Review: ~ Review by Teresa
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 15, 2014
4 of 5 starsFor original review see The Prism Book Alliance Blog onlineI was pleasantly surprised by Shifting Sands. I have never read this author before but find that most Siren novels are fun, fluffy, and filled with lots of hot sex, sometimes more sex than plot. While I truly like those types of books, it is also nice to read something with a little more substance.I liked that in this story we have fated mates, but what differs is that it isn’t an instant “OMG what’s that smell? MINE” type of recognition. The realization is more subtle, and I appreciated that. It gave Tom and Bryce, our MCs, time to be attracted and get to know and like each other before being mates became an issue. And boy, does it become an issue!I really adored both characters; they were stand up, good guys, hot, sexy and equally matched. The sex was steamy but not overpowering. The conflict between them didn’t feel contrived, though it wasn’t totally apparent as to why it happened at the time, it was cleared up satisfactorily in the end.However, while Shifting Sands is book 4 in the series, I was told it could be read as a stand-alone. I would not recommend it. There are things missing about the back story and secondary characters that I feel would have made it a much more enjoyable read if I had known or understood them better. That being said, I was able to put enough together to get the plot surrounding the romance and was able to really enjoy it. It had intrigue and action and a “big screen” feel to some of the chapters that kept me interested.Having read this book, I want to go back and read the first three to find out what I missed, and read the next in the series to see how it plays out. Always a good sign!