Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Kindred of Arkadia #1

Fate Knows Best

Rate this book
**Alanea's Note** This is a re-release of a previously published title. It has been re-edited and a bit more content has been added, but nothing that would change the story dramatically. As always thank you for your support! Enjoy! After her boss became her ex-boyfriend and turned her life inside out, Rebecca is on the road looking for adventure and a place to call home. She never imagined the mysterious road she would take would lead her to a grumpy hot Sheriff, a gorgeous playboy and a group of gay fashionistas, or, that they would be bear and lion shifters. Reading about being a shifter's mate was one thing, living it was another. Aleks has sworn off human women. After working a brutal homicide he as returned to the shifter-only town of his birth to date the local shifter women and hopefully find a nice female bear-shifter to give him cubs. When Fate throws him an itty, bitty human as a mate, he refuses to have anything to do with her. As the attraction between them grows Aleks realizes that he can't seem to stay away from the tiny dark-haired human, but the realization may come too late, as he faces the fact that though her body was never in any danger, he may have shattered her heart. He wonders if she will be safe with him and she wonders if she will ever be what he he truly wants. In the end they will both see that, Fate Knows Best.

210 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 8, 2013

348 people are currently reading
1350 people want to read

About the author

Alanea Alder

31 books3,617 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
1,556 (46%)
4 stars
921 (27%)
3 stars
614 (18%)
2 stars
187 (5%)
1 star
78 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 220 reviews
Profile Image for Barbara➰.
1,661 reviews459 followers
March 24, 2017
This a reread for me...I don't know how many times. Today, it would probably be 4 stars if I read it new. But since I've read it multiple times, I'm keeping the 5 stars because obviously there's something that keeps bringing me back to rereading it.

This is a cute "mate" series mixed with MF, MM, MMM, MFM and MMF. All that I love. It's not going to win any literary awards but I do enjoy the humor and though one might "deny" they are mates for half a second, they usually come around quickly and there's no one else for them.
Profile Image for CC.
1,781 reviews236 followers
November 19, 2015
I will keep this simple. This author's brand of juvenile humor does not work for me. I dislike her heroines and dislike the amount of time spent with OM (as friends) and how little time spent with Hero. This seems universal to her books.

Profile Image for SoBeA.
620 reviews49 followers
June 19, 2013
Didya read the synopsis? Doesn't it sound super super good?
Yeah, those expectations were seriously not met.

So heres the breakdown of the story : they meet, they fall in love, and he breaks her heart...all in 60 seconds or less!

Yeah, not a fan....it did have fewer sex scenes and more of a story than I'm used to from Siren books. And I did like the bare bones of the story. The idea was really good...it just needs editing/changing/fixing/adding to.

First off the pace of the story needs to slooooow way the hell down. I mean seriously, it take pages to cover the majority of whats mentioned in the synopsis. And we need some more world building, And characterization. And relationship building ( again, hours after they meet, and right after she learns about the para world, the h wants to be claimed? Without even really knowing what it means?!). Also there needs to be a period of adjustment, after the h learns about the new to her para aspects of the world she's found herself in....honestly, this h, is sorta a Mary Sue. Every freaking one loves her....and most of it seems to be because she's polite. Oh and gay stereotypes abound in this story. And there are sooo many secondary characters I kept forgetting who was who!

So yeah, I liked the idea, and I think Alanea Adler has talent ( along with an awesome name) but this needs some serious polishing. 2.5 stars

Profile Image for Sabrina.
4,284 reviews2,388 followers
July 4, 2022
Sometimes my mood turns to wanting the, magically-good-at-everything and everyone-is-instantly-protective-and-in-love-with-her type of heroine. And for that this book was perfect. It also introduced a lot of characters and different types of paranormals that I thought were all really interesting. Again, it was perfect for me mood and made the book a fun read.

It was over the top at times, especially with the crazy heroine that rambled a lot, but it worked for the story and and the town setting. Rebecca was the complete opposite of Aleks and their antics had me smiling like a crazy person.

The town was interesting to learn about too and I'd be happy to read more about the side characters. I do think I'll put off reading more from the series though only because the books are a little pricey for me. 6.99 for books barely over 100 pages just makes me hesitant to dive into a series. But I am glad I gave this first one a try.
Profile Image for ValerieC.
1,342 reviews56 followers
June 6, 2013
I don't know...

