This urban fantasy romance novella brings music artist Natalie Gardenwood to revisit her high school for a reunion around Christmas. She was always shy but loved music, and she’s been making a living in music shops and travelling with orchestras. A CHRISTMAS CADENCE is about to begin.

Spotting Drake Emery, a young man she used to fancy but who hung out with popular kids, Natalie remembers that they sat next to each other in music class. Maybe she could say hi. So far, so absolutely normal, in fact, I had forgotten about the fantasy aspect and just thought it was a second-chance romance that was moving rather swiftly. Then something happens, and it’s strange and scary for our heroine.

Drake works in his family’s business as a gym instructor. They’re all fit, and they enjoy rambling in the woods around Ilex Creek. Drake is from a family of big cat shifters, and he reveals himself as a black panther shifter. Oops. Natalie didn’t know. Marking her as his mate wasn’t what he intended, and now they’ll have a terrible time staying apart.

The New Adult age group would seem best suited to this tale by Cynthia Brubaker. The young people are in early jobs and don’t have pressures, families are united, and everyone in town wishes friends well. Because of this, the characters can come across as a bit younger than the stated age. This isn’t to say they don’t have problems, but they’re communicating via Instagram.

A CHRISTMAS CADENCE provides a family atmosphere, around the story of an adult romance in a town with secret shifters. The snow and cold contribute to the background of this enjoyable winter love story. The artwork is quite sweet and expressive. Cynthia Brubaker has written other fantasy series with larger-than-life characters.