I have always been a fan of Mary Janice Davidsons books. This one I found a bit hard to follow in the beginning. There are a lot of characters. But overall it was an enjoyable read.

It was a funny book with cute characters. This is a book for if you want something fun and lighthearted to read with a little adventure, it is 100% for you.

DNF @ 30%

I tried the ebook and it didn't grab me so i set it aside. I then tried the audiobook after release date and, once again, it did not grab me. I'm a huge fan of shifter stories so not sure what it was that didn't work for me in this one.

I started the book and it didn't click with me...skimmed a bit and read in the middle and at the end and decided it was too choppy and "young" for my reading needs. Thank you, though, for the opportunity to read this book. The premise sounded good but it didn't work for me.. (DNF)

I really really really wanted to love this book. I didn't.



The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else: So, I along time ago I was in love once. In love with MaryJanice's sense of humor and everything Queen Betsy. Then over the years what was once an amazing love story between a girl and her fictitious besties The Vampire Queen and her consort Sink-Lair became a systematic relationship breakdown. I started to notice Betsy just wasn't who I thought she was. She's not a smart independent strong woman. She's actually quite distracted by shiny things and spends most of her time in her own head with internal rando thoughts. So, you may be asking, what does the Queen Betsy books have to do with the first book in the BeWere My Heart series...technically nothing unless you mistakenly confuse Annette Garsea with Betsy Taylor.



You'd think a dingbat Vampire Queen wouldn't have anything in common with a professional social worker who takes her charges seriously, right? True story....unless you read this book and see every time Annette opens her mouth to speak, or worse yet witness all of her unsaid thoughts (the many many many internal musings)(in parenthesis)sometimes italicized but mostly occurring in the middle of another person's dialogue. She was freakin' Queen Betsy in a Werebear hybrid body!



The plot itself was fairly interesting....OK not the Annette wanting but not wanting to want David's body plot....which was what I interpreted as the main plot of the book but rather the plot of child shifter trafficking. That plot was actually really interesting but it was a very deep subject matter for such a lighthearted silly book and took a back seat to the sexual attraction between David and Annette.



In a Nutshell: Overall, I'm super disappointed in this book. I was looking for something humorous but better than the Queen Betsy books. I got a Queen Betsy book starring Shifters instead. I'm not sure I'll read the next book...maybe if it's free...even then, maybe not.

DNF - 8%

MaryJanice Davidson's Bears Behaving Badly is a VERY confusing book. First off, the blurb written on Goodreads versus what is written on Amazon is different. The GR blurb, which happens to be the blurb on the publisher's site REALLY made me want to read the book. It sounds really intriguing. The blurb on Amazon, not so much. Plus the blurb on Amazon is written in first person, making you think the story is in first person. It is not.

The publisher and GR's description had me WANTING to read this story. I was really excited. My excitement started to fall immediately once I started reading. The book opens with a dream and then somehow transitions into the present, with no clear indication of what is happening. Then you have several characters thrown at you, with no explanation of who or what they are. It was like I started reading the book halfway through. I was literally starting to get a headache, trying to figure out what was happening. I'm beyond disappointed. At 8% or halfway through Chapter Four, I had to give up.

Bears Behaving Badly is the first book in MaryJanice Davidson’s BeWere My Heart series, and it was an insanely addictive read. In fact, I adored this one and cannot wait to get my hands on more.

At first, I was a wee bit tentative about this one. I feared it was going to be one of those books that tried too hard to be funny, and I worried it would ruin the story. Fortunately, I found this one hilarious and was happy with the way the humour and the story played together. The characters were adorable, the storyline was gripping, and it kept me entertained throughout.

Add in the fact this one included some unique elements to the shifter mythology, and I was super invested in the world. There is so much I want to find out more about, plenty of characters I want to see more of, and I’m eager to dive into the next book.

Without a doubt, this was a great start to the BeWere My Heart series.

Sometimes you just need quirky and fun even when taking on difficult topics and situations. In today's world climate, this was a perfect book-cation away from the turmoil of all that is 2020! Davidson perfectly balanced difficult situations and topics with humor and entertaining characters that drew me directly into her BeWere My Heart world.

I received this ARC copy of Bears Behaving Badly from SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca. This is my honest and voluntary review.

My Review.....

Annette is a werebear, she’s also a social worker who specialises in juvenile shifters. She’s a great character, ready to defend the helpless, her heart is huge, is she a soft touch? I don’t think so, she ready with a hug, but also a lecture.....

David Auberon is also a werebear, he works in the same department and is a private investigator. He’s had a soft spot for Annette for a while, so us happy to help her figure this case out, and who know, maybe he can get to know her a little better.
I got the impression he’s a little shy, he can’t tell Annette he fancies her, so he just happens to “pop by” to help when she needs it the most.

We catch up with them just after David brings in a young female werewolf, she’s been caught beating up an adult werewolf, but can’t it won’t tell anyone why.
So it doesn’t help Annette that much, how can she sort the young girl out, if she won’t help?!

We have a story of child abuse and possible murders. Have Annette and David stumbled onto something more sinister?

The romance between David and Annette is a slow burn ……… which is ok, as I’m enjoying the mystery rather than the romance.

The secondary characters help to make this book an enjoyable read.
Both Annette and David’s colleagues are always trying to get them together. The juvenile shifters tug at your heartstrings.

This is my first book by the Author and the first in her new series …. BeWere series, and I’m hoping it won’t be the last.

🦋

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

3.75 Hearts First this is the first in a new series. And can I say I am just so happy to read a shifter novel that is NOT about wolves. I mean I love wolf-shifters but there are like a million other kinds of animals in the world.

Anyway…… This was really cute. There was a lot of humor and fun mayhem in this book that actually had me smiling and chuckling at certain times. David has a crush on Annette, Annette has a crush on David… They do not think the other like the other and when posted together to find a group of traffickers of shifters they start getting a little clearer picture of each other and really in the most humorous of ways.

This is a really cute story and I look forward to the next in the series.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A fun read, with MJD's trademark madcap humour, but it occasionally slipped into a stream-of-consciousness style that didn't appeal to me.

In this paranormal romance story, we have two bear shifters a Social worker named Annette and contract investigator David who team up together in search of missing cubs. The two have been interested in each other from afar but when they have to work together will their attraction to one another help or hinder them? Can they find out who the villains are and figure out their emotions before time runs out for them?

I enjoyed BEARS BEHAVING BADLY it is an engaging read that will keep your attention from start to finish. MaryJanice Davidson does a good job of mixing the suspense and romance together. The characters are well developed, and the plot moves along nicely. The story moves along at a good pace and the romance is a slow build. David and Annette are good together and it was nice to see their relationship grow. The interactions between the two made for a good read. David is a tough guy with a good heart and especially when it comes to Annette. Annette is a strong woman who can stand on her own and the they work together well. As the two delve deeper and find out about shifter trafficking, they must try to stay alive and find the truth all the while trying to figure out just where they stand with each other. Not only did these two main characters grab my attention but many of the supporting characters had a lot to say. I enjoyed the snarkiness and humor from the characters that readers of this author are used to. This looks to be a good start to a new series.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

Bears are definitely behaving badly in this first installment of the BeWere My Heart series.

The dialogue was fun, the characters are witty and I enjoyed the story. Annette and David have great chemistry. I'm looking forward to the next book.

Maryjanice Davidson forays into the world of shifters fully in this novel. It is by turns funny, sad, infuriating, a bit confusing if you aren't paying attention but ultimately satisfying.

In this new world, shifters are still hidden but they have a whole level of annoying bureaucracy just like we do and it is here our Heroine starts - with the arrest of a kit and his remand into her care. There was some realistic issues tossed into this book vis a vis the foster and social system surrounding vulnerable children and it was nice to see that Ms. Davidson has not lost her notable snark for all things that common sense calls ridiculous.

As an author, she has a real talent for conveying characters that have a depth to them that is perhaps unexpected at times. It is like a nesting doll, layer after layer. The reason for the 4 stars is because I would have liked a bit more backstory to some of the characters to smooth out their transitions.

This book is a tiny bit more racy than her Queen Betsey books so if that isn't your thing, maybe don't but if you are looking for a good read that will make you laugh out loud, this is it.

This was a great light read, perfect for these scary times. The characters are engaging and funny, and I can't wait to read more about the rest of them. As usual, MaryJanice Davidson presents wonderful sarcasm.

4/5 stars

I really enjoyed this banter filled, sweet shifter romance. This story was a very slow burn with minimal steam until the end when it explodes! However, there was plenty of build up and chemistry between the two werebear characters, Net and David, while they worked together during the investigation. I really liked the author's shifter/human world building and would love to know more about the world! Overall, this story was sweet and sexy with a very slow burn that was well worth the wait in the end.

Annette Garsea has a problem. Actually a lot of problems. She works for the Shifter Child Protective Services in the Midwest and she is a "hard softie" as Dev (another of her problems) puts it. Then there is her food fetish, her dream fantasies, and the fact that coworkers are spreading rumors about her and an certain PI are dating. And they are not. Well, not really. They are just working really close on the same case. A case of missing shifter kids, exotic pets, crooked lawyers, two-timing state employees, and murder. Of course there is murder! And confrontations! And snark, plus puns, and plenty of food! It would not be a MaryJanice Davidson book without them! Do read and enjoy! I sure did!

Loved it! Happy, that we are still in this new paranormal world. MaryJanice delivers another amazing storyline. Now, there's various types of shifter in the world, so you'd expect there be an agency to help. So, you can only imagine Annette going run into a ton of problems. Though she's able to rope a few people along for this crazy ride. Dynamics between the characters are hilarious and so entertaining. Amazing read. Great addition for my paranormal romance section.

Annette Garsea is a werebear shifter employed as a caseworker in the shifter foster care system. After Annette finds herself caring for super strong teenage werewolf who has decided to remain mute. The only way to save the girl is to unravel her secrets, and Annette hopes to do that before those who harmed the teen figure out a way to pull her back to them. When a private investigator finds himself in Annette's corner she has to find a way to prevent him from interfering or distracting her.

David Auberon is a bear shifter employed as a private investigator who gets involved in the case surrounding the selectively mute werewolf. He thinks the teen is full of rage and should be locked up. When Annette, the teen, and another of Annette's charges become embroiled in trafficking and find themselves the targets of murder attempts, David realizes something huge is at play.

Annette and David are compelling characters, imperfect yet strong and very protective of the kids and each other. The sparks fly between them but neither character is confident enough to believe the other would be interested. That was really the only drawback to the story. I would have liked Annette and David to have had higher self-esteem. Both are caring, capable, and excel at what they do yet don't feel like they are good enough for the other. Annette, David, and the secondary characters are witty and humorous but serious as appropriate. The characters are quirky and likable.

The story was engaging, exciting, and full of suspense. I was on the edge of my seat, as the tension grew and the danger intensified. The interactions between Annette, David, and the two teens brought a little bit of levity to the seriousness of story. The undercurrent of romance adds another element to the book and the chemistry between Annette and David was off the charts but didn't overshadow the foster care and trafficking elements of the book. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Mary Janice Davidson has hit another one out of the park! This is the start of a new series centered around werebears and it will keep you giggling and wanting to know what comes next. Annette is a werebear with the shifter version of Child Protective Services and she is serious about taking care of shifter kids. There is, of course, a romance story here as well involving her long time crush. It is great fun following Annette's adventures - including some hilarious snarky inner monologues!