Dasher Claws

The Twelve Mates Of Christmas #1

by Sable Sylvan

He just made The Naughty List...
Marathon runner Sean Jackson's been running all his life -- away from his responsibilities, away from the title of Clan Alpha, and away from Fate. Fate's caught up to this werebear, and so has Santa Claus, because Sean's furry butt ended up...on The Naughty List. Will Sean claim his curvy mate by Christmas, or lose his shift forever?
Lesson number 1: He's going to have to start playing by Santa's rules, if he wants his shift back
The rules are simple:
Sean has to get off of Santa's Naughty List.
He'll get his mate mark back.
Then, he just has to claim his fated mate by Christmas.
That's the only way he'll get his shift back.
Oh, and he has to help pull Santana 'Santa' Claus' sleigh -- using the spirit of Dasher, Santana's fastest flying reindeer.
Sound simple? Well, Fate and Christmas magic go together like hot cocoa and candy canes...
Lesson number 2: BBWs play by their own rules
The last thing curvy baker Joy McLedon wants is to have her heart broken for a third time.
She's learned her lesson about werebears.
Her first bear boyfriend was a playboy -- too hot.
The second werebear, well, he iced her out -- too cold.
There's no way that she'll give a third werebear a chance -- especially a bad boy like Sean Jackson. So why do things with Sean feel...just right?
If Sean couldn't run from his Fate...does this big, beautiful woman have any chance of escaping her own Goldilocks story? And will this fairytale romance end with a happily-ever-after, just in time for Christmas?
This story, featuring a bad boy werebear and a BBW baker, is loosely based on Goldilocks And The Three Bears.

Genres: Shapeshifters, Romance, Paranormal, Holiday, Paranormal Romance, Christmas, Fantasy

135 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 2, 2018

About the author

The only thing I love more than reading hot paranormal romances is writing down my fantasies and sharing them with readers like you. My heroes are strong alpha male bear shifters who can be grizzly and gruff at times...but when it comes to their fated mates, they're absolute teddy bears. My curvy heroines are strong, sassy women, which is why the werebear men who love them will do anything for their love.

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Reviews

[Coco.V · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars!


💝 FREE on Amazon today (12/25/2018)! 💝

[Mona Livsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Sable Sylvan has a way with Shifters and their chosen Mates, the fact that they love their BBW gives me hope lol.
I love the Christmas twist this story has in including Krampus and Santana Claus and their menagerie.
What a fun run on Christmas’s history and making a Bear Shifter do something he has been avoiding! Not all fairy tales end the way they are expected and this one is no exception. Come join the fun as the Elders set up their upcoming Alpha with a trip up at the town of Wreath Montana. Where hopefully he learns a lesson of Naughty vs Nice!

[Beth Schafer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm the manager of the Bear Claw Bakery in The Wreath, Montana. I am co-managers with Avery but somehow, I didn't make it into the books -- even though I wrote them. Welcome to the Dasher Claws first story of The Twelve Mates of Christmas.

Which list are you on the Naughty or Nice list? While Sean is a bear shifter, he is also a bad boy who hasn’t serious about finding his fated mate. Then one night he meets Krampus, a Christmas demon, how takes his shift, his mate mark and puts the word NAUGHTY where his mark is supposed to be. Oh, he also gives him Dasher’s reindeer. The only way Sean can get his bear & mate mark back, is to to earn his way back on the Nice list.

Joy is a baker from one of the other Bear Claws bakeries is up at the Wreath to help Avery, a Christmas Elf, to prepare for the holiday rush and for Santana's yearly Christmas Party. She is a little shifter shy, since she’s dated and had her heart broken twice with bear shifters. Can Sean finally find the true meaning of Christmas?

This is a must read for anyone who loves Christmas and shifter stories. Oh, but wait, this story is only the beginning. You have eleven other books following this & they can only bring you Joy.
I’ve voluntarily read an ARC and this is my honest review.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Thoughts - 5 out of 5 Unicorns - I loved it!!!
***I choose what I read and review based on what intrigues me!! Yes, I got a review copy of this book, but no one tells me what to think, feel, or write about any book!! And I have bought my own copy as I do most of Sable’s books!

This is the 1st book in this Xmas series, and it is still in Sable’s fabulous world of shifters. This is for adults only due to the steamy content.

The last chance for a naughty bear to make the nice list and have everything he always needed. This was a great story mixing Christmas magic with shifters helping Santa while trying to claim their mates. All sorts of unexpected things happening and of course drama. In the end, it is the HEA ending we all love. Sable does a great job having a good mix and unique storyline to make this a great start to a series. Can’t wait to see who makes the naughty list next!!

I highly recommend to anyone who loves Sable’s worlds with naughty bear shifters looking for mates and magic not madness with HEA endings!!

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first of a new series from this author. This author has become one of my favorites starting with the 12 Dancing Bears series and this book follows along the same lines with a Christmas twist. In each of the 12 books to come in this series we meet one 'bad boy' bear who is about to succumb to mate madness because they have not been searching for their mate. I was hooked right away in this book by the way the Clan Council arranged to have each of the bears get 'help' finding their mate. I immediately loved the main characters that carry over from book to book and I think my favorite so far is Pandora. In this first story we meet Sean who thinks he does not need to look for his mate yet and he has plenty of time before mate madness will get him. I loved the interactions between Sean and his fated mate Joy and could not put the book down before I found out how the story would wrap up. I have been reading the rest of this series as they come out and can't recommend them highly enough! If you love a good fated mate story and Christmas this is the series for you.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Sean and Joy's story. It has sexual content.
Sean Jackson is a bear shifter an next alpha of Clan Marron. Sean is also a runner, by profession and by nature. Sean is in danger of mating madness because he is always on the run and didn't take finding a mate seriously, like his father told him to do. Now his father has to call in Krampus the Christmas demon to try to get him in line.
Joy has dated two grizzly bear shifters and has her heart broken two times. When her job offered her a holiday job at one of it's other bakery FAR away from her ex's, she took it. Joy has decided there is not a bear shifter in her future.
This book is short and easy to read. It gives another picture of "Krampus" and another picture of the north pole. I really like some of the original ideas in this story, for example; Mr. Winter's name and he has offspring.
This is a great little holiday story and I am honored to get to review this ARC.

[Melvina Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dasher Claws :
Sean Jackson is about to see that Christmas is going to take a new twist this year miracles can happen for bear shift finding his true mat Just imagine avoiding your family thinking you have time finding your mate, then next thing you're standing in front of father and all the Council of Elders chamber about to have a intervention Krampus the Christmas demon helps the clan with reforming bad boys from being naughty by taking his mark and having him working in Wreath Montana at a tree farm for Santana .
Joy McLeron has came from Port Jameson she don't believe in miracles that happen and avoid Sean Johnson .
But they works out there diff difference.
Not only the main characters interesting but the sad characters I just as funny and make this story come out to be very interesting an worth reading.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dashing to His Mate....

Sean is a real bad boy bear shifter, he takes for granted the pleas of his father to settle down and find a mate before Mate Madness claims him....Well when dire circumstances call for action they must be taken. Sean soon realizes that there is more to Christmas than just presents under the tree when he meets the Christmas Demon.

Now Sean must prove himself and change from naughty to nice, especially when he meets the one he has been waiting for all his life, problem is Joy doesn't believe she is his mate if there is no mate mark. Will Sean convince her that he doesn't need one to prove his love for her?

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the start of a great Christmas series. Sean thought he knew everything and wasn't worried about finding his fated mate. That was until the choice was taken away from and he lost more that he could bear. Literally, he lost his bear and had only Christmas to get off the naughty list. He had to gain his shift back and a mate before the mate madness takes him. Then he met Joy, who wanted nothing to do with bad boy bears.
I voluntarily agreed to review this book. My review is my own honest opinion.

[Jamoz23 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A different shifter/Christmas story and though I liked it I found it hard going.
Cannot pinpoint what was wrong apart from quite silly proofreading errors.
Just didn’t connect with the story or Sean which was a pity.
Not sure if I will read book two even though it is a KU read.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sean is a were bear that has been neglecting finding a true mate, so the bear clan take matters into their own hands to help him before he falls into mate madness and lose his ability to shift. Sean isnt to happy about being forced into finding a true mate, he wants to do it in hs own time, but time is running out.
The clan make a deal with Krampus, the devil himself to work with Sean. Krampus takes Seans mate mark and bear shifter away from him and replaces it with big bold green lettering across his chest that says NAUGHTY and replaces his bear shifter with Dasher, Santas reindeer. Dasher is not to pleased either, but there is a job to be done to save Sean and Christmas.
Sean has to find a true mate and get off the Naughty List before Christmas or he loses his mark and shifter forever. He has one month to do it and the clock is ticking.
I loved this bear/ reindeer shifter story filled with Christmas joy..

[~JustMel~ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dasher Claws

Pros: the overall plot... I like this take on Santa Claus and his reindeer
Cons: the redundancy, the cheesy dialogue, the un-sexy sex scenes, an annoying h... while I understand the reasoning behind her reluctance to let anyone get close to her again, sometimes it’s best to just hush and hear people out.

I’m not a fan of this book, but I’m willing to give the next one a shot. Just not anytime soon.

[Phyllis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dasher Claws is the first book in the new series The Twelve Mates of Christmas. In this book we meet Sean, a bear shifter, and human Joy.

Joy is a baker at the original Bear Claw Bakery & she's taken a temporary assignment in Montana to get away from home at the holidays. She's been dumped by two bear shifters & has decided that she's not going to date any more shifters. It's just too hard on her heart when they dump her for their mates. She certainly has no interest in the shirtless lumberjack that comes into the bakery every day to pick up an order for his boss, does she?

Sean is a bear shifter & marathon runner, but races aren't the only things that make him run. He's been avoiding his responsibilities to his clan & finding his fated mate. His father, the clan alpha, & the clan elders have decided that they need to step in before he falls to mate madness. And they know just the man to help straighten him out. Now Sean must get his act together, help Santa on his yearly ride & find his mate by Christmas which is only weeks away. If he doesn't make this all happen, he'll lose his shift for good. But when the unexpected happens will he be able to get his mate & save his shift?

The Twelve Mates of Christmas is an off shoot from my favorite of Ms Sylvan's series, The Shifter Princes, which is where the Bear Claw Bakery was first introduced. But the bakery is about the only thing from the original series. In this first book we're introduced to the main characters as well as some that will be showing up in most if not all of the books. The heroine's attitude was bordering on hostile at first, which kind of bothered me, but I could see her thinking start to change & that helped to ease me into things. The story line is interesting & seems fresh, but I have to wonder if there will be enough new twists to last through all 12 books. All in all, this is a promising start to this new ser

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

He just made The Naughty List...
Marathon runner Sean Jackson's been running all his life -- away from his responsibilities, away from the title of Clan Alpha, and away from Fate. Fate's caught up to this werebear, and so has Santa Claus, because Sean's furry butt ended up...on The Naughty List. Will Sean claim his curvy mate by Christmas, or lose his shift forever?
Lesson number 1: He's going to have to start playing by Santa's rules, if he wants his shift back
The rules are simple:
Sean has to get off of Santa's Naughty List.
He'll get his mate mark back.
Then, he just has to claim his fated mate by Christmas.
That's the only way he'll get his shift back.
Oh, and he has to help pull Santana 'Santa' Claus' sleigh -- using the spirit of Dasher, Santana's fastest flying reindeer.
Sound simple? Well, Fate and Christmas magic go together like hot cocoa and candy canes...
Lesson number 2: BBWs play by their own rules
The last thing curvy baker Joy McLedon wants is to have her heart broken for a third time.
She's learned her lesson about werebears.
Her first bear boyfriend was a playboy -- too hot.
The second werebear, well, he iced her out -- too cold.
There's no way that she'll give a third werebear a chance -- especially a bad boy like Sean Jackson. So why do things with Sean feel...just right?
If Sean couldn't run from his Fate...does this big, beautiful woman have any chance of escaping her own Goldilocks story? And will this fairytale romance end with a happily-ever-after, just in time for Christmas?
This story, featuring a bad boy werebear and a BBW baker, is loosely based on Goldilocks And The Three Bears

Heather's Notes
This was a cute unique take on shifters. I liked the loose incorporation of Goldilocks and the 3 bears. I did not like how judgey Joy was - she wasn't even going to give Sean a chance to explain. That was a little annoying. Still it was a good book.

[LizJ. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fresh new take, a Christmassy one at that, on shifters finding their fated mates. I am loving this series!! Sean is a bad boy who was never serious about finding his fated mate until he was literally kicked into the Council of Elders chamber and was told what he needed to do to stave off mate madness which is when your shift takes over and you can't ever shift back to human again. Krampus a Christmas demon and a great character takes his shift and takes his mate mark and put Naughty where his mark is supposed to be. Krampus takes him to Montana to a Christmas tree farm in the Wreath which is an island in the middle of a large lake and works him hard to prepare him for the "Ride" where he is to borrow the powers of Dasher to help Santana "Santa" guide the sleigh. Joy is a baker from one of the other Bear Claws bakeries is up at the Wreath to help Avery, a Christmas Elf, prepare for the holiday rush and for Santana's yearly Christmas Party. It's a rough start for love but they overcome it to find they're fated mates. It's a beautifully written, amazingly inventive, wonderful Christmas love story. This is a must read for anyone who loves love, Christmas, shifter stories or all of the above like me!

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Sean and Joy's story . Sean is a runner as a career and in life . He has been told so many times that he needs to find his fated mated before the madness hits him but he just keeps running . Tricked into meeting with his father and the rest of the elders he is going to be learning the hard way that they will try everything to keep him from the madness . Joy is working at the bakery to help out and also to avoid her exes . She has learned the hard way that until a bear finds his fated mated none will stay faithful to her . ( just have to add this " the pickle " I about died laughing here !) . Ok now Sean must get off the Naughty list if he ever hopes to get his mate mark back along with his shift . But it seems no matter what he does Naughty is still on his chest . I just gotta say I loved this book !! Some of the things that Krampus had him doing and why was awesome and so can not wait to read more !!! Well written and strongly recommended to all !! What an amazingly good story !

[Dharia Scarab · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining short reads, but all are written with the same formula so they get old fast. Split them up to give yourself a break from the formula.


Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...

1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.

2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.

3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.

4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.

5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.

[Schellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Running From Fate

Sean has run from fate for the last time, now he may lose his shift and his mate mark. Krampus will be training him for a special job this Christmas. He has traded his bear for a Christmas reindeer, Dasher! He must figure out how to get himself off the “Naughty” list by Christmas Day, to get his bear back.
Joy is working at The Wreath this Christmas, having taken on a temp job there. She isn’t looking for love this time, been there, done that “twice” and has the scars and no Shifter to show for it, just a broken heart!
Joy isn’t interested in Sean at all, even though he is there at every turn helping where he can. Her heart is slowly melting for the bear.
However, disappearing on Christmas Eve without a word, puts her over the edge. Damn Shifters are all the same! Darn Krampus, pulling him away without letting him explain! Will it be too late? Will he be given the chance to explain things to Joy? Read on, I’m headed to book two, see you there!

[JodyL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and funny twist on a shifter's Christmas

Sean has not gotten serious about finding his fated mate. Because mate madness is a series possibility, members of his clan have stepped in to help. They send him somewhere that he can get the intervention that he needs.
Krampus is the one who secrets him away to Montana. He only has a month to change from Naughty to Nice and find his mate.
Joy has loved two werebears before and she is not willing to try again. Can the Christmas spirit change either or both of them? When Sean loses his bear only to get a reindeer will he say Bah Humbug and give up?
Read this hilariously funny book that has plenty of Christmas innuendos and filled with a slight twist on beloved Christmas characters.
I received an arc copy and decided to review and give my honest opinion.

[Patricia Hoffstaetter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful, entertaining bear shifter romance & I really enjoyed reading in it.
The characters are unique individuals that continue to develop throughout a well-written humorous story-line & plot.
It is about: a bad boy bear shifter & future alpha (Sean) who is always on the run & a young woman (Joy) who has decided that she has suffered enough disappointment in her life & there will be no more bear shifters in her future.
There is: bear shifters, reindeer shifters, various kinds of shifters, a matchmaker, a caring alpha & father, clan elders, a Christmas demon, elves, twist & turns, humor, magic, portals, chemistry, surprises, friendship, fated mates, love, happiness, some steamy scenes & a satisfying HEA.

[Gwendolyn Thaggard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sean is a professional athlete and bear shifter.
He's also the future Alpha of Clan Marron.
Unfortunately, Sean had wasted the last few years by not searching for his fated mate.
When he arrives home for Thanksgiving, Sean has to face the council of Elders and answer for his procrastination.
Sean is given one final ultimatum.
He has one month to find his fated mate.
In the meantime he's given a special task to complete.
While preparing for his task, Sean meets Joy.
Joy has been scorned by bear shifters in the past.
Joy is wary of Sean's intentions when he tries to flirt with her.
Will Sean find his mate and complete his task by the deadline?

I received an advanced reader copy of this book and am leaving a voluntary review.

[JKAF · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this Christmas shifter story! Dasher Claws was a cute and unique story!!

Possible SPOILERS

















Sean Jackson has arrived for Thanksgiving at Clan Marronis Lodge....WITHOUT a mate again and his father/Alpha is sick and tired of his behavior so a deal has been struck...reform his bad boy ways or the consequences will be dire! Sean is being sent to Kamp Kringle in Montana to correct his behavior.
Joy McLedon has temporarily moved to The Wreath Montana where she is working at Bear Buns Bakery. Joy needed to get out of town because she needs a fresh start. While working Joy meets Sean a bad boy bear shifter but as she spends time with him she learns things aren't exactly as they seem!

