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True North
A bear shifter eating his garbage isn’t the meet-cute he had in mind.
After a disappointing postseason performance leaves his career in question, hockey player JT needs a distraction for the summer. The bear who keeps taking illicit dips in his hot tub isn’t at the top of his list, but he’ll take what he can get.
Turns out it’s not a bear, though: it's a feral guy who’s been out in the woods too long. JT knows he shouldn’t get involved, but soon the guy is living in his house… and sleeping in his bed. In a cool, normal, not at all gay sort of way.
Mikhail left Siberia in search of a better life. When his dreams ended in tragedy, he fled to the forest. In JT’s home, he finds a safe place to hide and an unexpected but thrilling connection with his new roommate. But when his past catches up to him at last, he risks losing both his freedom and his blossoming relationship with JT.
After a disappointing postseason performance leaves his career in question, hockey player JT needs a distraction for the summer. The bear who keeps taking illicit dips in his hot tub isn’t at the top of his list, but he’ll take what he can get.
Turns out it’s not a bear, though: it's a feral guy who’s been out in the woods too long. JT knows he shouldn’t get involved, but soon the guy is living in his house… and sleeping in his bed. In a cool, normal, not at all gay sort of way.
Mikhail left Siberia in search of a better life. When his dreams ended in tragedy, he fled to the forest. In JT’s home, he finds a safe place to hide and an unexpected but thrilling connection with his new roommate. But when his past catches up to him at last, he risks losing both his freedom and his blossoming relationship with JT.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 10, 2022
56 people are currently reading
408 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
December 23, 2022
What?! This book was so good! I don’t even remember when or why I added it to my TBR - I haven’t read many shifter books but this book turned out to be really good.
I loved the first half of the book when they were dealing with their language barrier. Something about Misha & JT struggling to speak to each other while also knowing what they were thinking was so well done. The first first three quarters of this book were so good - it lost a bit of momentum toward the end but I overall loved it.
I loved the first half of the book when they were dealing with their language barrier. Something about Misha & JT struggling to speak to each other while also knowing what they were thinking was so well done. The first first three quarters of this book were so good - it lost a bit of momentum toward the end but I overall loved it.
January 11, 2023
I really enjoyed True North. It's a romance between bear-shifter Misha who's running from a dark past, and hockey star JT who's struggling with being the captain of a team that's on a loosing streak, while also keeping his sexuality a secret from the public.
At the start, Misha has been shifted into his bear form for a long time. He's been rooting around JT's house for food and generally being a nuisance, leaving trash from JT's bins strewn across his lawn. The part where JT finds Misha in his hot tub was so funny - just a big ol bear hanging and relaxing in a hot tub.
Their relationship and romance was great. Corey Kerr did a nice job with the development; from JT coaxing Misha into his human form to overcoming the language barrier (as Misha had lost a lot of his English from being in bear form for so long and could only speak Russian), to the romance finally growing between them. It never felt rushed, and even though it was fantastical in nature their relationship was grounded.
At the start, Misha has been shifted into his bear form for a long time. He's been rooting around JT's house for food and generally being a nuisance, leaving trash from JT's bins strewn across his lawn. The part where JT finds Misha in his hot tub was so funny - just a big ol bear hanging and relaxing in a hot tub.
Their relationship and romance was great. Corey Kerr did a nice job with the development; from JT coaxing Misha into his human form to overcoming the language barrier (as Misha had lost a lot of his English from being in bear form for so long and could only speak Russian), to the romance finally growing between them. It never felt rushed, and even though it was fantastical in nature their relationship was grounded.
September 15, 2023
I read this more or less out of despair. I can't with omegaverse, but Kerr's The Sorcerer's Alpha was so good that I was into it and wailed internally when the semi-inevitable mpreg manifested itself as a future devoutly to be wished for and I had to nope out.
Shifters are also not my thing -- okay, I've carved out an exception for Charlie Adhara and S.P. Wayne apparently -- and the non-shifter MC here is a hockey player but athletes = bullies in my lizard brain so that's two strikes right there* ... Alas, True North is Kerr's only non-omegaverse book so far and I very much wanted to spend more time with this author.
Thankfully for me, this is set almost entirely in the off-season, so although MC1, JT the hockey player, practices regularly, and there's one of those irritating Speshul Athlete Diet conversations, there's almost no on-page hockey. Phew. Also, MC2, Misha the Russian bear shifter on the lam, likes the little bit of off-season softness around JT's middle, a refreshing change from the endless parade of hardbody 8-packs in m/m romance. Come to think of it, Kerr doesn't devote a ton of attention to Misha's looks, either, apart from letting us see through JT's eyes that he's attractive. (I'm not even much of a stan for Body Diversity [TM] in romance! I just like ordinary mortal flesh! I like it when a writer can establish an individual's hotness instead of relying on boring generics!)
Anyway. Right. *calms self*
True North is refreshing in several ways other than the aforementioned. In particular, I liked it that Misha isn't 100% cinnamon roll, even apart from his reasons for being on the run. He's stubborn, a little bit manipulative -- which JT mostly doesn't mind but which sometimes annoys him -- and frankly lazy. How many romance novels have you read in which one of the main characters repeatedly annoys the other in ways that, you know, your actual life partner might annoy you?
As for JT, he questions his motives for taking Misha in at the start of the book, and while those motives are essentially good, he also acknowledges that it's pleasing to think of himself as generous to the needy. He has a loving family but they anger him more than once, and again in ways that reflect how the members of real families anger one another. He's out to family and close friends but he hurts Misha by refusing a public kiss, and although by the end of the book he's come out to a few team members, he never does become the Heroic First Pro Hockey Player to Be Openly Queer. I really, really liked this about him -- that ordinary-mortal feature!
All these things, plus the complete ordinariness of shifters in the world Kerr has built, combine to make this maybe the most -- "grounded" might be the word -- paranormal romance I've ever read. I've read other PNRs in which shifters or magic users or what have you are similarly integrated into a world that looks like our own, but True North has a uniquely down-to-earth quality that I found appealing.
If I had a complaint, it would be that the epilogues (yes, plural) are a little gooey; I would've been fine with the HFN that precedes them. But eh, I'm in such a good mood about this book that I'm not even dinging.
*ETA: Since writing this review, I've come around to sports romance, because K.D. Casey, Catherine Cloud, Cait Nary, and Ari Baran exist. So.
Shifters are also not my thing -- okay, I've carved out an exception for Charlie Adhara and S.P. Wayne apparently -- and the non-shifter MC here is a hockey player but athletes = bullies in my lizard brain so that's two strikes right there* ... Alas, True North is Kerr's only non-omegaverse book so far and I very much wanted to spend more time with this author.
Thankfully for me, this is set almost entirely in the off-season, so although MC1, JT the hockey player, practices regularly, and there's one of those irritating Speshul Athlete Diet conversations, there's almost no on-page hockey. Phew. Also, MC2, Misha the Russian bear shifter on the lam, likes the little bit of off-season softness around JT's middle, a refreshing change from the endless parade of hardbody 8-packs in m/m romance. Come to think of it, Kerr doesn't devote a ton of attention to Misha's looks, either, apart from letting us see through JT's eyes that he's attractive. (I'm not even much of a stan for Body Diversity [TM] in romance! I just like ordinary mortal flesh! I like it when a writer can establish an individual's hotness instead of relying on boring generics!)
Anyway. Right. *calms self*
True North is refreshing in several ways other than the aforementioned. In particular, I liked it that Misha isn't 100% cinnamon roll, even apart from his reasons for being on the run. He's stubborn, a little bit manipulative -- which JT mostly doesn't mind but which sometimes annoys him -- and frankly lazy. How many romance novels have you read in which one of the main characters repeatedly annoys the other in ways that, you know, your actual life partner might annoy you?
As for JT, he questions his motives for taking Misha in at the start of the book, and while those motives are essentially good, he also acknowledges that it's pleasing to think of himself as generous to the needy. He has a loving family but they anger him more than once, and again in ways that reflect how the members of real families anger one another. He's out to family and close friends but he hurts Misha by refusing a public kiss, and although by the end of the book he's come out to a few team members, he never does become the Heroic First Pro Hockey Player to Be Openly Queer. I really, really liked this about him -- that ordinary-mortal feature!
All these things, plus the complete ordinariness of shifters in the world Kerr has built, combine to make this maybe the most -- "grounded" might be the word -- paranormal romance I've ever read. I've read other PNRs in which shifters or magic users or what have you are similarly integrated into a world that looks like our own, but True North has a uniquely down-to-earth quality that I found appealing.
If I had a complaint, it would be that the epilogues (yes, plural) are a little gooey; I would've been fine with the HFN that precedes them. But eh, I'm in such a good mood about this book that I'm not even dinging.
*ETA: Since writing this review, I've come around to sports romance, because K.D. Casey, Catherine Cloud, Cait Nary, and Ari Baran exist. So.
March 6, 2023
This book, by a new-to-me author, was a pleasant surprise.
The MCs weren't always likeable. JT wasn't the greatest communicator, and Misha was reactive and logged around a fuckton of insecurities. But that's what made the story feel believable.
The story dragged in the middle. I think it could have been edited down by some 50 pages, but once the mystery of Misha's appearance was revealed, the pace picked up quite a bit.
The ending was very romantic without being saccharine.
I'm not sure I believed how quickly Misha was redeemed by the law, but that's okay. I was rooting for him and JT.
Recommended for shifter fans.
The MCs weren't always likeable. JT wasn't the greatest communicator, and Misha was reactive and logged around a fuckton of insecurities. But that's what made the story feel believable.
The story dragged in the middle. I think it could have been edited down by some 50 pages, but once the mystery of Misha's appearance was revealed, the pace picked up quite a bit.
The ending was very romantic without being saccharine.
I'm not sure I believed how quickly Misha was redeemed by the law, but that's okay. I was rooting for him and JT.
Recommended for shifter fans.
December 13, 2024
edit 12/10/24: upping this from 4 stars to 5 stars bc wtf this was even cuter than i remember!!!! this has a wonderful lowkey sensual intimacy to it….so relaxing, like tube chillin in a lazy river….it’s even better the second time bc i don’t have to worry about that third act plot line which i did forget about and was surprised about again🤣🤣
original 10/25/23: lonely hockey player x trash eating problem bear…..i’m already convinced🤭 i foam at the mouth for these kinds of stories…..i absolutely love the slow build up, how misha barely speaks at first (i 🫶 silent, damaged men), how jt doesn’t give up on him, how misha learns to trust jt and seeing jt so open helps misha become more comfortable with himself🥺, how jt chooses misha:
“‘Fine, he’s my boyfriend,’ JT said, because Misha was, even if they had never talked about it.”
and how misha steps up and chooses jt:
“He had been floating along all this time like a piece of driftwood in a current, letting things happen to him, letting other people make decisions for him, being buffeted here and there without direction. But he wasn’t helpless or a child. He was a grown man, and he could choose what he wanted out of life. He didn’t have to passively wait and wonder what would happen next.”
ugh all around delicious……the third act plot was a lil distracting like hello can we pls get back to the main event……the main event being misha and jt being cute af:
“Misha was beaming at him now. ‘You so dumb. Don’t you know how I feel?’ ‘Tell me,’ JT said. ‘You’re like the sun to me,’ Misha said, his eyes bright now with sudden unshed tears.”
like🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺!!!! i can’t handle the sweetness!!!😩😩 also can i just say i love that misha has big fat ears that stick out like how fucking cute😍 anyway i cheesed heavily this entire read bc they were so so cute!!!!
