Bear Ex Next Door

Secret Shifters Next Door, Book 2

By: Roxie Ray

Narrated by: EJ Moore

My new neighbor is irresistible, but he’s already broken my heart once....

Being a fashion model had its perks until stalkers and a nasty tabloid scandal forced me to return to my hometown of Lily Valley. When I thought things couldn't get any worse, I meet my new neighbor—my old high school sweetheart.

Steff used to be my brother’s best friend before he shattered my heart into a million pieces. He’s just as stubborn and sexy as I remember. Unfortunately, he’s also responsible for my personal security while I'm living here.

With my stalkers closing in, Steff and my brothers are determined to protect me. That doesn’t mean it gives Steff the right to warn me off dating Ryland, the new guy in town.

Steff says Ryland isn’t what he seems. But I’m starting to suspect there’s another side to Steff as well, and it’s possible I never really knew him at all. I could be wrong, but I have a bad feeling that I’m cursed to lose my heart to him a second time....

©2022 Special Fiction Books (P)2022 Special Fiction Books

Great book, terrible narrator

I loved the first book in this series. The narrator was perfect with the changes in inflections based on each character. This narrator, however, is terrible. She is flat and cannot change characters easily. She will start with a change in her tone but go back to her normal voice part way through a sentence. I like the series and now I have to push through the same narrator for the next two books!

Story was great

The author did a great job on this book and the first one now I have to finish the series. However it has been difficult because of narration. The narration of the first book in this series was great and spoiled me. However, the narrator of this book ugh. Now I have to listen to the next one with disappointment still trying to decide if I want to spend money to listen thru another book with the same narrator. Again ugh…….

Great Story

I do enjoyed this story with all of its intricate weaving in and out for the characters. I characters actually had depth, and substance. Fantastic love story.

Good Story

I really liked the first book in the series but the narration was terrible in this one. It kinda ruined it for me. Since I already bought the second and third book after the first ,I’m debating whether to go ahead with the third.

Great book

Totally enjoyed it especially after the first one!! Can’t wait for the next one!! Enjoy!!

Great story

Very good book. Restored relationship all around made this a solid book with love and action.

My bear

This book is a little bit tamer than the first one, but since this shifter is a Grizzly it played nicely.

The narrator reads everything like a question.

Anyone who listened to the excerpt of Steff's story at the end of Book 1, Next Door Dragon Daddy, will agree with me when I say that it DOES NOT fit with the plot in this book. Not even a little. It leaves you with an impression of surprise daddy scenario where the MMC finds out he has a kid he never knew about. I actually like those and that was what led me to purchase this book. I was looking forward to enjoying that story by another new writer (they are hard to find, let me tell you) only to be disappointed by pampered princess in needs of rescuing by high school sweetheart who broke her heart years ago and left her alone. You would think this is where her kid would come in but it turns out that the kid in the excerpt is her NEPHEW not her SON. The story does offer little things that may lead you to believe otherwise...she sends her brother money to help support her nephew, her nephew is a very talented baseball player, much like Steff, he's really fast and agile on the field able to hit the ball really hard and run really fast, he has some similar physical traits to Steff, etc. That is apparently where it ends. I have to admit, after what seems like a lot of deliberate misdirection by the writer with much effort in an attempt to keep us enthralled, it just gets tired, old, and repetitive. It's like having a make out session with someone who has no idea when it's time to start moving the make out session in a definite direction of progression to more intense interaction. You can only take so much kissing, hugging, etc without any really action before you want to toss that sucker off your couch and out the door then go wrap things up yourself.(It's sad that I know that analogy. lol) Only in this case the frustration makes you want to toss the book out the door and leave it there. This book is more enemies to lovers then surprise daddy. I have to admit, I'm not a fan of the enemies to lover genre. I just can't enjoy the constant bickering, one up man ship, and fuming. That is NOT my idea of a good time. lol Not knocking it, just not my cup of tea. This is why it is so important to classify books with the correct genre so a perfectly good book, if it is read by the right person, gets a bad review due to someone like me purchasing it then being disappointed by the contents. I'm not going to say there are no bad books (there are, i've found them. lol) just misunderstood ones.

NARRATOR REVIEW:
EJ Moore is not one I'm familiar with. As far as I know this could be her first read (congrats if it is) and she may have been nervous or unsure how she wanted to portray the characters. So anything I say after this on her talent is meant as constructive criticsm to help her improve her future endeavors. I promise, I only mean to help. The reading of this book was ok...for the first 2 chapters. After a while it starts to wear on you as every sentence is emphasized making the person sound surprised or curious constantly while trying to ensure the person in the book with them the words are being directed at is listening/hearing them and comprehending their great importance. Not everything has to be serious. Even the lines that were meant to be light, fun came across as too dramatic. (please don't giggle the words. nothing will turn a listener off faster then that especially if it's done too much. Oh, and singing. Listeners HATE that. I have yet to listen to a single narrator that could sing in the story. We like them for their reading not singing) Watch your inhales. Nothing takes you out of the story then a narrator that sounds like they are gasping throughout the entire book. When you come to the end of a sentence monitor your tone so you're not always ending it on an upswing. This is what makes it sound like a question. Then be careful where you choose to pause and use them in the right places not at the end of every sentence. Like between chapters (this gives us a clue a new chapter is beginning) (also you struggled with that a little. Your sentences tended to run together even with the pausing.) If the chapters are separated by character of the story and said chapter is actually titled with the character speaking in the chapter, then say their name to give us a heads up that the chapter coming up is changing thought/character tone. Your voice changeovers sometimes missed this. You have a lovely voice, I would like to see you grow and progress so we may continue to enjoy it with just a little polish. I hope you take my words with the encouragement they are meant to be and not as an insult. Also, keep in mind this is just one person's opinion and I don't intend to speak for all but, maybe after listening to your performance yourself, you find that one or two of my points may apply then all the better. I wish you all the luck in the world. Happy reading.

Not bad

Story follows book 1 so you must read in order. Plot is thin but if your after a simple story that is pleasant give it a go. The intimacy in the book is poorly constructed and I just skipped to the end of the chapter. Debating ending this series.

Solid Story & Horrible Narratiom

The other reviewers are correct, the narrator on the story sucks big time! She ruins the story and makes it very very hard to complete the book. Also she can't do men's voices. Buyer beware!