Backwoods Bear: Stranded

by Eileen Glass

Out of gas and unequipped for snow, Owen's situation goes from bad to worse when a grizzly finds him stranded in his truck. The beast is huge. Malicious. And it’s determined to claw through metal and glass just to get to him.

Fortunately, there’s one man living on this country road who finds him in the morning. Broad, unkempt, and rough in manners, Eli doesn’t really ask; he carries Owen home with him.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Paranormal, Shapeshifters, Forced Proximity, Adult, Contemporary

220 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 13, 2017

Reviews

[Sierra · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's barely a blurb for this book so I will try to fill you in on what's going on in this shifter read. First of all there's no "fated mates", although Eli (the shifter) desires Owen (the stranded human student) right way and immediately begins what turns out to be courtship behavior. Owen meets Eli as the bear first, terrified as Eli tries to get in the car and roars. Later he is faced with a bearlike human Eli who takes him in and cares for him as a relationship forms. Owen's real life, school, his family, Christmastime, is waiting for him but he lingers, growing ever closer to Eli. Eli constantly refers to Owen as human and is very clear that he, himself, is not. Unlike most other shifter books where the shifter is either human or the animal, Eli is both, something wholly unique. He is growly, huge, and very bearlike in his expressions and looks. He is a man of few words, avoiding questions and giving short answers--Owen observes that he sometimes talks like a caveman. He is the gay stereotype of a "bear", described as muscled, big, and plump. The sex is sweet, Eli an attentive lover. I think for anyone who loves a masculine alpha male with protective behavior this would be a very enjoyable book. Owen is faced finally with a decision, stay and be Eli's mate or return to his regular life and planned future. I found the ending perfect and a little unexpected. The writing is not as engaging as Glass's long Omega series and is written all in present tense which I know some readers don't like (I quick ceased to notice it). There was something at the very end that made me wonder if this was also going to become a series. If so, be assured that this book functions perfectly as a standalone. I hope that this rather long review helps readers decide whether this is the book for them. I found it enjoyable for a sweet, fairly quick read.

[Fatimama · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked that this wasn’t a fated mate kinda thing. I felt that the book ended abruptly with HFN.

[Mateo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a big fan of shifter story but this one was fun, really enjoy it.

[Kristen L. Abbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best bear shifter romance ever.

Wow. I've read hundreds (not exaggerating -- my kindle collection has a count) of shifter romances. This one is more dramatic, sweeter, sexier--it's exactly what I was looking for when I picked up a bear gay shifter romance. Plus it's written like a play, without anyone but the protagonists and only one change of scene. Everything that happens is between them: in bed, in how they treat each other. Moreover Glass writes the best most believable characters-changing-their-minds I can recall ever seeing. Owen thinks through only half his character growth, and just DOES the rest. It's breathtaking writing. Most people, and most characters, don't really change. They react to changing circumstances. Glass's protagonists change believably, slowly.

[Deirdre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

When a man is Bear first and Human shifter second then how he approaches everything he does is influenced by it. Including finding a young man stranded in a car on an infrequently used road during the beginning of a blizzard. Returning home after a successful college semester is supposed to be full of happiness and anticipatory of relief & relaxation. But this is not the case for Owen.

While he is glad to be leaving behind a no longer wanted relationship at the same time he is not eager to be pulled back into the morass of his family dynamics. Unfortunately he didn't have to worry about it and ended up having much more pressing concerns - of not only being stuck in a furious snowstorm, but being hunted by a huge Grizzly Bear.

Owen's fear was palpable. He had a lot of time for reflection on all the things he'd done wrong. How was he going to act if he ever got out of the terrible situation he was in? But when a chance for rescue came. He was initially too scared to take it.

Many of Owen's prejudices came out. He stereotyped Eli from the moment that they first encountered each other. Some were based on Eli's appearance and how he lived, but others were classism. Owen never believed he was that type of person until he did it and finally acknowledged that he was doing it. While I didn't always like Owen, I loved Eli.

The big, ole, grumpy, grumbling Bear of a man was kind and caring despite his outer appearance. He didn't have the greatest social skills, but living in a remote area didn't help in that matter. Yet it fitted better with his personality. He liked being alone until Owen came. They were so different from each, but the chemistry between the two of them was off the charts. Could the strong mutual attraction they shared be enough to stop Owen from leaving? It didn't seem so.

I really enjoyed this story. I love Bear shifters and this was a great portrayal of the Human & his Animal. Eileen Glass is an author I look forward to reading. She constructs her characters' personalities very well and she leaves the reader guessing until the very end.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the unique take on bear shifters. The characters had distinct voices and made choices that felt realistic even if they weren’t always the “right” choices. I really wish there was a book two because the hfn ending caught me by surprise. It’s been a few years since this book was released and I think that later books by Eileen Glass have been more polished and fleshed out, but her talent for storytelling is still apparent here.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

yessssssssssssss! It has taken me three books to find one of Ms Glass's books that I really, really liked.
There was no 'Fated Mates' (OMG!!!) And Eli actually acted like a bear who sometimes was human rather then the other way around. Just so good... I wish more shifter books went this way rather then caveman style.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Backwoods Bear: Stranded by Eileen Glass
This is the standard trope of being stuck in the snow, rescued by a strange man who turns out to be more than he seems—in this case a bear shapeshifter. Fun, sweet romance.

[Kagetsuya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to know what happend on Christmas!!! I love it, the story goes sweet and smooth, I really like it, but I want MORE please!!!

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, sweet, romantic, sexy. Very well done. I honestly wish this one was longer! I hope the author writes a sequel where Owen brings home Eli to meet the family.

[Robin L · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t know why, but that was hard to get through. I wanted to like it much more than I did.

[Barby · Rating 4 out of 5]

that abrupt ending !!

Can’t wait for the next one, I’m so interested in the bears world. Eileen glass always does a fantastic job in world building, and Eli is so sweet.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What? What do you mean “the end”? This is no ending! I really liked the book so far. Give me the rest! Don’t just leave it all up in the air and unresolved. Grrrr. Stupid bear book.

[NTDan · Rating 4 out of 5]

i would have loved for there to be more plot, but eli and owen are such a sweet couple

[Saskia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish this had been better edited. The story was interesting but the ending was kind of abrupt and I feel that the most important and interesting conversation was just skipped and happened off page...

[Ramsi]

Sorry I did not care a lot for it.

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