A Shifter Christmas Carol by Jennifer Ashley

Dylan Morrissey forgoes the Shifters’ traditional Yule celebration, to his family’s dismay. Instead, he joins Ben at the haunted house in New Orleans, planning to meet with potential, if dangerous, allies in the Shifters’ constant struggle for freedom.

But the sentient house has other ideas. Dylan wakes up—or rather doesn’t—unable to move or speak, and is taken on a journey to the past, present, and future.

Ben, Zander, and Tiger are his guides, but is what they are showing him truth?

Series: Shifters Unbound #11.75 | Publisher: Jennifer Ashley |  Genre: Paranormal Romance | Source: Purchased  | Rating: 4 Cups 

When Dylan skips out on the Shifters’ Yule celebration, he has a plan that could ensure freedom for all Shifters. Although these potential allies are dangerous and soon the house takes it upon itself to show Dylan just how dangerous this meeting can be. Will it be enough to convince Dylan to skip the meeting and return home to his loved ones?

A Christmas Carol is one of those books that’s been retold so many times and in so many different ways but I’ve personally never read a paranormal version until I picked up A Shifters Christmas Carol.

Being a fan of Jennifer Ashley’s Shifters Unbound Series, I’m always eager to learn more about her shifters. When I realized this one was about Dylan, I knew I had to read it because he’s always been a favorite of mine and I don’t believe we’ve ever received something from his POV.

Like the original tale, Dylan is visited by three ghosts (Past, Present, and Future), which present to him visions, so not only do we get to learn a little more about Dylan’s past in Ireland, we also get to see the effects of his decision to take this meeting rather than spend Yule with his family. I thought it was brilliant the way the house decided to show him future and I enjoyed the unique characters (Ben, Zander, and Tiger—some of my favorites from this series) that guided him on this journey.

While I did enjoy this book, there was a bit of an odd ghosty-type of sex scene between Dylan and Gloria that was just weird and out of place. I also thought that, while the pacing of the book was brilliant for a short, the ending was a little abrupt; I would have liked to see more about Dylan and Gloria’s relationship when he returned home.

Overall, this novella was a great addition to the series. I would have liked it to have been longer just so I could have seen more of Dylan but I feel like this was well-rounded.

If you’re a fan of this series, this one shouldn’t be missed.