What do you think?
Rate this book
Bear Hunter
Sven is on the run; he kidnaps Matt to hide in his house, but Matt is going to fight back...
Sven is on the run. He escaped to Alaska trying to get away, but the cops are still on his trail. Desperate, he kidnaps Matt and hides in his house. He has to keep Matt tied up, and Sven is surprised and turned on at the fact that he refuses to be intimidated. Matt fights back every single time, waiting for the moment to turn the tables. Every day of captivity, Sven gets to know Matt better. Enough to feel bad about what he's doing. He can't let his guard down, though. If he does, he knows Matt won't hesitate in getting his revenge.
Sven is on the run. He escaped to Alaska trying to get away, but the cops are still on his trail. Desperate, he kidnaps Matt and hides in his house. He has to keep Matt tied up, and Sven is surprised and turned on at the fact that he refuses to be intimidated. Matt fights back every single time, waiting for the moment to turn the tables. Every day of captivity, Sven gets to know Matt better. Enough to feel bad about what he's doing. He can't let his guard down, though. If he does, he knows Matt won't hesitate in getting his revenge.
- GenresM M RomanceContemporary
172 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 11, 2014
10 people want to read
About the author
Albert Nothlit
17 books27 followers Albert Nothlit is an engineer who loves thinking about the science behind science fiction. He fell in love with literature ever since Where the Red Fern Grows made him cry as a ten-year-old. Growing up as a gay man, he realized that he had rarely been able to truly connect with the characters he read about in books because almost none of them were like him. He didn’t have any fictional role models to look up to. Now that he is a writer, he tries to convey the joy and pride of being different through his own books, celebrating the fact that each unique voice brings something special to the beautiful chorus that is human artistic creation.
He likes to think about what the future might be like with the help of science, but he has always been fascinated by that other, much more elusive corollary to scientific curiosity: the mystery of consciousness. He finds the fact that a mind can think about itself both marvelous and slightly terrifying. His books often explore how people (or aliens) grow as a result of facing hardship, which itself has taught him variable lessons through the tough portions of his life.
When he takes a break from writing, Albert loves to cook, despite his varying degrees of success when attempting to make good sushi rice.
He likes to think about what the future might be like with the help of science, but he has always been fascinated by that other, much more elusive corollary to scientific curiosity: the mystery of consciousness. He finds the fact that a mind can think about itself both marvelous and slightly terrifying. His books often explore how people (or aliens) grow as a result of facing hardship, which itself has taught him variable lessons through the tough portions of his life.
When he takes a break from writing, Albert loves to cook, despite his varying degrees of success when attempting to make good sushi rice.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 5, 2015
Posted at Outlaw Reviews
I was very intrigued by the blurb and the cover, but still had no idea what to expect. The author’s bio says he “creates science fiction worlds that defy convention.” The title leads me to think there will be a bear involved.
Is it this bear?
Or this one?
I’m very glad I took a chance on this unknown to me author. I liked how the blurb enticed without giving too much of the plot away, and I liked how the story kept me on the edge of my seat much of the time.
Sven Madison flees to a small Alaska town after leaving the scene of a brutal crime. Still worried that the cops are after him, Sven looks for a boat to steal during an approaching storm. He then kidnaps its handsome owner, Matt, at gunpoint and forces him to sail out on a choppy sea toward his isolated house.
Matt is no pushover, though. Even with a gun pointed to his head, he’s full of attitude, stubbornness, and determination to escape his precarious situation.
Their time together is fraught with anger, tension, and smoldering lust. In more ways than one, it appears that Sven has finally met his match.
Sven’s and Matt’s time in close quarters forced them to bond over commonalities and traumatic events and explore their deepening feelings for each other. The clipped prose built up tension and helped the action scenes flow very quickly, but there were also heartwarming moments and hot sexy times.
I loved the detailed descriptions of Alaska’s natural beauty and extreme weather.
A few eye-rolling moments caused me to drop my rating a little:
- When Matt hung up on the 911 operator, no one called back. Really? In 1971, I got a call back from the 911 operator. She asked why I called and where my parents were. The incident freaked me out so much that I wouldn’t think of hanging up on 911 ever again.
- I love and appreciate wildlife, and fully support their ethical treatment. Still, wild animals are unpredictable, and people are asking for trouble when they attribute human characteristics to them. Bears do not commit murder, nor do they forgive.
- As much as I felt that Sven and Matt deserved happiness after all they have been through together, their premature declarations of love and the speed with which Matt made up a room for Sven in his house had me wondering if they were lesbians.
Despite the story’s flaws, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read with engaging characters and a vibrant setting.
*Book provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
I was very intrigued by the blurb and the cover, but still had no idea what to expect. The author’s bio says he “creates science fiction worlds that defy convention.” The title leads me to think there will be a bear involved.
Is it this bear?
Or this one?
I’m very glad I took a chance on this unknown to me author. I liked how the blurb enticed without giving too much of the plot away, and I liked how the story kept me on the edge of my seat much of the time.
Sven Madison flees to a small Alaska town after leaving the scene of a brutal crime. Still worried that the cops are after him, Sven looks for a boat to steal during an approaching storm. He then kidnaps its handsome owner, Matt, at gunpoint and forces him to sail out on a choppy sea toward his isolated house.
“I can tie you up, or I can shoot you in both knees so I can sleep easy knowing you won’t try anything. Your choice.”
Matt is no pushover, though. Even with a gun pointed to his head, he’s full of attitude, stubbornness, and determination to escape his precarious situation.
“And you’d better be as good with that gun as you say you are. Or you might find out that it’s me trying to decide whether to shoot you or not.”
Their time together is fraught with anger, tension, and smoldering lust. In more ways than one, it appears that Sven has finally met his match.
“I felt a throb of desire that I tried to hide by backing away from him a bit. I wished he’d try to punch me, or tackle me, or something. He did no such thing.”
Sven’s and Matt’s time in close quarters forced them to bond over commonalities and traumatic events and explore their deepening feelings for each other. The clipped prose built up tension and helped the action scenes flow very quickly, but there were also heartwarming moments and hot sexy times.
I loved the detailed descriptions of Alaska’s natural beauty and extreme weather.
“I don’t know how long we sat there, but I do know that for the first time in my life I felt something approaching complete, enveloping peace. I thought that I could spend the rest of my life in these woods, and it would be okay. The fact that this breathtaking beauty was so short-lived, giving way to the icy majesty of wintertime every year, made it even more astounding, more humbling to watch. I didn’t know why I was feeling this way, but I didn’t question it. I welcomed the fact that there were no doubts whirling around in my head. Here was simplicity. Here was nature’s beautiful and cruel hand. If you could not survive here, you died, simple as that. But if you could, then this place was yours to enjoy.”
A few eye-rolling moments caused me to drop my rating a little:
- When Matt hung up on the 911 operator, no one called back. Really? In 1971, I got a call back from the 911 operator. She asked why I called and where my parents were. The incident freaked me out so much that I wouldn’t think of hanging up on 911 ever again.
- I love and appreciate wildlife, and fully support their ethical treatment. Still, wild animals are unpredictable, and people are asking for trouble when they attribute human characteristics to them. Bears do not commit murder, nor do they forgive.
- As much as I felt that Sven and Matt deserved happiness after all they have been through together, their premature declarations of love and the speed with which Matt made up a room for Sven in his house had me wondering if they were lesbians.
Despite the story’s flaws, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read with engaging characters and a vibrant setting.
*Book provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
November 20, 2015
"You are more than you seem Sven. At first I took you for a drunken idiot. Then for a petty criminal. Then for a serial killer, but now I see you are just a guy..."
The bit that I missed, I guess is obvious with hindsight. The clue I realise is in the name 'Bear Hunter'. Huh.
I got so caught up in the blurb: a guy on the run and his reluctant kidnap victim and ropes and rage and general angst, that I clearly did not fully think through the title of the book.
I was quite frankly appalled and enraged to discover a considerable portion of the story outlines a hunt for a black bear On conclusion of their hunt, which in my view is nothing short of animal cruelty, they make 'love' in the open. Ugh. The distaste in me was unparalleled at their total disregard for what they had perpetrated.
Told in the first person from Sven's perspective, the rest of the book was quite enjoyable. On the run, he kidnaps Matt out of desperation. Matt is formidable and does not take well to being captured. Gradually a grudging but growing respect begins to form between the guys and there is clearly a mutual attraction bubbling beneath the surface. They also share an understanding and connection of recent loss.
In my opinion several gaping plot holes spring up but can be overlooked, in general this is a rollicking adventure.
I acknowledge that my lifestyle as vegetarian, and heavily into animal welfare made part of this story impossible for me to appreciate, but despite my disgust at their actions I found both Sven and Matt engaging enough to hope they got their own happy ending.
I received a complimentary copy of this story from the author in exchange for an honest review as part of the M/M Romance group's Don't Buy My Love event
October 8, 2019
Reviewed by Lori
Book provided by the author
I just wanted to remind the reader that this is M/M romance and as an aside this is written by a man. I have to say, that I love m/m written by men, because there is a totally different vibe going on with the story, then when a woman writes m/m. I'm not saying I don't enjoy women writers who write m/m, because I do. I just think it's a nice change of pace. Men write differently then women. Men describe man parts differently, and they seem to focus more on the act of sex, where women focus more on the feelings and emotions that the characters are feeling. Not that men don't write about feelings, it's just not as intense.
The two protagonists Sven and Matt are two alpha men who are not going to bow down to the other. What a lovely concept. Mr. Nothlit wrote some fabulous scenes between these two guys that I'm still thinking about. Matt gives Sven a run for his money and all I have to say is that it's truly entertaining to read.
In the blurb, it states that Matt won't be intimidated and that is the understatement of the year. Matt is all male, pure testosterone, and will not be cowed by anyone. He makes his own decisions, he's the leader of the group, he knows his own mind, and he's not afraid to tell anyone that tries to take any of those things away from him.
Sven is a man that is desperate, and with desperation comes decisions making skills that are lacking, and that person finds themselves doing and saying things that they normally wouldn't in normal circumstances. At first I didn't like Sven because of his desperation and his questionable moral decisions. I'm glad I stayed with the story, because he's so much more then what he appears to be.
This is the first book of Mr. Nothlit's that I've read and I have to say that I wasn't disappointed with the quality of the story arc, the writing, and the characters themselves. I loved how the two characters had to learn how to trust each other and learn that what the other appeared to be wasn't the whole person. There was so much more to each man then what was apparent.
The title of the book is Bear Hunter , but the reader needs to read the book to find out how where and when the bear hunting takes place, and how meaningful the title is to the integrity to the story. I don't think the reader will be disappointed. Just read it.
Book provided by the author
I just wanted to remind the reader that this is M/M romance and as an aside this is written by a man. I have to say, that I love m/m written by men, because there is a totally different vibe going on with the story, then when a woman writes m/m. I'm not saying I don't enjoy women writers who write m/m, because I do. I just think it's a nice change of pace. Men write differently then women. Men describe man parts differently, and they seem to focus more on the act of sex, where women focus more on the feelings and emotions that the characters are feeling. Not that men don't write about feelings, it's just not as intense.
The two protagonists Sven and Matt are two alpha men who are not going to bow down to the other. What a lovely concept. Mr. Nothlit wrote some fabulous scenes between these two guys that I'm still thinking about. Matt gives Sven a run for his money and all I have to say is that it's truly entertaining to read.
In the blurb, it states that Matt won't be intimidated and that is the understatement of the year. Matt is all male, pure testosterone, and will not be cowed by anyone. He makes his own decisions, he's the leader of the group, he knows his own mind, and he's not afraid to tell anyone that tries to take any of those things away from him.
Sven is a man that is desperate, and with desperation comes decisions making skills that are lacking, and that person finds themselves doing and saying things that they normally wouldn't in normal circumstances. At first I didn't like Sven because of his desperation and his questionable moral decisions. I'm glad I stayed with the story, because he's so much more then what he appears to be.
This is the first book of Mr. Nothlit's that I've read and I have to say that I wasn't disappointed with the quality of the story arc, the writing, and the characters themselves. I loved how the two characters had to learn how to trust each other and learn that what the other appeared to be wasn't the whole person. There was so much more to each man then what was apparent.
The title of the book is Bear Hunter , but the reader needs to read the book to find out how where and when the bear hunting takes place, and how meaningful the title is to the integrity to the story. I don't think the reader will be disappointed. Just read it.
November 17, 2015
4,5 Stars
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you M. Albert Nothlit for offering up your story.
This is the first book I read by this author and I was pleasantly surprised. Albert Nothlit presents a well-written, rich story with multi-faceted and complex, interesting, endearing main characters. First, we have a mystery with Sven's escape from the police (we’ll discover later the reason), Matt’s kidnapping, how each will react and how will evolve their relationship.
Then we have this famous bear hunting in the grandiose landscapes of Alaska (very well described): this part of the book reminded me of J.J. Annaud film "The Bear" from J.O. Curwood’s book The Grizzly King with this wonderful quote (which is one of my favorite): “The greatest thrill is not to kill but to let live.” (in French: “Il est un plaisir plus grand que de tuer, c’est celui de laisser la vie.”) How so true!
Thanks for this great and pleasant story!
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you M. Albert Nothlit for offering up your story.
This is the first book I read by this author and I was pleasantly surprised. Albert Nothlit presents a well-written, rich story with multi-faceted and complex, interesting, endearing main characters. First, we have a mystery with Sven's escape from the police (we’ll discover later the reason), Matt’s kidnapping, how each will react and how will evolve their relationship.
Then we have this famous bear hunting in the grandiose landscapes of Alaska (very well described): this part of the book reminded me of J.J. Annaud film "The Bear" from J.O. Curwood’s book The Grizzly King with this wonderful quote (which is one of my favorite): “The greatest thrill is not to kill but to let live.” (in French: “Il est un plaisir plus grand que de tuer, c’est celui de laisser la vie.”) How so true!
Thanks for this great and pleasant story!
December 1, 2015
I received this book from the author through the m/m romance group's Don't Buy Me Love Program in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Once again, sadly, I'm left wondering how my opinion can differ so greatly from other reviewers. When I first read the blurb I looked forward to reading it. The synopsis really appealed to me... Enemies to lovers, possible Stockholm Syndrome, dub-con, etc. Sounded great!
Unfortunately, I was doomed to disappointment. If only the publisher had provided the author with an editor who was willing to help advise him with actual constructive criticism, he could have truly had a wonderful story instead of just an okay read.
This story is told in the first person POV of Sven Madison, age unknown even by the end, though apparently fairly young. In the beginning he came across to me as a cold, calculating, dominant serial killer type. However, the dominant theory was contradicted repeatedly from the very first sexual encounter. He starts out ordering the man to do things then thinks that he's disappointed because he isn't aggressive enough.... "He was disappointingly shy"... Duh! Maybe he's just a good submissive boy waiting to be given his next command!
Furthermore, there was way too much telling..... "I got closer and closer to coming"... and not showing for my liking. Instead of telling the reader what he saw, since we were privy to his thoughts why not show us his thoughts of what he was seeing?
As for the dialogue? Well, I must admit that I found myself laughing at the childish bickering....
"You suck at cooking."
"I don't remember asking your opinion."
"I don't remember asking to be kidnapped."
--------------
Shot with a BB gun!
"WTF was that?" "Are you insane?"
"I was aiming for your face."
"I'm bleeding!" "I'm fucking bleeding!"
"I'm glad."
........
LOL!
And the wrap up was just too quick for me to believe any of it.
However, as I said in the beginning of my review the synopsis is good and with a decent editor backing him up I think it could've been a very good book.
Once again, sadly, I'm left wondering how my opinion can differ so greatly from other reviewers. When I first read the blurb I looked forward to reading it. The synopsis really appealed to me... Enemies to lovers, possible Stockholm Syndrome, dub-con, etc. Sounded great!
Unfortunately, I was doomed to disappointment. If only the publisher had provided the author with an editor who was willing to help advise him with actual constructive criticism, he could have truly had a wonderful story instead of just an okay read.
This story is told in the first person POV of Sven Madison, age unknown even by the end, though apparently fairly young. In the beginning he came across to me as a cold, calculating, dominant serial killer type. However, the dominant theory was contradicted repeatedly from the very first sexual encounter. He starts out ordering the man to do things then thinks that he's disappointed because he isn't aggressive enough.... "He was disappointingly shy"... Duh! Maybe he's just a good submissive boy waiting to be given his next command!
Furthermore, there was way too much telling..... "I got closer and closer to coming"... and not showing for my liking. Instead of telling the reader what he saw, since we were privy to his thoughts why not show us his thoughts of what he was seeing?
As for the dialogue? Well, I must admit that I found myself laughing at the childish bickering....
"You suck at cooking."
"I don't remember asking your opinion."
"I don't remember asking to be kidnapped."
--------------
Shot with a BB gun!
"WTF was that?" "Are you insane?"
"I was aiming for your face."
"I'm bleeding!" "I'm fucking bleeding!"
"I'm glad."
........
LOL!
And the wrap up was just too quick for me to believe any of it.
However, as I said in the beginning of my review the synopsis is good and with a decent editor backing him up I think it could've been a very good book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2015
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Albert Nothlit is a new author to me and when I had the chance to read this book of his in Exchange for an honest review, I thought, “I like the summary, let’s go for it!” and I’m glad I did.
The story is on first person and it’s Sven that tells his story and what’s around him. He’s a runway man that has been on the run for the last three months because of a very important event that has changed his life.
The book starts with Sven hunting for sex and wow! The sex scene was scorching hot and I couldn't stop thinking about him being a dream came true in bed.
Later that night, something happens and while Sven is running away as fast as he can, he literally bumps into Matt. From there, tons of things happen. We have very passionate, strong, filled of pain and particular situations kind of day from both men. But there is something more, though… something else that both man understand perfectly.
Even Matt has his demons to fight to and we see that “that” can really change your life forever. Matt can related to Sven and vice versa and Sven decides to help him with his demon.
What have I adored about this book? Everything.
The end of the book was something that made me sigh for hours after reading it.
I believe in love at first sight and I don’t need “to know” someone for months or years to find the connection that might be between two souls.
5 stars
Albert Nothlit is a new author to me and when I had the chance to read this book of his in Exchange for an honest review, I thought, “I like the summary, let’s go for it!” and I’m glad I did.
The story is on first person and it’s Sven that tells his story and what’s around him. He’s a runway man that has been on the run for the last three months because of a very important event that has changed his life.
The book starts with Sven hunting for sex and wow! The sex scene was scorching hot and I couldn't stop thinking about him being a dream came true in bed.
Later that night, something happens and while Sven is running away as fast as he can, he literally bumps into Matt. From there, tons of things happen. We have very passionate, strong, filled of pain and particular situations kind of day from both men. But there is something more, though… something else that both man understand perfectly.
Even Matt has his demons to fight to and we see that “that” can really change your life forever. Matt can related to Sven and vice versa and Sven decides to help him with his demon.
What have I adored about this book? Everything.
The end of the book was something that made me sigh for hours after reading it.
I believe in love at first sight and I don’t need “to know” someone for months or years to find the connection that might be between two souls.
5 stars
November 12, 2015
A copy was provided me in exchange for an honest review.
The rate at which Sven and Matt's relationship moved from unwilling captive to captive and angry lust was mind spinning. It all just happened go quickly in such a short time. To me, it didn't seem like this would translate to a very lasting or loving relationship.
Matt's actions was bordering too close to rape for my liking. Sven may have been into it but Sven's struggle with the rope at certain times and warning Matt he wasn't a bottom didn't really assuage that worry. Sven was feeling pain and discomfort but pride kept him quiet. It was hard to read.
The weird linear coincidence that Sven and Matt lost someone to someone/something. I thought Matt's case was a bit more bizarre than Sven's. His behavior towards the bear just seemed over the top. The anger he displayed toward an animal who was just following instinct was just something I couldn't relate to.
I also couldn't appreciate the bear hunting advice Matt gave Sven. It felt inappropriate to read about what some might consider animal cruelty. At the same time I also thought it was a well detailed appeal to the story. The bear itself seemed intelligent changing up his route and avoiding the places Matt knew of.
A lot of rough sex in this book for such a short novel. I'm not complaining but just wanted to take notes for others who might be interested or not interested in this sort of thing.
The sudden declaration of love between Sven and Matt didn't work for me. I did like that they both got the closure they needed though and in Sven situation I really just wanted to know how his name would be cleared.
I was a split on how high I should have rated this since there was a lot of parts I liked but there were also a good amount of scenes I just couldn't wrap my mind around.
The rate at which Sven and Matt's relationship moved from unwilling captive to captive and angry lust was mind spinning. It all just happened go quickly in such a short time. To me, it didn't seem like this would translate to a very lasting or loving relationship.
Matt's actions was bordering too close to rape for my liking. Sven may have been into it but Sven's struggle with the rope at certain times and warning Matt he wasn't a bottom didn't really assuage that worry. Sven was feeling pain and discomfort but pride kept him quiet. It was hard to read.
The weird linear coincidence that Sven and Matt lost someone to someone/something. I thought Matt's case was a bit more bizarre than Sven's. His behavior towards the bear just seemed over the top. The anger he displayed toward an animal who was just following instinct was just something I couldn't relate to.
I also couldn't appreciate the bear hunting advice Matt gave Sven. It felt inappropriate to read about what some might consider animal cruelty. At the same time I also thought it was a well detailed appeal to the story. The bear itself seemed intelligent changing up his route and avoiding the places Matt knew of.
A lot of rough sex in this book for such a short novel. I'm not complaining but just wanted to take notes for others who might be interested or not interested in this sort of thing.
The sudden declaration of love between Sven and Matt didn't work for me. I did like that they both got the closure they needed though and in Sven situation I really just wanted to know how his name would be cleared.
I was a split on how high I should have rated this since there was a lot of parts I liked but there were also a good amount of scenes I just couldn't wrap my mind around.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2015
I was given a free copy of the book by the author in exchange for an unbiased review.
Sven on the run ends up in Alaska and kidnaps Matt after he sees police cars and assumes that they are conig for him.
I enjoyed this book by a new author to me. Matts encounter with Sven as he is tied to the bed borders on rape I feel but as a lover of taboo I had no issue with this. The love between the guys developed quickly after the initial meeting and thats ok too. When I read the title, I assumed that this book was about bear shifters or a man looking to look for a 'bear' to love, I didnot expect for one moment that the two would go actual bear hunting but then again it was set in Alaska.
The only downside for me and its a small downside, when I read why Sven was on the run, all I could think throughout the book was it was self defence, why is he running.
All in all a throughly enjoyable read and I will certainly be looking for more books by this author.
Sven on the run ends up in Alaska and kidnaps Matt after he sees police cars and assumes that they are conig for him.
I enjoyed this book by a new author to me. Matts encounter with Sven as he is tied to the bed borders on rape I feel but as a lover of taboo I had no issue with this. The love between the guys developed quickly after the initial meeting and thats ok too. When I read the title, I assumed that this book was about bear shifters or a man looking to look for a 'bear' to love, I didnot expect for one moment that the two would go actual bear hunting but then again it was set in Alaska.
The only downside for me and its a small downside, when I read why Sven was on the run, all I could think throughout the book was it was self defence, why is he running.
All in all a throughly enjoyable read and I will certainly be looking for more books by this author.
November 13, 2015
It was different kind of story I
Usurly have read. I felt sorry and heart broken for both Sven and Matt. Both lost their father or grandfather by deadly violence. Both were out revenge, Sven killed someone, maybe. Matt is going after the bear that mauled his father. I love the twist at the end. They start off wrong, but they finish being each other half. True love..
I do highly recommended the story..
I received this story for a honest review.
Usurly have read. I felt sorry and heart broken for both Sven and Matt. Both lost their father or grandfather by deadly violence. Both were out revenge, Sven killed someone, maybe. Matt is going after the bear that mauled his father. I love the twist at the end. They start off wrong, but they finish being each other half. True love..
I do highly recommended the story..
I received this story for a honest review.
November 28, 2015
I was provided a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
To start, I did enjoy this book. I would give this 3.7 stars.
The author chose to write this story in the first person from Sven's point of view. I can understand the reasoning behind this decision (Sven is the one who is running and is the kidnapper, after all), but at the same time it was limiting to the story and the constant "I" got old.
The story begins with Sven in Alaska (because he is on the run from the police ) looking to get laid. I didn't get the point of that except to add more sex, which was hot by the way, and maybe to confirm Sven is gay, which we already knew. Anyway, Sven finds a man in a bar they end up in Sven's hotel room, have the hot steamy sex with a little light bondage. After the sex, the man leaves and Sven hears police at the hotel, prompting Sven to run away because he doesn't want to get caught, duh, LOL!
While running, he finds Matt on the docks. After a lot of fighting, Sven kidnaps Matt and forces him to take Sven to Matt's home, which happens to be on an island. As the book summary says, Matt fights Sven at every turn, and the 2 really go at it, with Matt almost winning a few times. Sven manages to come out ahead and ties Matt up in his own house, making him a prisoner. This whole time, Sven is having an internal dialogue with himself about what he is doing, meaning the kidnapping of Matt. I'm not going to give the whole book away but suffice it to say, Sven comes to respect Matt because he is strong and unwilling to give up.
Through the few days (I think it's like 3 or so days) they are together, there is a severe storm going on at the same time, and Matt's boat is of course outside but not tied up to anything (long story) and it contains food supplies that Matt had purchased in town. The food in the house is really low so Sven allows Matt to go outside and look for his boat in a particular area he thinks it might have washed up. They find the boat, overturned, and Matt goes to turn it back over, but gets into trouble and then Sven saves his life. This action bonds the two men because Matt realizes Sven isn't a cruel man, and Sven realizes that what he had been doing to Matt this whole time is wrong and so decides to set him free and face the consequences of the police.
But not so fast, because Matt is conflicted. Sven saved his life and he doesn't know what to do. Sven has allowed himself to be tied up and after several pages, Matt and Sven has some very intense sex while Sven is tied up. Truly, hot! And the reason it was so hot for me is because Matt is the one in charge, he's the one who had been the victim and yet he is now the boss and Sven, a willing participant to be sure, can't say shit about what Matt does. I like a take charge man in my MM romance.
And here begins the next phase of this book, where the title of the book "Bear Hunter" comes in. Yep, the plot goes - for me - on a wild tangent. Matt's father was killed a month earlier in a bear attack and since then, Matt has been seeking to kill that bear. When the bear comes close to the house, Matt misses his chance to kill it and Sven volunteers to help Matt track the bear down and kill it.
Excuse me? Seriously? I was with the plot up until this. I realize these 2 men have been through a lot together, but who in their right mind joins up with their kidnapper/kidnappee to hunt a freakin' bear? Sven has lived on a farm not in the backwoods of Alaska, and has no idea how to track a bear, or even how to kill it. Matt does, of course. I can't say too much more about the book without giving it away, but know that the plot goes from Sven on the run from the police, to kidnapper, to prisoner, to bear hunters assistant.
I should have paid more attention to the title, but I have never been able to correlate the title of a book to what it's about, and the title of this book meant nothing to me. I can't tell you how many times I've read a book with a bizarre title, so really this is on me. Next time I guess I will have to pay more attention!
I started this review by saying I liked this book, and I did, because I really enjoyed the relationship between Sven and Matt. There are some books that are just way too far out of the realm of possibility that makes the books enjoyment hard. But Bear Hunter, while not completely plausible, that has to be taken with a grain of salt, because hey - it's fiction. I always give authors and plot lines a lot of leeway with their stories because really, how likely are any of the plots in romance fiction (mm or other) going to really happen? So I was able to overlook the implausibility of Matt and Sven joining forces to hunt the bear. It still made me frown and shake my head, but I just went with it.
What I had a harder time accepting is how the book ends. And here I will hide in a spoiler, I hope. Really, you shouldn't read this part if you don't want to know how it ends.
I also had a hard time reading the book in the first person. There was a lot of "I think, I want, I did, I have... you get the point. A lot of sentences began with "I" and several were short sentences. For example: "I strode off to the bathroom to relieve myself. I wondered how late it was. I went downstairs..." This is how the story is told and my example is not a compilation from other sections but is in fact a complete "paragraph." The constant "I's" got on my nerves a little and I ended up rewriting the sentences in my head sometimes to alleviate the repetitiveness.
Everyone has their own taste in what they read and what they like in a book, so this is just my opinion, but I can't say I would recommend this book if it wasn't free or really cheap. I thank the author for allowing me to read/review their work and I completely understand how hard it is to finish a book, so I give them a lot of credit for that. I think the author does have a lot of talent in telling a story. I just can't help but imagine the story going in a different direction, away from the bear hunt.
To start, I did enjoy this book. I would give this 3.7 stars.
The author chose to write this story in the first person from Sven's point of view. I can understand the reasoning behind this decision (Sven is the one who is running and is the kidnapper, after all), but at the same time it was limiting to the story and the constant "I" got old.
The story begins with Sven in Alaska (because he is on the run from the police ) looking to get laid. I didn't get the point of that except to add more sex, which was hot by the way, and maybe to confirm Sven is gay, which we already knew. Anyway, Sven finds a man in a bar they end up in Sven's hotel room, have the hot steamy sex with a little light bondage. After the sex, the man leaves and Sven hears police at the hotel, prompting Sven to run away because he doesn't want to get caught, duh, LOL!
While running, he finds Matt on the docks. After a lot of fighting, Sven kidnaps Matt and forces him to take Sven to Matt's home, which happens to be on an island. As the book summary says, Matt fights Sven at every turn, and the 2 really go at it, with Matt almost winning a few times. Sven manages to come out ahead and ties Matt up in his own house, making him a prisoner. This whole time, Sven is having an internal dialogue with himself about what he is doing, meaning the kidnapping of Matt. I'm not going to give the whole book away but suffice it to say, Sven comes to respect Matt because he is strong and unwilling to give up.
Through the few days (I think it's like 3 or so days) they are together, there is a severe storm going on at the same time, and Matt's boat is of course outside but not tied up to anything (long story) and it contains food supplies that Matt had purchased in town. The food in the house is really low so Sven allows Matt to go outside and look for his boat in a particular area he thinks it might have washed up. They find the boat, overturned, and Matt goes to turn it back over, but gets into trouble and then Sven saves his life. This action bonds the two men because Matt realizes Sven isn't a cruel man, and Sven realizes that what he had been doing to Matt this whole time is wrong and so decides to set him free and face the consequences of the police.
But not so fast, because Matt is conflicted. Sven saved his life and he doesn't know what to do. Sven has allowed himself to be tied up and after several pages, Matt and Sven has some very intense sex while Sven is tied up. Truly, hot! And the reason it was so hot for me is because Matt is the one in charge, he's the one who had been the victim and yet he is now the boss and Sven, a willing participant to be sure, can't say shit about what Matt does. I like a take charge man in my MM romance.
And here begins the next phase of this book, where the title of the book "Bear Hunter" comes in. Yep, the plot goes - for me - on a wild tangent. Matt's father was killed a month earlier in a bear attack and since then, Matt has been seeking to kill that bear. When the bear comes close to the house, Matt misses his chance to kill it and Sven volunteers to help Matt track the bear down and kill it.
Excuse me? Seriously? I was with the plot up until this. I realize these 2 men have been through a lot together, but who in their right mind joins up with their kidnapper/kidnappee to hunt a freakin' bear? Sven has lived on a farm not in the backwoods of Alaska, and has no idea how to track a bear, or even how to kill it. Matt does, of course. I can't say too much more about the book without giving it away, but know that the plot goes from Sven on the run from the police, to kidnapper, to prisoner, to bear hunters assistant.
I should have paid more attention to the title, but I have never been able to correlate the title of a book to what it's about, and the title of this book meant nothing to me. I can't tell you how many times I've read a book with a bizarre title, so really this is on me. Next time I guess I will have to pay more attention!
I started this review by saying I liked this book, and I did, because I really enjoyed the relationship between Sven and Matt. There are some books that are just way too far out of the realm of possibility that makes the books enjoyment hard. But Bear Hunter, while not completely plausible, that has to be taken with a grain of salt, because hey - it's fiction. I always give authors and plot lines a lot of leeway with their stories because really, how likely are any of the plots in romance fiction (mm or other) going to really happen? So I was able to overlook the implausibility of Matt and Sven joining forces to hunt the bear. It still made me frown and shake my head, but I just went with it.
What I had a harder time accepting is how the book ends. And here I will hide in a spoiler, I hope. Really, you shouldn't read this part if you don't want to know how it ends.
I also had a hard time reading the book in the first person. There was a lot of "I think, I want, I did, I have... you get the point. A lot of sentences began with "I" and several were short sentences. For example: "I strode off to the bathroom to relieve myself. I wondered how late it was. I went downstairs..." This is how the story is told and my example is not a compilation from other sections but is in fact a complete "paragraph." The constant "I's" got on my nerves a little and I ended up rewriting the sentences in my head sometimes to alleviate the repetitiveness.
Everyone has their own taste in what they read and what they like in a book, so this is just my opinion, but I can't say I would recommend this book if it wasn't free or really cheap. I thank the author for allowing me to read/review their work and I completely understand how hard it is to finish a book, so I give them a lot of credit for that. I think the author does have a lot of talent in telling a story. I just can't help but imagine the story going in a different direction, away from the bear hunt.
May 31, 2016
I received a free copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
Sven is on the run from the law and in desperation he kidnaps Matt and keeps him prisoner in his own house. The two bond over the experience and shared losses and go on a bear hunt together.
This is a hard review to write. The first half of the book I enjoyed. I disliked both MCs and I didn't feel Sven's character added up, was he a good boy gone bad or was he an asshole? I am still on the fence about that. But I was interested in the story. I wanted to know what happened on the farm, why his grandfather was murdered, who were the bad guys and were they coming for him? How was his and Matts relationsship going to survive the Stockholm Syndrome thing they had going on?
But then the story changed and become something utterly ridiculous, that I had no interest in what so ever, and was so stupid and far fetched that I couldn't really stomach it. Having a vendetta against an animal is just idiocy. To believe that that animal "forgive you" is ridiculous and shooting and injuring an animal and then leaving it to its own fate is incredibly unethical and cruel. So, couldn't get behind that storyline at all.
The worst part of that storyline however, was that it took up the rest of the story, so I never got my answers, other than a few clumsy "this is what happened" sentences, which just felt like being cheated!
Other than that I never got to know the characters well enough to really care about them and their relationship, and I certainly did not see how they could possible love eachother. But the words were spoken and the end was happy, so I guess that is that.
Except for a bit of overuse of names, (nobody says the other persons name in every other sentence whe tehy speak, that makes the conversation akward), the writing was fine and I wasn't thrown out of the story by major editing issues. The sex was hot if you enjoy two alphas battling for supremacy, but it didn't come across as very emotional. It was fucking, plain and simple, which is great, but it didn't really move the characters or the relationship forward.
I might try the author again, if I find an interesting blurp, but this story wasn't for me. First half 3-3.5 stars, second half 1-1.5 stars. All round 2 stars.
Sven is on the run from the law and in desperation he kidnaps Matt and keeps him prisoner in his own house. The two bond over the experience and shared losses and go on a bear hunt together.
This is a hard review to write. The first half of the book I enjoyed. I disliked both MCs and I didn't feel Sven's character added up, was he a good boy gone bad or was he an asshole? I am still on the fence about that. But I was interested in the story. I wanted to know what happened on the farm, why his grandfather was murdered, who were the bad guys and were they coming for him? How was his and Matts relationsship going to survive the Stockholm Syndrome thing they had going on?
But then the story changed and become something utterly ridiculous, that I had no interest in what so ever, and was so stupid and far fetched that I couldn't really stomach it. Having a vendetta against an animal is just idiocy. To believe that that animal "forgive you" is ridiculous and shooting and injuring an animal and then leaving it to its own fate is incredibly unethical and cruel. So, couldn't get behind that storyline at all.
The worst part of that storyline however, was that it took up the rest of the story, so I never got my answers, other than a few clumsy "this is what happened" sentences, which just felt like being cheated!
Other than that I never got to know the characters well enough to really care about them and their relationship, and I certainly did not see how they could possible love eachother. But the words were spoken and the end was happy, so I guess that is that.
Except for a bit of overuse of names, (nobody says the other persons name in every other sentence whe tehy speak, that makes the conversation akward), the writing was fine and I wasn't thrown out of the story by major editing issues. The sex was hot if you enjoy two alphas battling for supremacy, but it didn't come across as very emotional. It was fucking, plain and simple, which is great, but it didn't really move the characters or the relationship forward.
I might try the author again, if I find an interesting blurp, but this story wasn't for me. First half 3-3.5 stars, second half 1-1.5 stars. All round 2 stars.
December 2, 2015
I was given this book free in exchange for an honest review.
This book wasn't at all what I expected. The blurb was interesting, but the plot was somewhat convoluted. The main character is running from the police, kidnaps a man and goes back to the man's island house, forms a relationship with his hostage, and then goes on a bear hunt. The plot elements were interesting in themselves, but as a whole it was pretty unbelievable. I expected something gritty and dark, but found it muddy and illogical instead. The writing was good, the characters were fairly interesting, and there was some well crafted description, but too much about the book defied belief. Unfortunately, there were both major plot points and small details (a character pulling a small BB gun out of his pocket at an opportune time?) that just didn't make sense. I'm usually able to suspend my disbelief with the best of them, but this time it was a bit too much. It was an easy read, and somewhat fun, but not a book that I'd read again.
This book wasn't at all what I expected. The blurb was interesting, but the plot was somewhat convoluted. The main character is running from the police, kidnaps a man and goes back to the man's island house, forms a relationship with his hostage, and then goes on a bear hunt. The plot elements were interesting in themselves, but as a whole it was pretty unbelievable. I expected something gritty and dark, but found it muddy and illogical instead. The writing was good, the characters were fairly interesting, and there was some well crafted description, but too much about the book defied belief. Unfortunately, there were both major plot points and small details (a character pulling a small BB gun out of his pocket at an opportune time?) that just didn't make sense. I'm usually able to suspend my disbelief with the best of them, but this time it was a bit too much. It was an easy read, and somewhat fun, but not a book that I'd read again.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews