The Bear's Forever Mate (Borealis Bears #3)
by Vivian Arend
Blurb:
The final title
in a light-hearted shifter trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Vivian
Arend.
Cooper Borealis
is fully onboard with the concept of fated mates. Except mating the woman he
wants—his tempting, complicated, human secretary—is not an option. Or not yet
anyway. Still, he’ll keep the vow he made to his brothers, with a few loophole
caveats, mating fever be damned. He’ll be with Amber Myawayan at the place and
time of his choosing.
Amber has spent
the past two years in the north looking for her missing brother—and falling in
love with the big, growly polar bear at the helm of Borealis Gems. More than
once, she’s caught him looking at her with hungry shifter eyes. But getting him
to admit it? Ha! Luckily, mating fever is a thing, and she’s happy to cooperate
as nature forces the issue to the forefront.
But when their
mating bond is unexpectedly blocked, Amber and Cooper find themselves in a race
against time. She needs to track down her brother while somehow proving she’s tough
enough to be with her favourite bear. Cooper plans to protect her at all costs,
even if it means secretly stifling his stubborn shifter side.
Somewhere in the
wilderness they’ll find the answer…or lose their chance at forever.
Themes: Paranormal, Shifters
Rating: 4.5 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
The
trilogy comes to an interesting and amazing ending as Cooper finds himself
captured by the woman that has been teasing his senses and stealing his heart for
the last two years. I love pretty much anything that Vivian Arend writes, but
my heart was first stolen by her shifters many years ago when I stumbled across
them by accident one day. Each time one
of them finds their mate and begins getting into mischief, I fall more and more
in love with her skill and imagination as a writer, but this trilogy was beyond
fun and sexy and I cannot wait for whatever she dreams up next. The premise of
the trilogy is that the family patriarch has decided it is time for his
grandsons to settle down and find their happiness with their mates—and he puts
a deadline with some serious consequences on his ultimatum. The two younger brothers have both found
their mates, though in unlikely places,
and Cooper knows the woman he wants for his mate as well, but the problem
is he knows the time isn’t right to claim her yet. Amber is a human that has
come north into the wilds of Canada seeking the truth of the disappearance of
her foster parents and brother, and she has found her place with the Borealis family
and their friends, but she is no closer to the truth she sought than when she
arrived. Amber is in serious lust with
Cooper and knows it can grow into something much more if the stubborn
polar-bear-shifter would just drop his protective guard long enough to give
them a chance, and when she sees her opening she is not willing to let anything
stop her. Cooper tries to keep himself from Amber when the mating fever
strikes, but she’s having none of that bullshit and soon they are tearing up
the little cabin he ran to. But the
mating bond can’t click into place until all three parts of their future are
aligned—Amber, Cooper and the stubborn bear spirit that shares his
soul. Now they have to find a way to
solve all their problems and track down her brother while proving to his bear
that Amber really is the only one strong enough to be their mate.
This
was one twisty and fascinating story, with so much going on in such a short
time that one might fear there wasn’t enough filler to build the relationship
for Amber and Cooper, but Arend’s skill once again proves she is a mistress of
romance for a good reason. Fact is that
no one else could have truly done this story the justice it deserved. Amber was the kind of strong and determined
woman, with the backbone of steel, heart of gold, and patience of Job that I wish
I could be. She is the match that Cooper
needs to keep him in line, laughing at the ridiculousness that life can
sometimes be, and just mischievous enough to keep their future mated life from
being boring. Cooper is one of those people like me with a list for everything in
life, one that doesn’t adapt well to change, and that has to think through
everything little piece of a decision before he can commit, which is ironic considering
he shares his spirit with a wild polar
bear. That dichotomy leads to some hilarious
internal dialogue between the two and of course some decisions that require
Amber to work all the harder to overcome his obstinacy. I loved seeing these two balance one another
and find a way to make their lives perfect just by being what the other needed
at the most important moments. The heat
between them was of course off the charts leading to passionate moments that
even melted the snow protecting them at one moment (nope, not a metaphor). I also loved seeing the family togetherness
and the ways that Arend shows how two cultures and families can come together
to make a whole that is so much greater than the parts combined, reminding me a
little bit of her contemporary series that are so family focused. I loved this story for each and every second,
and while I, of course, wish it had been longer just to prolong the enjoyment, there
wasn’t a single thing lacking from the plot or the romance and I cannot wait to
spread the word about this series and this trilogy specifically, not to mention
now I can binge reread all three. Another masterpiece Vivian!
*eARC provided by author for the
purpose of an honest and unbiased review.
No compensation was provided.
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