Cougar shifter and single dad Lucas Concolor lives for his job and his young daughters. By day, he's an undercover game warden, hunting down wildlife poachers. After work, his pair of sweet little girls think Daddy’s a superhero.
As far as romance goes, Lucas knows love isn’t in the cards. Fated mates? He's never gotten anywhere near a so-called fated mate. Hell, he doesn’t even believe in happily ever after. Not after a painful divorce. Lucas is destined to be a lone shifter. And he doesn’t mind, not much anyway. Because fated mates are just a shifter fairy tale, right?
Everything changes the night Lucas meets Malia, a feisty blue-eyed wolf shifter girl. The sweet little female sparks his beast's desire. He can't stop thinking about her ripe lips. Her curvy little body. Lucas needs Malia in his bed. And in his life.
The bad news?
She's the sheriff’s daughter, and he's currently undercover as a dirtbag poacher in a high-stakes investigation. He can't come clean...not without blowing his cover. Even worse, Malia's just twenty-one. Way too young for him.
But his cougar has roared to life, determined to claim sweet, innocent Malia as their fated mate. Now he's torn between honor, duty and his beast's primal needs.
Rookie police officer Malia Jacobsen-Swanson has plenty to prove to her family. Her wolf pack has a long history of serving their small, tight-knit community. She intends to uphold the long tradition and make them proud. That means avoiding distractions.
All distractions. Especially hot cougar-shifter distraction. Newcomer Lucas is Trouble, with a capital "T." He's an older man, a tattooed bad boy with long golden hair, muscles to die for, and a hot, wicked gaze.
Yeah. That type of distraction.
And Lucas is hiding one too many secrets. Sure, he’s a sweetheart, and a devoted single dad with a pair of adorable girls… but that doesn’t mean he’s a good guy. In fact, he seems to be the worst kind ever. A ruthless poacher who preys on vulnerable wildlife.
But true love only comes once for most shifters. She and her wolf can't resist Lucas's sinful kisses and heated caresses, or the bliss of his hard body claiming hers. It should be wrong but it feels so right.
When he becomes the prime suspect in a shocking crime, she must choose between her first real love and her duty. She's determined to do the right thing. Even if it means giving him up forever.
Ophelia Sexton is an author of paranormal romance. She has previously published historical romance under a different name, but has always loved reading about were-creatures, vampires, and other supernatural beings. She lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area.
This one was fun, but I felt for Lucas. He really had a hard time keeping his secret once he realized he was attracted to Malia. I hated that at times he had to be a bit nasty to Malia, hated it more when Lucas met everyone and had to keep in characters. When his past came out you could tell that everyone was so relieved he wasn't an asshole and welcomed him and truly celebrated that he was with Malia.
I loved the Bearpaw Ridge series and the next generation is proving to be just as wonderful. The book is filled with all the emotions, the connections and the love. It has a little bit of everything just like you would expect from a good shifter romance - sweet moments, strong family bonds, sexy times, real life issues, imperfect characters, protective urges, secrets, tiny bit of danger, fated mates, and so much love. And oh the feels in this book - you’ll laugh, swoon, gasp, and grit your teeth. Malia is a wolf shifter who has recently become a cop in her shifter friendly town of Bearpaw Ridge. She does not feel she’s taken seriously. Her first investigation is into the shooting of her brother while he was in his bear form but she’s not having any luck tracking down the illegal poachers. Lucas is a single father and a game warden investigator who has come to town undercover to investigate the illegal poachers. Lucas and Malia first meet in the local bar where Lucas is trying to glean information but knowing he has to stay away from cops to maintain his cover, he turns down Malia’s request for a date. Thus begins the push and pull journey to their HEA as fated mates while they are each trying separately to find the same bad guys. The book was well written with characters with depth and an engaging storyline. I am excited to read more books about the next generation of Swanson clan.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
As always, a visit to Bearpaw Ridge brings highs, lows, humor and drama. It’s like watching your own family grow up. As we have watched ‘the kids’ grow and find love, to have Malia finally get her story was so special. And a cougar, literally, oo-la-la! I am always anxiously awaiting Ophelia’s books, and she did not disappoint in this story! I hope she keeps the stories coming and we never run out of Bearpaw Ridge HEAs!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is an OK shifter romance, with decent editing, but I did have a few issues with it. Because of that, it gets 3 stars from me.
