world where authors so often like to create softer heroines.

Despite her declaration of not needing him, days later, Alexa realizes she needs his help after all. Thankfully Jay has given her his phone number and in desperation with the mating urge stronger than ever and her lioness clawing at her insides, she calls him to come save her. And comes, he does. It’s hysterical when even the hero in the romance novel becomes exhausted by sex – that never seems to happen?! When Jay arrives at her apartment, he can tell something is definitely wrong. Alexa isn’t acting with any of the decorum she’d surrounded herself with when they first met.

Confused, Jay calls upon his father, the pride's alpha, and his brother to find out what’s wrong with this woman he is now falling for. It’s a whirlwind of revelations towards the end that build an intriguing world I would like to learn more about. Hillman does a great job world building. Hopefully more shifters will get their stories told.

This book is a definite 4 Chocolate-dipped Strawberry read.