“Heir to the Pridelands” by M.S. West

Heir to the Pridelands

M.S. West      
Gatekeeper Press (2026)
ISBN:  978-1662970108
Reviewed by Gabrielle R. Lamontagne for Reader Views (09/2026)

The joys of “found family” and “soulmate” relationships are the heart of this spirited small-town romance tale. Heir to the Pridelands by M.S. West features lots of fun plot surprises and highlights healthy masculinity, as well as healthy relationship-building skills on both sides. Sera leaves her controlling family to start a new life – and gift shop – in a small town in Wyoming, where she meets lots of bright and welcoming characters, including a horse-riding trail guide surrounded by mystery.

Delightfully well-rounded characters and a fascinating plot are the driving highlights of this contemporary paranormal romance novel. Heir to the Pridelands, book one of the Pridelands series, features plenty of the common tropes for this genre, such as supportive female friends for the female lead and supportive male siblings for the male lead, but it responds to the “alpha male” concept with more healthy, realistic real-world versions of masculine leadership. There are also some romantic serenades and fancy meal preparation for those who like to squeal and giggle when they’re reading romantic fiction. The ways in which M.S. West deviates from common tropes and uses them to enhance her story are all entirely wonderful.

While the pacing begins just right, once the main characters have reached the point of resolving communication issues, the pacing seems to slow down in a way that does not make sense for the story, nor the genre. The final few chapters seem almost to be the beginning of a new story, separate entirely from the original story of the novel, which has since been resolved – except for one loose thread that is never officially resolved in this novel. The fact that this is the first of the series is a slight consolation, especially as these final chapters bring new and thrilling twists to the paranormal aspect of the world-building that M.S. West has so fascinatingly woven into the pages of her novel. The book would be improved with a detailed pass of copy-editing, but the characters are so well-developed that it hardly distracts from enjoyment of the story.

Heir to the Pridelands is a lovely romance novel for those who enjoy the “Shifter” trope of paranormal fiction.