Next Door Midlife Bear

Shifter Nation: Fated over Forty

By: Meg Ripley

Narrated by: D.C. Cole

When I said I needed a midlife reboot, growing pumpkins in a town full of bear people wasn't what I had in mind. Neither was falling for one of them.

I should've been more specific when I asked the universe for a change

Because here I am at 44, left with my late aunts rundown farmhouse

And a pumpkin patch I know jack about running. But hey, at least it came with a view.

My hot new neighbor stepped out of the shower in plain sight, Giving me a very warm welcome to the neighborhood.

Turns out Duke's not only a hunky cop but the chief of police.

When I run into him at a Halloween party in town, there's no disguising the raw desire between us.

And for a woman who'd never seen herself with kids, his three little ones burrowed their way into my heart.

But not everyone in town is as welcoming as the McMillans.

Hillbillies are trying to intimidate me into selling my land, and when they realize I wont budge, all hell breaks loose.

Now I'm uncovering dark secrets that should've remained hidden, and Duke swears he'll stop at nothing to protect me.

But I'll soon discover Duke and his kids have a secret of their own.

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

©2022 Meg Ripley (P)2024 Meg Ripley

Older people and romance

Enjoyed and delighted with this story, it shows that love can be found by older people and not just the young. Entertaining tale of an older woman and a single dad over 40 seeking a relationship. The characters are real and likable especially the three children who are so adorable and humorous.

Duke and Tricia

Story: Tricia (h) inherits a rundown farmhouse with a pumpkin patch in the small town of Carlton and sees it as a chance for a fresh start, though she worries about the challenge of restoring the farmhouse and managing the pumpkin crop. Soon after moving in, Tricia meets her neighbor, Duke (H), a widowed police chief with a mysterious aura, and finds herself drawn to him, as he is to her. However, Tricia quickly learns that Duke's life is filled with responsibilities as the father of three young children, Mason, Mia, and Oliver, and as the town’s protector. As Tricia and Duke grow closer, Tricia finds herself entangled in a dangerous feud between two rival clans, the Thompsons and the Johnstons, and when Tricia refuses to sell, her life is in danger, and Duke will have to come to her aid. The generations-long feud takes on new meaning when Tricia discovers that Duke and the other members of his clan are bear shifters, shattering her understanding of the world. As the threats against her escalate, Tricia must decide whether to stay and fight for her new home or return to the safety of her old life. Hot and steamy midlife, bear shifter romance, exploring love, loyalty, danger, new beginnings, found family, community and finding a place where you truly belong, even if it’s not where you expected.

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

Arc review/audible

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. Tricia Fitzpatrick inherited her aunts pumpkin patch farmhouse in Carlton next door to chief file McMillan and his three kids . While there she learns the secret of the farm and town. Awesome story

Fall-Themed Fated over Forty Love Story

I've listened to many, if not all, of the books in this series, and I like the author's midlife mates formula. The couples do seem to jump into bed, or in this case, get intimate against a building, a bit too quickly, usually making things awkward between them for a while. That happened in this book. Considering the stories are relatively short, I think they would be more fun if they had more relationship build-up before they “do the deed,” giving the couple more happy on-screen time together. The way it's written, they spend too much time apart, brooding over the awkwardness and lack of potential as a future couple. Romances are so much more delightful when the couple has a lot of shared time together, not distanced because of awkwardness or doubts. Let us see their attraction beyond lust; let us size up their potential, even if they can’t see it!

The hero lost his wife to cancer a year ago, and this is the first time he's hooked up with or been attracted to a woman since her death. This makes him feel a bit guilty, of course. He has three charming children, including twin 6-year-olds, a boy and a girl. Even though he's a bit gruff and the children have gone through their own stages of grieving for their mother, the children are well adjusted and actually kind hearted. The heroine gets injured early in the story, and when the children see her struggling to get her pumpkins ready for sale, they give up their play to help her! She never had children, but they get along very well, and their scenes show she has a natural motherly bent. (I particularly loved how she kept trick-or-treating going and even made it better for the kids after a minor injury!) These books have a dangerous element as well as the romance and family/clan drama. In this book, the heroine has inherited a house and pumpkin patch the neighbors desperately want to buy—so desperately they're willing to injure others, destroy property, and perhaps even kill. Yikes! This situation comes to a very dramatic climax that leaves the heroine stunned. Let's just say it's very clear the hero is not just a man! She also comes to appreciate what being a part of his special community means. They do take care of their own.

If you enjoy reading or listening to steamy shifter romances and appreciate love stories starring middle-aged characters, you will probably enjoy this book. If you've read or listened to other books in this series, you'll know what to expect, even though the circumstances change. If you're new to the series, you won't be confused if you start with this book, as it can easily stand alone. As I stated at the start of this review, the stories in this series are a bit formulaic, but that isn't necessarily bad if the formula is good! I find myself looking forward to new audiobooks in the series, snapping them up (and listening to them quickly!) as soon as I see them at a book review site.

Excellent

This is an entertaining shifter story with a steamy romance. The storyline introduces suspense and intrigue with a threat to her safety and home by some aggressive locals. Duke and Tricia have a strong connection from their first encounter and it only grows stronger. I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

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

Understanding

Destiny brought her to a new place and to learn about the shifters living in their community.

Secrets

This is Duke and Tricia's story. She inherited a pumkin patch. Can she run it? Duke is a widowed chief of police. Someone wants her out, will she leave? Duke and his children seem to like her a lot? Can he protect her?.

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

Enjoyable

Cat’s Stats
MMC/FMC- Duke and Tricia
Genre- Paranormal Light Romance
Sub Genre- Shifters (Bear)
Heat- 🌋🌋🌋☄️ (1🌋=2☄️)
Series? Y
Safety? Y
Triggers- grief, erotic content, violence
Tropes- Bear with Me, Adorable Moppets, Damsel in Distress, Love After Loss, A Fair Cop, Single Dad, Neighbors, The Great Pumpkin
Mewsings
What I liked- I thought the narration was excellent. The narrator is very good at both male and female voices. I liked the characters a lot, and the premise.
What I didn’t- not much. The plot was pretty simple.Still, I enjoyed this audiobook.

The character's are so well written.

I Loved the plot and the character's. I love how they met and how they started their relationship. The kids are adorable. The narrator did amazing.

Small Town Romance

Loved the next door neighbor concept. This is book 11 in the Fated over Forty series. It is a quick listen. Tricia was at a point in her life where she was trying to figure things out. She inherited a pumpkin farm and had no experience or knowledge of how things worked. She meets Duke the neighbor and his 3 kids. Life is funny and scary but overall life is good. Mates always find their way. Fate says so. The narrator did a good job.