Scan barcode
A review by amym84
Bears Behaving Badly by MaryJanice Davidson
4.0
Werebear shifter Annette Garsea is a social worker for the Interspecies Placement Agency (IPA). She stands up for the young shifters who seemingly have nowhere else to go or have no one else looking out for them. When a young werewolf is put into Annette's custody following a violent altercation, Annette begins to understand there's more to the girl's story than meets the eye.
Enter independent investigator David Auberon. He and Annette have crossed paths on occasion (and no they're not dating!). While he admires her work with the children, he likes to remain at arm's length from anything having to do with work. But Annette's investigation opens up a huge can of worms and it soon becomes apparent, as they suss out corruption within the system, that the only people they can trust are each other. Buckle up, it's about to be a bumpy ride.
This is the first book in a new series, but I felt like there definite moments where I should have already had a clue about things such as world building or shifter politics. While Mary Janice Davidson does give us world building I felt a lot of times like it would be small off-the-cuff remarks that would eventually piece together to form a bigger picture by the end.
I really enjoyed the investigative aspect of the story. I liked that Annette is not a like a typical detective. It's certainly not her job description, but she does what she does because she truly cares about the young ones that she is tasked with helping. It's more than a job to her. So I wouldn't say she charges headfirst into confrontation, but she certainly doesn't restrain herself either, and I think her inexperience causes more than a few hiccups along the way. But overall, I liked the mystery surrounding this young werewolf and why she got violent. How one seemingly straightforward and simple explanation continues to blossom into something bigger and bigger than expected.
Of course there's the Mary Janice Davidson wit thrown in throughout which makes it a lighter read, but also kept me on my toes because of the characters's (especially Annette's) penchant for changing the subject at a moment's notice. For me, this was definitely not a book that I could read well with a lot of distractions in the background.
I really enjoyed David and Annette's rapport. The continuous back and forth between them was almost like a dance. But I really liked that neither one of them was in the lead. They both took turns being the alpha and the beta. It didn't fit into the normal shifter stereotypes that often feature the alpha-possessive male. I'm not sure if it's the fact that they are werebears and a little more laid back by nature or not, but whatever it is I'm here for it.
I felt like the fun and serious, mystery and romance aspects were balanced pretty well. Everytime I found myself wrapped up in the pacing and the quick dialogue it was hard to put down. With such a fun variety of side characters in this one, I'll definitely be picking up the next book to see where the story goes next.
*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Enter independent investigator David Auberon. He and Annette have crossed paths on occasion (and no they're not dating!). While he admires her work with the children, he likes to remain at arm's length from anything having to do with work. But Annette's investigation opens up a huge can of worms and it soon becomes apparent, as they suss out corruption within the system, that the only people they can trust are each other. Buckle up, it's about to be a bumpy ride.
This is the first book in a new series, but I felt like there definite moments where I should have already had a clue about things such as world building or shifter politics. While Mary Janice Davidson does give us world building I felt a lot of times like it would be small off-the-cuff remarks that would eventually piece together to form a bigger picture by the end.
I really enjoyed the investigative aspect of the story. I liked that Annette is not a like a typical detective. It's certainly not her job description, but she does what she does because she truly cares about the young ones that she is tasked with helping. It's more than a job to her. So I wouldn't say she charges headfirst into confrontation, but she certainly doesn't restrain herself either, and I think her inexperience causes more than a few hiccups along the way. But overall, I liked the mystery surrounding this young werewolf and why she got violent. How one seemingly straightforward and simple explanation continues to blossom into something bigger and bigger than expected.
Of course there's the Mary Janice Davidson wit thrown in throughout which makes it a lighter read, but also kept me on my toes because of the characters's (especially Annette's) penchant for changing the subject at a moment's notice. For me, this was definitely not a book that I could read well with a lot of distractions in the background.
I really enjoyed David and Annette's rapport. The continuous back and forth between them was almost like a dance. But I really liked that neither one of them was in the lead. They both took turns being the alpha and the beta. It didn't fit into the normal shifter stereotypes that often feature the alpha-possessive male. I'm not sure if it's the fact that they are werebears and a little more laid back by nature or not, but whatever it is I'm here for it.
I felt like the fun and serious, mystery and romance aspects were balanced pretty well. Everytime I found myself wrapped up in the pacing and the quick dialogue it was hard to put down. With such a fun variety of side characters in this one, I'll definitely be picking up the next book to see where the story goes next.
*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.