I shouldn’t feel like this about my best friend’s dad. But he’s the only man I’ve ever wanted. I used to have an embarrassing crush on Mr Johnson.When he crashes into my life ten years later, he’s hotter than ever. A huge, growly bear-man, who’s intent on looking out for me.I know he doesn’t feel the same way though. Heck, sometimes it seems like he can hardly bring himself to look at me. Then a blizzard blows through, and I take refuge in his cabin, deep in the snowy forest.Just the two of us…With nowhere to go and nothing to do, but talk.How am I going to hide my embarrassing attraction from him, in this little space?Especially when he keeps looking at me like that? This is a steamy insta-love romance, featuring an obsessed, possessive hero. If you like age-gap romances, with plenty of forbidden feels, you'll love Zach and Blair's story. Forced proximity, a cozy winter setting, and a sweet HEA!
USA Today bestselling author Ariana Hawkes writes spicy romantic stories with lovable characters, plenty of suspense, and a whole lot of laughs. She told her first story at the age of four, and has been writing ever since, for both work and pleasure. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two huskies.
This was my least favorite book of the series. It drew me in right in the beginning and I was so excited to read this one. As I continued to read it, it became cringe worthy. Let's start off that I love an age gap book but the twist of this book was too immature. I can understand the fine line of she is my daughters best friend but as we continue to read the way he treated her was ridiculous and the main female was so weak it was embarrassing. I kept waiting for her to leave and make a stand and the more she waited on him it just aggravated me. Especially after how he acted when he found she had her V card. I personally feel he treated and made her feel bad for not sleeping around. This book was a turn off for me and if it was not so short I would have DNF. I started this series to get to book 5. I really hope the next book is better and this one just did not set well with me as I really like these books. If I do not enjoy the next book I will have to leave this series.
Blair moved to Oakdale after everyone she loved in Twin Falls was gone. Blair is working at a bar that has topless Wednesday nights, she never works on Wednesdays. She lives above the bar in the spare room of her boss Adrian. Adrian is trying to convince Blair to work Wednesday because he needs the help and she told him that she would work but she wouldn’t be topless. When Blair showed up at work with all her clothes on Adrian tried to make her take her shirt off. He fired her and she wanted to get her belongings but Adrian wouldn’t let her go up the stairs. He took her to the office and when the door was opened a huge man was sitting in there. Blair was afraid that Adrian had other plans for her but when the man speaks and she recognizes the voice. Zachary is a grizzly bear shifter and he has been keeping an eye on Blair since she was a teen and best friends with his daughter Kayla. Kayla is a jaguar shifter but Blair didn’t know that and when Kayla left she thought it was her fault. Zachary sends Blair to get her belongings and he took care of Adrian. Zachary takes Blair back to Twin Falls to the cabin that Blair and Kayla use to play in. Blair has had a crush on Zachary for years. Zachary has realized that Blair is his fated mate but he doesn’t know if she feels the same way. Zachary and Blair kiss and when he finds out that she is a virgin he takes off into the woods in a snow storm as his bear. Blair waits for Zachary to come back and he does as a grizzly bear. Will Zachary take Blair’s virginity as she wants him to? Will Zachary and Blair get snowed in at the cabin? Will Kayla come back to find Blair and her dad together? Will Zachary and Blair survive Kayla’s anger? Will Zachary and Blair find love and happiness as fated mates in Twin Falls? I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
Contains: Age Gap, Shifter Romance, and Attempted Assault
Blair is first shown to be working at a topless bar and living with one of the guys who works there as strictly a roommate. Her view of her roommate quickly changes when he keeps asking her to stop wearing a top to work since everyone else has to do it and its part of the 'uniform'. She refuses for what seems to be the millionth time, he decides to get physical with her and forces her into his office where 'bad things happen'. When they get into the room, there is a large, burly man waiting for them. After an altercation between the man and her roommate, the mystery man leads her to his truck and it finally hits her who he is. Growing up, she had a wild friend who loved adventure and taking risks that her father tried to warn her about. Mr. Johnson, her best friends dad, was her savior and apparently taking her 'home'. She has some hesitation on going home, but where else can she go? With the conflicting feelings she has about Mr. Johnson and returning somewhere that she swore she would never return to, she is left with no option but to accept the temporary help. Blair and Zach (we made it to first name basis) end up in his little cabin that reminded her of her best friend who up and left one day. As fate would have it, they are snowed in and have to rely on each other when secrets come out and affections are realized. What will they do? Will they be honest about feelings? What about keeping their distances?
