True Nature by JaeTrue Nature by Jae is the second story in the “Nature” Series.  Personally, I liked this story better than Second Nature. While both have amazing characters and take us into the hidden world of shape-shifters, True Nature expands on certain themes that humans, and other creatures, can relate to. So even if you’re not the biggest fan of supernatural stories, this one will draw you in with its emphasis on the importance of family, no matter who they are.

Things have calmed considerably since the Wrasa clans decided to make Jorie their new dream seer. Now she is under protective guard by her lover, and liger shifter, Griffin, and wolf-shifter, Kelsey Yates. Kelsey’s loyalty is questioned from the beginning since her former pack tried to kill Jorie. But Kelsey is hell bent to prove herself to Jorie and Griffin that she can be trusted. When Jorie has a dream about a young wolf-shifter being harmed by a human woman, Kelsey gets her opportunity to do just that.

In Jorie’s dream, she sees a fourteen-year-old shape-shifter, Danny Harding, being strangled by his adoptive mother, Rue Harding. Jorie is reluctant to tell the council because of her personal experience with the Wrasa. Instead, she and Griffin send Kelsey to protect Danny and get him away from Rue.

When Danny runs away to New York City, the Kelsey and Rue must team up to find him before he makes his first transformation and expose the entire shape-shifter’s existence to the world. Will they be able to find Danny in time and help him understand who and what he is? And will Kelsey and Rue find something more tangible and fierce than the animal within?

The Characters

It’s always interesting to read about characters with supernatural abilities. Whether it’s vampires, werewolves, or shape-shifters, there must be a balance between the human form they personify to the rest of the world and the creature that resides within them. In addition, it needs to be believable that they can live among society with no one the wiser. Jae pulls this off impeccably with this series.

Kelsey is the type of person I would expect to be a wolf shifter. She is loyal and wants to prove herself capable. She is willing to sacrifice what is necessary for her pack. Unfortunately, due to her past deeds, she is a wolf without a pack. She has a deep seeded hurt that drives her to find her place in a pack type environment. It’s this yearning that has her wanting to please those around her and find a family. When she goes on this mission, she hopes it’ll prove her loyalty to Griffin and Jorie. However, she finds this familial bond in the most unlikely of places, and with a human no less.

Rue Harding is the epitome of an alpha personality, without the animal shifting abilities. She’s very self-sufficient and exudes a dominance that one needs to have to run a business and a household with a teenager. She’s very much the opposite of Kelsey, who is more subservient due to her place in the pack order. While the two women seem to have conflicting personalities, the one thing they have in common is Danny and their concern for his well-being. This is the tie that will bind them together and will lead them to find an unexpected, unconventional, yet loving, family dynamic.   

The Writing Style

Whenever I pick up a book by Jae, I know I’m always in for an epic story. All of her stories get my adrenaline pumping and make me hesitant to put it down. Yet, in the midst of all the excitement, she always has a core theme that drives the characters and their actions. In True Nature, that theme is family. It is the crux of the entire story. From Kelsey’s perspective, we see a woman who is longing for a family, a pack, of her own. Even Rue, despite her coarse exterior, wants to make her family whole again after the ugly split with her ex. This theme is the driving force throughout the story, and it makes this story tangible to people who may be interested yet are not fans of supernatural.

The Pros

The best quality in this story is how it’s grounded in the reality of the world we live in today. Even though the supernatural element takes center stage, the elements of family, romance, and mystery will appeal to readers of any genre.

The Cons

Some of this story relies on what was set up in Second Nature. While you can start with True Nature, to really get a sense of who Griffin and Jorie are, as well as the language of the Wrasa, it’s best to start with first in the series. Otherwise, I have no complaints. Well, just one: when is the next book coming out?

annas favourite booksThe Conclusion

Even though this book was released in 2013, I feel the themes are very reflective of the world we live in today. Families of all shapes, sizes, race and sexual orientation are everywhere living happily. And they are better for it not because they are considered “nontraditional.” They are better because they have unconditional love for each other. I urge you to read True Nature and see just how amazing these characters are and watch the lengths they will go to and protect the family they hold dear.

Excerpt from True Nature by Jae

Rue Harding swiveled form the side to side in her high-backed chair while she clicked a mouse around her flat-screen computer monitor. “That’s not up for debate, Spencer,” she said into her headset. “Tell him either I’m the one cutting the red ribbon at the opening of spring market, or I’m taking my business elsewhere. And let him know I want our company logo larger than that.”

She wasn’t yelling. She didn’t need to. The power of her authority hit Kelsey’s nose with the force of a kick in the head…

Kelsey knew she should step forward and force the human to finally turn her attention, but her natural instincts told her to linger at the back of the room and wait until Ms. Harding had time for her…

Two more clicks and the human twirled her chair around to face Kelsey…For a moment, Kelsey was reminded of a blond, blue-eyed angel that she had once seen painted on the ceiling of a human church.

And surely an angel wouldn’t pierce her with such an intense star. Rue Harding stretched her athletic body, leaned back in her leather chair, and folded her hands behind her head, elbows sticking out to both sides. She studied Kelsey without saying a word, apparently not feeling the need to fill the silence by exchanging pleasantries.

Kelsey fought against the urge to look away and returned the appraisal.

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Series

True Nature

Second Nature

Natural Family Disasters: Five Shape-Shifter Short Stories

Manhattan Moon

Nature Of The Pack

Pigeon Post

[tweetthis]Kelsey hung helplessly in Rue’s grip. She felt as if she were pulled into the gravity of Rue’s body.[/tweetthis]

Bits and Bobs

  • ISBN number: 9783955330347
  • Publisher: Ylva Publishing

Jae Online

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Please note: we received a review copy of this. However the reviewer who wrote the review used her own copy to review this work.