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Banford and Beauty Bears #1

Fated For The Bear

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Girl meets boy = classic love story. Girl meets bear... Wait, what?
Kacie has always known there was something odd about the small town of Beauty, but she doesn't expect that oddity to almost claim her life or land her in the arms of her long-term crush; hot veteran Dean. Okay, he's nuts but she can't argue with that, not with a body like his or when he's whispering things like 'fated' and 'destiny'. Even if he does claim to be a werebear...

She's his mate, but she's human. He's so screwed...

Leader of the Beauty bear clan, Dean is between a rock and a hard place. His fated mate is human but he daren't claim her. The elitist asshats in the clan would have kittens. But when an attack brings her over into the bear world, he's out of time and out of options. Even worse, the town has an rogue bear problem and internal clan politics that put Kacie in the crossfire.

Forced to fight battles on all fronts, Dean must bear up or risk losing her forever...

PLEASE NOTE: This title was previously released as 'BEAR UP' in the More than Mated Kindleworld.

99 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 15, 2018

534 people are currently reading
495 people want to read

About the author

Mina Carter

288 books2,388 followers
Mina Carter is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of romance in many genres. She lives in the UK with her husband, daughter, a puppy who pays no attention to her whatsoever, and a bossy cat.

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5 stars
358 (37%)
4 stars
299 (31%)
3 stars
216 (22%)
2 stars
60 (6%)
1 star
18 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
Profile Image for Somia.
2,066 reviews169 followers
November 25, 2019
Fated mates, danger and bear shifters – 3 ingredients that should have made this an engaging short and fluffy PR read, but honestly this book fell flat for me, I’ve enjoyed the author’s books in the past but this just didn’t work for me.

Didn’t like the abrupt ending certain things were left unresolved. Plus, there was no real relationship development between the main characters, and I just didn’t feel the hero – he wasn’t an ass but he wasn’t my idea of a hero/alpha either.

Freebie on amazon, 21st November 2019.
Profile Image for Debra Johnson.
11k reviews179 followers
April 13, 2024
Purchase Amazon September 16, 2019
3.5 Stars

I enjoyed it.
Well written.
Good flow.
Good characters.
Need more of these!
Great adult steam.

Review Shared to;
Amazon
Profile Image for Meiwilli.
1,643 reviews5 followers
May 22, 2020
Fated for the Bear is the first story in the Banford and Beauty Bears.

To simplify this already simple tale, Kacie Leroy has always had the hots for Dean Sterling, Prime, aka alpha of his clan of shifters. Because Kacie is human, Dean has maintained his distance for years, although he knows she is his fated mate. When rogues injure Kacie, Dean can no longer ignore his mate and, thus, lets the bear out of the bag, leaving Kacie with no choice but to mate a shifter or be killed (pretty harsh).

Kacie has always known there was something different in Beauty, but never expected shifters surrounded her. Kacie is accepting of the shifters, and all appears to be well until the rogues return for their real purpose.

Not a lot of heat in this story, and the characters could be better defined. An okay freshman effort which will have to improve in the writing style and character development for a sustainable series.

On my Were Scale of Hotness, 2.5 stars.
130 reviews
September 7, 2019
4 stars, but still a little disappointed..........

I'm just going to say, this book and Creed's book before it, we're both fantastic, amazing, creative stories. But then near the end, when you think some of the main issues are going to be resolved, boom, "The End!!" Like, what ultimately happened to Anderson? Did he get a comeuppance? Was the unrest settled with Anderson and his little following? Being a purist prick, you know he hated Kasie with Dean!! Oh, well. I just wish she would make these short stories into full(er) length stories. 89 - 101 page ebooks should be around $.99. 101 pages for $2.99? A bit much when you're buying a whole series one afer another. I've bought 350-400 page books on Amazon for $.99!! From best-selling authors. Again, I recommend the books. They're good, just short with kind of abrupt endings. Love her work though!!
Profile Image for Mary Kirkland.
770 reviews32 followers
October 1, 2020
Dean knows that he can't have Kacie because she would never love him if she knew he was a bear shifter. So he keeps his distance even though it kills him to see her with anyone else.

