Her Lumberjack Bear Mate

Crescent Lake Bears #1

by Arizona Tape

City girl Ella prides herself in going above and beyond when it comes to crafting bespoke furniture pieces for her high end clients. Even if that means leaving the comforts of the city and handpicking the tree needed for her latest project. Bear shifter and lumberjack Darcy often gets underestimated because of her small size but there hasn't been a tree in Bearton she can't fell. When she gets a demanding order from a beautiful furniture maker who insists on seeing the tree she’s buying before it’s cut, she agrees to take her to her family cabin in the forest. A decision she quickly comes to regret. An unfortunate incident leads them to share a single bed and the forced proximity sparks plenty of frustrations but is that the only reason for the growing tension between them? - Her Lumberjack Bear Mate is a paranormal fated mates romance featuring a bear shifter and her mate. It includes a standalone opposites-attract romance and a dash of steamy goodness. It is part of the Crescent Lake Bears series.

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal, Shapeshifters, Queer, Lesbian, Paranormal Romance

200 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 15, 2023

About the author

Arizona Tape lives her dream life hanging out with her dog and writing stories all day.

Her favourite books to write are urban fantasy and paranormal romances with queer leads, stories that she wished were around when she was younger.

When she’s not writing, she can be found cooking up a storm in the kitchen, watching shows that make her cry, or trying her hand at her new hobby of the week.

She currently lives in the United Kingdom with her girlfriend and her adorable dog who is the star of her newsletter. Sign up here for adorable pictures, free books, and news about her books: www.arizonatape.com/subscribe



Facebook Page: http://facebook.com/arizonatapeauthor
Reader Group: http://facebook.com/groups/arizonatape
Bookbub: http://www.bookbub.com/authors/arizon...
Twitter: http://twitter.com/arizonatape
Instagram: http://instagram.com/arizonatape
TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@arizonatape
Her books are available on all retailers and can be requested from most public libraries.

Reviews

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tape's books have humor and romance and this series features bear shifters on the lookout for fated mates.
Jokester and bear shifter Darcy isn't taken seriously, she is sort of small for her job as a lumberjack. Fine furniture crafter Ella's latest commission is a doozy - carve a rocking chair from a single block of wood - client twist, Ella must be present for the tree felling. That means going into bear shifter territory. No problem, huh?
Read on to find out about the moon ceremony and if Darcy's fated mate turns out to be Ella. Weather plays a part, there is attraction and some doubt - the lumberjack and the furniture maker - why not!!
A nifty, happy and enjoyable read.

[Jos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounding up. Pacing was a little fast on this one, but the two leads had pretty decent chemistry.

This one jumps right into it. Bear shifters have access to very good wood, and a woodworker needs that wood for a commissioned piece. Most of the story takes place between 2 days. The attraction between the two characters is decently paced despite the short time together.

If you're into paranormal romance, this might be for you. It was a quick read that didn't go into a lot of depth. I would have liked to see a bit more expanded, but the chemistry between the leads wasn't bad. Also, the conflict was not a communication issue, which was quite nice.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Due to BookSprout I've been reading these books out of order. So, I've already read a Crescent Lake Bear story before starting this one. But, since I really liked that story it actually only made me look forward to this one even more. The short glimpse at these characters made me really curious to read their story.

This was the perfect book to start a long and busy day with. This story is cute, heartwarming, in a way comfortingly predictable and it explains the mythology of Crescent Lake very well without info-dumping. It's one of the author's longer books and yet it felt like the story was over way too soon already. I could have spent some more time with these characters.

Especially because I really loved both characters so much. They were quite different from each other. Ella was the kind of woman needing some time before feeling comfortable. Darcy is the kind of woman turning everything into a joke and lightening up every situation. Together they were a match made in heaven, bringing out new sides in the other.

I also liked, once more, how healthy this relationship was. The characters communicated. If there were issues, if they had doubts, they talked about it. They were also honest, even if the honest answer was probably not the answer the other wanted to hear. Therefore the other always knew what they could expect and what they were choosing for.

