Mountain Lion by Terry Bolryder

 

Title: Mountain Lion

Author: Terry Bolryder

Series: #4 in the Bear Haven series

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Terry Bolryder (October 12, 2015)

Source: Kindle Unlimited

Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: This sexy shifter is never giving up...

Mountain lion shifter Wyatt Reynolds has finally found something to fight for. Life has been a bit lonely for the tall, sexy cowboy on his upscale Montana ranch, but he never found the right woman to settle down with. Until a small, mysterious person walks into his office one day, hidden under bulky men's clothing and needing his help.

Valerie knows not to trust men. After being raised in the remote Montana mountains with a terrible father that sold her to the highest bidder because of her rare blood, she has written men off forever. When she comes to Wyatt looking for a job, all she wants is a place that's safe, quiet, and will allow her the freedom to finally live a life of her own. But what she doesn't realize is that a tall, ripped cougar shifter might be enough man to give a woman ideas.

Though they start as friends, Valerie is starting to get sexy thoughts about Wyatt that she never intended, and Wyatt seems to feel exactly the same way. But even as friends become lovers, Valerie's dark past remains a constant threat. The men who want her aren't giving up, but neither is Wyatt. Anyone who threatens this mountain lion's mate is going to see his claws.

Book 4 of the Bear Haven series or can be read alone as a satisfying standalone!

My Thoughts: What a great conclusion to a good series!

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else: While I thought this series had some ups and downs it truly ended on a good note. Wyatt was an incredible hero. He was patient and kind when Valerie needed someone to show her not all people or shifters are bad. Val came to Wyatt's ranch bruised and abused. Over the following weeks she healed and became more confident. Their relationship was a sweet progress of friends becoming more. When they became lovers those scenes were spicy and well written. 

The length of the book (and all of the books I've read by Terry Bolryder really) is just too short to get deep into character history/development or to get a full on amazing romance that a 300+ page book would allow. They often rely on insta-love and use a fated mate trope to accommodate the quick I Love You's. I always mention insta-love in my reviews because I don't really like it and prefer slow burns where I can actually see them falling in love rather then having them "BOOM" in love. In most cases insta-love would be a negative but with Terry's work I just take it as it is and enjoy the books for what they are. So, with that said, this book was a little different. The book was a bit longer than the rest of the books in the series with 50 pages more than the first two and 30 more than book 3. It made a difference. We ended up with a longer courtship and a bit more background information. Another 150 pages would have given us even more but for the length of 165 pages this was a really good book. Wyatt and Val had some great moments together and the suspense was pretty good as well. I wish the tension would have played out a little longer though, as it was wrapped up pretty quickly. 

At the end of this series we're left with a feeling of completion with all 3 McAllister brothers and their neighbor, Wyatt, finding their mates but the author opened up a new hero for us with Jace, a rare weretiger, and an interesting shifter policing "organization" led by dragons I'm looking forward to reading more of. 

In a Nutshell: I'm honestly so thrilled with this book and I'm really happy I discovered Terry's work and I'm totally binging in her books. I can't get enough!

Wild Bear by Terry Bolryder

Title: Wild Bear

Author: Terry Bolryder

Series: #3 in the Bear Haven series

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Terry Bolryder ( September 27,  2015)

Source: Kindle Unlimited

Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: Book 3 in the Bear Haven Series! 

Maverick McAllister is as wild as they come. Born in the wilderness and closely attuned to his bear, nothing has made him happier than the untamed land surrounding Bear Haven ranch. That is, until a curvy, sassy woman shows up to tempt him. And all too soon, the rugged bear knows exactly what he wants-- his mate.

Harmony has tried to make it as a musician in the Big Apple, but despite her best efforts, nothing has worked out. And though she's happy for her two friends that are now happily mated to larger-than-life McAllister cowboys, she can't help but hope that there's something good waiting for her as well. And maybe that something good is in the sexy, dominant Maverick.

The chemistry between Mav and Harmony is undeniable, and every time they are together the room heats up like a firestorm. But as sexy as Maverick may be, he might be too wild to tame. And no matter how badly Maverick wants to keep Harmony forever, he'll have to show her that he's ready to love, even if it means bringing out the man inside of him that's been hidden a long time.

My Thoughts: What an improvement over book 2. I loved it.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else: Maverick's book was so good. He was more animal than human and preferred to live in his bear form out in the woods rather than as a man with clothing restraints. His background explains why this is and his character is actually deeper than every other character I've read by Terry Bolryder thus far. He's really pretty charming in his own way and even though he doesn't try to be funny he is. His entire thought process is innocent as an animal's would be without the devious intentions that unfortunately are found in many humans. As a matter of fact he often refers to others as human and doesn't consider himself even part human. Harmony is his complete opposite and I liked how she appreciated him for who he was and didn't expect him to change. He did a lot of growing up in this book and I absolutely loved him. 

The romance felt quick but when you factor in the H and h met months ago it wasn't as insta-lovey as the first two books in this series. Although it did wrap itself in an almost fated mate type of situation I wasn't unhappy with it. Mav was a bear. He thought as a bear. In his mind he gave himself to Harmony as her mate and she was his. The End. As an animal it was simple. Humans make things more complicated and he honestly didn't know if he was capable of being human enough to actually love Harmony as a human loves their partner. 

There was conflict, a bit of suspense, epiphanies, and a big bear of a man who finally figured out humans sometimes need the help of other humans.

In a Nutshell: My very favorite book by Terry Bolryder so far. I loved this book.

Rancher Bear by Terry Bolryder

Title: Rancher Bear

Author: Terry Bolryder

Series: #2 in the Bear Haven series

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Terry Bolryder (September 20, 2015)

Source: Kindle Unlimited

Rating: ☕☕1/2

Synopsis: Jesse is used to being the calm one of the three overprotective, overbearing Mcallister brothers. But ever since the beautiful, redheaded Bonnie came into town with her two friends, the big bear has been on the hunt for one thing only- her heart.

Bonnie can’t deny that the tall, unfathomably sexy Jesse Mcallister is the hottest thing she’s ever seen on two legs, and that the attraction they feel for each other is undeniable. The only problem? She’s been engaged to a man that doesn’t love her and that Bonnie’s friends believe is all wrong for her. So when things with the ill-fitting finance finally break off, Bonnie sees this at her first, and maybe only chance for true love.

The second the two are together, fireworks go off and Bonnie knows she’ll never be able to get enough of the incredible Jesse. But Bonnie’s ex isn't going down without a fight, and there’s a secret that Bonnie and Jesse share that may endanger their relationship and change everything they ever believed in.

My Thoughts: I really wanted to like this book but both the MCs bugged me to distraction. 

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else: Honestly what you have here is a short, fated mate, insta-love, shifter story. That's it. Nothing more. I did give this less than my typical rating for these type of books but only because as a character driven reader I just didn't like or connect with Jesse or Bonnie. With only 118 pages there just isn't enough background on them even though both were introduced in the first book in this series, Mountain Bear. There is even less on world building required for me to fully understand the Lynx shifter part and why other shifters can't sense cat shifters like they can all other shifters. Apparently, cat shifters can sense other cat shifters but a bear shifter can't sense a cat shifter or even if they are shifters at all. Jesse's lineage is mentioned and then not brought back up until the epilogue but only as side note to the story and not something that I, for one, find rather important especially since the McAllister men are actively seeking out mates that aren't bear shifters.

I also think Bonnie's ex, Seth, is a wasted character. He was written to be one we wouldn't like yet his story had the potential to be quite tragic as it appears LGBTQIA+ shifters either don't exist (in a Don't Ask Don't Tell kind of way as long as they still do their duty to their family and breed the next generation anyway) or the author only writes a queer character to be a throw away. I think Seth had more depth than Jesse and was really underplayed within the book. I keep hoping I'll run across an M/M shifter romance by this author featuring Seth. It wouldn't be the first time an author could take a character not written as hero material and flip it to be an amazing story and a worthy hero. 

In a Nutshell: Even though I really didn't care for this book I will absolutely read the rest of the series and the author's other series as well.

Midnight Frost by Jennifer Estep

 

Title: Midnight Frost

Author: Jennifer Estep

Series: #5 in the Mythos Academy series

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Kensington Books (July 30, 2013)

Source: NetGalley

Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis:  Here we go again …

Just when it seems life at Mythos Academy can’t get any more dangerous, the Reapers of Chaos manage to prove me wrong. It was just a typical night at the Library of Antiquities — until a Reaper tried to poison me. The good news is I’m still alive and kicking. The bad news is the Reaper poisoned someone else instead.

As Nike’s Champion, everyone expects me to lead the charge against the Reapers, even though I’m still hurting over what happened with Spartan warrior Logan Quinn. I’ve got to get my hands on the antidote fast — otherwise, an innocent person will die. But the only known cure is hidden in some creepy ruins — and the Reapers are sure to be waiting for me there … 

My Thoughts: Another installment of the never-ending battle between good and evil.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything In Between: So, the thing with this book, or rather Jennifer Estep's writing in general, it is a bit repetitive. Reapers attack. A bunch of kids training to be warriors kill most of them. Rinse. Repeat. Don't get me wrong. That doesn't make this a bad book. There are enough new additions between slightly different scenarios and new characters being brought in that the book has enough of a difference between it and it's predecessors to keep us interested. I have to admit though I am glad there is only one more book in this series though. I'm ready for this story arch to end. Last year I read the first book in her spin off series and enjoyed the newness of the new setting and new characters but even it is still all about a bunch of kids battling Reapers. I'm honestly not sure how long Estep can continue with this same theme with the same bad guys.

With that said I did like the forward movement Gwen had in her life by finding a cousin and learning more about her own dad who was an unknown to us and really to her. I liked Rory and Rachel (but then I already met them when I read the first book in the spin off series last year) and really liked the Colorado setting. I liked the return of Logan even though it was almost at the end of the book. I also liked how Gwen was coming into her own person. She has learned to be just as much of a warrior as the Valkyries and Amazons and has stopped doubting herself. 

In a Nutshell: I enjoyed this book a lot and even though I'm ready for this series to come to an end I'm still looking forward to reading book 6 and the conclusion to this chapter of the Mythos Academy.