When bear shifter Hunter goes to Alaska to save the family security business, he doesn’t expect to find it running fine without him… and he definitely isn’t expecting to go undercover for a strong, capable woman who is building a controversial house in the middle of nowhere, who might be his destiny.

Trixie is used to being underestimated. As a partner in a construction business, she’s fighting tooth and nail against delays, weather, theft, and sabotage. She doesn’t have time for romance or courtship, but she can’t say no when Hunter offers to work for her and find out who’s trying to destroy the project, even though he’s clearly never held a hammer in his life.

Load Bearing is a short, steamy romp set in Alaska, with a grumpy shifter and a strong, capable heroine, a dash of danger, and a lot of mystery!

Titles in the Grizzly Protection: Alaska Shifter Branch include: Bearing North ~ Load Bearing ~

This is an adult 18+ story that contains language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Title:  Load Bearing
Series:  Grizzly Protection: Alaska Shifter Branch #2
Author:  Elva Birch (aka Zoe Chant)
Published: June 13, 2024
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Load Bearing is the second title in the Grizzly Protection: Alaska Shifter Branch series, and features Trixie and Hunter’s sizzling romance.  Hunter has arrived in Alaska to check out the new acquisition, a security business that he and his brothers have recently acquired, and maybe to see if his younger brother Orson has things under control… since he’s well known to be, not as attentive to business as he should be, Orson would rather take life as a joke than a serious business.  Surprisingly, everything at this branch is under control, and Orson seems to have found his mate.  He never would have expected that!  But they are short-staffed, and when a new client needs help, Hunter volunteers, since he’s here and qualified… or so he thought.

Trixie’s construction company is hard at work on a millionaire’s mansion, here in the wilds of Alaska.  Something’s not right at the work site.  Things are going missing, and generators are being sabotaged to delay work.  Troopers can’t help because she has no proof, as the cameras didn’t catch anyone in the act.  So, the security company she hired is sending in a civilian, someone who has no idea what construction work is all about.  She can teach him, but Hunter gets under her skin rather quickly.  She doesn’t have time for romance on the job, but this guy is so tempting.

Hunter found his mate, and nothing is going to harm her.  He has his suspicions about who might be the culprit, but he needs proof.  I loved Hunter and Trixie, both individually and as a couple.  She certainly can get him to lighten up a bit.  Load Bearing by Elva Birch is well-written with touches of mystery, as the twists in the story will keep you on your toes.  If you love a shifter romance full of intrigue, steam, and a couple to root for, then you’d love this one.

I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.

This title is available at Amazon (affiliate link)