Bear's Midlife Christmas

Shifter Nation: Fated Over Forty

By: Meg Ripley

Narrated by: D.C. Cole

Christmas is supposed to be the season of miracles. But seeing my ‘90s high school boyfriend change into a bear isn’t the miracle I’d hoped for.

I’ve spent my life trying to create the perfect family.
Now look at me, divorced at 44 with an empty nest,
Spending my first Christmas alone.
I just inherited my aunt’s winery up in Carlton,
So at least I’ll have that to keep me busy.
But when my high school first love shows up,
Nothing can distract me from the feelings rushing back–
Until reality smacks me in the face.
Corey took off 26 years ago and broke my heart,
Leaving me no choice but to move on.
But now here he is with his same boyish charm,
Asking for a second chance.
As we go on some festive dates together,
I finally start to let my guard down with him–
Until I find out he’s been hiding a dark secret.
He’s not only capable of morphing into a bear,
He was under a feral curse for all those years.
And when a wolf from his past comes looking for revenge,
So much for a holly, jolly Christmas–
I’m now caught in the crossfire between two vicious beasts.

Steamy shifter love scenes and an HEA inside! No cheating or cliffhanger in this standalone romance. Listeners 18+.

©2022 Meg Ripley (P)2024 Meg Ripley

Midlife Love

Mewsings
Narration review- Cole does a good job narrating this book. I like the way he does the voices and he is clear and easy to understand.
Story review- I liked that Corey, who had been feral for many years due to a family curse, was able to get his happy ending with his high school sweetheart, Tara. And the’90s references took me back to the day… I enjoy this series not only because I like Fated Mates and bear shifters, but because it shows that there are interesting love stories for people over 40.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Second chance for my first love

This was such a cute story of second chances for first loves. I was rooting for both Tara and Corey to get the happy ending they so deserved. I enjoyed this story from beginning to end.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Bear for Christmas

Love lost, and then found again. Tara and Corey were high school sweethearts. One day Corey disappears and breaks Tara’s heart. She moved on with her life. Years later she returns to town, running her aunt Fiona’s winery. Corey and Tara end up together again, time did not diminish their attraction. Things happen, and Tara learns about the family curse, and that there is an extended family of bear shifters in town. Tara can accept and love Corey for who he is, bear and all. This was a sweet light-hearted romance. Narration was well done. I received a free copy of the audiobook from Booksprout, and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Bears Midlife Christmas

The characters and storyline are well written and sweet. I enjoyed both the story and the narration by D.C. Cole.

I received a free copy of this audiobook and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Excellent

Tara and Cory have an opportunity for a second chance at love. He has been away for a while by no choice of his own, They have instant chemistry when they are reunited. I loved how they both had to adjust to their new relationship in some way, but they find a way to appreciate and love each other again. The narrator does a good job of voicing all of the different characters. I highly recommend this audible book.

Best of the Series!

To varying degrees, I've enjoyed every book in this author's Fated Over Forty series that I've read or listened to. But this one has just so much heart and Christmas spirit that it has risen to the top out of every one that I've enjoyed. The hero is so sympathetic, not really common for romantic heroes. Usually, the heroine is the one we feel sympathy for. But this poor bear shifter’s family has been cursed down the generations. While I won't go into the details, let's just say he became and remained feral for a few decades because of it. The author waited a bit long to fully divulge his crucial-to-the-story past, but once you knew it, you couldn't help but want for things to work out for him, both in his own acceptance of himself, and of course, with his mate.

As a woman who graduated from high school in 1985, I loved all the references from the ‘80s and ‘90s. This book had me swooning at the scene meant to be reminiscent of that infamous moment in Say Anything where John Cusack holds up his boombox and plays that special song. Sigh! What a way to ask your old flame to an adult prom!

This couple held off from “doing the deed” for quite a while compared to other books in this series. Most often in this series, this happens too quickly to be believable, in my view, leaving the couple awkward and distant for too much of the book. Because of their complicated past, trust issues, and self-doubt, that aspect of their relationship was appropriately held off, but when they finally had those intimate moments, it was so satisfying as a reader. This book has its dark moment, as all good romances must have, but I love the little details that Corey used to get back into the heroine's good graces. Frankly, I adored this couple so much, I would love to see more of their story!

I also loved all the holiday elements woven throughout this. It has several holiday group celebrations, like the adult prom mentioned above and a heart-warming Christmas at the bear clan headquarters, as well as other fun moments like the town Christmas tree lighting and holiday bazaar. While this is a part of a much bigger series, they can each be read as a standalone. You will appreciate the complex world the author has created if you read or listen to more of its stories, but you will still enjoy this book if you love charming holiday romances—or shifter ones—as I do. I like how the author teased at the end of the book what her next series will be, and I, for one, am greatly looking forward to it. Note to the author: Give wolf alpha Rex a love story, too!

Tara and Corey

Memory of good times? Yes. If bad? Yes. Secrets? Yrs. Good characters? The whole town and is there in the book. Is a standalone book but will help to read at least her sister's book to make sure you understand it all. Action. Consequences. Love the audio book. No cliffhanger loved it.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Corey and Tara

This was an enjoyable second-chance story about Corey, London's brother who spent years living under a curse and Tara, Tricia's sister. The sisters each inherited a business from their Aunt Fiona, and are now starting over in a new town, however, there was a lot Fiona never told them.

They shared a connection during their teenage years, but because of something beyond their control, their hearts were shattered, thankfully they're about to be given a second chance

The characters are lovable and well-developed. Cory was Tara’s first love but then he disappeared and she went on to marry
someone else and start a family. The marriage failed and their story picks up twenty-six years later when they find each other again. The story flows well and is narrated very well by D.C. Cole

Corey and Tara

Story: Tara (h) moves to the small town of Carlton for a fresh start as she focuses on making a success of her late aunt's winery and rebuilding her life after a failed marriage. But she finds herself full of unresolved emotions when her high school crush, Corey (H), who mysteriously disappeared years ago, comes back into her life. Corey isn’t just the one who got away—he’s a bear shifter with a dark past, one that includes years spent under a curse that forced him into a feral existence. As the Christmas season unfolds, Tara and Corey are drawn back to one another, but their rekindled romance is far from simple. Corey’s return brings old secrets, dangerous enemies, and the revelation of a world Tara never knew existed. Faced with the truth about Corey’s shifter nature and the violence he was forced to commit, Tara must decide if she can accept the man—and bear—Corey has become. Christmastime second-chance shifter romance, exploring love, forgiveness, family, and the courage to embrace the unexpected.

Audio: Narrator D.C. Cole does a great job with Corey and other male voices, and a good job with Tara's voice - I personally prefer a duet style where a male narrator and female narrator are used.. The audio quality is good and there were no issues.

I Enjoyed It

I enjoyed this book. It was a good second chance romance. Corey's curse was interesting and hooked me. I liked that even though they'd initially been together a short time, and now so much time had passed before they were reunited, and the pull and connection between Tara and Corey was still strong. D.C. Cole did a good job narrating this story. Well paced and easy to understand.

Overall: 4 stars
Performance: 4 stars
Story: 4 stars