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Snowed In With The Grumpy Bear: A Black Paranormal Romance
268 pages, Paperback
Published November 30, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 6, 2025
If Tessa writes it - I’m going to read it. I really enjoyed Tolin and Imani. They really were the perfect match. The pacing in this book is top tier.
December 19, 2025
I know these are novellas… but I really wish these series were longer. I enjoy them but the abrupt switch in emotions between the main characters always PMO. I always want to see more develop between the characters before they walk off into the sunset in Lala Land. Nonetheless, this was a cute, short read and I’ll definitely divert back at some point and read more in the series.
December 23, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Tessa Stone’s bear shifters are one of my favorites to read about. I feel like Tolin and Imani’s story had a nice little twist on how fated mates work.
Even though “Snowed In with the Grumpy Bear” follows a bear shifter, Stanley’s Diner does make an appearance. Our FMC doesn’t work there (I guess because that’s where the wolves’ fated mates are) but she did contemplate applying there at one point. (I was a little bummed Imani didn’t work there because I like reading Andy’s reactions when another one of this employees turn out to be a fated mate lol). Instead, Imani works at a place called Shadow Suds as a cleaner. She’s tasked with cleaning up Tolin’s cabin which is how they meet.
If you’re this far into the series then you already know that the paranormal beings can smell the fated mate scent on humans. That wasn’t the case when Imani showed up to Tolin’s. I won’t spoil what happened or why Imani’s scent was undetectable, but I will reveal that Tolin was a straight up asshole to her.
He’s actually an asshole to everyone. When I read “Snowed in with the Grumpy Shifter”, I complained about how Kai wasn’t actually grumpy. He was just misunderstood. However in *THIS* book, Tolin was straight up grumpy and a certified asshole. Needless to say, Tolin and Imani had a veryyy rough start to their relationship.
Of all the FMCs in this series, Imani is hands down my favorite. I really liked how understanding yet authoritative she was. Imani didn’t allow Tolin to talk to her crazy and stood up for herself when needed. Tolin had a bad habit of stewing in his emotions for a while and then having outbursts. Imani wasn’t about to play with him, okay? She’d make him talk through his feelings so they could both understand why he was feeling like he was. Then Imani would gather Tolin up with a tongue lashing to let him know that wasn’t okay.
One thing I will say I liked about Tolin is that he didn’t go all caveman on Imani once he realized she was his fated mate. Since he was an asshole to her and the only thing Imani knew about shifters was that they exist, Tolin allowed her to work out her feelings for him on her own. And when Imani had questions about what she was feeling, Tolin was open and honest with her…eventually lol.
As far as everything else in the book, there was a point when I thought I accidentally skipped a few pages. I think it was just continuity errors though. When Tolin and Imani discuss Derrick (Imani’s boss) for the first time, Tolin mentioned that he could tell that Derrick wanted Imani when Derrick came to visit them on her first day at Tolin’s house. Derrick didn’t visit Tolin’s house. He called Imani to make sure everything was okay. Later, Ronan (Tolin’s brother) mentioned that he scared off Derrick but that’s not something that happened earlier in the book. These instances don’t really affect anything, but they did make me pause and wonder if I was tripping.
And if you’re a fan of Tessa Stone’s other series: I always assumed Shadow Wolf Creek existed in the same universe as Wintermoon and that the “rules” for the paranormal beings were the same. Apparently that’s not the case 😅 I think it might be okay to run from the bears in Shadow Wolf Creek. No one warned Imani to not do it and it’s not something she tries. Also, Tolin told Imani he’d give her as many cubs as she wants. In Wintermoon, women can only have two cubs because the pregnancy is too hard on their bodies. (Can y’all tell I’m *deep* into the Wintermoon series and Fated Mates series? 😂)
Even though “Snowed In with the Grumpy Bear” follows a bear shifter, Stanley’s Diner does make an appearance. Our FMC doesn’t work there (I guess because that’s where the wolves’ fated mates are) but she did contemplate applying there at one point. (I was a little bummed Imani didn’t work there because I like reading Andy’s reactions when another one of this employees turn out to be a fated mate lol). Instead, Imani works at a place called Shadow Suds as a cleaner. She’s tasked with cleaning up Tolin’s cabin which is how they meet.
If you’re this far into the series then you already know that the paranormal beings can smell the fated mate scent on humans. That wasn’t the case when Imani showed up to Tolin’s. I won’t spoil what happened or why Imani’s scent was undetectable, but I will reveal that Tolin was a straight up asshole to her.
He’s actually an asshole to everyone. When I read “Snowed in with the Grumpy Shifter”, I complained about how Kai wasn’t actually grumpy. He was just misunderstood. However in *THIS* book, Tolin was straight up grumpy and a certified asshole. Needless to say, Tolin and Imani had a veryyy rough start to their relationship.
Of all the FMCs in this series, Imani is hands down my favorite. I really liked how understanding yet authoritative she was. Imani didn’t allow Tolin to talk to her crazy and stood up for herself when needed. Tolin had a bad habit of stewing in his emotions for a while and then having outbursts. Imani wasn’t about to play with him, okay? She’d make him talk through his feelings so they could both understand why he was feeling like he was. Then Imani would gather Tolin up with a tongue lashing to let him know that wasn’t okay.
One thing I will say I liked about Tolin is that he didn’t go all caveman on Imani once he realized she was his fated mate. Since he was an asshole to her and the only thing Imani knew about shifters was that they exist, Tolin allowed her to work out her feelings for him on her own. And when Imani had questions about what she was feeling, Tolin was open and honest with her…eventually lol.
As far as everything else in the book, there was a point when I thought I accidentally skipped a few pages. I think it was just continuity errors though. When Tolin and Imani discuss Derrick (Imani’s boss) for the first time, Tolin mentioned that he could tell that Derrick wanted Imani when Derrick came to visit them on her first day at Tolin’s house. Derrick didn’t visit Tolin’s house. He called Imani to make sure everything was okay. Later, Ronan (Tolin’s brother) mentioned that he scared off Derrick but that’s not something that happened earlier in the book. These instances don’t really affect anything, but they did make me pause and wonder if I was tripping.
And if you’re a fan of Tessa Stone’s other series: I always assumed Shadow Wolf Creek existed in the same universe as Wintermoon and that the “rules” for the paranormal beings were the same. Apparently that’s not the case 😅 I think it might be okay to run from the bears in Shadow Wolf Creek. No one warned Imani to not do it and it’s not something she tries. Also, Tolin told Imani he’d give her as many cubs as she wants. In Wintermoon, women can only have two cubs because the pregnancy is too hard on their bodies. (Can y’all tell I’m *deep* into the Wintermoon series and Fated Mates series? 😂)
December 12, 2025
This was really good. He groveled, he improved, he deserved the happy ever after
December 29, 2025
The story was boring. Author could’ve better explained the back story of why this man says “his bear” instead of me like they aren’t one. Glad they found love though and got a happy ever after
February 1, 2026
this was a great read and you were able to see the growth and connection between both Fated Mates.
January 20, 2026
Tolin and Imani are such a cute and refreshing corner of Shadow Creek.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews