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Estes Park Shifters #1
Bear in a Bakery
One sexy carpenter bear shifter. One sassy human with a sweet, sweet cinnamon roll.
Allie Rowe is in a bind after drunk raccoons do a number on her business, Sticky Sweet Bakery. With a major event coming up, she can't afford to be out of commission... but she can't afford to fix things, either. Her meddling father thinks he'll play matchmaker when he hires sexy carpenter and bear shifter Dax Mitchell to lend a hand.
She’s already played the rejected mate game, and isn’t going there again, thanks. Bear shifters are trouble with muscles. Shifters are off limits!
Dax won’t take no for an answer, making her wonder if he’s helping from the kindness of his heart, or if he'll require some sort of repayment...
Dax is under pressure to take a mate before the fates rob him of his strength. His dying father's wish is to see his son mated. A staunch bachelor, Dax is inclined to change his mind when sexy, curvy Allie offers him a taste of her sweet roll.
When an unexpected enemy makes himself known, and time winds down on his chance to take a mate, Dax must decide how far he’ll go to claim his fated mate.
Bear in a Bakery is a fun, fated mates paranormal romance featuring fated mates and lots of sticky sweet yumminess!
Allie Rowe is in a bind after drunk raccoons do a number on her business, Sticky Sweet Bakery. With a major event coming up, she can't afford to be out of commission... but she can't afford to fix things, either. Her meddling father thinks he'll play matchmaker when he hires sexy carpenter and bear shifter Dax Mitchell to lend a hand.
She’s already played the rejected mate game, and isn’t going there again, thanks. Bear shifters are trouble with muscles. Shifters are off limits!
Dax won’t take no for an answer, making her wonder if he’s helping from the kindness of his heart, or if he'll require some sort of repayment...
Dax is under pressure to take a mate before the fates rob him of his strength. His dying father's wish is to see his son mated. A staunch bachelor, Dax is inclined to change his mind when sexy, curvy Allie offers him a taste of her sweet roll.
When an unexpected enemy makes himself known, and time winds down on his chance to take a mate, Dax must decide how far he’ll go to claim his fated mate.
Bear in a Bakery is a fun, fated mates paranormal romance featuring fated mates and lots of sticky sweet yumminess!
154 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 9, 2021
362 people are currently reading
460 people want to read
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February 27, 2021
RATING 4.5 STARS
Bear in a Bakery: A Bear Shifter Fated Mates Romance, is book one in the Estes Park Shifters series by Liz Paffel. This is my very first book by Liz and I loved it!
Allie Rowe is the owner of Sticky Sweet Bakery in Estes Park, Colorado. It’s been her lifelong dream to own her own bakery. But with a big loan payment coming due, her recent string of bad luck couldn’t be worse timing. Raccoons have gotten into her bakery and destroyed everything. She has no money to pay a contractor to repair it all. But her dad decided to hire one anyway.
Dax Sheppard is a bear shifter and works for his father’s construction firm, Mitchell Construction. In the shifter community, alphas have to choose a mate by a certain age. If they don’t, they will lose their ability to father cubs and will forever be alone. Dax has put off choosing a mate and now it’s down to the wire. Only a few more days until the claiming. Dax didn’t want to choose just anyone. He wants “the one.” As soon as he walked into the bakery, he felt something he’s never felt before. She might be it. The one he’s been waiting for. But how will he ever convince her to be his forever mate in just a few days?
Allie has been deeply hurt previously by, yes, a shifter. She does not want to get involved with one again. She fights against the pull she feels but can’t deny that there is something there. Still, she will do this at her own pace, no one else’s.
At the same time, Allie’s bad luck continues, as well as a customer who threatens everything she’s worked so hard to accomplish. She doesn’t know who to trust or what to do.
I loved this little book. I have to admit that the adorable cover is what first drew me in. The chemistry between these two was off the charts. Dax was definitely swoony with all his alphaness! There were some editing issues which is sort of a thing with me. Otherwise it would have been straight up five stars. I really did love this and am excited about the next book in the series, Sweeter Than Honey. I can’t wait.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
Bear in a Bakery: A Bear Shifter Fated Mates Romance, is book one in the Estes Park Shifters series by Liz Paffel. This is my very first book by Liz and I loved it!
Allie Rowe is the owner of Sticky Sweet Bakery in Estes Park, Colorado. It’s been her lifelong dream to own her own bakery. But with a big loan payment coming due, her recent string of bad luck couldn’t be worse timing. Raccoons have gotten into her bakery and destroyed everything. She has no money to pay a contractor to repair it all. But her dad decided to hire one anyway.
Dax Sheppard is a bear shifter and works for his father’s construction firm, Mitchell Construction. In the shifter community, alphas have to choose a mate by a certain age. If they don’t, they will lose their ability to father cubs and will forever be alone. Dax has put off choosing a mate and now it’s down to the wire. Only a few more days until the claiming. Dax didn’t want to choose just anyone. He wants “the one.” As soon as he walked into the bakery, he felt something he’s never felt before. She might be it. The one he’s been waiting for. But how will he ever convince her to be his forever mate in just a few days?
Allie has been deeply hurt previously by, yes, a shifter. She does not want to get involved with one again. She fights against the pull she feels but can’t deny that there is something there. Still, she will do this at her own pace, no one else’s.
At the same time, Allie’s bad luck continues, as well as a customer who threatens everything she’s worked so hard to accomplish. She doesn’t know who to trust or what to do.
I loved this little book. I have to admit that the adorable cover is what first drew me in. The chemistry between these two was off the charts. Dax was definitely swoony with all his alphaness! There were some editing issues which is sort of a thing with me. Otherwise it would have been straight up five stars. I really did love this and am excited about the next book in the series, Sweeter Than Honey. I can’t wait.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
did-not-finish
December 29, 2023DNF at 22%. I can't take the ridiculous instalust combined with world building that makes someone's reproductive system literally expire, AND a manwhore hero.
August 5, 2024
I read this book for a PowerPoint night with my friends. It is every bit as bad as it looks, which was the intention.
But I can’t believe I suffered through 157 pages of this nonsense. Whyyyyyy do people write things like this? Whhhyyy do people read things like this??
But I can’t believe I suffered through 157 pages of this nonsense. Whyyyyyy do people write things like this? Whhhyyy do people read things like this??
October 27, 2023
I got this as one of those Load Your Kindle with All the Romance!! giveaways, and the fact that it didn't get deleted within the first chapter is a point in its favor! Am I into romantasy or shapeshifters or anything supernatural? Nope. Did I utter the words, "if this human woman fucks a bear, I'm out"? YES, YES I DID.
So this chick Allie (cool name btw) owns a bakery and it's a chaos monster because she's dealing with damage from a raccoon invasion and water damage and other chaos, but it's cool cool because this hot ripped dude Dax shows up and he's like I'll fix it all while not wearing a shirt and also I'll pay for all the repairs and also I'd like 1000 bacon cupcakes and oh by the way you're my mate and I have 3 days to find a Forever Mate or I lose the ability to have cubs and have to be Alone Forever. Which sure, except Allie has been burned before by a shitty shapeshifter boyfriend, and it's all Too Fast! And also she's very busy dealing with this crazy* lady who's trying to put Allie out of business by being a general asshole and also trying to seduce Allie's father by being a crazy lady.
There's a lot of gross mentions of mating and needing to have cubs which is weird because it's never clear if Allie is expected to have like ... human babies or shapeshifters or literal bear cubs, and it's all just ick the way Dax's family keeps talking about her as a Cub Receptacle. He transforms into a bear exactly twice, and never during sexy times THANK GOODNESS. The bear is for violence and letting out aggression, apparently! I don't understand.
2.5 stars. It was entertaining, but I won't be continuing the series. Could have used a little bit of editing, but nothing too egregious or anything.
TW: verbal and physical abuse by a former intimate partner, gaslighting, pregnancy
*I don't generally use the word crazy as a descriptor, but I literally can't think of any other way to describe her. She is a mustache-twirling villain, if mustache-villains threw fancy parties, and showed up at people's houses in trenchcoats with nothing on under them, and happened to have a mouse vendor for setting vermin loose in bakeries.
So this chick Allie (cool name btw) owns a bakery and it's a chaos monster because she's dealing with damage from a raccoon invasion and water damage and other chaos, but it's cool cool because this hot ripped dude Dax shows up and he's like I'll fix it all while not wearing a shirt and also I'll pay for all the repairs and also I'd like 1000 bacon cupcakes and oh by the way you're my mate and I have 3 days to find a Forever Mate or I lose the ability to have cubs and have to be Alone Forever. Which sure, except Allie has been burned before by a shitty shapeshifter boyfriend, and it's all Too Fast! And also she's very busy dealing with this crazy* lady who's trying to put Allie out of business by being a general asshole and also trying to seduce Allie's father by being a crazy lady.
There's a lot of gross mentions of mating and needing to have cubs which is weird because it's never clear if Allie is expected to have like ... human babies or shapeshifters or literal bear cubs, and it's all just ick the way Dax's family keeps talking about her as a Cub Receptacle. He transforms into a bear exactly twice, and never during sexy times THANK GOODNESS. The bear is for violence and letting out aggression, apparently! I don't understand.
2.5 stars. It was entertaining, but I won't be continuing the series. Could have used a little bit of editing, but nothing too egregious or anything.
TW: verbal and physical abuse by a former intimate partner, gaslighting, pregnancy
*I don't generally use the word crazy as a descriptor, but I literally can't think of any other way to describe her. She is a mustache-twirling villain, if mustache-villains threw fancy parties, and showed up at people's houses in trenchcoats with nothing on under them, and happened to have a mouse vendor for setting vermin loose in bakeries.
April 17, 2023
Fine-issh. Felt like I was on a roller-coaster and the story was falling fast and hard. Could've been way better, which irritates me more.
The characters remained under-developed, without any arc. The romance was meh. The plot started off promising but then went haywire halfway through. Nothing really to it except a smile or two, and moments of deep annoyance at the ex Blake.
The characters remained under-developed, without any arc. The romance was meh. The plot started off promising but then went haywire halfway through. Nothing really to it except a smile or two, and moments of deep annoyance at the ex Blake.
June 29, 2021
This was my first book by this author and I really liked it. I felt like the character development, the shifter pack history and shifter theology was well-developed, and the characters were well rounded, likable, and interesting. It is written in third person from a dual POV.
Allie has been hurt and is having some really awful things happen to her bakery. There is also her ex constantly threatening her and a town mean girl who I wanted to punch. When sexy Dax comes into her life, a relationship is the last thing she is looking to find. All she wants is to overcome all the obstacles and build a successful business. Dax is under pressure to find his mate. He has pretty much given up on true love till he meets Allie. Their connection and the draw between them leaps off the page. They steamed up my kindle when they give into the massive heat between them. They have to learn to communicate and overcome some challenges on the way to their sticky sweet HEA. I really enjoyed the book and would have rated it higher except there were a lot of editing and proofreading errors that drove me a little crazy. If those had been corrected, this would have been a five star shifter read for me.
#FatedMates #InstaLove #ShifterRomance #ParanormalRomance
Allie has been hurt and is having some really awful things happen to her bakery. There is also her ex constantly threatening her and a town mean girl who I wanted to punch. When sexy Dax comes into her life, a relationship is the last thing she is looking to find. All she wants is to overcome all the obstacles and build a successful business. Dax is under pressure to find his mate. He has pretty much given up on true love till he meets Allie. Their connection and the draw between them leaps off the page. They steamed up my kindle when they give into the massive heat between them. They have to learn to communicate and overcome some challenges on the way to their sticky sweet HEA. I really enjoyed the book and would have rated it higher except there were a lot of editing and proofreading errors that drove me a little crazy. If those had been corrected, this would have been a five star shifter read for me.
#FatedMates #InstaLove #ShifterRomance #ParanormalRomance
Read
October 24, 2024Did I listen to this audio because of a hilarious insagram rec? Yes
Did I listen because of the slightly deranged cover? Also yes
Did I listen because I needed something light after my last few books have torn my heart out? 100%
Will it win literary awards? No
Did it have much of a story line? Also no
Was it full of 🌽? Yes
Did it deliver what I was after because I didn't want to think? Absolutely.
Did I listen because of the slightly deranged cover? Also yes
Did I listen because I needed something light after my last few books have torn my heart out? 100%
Will it win literary awards? No
Did it have much of a story line? Also no
Was it full of 🌽? Yes
Did it deliver what I was after because I didn't want to think? Absolutely.
January 27, 2022
Wonderful 1st in Series
This was a great opener to what I hope are many, many more books in the Estes Park Shifters series. The second book is already out and I plan to read it immediately! If you are a fan of Paranormal Romances, I definitely recommend you read this one. Mature eyes only due to hot 🔥 Shifter/Human loving!!!
This was a great opener to what I hope are many, many more books in the Estes Park Shifters series. The second book is already out and I plan to read it immediately! If you are a fan of Paranormal Romances, I definitely recommend you read this one. Mature eyes only due to hot 🔥 Shifter/Human loving!!!
April 26, 2022
insta love, quick to get to the sex, no emotional connection build-up. could have been good, had interesting characters, but didn't go all the way. not sure if I will continue the series to see if it gets better and an emotional connection develops between future characters or not.
February 10, 2022
Read this as a joke, was so much worse than I could even imagine.
May 11, 2022
This hooked me from right off the bat, thanks to a very witty female lead and lots of drama.
I loved Allie and while I did predict pretty much how everything would go, I very much enjoyed watching it play out ... and it was SUPER satisfying. The bullying was intense and you'll definitely 'smell a rat' ;) throughout this one.
The bakery setting just adds layers of fun (and sweetness), along with the small business and small town vibes. I absolutely loved Dax, while I loved to hate on the shady, abusive ex.
While Allie's ex is abusive, this book does manage to be more light than dark—the author did a great job of balancing everything out perfectly and producing a light, quick, fun read. Absolutely cannot wait to read on in the series.
This would make an excellent audiobook!
4 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I loved Allie and while I did predict pretty much how everything would go, I very much enjoyed watching it play out ... and it was SUPER satisfying. The bullying was intense and you'll definitely 'smell a rat' ;) throughout this one.
The bakery setting just adds layers of fun (and sweetness), along with the small business and small town vibes. I absolutely loved Dax, while I loved to hate on the shady, abusive ex.
While Allie's ex is abusive, this book does manage to be more light than dark—the author did a great job of balancing everything out perfectly and producing a light, quick, fun read. Absolutely cannot wait to read on in the series.
This would make an excellent audiobook!
4 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
May 24, 2024
Official Rating: 2
Yikes. Got this book on a "Stuff Your Kindle Day". I thought it sounded funny and that it would be a good laugh (in a good way). I was not going into this expecting much of anything, but yikes. I couldn't help but laugh (not in a good way) at some parts of the book.
Like I had said in one of my updates... If I weren't so far behind in my reading goal and if this book wasn't so short, it would have been a definite DNF.
Yikes. Got this book on a "Stuff Your Kindle Day". I thought it sounded funny and that it would be a good laugh (in a good way). I was not going into this expecting much of anything, but yikes. I couldn't help but laugh (not in a good way) at some parts of the book.
Like I had said in one of my updates... If I weren't so far behind in my reading goal and if this book wasn't so short, it would have been a definite DNF.
June 11, 2023
Love small town drama
There's black mail, a bully, meddling parents, overprotective brothers, confrontations over the FMC, and obsessed bear shifters.
Super quick, fun and sweet story.
There's black mail, a bully, meddling parents, overprotective brothers, confrontations over the FMC, and obsessed bear shifters.
Super quick, fun and sweet story.
dnf
February 11, 2024This book was working for me until it wasn’t, which I’m pretty sure is due more to my mood than the book
February 17, 2024
The spicy scenes were super slay, but other than that the plot and premise of the book were meh
dnf-nr
July 11, 2024Read this with my book club for July. If I didn’t have to read it for book club I would have DNF’d; no rating as a result. Shifters + forced/fast love isn’t my thing apparently.
January 4, 2023
Unexpectedly good? It's going on the "hot but non-toxic" romance novels list.
This had way more substance than I expected it to. The situations got ridiculous, and the absurdity was fun, but the characters were fairly grounded. The consent issues that are often found in this sort of story were, well, fairly absent, and/or addressed sufficiently.
I think this is a fairly non-toxic romance novel. I appreciated the (relative) realism of the sex scenes, in that the importance and actual mechanics of female pleasure were discussed, in some places almost didactically.
This isn't a book that sex shames, and has a much better depiction of sex than most romance novels this sex-dense.
My only complaints: the use of "small dick" as an insult early on.
It uses the Alpha trope, and the misunderstanding trope, and the deadline trope, and the "I won't hurt you like he did" trope.
Bravo on the ridiculous cover and ridiculous description, they baited me in, and then this book proved it was better than my snark.
This had way more substance than I expected it to. The situations got ridiculous, and the absurdity was fun, but the characters were fairly grounded. The consent issues that are often found in this sort of story were, well, fairly absent, and/or addressed sufficiently.
I think this is a fairly non-toxic romance novel. I appreciated the (relative) realism of the sex scenes, in that the importance and actual mechanics of female pleasure were discussed, in some places almost didactically.
This isn't a book that sex shames, and has a much better depiction of sex than most romance novels this sex-dense.
My only complaints: the use of "small dick" as an insult early on.
It uses the Alpha trope, and the misunderstanding trope, and the deadline trope, and the "I won't hurt you like he did" trope.
Bravo on the ridiculous cover and ridiculous description, they baited me in, and then this book proved it was better than my snark.
April 17, 2023
I’m gonna be completely honest and say I picked up this book purely because it’s set in Estes Park and that is one of my favorite places on earth. The plot of this book was so rush and everything happened in the span of like 7 days but did I read it in 2 hours flat? Yes. Did I love the characters and their little romance? Absolutely. I even loved the weird narcolepsy subplot. Overall funny, lighthearted smutty bear shifter book.
September 3, 2024
I liked this book, and I sometimes didn’t. But mostly I did. Here’s why…
Ms. Paffel can write! She’s a good writer with excellent word choices and few grammatical errors. Her characters sizzle off the pages…not just sex here, I’m talking personal shazam.
Allie Rowe is a baker with her own bakery that comes with one headache after another. She’s had a bad breakup with a bad boyfriend, Blake, who was an emotionally abusive bear shifter very low in the shifter scheme of things. Besides the ex-boyfriend conflict, there is another Big Conflict that makes no sense. One woman—entitled, wealthy, and silly—is able to create enough of a bru-ha-ha to threaten Allie’s bakery with closure. She uses blackmail as well as ridiculous behavior to get her way...but still, she’s just one woman in a town full of people who love Allie’s Sticky Sweet Bakery. Allie’s father, Benjamin, and good friend, Becks, round out her world.
Enter Dax Mitchell, an alpha bear shifter, the son of his clan’s alpha, and a hunk (well, of course). He’s got days to find a mate—any mate will do—or lose his manhood and other things with it. While he is an interesting character and as believable as it is possible to be in a paranormal world, the odd, overly contrived and absurd conflicts hurt the storyline. Two parts of the Big Conflict have to do with the absolutely fundamental, excruciating need for Dax to take a mate in days or lose his mojo and family (uh…no). Dax’s father, Rowan, and brother, Jett, round out his world.
The two worlds collide. The writer is careful not to make Dax aggressive; he is pushy and sweetly arrogant, and he’s met his mate (Allie) so he’s over-the-top protective and possessive. Allie is feeling negative about herself, thanks in part to her ex-boyfriend, Blake, and also to her self-denigrating nature. Dax and Allie feel the mating urge and, as they say, nature takes its course, but with a good bit of nurturing in there, too.
I think there’s too much sex. There. I said it. I was trying to figure out a way to introduce this because, hello, shifter-sex is…well…sexy. I skipped some of the sex pages because (of all things!) they became kind of “same-old, same old,” and some positions were downright awkward and uncomfortable! And hot, sweaty sex where baked goods are made? No, no, no!
Shifters have a whole culture that wants exploring, not just the part about the always phenomenal sex. We readers get it. We do. And there should be sex. But there’s so much of it here, that it takes over the book, and in parts, that’s all there is. I’d like to explore more of the Estes Park shifter world where shifting is normal, expected, unsurprising, and acceptable by humans. So many questions come to mind about this little patch of harmony. And what we get is sex. While it’s fine, and between mates it’s critical, there’s just so much left untold about a world that would have been exciting to explore.
