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!

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.

Branded As Trouble by Delores Fossen

Title: Branded As Trouble
Author: Delores Fossen
Series: #3 in the Wrangler's Creek series
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: HQN Books (June 27, 2017)
Source: NetGalley
Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: Every town needs a bad boy, and Wrangler's Creek's has been gone far too long...
Getting his high school girlfriend pregnant was just one square in Roman Granger's checkered past, but it changed him forever. When his son's mother skipped town after the birth, Roman decided to do the same, baby Tate in tow, hoping for a fresh start.
Now Roman fears his teenage son is following in his wayward footsteps, so he returns home to Wrangler's Creek, aiming to set him straight. It's there he encounters Tate's aunt, Mila Banchini, the good-girl opposite of Roman who's had a crush on him since childhood. The old spark between them undeniably never died, though Roman worries it'll only lead to heartache. But if falling for Mila is such a bad idea, why does everything about holding her feel so right?

My Thoughts: My first book by Delores Fossen and certainly not my last.

The Good: The personal conflicts cropping up throughout this small town has a little bit of a Soap Opera feel to it but I loved every minute of it. I very much enjoyed most of the characters and their quirks. I felt the family connections between the Grangers and their extended family, including Mila, was probably one of the best things about this book. Although not completely parallel, the town reminds me a bit like Brenda Novak's Whiskey Creek or Susan Mallery's Fool Gold settings.

The Bad: One of my least favorite romance tropes is an older virgin. At 31, Mila and her virginity, seems completely weird. Barring a vow of celibacy while waiting for marriage or Jesus I'm not sure a woman remains a virgin to 30+ without having something seriously wrong with her. In Mila's case, she was just too picky she said. She had her heart set on Roman. Therefore she refused to do the deed until Roman came around and did the deed with her. Even for a romance novel this seems pretty far fetched. One last thing that bugged me a bit. Both Mila's and Roman's mothers seemed equally quirky. Mila's mom is an ex free loving flower child who thinks she's psychic and is rumored to put the stink-eye on people that cross her. Roman's mom is a widow of many years who raised 4 children and is more of a society icon in the town because the Grangers pretty much own the town. These women are polar opposites yet seem to have the same wacky impulses. It was a bit weird but not necessarily a deal breaker when it comes to the enjoy-ability of this book.

In a Nutshell: I really enjoyed this book and will seek out the rest of the series. If you like those small town feel contemporary romances please pick this one up.