STOLEN AND FORGIVEN is part of the a new Branded Pack series written by authors Alexandra Ivy and Carrie Ann Ryan. A virus had infected humans around the world until shifters came forward offering their blood as a cure. For their heroic deed the humans have branded them, collared them, and are holding them in guarded compounds. These are their stories of survival.

In STOLEN, Holden Carter became alpha at a young age, and his first job is protecting the pack. When he comes upon a woman, broken and bleeding at the fence of the compound, he knows what he must do. She's his mate so he saves her the only way he can -- his bite changes her. Now, they must learn to trust each other, which will not be easy if the unhappy pack members who don't trust the "human" among them get out of hand. As for Ariel Sands, she was raised to fear the shifters, but it was humans who put her in Holden's hands. It's more than the mating bond that is drawing them toward their true destiny. It's even deeper than that.

In FORGIVEN, Soren Slater, the Beta wolf of the pack, has always believed the needs of the pack comes first. As a young man, he was a liaison with the Tiger clan and had a flirtation with the princess, Cora Wilder. He never expected anything to come of it, but his heart got in the way. It broke when he forced himself to walk away for the sake of his pack. Cora had no intention of forgiving Soren for his desertion but when the SAU (Shifter Accommodation Unit) makes the wolves and cats live together, they are forced back into each others lives. Though she tries not to forgive him, it isn't easy. Despite herself, she still feels for him. When humans kidnap her, they must work together or all shifters will lose.

STOLEN AND FORGIVEN is impossible to put down. I love this world, the characters are fresh, and the sweet and steamy romances balance perfectly with the gritty action. I found myself very anti-human (at least the way the SAU members are portrayed) and rooting for the shifters to all rebel. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in this series!