I rated this book 3.5 stars and rounded up. While the Big Conflicts were not resolved to my own satisfaction (the good guys weren’t very good about ending said Conflicts), this was fun to read, a nice couple hours spent cozying up to new characters in a new setting…written well, which was a wonderful cherry on top. I wish I knew where that Sticky Sweet Bakery was. I’d stop in for a maple sticky bun (with a side of Jett’s bourbon-infused honey) in a heartbeat, and a cup of that dark roast coffee. Oh, yum.
P.S. I rarely read the chapter(s) of a next book that writers so often offer at the end of a book, but I did this time and I’m looking forward to reading the second book in this series. It looks to give a bigger glimpse into this shifter world and that’s as enticing as can be!
Ms. Paffel can write! She’s a good writer with excellent word choices and few grammatical errors. Her characters sizzle off the pages…not just sex here, I’m talking personal shazam.
Allie Rowe is a baker with her own bakery that comes with one headache after another. She’s had a bad breakup with a bad boyfriend, Blake, who was an emotionally abusive bear shifter very low in the shifter scheme of things. Besides the ex-boyfriend conflict, there is another Big Conflict that makes no sense. One woman—entitled, wealthy, and silly—is able to create enough of a bru-ha-ha to threaten Allie’s bakery with closure. She uses blackmail as well as ridiculous behavior to get her way...but still, she’s just one woman in a town full of people who love Allie’s Sticky Sweet Bakery. Allie’s father, Benjamin, and good friend, Becks, round out her world.
Enter Dax Mitchell, an alpha bear shifter, the son of his clan’s alpha, and a hunk (well, of course). He’s got days to find a mate—any mate will do—or lose his manhood and other things with it. While he is an interesting character and as believable as it is possible to be in a paranormal world, the odd, overly contrived and absurd conflicts hurt the storyline. Two parts of the Big Conflict have to do with the absolutely fundamental, excruciating need for Dax to take a mate in days or lose his mojo and family (uh…no). Dax’s father, Rowan, and brother, Jett, round out his world.
The two worlds collide. The writer is careful not to make Dax aggressive; he is pushy and sweetly arrogant, and he’s met his mate (Allie) so he’s over-the-top protective and possessive. Allie is feeling negative about herself, thanks in part to her ex-boyfriend, Blake, and also to her self-denigrating nature. Dax and Allie feel the mating urge and, as they say, nature takes its course, but with a good bit of nurturing in there, too.
I think there’s too much sex. There. I said it. I was trying to figure out a way to introduce this because, hello, shifter-sex is…well…sexy. I skipped some of the sex pages because (of all things!) they became kind of “same-old, same old,” and some positions were downright awkward and uncomfortable! And hot, sweaty sex where baked goods are made? No, no, no!
Shifters have a whole culture that wants exploring, not just the part about the always phenomenal sex. We readers get it. We do. And there should be sex. But there’s so much of it here, that it takes over the book, and in parts, that’s all there is. I’d like to explore more of the Estes Park shifter world where shifting is normal, expected, unsurprising, and acceptable by humans. So many questions come to mind about this little patch of harmony. And what we get is sex. While it’s fine, and between mates it’s critical, there’s just so much left untold about a world that would have been exciting to explore.
I rated this book 3.5 stars and rounded up. While the Big Conflicts were not resolved to my own satisfaction (the good guys weren’t very good about ending said Conflicts), this was fun to read, a nice couple hours spent cozying up to new characters in a new setting…written well, which was a wonderful cherry on top. I wish I knew where that Sticky Sweet Bakery was. I’d stop in for a maple sticky bun (with a side of Jett’s bourbon-infused honey) in a heartbeat, and a cup of that dark roast coffee. Oh, yum.
P.S. I rarely read the chapter(s) of a next book that writers so often offer at the end of a book, but I did this time and I’m looking forward to reading the second book in this series. It looks to give a bigger glimpse into this shifter world and that’s as enticing as can be!
April 8, 2023
I love trying new authors and in the last month or so I've been doing that a lot. I was really in the mood for a bear shifter, so I've been reading a bunch of those. Before finding Bear in the Bakery (funny thing is I read another bear shifter story by the same title last year) by Liz Paffel I hadn't heard of nor read her. I'm so glad that I went looking for someone new.
I totally loved this story and the writing. It's full of love, laughter and a bit of mystery. Right away the characters popped out to me. I liked them and wanted to know more. You'll really like Allie and her father. I liked how they know there are bear shifters in the world and that it's something that just is. You'll also want to know more about Allie's BFF but we really don't as a yet.
You'll love Dax. It's so funny how he just wants to live his life and date. He's not ready to settle down but cosmos have different plans for him. Once he figures out that out he tries so hard to win Allie over. Sadly, time isn't on his side to romance her, so he has to push the fact that they are mates to do what needs to be done.
Shifter stories are the only ones I don't mind that love at first sight kind of things. Every once in a while, a contemporary author will do a great job of it but most it's only for shifters. Because of that I didn't mind how rushed the romance felt. In a way it wasn't. From the second they met the wanted each other.
I was totally glad that the author didn't make the whole story about becoming mates. Instead, it was an equal balance of mating and mystery. You're along for the ride of their romance and stick around to find out who's messing with Allie. I enjoyed this story so much that I read the second book in the series and started the third. You know what I'm going to do after that. I will read the fourth shortly after. Not sure if there will be more. I can hope.
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March 9, 2021
Reviewed at Shifter Haven
Bear in a Bakery begins the Estes Park Shifters series with a charming, sizzling romance between two people who were not actually looking for their mates (Dax is forced to because of his situation but he’s holding out for love/his true mate) discovering exactly who they needed in the most awkward circumstances.
Allie wants nothing whatsoever to do with shifters and their so-called mate excuse. She’s been used by that line once and cannot get rid of the jerk, so she’s not falling for that again which means… no shifters in her love life. She has her bakery and that is what she’s devoting herself to right now. Except. Well, fate has a way of getting around most obstacles and when Allie’s bakery is damaged by raccoons, broken water pipes, and one very nasty woman’s outrageous demands in steps Dax with his sexiness, his self-assured personality, and his need to find his mate. Who knew she’d finally show up, and not want anything to do with him. No, really. Allie won’t even bite on one flirt. Dax has his work cut out for him if he’s to convince this stubborn woman that they are meant for each other.
I had fun with Allie and Dax in Bear in a Bakery. The story flows smoothly, the plot is full of action, sizzling chemistry, laughter, and frustrations – exactly as I like it. Unfortunately for Dax, he left one important bit of information out of his declarations for Allie – one that’s about to bite him in a very uncomfortable place if he doesn’t fix it right now. (Stubborn, sometimes clueless men!)
Most of what you’d really need to know can be found in the Cover Description Blurb – all I can add is try this one, I don’t believe you’ll regret that choice. Dax and Allie make for an adorable, sexy couple and now I’m curious to see where we go next.
I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Bear in a Bakery begins the Estes Park Shifters series with a charming, sizzling romance between two people who were not actually looking for their mates (Dax is forced to because of his situation but he’s holding out for love/his true mate) discovering exactly who they needed in the most awkward circumstances.
Allie wants nothing whatsoever to do with shifters and their so-called mate excuse. She’s been used by that line once and cannot get rid of the jerk, so she’s not falling for that again which means… no shifters in her love life. She has her bakery and that is what she’s devoting herself to right now. Except. Well, fate has a way of getting around most obstacles and when Allie’s bakery is damaged by raccoons, broken water pipes, and one very nasty woman’s outrageous demands in steps Dax with his sexiness, his self-assured personality, and his need to find his mate. Who knew she’d finally show up, and not want anything to do with him. No, really. Allie won’t even bite on one flirt. Dax has his work cut out for him if he’s to convince this stubborn woman that they are meant for each other.
I had fun with Allie and Dax in Bear in a Bakery. The story flows smoothly, the plot is full of action, sizzling chemistry, laughter, and frustrations – exactly as I like it. Unfortunately for Dax, he left one important bit of information out of his declarations for Allie – one that’s about to bite him in a very uncomfortable place if he doesn’t fix it right now. (Stubborn, sometimes clueless men!)
Most of what you’d really need to know can be found in the Cover Description Blurb – all I can add is try this one, I don’t believe you’ll regret that choice. Dax and Allie make for an adorable, sexy couple and now I’m curious to see where we go next.
I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
February 9, 2024
Okay, so chapter one, we get the lowdown of FMC’s situation with her bakery and her ex. FMC’s top complaints about her ex are: the relationship moved too quickly, the ex claimed they were fated mates, and his 🍆 wasn’t big enough for her. Enter MMC, who needs to take a mate in one WEEK?! And immediately decides FMC is HIS fated mate. But he’s not gonna tell her that, because that’d be too much like communication, and this is a romance, so we can’t have that! 🙄 Luckily he fills out his jeans a bit better than the last one, so I’m sure all the red flags will work themselves out. 😒
The spicy scenes seem a little bit muddled; in one scene, a character is on a couch and then suddenly it’s a bed. In another, the MMC is on his knees and she’s standing but they’re still able to kiss? While making love in the back seat of a truck, the MMC is somehow able to pull out and switch to giving her oral without FMC moving an inch… imagine that, a massive bear shifter cramming himself into that little space behind the driver’s seat while FMC takes up the other 2/3ds of the bench 😂
I found 9 typos/errors in the text. Not great for such a short read.
The ending was disappointing. The MMC’s time pressure issue got worse in a very contrived way, and the MCs ended up giving into it instead of finding another way (which would’ve been my preference). The good guys defeated the villains by essentially doing the same thing as was done to them, so there’s no “taking the high road” or clever solution there either. Just blackmail the blackmailer. Great. 😐
The spicy scenes seem a little bit muddled; in one scene, a character is on a couch and then suddenly it’s a bed. In another, the MMC is on his knees and she’s standing but they’re still able to kiss? While making love in the back seat of a truck, the MMC is somehow able to pull out and switch to giving her oral without FMC moving an inch… imagine that, a massive bear shifter cramming himself into that little space behind the driver’s seat while FMC takes up the other 2/3ds of the bench 😂
I found 9 typos/errors in the text. Not great for such a short read.
