Ellie West has always known there was more to her story than being abandoned at birth. A child of the foster-care system, she didn’t get many breaks, but the one thing she can do is sing. It’s her only ticket out of poverty and obscurity. Nothing else matters, not even the nagging sense that she’s different. She’s headed for great things. She only needs a chance.Jack Ferris couldn’t agree more. … agree more. His firm, the elite paranormal agency Redclaw Security, has been hired to find a missing princess and return her to her family. Discovering that Ellie, a waitress in a hole-in-the-wall diner, is both the princess and his fated mate is like being hit with a sledgehammer. Ellie West can’t be his mate. She’s the mission.
The sooner Jack completes this job, the better, only Ellie has no intention of throwing her dreams away for a kingdom she’s never known. With hired assassins on their trail, Ellie might not have a choice. They must do whatever it takes to stay alive.
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The Panther’s Lost Princess by McKenna Dean is the 1st book in her new Redclaw Security series.
Ellie is a waitress with a dream, she wants out of the small town she lives in, she dreams of being a singer, so when a chance to audition, Ellie grabs it with both hands.
She knows she can sing, but Ellie lacks belief and confidence in herself. Ellie thinks she’s a monster ……
Her parents abandoned her at birth, and the foster families never seemed to want her for long, there has to be something wrong with her ….. right? And on the night it all comes crashing down around her, she notices things ….. things that a “normal” person shouldn’t be able to do.
Jack is employed by Redclaw security (a firm specializing in shifter business), from bodyguards to surveillance. He’s suppose to find a “princess” retrieve her and bring her back into the arms of her “real” family.
But what jack doesn’t bank on is finding his “mate”, yup you got it …… the princess, except she’s not what he was expecting, he assumed she would be tall, blond and a complete bitch …… “Ellie” is the exact opposite, and all his animal side wants to do, is bite, mate and carry her off to safety. But he knows that the princess would never look at a lowly bodyguard, she deserves better, and so he is determined to get her to safety and the live he thinks she deserves.
The story moves along at a nice pace, finding out about the characters along the way.
The secondary characters were great to read as well, I’m hoping they get stories too.
There is a nice balance of action (and not all between the sheets) and romance, nothing worse than skimming pages due to bedroom gymnastics (that last for pages, and pages, and pages)
Why was Ellie abandoned by her parents ? Who wants to kill her? (There are several attempts) and if she isn’t a monster, then what is she? Will Jack get his wish? You will need to read this book to find out.
It’s a fun read that can be done in an afternoon.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book, can’t wait for more in this series.
Just a lovely story to read. Would like to read more from this author.
Amount of sex 2.5 / 5
How explicit 2.5 / 5
Story 4 / 5
Overall: 4 / 5
The Panther’s Lost Princess is the first book in the Redclaw Security Series by author McKenna Dean. Redclaw is a security agency consisting of a variety of animal shifters. They are hired for different security jobs and Jack, a black panther shifter, is tasked with finding the lost dragon shifter princess. Ellie is a waitress and knows deep down there is something different about her. She doesn’t know what it is and does her best to suppress it. When Ellie meets Jack, there is an immediate attraction to each other. Although, Jack is determined to do his job and try to ignore his feelings.
I have a weakness for steamy shifter romances and The Panther’s Lost Princess is a fun and charming story! I especially love how the clans consisted of diverse animal shifters. In Ms. Dean’s world bears, beavers, hawks, leopards, etc. all live together rather than separated by animal types. I also loved how different animal species could be fated mates and be able to produce another animal offspring.
Truly enjoyed!
A definite add to your TBR list!
*Voluntarily Reviewed a Gifted Copy*
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**
There are books that upon finishing them leave you completely satisfied; they contain no huge cliffhanger or questions unanswered. For me, The Panther’s Lost Princess is one of those very books! It had one of those endings that just leave with a huge grin and a deep feeling of satisfaction. Not only was the story interesting, but I was able to truly connect with the main character, Ellie West.
Ellie has never felt confident about herself. Despite getting support and words of encouragement from her friends, she is still scared to put herself out there and take charge. I definitely don’t blame her for this. It is hard to put yourself out there after you have been looked down upon. She does however gain the courage to audition for a singing competition, which in itself is an amazing feat!
As the story continues, we get to see that deciding to audition isn’t the only bit of braveness that Ellie possesses. Instead, she evolves and discovers a confidence in herself that wasn’t there before. She does have a little help with this amazing awakening through the support of a handsome panther shifter.
Yes, it is true that this book does involve the whole fated mates trope, but it does have a slightly different spin on the cliche. Instead of being super possessive and domineering of Ellie, Jack supports her and ultimately wants to do what’s best for her. Their relationship truly is pretty stinkin’ cute!
Overall, The Panther’s Lost Princess is a satisfying romance that not only has a shifter spin, but also allows the reader to see a character come into her own.