Bewitched by Bigfoot

Cryptid Chronicles #1

by Emilia Abraham

You know what they say about big feet.

Once upon a time, in the deep, dark woods, there lived a shifter. But Jake isn't any old shifter. No, he’s a sasquatch shifter, complete with fur covering his large body. Even when he’s human, Jake keeps to himself, convinced he'll never find someone who shares his love for solitude and books. Oh how wrong he is.

Once upon a time, in a faraway city, there lived another shifter. Gemma has big dreams, but something is missing. She longs for a space where she can disappear in the woods for days. However, she’s trying to prove a point, dammit. She needs to show to her family she can make it on her own instead of crawling back home with her tail tucked between her legs. Not exactly easy since she just lost her job. But Gemma is convinced there’s a place out there where she’ll belong-she just has to find it.

With a little help from the moon and Gemma's brother, our two shifters crash together in a whirlwind of mistaken identities and secrets held deep within them. All that's left is getting out of their own way...and learning to trust fate to lead them along the path to love.

284 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2023

Reviews

[Bethany]

i received this book as an ARC to read early and review. i’ve never actually read a shifter romance before, so i was unsure, but i’m always up for broadening my horizons. i must say, despite all of my uncertainty i LOVED this book.

it’s well written, spicy, it hits on several of my favorite tropes, and it was nearly impossible for me to put down. gemma and jake are so relatable in the way they butt heads and bicker, it truly sells the grumpy/grumpy trope emilia was going for.

if i hadn’t had to work this morning, i’d have finished it last night hands down, but exhaustion and the unfortunate need to go to work and make money forced me to put it down about 70% through.

if you like shifters, sass, and spice…you need to read this book.

[Jen]

I was not sure what to expect, because I've never read a shifter romance, and it's been years since I read a rom-com. Truthfully though, I'm not entirely sure this would be classified as a rom-com, but maybe. Either way, it was ADORABLE. I laughed out loud at so much of their banter. Had it not been a work day when I started reading I probably would have finished it in one go. This one was hard to put down because I was DYING for the moment when they finally stop battling each other. And it's worth it, cause it's a Slooooooowwwww burn. But it's HOT.
It has everything, a charming little town, fun side characters, one bed, fake dating, grumpy/grumpy, isolation for the MCs. It was a fabulous read and I cannot wait for Chase's story!

There's a lot I want to say, but I'm an ARC reader and I don't want to give too much away, so I might update this after the book is available.

Either way, I HIGHLY recommend it, and it's the perfect time of year for it.


Don't read past this point, cause, SPOILERS!

"" I have reread this book twice now, and there are just some things that I craved as a reader, and I would love to see these scenes added in if Ms. Abraham ever republishes it. To be clear, I don't mean these next few thoughts in a negative way. I think it says something when I've read a book three times in two weeks and I can't stop thinking about it. I was so immersed in a story that had me rooting for characters that felt more like friends that I was able to get through a really difficult time in my life with minimal self inflicted damage, and I'll always be grateful for it. These criticisms or notes or thoughts are really just my way of wishing the story had dug deeper because it was so good, and there was so much potential here. And I loved it exactly as it was, these are just ways I wish it had expanded on its own greatness.

1. The one bed thing seemed like a completely missed opportunity! I love one bed tropes, there's something about accidentally brushing up against each other and having to fight the massive attraction that's growing. Please sir, may I have some more? ;)

2. I wanted more fake dating! It would have been amazing if Jake and Gemma were caught in a majorly uncomfortable situation where maybe he's forced to show more affection. I wanted that hot moment where they realize the heat is there between the two of them so they had to fight even harder that it wasn't there. The side character gossips were massively underutilized in my opinion in this aspect.

3. One thing I kept waiting for, and could not believe wasn't included, was the moment when she confronts her family, or at least gets to have her moment of not being "looked down on" or labeled as the "problem child." What happened when she was younger was not her fault, and I felt cheated that she never got any real validation or apologies from the people who should have loved her and never let her suffer. Now, I get that family stuff is complicated, so maybe they were never going to apologize, but I DEFINITELY wanted them to see how she thrived when she felt safe and cared for, and I guess I wanted her bratty sisters to see her new self emerge from the ashes where they tried to burn her down. I wanted the scene where Jake steps up for her, supports her, and makes sure she knows that he's there for her no matter what anyone else thinks of her. When I read the last paragraph I was gutted not to have this scene.

4. I am HOPING that the next book is going to about Chase, otherwise I will feel - dare I say it - cheated as an avid fan, because the diner scenes were some of the most interesting in the story. I am DESPERATE to know the story here, because enemies to lovers is my yum, and I feel like the backstory here could be explosive!

Anyway, I'll read anything Emilia Abraham writes, because her world building is insane, and her dialogue is so realistic. Bad dialogue ruins the story, but good dialogue makes you feel like you're right there. And there were times that I was on the brink of deciding to hook up my house and go live in the middle of an enchanted forest and wait for my own Bigfoot. So proceed at your own risk of falling in love with a mythical creature!

Highly, highly recommend! ""

[Vanessa Ouellette]

Gemma isn't like the other humans, she's secretly wolf shifter Living in the city. After losing her job, her brother convinces her to help his friend do the books for his summer camp. Hesitant she agrees to do so.

Slade, a recluse mountain man & a secret a big foot shifter finds himself helping out his friends sister who needs to stay busy after losing her job.

Initially Slade thinks he's helping a dude but turns out Jim is Gem for Gemma & from there things gets a little crazy.
Slade doesn't understand why but there is an instant attraction but also protectveness for her.
Sharing space in a 1 bedroom cabin becomes interesting as they increasingly have a hard time trying to deny the chemistry they have. It doesn't help that it turns into a Fake dating relationship as well to avoid the town busy body Marcy, who's been trying to win Slade over for years.

I really loved the chemistry in this book. The miscommunication trope is always a hard & frustrating one for me. I feel like there were times it felt like it was going in a circle. They would resolve an issue just to go right back to doing the same thing. And then there were parts that I thought I'd missed altogether & had to re-read thinking I'd missed something. And sometimes I had more questions than answers but overall it was good.

[Siren Bard]

Bewitched by Bigfoot
By Emilia Abraham

Let me preference this by saying: If this author tells you it’s a painfully slow burn, best believe it!
But also let me say when you get to the good parts, they are worth the wait!
Jake and Gemma are not at all what you expect at first. Not going to spoil it but let's say while we the readers can see the chemistry, they feel it and completely ignore it.
The humor is fantastic. I had to check my volume a few times. I was laughing so hard! The romance is so swoon worthy. Jake is *chef’s kiss* Lumberjack Goodness! Gemma is saucier than my spaghetti pot.

I loved this book. I limit myself to 2 bought books a month and the second book in this series was an instant buy. Seduced by the Sliver Cat is next on my list and if its anything like Jake and Gemma’s book, I will be falling in love all over again!

Spice - Sweet but Spicy
Rating - Amazing!

[Catlyn Carter]

We just finished Bewitched by Bigfoot by @emiliaabrahamauthor and we loved it so damn much! This is a slow burn Sasquatch shifter romance and it everything we didn’t know we needed! Jake is a recluse that has secluded himself to a mountain top cabin. And Gemma is a free spirited lady who can’t seem to find “home”. Her brother (and jakes friend) calls her and tells her that Jake needs help running his haunted house for his camp kids! The rest is history! There was sooooo much angst! And this is extremely SLOW BURN! It was still incredible and I want to thank Emilia for the arc! I also got a physical copy at @litlowcountry cause uhm duuuh! Look how pretty it is! 😍😍🫶🏼

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Our rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

#bookreview #bookreviewer #darkromancereads #bookish #smut #kindleunlimited #KU #darkromance #smutbooks #bookstagram #bookblogger #spicyromace #romance #bookboyfriend #steamyreads

[Nes N]

* 4 ⭐️ & 3 🌶️ *

Tropes:
RomCom
Forced Proximity
One Bed(room)
Grumpy/Grumpy
Fated Mates
🔥 SLOW BURN 🔥

I’m pretty sure this is the slowest burn I’ve ever read lol I constantly found myself yelling at the book and into the universe for them to just spill their feelings and to do it already 🤣
I loved Jake and Gemma so much. Jake is such a clumsy grumpy teddy bear and Gemma is a sassy grumpy firecracker. The push and pull of their relationship was adorable and pretty funny at times. Again, it is a slow burn but the wait is definitely worth it.
It ends beautifully and now I’m hoping for a book all about Jake’s bestie, Chase.
If you’re looking for cute and fun RomCom I definitely recommend this.

[Nichole]

* 4- 4.5 Stars*

This is not my usual genre, but I will read anything Emilia Abraham writes, so I wanted to expand my own reading and give her new romcom a chance.
Bewitched by Bigfoot is a very slow burn shifter romance that is really cute and contains a boat load of comedic banter. Even with the romance aspect being slow, the rest of the book is really delightful and will surely keep you entertained.