Kacie has had the hots for Dean since they went to school together. She doesn't think he even knows she exists but when she and her friends get hurt, he's right there to make sure she's alright.

Kacie is out one night with her best friend who happens to be a female bear shifter when they are attacked. Kacie gets badly hurt and Dean is called to help her get better. The funny thing is when she wakes up she thinks she's dreaming because Dean is there and is being nice to her.

I loved the action and adventure that was packed into this short novella. I really liked Dean and Kacie because she ended up being more than ok with who and what he was. I liked most of the shifter people but one of their laws is kinda crazy. I can understand the need for secrecy but it was a little over the top.

For a quick novella, this had a lot of story.
Profile Image for Strix.
261 reviews18 followers
May 8, 2021
This is the literary equivalent of eating an entire box of sugar cookies.

The heroine's an idiot but a well-meaning one, the hero is a bear, they have sex, there's some plot to show off his bear muscles, there's bear puns, there's basically nothing of value in this book but oh my GOD it was fun.

It should get three stars but it may have a fourth star for giving me pretty cool werebear combat, including a gashed nose. Great imagery, as well as the bit where she hugs a bear and he turns into a man and they kiss.
Profile Image for Ruth Hambley.
1,493 reviews5 followers
March 8, 2022
Loved it

A well written shapeshifter romance with an excellent storyline and characters. I absolutely loved reading it and couldn't put it down
Profile Image for Kathleen Bradbury (Bulfon).
16.4k reviews215 followers
October 14, 2019
Omg!! Awesome!!

This was one exciting and sexy romance of bears! I just loved the story and characters!! I can't wait to read more from Mina Carter!
Profile Image for Starla.
949 reviews
July 29, 2019
I could not stop reading this book.
Profile Image for Cynthia Skeezix.
135 reviews
December 27, 2018
Love found

He's been in love with her since they were in high school, and young, but a deadly attack puts her life on the line. In fear of losing her forever Dean confesses his love and gets the girl he loves most in the world as his forever.
Profile Image for MLC.
208 reviews
December 6, 2020
I... it... Urgh. I don't have the proper words for the book. It would have been a good book but it was rushed and not well thought out. Audio book was only 4 hours and it took forever because I just couldn't invest
Profile Image for Lynn.
1,506 reviews12 followers
January 4, 2019
Love the Growly Bears

Another exciting and enjoyable read from Mina. I know I am safe with her books because I always fall in love with the characters.
Profile Image for Cecilia Lange Rosén.
149 reviews1 follower
January 8, 2019
Not my cup of tea

I enjoy mina carter books most of the time. But this one was not for me. IMP the heroine were kind of flat and disappeared among other characters.

Profile Image for Victoria Rebecca Hawkes.
459 reviews1 follower
September 25, 2025
Girl meets boy = classic love story. Girl meets bear... Wait, what? Kacie has always known there was something odd about the small town of Beauty, but she doesn't expect that oddity to almost claim her life or land her in the arms of her long-term crush; hot veteran Dean. Okay, he's nuts but she can't argue with that, not with a body like his or when he's whispering things like 'fated' and 'destiny'. Even if he does claim to be a werebear... She's his mate, but she's human. He's so screwed...

Leader of the Beauty bear clan, Dean is between a rock and a hard place. His fated mate is human but he daren't claim her. The elitist asshats in the clan would have kittens. But when an attack brings her over into the bear world, he's out of time and out of options. Even worse, the town has an rogue bear problem and internal clan politics that put Kacie in the crossfire. Forced to fight battles on all fronts, Dean must bear up or risk losing her forever...

This bear shifter story was out of this world brilliant and hence why I found it difficult to put the book down due to the story line was so good. The connection between Dean and Kaci was smoking hot. The story line for the book was written perfectly and the way it sucks you in. Mina Carter is an amazing author and I will highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading bear shifter romances.
Profile Image for Cary Morton.
989 reviews42 followers
March 23, 2020
Although I admit I have some misgivings about certain aspects of Fated For The Bear by Mina Carter, I went ahead and rated it four stars.

