Bearly Mated

Cub Lake Shifters #1

by Lola Glass

I'm being paid to have a bear shifter's baby.

He happens to be my childhood best friend who I was in love with for half my life, and haven't seen in years.

If I wasn't so desperate for money, I wouldn't have turned to him.

But I am, so I sign the mating contract and agree to let the big, sexy jerk breed me.

If all goes according to plan, I'll be pregnant within a month, and able to pay off all of my dad's bills within a year.

But it doesn't go according to plan.

Because he keeps calling me his.

And refusing to leave.

And feeding me.

I can't let myself fall back in love with him… but I have no idea how to stop it.

*This is a short, steamy, romantic novella with a happily ever after!

Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Shapeshifters, Novella, Fantasy, Friends To Lovers, Paranormal Romance

109 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 23, 2024

About the author

Hi, I’m Lola! I’m a book lover with a *slight* romance obsession. My books are all steamy romantic fantasy or paranormal romance, and there is always a happily ever after.

Stop by my Facebook group, Lola's Book Lovers, for updates, giveaways and other fun!

For a full list of my work, check out my website https://www.authorlolaglass.com/

Thanks for reading!
All the love,
Lola Glass <3

Reviews

[Mikky · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

This one was so cute! I just wish it wasn't a novella length book. This would have made for a fantastic and more fleshed out full length book. The only thing that made me pause was the Bear lore/"culture" that all Bears have avoident attachment styles. Like, I guess I can overlook that? With how much money these bears have therapy is right there. IDK what to tell you. Also it wasn't like all these bear's wanted to leave, it was just ingrained in them that if they didn't they were the so-called "weird" ones. The ones that didn't leave were basically shuned from the family. It was odd to say that least. Other than that it was a fun and quick read!

[T Rojo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needed to be longer, the world building was odd.

[kase]

Honestly this could be a cute novella but it’s just too short for any real depth for me to want to finish. It would likely take me 30 mins to bust through the last 40% and I just have no desire to.

Like what is the reason behind the bears mating and breeding and leaving? Why do they have soooo much wealth they can pay women to become mates and have their babies so they can just leave? Idk I’m lost and the characters have noooo personality since it’s so shallow and surface level :/

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It felt a bit too unbelievable that every bear shifter but one abandoned their mate just because they were told that they would be unable to commit.

[Kay H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Needed something fast and engaging to keep the reading slump at bay, and this did the trick. I didn't love the "culture" of bear-shifter males abandoning their pregnant partners, but it did leave an opportunity for a series of second-chance romances!

[Kellyythoralabatalla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Agh, siempre me da mucha rabia cuando los protagonistas supuestamente siempre se han amado pero los dos se alejan y están con otras personas (esto solo lo válido en los libros), así que para mí no tiene el sentido lo de "siempre has sido tú", y aquí pasa con ella. Y lo segundo es que cómo putas tiene sentido que encuentren a sus compañeras, las embaracen, las marquen y después las dejen. 😡

[Cazadora De Mundos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Muy rápido, se entiende la idea y si fuera más largo seria muy exasperante el problema entre los protagonistas pero no me convenció la relación.

[Gabriela M. C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I kinda liked this novella... but it wasn't my favorite.

They've been in love forever and he's waited for her. Okay, it's great that he didn't sleep around, but not great that he didn't pursue her and pushed her away.

There's some world building here that is kinda toxic. Basically, bear shifters hit it and quit it. They get a woman pregnant and then leave them to raise the kid on their own. At first, it sounded like "this is biologically how bear shifters work" which sounds like crap. Over the course of the book, we learn that this is what all the bear shifters are taught and they're starting to learn that's wrong.

It feels too off for ALL of them to think this is okay and how it's done... but I'm glad to hear the older generation is starting to change their minds (but how toxic that they wouldn't tell their sons that their behavior was wrong and they're sorry).

Ugh... it's sort of cute for two childhood sweethearts finally to get together and also super sketch that she's basically signing a contract to be a breeder. Don't like that.

[Xiomara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t much enjoy the main female character. The story felt short and unfinished.

[Cheyyleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

short. sweet. Exactly what I was looking for in my book slump.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want a 100 pages of smut then this is your book

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know, sometimes you just need a story that's short and sweet to perk up your day. Lola Glass has done just that! I adored Bearly Mated.


This book was a culture shock. All the shifter books I've read previously (bears included) have been all about cherishing the mate bond, building families, and having a community. However, Lola has done something totally different, these bears run from commitment. Hit it and quit it, as they say, leaving behind mates and children is the norm.


While that may seem troubling and it kinda is, the story still managed to be light-hearted. Callie and Hudson are great together, childhood friends that could be more. I was really rooting for them. I liked Callie, she was sweet and Hudson was something else.


Bearly Mated was a sweet little romance that had a little drama but manage to keep things light and fun. Lola's take on the bear shifters situation made things very interesting, I enjoyed the twist and can't wait to see what Lola has planned for the rest of the series.

[Sophie Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes a good short novella is all you need before bedtime. And for being such a short book, I still felt like there was a story line vs just smut so that's always cool 😂

I usually don't like friends to lovers but I ate this up.

[Jo · Rating 1 out of 5]

❌ Shelves: stupid-drama, non-virgin-heroine, heroine-emotional-cheating, heroine-with-om-after-meeting-hero, heroine-gives-virginity-to-om, hero-virgin, abstinence-celibate-hero, childhood-friends, friends-to-lovers, pregnancy-breeding, shapeshifters, fantasy-paranormal, cynical-hypocritical-heroine, hated-heroine, idiot-hero, doormat-pathetic-heroe, deranged-characters-pls-get-help, no-brain-cells, mf, dnf-not-for-me, not-safe.

[Λεyνα Campon · Rating 3 out of 5]

La historia del libro está bien en sí, tiene mucho potencial pero siento que la ha recortado mucho y yo me he quedado con ganas de más.
Los protagonistas son increíbles y eso de osos cambiaformas y almas gemelas me ha encantado pero me hubiera gustado que la historia se hubiera desarrollado más que 100 páginas.
Pero fuera de eso es una gran historia.
Tropes:
Romance✅
Childhood best friends ✅
He falls first and harder ✅
Pregnancy ✅
Bears ✅
Small Town ✅
Spicy 🌶️🌶️

[Crissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bearly Mated is the type of quick, steamy and short read that's perfect for any type of day. I don't want to give much away because this is a pretty quick read but I liked Callie and Hudson. However, I wish there was a little more depth to there characters. I don't mind steamy romances but I enjoy slow burn romances more than I do instant love, and this one felt more of an insta-love type romance to me. With that being said, this wasn't a bad read at all, but this novella is a one-time read for me.

[Grace Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bearly Mated is a cute and quick novella with exactly zero angst. Because it is first-person multi-pov, there's no worry about how the other character feels. The writing felt a bit simplistic at times but it is a novella so things needed to move fast.

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll preface this by saying I rated it higher than I wanted to.
While I thought both books were sappy, sweet and predictable to the point of being obnoxious, I do feel like there's a lot of people who like that kind of thing. I'm just not really one of them.
It really lacked any form of true conflict, didn't have a single shadow daddy or dragon... but I digress. It was just... well every single show on the Hallmark channel.

[Michelle Delp (Fazio) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute novella!

This was such a cute, short and sweet novella about Bear shifters. The perfect little book to pick up when you want something sweet. Short, but packed with so much love. There’s just something about fated mates isn’t there? Can’t wait to read the second book!

[Regina Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una historia demasiado tierna y dulce.
Tiene su toque de drama pero que los malentendidos se aclaren tan limpiamente lo hace un libro ganador.
Me ha encantado.
Una humana y un cambia formas oso con miedo a no poder dejar a su pareja se encaminan a una vida feliz.

[Shu'rtugal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dude got over commitment phobia spanning generations within 100 pages

[k8reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute little novella! Everything felt perfectly paced, I loved the little second chance romance!

[Emma H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok, a nice quick read. I was curious about bear shifters, after a recommendation from a friend, but I don’t think they’re for me

[Alec Rodriguez · Rating 1 out of 5]

i wish i had never read this, and i will be reading the second one

[Beth Hansen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐️

Needed something quick but, I can now say I am not a fan of bear shifters

[Dasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

guys i was curious okay

[Elisa ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

i decided to read this just because of the cover, but I had so much fun! i read this in one seating

[Regina Edith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este tipo de libros nunca decepcionan ❤️‍🔥

[Chyenne Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, quick, palette cleanser