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Claimed by the Grumpy Shifter
My sexy new neighbor is a bear shifter with one claiming me as his mate.
All I wanted was to run my flower shop in peace, maybe find a nice guy who wouldn't mind my curves, and eventually get that white picket fence I've dreamed about.
Then Marc Steel moves in across the street, all brooding intensity and smoldering amber eyes that follow my every move. He's dangerous in a way I can't explain. Massive, scarred, with a darkness lurking beneath his surface.
When he walks into my shop and buys my favorite flowers just to give them back to me, I know I'm in trouble. The way he looks at me like I'm something precious he wants to both protect and devour makes my heart race and my common sense fly out the window. But there's something wild about him, something not entirely human that both terrifies and thrills me.
What will happen when I discover what he really is, and why he seems so obsessed with making me his?
Claimed by the Grumpy Shifter is a short, sweet, and steamy small town instalove romance with a happy-ever-after. It can be read as a standalone or together with the rest of the books in the Curvy Wives of Cedar Falls series.
All I wanted was to run my flower shop in peace, maybe find a nice guy who wouldn't mind my curves, and eventually get that white picket fence I've dreamed about.
Then Marc Steel moves in across the street, all brooding intensity and smoldering amber eyes that follow my every move. He's dangerous in a way I can't explain. Massive, scarred, with a darkness lurking beneath his surface.
When he walks into my shop and buys my favorite flowers just to give them back to me, I know I'm in trouble. The way he looks at me like I'm something precious he wants to both protect and devour makes my heart race and my common sense fly out the window. But there's something wild about him, something not entirely human that both terrifies and thrills me.
What will happen when I discover what he really is, and why he seems so obsessed with making me his?
Claimed by the Grumpy Shifter is a short, sweet, and steamy small town instalove romance with a happy-ever-after. It can be read as a standalone or together with the rest of the books in the Curvy Wives of Cedar Falls series.
93 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 23, 2025
127 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 10, 2025
CLAIMED BY THE GRUMPY SHIFTER is Book 5 of the Curvy Wives of Cedar Falls series. It's a short and steamy, instalove, OTT, age-gap, opposites-attract, grumpy-sunshine, fated mates, curvy virgin gets her bear shifter romance. Christine is a 26-year-old curvy florist. Marcus "Marc" is a hunky, grumpy, ex-military man who is a bear shifter. He recently moved to town and knows Christine is his fated mate as soon as he sees her. How will she react to him being a shifter? This was such a sweet story about love and acceptance. Their chemistry was pure fire and we got a great HEA. I loved it.
July 27, 2025
That was such a quick sweet read 😍
The fact the MC love one of of my favourite poetry kinda be the bonus point here 😭😭 the first book ever that mention the poetry i was on cloud nine ♥️ I absolutely love a good romance and courting, have been awhile seeing it both in book & reality 👀 wishing to find one for myself one day ♥️
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Our eyes meet across the street, and even from this distance, I can feel the heat of his gaze. He doesn't look away, doesn't even pretend he wasn't watching me. He just stands there, bold as brass, claiming the right to stare.
I should be offended. I should march over there and tell him that watching me is creepy and inappropriate.
Instead, I lift my hand in a small wave, my heart hammering against my ribs.
He raises his hand in return, a gesture that somehow feels like a promise.
€
"What's your favorite poem?"
"'The Road Not Taken,'" I answer without hesitation.
"Though I think most people misunderstand it."
"How so?"
"They think it's about taking the unconventional path, about being brave enough to choose differently. But it's really about regret. About looking back and wondering what would have happened if you'd made different choices."
"Is that what you do? Look back and wonder?"
The question is soft, careful, but it cuts straight to the heart of everything I've been running from. "Every day."
€
"You absolutely brood. You have 'tortured hero' written all over your face."
"Tortured hero?" I can't help but smile at that. "You read too many romance novels."
"Guilty as charged. And you, Marc Steel, are straight out of chapter one of every single one of them."
