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Fated Mates #4

Unmistakable Mate

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We make our own family.

Zander Leery gave up on the idea of family a long time ago. He grew up bouncing around the foster care system, never finding a home to call his own. He has no ties to anyone or anything so the last thing he expected was a phone call saying his estranged older sister made him guardian to a niece he’d never known existed.

With no idea what else to do with the child, he heads for Noir, Louisiana in search of the younger half-sister he barely remembers, but what he finds in the little bayou town will change his life forever.

We make our own fate.

Maya DeLuca gave up on the idea of fate a long time ago. She has no use for a fate that let a crazed wolf kill her parents, kidnap her sisters and torture her. She’s worked hard to overcome her traumatic past, to grow into a strong, independent woman and a fierce Alpha Wolf. She makes her own decisions, not some supernatural force.

She has her own plans and they don’t include the very human mate who just showed up on her doorstep with no idea that the supernatural world even exists.

We make our own happily ever after.

He’s human. She’s a shifter. But their connection is unmistakable. Can Zander accept this new world that he’s stumbled into? Can Maya accept the possibility that fate chose right? And if they can find common ground, will they discover that sometimes it’s our mistakes that lead us to exactly where we were always meant to be?

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 21, 2022

102 people are currently reading
69 people want to read

About the author

Jess Bryant

39 books583 followers
Jess Bryant is an avid indoorswoman. A city girl trapped in a country girl's life, her heart resides in Dallas but her soul and roots are in small town Oklahoma. She enjoys manicures, the color pink, and her completely impractical for country life stilettos. She believes that hair color is a legitimate form of therapy, as is reading and writing romance. She started writing as a little girl but her life changed forever when she stole a book from her aunt's Harlequin collection and she's been creating love stories with happily ever afters ever since.

Jess holds a degree in Public Relations from the University of Oklahoma and is a lifetime supporter of her school and athletic teams. And why not? They have a ton of National Championships! She may be a girlie girl but she knows her sports stats and isn't afraid to tell you that your school isn't as cool as hers... or that your sports romance got it all wrong.

For more information on Jess and upcoming releases, contact her at JessBryantBooks@gmail.com or follow her on her many social media accounts for news and shenanigans.

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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for Gladys.
14.3k reviews165 followers
July 14, 2022
Prepare to be bombarded with emotion as this heart-tugging, mega feels romance unfolds. I fell for Zander and Maya so hard. Each of these characters will make your heart ache and together, they make it melt. There is a strong story in play here that offers up a powerful combination of heart, emotion, drama, sweetness, poignancy and swoon. I am posting an unbiased, unsolicited review.
Profile Image for Bex_Book_Revieux.
816 reviews57 followers
July 21, 2022
Jess Bryant has started this newest shifter book out with a bang!! Poor Maya just wandering along only to be accosted by a couple of Bear shifters? That's unheard of in Noir, Louisiana!

Maya has always made sure that if their Seer, Nova, had information about her future, Maya did not want to know. Maya has good reasons, and bad, for this.

Involved in being kidnapped as a teenager with her sisters, Luna and Nova, when Maddox Clary took over the Crescent Pack, Maya was beaten repeatedly as a result of what she thought were Nova's visions at first and later reasons too embarrassing too tell anyone. Now she just wants to live her life without Fate intervening as little as possible.

Zander Leery is headed to Noir, Louisiana to find his biological sister, Zoey. He made a promise to his other sister, Zenia, that he would make sure that Zoey was healthy and happy, not realizing that he was getting ready to walk into the open door Fate had prepared for him.

I loved the absolute lack of fight in both Zander and Maya as they realized the Mate bond. Maya was sweet, and sexy as she could see it coming on, but she wasn't hateful to Zander, maybe just a little more disappearing than others, lol.

I really enjoyed the kindness of the secondary characters taking Zander in to explain to a complete human with no knowledge of any magic, or shifter life, what that could look like. I thought it was awesome that the responsibility was left to Zoey, his own sister, rather than one of the more Alpha males in either the Moraie or Crescent Packs like Leo or Rafe.

I've always enjoyed how Ms Bryant makes the Fated Mates series so fun, sexy, and suspenseful without resorting to OTT Alpha and Beta Male characters in her shifters, I am so EXCITED for Nova's book next! i was absolutely SHOCKED when it became clear who her love interest is going to be, and y'all are going to be just as shocked as I was!!

