Review: Stripped Bear by Tressie Lockwood

I found this book on a Listopia on Goodreads called 'I'll Be Goldilocks! Were Bears and Bear Shifters in Romance'.  Since bears are my all time favorite shifter, I had oodles of fun on this list!  This is one of two books that I found on the list, that I hadn't read, that sounded interesting. I particularly prefer bear shifter books that aren't tied to the the trite Goldilocks story.

The story opens with Ayana, having moved away from her family in New York, to Charlotte, North Carolina and purchasing her own home.  She is an assistant to a web designer and does all her work from home via telecommuting, so she can live anywhere.  Ayana is ready for a new start in a new location, away from the family that can't seem to realize she is no longer the baby of the family.  Ayana is looking forward to her new house in a friendly neighborhood.

She soon meets one of her neighbors, Reece at the grocery store.  While he is flirting with her it comes out that they are neighbors.  Reece basically invites himself to a cookout the next day.  Once she gets home from the store, she meets her other neighbor, Blaine.  Since she is attracted to him as well, she decides to invite him to her BBQ as well. During the BBQ, the men show no jealousy of each other and basically announce to Ayana that they both want to have a relationship with her and are happy to share her.

I wanted to enjoy this book.  I liked the premise and hello, bears!  But I just had a hard time with it.  Things moved very quickly, almost unnaturally so.  There were times when it seemed there were contradictions in events.  Explanations are given for time passing, but the next scene takes place almost immediately following the previous one.  Then there was some confusion with the guys.  It just felt like it could have used a good editor and/or careful reviewer to make sure that these inconsistencies were caught before publishing.  There is some real potential here, but fighting with time line issues and the like just throw you out of a story.  I am giving this 2 stars on Goodreads.  It makes me sad when a book just doesn't live up to your expectations.

When Ayana moved into her first home in Charlotte, North Carolina, she thought nothing could be more perfect. The quiet little street was a sharp contrast to where she’d come from, and she loved it. What made her wonder though was when the ladies in the neighborhood speculated on whether Ayana would be competition. The verdict wasn’t favorable. Just when she began to question what kind of community she’d moved into, Ayana discovers that her home is snuggled right in the middle of two sexy men on both sides of her. And to the annoyance of the women on the block—including the local slut—she is the object of Reece’s and Blaine’s desires.

Reece and Blaine have a secret. They are not quite human. Ayana might be afraid to accept their ménage relationship, but they’re sure of what they feel about her. She is their mate, and they have no problem sharing the mocha beauty. The only thing left to do is convince Ayana that her new life isn’t complete until they are a permanent part of it.

Warning: This fiesty heroine pisses off every single and married woman in her quiet neighborhood by carrying on a sexual relationship with two hot bear shifters.