Bear a Wee Grudge

Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery #5

by Meg Macy

In this fifth installment of Meg Macy’s warm, fuzzy, super cuddly, and shamelessly adorable, Teddy Bear Mystery Series, amateur sleuth and manager of the Silver Bear Shop and Factory, Sasha Silverman, must step fast before a killer can ruin Silver Hollow, Michigan’s Scottish-themed Highland Fling weekend!

Teddy bear shop manager Sasha Silverman must step fast to find a murderer before an upcoming Scottish festival...

It’s springtime in Silver Hollow, Michigan, and Sasha is looking forward to the village’s inaugural Highland Fling weekend. Plans are underway for a Kilted 5K, athletic competitions, dancing, live music, and even a Hurl-the-Haggis contest. Meanwhile, Sasha’s staff is busy crafting custom teddy bears in kilts for the Silver Bear Shop’s vendor booth. But trouble’s brewing behind the scenes, as the obnoxious Teddy Hartman, former owner of a rival teddy bear company, sows seeds of discord about town, targeting Sasha’s family and their business.

Things go from plaid to worse when—just a week before the festival kicks-off—the disgruntled gossip is found murdered with an ax buried in his back. Sasha’s dad is arrested, since he’s a champion ax-thrower. But she doesn’t give a dram what it looks like—Sasha knows that despite the old business rivalry with Hartman, her father is innocent. So with a spot of help from her friends, Sasha must bag the real killer before her first Fling also becomes her last.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 30, 2021

About the author

National bestselling author Meg Macy is a reader first and foremost. She’s always found comfort, adventure, and connection in books—which might explain why she now writes stories that offer all three.

Best known for her Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery series (Kensington), several Christmas romance novellas with rescue pets, and as one-half of D.E. Ireland, the Agatha Award-nominated duo behind the Eliza Doolittle and Professor Higgins mysteries, Meg has long embraced the cozy end of fiction.

Now, she’s rewriting the rules with a new direction: LGBTQA+ romantic suspense—queer characters in a cozy setting with spice, intrigue, and plenty of emotional payoff. M/M or M/F, traditional or trailblazing, her stories are comfort reads with a twist.

Unique? Yep. Meg loves breaking the rules.
She lives with her writing companion, Mr. Whiskers the cat, and prefers pages to parties any day.

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bear a Wee Grudge by Meg Macy is the fifth installment of the cozy Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery series. Like most cozy mysteries each book of this series contains it’s own mystery within that will be solved so they can be read as a standalone or in any order if choosing to do so. However, there is some character development that carries over book to book for those reading in order.

The first book of this series introduced Sasha Silverman who after her divorce became the manager of the Silver Bear Shop and Factory which is like a build a bear type of business. Sasha’s parents own the bear factory in the town of Silver Hollow, Michigan but had retired from working the business turning over the day to day operations to Sasha.

Spring has now come to Silver Hollow, Michigan and it’s time for their Highland Fling festival. Sasha’s team have been working hard to come up with their Scottish themed bear to sell at their vendor booth. Things seem to be going great at the festival until Teddy Hartman, a rival in business, shows up causing problems. But it then goes from bad to worse when a axs tossing murderer strikes and then Sasha’s father ends up suspect number one putting Sasha again on the lookout for the real killer.

I have been following the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery series from the beginning and while the aren’t as over the top quirky and humorous as I am normally drawn to I have found myself liking them more and more with each new installment. The characters in these are likable and the business of teddy bears of course is adorable. The pacing is a little on the slower side but with plenty of twists to each mystery to keep the pages turning. At this point it’s obvious I’ve become addicted and will continue on with the series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bear a Wee Grudge is the 5th book in the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery series. This time around it's spring in Silver Hollow, MI and time for the Highland Fling Festival. Sasha Silverman runs the Silver Bear Shop & Factory, and as usual there will be a Silver Scottish themed bear for the festival. Things are awesome at the festival until some evil doer comes with an axe to grind (or throw, actually) and makes Sasha's father a murder suspect.

I enjoy this series for the setting, characters and cute teddy bear side theme. There's a nice mix of mystery and humor as well. Just what I like in a cozy mystery!

The mystery moves along at a nice pace in this newest installment. There were plenty of suspects and some great sleuthing moments. All in all, an entertaining reading experience!

The cover art for this book is great as usual! So cute!