original 10/25/23: lonely hockey player x trash eating problem bear…..i’m already convinced🤭 i foam at the mouth for these kinds of stories…..i absolutely love the slow build up, how misha barely speaks at first (i 🫶 silent, damaged men), how jt doesn’t give up on him, how misha learns to trust jt and seeing jt so open helps misha become more comfortable with himself🥺, how jt chooses misha:
“‘Fine, he’s my boyfriend,’ JT said, because Misha was, even if they had never talked about it.”
and how misha steps up and chooses jt:
“He had been floating along all this time like a piece of driftwood in a current, letting things happen to him, letting other people make decisions for him, being buffeted here and there without direction. But he wasn’t helpless or a child. He was a grown man, and he could choose what he wanted out of life. He didn’t have to passively wait and wonder what would happen next.”
ugh all around delicious……the third act plot was a lil distracting like hello can we pls get back to the main event……the main event being misha and jt being cute af:
“Misha was beaming at him now. ‘You so dumb. Don’t you know how I feel?’ ‘Tell me,’ JT said. ‘You’re like the sun to me,’ Misha said, his eyes bright now with sudden unshed tears.”
like🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺!!!! i can’t handle the sweetness!!!😩😩 also can i just say i love that misha has big fat ears that stick out like how fucking cute😍 anyway i cheesed heavily this entire read bc they were so so cute!!!!
December 27, 2022
Well, shit! I loved this book! It took me completely by surprise and I’m still a bit dazed..I was bored out of my mind and in a terrible book slump and I started it thinking I would probably DNF (it’s always a bit tricky with new-to-me authors).. Well, color me impressed! This was good..I don’t know if 5 stars good but I’ll give it 5 stars anyway because it got me out of the book slump and put me in a good mood (even though the writing could have been better).
I loved JT and Misha , they were so real, so flawed..JT was a bit petty sometimes and Misha was manipulative, a bit lazy and a total brat .They made such an interesting pair and I loved their meet-cute !!! 🤣 I would have liked a bit of a world building, the shifter thing didn’t have much relevance in the story after they started living together..
Anyway, nothing pretentious about this book but 2 lovely characters, a real slow burn and realistic relationship and sex scenes..I really rooted for them and for dear Misha to find his HEA . Very good!
I loved JT and Misha , they were so real, so flawed..JT was a bit petty sometimes and Misha was manipulative, a bit lazy and a total brat .They made such an interesting pair and I loved their meet-cute !!! 🤣 I would have liked a bit of a world building, the shifter thing didn’t have much relevance in the story after they started living together..
Anyway, nothing pretentious about this book but 2 lovely characters, a real slow burn and realistic relationship and sex scenes..I really rooted for them and for dear Misha to find his HEA . Very good!
February 23, 2025
Re-Read: Feb 2025
Original Read: Feb 2023
I loved this so much! It had everything I want in a romance so I cherished every single word. It's extremely rare that I make myself read a book slower because I don't want it to end but that's what happened here and I even read the epilogue, which I rarely do. I loved every single thing about this book and it feels like it was written just for me.
First - this book takes place in Canada and I love that the author did a fantastic job of making the story Canadian. She had JT use 'eh' from time to time and it was used correctly each time!! Little things like the names of towns (Sault Ste Marie, Toronto), using Celsius for temperature, referencing Canadian beer and other things were done accurately and it just warmed my Canadian heart. Even the tiny details were carefully written so they fit the Canadian setting. For example, there's a short conversation between Misha and JT where they discuss bringing pop to a meet-up. JT refers to it as pop because that's what we say in Canada while Misha says soda. I adore stories that are set in Canada where the author takes the time to make the story truly Canadian so that made this already incredible story rise even higher for me. YAY FOR CANADIAN STORIES!!
Another thing I loved is that the story might appear to be a sports romance mixed with a shifter romance, but really, the story is a domestic contemporary romance. At its heart, this story is a slow, cozy story about healing and finding love. There's a bit of drama in the last 30% when Misha's past comes back to haunt him but even this was done in a calm way. I was wary going into the story because the summary made it sound a little too busy. Since JT is a professional hockey player and Misha is a bear shifter, I worried there would be too much happening. But to my delight (but maybe other readers' disappointment), those things were just additional flavoring rather than the main course. JT might be a hockey player but I wouldn't classify this as a sports romance because the hockey aspect didn't really matter. JT could have had any other highly paid job that forced him to stay closeted and gave him several weeks summer vacation and nothing would have changed about the story. Regarding Misha being a shifter - this was only used to put a unique and interesting twist on the homeless angle. The story would have been the same if Misha had been a hermit who had been living in the wilderness for several years and loved being out in nature. There was no deep exploration of shifter lore and none of the plotlines focused on this element. This story is first and foremost a romance with the fantasy stuff being used to add a bit of flavor. That's exactly the type of romantic fantasy I love, which is another reason this really worked for me.
My absolute favorite part of the story was the pacing of Misha's recovery and his relationship with JT. The author did a fantastic job using realistic pacing for everything but always keeping things moving and interesting. I was right there with Misha at every step and his transformation throughout the story was amazing.
As a small aside, I also want to give the author a huge round of applause for the amazing way they paced Misha's English learning. He did start out knowing some English in his past so some things come back to him quickly but he still goes through a massive learning curve during the story. The fact that the author made sure to adjust Misha's English skills throughout the ENTIRE story to make his progress fit with the time that had passed was amazing.
I also really appreciated how the author paced the sexual relationship between JT and Misha. I get really annoyed by stories where one person is dealing with mental or physical illness and isn't in the right headspace to be considering a sexual relationship, yet the other person is constantly pushing for sex and can't seem to go 5 min without thinking about how much they want to screw the other person. Characters like that aren't my cup of tea. That's why I loved JT in this story. He's definitely attracted to Misha but he navigates the boundaries that are in place during complex situations like this with ease, having that innate understanding of what's appropriate and what's not in situations like that. In addition, the author provided plenty of smoking hot UST and made it clear that both guys are definitely attracted to each other and are struggling a bit with their close proximity. They do stumble into some uncomfortable/embarrassing situations that are bound to happen in such a setup but the guys had no trouble reining in their sexual appetites and desires during times where the priority had to be on other matters.
Side note: I also really loved that
Another way the author demonstrated how solid and mature JT and Misha's relationship was, was close to the end where they have to decide what they'll be doing once JT has to return to Toronto for the new hockey season. I was actually wary from the midway point of the story onwards because I knew that returning to Toronto wouldn't be good for Misha at that stage. He'd come a long way but a huge part of his recovery was tied to the routine and connections he'd made in the quiet town of Sault Ste Marie. In addition, his traumatic history was entirely wrapped up in Toronto, which would make a return difficult anyway. So I was thrilled when . In most other romances, a situation like that would lead to tons of drama with ultimatums, temper tantrums and over the top dramatics. There was none of that here. Misha and JT love each other and want what's best for the other person (even if that isn't what they personally prefer) and they also know that compromise and communication is a key to making their long term relationship work. I just loved how mature and healthy their relationship was!
Overall, I loved everything about this and it's one of my favorite comfort reads and will be for years to come.
Original Read: Feb 2023
I loved this so much! It had everything I want in a romance so I cherished every single word. It's extremely rare that I make myself read a book slower because I don't want it to end but that's what happened here and I even read the epilogue, which I rarely do. I loved every single thing about this book and it feels like it was written just for me.
First - this book takes place in Canada and I love that the author did a fantastic job of making the story Canadian. She had JT use 'eh' from time to time and it was used correctly each time!! Little things like the names of towns (Sault Ste Marie, Toronto), using Celsius for temperature, referencing Canadian beer and other things were done accurately and it just warmed my Canadian heart. Even the tiny details were carefully written so they fit the Canadian setting. For example, there's a short conversation between Misha and JT where they discuss bringing pop to a meet-up. JT refers to it as pop because that's what we say in Canada while Misha says soda. I adore stories that are set in Canada where the author takes the time to make the story truly Canadian so that made this already incredible story rise even higher for me. YAY FOR CANADIAN STORIES!!
Another thing I loved is that the story might appear to be a sports romance mixed with a shifter romance, but really, the story is a domestic contemporary romance. At its heart, this story is a slow, cozy story about healing and finding love. There's a bit of drama in the last 30% when Misha's past comes back to haunt him but even this was done in a calm way. I was wary going into the story because the summary made it sound a little too busy. Since JT is a professional hockey player and Misha is a bear shifter, I worried there would be too much happening. But to my delight (but maybe other readers' disappointment), those things were just additional flavoring rather than the main course. JT might be a hockey player but I wouldn't classify this as a sports romance because the hockey aspect didn't really matter. JT could have had any other highly paid job that forced him to stay closeted and gave him several weeks summer vacation and nothing would have changed about the story. Regarding Misha being a shifter - this was only used to put a unique and interesting twist on the homeless angle. The story would have been the same if Misha had been a hermit who had been living in the wilderness for several years and loved being out in nature. There was no deep exploration of shifter lore and none of the plotlines focused on this element. This story is first and foremost a romance with the fantasy stuff being used to add a bit of flavor. That's exactly the type of romantic fantasy I love, which is another reason this really worked for me.
My absolute favorite part of the story was the pacing of Misha's recovery and his relationship with JT. The author did a fantastic job using realistic pacing for everything but always keeping things moving and interesting. I was right there with Misha at every step and his transformation throughout the story was amazing.
As a small aside, I also want to give the author a huge round of applause for the amazing way they paced Misha's English learning. He did start out knowing some English in his past so some things come back to him quickly but he still goes through a massive learning curve during the story. The fact that the author made sure to adjust Misha's English skills throughout the ENTIRE story to make his progress fit with the time that had passed was amazing.
I also really appreciated how the author paced the sexual relationship between JT and Misha. I get really annoyed by stories where one person is dealing with mental or physical illness and isn't in the right headspace to be considering a sexual relationship, yet the other person is constantly pushing for sex and can't seem to go 5 min without thinking about how much they want to screw the other person. Characters like that aren't my cup of tea. That's why I loved JT in this story. He's definitely attracted to Misha but he navigates the boundaries that are in place during complex situations like this with ease, having that innate understanding of what's appropriate and what's not in situations like that. In addition, the author provided plenty of smoking hot UST and made it clear that both guys are definitely attracted to each other and are struggling a bit with their close proximity. They do stumble into some uncomfortable/embarrassing situations that are bound to happen in such a setup but the guys had no trouble reining in their sexual appetites and desires during times where the priority had to be on other matters.
Side note: I also really loved that
Another way the author demonstrated how solid and mature JT and Misha's relationship was, was close to the end where they have to decide what they'll be doing once JT has to return to Toronto for the new hockey season. I was actually wary from the midway point of the story onwards because I knew that returning to Toronto wouldn't be good for Misha at that stage. He'd come a long way but a huge part of his recovery was tied to the routine and connections he'd made in the quiet town of Sault Ste Marie. In addition, his traumatic history was entirely wrapped up in Toronto, which would make a return difficult anyway. So I was thrilled when . In most other romances, a situation like that would lead to tons of drama with ultimatums, temper tantrums and over the top dramatics. There was none of that here. Misha and JT love each other and want what's best for the other person (even if that isn't what they personally prefer) and they also know that compromise and communication is a key to making their long term relationship work. I just loved how mature and healthy their relationship was!
Overall, I loved everything about this and it's one of my favorite comfort reads and will be for years to come.
August 14, 2023
⭐️ 4.5 stars ⭐️
Absolutely LOVED this!
Such and interesting and different take on the genre, having the shifters be known and common.
The romance is a very nice slow burn and the characters are incredibly adorable.
The ending was satisfying, but kind of left me with some questions. Don’t think everything felt quite solved.
Also, cutest meet-cute to ever cutely meet ➴❤︎
CW and tropes(spoilers):
- bear shifter x human
- Hockey player
- Slow burn
- Strict top/bottom
- Russian MC
POV: 3rd person, dual
Absolutely LOVED this!
“And then we’ll grow old together,” JT said. “Stop,” Misha said, embarrassed to have his words thrown back at him. He knew it was far too soon to say or even feel such a thing, but he couldn’t help himself. JT was his true north.
Such and interesting and different take on the genre, having the shifters be known and common.
The romance is a very nice slow burn and the characters are incredibly adorable.
The ending was satisfying, but kind of left me with some questions. Don’t think everything felt quite solved.
Also, cutest meet-cute to ever cutely meet ➴❤︎
CW and tropes(spoilers):
- bear shifter x human
- Hockey player
- Slow burn
- Strict top/bottom
- Russian MC
POV: 3rd person, dual
July 11, 2022
A delightful little book once we got past the trash eating problem bear phase. A phase which lasted a huge chunk of the book really. The beginning read like someone's daily log of activities they did with sentences like "JT worked out and had lunch with friends and came back and the bear was eating garbage in his driveway again." (this sentence was not from the book but it may as well have been). Once either I got used to the writing or the book stopped doing that (I couldn't tell you which it was) it got way better! Less garbage was eaten, more cute romance caretaking was occurring, more quiet domesticity at a summer lake house was vibing.
There was also a LOT of dramatique running away into the woods to be a bear because being a human is Hard or whatever and a that amounted to absolutely nothing except more dramatiques. With less garbage and less dramatiques this would have been a lowkey 5 star read. Probably. Instead it is a 3.5-4 star read. The extra deduction is because JT, one of the main characters, plays for the Toronto NHL team which is gross. I'd rather read about bear garbage than see Toronto succeed at any level even fictionally.
Read this review and more on my blog: https://horsetalkreviews.blogspot.com/
There was also a LOT of dramatique running away into the woods to be a bear because being a human is Hard or whatever and a that amounted to absolutely nothing except more dramatiques. With less garbage and less dramatiques this would have been a lowkey 5 star read. Probably. Instead it is a 3.5-4 star read. The extra deduction is because JT, one of the main characters, plays for the Toronto NHL team which is gross. I'd rather read about bear garbage than see Toronto succeed at any level even fictionally.
Read this review and more on my blog: https://horsetalkreviews.blogspot.com/
May 25, 2022
hockey player on summer break befriends a bear shifter who keeps eating his garbage. This was a sweet slow burn. I loved that the author didn’t make Misha’s troubles his entire personality and that JT supported Misha by giving him space – and occasionally nudging him when he needed it. JT’s kindness and compassion and Misha’s sly playfulness were a perfect match, and you can see why they’d become friends so quickly.
I liked that Misha being a bear shifter felt like a metaphor for the self-reliance, isolation, and avoidance he was using as coping methods. JT being a hockey player seemed mostly unnecessary to the story (other than to justify his varied daily schedule and give him financial resources, I guess) and felt at times like it was just there to check a box on the romance tropes list, but it didn’t hurt my enjoyment of the story.
Highly recommended if you’re looking for something that focuses on the good in people and the value of compassion.
I liked that Misha being a bear shifter felt like a metaphor for the self-reliance, isolation, and avoidance he was using as coping methods. JT being a hockey player seemed mostly unnecessary to the story (other than to justify his varied daily schedule and give him financial resources, I guess) and felt at times like it was just there to check a box on the romance tropes list, but it didn’t hurt my enjoyment of the story.
Highly recommended if you’re looking for something that focuses on the good in people and the value of compassion.
Read
March 14, 2023DNF @ 30% This story just isn't for me. I think most people will enjoy it, but personally, I think it's too slow and I don't like either of the main characters. Had one of them been more appealing I would have pushed through but here we are. Obviously, no rating. 🙂
August 18, 2023
Bear shifter and hockey player domestic fluff? Adorable!
I loved the first half of this, the second half dragged on a bit, but had a very adorable epilogue.
This was very slow and gradual, I really enjoyed the on page time buildup of their tentative relationship bonding.
I loved the first half of this, the second half dragged on a bit, but had a very adorable epilogue.
This was very slow and gradual, I really enjoyed the on page time buildup of their tentative relationship bonding.
dnf
June 10, 2022DNF @ 41%.
Second attempt at Corey Kerr, and while I find the ideas behind both books interesting, I just find the writing very dry.
Second attempt at Corey Kerr, and while I find the ideas behind both books interesting, I just find the writing very dry.
December 4, 2024
This was just kind of boring
December 19, 2024
DNF @ 69% (teehee)
June 10, 2023
4.5 stars
Wonderfully domestic character-study between a hockey player and a bear shifter.
JT is a pro hockey player, living in his lakeside home in Sault Ste Marie during the off-season. Plagued by a feral bear-shifter who won't stop eating his trash, and soaking in his hot-tub, JT decides to try to coax the bear to shift back and offers him a place to stay while he gets back on his feet.
If you're not a fan of slow, slice-of-life style books, this one probably won't be for you. There's some excitement later in the book, but mostly this is about the relationship that blossoms gradually between JT and Misha.
Both MCs are great characters; they have their flaws but are very endearing. Misha's manipulative, but in a fairly innocent & playful way, mostly making sure that JT feeds him junk food, and forcing him to watch his shows on TV. He's deeply closeted and struggles with internalised homophobia. He's secretive about his past, though it's clear that something traumatic has made him leave Toronto in a hurry and go on the run.
JT has been obsessed with his career to the detriment of his relationships, he has a bit of a saviour complex and dives into things without thinking them through. JT's friends and family know he's gay, though he's not out to the public.
As a couple, they're sweet, and they seem to fit together really nicely. Though they have different interests, they seem to want the same lifestyle and they fall into an easy rhythm. Oh, and they have chemistry, a lot of it. I really appreciated that there's a reversal of the expected top/bottom role-stereotyping too.
The climax managed to be dramatic without being OTT or melodramatic. It wasn't completely out of the blue, but made for a good reveal when the time came.
The epilogue was just…wonderful, and I usually think epilogues are cheesy and unnecessary. Prior to the epilogue, JT and Misha also manage to have an absolutely perfect grown-up conversation about their needs as individuals and as a couple. Yes!!!
A few things I thought were strangely left hanging. JT getting therapy, what were his nightmares about? We don’t learn anything about the worldbuilding, just that there are shifters and that everyone knows about them.
Wonderfully domestic character-study between a hockey player and a bear shifter.
JT is a pro hockey player, living in his lakeside home in Sault Ste Marie during the off-season. Plagued by a feral bear-shifter who won't stop eating his trash, and soaking in his hot-tub, JT decides to try to coax the bear to shift back and offers him a place to stay while he gets back on his feet.
If you're not a fan of slow, slice-of-life style books, this one probably won't be for you. There's some excitement later in the book, but mostly this is about the relationship that blossoms gradually between JT and Misha.
Both MCs are great characters; they have their flaws but are very endearing. Misha's manipulative, but in a fairly innocent & playful way, mostly making sure that JT feeds him junk food, and forcing him to watch his shows on TV. He's deeply closeted and struggles with internalised homophobia. He's secretive about his past, though it's clear that something traumatic has made him leave Toronto in a hurry and go on the run.
JT has been obsessed with his career to the detriment of his relationships, he has a bit of a saviour complex and dives into things without thinking them through. JT's friends and family know he's gay, though he's not out to the public.
As a couple, they're sweet, and they seem to fit together really nicely. Though they have different interests, they seem to want the same lifestyle and they fall into an easy rhythm. Oh, and they have chemistry, a lot of it. I really appreciated that there's a reversal of the expected top/bottom role-stereotyping too.
The climax managed to be dramatic without being OTT or melodramatic. It wasn't completely out of the blue, but made for a good reveal when the time came.
The epilogue was just…wonderful, and I usually think epilogues are cheesy and unnecessary. Prior to the epilogue, JT and Misha also manage to have an absolutely perfect grown-up conversation about their needs as individuals and as a couple. Yes!!!
A few things I thought were strangely left hanging. JT getting therapy, what were his nightmares about? We don’t learn anything about the worldbuilding, just that there are shifters and that everyone knows about them.
Read
November 15, 2023DNF after being paused for an extremely long time while I waited to be less pissy about something...News flash, apparently I hold grudges. 😁
On paper I should have loved this book. But, once the scenes where he's learning English as a second language came about, it took me out of the story and triggered one of my issues. Issue being, I hate when people who are learning English/don't speak English yet are treated like idiots. How many languages do you speak? Why are you being condescending and being like, oh wow, look at him, he's learning his ABC's and it's on the fridge (or some shit like that, I don't remember the details, only the condescending gist).
Everyone learning a new language starts with ABC's or the equivalent. Why don't you study some Russian?
Ugh. Rant over. It was not a big part of the book, but as an ESL private instructor, I'm tired of English speaking people who speak one language acting like that.
Apparently I couldn't get over it and finish the book, haha. 🙄
On paper I should have loved this book. But, once the scenes where he's learning English as a second language came about, it took me out of the story and triggered one of my issues. Issue being, I hate when people who are learning English/don't speak English yet are treated like idiots. How many languages do you speak? Why are you being condescending and being like, oh wow, look at him, he's learning his ABC's and it's on the fridge (or some shit like that, I don't remember the details, only the condescending gist).
Everyone learning a new language starts with ABC's or the equivalent. Why don't you study some Russian?
Ugh. Rant over. It was not a big part of the book, but as an ESL private instructor, I'm tired of English speaking people who speak one language acting like that.
Apparently I couldn't get over it and finish the book, haha. 🙄
October 16, 2023
4.5 Stars.
Soooooo lovely. I enjoyed this so much and read it front to back in one sitting. The slow burn was on point and the characters are both fantastic, flawed people who make the story more interesting rather than pissing me off.
There were a few minor things that didn’t feel fully fleshed out which prevented this from being a full five star for me, but damn it was close.
Soooooo lovely. I enjoyed this so much and read it front to back in one sitting. The slow burn was on point and the characters are both fantastic, flawed people who make the story more interesting rather than pissing me off.
There were a few minor things that didn’t feel fully fleshed out which prevented this from being a full five star for me, but damn it was close.
June 2, 2022
This is a slow burn, domestic slice of life book with a hockey player, pretty far from my usual wheelhouse. And it was lovely! Misha is so cute and sneaky and caring. And JT is perfect for him. Very good book, would recommend.
Tags: hockey player (very few actual hockey games in the book though), bear shifter, homeless MC, Russian, Canada, small town life
Tags: hockey player (very few actual hockey games in the book though), bear shifter, homeless MC, Russian, Canada, small town life
February 22, 2024
Excellent domestic slow burn and caretaking. What is cuter than the idea of a bear enjoying a hot tub?
Unfortunately the third act conflict is introduced and then resolved in an incredibly slapdash way.
Unfortunately the third act conflict is introduced and then resolved in an incredibly slapdash way.
January 4, 2024
This was just okay. My rating might be closer to 2.5 stars. I might’ve dnf’d it if it wasn’t my first read of the year, just because it was kind of boring. I don’t know if it was the writing style or the narrator, but it just didn’t work for me.
January 12, 2022
Lol to the two reviews that were almost word for word the same! Must have been from roommates who shared the book \s. They are either the same person with two accounts or very good friends of the author. I never trust the five star reviews of a mediocre book as the fix is in.
This book was on its way to being very good. I was surprised and pleased at the unusual plot line that was well written in a clear style by this new to me author. Very enjoyable! I did notice it had a lot of chapters and was worried it might use angst or intrusive side characters to pad the chapters in the usual way when a romance book is too long. Unfortunately, it did and I began to skim read. The parents and the friends were nosy and bossy about JT’s life and he allowed it. At the same time this became a main theme, the angst amped up about separation from Misha when hockey season began. There was a lack of communication between the MCs. I understand that they both had difficult romantic pasts. I liked JT’s character less because he was a nice guy, but not a stand up guy with a FU reply to the naysayers. He was letting Misha down and I lost my enjoyment in the book. Too bad, because the steamy scenes were hot. This author wrote them very well.
* Continued with the book and JT redeemed himself by telling his family to back off about his relationship with Misha. The intrusive friend backed off, too. I wasn’t drawn into or even interested in the Misha back story drama. The story did get better in the last three chapters, but wasn’t feeling any passion. Even the first ‘I love you’ was off page. That’s a romance no-no.
This book was on its way to being very good. I was surprised and pleased at the unusual plot line that was well written in a clear style by this new to me author. Very enjoyable! I did notice it had a lot of chapters and was worried it might use angst or intrusive side characters to pad the chapters in the usual way when a romance book is too long. Unfortunately, it did and I began to skim read. The parents and the friends were nosy and bossy about JT’s life and he allowed it. At the same time this became a main theme, the angst amped up about separation from Misha when hockey season began. There was a lack of communication between the MCs. I understand that they both had difficult romantic pasts. I liked JT’s character less because he was a nice guy, but not a stand up guy with a FU reply to the naysayers. He was letting Misha down and I lost my enjoyment in the book. Too bad, because the steamy scenes were hot. This author wrote them very well.
* Continued with the book and JT redeemed himself by telling his family to back off about his relationship with Misha. The intrusive friend backed off, too. I wasn’t drawn into or even interested in the Misha back story drama. The story did get better in the last three chapters, but wasn’t feeling any passion. Even the first ‘I love you’ was off page. That’s a romance no-no.
January 11, 2024
2.5 ⭐️
Seriously have no idea what the fork I just read, but don't have strong feelings about it either way. Truly baffled-neutral.
The only shifter book I've ever encountered where it literally made no difference that he was a shifter. None. Not a bit. Kept waiting for it to matter. Never did. Kind of admire that energy, tbh. Just writing shifters for shits and giggles. Completely random bit of worldbuilding just tossed in there to spice up your hockrom. You go, author.
Anyway, this book wasn't actively bad but also wasn't particularly good. Nothing really happened? And yet I kept reading. I finished this yesterday and I've already forgotten the MCs' names. Good for when your brain needs a rest, but you're too overstimulated to just sit and stare into space.
Seriously have no idea what the fork I just read, but don't have strong feelings about it either way. Truly baffled-neutral.
The only shifter book I've ever encountered where it literally made no difference that he was a shifter. None. Not a bit. Kept waiting for it to matter. Never did. Kind of admire that energy, tbh. Just writing shifters for shits and giggles. Completely random bit of worldbuilding just tossed in there to spice up your hockrom. You go, author.
Anyway, this book wasn't actively bad but also wasn't particularly good. Nothing really happened? And yet I kept reading. I finished this yesterday and I've already forgotten the MCs' names. Good for when your brain needs a rest, but you're too overstimulated to just sit and stare into space.
May 24, 2024
Time of death: 40%
I missed an arc. Besides not knowing Micha's background, there is nothing interesting. And there are no clues, hints, drops of information to keep me invested. I want to know a person's hopes, fears, secrets, emotions and character. This is just a record of two people living together.
And why is there a shifter community? They are as interesting as a knitting circle. Shouldn't there be some lore, culture, social structure or just, IDK, anything? If you replace the words shifter with redheads you have the exact same story.
I missed an arc. Besides not knowing Micha's background, there is nothing interesting. And there are no clues, hints, drops of information to keep me invested. I want to know a person's hopes, fears, secrets, emotions and character. This is just a record of two people living together.
And why is there a shifter community? They are as interesting as a knitting circle. Shouldn't there be some lore, culture, social structure or just, IDK, anything? If you replace the words shifter with redheads you have the exact same story.
December 24, 2022
4.5 stars - This was so cuuuuuuute. They don't even kiss until about 50%, but the progression of their relationship is very sweet. (Also, maybe tied with In This Iron Ground by Marina Vivancos for most casual shifter community I've read?) The writing is very evocative, as well. I don't like it when reviews say things like, "The writing was better than it had to be" but the writing here did have something extra that elevated what is a fairly straightforward story. Misha’s characterization as a bit of a hibernating bear even in his human form was both funny and endearing. It's also a very smooth ride,
May 29, 2022
Really cute book, bear shifter and hockey player during a summer break.
December 22, 2023
I really enjoyed this one. I hope they write more contemporaries.
May 2, 2025
A unique Bear shifter / ice hockey combo mm romance
Ohhhhkay… I have thoughts that I don’t know yet how to articulate…
I felt like the author had a lot of great ideas for a number of novels… then did a one-book mashup 😆
The characters were likeable. Their interactions were mostly amusing and sweet and cute. The general story of the relationship developing was ok. BUT the whole shifter thing was weird, like there was no stigma around shifters… everyone knew they existed and were generally accepted and they weren’t seen as dangerous. A nonevent. Shifters should be shifty, yeah? 🤨 And the story would have worked without the MMC being a NHL captain. A love me a hockey romance … but he just did not give hockey bro… and honestly didn’t need to be for the story to work.
Was just … a lot of unnecessary…muchness… to the story that didn’t add… much 😅
Some open door spice, but it was mostly fingering… a lot of fingering… which also, wot? Like a little finger priming we expect… but that is not the highlight that we are here for let’s face it 😆 I’m very comfortable with the word fingering after this book. Fingering… 🤣
Throw in some language barrier issues (our bear shifter is Russian 😆), some family estrangement, some closeted sports star, some hidden culinary talent, a little accusation of violent crimes and some true luff… and voila! We have this book!
Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it. Not sure I can say I even liked it… but I did keep reading it… I can see why some people rate it and others not so much.
2.5 ⭐️
2…3? 👉🍑🌶️
Ohhhhkay… I have thoughts that I don’t know yet how to articulate…
I felt like the author had a lot of great ideas for a number of novels… then did a one-book mashup 😆
The characters were likeable. Their interactions were mostly amusing and sweet and cute. The general story of the relationship developing was ok. BUT the whole shifter thing was weird, like there was no stigma around shifters… everyone knew they existed and were generally accepted and they weren’t seen as dangerous. A nonevent. Shifters should be shifty, yeah? 🤨 And the story would have worked without the MMC being a NHL captain. A love me a hockey romance … but he just did not give hockey bro… and honestly didn’t need to be for the story to work.
Was just … a lot of unnecessary…muchness… to the story that didn’t add… much 😅
Some open door spice, but it was mostly fingering… a lot of fingering… which also, wot? Like a little finger priming we expect… but that is not the highlight that we are here for let’s face it 😆 I’m very comfortable with the word fingering after this book. Fingering… 🤣
Throw in some language barrier issues (our bear shifter is Russian 😆), some family estrangement, some closeted sports star, some hidden culinary talent, a little accusation of violent crimes and some true luff… and voila! We have this book!
Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it. Not sure I can say I even liked it… but I did keep reading it… I can see why some people rate it and others not so much.
2.5 ⭐️
2…3? 👉🍑🌶️
January 6, 2024
3.5*
This is one of those 3 star books that I actually really enjoyed but doesn’t light my heart on fire - it’s solid, competent, cosy and sweet. There isn’t any plot until 3/4 of the way through, and that’s resolved pretty quickly, so that we can get back to the MMCs making breakfast together, watching Love Island and swimming in the lake. Despite featuring a bear shifter and a big-name hockey player, it’s neither a shifter romance nor a hockey romance in anything except name. Instead it’s slice-of-life, with a minor key of hurt-comfort and some surprisingly effective emotional introspection.
It’s good, is what I’m saying, if you’re looking for something to while away some lazy hours with.
This is one of those 3 star books that I actually really enjoyed but doesn’t light my heart on fire - it’s solid, competent, cosy and sweet. There isn’t any plot until 3/4 of the way through, and that’s resolved pretty quickly, so that we can get back to the MMCs making breakfast together, watching Love Island and swimming in the lake. Despite featuring a bear shifter and a big-name hockey player, it’s neither a shifter romance nor a hockey romance in anything except name. Instead it’s slice-of-life, with a minor key of hurt-comfort and some surprisingly effective emotional introspection.
It’s good, is what I’m saying, if you’re looking for something to while away some lazy hours with.
skim-read
August 29, 2022This isn’t my usual type of book because I just don’t tend to want to read books about hockey players in the summer months. Because you know what doesn’t happen in the summer? HOCKEY. But I digress. This is more of a bear shifter book and that’s fine. It’s slowly paced, which isn’t really a book I was interested in right now, but the story is well-written and the story is still compelling.
The story is about a Russian bear shifter (Misha) hiding in the woods but slowly being drawn out of his shell by a NHL hockey player (JT). JT is fed up with the bear digging through his trash constantly and starts to feed the shifter for real.
But. The only qualms I have with this book is that JT goes fishing for fish and feeds the raw fish to someone he KNOWS is a shifter and when Misha shifts back to being human right after eating the fish? There’s no mention that he literally just ate raw fish? Where are the messiness or the fishy smell/taste in his mouth when he shifts into human? Not including that was weird.
The mystery behind Misha’s secret and why he chooses to remain a bear for so long is…eh. It is what it is. I could’ve done without the .
I want to say this book didn’t provide an explanation why everyone in this book just knows shifters exist, but I could’ve just missed it. I skim read this book which is why I also don’t have a rating for this. So…I could’ve just missed this bit in the book.
Props for this book actually including a satisfying epilogue for ME because even if there’s no hockey playtime or knowing/meeting any other hockey player in this book, I am satisfied with that at least.
The story is about a Russian bear shifter (Misha) hiding in the woods but slowly being drawn out of his shell by a NHL hockey player (JT). JT is fed up with the bear digging through his trash constantly and starts to feed the shifter for real.
But. The only qualms I have with this book is that JT goes fishing for fish and feeds the raw fish to someone he KNOWS is a shifter and when Misha shifts back to being human right after eating the fish? There’s no mention that he literally just ate raw fish? Where are the messiness or the fishy smell/taste in his mouth when he shifts into human? Not including that was weird.
The mystery behind Misha’s secret and why he chooses to remain a bear for so long is…eh. It is what it is. I could’ve done without the .
I want to say this book didn’t provide an explanation why everyone in this book just knows shifters exist, but I could’ve just missed it. I skim read this book which is why I also don’t have a rating for this. So…I could’ve just missed this bit in the book.
Props for this book actually including a satisfying epilogue for ME because even if there’s no hockey playtime or knowing/meeting any other hockey player in this book, I am satisfied with that at least.
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