Bear's Midlife Matchmaker

Shifter Nation: Fated Over Forty

By: Meg Ripley

Narrated by: D.C. Cole

Length: 4 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

"I just couldn’t see myself in a relationship with anyone here. Except you."

Those are the last words I expected to hear that night. After a failed marriage and sending my twins off to college, it was finally time to put myself first. I stepped way outside of my comfort zone and moved my relationship therapy practice up north. To help get my name out there, I hosted a speed dating event from my new home office, just in time for Valentine’s Day. But I never thought I’d be struck by Cupid’s arrow myself. 

When a rugged stranger with soulful eyes showed up and asked me to take a round with him, I soon learned just how good this carpenter is with his hands. But there’s another side of Pax unlike anything I’ve seen. At the risk of sounding certifiably insane, when I was attacked by a client, Pax changed from the man I’d come to love to a snarling, ferocious bear.

He may have saved me from that fate, but now, who will save me from him?

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

©2022 Meg Ripley (P)2023 Meg Ripley

My bear

A sweet love story with a couple o twists. To accept another person with all the different is not easy.

First Time Audio Read

I’m usually an avid book reader. Love having the book physically in my hand, so it was definitely interesting for me to have an audible only book to review. It was definitely a new experience, but enjoyable none the less. To hear the inflection in voices and, just hearing the voices reading the book in general, created a new world for the book. It was a new experience, to say the least. Good character dynamic and storytelling.

Great story.

I found this was an outstanding plot
that had my attention from the very beginning.
I can’t say anything negative about this book because
I found none.
The narrator has done a brilliant job of bring the book alive.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

"James Thompson wasn’t much of a talker,..."

"James Thompson wasn’t much of a talker, so if he did open his mouth, the others would listen. But would they understand?"

It's a toss up which Pax notices first, Carrie, or the woodwork in her home, but either way, his eye has been caught and he's interested in spending more time with them.

Carrie is establishing a new business in a tight knit community, that's hard enough, but the self-doubt her ex-husband planted in her mind is egged on at the most unfortunate times by misunderstandings, and some good old fashioned local secrets.

This done in one story was incredibly satisfying, containing more story/plot and character moments than I expected, all well paced.

So often stories about trust issues focus on trusting others, and there is some of that here, but add in the self-doubt / struggling to trust yourself at times and the story gets really interesting.

Good

I enjoyed this book. I've listened to the previous books on audio. I liked that Carrie and Pax met at a speed dating event that she held (and that she was a relationship therapist). Their attraction to each other was immediate. He wasn't connecting with anyone there (except her), and she couldn't take her eyes off him. I liked Carrie's personality and that she was willing to take risks. As with the previous books, D.C. Cole narrated this one as well and did a good job.

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

Awesome Bear Shifter Romance

This is a great paranormal bear shifter romance. I enjoyed this audio version; it made the characters come alive with the narration, it is steamy, entertaining, romantic with a great hero and heroine.
I love reading/listening about sexy big bad cuddly bear shifters and that is what the hero Pax is. Pax wants a mate so when he attends a speed dating event he sets his sites on the organizer Carrie who is a relationship therapist. The two have a sizzling, passionate night together and neither can seem to keep the other off their mind. The more time the two spend together Pax realized that Carrie is his fated mate.

Can Pax the sexy big cuddly bear shifter find love in a human relationship therapist, how will Carrie take it when she finds out that Pax is a bear shifter, will it make or break their relationship?

I received an ARC via Booksprout and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Another Great Addition to the Series

This was another great addition to the series. The characters were endearing while the story line was engaging. D.C. Cole did a great job of breathing life into this story and making it as fun to listen to as it was to read.

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

Finding Love

The third book in the Shifter Nation: Fated Over Forty series another well written story that held my interest until the end. Carrie a human hosted a speed dating event from her new home office, just in time for Valentine’s Day, she meets bear shifter Pax. I enjoyed seeing their story come together with all its ups and downs. D.C. Cole does a very good narration of this story. I hope more stories in this series are put in to Audible.

Cupid

The narration was good along with the the storyline. This is Carrie and Pax's story. She is startig over and Pax is looking for the right person. Sparks fly as soon as they meet. Can they make it work? Or will things get in the way?.

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

Captivating, Steamy and Dangerous

Bear's Midlife Matchmaker by Meg Ripley is a captivating shifter romance novel that brings a mature touch to the genre with its characters over 40. With a mix of real-life experience and shifter magic, this book is an enthralling read that explores themes such as divorce, dating as an older adult, speed dating, Steam, and an interconnected universe with past books in the series. Whether you enjoy standalone books or the series as a whole, this book will keep you engaged with its intense moments of drama that lead to a satisfying HEA.