One issue with this book (and the entire series, so far) is how prejudiced the shifters are. They are terribly prejudiced against anyone that is human, half-shifter, or is not the same kind of shifter as them, which bothers me -- especially since several of the characters are happily mated to humans or other kinds of shifters, and they love them. Their attitude made me really angry, because I detest prejudice in any form.
I did like Lucas, but it bothered me that he started a relationship with Malia while he was undercover. He knew that he couldn't tell her who he really was, but mated her anyway. It hurt her terribly when she thought he was a criminal, before he had a chance to explain that he was an undercover cop. I did like that he was such a good dad, who adored his daughters.
Malia was OK, but it seemed like she was too young and immature for a real relationship -- especially with Lucas, who was quite a bit older. She certainly didn't seem old enough, or emotionally mature enough, to be a good stepmother to his daughters.
There was one other issue, and this is minor, but it is a pet peeve of mine – the cover of a book should match the description of the characters in the book. Lucas is described as having long blonde hair, because that style fit with his undercover persona. Yet the cover shows a man with short blonde hair. This may not be the author’s fault, but it still bugs me.
My rating system is below. 1 star -- Hated it, or did not finish. I usually only give this rating if some of the content is truly objectionable to me, like if one of the main characters does something really awful, and gets away with it. 2 stars -- Didn't like it. This rating usually means that I thought the writing wasn't very good, the editing was terrible, I didn't like the characters, or it had other major flaws. 3 stars -- I liked it, but had some minor issues with it. This rating means that there were minor editing issues, the story needed more character development, it was just too unrealistic, or had some other fairly minor issue. The majority of books I read get this rating – I do not consider it a bad rating. 4 stars -- I liked it a lot. This is a high rating for me, and I rarely give a higher one. 5 stars -- I loved it, and will probably read it again. Very few books are good enough to get this rating from me. The ones that do are usually classics.
I received a copy from the author; this is my honest review Readers Beware: Some talk on wildlife poaching and bisexuality. -Make sure you read the author's note. I am an animal lover, even though I'm allergic to them, but the scenes didn't bother me. I was still grateful to know in advance what was coming. -I felt really bad for Lucas and Malia because their relationship started with a bunch of lies, fated mates no less. -I so love it when seeing/smelling your FM is an out of this world experience! "as if his spicy, musky scent were intoxicating". Yep. -LOL, if someone would do to me what Malia's BFF did to her, I would be completely embarrassed, but for shifters, it's completely normal and they learn to live with it. "Ellie ... leaned over, ... and inhaled deeply". -I'm wondering why it's surprising to Malia that Lucas didn't have any kind of criminal record. -I thought the Alpha was out of line when the Chief decided to put Malia in charge of the investigation. He's putting down two females in one shot. He might be the Alpha but he has no say over the Chief's decision or belittling Malia's experience. Downright insulting. -I was extremely surprised that Lucas would talk with his family while undercover. But later he says it cost him his marriage with Emily. If he can call his parents and daughters, then he could have maintained a link with his wife too. Quite unbelievable on both anyways. -I found it funny that they are still looking for Mrs. B. from Spokane when the answer is right under their nose.
