herding cats & burning soup: 4 stars--Eventide of the Bear (The Wild Hunt Legacy, #3) by Cherise Sinclair

Werebears!!!! We have werebears!!! *squeals of delight*

Eventide of the Bear was so not what I was expecting but I loved it and had a blast as Emma, Ben, and Ryder get all domesticated without even realizing it.

Okay so the quick of it is that years ago Emma was banished by her town. She's lived alone in the woods and isn't allowed any contact with their kind because of what she'd done. But things change all up after she's seriously injured trying to save some human kids and the local shifter group discovers her existence. Until she's all healed up and they can figure out what to do with her? She's gonna be under the watchful eyes and paws of one of the single bears in town. And while all that healing happens and attraction starts to swirl about even more excitement lands on their door in the form of Ben's long estranged brother. Lots of growling, purring and maybe some petting ensue.

Sooo the players.

Emma-- a lil' bear. I loved her. She's sweet and socially awkward from long term isolation and a horrible childhood. She had a soothing quality about her--she's a Bard after all--and has the gift of song and telling their kind's stories through words.

Ben--a big ol' grizzly. He was solid and reliable and wanting roots despite being scared of them. I'd totally snuggle me some Ben.

Ryder--kitteh shifter! I love kitty shifters and how sly they can be. He's a grumbler and wary of females and it took him a little time to warm up to their new life as he mended fences with his brother and dealt with a surprise of his own that changed everything.

The three were great together. They all had issues from poor upbringings--one had real mothers or stable households. The brothers had been torn apart by their separate fathers for most of their lives (they had the same mama but she passed when Ben was a babe). They all craved touch, belonging, stability and family. I loved seeing them heal each other and slowly become the family they all craved.

Now the heat! So I was totally expecting a really sexy menage romance. I mean. Hello! There's two cocked out heroes for the taking! Take em, lil' bear! Take em! lol And this is Sinclair who writes freaking HOT erotic romance (usually of the BDSM persuasion) But surprisingly this was a crazy PG read. Not even a kiss until about the 50% mark and then very little actual meeting of naughty bits. I think there were like three scenes. One with each brother individually and one as a pair. I'd be hard pressed to call it an erotic though which is kinda odd, right? This is NOT a bad thing though. I loved the romance between the three but was just surprised since I'm used to erotic from Sinclair. I'd put this pretty firmly in mainstream romance aside from the fact there are two lickable males.

Annnd the suspense. There was a little suspense happening with hell hound attacks and happenings in their pasts coming back to nip at them. It kept things interesting and moving along which was fun.

My only complaint was a couple consistency bits and what felt like the overuse of world specific exclamations/swears. I know that's a weird thing to note but it was to the point of distraction--by the gods, by the Hunter, by the Hunter's bow, by the fucking God of the fucking forest (okay, I liked that one lol), by Herne's hairy balls, by Herne's antlers, Herne help them, by Herne's heavy balls, Herne's hide and hooves, his holy prick, etc. It was, well, it stood out a little too much for me. A minor complaint for an overall fab read but one I thought should be noted.

All in all...No matter what Sinclair lays her hand on it's sure to delight and charm which was exactly the case with Eventide of the Bear. It was a shiftery good time as these three as they found romance and a place to call their own. Romance fans...prepare yourselves for a little happy sigh. These guys will surely earn it.

Okay and because I love including quotes. This isn't the heroine/heroes but another couple and omg it made me chuckle.

Running a finger down her cheek, Alec said, "A female's scent changes as her body does."

She growled. "Fucking scent-sniffing, snoopy cats. I'm going to find hot pepper lotion and burn you out for a week."

All her life, Emma longed for someone to love. Instead, disaster sees the brand-new bard banished from her people for long lonely years. Injured saving a child, the werebear has to steal food from humans, breaking shifter Law. The territory’s Cosantir and his lethal grizzly warrior catch her in the act. To her surprise, she’s healed and welcomed. Obviously, they don’t know her past. But oh, she can’t resist being around other shifters—especially the captivatingly powerful warrior. Maybe she can stay…just a little while.

As a grizzly warrior, Ben is ordered to house the pretty werebear until she heals. His littermate abandoned him, his home is empty, and he’s been alone for a long time. Intelligent and sweet and lushly curved, Emma is a delight…even if she is oddly reticent about her past. Although having sworn off females, he’s sorely tempted by this one. Damned if he doesn’t want to keep her, secrets or not.

Females were trouble. Years past, one split Ryder from his littermate. Now the panther shifter is returning to Ben, bringing his cub with him, a four-year-old he stole from the abusive female. To Ryder’s annoyance, his brother is sheltering a wounded bear. A female. Even worse, she’s beautiful and gentle and loving—damned if he’s going to fall for that act again. But when the dark of the moon arrives and death reigns supreme, he’ll discover that not all females are alike.

In a world filled with hellhounds and pixies, can three lonely shifters and one silent cub create a new family together?