Bear's Midlife Witch

Shifter Nation: Fated over Forty

By: Meg Ripley

Narrated by: D.C. Cole

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'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.

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....

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