Author Katie Shepard's first novel, Bear With Me Now, is a good read that delves into the complicated topics of mental illness, addiction, and generational trauma This novel has its share of enjoyable times, is wonderfully written with probably the best wit I've seen in a romance novel, but it also has a few flaws that keep it from being completely 5-star fantastic.

After Teagan, a charity executive, has a panic attack and is hospitalised, his sister forces him to attend a wilderness rehabilitation retreat in Montana. Nearly devoured by a bear, he is rescued by Darcy, who had been serving as the camp's handywoman. Darcy eventually becomes Teagan's sober friend after the two relocate to New York together. Despite the fact that the story is very entertaining and the characters are likeable and relatable, it seems only Teagan any sort of redemptive journey while Darcy and Sloane's struggles just sort of *disappear*, which is disappointing since they are well developed characters that I was rooting for.

This novel has its ups and downs in terms of exploring mental illness, addiction, and parentification. Teagan's perspective on his social anxiety treatment appears to be more focused on discussing the medication's side effects, but he doesn't seem to go to therapy, and just stops taking medication at some point with limited side effects, which is unlikely; meanwhile, Darcy's learning disability isn't explored at all (seems the solution is just to be rich?) and Sloane's addiction is swept under the rug with little attention paid to it.

Bear With Me Now is a pleasant first novel but I was expecting a bit more. If you're in the mood for a cute rom-com, I would definitely recommend it, but I'm not sure I would recommend it for disability/mental illness representation as an OwnVoices disabled reviewer. To be fair, the representation is not bad either - just could have been better.

A mental breakdown while managing his mother’s charity lands Teagan in rehab — while not an alcoholic, his collegiate sister Sloane decides it’s the perfect opportunity to address her casual coke habit and his crippling anxiety and panic attacks with one blow. She enrolls them in a wilderness retreat center retreat in where they encounter equally terrifying bears, kale smoothies and Darcy: an ex-military jack of all trades who wants to be an interpretive ranger but can’t get through her GI bill degree due to her undiagnosed learning disabilities. Darcy’s ex-roommate and former hookup has borrowed her car, leaving her stranded in Big Sky just as she’s trying to cobble together a plan when the wellness center closes for the season. A misunderstanding leads Darcy to think Teagan is an alcoholic in denial; she takes him under her wing and provides him with his own custom, wilderness-based recovery curriculum when it’s clear making ashtrays and birdhouses and attending mindful seminars and therapy are not up his alley. When it becomes clean Teagan needs to get back to attend to his business, Darcy gets hired on as Teagan’s sober companion. She doesn’t quite fit it, but they work well as a team and as partners. She hasn’t had a lot of stability in her life and has serious reservation about being good enough and fitting in, but their chemistry is genuine and he is a wonderful foil for her warm, loving chaos.

A subplot of the foundation running art through it for profit adds drama and tension. The Montana setting is described lushly and conservation is a strong theme throughout. Shepard introduces unique characters and handles addiction and mental illness deftly.The sex scenes are a perfect blend of tender, awkward, funny and real, and sex is defined as more than just PiV – Teagan’s medication makes full arousal and penetration challenging, so they need to be creative and communicate.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #BearWithMeNow from #NetGalley.

Bear with me is such a lovely book questioning the sensitive issues including mental health problems, self growth, parental abuse, addiction problems with honest and realistic approach!

Main characters are so much likable and multi layered, easy to resonate with. Especially Darcy Albano is perfect kind of badass, resilient, powerful heroine, trying to hold on her life after being abandoned and betrayed by her own family and screwed over from her car thief ex!
She only accepted to be trail guide at camp site where the wealthy people from addiction problems booking the place for esoteric healing therapies but instead of that she keeps cleaning, hauling things, doing the other staff members’ chores!

And Teegan Van Zijl finds himself dragged into the camp facility by his sister Sloane after having a psychological breakdown. He inherited the charity from their late mother who also suffered from addiction issues: the same charity is bleeding money. Extra stress and too much responsibility put extra pressure on his shoulder! His sister Sloane who suffers from addiction problem books two from for this special retreat in Montana and insists this will he their chance to recover!

When Teegan takes a walk in the trail without giving much thought, his collecting berries plan result with unfortunate encounter with a very hungry bear! Luckily he’s saved by his guarding angel wearing muddy boots with very pissed off attitude! That’s how Teegan and Darcy meets.

After spending special time in the mountains, their friendship blooms quickly. Darcy realizes Teegan is not spoiled trust fund baby just like the other guests of the retreat. And Teegan offers her to go to NY with him to become his sober companion. But what he didn’t mention is he just created this job to spend more time with her in the big city. Could Teegan come clean about feelings without losing Darcy forever? Could Darcy survive in the big city? For answers to those questions just buy your copy, bury your head into those pages!

Overall: sweet-swoon- soft, absolutely entertaining, light hearted reading with lovely MCs!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

Teagan has recently been hospitalized for panic attacks and when he’s discharged doesn’t think too much about where his sister is taking him.. until he ends up at a wilderness rehab retreat. One of the program’s employees, Darcy, takes Teagan under her wing believing that she is helping him with his (non existent) addictions. When Teagan heads back to the city, he hires Darcy as his sober companion to keep her in his life, despite not needing help with sobriety. Can a relationship based on lies ever become true?

This was a really cute and enjoyable read!

What I loved:
-description of the outdoors/parks
-development of the relationship between Darcy and Teagan
-mental health and dyslexia representation

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the advanced reading copy!

I ultimately liked this book, but it was the last 100 pages that saved it for me. I felt the first part of this book had pacing issues. But I really liked the premise and wanted to give it a go. I liked Teagan and Darcy's relationship so I will give this book a 3.5. But the sister was very annoying and there really wasn't a resolution at the end. She just seemed spoiled to me. But again Teagan and Darcy's relationship was fun to read about. She really did think she was helping, she was, just not for what she thought.

I’ve been to Yellowstone Park once as a kid. I remember a few things about the trip – huge rain drops on our way there. I also remember that there had been a fire not long before we’d gone and learning about how the fire can jump.

After panic attacks land Teagan in the hospital, his dutiful younger sister books him into a wilderness therapy retreat (or rehab) outside Yellowstone. Once there, he meets Darcy, and she is convinced Teagan is an alcoholic, and he is too embarrassed about why he really is there to correct her. After Teagan is forced to go back to work, Teagan doesn’t want to leave Darcy’s side so she tags along as his sober companion. Once back in New York, Darcy and Teagan fall in love, but Teagan isn’t getting better, he's getting worse. Will he come clean with the real reason he was at the retreat and live happily with Darcy? Or will he lose her like everything else in his life?

This was a cute romance. I really enjoyed it, but my biggest gripe with this one is that it felt like the pacing was off in a few places. I wanted it to be more of a run with the dialogue, but it was a slow job. The story between Teagan and Darcy was masterfully done. It felt well thought out and executed. I also really enjoyed Teagan’s little sister. Overall, this is a great story about learning to love each other for who you are, and we are all full of faults. I particularly enjoyed the way Teagan’s mental health was presented and explored.

Check this one out April 25th. Thank you so much to @netgalley, and Berkley, @berkleypub @berkleyromance for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: death of a parent (drunk driving, past), alcoholic parent (past), grief, panic attacks (on-page), ablism, substance abuse (side-character), misogyny, animal attack (on-page)

If you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-work place romance
-he falls first and hard
-opposites attract

I really appreciated how this book twists around many traditional gender roles. Darcy and Teagan were very much opposites. I loved how Teagan fell first and hard and was just such a supportive simp.

Steam: 3.25

What a gorgeous novel full of loveable characters and a storyline that I couldn't put down. This one is a must read!

Bear with Me Now started slow for me, but I kept with it and ended up liking it. Teagan is apparently at a rehab "camp" with his sister (although he is admittedly not an addict - his sister is). But no one at the retreat knows he isn't struggling with alcohol addiction. I thought it a bit strange that Teagan would "act" as if he were an alcoholic knowing that wasn't the case. I wasn't sure if alcoholism was a key part to his story, or just something that was touched on in passing. Teagan is a likable guy and Darcy can be likable as well (although I will admit it took me longer to warm up to her than Teagan. Bear With Me Now is a story of accepting who you are - faults and all - and surrounding yourself with people who see you.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review..