Taken Home by the Grizzly

Obsessed Mountain Mates #5

by Ariana Hawkes

A fated-mates romance

Nanny wanted for three lively kids, the ad said. Traditional mountain home.
What it didn’t mention was that the kids totally wild, and the house is a creepy dump.
Then the parents disappear, leaving me all alone.
The furnace is broken, it’s freezing cold, and the only person in sight is the big, surly mountain man who lives next door.
The kids say he’s scary and walks around naked a lot.
But when one of them goes for a river dive, he’s right there, hauling her out.
Darn, he looks good like that, all ripped and dripping wet.
Eyes boring into me, like he wants to eat me alive.
He’s the hottest guy I’ve seen in my life, and he says I’m HIS.
To protect. To care for.
To claim???
And the weirdest part—that’s exactly what I want.
Is that wrong?

Genres: Paranormal, Shapeshifters, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Novella, Urban Fantasy

126 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 12, 2024

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Ariana Hawkes writes spicy romantic stories with lovable characters, plenty of suspense, and a whole lot of laughs. She told her first story at the age of four, and has been writing ever since, for both work and pleasure. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two huskies.

Reviews

[Andrea ☾ [is inconsistently consistant] · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.75 ⭐️ I'm literally grossed out.

I almost skipped the 🌶️ scenes because he kept mentioning her v!rginity and how he couldn't wait to break open her "little p***y" ... if you're looking for a child bride just say that so we can ALL be grossed out. Also, HE WAS A V!RGIN TOO - which is why I picked up this book in the first place- but nope, no one makes a big deal out of him being inexperienced.

I just can't deal with grown a** women being infantilised -especially during s*x- while at the same time telling them they are to be your partner and mother of your children.

The rest of the book was pretty meh.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really struggling to find small town, mountain man romances that I hadn't already read, so when this came up under the 'small town romance' category on my Kindle Unlimited, even though I knew it wasn't going to be amazing, I thought "eh, why the Hell not?".
Did I end up loving it? No.
Will I trust Kindle Unlimited recommendations again? I might give them one more shot, but I make no promises.
On the bright side, I've added to my read count and since it was only 126 pages I finished it pretty quickly which means I can move onto something that I (hopefully) will love!

[Betty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was… I don’t even know. But it was short and fun. 😂

Shape shifting grizzly meets his insta mate when she takes a job babysitting three wild kids in a home next to his cabin. Turns out the kids have been abducted, the kidnappers flee, and she is left to take care of them. Surprise - the kids are shifters as well and they adore Lock. It’s insta everything. Low angst.

- no third act break up
- good communication bc it all happens so fast. It’s a verrryyy basic plot.
- spice; I mean it’s a v short book so enough spice to make sense but not crazy
- virgin MMC and FMC
- Zoe is human, Lock is a lonely grizzly shifter never thinking he’d find his mate. Then bingo bango Bobs your uncle, they meet and are fated mates.
- dual POV; HEA. 1 yr epilogue

Not much else to say 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[effin surrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dual virgins♥️♥️♥️

[Linda Stokes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zoe just got laid off and there are no jobs in town. She finds a nanny job and she doesn’t know if she should call. Zoe was an only child who didn’t have a good childhood. Zoe calls about the nanny job and the woman tells to show up tomorrow. Zoe takes a bus and walks to the house. Lock is a grizzly bear shifter who lives alone in a cabin. His whole clan is dead so he spends most of his time as a grizzly bear, or naked as a human. A family moves in next door and one of the kids comes snooping around. Lock changes from his bear in to his human and goes out to yell at the boy, Lock is naked and he scares the boy. Right after Zoe arrives the two adults leave for a two week vacation. Zoe is trying to get the two boys who are twins to get out of the tree and off the truck. She notices that Mari the little girl has disappeared and the gate is open. Zoe goes looking for Mari and she notices that Mari has gone toward the cabin next door. Zoe runs into the cabin and there is no Mari. Zoe turns around and almost walks into a big man holding a wet Mari. Lock had noticed Zoe coming up the road and he knew that she was his mate. Zoe takes Mari home and tries to get hot water but there is none and there is no heat either. Lock comes over to help but she tells him she can fix it. Eventually Zoe has to go ask Lock for help. Zoe has never been attracted to anyone before but she is very attracted to Lock. The next day Zoe hears Mari, Jace and Todd outside and when she goes out to get them in the house they are all gathered around a grizzly bear. Zoe runs over to save the children but when she gets there she finds a naked Lock standing with Mari, Todd and Jace. Lock tells Zoe that he is a grizzly bear shifter. Lock realizes that the three children are bear shifters also. Lock and Zoe end up mating. Lock finds a private investigator to find out who the children belong to. Will Lock and Zoe become fated mates? Will Lock and Zoe be able to return the children to their family? Will Lock and Zoe find love and happiness together as fated mates?
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

