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Gladiator Shifters #1
Gladiator Bear
Theirs is a passion worth fighting for... It’s not easy finding love while tromping through jungles, but Anna accepts that as the price of dedicating her life to the conservation of rare animal species. The last place she expects to find romance is at a visit to the foundation that funds most of her work...but there, she discovers her idea of ‘rare species’ doesn’t go nearly far enough. Reclusive bear shapeshifter Garius spends his time and money ensuring conservationists like Anna are funded, and protecting shifters like himself whose gladiator ancestors once fought, and bonded with, the beasts of the Roman Colosseum. He avoids the modern-day cage fights that his heritage demands, and doesn’t believe in fated mates...at least, not until he meets Anna. When Garius's enemies strike, he is willing to walk away from the world he knew in order to keep Anna safe. But the magic that created shapeshifters has rules, and those rules must be honored...even if it means Garius's life is on the line. Can destiny overpower the ancient law of the arena? Find out in GLADIATOR BEAR!
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 4, 2020
157 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
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March 28, 2025
Murphy Lawless, pseudonym for C.E. Murphy, has written a whole series of shapeshifter romances. This is the first. Anna is a conservationist who spend her time on expeditions observing and protecting rare animal species. She's mostly funded by the Gladiator Foundation owned by the reclusive Garius Beren, who just happens to be a bear shapeshifter tied into the tradition of Roman gladiators. Within hours of meeting (at a gala for the foundation) Garius and Anna fall instantly in love and are kidnapped together by Remus, a wolf-shifter and garius' enemy who runs illicit arena games on a secret island off the Italian coast. Anna proves up to the task of outwitting Remus and releasing Garius (in bear form) from the arena. But that's just the start. It seems that Anna and garius are fated mates (that's a think in the shifter world) but Garius is overprotective and it nearly causes disaster. This is a fun read. Lawless is an assured writer and not a word is wasted. I read it on kindle which meant I could ignore the tacky half-naked male torso on the cover. i hate those kind of covers, but I guess the reader knows exactly what they're getting.
September 25, 2023
Great start to a great series!
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but was wonderfully surprised! Can't wait to get the next one!
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but was wonderfully surprised! Can't wait to get the next one!
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March 4, 2020Gladiator Bear was the book I never knew I needed. Having received a beta copy, I literally had no idea what to expect; I had seen the cover, and didn't want to read the blurb to make sure I went into it without any preconceptions, and I was NOT disappointed.
This book packs everything into one bite sized package; romance, action, sex, blood and guts and everything in between. It contains all of the features of a wonderful, leave your brain at home read, including likeable characters, a plot that's easy to follow, in a world that has been set up perfectly without those usual world building questions lingering in the back of your mind, and nothing too heavy if you're looking for something lighthearted. One of the best books I've read in a long time (and one that I thoroughly enjoyed), Gladiator Bear is unlike anything I have ever read. Murphy Lawless really outdid herself; this is not the first of her books I have read, and it most definitely will not be the last.
This book packs everything into one bite sized package; romance, action, sex, blood and guts and everything in between. It contains all of the features of a wonderful, leave your brain at home read, including likeable characters, a plot that's easy to follow, in a world that has been set up perfectly without those usual world building questions lingering in the back of your mind, and nothing too heavy if you're looking for something lighthearted. One of the best books I've read in a long time (and one that I thoroughly enjoyed), Gladiator Bear is unlike anything I have ever read. Murphy Lawless really outdid herself; this is not the first of her books I have read, and it most definitely will not be the last.
February 25, 2024
Good beginning to the series
I loved Garius and Anna’s fated mates romantic suspense tale. I love a romance that has an alpha hero pared with an equally strong heroine and Garius and Anna were well matched. The story had the perfect mix of humor, heartwarming love, real life issues, spice, danger, excitement, mistakes, and magic. The balance between the romance and suspense was well done and I enjoyed the different twist on the shifter origin story. Garius is an Atlas bear shifter and is the director for Gladiator Foundation. Anna is a conservationist who has received multiple grants from the Gladiator Foundation to fund her conservation efforts over the last decade. They meet for the first time at the annual gala and Garius instantly recognizes her as his fated mate. But before Garius gets a chance to explain about the world of fated mates and shifters, that world makes itself known in a way that cannot be ignored. To get to their HEA, there will need to be leaps of faith and baggage unpacking while defeating the bad guys. The story was well written and included witty dialogue, three dimensional characters who grow, good world building, and a captivating storyline. I am looking forward to reading more in this world. 4.5 stars.
I loved Garius and Anna’s fated mates romantic suspense tale. I love a romance that has an alpha hero pared with an equally strong heroine and Garius and Anna were well matched. The story had the perfect mix of humor, heartwarming love, real life issues, spice, danger, excitement, mistakes, and magic. The balance between the romance and suspense was well done and I enjoyed the different twist on the shifter origin story. Garius is an Atlas bear shifter and is the director for Gladiator Foundation. Anna is a conservationist who has received multiple grants from the Gladiator Foundation to fund her conservation efforts over the last decade. They meet for the first time at the annual gala and Garius instantly recognizes her as his fated mate. But before Garius gets a chance to explain about the world of fated mates and shifters, that world makes itself known in a way that cannot be ignored. To get to their HEA, there will need to be leaps of faith and baggage unpacking while defeating the bad guys. The story was well written and included witty dialogue, three dimensional characters who grow, good world building, and a captivating storyline. I am looking forward to reading more in this world. 4.5 stars.
March 4, 2020
I was lucky enough to beta-read an advanced copy of this paranormal romance, and I really enjoyed it. Ms Murphy never fails to deliver in her stories.
I loved the female lead, Anna: she's smart, competent, pragmatic and totally unafraid to take control of a situation when she knows her skills will be useful (but also happy to let someone else take the lead when she's not in her element). And Garius - the male lead - was a bit of a breath of fresh air in the PNR space where 90% of the guys seem to be chest-beating alleged alpha males. He's smart in a common-sense kind of way, with a protective streak a mile wide, but also a little shy while totally owning who and what he is.
I'm not generally a fan of the fated soulmate / instalove trope - it usually feels too much like lazy writing because an author doesn't want to write the pesky 'couple getting to actually know each other' segment of the relationship. But in this case, I could deal with it simply because I enjoyed everything else in the book so much.
All in all, I'd describe this as a fun, enjoyable shapeshifter PNR, and one I'm really looking forward to reading more in the series of.
I loved the female lead, Anna: she's smart, competent, pragmatic and totally unafraid to take control of a situation when she knows her skills will be useful (but also happy to let someone else take the lead when she's not in her element). And Garius - the male lead - was a bit of a breath of fresh air in the PNR space where 90% of the guys seem to be chest-beating alleged alpha males. He's smart in a common-sense kind of way, with a protective streak a mile wide, but also a little shy while totally owning who and what he is.
I'm not generally a fan of the fated soulmate / instalove trope - it usually feels too much like lazy writing because an author doesn't want to write the pesky 'couple getting to actually know each other' segment of the relationship. But in this case, I could deal with it simply because I enjoyed everything else in the book so much.
All in all, I'd describe this as a fun, enjoyable shapeshifter PNR, and one I'm really looking forward to reading more in the series of.
October 2, 2021
Shifters and gladiators, what a great combination.
This story was fantastic, a terrific plot, wonderful world creation and characters that are fully developed. The storyline combines the history of Ancient Rome and it's gladiators with shifters and more than a touch of magic. It also embreces modern concerns such as environmental protection and animal extinctions. There is a strong and rather ferocious, female lead who loves animals and will take on anyone to protect them, a billionaire bear-shifter who is very reserved, more than a bit shy and will only fight if pressed into a corner and of course, there is a protagonist villain who wants only to serve himself. It may sound a bit cliche but Murphy Lawless liberally uses humour and great dialogue to make it all very believable and somehow wonderful.
