The Winter Bear’s Bride
ARe Dubious
Mina Carter
Genre: Paranormal Shifter Romance,
Bears
Publisher: All Romance eBooks
Date of Publication: May 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-943576-76-0
Word Count: 32k
Cover Artist: Erin Dameron Hill
Book Description:
To stop a war, she must become his.
Analise, daughter of the Bear Elder, has status and luxury, though she’s a prisoner of her birth and despised by her father because she’s not the alpha son he needs. She keeps her head down and hoards lost knowledge that nearly destroyed the planet. She dreams of escape, but her father decides it's time for her to marry.
He's hated her and all she represents for years. But once he meets her...
Scar, rebel leader and were-polar bear, wants nothing more than to burn the clan system to the ground. It's cruel, unfair, and dedicated to keeping most of the populace in its place. To do so, he needs to take out the Bear Elder and his scheming daughter. As soon as he sees the delicate beauty of his enemy, though, all he can think of is making her his. And he's prepared to go to war to do so.
Not all battles need to be fought in the field. Some are of the heart and the mind and he intends to win hers, whatever it takes. Trouble is, what it takes might be all he has.
Excerpt:
“Whether you like it or not, Analise, you will marry and ensure the continuation of our bloodline,†Magnus, alpha of the Asmundr clan and Elder of all the bear clans, bellowed loud enough to rattle the hall windows. “Do you understand me?â€
Analise stood before the dais and throne-like chair that marked her father’s status as alpha, gritted her teeth and answered with a nod. There was nothing else she could do. Her father ruled the clans with an iron rod, and argument was not tolerated. Ever.
Duty, honor and sacrifice.
The words had been drilled into her relentlessly from the day she’d been born. The day her mother had died giving birth to her. In one fateful moment, she’d not only stolen his wife, but also a bear-mate, one of the few women capable of bearing him an alpha son. He’d never forgiven her for that.
“Speak up, girl!†Magnus roared. The guards who flanked the dais looked ahead. All bears, they were used to their alpha’s rage and volume. There would be no help from that quarter. None of them would risk incurring her father’s wrath. Not for her.
“Yes, Father. I understand.â€
The words were dust in her mouth and her stomach churned. She’d always known she would have to marry one day; she just hadn’t expected it to be so soon. Most of the time her father ignored her existence as long as the holding ran smoothly and when he did notice her, his disdain was apparent. It didn’t help that she was small and slight. Her appearance, though, had its advantages. Most people assumed she was years younger than she was. Being called a “girl†had gone from being an insult to a cloak to hide behind.
She’d thought she had years yet before her father realized she was of marriageable age. Years to study the books their ancestors had brought from the south lands after the wars and learn something useful. Years to learn how to survive in the snowy wastes outside the thick walls of the stronghold so that one day she could make her escape.
But she didn’t have years after all. She had to marry, and that marriage would not be of her choosing. Her father would trade her in marriage to further the clan’s interests and his own agenda.
Taking a deep breath, she ignored the crushing disappointment. Her happiness was not a consideration. It never had been.
“Good!†Magnus levered himself out of his chair, stomping down the steps to tower over her.
She looked up at him, her expression carefully neutral. Not too happy, but not cold. She’d perfected the look years ago. Nothing that could be considered insolent or anything other than the perfectly dutiful daughter in any way.
“The ball will begin at nine,†he rumbled, reaching out and gripping her chin in one massive hand.
About the Author:
Mina Carter is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of romance in many genres. She lives in the UK with her husband, daughter and a bossy cat. For more information on other books by Mina, visit her website: www.mina-carter.com
This was a short, light-hearted sweet read that I completely enjoyed. The storyline was great, yet it could've used a little more fleshing out. I'm a nutjob about shifter romances, so naturally, I loved the theme of this book. The cat and mouse romance was intriguing even if the main man was rough around the edges. I loved Analise and how she put forth that she was meek and downtrodden yet had an inner steel. The characters were all pretty complex with plenty of background to each one. I really enjoyed this short shifter read and think it's perfect for anybody who wants a quick bedtime story!