Overall, the book was excellent. The lore, the characters, the little bit of plot and romance there was, the writing itself and narrative voice - all were well done. But at the same time, some of these were also the problem.

The book was short and because of this, rushed in some ways. There was a lack of tension in the romance and how the main female lead handled being thrust into this new world of the paranormal. She easily handled everything thrown at her without any real doubt or confusion, she just accepted it - which was great for the male lead, but really boring for the reader.

As for the plot - I'm not really sure if there was one.

Rogue bears were after the girl, but there were no real reasons given as to why. The book lacked the substance that would have easily made it a 5 star read. The only reason this even made 4 stars was that the writing was well done, despite the shortcomings. If you are looking for a light, easy romance, this may be for you, but I don't think it would draw me into subsequent books in the series.
2,193 reviews2 followers
July 15, 2020
Shifter novella

This book was a nice start to this bear clan series.

Dean is the Prime of his clan, the Alpha bear who runs the clan. After his Father died, he became the new Prime. He's a military veteran, but there's one thing that he can't have; his fated mate because she's human. Clan laws day that if a human finds out about the bears, they either have to mate with them or the human dies. He doesn't know how Kacie will react to his news, so he has ignored her for years.

Kacie has had a major crush on Dean since she was in pigtails. She knows that the town she lives in has some strange things going on. When she's attacked by 5 bears while out with her 2 best friends one night, she doesn't know what to believe anymore.

When Kacie is attacked and left bleeding in an alley, Dean is the only one who can save her. His best can heal her because they are fated mates. But Dean worries about his she'll take the news the following day.

Will she think he's crazy? Or will be have to find a human mate for her to live with, knowing that he will never be able to have her killed.

738 reviews5 followers
May 29, 2020
Bear-y cute for a novella!

This is a silly, fun, beach read. Kacie is pretty, snarky, and in-your-face fearless for a human. And Dean finally has to man-up and claim her after wanting her from afar for years. He's supposed to be an 'alpha's alpha' but is smaller than a couple of the bears. Huh? Cute, but I remember why I tend to avoid Mina Carter's books- they don't have enough meat to them. Way too short and you're left with tons of questions and lots of missing info. Why did the other bears attack them so cunningly? Will they be back? Who were they? Where was the babysitter's parents? Shouldn't she be mourned? Does Kacie have family that she needs to tell about Dean? What do they any of them do for a living? Kacie accepted the whole 'bear thing' and 'no wound thing's way too easily. And who or what is Banford? That's never mentioned. Like I said a cute 'beach read', but that's about it. Probably won't remember it in a few weeks. Sorry, I guess. :-/
Profile Image for Jamoz23.
5,335 reviews46 followers
October 31, 2019
First read as BEAR UP in the More Than Mated KW.
I knew I had read this somewhere before and finally read Ms Carters note.
This book has overtones from Creeds Claim.
A very good enjoyable story with lots of action, suspense and adventure.
It was about time that Dean stepped up but I wonder what would have happened if Kacie had not been hurt, would he have kept dithering.
A fated mate is a blessing but the bears in the Lizard Lick Clan all seem to be a bit slow or stupid when it comes to their mates.
If human women are fated mates then the laws need to be changed and updated. Just because someone finds out about bear shifters does not mean they should be killed, they could be someone else’s fated mate.
Wish someone would take the sheriff Anderson out, permanently.
Loved that Kacie stepped right into her role as Itana without being mated.
I always enjoy MS Carters book.
Profile Image for Ann Hupe.
500 reviews12 followers
March 18, 2021
Call it a novella. I'd call this a short story. Typical for Mina Carter, but too much templated storytelling, I'm afraid. Typical angst. He has loved her but has never given her the inkling that he has. She's had her eye on him, but even the reader didn't know she has done she for quite a long while. Throw in your typical attempt for regime change and the usual distractionary event, and you have your story. Wish it could had been something new and different. I'm sorry I even bought it, thinking I'd be reading something interesting. The only thing worth while is the front cover. Fabulous. Unfortunately, it fooled me to think the story was just as good. And I LIKE Mina's other writings, that's the shame of things!
266 reviews1 follower
July 28, 2020
No!!!!

