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Once Upon a Harem #1
Planet Bear
**Please note, this book is being republished using the same title but a different series name. The author has been granted back the rights on this book and is republished it. You may have already purchased it. Please check before buying again.*
Jessica White never intended to stray from her intended path. Her assignment was hard but simple. Travel through the unrestricted path of space corridor that runs between Planet Bear, Planet Wolf, and Planet Cat to human territory to deliver the packages the Union have entrusted her with. The pay day she gets when she completes her job will seriously help her family. But when she gets attacked and ends up crash landing on Planet Bear, her life changes immediately.
Finn, Cole, and Rylan aren’t just any shifters—they run the planet—and if they want their human mate accepted they’re going to change everything to get what they want. She is their mate. Everyone else can get out of their way. But Jessica isn’t at all sure she wants to go along with this mating. Their furniture is too big, their food is weird, she’s not a bear shifter, and she can’t defend herself from crazy bears shifting to threaten her life.
The brothers three will have to convince her they’re worth all the adjustment or lose her to space.
Please note--this book contains bear shifters, a woman lost in space, and a reverse harem relationship. You have been warned.
Jessica White never intended to stray from her intended path. Her assignment was hard but simple. Travel through the unrestricted path of space corridor that runs between Planet Bear, Planet Wolf, and Planet Cat to human territory to deliver the packages the Union have entrusted her with. The pay day she gets when she completes her job will seriously help her family. But when she gets attacked and ends up crash landing on Planet Bear, her life changes immediately.
Finn, Cole, and Rylan aren’t just any shifters—they run the planet—and if they want their human mate accepted they’re going to change everything to get what they want. She is their mate. Everyone else can get out of their way. But Jessica isn’t at all sure she wants to go along with this mating. Their furniture is too big, their food is weird, she’s not a bear shifter, and she can’t defend herself from crazy bears shifting to threaten her life.
The brothers three will have to convince her they’re worth all the adjustment or lose her to space.
Please note--this book contains bear shifters, a woman lost in space, and a reverse harem relationship. You have been warned.
136 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 20, 2018
152 people are currently reading
390 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Royce
193 books1,431 followersAuthor of science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
April 12, 2018
3.5 stars
March 20, 2018
Jessica White is a space courier, piloting government goods around the universe. On her first mission after graduation, she is sent on a tricky mission through shifter space where she is shot down and crash lands on Planet Bear. Fleeing from her crash site, an injured Jessica travels through the heavy woods until she finds what appears to be an empty house. While ransacking the refrigerator one of the owners of the house discovers her. Jessica has wandered into the Durojo clan's house. Finn, Cole, and Rylan aren’t just any regular bear shifters. Finn is the leader of the planet, Cole is the doctor, and Rylan is a soldier/enforcer. They smell her as mate immediately changing the course of her life and their world forever.
Planet Bear is a retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, RH style. It's an imaginative, entertaining story. Jessica is a strong woman unafraid to stand up for herself even when facing enormous bears. She's determined, loyal, and smart; she's also lonely and expects less from life than what she deserves. The guys are loving brothers, all strong and solid. They have pretty much given up on the idea of having a mate of their own so they see Jessica as a true gift that literally dropped from the sky. Their caring, protective, gentle ways are exactly what she needs after the hard life she's led. I found the brother's innocence with their new mate to be utterly charming!
This story may be short in length but it's certainly not short of anything else. The world-building is solid, the characters are developed, their connection fast but believable. There are politics, warfare, and romance. There's danger, bravery, and some sexy times. It's a story of taking chances and making changes. I would be interested in a more expanded story of these four and their lives together.
Planet Bear is a retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, RH style. It's an imaginative, entertaining story. Jessica is a strong woman unafraid to stand up for herself even when facing enormous bears. She's determined, loyal, and smart; she's also lonely and expects less from life than what she deserves. The guys are loving brothers, all strong and solid. They have pretty much given up on the idea of having a mate of their own so they see Jessica as a true gift that literally dropped from the sky. Their caring, protective, gentle ways are exactly what she needs after the hard life she's led. I found the brother's innocence with their new mate to be utterly charming!
This story may be short in length but it's certainly not short of anything else. The world-building is solid, the characters are developed, their connection fast but believable. There are politics, warfare, and romance. There's danger, bravery, and some sexy times. It's a story of taking chances and making changes. I would be interested in a more expanded story of these four and their lives together.
April 18, 2018
Dull lacks character depth & world building. 1 nothing sexy goes on here star.
May 6, 2018
While making her first deliver run for the Union, Jessica's ship - Goldie, has been shot and she ended up crashing on a Planet Bear - cleverly named after its occupants, who just happen to loath humans.
Plain and simple, I did not like this book. And that's an absolute shame, cause I love Rebecca Royce's writing. But here I just ended up not being able to connect - neither to the characters, nor to the story itself. I read everything with a sort of clinical detachment and that is never a good thing.
Plus, everything felt rushed to me and because of that it was hard for me to believe in the depth of the connection Jessica had with her Bears. Like, she went out of her way to tell everyone how she does not like sex, only to then go and have it with each of the guys immediately? And the chemistry between the four, the passion? I didn't see it.
The second half of the book did get better and I started to get interested in the events taking place, but again. It just ended way too fast, so I didn't have much time to actually start enjoying it.
Also, (and this really got to me, so be prepared) the girl has internal bleeding, but proceeds to run through the woods for god knows how long, then she meets the guys and spends about two days with them, all the while running around and having sex and doesn't even suspects that something might be wrong? Now, I'm no doctor but that seems a little...far fetched? And, the kicker is that they had a Doctor among them, but he didn't bother to do a check up after a girl crushed from the sky? And they got upset how Jessica didn't tell them about her internal bleeding? How the hell would she know?!
So, in the end, while there were good parts in the story, they weren't enough to make me enjoy what I was reading.
Plain and simple, I did not like this book. And that's an absolute shame, cause I love Rebecca Royce's writing. But here I just ended up not being able to connect - neither to the characters, nor to the story itself. I read everything with a sort of clinical detachment and that is never a good thing.
Plus, everything felt rushed to me and because of that it was hard for me to believe in the depth of the connection Jessica had with her Bears. Like, she went out of her way to tell everyone how she does not like sex, only to then go and have it with each of the guys immediately? And the chemistry between the four, the passion? I didn't see it.
The second half of the book did get better and I started to get interested in the events taking place, but again. It just ended way too fast, so I didn't have much time to actually start enjoying it.
Also, (and this really got to me, so be prepared) the girl has internal bleeding, but proceeds to run through the woods for god knows how long, then she meets the guys and spends about two days with them, all the while running around and having sex and doesn't even suspects that something might be wrong? Now, I'm no doctor but that seems a little...far fetched? And, the kicker is that they had a Doctor among them, but he didn't bother to do a check up after a girl crushed from the sky? And they got upset how Jessica didn't tell them about her internal bleeding? How the hell would she know?!
So, in the end, while there were good parts in the story, they weren't enough to make me enjoy what I was reading.
March 16, 2018
I love new takes or retelling of beloved fairytales. And Rebecca Royce has done Goldilocks and the three bears. And done a great job. It was more serious than i thought it would be though it did have some humorous moments and very sexy times.
I like that it had a scifi element as well as shapeshifters. And i liked Jessica, she was no nonsense and didnt just faint into the bears arms and relinquish all control to them, well except that one time but in her defence she had a concussion!
This is the first book in the Once Upon A Harem series and i found it fascinating. Im curious about what fairy tale will be next and if it's based in this same world where there are places like planet Bear, Cat and Wolf. Really i need to read the others.
I like that it had a scifi element as well as shapeshifters. And i liked Jessica, she was no nonsense and didnt just faint into the bears arms and relinquish all control to them, well except that one time but in her defence she had a concussion!
This is the first book in the Once Upon A Harem series and i found it fascinating. Im curious about what fairy tale will be next and if it's based in this same world where there are places like planet Bear, Cat and Wolf. Really i need to read the others.
June 12, 2018
This seems to be a sort of grown up version of goldilocks and the three bears. This is short read, but worth it. Jessica and her brother have been basically thrown away when they were younger. As an adult Jessica feels worthless or accident prone especially when her ship gets blown out of the sky and she crash lands on an alien planet. Planet near is known to be unfriendly, will she live to save her brother? I enjoyed this one. I appreciated that the author didn't make the sex scenes take up 3 pages, I mean come on does it really have to be that drawn out? Anyway, I think the author did a good job with the retelling of this fairytale.
September 22, 2019
I get why some people compare this to Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but it is less fairy tale than fantasy RH. The whole bear shifter mating with a human was interesting.
I wish more had been explained about why
It was a bit short. I would have liked more information about
I wish more had been explained about why
It was a bit short. I would have liked more information about
March 25, 2018
I really liked the idea of this story and I did enjoy it overall. Would have liked Jessica to have been a bit more confident.
March 20, 2018
I love this take on the three bears story. I love the landing on a strange planet with a totally incorrect idea of the inhabitants. I don’t care for how she jumped from NO WAY to OKAY but it happens. Cannot wait for the next.
May 24, 2024
If my copy had this cover I would have suspected awful it would be.
March 21, 2018
Once again, Rebecca Royce has done it, her magic.
Although her contemporary RH Unconventional is currently my topmost favorite from her works, it was Wings of Artemis Series that introduced me to the wonderful author that is Rebecca Royce and to her brand of RH scifi. I remember being thirsty for more when I finished Book 1 - Kidnapped by Her Husbands. And I think the overall concept of Planet Bear reminds me a lot of it. And I freaking love it, that feeling.
I love the heroine, Jessica. I love her quirky way of accepting her death by explosion because apparently she (and her family) is prone to do so. It broke me a little when she suffered to that head & ear bashing and to that degrading time when she was committed to a mental institution. What a mindfuck, and not the delicious type, mind you.
The three bear-shifter brothers are a trip. They made me growl and laugh at the same time at their single-mindedness when it comes to their mate. I mean, it seems funny to me but was obviously painfully frustrating to Jessica. lmao.
My only complaint (?) was the ending. The last 20 pages or so felt rushed to me. In a way that made difficult for me to savor the resolution of the conflict. Or maybe it's my greed talking, I'm not sure. SorryNotSorry lmao
Also, a great start to this author-studded series! I. JUST. CANNOT. WAIT. YESSS!
March 29, 2018
These bears know what they want
This was an interesting take on shifters. They had congregated or started off on their own planets. Hmmmm...I wonder what planet I would like to end up on? If I ended up on Planet Bear like Jessica with shifters like Finn, Cole and Rylan, I certainly wouldn't mind being there. Otherwise, I'm not sure I would like some of the other clans. The Derby clan was a piece of work, and I'm glad that they got what they deserved. Jessica was a bit annoying at first with her whining about various things, but then she became more likeable. I felt sorry for her that she was placed in an asylum, and that she thought she had lost her hearing. There was plenty of action, and I wouldn't mind seeing a book about each of the planets. I borrowed this book through the Kindle Unlimited program.
This was an interesting take on shifters. They had congregated or started off on their own planets. Hmmmm...I wonder what planet I would like to end up on? If I ended up on Planet Bear like Jessica with shifters like Finn, Cole and Rylan, I certainly wouldn't mind being there. Otherwise, I'm not sure I would like some of the other clans. The Derby clan was a piece of work, and I'm glad that they got what they deserved. Jessica was a bit annoying at first with her whining about various things, but then she became more likeable. I felt sorry for her that she was placed in an asylum, and that she thought she had lost her hearing. There was plenty of action, and I wouldn't mind seeing a book about each of the planets. I borrowed this book through the Kindle Unlimited program.
March 19, 2018
A new series written by different authors this one is Planet Bear & Jessica a human mate to three bear shifters. This is the first book of the series and set up this reverse harem book series and is fun & exciting. Looking forward to were this series will lead
August 22, 2021
Goldie in the sky
Jessica was given 2 missions: one by her brother to buy his freedom, the other by her company to make this delivery. But Wolves shooting her ship down means that neither of those things is going to happen.
Spoilers ahead.
Ok. Amazon has the reading order as Lions then Bears, the actual order is Bears then Lions. Story wise, Bears is 1st. But, I can say that no matter how much I enjoyed previous stories by this author, if I had read this first, I wouldn't have read Lions. And it was far better. This has horrible time jumps, just skips past stuff. She crashes, then breaks in, then passes out, then is having sex and saying the L word immediately, and then the big drama occurs and a year goes by in 2 pages. What? Then the resolution, and another year disappeared. And the resolution was only half explained.
Only read on if you want huge spoilers. This is your warning.
*With super noses how didn't they smell her bleeding? Skin is porous, he's a trained medical, she was in a crash- he clearly can't run thorough tests, and apparently internal bleeding to the point of anemia isn't painful. Nope.
*If they could hear her ship come down, hear non shouted conversations over miles and miles of forest, and smell people on the edge of their property (which is also miles away), how did they not hear/smell the invasion??
*She was there a year. So were the others. Not 1 doc there realized that the women had been gone for decades/close to a century and were still young? No tests so they could copy that and sell it to the rich?
*No mention if the others were freed.
*How did Mark hide a human for 80yrs on a planet of super senses? No unexplained heartbeat? No odd human scent? Did they completely soundproof their house and have a decontamination station at every door? Never open a window?
*It was mentioned that they thought Mark and mate (we never get a name) would be on the ship. But all the human mates were stolen and there's no mention if/how/when they got free. Or how any of their mates fared while they were gone.
*No explanation given as to why it took a year. They have ships. They have connections. They had several dozen shifters looking for mates, most definitely pressuring humans for information in large bloody swaths through the population. With apparently no repercussions from the Union.
*If these 3 kinds of shifters can't get along while on 3 separate planets, how are they getting along on 1? Especially as certain bears are running their mouths and shifters can hear for miles.
*How on earth can you get a person naked and not see signs of internal bleeding? It was caused by a crash, that would mean bruising and lividity. Sensitive areas. Nausea if it affected spleen, liver or pancreas. Black or bloody stools if it was anywhere in her digestive system- humans can't process blood, it just passes through. Coughing if it was in her lungs or around her heart. She's known hunger, had to forage, she's going to be fit and lean. There's nowhere to hide the signs. And she had sex twice before they realize that she's bleeding internally?
*Bears hibernate, but in this book it's called torpur and made to just sound sleepy and slow for a while. Why every 5yrs? Is that the seasons? Then how did they get to 5yrs and not call it a year for the season change? If Wolves visit the other planets to infiltrate (something mentioned in Lions) how did they never discover this weakness?
It wasn't a bad book but there's little world building, an issue in both books of this series. The characters in this book had no time to develop. At least in Lions they grew, stretched out. In this one things happen, there are reactions, and time flies by, then it all ends. We don't learn much about Bear life, barely anything about their leadership structure, and nothing about who they *are*. The most we know is none of them think they can communicate, but they co-rule an entire society; they shun most tech that isn't medical; Rylan is barely a functional adult (bear-wise); Cole does medicine but can't do thorough scans on his mate; Finn leads. No hobbies, no fun moments together, no learning about anything there- and it's even mentioned in the beginning that each shifter planet has their own name but they just call it by the type of shifter there. Never learn what Bears call it. A possible job was mentioned before her kidnapping but no permanent job was mentioned in the rushed ending. She's a pilot, can build, although that was never confirmed. And I'm not sure when she had time to do it. Orphaned, foraged, state home, became pilot,... This feels like a lot of complaining. It just threw me because I know how strong an author Royce is. I've never been left with so many questions. I would still recommend her Heart Of The Nebula series, and her Last Hope series. And definitely read Planet Cat first, like Amazon has it listed. If this series continues, I'll still look for the 3rd. Cats was better than Bears, the next could be even better yet.
Jessica was given 2 missions: one by her brother to buy his freedom, the other by her company to make this delivery. But Wolves shooting her ship down means that neither of those things is going to happen.
Spoilers ahead.
Ok. Amazon has the reading order as Lions then Bears, the actual order is Bears then Lions. Story wise, Bears is 1st. But, I can say that no matter how much I enjoyed previous stories by this author, if I had read this first, I wouldn't have read Lions. And it was far better. This has horrible time jumps, just skips past stuff. She crashes, then breaks in, then passes out, then is having sex and saying the L word immediately, and then the big drama occurs and a year goes by in 2 pages. What? Then the resolution, and another year disappeared. And the resolution was only half explained.
Only read on if you want huge spoilers. This is your warning.
*With super noses how didn't they smell her bleeding? Skin is porous, he's a trained medical, she was in a crash- he clearly can't run thorough tests, and apparently internal bleeding to the point of anemia isn't painful. Nope.
*If they could hear her ship come down, hear non shouted conversations over miles and miles of forest, and smell people on the edge of their property (which is also miles away), how did they not hear/smell the invasion??
*She was there a year. So were the others. Not 1 doc there realized that the women had been gone for decades/close to a century and were still young? No tests so they could copy that and sell it to the rich?
*No mention if the others were freed.
*How did Mark hide a human for 80yrs on a planet of super senses? No unexplained heartbeat? No odd human scent? Did they completely soundproof their house and have a decontamination station at every door? Never open a window?
*It was mentioned that they thought Mark and mate (we never get a name) would be on the ship. But all the human mates were stolen and there's no mention if/how/when they got free. Or how any of their mates fared while they were gone.
*No explanation given as to why it took a year. They have ships. They have connections. They had several dozen shifters looking for mates, most definitely pressuring humans for information in large bloody swaths through the population. With apparently no repercussions from the Union.
*If these 3 kinds of shifters can't get along while on 3 separate planets, how are they getting along on 1? Especially as certain bears are running their mouths and shifters can hear for miles.
*How on earth can you get a person naked and not see signs of internal bleeding? It was caused by a crash, that would mean bruising and lividity. Sensitive areas. Nausea if it affected spleen, liver or pancreas. Black or bloody stools if it was anywhere in her digestive system- humans can't process blood, it just passes through. Coughing if it was in her lungs or around her heart. She's known hunger, had to forage, she's going to be fit and lean. There's nowhere to hide the signs. And she had sex twice before they realize that she's bleeding internally?
*Bears hibernate, but in this book it's called torpur and made to just sound sleepy and slow for a while. Why every 5yrs? Is that the seasons? Then how did they get to 5yrs and not call it a year for the season change? If Wolves visit the other planets to infiltrate (something mentioned in Lions) how did they never discover this weakness?
It wasn't a bad book but there's little world building, an issue in both books of this series. The characters in this book had no time to develop. At least in Lions they grew, stretched out. In this one things happen, there are reactions, and time flies by, then it all ends. We don't learn much about Bear life, barely anything about their leadership structure, and nothing about who they *are*. The most we know is none of them think they can communicate, but they co-rule an entire society; they shun most tech that isn't medical; Rylan is barely a functional adult (bear-wise); Cole does medicine but can't do thorough scans on his mate; Finn leads. No hobbies, no fun moments together, no learning about anything there- and it's even mentioned in the beginning that each shifter planet has their own name but they just call it by the type of shifter there. Never learn what Bears call it. A possible job was mentioned before her kidnapping but no permanent job was mentioned in the rushed ending. She's a pilot, can build, although that was never confirmed. And I'm not sure when she had time to do it. Orphaned, foraged, state home, became pilot,... This feels like a lot of complaining. It just threw me because I know how strong an author Royce is. I've never been left with so many questions. I would still recommend her Heart Of The Nebula series, and her Last Hope series. And definitely read Planet Cat first, like Amazon has it listed. If this series continues, I'll still look for the 3rd. Cats was better than Bears, the next could be even better yet.
March 13, 2018
3.5 stars
This is the first novella in a new series by Rebecca Royce. It’s a futuristic/alternate reality sci-fi romance involving one woman and three sexy shifter brothers.
Jessica’s ship is shot down and crash lands on a planet of shape shifting bears. Then the fun begins, starting with a tongue in cheek reference to the classic fairytale of ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’ that includes eating porridge and oversized furniture. Finn, Cole and Rylan recognize their mate immediately in the small, human female, but Jessica takes a little convincing.
As usual in Royce’s novellas, the storytelling is told fairly quickly and over a period of a very few days, in this case about a week. So you have to suspend your disbelief that a human could fall so quickly and become intimate with all of them within a matter of days, especially since she can’t smell the ‘Mate’ connection like they can. This is where I much prefer it when the author extends the storytelling into a full length novel, because that is truly where her strength lies.
Told completely from Jessica’s POV until close to the end when we finally get a glimpse into the minds of the brothers, it’s just not my favorite method of execution in romances. I like to get into the minds of all the main characters from the very beginning. Without that it just feels less personal to me. That’s why I was very happy when we finally got to hear things from the brothers point of view, even if only for a few pages. Because of this personal preference I had to take a star off the final rating. If it was told in the third person throughout I would have rated it a solid 4 stars. That’s my own personal preference though, since many people enjoy reading first person POV romances.
Jessica and her bears are a light, fun read as long as you take the story as told and don’t over analyze it. I’m looking forward to other stories in this Universe.
This is the first novella in a new series by Rebecca Royce. It’s a futuristic/alternate reality sci-fi romance involving one woman and three sexy shifter brothers.
Jessica’s ship is shot down and crash lands on a planet of shape shifting bears. Then the fun begins, starting with a tongue in cheek reference to the classic fairytale of ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’ that includes eating porridge and oversized furniture. Finn, Cole and Rylan recognize their mate immediately in the small, human female, but Jessica takes a little convincing.
As usual in Royce’s novellas, the storytelling is told fairly quickly and over a period of a very few days, in this case about a week. So you have to suspend your disbelief that a human could fall so quickly and become intimate with all of them within a matter of days, especially since she can’t smell the ‘Mate’ connection like they can. This is where I much prefer it when the author extends the storytelling into a full length novel, because that is truly where her strength lies.
Told completely from Jessica’s POV until close to the end when we finally get a glimpse into the minds of the brothers, it’s just not my favorite method of execution in romances. I like to get into the minds of all the main characters from the very beginning. Without that it just feels less personal to me. That’s why I was very happy when we finally got to hear things from the brothers point of view, even if only for a few pages. Because of this personal preference I had to take a star off the final rating. If it was told in the third person throughout I would have rated it a solid 4 stars. That’s my own personal preference though, since many people enjoy reading first person POV romances.
Jessica and her bears are a light, fun read as long as you take the story as told and don’t over analyze it. I’m looking forward to other stories in this Universe.
March 24, 2018
Planet Bear Once Upon a Harem Book 1
by Rebecca Royce
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I absolutely enjoy reading Rebecca Royce's books. OMG! I guarantee you will enjoy this book it is one of the best in my opinion! Rebecca Royce is one of my favorite authors. Her books always include incredible characters It's one of things I enjoy about her books, she is one author that set the bar high with her books. Planet Bear Once Upon a Harem is Book 1 and it's a Fantastic addition to another awesome book written by her! I have read every book I could get my hands on to read, there isn't a book she has published that I promise that you will find them so intriguing, exciting and entertaining. But I can say this Planet Bear is fast becoming one of my favorite and this is a great a story and once you start reading, It you can't put it down, that's how awesome it is! It's a well-written novel that is very entertaining! It's a sensual, must read, full of romance, scorching hot, drama filled with shifters and all kinds of fantasy is all in here. This story will keep you totally engaged and you won't be able to stop turning the pages. I honestly enjoy her descriptions they allow you the reader to be inserted right into the story. I love how vivid her details are. I think her characters are well developed and the dialogue is fantastic! The story features Jessica White and Finn, Cole, and Rylan her bear mates. This is Jessica's first assignment as a courier pilot but it's one that's never assigned to a new pilot. Finn, Cole, and Rylan are bear shifters that run their planet. This story is amazing, intriguing and marvelous along with the exciting characters which are enchanting, charming and engaging and of course there are plenty of twists which will grantee the reader's interest and their enjoyment. I know I will read this book more than once.
by Rebecca Royce
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I absolutely enjoy reading Rebecca Royce's books. OMG! I guarantee you will enjoy this book it is one of the best in my opinion! Rebecca Royce is one of my favorite authors. Her books always include incredible characters It's one of things I enjoy about her books, she is one author that set the bar high with her books. Planet Bear Once Upon a Harem is Book 1 and it's a Fantastic addition to another awesome book written by her! I have read every book I could get my hands on to read, there isn't a book she has published that I promise that you will find them so intriguing, exciting and entertaining. But I can say this Planet Bear is fast becoming one of my favorite and this is a great a story and once you start reading, It you can't put it down, that's how awesome it is! It's a well-written novel that is very entertaining! It's a sensual, must read, full of romance, scorching hot, drama filled with shifters and all kinds of fantasy is all in here. This story will keep you totally engaged and you won't be able to stop turning the pages. I honestly enjoy her descriptions they allow you the reader to be inserted right into the story. I love how vivid her details are. I think her characters are well developed and the dialogue is fantastic! The story features Jessica White and Finn, Cole, and Rylan her bear mates. This is Jessica's first assignment as a courier pilot but it's one that's never assigned to a new pilot. Finn, Cole, and Rylan are bear shifters that run their planet. This story is amazing, intriguing and marvelous along with the exciting characters which are enchanting, charming and engaging and of course there are plenty of twists which will grantee the reader's interest and their enjoyment. I know I will read this book more than once.
May 31, 2018
Planet Bear (Once Upon a Harem Book 1) Kindle Edition by Rebecca Royce (Author)
And this bed was just right… That was the cry of pf Goldilocks after she breaks and enters the bears home. And it is the reaction that Jessica White has after she breaks and enters into the Finn's, Cole's and Rylan's home and chows down on their food and takes a snooze on one of the sleep master beds. She wakes to them arguing to about her. She is deeply disquited but after a long talk, she accepts she isn't about to be dumped into space. That is the rival bear clan take here. Then all hell breaks loose.
AS always Ms. Royce gives us a stellar performance as an author. Her male characters are each different. It is quite common, in the RH genre, for the only difference between the heroes is their looks. Ms. Royce give us unique brothers. The last is a playful, at lest on the outside. And Jessica White is a strong (not a falsely strong) woman. When she is terrified, she manages to put on her big girl panties and forge ahead. Something that is truly awe-inspiring. Even the side characters are amazingly life like,
Ms. Royce's literary voice propels her into the world of the literary giants, with Margaret Atwood, Shirley Jackson and Harlan Ellison. Her literary works ring with the strength of Shirley Jackson, James Tiprtree, Margaret Atwood and the Bronte Siblings. Yet that voice is still unique. I personally can't wait for the next book from her pen!
https://smile.amazon.com/Planet-Bear-...
August 19, 2021
Jessica White never intended to stray from her intended path. Her assignment was hard but simple. Travel through the unrestricted path of space corridor that runs between Planet Bear, Planet Wolf, and Planet Cat to human territory to deliver the packages the Union have entrusted her with. The pay day she gets when she completes her job will seriously help her family. But when she gets attacked and ends up crash landing on Planet Bear, her life changes immediately.
Finn, Cole, and Rylan aren’t just any shifters—they run the planet—and if they want their human mate accepted they’re going to change everything to get what they want. She is their mate. Everyone else can get out of their way. But Jessica isn’t at all sure she wants to go along with this mating. Their furniture is too big, their food is weird, she’s not a bear shifter, and she can’t defend herself from crazy bears shifting to threaten her life.
The brothers three will have to convince her they’re worth all the adjustment or lose her to space.
Heather's Notes
I read this book second and really wished I had read it first. I think I would have liked it more. Don't get me wrong, it was still good, but I knew some of the things that happened and it changed the tone of the book for me. Still it was enjoyable and I am glad I read it. Also I read this books new series (Shifter Planet) not the series Goodreads currently has it under.
Finn, Cole, and Rylan aren’t just any shifters—they run the planet—and if they want their human mate accepted they’re going to change everything to get what they want. She is their mate. Everyone else can get out of their way. But Jessica isn’t at all sure she wants to go along with this mating. Their furniture is too big, their food is weird, she’s not a bear shifter, and she can’t defend herself from crazy bears shifting to threaten her life.
The brothers three will have to convince her they’re worth all the adjustment or lose her to space.
Heather's Notes
I read this book second and really wished I had read it first. I think I would have liked it more. Don't get me wrong, it was still good, but I knew some of the things that happened and it changed the tone of the book for me. Still it was enjoyable and I am glad I read it. Also I read this books new series (Shifter Planet) not the series Goodreads currently has it under.
March 20, 2018
Jessica White never intended to stray from her intended path. Her assignment was hard but simple. Travel through the unrestricted path of space corridor that runs between Planet Bear, Planet Wolf, and Planet Cat to human territory to deliver the packages the Union have entrusted her with. The pay day she gets when she completes her job will seriously help her family. But when she gets attacked and ends up crash landing on Planet Bear, her life changes immediately.
Finn, Cole, and Rylan aren’t just any shifters—they run the planet—and if they want their human mate accepted they’re going to change everything to get what they want. She is their mate. Everyone else can get out of their way. But Jessica isn’t at all sure she wants to go along with this mating. Their furniture is too big, their food is weird, she’s not a bear shifter, and she can’t defend herself from crazy bears shifting to threaten her life.
The brothers three will have to convince her they’re worth all the adjustment or lose her to space.
Most of the times i am kind of hesitant with retelling of old stories but Rebecca Royce has outdone once more herself and given us a hell of a story.
Fast paced with action and laughter she did the Golldilock and the 3 Bears an awesome new story.
I loved the sci-fi element as well as the paranormal one.
A great first book to a new promising series.
Finn, Cole, and Rylan aren’t just any shifters—they run the planet—and if they want their human mate accepted they’re going to change everything to get what they want. She is their mate. Everyone else can get out of their way. But Jessica isn’t at all sure she wants to go along with this mating. Their furniture is too big, their food is weird, she’s not a bear shifter, and she can’t defend herself from crazy bears shifting to threaten her life.
The brothers three will have to convince her they’re worth all the adjustment or lose her to space.
Most of the times i am kind of hesitant with retelling of old stories but Rebecca Royce has outdone once more herself and given us a hell of a story.
Fast paced with action and laughter she did the Golldilock and the 3 Bears an awesome new story.
I loved the sci-fi element as well as the paranormal one.
A great first book to a new promising series.
March 20, 2018
Fairytale with a twist
Jessica grew up with a different life than most. So it's no surprise really when her first day at her new job, they give her a task that's dangerous and impossible for most. Turns out, it was pretty dangerous for her too. She finds herself on Planet Bear with three super hot, super dangerous bears telling her things she doesn't want to hear. Just when she finally starts to accept what is, things explode. Her life has been anything but a fairytale so can she end up with a happily ever after?
This is the first book in the new series of fairytale remakes with an RH twist. This one obviously is Goldilocks and the three bears. This is no sweet bedtime story though. There is danger, fighting, death and some sexy times. I found myself intrigued from the beginning all the way to the end. Jessica is a pretty likeable female lead. She's not whiney or annoying. She's working hard to try to help her family. The guys are all really sweet. Really just some giant teddy bears. Some giant, sexy, badass teddy bears.
I have to say that I really enjoyed this one. I have no clue if Rebecca will venture more into this world with a future story, maybe Planet Wolf, but I know I sure would read it.
Jessica grew up with a different life than most. So it's no surprise really when her first day at her new job, they give her a task that's dangerous and impossible for most. Turns out, it was pretty dangerous for her too. She finds herself on Planet Bear with three super hot, super dangerous bears telling her things she doesn't want to hear. Just when she finally starts to accept what is, things explode. Her life has been anything but a fairytale so can she end up with a happily ever after?
This is the first book in the new series of fairytale remakes with an RH twist. This one obviously is Goldilocks and the three bears. This is no sweet bedtime story though. There is danger, fighting, death and some sexy times. I found myself intrigued from the beginning all the way to the end. Jessica is a pretty likeable female lead. She's not whiney or annoying. She's working hard to try to help her family. The guys are all really sweet. Really just some giant teddy bears. Some giant, sexy, badass teddy bears.
I have to say that I really enjoyed this one. I have no clue if Rebecca will venture more into this world with a future story, maybe Planet Wolf, but I know I sure would read it.
April 1, 2018
Loved this twist on a fairy tale favorite. Jessica just graduated and is on her first job as a delivery pilot. At 25 she has lived a hard life. Losing her parents at a young age, caring for her brother, time in an orphanage, and living with her space pirate uncle. Of course she would pull one of the more dangerous jobs. Taking the narrow route through Shifter Space, were humans are killed on site, with no excuses. With her brother needing bail money she really didn't have a choice. Things tend to blow up around Jessica and members of her family, so it should have come to no surprise when Planet Wolf took a shot at her and she crashed landed on Planet Bear.
Surviving the crash was one thing, staying alive is going to be tricky. Breaking and entering on a forbidden planet. Getting caught by a very tall and very hot man, or bear, who says she is safe with him, not what she expected. Then their are his two equally hot brothers, and the word mate being tossed out there. It could be one of those lost in translation things. Just When Jessica starts to breathe easy, she is kidnapped, her new house blows up and she is deported. She has 3 bears, who will go to war for their mate.
A fun, sweet, and a little steamy story with some cute Goldie Locks and the 3 bears references.
Surviving the crash was one thing, staying alive is going to be tricky. Breaking and entering on a forbidden planet. Getting caught by a very tall and very hot man, or bear, who says she is safe with him, not what she expected. Then their are his two equally hot brothers, and the word mate being tossed out there. It could be one of those lost in translation things. Just When Jessica starts to breathe easy, she is kidnapped, her new house blows up and she is deported. She has 3 bears, who will go to war for their mate.
A fun, sweet, and a little steamy story with some cute Goldie Locks and the 3 bears references.
September 27, 2018
All Jessica wants is to buy her brother out of prison and then live a quiet life. That changes when her ship crash lands on Planet Bear.
Planet Bear is first in Rebecca Royce’s Once Upon a Harem series. It honestly felt like the beginnings of the retelling of Goldilocks but with a few twists. Jessica doesn’t trust love or even contentment. Her life has been such a struggle and she doesn’t expect that to change. And then she meets Cole, Rylan and Finn. These bear shifters never expected to find their mate. And learning she is human puts them even more off their game. But I love that Ms. Royce allowed them to provide something unique to them for Jessica. The men were ecstatic to find their mate but convincing her to trust them would not be easy. I loved seeing each of them spend time with Jessica. They learned her and her needs while giving her an opportunity to learn and understand them and their world. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the feelings grow between Jessica and her men. I loved their patience as Jessica learned to trust in them and herself. I am looking forward to returning to this world Ms. Royce has crafted.
Five Shooting Stars
Planet Bear is first in Rebecca Royce’s Once Upon a Harem series. It honestly felt like the beginnings of the retelling of Goldilocks but with a few twists. Jessica doesn’t trust love or even contentment. Her life has been such a struggle and she doesn’t expect that to change. And then she meets Cole, Rylan and Finn. These bear shifters never expected to find their mate. And learning she is human puts them even more off their game. But I love that Ms. Royce allowed them to provide something unique to them for Jessica. The men were ecstatic to find their mate but convincing her to trust them would not be easy. I loved seeing each of them spend time with Jessica. They learned her and her needs while giving her an opportunity to learn and understand them and their world. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the feelings grow between Jessica and her men. I loved their patience as Jessica learned to trust in them and herself. I am looking forward to returning to this world Ms. Royce has crafted.
Five Shooting Stars
August 10, 2019
3 Stars for Three Bears
This story was adorable. Outside of the whole romance side of things, there wasn’t much else. No real plot. They talked about war, almost constantly, but you never really experienced it. Then there’s the way the Union basically admitted to kidnapping 10 humans from the shifter planets and curing them of their perceived matings. But the story didn’t go into depth about the societal issues, even in much of a background understanding.
I don’t think the shifters are as bad as the Union has made them out to be, I think it’s them pushing their own propaganda. Trying create a wider rift between their species, so as not to have to associate in any way with that which they do not understand. This train of thought always upsets me to no end, mostly because we see it a lot in our lives today.
I enjoyed the way Jessica White’s mates talking always sounded so stilted. Made the illusion of processing their language through the translator seem more real. It’s always refreshing when authors incorporate small things like that into the story. Makes the world building and dialogue, feel more natural and whole. It’s something most people probably wouldn’t even consider.
This story was adorable. Outside of the whole romance side of things, there wasn’t much else. No real plot. They talked about war, almost constantly, but you never really experienced it. Then there’s the way the Union basically admitted to kidnapping 10 humans from the shifter planets and curing them of their perceived matings. But the story didn’t go into depth about the societal issues, even in much of a background understanding.
I don’t think the shifters are as bad as the Union has made them out to be, I think it’s them pushing their own propaganda. Trying create a wider rift between their species, so as not to have to associate in any way with that which they do not understand. This train of thought always upsets me to no end, mostly because we see it a lot in our lives today.
I enjoyed the way Jessica White’s mates talking always sounded so stilted. Made the illusion of processing their language through the translator seem more real. It’s always refreshing when authors incorporate small things like that into the story. Makes the world building and dialogue, feel more natural and whole. It’s something most people probably wouldn’t even consider.
June 17, 2021
Jessica White's first run for Union Delivery is going to be on the other side of the Shifter space. Even though she questioned it they didn't change it. Shifter space is difficult to traverse and landing on a shifter planet is a death sentence. All is going well on the flight except for some shaking which she hoped would be the worst of it. That is until shots from the Wolf Planet hit her ship. She's barely able to get out a call for help before she crash lands on the Bear Planet.
Not knowing how long she's been unconscious she is surprised to be alive. Discovering her cargo was gold makes her hopeful she will be rescued but first she needs to get away from the wreckage. Exhausted and hungry she finally comes across a house.
Jessica is really freaked out over their declaration she's their mate. Not just one of them but all three. Finn is the planet leader and they would somehow make all of this work out. Cole and Rylan were sure of it.
They even go so far as to assure her they would make sure she kept her promise to her brother, although they don't say how that was going to happen.
I really loved this book, it's got action, suspense, romance and sizzle. All things the original fairy tale didn't have. I really can't wait to read Planet Cat!
Not knowing how long she's been unconscious she is surprised to be alive. Discovering her cargo was gold makes her hopeful she will be rescued but first she needs to get away from the wreckage. Exhausted and hungry she finally comes across a house.
Jessica is really freaked out over their declaration she's their mate. Not just one of them but all three. Finn is the planet leader and they would somehow make all of this work out. Cole and Rylan were sure of it.
They even go so far as to assure her they would make sure she kept her promise to her brother, although they don't say how that was going to happen.
I really loved this book, it's got action, suspense, romance and sizzle. All things the original fairy tale didn't have. I really can't wait to read Planet Cat!
October 19, 2018
I am so glad I was able to find and read this book.
It came up in my recommendations on Amazon and caught my eye.
This book isn't too long but doesn't skip important plot points.
Although it is reverse harem with brothers, generally I find it kind of creepy to think about brothers having sex together/at the same time, the fact that she had an individual scene for each of them was an excellent way to handle it. I also appreciated the fact that she was the one ho had experience of the four of them rather then her being the virgin like 90% of the books out there. Finally, although some people enjoy long drawn out and detailed sex scenes, these particular scenes were handled just right for me (no pun intended).
All in all I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys fairytale reimagined, science fiction type books.i sincerely hope that Rebecca Royce plans on adding a couple of more books to the series.
SPOILER - I hope that when they rescued her from the asylums they rescued the human from wolf planet. That would be an interesting plot for a book in the series... Bears making peace with the wolves who were responsible for shooting her down in the first place.
It came up in my recommendations on Amazon and caught my eye.
This book isn't too long but doesn't skip important plot points.
Although it is reverse harem with brothers, generally I find it kind of creepy to think about brothers having sex together/at the same time, the fact that she had an individual scene for each of them was an excellent way to handle it. I also appreciated the fact that she was the one ho had experience of the four of them rather then her being the virgin like 90% of the books out there. Finally, although some people enjoy long drawn out and detailed sex scenes, these particular scenes were handled just right for me (no pun intended).
All in all I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys fairytale reimagined, science fiction type books.i sincerely hope that Rebecca Royce plans on adding a couple of more books to the series.
SPOILER - I hope that when they rescued her from the asylums they rescued the human from wolf planet. That would be an interesting plot for a book in the series... Bears making peace with the wolves who were responsible for shooting her down in the first place.
March 21, 2018
Well, color me excited! A brand new paranormal romance series from Rebecca Royce! Planet Bear is the first book in this new series, and it just happens to be a phenomenal reverse harem story. If you know Rebecca Royce, then you know she writes extraordinary books… and if you don’t know Rebecca Royce, crawl out from under that rock you’ve been living under and read this book. You will be glad you did, trust me. Seriously, no one does paranormal romance like Ms. Royce. This particular book is an exciting start to this new series. The plot is intriguing, the writing exceptional, and the characters authentic and engaging. These characters will burrow their way right into your heart and pull you straight into this thoroughly compelling story. The story itself is one of romance, humor, loyalty, love, and hope. I would highly recommend this endearing and captivating book, and I can’t wait to see what comes next in the series.
*I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily chose to review. All opinions are my own.
*I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily chose to review. All opinions are my own.
August 28, 2018
Meh
It wasn't terrible, but not that good either. The timing In the writing was really off. For example, in the beginning she was 24 hours away from the shifter space lane and putting her ship on auto pilot, then the next paragraph she was taking off auto pilot to steer into the shifter lane. I was confused what was going on as there was no timing transition. Like normally, maybe she took a nap so she could be rested for the 8 hour ordeal ahead and then woke up in time to grab a bite to eat before it was time to turn off the auto pilot. Nope, putting it on one minute for 24 hours, then turning it off. It was like, where did that 24 hours go? I could see if it was a new chapter, but nope no transition at all. There were a LOT of those types of timing issues that left you scratching your head and wondering what was going on. I think the author was just really rushed in this. There were dangling plotlines and things that made no sense. I don't want to giving any spoilers, but this is one of the worst I have read from this author. Not the best start to a series.
It wasn't terrible, but not that good either. The timing In the writing was really off. For example, in the beginning she was 24 hours away from the shifter space lane and putting her ship on auto pilot, then the next paragraph she was taking off auto pilot to steer into the shifter lane. I was confused what was going on as there was no timing transition. Like normally, maybe she took a nap so she could be rested for the 8 hour ordeal ahead and then woke up in time to grab a bite to eat before it was time to turn off the auto pilot. Nope, putting it on one minute for 24 hours, then turning it off. It was like, where did that 24 hours go? I could see if it was a new chapter, but nope no transition at all. There were a LOT of those types of timing issues that left you scratching your head and wondering what was going on. I think the author was just really rushed in this. There were dangling plotlines and things that made no sense. I don't want to giving any spoilers, but this is one of the worst I have read from this author. Not the best start to a series.
March 10, 2018
This is a modern day twist on the story of Goldilocks and the three Bears. The difference? The bears are three brothers that rule the Planet Bear and Jessica aka Goldilocks is their mate.
The shifter planets are to be avoided at all costs on pain of death, so when Jessica White finds herself crash landed on the planet Bear she is convinced her life is over.
I thought this was a great version of the Goldilocks story, it has denial that anyone could love her never-mind three sexy brothers, acceptance when it finally sinks in that yes this is real and she is loved, and regret that she will never see them again. It also has fun and laughter and a good dose of old fashioned revenge when the brothers discover what has happened to Jessica.
Great story, so if you love your fairy-tales mixed with a bit of romance that includes really hot but adorable shifters, this is the book for you.
The shifter planets are to be avoided at all costs on pain of death, so when Jessica White finds herself crash landed on the planet Bear she is convinced her life is over.
I thought this was a great version of the Goldilocks story, it has denial that anyone could love her never-mind three sexy brothers, acceptance when it finally sinks in that yes this is real and she is loved, and regret that she will never see them again. It also has fun and laughter and a good dose of old fashioned revenge when the brothers discover what has happened to Jessica.
Great story, so if you love your fairy-tales mixed with a bit of romance that includes really hot but adorable shifters, this is the book for you.
September 4, 2020
Goldilocks retelling in the best way
What a great Goldilocks retelling. I love that this is a sci-fi reverse harem version that makes the story that much more exciting. I have now been spoiled and need more of this.
When Jessica finds herself ship wrecked on planet Bear she finds a cabin and her 3 bears. I love the subtle details like the furniture being too large and her ship named Goldilocks. Even though this was a short story I didn’t feel like things were rushed and Rebecca still got in (what I think of as her signature move) separating our heroine from her men.
I know the rest of the series is not going to be retelling versions or short like this was but I can’t help to imagine a small bubbly female assassin hunting 3 alpha wolves... and maybe she wears pig tails even though she is a deadly wolf shifter herself. I don’t know, a girl can dream.
What a great Goldilocks retelling. I love that this is a sci-fi reverse harem version that makes the story that much more exciting. I have now been spoiled and need more of this.
When Jessica finds herself ship wrecked on planet Bear she finds a cabin and her 3 bears. I love the subtle details like the furniture being too large and her ship named Goldilocks. Even though this was a short story I didn’t feel like things were rushed and Rebecca still got in (what I think of as her signature move) separating our heroine from her men.
I know the rest of the series is not going to be retelling versions or short like this was but I can’t help to imagine a small bubbly female assassin hunting 3 alpha wolves... and maybe she wears pig tails even though she is a deadly wolf shifter herself. I don’t know, a girl can dream.
May 19, 2023
I generally really like this author, but this book just fell flat for me. The story didn't feel well developed and the characters felt one dimensional. For a fairytale retelling, it had a creative aspect that took it away from the source material, which is a good thing, but then it felt like some parts were trying to force back references to the fairytale which felt out of place. I didn't find myself really invested in the storyline and the main conflict/climax toward the end felt like it came out of nowhere and actually seemed pretty cruel in the context of the rest of the book. I understand this was part of a separate shared series the author participated in, so maybe that's why it doesn't feel like her usual work. I actually read the next book "Planet Cat" a while ago and I remember it being a lot better than this one.
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