I can't wait to read more books in this series!

[Autumn Aria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cozy à la spice

[J.L. Thornton · Rating 2 out of 5]

So obviously I wasn't expecting anything groundbreaking from a sapphic urban(ish) fantasy romance wjere I was just hoping for fun and spice and escapism, but even so, this just fell flat for me. The characters were fine, and some of rhe world building was interesting, but my main issue was that the whole main conflict revolved around "are we actually fated mates?" which was literally answered in the title. Meaning there was genuimely no stakes, no tension, nothing, which is different from a typical romance where, yes, you know the couple is gonna get together at the end but you don't know how they're gonna navigate the conflict or larger plot (internal/external factors keeping them apart, misunderstanding, miscommunication, social pressure, etc.). Here after some initial sort of contrived not liking each other at first and a sort of plot about carving a rocking chair out of a giant slab of wood that then never got addressed once the whole "fated mates" thing kicked in, the entire stress and conflict was what was already resolved by the title. Just made the whole thing pretty bland and unsatisfying to read.

[TaniaRina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Healthy dose of humor with a naughty amount of natural instincts
Darcy is just sooo down to earth. Being a shifter, working in the woods, her bear puns, and happy outlook on life.


Woodworking is such an awesome calling!
A friend of Hubby built the bookshelf I use in the guest room. It’s dark wood and have leaves carved along the front trip. It truly is a work of art and will come with us in future no matter how much we downsize in our elder years.


Ohhhhhh…..
‘There’s a saying that the mating mark is a promise from the universe but the mating bite is a promise from the shifter.’
Now, I know that I’ve paid attention to the other Crescent Lake books, but THIS line clearly marks how these two series differ from others with fated mates.
Also, there’s mention of ‘whether two people are compatible and have the same intentions’. Darcy goes into a wee bit more about belief and tradition as well as some possible benefits of fated mates.
I appreciate how the author portrays a range of dating styles in her works. Even fated mates work on different timelines and have diverse backgrounds & experiences.


If Darcy can pack away a Full English lickety-split, I can only imagine what foods the author has for us in the upcoming ‘Her Breakfast Bear Mate’.

[cloud_9_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet cozy shifter romance

3.5 stars. This was a quick, cozy shifter romance that made for an easy, comforting read. The plot was a bit rushed and predictable near the end, but overall it delivered exactly what it promised. A sweet, low-angst story that’s perfect for when you just want something simple and cozy.

[J H · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay read

I enjoyed the characters and their chemistry, but everything was fairly predictable. Animals/shifters should have a heightened sense of smell and would be able to detect storms and closet smokers.

[Natalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,25

[Meghan McCue · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was one of the free downloads in the Apple Store so I figured hey, why the hell not. I went in with an open mind and it somehow was even worse than one could imagine! Although gotta hand it to the girls for seeing if they’re mates approximately 48 hours after meeting.

[Spatial · Rating 2 out of 5]

Immersion Breaking Premise

Okay so the story itself was fine. nothing much happens in terms of plot or context or "steam", and the world building clearly intends for you to have prior knowledge despite being the "first" in the series. Over use of "the bear shifter" and "the furniture maker" in lieu of just using names and pronouns which is always annoying when those monikers aren't relevant to the scene at all. However, none of that is my actual issue.
There was clearly NO research done for the premise of this story. I'm by no means an expert woodworker but nothing about the inciting incident in this story makes any sense at all, made even more annoying by it never being resolved once the romance flashbangs to completion. A 2 meter by 1 meter by 1 meter block of wood would
a) be ridiculously expensive. Why the author would give a real world number instead of just handwaving it is beyond me, but that quote was missing some zeros.
b) be extremely heavy. I thought a team of bears was going to be called in to haul it back to town but nope, 1 apparently smaller than average bear drags it miles through the woods and then 1 small human loads it onto a truck herself. no.
c) to make anything of quality out of wood it needs to be DRY. The order was placed for a month out, it takes about two weeks to get to the cutting, so there's two weeks to dry and design and carve a whole rocking chair. only thing is oak dries at approximately ONE INCH PER YEAR meaning it would take FORTY YEARS for a slab that thick to be dry enough to work with. That's why things don't get made like this, it's just stupid and would be needlessly expensive (aka way more than 500 gbp)
c) even if the wood was DRIED BY MAGIC it would take WAY MORE than the 2-3 remaining weeks to carve a block that size down into a chair. Hopefully Ella quoted the customer thousands of pounds for all the overtime she would have put into this project... only oh yeah
d) SHE STOPS WORKING ON IT A WEEK LATER. and goes on an overnight lake vacation (on a weekday!)