Annoyance alert: Bad boy Lucas looks nothing like the book cover... a pet peeve of mine as Lucas is described in the book as having brown eyes, long dark blonde hair, with tattoos which is a far cry from the clean cut, cowboy type shown on the front cover. Anyway, Melia and Lucas's story is one of the better in the series. Lucas is a Fish & Game Investigator, who goes undercover (not even local law enforcement knows who he is) as a poacher to find out who is poaching illegally, after Rob (Melia's twin brother) is shot while in his bear form, by poachers causing trouble in BearPaw. While undercover, Lucas meets Melia (newbie law enforcement officer)while at the local bar, covertly gathering information for his investigation. Melia finds him to be a hottie, though a little bit on the older side than who she is usually attracted too, I assume him to be around 30 yrs old. As a single dad to 6 yr and 4 yr old daughters, Lucas is conflicted as he recognizes Melia as his fated mate, but she is around 21-22 yrs old and he's concerned by their age gap. Love wins out in the end, and both get their HEA.
Another brilliant read set in Bearpaw ridge though this time we are with the wolf shifters of the town. Malia Jacobsen-Swanson has a lot to prove to her family and the town she is a newly minted police officer but no one takes her seriously now she has to investigate the shooting of her own brother while in his bear form and get to the bottom of the poaching problem in the area meanwhile she is drawn to a dirt bag poacher at the local bar. Cougar shifter and single dad Lucas Concolor isn't what he seems though he is a undercover game warden trying to crack the same case and he can't afford to let the local police force arrest him so he has to stay away from Malia even though his cougar is not so quietly growling mate something he never believed in thinking he would never have a mate Can they solve the case and have a future together You will have to read to see
But you have to be able to handle reading about hunting and poaching issues. It is good to know that there are investigators like Lucas who are trying to stop that. Malia is a young new cop just off probation. Her wolf and she both like the hot older cougar Lucas. But he hangs out with some bad characters and that makes her worried. How can he read bedtime stories to his girls over video chat and be a bad guy? I The pace is fast and the tone is uncertain yet hopeful with an action and character oriented storyline that has some steamy scenes. The characters are vibrant and engaging. You don't have to read the other books in the series, but it was great to see many familiar faces in here! If you like your shifter romances with lots of action and can handles the realities of poachers and what they do, you will appreciate all this book has to offer. Enjoy.
This book is chalked full of romance, suspense, attempted murder, poaching, and lies to cover the real reason behind being in Bearpaw Ridge. I love the Bearpaw Ridge series and this book is another great addition to the story centered around shifters. Will Lucas lose his love because of the lies told? Can he redeem himself and secure love and family for his children? As a standalone this book is amazing but when read as a series, the entire family of shifters and their stories are phenomenal! I have already pre-ordered my paperback copy!!! Happy Reading!!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ophelia Sexton writes shifters like no one else! I'm always so happy to go back to Bearpaw Ridge and I admit that poachers are a sore spot with me, I want them all convicted of this brutal crime. I really enjoyed Malia and Lucas's story and his girls are precious. I loved them so much. As always, the characters are awesome, the story involving and the world building wonderful. I honestly believe you can't go wrong with Ophelia Sexton. So well done. If you love shifters you can't go wrong with Bearpaw Ridge...I highly recommend it!
Lucas and Malia, meeting under the wrong conditions but their shifter animals see the potential. I had a difficult time putting it down and trying to figure out how the happily ever after can happen. I have read each of the books in this series. I love the series and each book is so filled with warm characters, rich details and beloved characters. Each book is a standalone but so much better when read in order (you can appreciate the inside stories and the protective relatives more). Bravo!
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Lucas works for Fish and Game and when a colleague calls him to help when one of the shifters is injured badly, Lucas is all in❣️Unfortunately, his cat decides now while he’s undercover to mate with a local Wolf shifter, Malia who also happens to be a local cop in the area🤦♀️
Things go from bad to worse but as they say everything will work out fine😉 A good story and I look forward to Rob’s story- Malia’s twin brother🤩 I received an advanced copy via Booksprout and voluntarily leave my honest review❤️
I really enjoyed this book. It was believable and flowed really well. It is a May December romance but not written in a way that you won’t enjoy it if that kind of thing makes you cringe. The characters come to life while you read. I love Lucas and Malia but I did want to shake him a few times. I love that we are given a strong female but we still see her soft side. I highly recommend this book you won’t be disappointed.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a NON-SPOILER REVIEW of Sear, the fourteenth book in the Bearpaw Ridge Firefighters series by Ophelia Sexton. I absolutely love this series! This is Lucas and Malia's story. Danger and drama are no strangers on Bearpaw Ridge and this read is no different. I love the characters, old and new... the family and cohesive community. Reading one of Ophelia Sexton's books is like coming home to old friends!
