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Return To Fate Mountain #1
Fire Bear
Sometimes fate roars like wildfire, and only a true mate can answer its call.
Eliana Hampton believes she’s too busy protecting her cherished orchard to even think about love. Her grandparents' heirloom apple trees are her entire world—until a brushfire sparks near her property and it puts everything she’s built at risk.
Ash Bright never wanted anything more than to protect Fate Mountain and the people who live there. As the youngest Fire Patrol Chief on the mountain—and a grizzly bear shifter—he’s fiercely devoted to the safety of his crew and his home. When he matches with the captivating orchard owner on a human-shifter dating app, his protective instincts roar to life.
With the annual orchard festival in full swing, Eliana takes a chance at finding love. The last thing she expects is a courageous bear shifter to swoop into her world. Is she really ready to let someone share her burdens—and her heart?
As fires rage across the mountain, Ash races against time to stop the flames before they consume Eliana’s livelihood—and possibly lives. When the sparks of passion between them blaze hotter than the wildfires, can he and Eliana forge a love that outlasts every threat? Or will treachery tear them apart, leaving Fate Mountain—and their hearts—in ashes?
Eliana Hampton believes she’s too busy protecting her cherished orchard to even think about love. Her grandparents' heirloom apple trees are her entire world—until a brushfire sparks near her property and it puts everything she’s built at risk.
Ash Bright never wanted anything more than to protect Fate Mountain and the people who live there. As the youngest Fire Patrol Chief on the mountain—and a grizzly bear shifter—he’s fiercely devoted to the safety of his crew and his home. When he matches with the captivating orchard owner on a human-shifter dating app, his protective instincts roar to life.
With the annual orchard festival in full swing, Eliana takes a chance at finding love. The last thing she expects is a courageous bear shifter to swoop into her world. Is she really ready to let someone share her burdens—and her heart?
As fires rage across the mountain, Ash races against time to stop the flames before they consume Eliana’s livelihood—and possibly lives. When the sparks of passion between them blaze hotter than the wildfires, can he and Eliana forge a love that outlasts every threat? Or will treachery tear them apart, leaving Fate Mountain—and their hearts—in ashes?
190 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 12, 2025
About the author
Scarlett Grove
191 books443 followersScarlett Grove is a USA Today Bestselling Paranormal and Science Fiction Romance Author. Scarlett started publishing her adventurous, sexy stories in 2014 and now has dozens of titles spanning multiple worlds.
Her Best Selling Series Include:
Fate Mountain Shifters
Braving Darkness
Draconians and Elemental Dragons
The White Queen
She is currently obsessed with reverse harems, all things paranormal, and super steamy space operas.
Sign up for her mailing list at:
http://eepurl.com/bURRZz
www.scarlettgrove.com
Her Best Selling Series Include:
Fate Mountain Shifters
Braving Darkness
Draconians and Elemental Dragons
The White Queen
She is currently obsessed with reverse harems, all things paranormal, and super steamy space operas.
Sign up for her mailing list at:
http://eepurl.com/bURRZz
www.scarlettgrove.com
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
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May 2, 2025DNF at 37%. I'm disappointed the two MCs haven't really had any good conversations. Just because they are fated mates doesn't mean their relationship shouldn't be developing. They had an entire dinner scene in a restaurant and the food was completely described, but no conversation. That's just weird. And I love shifter books, so I was hoping to find a new series.
August 21, 2025
3 stars because I enjoyed what little actual story there is.
Enjoyable enough but I found it meanders and was filled with so much inconsequential information that it lacked a solid story and at times was shallow.
Two things soured me right at the start.
I hated that Willow, (whom I adored in GEEK BEAR) Ash’s mum had died, and it was made out that Corey was OLD at 65 years of age. Really.
It was also odd that on their first dinner date, they hardly talked to each other. There was more description about their food than we get interaction about their backgrounds. Surely they should be getting to know about the other.
Then a line is repeated twice.
A good beta reader should pick these things up.
All this stuff ends up going on with fires and disappearances, but the two casual employees that are mentioned by Gerald acting suspicious, are forgotten about and don’t even get mentioned to the police chief. Why bring them into the story? We aren’t told if it is them after the arrests.
And it read as comical farce the way Ash’s grizzly took them down.
We are left with an open ended back story which I’m not sure I’m interested in.
Read through kindle unlimited.
Enjoyable enough but I found it meanders and was filled with so much inconsequential information that it lacked a solid story and at times was shallow.
Two things soured me right at the start.
I hated that Willow, (whom I adored in GEEK BEAR) Ash’s mum had died, and it was made out that Corey was OLD at 65 years of age. Really.
It was also odd that on their first dinner date, they hardly talked to each other. There was more description about their food than we get interaction about their backgrounds. Surely they should be getting to know about the other.
Then a line is repeated twice.
A good beta reader should pick these things up.
All this stuff ends up going on with fires and disappearances, but the two casual employees that are mentioned by Gerald acting suspicious, are forgotten about and don’t even get mentioned to the police chief. Why bring them into the story? We aren’t told if it is them after the arrests.
And it read as comical farce the way Ash’s grizzly took them down.
We are left with an open ended back story which I’m not sure I’m interested in.
Read through kindle unlimited.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2025
Slow read, with all thought, no talk
This book was so slow. I was bored within the first few chapters. Over half the book is dates don't actually show growth in the relationship. A quarter of it is reintroducing you to people you already know for the seventeenth time. The other quater contains the fire plot, but don't expect a resolution to that becase, spoiler alert, you won't get one.
Everything is described in so much detail, unless it's important. If it's important detail, then you get nothing. Every meal, every drink, every type of tree or plant, in explicit detail. The photos on her walls and the different tests she ran on her orchard. And (again) every. single. Meal. Each dish, and all of its herbs and spices, for every meal. But conversations are non existant with thrown away phrases like "Janet complimented how good everything tasted and Brad joked about being too full to walk." Even the conversations between the MCs on their dates would only be one or two sentences, and then the rest was descriptors of their environment or passive "I told him about my day and he praised the beautiful scenery around us".
This book was so slow. I was bored within the first few chapters. Over half the book is dates don't actually show growth in the relationship. A quarter of it is reintroducing you to people you already know for the seventeenth time. The other quater contains the fire plot, but don't expect a resolution to that becase, spoiler alert, you won't get one.
Everything is described in so much detail, unless it's important. If it's important detail, then you get nothing. Every meal, every drink, every type of tree or plant, in explicit detail. The photos on her walls and the different tests she ran on her orchard. And (again) every. single. Meal. Each dish, and all of its herbs and spices, for every meal. But conversations are non existant with thrown away phrases like "Janet complimented how good everything tasted and Brad joked about being too full to walk." Even the conversations between the MCs on their dates would only be one or two sentences, and then the rest was descriptors of their environment or passive "I told him about my day and he praised the beautiful scenery around us".
February 14, 2025
Eliana Hampton inherited her grandparent's orchard and their passion for growing heirloom varieties of apples. With the orchard's annual festival nearing she decides that she is finally ready for love and enrolls in mate.com. Ashe Bright is the youngest Fire Patrol Chief on Fate Mountain and until recently had no desire for a mate, but when he is matched with hip perfect mate, he knows he will go to any lengths to protect his mate, his family, his friends, and the forest surrounding his hometown. A sudden rash of wildfires will strengthen his resolve to protect his once in a lifetime love and his home.
Such wonderfully well written and compelling characters made it impossible to put this book down. I loved returning to Fate Mountain. Plenty of sizzling hot interactions, and unexpected plot twists with a happily ever after. This is a must-read book!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary ARC of this book.
Such wonderfully well written and compelling characters made it impossible to put this book down. I loved returning to Fate Mountain. Plenty of sizzling hot interactions, and unexpected plot twists with a happily ever after. This is a must-read book!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary ARC of this book.
February 14, 2025
This was an engaging shifter romance and a fun dive back into Fate Mountain. Eliana is an apple orchard owner and Ash is the current fire chief - and a son of the designers of mate.com. These two have a 100% match and, soon enough, meet and find it's a true fated mates romance. However, there's danger and drama swirling around the orchard, and they have to work together to try and save the heirloom apples and her business... Expect to root hard for these two to survive and get their wonderful and steamy HEA ;D
February 15, 2025
We revisited Fate Mountain and its interesting and heroic shifters with a new danger that was quickly gathering pace and threatening them all. Detailed descriptions that made me visualize up close the development of the plot and the danger that the intrepid men who fight fires face every day. I liked how Eliana and Ash's relationship developed and the support of everyone around them. Action, suspense, camaraderie, a devastating danger, villains, a mystery, romance and passion.
February 21, 2025
I appreciated that our main characters didn't rush into their relationship, despite being perfectly matched and considered fated mates. We witnessed the growth of their bond, especially as they navigated challenges that life threw their way.
I particularly enjoyed the last scene where the male main characters reminisced about their honeymoon. You could really sense his happiness and amazement, reflecting how good life has been to them.
I particularly enjoyed the last scene where the male main characters reminisced about their honeymoon. You could really sense his happiness and amazement, reflecting how good life has been to them.
February 15, 2025
Wonderful story. Love how it progressed..love and suspense. Love the kids now grown up...I want.more
I hope there is more to come! A whole series to look forward to reading. I loved that it tied things together.
I hope there is more to come! A whole series to look forward to reading. I loved that it tied things together.
March 7, 2025
Fire Bear
A great starter! Can't wait for the rest of this series. We are back to Fate Mountain! In the first book, it's Ash! He is Cory's & Willow's son from the first Fate Mountain series! Will Ash find his fated mate on Match.com?
A great starter! Can't wait for the rest of this series. We are back to Fate Mountain! In the first book, it's Ash! He is Cory's & Willow's son from the first Fate Mountain series! Will Ash find his fated mate on Match.com?
May 1, 2025
Good read🐻
There are times when you just want to drown out the negative noise around you and pick up a romance novella. This book was filled with family, friendship, loyalty, romance and love❤
There are times when you just want to drown out the negative noise around you and pick up a romance novella. This book was filled with family, friendship, loyalty, romance and love❤
June 13, 2025
Great
This is a lovely love story!! It has love, mystery, and most of all, romance!! The characters are brought to life by this extraordinary author!! I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!
This is a lovely love story!! It has love, mystery, and most of all, romance!! The characters are brought to life by this extraordinary author!! I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!
December 21, 2025
A definite read.
Never knew what was going to happen next. Beautifully written and very descriptive. Characters were brought to life. Cannot wait to see what happens in the next book of the series!
Never knew what was going to happen next. Beautifully written and very descriptive. Characters were brought to life. Cannot wait to see what happens in the next book of the series!
February 24, 2025
loved it can't wait to read more
March 3, 2025
Fire Bear (Return To Fate Mountain Book 1)
Amazing story. I couldn't stop reading it. The suspects in my mind were a few. The ending was completely different.
Amazing story. I couldn't stop reading it. The suspects in my mind were a few. The ending was completely different.
March 24, 2025
Wonderful!
I forgot all about Fate Mountain & the people who live there, it was great to go back. Ash is the Fire Chief & he as joined Mate.com at last & found his mate!
I forgot all about Fate Mountain & the people who live there, it was great to go back. Ash is the Fire Chief & he as joined Mate.com at last & found his mate!
March 27, 2025
Good read
Really good 👍 story Relaxing intriguing and suspenseful Could not put it down Looking forward to the next story Thank you
Really good 👍 story Relaxing intriguing and suspenseful Could not put it down Looking forward to the next story Thank you
May 13, 2025
love with adventure
Both thought their lives were already complete. But they soon found out that it wasn’t. See how they discovered their true love.
Both thought their lives were already complete. But they soon found out that it wasn’t. See how they discovered their true love.
October 22, 2025
Quick easy enjoyable read. The bear shifter part of the story is a bit different but not bad at all.
March 31, 2026
So Sweet!
Eliana and Ash are too precious for words. I'm glad that her orchard managed to stay safe through all the ups and downs thanks to him along with their friends and family.
Eliana and Ash are too precious for words. I'm glad that her orchard managed to stay safe through all the ups and downs thanks to him along with their friends and family.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews