Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: Grumpy Bear

SERIES: A Bear Camp Novel

AUTHOR: Slade James

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 294 pages

RELEASE DATE:  January 28, 2021

BLURB:

Hooking up with an employee is not on my to-do list.

Making sure other men have a good time is my business, even if it means suppressing my own desires. It’s opening weekend at my clothing-optional campground, guests are starting to arrive, and I’ve got a pool party and a few hundred peoples’ vacations to save while battling Mother Nature’s tantrums.

The last thing I need is a temporary employee who can’t even put up a tent.

Luke Cody’s not my type. He’s too young, too pretty, and too much like my late partner. Another flaky musician? No thanks. But when a storm blows down his campsite, I can’t just leave him outside and soaked to the bone. Now he’s staying in my cabin, sleeping in my bed, and worst of all, he’s completely ignoring the proverbial sign over my head that says Grumpy Bear: Do Not Approach.

I’m not quite as immune to his charms as I want him to believe, but he’ll only be here for a few days.

Nothing’s going to happen…

Grumpy Bear is a boss/employee, grumpy/sunshine romance set at a gay campground full of bears. (Not shifters; the other kind of bears.) It’s the first full-length book in the Bear Camp series and can be read as a standalone. Less

REVIEW:

This is an up-and-coming new author and, if his future new books are as good as this one, then I am sure to become one of his biggest fans!

Coleman Sawyer, aka Sawyer, owns and operates  Bear Mountain Lodge Men’s Resort & Campground  in the mountains of North Georgia. This is a Men-only,  clothing-optional, campground and resort. Sawyer is known for his grumpy bear personality. His best friend Jim even got him a Care Bear’s Grumpy Bear T-shirt as a Christmas present. After Wayne passed and left him Bear Mountain Sawyer has no desire for love and romance. Or so he thought until a certain Surfer Cowboy rolled in to find employment. What will he do now. He knows what musicians are really like and Luke Cody is a truly gifted and talented musician who is young and has his whole life and goals ahead of him. But what is Coleman suppose to do with all these feelings that are coming forward?

I guess I’m kinda sheltered because I never knew these campgrounds even existed but what I would give to be a “bird watcher” in the area…what interesting species I might encounter 🤣 Seriously though, I loved the vivid pictures the author painted in my mind with his wonderful description of the campground, the surround mountains and the men that lived and worked at Bear Mountain. The camp sounds almost perfect even though Mother Nature sure threw quite a few curve balls at them.

What I loved was that both Coleman and Luke didn’t rush things. Even though it’s known the the camp seems to escalate romance and relationships they didn’t fall into instant love. They each seemed to be wary of hurting the other even though their hesitant actions and lack of communication cause some pain. I know that Coleman was very wary of making Luke feel trapped and having no other options because of his own past but you could see and feel the trueness of their love for each other.

I will tell you that this story grabbed hold of me and held on. Instead of rushing to get my HEA I took the time to savor this one. I never wanted it to end. And for me that’s the sign of a really good book. Coleman and Luke just clicked for me. Great writing by a freshman author.

This is the first book in what is sure to be a fabulous new series. Austin’s story comes next and I’m sure there will be a lot of hi jinx coming our way before he is taken off the market by his “one and only”! I am so thankful that I took a chance on this new author and can’t wait to read his next book.

RATING:

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