"Great. No pressure there."
"Oh, there's definitely pressure," she says with a grin that's pure mischief. "Romance novel heroes have very high standards to maintain. You'll need to be brooding but tender, dangerous but protective, mysterious but emotionally available when it counts."
"Anything else?"
"Good in bed. That's non-negotiable."
€
"Why don't you?"
"Because dreams are safer than reality. Dreams don't require you to leave everything familiar behind, to risk failure, to possibly end up alone in a strange place with nothing to show for it."
"They also don't give you the chance to discover you're braver than you thought. That you're capable of more than you imagined."
The fact the MC love one of of my favourite poetry kinda be the bonus point here 😭😭 the first book ever that mention the poetry i was on cloud nine ♥️ I absolutely love a good romance and courting, have been awhile seeing it both in book & reality 👀 wishing to find one for myself one day ♥️
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
Our eyes meet across the street, and even from this distance, I can feel the heat of his gaze. He doesn't look away, doesn't even pretend he wasn't watching me. He just stands there, bold as brass, claiming the right to stare.
I should be offended. I should march over there and tell him that watching me is creepy and inappropriate.
Instead, I lift my hand in a small wave, my heart hammering against my ribs.
He raises his hand in return, a gesture that somehow feels like a promise.
€
"What's your favorite poem?"
"'The Road Not Taken,'" I answer without hesitation.
"Though I think most people misunderstand it."
"How so?"
"They think it's about taking the unconventional path, about being brave enough to choose differently. But it's really about regret. About looking back and wondering what would have happened if you'd made different choices."
"Is that what you do? Look back and wonder?"
The question is soft, careful, but it cuts straight to the heart of everything I've been running from. "Every day."
€
"You absolutely brood. You have 'tortured hero' written all over your face."
"Tortured hero?" I can't help but smile at that. "You read too many romance novels."
"Guilty as charged. And you, Marc Steel, are straight out of chapter one of every single one of them."
"Great. No pressure there."
"Oh, there's definitely pressure," she says with a grin that's pure mischief. "Romance novel heroes have very high standards to maintain. You'll need to be brooding but tender, dangerous but protective, mysterious but emotionally available when it counts."
"Anything else?"
"Good in bed. That's non-negotiable."
€
"Why don't you?"
"Because dreams are safer than reality. Dreams don't require you to leave everything familiar behind, to risk failure, to possibly end up alone in a strange place with nothing to show for it."
"They also don't give you the chance to discover you're braver than you thought. That you're capable of more than you imagined."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2025
Sometimes fate put people in place to render the results she wants so get comfortable you won’t put this one down until the last page has been turned? Marcus sexy as all get out bear shifter hiding away from everyone fighting the ghost of the past, healing isn’t all it is cracked up to be and it makes him grumpier than your average bear finding his mate wasn’t on his list, but fate had other plans. Christine is independent, successful flower shop owner wakes up to do what she loves run her flower shop but she wants to run it in peace, find a nice guy who can accept her you see she isn’t like everyone else she has curves and she was 2.5 kids maybe her dream but looking at her neighbor is a start 😊. The magnetic pull is there and the more they try not to acknowledge it the strong it grows and the more protective he gets but will she understand once he explains, will she give her grumpy bear a chance, will he give her curvy guy a chance, and will they find peace and happiness somewhere in the middle?
July 25, 2025
4.5 ⭐
Reivindicada Pelo Shifter Rabugento
Eu gosto muito de histórias de shifters e tenho lido várias nos últimos tempos. Quando vi esse lançamento, não resisti e interrompi minha leitura atual para conferir essa aqui. E foi bem legal! Marcus só estava buscando a solidão e o isolamento, mas encontrou tudo o que não sabia que precisava ao se tornar vizinho de Christine e encontrar nela a sua companheira destinada. Diferente dos outros livros do estilo que li, ele não contou para ela sobre ser um shifter de urso e ela acabou descobrindo do jeito mais.... inusitado.... possível. Mas, como eu disse, Christine era tudo o que Marcus precisava, em todos os sentidos, e ele também era tudo com o que ela sempre sonhou. Quer dizer, MELHOR, segundo a própria. Amei acompanhar essa história. Teria adorado ver o reencontro de Marcus com o irmão, mas fiquei feliz de saber que isso em breve aconteceria (torcendo para que ele também ganhe o seu próprio livro). Claro que eu recomendo!
Reivindicada Pelo Shifter Rabugento
Eu gosto muito de histórias de shifters e tenho lido várias nos últimos tempos. Quando vi esse lançamento, não resisti e interrompi minha leitura atual para conferir essa aqui. E foi bem legal! Marcus só estava buscando a solidão e o isolamento, mas encontrou tudo o que não sabia que precisava ao se tornar vizinho de Christine e encontrar nela a sua companheira destinada. Diferente dos outros livros do estilo que li, ele não contou para ela sobre ser um shifter de urso e ela acabou descobrindo do jeito mais.... inusitado.... possível. Mas, como eu disse, Christine era tudo o que Marcus precisava, em todos os sentidos, e ele também era tudo com o que ela sempre sonhou. Quer dizer, MELHOR, segundo a própria. Amei acompanhar essa história. Teria adorado ver o reencontro de Marcus com o irmão, mas fiquei feliz de saber que isso em breve aconteceria (torcendo para que ele também ganhe o seu próprio livro). Claro que eu recomendo!
August 6, 2025
Finding home
Claimed by the Grumpy Shifter is the fifth book in the Curvy Wives of Cedar Falls series. This is a quick and entertaining book that dips it's toe into the PNR genre. Christine owns and runs the local flower shop in Cedar Falls. She works hard, lives quietly, and has a group of good friends but no love life. Marcus moves to Cedar Falls with all his grumpy, scarred, intense, and bear shifter sexiness. He moves into the house next to Christine and that is where the story kicks off. He knows that she is his mate but trying to convince her of that may be a little harder than he expected. Marcus may not talk a lot but he sure does say things with his eyes, his body and his actions. Christine has no choice but to follow her heart and falls hard for her grumpy neighbor.
Claimed by the Grumpy Shifter is the fifth book in the Curvy Wives of Cedar Falls series. This is a quick and entertaining book that dips it's toe into the PNR genre. Christine owns and runs the local flower shop in Cedar Falls. She works hard, lives quietly, and has a group of good friends but no love life. Marcus moves to Cedar Falls with all his grumpy, scarred, intense, and bear shifter sexiness. He moves into the house next to Christine and that is where the story kicks off. He knows that she is his mate but trying to convince her of that may be a little harder than he expected. Marcus may not talk a lot but he sure does say things with his eyes, his body and his actions. Christine has no choice but to follow her heart and falls hard for her grumpy neighbor.
July 20, 2025
Marcus came to Cedar Falls to hide away and heal from his wounded past. He was shocked to find on his first day he finds his mate Christine. There is something about her that draws him in instantly and it takes all he has to keep his bear under control and not going over there and throwing her over his shoulder and bringing her home. There is something about Marcus that draws Christine to him, the way he looks at her and sees her for who she is. I loved every single moment of this sweet romance. There is something about two people that see each other for who they really are and despite everything that they have been through they will always be there. I loved the honesty between these two they lay it all out there. This is a definite must read!!
July 29, 2025
Cute, quick shifter romance!
Christine is the local flower shop owner. Marcus is a bear shifter and new to town. He falls for her immediately, recognizing her as his mate. Christine also falls for him almost instantly. For a novella, the one spicy scene is great! Their chemistry really comes across the page. I almost wish Marcus was just an ex-military man looking for a quiet place to settle down. The bear shifter portion of the novella was my least favorite part and it could have easily been left out.
Also, I’ve read a lot by Zoey Rose and I would like to see some different character names. They kinda blend together from novella to novella when they are all so similar.
Christine is the local flower shop owner. Marcus is a bear shifter and new to town. He falls for her immediately, recognizing her as his mate. Christine also falls for him almost instantly. For a novella, the one spicy scene is great! Their chemistry really comes across the page. I almost wish Marcus was just an ex-military man looking for a quiet place to settle down. The bear shifter portion of the novella was my least favorite part and it could have easily been left out.
Also, I’ve read a lot by Zoey Rose and I would like to see some different character names. They kinda blend together from novella to novella when they are all so similar.
August 24, 2025
This was a decent story, the MC has his issues and he works through them. The FC is decent and likeable and good for him. The problem I have is that every chapter, which is told from one of their POV, has the pov character all for the relationship and the other against it, only for it to change the next chapter. For example, the MC chapter his pov she is my mate I’m guna do everything I can to have her, then it switches to her pov and he’s staying to her he’s not good enough why do you want me I’m broken not worth it, back to his pov I’m guna make her mine. It goes on like this the whole book, and she’s the same, mostly she’s too curvy or why would he want someone like me jumping to I like a challenge and no baggage is boring.
July 22, 2025
Claimed by the Grumpy Shifter is a steamy, insta-love, paranormal short read that is big on heart. This story by Zoey Rose was entertaining from start to finish. I loved the characters of Christine and Marcus. Christine is independent and successful. Marcus, ex-military, is protective and supportive. Together, I felt they made a compelling couple as they dealt with their instant connection, became friends, and more. The story was well written with romance, emotion, spice, great characters, and wonderful world building as Marcus and Christine journeyed to find their HEA. Claimed by the Grumpy Shifter is Book 5 of Curvy Wives of Cedar Falls series and is the perfect reading break.
August 1, 2025
A Good Read
This short story is rushed through, but still a good read. An ex-marine bear shifter finds the love to heal his wounded soul when he moves to a small town and meets his fated mate, a plus sized and insecure human florist who's twenty six and still a virgin. It's a sweet supernatural fantasy insta-love romance story, that's been told before by many different authors.
Tags: Romance, Supernatural Romance, Bear Shifter Romance, Military Man Romance, Curvy Girl Romance, Small Town Romance, Fated Mates Romance, Insta-Love Romance, Fantasy Fiction and Grumpy Sunshine Romance stories.
This short story is rushed through, but still a good read. An ex-marine bear shifter finds the love to heal his wounded soul when he moves to a small town and meets his fated mate, a plus sized and insecure human florist who's twenty six and still a virgin. It's a sweet supernatural fantasy insta-love romance story, that's been told before by many different authors.
Tags: Romance, Supernatural Romance, Bear Shifter Romance, Military Man Romance, Curvy Girl Romance, Small Town Romance, Fated Mates Romance, Insta-Love Romance, Fantasy Fiction and Grumpy Sunshine Romance stories.
July 23, 2025
"Straight out of chapter seven..."
Marc is broken and terrified, looking for peace, for solitude and somewhere safe to heal. He never expected to find Christine, a shy, quiet and beautiful florist who steals his heart and just happens to be his mate. This is a really beautiful journey, Christine gives Marc the reason to face his demons and begin his healing and he gives her the confidence to open her heart and follow her dreams. They are a really sweet and sexy couple, a great addition to the Cedar Falls series which I read on Kindle Unlimited.
Marc is broken and terrified, looking for peace, for solitude and somewhere safe to heal. He never expected to find Christine, a shy, quiet and beautiful florist who steals his heart and just happens to be his mate. This is a really beautiful journey, Christine gives Marc the reason to face his demons and begin his healing and he gives her the confidence to open her heart and follow her dreams. They are a really sweet and sexy couple, a great addition to the Cedar Falls series which I read on Kindle Unlimited.
July 21, 2025
It was a cozy up with a romance book kind of day for me and this book fit the requirements perfectly.
Hot cover ✔️
Sexy Characters ✔️✔️
Hard to put down ✔️✔️✔️
Another AWESOME Romance Book by Zoey ✔️✔️✔️✔️
Loved reading this book on my day off where all I did was sit back and enjoy Christine and Marcus.
Hot cover ✔️
Sexy Characters ✔️✔️
Hard to put down ✔️✔️✔️
Another AWESOME Romance Book by Zoey ✔️✔️✔️✔️
Loved reading this book on my day off where all I did was sit back and enjoy Christine and Marcus.
Read
July 23, 2025Grumpy but wants his mate.
Marcus is a grumpy frightened bear shifter. Discharged from the army and into a quiet neighbourhood. Christine runs the flower shop. Happy but looking for that HEA. I loved this book. It had all the feels of a normal PNR out of control shifter book but then all the emotions of two people trying to find their way. Can’t wait for more.
Marcus is a grumpy frightened bear shifter. Discharged from the army and into a quiet neighbourhood. Christine runs the flower shop. Happy but looking for that HEA. I loved this book. It had all the feels of a normal PNR out of control shifter book but then all the emotions of two people trying to find their way. Can’t wait for more.
July 24, 2025
Marc is new in town
Marc is new in town. He just rented a place across the street from a flower shop.
Christine is the shop owner. Once she figures out that the new man is different in town, she lets him see she's still interested.
I loved Matc careful approach while wooing his mate, and i enjoyed Christine's level-headed response!
I enjoyed this read 📚!
Marc is new in town. He just rented a place across the street from a flower shop.
Christine is the shop owner. Once she figures out that the new man is different in town, she lets him see she's still interested.
I loved Matc careful approach while wooing his mate, and i enjoyed Christine's level-headed response!
I enjoyed this read 📚!
July 30, 2025
Claimed by the Grumpy Shifter
Marc and Christine's story Has a damn meeting when he moves in across the street from her flower shop after he leaves the military. He notices that she's his maid and he tries to win her over. When he turns into a bear for the 1st time he thinks she's going to leave but she accepts him fully.
Marc and Christine's story Has a damn meeting when he moves in across the street from her flower shop after he leaves the military. He notices that she's his maid and he tries to win her over. When he turns into a bear for the 1st time he thinks she's going to leave but she accepts him fully.
August 1, 2025
Curvy Wives of Cedar Falls book 5
Marc just moved to Cedar Falls because its a Quiet, small town and he needed this because he is a Bear Shifter. Marc notices a beauty across the street. Christine is the shy florist and she is his mate, she just doesnt know it Yet. This book is different and i really enjoyed it. I want to move to Cedar Falls.
Marc just moved to Cedar Falls because its a Quiet, small town and he needed this because he is a Bear Shifter. Marc notices a beauty across the street. Christine is the shy florist and she is his mate, she just doesnt know it Yet. This book is different and i really enjoyed it. I want to move to Cedar Falls.
July 24, 2025
The author has given us an emotional story that pulls us into the lives of Marcus and Christine. The heartwarming story keeps us turning the pages with connection, fears, acceptance and steam.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 29, 2025
Christine and Marc
A fun quickie read for all the bear shifter lovers like myself who just can’t get enough of them. Christine had a great life dream, and what she got was better by far when Marc a bear shifter moved next door. Hot and steamy, I loved this!
A fun quickie read for all the bear shifter lovers like myself who just can’t get enough of them. Christine had a great life dream, and what she got was better by far when Marc a bear shifter moved next door. Hot and steamy, I loved this!
July 23, 2025
A super sweet bear shifter male fated mates story full of instant connection, chemistry, passion and love.
July 25, 2025
Claiming Love
She’s shy and he’s wounded but can they find a way to each other? Wonderful character and heartwarming relationship. I very much enjoyed reading it.
She’s shy and he’s wounded but can they find a way to each other? Wonderful character and heartwarming relationship. I very much enjoyed reading it.
July 25, 2025
Oh this was a lovely story. I do love reading Zoey Rose. Loved it! 5☆
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews