Fated Late

by Sara Ivy Hill

I found my fate...a little too late.A guy walks into my bookstore, takes one sniff, and decides I’m his fated mate. Great meet-cute, right?

Except I’m not single.
He’s not human.
And according to him, even though I’m in perimenopause, I’m the only woman on the planet who can give him the pups he’s been dreaming of.

Now he wants a deal, one that involves doctors, a surrogacy contract, and an insemination arrangement I absolutely should not make, given the ring already on my finger.

Helping him become a father might be the kindest thing I ever do. It also might be the most complicated. Because falling for the wolfman is not in my plan…but fate is here to make a mess of my white-picket-fence life.

FATED LATE is a cozy monster romcom about midlife curveballs, undeniable chemistry, and one wildly inconvenient mate bond.

412 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 26, 2026

Reviews

[Lynn_G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complicated, lovely little shifter-human romance in which the FMC faces up to a failing marriage while offering to be a surrogate for a wulver who cannot otherwise father offspring (messy, as well, but never engaging in adultery). It’s a convoluted route to a HEA, but it’s well worth the journey to get there. Fans of Sara Ivy Hill will not be disappointed.

I received an advance reader copy from the author, and I’m sharing my honest review.

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't even through Chapter 1 before I knew I was going to love it and that it was going to be SO cute. When I finished the last page every expectation I had was exceeded. This was amazing. It was cute and sweet and funny and heartbreaking and lovely and ahh. It was such a treat to be back in one of Sara's worlds, enjoying the space carved out for a beautifully unconventional love story. The way she does found family just has a way of stitching up wounds you kind of forgot were bleeding in the first place. Highlighting the importance of friendship, of trusting your instincts, of believing people when they show you who they really are, of asking for help and accepting when it's freely given. Giving the spotlight to demographics not given nearly enough representation was so rewarding. We get an FMC that has already had kids, raised them, and has moved into the next phase of her life and an MMC that wants a family so bad and actively chooses to praise and dote and adore, even when he knows he shouldn't be. Because who doesn't want to be reminded that they're treasured? That they're wanted? Come on 😍
Julia was an amazing reminder that it's important to strive for happiness and love, especially when you've allowed yourself to be starved of it. Ian is the best example of a caring, adoring, truly loving partner, through all of life's ups and downs and messy beautiful bits. If he can't love all of you the way Ian loves Julia just go ahead and find one who can 💁

[Birch · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were so many nuances to this book. For one it isn't a typical fated mates story, there are obstacles, but love is worth working for. The weaving in of what family bonds are through culture, the inclusivity...be it Wulver or Korean. Loving someone for who they truly are and not what you want them to be.
I love that the Shifter community has a Court of Fates, it can help with complicated situations. So many pushed this as an option, but Ian always knew who his mate was and wanted her to come to her own decisions.
Ian was delightful. His internal monologue of excitement paired with his calm, stoic replies in the beginning. To eventually not being able to contain his feelings and having them spill out physically through tail wags...and so much more. 🥰
Julia is someone you can relate to. She is real, selfless and hard on herself. With some support from her amazing friends and her Eomma she is able to have those hard conversations and see she isn't happy and deserves to have so much more.
This was a tender book with cozy and steamy elements. I am excited to delve more into the Complicated Mates Series.


And you know your limits, so read the author's content warnings. I received a copy of this book from the author, and this is my honest review.

[Bordelinedino · Rating 5 out of 5]

🐺 Cinnamon-roll wolfman MMC hero
💜 Plus size FMC over 40
🐺 Fated Mates
💜 Age gap
🐺 Breeding contract
💜 Knotting
🐺 Utter devotion + praise
💜 Food is their love language
🐺 #itscomplicated

Julia is stuck in a useless, loveless marriage with a cheating, manipulative man for the sake of her 2 collage age daughters.

She gets her first job after 18 or so years in a cute little bookshop and bumps into Ian.
Ian is red headed wulver who wants a family more than anything and Julia happens to be the only woman that's able to do it.

The relationship between Julia and Ian was slow growing due to Julia's current 'issues' but she finally realises how bad things had become, with help from Ian and her best friends.

The inclusion of Korean-American culture was great. It was lovely to see so much included, from food, clothing to name choices.
The shifters having a court of fates to decide hard to navigate relationships was a good thing to include. Ian deciding not to go that route, even though it was getting pushed onto him, goes to show what sort of male he is. He knew what was best for Julia.

Difficult topics to work around but very well executed.

This book definitely gives you all the feels from anger to cute grins and Ian is all the Cinnamon-rolls you could want.

[Lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was excellent. I was a little worried going into it because there's a lot to be handled here (she's already married? she's older and he wants children?), but I didn't need to be. Every plot point and emotion was addressed thoughtfully and realistically (I mean, realistically in context) in a way that was thorough and engaging and rewarding, and I'm so glad I read this book as soon as I got it (and for the sake of disclosure, I got this from participating in the author's Patreon).

The romance was kind of secondary to the practicalities here, but it worked with the premise. Julia was such a good encapsulation of a phase of life so many women go through, and Ian was sweet and careful and caring and so willing to meet her where she was and make things how she wanted them to be. I also think, in Ian's case, the author did a great job of depicting the interplay of different cultures here (wulver- and Korean-American), and I enjoyed how expressive Ian was.

Overall, a great book that hits all the right notes and brings something unique and interesting (and appreciated) to the genre.

[Cristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This certainly was an out there book, but I loved it. Not just the romantic side of it but all the other topics that it touched on. The emotional elements were approached with care and compassion. The revelations throughout the story was an eye opener.

Julia and Ian's relationship was beautiful to witness. The strong support of her friends was the icing on the cake. This was a page turner from the very beginning and a definite must read.

I applaud anyone who offers to be a surrogate. It certainly is a gift to be selfless.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so stinkin' cute! The plot was interesting, characters were multifaceted, Ian was such a cinnamon roll, and the inclusion of Korean-American culture was a wonderful addition to the read. The spice felt secondary to the romance and other plot points, which worked for me in this book. Even the side characters were engaging.

Big thank you to the author for the advanced copy of this book. This is my honest review.