I really loved the premise of this one, and the setting was super fun, but it fell a little shy of five stars for a couple of reasons.

First, I wished that Teagan’s mental health issues had been explored a bit more outside of the mention of taking meds. It felt more like, after his panic attack and the subsequent nature rehab, that this was just slapping a bandage on the problem instead of working toward an outright resolution to his struggles.

I also expected a lot more from the exploration of addiction with Sloane’s character, but again, it felt really glossed over, as did Darcy’s learning disability.

As an #ownvoices anxiety author myself, I just wish more time and care and consideration had been given to these topics, and I’m not sure I would recommend it for those searching for #ownvoices rep in any of the above-mentioned areas.

All said, it was a great debut full of quick wit, and was wonderfully written. The characters were likable and relatable, and I’d be interested to read more from this author in the future.

This book was HORRIBLE. I just kept pausing and wondering how this was actually published. The content was consistently offensive and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

Bear With Me Now is Katie Shepard’s debut novel. and it’s one wild ride!

When we first meet Teagan, he has just been released from the hospital after suffering a severe panic attack. His sister Sloane thinks some quality time out in nature is just the thing to help Teagan clear his head and so takes him to a wilderness retreat in Montana. Teagan immediately decides he isn’t comfortable with group therapy and instead decides to wander off and enjoy a solitary hike. It is here where he is nearly eaten by a bear and where he is saved from this fate by the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, who just happens to be the retreat’s handywoman, Darcy.

Darcy and Teagan hit it off right away and he starts spending most of his time working out in nature on the grounds with her. There are lots of rom-com worthy moments as they get to know each other better, including plenty of witty banter that often had me laughing out loud.

The novel has plenty of serious moments too though as it explores Teagan’s panic disorder, including what is causing his panic attacks as well as the embarrassment he feels about them. Somehow everyone at the retreat thinks Teagan is in rehab for alcoholism, for example, and instead of setting the record straight, he instead decides to hide the truth from them all, including Darcy. The lie spirals to the extent that he actually hires Darcy to come home to NYC with him as his sober companion. While their personal relationship heats up here, it becomes clear that Teagan’s lie is unsustainable. I was not a big fan of the deception anyway so I was rooting for him to come clean to Darcy before he wrecked everything between them.

Both Teagan and Darcy are immensely likeable characters, and I liked how Shepard allowed their vulnerabilities to shine through, making them all the more realistic and relatable. While Teagan is struggling with his mental health, Darcy is also struggling to get her life on track, thanks to her parents wrecking her credit, her ex stealing her car, and most importantly, thanks to dyslexia making it nearly impossible for her to finish her college degree and land her dream job as a park ranger. I loved that the bond Teagan and Darcy forged was strong enough that they each were more focused on helping the other in spite of their own problems.

With its blend of heartfelt and hilarious moments, Bear With Me Now is a solid debut and I look forward to reading more from Katie Shepard.

I did not enjoy the coverup and miscommunication in this one. Not a trope I particularly enjoy in my romance books so it just wasn’t my jam.

Teagan van Zijl is not sure why his sister dragged him to a wilderness therapy retreat in Montana after being hospitalized for a panic attack. The retreat location is actually a deluxe rehab location and now Teagan is about to undergo intense therapy, therapy he really doesn’t need. While it is true that Teagan’s anxiety doesn’t fit the purpose of what is offered at the retreat, for the sake of his sister, he agrees to stay.

Darcy Albano is taking college courses and one day hopes to be a park ranger. Her current job was to be a wilderness guide at the retreat where Teagan is at now, but in all actuality, she is a glorified handywoman. When she hears that Teagan is at the retreat for his alcoholism, she takes a personal interest in keeping him on the straight and narrow. However, it is his mental health at risk, and this is something that Teagan keeps from Darcy.

Teagan and Darcy actually meet when he takes a walk that lands him right into the path of a bear. Darcy notices his absence and manages to save his life. When Teagan must return home for the work that led to his anxiety attack, Darcy decides to go with him to serve as his sober companion, as she still believes he is an alcoholic. Meanwhile, the two share a connection, albeit tenuous at times. Will Teagan ever be able to reveal the truth to Darcy, and how will she handle things? This was a sensitive story filled with sexual tension and a delightful happy ending.

Many thanks to Berkley and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

This romnace was a breathe of fresh air. This was such a refreshing and entertaining read for me. I loved the simplicity of these characters, but I loved how the complexities of the relationships and human emotions and feelings was so beautifully intertwined. Hands down, one of the best reads of the year already!

I have never read anything by Katie Shepard before, so I was a bit excited to read her newest book, Bear With Me Now.

So after finishing this book, I can say that it is more women's fiction than romance. Let me explain. We truly don’t get much romance until the end. We focused more on Teagan and Darcy's journey together as they became close friends.

Teagan has been facing panic attacks for awhile now, and it doesn’t help that he is away from the foundation. But he is more than willing to spend more time in the mountains, as he bonded with Darcy after facing a bear in the wild. Their friendship may not make sense to others, but to Teagan, it makes sense. It makes so much sense that Teagan is willing to lie and say that he needs a sober companion in the city. But he truly wants to spend more time with Darcy. She fits him like no other. And she completely understands how much emotional toil he has been facing. He just has to admit his lie, which can be tricky.

Darcy may be a little rough around the edges. But when you have trash parents, you learn you have to grow up and protect yourself. And it doesn’t help that she has horrible tastes in men. Yet, she does not feel that way with Teagan after their incident with the bear in the wild. They kind of bonded with that experience. They become so much closer that she becomes his sober companion. Darcy knows there is more to Teagan's story, but she is willing to wait.

Their true friendship is truly what the whole book is about. Their romance isn’t it. That’s until the end. What we have here is their true friendship with each other.

I thought it was a cute book! Loved all the mental health and learning disability representation! It always warms my heart when I see mental health rep in a book. I loved the premise of the book but did feel that it it could have been executed better. I give Sheppard props for writing a book (hell, I know I could never write one) but I did find it lacking in certain areas and it also left me with conflicting feelings.

The book read like a YA novel with a couple of “spicy” scenes sprinkled in. I didn’t particularly love the main characters; they seemed a lot younger than they were supposed to be and their mannerisms were quite juvenile.

The reason why I felt conflicted is because the H had an anxiety / panic disorder but lied to everyone saying that he was an alcoholic. He even manipulated the h into thinking that he had an alcohol problem so she’d go back with him to NYC. So, while I appreciate the mental health rep in the book, I just don’t understand why he couldn’t admit that he had an anxiety / panic disorder? And why he got off his meds when it was clearly helping him.🤷🏻‍♀️

Nevertheless, it was a cute book and it was Sheppard’s debut novel so I’ll give her some grace. There were some funny scenes in the book and the book included baby otters!🦦I mean, how could you not love that? 3⭐️

Thank you, @berkleyromance for the gifted book and @prhaudio for the complementary audiobook! Savannah Peachwood was a phenomenal narrator and I really enjoy all the books she narrates!💕

Sadly, this is a DNF for me. I was so looking forward to reading it, but I didn't buy into the Romance, which kept me from feeling compelled to pick it up! Loved the setting and premese though.

This was a well written romcom with a mental health twist.

I loved getting to know Teegan and Darcy and seeing how they overcame their personal struggles and mental/learning disorders to fall in love. Katie Shepard is a great writer with an easy to read, humorous prose. Her characters were well rounded and leapt from the page. I can't wait to read the other two books in the series!

I also had the chance to interview Katie Shephard for my podcast, and we discussed Bear With Me Now in depth, as well as discussing her journey to publishing as a debut author.

This was a good read about a woman who saves a guy from a bear and then becomes each other's companion. I enjoyed the storyline and the concept of the book. There were many conflicts and I loved the wilderness aspect of the story. I do have to say that the writing style was kind of not for me. I did enjoy the setting, pacing, and the story but I have to say that I didn't feel for the characters, and some parts I was bored with. This book says it's a rom-com but sadly I didn't get much of either. I have read many where it's a rom-com or they just got either or but for this I felt the story lacked both. I did enjoy each of the character's missions with how they had to figure out what to do with themselves and how they should grow. This book if written in dual povs which was great for the story.

Our main characters in this book are Teagan and Darcy. I didn't feel a connection with any of the characters though they weren't considered poorly written. Teagan is a cinnamon roll and is a mission to be sober. I enjoyed his development in the book and how he fought to start loving himself. Darcy is a rude, loud person and she was a great character but sometimes I couldn't handle her. I was confused with her character at times but she too did have a character development. There were many side characters in the book but not the main ones or those who have stuck out to me. The spiciness of the book was low and the tropes are angst (not the dark romance type) and kind of enemies to friends to lovers. The romance was bland as I didn't feel the build-up of the chemistry.