I'm definitely hanging around for book 6...and the rest!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Kensington Books. All opinions expressed are entirely my own**

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bear a Wee Grudge was another delightful addition to the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery series.

Teddy bear shop manager Sasha Silverman is looking forward to Silver Hollow's inaugural Scottish festival. With competitions, dancing, live music, and various Scottish delicacies the festival is sure to be a hit. In the weeks leading up to the festival Sasha and the employees of the Silver Bear Shop are busy creating custom teddy bears in kilts to sell at their vendor booth. But when the obnoxious Teddy Hartman, the former owner of a rival teddy bear company, begins to stir up trouble for the Silver Bear Shop it puts a bit of a damper on the festivities. When Hartman is found murdered and Sasha's father is arrested for the crime, Sasha is in a race to find the real killer before her father goes down for a crime he didn't commit.

The mystery of who killed Teddy was an interesting one with several suspects, including the main character's father. It's pretty obvious Sasha's father is being set up and it doesn't take long for Sasha to get involved with the case to clear his name. Among the suspects are the victim's wife, the wife's brother, and their lawyer. With so many of the suspects closely tied together, to each other and the victim, it's a bit harder for Sasha to get reliable information. Add in a cop who is dead set on pinning the crime on Sasha's dad and she faces an uphill battle to find the truth. I enjoy Sasha's process when it comes to looking at potential suspects and how far she's come in developing her skills over the course of the series. There were a few instances in the book where seemingly everyone but Sasha had given up on finding the murderer which was surprising. Ultimately the killer's identity wasn't a complete surprise, but I did like how the author revealed their identity. The final confrontation between Sasha and the killer was well done and I was happy with how the mystery was wrapped up.

The characters in this series continue to be fantastic and I enjoy them more as the series goes on. We got to see quite a bit more of Jay, Sasha's boyfriend, in this installment which was nice as I enjoy their relationship. Sasha is close to her family with each of them being involved in running the teddy bear shop in one way or another. With Sasha's dad being accused of murder, the family is heavily invested in making sure the murder is solved so he can be cleared. This book didn't have as many scenes at the Silver Bear Shop as I was expecting compared to previous installments. I really enjoy the scenes at the shop, so I hope we get more there in future books.

Overall Bear a Wee Grudge was an excellent addition to the series and I would highly recommend this series for readers looking for a great cozy mystery series.

**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**

[Mark Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silver Hollow, Michigan, is hosting a Highland Fling weekend, and the Silver Bear Shop is getting in the spirit with teddy bears wearing kilts that Sasha Silverman and the rest of her family plan to sell at the event. Unfortunately, before the event kicks off, their rival, Teddy Hartman, is found dead near the festival’s grounds, and Sasha’s dad is the prime suspect. Can Sasha clear his name and still be ready for the festival?

As a fan of the series, I’m surprised that Teddy lasted as long as he did, he’s been that obnoxious in earlier books. It was nice to see this series thread come to the forefront. While the plot starts well, it does stall a bit in the second half before coming to a logical climax. I still have a hard time keeping all the supporting players and their relationships straight, but they are supporting players. Sasha and her immediate family and friends are strong, and the suspects keep us guessing. This mix of Scottish and teddy Bears is one that fans will enjoy.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Such a happy place! Spring in Silver Hollow, Michigan with a visit to the Silver Bear Shop. A Highland Fling Weekend makes the visit even better. Men in kilts throwing axes, poles, and hammers, along with music, dancing, food, and vendor booths including a Silver Bear booth featuring bears all decked out in the tartan finery.

Most of the men in Sasha’s life are taking part in the athletic events and are in the park practicing when Teddy Hartman arrives on the scene. He has a bad history with the Silverman family and sure has an ax to grind. His wife is even more obnoxious than he is. Don’t even get me started their evil demon dog. It seems their purpose in life is to make the Silverman’s life as un-bear-able as possible. It is not surprising that the man ends up dead – found with an ax in his back. An ax just like Sasha’s dad was throwing at targets earlier. Because of the drama between the two men, the inept Detective Hunter arrests her dad without an iota of real evidence.

Sasha is not going to sit still for one minute and come mud or high water she with a wee bit of help from her friends is going to clear her father’s name and fling the real killer behind bars as quickly as possible.

I really enjoy catching up with the Silverman family. Ms. Macy has created such a wonderful family. One can be cantankerous at times, another can be a wee bit pushy, a few are very creative, but they are all hard workers and strive to make trips to their teddy bear shop as awesome as possible. Their interactions feel pretty typical for a family the works together, that is until a murder is thrown into the mix.

I will admit my inner voice was cheering when I found out who the victim was, he was an awful man. His wife is a piece of work too and sadly their dog was poorly trained and seemed to always be in attack mode. These unlikable characters were cleverly written too. They drew no sympathy from me or any of the other characters in the book.

The bumbling Detective Hunter really irritated me this time so I was happy when Sasha drew another detective into the web of the investigation. There were more suspects than I first imagined and I should have known better because when he was first introduced in this series I wanted to knock the stuffing out of Teddy Hartman a time or two myself. I thought Sasha did a great job sorting out clues until she didn’t. That little misstep led up to a very exciting ending.

While Bear A Wee Grudge had a little more family fluff than previous books in this series I didn’t think it took anything away from the mystery. I do love the teddy bear theme of the series and was excited by the Scottish theme in this book. The springtime setting was delightful too as the days turn frigid here in the midwest. As always, Meg Macy has written a very entertaining story for readers to escape right into. I had a great time in Silver Hollow!

[K.A. Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEAR A WEE GRUDGE, the fifth book in the shamelessly adorable Teddy Bear Mystery series by Meg Macy, is as darling as cozy mysteries come! I can’t help but become captivated with the delightful setting of the Silver Bear Shop and Factory and the Silverman family who own it. The protagonist, Sasha Silverman, manages the teddy bear shop, working alongside her aunt and uncle. With a Scottish-themed Highland Fling festival coming to town, the entire family is pitching in to prepare their teddy bear booth: from her mother, the mayor of the village; to her dad, who’s a champion ax-thrower (and is also competing in the ax throwing contest); to her graphic artist sister; and lastly, her boyfriend, Jay, also a competitor at the Scottish games. I love how close-knit the family is (even when there’s a squabble or two). They know they have the support of each other no matter what happens. And, of course, the setting of a Scottish festival brings a unique twist to the mystery. Ms. Macy does an admirable job of bringing the festivities’ costumes, food, and competitions to life with a strong descriptive voice. Haggis anyone?!

When the Silverman family’s nemesis is found murdered with a competition ax in his back, Sasha’s dad is the number one suspect. It doesn’t help that the investigating detective seems to have it in for Sasha’s family. With a strong curiosity and a desire to see justice prevail, Sasha takes matters into her own hands and starts investigating. With the victim being an obnoxious man and several shady business dealings from his past, there were a slew of suspect possibilities. The author even brings in suspects from the previous book, but rest assured, this can still be easily read as a standalone. The quick pace of the story kept me turning pages and I was intrigued how the clues fit together as they lead toward the suspenseful reveal. With a heartwarming and life changing conclusion, I can’t wait to find out what’s coming next for Sasha and her family!

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bear a Wee Grudge by Meg Macy is the 5th A Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series, but I recommend reading this cute series in order. Sasha Silverman manages the family’s teddy bear shop in Silver Hollow, Michigan. She is looking forward to the upcoming Highland Fling weekend. It is a first for their cozy village. The only bone of contention is the obnoxious Teddy Hartman who is determined to make life difficult for the Silverman’s. The family is checking out the festival grounds where people are practicing for the highland competitions. When Sasha’s father, Alex and Gil are hunting for a missing weapon, they find Teddy dead with an axe in his back. Detective Phil Hunter arrests Alex before forensics is even collected. Sasha must work quickly if she is to prove her father’s innocence. I thought Bear a Wee Grudge was well-written with developed characters. The pacing is a little slower in this story, but the mystery kept me interested. I like the setting of Silver Hollow. It is a charming small town with quaint shops and friendly residents. I love all their festivals and activities. I enjoy the teddy bear theme and camaraderie at the factory. The whodunit was a fun one to solve. There are a number of suspects to consider and clues along the way to help solve the crime. Sasha actively investigated the murder, and she asks good questions. There is humor in the story along with plenty of warm moments with family, friends, and Sasha spending time with her kind beau. Bear a Wee Grudge is a craicing good time with Highland Fling fun, tartan teddy bears, an axed antagonist, an indolent detective, a frustrated family, cruel chatter, a mean Morkie, and a sleuthing Sasha.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meg Macy never disappoints with this series. How can you not like a series about a family that produces teddy bears? Seriously, this is a great series, and this is an awesome book. I love Sasha and Maddie and their tight-knit family. This was hard to put down, I kept turning the pages because there was always something happening. Good read!

[Katreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

BEAR A WEE GRUDGE by Meg Macy
The Fifth Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery

Despicable Teddy Hartman is back in Silver Hollow causing more problems for Sasha Silverman and her family. No longer making bears, Teddy now runs a pet shop, with his equally nasty wife. Accusing Sasha's mom, Silver Hollow's new mayor, of corruption and various misdeeds the situation comes to a head resulting in Maddie punching Teddy and the Hartman's dog biting Sasha! Things go from bad to worse when Sasha's father, Alex, finds Teddy dead, with an axe in his back. A detective who also seems to have a grudge against the Silvermans is quick to arrest Alex, who is known for his proficiency in axe throwing and had been practicing for the town's upcoming Highland Fling games. Will Sasha be able to prove her father's innocence and clear her family's name?

Corruption, abuse, and conflict, a lot of conflict, drive the fifth Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery. Teddy and Lucy's slurs and bold faced lies, not to mention other unscrupulous actions combined with Detective Hunter's bias ratcheded up the tension, making me both angry and nervous. The reason's for Hunter's antagonism towards the Silverman's was never fully explained and it will be interesting to see if the subject is explored in further books. Negative actions by others was never fully explained either, leaving me wondering if it was just shoddy behavior or something more.

BEAR A WEE GRUDGE proves once again that family sticks together. Through good times, and bad times the Silvermans are there for each other, supporting, helping, and caring. They aren't the only family members doing so either! I love the addition of Gavin and Bonnie MacRae and hope we get to see more of this couple. I only wish I could have some of Bonnie's chocolate dipped shortbread.

BEAR A WEE GRUDGE is an anxiety laced mystery with a sweet little surprise at the end. I wish I could actually visit Silver Hollow, take a tour of the factory, get myself a wee bear in a kilt, some mead, and more of Bonnie's chocolate covered shortbread.

[Cozybooklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Silver Hollow, Michigan, Sasha Silverman and her family is looking forward to the village’s inaugural Highland Fling weekend. Activities include the Kilted 5K, dancing, and even a Hurl-the-Haggis contest. While Sasha’s staff is busy sewing custom teddy bears in kilts for the Silver Bear Shop’s vendor booth, trouble’s brewing behind the scenes, as obnoxious Teddy Hartman, former owner of a rival teddy bear company, sows seeds of discord about town, targeting Sasha’s family and their business.

When Teddy meets a tragic ending, it's Sasha’s father who is arrested, and she's beyond mad.
While I enjoyed most of the book, I did find some parts dragged on a bit, but not enough to disrupt the fun story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
#BearaWeeGrudge #NetGalley

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book five in the series, where Sasha works at her family’s Silver Bear Shop.

Teddy, who was a former rival of Sasha’s father, is found dead after threatening Sasha’s family, her father is arrested because apparently he’s a champion ax thrower, and Teddy was killed by an ax to the back. Of course Sasha is going to do everything she can to clear her father’s name.

One of the things I like about this series is the focus on relationships and friendships, and Sasha has help from those friends to try to solve this. These characters are likable and their friendships are realistic. The mystery was good even though I guess who killed Teddy before the reveal in the book.

I’m hoping this series continues!

[Alisha Carderella · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[JoAnne McMaster (Any Good Book) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sasha Silverman works at her family's Silver Bear Shop. but while the building is being renovated, she's concentrating more on setting up a vendor booth for their bears at the first Silver Hollow Highland Fling. But something doesn't sit right with one of the town's inhabitants. Teddy Hartman, an ex-rival bear shop owner of Sasha's father, isn't happy with them. He blames them for his business failing, and for the fact that a house he planned to turn into a B&B was sold out from under him to a Scottish family who turned it into a shop of their own. Now he's moved to town and opened a pet shop, but at a booth for the Teddy Trot, he vocalizes his complaints. Things turn nasty when he accuses the town mayor, who happens to be Sasha's mother, of corruption. Then he turns his attentions to Sasha, becoming nasty, which causes Sasha's sister to attack him, and Teddy's wife Lucy's dog to bite Sasha.

After the police arrive, things calm down temporarily. But at the park where they're holding the fling, Teddy and his wife are practicing ax throwing, while Sasha's boyfriend Jay is practicing Caber tossing (Scottish logs as thick as telephone poles) and his brother Nathan accidentally misses, with the log falling toward Teddy, who insists he was attacked intentionally. But the insults don't end there, and even though Sasha is trying to ignore Teddy, she later receives an ominous call from her father to meet him at the park.

It seems her father Alex is a champion ax-thrower, which Sasha never knew. But he, along with his friend Gil, found Teddy's body -- with an ax in his back, and a detective they've dealt with before immediately arrests her father without proof he did the crime. Now it's going to take all Sasha's wits to clear her father, while keeping herself out of the way of the true killer...

This is the fifth book in the series and I have to say that it is my favorite by far. We get to learn a little bit more about Sasha's father's background, and how well-respected he is by everyone. It makes him more human in the series. We also learn that poor Sasha is having a hard time of it behind the scenes, as well, and she's struggling just to keep up with her busy life.

Meanwhile, she's trying to find out who really killed Teddy, but the detective isn't listening to anything she says, since he's made up his mind and that's that. Fortunately, Sasha not only has help from her friends, she also has an unlikely ally in another person she wouldn't have expected to help her at all. It makes for an intriguing mystery that also brings us into the world of the Scots, which is actually a treat.

I don't want to say any more about this book so as not to give anything away, but I will say that while I enjoyed it heartily, I did have a hint about whom the killer might actually be, and there are clues throughout the book. However, none of this tempered my real pleasure at reading this book, as the characters are fun to spend time with; they are lively and believable, and the descriptions of everything around them brings you to the Highland Fling in Silver Hollow.

The resolution of the murder had me grinning at the end, as part of it was quite funny, and also gives us something to look forward to in the next book. Kick off your shoes, pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea, and join Sasha and her family and friends as they solve a murder and enjoy a festival. Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

[LittleRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sasha Silverman and her family are gearing up for Silver Hollow’s first Highland Fling weekend. They have special bear in a kilt for the event and the factor is working at full speed to complete the bears in time. While out with her family, their old nemesis and his wife show up with their little dog. The man has it out for the Silvermans and bad mouths them as often as they can. Things get heated and their little morkie bites Sasha. With stitches and her hand wrapped up, Sasha has to make the most of it as the event looms.

After Sasha’s family and friends practice axe throwing and more interaction with their nemesis, Teddy Harman is found with an axe in his back. The local detective immediately arrests Sasha’s father and doesn’t even entertain other suspects. Sasha knows her father didn’t kill he man and she needs to prove it soon or he may be going to prison anyway, if the detective has his way. Can she figure it out before the event kicks off or will the killer have an axe to grind with Sasha?

This is a fun series and I love how the family’s lives have progressed over the course of the series so far. Each book is like a visit to Silver Hollow and makes for a great mystery. Looking forward to more from Meg Macy.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Cozy Mystery

Sash is wrapped up in another mystery. This is an awesome book and I loved it.
Sash is pregnant and doesn't know it.
Meg Macy has written another winner.
I borrowed this book from Kindle Unlimited.
This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bear a Wee Grudge is the fifth installment in the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery series set in Silver Hollow, Michigan and featuring Sasha Silverman and her family run Silver Bear Shop and Factory, producing furry friends for all occasions. With the Inaugural Highland Fling Festival set for the weekend, finishing touches are being put on the delightful kilt wearing teddies.

As both Sasha's father and her boyfriend Jay practice for the games, rival teddy bear factory owner Teddy Hartman and his wife Lucy are stirring up trouble. A verbal confrontation between Teddy and Sasha's father and a dog attack on Sasha lead up to Teddy found dead on the side of the road. The problem? The murder weapon appears to be an axe, just like the ones being used by Sasha's father in the axe throwing contest.

I have to admit this one was not my favorite in the series. Something just seemed to be missing. Not sure if it was that the mystery plot was light and instead was stuffed with relationship and family filler? Just seemed to drag along but, I won't give up on the series and look forward to more adventures with Sasha and her friends.