The ending was disappointing. The MMC’s time pressure issue got worse in a very contrived way, and the MCs ended up giving into it instead of finding another way (which would’ve been my preference). The good guys defeated the villains by essentially doing the same thing as was done to them, so there’s no “taking the high road” or clever solution there either. Just blackmail the blackmailer. Great. 😐
September 27, 2023
Allie owns the Sticky Sweet Bakery but when raccoons have a field day inside her shop wreaking havoc by chewing wires, tearing up the walls, and making water flood her shop, she's at her wits end until her father sends a handyman over to help fix the problem. But Dax is a bear shifter and she's had her fill of bear shifters. Her now ex is a bear shifter and won't leave her alone so she's not falling for the flirty, sexy looking handyman who wants to help her fix her shop. But if she doesn't take his help, she may never get everything back to normal.
Dax is different from her ex and she realizes that right away but still wants to keep Dax at a distance even though the chemistry is there between them. But Dax has a problem that won't wait even though he wants to give Allie time to get to know him a little bit better before he lets her know what's going on with him, he just doesn't have time for that. It doesn't help that his brother let's the cat out of the bag so to speak and someone is making things tougher on her, making things worst. The twists that pop up in this story were really good and made the story keep flowing which kept me engaged and wanting to know what would happen next. But I loved Dax and how he stepped up for her with her ex. He definitely wasn't someone that the ex wanted to mess with. This was such a cute story.
Dax is different from her ex and she realizes that right away but still wants to keep Dax at a distance even though the chemistry is there between them. But Dax has a problem that won't wait even though he wants to give Allie time to get to know him a little bit better before he lets her know what's going on with him, he just doesn't have time for that. It doesn't help that his brother let's the cat out of the bag so to speak and someone is making things tougher on her, making things worst. The twists that pop up in this story were really good and made the story keep flowing which kept me engaged and wanting to know what would happen next. But I loved Dax and how he stepped up for her with her ex. He definitely wasn't someone that the ex wanted to mess with. This was such a cute story.
April 17, 2023
Shifter? Bear? Bakery? Sold!
First I need to say: Don’t read the first bit, flick to the page with the heading ‘Chapter One’. The first part the book opens on is just the book description!
I really enjoyed this quite short story. It’s quite a good introduction to the Bear shifters of Estes Park.
It’s well written but I felt like I’d missed something, maybe another book from the world created by Liz Paffel that I should have read beforehand. It feels like I should have just known details about the world, the shifters, and the rules even though this is book one. There’s a couple of SPaG mistakes but nothing massively off putting.
The story itself has some steamy, and some laugh out loud moments. The Shifter law in the book was interesting and I’d love to hear more. SPOILER: Two of the side characters are obsessive and not in a good way (Blake and MB).
I might re-read it at some point as it was pretty good and I’d like to continue the series once my TBR pile is under control (it’s at over two thousand at the moment).
First I need to say: Don’t read the first bit, flick to the page with the heading ‘Chapter One’. The first part the book opens on is just the book description!
I really enjoyed this quite short story. It’s quite a good introduction to the Bear shifters of Estes Park.
It’s well written but I felt like I’d missed something, maybe another book from the world created by Liz Paffel that I should have read beforehand. It feels like I should have just known details about the world, the shifters, and the rules even though this is book one. There’s a couple of SPaG mistakes but nothing massively off putting.
The story itself has some steamy, and some laugh out loud moments. The Shifter law in the book was interesting and I’d love to hear more. SPOILER: Two of the side characters are obsessive and not in a good way (Blake and MB).
I might re-read it at some point as it was pretty good and I’d like to continue the series once my TBR pile is under control (it’s at over two thousand at the moment).
February 27, 2024
A sweet, short read. A good pallet cleanser if you need it!
I was in between reads and wanted something a bit more on the fluffy side. It's a pretty basic shifter romance.
In this case, Dax, a bear shifter, has a very short period of time to pick a mate before he loses the ability to mate and have cubs. To make things worse, he's under immense pressure from his father and threatening to cut him from the family business. Luckily for him, he finds his ACTUAL mate after being hired by her father to help fix up her business that was destroyed by raccoons. Great, right?
Allie has recently left a very toxic relationship with another bear shifter who claimed she was his mate but lied. She already feels more for Dax in one single day than she ever did for her ex, but she still hasn't recovered from the damage that relationship caused her and is in no rush to jump into one again, especially with another bear shifter.
One is on a time crunch, the other has no desire whatsoever to hurry into anything. You'll have to read to see how things will work out!
I was in between reads and wanted something a bit more on the fluffy side. It's a pretty basic shifter romance.
In this case, Dax, a bear shifter, has a very short period of time to pick a mate before he loses the ability to mate and have cubs. To make things worse, he's under immense pressure from his father and threatening to cut him from the family business. Luckily for him, he finds his ACTUAL mate after being hired by her father to help fix up her business that was destroyed by raccoons. Great, right?
Allie has recently left a very toxic relationship with another bear shifter who claimed she was his mate but lied. She already feels more for Dax in one single day than she ever did for her ex, but she still hasn't recovered from the damage that relationship caused her and is in no rush to jump into one again, especially with another bear shifter.
One is on a time crunch, the other has no desire whatsoever to hurry into anything. You'll have to read to see how things will work out!
July 3, 2024
"I've never been in love. Not until you."
4.5 stars
This book was exactly the light-hearted and sexy read I needed after my last book. Allie was a great heroine, and even though she was unsure of Dax at first, he was able to seduce her with his protectiveness and his tenacity. I loved how possessive Dax was towards Allie, especially when her shitty ex shows up. Dax wasn't afraid to dominate Allie with his 'caveman' tendencies and definitely knew how to please her in the bedroom (or in the back of his truck).
The only thing that bothered me was how much power and control MB seemed to have over everyone when no one seemed to like her. I didn't understand why everyone listened to her and played her games to the point of allowing her to dictate their lives. Nevertheless, I did enjoy this story and look forward to more from this author🖤
Tropes: fated mates, 'touch her and die' vibes, alpha jp hero, curvy heroine, cheating ex drama, will they/won't they, mating frenzy, STEAMY🔥
May 6, 2024
📚: 3.5/5
🌶️: 3/5
I really really enjoyed reading this book. Liz Paffel really captures the chaos of being a small business owner, whilst simultaneously showing the chaos and stubbornness of falling in love. The character building was great, I loved the plot almost as much as them and the spice was amazing - very much a spicy read!
However, it did feel at points rushed and I wish the book was longer for those reasons to really flesh out some of the history more, flesh out how they get to the end more and had Allie chasing Dax a little bit more. Though that’s not really the be all end all, I like the book as it is and very much enjoyed the love of Allie and Dax.
Overall it was ok, enjoyable frustratingly hilarious moments, face palming for the bad decisions made by the characters and a very fluffy spicy romantic feel. I would definitely recommend this as a read for something fast paced.
🌶️: 3/5
I really really enjoyed reading this book. Liz Paffel really captures the chaos of being a small business owner, whilst simultaneously showing the chaos and stubbornness of falling in love. The character building was great, I loved the plot almost as much as them and the spice was amazing - very much a spicy read!
However, it did feel at points rushed and I wish the book was longer for those reasons to really flesh out some of the history more, flesh out how they get to the end more and had Allie chasing Dax a little bit more. Though that’s not really the be all end all, I like the book as it is and very much enjoyed the love of Allie and Dax.
Overall it was ok, enjoyable frustratingly hilarious moments, face palming for the bad decisions made by the characters and a very fluffy spicy romantic feel. I would definitely recommend this as a read for something fast paced.
April 7, 2023
Sticky sweet indeed
Allie has run into problems with her bakery, something she fears she can’t come back from. When her well-meaning father hires a contractor who is a bear-shifter, things get heated because Allie doesn’t want another shifter in her life.
Dax is on a timeline. He needs a mate before he loses the ability of have cubs and he only has a week left. Getting hired to work on the bakery wasn’t in his plans but when he enters the place, his bear is sure Allie is his mate. But she isn’t so easily swayed.
This story is adorable and packs a lot into less than 200 pages. There is an instant connection but also internal conflict and even an internal ex-boyfriend who isn’t going quietly. The chemistry between Allie and Dax is explosive and right there, but her reservations put a stop on anything instantaneous. I really enjoyed this read and the spice is fun!
Allie has run into problems with her bakery, something she fears she can’t come back from. When her well-meaning father hires a contractor who is a bear-shifter, things get heated because Allie doesn’t want another shifter in her life.
Dax is on a timeline. He needs a mate before he loses the ability of have cubs and he only has a week left. Getting hired to work on the bakery wasn’t in his plans but when he enters the place, his bear is sure Allie is his mate. But she isn’t so easily swayed.
This story is adorable and packs a lot into less than 200 pages. There is an instant connection but also internal conflict and even an internal ex-boyfriend who isn’t going quietly. The chemistry between Allie and Dax is explosive and right there, but her reservations put a stop on anything instantaneous. I really enjoyed this read and the spice is fun!
February 18, 2021
After what happened with her ex that is a shifter Allie isn't interested in dating another shifter. So when her father tries to set her up with the contractor that is a bear shifter working to repair her bakery she tries to ignore her attraction. However Dax isn't going to let her ignore him especially when he gets mad over what is happening to her. Will they be able to get her bakery fixed again? Can Dax convince her to take a chance on him?
This is an amazing story that will draw you in from the first chapter on. This is a well written and very entertaining story. I would recommend this book to any book lover.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is an amazing story that will draw you in from the first chapter on. This is a well written and very entertaining story. I would recommend this book to any book lover.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 14, 2023
I really liked the story! I initially read it because I was searching for storys with a plus size main character and this book didn‘t let me down.
I liked the build up, angst & also spice between Dax and Allie very much.
The fated mates trope is also destined to (most of the times) have one trope with it associated, the pregnancy trope. Its my least favorite trope and without spoilers I can assure you that it’s handled very well in this book and does really only take over 1% of the story.
Otherwise Bear in a Bakery is a very cosy and sweet read. Now that I‘m done I know I would have 100% loved to read it on a colder or even rainy day where I can cuddle up with a blanket and some hot tea (it’s that kind of a story and also a relatively quick read).
4 ⭐️
I liked the build up, angst & also spice between Dax and Allie very much.
The fated mates trope is also destined to (most of the times) have one trope with it associated, the pregnancy trope. Its my least favorite trope and without spoilers I can assure you that it’s handled very well in this book and does really only take over 1% of the story.
Otherwise Bear in a Bakery is a very cosy and sweet read. Now that I‘m done I know I would have 100% loved to read it on a colder or even rainy day where I can cuddle up with a blanket and some hot tea (it’s that kind of a story and also a relatively quick read).
4 ⭐️
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