I’m a huge fan of this author and have many of her books but this one was a bit confusing and the alpha was just annoying.
Spoiler- The alpha didn’t want his human mate because he was worried what the others in his clan would think. He ignored her for years, even though some of his bears were also fated to be with a human and the storyline with the invading rogues didn’t make any sense.
The rogues killed a human and kidnapped two toddlers just as a distraction to go back to the same house to attack again for what reason?
I was definitely disappointed with this one .
Profile Image for Ashante Williams.
2,055 reviews3 followers
November 29, 2021
(Dean & Kacie) this was a quick story but a good one. The town of Beauty is full of shifters and humans, however the humans don't know they live with people that turn into animals. Dean has been in love with Kacie for years, she is his mate but has been waiting to claim her. When Kacie is attacked it forces him to claim her to Dave her life. I loved how these two were totally into each other but played kind of coy but when they do get together they become this power couple. Kacie does not freak out about Dean's bear, she just rolls with it. There's drama, danger and a lot of romance. Loved it.
Profile Image for Tammie Cook.
22 reviews
November 10, 2019
Short and sweet

This story is well written with so much that it could easily be a full length novel. It’s a shame it’s not very long as I feel it could be even better if we saw more of the world the author created. It is still a good read, though short it doesn’t feel all that rushed. One of my loves is a female MC who doesn’t dwell repeatedly over the same things over and over. This story has the usual shifter reveal, MC who deals fairly quickly, and moves on all the while being realistic. Good job.
Profile Image for Lisa.
1,468 reviews5 followers
Want to read
November 13, 2019
Love has no prejudice

Having a crush since she was little, Kayce Leroy always crushed on ex-high school football player and former army soldier Dean Sterling. But he is one of those handsome popular guys that never looked Kayce's way. When it takes a near fatal accident on Kayce's life and kidnapping of two young girls, Dean steps up as Prime to locate these rogues. Kayce's personality is sublime and comedic. Who wouldn't go speechless when faced with their crush? Adorable story. Great characters and the alpha vibe is sexy.
Profile Image for Netanella.
4,725 reviews38 followers
September 21, 2019
I typically enjoy Mina Carter's books much more than I did this one, which features a bearshifter in love with a human in a world where death is the penalty for learning about a shifter. The story felt a little flat for me, and the characters a little too stereotypical for me to enjoy them. A decent read, but nothing special, in my opinion.

I'm still a big fan of Mina's! Just not so much this book.
684 reviews3 followers
November 10, 2019
Shifters, suspense and hot romance

Dean is the alpha of his bear clan and has silently and secretly desired Kacie a human that has no idea were bears exist. Kacie is going out with her girlfriends and they get attacked by a group of rogue bear shifters. Can Dean save those around him and can he finally get to be with his mate Kacie? This is a quick fun read with lots of action and great characters. I highly recommend this book.
498 reviews1 follower
January 14, 2020
Sometimes it takes a bear a nudge

Dean is not only Alfa but Prime of the town of Beauty. His fated

mate is a local human. They both have had their eyes on each other since they were in school. This spunky short curvous red head gets ripped up by a group of marauding bears
and to save her Dean has to admit that she is his fated mate. Fast action with violence and sexual content makes this adult
Profile Image for Siobhan Royle keating.
268 reviews10 followers
December 13, 2020
Bears are hot as sin

I absolutely loved this book dean is sweet ,delicious , and all alpha male bear ( big and burly ) my absolute fave ,kacie is a feisty firecracker and human and she’s deans fated mate but he can’t make a move because it could lead to her ultimate death.

But when rouge bears attack all hell breaks loose and dean isn’t hiding his intentions anymore.

Absolutely love Mina’s books can’t wait to read creeds and Morgan’s books
Profile Image for Leyns.
3,054 reviews
November 15, 2021
Cute.

It’s a cute little story but there’s not much development here. I guess the book wasn’t very long, so there wasn’t a whole lot of opportunity. There wasn’t much world building, and the romance was a little scanty - we’re told that they’ve had a thing for each other for years, so professing feelings is all we really get in terms of romance.
I might try another from this series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews

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