[Elyse Larsen]

From the dedication page to the chapter titles, I had so much fun. It was probably good I was home alone while I was reading because I sounded like a crazy person.

There are sparks right away but it is a slow burn with plenty of sweet and/or funny moments to keep you warm. They are both stubborn and independent.

I needed this lighthearted and fun read, that had the perfect (and ridiculous) number of tropes. Loved it!

[Taylor Tosh]

I honestly wasn't sure what to expect coming into this book. It definitely isn't what I'm used to from Emilia but I'm beyond happy to have gotten to see this side of her writing style.
One bed, touch her and 💀, character driven, slow burn... it's absolutely one of the best books I've read this year and I cant wait.

Also, can Chase PLEASE get their own story?

[Holly Smith]

i laughed SO. HARD. seriously, this book is designed to give you the fluffy fluffiness that is the complete opposite of emilia’s usual books, and it’s a complete refresher for when you just need a lighthearted smutty moment (and you’re welcome for the phrases “paddling the pink canoe” and “finger painting” because those were my submissions). 5 stars.

[Gina]

This is Gemma and Jake story and all the favorites in one book. Fake date, slow burn, over productive. This is a steamy read that is fun and exciting. Read this in one setting and was amazing read that had me hooked.

[Chyanne]

I might have wanted to sit both of the main characters in time out at times for being so stubborn and it might have been one heck of a slow burn, but the book was cute. If you’re into shifter romances and like grumpy mc’s check it out.

[Jessica Martinez]

It small town shifter story
I have read many by this author but this was different and I hope she does more like this. It a slow burn but so worth it. Love the characters and the back and forth between them grumpy and grumpy it works. Can't wait to read more like this.

[Autumn Kimball]

If your looking for a slow burn romcom this is the book for you. It is nothing like Emilia’s other books but it’s cute and perfect to get you in the fall spooky season. It keeps you on your toes waiting find out how they find out that they are both shifters.

[Kelly Castillo]

So many troupes
So much spice
So much fun!

I have read many books by this author and I loved being able to see this side of her writing. I tore through this book. It was such a fun read!

[Harper Ashley]

Hilarious. Slow burn.

Chapter titles are golden.

[Emily Kaye]

As a lover of monster romance, I absolutely enjoyed the rom-com nature of this story. One of my favorite types of reads are full length books that read like novellas. And this was exactly that!

[Sherri S.]

So much fun and sexy as hell. I enjoyed this book very much! I was in a reading slumps until I read this!

[Megan Brown]

awe. I rather enjoyed this bigfoot drama. Jake is so grumpy but then so is Gemma. lol

[Marci]

Their communication made me want to scream at least a couple times haha but loved the story/setting/characters individually!

[Megan Stewart]

This book was awesome!! I haven’t read many shifter books but this one was great. I am a sucker for each one has feelings but they are too scared to act on it. It also helps them come into their own/accept who they are as shifters. These two are perfect for each other and it was written beautifully.

[Gwendolyn W]

This was a fun, sweet but spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️, shifter romance. This is the perfect time of year for me to dive into some shifter stories so I was definitely in the right mood to read this.

The story is entirely character driven, and talk about slow burn. Jake and Gemma have the very real struggle of wanting what they shouldn’t want, and they send all the mixed signals all the time. It made for an entertaining read. There were points where I was annoyed with Gemma and Jake both. Jake obsessing over an, honestly undecided end, and Gemma’s insecurity’s. BUT I just don’t think like they do, and they read like real people. I appreciated that it took them some time to really open up, as it fit their characters perfectly.

I loved the small town mountain atmosphere. It’s just so naturally romantic and perfect.
The annoying small town busy bodies? ✅
Smell of pine in the air? ✅
Potential to be snowed in? ✅
A diner? ✅

Best of all is the happy ending. It really put a nice bow on this quick read.

[Zoe]

I really liked this book, it's a romcom and it's hilarious, the fact that both MCs act like normal human beings with misunderstandings and struggles even though they're fated mates is really nice to see 💞.

[Nicole Martinez]

Dude there were so many times that something more was hinted at and then never expanded on. Mind control? Goddess gifts? The shit family and weird brother manipulation. There was zero explanation and the spice was kinda meh.

[Brittany Campbell]

Must read shifter romance where both MCs are shifters. This was such a fun read with the perfect amount of spice! The slow burn was 100% worth it and there is a trope in this one that’s for absolutely everyone!