When Leona moves into a house in Bear Creek with her two sons, Jack and Harry, all she’s hoping for, is to get through Christmas and then figure out what their futures hold. With her life and confidence in tatters, thanks to an abusive husband, she’s given up on finding happiness for herself. All she wants is to love and care for her boys. 

But fate lends a hand when Neil walks into her life, picks her up, and helps put her back on her feet. He’s the kind of man with so much love to spare, not just for Leona, but for Jack and Harry too, that she is irresistibly drawn to him. 

Neil was asked to help a friend of Suzie’s move into a rented house in Bear Creek, but as a fireman, work comes first and a call out means he is late. However, when he finds Leona upset, he realizes he arrived just at the right time. He is more than ready to take on this ready made family and make their dreams come true. 

Fate works its magic, and Leona and Neil, along with Jack and Harry, with the help of a cast of your favorite characters, find their way to a Happy Ever After. They also find their way to the North Pole, with the help of Vicky Vixen and her reindeer friends. 

Christmas Bear is filled with a large dose of Christmas Magic, and is only for those who believe! 

Sexy shifters and their feisty mates who aren’t shy about loving each other – so, this is an adult, 18+ reader tale.

Titles in the Return to Bear Creek series include:  Daddy Bear –  Mountain Bear –  Honey Bear – Forever Bear – Storm Bear – Silverback Dragon –  P.I. Bear – Doctor Daddy Bear – Bad Boy Bear – Silverback Bear – Ranger Bear – Christmas Bear –

This series connects in some ways to the Bear Creek series, the Bear Bluff series, and the Return to Bear Bluff series.  Characters from all these series seem visit in quite a neighborly fashion *grin* between Bear Creek and Bear Bluff… so if you haven’t checked them out the list of series is on the Harmony Raines page.

Title:  Christmas Bear
Series:  Return to Bear Creek #12
Author:  Harmony Raines
Published:  November 30, 2017
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Christmas Bear is a delightful combination of shifter romance and Christmas magic – I love those kinds of stories.

Neil has watched his two older brothers find their mates.  Of course, he’s happy for them and welcomes his new sisters into the family.  But if he’s honest with himself he’s also a bit jealous wondering when or even if he’s ever going to find his own mate in this huge world.  He isn’t really doubting that his mate is out there, he simply wishes that fate would hurry up a bit.  He should have known that fate has his back.  And when his mate is practically delivered to him he also realizes that his mate is fragile, has been through far too much in life and is going to need some extra special care in explaining to her exactly why he knew from the first moment that she belongs with him.  He’d been looking forward to being a father one day, and now he’s got two young boys who he will love as his own right in front of him, needing him in a way no one ever has.  Yes, life is good right now – next up is to convince Leona that he can be trusted with something as fragile as her love and trust.

Leona is adrift days before Christmas.  She’s left her abusive husband, filed for divorce and through the kindness of strangers now has a safe home in Bear Creek.  Frankly, she’s overwhelmed by events and by the help that is being offered to her.  But she will do anything to make certain that her boys are safe and happy – and if she can find the way to give them a small but good Christmas then she’ll be happy as well.  She doesn’t really understand the instant attraction or the immediate trust she has for Neil when they first meet.  All she knows for certain is that this handsome, sexy as sin man wants to spend time with her and her boys, seems to need to help them in any way that he can – and right now she’s willing to let him do all that.  Trust isn’t completely there just yet, but it’s growing and on a magical Christmas Eve Leona will receive a few surprises herself.  Perhaps the most important of all is simply believe with your heart and the rest will fall into place.

I had such fun with Christmas Bear.  Not only is it a great Christmas romance but it also gave me the chance to catch up with many of the couples from this series… and even Vicky and Dermot of Santa Pawsin the Christmas Bears Brothers series.  So, yeah, I was one very happy reader with this story.  Neil and Leona make a caring couple, and the way Leona is simply taken in by Neil’s family will touch your heart.  I enjoyed this one and even if you haven’t read the entire series, I think you’d enjoy the Christmas magic as well.

I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Available for the Kindle