[Betty Finch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sean Jackson is a professional Marathon runner and a member of the Bad Boy Club. Not taking the task of finding his mate seriously, his family and clan step in and give him 30 days to change his ways and find his fated mate. To achieve this they have cut a deal with Krumpus, a demon who works for Santana Claus.
Joy McLedon is an employee of the Bear Buns bakery and has taken a holiday assignment at The Wreath. The last thing she wants is to have anything to do with a bear shifter after the disasters with her 2 ex's.
When she meets Sean, she vows to stay at arms length from him, not knowing of the trouble he is in or the Christmas Magic that is all around them.
You will laugh out loud at some of the antics in this book. I highly recommend it to all.

[Bella Doerres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dasher Claws by Sable Sylvan

When Sean Jackson comes to his clan’s gathering he has no idea how his life is about to change. After all he has been a happy go lucky shifter for years. Every year at the gathering he has promised he would start thinking of getting a mate but this year, well he is about to find out that his Clan means business and that if you are naughty you might meet the Krampus. Joy McLedon has moved up to Wreath to help her bakery chain over the busy holidays. She has given up on love and finds shifters to be a weak spot so she has sworn off bear shifters for now. What happens when she winds up meeting Sean is going to be a surprise for both of them. This is the first in this Christmas series and it is a fun romance from the start.

[Pam Louis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sean has been a bad boy bear shifter running away from fate and a mate but mate madness wolf be hitting soon . That's just not going to work for the next alpha of the clan Marron nope . So his father alpha and the counsel called in ....... lol yea I'll leave that a surprise and call it the big guns and sent him to bad boy camp. He has one last chance.

Joy is a good girl but she has her heart broken 2 times by bad boy bear shifter and she doesn't believe in Christmas. I think Christmas magic will be working over time one these two lol
Fun storyline and it held my attention , the characters are great and putted me in fast. I couldn't put it down so don't miss it.
Voluntarily reviewed a copy and I honestly loved it.

[CrazyGal609 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cute, funny, simple, Christmassy book is filled with such awesomeness!!!
Their “dirty talk” in the epilogue is just bazaar 🫣
✨The mating mark magic was fabulous, Krampus is my fav character⛓️

🎄🎄❤️🎄🎄some of my favourite parts:
“Krampus’ the name, and I supposed fixing bad boys with bad attitudes is what you’d call my ‘game,’”🤯😱 what a great way to introduce KRAMPUS❤️

Oooohhhh new word “demoncraft” 😈

🤓Love her rationality: “ You touch a hot stove once, okay, you’re silly. You touch a hot stove twice? You’re certifiably insane. I’m not touching Fate’s stove again.”

🗯️I wanna met a guy who says things like this, I’d be smiling all day..lol: “Well, jingle my bells, and call me a Christmas tree,”🎄🔔🔔

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joy is in The Wreth to avoid men. Sean has until Christmas to get himself off the naughty list and find his mate. Instantly attracted to each other, she knows better than to fall for a bad boy. Will Sean be able to correct his mistakes in time? Will Joy take a chance with her heart again?

Honestly loved how this was a slow burn and they didn't just jump into a relationship. I loved watching Sean and Joy learn that you can't stop Fate. Sean definitely proved that he was a good boy with a bad boy side. I didn't blame Joy for being scared, but was happy when she finally gave in. Great holiday read!

[Mary Lou Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

DASHER CLAWS is the first book in the 12 Mates of Christmas series. Though each stands on its own, it is best if they are read in the order of release.

I loved Sean and Joy's relationship that started as friends, reluctantly.

I loved that Joy was a bit of a Goldilocks and this third werebear is the charm of Fate.

Finally, I loved that it was a sexy, steamy, and yet sweet Christmas story. It was entertaining and spicy, sprinkled with holiday magic.


Title: DASHER CLAWS
Series: 12 Mates of Christmas #1
Category /Genre: Paranormal Romance
Recommended for: 18+ due to sexual content
Grammar/editing: B – a few errors
Received from: Amazon purchase

[Michele Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holidays and shifter romance

Sean is a bear shifter that is facing his deadline for finding a mate but he isn't concerned enough to think seriously about a mate. He is whisked away to reindeer camp to mend his naughty ways. Joy is volunteering at a bakery where the reindeer camp but is sworn off bear shifters after being dropped by 2 previous bear shifters . She is positive that bear shifters are all just after her curves and then dump her. Can Sean get off the naughty list and convince Joy he's the man for her? I highly recommend this book and cant wait to start the next one.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. The characters are a wonderful mix of those who do and don't believe in Santa and his reindeer. There are humans, shifters, and "mythical" beings in the story that are very well thought out and add a lot of interest and depth to the plot. Without giving away the story, it is fun and has charming moments when Sean starts realizing that he has to deal with his own misbehavior and straighten out if he wants to get onto the Nice list for a change. Delightful.

I received this story from the author and voluntarily reviewed it since I quite enjoyed it.