5/5⭐'s
3/5🌶's
Profile Image for Riet De Bruin-Strijker.
212 reviews2 followers
July 21, 2022
Unmistakable Mate by Jess Bryant (Fated Mates, book 4)
Oh my… I so loved this book! I loved Zander, looking after his niece and looking for his long lost sister and trying to make his own family. And then he meets Maya and his life changed in that minute. I also love Maya, struggling not to fall for the call to mate or even to recognize him as her mate. I love it that Zander is so charming and honest that she has no chance and no desire to run away from him any more.
Zander Leery gave up on the idea of family a long time ago. He grew up bouncing around the foster care system, never finding a home to call his own. He has no ties to anyone or anything so the last thing he expected was a phone call saying his estranged older sister made him guardian to a niece he’d never known existed.
With no idea what else to do with the child, he heads for Noir, Louisiana in search of the younger half-sister he barely remembers, but what he finds in the little bayou town will change his life forever.
We make our own fate.
Maya DeLuca gave up on the idea of fate a long time ago. She has no use for a fate that let a crazed wolf kill her parents, kidnap her sisters and torture her. She’s worked hard to overcome her traumatic past, to grow into a strong, independent woman and a fierce Alpha Wolf. She makes her own decisions, not some supernatural force.
She has her own plans and they don’t include the very human mate who just showed up on her doorstep with no idea that the supernatural world even exists.
We make our own happily ever after.
He’s human. She’s a shifter. But their connection is unmistakable. Can Zander accept this new world that he’s stumbled into? Can Maya accept the possibility that fate chose right? And if they can find common ground, will they discover that sometimes it’s our mistakes that lead us to exactly where we were always meant to be?
204 reviews
October 21, 2022
What a lovely read! Maya and Zander's story is truly all about love, loss, tragedy, forgiveness, family and starting over. I read it all in one sitting. The missing pieces in Maya and Zander connected so well to the other. Feeling broken and disconnected from the world and others bound these two together and being that one person fate had for them to heal all those pieces was lovely to see.

The author did such a good job with that. Zander's relatively smooth acceptance of the whole shifter world and Maya was wonderful. He found all those things he'd had taken away in his life. Acceptance, home and family. And discovered the kind of man he wanted to be for himself, Zoey, Maya and little Violet. And the scenes and relationship growth between he and Zoey only made me wish for Zenia. If it wasn't for her....

My one little issue about that is, there were some unexplained areas with Zenia concerning Violet; unless it's in one of the other books...? And also the same particular issue with Zoey, for that matter.

Maya and Luna....I still think the sisters issues haven't been resolved.

There's so much goodness to read with Maya, Zander and two shifter packs full of family and love. Pulls you in emotionally from the start.

Oh, and Nova's mate...lol...that's just wrong!! Can't wait to read that one!!

Excellent read!!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
157 reviews5 followers
November 11, 2022
I was really looking forward to Maya’s story, and it absolutely didn’t disappoint! Maya doesn’t trust fate, having gone through a terrible experience when she was young. She’s fiercely independent and does everything she can to protect herself and her heart. She meets Zander, a human with a tragic past and a niece that he’s learning to care for on his own, and she can’t believe that this is the one fate has chosen for her. To be fair, she didn’t want fate to pick anyone for her really since she doesn’t trust anyone and thinks she wants to be left alone. Zander’s tie to the Crescent Pack and the growing relationship between him and Maya are so well told. This is another great story from Jess Bryant, and it leads into Nova’s story, which I am really looking forward to. Before I read that one, I am going to read the first two stories in this series. This is such a good series for those who enjoy low angst, high heat, fated mates stories. Highly recommend!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for MJ's Book Blog and Reviews.
3,104 reviews67 followers
August 9, 2022
Review by: Jennifer
(4 Stars)

At the end of the previous story, we got a glimpse into the future, well at least Nova had a glimpse. Maya was always very careful not to ask, as she didn't really want to know and the idea of the future did scare her a bit. When she opens the door to the man that is her mate, Maya decides to avoid him until she is ready to deal with the situation, and if that means never then so be it. But can fated mates ingore the pull forever?

Another really good installment in the series, I really enjoyed watching Maya and Zander both try and deny the pull they feel. We get really good drama, danger, and of course hot naughty bits; I can't wait to see what happens with Nova's story. I give this 4 stars.
Profile Image for Emily Pennington.
20.9k reviews369 followers
October 21, 2022
Maya and Zander's Story . . .

Zander Leery was a product of the foster care system and never really felt he connected with anyone. To a call about his estranged older sister making him guardian to a niece he didn’t even know what unexpected. He heads for Louisiana and meets Maya DeLuca.

Maya had a very rough time of things. Her parents were killed, her sisters kidnapped, and she herself was tortured by a crazed shifter. So she is hostile about Fate’s gifts since she is still recovering from the last ones. She is finally becoming strong again and has no time for the human mate who arrived in town. And yet something draws her strongly to him. Will Zander fit into the shifter world? Will Maya even give him a chance?
Profile Image for Raecharmed.
9,319 reviews70 followers
October 30, 2022
Zander is trying to fulfill his sister's wish and find their little sister. This has him and his niece coming to town looking for Zoey. However, when he arrives at her bakery and goes to the apartment above it he meets Maya. May is a wolf shifter and is stunned when just like her sister Nova said she would meet her fate on the other side of the door. Will she give Zander a chance and let him know about the mating bond between them? What will Zander do when he learns about what they really are?

This is an amazing story that once I started it I couldn't put it down. This is a well written and very entertaining story. Its a book that any book lover would enjoy.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
509 reviews5 followers
July 10, 2022
This is Book 4 in the Fated Mates series. I STRONGLY suggest you read the others first!

I have read this book twice and I LOVE it! I had the honor of beta reading for Jess Bryant and I was floored. I couldn't put it down. I didn't want it to end. I couldn't wait for other people to get to read this wonderful story. It made me laugh and it made me get teary. I smiled so hard at some of the scenes with characters from past books that my face hurt. (I'm talking about Darius and Leo specifically.)

The way Jess Bryant writes characters gets me every time. Zander's loneliness comes through so strongly that I just wanted to give him a hug. Maya is such a bad azz but so closed off that I wanted to hug her too! Their story grabbed me from the sneak peak in the last book and never let go. Add in all the side characters that we already know and this world of Noir Louisiana becomes a real place. A place I think I would like to visit!

Now, I can't wait for Nova's story!

There was no mistaking it now, no wondering, no second-guessing, there was only Maya, his fate, his mate, his future. From Unmistakable Mate by Jess Bryant
Profile Image for Paulette.
746 reviews20 followers
July 19, 2022
I was not much of a shifter fan before this series but this series captured my heart.
Yes it’s heart tugger.

Zander is the sweetest, manly hero. If you think sweet and manly don’t co-exist you’d be wrong! He makes me swoon.
Maya is a fighter determined, feisty and confused. She has major trust issues but a strong sense of family and what is right.
Their chemistry is off the charts!

I don’t want to tell the story because you deserve to enjoy it for yourself. Let’s just say I can’t wait for the next book in the series. It can’t come soon enough.

By the way, have your tissues ready in a good way!
Profile Image for Sarah Sargent.
Author 2 books12 followers
July 10, 2022
If you have read the last two books from this series, you know that Maya is a fighter. She has seen and experienced things that no one should have ever had to experience. She doesn’t believe in fate. Zander is hoping to find his little sister to leave his niece with Zoey. He knows that he cannot explain the magnetic pull he has to Maya. Zander and Maya are explosive together. Even when Zander finds there is more to Maya than he will ever know. He accepts that the fates had a plan for him. I can’t wait for the last book in this series, but I have a few questions.
Profile Image for Christine Woinich.
2,871 reviews26 followers
July 20, 2022
4 1/2 stars. I got pulled into the story emotionally as well as by the tale itself. Maya was quite a survivor but kept herself locked up and held back from real connections. Zander was also a survivor and was not quite healed himself. The connection between them was intense and helped both move beyond their pasts. I loved the lore of this community as well as the wolf/human perspective. I recommend this story, and I look forward to the next in the series.

I received a copy of this story through The Hatters Service, and this is my unsolicited review.
Profile Image for Ashley Carr, LSoR.
5,063 reviews65 followers
July 29, 2022
Get your tissues ready because this was an emotionally charged book. Maya and Zander are just broken. They have an incredible and heartbreaking journey to come together. Maya is a fighter and she has experienced things no one should have had to experience. She doesn’t believe in fate so when she meets Zander she doesn’t recognize the mate pull immediately. Zander has given up on finding a family of his own because of his past bouncing around from foster home to foster home. He just wants to find his niece and long lost sister to try and build a family. When he meets Maya he knows she is it for him but will he get her to overcome her past?
Profile Image for Andra Shaw.
1,361 reviews11 followers
October 18, 2022
Unmistakable Mate is the fourth book in the Fated Mate series. The books in this series are phenomenal love stories, and they make your heart ache for the type of love the book characters experience. The love that ignites between Maya and Zander is no different. Both discover what it means to truly love, be genuinely partnered, and find family and happiness. These two have suffered so much in their lives that you want them to find out what it means to be with someone that will protect and stand by you through all that life brings your way. With drama, suspense, paranormal action, steamy romance, and hope, Unmistakable Mater is an entertaining and engaging read with delightful characters for whom you will root and cry.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Jenny.
582 reviews30 followers
July 22, 2022
This was such a heart tugger of a book but, oh what a couple Zander and Maya are, prepare for emotions!

