*The Matefinder series has been optioned for film. (Stay tuned.)Werewolves, facing the threat of extinction, desperately seek their mates to bear young. Aurora, a human far removed from the supernatural world, is nearing her own end after being fatally injured in a car accident. Kai, an alpha werewolf, lurks in the nearby trees watching her bleed out. He chooses to save her the only way he knows … way he knows how, by changing her. Aurora struggles with her past as a domestic abuse survivor and the new dominating and violent lifestyle of a werewolf. No one is prepared for what happens next. The tides turn in favor of the werewolves. The Matefinder has been found, and she is more powerful than anybody ever imagined. But is she prepared to be the most hunted werewolf in history?
Book 2: Devi is available now!
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Rating:
Very good, but I wanted some passion!
I really like the overall premise of the book, the characters are well developed and the world building is terrific. The only thing missing was more passion between the two main characters and I would like a few steamy scenes as well. I think this is the first clean shifter/werewolf book that I have read. The book is definitely a romance and there is chemistry between the two main characters (Kai and Aurora) but the most they do is kiss.
I looked up the difference between a shifter and a werewolf because in this book they are werewolves. The main difference is that shifters are born that way and most werewolves get changed by a bite from another wolf, though if two werewolves mate and have a child, that child is born a werewolf. This book follows that line of thinking but also there are some other differences in these wolves. First is that when in wolf form, like shifters, they are aware of themselves and know what they are doing. Second is that they look and act like large wolves, they don’t walk on two legs in a more humanoid wolf form like on teen wolf.
Lastly werewolves that were once human and changed through a bite have some kind of special gift or power. Aurora is bitten by Kai after she gets in a terrible car accident. After her first change it is found that she is the Matefinder, which means that she can tell who the mate is of another wolf. This is especially needed because werewolves are dying out. They can only breed with their mate and their mate could be anyone or anywhere in the world. I like this because it is more realistic than most shifter books where there is only one true mate but most find that person nearby or in their own pack.
Also, without Aurora, the only way to tell if two wolves are mates is that their coloring is opposite each other. For example if a wolf is grey with two black spots on his back, his mate will be black with two grey spots. Aurora and Kai are attracted to each other from the start, but it isn’t until he sees her in wolf form that he knows she is his mate.
There is a big thing about dominance as well in this story. How the alpha is most dominant in the pack and they each know their place in the pack by having a staring contest and the first one to look down is the less dominant. Aurora is a dominant female and she finds her place in the pack right away. There are more twists and turns to the story when Aurora finds what she is capable of, but being the Matefinder come at a price.
Apparently the vampires want her for nefarious purposes of their own and they want to use her to help wipe out the werewolf race and take humans as blood slaves. Werewolves protect humans, so the Vampires are evil in this story. There is also a Shaman and a few witches in the mix to liven things up.
I really enjoyed the storylines, though I wish the romance was hotter. I am not sure if it will be different in the next book, since Aurora and Kai will be having their mating ceremony.
This book was definitely worth reading though if you like a good story with lots of action and supernatural characters and abilities. I enjoyed it quite a bit and it went really fast. I will give this 4 out of 5 ’s for story and 1 out of 5 ’s for heat.
Audiobook review: Interesting start to a new series with a few unique twists. The story is entertaining and enjoyable. The characters are likable and relatable. The narrator did a nice job but there are a few times that the male voice sounded like the female lead. Looking forward to book 2.
Matefinder is book one in Leia Stone’s Matefinder series. This book follows Aurora a recently bitten werewolf. After having a terrible car accident and bleeding out she is bitten by a werewolf and turned. But things don’t just stop there, she’s not just a werewolf, she is mate to the alpha Kai who bite her, she is also second in command of the pack, but there is so much more to her than that.
Werewolves that were once human get a special gift, every bitten wolf’s gifts are different, which manifest after their first shift. Aurora is bitten by Kai after she gets in a terrible car accident, after her first change she finds out she is the Matefinder. A Matefinder is rare and is the most hunted wolf, as she has the power to find the mates for the wolves increasing their population. This is needed because werewolves are dying out and are only able breed with their mate and after being blessed in the Mating Ceremony. Mates are rare and almost never found, to know if wolves are mates their wolf form would be opposite in colouring and marking.
But being a werewolf, a dominant female pack member and mate to the alpha doesn’t mean Aurora’s life is peachy. Being the Matefinder means her life is at risk, the vampires want her blood, they want to use her to help wipe out the werewolf race and take humans as blood slaves. Werewolves are protectors, they protect the humans and each other.
I really enjoyed the storyline and characters although I wish the romance between Kai and Aurora was hotter. There is definitely steamy moments between them.
If you enjoy a strong female character I highly recommend this series. I was hooked from the very beginning from at Aurora has had to experience in her short life to the woman she has become.
The book, for being a first book in a series is fast paced which I thoroughly enjoyed!! I was never bored listening to the series. I listened to the audiobook and I thought the narrator did a great job portraying Aurora as well as the other characters in the book.
There was just to much packed into one character. I liked the storyline. The idea of a matefinder is something new. I was excited to read this one. Aurora is an awful car accident that she would have died in, but Kai finds her and changes her into a werewolf with his bite. That’s not so uncommon, but from there, the same character is the matefinder, a witch, the key vampires fertility, the alpha’s mate. COME ON, is going to poop gold and fund the world’s deficit too? I have three stars for originality, storyline, and editing, but I won’t be reading the rest of this series.
This is a shape shifter romance that I borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, and it was a cool find! The world building in this one is pretty cool. It reminded me of a cross between Twilight and The Walker Papers but with its own personality (and a little bit of a Bollywood movie vibe which is never a bad thing!). Though this world centers around the Pacific Northwest, its got a global feel! If book 2 is as good as book 1, it going to be a great series!
I truly enjoyed the beginning to this series. It was nice and fast pace. The story was also fairly unique in its take on the supernatural community and there interaction. I recommend it for anyone who is a fan of duress and battle between supernatural species.
This series was probably the hardest for me to get into of Leia Stone’s works. Her other books are just so addicting so quickly, that this one wasn’t quite up to the same level. The concept is rushed since it jumps into it from the first chapter. I was shocked at the main character’s acceptance of her situation when she’s turned into a werewolf. The book is a page turner and piques your interest quickly, though. The characters are likable, so you become vested in what will happen in books to come. After book 1, I was hooked and bought book 2 to continue the story.
This is an amazing book with the author n the characters n story
This story could have been better. I get that the author wants to appeal to a young adult audience, I get that this is fantasy, but Aurora was just too unbelievably perfect and accomplished for a 22 year old woman who, along with her mother, had supposedly suffered a lifetime of abuse from her father. Throughout the story this theme comes up often. It was supposed to have broken and scarred her. Yet she is tough, dominant and takes to being turned with very few issues. She falls for the alpha right away (this is a woman who supposedly doesn’t trust men) and is so dominant that she is immediately placed as second in command of the pack. Both Aurora and the pack alpha scream comments a lot. Odd for two people who should be so strong and confident. The screaming was overused and rarely seemed to fit the scene. I usually like Leia Stone’s books but won’t be reading any more of this series.
Fun, fast-paced and truly trope-tastic!
The MateFinder series by Leia Stone is very much YA fiction – and I love it! I bought this series as an audio book and listen to them when I’m working out before lunch, because the story keeps me distracted while running, makes me laugh and my heart ache at the romantic moments! If you’re not into YA Fiction and a bit of supernatural fun with werewolves, vampires, witches and more than this may not be for you. But this book goes great with if an entertaining and action-packed read is what you’re after (whereas my Jack Ryan books are for settling down to bed with!).
Great book ! This is my second series by Leia Stone and it was a great start. Character development and intensity pulled you in from the beginning. Looking forward to the next one.
I really wanted to like this book, but it’s so badly written that it’s just isn’t worth the time and money. The personalities and dialogues are forced and childish, the head character is painted as a saint who no one dislikes, with no flaws and a hundred abilities which makes it unrealistic and frankly, everything about her annoyed me. The author goes against her own descriptions of personalities as well. She describes the alpha as big, strong and dominant, but all I get from the story is that he’s a huge pushover.
The whole story is just sappy, filled with moments that makes me cringe and roll my eyes. The worst part of it is the writing and pace. The author just hurries through the story with few descriptions, few spats or arguments and too many jumps ahead of time. It’s basically; this happens and then this happens. The end.
I’m sorry to say this, but this book is proof that the author gig isn’t for everyone. I think Leia Stone needs to find a new passion or at least take 10 to 15 years to practice writing and read some books from real authors, just to get an idea how to write good stories. As it is right know, she pretty much takes money for a pretty book cover and very little else
I have a little bit of whiplash from the beginning of this series. I kinda felt like I was sprinting through the first few chapters. The storyline was rushed to start but then it levels out. Leia created a lovely storyline and the more you the better it gets and that goes for the writing also.
Everything evolved and starting flowing easily after a rough start. The characters were unique and I it was interesting to get to know each and every one. Aurora was incredible and I enjoyed reading about her journey. Stone did a wonderful job building her up throughout the books.
This book has plenty of potential to be a good read. It just felt too rushed at some points throughout the book.
Aurora, the FMC, handles the whole being turned into a werewolf like a champ… meaning so unrealistic. She barely wakes up and has to stare down her pack mates to find her “place” and hit the ground running. As a changed wolf she gains an ability: that as a legendary Matefinder: literally able to find mates for those she touches. This turns out to be wonderful thing since mates are rare and only way to procreate is to have a mate. This makes the werewolf chance of survival increase. Weirdly enough the blood of a matefinder is also valued for similar reasons. Eneters the vampires.
Some parts of this book read like a short story. So much info given and little reaction to events so that we can get to the next part. Kai was fine, but some parts he seemed so egotistical, but this could be because she as dominant if not more so than he is. There are vampires out to war against humans and werewolves. Witches are neutral-ish. Shamans are something else altogether. Oh and some humans (government) know about this and may see you as a threat. Just bam here is this info, Aurora, deal with it move on to the next.
Like I said it has so much potential, but fell a bit off its mark IMO.
Overall: decent read, but I wanted more.
Enjoyable Shifter Romance With Extra Bite!! 3.5 Stars
(Read using Kindle Unlimited)
This starts out seeming like a ‘typical werewolf’ book, and there’s nothing wrong with that – I love shifters It fairly quickly becomes apparent that Aurora, our newly turned Wolf & Mate to the Alpha, Kai, is so much more than a survivor of abuse as a child & a survivor of the wolf bite but has a much greater purpose in her new world!!
Danger & threats are never far from Aurora’s side as she begins to settle in to her pack & find her way!!
It picked my interest up much more in the latter quarter of the book!! I’ll move straight on to ‘Devi’ which is book #2
Debbie, 1970, UK
Awesome series! Does not disappoint.
This is the very first book of Leia Stone’s that I read. Since then I have been hooked on her as an author!! She is an AMAZING writer. Her characters reach out and make you a part of there world. Her books are hard to put down so make sure to hold on to your hats and enjoy your ride!! Seriously read her books!!!