Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Bear Necessity.

I was drawn to the sweet cover and the premise so I was excited when my request was approved.

Danny is a young widower struggling with the loss of his beloved wife in a car accident. His son, Will, had been in the car when his mother was killed and hasn't spoken since.

After Danny is fired and his landlord threatens to harm his most precious body parts due to his falling behind in rent, he purchases a gross panda suit and becomes a street performer.

After rescuing his son from school bullies, Will begins to confide in his father, though he doesn't know this since Danny is dressed as a panda. It doesn't take long for Danny to realize that even though his wife is gone, his son is still here and needs him more than ever.

This is such a sweet, heartwarming tale - it is sentimental without being sappy, funny without being corny and touching without being mushy.

Sure, its got all the cliche stereotypes of a feel good movie - kind, likable characters, quirky supporting characters and a happy ever after, but now is the time for such a book.

Danny is a great guy - he's struggling with the loss of his true love but he never gives up looking for a job, providing for his son, and doing what needs to be done.

When he realizes the mistakes he's made with his son, that they should have been grieving together instead of alone and apart, he makes amends and takes the steps to repair his relationship with Will.

His friends, Ivan, a beast of a man with a penchant for baking, and Krystal, a pole dancer with a potty mouth that would make any sailor blush, are funny and good people.

I liked that Krystal became a friend, though reluctantly. She's not a love interest, just a friend who tells it like it is.

The writing is engaging, funny without being sarcastic, and yes, there is a happy ending, but there is death, sorrow, and bullying.

But, the author demonstrates that if you have a good support system, you can overcome obstacles that life throws at you because the people you love are never gone.

Thank you, NetGalley, for a complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I was hooked from the first page. I loved this incredible story of a father and son trying to navigate their way through grief, and trying to navigate their way back to each other. There was a lot of tension in the book by Danny trying to right by his son, Will, and they were offset by some really outrageous, and very hilarious!, scenes. It was a delight to read and left me thinking about it long after I put it down. I loved reading about a father who would do anything for his son, and I loved reading about a kid who would allow his father that opportunity. I definitely think this is a must read of 2020.

What a delightful book! Very quick read; the dialogue was perfect, the characters were well drawn, the story was lovely. Several times I actually LOL'd. After some heavy books and being in quarantine for nearly a month, this was the perfect antidote. Recommended. Loved it!

A year after the death of his wife, Danny and his son Will are not coping. His son Will hasn’t said a word since the accident, Danny lost his job, the landlord is threatening to break his legs for non-payment of rent, and father and son can’t communicate until through crazy circumstances Danny becomes a dancing panda in the park. Will doesn’t know it’s his dad he’s unburdening his heart to, and while Danny is happy his son is speaking, he now begins to realize what is wrong with their relationship. Add other eccentric, delightful characters and you have a great story.

Four Stars...this book is about loss, grief, dancing, and ultimately, hope. I found myself lost in the real world that Gould-Bourn describes. We see a father and song struggling to come to terms with the loss of their wife/mother amidst trying times. The characters are specific and detailed. This book will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you want to dance, too. Highly recommended.

A lovely story a book that handles grief so well. So well written warm drew me in kept e turning the ages.An author to follow #netgalleey#scribner

I started this book feeling like 3.5 stars but the more I got into the story the 4 stars started to appear, I had a hard time at the beginning of the story with all the chatting going in circles not getting anywhere but then as I understood where the story was heading, I felt like I was beginning to see the real true colors of Bear Necessity.

Bear Necessity, a story of a man trying to reconnect with his son and save his family, after a very bad hard tragedy in his past that put a very big reef between them now Danny is ready to recover the lost time and finally become a friend to his son.

Will doesn't like to talk, he prefers to live in his mind, afraid of life and bullies he just wants to spend time with his best friend Mo and forget about the past and all the burdens he keeps living. he misses his mom so much, he misses his friend, someone to talk, someone to laugh and feel protected, it's up to life and circumstances to finally bring Will and Danny together.

I laugh so much with many of the secondary characters and their shenanigans Katrina, Mo, Ivan all of them really brought so much to the story giving more depth to the main characters they really made me laugh so much.

What I like about the story was the Danny never gave up, that he kept working hard to give anything his son was missing, no matter if he had to work in a very weird job, his priority was to become friends and family all over again.

What I disliked was the constant bullying to the Main characters, it made me angry and sad at the same time, that most of the people surrounding Danny and Will were people with the need to out them down.

Bear Necessity is a story of friendship, love, empathy, and hope, a story of second chances.

Overall was a good story, a story that needs time to make you feel all the feels.

Sweet story.... the subject of grief is never a pleasant one. But the author does a fine job of exploring it in a sweet and at time humorous way. I do agree with other reviews that at times it was a little slow. But over all a great to book.

I thought this was a very sweet novel. There is a niceness to it that reminds me a lot of Nick Hornby- which is absolutely a compliment. However, I found it to be just a liiittle bit slow and hard to really get into. I think setting has a lot to do with this. I was just lazing around my house reading. If this had been a beach read or a flight read, I probably would be raving about it.

What a cute story! the author does a wonderful job of exploring grief without being joyless. Humorous and poignant, it's the perfect vacation read. And it would make an excellent movie.