Thomas (LeBeau Brothers #4)

Julia is a wolf shifter - a pureblood - who has yet to find her fated mate.  While her mother rants about humans breeding with shifters, the truth is that most fated mates are humans, who then become shifters by the grace of the goddess. Thomas' mother is also a wolf shifter, but her son is human, though not without his own unique psychic gifts. As step-son of the King, he is a part of the King's guard, but being drawn toward a mating was never a part of his contract.

Thomas is the fourth book in the LeBeau Brother series - the LeBeaus being shifters who live in and around New Orleans. There is just enough background in this installment so that a reader will not be lost, but sometimes not enough to fill in all of the blanks necessary for the series to weave seamlessly from book to book. There is a decisive line between good and bad, and Thomas' book is mid-arc, so the ending of this book isn't really the end. Instead, author V.A. Dold finishes with a lore-inspired set-up for existing characters to get their mates in future tales. Although the shifting POV can be distracting at times, Thomas and Julia are delightfully complicated characters. Their  relationship, even with the instant mating chemistry, moves in a realistic manner as they learn about each other before consummating their mating. The sex scenes are steamy, with plenty of them to make any paranormal fan happy.  

Julie York