MATE BOND is Book seven in Jennifer Ashley's Shifters Unbound series. I usually like anything written by Jennifer Ashley, but I love MATE BOND. MATE BOND is incredibly different from her other books about Shifters because this story is about two people who have been in a long-term relationship for the past fifteen years and have a child together. However, Kenzie and Bowman O'Donnell are no Ward and June Cleaver. Kenzie and Bowman's relationship is full of passion, love, and a visceral coordination between the two of them that is a pleasure to read about.

There is a mystery involving a sort of Frankenstein's monster in MATE BOND, but the focus is on the relationship between wolf Shifters Kenzie and Bowman. I love these two, and I love them together. Although they've been mated for fifteen years, and have a twelve year old son, they endure a constant worry that their relationship might one day fall apart because of never experiencing the "mate bond". The worry is that without this magical adhesive that draws people together, somebody who is a fated mate will come along and tear their family apart. Having the story told from both points of view, and hearing their internal dialogue about how intensely they care about each other makes the emotional impact of MATE BOND all the more powerful. Jennifer Ashley nails it once again, with these complex and amazing characters.

This North Carolina Shiftertown is a nice addition to Jennifer Ashley's Shifters Unbound series. Even though they get a little prickly from time to time with each other, they work together when it counts. I love so many of the new characters that play supporting roles in MATE BOND. Even Kenzie's wily uncle Cristian grows on you as the story progresses. The plot involving the monstrous shifter is fascinating and moves the story forward without obscuring the romance and emotional issues going on with Kenzie and Bowman. I like that the villain in this story is a shadowy figure, keeping you guessing as to his identity and motivations until the end.

MATE BOND delivers the goods in a big way -- sexy solid romance, great characters, and inventive story-telling. This is why I'm a Jennifer Ashley fan. I can't wait until the next installment in this amazing and always satisfying series!