Bananas premise with rich rewards: three were-cougars kidnap their potential brides. It would be a horror show of a plot if it wasn’t in more capable hands. All the magic and chemistry you could want in a shifter series. I am not a person who reads series quickly. I prefer to let a book breathe after I finish it before moving on to the next one. This series was an exception: I read all 4 books in a week and it blew me away.
The series is currently part of Kindle Unlimited, FYI, or you can buy all four for less than $10. (This post contains affiliate links. Any purchase you make supports this site!) Also FYI the author changed all the covers after I'd started this post and I don't have the time to swap them out so enjoy the new look when you click over to Amazon.
1. The Cougar's Pawn - 5 Stars
Holley Trent has the most interesting world-building in her books and I absolutely inhaled this one as a result. You’ve got a cougar shapeshifter hero and a witch heroine.
Mason is an unusual alpha. He did not want the role and only took it on after his father died unexpectedly. He’s still figuring things out. He’s gotten the family’s financial situation mostly turned around. But he’s not as assertive as other alphas can be and there’s certainly room for him to grow, especially with the pack members who challenge his authority and the custody situation with his ex. I’m not generally interested in single parent stories—I prefer my romance to be child-free—but I really liked how baby Nick figured in to the story.
Ellery was a dream of a heroine. She’s feisty and gives as good as she gets. She’s only a year into practicing her brand of magic and I liked that she’s still learning and figuring it out. Her internal struggle was so compelling, especially with the way her coven rejected her and her sister because they're practicing magic differently. I could really relate to how she felt about her home in North Carolina and questioning what, if anything, was there for her anymore. But she also isn’t sure what to make of her feelings for Mason because of their unusual beginning.
Ellery and Mason together make quite the team and I’m eager to see how they take things on in future books. And I’m especially eager to see the dynamics between Ellery’s best friends and Mason’s brothers!
CW: kidnapping, violence, custody issues, child neglect, toxic family, death of a parent (heart attack), grief
Buy the book: Amazon
2. The Cougar's Trade - 5 Stars
I'm ready to submit my application to the Holley Trent Fan Club. Not only was this a fantastic book in its own right, the way she's building this series is fascinating. I ate this up with a spoon.
I really felt for Miles. Our backgrounds could not be more different and I'm much more opinionated and snarky than she is but her interior struggle really resonated with me. Miles believes she's always been overlooked. She always has to prove herself in every situation and people tend to underestimate her abilities. She decides to go all in with Hank because she doesn't want his family to suffer without him and because she doesn't want him to become a cougar permanently. She has such a big heart but she wants more: she wants Hank to really see her and to want her. Not for him to settle for her.
Hank never wanted to be Second to alpha. He wanted to pursue a career in music but that all changed when his dad died and he's been practical and resigned ever since. The Foye men have a lot to learn about the glaring, even 5 years in, and it's so interesting to see the ways they've gotten things wrong because you don't tend to see this in shifter books. Miles is a great balance to Hank because people trust her more and therefore tell her more, which can then help the pack. I really enjoyed watching Hank realize just how amazing Miles is.
Things did get a little confusing toward the end but I didn't mind it. I'm sure some of it will be cleared up in the next book. I cannot wait to see what happens between Hannah and Sean.
CW: kidnapping, past death of parents, grief, foster care (past and present), reference to plane crash, violence
Buy the book: Amazon
3. The Cougar's Bargain - 5 Stars
How is Holley Trent always this good?! This series is giving me so much life. Hannah and Sean are by far the most antagonistic pairing so far and I was curious how they’d be able to overcome their circumstances. Hannah was angry over the kidnapping, understandably so, but she’s also a prickly character to begin with. I loved learning why she acts that way, especially how it relates to her family’s complicated dynamics and why it’s led to her keeping most people at arm distance.
Sean has always felt like an afterthought in his family and all he wants is for someone to pick him and put him first. Hannah’s initial treatment did not help but his feelings shift toward feeling like he’ll only hold her back. It was interesting to see how La Dama recognized they were perfect for one another—and to see that as a reader—and then watch how they come to have the same appreciation. It was such a delightful, angsty ride. I really felt for both of them and how worried they were their growing feelings wouldn’t be reciprocated.
Trent does a great job of navigating consent and empowering Hannah at every step, especially since Hannah is a virgin. I’m not sure if Hannah is demisexual but she seems like she might fall somewhere on the ace-spectrum. I just adored Hannah and Sean together and I continue to find the Cougar aspects of this series so fascinating. Now that Hannah is a shifter herself, we get to learn so much more about the world-building and it’s such an interesting take.
There were big developments in the overarching plot of the series and I cannot wait to see how it plays out in the final book!
CW: kidnapping, violence, toxic family members, anxiety, panic attack
Buy the book: Amazon
4. The Cougar's Wish - 4 Stars
Belle and Steven do not start off on good footing: he’s tasked with essentially babysitting her due to events in the previous book and she wants no part of it. Belle frustrated me at the beginning because she refuses help when she clearly needs it. We can all behave in irrational ways and I could understand why she felt so stifled by her brothers. But I had a hard time understanding why she would’t tell them why she felt compelled to go to the hellmouth or the fact that she kept blacking out. She’s only 19 so some of the immaturity is a reflection of her age. But she’s a strong, fierce woman in her own right and I really enjoyed learning about her particular gifts and seeing how brave and courageous she was as events unfolded.
Steven came out to the ranch to make sure his sister Hannah was okay and just kept extending his leave of absence at work. It kind of made me giggle because he was so oblivious to his desire to stay. The way Steven and Hannah come to view their family of origin was really compelling and I liked watching them reconnect. He’s working through PTSD from his time in the military and this has a very interesting intersection with the paranormal aspects of this book. He and Belle really have to figure out a way to work together—indeed, the success of their plans depends on it. Even though on the surface, they don’t make sense as a couple, they really were perfectly teamed. There’s an age gap between Belle and Steven, which I didn’t love, but this was handled well for the most part.
The one issue I had was the sexism. At first, I wondered if the sexism Belle experiences at the hands of Steven and her brothers would be larger commentary on shifter books. The way the shifters treat their women is so different from how they treat Belle. They overprotect and undermine her at every turn and it made me really angry that they could not see the double standard and that Belle had to continually advocate for herself when she was more than capable. Her attitude and actions didn’t always help—she definitely has room for growth and she does rise to the occasion—but the men around her don’t trust her and even belittle her because she’s a young woman. I wanted there to be more of a connection made about the sexism she experienced but maybe that's asking for too much in a shifter romance. This is still a really strong book regardless.
I haven’t read many shifter books, and even fewer about female shifters, so maybe this is commonly addressed but I was fascinated by how this handled Belle being in heat. Ah, shifters...always making me write reactions to the weirdest things. But it really was interesting! Trent differentiates the cougar experience for men and women a few different ways, including how they find mates, but the heat aspect was really fresh and made me think.
While I’m sad this series has come to an end, there are still plenty of issues for the spinoff series to address and I’m excited to start it soon.
CW: PTSD, reference to past kidnapping, sexism, foster care, spirit possession, death of a parent, strained family relations, attempted robbery, reference to past military/war experience
Buy the book: Amazon
