BWW Reviews: A Big Oh Yeah! for LIONS, TIGERS, AND SEXY BEARS OH MY!

Okay, true confession time: I've never been a big fan of paranormal romance. Sure, I've read one or two (okay, four) of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse books. And I liked them just fine. Didn't love them, but enjoyed them at some level.

I think my problem with paranormal romance is that I prefer my happily ever afters with a healthy dose of authenticity. And there's not much realism in a book that has the heroine coupled with a werewolf or vampire.

So when I got the chance to review an advance copy of Candace Haven's latest release for Entangled's Covet line, I hesitated. Could I objectively review a paranormal romance? I figured, for the sake of my readers, many of whom enjoy the genre, I'd better try. And boy, am I glad I did.

With a title like Lions, Tigers, and Sexy Bears Oh My! this book grabbed me right from the start. Maybe it was the obvious Wizard of Oz reference appealing to the musical theater geek in me. Or maybe it was the first scene, where we meet feisty runaway heiress Ainsley McLeon. Alone. In a blizzard. Wearing couture.

With her ancient pickup truck wrapped around a tree and no funds for repairs, she turns to brooding bar owner Luc for a waitressing job. He's a big, sexy bear of a man. Literally. Seems Ainsley has stumbled into a town full of shifters - the residents routinely morph into lions, tigers, bears and foxes.

Does this intimidate our intrepid heroine? Heck, no! This gal has more moxie than a used car salesman. And before long, she's charmed the whole town - including Luc. But Ainsley's not the only one with secrets. Luc's got his own share of emotional baggage, and falling for Ainsley's not part of his game plan.

There's nothing not to like about this book. A heroine you can really root for. A tortured hero in need of saving. Danger. Suspense. And sexual tension so thick you can cut it with a chainsaw.

Sure, Luc can turn into a bear. But that's almost a sidebar, important only during his most intimate moments with Ainsley, when he worries he'll hurt her unintentionally. Or covers her with extra blankets because he's forced to keep the temperature in his apartment ridiculously low in order to avoid going into hibernation. Ironically, both of these examples serve to emphasize Luc's kind, gentle, compassionate nature - his humanity - rather than his more animal instincts.

And I guess, when you come down to it, that's what sold me on this book. It's not about supernatural powers. Or dark warlords. Or the struggle between mortals and creatures of the night. It's about two people dealing with very real, very human issues like work, family drama and falling in love when you least expect it. So what if one of them sometimes takes the form of a hairy beast? After all, who among us doesn't go a little primeval every now and then?

Lions, Tigers, and Sexy Bears Oh My! is available in e-book format on July 22, 2013.

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