I crossed the veil for ancient magic and buried secrets, not for a six-foot-something tiger shifter who looked at me like I was dinner and dessert in the same muddy package.

One rain-soaked night.

One terrible decision against a tavern wall.

One claiming bite I absolutely did not sign up for… and now can’t stop feeling every time I breathe.

Criss Holt is everywhere—scenting me like a possessive bloodhound, growling when I try to work, and generally wrecking my extremely organized life with his big tiger energy and zero respect for personal space or professional boundaries.

I came here to excavate history, not to become the favorite chew toy of a reformed playboy who somehow went from “one night only” to “I built you a desk by the window so you never leave.”

But the wards are waking up, the town’s darkest lies are clawing out of the ground…

And this stripey pain in my ass might be the only thing standing between me and becoming part of the next layer of sediment.

Titles in the Shifter Mates of Hollow Oak series (connection to Hollow Oak Mates series) include:  Fetch Me a Mate ~ Panthering After You ~ License to Howl ~ Ain’t Lion, I Love You ~ Stripes Don’t Lie ~ Big Bear Energy ~ Match Made in Growl ~

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

Title:  Match Made in Growl
Series:  Shifter Mates of Hollow Oak #7
Author:  Kala Aster and Milly Taiden
Published:  April 30, 2026
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Match Made in Growl is the seventh title in the Shifter Mates of Hollow Oak series, a spin-off of the Hollow Oak Mates series.  From the opening, Stephanie (Steph) and Criss’ story felt a bit different, more intense on a different level, just as good as any of the other stories (and they all are fabulous), but there was an edge from the first parting of the veil for Steph.  She’s received permission from the council to do a dig at a location in Hollow Oak.  As a paranormal archelogist, Steph has always felt the ground speak to her… but this time it’s different, this time if she doesn’t listen to the warnings, it could cost her something more precious than information, it could cost her life.

Criss has been sent to Hollow Oak to stay with his brother, perhaps to get his life together… or so his mother and brother seem to think.  For Criss, well, he’s quite content with his life as it is, a born flirt, rarely without female companionship, he’s drifting with no set purpose in his life.  This tiger shifter is about to discover that his charm doesn’t automatically work on every woman, especially with this particular woman, who sets his tiger’s senses on edge.  Steph has always been told that her work is too much and that she’s not quite good enough for a long-term relationship because of her dedication to her craft.  Coming off a bad breakup, she’s not the least interested in the boldly flirtatious shifter who can’t seem to keep his distance no matter how often she cuts him to the quick.  Two stubborn people are about to come face to face with an unexpected danger and with a fate that neither can deny for much longer.

This time, the villain’s danger has a different feel.  More incisive, more personal than the earlier stories.  Oh, this one is vile, but the reasoning feels like it runs parallel to a real-life story I’ve been following for about a year now.  It was eerie to see those connections, and completely sad that such instances have indeed happened in history (even fictional history).  Not going into it any further because that would be a spoiler.  But sometimes stories do make me think and make connections to the real world.

I enjoyed Match Made in Growl so much.  We’ll run into familiar faces from the series, and I always enjoy the catch-up moments with people whose stories I previously enjoyed.  Steph and Criss do fit together in many ways, even though they’d both deny it.  Watching them fight, not only the villain but their own protective walls, was an enjoyable journey.  Criss did something at the end that really warmed my heart, for he knows what is important to his mate.  If you love a well-written shifter romance with a couple you’ll want to push toward their happy ending, a villain so vile, and a story that will keep you on edge, then you’d love this one.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

If you enjoy these authors’ work, be sure to visit our Kala Aster page or our Milly Taiden page for reviews of other series, or simply to discover series you might have missed.

This title is available at Amazon