Laid Bear 2: The Kodiak Clan by Marina Maddix + GIVEAWAY

Title:  Laid Bare 2:  The Kodiak Clan

Series:  Laid Bear Book #2

Author:  Marina Maddix

Genre:  Romance, Paranormal

Blurb:  Curvy bear shifter Veronica Muir is ready for a new mate. It’s been six long and lonely years since her husband was killed, leaving her to raise rambunctious twin cubs on her own. And wouldn’t you know it, the first time she dips her toe into the dating world, she ends up falling head over heels in love…with a human.  Marine biologist Jess Slade is still raw from his divorce when he spots Veronica’s online profile. Unable to resist her luscious curves, he takes a second chance on love by moving to her hometown of Kodiak, Alaska. But the one thing he doesn’t know about her might be the one thing he can’t get past.  When a group of human-hating werebears called The Brotherhood threaten to tear them apart — quite literally — Jess and Veronica, with a little help from Max and Bethany, must decide where their loyalties lie and if their love is worth fighting for.

Thoughts:  This blurb really caught my attention, and is what ultimately sucked me into wanting read this novel.  The fact that it was the second in a series didn’t really deter me, as usually they are still written in such a way that new readers can still jump right in.  In this case, I feel it’s important to mention that it is actually a sequel rather than another installment in a series.  What does that mean for this book?  Well, rather than simply taking each book and focusing on a separate group of characters that are interconnected, this one is instead a continuation.  So imagine my surprise when a large part of the beginning of this book – supposedly about Jess and Veronica – really focuses on neither.  It instead focuses on another couple – who obviously I didn’t recognize since I haven’t read the first one!  Is this a problem?  Yes and no.

When you hunt for this book on Amazon, within the description it does mention that it is a sequel.  In the blurb – for example, when I seen it on sale in a post on Facebook – does not.  Neither does the cover.  I wish that it was a bit more clear that it was a sequel before I grabbed it – however, considering it is mentioned elsewhere, I don’t think it’s fair to penalize the author for that.  But I do think it’s important for readers to be aware of that fact, so just be aware of that when it comes to this book.  It wasn’t hard to keep up with exactly, but it was a bit odd not to be focused on those main characters for more of the storyline.  And obviously, you feel like you are missing a lot of back history.

This is really a book that I feel I could really have gotten into – well, even more so if I had read both books.  Considering that, I am going to somewhat base my review on the writer’s writing style, the story and plot, the connection between the characters – and how much more I would have felt had I read the first one.

Overall, a good read – but one you definitely want to read the first one before you begin!

Rate:  B

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