I received an advanced copy of Bear a Wee Grudge from NetGalley via Kensington. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

[Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admit this was my first read in this series, but in some ways it felt like book one in a series. The first third of the book read like it was setting up a new cast of characters to me. I like the main characters, but the mystery was easily solved well before the end of the book. Without giving anything away, I knew "who dun it" well before the end and since the other "surprise" element was clearly telegraphed early on multiple times in the story, that was no surprise either. I will most likely read another book in the series to give it a fair shot, but this one does not compel me to continue.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Bear a Wee Grudge by Meg Macy is a bear of a mystery with some changes for our sleuth and her family.
Will Sasha find Teddy Hartman's killer before her dad is railroaded?
Sasha Silverman
Our sleuth, Sasha Silverman, is looking for the person that killed Teddy Hartman, partly out of curiosity and to keep her dad out of jail. Sasha learns a few things about her dad that she didn't know before, but she is still confident that he would not kill anyone, even Teddy Hartman. Sasha isn't herself in this installment; she is distracted and has difficulty with certain foods. Although she isn't at her best, she still determines who took out Teddy Hartman.

I like Sasha. She has a heart of gold and wants to help everyone. Sasha has to confront some events from her past and allow her family to help her heal. She also stands up to her ex-husband for the first time. That was one of my favorite parts. You go, Sasha.
The Mystery
Basically, Alex (Sasha's dad) and his friend Gil find Teddy Hartman's body. This all happens shortly after a couple of altercations between Hartman and the members of the Silverman family. Throw in an incompetent detective, and Sasha is out to figure it out on her own again. Not many people in town like Teddy, so there are potentially a few suspects.

Honestly, though, why would Teddy move to a town where the only people that he knows don't care for him? He is quite the jerk, and it seems that he may have gotten what he had coming. Karma, my friend, is not always friendly.

The town's events in this book are so cool. I think I will look up some highland events near our home to check it out. I love the teddy bears with kilts.
Four Stars
I enjoyed the story and mystery. It was nice seeing Sasha's character grow. Her relationship with Jay is adorable, and I love the way that he proposes to her. My rating for Bear a Wee Grudge by Meg Macy is four stars. If you love teddy bears and mysteries, you will like this book.


Other Books in the Series

Giveaway
Prize: (1) Grand Prize - a print copy, plus a teddy bear and more. (U.S. Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Organized by:

To find all the tour information, click the banner at the top of the page or HERE.
Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?   Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!

 



Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Bear a Wee Grudge by Meg Macy. Check out the other stops and giveaway if you have time.

Until the next time,



This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove

[The Cozy Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bear A Wee Grudge is the fifth book in “A Teddy Bear Mystery” (I know everyone is adding the Shamelessly Adorable name to the series title, but the publisher hasn’t, so I haven’t.) Sasha and family are back in this delightful addition to the series, along with a few other characters who will fascinate readers and keep them turning the page.

Once again, Sasha is smack in the middle of a murder investigation, and this time her father’s freedom is on the line. Sasha’s father becomes the prime suspect when rival bear maker Teddy Hartman is found with an ax in his back. Not that there aren’t other suspects, because there are plenty of them. From Teddy’s family to his rivals, suspects and motives come out of the woodwork. There doesn’t appear to be anyone who liked the man or who didn’t want to see the end of him in one way or another.

Sasha leads the charge to clear her father’s name and keep him from going to prison. The detective on the case seems to have it out for Sasha and her family, and he is doing his best to make sure that Teddy’s murder lands squarely on her father’s shoulders. There is plenty of action, although at a slower pace than most readers are used to reading. Even though Sasha solves the mystery and catches the killer, some readers will have already figured it out long before. So, unfortunately, the killer’s identity and motive will not come as a surprise to most readers. However, Bear A Wee Grudge is a fun book and will entertain readers to the very end. Characters are interesting and lovable, the setting is fun and creative, and the mystery is well done. I would love to get my hands on one of the Scottish Teddy bears for my collection, they truly are adorable. I look forward to the next book.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spring is in the air and plans are being made for the first Highland Fling Festival to be held in Silver Hollow, Michigan. Sasha Silverman runs the family business after her parents retired and what a wonderful business it is. They design and sell teddy bears. Sounds innocent- bringing smiles to young and old with bears, bears, bears. Now, for the Highland Fling Festival bears will sport kilts. The push is on to make sure they make enough bears to sell at the festival. Before the fun can begin a very sour note shows up in the form of Teddy Hartman, a nasty former business competitor who is out to smear the reputation of the Silverman family and make their lives miserable. Before the festival begins a killer strikes when Teddy is found dead with a throwing ax imbedded in his back. Too bad Sasha's father is talented in ax throwing putting him in first place on the police list of suspects. Sasha knows full well that her father is no killer so, of course, she sets out to clear his name and catch the killer.
Every one of the, so far, five books in this wonderful series, is a solid stand alone mystery. The characters are well developed and are people I like to spend time with. The small town setting is just as a cozy small town should be. The Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear mystery series is one of the must be read series on my reading shelf. It never disappoints me.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Ileana Renfroe · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s springtime in Silver Hollow, Michigan, and Sasha is looking forward to the village’s inaugural Highland Fling weekend. Plans are underway for a Kilted 5K, athletic competitions, dancing, live music, and even a Hurl-the-Haggis contest. Meanwhile, Sasha’s staff is busy crafting custom teddy bears in kilts for the Silver Bear Shop’s vendor booth. But trouble’s brewing behind the scenes, as the obnoxious Teddy Hartman, former owner of a rival teddy bear company, sows seeds of discord about town, targeting Sasha’s family and their business.

Things go from plaid to worse when—just a week before the festival kicks-off—the disgruntled gossip is found murdered with an ax buried in his back. Sasha’s dad is arrested, since he’s a champion ax-thrower. But she doesn’t give a dram what it looks like—Sasha knows that despite the old business rivalry with Hartman, her father is innocent. So with a spot of help from her friends, Sasha must bag the real killer before her first Fling also becomes her last.

I wanted to include the summary of this book because it’s great. I was hooked from the very beginning and enjoyed the book tremendously. The characters are well-crafted and especially Sasha. You can’t help but love her character.

Murders well written are always great because they keep you guessing until the very end. And, with this book it did just that.

I highly recommend Bear a Wee Grudge!

[Sapphyria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trouble has found its way back to Silver Hollow, Michigan in the form of Teddy and Lisa Hartman. Spreading lies, perpetuating distrust between citizens, instigating arguments, and tossing around wild accusations is Teddy's MO. Unfortunately, Sasha and her family are continuously on the receiving end of everything that spews forth from Teddy's mouth. Bear a Wee Grudge is quite intense straight out of the gate and I enjoyed every single bit of the book.

A clever who-done-it, Bear a Wee Grudge kept me entertained and engaged in the story. Meg Macy delivered a well-written story with a unique setting in a fictional small town in southeast Michigan. As a lifelong Michigander I enjoy a good story, in any genre, that is based in my state. I always love it when I recognize locations in a book because I've been there, lived there, or worked in the town/city.

I enjoyed the personalities of each character in the book. The book was descriptive well developed, allowing me to visualize the elements of the story, characters, and locations. The characters and situations were believable and the pacing of the story was steady. I enjoyed Bear a Wee Grudge, found the mystery interesting, the characters likable, and the story's pacing to be on target. I love the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery series by Meg Macy and I look forward to the next book.

[Jessica Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.

As a huge lover of bears of all kinds I always eagerly look forward to each new book in this series and this one is no exception. We catch up with Sasha as she is getting ready for the upcoming Highland Fling event. The town is all excited for the event and bear factory is even making special bears just for the event. Things are kicking into high gear when the family runs into their old nemesis Teddy Hartman. He is still an obnoxious man with a wife that just may be even worse if that is at all possible. She owns an evil little dog that bites Sasha really hard making her bleed while her sister punches Teddy right in the face (I was so rooting her on). This is bad enough but when the man ends up murdered guess who gets put in the hot seat? Sasha has her work cut out for her in order to figure out what really happened. The clues play out throughout the story which keeps you captivated until the very end thanks to the life like characters, small town charm, and plenty bear tidbits to make me happy. A fabulous read for fans of cozy mysteries and bear lovers alike. I totally loved it so I give it 5/5 stars.

[Tarri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love teddy bears and I especially love them dressed for the season. In fact, my bear is dressed for baseball season in a Mariner's uniform and tomorrow she will be dressed as Mrs. Claus. I can totally imagine buying a theme bear in a kilt at the Highland Fling Festival and working at the Silver Bear Shop and factory would be a dream job.

Bear A Wee Grudge is the fifth installment in the Teddy Bear Mystery Series by Meg Macy. They are in the middle of setting up the booths and activities when a body is found in the bushes with a axe in its back. When Sasha's father is arrested Sasha sets out to find the real killer and get an apology from the police detective who doesn't appear interested in finding the real killer. She gets help from her boyfriend, his brother, her sister, and all the other merchants in town.

I enjoyed the book, characters, and Sasha's problem solving abilities. The only negative for me was that it seemed the author went into more detail than was necessary. Still a very enjoyable addition to the series.

#MegMacy #TeddyBearMystery #SilverHollow #KennsingtonBooks #NetGalley #ARC #BearAWeeGrudge

[Myarn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bear a Wee Grudge by Meg Macy (Teddy Bear Mystery #5) 4 stars

Sasha Silverman, manager of the Silver Bear Shop and Factory is gearing up for the Silver Hollow Highland Fling weekend. Her boyfriend Jay is going to compete in several events and her dad is practicing his axe throwing when he is confronted by his old nemesis Teddy Hartman. When Mr. Hartman is found dead nearby, Sasha's dad becomes the number one suspect. Unfortunately, Teddy Hartman had too many enemies to count; can she solve the crime before her dad is arrested?

This was an enjoyable mystery and it is always a pleasure to visit Silver Hollow. The killer was introduced early on and while Ms. Macy threw in several red herrings, the person I picked was the right one (maybe??). I love the progress of the relationship between Sasha and Jay and am looking forward to a real Teddy Bear wedding soon.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for this ARC.

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

No festival in Silver Hollow would be complete without the seemingly-requisite murder. (At least it was of someone mean and nasty!) But the worrisome part was the detestable detective Hunter zoning in on Sasha's dad as his only suspect. Call in the reinforcements, Sasha's back on the case!

This was really a wild and confusing case with any number of people who'd have wanted to kill the dead guy. The man's widow was a real piece of work! At least the detective that Sasha knew from a previous case, Mason was around this time and available to relay information to. She really didn't have to deal with Hunter much. The showdown was super exciting, and a couple of people had a good hand in helping.

Toward the end, there was the sweetest surprise, and now I absolutely can't wait to read the next book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Publishing via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

[Kristin- Kristin's Bookstack · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery #5

Sasha runs the family teddy bear store in Silver Hallow, Michigan. Her mom is the mayor and her dad is competing in the Highland Games at the local park. Teddy Hartman keeps showing up all over town causing trouble and interrupting the Games. Hartman is later found under a tree with an ax in his back and Sasha's dad is arrested for the murder. Will Sasha be able to clear her father's name?

I was looking forward to reading this book, so I was disappointed it didn't appeal to me. There was too much dialogue and not enough description of the events to keep the story flowing. It felt disconnected. There were also too many characters to keep track of and the ending was a little weak. I, however, did like the love story between Sasha and Jay.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Lacey Harrington · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s springtime in Silver Hollow, Michigan, and Sasha is looking forward to the village’s inaugural Highland Fling weekend. Plans are underway for a Kilted 5K, athletic competitions, dancing, live music, and even a Hurl-the-Haggis contest. Meanwhile, Sasha’s staff is busy crafting custom teddy bears in kilts for the Silver Bear Shop’s vendor booth. But trouble’s brewing behind the scenes, as the obnoxious Teddy Hartman, former owner of a rival teddy bear company, sows seeds of discord about town, targeting Sasha’s family and their business.
I was really hoping for more of the mystery in this one. It was a cute story with lots of fun characters. It was just to light on the mystery.
#BearaWeeGrudge #NetGalley

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this story a little heavy on the friends and family interaction and a bit light on the mystery. The Sasha's running around asking questions got a bit tedious and the suspect pool was limited as were the motives. There was a character that wasn't fully explored and seemed to just be a poor attempt at a red herring.

There were also a couple of things, like a missing verb, that a proof reader or editor missed. This is the second or third Kensington book in a row where I've caught mistakes. They aren't terribly disruptive or excessive, but tsk tsk.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teddy Hartman and his little dog have been pains to Sasha and her family; the dog even bit Sasha! Now, it's the Highland Fling Festival and someone has flung an ax into Hartman's back, killing him. Unfortunately, Sasha's father is arrested for the murder because not only was Hartman his business rival, he is also a champion ax thrower. Well, that can't stand so Sasha sets off to find the real villain. Macy is fond of puns and teddy references, which can get to be a bit too twee, but the underlying mystery is interesting. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It might be the fifth in the series but it should be fine as a standalone.