Pre-Teen Wolf

Shifter Escapes #3

by Lucy Eden

Six months ago, wolf shifter John lost his fated mate and the love of his life.
Faced with the prospect of spending the holidays alone, he thought booking a cabin in a remote, shifter-friendly resort in the mountains was the answer to his problems.

Six months ago, Liz, a very human and single mom to a ten-year-old wolf shifter cub, Bradley lost her fated mate and the love of her life.
Faced with the prospect of spending her first holidays without her husband and Bradley's father, she thought booking a cabin in a remote, shifter-friendly resort in the mountains was the answer to her problems.

That is until they discover that they're booked in the same cabin & fighting an attraction that feels a lot like fate.

Pre-Teen Wolf is a holiday story full of wolf shifters, fated mates, second chance romances & single moms and takes place at Black Bear Mountain Lodge and features characters from Bear With Me.

This novella originally appeared in the anthology Big City Heat.

For content warning for all of my books visit: lucyeden.com/cw

Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Novella, Fiction, Forced Proximity, Holiday, Shapeshifters

ebook

First published October 29, 2021

About the author

Lucy Eden is the nom de plume of an romance obsessed author who writes the kind of romance she loves to read. She’s a sucker for alphas with a soft gooey center, over the top romantic gestures, strong & smart MCs, humor, love at first sight (or pretty damn close), happily ever afters & of course, steamy love scenes.

When Lucy isn’t writing, she’s busy reading—or listening to—every book she can get her hands on— romance or otherwise.

She lives & loves in New York with her husband, two children, a turtle & a Yorkshire Terrier.

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Reviews

[Warda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fated mates perfection.

I hope Lucy Eden continues to write more in this series.

[LaTosha Webber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shifter Feels

This had all the feels!! I was a little worried that the newly grieving dynamic was going to bum me out. But the magic of paranormal romance saved the day. This was so sweet. The pacing was nice and it was written in a way that has me intrigued about the other books in the series. So glad I finally read this.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to give another story from this series a try, and I found this one more to my liking than the first.



Human Meghan Thomas and shifter John Walker have both had a rough year. Roughly six months ago, each lost their fated mate in tragic accidents, and they're both staring down the barrel of the first major holidays without their SOs in their lives. Meghan has the additional challenge of a shifter son who is growing up surrounded by humans and no one to learn from, so she books a cabin at a shifter-friendly resort to give him a chance to be free outside and maybe talk to some others about their situation. As fate would have it, John—through a freak occurrence—books that same cabin, when he had been expecting a quiet and completely non-Xmasy time alone. They both feel "the spark" and proceed to freak out about having a second chance with a fated soul mate.

This is cute and very fast paced—it's a novella, it's never going to be a slow burn—but a little clunky in spots. The "conflict" in this one felt rather wedged in and forced, since there was zero hinting up until it happens that Bradley had any reservations or would take any issue with this. There was the initial tiny incident which seemed more protective against an intruder than worry about someone trying to erase his father. With shifter senses, it didn't make sense to me that the boy had zero clue what was going on and would have been taken by surprise. (Sex smell doesn't instantly dissipate from a small enclosed space just because someone showered, you know? And it's hinted at that Meghan is pretty loud during. That must be the best sound-proofed cabin ever. ;] ) So I felt this could have been worked in a little more smoothly. It works; I'm just a stickler about these things.

So if you want a little soft-shifter holiday fluff that tells you that, yes, you absolutely can have more than a single love of your life and keep on living, this might be one for you.

Real rating: 3.5 stars

TW/CW: death of a spouse, first holiday alone after a loss

[Weekend Reader_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

🐺

Oh this was so absolutely sweet. I wasn't sure how Lucy Eden would be able to overcome two widows finding mates again but she did. I really think it was smart to have Bradley be ok with their relationship. Again so adorable this series just keeps getting better.

CN: death of spouse (accident and drunk driving), family disowning, near drowning

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this review on Got Fiction? Book Blog
This was a super cute story about two lonely hearts who were recently widowed and have a second chance at love.

John has booked a cabin in a shifter friendly area so he can try to heal and find happiness at Christmas time.

Meghan and her young son have done the same. You know where this is going...they double-booked the cabin! My catnip!

Meghan is human, her son is a shifter. She's lost her mate, John has lost his mate...double-booked cabin...look, this is right up my alley!

The two of them hit it off and are attracted to each other immediately. Meghan is willing to trust her son to him as they go out running in the woods each night. Being human never bothered her before, but not being able to share in the shifter aspect of his life has been weighing on her.

