Uncursing Her Bears

Shifter Beach #1

by Cali Mann

Every fortune-teller says my future is a blank. Guess that means I get to write it myself. So this summer I’m off to the beach, helping my sister settle in and looking for adventure. Only, I didn’t expect an island haunted by bear spirits and gorgeous guys. And a mystic who finally tells me the truth. I’m a witch under an enchantment that can only be removed by bathing in the ocean, naked, under the full moon. Okay, I’m game. A sexy, reverse harem paranormal romance short story by USA Today bestselling author Cali Mann. Expect sunny beaches and dangerous curses, grumpy bear shifters and vacation romance vibes in this college-age steamy romance.

Genres: Shapeshifters, Reverse Harem, Paranormal, Magic, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy

41 pages, Paperback

First published May 10, 2022

About the author

Cali Mann is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Thornbriar Academy series. She writes paranormal romance, the sexy kind with why choose, hunky shifters, sexy vampires, and women who stand up for themselves. She learned romance by reading through her mother's entire Gothic romance collection in her teens so she and romance go way back. When she's not writing, she spends her time streaming shows, playing video games, and pestering her two tuxedo cats. Find out more at calimann.com

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decant tale for a short story, but sadly it ends rather abruptly without many answers. The relationship between the characters seems to start right as the story ends. With a few more chapters added it might have been a really good short read.

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* This starts strong but finishes a little fast. An island haunted by ghost bears, a girl trying to reset after a bad relationship and a new job with some very handsome brothers... it is a brilliant set up with some really good interactions. However the ending felt a little rushed. I enjoyed myself but wish it had been explained or drawn out a little better.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short steamy RH romance is filled with magic, curses, summer fun, and heat. Tabitha, Jace, Micheal, and Colin all have distinct personalities. Each very likable and made me like the story more.

[MandyMarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute, quick, PNR with a reverse harem twist. It would be fun to read a story about her sister!

[Veronica Prowant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun novella. The island lore and the visiting college girl give it a whimsical summer love feel, but it ends up being so much more! Cali Mann never ceases to amaze me with her stories!

[Sadie Forsythe · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5, round up

Meh, just not very good. It starts off well enough and then reaches a certain point at which it seems to give up the story and barrels to the end with its one cumulative sex scene. The issue is that most of it is paced to be a hundred or so page story. It's only 43 because it loses that pacing. The reader is given reason to recognize one of the men as a mate, but the author seems to forget to do the same for the other two. (Again, pacing-wise, that would make sense, and there was room.) This feels VERY MUCH like the author started writing one thing and then got bored and instead shrugged, gave it a perfunctory ending, called it a short story, and hit publish. The reader feels it and there is nothing satisfying about it. It has a cute cover, though.

[Emma · Rating 1 out of 5]

✔️MFMM why choose novella
✔️bear shifters x witch
✔️fated mates

1.5⭐️

This is a cute story for what it is, but since it is less than 50 pages there is really nothing going on here. If you read the blurb, you read the book. The pacing is a little awkward, it was written almost like it was going to be a longer story but then cut short at the last minute. The ending is abrupt and the one spicy scene was cringy and felt like it was thrown in because it was expected but not because the story needed it. The concept is interesting, but the execution isn’t there, it would have been a much better book if it was just a little bit longer and the story was fully fleshed out.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Becoming a witch

I help my sister move to the island to live by a beach and have a fun summer before going back to college, but when I found these job with three brothers at their cafe my life was changed.

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needed More But Still Enjoyable

This was a cute short story. It was a quick read and had a predictable ending. However, it just felt like something was missing. We barely get to know the characters and there are seven who we get more than a walk on role.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish this was a little longer than it is. It’s a decent short story, but the ending is so rushed, it’s criminal. The positioning she was in during the last chapter also didn’t make much sense to me, so I couldn’t adequately picture what was happening.

[Susanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic short story, highly recommend this series

[Willi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and quick

I liked the characters and the idea of the story. I’d have liked it better if we had gotten more information about the curse but it was good.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would have liked more story. This had potential but fell flat

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars This just wasn’t good at all. The writing was bad and it needed to be longer the idea wasn’t fully fleshed out. It was nothing, nothing, nothing, boom, end.

[Angella · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know, it wasn’t awful. It was short, it told a story, it wasn’t cringe. Does it make sense? No. But it was a solid idea and I didn’t hate it.

[Laura Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

quick read

Actually a kind of cool story. Doesn’t drag on forever. Mystery, lust, and the beach. What more could you want!

[Michelle v · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

I love the promises book but It is very short. Story could have used a lot more Development In characters I but it was still a very enjoyable read..

[Shawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really sweet short story about magic and bears. A great palette cleanser and interesting magic infusion!!
Would love to know more about the magic and spirits of the world ✨

[Oat Milk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was nice-
Smutty-
The beginning was fresh and cute
I love the beach so I was drawn in- didn’t know it was smutty before reading bc I just got it for free from a rec so I was like hey nice and short why not-
I did feel like it became a little abrupt like hey you broke the curse now we fuck type shi lol
But it was good and enjoyable
Short and sweet - bite sized I’d say :3

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tabitha's Future . . .

Arriving at the beach, Maddy told her sister Tabitha that there is a legend that if you go to the beach at night, there’s a chance you’ll be chased by angry island spirits that look like bears. Although no one reported actually seeing one, someone had printed it at the end of the warning sign that talked about sharks and jellyfish. But maybe that was only true that they showed themselves if you were a resident. Then a woman with a crystal ball caught Tabitha’s attention. Maddy’s fortune was that she would find three lovers born of the sea, so she figured 3 Mermen were in her future… ha ha ha. Maddy was not a believer in fortunes, whether they came true or not. Then Tabitha sat down. The woman told her to leave, called her a witch, and told her she could not “see” for the likes of her. But she saw Tabitha’s disappointment and asked if she did not know this? Then she told her to go to the sea at midnight on the full moon and walk naked into the water to wash away the enchantment. Did this explain why no one had ever been able to see her future?

Three brothers on the island, Michael, Jace, and Colin, are cursed bear shifters. Can Tabitha break the curse with her night-time swim? She has already noticed that 3 motorcycle riders who just bought drinks for her sister had mermaid tattoos on their upper arms, so the fortune-teller was right so far!

[Lea Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

WAS AWAY THE ENCHANTMENT
Tabitha doesn't know her birth family or her history nor is she really interested. She comes to the beach to help her (also) adopted sister settle in her new home. A fortune teller says her future is blank and calls her a witch. Her new employers- - brothers Jace, Michael and Colin -- draw intense feelings she can't act on because she needs this job. The guys running Three Bears Cafe realize she's their mate but they are cursed and cant... Can she wash her enchantment away and break the curse on her bears?.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sara Munoz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting reverse harem, shifter romance story with twists and turns. Her sister tells her that there is a legend that if you go to the beach at night, you might be chased by angry island spirits that look like bears. A fortune teller gives her sister a fortune of 3 men of the sea and then promptly goes to kick her out after sitting down calling her a witch. The Fortune Teller then realizes Tabitha did not know she was of witch blood and tells her to go to the sea at midnight on the full moon and walk naked into the water to wash away the enchantment. Can this wash away her enchantment and lead her to her future.... with 3 cursed bears and will it wash away their curse too

[Judy Gittleson Hendrickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tabitha is with her sister for the summer on an island. Walking around and exploring, they stop by a fortune teller who states she is a witch and can not read her future, but if she does something she will become uncursed. She gets a job at Three Bears Coffee Shop and feelings start to change. The island stories are real and so is her prophecy of stopping the curse. Loved the chemistry and personalities of the characters. The spirits and curse were a great touch. Plenty of fun dialogue and inuendo going around. Totally enjoyed the storyline and the ending was terrific.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tabitha doesn’t know it but she’s a witch, she never knew her parents. Michael, Jace and Colin are brothers and cursed bear shifters. Tabitha is in town for the summer and gets a job working for the brothers. A fortune teller tells her to go into the water, naked at midnight to remove the enchantment on her and break the curse. She thinks it’s all a bunch of baloney, or is it? Steamy, short reverse harem bear shifter story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Indie · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it !!! love Tabitha !!! this is her story... a fast paced short story... she goes on vacay on an island.. she goes to a fortune teller and gets a blank reading... she gets the truth ? she's a witch, cursed.. and the only way to break the curse is to bathe in the ocean under a full moon... and then, there's the bears... oh, my !!!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was super short so not room for much development, but I still felt like I had a decent grasp on the characters. They all managed to have defined personalities even though the males were barely on the page.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Debbie Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. I really liked this unique story. Tabitha always wanted to know her future but was told it was blank. A mystic tells her the truth and she follows the local legend where she finds her mates in Jace, Michael and Colin.

[Joy Whiteside · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a fantastic story that I could not put down once I started and had to read it no matter what I needed to do. It has interesting characters that you will love and a story that does not disappoint. This is a book that needs to be on your TBR list.

[BusyM3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and entertaining read. The story is a quick and easy read. Tabitha is looking to enjoy the summer and she didn't expect to fall in love. She got a lot more then she bargained for. A fun read.

I am voluntarily leaving a review.