Review: Lions, Tigers, and Sexy Bears Oh My! by Candace Havens

A Montana town where no one is who they seem....  Everything about runaway heiress Ainsley McLeon screamed trouble—from her luscious midnight locks to her Louboutin-clad toes.  Yet sexy, stoic bar owner Luc couldn’t deny the instant connection he felt to the tempting stranger…or the long-dead feelings she evoked.  She could work in his pub until her truck was fixed but after that she had to leave town for good.  Ainsley traveled with her own emotional baggage and there was no way she'd fall for the bear-tempered Luc...no matter how many passionate nights she spent in his bed or how safe she felt in his muscular arms. Can these two opposites find love in the middle of a blizzard, or will Luc's darker side and Ainsley's past catch up with them? ~ Goodreads

Source: Free e-arc provided by Entangled Publishing for my honest review

Review:
Lions, Tigers, and Sexy Bears Oh My! was a bit of a throwback to the fun paranormal books I used to read a lot of a few years ago. They may still be out there but almost everything I find now is filled with over the top angst. This book was a nice change of pace.

Ainsley McLeon is an heiress on the run. She may have money but she doesn't know who she can trust now that she caught her brother and uncle in an embezzlement scheme and people are shooting at her. She runs off to the last place that anyone would think to look for her, Montana, in the dead of winter. Wearing Louboutin heels of course…as one would. Things get weird when a tiger jumps into the bed of her truck and she thinks he can understand her jokes.

Ainsley is just wonderful! She walks into Luc's Cub Club bar, worming her way into a waitress job, and just owns the place. She has obviously led a somewhat charmed life but she's also not afraid to get down and dirty waiting on tables to earn her own money while she's hiding out, or smack around the patrons when they get grabby. This girl can handle herself. She's also prone to eating a pan (or two) of brownies during stressful situations. She could be your BFF.

Luc knows this girl is trouble the second he looks away first when she stares him down. Something he never does. As much as he tries to get her out of his bar he also feels a strong urge to protect her.
Both have suffered great losses in their past and are afraid to take the plunge into a permanent relationship and try to just enjoy their time together while Luc helps her figure out who is after her.
The second half of this book faltered some for me. I noticed a few inconsistencies. In one instance a character was talking to a friend on the phone and then a paragraph or so later he was patting the guy on the shoulder. I thought they were on the phone? This was a e-arc, so it's possible this will be addressed the finished version (or maybe I just misread?). I can usually overlook one or two things but it happened enough that it became a little distracting.

I really loved Luc and Ainsley together but the ending felt rushed and I wished they had talked their issues out a bit more. Especially Luc. He could be an asshat at times but he had been through something devastating and I wish Ainsley took that into account to understand where he was coming from.

Final thoughts: I had a few issues with things that just didn't match up and the ending was rushed but overall I still highly recommend this one if you're looking for a light(ish) paranormal book. It was a l lot of fun to read. The characters and romance were great. I'm hoping this might be a start of a new series because there were definitely a few characters that I would like to know more about. Particularly a certain sexy tiger shifter.

Author: website
Buy the book! Lions, Tigers, and Sexy Bears Oh My! (Entangled Covet)