The ending wasn't so bad but at the end I was kind of over the book. It wasn't truly a bad read but I just didn't feel the main part of the book which was romance and comedy. I did read this book in a day so it was a quick, easy read for me. I think there are some who would love a light type of story though I recommend reading the tw as one of the mc lost his mother and is an alcoholic. There are many who had enjoyed this book so don't let my review discourage you.

Thank you so much to @BerkleyRomance for sending me a copy of BEAR WITH ME NOW by Katie Shepard (on sale Tuesday, April 25, 2023). #berkleyig #berkleyromance #berkleypartner

NYC non-profit executive Teagan Van Zijl spends a week in the hospital after having a panic attack in the subway station, mistakenly thinking it was a heart episode. His younger sister, Sloane, whisks him off to a Montana wilderness therapy retreat/rehab program. Although he claims he’s not an alcoholic, no one believes him. Isn’t that just what an addict entering rehab would say?

Frustrated with the yoga, meditation, and art therapy, Teagan decides to hike around the property, but when he doesn’t return, Darcy Albano, the resident handywoman, tracks him just as a bear began attacking him. Armed with bear repellent, Darcy subdued the bear and removed Teagan to safety, admonishing him the whole time about endangering the animal.

Teagan finds Darcy much more interesting than any of the scheduled programming and entreats her to provide him the wilderness education she was hired for, but an emergency at his family’s foundation calls him back to New York City. Sloane suggests that Darcy go to the city with him as his “sober companion.” While Darcy is attracted to Teagan, she also needs a job, even one for which she is completely unqualified, so she cues up podcasts about sober living. Teagan, desperate not to leave Darcy, agrees to the falsehood.

Back in the city, the stressors that triggered Teagan’s breakdown are no less powerful, and Darcy tries her best to help Teagan with a problem he doesn’t have. Living together, though, they can’t resist the attraction between them, but the closer they get, the closer they come to the inevitable reckoning when Darcy learns the truth.

BEAR WITH ME NOW, an opposites attract, fish-out-of-water novel, flips midway through when the setting moves from the wilderness to the city. Personally, I liked the setting of the first half more and thought the narrative was more straightforward. The second half was enjoyable but strained credibility as it was based on Darcy accepting a job a sober companion. It’s established she has no training, but she had worked at the retreat for several months, so it seems she would recognize that Teagan had no signs of alcoholism and that it was ethically problematic for a sober companion to engage romantically with the addict in recovery. Also, it was hinted that Sloane did have problems with alcohol or cocaine, but both were dismissed, even though Teagan’s non-existent alcoholism was given so much care by the other characters.

I did love how Shepard organically integrated animal rights and veganism into the novel, and the otter zoo rescue (heist?) was a highlight. I have been to fancy dinners like Darcy where the vegan option was a wedge of lettuce, and the caterers are proud to have offered a vegan option. Groan! And Darcy is a junk food vegan after my own heart.

Even though the back half was a little uneven, throughout, I was rooting for Teagan and Darcy and enjoyed the read!

Bear With Me Now is a delightful read that is both humorous and touching, with a touch of romance. This novel is filled with angst, swoon-worthy moments, and sharp writing that will leave you wanting more. The characters are unforgettable, and the story is both witty and moving, making it a unique and enjoyable experience.

Bear With Me Now is the debut novel by Katie Shepard. It is an unlikely romance filled with mental health issues, addictions, relationship issues, and a lot of wildlife. Set primarily in Montana, it then segues to New York City. Talk about opposites!

This story focuses on Darcy and Teagan. Teagan’s sister Sloane gets him into a new age-type rehab in rural Montana. Set in the woods, it has a lot of different characters, and somehow Darcy and Teagan connect. Talk about opposites attracting. We learn why Teagan and his younger sister are in rehab and the fallacy of their reasoning. Teagan is so attracted to Darcy he’ll say or do anything to keep her around. Even lie that he’s an alcoholic so she’ll follow him to New York when he needs to return to work.

The story moves at a quick pace and has a lot of stories woven together. There is some repetitiveness to the story that I wanted to gloss over. There are problems with Teagan’s work at his family’s foundation, which causes him anxiety and panic attacks.

The author adds animal and wildlife facts throughout and beautiful scenic descriptions. There are some steamy moments, unscrupulous characters, people saying and doing what they believe others want to hear along with family and coworkers, and darkness becoming light.

The ending takes us full circle back to Montana with a happily ever after and some unexpected twists and turns.

Wildlife, learning to communicate while overcoming mental health issues, and beautiful scenery had me wishing I was in Montana, seeing Yellowstone firsthand.

Bear With Me Now is packed with visual definitions, solid character development, compassionate mental health details, and steamy moments to sweeten the tale. I look forward to reading Ms. Shepard’s next book, Sweeten the Deal.

Thanks to @berkleyromance for the free book which publishes tomorrow! #berkleypub #berkleyig . I had to read Bear with Me Now based on the title, the very fun cover, as well as the premise: Teagan, on a retreat to recover from a panic attack, is saved from a bear attack by Darcy, wilderness expert and someone who can seemingly do-it-all. Teagan lets Darcy believe he's getting treatment for alcohol addiction and he ends up hiring her to be his sober companion as he reenters his normal life in the city - far from Darcy's nature-oriented comfort zone. They are attracted to each other but neither are sure if they could work long term.

✔️ Opposites Attract
✔️ There's a Secret
✔️ Why Talk About the Future?

The treatment of difficult topics like mental health, family trauma, and just being lost in your own life was covered well. Bear with Me Now captured that feeling for me of being so overwhelmed, and yet looking out at the world and only seeing people who have it all together and feeling like a failure.

I liked all the characters (especially Teagan's sister Sloane who was a hoot). I also enjoyed Darcy though she did skirt the edges of being almost too over the top.

Teagan was a great character too - I think a lot about the weight of legacy and having to live up to familial expectations (that song in Mulan - Reflection - always makes me cry, even now).

I'd give this one 4⭐️ - I almost felt like there was too much backstory to cover and wished I felt like Darcy's work issues/learning disability could have taken more time to develop and resolve. Same with Sloane - though not a main character, I hated leaving her story untold here.

Steam 🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕

This book’s setting in a wilderness retreat was great and I loved all the descriptions of the setting and natural environment. There were funny moments in this one and Darcy certainly had some quick quips that had me smiling. There was some mental health rep in this one, but I had some mixed feelings about it. Parts were handled well but there were also many moments that really rubbed me the wrong way. There were some really bad comparisons between addiction and panic disorders and also some questionable choices made that are made that is harmful to the overall view of mental health and disorders that people love with everyday. I really struggled with these issues.

The romance had some miscommunication which is always difficult for me as a reader. Some events in the book were a bit far fetched for me and I started to lose interest in the middle. Ultimately, not clicking with the romance and the issues with the mental health rep in this one negatively impacted my enjoyment of the book.

Thank you to Berkley Romance for an arc copy of this book.

I was really curious about the premise of this book, but the actual execution didn't work for me. I love a wilderness romance (think Christina Lauren's Something Wilder) and the first part of the book where Teagan and Darcy are in Montana was fun, but when they went to New York, the book lost a lot of its interest for me. The dual POV was good for understanding both characters fully, but there were times I got confused about whose chapter I was reading because it went back and forth with no explanation. The miscommunication was frustrating and went on for waaayyy too long. I thought Darcy's struggles were much more interesting than Teagan's, and would love to have read more about her dyslexia and past. I think this could work for a vacation as a light read, but it ultimately just wasn't for me.

I really wanted to like this one but alas I did not. The way addiction was talked about and handled went beyond just being ableist in my opinion. It felt intentional and was incredibly harmful. I only finished this because I had the ALC on and was too busy at work to change what I was listening to

Read if you like:
🧠 Mental Health Rep
❤️ Romances
🔥 Slow Burn
💕 Friends to Lovers
🏔️ Outdoors
🐻 Wild Animals

This one has such good pacing and decent sized chapters. This one is a slow burn romance but it heats up with some mild spice and great tension between the MC’s as they are falling for each other and moving from friends to lovers.

I love the internal thoughts we got from both characters to truly understand the pining on both sides of the equation as that really made it feel so much more getting internal thoughts and pining from both.

This one does have the dreaded miscommunication trope, but the way the author did it was actually so well done and for a debut made me even more awed!

Thank you so so much Berkley Romance for my ARC if this one in exchange for my review!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the advanced reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

Darcy meets Teagan when he and his sister show up at the rehab retreat where she works in Montana. And their first interaction is her saving him from a bear. When he needs to return to his job in New York, he doesn't want to leave Darcy behind. So he hires her as a sober companion, even though he was dealing with panic attacks, not addiction.

This is a really tough book for me to review. I greatly appreciate seeing books that delve into topics of depression. But this felt like it showed too much of the stigma and not enough of what recovery entails. I would have liked to see more therapy without it being derided. And this was all exacerbated by a lot of miscommunication.

I liked both characters, enjoyed the plot around his charity, and loved the background in Montana. But this didn't quite meet my expectations. I think it could have done so much more with the plot to really help people.

3.5 stars rounded up