4 ½ of 5 Stars

Former Green Beret, Miranda Miller, is a junior agent for The Company, an international security firm. She has a couple of secrets: she is a lycan and she likes her boss, Garen LeRochefort. While on a mission to stop the head of a human trafficking organization, her cover is blown. She is now under Garen’s protection and he has some secrets of his own.

Miranda is a great heroine. She is courageous and smart. She is very self-reliant. I felt bad that her mother died when she was young, and she did not have a fellow lycan to learn from.

I also like Garen. He is a noble leader. He struggles with following his own rules and is willing to grow regardless of his position of power and age.

I really enjoyed the plot. The story was filled with action from beginning to end. It was an interesting story with a lot going on to keep you attentive. Miranda's Mate would make a great movie or as the series progresses TV series. This is a terrific series that I am looking forward to continuing reading.

Complimentary copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review. ( )

While participating in the book tour for “MIRANDA’S MATE“, Snarky Mom received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I had an enjoyable evening reading it, in between filling my wine glass. Miranda’s Mate (The Company Store, Book 1) is written by Ann Gimpel, and is 140 pages long. Like I said – an evening read. I’m assuming since this is subtitled “The Company Store, Book 1″, that DUH – there will be more. However, I’m not sure I was really left at the end of the book dying to know what is in the future for other characters (well, except maybe Lars – he was the only one we really got a sense of).

Miranda is secretly in lust with her boss, Garen, who is unwilling to pursue her since he is not only the head of “The Company Store”, but the head of the lycaen community. His wolf, however, could care less. When Miranda is sent to assassinate the head of a human trafficking ring and barely escapes, he can’t help but rush to her. He inducts her into the “Mile High Club” but let’s her off the hook when she says it was a mistake.

You would have thought my glass(es) of wine would have mellowed me out a bit, but as I read this, I just kept thinking, “Huh?!” First of all, the blurb about the book says that Miranda is a virgin. Well, she talks about having had sex, and when she & Garen basically jump each other while in the plane NOTHING is said about virginity. I wonder if the author originally had that in the plans and then changed her mind, but the publisher never changed the blurb? I have to admit – this is the very FIRST book I have EVER read about shifters where the shifters were unable to detect each other. (An “Eastern European” agent said that they were trained to detect shifters, but the Americans hadn’t trained their people to do that. Huh? An animal’s sense of smell can’t pick up on another animal?) I just found that part…. weird. Then, to top it off – here is the head of the were community… and he has to be reminded by someone else what the particulars are about mating. Wow. No wonder the American’s don’t know how to recognize other shifters – Garen doesn’t seem to be completely on the ball!

Points for the hot man on the cover. Points off for the fact that it takes forever to figure out WHAT the hot man on the cover is holding in his hand. (Or maybe that is just me.)

Points for trying to highlight the scourge of human trafficking. Points off for perpetuating some stereotypes.

Points for a shifter romantic suspense novella that is a basic read. Points off for the $3.99 price for just 140 pages.

Well, check out “MIRANDA’S MATE” & see what YOU think. Maybe I had unreasonable expectations…? ( )