Book Review: Cataclysmic Shift (The Aloysius Tales: Book Three) by Tara Lain

Title: Cataclysmic Shift
Series: The Aloysius Tales: Book Three
Author: Tara Lain
Release Date: September 13, 2017
Category: Urban Fantasy

https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/cataclysmic-shift-by-tara-lain-8841-b

Aloysius, the magical black cat and powerful witch’s familiar, isn’t afraid to go into battle to protect his master, but the outcome of the fight turns his feline world upside down. A direct hit of magic steals not only his memories and power, but even the body he’s lived in for several centuries. When he wakes up naked on the floor of a veterinarian’s office, it isn’t as the cat Aloysius, but as the sixteenth-century French gentleman Alain Bellarose. And when Alain sees sexy and enigmatic veterinarian Luke Elliott, he decides he’ll make the best of his time as a human.

Luke is a man with secrets who generally prefers the company of animals—though the flamboyant boy who washes his face with the side of his hand and tries to lick his own privates might prove an exception.

Meanwhile, Witch Master Killian Barth and his secret weapon, Sammy, struggle without Aloysius’s power to draw on. Two evil females are circling, and seeing the coven’s weakness, they’re about to move in for the kill. When Alain’s memories return, he’s faced with the ultimate dilemma: protect his community or stay with the man he loves.

3.5 Stars!

So we've come to love Aloysius throughout this series and now it seems it's his turn to fall in love. Of course, since he happens to be a cat (and this isn't that type of story), he has to have the unfortunate experience of being blasted by a couple of female European witches while trying to save Blaine. Somehow afterward he wakes up in a Veterinarian office no longer a cat and unable to remember how he came to be there or worse yet, anything to do with being Killian's familiar.

Luke feels horrible that he somehow lost Killian and Blaine's cat, Aloysius. Somehow the unconscious cat escaped the exam room while they were talking. To add insult to injury Luke stumbles upon a gorgeous naked man in with the animals the next morning. The man has no memory of how he ended up there and Luke decides to help him.

Nothing about this situation is easy and while Aloysius has no idea that he's part of the magical world, it doesn't stop from his instincts behaving just a bit cat like. Nor does it bring an end to the European witches' plot. Add to that Luke and his secret past, that seems to be back again.

I hate to say this but, unfortunately, this was not my favorite book in the series, although I wanted to love it because it's Aloysius, it fell short for me. Why did I not love it? Well, the truth is, it's too sweet for me. I know, I know, it's Tara Lain. Of course, it's going to be sweet. However, Blaine and Killian were just too much. I got a toothache reading how in love they were and how sweet they were with one another, they were just much too "perfect happy couple".

Second, I gotta say Luke completely rubbed me the wrong way. Not in the way he was bad but because he had too many different personalities. I just didn't know if he was shy and quiet or sexy and sociable. He was a bit scared in one sense and then extremely confident, it was confusing. But most of all, I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that he was currently a Vet, yet from what I took of his past, it seemed a little unrealistic (I wish I could say more without spoilers).

Finally, I have to say Luke's villain was reminiscent of a cartoon character. He was so unrealistic, I had trouble not rolling my eyes at him on more than one occasion. His mental rumblings were so stupid and plain immature. I just didn't feel it.

Overall, I love Tara Lain and generally, I can let a lot go but this one was just too much.

***Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author/publisher for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.***