This was a really good story in my opinion. The only issue I had was that it was almost easy to find the twists, but it was still a good read. I liked the ending and how everything was handled by all the characters involved. I will read more from the series since I still really did like this one.
What a sweet story! One that I really enjoyed its a great story but with excitement. The characters are captivating with great chemistry. It's full of romance and passion! I especially enjoyed the two epilogues that has five years a part this will bring smile to your face, they have amazing relationship, but there is one thing I wish and that is there was more to kayla all though I enjoyed the time spent on their relationship because it was such a delight but I wish there was more. This series is a pleasurable experience that you will keep you on the edge of your seat. The stories are such a number of suspenseful excitement and binge worthy that's great to read. Each one will make you turn every page until the end. I really enjoyed these characters they are so amazing and great together. When you add in the drama along with tons of emotions plus some intriguing twists and turns then you have a story that's full of feelings and so awesome that it turns into a great love. Overall this is a great story in this romantic series which l enjoyed and I'm excited to read the next book.
WOW!! TRULY A MUST READ! An Awesome short story that shows LOVE has No Age limit, No Age Difference! A True Mated Pair will wait for the Other! It Will Last the Test of Time! So far Blair has had a ruff life. She's now bartending for a place to lay her head but tonight he demands she's topless. She can't do it! BUT to him it's this or out on the street and it's winter. When he tries to remove her short a Mountain of a Man Intervenes and tells her to go get her stuff and get into the truck just outside. As she looks at her saviour it's Zach Johnson, her once best friends father. The same man She secretly had a major crush on growing up only Now he's bigger and hotter than he ever was! She does as he says a gathers her few items in a small duffle bag. Now he's taking her back home and he's going to keep her safe in his cabin. But is She safe with Him better yet is He safe with Her?? His inner Grizzly knows she's his Fated Mate and they want her. It doesn't help that he can smell her arousal! Here comes the Blizzard! This is just the Highlights! It is a Must Read.
Off-Limits To The Grizzly is a 95-page fast read. The cover is in the same style as others in this series and the blurb gives you enough information to draw you into the story and want to know what happens to the main characters. I do love a man with a "beast" within. This seemed to me to be a 'Ariana Hawkes' Lite book. Not as steamy, not as intense but more sweet and fulfilling. I've read 2 others in this series and have no clue how I missed the first one but it is time to go back and pick it up. I made 3 notes; the first was a good line, and 2 places where 1 word was added and 1 was left out. Only a pedant such as myself would have noticed and it did not disrupt the reading flow. The good line was "Silence rings out between us." I found it very evocative. This is an escape story, and I can easily dismiss all the questions of logic, timeline, and backstory. If you need that, find a much longer book. I recommend this book and its author. Enjoy! I borrowed this book from KU.
I read and enjoyed the other books in this series since they are dual virgins and shifters mate for life, but in this one he fucked a cougar shifter in his youth. She wasn't his mate, so he should not have fucked her! Then when he tells the heroine that when shifters mate, it is for life, then why could he stick his dick in another woman???He says that he never bit his mark, but so what? He fucked her knowing he should have gifted his mate with his first time. He shouldn't be able to fuck anyone other than his fated one, but he did so it ruined the whole univers AH built. Fated mates should mate, fuck, have a hard on ONLY with their fated one, and when its for life, then make it so! Don't change the rules once you set them! I rated the others highly since they are DV, but I wanted to comment on this one to remember why I hated it so much.
This book is just … weird. Age gap romances are hit or miss to me anyway, but this one is just kind of creepy. The MMC gives off stalker, Chester vibes. The house basically has a shrine to his daughter, who was the FMC’s childhood best friend. She repeatedly says that she doesn’t want to be in the town that he takes her to because it’s full of sad memories for her, yet they stay there anyway -and in the cabin she and his daughter played in as children. I also cringed every time she called him “Mr. Johnson” instead of using his first name. It’s just weird. I also didn’t like that the MMC had been with someone else since it seemed to go against what we knew about shapeshifters from the previous books. I should’ve skipped this book in the series.
My thoughts on this storyline are troubled by the references and her using language of a young child/teenager having a crush with her best friend's father. Also disturbing is dialogues of how much younger she was when he desired her as a child/best friend to his non-biological daughter that he raised when her biological mother abandoned her with him. The sexual language of calling him Mr. Johnson during sex is troubling as if she is trying to sound like a child. It did not entertain me of him thinking of her as a under aged child during passionate parts of story. At this point my feelings are to avoid this author.
