Matched with the Bear: A Shifter Dating Agency Romance, Ruby Forrest

Nothing can really prepare you for seeing your boyfriend with another woman in the bed you shared.  When Bronte walks in on hers doing just that she's frustrated and on the verge of taking a break from men.  Until a glossy ad catches her attention and sets her on a course that will change her life forever.  Brett needs an escort, no, not that kind of an escort, but that's all the matchmaking agency keeps sending him.  After a bit of clarification, and a lucky break after Bronte applies, his situation is about to change for the better.  What he doesn't realize is that he's also found the person who might just be able to truly accept him, all of him.  But outside forces aren't so keen on their happiness together.  If Bronte can't accept the truth there's more than just their relationship that will be in danger.

This short story did have a faster timeline in regards to depth of feelings but it did a couple of time jumps to indicate that their relationship was well-founded before Brett revealed his dual nature.  That was both effective and not.  Once we're made aware of the time jump it's not like there's any greater depth in their interactions, there are no events that they attend together that was the whole basis of Brett even joining the matchmaking service, no career advancement or work discussions on Bronte's part; it would have been better to have their relationship rely on the insta-connection they shared and a passing of weeks rather than months.

The time jumps were only effective insofar as they indicated that they were together for a long enough time for Bronte to more easily accept Brett's huge secret.  The real disadvantage with this plot device is that the caginess Brett exhibits regarding anything that could reveal his other self could have backfired into a giant trust issue.  That reality is totally avoided, however, and makes me feel kind of miffed that a time jump was even used in the first place.

After the craziness of an unnecessary and overly dramatic kidnapping we get a basic overview from the immediate aftermath of the reveal until two years later and I would have liked something a little different.  Either a shorter period of time, a settling, the first time Bronte goes with Brett to his running grounds, just something to bring it all home before we get their final scene together.  We get the crazy upheaval and then a "wow, everything is still sexy and super great," kind of ending without much to tie it all together.

The circumstances that brought Bronte to the agency, the romance, and the actual relationship build up was done well for how short the story was.  The shifter reveal part and the circumstances surrounding that were a tad over-dramatic and there was quite a lot of drama with the meet-the-family bit that I don't think I enjoyed very much.  I'm interested in the brothers and want to see them redeem themselves regarding Bronte as we see her, hopefully, in the periphery of the other brothers' stories.

Bronte was strong-willed, happy, focused, open, eager, and genuine.  Brett was cautious, determined, successful, and very hopeful for their future despite his vulnerability.  They were a good match for one another and I genuinely enjoyed their interactions.  The story was clear, definitely sexy, and the MC's had a great connection to one another.  I'm optimistic for more from this author.

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