True North

The Bears of Blackrock #4

by Michaela Carr

Keep the family secret, at all costs.

A simple enough rule - when in doubt, don't shift.

Don't shift in public. Don't shift around humans. Don't shift where people might see, and especially don't shift in front of Officer Charlie Black of the Blackrock PD.

Well, Theron Talbot messed that up. Accident or no, the last person on earth that the Talbot and Fenn clans would want to know their secret now has his sights on Theron, and he's throwing threats left and right.

Locked away from the world

Sinead thought teaching in the wilds of the north would be good for the soul - until she discovered the children in her class were the wildest creatures up there.

There is no escape from The Extension, their captors made sure of that. Sinead has been trapped with the Holden clan for two years, their captors relishing in the slow decline of the Holden family. Sinead has lost hope for escape or any semblance of happiness.

Then the handsome Theron Talbot appears at her door.

Can she resist the warmth of his embrace?

Driven from Blackrock for what he is, Theron discovers his family have been given a far worse deal for their shifting ways - they've been interred on The Extension. Bleak and hidden away from the world, The Extension has something no other place in the world can offer - the fiery haired, Sinead. The only human on the camp, Sinead suffers from the cold unlike the rest of his clan, and the season is changing fast.

Theron wants nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and protect her from harm. He can't watch her suffer at the hands of their captors. He'll do anything to keep her warm and keep her safe. To get her home.

Even if that means losing his own life to do it?

TRUE NORTH is a standalone, HEA part of the series The Bears of Blackrock and can be read in tandem or on its own.

Genres: Shapeshifters

180 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 13, 2016

About the author

See also Michaela Wright

Michaela Carr is an American author and wiseass with a love for Shifter romance. She spent summers listening to the lobster boats coming in on the harbor in Downeast Maine and now tells tales of The Bears of Blackrock - a shifter clan who call the quiet rural community home. A pen name of Michaela Wright, Carr is the place to find steamy and dark stories about proud shifters and the lucky ladies that get to call them 'mate.' And soon, those shifters might have to contend with a whole new world of Sups.

Michaela lives in Chelmsford, Massachusetts with her daughter and a brood of animals, including cats named Archimedes, Poet, and Neptune. When she isn't writing, she's listening to New Wave, singing loudly while driving around aimlessly, Feng Shuiing her kitchen, and cooking up the best damn steak you'll ever taste.

You can also find Michaela's Contemporary and Gothic Romance titles under Michaela Wright. Both Wright and Carr titles can be found at her website.

Reviews

[T Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

HFN
Series, interconnected characters but no cliffhanger. Each book has its own couple's story. Told dual PoV, but not in 1st person

Bear Shifter

Trigger warnings
Police harassment
Internment camp, trackers
Electrocution
Death/murder/justified homicide

Characters
Theron (polar bear, mmc)
Sinead (nonshifter, mfc)
Buniq (child at camp)
Darrell (cousin mmc, brother of Buniq)
John Fenn (previous book, grizzly)
Pear (mmc grandmother)
Karen (mmc mother)
Officer Miller, Reed, and Davenport(cops that aren't good)
Officer Black (cop that saw shift)


Theron gets seen shifting by Officer Black and runs to Canada to hide with his mother's family to protect the rest of the bears in Blackrock. Little does he know, he walked into an even worse situation. The family he was headed to are being forced to stay at an Internment camp. They are systematically being starved, killed, and the one nonshifter is being slowly frozen. The Canadian Davenport cop is the ring leader as far as Theron can tell. Things aren't looking good for anyone. Then Officer Black shows up. How did he get there without an escort and can they escape the same way? Sinead reminds them of everyone's trackers, meaning they can't leave. What will they do? Who will survive the fight coming?

A few typos were noticed. This book had a completely different feel from the previous books in the series. Also, I thought Davenport was the bad cop in Blackrock so now I'm confused and heading back to read John's story again.

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forced to flee his home after a local cop discovered him shifting into a polar bear, Theron goes to stay with family on "the Extension." Within moments of his arrival, Theron is shot at and locked away with rapidly dwindling hopes of escape.

Theron's salvation comes from unexpected places and, while his relationship with Sinead seems obvious (she's the only adult not related to him on the Extension), it takes time to develop.

I enjoyed this story once the plot started moving. I found the beginning really slow, but I'm glad I kept reading. The end was definitely worth it.

I received a copy of this book and voluntarily provided this honest review.

[Terrie Romero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

I couldn’t put it down. Loved all the characters well not Baird and company. I was thinking of ways they could escape.

[Dee Archer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Theron is a bear shifter that got into some trouble and was sent north to Labrador to stay with family. What he found there was unbelievable. Sinead is an idealistic young teacher that lives among the Holden clan to teach the young children. The drama takes a surprising turn and as details come to light, unspeakable injustice, suffering, pain and torture is revealed. It is an intolerable situation and somehow they must escape. The action is suspenseful and breathtaking. Romance and mystery with thrilling combat keeps one enthralled to the very end. I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review and I gladly encourage others who enjoy a well crafted adventure to get this book. Five stars.

[Anne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Interesting story ,well written. Trouble, Polar bear shifters, humans and Romance. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more in the series.
Arc for honest review

[Lyn Mckenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I swear this series just gets better and better, I thought the standard of writing and storytelling couldn't improve when I finished the third book and then I read this one! Wow, what a story and what talented authors!

This story line... OMG, it is filled with so much action and adventure. There are surprises that keep you hooked page after page, obsessively so. There is something that I loved so much about this story, there is pain, fear and anguish but there is also love, hope and the feeling of a community that will always stand by each other, and cares for each other with a deep reserve of love and respect.

There are so many characters that I loved in this book! The one I have the most respect for is Sinead, a human who puts everything on the line for those she cares about, a human who could easily lose her life in the cold and harsh weather that she is not build to survive and all for the love of the people around her! She is such a protective person and people seem to flock to her, to have her in their lives even though she is no blood relation. I loved her passion and her fire, a strong woman that will not be dictated to by anyone! Then of course we have Theron and I am so glad that he had his own story. He is also a shifter who is extremely protective and not just of the people he loves, also people that he feels are being wronged in some way, he has a huge view of justice and respect. I also have to mention Pearl. I love strong woman characters and that is her down to a tee, she is an amazing character and I am so glad she made it into this book...I wont say more on her as you need to read her awesomeness for yourself.

This is a seriously amazing page turner of a book and a must read for all, even if this isn't your normal genre, you would definitely not regret this! The talent of the authors to be able to describe all the details of this book in that much colour and clarity is a rare and amazing thing!

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book

[Julie Jefferies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Theron has just finished his engineering degree and finally home from college. While out with friends, he is spotted by a local police officer shifting from a polar bear back to himself. When officer Black knocks on his door and says that they have set up surveillance cameras and will catch him, Theron is forced to head North to his Mums family in Kilikut, but when he arrives no one claims to know if his family, until he meets Officer Davenport who drives him to his family. When they arrive Baird Davenport pulls a gun on Theron and shoots at him, then locks him in and drives away. Sinead is fearful of the man that has just arrived, wondering if he's law enforcement pretending to be one of them. They've been trapped there in the Extension for two long years, no contact with the outside world, and slowly Officer Davenport has reduced their food supplies from seven crates to only three. All those in the Extension are slowly starving to death. They need to escape, Theron thinks he's there best chance, but a shock visitor and change of circumstances put all their lives in danger.

I really enjoyed how this story unfolded, the way enemies became allies, especially at the end, I don't think anyone saw the confession to crimes coming. I can't say much because I don't want to give anything away, but this book is definitely worth the read. I haven't read any of Alana's other stories, but will say this is definitely my favorite of Michaela's.

I received an ARC for an honest review

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and even though it is book 5 of a series, it is definitely a stand alone, as I wasn't even aware of it being part of a series when I pick it to read. It was also very difficult to put down. Theron is a bear shifter and like most young men was always up to no good doing something they shouldn't, which included shifting where a human could see them. And with Theron being a polar bear shifter he kinda stood out compared to his friend and was seen by the local law officer. So his family send him north to his grandmother's. And up North things are very different as the local law officers are well aware of the shifters and persecute them. They have tricked them into living on a reservation by taking the children first saying they were being took for a medical and to get their shots etc and not bringing them back, telling the adults if they want to see their kids again they will have to join them on the reservation. They keep them in line with an electric fence and by chipping them so they know exactly where they are at all times. Theron knows nothing about this when he heads to his grans. Whilst stuck on the Reservation he falls for Sinead the human school teacher who ended up on the reservation by refusing to leave the kids she arrived with. I won't tell you any more as I hate it when reviewers tell too much of the story and ruin it for other readers.

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theron Talbot breaks the rules in Blackrock. Never be seen shifted. He goes to his mother's family the Holdens for a while until his mistake is forgotten. He gets there but what he finds out is incredible. There is no way out. His grandmother Pearl Holden and his family are behind an electric fence with no way out. They have a school and the teacher Sinead is human and very pretty. All of them held as prisoners by officer Baird for years now. So while they are trying to find a way to get out, sparks fly, things heat up and love finds them. This is a story with quite the twists, you feel for the family and pray that they get out of their confinement. It's not your typical love story :) but I enjoyed it very much.
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sinead thought teaching in the wild would be so soothing for the soul but found out that the children were the wildest of them all and they trapped her there and she wanted to go home or just leave there in one peace. Theron was told not to shift in front of humans or at all coast in front of Officer Charlie Black of the Blackrock PD but he did by accident and he was put in exile with the fiery haired Sinead he falls in love mate of all things and he wants to protect her I love this book it was so good and awesome read loved the characters they were so believable I got this free for an honest review Michelle

[Juliana Ignácio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Theron is forced to distance himself from Blackrock after Officer Charlie Black of the Blackrock PD saw him shifting into a polar bear. When he arrives at his destination, things are much worse than he could imagine.
Sinead is the only human with the Holden family, and she does everything to teach the children of the tribe.
To say I was quite tense in most of this book is an understatement. The whole time I was rooting for them to find a way to escape from that prison.
I loved this story and all characters. I just missed to know a little more what's going on in the lives of the characters from the other stories.
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Patricia Hoffstaetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is one of the few books that I have read about a bear shifter romance that is well written with a good entertaining story-line, which also offers drama, suspense, intrigue and erotic scenes in. The story-line and plot is well thought out and is exceptionally well written. The characters are well developed with personalities and have feelings of lust, desires and love. I would recommend this book to people that like to read a good bear shifter romance with a HEA.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

True North is the fourth book in the Bears of Blackrock series. It is a standalone story. It is the first of the series I've read, and I had no problem following the storyline. I love Theron and Sinead together. They make a great couple. Her fiery personality was fun to read, and I liked how Theron took care of Sinead. I definitely want to go back and read the other books in the series.
*I received an ARC from the authors in exchange for my honest review.*

[Sherri · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome book! I was pulled in from the first page, so much excitement and drama, a real page turner! Ther and Shin make an awesome couple. There was a couple times I had to put the book down because I got so angry at that stupid sheriff!!