What do you think?
Rate this book
Dark Moon Shifters #1
His Burden to Bear
Don’t get involved with humans.
Barrett “Bear” Hallinger knows firsthand the heartbreak they can cause. But when an enticing, human scent drifts into the woods before a dark moon run, Bear can’t stop thinking about the man it belongs to. And he’s sure the heat and innocence of it will draw the oversexed shifters in their group like a dinner bell.
Trevor Kallal doesn’t want to go camping. Bickering parents are bad enough, then Barrett comes strolling out of the trees glaring at Trevor like he’s done something wrong. Now, Trevor has to manage not to humiliate himself in front of the hottest man he’s ever seen.
To protect Trevor from the shifters who seduce for sport, Bear has to make them believe Trevor’s already been claimed. Bear won’t love a human--he’s lived by that rule since he was a child. But as he keeps Trevor close to keep him safe, he may learn that some rules were meant to be broken.
His Burden to Bear is a stand-alone novel within the Dark Moon Shifters universe, with no cliffhanger.
Barrett “Bear” Hallinger knows firsthand the heartbreak they can cause. But when an enticing, human scent drifts into the woods before a dark moon run, Bear can’t stop thinking about the man it belongs to. And he’s sure the heat and innocence of it will draw the oversexed shifters in their group like a dinner bell.
Trevor Kallal doesn’t want to go camping. Bickering parents are bad enough, then Barrett comes strolling out of the trees glaring at Trevor like he’s done something wrong. Now, Trevor has to manage not to humiliate himself in front of the hottest man he’s ever seen.
To protect Trevor from the shifters who seduce for sport, Bear has to make them believe Trevor’s already been claimed. Bear won’t love a human--he’s lived by that rule since he was a child. But as he keeps Trevor close to keep him safe, he may learn that some rules were meant to be broken.
His Burden to Bear is a stand-alone novel within the Dark Moon Shifters universe, with no cliffhanger.
228 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 18, 2016
26 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 3, 2017
While this was a fun story about a bear shifter and a 20 year old boy falling in love, it also dragged a bit at times. And I wanted more of a HEA than what we got.
Trevor is out camping with his parents. His parents who insisted on a ‘nice family outing’ while they are trying to fix their marriage after Trevor’s father cheated.
To say Trevor is not having a good time is putting it mildly. That is until he meets the guys camping next to them. Fallon and Barrett (Bear) are camping with their father and they’re both eager to get to know Trevor.
When Bear smells Trevor for the first time his bear goes crazy. But Bear doesn’t believe in that fated mates crap so he does his best to ignore the overwhelming feeling. He does know he somehow has to protect Trevor since the camping site will be crawling with shifters the next day. So he tries to get Trevor to smell like him so everyone will stay away. But this just confuses Trevor since Bear is giving all these mixed signals…
I liked how this wasn’t a big older shifter protecting the small, younger human. No, Bear was pretty young himself, and I liked how he and his brother Fallon were acting like true brothers with their roughhousing. And despite Bear being the more broody one, I really liked him and how he took care of Trevor.
What I liked a bit less was that the first half of this book consists of misunderstandings that could have been prevented with a good talk. And I wanted a bit more closure at the end. They only ask each other where it is they live on the last page. And wouldn’t you know it, it’s close by each other! I would think if you’ve found your mate that would be the first thing you’d ask.
Still, this was a nice in-between shifter story, a bit boring, but entertaining nonetheless.
----------------
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
Trevor is out camping with his parents. His parents who insisted on a ‘nice family outing’ while they are trying to fix their marriage after Trevor’s father cheated.
To say Trevor is not having a good time is putting it mildly. That is until he meets the guys camping next to them. Fallon and Barrett (Bear) are camping with their father and they’re both eager to get to know Trevor.
When Bear smells Trevor for the first time his bear goes crazy. But Bear doesn’t believe in that fated mates crap so he does his best to ignore the overwhelming feeling. He does know he somehow has to protect Trevor since the camping site will be crawling with shifters the next day. So he tries to get Trevor to smell like him so everyone will stay away. But this just confuses Trevor since Bear is giving all these mixed signals…
I liked how this wasn’t a big older shifter protecting the small, younger human. No, Bear was pretty young himself, and I liked how he and his brother Fallon were acting like true brothers with their roughhousing. And despite Bear being the more broody one, I really liked him and how he took care of Trevor.
What I liked a bit less was that the first half of this book consists of misunderstandings that could have been prevented with a good talk. And I wanted a bit more closure at the end. They only ask each other where it is they live on the last page. And wouldn’t you know it, it’s close by each other! I would think if you’ve found your mate that would be the first thing you’d ask.
Still, this was a nice in-between shifter story, a bit boring, but entertaining nonetheless.
----------------
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
May 13, 2016
An easy shifter read, but not much lore, etc. to sink your teeth into and a slightly disappointing HFN.
May 13, 2016
It was ok? Most of it was Bear sniffing at Trevor, so to speak. A lot of back and forth between camps but really not a lot going on. Then other shifters arrive and that pushes Bear to maybe make a move.
And annoyingly Bear and dad both call him boy several times. Bear thinks like this during an intimate moment (or that's actually the author not the character) and that just feels all wrong to me. I might have missed obvious clue but how old is Bear? Trevor is 20, NOT a boy. Bear could be all the way up to 28? But his actions don't speak to being much older than Trevor to me. He just doesn't have an older mature vibe to him.
And then the 'mate' thing. He's a potential mate. But in this world, not a biting thing or necessarily a permanent thing. So, what's the point of the smell, then? Bear doesn't have to choose to follow through and if he doesn't he more than likely will come across someone else compatible. Not always at the same level of compatibility.
I don't know, I guess this just wasn't exciting enough...2.5
And annoyingly Bear and dad both call him boy several times. Bear thinks like this during an intimate moment (or that's actually the author not the character) and that just feels all wrong to me. I might have missed obvious clue but how old is Bear? Trevor is 20, NOT a boy. Bear could be all the way up to 28? But his actions don't speak to being much older than Trevor to me. He just doesn't have an older mature vibe to him.
And then the 'mate' thing. He's a potential mate. But in this world, not a biting thing or necessarily a permanent thing. So, what's the point of the smell, then? Bear doesn't have to choose to follow through and if he doesn't he more than likely will come across someone else compatible. Not always at the same level of compatibility.
I don't know, I guess this just wasn't exciting enough...2.5
May 21, 2016
Wow, I can't believe that this was a first book, it was so well-written! Trevor is every guy who's been forced into miserable family trip--except that he runs into one hot, grumpy guy and has a huge adventure. Trevor is easy to relate to and I really love that the situation isn't some far-fetched setup. Bear is a grumpy, growly bear of a guy who's fighting a fierce attraction and signs that are trying to tell him it's something more. There's not an "oh my God he's my one true mate" thing right off the bat and a inta-love lifetime commitment. The shifter part of the story is made interesting with a few things outside the standard lore and there's plenty of shifting--and exciting action--going on. To give the story some color other than the relationship and the suspense over the big secret, we have Fallon who is hilarious and lovable. I liked the way the story wrapped up too. I could see someone of the other minor characters like Fallon and even Dmitri having stories of their own in later books.
June 10, 2016
What a foolish story plot.
May 30, 2017
Just another gay shifter/human romance. With camping.
July 24, 2017
ENJOYED IMMENSELY!!!!!!
Hate it when you enjoy a book - and it keeps you reading long pass your bedtime😉!!! This was one of those stories and that says it all.
Hate it when you enjoy a book - and it keeps you reading long pass your bedtime😉!!! This was one of those stories and that says it all.
August 27, 2017
3.75 ⭐️
Pretty enjoyable read. Trevor's and Fallon's dads are dicks, Dmitri needs to be neutered, and I'd love to be invited to that party.
Pretty enjoyable read. Trevor's and Fallon's dads are dicks, Dmitri needs to be neutered, and I'd love to be invited to that party.
January 7, 2023
1.5 / 5
September 19, 2017
Ummm. Did I miss something? Like a plot?!
Human goes camping with crappy dad and doormat mom. Human smells good to bear. Bear gets proprietary over human. Sniffs a lot. Wolf-brother plays wingman. Bear sniffs some more. Human has first timers disease. Soooo wishy-washy. Bear saves human from dad's words. How terrifying! Oh, my hero!
Here a sniff.
Crazy wolves encroach. Bear, bear-dad and wolf-brother fight off enemies including wolf-brother's useless bio-dad (bad wolf!).
There a sniff.
Human sees bear shift and is all like, "You're so pretty." Bear and human have sex finally. Bear likes human enough to fuck him but not enough to mate him because ... wait for it! Huuuman. And humans are, yep. Wishy-washy.
EVERYWHERE a sniff, sniff.
So bear wants human, human wants bear, bear doesn't want anyone else to take human (like someone who might actually want to mate him? What a concept!), bear gets ...? What? A few walks in the woods followed by a lackluster fuck and a fumbling bj. Human gets what? Treated like a condom. And bonus! A [big] cock in his mouth. But wait! There's more! Human prophylactic also gets a break from mean dad and doormat mom. Sniff. Bear and human agree, "Let's go camping again so we can fuck." The end. Woohoo. So glad I read that. Pfft.
[Channeling Julio ... ooohhhhmmm]
Fuckity fuck dafuq was I thinking?
*sniff*
Ack! It's contagious.
Look. The word 'romance' implies some sort of relationship. These guys are fuck-buddies ... sort of. They become fuck-buddies? Noooo. They just fuck ... once (twice?). So it's not even porn without plot. Nope, still can't find a story here, much less a romance. Bear is a speciest in a shifter 'romance'. We've seen this before but there's usually a resolution! A use the force, leave the dark side moment, if you will. Not here.
Juvenile dialogue. Amateur writing. No romance. No HFN. Certainly no HEA. No relationship. I try not to rant. I reeeally do. But this was a waste of time. I'm disappointed because it's a series and I thought I had a plan for today's reading, but nope. Nopity nope. What's the point of continuing on to read another boring non-story with a non-ending?
Human goes camping with crappy dad and doormat mom. Human smells good to bear. Bear gets proprietary over human. Sniffs a lot. Wolf-brother plays wingman. Bear sniffs some more. Human has first timers disease. Soooo wishy-washy. Bear saves human from dad's words. How terrifying! Oh, my hero!
Here a sniff.
Crazy wolves encroach. Bear, bear-dad and wolf-brother fight off enemies including wolf-brother's useless bio-dad (bad wolf!).
There a sniff.
Human sees bear shift and is all like, "You're so pretty." Bear and human have sex finally. Bear likes human enough to fuck him but not enough to mate him because ... wait for it! Huuuman. And humans are, yep. Wishy-washy.
EVERYWHERE a sniff, sniff.
So bear wants human, human wants bear, bear doesn't want anyone else to take human (like someone who might actually want to mate him? What a concept!), bear gets ...? What? A few walks in the woods followed by a lackluster fuck and a fumbling bj. Human gets what? Treated like a condom. And bonus! A [big] cock in his mouth. But wait! There's more! Human prophylactic also gets a break from mean dad and doormat mom. Sniff. Bear and human agree, "Let's go camping again so we can fuck." The end. Woohoo. So glad I read that. Pfft.
[Channeling Julio ... ooohhhhmmm]
Fuckity fuck dafuq was I thinking?
*sniff*
Ack! It's contagious.
Look. The word 'romance' implies some sort of relationship. These guys are fuck-buddies ... sort of. They become fuck-buddies? Noooo. They just fuck ... once (twice?). So it's not even porn without plot. Nope, still can't find a story here, much less a romance. Bear is a speciest in a shifter 'romance'. We've seen this before but there's usually a resolution! A use the force, leave the dark side moment, if you will. Not here.
Juvenile dialogue. Amateur writing. No romance. No HFN. Certainly no HEA. No relationship. I try not to rant. I reeeally do. But this was a waste of time. I'm disappointed because it's a series and I thought I had a plan for today's reading, but nope. Nopity nope. What's the point of continuing on to read another boring non-story with a non-ending?
December 29, 2016
Unique!
I recently read Shelley Grayson's contemporary novel that she published under a different name and absolutely loved it. So when I got to the end and saw that she also wrote gay shifter books, which let's face it are like crack to me, I was very excited and curious to see if I'd be able to get the same kind of feelings from her paranormal books as I did her contemporary. I immediately downloaded His Burden to Bear and did not put it down once after starting it.
Let's be real. It's hard after a while to find very unique shifter books. They all tend to start being the same thing over and over with very little change. Not that I'm complaining mind you. I still read them as if my life depended on me finishing them. But I was so happy and drawn in by the fact that this felt pretty different to me.
The characters were all so intriguing. Both in good and bad ways. Bad as in I wanted to reach into the book and strangle a few!
I loved the contrasting dynamics of the 2 families the book centers on. I was so drawn to Bear and his family. Especially his little brother Fallon who had me grinning ear to ear in practically every scene he was in.
But oh my word...Bear and Trevor? Just wow. The heat. The tension. The angst. There was just the right amount of push and pull to have me frustrated and desperately wanting them to get together and steam things up a bit without having me want to pull my hair out or throw my Kindle across the room. Gah! They were just too delicious!
This book was such a pleasure to read and I am super excited to see where this series goes!
With 2 of her books very happily under my belt I feel like I can safely say I will most likely be reading every book she puts out in the future no matter what genre just as fast as she can pump them out!
I can't wait for more!!!
Thankfully there's one book left for me to read. Sleep? Who needs sleep?!
I recently read Shelley Grayson's contemporary novel that she published under a different name and absolutely loved it. So when I got to the end and saw that she also wrote gay shifter books, which let's face it are like crack to me, I was very excited and curious to see if I'd be able to get the same kind of feelings from her paranormal books as I did her contemporary. I immediately downloaded His Burden to Bear and did not put it down once after starting it.
Let's be real. It's hard after a while to find very unique shifter books. They all tend to start being the same thing over and over with very little change. Not that I'm complaining mind you. I still read them as if my life depended on me finishing them. But I was so happy and drawn in by the fact that this felt pretty different to me.
The characters were all so intriguing. Both in good and bad ways. Bad as in I wanted to reach into the book and strangle a few!
I loved the contrasting dynamics of the 2 families the book centers on. I was so drawn to Bear and his family. Especially his little brother Fallon who had me grinning ear to ear in practically every scene he was in.
But oh my word...Bear and Trevor? Just wow. The heat. The tension. The angst. There was just the right amount of push and pull to have me frustrated and desperately wanting them to get together and steam things up a bit without having me want to pull my hair out or throw my Kindle across the room. Gah! They were just too delicious!
This book was such a pleasure to read and I am super excited to see where this series goes!
With 2 of her books very happily under my belt I feel like I can safely say I will most likely be reading every book she puts out in the future no matter what genre just as fast as she can pump them out!
I can't wait for more!!!
Thankfully there's one book left for me to read. Sleep? Who needs sleep?!
October 9, 2016
Adventurous
This was my first read by this author and it was quite entertaining. Shifters on a weekend run, humans in the woods and a bear attracted to a young man, but is trying not to show his attraction too much. I really enjoyed this story with Bear and Travis two men that fell in love.
This was my first read by this author and it was quite entertaining. Shifters on a weekend run, humans in the woods and a bear attracted to a young man, but is trying not to show his attraction too much. I really enjoyed this story with Bear and Travis two men that fell in love.
November 4, 2016
Pleasantly surprised
I was sure about this book, don't know why I hesitated but finally decided to give it a try, and yes I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy it. The story line was good and the characters were believable, I just wished there would have been a little more details in them. But I would recommend this book.
I was sure about this book, don't know why I hesitated but finally decided to give it a try, and yes I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy it. The story line was good and the characters were believable, I just wished there would have been a little more details in them. But I would recommend this book.
October 14, 2016
Good
An easy reading and so easy to understand the english since english is not my first language.
I love bear and trevor characters. I imagined them so sexy and compatible to each other.
An easy reading and so easy to understand the english since english is not my first language.
I love bear and trevor characters. I imagined them so sexy and compatible to each other.
November 21, 2016
I really enjoyed this. There was decent world building. I thought it'd be pretty porn-y but there more emotion than I expected. I liked the characters. There were some decent side characters, but also some pretty rape-y side characters. The action was good. Pretty good over all.
June 13, 2016
Loved it
This was a great read and was really well written. The sex was hot but it didn't overshadow the progress of the story
This was a great read and was really well written. The sex was hot but it didn't overshadow the progress of the story
October 4, 2016
Interesting
Although this isn't my normal reading material, I did enjoy the story. A little love and a little action helps move it along.
Although this isn't my normal reading material, I did enjoy the story. A little love and a little action helps move it along.
October 20, 2016
Pretty good
The characters were well fleshed out and enjoyable but the story was longer than necessary, it climaxed and then just kept going.
The characters were well fleshed out and enjoyable but the story was longer than necessary, it climaxed and then just kept going.
November 2, 2016
This was so sweet but way to short!!! I wanted more!!! I hope to read Fallon's story soon and honestly I wouldnt mind Grant's story either!!!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews