Alexis Parrish is very single. Sassy and smart, she’s great at her job as a journalist, but it’s never given her the time to find the right man–specifically, a human. So when she gets assigned to interview Max, a lion shifter, about the new dating app he’s created, she can’t believe her intense attraction to him. After all, humans and shifters don’t date.

Max is used to causing trouble. He broke tradition by creating the dating app, Shifter, which humans and shifters alike can use to answer the call of the wild.

When Max challenges Alexis to give him a chance, she can’t say no. A human like her has no business with this handsome alpha lion, but she can’t resist his magnetism. Their chemistry is primal, their connection positively animalistic. After all, once you go shifter, you never go back.

But when a rogue shifter group against inter-species dating targets Alexis, Max will stop at nothing to protect her. It’s more than his pride on the line; it’s his mate.

Sexy shifters and their feisty mates who aren’t shy about loving each other – so, this is an adult, 18+ reader tale.

Titles in the Shifter Date series include:  Must Love Lions –  Hungry As A Wolf – This Kitten’s Got Curves

Title:  Must Love Lions
Series:  Shifter Date #1
Author:  Alma Black
Published:  November 28, 2016
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Shifters and humans are well aware of each other.  Yet, in Alma Black’s unique Shifter world they rarely, if ever, date.  In actual fact humans and Shifters have been mating for hundreds of years – unofficially.  In public, both sides keep to their own world of potential partners while keeping a wary eye on each other.

Max has created a dating app that is about to change everything for both humans and Shifters – and not everyone is happy about that fact.

Alexis has come to this meeting with Max for an interview about his Shifter dating app quite unwillingly.  She is of the camp that firmly believes that Shifters and Humans should not mingle romantically.  She’s about to discover that Max can be very compelling, sexy and stubborn.  While agreeing to write her article with honesty, she’s caught up in a slight challenge with Max and ends up going on a date.. no, a meeting, definitely not a date but a meeting.  Yeah.  Right.  *wink*  Alexis is about to discover that everything she’s believed just might need some… readjusting.

Danger presents itself when a rogue group targets Alexis and her publication for daring to consider inter species dating or mating.  Max will do anything necessary to protect Alexis, who he is falling for hard and fast – including taking on a dangerous shadow group of fanatics.

Must Love Lions is Alma Black debut Shifter Romance novel – and I never would have suspected that if I hadn’t read it at the ending of this story.  Their world is quite complete and believable without needing to know a lot of details.  Yes, there is some world building in this first story in the series.  Yet I didn’t find it overwhelming at all, more of a comfortable feel.  While this world is certainly not exclusive to Shifter Romance it certainly flowed easily and with no need to stop and stretch my imagination as I read.

Secondary characters matter to me.  They are the extra touches that make any story believable for me.  I was caught up in the story enough that the secondary characters flowed naturally without jarring me from the action on page.  They each had their place and added to the suspense and flow of Max and Alexis’ romance.  In fact, I’m hoping that several get their own stories told one day soon.

Max and Alexis were a delight.  Alexis is… how do I put this nicely… hardheaded, yes that works.  She’s sassy, sexy, smart and quite set in her opinions unless she can be shown to her satisfaction that her opinions need to change.  She may have agreed to that first date meeting reluctantly, but she soon realizes just what an amazing man Max is – and she adjusts accordingly.  That doesn’t mean that he’s always right or that she always will agree with him – but she is willing to give them a chance.  Max has a lot on his plate, and he’s balancing them as well as he can.  He’s going to face some personal heartache in this story, and it will change his outlook on some things.  What won’t be changed is his devotion to Alexis and his belief in his dating app.

I completely enjoyed my time spent with Max and Alexis.  I would definitely recommend this story to any Paranormal Romance reader.

I read this book with my Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Available for the Kindle