The Mating Game by Lana Ferguson | Audiobook Review

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Two wolf shifters reluctant to love discover there’s no fighting the call of the wild in this steamy romance by USA Today bestselling author Lana Ferguson.

Contractor Tess Covington has spent her entire life as a regular non-shifter human, so after she lands in the Denver ER with flu-like symptoms, it comes as a complete shock to be told that, no, she’s not sick—she’s actually a late-presenting omega wolf shifter. With her family in dire financial straits and a contract for her own television show on the line, she can’t afford not to complete the renovation job she came for. And given that her newly emerged wolf is in danger of going into heat, she’ll just have to do her best to follow the doctor’s advice to keep away from alpha shifters.

Alpha wolf Hunter Barrett has spent most of his adult life living by a routine, and a big part of that involves staying clear of omegas after having one stomp on his heart. So when the tiny contractor shows up at his place smelling like the one thing he’s determined to avoid, he thinks it must be some sort of cosmic joke. But with his lodge on the verge of failing and this sweet-smelling omega his only hope to turn things around . . . he’s left with few other options than to grin and bear it.

Set on avoiding each other as much as possible, they find things unexpectedly starting to heat up between them enough to thaw even the frostiest of hearts. Though even with the pair going head over paws for each other, there’s no changing that their fling has an expiration date. The more time they spend together, the more they realize they’re playing a dangerous game—one where the only thing on the line is their hearts.

Why Did I Listen To The Mating Game by Lana Ferguson?

The Mating Game by Lana Ferguson appealed to me mostly based on the cover —  I was getting winter romance but not a holiday romance vibes from it. Also, I’ve never really read an Omegaverse book prior to trying out The Mating Game and so, I was curious. You see, I like trying out new genres and tropes. Previously I liked The Nanny also by this author and so, this seemed like a good choice to try a new spicy sort of book. 

What’s The Story Here?

Ferguson’s The Mating Games follows Tess Covington, a contractor who is flying out to Denver for a job. She’s spent her whole life being a regular human with no shifting abilities. However, she gets real sick after her flight and ends up in the emergency room. There she finds out, just kidding, she is a shifter – something called an Omega. She then moves along with this big news to a lodge that she is renovating as part of her content and in hopes of landing a TV show. Turns out the owner of the lodge is an alpha named Hunter Barrett. Hunter has been burned by an Omega before and so he will do anything to not get involved with an Omega again. Only, it turns out that the chemistry between Tess and Hunter is irresistable. The two begin hooking up, and maybe it could be more than the physical, but there’s an expiration date on their relationship.

How Did I Like The Mating Game?

I thought that The Mating Game was a decent introduction to the Omegaverse. I am still a little lost on some concepts – partially because when “knotting” came up, I was driving right next to someone so I turned the audio down and skimmed through it. However, I liked Tess. I liked that she wanted to succeed in a male dominated field. Her chemistry with Hunter was fun to read. They embody the grumpy-sunshine trope. Hunter as said, is so resistant to Tess. It makes sense though, because he’s been hurt and that’s what unhealed people do. 

How’s The Narration?

The audiobook of The Mating Game is narrated by Samantha Summers and Aaron Shedlock. It is 11 hours and 49 minutes unabridged. I did listen to this sped up. Also, if I was right next to someone at a red light, because I am a prude, I did listen to the spicy parts turned way down or skipped through them. I found the narration to be enjoyable. Dual narration audiobooks hold my attention really well because of the shifts in narrator. Summers and Shedlock do a fantastic job as Tess and Hunter. Both have voices that are easy to listen to and enjoy. Overall, this was a solid audiobook – great for driving down the highway and getting chores done. 

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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