He’s just lion around on the job…
Lion shifter Elliott Harkness is in Ireland for the dream vacation of a lifetime—and helping the Shamrock Safari Wildlife Park do some fundraising by staying there for a few days! After all, it’s not often that a shifter gets to display his animal form in public, and being the ‘lion on loan’ means Elliott can show off while doing some good for the always-underfunded park.

She’s pawsitive something’s wrong…
Aoife Gallagher loves her education and outreach job at the Safari Park, but there’s something weird going on there. Bringing new animals into a zoo isn’t a fly-by-night operation, but as long as she’s worked here, there has been a magnificent menagerie of exotic animals who seem to drop by for a week and then disappear again. And the new lion is in a completely unsafe enclosure! And is also…the hottest guy she’s ever seen?

Together they’ll make a purrfect team…
The instant connection Aoife and Elliott feel would be wonderful under any other circumstances—but today Aoife has to convince a rude investor that the wildlife park’s mission to protect endangered species is worth their money, while also dealing with an ill-mannered child and the revelation that the park she’s loved for so long is a refuge for shifters as well as an ordinary wildlife park. It’s all too much—except Elliott is there to be Aoife’s ‘mane man,’ and his steady support (not to mention his incredible biceps) help Aoife get through a day that goes wrong from the start—and right at the end, in all the very best ways.

Titles in the Shamrock Safari Shifter series include: Lion on Loan ~ Peacock on Parade ~ Gorilla in the Groove ~

This is an adult 18+ story that contains language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Title:  Lion on Loan
Series:  Shamrock Safari Shifters #1
Author:  Murphy Lawless writing as Zoe Chant
Published:  August 11, 2024
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Lion on Loan begins the Shamrock Safari Shifters series with a delightful romance between Aoife and Elliott, one human, one lion shifter, who set off sparks and laughter from their very first meeting.

Aoife is part of the education and outreach team at the Shamrock Safari Wildlife Park, and she’s been noticing something odd about some of the animals “on loan” to the park.  Some exhibit very unnatural habits.  For example, lions should be pacing, not preening in front of guests, right?  She’s about to discover a well-kept secret, one that Elliott would only share with his fated mate.  But, while he knows all about humans, she has no clue about shifters, especially the ones that make temporary appearances at this park.  Now, all he has to do is figure out how to meet her in his human form and explain what shifters are.  Easy, right?  Hmm… maybe a bit more complex than he anticipated.

Lion on Loan by Murphy Lawless, writing as Zoe Chant, is a short, completely enjoyable beginning to the Shamrock Safair Shifters series.  I had such fun watching Elliott win over his reluctant (incredulous) human.  Yes, there’s a definite attraction, a spark between them… but fated mates?  Between winning investors for the park, dealing with brand new knowledge, one rather spoiled teenager, and figuring out this fated mate thing, Aoife and Elliott have their hands full… and give us some sweet moments, touches of steam, and laughter.  I loved Lion on Loan so much; it’s well-written, funny, emotional, and a satisfying short read.  If you love laughter as a side dish in your shifter romances, then you’d love Aoife and Elliott.

I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.

If you love this author’s work, be sure to visit our Zoe Chant page for reviews of other series, or just to discover series you might have missed.

This title is available at Amazon (affiliate link)