Review: Fast-pace Delightful Summer Read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 6, 2014
Hannah Michaels has been running for her life since she witnessed a horrific crime and then testified against the man who’d slaughtered her family. But life in the Witness Protection Program isn’t any safe for her any longer. In a last ditch effort, her guard abandons her in a cultish compound she has no hope of understanding, in a remote corner of Montana. Feeling unsafe and unloved, she still maintains her spunky attitude, even after being shoved, heart-first, into a competition to become the alpha’s mate, whatever that means. But Benson Riker might be worth it.Benson is everything an alpha should be: strong willed, powerfully built and drop-dead sexy. He’s also hyper-protective of his people and has resisted allowing anyone to get close to his clan’s secret: They’re bear shifters of the most magnificent kind.The scene where Hannah actually discovers the truth is laugh out loud funny. Her reaction, although terrified, put a smile on my face. Common sense is her super-power and she calmly, at least on the outside, accepts something she’d believed only possible through the power of television. It doesn’t hurt that she’s fallen deeply in love with Benson. In the competition for his heart, she’s won.But the bad guys keep coming for her, constantly being tipped off to her location. They raid the compound and numerous of her new friends suffer and die. In a scene that made me want to yell and scream, Benson informs Hannah of his plans to turn her over to the man who’s been chasing her. Knowing he’s doing it to protect his people doesn’t make his betrayal any easier to stomach. But in her heart she knows he’s right. Sucking up her courage, she agrees to leave Montana and return to New York. The danger and terror she’d thought was over thanks to her adopted home and family roared back, dropping her to a new level of Hades.T.S. Joyce has written a story that set my heart to racing, not only because of the danger to Hannah, but because of the love between Hannah and Benson. Their story pulled me to the edge of my seat, lulled me back, then jerked me forward again as Joyce set a fast pace to Hannah’s path to redemption. I’d highly recommend The Witness and The Bear to everyone, not just those who like fantasy.