Fantastic Obsessed Mountain Mates romance!

[Lisa Bing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a wild reading ride and quite the adventure for Zoe. She answers an ad for a live-in nanny as she's about to be evicted after losing her job. What seemed like the perfect solution turned into such a challenge for a gal that has no clue about kids. Lol! When she gets abandoned by the parents, she's completely baffled. Using her trusty book on rearing kids, and help from her grumpy neighbour, Lock, she finds her place in the world and the mystery of this family. As a retired daycare provider, I got a kick out of situations she had to deal with with the children and her confusion, and mine!, about how the parents could just leave. This definitely was highly entertaining for me and I look forward to what's next by this author :D

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

What to you do with three rambunctious children left in your charge knowing the parent s probably won’t return. You meet your neighbor and get some help. Zoe meets Lock and asks for help with the run down house next door. Lock is a bear shifter and realizes two things, Zoe is his mate and her three charges are bear shifters too. How did humans get three children that are bear shifters? That’s the question Zoe and Lock are trying to find the answer too. This is a fast paced steamy read, Lock and Zoe are great together and the children really need parenting. Loved this story. I received an ARC copy and this is my honest review.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

A desperate woman leaves town for a job as a nanny, something that she has no experience with. Arriving at her destination she finds it far out in the woods, and the parents are only there long enough to pack their vehicle and go. Totally out of her comfort zone she makes the best of it. It doesn't hurt that the isolated hunky mountain man next door, who likes to spend most of his time naked, comes to help - swoon. Lots of sexy times, a surprise twist, cute kids and a happily ever after gives you a sweet story.

[Robin Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taken Home By The Grizzly: A fated-mates romance

I can't get enough of these obsessed mountain mates. I've read the whole series and am hoping for more. Each story is so different with unlikely heroes and most times unaware females. This one has an unaware heroine who tries her best when taking care of 3 lively children. Not knowing their secret, she "rescues" them from a grizzly who turns into their neighbor. Sparks fly between them and the truth comes out and they get their HEA.

[Nanette DeParlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I was able to read this book and not know the usually predictable ending. It had a lot of twists and turns and the fact that this naked man, living next-door was so good with the wild kids, and able to help her after their so-called parents dumped them on her. And how quickly the once so-called loner man who so happened to be a bear shifter, became so entrenched in their daily lives, and that he realized he had a fated mate in Zoe who also realized her feelings for him and those kids. Great story and I will definitely be reading again.

[Claire Trickett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about being thrown in at the deep end!

Zoe is an only child, never really wanted kids before, but applies for a job looking after kids, as she's got no choice.

After being accepted without interview, she's left stranded with three boisterous and very active kids and a grumpy mountain man as a neighbour.

A sweet short story which gripped me from the beginning! Well worth a read.

I received a complimentary copy of the book and I'm leaving a voluntary and honest review.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zoe & Lock. So cute and I liked the chemistry between these two. I love that Lock was very grumpy to the kids parents, and just really in general being woken up outta hibernation early, but he was so sweet with Zoe & then the kids too. I love how he didn't demand anything being his mate. he waited in hopes she would come to him. And he washed up, trimmed the beard, put on clothes (IYKYK) he was an absolute perfect sexy bear shifter.

[Ally May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lock and Zoe

Zoe gets laid off and finds an ad about being a nanny. She does a phone interview and gets hired. The people she’s being the nanny for practically run out of the house as soon as she gets there to go on vacation. One of the children Mari falls into the stream and the neighbor Lock saves her. The story has a twist about the kids parents that Lock and Zoe figure out together.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute story but written so poorly. I can understand the "I know my mate at first glance." But for her as a human to "know" was a stretch. Everything happens SO quickly. It literally took me about 2 hours to read the whole book. This felt like a student writing for a class. So if you want a real quick read and a not bad story line, go for it. As I was reading it I just kept thinking, "this is so bad." So you've been warned.

