ARC Review: Bear The Heat (Bear Instincts #1) by Catherine Vale

Rescuing Sonya from a fire is only the beginning. It's instant chemistry, a passion that burns as bright as the very fires that threaten to consume them.

They were destined to meet...

Caleb falls hard for the curvy woman despite knowing that he has little to offer her and that just by being with her puts her family in danger. After all, he's considered a traitor, a rogue shifter cast out of his clan. And worse, Sonya's been chosen to be Damien, Caleb's sworn enemy's, life mate.

Sonya knew the day would come when Damien would call to her. Her parents had groomed her since the age of thirteen, teaching her the ways and duties of becoming an alphas wife. She shares a hatred for Damien yet she can't allow her family to be punished, perhaps even murdered, by refusing to obey the alpha's call.

Caleb has only one move left - to challenge Damien as alpha in a fight to the death. If he wins he'll become the new alpha, get the girl and lead his clan to higher ground.

But if he loses...









I liked Caleb from the get go. Dominant alpha with a hero complex. Sonia, however, I didn’t connect with her from the start. I don’t get why she was so afraid of Damian and where her anxiety is coming from. Although it was stated however and appreciate that instead of the narration I get to live what happened, it came out too late for my liking to really connect with her.

The pacing of the story is fast and I’ve actually enjoyed it. There was violence that added to the mix. However, Sonia’s anxiety and fears came too late for me to understand her and really, I didn’t like her heroic act in the end.

The ending was okay but too fast paced for me, and I think it was just wrapped up completely too fast for my liking. But I like how it cover some loose ends and that there was an overall oo-kay feeling for me.

Hero rating: 4
Heroine rating: 2.5
Story pacing: 4
Ending: 3
Violence: 4