She’s on the run. He’s her reluctant protector. Will there be a second chance for the alpha bear shifter mountain man? Or will he lose it all… again?
One minute Cara Neal is celebrating her win as Kansas City’s Entrepreneur of the Year by maybe drinking too much and finding the wrong guy… the next, she’s carrying a secret and every male bear shifter in three states is after her. She’s on the run, forced to leave her thriving jewelry business behind for the wild Colorado mountains.
She has no choice but to accept help from the alpha mountain man grizzly shifter who offers protection, free of charge. He’s sexy. Tormented. Maybe a little gruff. But any man who sings to his hives of honeybees can’t be that intimidating, right?
Until he turns those dark, hungry eyes on her, and Cara knows she’s going to have to repay his kindness. And… probably not with one of her award-winning necklaces.
Jett Mitchell had a family once. They’re gone, and so is his tolerance for anyone outside his mountain. He’s content living alone on his organic farm, raising honeybees. When the sexy little human shows up with her surprise baby bump, his protective instincts go into overdrive. He should turn her away. He shouldn’t want to keep her safely tucked away in his mountain home. Or watch her belly grow. Or long for things he can never have again. Bear shifters don’t get a second chance fated mate. He can’t keep her…
But he’ll be her bear shifter protector until it’s time to let her go.
And heaven help any other male who gets in his way.
Sweeter Than Honey is book two in the Estes Park Shifters series by Liz Paffel. I loved the first book in this series, Bear in a Bakery. But me being me, I got distracted by something else and didn’t grab this when it came out. Well, I finally did and it was fantastic. This is Jett’s book.
Jett Mitchell is Dax’s brother from the first book. Jett lost his wife and daughter three years ago in an accident and he has never moved on from his grief. He spends more time than he should in his bear form, roaming the woods, to escape his grief instead of dealing with it. Jett lives in his home up on the mountain raising honey bees and some organic vegetables.
Cara Neal lives in Kansas City. She built her jewelry making business from scratch, winning the Entrepreneur of the Year award. A little too much celebrating led to a one night stand. Now she is faced with the results of that night, a baby on the way. But when Cara goes in search of the baby’s father to tell him, things don’t go as planned and Cara is forced to flee, leaving everything behind.
Cara ends up in Estes, Colorado and literally runs into Jett. He’s grumbly and broody and the hottest thing Cara has ever seen. She needs help and even though Jett wants nothing to do with anything but his bees up on his mountain, he just can’t seem to say no. He may not be able to offer Cara anything but protection but he would keep her safe.
“I guess that says a lot about your personality, huh? Nothing else can stand to be around you but a swarm of insects that’ll sting you when you get sassy.”
Try as they might to keep their feelings from growing, they do. But Jett is determined that he can’t be anything to Cara but a protector.
“Maybe this Estes Park pack would protect her from rogue shifters. But who was going to protect her from Jett?”
First, all of the covers for this series are amazing. It’s what first drew me to the first book. I love every one of them. Jett and Cara were wonderful. Both were at a point in their lives where they needed to let their pasts go and move forward. They were just what each other needed to help that process along. But there is danger lurking and Jett has to keep Cara safe long enough to figure out what he wants to do. Now I’m ready for the next book in the series, A Bear in a Bookstore, which is Jett and Dax’s brother, Desi’s book. I can’t wait to get started.
Immediately upon finishing book 1 in this series, Bear in a Bakery, I absolutely had to have this one. While book 1 wrapped up entirely and left nothing to question, I was addicted to this world. Estes Park is an adorable, beautiful small town … the author depicts it so well that every time I open one of these books, I feel like I’m there.
This one was no different … strong female lead, broken male lead, hits several hot tropes like:
Second-chance Forced proximity Suspense Small town / mountain man
Probably others I’m not thinking of. I couldn’t get enough of this one anymore than I could its predecessor, and immediately ran off to one-click the next one.
