I get a bit annoyed with erotic stories that doesn't differ from many other romances I've read. I pick an erotica because I want the focus to be on the smut. Not the story. So when I read this one I was not amused that it was a romance with a few sex scenes.

Then I started to think about what erotica is... To me it is like the majority of visual porn. Some flimsy excuse to get to the merging of bodies, which I actually don't like to watch... So why didn't I enjoy this book so much?

I think it's because the way males and females are treated very differently. Both have their own 'roles' and it feels like they can't refuse that.

As young bears they would yearn for the security of a mother to show them tenderness and protection, even more than papa whose job in normal situations was to show them strength and how to be independent males.

To me that is not sexy nor arousing. (Also that paragraph annoys me because in dutch mother=mama and father=papa)
Normally I can overlook that because of the shifter aspect but in this case... Seriously mama bears are more dangerous in nature when they have cubs. Also most bears are very solitary and it's really hard to spot the difference between male and/or female unless you know how big a bear is. And even then... But here all the 'protective' character traits are because of the 'bear', yeah no. Human all the way.

The writing style is pleasant to read so really it's a case of 'it's not you, it's me.' ( )

I've never read an erotic shifter romance. Very new genre for me. It was pretty ok.

Riley gets into a car accident while fleeing her creepy, terrible ex. She's rescued by Theo, who is a hot were-bear with two cute twin were-bear boys. And he lives in Den County (get it, Den?) with an entire community of were-bears.

It was fun, a little cheesy, and had my favorite kind of ending: HEA.
( )

4.5

*Book source ~ Free from AllRomance

With an ex-boyfriend stalking her Riley Gold decides to take off and head back to her home town. Always restless, always searching for an elusive something, she doesn’t want to head back to her family, but feels she has no choice. When her tire blows out and she hits a tree she rethinks her idea to take the scenic route. Now she’s stuck in Den County with no cell service and no hotel. Luckily Theo Kodiak offers his spare bedroom while her car is repaired, but the heat between them is off the charts and shouldn’t even be possible since she’s a human and he’s a were-bear. This place, this man and his young sons and these people seem so right for her, but she isn’t clued into what their secret is. Will she accept what they are? Could she really have found what she was searching for?

Mmmm…were-bears. I love them. They may be my favorite shifter though I’m not sure exactly why. Anyway, this is a decently written paranormal story with a little suspense thrown in, some humor and a whole lot of heat. I love Riley’s confusion about how much everyone in the county seems to love honey and honey products. lol Everyone’s bear-related names are fun and the steaminess is wowzers. There are a few editing issues, but nothing major. This was quite an enjoyable read for me. I will definitely look up more of this new-to-me author’s work. ( )

Riley and Theo

Cute story of Wer-Bears.

Cleverly named characters! Some of them had me snickering. Especially Theo!! ( )