3 out of 4 stars
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Pursuing Grace is a short novella acting as a prequel to Anita Cox's "Shifter Chronicles" series. It revolves around the fantastical existence of Lycans (or werewolves) and their struggle to follow ancient customs in a modern world. Amidst the chaos of families at war, Grace McGovern learns what it means to love, care, and lead her fellow pack-mates as the very last pure-blooded Lycan in existence.
However, Grace has a rocky beginning to her role as Princess. As a recent college graduate who, like everyone else her age, is anxious about her future, Grace is feeling particularly restless. She doesn't feel like she belongs or that her friends really understand her. At her lowest point, Roman comes crashing into her life. He tells her that her beloved grandmother has lied to her, that she's really their long-lost princess, and that she needs to come home. Stripped of her identity as she knows it, Grace is confused and frightened. Beneath all the hurt, however, is excitement. Excitement she has never felt before.
The question is: will she embrace her blood and accept a life with Roman at her side, or will she run and compromise the already shaky alliance between Lycan packs?
Grace is a great female protagonist. She stands her ground, refuses to be abused or pushed around, and empowers the people around her with her bright personality. Roman, on the other hand, is a bit of a wallflower with no personality of his own. Grace overshadows him in every scene they're together, which puts a damper on the romance aspect of the book. She says there's a spark between them, but, as the reader, I just didn't feel it. The same goes for the scenery. Grace says her new home is gorgeous and breathtaking, but never goes into any detail. The minor characters are also cursed with inattention - they appear, Grace interacts with them briefly, and they disappear. It was really disappointing to me that the author basically glossed over so many details that make a book relatable.
The plot itself had a few unique twists, but was overall a cliche, overused story that I've read countless times before. The pace was slow and seemed to drag on at times, so I was a bit surprised when it abruptly ended. I thought it was just the end of the chapter, not the whole book. I was expecting more conflict, maybe even some fight scenes, but this novella was more like a diary than anything else. Despite my complaints, however, Pursuing Grace was an enjoyable book that I read in one sitting. Overall, I would rate it 3 out of 4 stars.
If you enjoy the Lycan/werewolf genre, I would recommend the "Law of the Lycans" series by Nicky Charles. As a warning, both this series and Pursuing Grace are in the erotic category of romance, with numerous sex scenes and other mature content. In this way, Ms. Cox paid very close attention to detail. Grace had to suffer through several body functions only a wolf or dog would have to deal with, which is something I've never seen before in a fantasy novel.
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Pursuing Grace
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