[Penny]

Fast, hot and steamy

A quick read of instant electric connection. A hot shifter male bear/human recognizes his life mate the moment he meets the luscious nanny of 3 young wild shifters that just moved in next door. But something is off about the parents who immediately leave with their baggage the moment that the new nanny had arrived. Sparks of desire are hot enough between them to catch this story on fire!

[Lara Bayfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

A short story with not much depth the characters aren’t really believable. Zoe gets a job as a nanny but it starts with her and her best friend losing their jobs together - the best friend is never mentioned again. The kids she works with are actually kidnap victims no mention why? Lock finds their real parents because his a shifter, then they all end up living together in a community! Disjointed, lacking story.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zoe took a job as a nanny for 3 rambunctious kids- unbeknownst to her, 3 shifter cubs. As soon as she gets to the job, the parents take off, never to return. No heat, abandoned house, in the wilderness, her savior comes to the door- a gorgeous mountain man. Tall, dark and delicious, and....fabulous shifter romance.

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story

I loved how the story played out. I had a feeling about the rushed departure of the adults for their vacation, and not giving Zoe any information about the kids. The big sexy mountain man next door, who lives naked most of the time is about to change her life forever.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and quick read

A feel good shifter read.

3 kids who have a mysterious story that unfolds as two strangers discover that they are fated mates.

The kids were cute and I loved the feel good sweet vibes this story gave off.

Very fast paced read that ends in a happily ever after.

[Jill K. Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what I was really expecting from the other 4 books. Ironically, I didn't know if I wanted to read it because of the nanny element, but I'm glad I did. I liked that there was a problem, and he helped her solve it, several times. I liked that there were people other than just the couple, and I like seeing bears live in sloth, even though most bears don't really stay in groups.

[Ameesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lock and Zoe

I loved this series so much that I will be reading it over again. At first, I wasn't sure if I would like one due to my line of work. But, I gave it shot anyway since I'm a fan of this author and this series.
This story is very heart warming and spicy. The love in this story is not just between the main characters.

[Ruth E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cub, cub, CUBS

Losing job day after Christmas. No money for rent. Best friend leaving with her boyfriend. What away to end the year. But wait.....

Respond to add to be a nanny. Never wanted kids. Desperate for any job.

Creepy old house. Strange "parents" with 3 rambunctious kids. Neighbor who is scary, yet deliciously protective.

Now add it all together.....

[Christal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet and steamy shifter romance. Zoe takes a job as a nanny not aware that the three children are shifters and the parents are not really the children's parents. When the "parents" leave and don't return, she is alone with the children, except for the hunky neighbor who likes to be naked. Zoe doesn't mind the naked part. It's an enjoyable and worthwhile quick read and a great series!

[Alicia Walton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite book in the series so far. I felt the connection with the characters and the mystery with the kids just added to the storyline to make this a great little story. I read the series to get to this story but you these are all stand alones. I recommend this book as this was a cute short story.

[Teresa Woodard · Rating 5 out of 5]

New job and a man too?

Zoe just lost her job and has no leads on a new one. Then she sees an ad for someone to watch some kids. With no other choices, she calls and gets the job.
Lock isn't happy when a family moves into the house across from his cabin. He's not a fan of people. Then Zoe arrives and his world changes.

[meeeee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bears & their mates

This was a cute and loving story! I’m so happy with how everything turned out for the three kids. This was my first shifter series. I’ve got to say I really enjoyed it!

[Megan Lautar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is exactly what it says it is, it’s a short insta-love small-town mountain man shifter book. Was perfect for what I needed. Something short and sweet when I couldn’t sleep. Will definitely be reading some more of this author.

[Cindy Hardegree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Instant love

This was a quickie read. Extra spicy, with knowledge that Zoe was Locks mate. It carried an interesting story of three shifter cubs who needed to find their parents. I found it fascinating to read.

[Dawn Baffa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my kind of book

I would not of purchased this had I'd know it was a shifter book. I am not interested in that kind of storyline. I did read the story and kept the book, the Author shouldn't be penalized because of my preference.