John is amazing. He's patient, and kind. Meghan isn't looking for a new mate, especially since she's human, but from the moment she sees John, she knows.

This book is told in first person point of view, but each chapter has the character's name so you know you're either in Meghan's head, or John's. It's not my fave, but I think for this type of book and how it handles grief, it helps seeing inside their respective hearts.

But...and I typically don't point out a typo or two, but this book is riddled with missing words and verb tense shifts. For example, the phrase "he has a shit of relatives" instead of I'm assuming "shit ton of relatives." Even the Goodreads blurb has a different name for the heroine (Liz). I genuinely don't care about an error or two. It happens to the best of us. But this was obvious and pulled me out of the story. I did check and there is no editor listed in the front.

All in all, this was a cute read and I love the idea of a human widow not knowing what to do with her pre-teen shifter son, and getting double-booked with a shifter male...fated mates, second chance at love, double-booked cabin...this book has it all!

[Steph's Romance Book Talk · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars / 3.5 Steam Fans

A fun Christmas shifter novella.

Video review available in Week 35: Aug 27– Sep 2, 2023, weekly book reviews on Steph's Romance Book Talk (https://www.youtube.com/@stephsromanc...)

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this second chance story!! This is about John and Meghan. They are both widows having lost their mate 6 months ago. Meghan has a 10 year old son, Bradley, who is a wolf shifter and now the man of the house as his father is no longer there. So when they arrive to the cabin and Meghan comes across a naked man her fear levels elevate which put her son on high alert to shift over and knock John down.

John is also a shifter and once Meghan shouts that he is her son, he backs away. The story then revolves a double booking and that of them dealing with a cub trying to learn to deal with his shifting. Love this story but wanted more!!!!!

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

[London · Rating 5 out of 5]

Look at me giving a Christmas story 5 stars! Not only is this a super fast paced shifter story, it's a story about grief, loss and moving on to find your new happy. It packs quite a punch considering it's under 100 pages. Both Meghan and John have lost their mates but after a booking mix up are sharing a cabin in a shifter friendly resort (featured in Bear With Me) and sparks fly. I loved this a lot a lot.

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh what a conundrum John and Meghan found themselves in when they feel the instant pull of desire and attraction. It’s shocking and they both don’t want to be those people, so they try to dismiss it as loneliness after having recently lost their respective spouses. It’s too many coincidences too ignore so when the Universe hands you a gift—grab it and say thank you! Recommended: Read It!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do love a single parent romance, so I knew I was going to enjoy this one. There was an added emotional layer - it’s both Liz and John’s first Christmas without their spouses, who they each lost about six months ago. They’re accidentally double booked in the same cabin on the resort we saw in book 1 of the series, and they feel inexplicably drawn to one another.

Liz is a human with a shifter son who is also drawn to John, as a strong presence and potential teacher as they’re both wolf shifters.

Just a cute and low angst paranormal holiday romance!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wrap this shifter novella up and slap a bow on it because it is the perfect holiday treat for me!

Finding love after loss sounds insurmountable but when fate has its hands in the matter is irrefutable. The way that John and Meghan honored their late loves while exploring their fated tethered was beautiful. Seeing the found family bond that quickly developed between John and her son made my heart sore.

[Plus Size Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a perfect family holiday romance sprinkled with spice. Seriously, our apple pie making, sweet Joan Cleaver mom was a freak in the sheets with a dirty mouth and our guy was there for it.

Both MCs were dealing with grief and the loss of their mates. Processing and accepting a second chance was confusing and scary.

Add in a stubborn and overly brave 10 year old shifter and you will be left with all the feels.

This is my favorite out of the entire shifter series so far. Highly Recommend.

Spice Level was a 2.5

[CLorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy Eden always adds a little extra magic to any trope she tackles. I recently read The Wolf of Wall Street and totally loved her take on the Shifter Verse. In Pre-Teen Wolf, she gives us a compact holiday novella, with all the feels, passion, and angst one could ever want. Widower Wolf shifter, John Walker has lost his fated mate and is just going through the motions for the holiday. He has rented a cabin at a resort which caters to shifters only his cabin has been also promised to another family. Coincidentally, widowed Meghan Thomas and her shifter son are spending their first Christmas holiday without her wolf shifter husband. Could fate be telling this grieving pair something? Why else would they end up in the same place at the same time and feeling like they belong together? I also love the construction of Ms. Eden’s stories; she allows both main characters to tell their part of the story! John’s family was amazing (does Will get his own story?) but I would have loved to have met Meghan’s family.

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

[Ann Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Pre-Teen Wolf' by Lucy Eden is the third book in her series Shifter Escapes and tells the story of Meghan Thomas, a widowed human and mom to Bradley, a ten year old wolf cub shifter, and John Walker, a wolf shifter widower. Megan and John meet when they inadvertently rent the same cabin at a resort that caters to shifters. Both John and Megan's mates had passed away the previous year and they wanted to celebrate Christmas in a different environment other than their respective homes. Unfortunately, they got booked into the same cabin at the resort.

Ms. Eden has written a delightful book with wonderful characters and a compelling storyline. This story is filled with drama, laughs, sizzling chemistry, and some angst. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to everyone who enjoys a Christmas romance.

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

[Amenze ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy Eden’s novella’s are literally so freaking CUTE 😩 Pre-Teen Wolf is definitely my absolute favorite one so far, it was such a cute and wholesome book! Mehgan Thomas is a human and John Walker is a wolf shifter whom both suffered a loss—both becoming widows after losing their mates 6 months ago. They first meet each other at a shifter resort when they’re both booked under the same cabin. They believe it’s fate, and can’t ignore the attraction they feel towards each other and it is soo HOT. I don’t normally read paranormal romances, but this little novella made me want to read waay more! It’s a second chance romance for a wolf and a human, showing them they deserve a second chance at love, despite losing their first mate, doesn’t mean they won’t ever find another. Such a cute story! I love how vulnerable both John and Mehgan were with each other! & the few sex scenes we got, YUMMY 🥵. The only thing that bothered me while reading was the grammatical errors, it was a bit distracting b/c I noticed a lot . But as for the story, soo good!! 4.5/5⭐️ for me!

[Noelani · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 novella stars. This one was interesting. Both John and Meghan have lost their mates 6 months ago and are trying to survive the one holiday their late spouses loved. Christmas. Both made reservations at the same time to the same shifter retreat and the sold out retreat double booked the only cabin left. When John walks out to find a mother and cub in his cabin he is shocked, but not nearly as shocked as the mother who screams and the cub who tries to attack John. When the mixup of double booking is realized John accepts an offer of a hotel, but not before accepting a promise to take the cub out for his first run in the woods. John and Meghan realize their in for a crazy time when they realize that they have the same feeling of fated mates they had with their late spouses but directed now towards each other.

The relationship was really quick and kind of hard to buy, but was also sweet. It was a good fit for a novella.

[Jayce · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️/5
1🌶️/5


This series is a delight. If you need a super deep plot or complex world, move along. These were the easy reading PNR novellas of my dreams. They were grounded in our world, just with shifters. We get a location connection between books 1 and 3.

They also choose a trope or relationship type and stick the landing. Lucy keeps it simple and executes it to perfection. Whether it’s forced proximity, boss/employee, or single mom, that’s what the plot centers around. It makes it easy to follow and satisfying in the conclusion.

I was most surprised by The Wolf Of Wall Street and Pre-Teen Wolf as I don’t typically love boss/employee or single guardian. Lucy proves me wrong by creating relationships I root for.

If you’re looking for something to read this fall, enjoy these! While only Pre-Teen Wolf takes place during the holiday season, all three a peak cozy romance.

[Allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grieving the loss of their soul mates, John and Meghan book Christmastime vacations at a shifter-friendly lodge. Due to a flaw in the reservation system, the two strangers are booked into the same cabin. With the help of Meghan's ten-year-old son Bradley and a push from fate John and Meghan discover that they have a second chance at love.

This shifter romance novella is a short, sweet, sexy read with all the feels and none of the drama. It features fated mates, forced proximity over Christmas, matching pajamas and blended families. And while Fate Mates is not one of my favorite tropes this book was so fluffy and fun that I ignored my normal skepticism and let it roll. I absolutely recommend for your holiday romance read needs.

I received an ARC of this book but the thoughts and opinions are all my own.

[Hawkeye K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the stories that Lucy Eden writes. They’re like bite size morsels you quickly consume yet the taste last long after. I loved Bradley the adorable fur ball cub who feels its’ his job to be the man and protect his mother. John and Meghan are two broken hearts, each has lost their mate in the last six months. Fate seems to have brought them together by having them book the same lodge, at the same time, which has placed them in the same cabin. It was fun watching them go from strangers, to confusion, to acceptance and finally love. And while all this is happening Bradley is being the spirit of his father in all things from doing things before thinking of the danger to words of wisdom on love. It’s a quick and fun read that was enjoyable.