I'm super disappointed that her whole life, whole livelihood, her passion (which she voices in the story as being important to her!) were so casually and easily tossed aside in the story in lieu of the "romance". Balance is important but it is not easy. If the characters had needed to actively put in effort at maintaining this balance, working around competing schedules and impossible time constraints, it would have introduced some much needed struggle and conflict into this boring plank of a story.

also what "steam"? the sentence describing the one intimate moment these two have is pathetic. she puts two fingers in her and she orgasms instantly, scene done.

pass.

[Tuni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aw man. What a bummer to rate this 2 stars. It was just so dang boring. It felt like half the book was just a constant cycle of the same conversation over and over again.

And the relationship didn’t feel earned. I mean, it’s a novella, so you know things are gonna go off like ONE TWO THREE. But this was like one… one… one… one… THREE. If that makes any sense. lol

Also, if this matters to you, the “dash of steamy goodness” is a closed door lie.

[Cath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book one of the Crescent Lake Bears series and the main characters are Ella, a city girl, who has her own bespoke woodworking furniture business, Moonlight Furniture, and Darcy, a bear shifter and lumberjack, who works for the family business, Honeywell Lumber. Darcy is the youngest of eight bear shifter siblings and the only girl. Ella has a particularly demanding customer, who insists that Ella watches the tree for her project being cut down, to confirm it is from Bearton Woods and that the chair be made from one solid piece of wood. She needs to check that her local lumber place will allow this, but when she calls Honeywell Lumber, her usual contact Jake is unavailable and she has to deal with a somewhat inappropriate and unprofessional Darcy! A few days later Darcy calls to tell her they have a suitable tree available, and arranges to go out with her and cut it down. Darcy advises her to wear some sensible footwear, but she doesn’t pay any attention, turning up in trainers and carrying a heavy handbag. They can only get part way there by Darcy’s work truck and have to walk the rest of the way, but Ella ends up slipping and struggling with her inappropriate footwear. Just as they reach the oak tree to be cut down for her project, the heavens start to open and they have to go back to the cabin for cover. They have no phone signal in the woods and when Ella looks for her keys, she finds they have fallen out of her pocket, probably when she fell over trying to help Ella up! It is too dark to try and find them in the dark, even though Ella is a bear shifter.

With no keys and the weather getting worse, they have no choice but to stay in the cabin until the weather clears and they can dry out some, as both are soaked and muddy. Darcy tries to sleep in her own bed, but soon falls through the base, whilst Ella finds the bedroom upstairs is freezing cold and has very annoying wind chimes. They both end up on the sofa bed, in front of the fire and talk about their lives. Ella has friends who are shifters, but was brought up in the city and doesn’t really understand the whole shifter ways and relationships. Mention of fated mates and the whole Crescent Lake ritual, brings about questions of what Darcy would do if she found out the person she was with isn’t her fated mate. As well as Ella’s worry she could fall in love and then be dumped if she dated a shifter! Ella hadn’t liked Darcy when she first spoke to her over the phone and meeting her face to face didn’t really make matters much better. But a night spent in the cabin together, soon has them getting comfortable with each other and learning more about each other as an attraction starts. Darcy gets the tree cut down the next day and Ella gets to deliver it to her shop and sees what sort of furniture she builds. She asks Ella out, but Ella isn’t sure about dating a shifter still. It looks like Ella’s chances of love with someone she believes could be her mate, are over! Can she persuade Ella to take a chance and got to the lake with her before they start a relationship, so neither of them can be heartbroken if they weren’t? They could be perfect for each other, but they will have to take a leap, or should I say a dip, of faith first. Another fun short story in the Crescent Lake series with interesting characters and a good chance of a HEA ending. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ive read other books in this series and even though they've not been in order the story still works and I've loved them.
It's a beautifully written story with kindness, Humour and love. Like the previous books I love how the bears fated mate will have a matching mating mark it's different and leaves you in suspense hoping that the marks match. Darcy is my favourite she is spunky and I love her jokes but at the same time she is also sweet.
With Ella I loved how she slowly warmed towards Darcy and how she loved her as a bear the first time she saw her. The way she described Bear Darcy makes you want to cuddle into her fur.
I also liked reading about Darcy and her brothers with banter between them and she has a supportive family.
This book has everything you want in a romance novel and I look forward to the other Mate Stories in this series.
I recommend this book 100%
I got this book free from booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lesbian lumberjack bear shifter.
Yep, that’s all you need to know.
I don’t think being longer than Her Unforgotten Bear Mate: A Crescent Lake Bears Story made this any better, or expanded the world building (which is quite basic) but it’s such a sweet story of budding attraction and connection, and we need more sapphic paranormal romance in the world. Ella is so guarded and hesitant, and Darcy is just such a… well, bear.
It does a great job of describing mates and how it’s not simply a fated thing and the individuals still have choice and autonomy, and the way it all works sets this apart from other series.

[O'Livia Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ella is a city girl whose new client Mrs. Draak wants her to go out and make sure that the lumber that she needs for her rocking chair is actually from Bearton. What could possibly go wrong with accomplishing that request for her? Darcy is a bear shifter and lumberjack in her family business she is the one who takes Ella call. Once they set out to go cut down the tree that Ella need they end up getting stuck at Darcy family cabin overnight. As Darcy and Ella spend time together they start to develop feelings for one another and decide that it’s time to make a trip to Crescent Lake to see if the Goddess will bless them to be fated mates. Come and read Her Lumberjack Bear Mate (Crescent Lake Bears) by Arizona Tape to see what happens.

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

[WILMA from the Netherlands · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in this new series. This series is also set in the Crescent Lake world, but with bears. When Ella and Darcy meet, Ella is not very happy with Darcy because she keeps making puns. But as Darcy and Ella spend some time together they start to develop feelings for one another and decide that it’s time to make a trip to Crescent Lake to see if the Goddess will bless them to be fated mates. Will they actually get to know each other? Darcy was definitely my favorite character. I loved her humor and her sincerity/realness. Like the other series in the Crescent Lake Shifters, I find this one just as addictive. I really enjoyed it and can't wait for book two!.

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

[Douglas Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

When our heroine fields an unusual request from her latest customer, she has no idea things are going to get even stranger and a whole lot hotter.

This book is part of a series, but it is written as a standalone. Start at any point.

This is an urban fantasy story with a FF romance and shifters. The story is well written and easy to read with an intriguing setting. The setting is well developed and it is fun getting to explore it a bit. The characters are great and I love both of our heroines. They have great chemistry and I really enjoyed watching them work through their initial reluctance. Overall. a fun story and I look forward to seeing what comes next.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darcy is a bear shifter and helps at the family lumber company. She's manning the phone while her older brother is laid up in bed from stupidity. She receives a call from Ella who does woodworking. Ella has been hired by a rich woman to make a one piece rocking chair. But she wants Ella to oversee the tree cutting to make sure it's quality and from the right lumber company. Ella and Darcy meet although Ella is not too thrilled with Darcy cause she's constantly making puns. Will they actually come to know each other? Will they turn out to be fated?
Fantastic love story.

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

[Judy Gittleson Hendrickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ella is the artist slated to design a rocket out of a single piece of wood. Darcy is the Lumberjack that will cut down the tree. Ella was asked to be there when the tree came down and to verify it came from the mountain right there. Sparks start to fly but it is a slow building relationship. Will they get answers at the Crescent Lake mating ceremony? Will they work it all out? Totally enjoyed this book, with wonderful characters and entertaining situations. Some obstacles here and there as well as some surprises. Great ending.

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

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

…but how do you know??…

One of the issues that I’ve always had with fated mates romance novels is that the idea of a fated mates takes away any personal agency in the relationship. I liked that this novel addressed that issue. It also brought up the ideas of chance, and the choices that we make, and how they influence the way our life turns out.

I didn’t really like the way this book was written. There was a lot of introspection, and most of the time it was just the main characters dancing around the same topic. I felt like the book should have either been flushed out with a non-romantic side issue, or more streamlined into a novella.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

different but good

I read shifter romance all the time, and I absolutely love fated mates. I’ve never read one quite like this though. It was a tad weird for me, but it was really good. I absolutely love Darcy. Her sense of humor and the way she finds joy in all things made me so happy. I had a huge smile on my face for a good portion of the book. Ella compliments Darcy so well. She was a little grumpy in the beginning, but once she actually got to know Darcy, she really opened up and started enjoying herself. It was an all around good book, just different from most shifter romance I’ve read, which is why I gave it 4 stars.

[Sara Sigler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ella was commissioned to make a rocker but had to be one piece no assembling aloud was told that she had to make sure that the log came from Beaton forest for sure. Darcy was the one cutting down the tree and getting the log to the truck and delivering it. They felt the pull to each other but when asked to go on a date Ella said no didn’t want to get close then Darcy finds her fated mate. Ella said that they should got to the Crescent Lake mating ceremony, then next morning Ella and Darcy got their wish! Good book!.

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

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ella is a furniture maker who needs a special piece of wood for her next project. Darcy is a bear shifter lumberjack whose family timbers the forests in Bearton. When Darcy and Ella go into the forest to get the tree things start to get interesting. Between personality differences, weather problems, and ending up in a cabin sharing a bed. Who would have thought it could lead to something more?
I enjoyed this book and recommend it.

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

[Lisa Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ella gets an unusual request from a client for one of her furniture pieces, she wants carved from a solid piece of wood. She calls the lumber company she always deals with, Darcy answers as her brother is laid up. Since Ella has to over see the take down of the tree, she goes out with Darcy. Due to a change in the weather, they are required to hold up, there is only one bed.

Ella is a lot more serious than Darcy, she does not always find her puns amusing.

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

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in a new series (set in the Crescent Lake world but with bears), and I really enjoyed it! Darcy was definitely my favorite character. I loved her humor and her honesty. I also liked getting to know more about the world (apparently mating bonds can be broken?), and I hope it continues to expand as the series goes on. Overall, I really enjoyed this, and I can't wait for book two!.

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

[Looby Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ella, a carpenter and Darcy a lumberjack/jane meet when Ella has to watch a tree bring chopped gown for her very particular client. Different to other shifter books, they don’t begin a relationship until after the swim in the crescent lake or should that be paddle. A slow burn or should that be Bern with an adorable couple.

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

[Tyrene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, it's a good read. Ella's is a furniture maker. She has taken a job where she has to build a special piece for a client. The client wants it built to special specifications. She goes out on site with Darcy, the Lumberjack, to find the perfect piece of Oak for the job. But it seems she found that and more. Entertaining read, love has a way to surprise us.

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

[Mana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok while the buildup was excellent the climax was disappointing in more ways than one. Not only did we not get a sex scene we were teased with one that saw a one sided climax with no home run. No lesbian sex and even worse no lesbian shifter sex. The possibilities were so vast but we didn’t even get 1. Not to mention this read like a short story more than a full novel since it seems the world itself was not fleshed out in the least.

[Anne Dwyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ella is a furniture maker, and a city girl. When a difficult customer insists she sees the tree cut down, she mets Darcy - a lumberjack - an dlife will never be the same for either of them. Are they actually fated mates? Love the characters and story lines in this series!.

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