The Bear Who Loved Me is the first book in the Grizzlies Gone Wild series by Kathy Lyons. The main characters are Carl, the leader of the Grizzlie pack and Becca, a baker owner whose nephew went missing.

I re-read the book and I decided to lower my original 4-star rating to a 3 one. I found myself not enjoying the book as much as I had the first time. Carl's ex, Tanya, was super annoying and went after Carl's little Carl way too much for my liking. The part where Carl mentions that he almost got her pregnant once was not necessary at all, especially when it's known that she is going to end up with his brother. Another thing I didn't like was how much of an afterthought the kidnapped nephew was at times

Since this is the first book in the series, I didn't mind much the lack of the lore behind the were-bears and I would like to see it been explored in the upcoming books. The pacing had some issues and I often found it a little too slow, but I did enjoy some parts of the book and I will continue with the series.

Bound by the Shadows is a sweet and sexy romance between Becca and Carl. Both are great characters and I really enjoyed this story.

Oh how I do adore a good shifter book, and probably the ones about bears the most!! Maybe it's because they seem to be the fiercest of the bunch, or that they are the biggest- I don't know. Whatever it is, bear shifter give me the warm and fuzzies for sure!!!
Kathy Lyons was an unbeknownst to me author before this book, but when I saw the synopsis for the book, I couldn't resist. I jumped in feet first to this awesome story. I just knew that Carl and Becca were going to heat up the pages of my Kindle, and I was right.
Talk about chemistry- these two have it. Within days, heck more like hours, Carl and Becca are already tearing at each others clothes, all while in the midst of trying to rescue her nephew from not only himself (due to his first shift), but from overzealous crazies, who want to trap and experiment on shifters of any kind. Just their luck, they have found themselves right in the middle of bear shifter land, which is a field day for the crazies, but a nightmare for the Clan that Carl is working so tirelessly to protect.
The action in this one is enough that it kept my attention for the entire book, and gave the book plenty of substance, so that it didn't seem to be all about Carl and Becca and what they could do between the sheets. There really is a story behind all of that. It was on the shorter side of books, so it was a rather quick read for me, but that didn't take away from the story at all. I would rather it have been short and to the point than to have dragged on for 400 pages, with nothing but useless filler.
Kathy Lyons definitely seems to be a pretty talented lady, and I am already eagerly waiting on the next book- License to Shift to be released, which I believe is happening pretty soon. So, if you are looking for a new shifter series to start, I think you would be pretty satisfied with this one, as I gave it a solid 4 stars, and do recommend it to all!!

This book was not for me. It's been a while since I read this book and it was a DNF for me. I didn't connect with the characters, the story or the writing style. At the time, it was also a mood thing. I had plans to get back to it, only that never happened.

Great new paranormal romance! Love bear shifters and the spin that Lyons gives on the world of paranormals. Mates and romance and mystery... can't wait for more in the series.

Fantastic new to me author, Ms. Lyons, thrills me with this bear shifter series. If you have not read this series yet, now is a good time to pick up all three books and read them one after another. This one starts with Becca Weitz, a single "mom" raising her nephew. When her nephew is missing, she is frantic and does what she can to find him. The police are no help. Unexpected aid comes from Carl Carman. Carl is a man her nephew looks up to from his time spent in a summer camp in Carl's small town. Becca doesn't care what Carl does as long as he helps her find her nephew.

This book is sweet, funny and suspenseful. The characters are sweet and as expected, Carl is a bit gruff. He is a bear and bears can be a bit rough. The interplay between Carl and Becca is funny. What is especially funny is Becca's reaction when she learns her nephew is more than just a hairy hormonal teenage boy. Instead, he is a bear shifter and part of a larger clan, if he so choses. Becca pretty much loses her shit and goes around the bend. I liked this because so many times, authors write it as if it were perfectly understandable that shifters exist. Becca's responses are realistic and understandable. Carl trying to sooth and calm Becca down is classic.

Amidst this budding relationship, there is a more sinister thread to this tale. It sets up for the next two books in the series. There is someone hunting shifters and doing terrible things to them. This part to the plot does capture my attention and I'm vested to find out what happens. This paranormal romance is recommended to readers who enjoy humour, mystery and happily ever afters.