REVIEWED by Caroline

TITLE: Chosen Pride         

SERIES: L’ange Book 3

AUTHOR: Mary Calmes

NARRATOR: Tristan James

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 8 Hours 13 Minutes

RELEASE DATE: March 6, 2017

BLURB:

Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L’Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn’t have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.

Then the wolves make an official visit to L’Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin’s pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king’s champion. Though Kelvin’s training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it’s no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.

But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château. It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L’Ange’s family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay—and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.

REVIEW:

Chosen Pride is book 3 in the L’ange series and sees us back with all our previous favourites from the two previous books as well as throwing us in in usual Mary fashion to give Jon and Kelvin their piece of happy. Mary always writes her books with intense and sometimes a smidgen over the top emotions; there is often insta love or lust and there is usually a feeling that one of both of our MC’s will be unable to carry on without the other. These are all things I love about Mary’s books and they are all things that are prevalent in Chosen Pride. You can’t have a Mary Calmes shifter story without the intensity of fated mates but what happens when one of those mates fights the pull and decides that he is going to put duty before love? A hell of a lot judging by what happens in this story and not all of it is good!

This is Jon’s story and is written from his POV. He’s known around L’ange as the lazy Lion with the sexy swagger and the ‘couldn’t care less’ attitude. He’s a love them and leave them kind of guy – or he was until he came across his mate and discovered his mate didn’t want him. Since that meeting and THAT rejection Jon has had to take stock of who he is – he may be the King but he is an unwanted King and no matter what he does he is hurting and pining for his wolf.

Kelvin is the underdog in this story (excuse the pun!). A giant man and a giant wolf he has never known love, he is plain speaking and honest with a sexy accent and he is not as immune to the pull of the mate bond as he likes to have people think. He is strong though, he has been bred and trained to be, and he honestly believes that he should put duty and his position ahead of his feelings. His wolf pack is visiting L’ange and he will be taking part in a ceremony whilst there to get married, to a woman he barley knows and has no feelings for.

This is a complicated and sad story where Kelvin and his perceived duty is concerned. He was basically born and bred for a role in his pack and when he decides he can no longer live with that the consequences are dire and not just for him.  Once again there is a strong feeling of family running as an undercurrent through this story and Kelvin discovers a lot more people care about him than he ever imagined.  If Jon can convince Kelvin that he deserves to be loved then they may just get their chance at a HEA. Tristan James did a fantastic job with the narration as always.

RATING: 

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