The basic story was good and has an evil unknown villain, so I gave it a 3. Also, it's first in a series, so, allowances for that. I can see there's lots that can continue on into subsequent books, which will hopefully be better. I almost stopped reading this in the beginning because it was so sticky sweet, and I almost felt like this was a YA book written by a teenager. It's too cute by half. It's written like a fairy tale.

It also had all of the 'required elements' of Siren books - smex, spankings, oral smex, etc. In fact, it was downright formulaic. If you really just have to read about 'spankings' (i.e. some big guy beating on a smaller woman's butt and she supposedly gets off on that), then it's in here, just like it is in about all Siren books.

But, the character interactions/dialogue is VERY Mary Sue-ish - just too sweet and friendly and nice. I don't know... it's a dirty book written by the Church Lady.

Anyway, I gave it a 3 because I liked it ok, but I'm not really sure the characters in the next book interest me enough to continue with this series. However, the villain might make me read another.

This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Katyana.
1,801 reviews290 followers
June 6, 2023
So, this was ... not good.

It reads as if it was an early draft of what was polished and revised and edited into the Bewitched and Bewildered series, which is one I adore. But what is fun and OTT and hilarious in that book just feels ridiculous and amateurish here. The plots are so similar, though, that I have to believe they came from the same seed idea.

Which, of course, makes me curious ... because I LOVE Bewitched and Bewildered and so this feels like maybe a sneak peek at the overall plot line for that series. But ... I just can't. I really can't. I didn't enjoy this one, I was rolling my eyes constantly. It wasn't just that it was ridiculous instead of cute with the OTT stuff. It was also that it was so unpolished - it felt like a fan fiction version of the polished series. We sped through things that should have weight, and so nothing seemed to matter at all. And the characterizations were just all over the place.

So this is where I drop out of this series, sadly. I'm going to stick to the polished version.
Profile Image for Sydney M Neblett.
2,660 reviews27 followers
July 4, 2022
Stumbling onto the right path

Ms Alder has added another gem to her writing crown with the addition of this book. The laughter and comedic breaks are on a parallel course with the Meryn moments in her Bewitched and Bewildered series. And in a brand new group of paranormals, a deadly enemy, and a fantastic group of friends and family to start a new series that I know I will be reading over and over again. I can’t wait to read what happens next in this secret little town that has been brought to life by the quirky human who has found her HEA.
1,142 reviews18 followers
September 8, 2023
Lots of hints in this book a to.her Bewitched nd Bewildered series, Rebecca strikes me as an early version of Merryn. The town of Arkadia is full of shifters several.different species. The dominant are the bears, the alpha bear Is a female and she runs the town she is also.fated to give birth to seven shifter sons. Rebecca is a human who magically find her way to Arkadia in the middle of blizzard s if this were not amazing enough she also turns out to be the fated mate of Aleks Arkadion eldest son of the.current alpha.pair..........which means Rebecca will.be the new Alpha mother (and have seven sons) well Rebecca may be a human but that doesn't mean she's not up for a challenge nd being mated to Aleks does have it's perks..............................shame someone/thing is.out to get her.........
Profile Image for Emily.
5,866 reviews546 followers
April 22, 2019
Rebecca Morgan is lost L..O...S..T. She lost her job, her home and now she is traveling only to have the musicality of her car breaking down and her GPS on the fritz. When she ends up in a little out of the way town of Arkadia, she finds she is accepted with warmth and comfort from everyone but bear shifter Sheriff Aleksander Arkadion.

Rebecca thought after the searing kiss he greeted her with that he liked her a little bit. When she finds out she is his mate, she thinks he will accept her but Aleksander makes it clear he doesn't want a human mate. Of course when Aleksander realizes he has been a bit of a fool, everything changes and he realizes he has a lot of ground to make up for and sets out to woo her, Arkadion style.

Very fun read. The story had several laugh out loud moments and the cast of side characters are truly enjoyable. Looking forward to more from this talented author.
Profile Image for Cheesecake.
2,800 reviews509 followers
August 28, 2017
To be honest I quit this around 85% and actually skimmed it mostly from about half way to that point...
But I feel that since I may have lost some brain cells reading that much, that I am entitled to a short review.
heroine... whatshername, a human (tragically orphaned of course), magically sidetracks into a magical town of shifters (aka NO humans). Then she proceeds to whammy them with her Snow White meets Forrest Gump, delightful personality.
The sheriff, her destined mate, is almost 2 feet taller than her but magically they fit perfectly around the crotch area.
He is afraid of hurting her, and so briefly denies their connection, until the town get together to 'Cinderella-her-up' for their perfect date.
Add in some OTT evil yet stupid minions led by an OTT faceless evil dude.
(and... the Sheriff is a MORON).
I do like silly stuff like this when done well... but this wasn't at all clever.

I give up on this author... just not my cup of tea.
Profile Image for Lin.
14 reviews3 followers
September 22, 2013
I bought this book because I enjoy trying new authors....needless to say this was a "WINNER"! As soon as I half way through this book, the first in the series, I immediately bought Book 2 - "Fated to be Family". This author does not disappoint! You have shifters - lions and bears, oh my - and other were-species, romance, thriller, drama, suspense and humor! What is not to like. All of the characters introduced in this first book are well thought out and definitely have their own personalities!
Profile Image for Daria.
1,990 reviews42 followers
September 10, 2013
Just the Bear necessities isnt a thought when you meet the sexy hot sherriff, Aleksander he sees Rebecca and slides his tongue down her throat. What a way to start a night, being throughly kissed by someone she's never met. Of course stubborness knows no bounds, with Alek all maleness personified. Poor Alek will jump through hoops and he gets to know becca his mate.

check out the rest of the review at:


http://www.romfanreview.com/2013/09/r...
Profile Image for ♡Tonya♡.
2,062 reviews568 followers
Want to read
July 15, 2016
is this a continuing story?
Profile Image for Darcy.
14.4k reviews543 followers
October 23, 2021
I've read this author's other series and really liked it and felt like it was time to check this one out and now I'm kicking myself I didn't read it sooner. I see similarities from her other series, all the good thing that made me read it.

I loved Rebecca, loved how she stumbled into town and how the town changed due to her. They all really loved her from the start and she loved them all too. Rebecca was able to see each person as they were, the best parts of them, not what kind of shifter they were to be lumped with traits of their kinds. This really lead to Rebecca building strong ties with everyone. I really liked see how Rebecca dealt with learning there were shifters and that she was the fated mate to Aleks and how despite being a tiny, tiny human, she could keep Aleks on his toes and knock him out. Just being herself Rebecca found a vampire ally and through him learned of a threat to her new town, one where everyone needs to band together, something they are happy to do now with Rebecca there to lead them.
Profile Image for anna.
1,056 reviews11 followers
January 29, 2023
i loved the “bewitched and bewildered” series and this one is the same but in different font. so if you can guess, i enjoyed this book too and i’m excited to read and relax with the whole series.

i loved the gabriel’s cameo. i wonder who was created first gabriel or this series.
(^^ upd after the second book i got that it’s not the same gabriel as in bb series so not a cameo)

i didn’t like how aleks rejected rebecca at first. it was a shitty move. also i didn’t expect rebecca being tortured.

i liked the whole mates thing with insta love&lust. it’s very comforting. i missed the silly humor of this author’s books. also absolutely fascinated with rebecca’s murderous side.
Profile Image for April.
2,640 reviews175 followers
December 6, 2013
This was so close to five stars for me, but I could not overlook the jumpy narrative. At times I had to reread a paragraph to figure out who's thoughts they were. A minor annoyance that took me out of the story at times. I am sure that Ms Alder, a new author, will get into the groove with her next book!

Now the good stuff!! I love me a grumpy bear shifter!! Aleks is so deliciously grouchy and cuddle at the same time!! He is just my kind of bear! Add in the sweet tooth and he is right up there with my top five bear shifter loves!! Yummy!! There were a few times when he really stepped in it but the apologies were breathtaking!

Rebecca is a really terrific character, like the folks in town it is hard for a reader not to love her! She had such spirit and spunk! I also loved that she is a bookworm and accepted shifters so easily cause she reads paranormal!

There are so many wonderful side characters in town and I can not wait to read their stories. It is a really quirky sweet place and I think it could easily make my list of towns I wish were more than fictional!

Steamy deliciousness!! And a touch of BDSM to keep it really hot!! You may need a cold shower after the makeup scene!!

The side plot was well paced and supported the story. I can not wait to see where it will all lead. Everything was engaging and never really had a moment where I was bored. There were a few spots where things were repetitive but that is typical in a new author.

I really liked this and can not wait to hear more from this author!! Definitely one to add to my stalking...um following regiment!
Profile Image for Rochelle.
3,462 reviews56 followers
June 2, 2013
What a fantastic story, I loved it! A great start to a new series. Cannot wait for book 2!!!
Profile Image for Cherylnne.
22 reviews7 followers
May 11, 2013
I loved this book. Can't wait until the next one comes out.
Profile Image for SC.
810 reviews26 followers
August 7, 2022
This was my first ever AA book back in 2015. I liked it, but not quite enough to complete the series. I moved on to her Bewitched & Bewildered which held my interest up to book idk, 8 or 9. I stopped reading her books because one, Meryn’s character got super annoying to me, her other characters no longer behaved the same, and lastly, because considering the fact that they are not KU, I expected them to actually be edited and proofread, which they clearly were not.

So I revisited this book 7 yrs later and it is so obvious she recycled a lot from this and used it B&B. A vampire named Gabriel? A secret town with a spell so humans can’t see it? Oh how about a honey bun cake? Exactly. This book was also not edited very well at all, I mean, did she even read it through when she was done? There is also the way she writes gay men. I’ve been deep in M/M world for a few years now, and reading her version of gay men, not good. She essentially made them all come off as twinks or you know, essentially women. Ugh.

I was thinking of giving her another go, possibly finish up the B&B series but honestly, this re read was the sign I needed to truly put this author and her books behind me.
Profile Image for Crystal K.
594 reviews8 followers
August 9, 2023
4 stars

Listen up, folks! When you're out on the road, never let a stranger know you're riding solo. Keep it on the DL that if you go MIA, nobody's out there looking for you, and you didn't tell anyone where you were going. And don't let them know you're lost, either.

So my girl Rebecca here ignored all these precautions. All the while, she trusted a random stranger. Why? Just because he reminded her of her deceased father? Yup, all I can say is, you never know who might be a serial killer... I was horrified when she told him she didn't have any family and that her father had died a few years ago. You just don't go telling your deepest secrets to some stranger you just met in some random town. Thank God this book is a romance. I could easily see it being some kind of crime novel.

Seriously, what's with everybody calling her "tiny" this and "tiny" that? Baby girl too? Every single person was calling her that. I mean, it was a different time back then, before the whole 365 days fiasco. And "baby boy"? Cool pet names, I guess.

Another thing is that when she passes out, her fiancé's dad straight up scoops her up, and she fricking snuggles up in his arms. That's some weird stuff right there.

BUT this book, I swear, had me forgetting all that mess, and by the time I was 50% in, I was hooked. I liked this book A LOT. The writing was endearing, and I couldn't resist the charm of this book. I'm definitely continuing this series.
Profile Image for Grace.
251 reviews15 followers
June 20, 2017
After reading two books by this author, I'm pretty sure her writing style is not for me. The two main problems with this story were the heroine and the lack of time the couple spent together.
I really could not stand Rebecca. She was really annoying and was a little TSTL for my tastes. I just think she writes her heroines a little too much for me.
My second biggest complaint was the lack of time the couple spent together. It just seemed like Rebecca spend more time with everyone else in the town then Aleks. It really felt like we were just supposed to be getting to know everyone else in the town for their future books than the actual couple.
Profile Image for Autumn.
7 reviews4 followers
October 15, 2024
Fun Distraction

Great protagonist and interesting intro to the world but felt more like an outline than a fleshed out story. I also didn’t like how the vampire attempting to enthrall so he could have what this world equates to sex with her was just brushed off instead of addressed.
Profile Image for Paulina.
458 reviews4 followers
December 30, 2019
3.5 stars. I liked the book, it was cute, but you can tell this was written earlier in her career. Her Bewitched and Bewildered series is more fleshed out. Not sure when I’ll read the next book in this series, as I don’t feel like reading about a triad romance right now.
255 reviews
March 26, 2019
Loved it

Alanea is that author that you pre order from without reading the blurb. Quirky female characters and fantastically alpha shifters equals a great book
Profile Image for Robin.
425 reviews19 followers
March 26, 2015
Rating - 3.5*
One Word Rec.: Buy
Alder, Alanea; FATE KNOWS BEST [Kindred of Arkadia, #1]

Ebook; genres: {paranormal romance}; shelves: |author: Alanea Alder |
|rating: 4* - Great Book, will re-read more than once or twice = when released in theater|
|paranormal, shifters: bear, canine, feline, other|
|paranormal, vampires|
|humorous read|
|fan/geek references|

General Synopsis: So, first off, I hate *SPOILERS*, but when I gush about books I love, they tend to come out, but I'll try. If you get the *SPOILERS* reference, there is no need to keep reading, just buy anything by Alanea Alder & you'll be in geek heaven.

This is the first book in Alanea Alder's [Kindred of Arkadia] series, which introduces the reader to the shifter only town of Arkadia, it's inhabitants (ie, future books for me, um, I mean you), & focuses on the romance between Rebecca Morgan, a human who accidently stumbles into the all shifter town, & Aleksander Arkadion, a bear shifter, who is not prepared for a human mate.

Characters/fu-bo:
Bran & Kate - Fated to Be Family Kindred of Arkadia 2
Liam - Fated Forgiveness Kindred of Arkadia 4
Connor - Fated Surrender
Ashby - Fated for Forever Kindred of Arkadia 3
Rian
Damian
(Nic)holas
Dr. Maddox Claybourne - Fated Healing Kindred of Arkadia 5
Benedict
Duncan
Emmett
(Finn)ian
Gavin

Personal Opinion:
I loved the numerous geek references, being a fan as well, I not only understood them, but related to the characters & Ms. Alder, the author. Geeks need to stay together they say.

One of my biggest pet peeves with {paranormal romances} is that moment when the heroine/hero has a freakout regarding shifters or vampires being real. Considering the popularity of the sub genre, as well as numerous pop culture & media regarding the paranormal, would people really freak out like they do? One thing I loved about this book, when Rebecca finds out about them, she asks “So a Sherrilyn Kenyon kinda shifter or a Charlaine Harris kinda shifter?” . Not my first choices as a reader, but she acknowledges they are mainstream & there is no serious meltdown & me wanting to slap the person.

Something to note: I actually read My Commander, from Ms. Alder's [Bewitched and Bewildered] series first & when looking for other books by Alanea Alder, came across her [Kindred of Arkadia] series and read all of them. Now that in itself isn't the "note" I was refering to, but an explanation sorta. In the [Kindred of Arkadia] series, shifters live the same length as normal humans, maybe a little longer, but not hundreds of years as is the case of the shifters from the [Bewitched and Bewildered] series.
Profile Image for Claudia.
729 reviews24 followers
January 31, 2015
Fate Know Best, first book in Alanea Alder's Kindred of Arkadia started with nice introduction the a whole town of shifters and a itty-bitty human female.

Rebecca Morgan thinks she knows what she wants out of life, until her life plan goes to hell in a handbasket. Now she is out looking for adventure. She just doesn’t expect to discover a shifter-only town and one six foot eight, grumpy, bear-shifting sheriff named Aleksander Arkadion.

Aleksander Arkadion only wants to date shifter females after working a brutal homicide case that has him returning to the shifter-only town of his youth. Which is why is he curious to discover a human in town and shocked when he realizes the tiny woman is his mate.

As the attraction between them grows, Aleks realizes that he can’t stay away from the petite female, but the realization may come too late. Although her body was never in any danger, he may have destroyed her heart by pushing her away. Now he has to convince his mate he really does want her while keeping her safe from rogue hyenas bent on taking her.

Rebecca was on her way to her new destination/ city when her car started having problems and needed to find help. By accident or fate she saw a road that led her to a town who was not on her GPS.
She was fast welcomed into the town by the town's Alpha bear and patriarch Pa. Wile meeting some of the town's people a very attractive man enters the dinner and kisses her leaving her dizzy, breathless and barely conscious.

Aleksander Arkadion has been waiting and wishing for his mate for a very long time and when he found her he couldn't run faster away from Rebecca - she was human. He was a huge man, a bear and afraid to hurt her and he didn't realize that his rejection would cause an emotional pain.

Their mating didn't go well in the beginning but surprisingly Rebecca accepts her new town and life as a mate to a bear shifter easily and waits for her grumpy bear to come to his senses.
Once together everything went well. Their love scenes and mated life for sweet and funny.

I liked the story but it didn't feel very original. It had too many similarities to My Commander (Bewitched and Bewildered). Rebecca had the same character and attitude as Meryn and everybody was falling in love with her personality. Aleks felt as grumpy, clumsy and inexperience in all human matters as Aiden.
The difference was the hyena trouble instead of rogue soulless shifters/ paranormal.
Since the second book is a menage (hmm) the story might take a different turn and end the similarities.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 220 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.