Bear with Me Now

February 27, 2023
Shepard’s flawed but enjoyable debut explores the unexpected romance between an aspiring park ranger and a big-city workaholic. The last thing clinically depressed Teagan wants to do after a weeklong hospital stay is attend rehab at a Montana wellness retreat, but his sister insists that a month away from his stressful job will improve his mental health. Retreat employee Darcy is frustrated to be doing maintenance work instead of wildlife education. When Teagan goes missing from the premises, she uses her wildlife knowledge to track him and save him from a bear attack, instantly bonding the pair. Teagan’s more interested in hard work than the new age healing offered by the resort, so Darcy, who falsely believes him to be an alcoholic, takes him under her wing. But just when things might heat up between the two, Teagan is called back to New York for work. He doesn’t want to leave Darcy behind, so when his sister offers to hire her as his “sober companion,” he lets the lie slide. This deception is hard to get past, and though the couple do work well together, the ending leaves Teagan with lots of room to grow. It’s not perfect, but anyone looking for romance in the great outdoors will find some charm here.

March 1, 2023

DEBUT After a panic attack lands him in the hospital, Teagan van Zijl ends up at a rehab camp where he's expected to do yoga, talk about his feelings, and balance his chakras. He routinely ducks out of sessions to find the only good thing at the camp: Darcy Albano. When Darcy started working at the camp, she was hired as a wilderness guide, but she was soon demoted to handywoman, failing once again. Then she meets Teagan, who not only asks for her help but listens to her talk about her passion for conservation. Darcy thinks Teagan is in rehab for alcohol-addiction, and he's too embarrassed to admit his mental health issues. Instead, he hires her as his sober companion and lures her to New York, but now he has to figure out how to keep her there. Unfortunately, Darcy's backstory is never fleshed out, and her invisible disability is glossed over, while the plotline also implies that Teagan's mental health is fixed by quitting his stressful job. VERDICT This contemporary romance starts off strong, but the plot threads quickly become tangled and convoluted, with protagonists who are interesting but flat and have little chemistry.--Heather Miller Cover

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Starred review from March 15, 2023
Shepard's wonderful debut romance features characters who are so beautifully depicted, they become real. Teagan, who lives an elite life of wealth and privilege and runs a foundation to bring art to children, would seem to have little in common with navy veteran Darcy, whose learning challenges have kept her from the successes she has worked toward in college and as a forest ranger. They meet when Teagan takes a walk in the woods and runs into a bear while he and his sister are at a rehab-spa in Montana. Teagan is recovering from a stint in a psych ward following a panic attack so severe he thought he was dying and now nearly becomes a bear snack. He is rescued by Darcy, who was hired as the wilderness therapy instructor but has been doing all the maintenance for the new-agey resort. Darcy focuses on helping Teagan, however off-track she is about his issues, and insists on accompanying him to New York when his foundation is threatened. Shepard seamlessly incorporates Teagan's mental-health struggles and Darcy's learning differences as they help each other fight their personal demons. This exquisite combination of issues, humor, and hot sex make Shepard a writer to watch.

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