Review: Zoe Winters is a fantastic author
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 5, 2012
In my notes I wrote down some thoughts before I started reading The Catalyst.  Basically that I knew nothing of this story before I started reading, but I have read this authors work before and loved it.  So I had high hopes for this story.  Plus the main male is a panther shifter.  That is completely hot in and of itself, right?!?First this story starts with Fiona, an agoraphobic witch who can't go past her own yard.  And she doesn't practice her craft, so she isn't exactly a very good witch.  She never leaves the house at all, she works from home, has food delivered and doesn't even tend the yard.  But right away you get the feeling (and you'd be right) that she is very caring and sensitive.  You want her to get over her phobias and realize how much there is out there  for her... Like a panther shifter in particular... Ahem.  Then one day she finds a wolf pup in her yard who seems lost and hungry, so she brings him in for some food.  Then... CRASH!!!Enter Z!  Woohoo hot panther!  Way to make an entrance!!  Z literally crashes through her window.  Then he sees that she is a good witch and not a bad witch, and well, now he's crashed through her window.  Bad panther!! Z sees an opportunity here though; nice woman, wolf pup... sounds like a great way of easing his responsibilities!What Z does to get Fiona to come back to his home is absolutely priceless, and I loved it.  And I am not telling you what it is.  But it is fantastic.  Zoe Winters definitely injects bits of humor here and there throughout this story, and I loved it.So now Z and Fiona have a mission.  Take care of the pup and find his family.  And his family are crossovers from other books of hers, so if you are a Zoe Winters fan, you will enjoy seeing Cole, Jane, and Cain.  Frankly after reading this book, I HAVE to read more about Cain.  Wooohooo, gotta love a demon!Back to this story.  It really was full of lots of action.  And because of the whole addition of Cole, Jane and Cain, I felt like I was getting two stories in one.  As for Jane and Cole's situation, I am not entirely sure what happened in their book, so I don't want to blow the secret on that.  But suffice it to say, what happens in The Catalyst really feels like it's the best possible outcome.  And even without knowing their whole backstory, I was so happy for what happened there.... Ok Liz, vague much??If you are a fan of shifter stories, than you will really love this.  You've got wolves and panthers, but on top of that this story also has demons and vampires.  Really, its terrific.  The sexual tension and chemistry between Z and Fiona is palpable.  You are on pins and needles waiting for "the moment".  You know the moment, the one where fireworks go off and you, as the reader, feel like you get everything you ever wanted because these two people who you have grown attached to finally get their acts together and "get together" themselves?  Yeah, that moment.  And this story is chock full of wonderful moments that will have you cheering in excitement.  And Fiona grows quite a bit within these pages, and that was a real treat.  Even though Alphas can definitely play the part of a jerk, Fiona handles Z well, and well... Z is an alpha panther shifter.  Nuff said.Oh!  Bonus!  Cole (werewolf shifter) runs a website that all kinds of paranormal and not-so-paranormal beings use to get blood!  And even better, its an actual website, so be sure to check out theriantype.com!