Two grieving people who most definitely deserve their HEA. This second book in the Estes Park Shifters series was a little heavier than the first, but still so so good. I don't give spoilers so all I will say is that I recommend you read this book, but if death of a spouse, a child, or parents is a trigger for you, tread lightly. Mature eyes only due to hot 🔥 Shifter/Human loving!!!
I love shifter romance and this one was a great fit! Bear shifter, surprise pregnancy, alpha male... all the good stuff! Really enjoyed this one and can't wait to read the next in the series. 4 Stars
The plot of this second book in the Estes Park Shifters series is unusual and will hold a reader’s interest! A woman on the run is pregnant with a bear shifter’s baby. The baby’s daddy died in a motorcycle accident and as it turns out, he was worth a ton of money, all of which will go to the person who claims his baby…and it doesn’t have to be the baby’s mama. Arcane shifters are now after Cara Neal, our heroine, to get their hands on the fortune the baby will inherit. Apparently, it’s an ancient law that isn’t practiced by modern clans. So…this book gives us a deeper look into Ms. Paffel’s world of bear shifters.
The woman on the run is Cara Neal, jewelry designer, whose designs have become immensely popular yielding a seven-figure annual income (that’s in the millions of dollars…wow). A casual one-night fling yields an unexpected pregnancy and now she’s running from bear shifters who want the fortune her baby brings. She arrives in Estes Park, Colorado, and literally runs into Jett Mitchell (with her Jeep), the brother of Dax from the first book in the series. Happily, there is no need to read the first book in order to enjoy this second one, but FYI, the first book was a fun read.
The main theme of the book is personal loss. Both Cara and Jett have lost people they loved deeply, and both have run away from the pain rather than face it and diminish it. The writer infuses empathy into her writing, without becoming maudlin and she makes a number of points to ponder regarding loss and how it affects one's life.
This second book seems to have more errors in it than the first one. For instance, the writer changes tense often mid-sentence, and it always jars and pulls the reader out of the book. Here are some examples: The book is written in past tense – no complaint here: this makes it easy to read. However, here the writer switches to present tense mid-sentence: “Guess he’d find out soon enough how well he’ll handle that.” In keeping with the tense of the paragraph, that would read better as, “Guess he’d find out soon enough how well he’d handle that.” Another example has us crashing into present tense: “What she wanted has changed. Cara opened her eyes. She wanted different things than she had before.” The first sentence should be, “What she wanted had changed.” Again, a change to present tense jars the reader out of the story: “The small voice inside him wasn’t as loud as it usually was, but it was still there. Reminding him that he can’t have what he thinks he wanted.” That last sentence, in keeping with the book’s past tense, should read, “Reminding him that he couldn’t have what he thought he wanted.”
Additional errors include: There is an oddly broken sentence, difficult to replicate here, but it definitely stops a reader’s forward momentum:
“They walked the path between a row of trees to a clearing where the beehives were neatly stacked in three rows.”
While English is indeed changing so that many verbs are used interchangeably, there is still a grammar rule in effect for using “sit” vs. “set.” Animate objects (humans, animals) sit, while inanimate objects (books, kitchen tables) set. So, the sentence, “…his kitchen table sat lonely and bare” is better as “…his kitchen table set lonely and bare…”
A preposition is missing here: “You don’t have make excuses for not wanting me.” This should read, “You don’t have to make excuses for not wanting me.”
A wrong verb is used, or it may be a typo: “He couldn’t want too long. He had to shift back…” I believe, within context, that should be, “He couldn’t wait too long.”
The writer offers a glimpse of the third book of the series, but in the example chapter, the female character’s name changes between Cara and Cora. Since “Cara” is the name of the main female character in the second book, it makes a reader wonder if Cara has joined Cora.
I rated this book 3-stars. I enjoyed it and spent a couple pleasant hours visiting Estes Park. I like the way Ms. Paffel writes. She has a pleasant way of phrasing her characters’ thoughts; for example, Jett as a bear shifter exhibits bear-like qualities, even in human form. When he heard Cara’s name, he thought, “Her name flowed on his mind’s tongue.” That sentence captures both the human and the bear essences that reside in Jett.
The epilogue felt rushed. All the angst that enveloped the characters is whisked away with a few words from Jett’s father, Rowan Mitchell, the alpha of the Estes Park pack. It’s summed up rapidly without a denouement, without an opportunity to sigh a breath of relief. Nonetheless, I enjoy this writer’s style, and her imagination is fascinating. I look forward to the third installment.
I've been really enjoying this series. Sweeter Than Honey is the second book in the Estes Park Shifter series. The story is fast paced and easy to read. I enjoyed how she put a woman on the run with a bear shifter who doesn't want anyone around him. With good reason but still, he wants to be alone. He doesn't even always want to visit family.
You feel for Cara. All she did was have a good time and it ended up being a night that would give her a gift and the most terror she felt in her life. Poor Cara is running for her life and has no one to help her until she meets Jett.
Poor, poor Jett. You won't be able to not feel for him. He's lost so much and can't seem to pull himself out of the funk he's in. At times I understood how he felt and then other times I was like, enough! He will never get over or forget the family he lost but he needed to move on. I'm sure his family wouldn't want him to suffer like this.
The best thing that happened to both Cara and Jett is Cara and Jett. They both needed each other and just didn't know what they were missing until they finally figured it out. Jett took a bit longer to get his head straightened out, but it did finally happen.
This is a wonderful story that moves quickly and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I love meeting and getting to know Jett's family better.
Jewelry designer Cara is pregnant. Her baby's father, a bear shifter, is dead. Now it's open season on the woman carrying the heir to his or her late father's fortune. Cara escapes to Colorado where she meets grieving widower Jett. But Cara is still being hunted and it's going to take the Estes Park shifters to save her. The repartee between Cara and Jett is sometimes awkward, sometimes sexy and lots of sassy fun. The sexual tension is obvious between Cara and Jett. Can Jett accept their relationship before rival bear shifters steal her away? The Bear in the Bakery characters, Allie who is about to give birth, and Dax also appear in this book. An excellent continuation story in the series.
audiobook (audible) - such a cute hea shifter bear romance story which picks the story up at the ending of book 1. This lighthearted story follows a pregnant females who's baby daddy shifter passed and left a massive fortune to be claimed for whomever claims the baby cub. Love that this story brings 2 grieving individuals together to form a beautiful family and that Jett get's to have another love in his live which excites both himself and his bear. Hope he can someday shift again without issues given all the grief and time previously spent as a bear because that seems like it'd be hard to deal with if it's a never can occur again thing. Hopefully time will heal that balance within him. Ooohh and baby brother is back, does he have a mate, or is this going to be the next story?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Cara met Jett when she accidentally hit him with her car. Jeff had lost his wife and daughter in the past and was still grieving. Cara is pregnant with a bear shifter's baby. The father was rich but he recently died with no descendents. So now the bear shifter pack along with other shifters are after Cara to get the inheritance. Jet and his family along with his pack decide to help Cara and keep her and her baby safe. Things get exciting when other bear shifter shows up and fighting begins. But thankfully things work out and Jett and Cara fall in love and make a family together.
Okay sooo…. I won’t be finishing this series I just! It’s okay! Like if u want a fast insta love read! It’s okay! Like 3 this one is better then the first if I ask me! But the end was so rushed! It felt like pushed so it was just lack lustre! Like the first one didn’t rush as much at the end! But it didn’t feel as good as this one at the beginning so idk! I just know I don’t think imma read the rest cuz it’s just not doing it for me! It wasn’t horrible thu! It was cute and sad and maybe it’s just I’m in a slump but! So rushed!
Cara has a one night stand that leaves her with an unexpected pregnancy but when she goes to find the dad at the shifter bar, she finds out that his died. She told to hide because his pack will be after her. Cara leaves for Estes Park where she runs into Jett.
