Bearkin

by Kady Stewart

It would be ludicrous to stop the wedding. Really, it would. Even if the marriage is a sham, he can't just leave Lou at the altar, even though one look at the boy on the end of the row of white chairs is enough to have Robert desperate with need.

It only takes one look for him to know that Charlie is the mate he's been waiting for.

But Charlie doesn't have a clue. Robert can't just introduce himself as a werebear and start talking about mate bonds and babies - Charlie's a human.

Or is he?


(M/M Shifter Romance)

Genres: Paranormal

76 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 27, 2015

About the author

Kady Stewart is the author of the new, steamy gay romance series, Fall.

When I was just discovering the idea of romantic love, my mother was very keen that I had a crush or relationship with someone "suitable". They needed to be from the right background and with the right personality to please her.

Unfortunately for her, that memo never really made it into my rule-book. I fell in love with the unsuitable types, and that's the basis of what I write today. I embrace characters with age differences. Mismatched species. Power differentials. Characters who are related a little more closely than some people find comfortable. Heroes who are twisted and dark, but do care deeply for their object of desire in their own special way. If you read my books, you'll see that...

Love Has No Boundaries.

Reviews

[TT · Rating 4 out of 5]

How very misleading the blurb is, we get the impression that the story is told from Roberts POV, but the narrator is actually Charlie. A self-described effeminate (though thankfully not clichéd) man who is not only in the closet, but has a secret desire for something he knows is weird. He wants to...be a bear. So he goes to his cousins wedding, and the first man to actually make him sit up and notice happens to be the groom. The interest seems returned but Charlie doesn’t pursue, because of course not! Despite Roberts comment that sometimes marriages are ‘arrangements for reasons’. So Charlie job hunts, until said cousin calls him up and says her new hubby needs an assistant. From there the two spend time together and Charlie uncovers several of Robert’s secrets, and the two begin to fall for one another. The marriage issue is handled nicely and without giving too much away I thought it painted Robert in a nice light. I love the bear parts and as one who has read a lot of crappy shifter stories, I thought this one was very nicely done. Well written, good pacing and sweet little story. The ending is good but slightly awkward (endings are hard to write, I get it!) and I hope that the author plans to write Chads story next.

My only complaint is the price for the length of book. If you can buy directly from the publisher, I recommend doing so. Lovely little story, quite enjoyed it!

[Sierra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid, rather cute story. The idea of Charlie's dysmorphia and feeling that he should actually be a bear is interesting, especially when he meets an actual shifter. There was no real angst and little drama; we could easily see the situation with the marriage so the reader, at least, isn't conflicted there. While there is some on-screen heat most of the sex happens off screen. I liked that we had the epilogue so that we were able to close out with an HEA rather than a HFN. Based on this story I would definitely read more of Kady Stewart.

[Queue · Rating 2 out of 5]

This could have been a good, if predictable read. But the entire thing is written in the present tense. "Charlie flops on the bed." Giving the whole story a peculiar, passive feel. Like reading the script to a play, rather than visualizing the play itself. Rather boring, and difficult to read. Too bad as I liked the characters, but I had to force myself to finish this short novella.

[Jessie Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was different than other bear shifter romances that I have read. I liked that it was different, and I look forward to reading more from Kady.