Luka Ashe was perfectly content being Hollow Oak’s resident grizzly grouch.

He had a quiet workshop, a collection of haunted woodworking commissions, and zero interest in mating, dating, or feeling anything deeper than oak grain. Until a necromancer with too much eyeliner and a snark problem summoned half the spirit world—and his inner bear got very interested in sharing territory.

Leenah Carrow talks to ghosts, rolls her eyes at supernatural politics, and doesn’t do “help.” But when a spiritual uprising starts brewing, she somehow ends up soul-bonded to the town’s most emotionally constipated shifter.

Now the two of them are knee-deep in ancestral curses, magical prenups, aggressive dead people, and one sacred grove that definitely isn’t zoning-code compliant.

There’s also kissing. And spiritual warfare. And a bear who keeps carving her name into things.

They’re saving the town.

Probably.

He thinks she’s his fated mate. She thinks he needs therapy and maybe a rabies shot.

Titles in the Hollow Oak Mates series include: Love at First Roar ~ Mate Night Snack ~ Claws for Celebration ~ Unbearable Attraction ~ Whisker Me Away ~ The Right to Bear Claws ~

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

Title:  Unbearable Attraction
Series:  Hollow Oak Mates #4
Author:  Kala Aster & Milly Taiden
Published:  August 14, 2025
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Unbearable Attraction is the fourth title in the Hollow Oak Mates series, and features the unexpected connection between Leenah, a necromancer, and Luka, a solitary bear shifter.  Their romance is intriguing and has some deep undertones that bring some additional tensions to their growing relationship.

To say that Leenah uses snark and sarcasm like weapons would be an understatement.  And, frankly, she’s earned that right as she’s been through a lot with her judgmental family, and has embraced Hollow Oak as her home, where she gives ghost tours of the local cemetery and keeps her head down, allowing only her cat, Minerva, into her life.  When her ability to speak to the dead flares during a tour with unexpected results, she and Luka will be set on a path to find peace and retribution for the departed, as well as try to save the town from a disaster in the making.

Luka carries great sorrow with him every day of his life.  Hollow Oak welcomed him in when he was at his lowest.  He’s content as a woodworker and sometimes guardian/enforcer for the town.  Now, his bear is rushing to the rescue of the local necromancer, and the bond that will be formed between them will face many tests as spirits call out for justice, and family connections prove to be the worst enemies of all.

Unbearable Attraction by Kala Aster and Milly Taiden is intense, perhaps in its own way, more so than the earlier stories in this series.  I enjoyed watching this couple let down their protective walls and open themselves up to the possibilities in front of them.  My heart broke for both Leenah and Luka, as their pasts are painful in different ways.  Together, as a couple, they find those missing pieces… but the risks are high, and only they can decide if they can pay that price.

If you love a well-written, emotional, sizzling paranormal romance with dashes of humor, sarcasm, and danger, then you’d love Leenah and Luka’s story.

*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 love this author’s work, be sure to visit our Kala Aster page or our Milly Taiden page for reviews of other series, or just to discover series you might have missed.

This title is available at Amazon (affiliate link)