Blair thought her boss and roommate was also a great friend until he told her (not asked) to waitress topless in his bar. That was never something she would do and now she was afraid. Then in comes her best friend's Dad to save the day. Blair always had a huge crush on Mr. Zach Johnson and even though he's older now, he's even more handsome and sexier than ever. Zach had always felt very protective of Blair. Now they are snowed in his cabin so what do they do with their time? This is a short, sweet and steamy romance with a few surprises for Blair that ends up happily for them.
This was a fun friend's father romance with a fab dash of fated mates thrown in ;D Blair thought Zack was hot since she was a teenager but now that she's an adult, he's so much more. Zach can't believe his daughter's friend is supposed to be his fated mate but he can't deny how attracted he is to her. Expect an emotional drama-filled read with plenty of forgiveness and heat as you follow Blair and Zack to their HEA :D
I love this series omg I hope it never ends! This author seriously hooked me. She's great at putting you in the story. Its sweet, steamy and spicy. Blair and Zach are made for each other. Blair was friends with Zach's daughter, I'm all for age gaps but, that made me kinda hesitate. All I'm saying is this author explains it all. Don't hesitate its really, good.
They're like little bites of spicy sunshine. I will say I agree with the reviewer who said the excessive use of "Mr. Johnson" were a little creepy. I don't feel strongly enough about it to take any stars though. It didn't feel sexy like it should have for some reason. I'm into that sort of thing usually. Either way, these (all her books) are nice short books with minimal angst, good spice, and pleasant HEAs.
I didn't feel like this story fit with the rest of them. 1) He was married before and had a kid; 2) he spends too much time fighting the mate bond when every other story makes it seem like that's not really possible. After reading all of these, I've decided they should have been longer... the problems most of them face would have fleshed out nicely in a longer book. And if you take a way the 3 chapters of sex, then that's really not much story.
I think I spent 60% of this book cringing with her calling him Mr Johnson. it was way too much. They were literally having sex and she's calling him Mr Johnson! Nooooooooo!!! No, no, no. Don't get me wrong I love age gap, bff's dad, giving vCard away....but it was distracting to me that she kept on calling to him like that during very intimate moments.
I loved this book, and I love this age gap genre of books. Makes me believe that love is possible no matter the age of either person. This book really touched my heart and brought a tear to my eyes. Every page held me spellbound from the beginning to the end. A definite addition to add to my library.
Blair was lost. She came looking for a change, and wound up working for a sleeve. Who wanted her naked at work. Who just wanted her naked. Little did she know that her "protector" had been watching out for her- her best friend's dad....Who saves her when she needs it most....fabulous age gap/forbidden shifter romance. Lots of spice- nice!
Blair has lost everyone she cares about. Even her best friend. She moves away from her home town for a fresh start, but its not doing well. Zach has loved Blair from afar for years, but never dared to touch her. She is his daughters best friend!! His daughter left home, so when Blair moved, he followed her. He wasn't letting anything or any one harm her.
This story was so much fun to read every page turn was wonderful! The characters were outstanding! She loved him when she was growing up and he protected her! Her best friend was his daughter but teenage hormones caused a rift and things get bad they lose contact! Though her protected was always around she just didn't know it!
This book is part of a series but can totally be read as a standalone. Two souls that are destined for each other finally admit their feelings - it was a great read filled with drama, love, forgiveness and lots of heat. Great read for a snowy wintery night.
A fast and quick age gap story with plenty of steam and a bit of drama. Made me laugh and groan but was entertaining with its fated mate theme that poor Zach was having a hard time believing. But Blair got her bear.
Lots of all the good stuff. Super protective older guy, who happens to be a grizzly shifter. Finding out that your girl hood friends Father who you had the hots for, has had them for you to after you reached adulthood. Very hot first time scene, and lots more after.
I mean, it was cute for the first 10 minutes... but come on... he's claimed her as his mate, and she's still thinking of him (and calling him) Mr Johnson?
What a nice sweet romantic story. He was her protector for all those years and now her saviour when she was threatened. Once she realized her true feelings for him and he gave into his, they found their HEA.
Today is a gloomy rainy day. This book helped lift my mood with an amazing experience. Not a long read but just what I needed to brighten my day. Great writing and characters. Thanks for changing the mood for this day.