Bear's Midlife Witch

Shifter Nation: Fated over Forty

By: Meg Ripley

Narrated by: D.C. Cole

Length: 4 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Raising two half-breed teenagers as a widowed witch is just the beginning of my midlife crisis.

My husband got into a fight and plunged off a bridge, leaving me to raise our two children on my own. After struggling for the last fourteen years, I pack up my kids and move in with my crazy old aunt in Carlton. I land a waitressing gig, and the moment I meet the head chef, his deep green eyes have me spellbound.

Drew may be a single parent like me, but with his bad boy looks and mischievous smile, I know he’ll be nothing but trouble—especially when I hear he’s a bear shifter, just like my late husband. His unusual last name sounds strangely familiar, though.

Intuition has me pull the police report for my husband’s case, but it burst into flames in my hands when I saw the name of the suspect: The same one belonging to the man I can’t resist.

Drew swears he didn’t kill him, but I don’t believe him. Until my dead husband shows up at the restaurant alive and well—with a new mate and two kids.

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

Bear's Midlife Witch

Shannon has moved back in with her aunt bringing her two teenagers. Fourteen years ago her husband was killed leaving her a daughter and one on the way. Now she's in Carlton. She gets a job in the local diner as a waitress. There she meets Drew, the chef. Drew is a bear, Shannon is a witch. But they keep that tidbit secret. One day she's doing her job when her "dead" husband does up with a wife and two children. YIKES!
D.C. Cole is remarkable in his reading of each of the characters.
Fantastic audio and story!!.

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

Shannon and Drew....

I voluntarily reviewed an arc of this book.

This is a standalone shifter romance in the Fated over Forty series, it can be read as a standalone story. Fast-paced and quick to read. Plenty of drama and emotion throughout this story, Shannon and her two children are starting over in a small town after her husband passed away and the children needing help with their magic. She meets Drew at her new job and the chemistry between them sizzles until Shannon's past walks in the door. Entertaining story.

Update: I have voluntarily listened to the audio book, this is the first story I've listened to. Was well narrated and let me carry one with something else while listened. I did find it longer to listen to the audible version than just reading the book. I will definitely try another one.

I Enjoyed It

I really enjoyed this book. I loved both Drew and widow Shannon. They had immediate chemistry together. His name sounded familiar to Shannon, but she couldn't remember how or why. I was hooked when she learned he was the suspect in her husband's death. And even more so in a twist that he's not dead at all. I don't enjoy petty drama, but this kind I like. D.C. Cole does another great job narrating this book and bringing these characters to life.

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

Drew and Shannon

Story: Shannon (h), a widowed witch, moves to Carlton with her two half-breed teenagers to live with her eccentric aunt. Struggling to make ends meet, she lands a job as a waitress at The Warehouse, where she meets Drew (H), the head chef, and a fellow single parent. Despite their instant attraction, Shannon is wary of Drew's bad boy image and discovers he's a bear shifter like her late husband. When she uncovers a connection between Drew and her husband's death, tensions rise. However, the situation takes a surprising turn when Shannon's supposedly deceased husband shows up alive with a new family. As secrets unravel and pasts collide, Shannon and Drew must navigate trust, betrayal, and newfound revelations to forge a future together. Hot and steamy witch-bear shifter, later in life, fated mates romance about resilience, overcoming challenges, and the complexities of family dynamics in the midst of magical upheaval.

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

my first bear shifter book

Shannon a witch and single mother finds herself back home living with her aunt. hoping to get back on her feet she gets a job at a nearby restaurant where she meets Drew a bear shifter and single father who realizes that she is his mate. The story kept me intrigued for sure.

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

Shifters

This is another book in the fated after forty series and it was ok. Didn't really hold my attention until over halfway through the story. The narrator is great for most of the story but the female characters are awful.

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

Shannon and Drew's Story . . .

Shannon Wood is a witch and a single mom with two teenage children, Liam and Kinsley. After her husband is killed in a drunken fight, she moves to Carlton to live with her Aunt Lenora Millhouse who can help Liam with his magic. Shannon meets the head chef at The Warehouse, a brewery where she is interviewing for a waitress job. Drew Proulx is a bear shifter and shares custody of his daughter Emma. Shannon is drawn to Drew, but she is not certain if she may know him from her past or not. When she tries a spell to get more information about Drew, she keeps seeing her deceased ex, Jason. So she goes to the police station to get a copy of the report on Jason’s death. When her eyes landed on the list of suspects, she saw Drew’s name as rage came over her and the police report began to burn in her fingers. Will he confront Drew over this? Will she move away? Or will she perhaps discuss this with him and find out his side of what happened that night? Could she believe him?

The story line is intriguing and the characters will draw you into their story. But there is more to come in this one as a sudden twist in the story line will grab your attention to see what happened and how it gets resolved. Would her suppressed witchcraft skills come back to keep her safe from the danger as she confronts the past? Would the revelations that become obvious bring Shannon and Drew together? Or tear them apart? The narrator for the audiobook version is D.C. Cole who does an outstanding job with the voices to personalize the story and make it easy for the listener to get an accurate impression of what each character is like. This helps to set the mood, familiarize the reader with the characters, and is a pleasant way to “read” and enjoy the book.

Great audiobook

Drew is a bear shifter and Siegal father. He's a chef at the brewery. When Shannon came to town and got a job at the brewery as a waitress, he knew he met his fated mate. Shannon is a witch and a single mom. She meets Drew and the attraction was intense. When Shannon's dead husband appears out of no where with another family, all heck breaks loose and Drew and Shannon will have to face the issues.
I liked all the characters, Drew is protective and stubborn. Shannon is stubborn but caring. This book is whimsical, steamy, tons of drama, a touch of danger, and fated mates.

The narrator, D. C. Cole done a wonderful job with the narration.

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

Shannon and Drew

Shannon is a widow with two teens. She moves back home to her aunt’s house, and get a job waitressing. There she meets Drew, and it is instant attraction. Shannon is a witch. Her ex was a bear shifter. This leaves her teens as witch/bear shifters. They are in for a bumpy relationship when Shannon finds out Drew is a bear shifter, and then was around when her ex died (only turns out he is not dead). This was a fun story, an easy listen, and enjoyable. The narrator did a good job with the different voices. I received a free copy of this audiobook and am voluntarily leaving my review.

A Nice Installment

This is a well-written installment in the Fated over Forty series from Meg Ripley; the narration on the audio is good. I really enjoy how the stories are really quite ordinary, despite the supernatural nature of the characters. It's a believable balance that makes you think this place, and these people, could really exist right over there, and you could go have dinner with them at the Warehouse. I really like that. The characters are realistic and have normal issues while also struggling with their more unusual natures, and it makes for an enjoyable read.

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