Description
River:
When I was 17 I made an unforgivable mistake.
My entire clan hates me even though I’m their alpha.
I was willing to live alone in the darkness until I saw him.
He is mine. Every fiber of my being tells me that.
The clan will object to their alpha being with both a human and a man.
I don’t care. I will have what’s mine.
Darius:
Everyone gets one great love. I’ve had mine.
She died.
Now all that’s left for me is survival.
One day at a time. One breath at a time.
But why is it when I look at him I feel like I could love again?
I can’t betray her memory….
But I also can’t betray my heart.
This MM shifter romance can be heard as a stand-alone.
Bette –
Another Terrific PNR! Great Audible Listen? Heartfelt!
Bearly Breathing
Bears of Southoak, Book 3
By: Kayci Morgan
Narrated by: Gary Bennett
Series: Bears of Southoak, Book 3
Kayci Morgan pens another terrific novel in her “Bears of Southoak” series. I enjoy her writing style and the interesting and original storylines she created as well as the characters and world dynamics. She has a great imagination and still manages to keep it all realistic and relatable. There was a time when The Bears of Southoak and Ironshore were one clan, differences in opinions on how to live broke them in to two clans, the Southoak Bears chose to live in modern society with human interaction, while the Ironshore Bears chose to live amongst themselves in the wilderness. River the alpha bear of Ironshore was not well liked by the clan members, they hold an unfortunate incident against him that happened when he was younger. He is also dealing with his own insecurities and resentments, but he wanted to make his adopted parents proud and do things for the betterment of the clan and goes to make a business deal with the Bears of Southoak, who are not a fan of his either. After a successful business deal in Southoak he saves a man from getting hit by a store sign. Darius, lost his wife and then lost himself in alcohol, after hitting rock bottom he finally started to get his act together for the sake of his son. When River saves him from getting hit by that sign there was an instant attraction between them. After some inner turmoil he finally agrees to go out with him. I loved how everything played out between these two, the chemistry between them was smoking. Also loved how River was with Darius’s son. There is never a dull moment in this book, there is plenty of drama, angst, twists, thrilling & suspenseful moments, heartfelt moments and hot romance.
I listened to the Audible edition, Gary Bennett continues to bring these characters to life, giving them their voices and personalty as well as attitude. You can hear how much heart he puts into his work as he projects the emotions of the characters into his performance. He is an entertaining storyteller and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another great listen?
Rellim –
This was a bit longer than the last two and I think it really gave Kayci Morgan the chance to craft an even better story. River is the alpha of his clan but hated for both being gay and having made a terrible mistake in his teens. Widowed Darius (whom we met in book 1) is getting his life back together for himself and his son, Parker. After the death of his wife, he struggled with alcoholism but has now been sober for a year. When River meets Darius he feels an instant connection.
I thought that this might be GFY-trope, but it’s actually that Darius while knowing he was bi only ever loved his wife. I’ll admit I’m a sucker for a precocious kid loved by all the adults in his life, so Parker was a great dynamic to Darius & River’s relationship.
Gary Bennett has an intimate/cozy voice that was an excellent fit for the alternating POVs of the MCs. He did a good job with male & female voices as well as a wide range of emotions.
This is definitely my favorite of the series so far and a deal at under $5.
I received a free copy of this audiobook and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Christi Fowler –
Title: Bearly Breathing
Author: Kayci Morgan
Format: Audio
Narrator: Gary Bennett
Genre: Romance, Paranormal, Shifter (Bear), MM, LGBT, single dad
Standalone: Yes
Part of a Series: Bears of Shouthoak book 2
POV: Darius, River (mostly)
Steam Level: Slow burn to steamy
4/5
Bearly Breathing is the third book in the Bears of Southoak series. Each book is a standalone with some side characters from previous books. We’ve met Darius in book one when he was a hot mess. I like how Darius wears his heart on his sleeve. I like River’s soft underbelly. Bearly Breathing deals with some more sensitive issues with River’s pack, including homophobia and xenophobia. I loved how the climactic scene played out. Overall I enjoyed Bearly Breathing, probably the best so far.
I received this audiobook for free. This is my honest a voluntary review.