Jett takes her home to keep her safe but he still mourns his wife and daughter. Together they feel a connection but neither wants to act on it now. What follows is a mix of suspense, moving on, and a small bit of steam. This is the second in the series but is a standalone with a HEA.
What a fantastic second story in the series! The author brought the action and danger right from the beginning and kept the intensity high throughout the book. Love that dramatic rescue! I love that both characters were dealing with heavy emotions that slowly evolved the longer they were together. Hello happy ending! This was a fantastic second chance romance and I can’t wait to see what comes out of Estes Park next.
This is a sweet romance between Jett, a bear shifter, and Cara who is on the run from shifters. Cara finds herself in danger and Jett is there to help her after his family coerces him into taking her into his home. She makes him feel all kinds of emotions because of the previous loss of his mate and child. They slowly fall in love but there's a kidnapping and a rescue in between when they finally commit to each other.
Thankfully I re-read Bear in Bakery because I forgot a new book was coming out. This book was amazing, it built up the connection between Cara and Jett! I adored the somewhat enemy/banter to lovers aspect (which is one of my fav tropes). I was rather okay with the pregnancy trope which I normally try and stay away from. I did want more of Jett accepting the unborn baby as his own, but it’s okay. Overall, a wonderful quick read! The smut was 🤌🏽🤌🏽 chef kiss. Can’t wait for book 3 🥹.
Cara has a one night stand with a bear shifter and gets pregnant. When she goes to tell the father she finds out he’s dead and that she and her baby will be in danger because the baby will be the heir.
She ends up taking the trip she had planned and meets Jett. She’s weary and scared because he’s also a shifter and she doesn’t know who to trust.
Action packed and it makes you wonder how it will all play out. Couldn’t put it down.
Story has some excitement. Some different takes on shifter rules but sets the story. Liked characters and no simpering female. Some heat not a lot, that’s not the focus of the story. The second wasn’t even about fated mates like the first. Good love story with hea. Read the first then this and happy so far will move to book 3
Jett & Cara > he lost his family and couldn't get past it until he saw her. She had a one night stand and got a surprise and now she's running for her life. The characters will take you on twists and turns throughout their journey to find their fated mate.
If you disregard the whole story of someone kidnapping a woman and keeping the child because it is the only heir to a pack, then the story of Jeff and Cara is pretty sweet.
Jett was lost to grief and shifting to his bear to survive. When Cara hit him with her car neither one of them expected to fall in love. This was another great story. I highly recommend.
One wild night Cara sleeps with a shifter creating a new life. Chaos ensues when she goes looking for him to tell him she's pregnant. Can Jett open his grieving heart and his home to save her or will she lose everything?
I absolutely loved Jett and Caras story. This was so much different from Dax and Allies story but it was so much more. I laughed and teared up throughout this read. I can't wait to read the next one. A must read.
I love Jett although from book one I wanted to kick him in his behind lol . Cara is so sassy her character development could be a little better but over all very good book! So heart warming
He'd lost his family and now he's coming back to life. She had a one night stand and is pregnant with a dead alphas baby. They come out on the right side but oh what a mess.
I loved this story so much! Two people struggling with grief find their way to each other thru their tormented psyches. I love how Jett's realization of how deeply his protracted grief is hurting him finally arrives. Some serious life lessons are learned here.
I was wondering if Olive would get her personal bodyguard. I knew Jett was fighting his feelings for Cara and it would take something drastic to happen for him to acknowledge how he felt about them.
Jett and Cara. A sweet story about two people who save each other. This is the second book in the series and I am looking forward to the others. Looking for a quick read, give this series a try.
Just another awesome story in this series. Lots of emotions and heat to keep you interested. Just love the way the first characters from the first book get to interact with the main characters in this story. Just a very good read.
The banter between the main characters is entertaining. I laughed out loud several times by an unexpected statement. It’s a wonderful HEA with struggles and action.