Review: Shifting Pride

Title: Shifting Pride
Author: Laura Diamond
Genre: YA Paranormal, Romance

See it at Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Nickie Leone has proof that her missing (presumed dead) father is still alive. Receiving his watch in the mail is the first in a line of clues bringing her closer to discovering his whereabouts. But clues aren’t the only new thing in Nickie’s life. There’s the Memorial Banquet her mother insists she help prepare for, there’s the new kid/hottie, Xavian, and...well, the growth of whiskers and a tail!

Filled with secrets and a new love of tuna fish, Nickie must partner up with Xavian (don’t you know he’s a shapeshifter too?) to rescue her dad before she loses him forever. Oh, and she needs to figure out how to be a cat, too.



I don’t normally read a lot about shifters, more specifically any type of werewolf or wolf-type creature usually, because to be bluntly honest about it I’m just not a big fan of the supernatural being in most cases. I’ve had rare instances of picking up a few books here and there that have involved shifters or werewolves and have actually enjoyed them, but as I said, it’s rare. A good ninety-percent of the time, those reads end in disaster so I tend to stay away and keep to my favorite kind of species instead when it comes to reading any kind of paranormal creature.

However, Shifting Pride was a different case. Sure these were shifters…but there was a little spark of interest at the back of my mind when I found that it was about were-cats. I don’t find this often in any paranormal read, so despite my wariness toward shifter reads, I had the urge to read this title because of that. Well, it might also help that I really adore cats, too. :P

Shifting Pride starts with the action right away as you’re immediately pulled into the story and mystery of what is going on in Nickie’s life. I felt sympathy and empathy for her with her constant struggle through the loss of her father, as well as her trying to have the most normal life that she can…until it starts to go a bit haywire, of course. The only minor nitpicks I may have was that I got a bit aggravated at her overreactions toward her mother as well as Xavian at times--it felt as if there were moments when she couldn’t stop and take a calming breath. But it wasn’t a big deal and not enough to take away the story for me. I liked Xavian’s character and the bits of humor I felt from his and Nickie’s interactions often. It was cute. Even when Nickie kicked him in no-no’s.


Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. The story paced along quite well and I enjoyed reading about the characters, this interesting were-cat shifter species, their unusual world, and interactions. It’s action-packed, compelling, and fun. Diamond crafted a unique story and I look forward to reading much more of her work in the future.