My reviews always contain spoilers, I write them so I can remember the story.
Hudson is a recluse bear shifter who creates beautiful sculptures and art. He has a tragic history, both his parents and sister were murdered in their home, Hudson was saved because he had snuck out to work on an art project at school. His pack didn’t believe him and actually accused him of the murders, he was just a teenager when they labeled him a monster. As an adult, in his mind he is a monster and does not deserve love or anything good. He never got a chance to grieve properly and the pack never investigated who murdered his family. He leaves his pack and now lives with a different pack that has lots of loners like him and some criminals. He has very little interaction with the outside world or people, except his virtual personal assistant, Isla.
Isla hates her job and has complicated feelings for her boss Hudson. He is a jerk and super demanding. He sends a ton of emails everyday asking for ridiculous things. Plus they usually are condescending and rude. She wants to quit but needs the job so she sucks it up. Although, she does love their back and forth and looks forward to the little ding every time a new email hits her inbox. The love/hate is driving her mad.
Hudson loves riling up his assistant, he loves her sass and snark, something about it turns him on and he finds himself sending more and more emails. When she doesn’t respond to several email he sends one that is very rude and insulting of her work. Isla has had enough she’s going to quit this time for real. She drives up to his cabin and confronts him. He doesn’t except her resignation and instead tells her she is his mate and that he is a bear shifter. He shows her his bear and asks her to stay.
The attraction and chemistry these two have is off the charts. Sparks definitely fly when they verbally spar. Example:
“The full moon is tomorrow. You can stay until then. I’ll bite you, and we’ll be mated then.”
“I’m a goldfish from Mars,” I reply, and he stares at me like I’m crazy.
“What?”
“Oh, I thought we were just saying crazy things that mean nothing to no one.”
They talk and he tells her about his family and she tells him he is not a monster and his pack should have had his back. Eventually attraction wins and they have their first time together and he bites her mating them. Lots of sexy times for a couple of days but them Hudson starts to feel a bit of panic about the criminals in his pack hurting Isla. He doesn’t handle it well and asks her to leave, he’s thinking he’s protecting her, she thinks he’s rejecting her now that he had sex with her.
When she doesn’t answer his email and calls he goes to her and tries to explain his feelings and why he sent her away. Poor man is so traumatized from his families death that he feels like he can’t protect Isla from outside dangers and himself. She reminds him he is not a monster and that she loves him. I love yous, more hot sexy times and epilogue five years later with them living in a good shifter community and Isla pregnant with their second son.
There was a little less emphasis on the shifter/mate traditional aspects more on Hudson’s trauma and Isla’s love and acceptance and Hudson believing he was worthy.