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

[Lane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just okay for me. The story is written in dual pov with the character's name at the top of the chapter to indicate whose perspective you are reading. I've read several books by Lucy Eden and I'm usually engaged in the story and the characters, but these characters were just okay. Maybe it was because the story is a novella. This story was not bad, but it felt like something was missing. I enjoyed the plot setup and I liked the different issues the author tackled (losing a spouse/father, moving past grief, keeping memories, etc). There were a couple of parts that just didn't flow well to me or left me questioning. There were also parts that I felt should have been developed a little more.

I received a free copy of this book from BookSprout in exchange for my honest opinion.

[L H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meghan and John have both experienced the loss of their fated mates which is especially hard to deal with during the holidays. The fates are kind to them when a mix up has them renting the same cabin at a shifter friendly resort so they accomplish their mission of getting away during the holidays while getting the gift of not having to spend the holidays alone. An unexpected gift for them all as her son also has the company and example of a grown shifter man to spend time with during the holidays. Sweet and fortuitous.

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

[Joyce M. H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book in the “Wolf Shifters Escape Series”. Booking a cabin in a remote shifters resort during the holidays seemed the perfect getaway for John who is widowed shifter and Meghan who is a human widower with 10 cub shifter son Bradley. There is a mix up with the reservations at the resort and Meghan, John and Bradley all end up in the same cabin. John and Meghan are both spending their first holiday without their mates and Bradley without a father.

Can these lonely widowers find something to celebration during the holiday season?

I received an ARC via Booksprout, and I am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Lynn Partridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short novel


I almost didnt read this as I thought it was a teenage type story ... IT is not and I am very glad I did read it . Great Christmasy story with lots of emotion , some hot scenes and romance in spades . Easy to read and perfect for an evening in front of the fire with a hot drink. With lots of brothers and sisters in the pack I hope we will read ore of this loving wolf family and their mates

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 this series !!! love John and Meghan and Bradley... this is their story.... a fast paced drama... John has lost his mate, this is the first Christmas alone, he booked a cabin in a shifter friendly resort town... Meghan has the same idea, she too, has lost her mate...so with her son Bradley they go to the cabin... surprise... it's over booked and they have to share with John... is it fate ? a sweet story...

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

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book in the Shifter Escapes series a well written story of three hurting people who meet. Meghan Thomas, and her son lost their husband/father six months ago and John Walker lost his wife six months ago they decide independently to rent a cabin to get away from everything. But they rent the same cabin and there is no other so John goes to a motel but comes back to be able to shift. Their story has drama, danger, twists, turns, and romance. I enjoyed reading this Christmas short story. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[JLH · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you say to a man who have exited the shower in a cabin that both of you unknowingly booked at the same time? I have no idea but having your son shift and attack him is something for the books. A funny and intense story of how both have lost their fated mates and it seems like late has struck twice in their life and she has a preteen shifter son. So emotions not enough time. Very good read. No cliffhanger

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

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. The best one in the series.
I do love the fated soulmates in this whole series but I loved this one the most.
Meghan is a single mum who’s shifter husband died 6 months ago. She takes her son to the shifter cabins where her room was messed up and found herself with the same reservation as John.
John was also previously married to his soulmate, that also died six months ago.

I loved the fact that fate brought them together when they needed each other most. I also loved that their previous partners were not forgotten about and were talked about in a healthy way.

[ricki · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

i’m sad this is the last book in the series (hopefully just for now 🤞🏽) because i’m really enjoying how they have all connected in small ways. this one was definitely cute since it was a single parent romance & i’m loving the whole “my son is a shifter & now you are going to help him be comfortable with shifting because i’m not a shifter” trope>>>> it was sooooooo cute seeing the john & bradley connecting over the fact that they were both wolf shifters. also the first time they meet????? cutest scene ever istg.

check tw/cw before reading, stay safe loves <3

[Janet Russ · Rating 4 out of 5]

ms Meg if you nasty

3.5✨ sweet novella! Black love ugh!! To love and to have lost and have loved again what a blessing! This was a cute novella between two individuals sending the holidays by themselves without their significant others who were deceased! Its the holidays so its stuff navigating this new reality until they find each other and its an instant attraction! Meg and John were a great couple with good chemistry! The addition of Meg being a single mom made it even more cuter!

[Janet Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and heartwarming

Oh that was adorably sweet and touching. Plus it had some adult sexy time. The characters were interesting along with being real. I loved the plot of the story because I too am a widower with kids who is dipping my heart into the dating world. I am such a fan of Lucy Eden. Her stories are always heartfelt and entertaining. Until next time y’all happy reading.