Review of Her Bear Protector by Doris O'Connor

Her Bear Protector by Doris O'Connor

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



For the most part, Her Bear Protector was a pretty good read. I liked how Ms. O’Connor has Tina inform the reader of the history between her and Ronan via her internal monologue while getting right into the action. There was no dragging out of the “reveal” as Tina learns that Ronan is a bear shifter almost immediately into the book’s beginning. And what a way to find out. The relief Tina felt after the shock of seeing all the blood and destruction is probably the only reason she didn’t run away screaming when Ronan shifted into his bear.

As with all shifter books (and most paranormal romances in general), the insta-love issue that inundates so many contemporary romances does not apply in Her Bear Protector due to mating instincts. However, it really didn’t apply once the reader learns that Ronan recognized Tina as his mate when they first met but because of his duties as a Protector, he did not pursue the mating bond. He actually kept watch over her from a distance to insure she was safe, but otherwise left her alone. I loved how growly and sexy Ronan was, yet he was unbelievably gentle and protective of Tina. But I will say that I was right there with him in his bewilderment when she freaked out on him after he told her what his being a Protector meant – that was a crazy whiplash scene that I reread three times to see if I missed something. Thank goodness we had Mrs. H to explain Tina’s reaction to us later.

What I didn’t love were things that just annoyed or bothered me personally. Tina’s tendency to stick her tongue out at Ronan seemed quite childish. I don’t recall reading what her age was, but that behavior kept negating her previous acts of maturity. That said, I literally snorted when Tina had the actual thought that “She wasn’t some schoolgirl for fuck’s sake.” One of my other issues was how quickly they progressed to D/s sex. Their conversation had already established that Tina’s experience was limited to reading romance novels, yet Ronan jumps straight in with restraints and blindfolding. Don’t get me wrong, the sex scenes in the book are all kinds of hot, the progression just felt rushed – not the sex itself. These issues didn’t prevent me from enjoying Her Bear Protector, they just kept it from being a great read. Overall Ms. O’Connor has penned an enjoyable read that is filled with lots of hot sex, a great romance, and an intriguing cast of characters I hope to see more of. I look forward to reading the next book in the series and am anxious to find out if it will be set in the same village or a different one in need of another protector.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Her Bear Protector Tour Stop! blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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