Daniela divorced her abusive husband and finally made a new life for herself in rural Texas. Too bad her ex, Mike, won’t stop coming around her new home and threatening her. The one good thing in her life is a black bear that keeps showing up in her backyard. She’s feeding him and starting to think of him as her friend and pet. Once she gets closer to her sexy next door neighbor, Russ, the bear doesn’t come around as often and she’s worried about him.
Russ is a retired Army vet from a secretive special op unit and is soooo swoon-worthy. He’s a bear shifter and, as the bear, he hangs around Daniela’s yard because he feels that she’s his mate. As the man, he teaches her self-defense and gun training so she could protect herself against her ex-husband.
Love blossoms fast but it’s believable. Daniela and Russ are great together. There’s mutual respect and understanding. He helps build up her self-esteem and she helps him move from the passing of his wife two years earlier. They both healed the other. When she learned the truth about his werebear side, she acted appropriately. In some books, the heroine accepts the truth way too easily and it’s laughable. In this book, she was scared, confused and angry. She demanded answers and only accepted what Russ told her after he explained it. I really liked she didn’t just ‘trust’ him without answers. She played it smart and my respect for her doubled.
The best part about this book is that the hero didn’t rescue the heroine at the end. She rescued herself with the training he gave her. Every woman should know a little self-defense, especially domestic abuse survivors, and Daniela really stepped up to the plate.
Well-written in 1st person, I don’t think I noticed any typos. The pacing could’ve been tighter but this is one of the better shifter books I’ve read in a while. I really enjoyed it and would like to read more from this author.
4 Stars

Disclaimer – I downloaded this book for free on Amazon on a Free Day. I am not compensated in any way, shape or form for this honest review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion. ( )

great storyline. several parts are a bit of a surprise. hero is strong but not asshole alpha-ish ( )

shifters, contemporary-romance, battered-woman, exmilitary, erotica

Lonely retired exmilitary bear shifter meets BBW divorcée with abusive exhusband. A friendship develops into a loving sexual relationship that is not diminished when she learns that he is a shifter. Engaging story made even better by Samuel Boden and Shoshana Franck's narration.

great storyline. several parts are a bit of a surprise. hero is strong but not asshole alpha-ish ( )