I’m coming to love Eve Langlais’ writing: the humor, the clever insertions of unusual shifters, playing with established tropes and the sex. Never forget the sex- steamy, sultry, and hot, it really is another level of connecting her characters to one another. In His Teddy Bear she does it again with a smart, determined and clever heroine, Teddy, a werebear. Starting with a “Shifter Mixer” where single and unmated shifters hope to finding their mates, Reece, a werewolf, catches the scent that speaks to him and him alone. Approaching the nexus of the scent, he comes face to face with Teddy, curvy dark Teddy, the complete opposite of his type. Reece, like many men, completely bumbled the introduction and Teddy has no interest in a mate who doesn’t like who she is HOW she is. Shifters rarely have that sort of reaction in any story that I have read, and Langlais gives us a heroine who won’t stand for the expected, she wants it all. And Reece will have to work, damn hard, to prove that she is not only his mate, but THE woman for him.While others may take offense to the storyline and the reactions of Reece to the curvy bear, I found Teddy to be someone that you wanted to know, and hang out with. She is smart and determined, and wants to have it all – as we all should. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with her demanding it all. And when Reece comes to his senses and tracks her down, it is interesting to see the lengths he goes to in proving that not only does he want his mate, but he wants HER as his mate. While not subjecting us to a ton of esteem issues as often happens in stories with larger heroines, Teddy is solid and has confidence in herself, but her seeing friends and family hurt by infidelity laid at the feet of size and ‘fated mates’ issues, she is cautious and wants to feel secure in the man she shares her life with. This story has everything: characters that develop and grow, a relationship that is based on more than a sniff hello, and hangups and situations that are easy to relate to no matter your perspective. A novella length story, it is packed full of entertainment with some seriously sexy heat and emotion to wrap up the package neatly. I received an eBook copy from the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility. This is a sweet, very sensual -- and rather short -- book about a woman who holds on to her determination to be loved for who she is rather than succumb to the mysterious force of the shifters' mating frenzy. Teddy is understandably hurt and angered when the first thing she sees in her destined mate's eyes is dismay at her plush, curvy shape -- but although her mind and her pride make her push Reece away, she isn't immune to the lust of a shifter's mating recognition. Her big bad wolf is hard to resist.Enter Teddy's mom - a real life Mama Bear - to help Reece gain some perspective and put him on the right road to earning Teddy's trust -- which he does with true love's zeal. I would have given this more stars if the plot had been slightly more complex, but for what it is, it's a lovely story.
