Eloreen reviews Striped and Bear (Furbidden Mates, Book 1) by Artemis Wolffe and Mercy May. (Published by Artemis Wolffe, July 12, 2015, 74 pages. Released on audio by Dueling Spires, September 1, 2015, 2 hrs, narrated by Gus Klondike).
Why I read: This is the second book I listened to in audio late last year and decided to post a review for mpreg for Audiobook week. I love the mpreg subgenre and am glad that there are more out there than there were last year. I need to go see if there are more mpreg audios…
Blurb:
Matthew Bruner is a bear shifter destined for greatness. Or so, that’s what he’s always been told. As the next in line to become alpha of his clan, Matthew’s days of singlehood are drawing to a close. Long since committed to a prearranged mating, Matthew finds himself feeling trapped and, worse, afraid. In a desperate attempt to prolong his freedom, Matthew flees his family’s ancestral home and heads to the nearest city. It’s there that he meets Ezra Tier, a tiger shifter with a bad streak the size of a mountain.
Ezra Tier has spent the better part of his life not giving a damn. He goes where he wants, does what he likes, and answers to no one. Leading a life as a globetrotting rogue has its perks, and for Ezra one of those perks has been the ability to pick up and move on whenever things get too complicated and messy. So when he encounters a simple mountain bear shifter with broad shoulders and a shy personality, it’s all Ezra can do to maintain his unattached persona.
When a familiar and dangerous presence shows up in search of Matthew to bring him home, Ezra must change his ways in order to keep his newfound love by his side. Failing that, Matthew will be forced to go through with his prearranged mating and Ezra will lose him forever. Can these two shifters from different worlds come together in time to save their budding relationship? Or will the experience leave their hearts stripped and bare?
Buy links: Audible | Amazon | Goodreads
The narration: I enjoyed Gus’s portrayal of Matthew and Ezra. I was able to follow along and not lose the characters.He did a good job differentiating the characters with different voices.
The story: This is a light read (listen) and wasn’t very in depth but the plot and story line was a nice change of pace. For it being a short read, it did have some depth in the storyline and was great to listen to. Matthew meets Ezra when he is out running and is immediately drawn to the bad boy. Ezra is also drawn to this bear shifter but almost loses him when someone Matthew knows takes him away from Ezra. The rest of the story you will have to listen to (or read). 🙂 While I did enjoy the story, it seemed a little bit of a cliffhanger but there’s a second book available, Bear My Stripes. It’s a different take on the shifter theme that worked surprisingly well.
With this, I give Striped and Bear an overall rating of 8/10 pots of gold, a performance rating of 8/10 pots of gold, and a story rating of 8/10 pots of gold. This is comparable to 4/5 stars.
-Eloreen
8/10 Pots of Gold
Artemis Wolffe
Artemis Wolffe has always been fascinated by strong men, alpha personalities, and hot encounters. Being born in hills of Appalachia, he knows his way around panthers, bears, and wolves.
While he loves to write about his deepest desires, he is at heart, a romantic. There may be beastly men in his tales, but they know what they want and aren’t afraid to go after it with style and grace.
Just want to ask me something? Email me at ArtemisWolffeAuthor@gmail.com
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Mercy May
For updates on Mercy’s latest book releases and promos, use the following link to sign up for my mailing list. http://eepurl.com/bo6Ew9
Raised among the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, Mercy May has long had a passion for the wild, dangerous, and paranormal. Today, she channels that passion into her writing, working to develop and produce stories about protective, strong and ferocious alpha shifters and the beauties they so often fall in love with.
Rainbow Gold Reviews 