Their story is a great one and Zander is really sweet and really a man’s man. Maya’s strong and a little confused, but I love her so much for her strength.

Now that I’ve read this, I can’t wait for the next book!

❤️
Profile Image for Christina Astorga.
1,073 reviews3 followers
July 28, 2022
I received an ARC and I'm freely reviewing.

4.3 stars! Let me say, whoa right now. Maya and Zander have an incredible and heartbreaking journey to get their happy ending. Maya is insanely strong and powerful. Zander is a sweet, good man that has had a crap hand in life and finally gets some good sent his way. I can't wait for the next book in the series.
439 reviews1 follower
March 10, 2023
This was very interesting I really love Zander what I didnt like was as soon as he and Maya started getting close you never heard about poor Violet again if they were supposse to be her family I think bringing her into some of it would have been good I love that deep down inside we knew that she was there But I really love the way the bond help save him It was a good book
1,858 reviews38 followers
July 21, 2022
As I read each book in this series, I think the next one couldn’t possibly be as good, but I am oh so wrong! This next book is absolutely incredible! In a million years I didn’t think I would love stories about wolf shifters, but this author has completely changed my mind. She continues to make me love being a part of their world and the characters are ingrained into my very heart and soul.

Maya’s story is so much more about finding her fated mate. It’s a story of survival, of perseverance, of never giving up. She is the kind of character who I could see being friends with. She fiercely loves her family and will do anything to protect them. She also believes she will never fall in love. That is until one day, Zander comes into her life and throws everything off kilter. He is kind, handsome, loving and very much human. He feels a pull to Maya, but will he accept the changes that will come his way? He himself has a past of which his scars haven’t healed, until he meets Maya. Can these two troubled souls find their happily ever after with each other? All I can say, is read this mesmerizing tale of two people from two different worlds who belong to each other In every sense of the word. Pure brilliance!
5,450 reviews32 followers
October 26, 2022
Yet another home run for the author with this latest addition to the series. The character work and story line were well written and kept my attention.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
344 reviews1 follower
November 10, 2022
Can't fight fate in this book in a series of siblings who all find that person for them. There are challenges, growth, and acceptance for both main characters. Read 1-3 first to really understand book 4.
Profile Image for Olivia Clark.
307 reviews9 followers
September 14, 2024
This one was so wonderful!
I loved seeing all the other couples present.
I loved our lost sibling that entered the scene.
This one and the last had a bit more plot and angst in them but not too much. Literally the perfect amount.
This one did make me cry… and laugh… and swoon!
179 reviews
December 22, 2022


I didn’t hate it, but I also didn’t love it. They were both annoying in their ways. Its very meh. 2.5
Profile Image for Geraldine.
161 reviews6 followers
June 21, 2024
enjoyable!

If you like fated mates, shifter tropes, with plenty of spice, then you’ll enjoy this!

Onward to book 5! Whoop!
Profile Image for Robin.
1,405 reviews5 followers
July 16, 2024
These books are so angsty and so perfect all rolled into a beautiful love story. Maya and Zander's story is amazing!
Profile Image for Jaime Reynolds.
1,966 reviews23 followers
July 22, 2022
Big fan of this series and each book continues to just get better and better. After reading the first book, I became a fan of this genre and needed more. Maya and Zander have an intense connection that makes their story so much more. You feel for them, with them and keep turning the pages never wanting it to end. It’s an incredible journey for these two and the story is one not to be missed.
1,005 reviews17 followers
August 16, 2022
I’m not a paranormal fan. I’m not a sci-fi fan, but I love this series. I was completely taken by surprise with the H in this one, but I was here for it. Maya had such a heart wrenching past. I knew it would be hard for her going forward. You can’t fight fate though. This one is definitely proof of that.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews