Book Review: The Leopard King by Ann Aguirre

The Leopard King
Author: Ann Aguirre
Series: Ars Numina Book 1
Publication: Self-Published (September 28, 2016)

Description: Proud. Imperious. Impassioned.

Until three years ago, those words applied to Dominic Asher, the leader of Ash Valley. His family has ruled the feline branch of the Animari for hundreds of years, guiding the pride through perilous times. Unspeakable loss drove him into seclusion, a feral beast nobody can tame. Now he's wrecked, a leopard king in exile, and he wants nothing more than to die.

Fierce. Loyal. Determined.

Fortunately for Dom, those words still apply to Pru Bristow, his dead mate's best friend. She's had her heart broken too, but she never quits. With the conclave approaching, alliances with the Pine Ridge pack and Burnt Amber clans on the verge of collapse, she's prepared to do whatever it takes to drag their leader back, before his second can start a war.

At best theirs seems like a desperate alliance, but when their mate bond turns hot and fierce, there's no end to the questions and the doubts. Neither of them expects to fall in love. But sometimes people don't know what they're looking for until they find it.

My Thoughts: Pack leader Dominic Asher has made himself a recluse since the death of his beloved wife. But now with the conclave approaching to renew the peace accords, Pru Bristow has to bring him back home.

Pru was his wife's best friend and is still grieving herself. Dom makes a deal with her: if she can finally shift, he'll become her mate and go back to the pack. Since Pru has been doing all sorts of very dangerous things to finally trigger her latent shifting abilities, Dom thinks he's safe. But when they two of them are attacked, Pru shifts to save him.

Pru is a bundle of insecurities. She was rejected by the cat she wanted for a mate because she couldn't shift. Slay had kept up a sort of casual relationship with her since but that added to her insecurity rather than diminished it.

Even after finally shifting, Pru is certain that Dom's heart is still with his first mate and that he has become her mate only because of his vow. Meanwhile, Dom is falling in love with the gallant, courageous, and good-hearted Pru.

However, with the peace accords breaking down, and invasion imminent, Pru and Dom have bigger worries than their relationship. Balancing allies and locating enemies has to take top priority. It doesn't matter that Slay was really in love with Pru and just waiting for his mother to die before he told her. Now Pru has made her total commitment to Dom and they will work together for their pack.

This was engaging and spicy. There were a lot of misunderstandings between Dom and Pru that took a while to be cleared up. This is the first of a series of books and I'm eager to read more.

Favorite Quote:

"World of hurt, I know. I'm familiar with your rhetoric."

"My what?"

"Bombast. Grandiloquence. Orotundity."

"You're just making up words now." Dom smiled, despite the fact that she was clearly insulting him. Normally, the pride didn't give him shit like this, part of being the exalted leader.

He didn't hate it.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.