This honest and voluntary review was made possible by reading a copy through Booksprout.
Malia has just passed her probation as a police officer in Bearpaw Ridge, when her brother is shot by poachers, she's determined to catch them. She meets Lucas who is undercover, also trying to catch the poachers, he can't tell anyone who he is, so Malia thinks that he's one of the poachers.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A great tale from Ophelia, I look forward to more in the series
Ophelia has done it again. Every time a new character wins my heart. Malia and Lucas are perfect for each other. Malia is the daughter of the police chief Mary and is tired of always doing the right thing. Lucas is an older man with a bad boy image. When they meet sparks fly. Her wolf and his cougar have plans of their own for their humans. If you love age gap and fated Mates then this book is for you. Believe me you won't be disappointed
Lucas is a single dad and does not believe in fated mates. Malia is the sheriff's daughter and has to prove herself. Lucas and Malia feel the pull. Lucas is undercover as a poacher and when things go wrong Malia will have to choose between love and doing what is right. I loved this story it has so many interesting characters and the story was wonderful. Lucas is one of the good guys.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed this read even though I kept being reminded how different this volume felt compared to previous 13 Bearpaw Ridge events. I wish more of Tyler and Mary's story could have been used to parallel challenges Lucas and M's positions. Overall, this read is certainly was worth finishing it before getting sleep on a Sunday night!
I am a sucker for age gap/ single dad stories and this one didn't disappoint despite being pretty light on the single dad part.
Call me crazy but I would have liked a bit more angst at the end regarding Lucas' real identity and Malia's discovery. I think I would have liked for Lucas to be the one to tell her but, really, I am just being picky. I have really enjoyed this installment - like 99% of the books in this series so far!
SUCH A SWEET STORY. There is just something about Ophelia's writing that involves the reader into the storyline, I really felt as though l was right there. I have enjoyed reading about this shifter community over the years and love the varied characters, shifter varieties and the path to their mates.
This is a great addition to the series! There really is something about Ophelia's writing that makes you feel like you're part of the Bear Paw Ridge community and is different from other shifter series. From the first book, you feel invested in the families. This was a great story and can't wait for Rob's story. That should be something. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book was so good I have all ready read it twice. This is so full of EXCITING TWIST. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. The details in it will definitely are so good that you feel like you can see all the places and the people in the story.. Absolutely Fantastic. I Loved it.
Lucas and Malia She just KNOWS he’s the type of man to stay away from, but she can’t. He has secrets. She’s just trying to figure out if they are good or bad before she falls for him. Too late. You don’t have to read the others in the series to enjoy this one. You should because it’s a very nice series. Enjoy.
Ophelia Sexton has done it again!! Another spectacular book in the Bear Paw Firefighters series!! Just when you think the series is at it's best she goes and writes another book that you totally aren't expecting!! A must read along with all of them!! I recommend that you read the series in order so the storyline makes sense!! I can't wait for Rob's story!!
Rob was out foraging in his bear shape when he was shot. To keep his secret he ran out of sight changed back to human form and hid in a bramble bush. Now a Fish and Game undercover man is in town. Things get complicated when he meets the local newly minted rooky police officer. Good Adult Read.
Wonderful addition to the Bearpaw Ridge Firefighters series. Maria and Lucas make a fantastic couple and they will be a wonderful family. I would recommend this story to any adult reader that enjoys sexy shifter romances.
The author has given us a heart pounding story that pulls us into the lives of Lucas and Malia and does not let go. The story keeps us turning the pages with fear, danger, action and love.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Another great read in this series Bearpaw Ridge Firefighters. The story is well written, the characters fit well together and have connection. I enjoyed this book and series.