Review: Bear Necessities by Dana Marie Bell

This is the first book in the Halle Shifters series by Dana Marie Bell.  I originally got this book because of the love I have for bear shifters from Shelly Laurenston's Pride & Pack series and I wanted a bit of a fix waiting for the next book to come out.  It seems many authors have done the werewolf and werecat thing, but so few have done werebears.  So when I find one, I have to check it out.

We are introduced to Alexander "Bunny" Bunsun, a bear shifter, as he is traveling with his cousin Ryan to the small town of  Halle, Pennsylvania.  He plans on checking in on his cousin and then heading back to Oregon to look for a she-bear and maybe settle down.  But before they even locate their cousin, Bunny wonders into a tattoo shop and scents his mate.  Tabitha "Tabby" Garwood is a wolf who has been been Outcast by her former pack and spent 8 long years living and running as a wolf.  She has only recently settled into town and is finally making a place for herself among the Pumas who live in and run the town. 

The story is told from their two viewpoints and switches back and forth.  It was quite a bit raunchier then Shelly Laurenston's series, but didn't center around sex.  The plot line is rich with details and there is something of a mystery to be solved concerning why another wolf is trying so hard to harass Tabby and her friends.  Bunny and Tabby's romance moves quickly, but as it is explained to Tabby's human friends, you just know your mate and you really want to be with them, staying away hurts.  

I believe that I this series is tied to another series by Ms. Bell, the Halle Puma series, but I didn't really feel that I missed anything vital by not reading this other series. Though I will say, that I will probably start the hunt for the other series, because the dialogue was great and the plot line moved at a nice pace.  It was a very enjoyable read by an author I had never read before.  I am giving it 3 stars on Goodreads, because it was a fun and fast read.

Goodreads:

To hold onto his love, he must release his beast. Halle Shifters, Book 1 Once a Bear sets his mind on a mission, it's best to stay out of his way. Alexander "Bunny" Bunsun is that Bear. Something's not right with his cousin Chloe, and he's come to Halle, PA, to sort it out, turn his Harley around and head home to Oregon. Until an enticing scent lures him into the local tattoo shop. There she is. An inked, Southern-drawled she-Wolf with lime-green hair. His perfect mate. Tabitha Garwood's rotten day just got worse. Her Outcast status makes her a target for harassment with alarming regularity. And now, in the middle of a root touch-up, looking like a half-melted Skittle, she's met her destined mate. The only upside? She finally has a protector in the form of a huge, tattooed, shaved-head Bear who vibrates with carefully restrained power. When Chloe is left for dead and Tabby is threatened, only Alex can keep his growing family safe. Giving Tabby the loving home she needs, though, could come at a price-Alex must give up the control he's worked a lifetime to attain. Which means someone could die at the hands-and claws-of his beast. Warning: This novel contains explicit sex, graphic language, a hunky Bear named Bunny and . . . Yes. I said a Bear named Bunny. I don't know about you but I'm not brave enough to make fun of it.