This story was fantastic, a terrific plot, wonderful world creation and characters that are fully developed. The storyline combines the history of Ancient Rome and it's gladiators with shifters and more than a touch of magic. It also embreces modern concerns such as environmental protection and animal extinctions. There is a strong and rather ferocious, female lead who loves animals and will take on anyone to protect them, a billionaire bear-shifter who is very reserved, more than a bit shy and will only fight if pressed into a corner and of course, there is a protagonist villain who wants only to serve himself. It may sound a bit cliche but Murphy Lawless liberally uses humour and great dialogue to make it all very believable and somehow wonderful.
June 11, 2023
Decided to check this series out after realizing she's one of the Zoe Chant writers (Somebunny to Love.
The book kicks of a unique take on how shifters came to be, which ties to Roman Gladiators and the animals they had to fight. Very interesting magic that makes this world.
I have to say, I absolutely adore Anna. She's such a force to be reckoned with. Garius is super shy and awkward ... and makes decisions out of fear and protection.
Overall, this was a great kick off of this series. Future book characters were intriguing enough that I'm excited for the next one, and I can hardly wait for Joash's book.
The book kicks of a unique take on how shifters came to be, which ties to Roman Gladiators and the animals they had to fight. Very interesting magic that makes this world.
I have to say, I absolutely adore Anna. She's such a force to be reckoned with. Garius is super shy and awkward ... and makes decisions out of fear and protection.
Overall, this was a great kick off of this series. Future book characters were intriguing enough that I'm excited for the next one, and I can hardly wait for Joash's book.
March 10, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. I've been a fan of this author for a while (mostly under a different pen name) and generally like her writing style. I was hesitant going in, because as much as I love a good shifter romance, I tend to particularly dislike the "fated mates" trope. There were a few moments where they leaned into it pretty heavily but, it mostly worked for me. So much so, that I will definitely be grabbing the next in the series. The characters were fun, the romance was pretty light and not overblown. It was a good adventure story. I laugh-snorted over the interactions between Garius and his bear, and I admired Anna's willingness to jump into anything that comes with both feet. Overall, another solid addition to my digital shelves!
December 28, 2021
The power of fated mates
Garius is a recluse and bear shifter. I'm always fascinated by how authors create their shifter world, here shifters are descended from the gladiators of ancient Rome. Anna is a conservationist funded by his foundation. They're immmediately attracted to each other. When his enemies attack a gala and kidnap them both, they must work together to get free. Garius recognizes her as his mate but foolishly pushes away to keep her safe with disastrous consequences. A meet cute, sexy time and lots of action make this a good start to a series.
Garius is a recluse and bear shifter. I'm always fascinated by how authors create their shifter world, here shifters are descended from the gladiators of ancient Rome. Anna is a conservationist funded by his foundation. They're immmediately attracted to each other. When his enemies attack a gala and kidnap them both, they must work together to get free. Garius recognizes her as his mate but foolishly pushes away to keep her safe with disastrous consequences. A meet cute, sexy time and lots of action make this a good start to a series.
March 11, 2020
If you can accept shapeshifters and instant connection, you will enjoy this paranormal romance. The chemistry between Anna and Garius (and his bear) sparkles. The secondary characters add balance and depth. Throw in a timely environmental trope, humor (often snarky), and sinister plots and you have an eminently entertaining romp. Just don't confuse Anna with a damsel in distress (that would be a completely different tale).
July 4, 2023
3.5 stars
An interesting start to an interesting series. In many books fated mates equals instalove and near insta-sexy times, here it's the feeling of belonging, that you've found your person. The feeling that being by their side is natural, perfect, and right. That you get not only them, but their friends, too, and that also feels right.
There's a lot of action, maybe too much for the page count, but it's still a great read for a day when your brain refuses to spin up to full speed.
An interesting start to an interesting series. In many books fated mates equals instalove and near insta-sexy times, here it's the feeling of belonging, that you've found your person. The feeling that being by their side is natural, perfect, and right. That you get not only them, but their friends, too, and that also feels right.
There's a lot of action, maybe too much for the page count, but it's still a great read for a day when your brain refuses to spin up to full speed.
June 19, 2024
I enjoyed reading this book, this storyline had the perfect mix of humor, heartwarming love, real life issues, spice, danger, excitement, mistakes, and magic. The balance of romance and suspense between the characters was well written. I enjoyed the different twist on the shifter origin story, and can't wait to read more from this author. I received this book as a Free ARC copy to read and I voluntarily leave this review.
June 4, 2025
At no point did I know where this book was going or why, but it was a fun ride! The protagonists read very elder-millennial and the humor skews that way so if that bothers you don't read it. I personally thought the two of them were very cute together even if the humor didn't hit for me, two dorks in love kind of stuff.... but the plot pacing is insane. That was what had me laughing the most. At every chapter end I was like "okay i guess we're just here now!?". Entertaining as hell.
November 14, 2025
The story was very weak and uninteresting. Everything unfolds at a snail's pace, and the characters are mostly one-dimensional. It was supposed to focus on passion or action, but these moments were few and far between, and mostly brief. The real conflicts only appeared and were resolved practically at the very end. The story's message is unclear, and there are no real consequences for the rest of the world.
March 7, 2020
I beta read this about a month ago. Yes, the title is quite silly, and yes, it’s totally worth reading anyway. It includes a bunch of shifter and romance tropes, but it’s so well done that it basically illustrates why they became tropes in the first place. Also, there’s a running Princess Bride callback, and who’d say No to that?
March 12, 2020
Not the average bear!
This book was great from start to finish. Garius is a wonderful if shy hero (even though I wanted to smack him at one point for being dense). Anna is a heroine who doesn't need anyone saving her! I'm loving the Murphy Lawless Shifter books and can't wait for the next one. Also hoping to read Joash's story at some point.
This book was great from start to finish. Garius is a wonderful if shy hero (even though I wanted to smack him at one point for being dense). Anna is a heroine who doesn't need anyone saving her! I'm loving the Murphy Lawless Shifter books and can't wait for the next one. Also hoping to read Joash's story at some point.
April 30, 2020
Super-cute and perfectly shallow, with a competent heroine and an interestingly beta-ish bear shifter hero. I really enjoyed Anna, and her ability to assess situations. The conversations between Garius and his bear often made me giggle. Exactly what I needed right now. Also, I'm really looking forward to Joash's story!
May 7, 2020
GladiatorShiters1;4.5 ⭐️
This is the second bear book I’ve read by Murphy Lawless. This arc is slightly larger in scope than the prince and the tailor in Bearly Dressed, but I think this one shows more of the players.
Fated mates, shapeshifters, and arenas, (oh my!) these are more coming of power stories than the typical coming of age trope. This is fun.
This is the second bear book I’ve read by Murphy Lawless. This arc is slightly larger in scope than the prince and the tailor in Bearly Dressed, but I think this one shows more of the players.
Fated mates, shapeshifters, and arenas, (oh my!) these are more coming of power stories than the typical coming of age trope. This is fun.
July 17, 2020
I really enjoyed this book and especially the care the author put into the little details. Great female lead who really did kick ass most splendidly in many ways. *sighs happily*
A sweet romance, shapeshifters, laughter, drama and just a good fun adventure to curl up with for an evening or two.
Time to pick the next one in the series up.
Read via KU.
A sweet romance, shapeshifters, laughter, drama and just a good fun adventure to curl up with for an evening or two.
Time to pick the next one in the series up.
Read via KU.
November 16, 2022
Awesome shifter romance
Gaius is an Atlas (1000 pounds) bear shifter who is wealthy. Anna is human and protective of protective of endered species.
This book has so many twists in the plots to keep one guessing of the characters motivation. That why the book was so intriguing.
Highly recommended.
bookwormsuzy
Gaius is an Atlas (1000 pounds) bear shifter who is wealthy. Anna is human and protective of protective of endered species.
This book has so many twists in the plots to keep one guessing of the characters motivation. That why the book was so intriguing.
Highly recommended.
bookwormsuzy
December 25, 2022
I have to commend this author and her writing and the way the characters were portrayed bc this was wonderful.
I was smiling throughout the whole book. Except for that one time Garius really behaved like an idiot but alas he redeemed himself a bit.
Loved this so much bc the characters more than the plot really made the book
I was smiling throughout the whole book. Except for that one time Garius really behaved like an idiot but alas he redeemed himself a bit.
Loved this so much bc the characters more than the plot really made the book
March 1, 2025
Fantastic
I loved this book. I was hooked start to finish and completely drawn into the story. The world building was fantastic and I loved the unique take on shifters and where they came from. All the characters were well written. I loved Anna and Garius. I can't wait to read Shannon and Aeolis' s story.
I loved this book. I was hooked start to finish and completely drawn into the story. The world building was fantastic and I loved the unique take on shifters and where they came from. All the characters were well written. I loved Anna and Garius. I can't wait to read Shannon and Aeolis' s story.
March 6, 2020
Tigers, wolves, and bears, oh my!
Of course, it’s the bear that this one is about. Garius and Anna are both easy to like, and it’s fun to have the big tough shifter be ok with a strong woman. Lots of fun, good ending, and looking forward to the next one.
Of course, it’s the bear that this one is about. Garius and Anna are both easy to like, and it’s fun to have the big tough shifter be ok with a strong woman. Lots of fun, good ending, and looking forward to the next one.
July 10, 2020
KU edition reader
This book is phenomenal, different, and definitely one worth reading! The story line is full on exciting and intriguing, and the characters are realistically portrayed.
This book is phenomenal, different, and definitely one worth reading! The story line is full on exciting and intriguing, and the characters are realistically portrayed.
December 23, 2021
Garius
Anna and Garius were instantly in love. She belted him in the stomach and while catching his breath he looked into her eyes and recognized his forever mate. This story is fun, intriguing and almost sad. Please read, you won't regret it!
Anna and Garius were instantly in love. She belted him in the stomach and while catching his breath he looked into her eyes and recognized his forever mate. This story is fun, intriguing and almost sad. Please read, you won't regret it!
January 22, 2022
Garus and Anna
The start of a new series.I'm pretty sure this author is Zoe chant.but there is lots of spell errors but it's her style of writing.I enjoyed this storyline but would of liked more close friends in it.
The start of a new series.I'm pretty sure this author is Zoe chant.but there is lots of spell errors but it's her style of writing.I enjoyed this storyline but would of liked more close friends in it.
February 7, 2022
Really interesting story & characters
Anna is a take charge kinda girl. Garious is shy & A bit of a hermit. When they meet sparks fly. Till the end Anna is the hero & Garious needs to be saved. I love this take on a shifter romance. Anna is my type of girl!
Anna is a take charge kinda girl. Garious is shy & A bit of a hermit. When they meet sparks fly. Till the end Anna is the hero & Garious needs to be saved. I love this take on a shifter romance. Anna is my type of girl!
February 26, 2022
Gladiator Bear
This was a different view about shifters, and the Origins. It was very interesting to read, and I am looking toward reading more about this species-view. Great action sce es, strong women, and the males who embrace them.
This was a different view about shifters, and the Origins. It was very interesting to read, and I am looking toward reading more about this species-view. Great action sce es, strong women, and the males who embrace them.
July 17, 2022
Nice story
Different take on an old classic. It has it all. Mystery,intrigue, double cross and of course romance. As first dates go, there is no way these two aren’t meant to be. But hard headed mates can risk it all. HEA but looking forward to reading the next one in this series.
Different take on an old classic. It has it all. Mystery,intrigue, double cross and of course romance. As first dates go, there is no way these two aren’t meant to be. But hard headed mates can risk it all. HEA but looking forward to reading the next one in this series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews