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Gray Back Bears #1
Gray Back Bad Bear
Matt Barns is on a mission. The goal of this mission? Find a mate before his broken bear drives him into madness. He knows exactly what he’s looking for, but when his bear finally settles for a mate, she dumps his world upside down. She’s funny, sure, but other than that, she’s not his type in any way. Or so he thought, because Willa is breaking down his walls and opening his eyes to a new life he thought he might never find.
Willamena Madden: smart-mouthed, fun-loving, loyal-to-a-fault, proud nerd and fragile human. She’s also somehow become the potential mate to a grizzly shifter. A shifter? She feels sorry for the critters and wishes humans would leave them alone, but Matt is proving he doesn’t need her pity. He’s a sexy, scarred up, growly beast-man, and she’s thinking he could be the one to finally take her V-card. But Matt’s hot and cold, and one of her friends is after a bucket-list werebear diddle with the man Willa’s falling for. And if that isn’t stressful enough, Matt’s Gray Back Crew is a loosely knit community of maniacs.
Matt feels important, but Willa has never been in more danger. If she can’t find a way to survive his people, she’ll have to go back to her safe life without her Gray Back Bad Bear.
**Brand new series from T.S. Joyce. Can be read as a standalone series. No cliff-hangers. Just a crew of lumberjack bad-a bear shifters, and the women strong enough to love them.**
Content Warning: explicit love scenes, naughty language, and piles of sexy shifter secrets.
Adult only bear shifter romance.
Willamena Madden: smart-mouthed, fun-loving, loyal-to-a-fault, proud nerd and fragile human. She’s also somehow become the potential mate to a grizzly shifter. A shifter? She feels sorry for the critters and wishes humans would leave them alone, but Matt is proving he doesn’t need her pity. He’s a sexy, scarred up, growly beast-man, and she’s thinking he could be the one to finally take her V-card. But Matt’s hot and cold, and one of her friends is after a bucket-list werebear diddle with the man Willa’s falling for. And if that isn’t stressful enough, Matt’s Gray Back Crew is a loosely knit community of maniacs.
Matt feels important, but Willa has never been in more danger. If she can’t find a way to survive his people, she’ll have to go back to her safe life without her Gray Back Bad Bear.
**Brand new series from T.S. Joyce. Can be read as a standalone series. No cliff-hangers. Just a crew of lumberjack bad-a bear shifters, and the women strong enough to love them.**
Content Warning: explicit love scenes, naughty language, and piles of sexy shifter secrets.
Adult only bear shifter romance.
195 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2015
1013 people are currently reading
1198 people want to read
About the author
T.S. Joyce
157 books3,436 followersT.S. Joyce is devoted to bringing hot shifter romances to readers. Hungry alpha males are her calling card, and the wilder the men, the more she'll make them pour their hearts out. She werebear swears there'll be no swooning heroines in her books. It takes tough-as-nails women to handle the shifters of Bear Valley.
She lives in a tiny town, outside of a tiny city, and devotes her life to writing big stories. Foodie, bear whisperer, ninja, thief of tiny bottles of awesome smelling hotel shampoo, nap connoisseur, movie fanatic, and zombie slayer, and most of this bio is true.
Bear Shifters? Check
Smoldering Alpha Hotness? Double Check
Sexy Scenes? Fasten up your girdles, ladies and gents, it's gonna to be a wild ride.
She lives in a tiny town, outside of a tiny city, and devotes her life to writing big stories. Foodie, bear whisperer, ninja, thief of tiny bottles of awesome smelling hotel shampoo, nap connoisseur, movie fanatic, and zombie slayer, and most of this bio is true.
Bear Shifters? Check
Smoldering Alpha Hotness? Double Check
Sexy Scenes? Fasten up your girdles, ladies and gents, it's gonna to be a wild ride.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 355 reviews
January 7, 2019
This book is really a continuation of the last series, even though we are in a different trailer park with new lumberjack werebears who need to find mates. The couples from the last series show up a lot to visit the trailer park peeps. So, it helps if you have read that series. Of course, it doesn't really matter either, though because all of these books are the same, and the word "mediocre" was pretty much made for them.
If this was the best the author could do, I would be more forgiving, but since she is churning out this shit like she's being forced to write at gun-point, I don't have it in me.
Write better and maybe you wouldn't have to give this crap away for free on Kindle Unlimited.
Speaking of KU, what the hell? Why do they only have crap? I mean, I know it's cheap, but really. I could give my dog a pencil and she would write better stuff than this.
Of course, maybe I'm setting the bar too high. My dog comes up with some deep shit. Confucius-like thoughts.
So, to the crappy book review!!
This book stars a bad guy from the last series. It turns out that he was just misunderstood! Yes, he physically attacked and forced his tongue down another girl's throat without her consent, but that's because he was sad. So, stop all of this #metoo and "time's up" stuff, Ladies. Those poor guys are simply misunderstood. They need hugs. But, don't hug them! You are just asking for it if you do that. That, and your slutty dress.
See? He gets it! They will totally love it!
This gem of a guy is also a man-whore..... well, supposedly. For all we know, all of his conquests could be more accurately called "victims" if we are judging by his previous behavior. Anyway, this awesome dude was actually still available. Crazy, right? And, who better for a man-whore kinda-rapist, but a virgin nerd girl? To be more accurate, a manic pixie dream girl.
Yeah. Wow. We are all so amused by the antics of quirky girl. It's all so unique. We've never heard of such crazy antics as a girl who wears glasses, has dyed her hair a bright red, and loves to read. Such madness!
Oh, but she wears "granny panties" and he thinks that's sexy.
*sigh*
Look, Junior. I wear glasses because I can't see. I wear granny panties because they are comfy. There ain't nothing sexy about any of that. (I also happen to have purple hair, and obviously this is a reading site.... But....shut up. Fuck.)
Have I mentioned the fact that quirky girls are the best?
I love them!
Like her:
She's the best, huh?
Alright. I gotta go dye my hair, look into contact lenses, get some tattoo removal, and unlearn how to crochet.
Don't read these books. They suck.
If this was the best the author could do, I would be more forgiving, but since she is churning out this shit like she's being forced to write at gun-point, I don't have it in me.
Write better and maybe you wouldn't have to give this crap away for free on Kindle Unlimited.
Speaking of KU, what the hell? Why do they only have crap? I mean, I know it's cheap, but really. I could give my dog a pencil and she would write better stuff than this.
Of course, maybe I'm setting the bar too high. My dog comes up with some deep shit. Confucius-like thoughts.
So, to the crappy book review!!
This book stars a bad guy from the last series. It turns out that he was just misunderstood! Yes, he physically attacked and forced his tongue down another girl's throat without her consent, but that's because he was sad. So, stop all of this #metoo and "time's up" stuff, Ladies. Those poor guys are simply misunderstood. They need hugs. But, don't hug them! You are just asking for it if you do that. That, and your slutty dress.
See? He gets it! They will totally love it!
This gem of a guy is also a man-whore..... well, supposedly. For all we know, all of his conquests could be more accurately called "victims" if we are judging by his previous behavior. Anyway, this awesome dude was actually still available. Crazy, right? And, who better for a man-whore kinda-rapist, but a virgin nerd girl? To be more accurate, a manic pixie dream girl.
Yeah. Wow. We are all so amused by the antics of quirky girl. It's all so unique. We've never heard of such crazy antics as a girl who wears glasses, has dyed her hair a bright red, and loves to read. Such madness!
Oh, but she wears "granny panties" and he thinks that's sexy.
*sigh*
Look, Junior. I wear glasses because I can't see. I wear granny panties because they are comfy. There ain't nothing sexy about any of that. (I also happen to have purple hair, and obviously this is a reading site.... But....shut up. Fuck.)
Have I mentioned the fact that quirky girls are the best?
I love them!
Like her:
She's the best, huh?
Alright. I gotta go dye my hair, look into contact lenses, get some tattoo removal, and unlearn how to crochet.
Don't read these books. They suck.
March 24, 2016
3 stars for the great dialogue - so witty and made me lol a time or two; but no way can I believe someone as cute,badass n smart as h wouldn't have been snapped up already and have great friends too.
Its really hard to believe she'd end up with these users for friends and end up with this - sorry if I'm being judgemental - trashy manho with no standards for her HEA.
Here's a gem: H doesn't accept h's friend request on social media bcos she will know what he is like...so when she finally sees some of it
H even lets the h's bikini-clad evil friend feel him up even after he realises h is his mate. Whatever, the h deserved someone much better but she loved him and for her sake I'm happy there was a HEA...
Its really hard to believe she'd end up with these users for friends and end up with this - sorry if I'm being judgemental - trashy manho with no standards for her HEA.
Here's a gem: H doesn't accept h's friend request on social media bcos she will know what he is like...so when she finally sees some of it
H even lets the h's bikini-clad evil friend feel him up even after he realises h is his mate. Whatever, the h deserved someone much better but she loved him and for her sake I'm happy there was a HEA...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2016
Well, this was a cute one!
I was in a mood for something fast and light and not awful, a lazy-night-in-bed kind of read. Well, this book was perfect for that!
True, there were moments when the story made no sense. They both felt like two disparate people and nothing else. But guess what? It was a really fun read!
I liked the chick, she was sarcastic and witty and she had some nice jokes. He wasn't too bad either. If the story was longer, it would have been a 4 star easily! But I knew what I was getting into when I started this book, so I can't complain.
All in all, it was a cute, funny, fast read and worth spending a few hours reading. If you like all this shifter, typical drama.
I was in a mood for something fast and light and not awful, a lazy-night-in-bed kind of read. Well, this book was perfect for that!
True, there were moments when the story made no sense. They both felt like two disparate people and nothing else. But guess what? It was a really fun read!
I liked the chick, she was sarcastic and witty and she had some nice jokes. He wasn't too bad either. If the story was longer, it would have been a 4 star easily! But I knew what I was getting into when I started this book, so I can't complain.
All in all, it was a cute, funny, fast read and worth spending a few hours reading. If you like all this shifter, typical drama.
Read
October 30, 20190 - DNF 53%
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Could his mate be one of them? Only one way to find out. He might be going down hard, but he was going to enjoy the shit out of the journey.
“Matt Barns,” Gia said, flipping her long chestnut tresses off her shoulder. “He’s on social media.”
“Please tell me we aren’t here for you to sleep with a shifter.” “Bucket list, baby,”
God, she was so dumb for not figuring out sooner this was a shifter booty-call trip.
How stupid she must look to them. No doubt the bombshells had been snickering behind her back this whole time.
She couldn’t be an inch over five foot of compact, angry, nerd. Sexy geek chic, and the opposite of his type. Yep.
“Well, you just saved yourself from my evil clutches because I don’t touch virgins. I find them dissatisfying for my…needs.”
“You’ve been officially friend-zoned. The name’s Matt Barns,” he said, offering his hand for a shake.
“I’m pretty sure you’re the clumsiest person I’ve ever met in my life, Nerd. The parking lot is just an innocent bystander.”
“Gasp! You’re a lumberjack werebear? That’s so cute!”
“I’ll have you know I’m the subtle type of sexy.” “So subtle I can’t see it.”
Now you have shifter groupies to put your dick in all the time.
“It’s because I don’t look like the bombshells, right?” “No.” Matt’s eyebrows went up and his eyes pooled with honesty. “It’s because I don’t do virgins.”
She’d thrown herself at a man, and she’d still not been tempting enough. Worst. Seductress. Ever.
“So I do affect you…sexually?” Matt made a ticking sound behind his teeth. “Do you have a vagina?”
Matt wasn’t interested in her, or even interested in being friends. He only wanted to escape himself for a little while with someone who didn’t know him.
“Wait, you accepted her friend request but not mine?” Willa’s voice came out high and hurt.
“I’m sorry if you got hurt.”
“It’s my fault for thinking you had more substance.”
Watching Brittney chase Matt with long, graceful strokes through the water made Willa regret staying.
Brittney would chase Matt until he gave in, which would probably take all of three point eight seconds, she’d sleep with him, and then she’d gloat in front of Willa every chance she got.
His social media wall was bombarded with pictures of him with other girls. In some, his eyes were glossed over as if he’d been drinking. In others, he was clear and smiling. The happiness never reached his eyes in those, though. All of the women were beautiful, but after scrolling a while, they all looked the same.
November 5, 2021
The fourth entry in my "romances of my life" project. (I really need a catchy title for this, stat.)
My first shifter romance, The Tyrant Alpha's Rejected Mate, is coming out November 12th, and inspired by the occasion, I was trying to remember what book popped my shifter cherry.
I have no idea. There was a period of two or three years, though, when all I read was shifters (wolves, bears, dragons, lions, moose, various bird, etc.). I'd gobble them up, several a week. Suzanne Wright. Charlotte Hartnady. Zoe Chant. Nalini Singh. G. A. Aiken. Terry Bolryder. Shelly Laurenston. Thea Harrison. Jennifer Ashley. Cherise Sinclair.
T. S. Joyce was definitely one of my first. She is awesome. Her books are steaming hot, funny, quirky, and heartfelt. (She does angsty, too, but I prefer her lighter stuff.) Her shifters tend to live in trailer parks or less than glamourous situations, and her heroes are rough around the edges and all man (and wolf or what-have-you). I picked Gray Back Bad Bear because this book has Willa, the quintessential T. S. Joyce heroine - weird, snarky, and relatable.
If you haven't read her, I recommend starting at the beginning. She's prolific. If you love her, you'll have a lot to enjoy.
My first shifter romance, The Tyrant Alpha's Rejected Mate, is coming out November 12th, and inspired by the occasion, I was trying to remember what book popped my shifter cherry.
I have no idea. There was a period of two or three years, though, when all I read was shifters (wolves, bears, dragons, lions, moose, various bird, etc.). I'd gobble them up, several a week. Suzanne Wright. Charlotte Hartnady. Zoe Chant. Nalini Singh. G. A. Aiken. Terry Bolryder. Shelly Laurenston. Thea Harrison. Jennifer Ashley. Cherise Sinclair.
T. S. Joyce was definitely one of my first. She is awesome. Her books are steaming hot, funny, quirky, and heartfelt. (She does angsty, too, but I prefer her lighter stuff.) Her shifters tend to live in trailer parks or less than glamourous situations, and her heroes are rough around the edges and all man (and wolf or what-have-you). I picked Gray Back Bad Bear because this book has Willa, the quintessential T. S. Joyce heroine - weird, snarky, and relatable.
If you haven't read her, I recommend starting at the beginning. She's prolific. If you love her, you'll have a lot to enjoy.
August 3, 2015
I don't understand how this thing got such great reviews. The story made almost no sense. The world building was totally lacking. The story skipped from point to point as if the author thought well all shifter stories need X Y Z so I'll include one of each. Character development was nil. Characters actions were hokey and nonsensical. The story was disjointed and almost every scene was stereotypical and bland.
May 26, 2018
* If you loved the Saw Bears series, you'll be happy with these. The Gray Back crew works on the mountain, too.
We met Matt, a troubled bear who has been through hell with his childhood spent in a torture test facility. He and his bear need to find a mate, get grounded and settle before he goes wild. Willa is visiting with her stuffy friends and they ditch her, so Willa and Matt make a deal to be friends and he'll show her around so her trip isn't wasted. She's tough and sassy, smart and strong. Matt begins to feel the pull towards her, she's the one !! Willa tells him up front she is a virgin and sex it off limits. Slowly they develop deeper feelings, and later with super hot sex, an interesting, very different plot, this is a worthwhile book.
The story flows well, has deep characters, a few characters from the last series, and true emotions. There is some harsh reality and punishment for a wrong. T. S. Joyce tales are always hard to put down.
ENJOY !!!
====
We met Matt, a troubled bear who has been through hell with his childhood spent in a torture test facility. He and his bear need to find a mate, get grounded and settle before he goes wild. Willa is visiting with her stuffy friends and they ditch her, so Willa and Matt make a deal to be friends and he'll show her around so her trip isn't wasted. She's tough and sassy, smart and strong. Matt begins to feel the pull towards her, she's the one !! Willa tells him up front she is a virgin and sex it off limits. Slowly they develop deeper feelings, and later with super hot sex, an interesting, very different plot, this is a worthwhile book.
The story flows well, has deep characters, a few characters from the last series, and true emotions. There is some harsh reality and punishment for a wrong. T. S. Joyce tales are always hard to put down.
ENJOY !!!
====
May 20, 2018
Hmmm...This was my first T.S. Joyce, and I think perhaps I chose the wrong title to start exploring her work. I've heard lots of great things about her shifter series, so I won't give up, but this one did not work for me.
This story gave me whiplash. It starts out with jokes, goofy humor, and banter. I settled in, expecting a light, cheery read...and BAM! The second half of the book gets dark and disturbing. I was unsettled and not a bit satisfied with the odd resolution to the out-of-the blue crisis.
It could definitely be my mood, but the whole romance aspect also felt off, and I just didn't feel the whole mate-mentality/growly possessiveness/insta-love (that I so dearly love in my shifter romances).
I'm thankful that I am able to read (and return) books via KU. I am going to try another from this author's extensive backlist, and am hopeful for a better fit with one of those.
This story gave me whiplash. It starts out with jokes, goofy humor, and banter. I settled in, expecting a light, cheery read...and BAM! The second half of the book gets dark and disturbing. I was unsettled and not a bit satisfied with the odd resolution to the out-of-the blue crisis.
It could definitely be my mood, but the whole romance aspect also felt off, and I just didn't feel the whole mate-mentality/growly possessiveness/insta-love (that I so dearly love in my shifter romances).
I'm thankful that I am able to read (and return) books via KU. I am going to try another from this author's extensive backlist, and am hopeful for a better fit with one of those.
September 15, 2015
Willa and Matt. Really enjoyed this one. This author is one of my favourites to read when I am travelling. Nothing too deep but not too cheesy. Fun interesting characters and good endings. Willa was an interesting character. Not what you would think Matt would be interested in, and he isn't at first. There's just something about her that draws him and makes him smile. He really needs to smile more, as his bear is getting more and more angry every year and he's not sure how long he can stay in control. He is desperate to find a mate and has become something of a man-ho in his search for the right woman. Willa's self centered B-with-an-itch friend and her sidekicks are the sort of woman he usually goes for. Will he pull his head out of his *ss in time?? Willa may seem like a skinny little geek, but she is strong willed and not willing to put up with any cr*p from ANYONE. Nice twist at the end. More of a slow build in the romance than is usual for these books. I especially liked the way the author handled his man-ho history and how it effects Willa's and his relationship.
January 6, 2020
Light, funny, sexy and kinda cute.
I definitely enjoyed the writing. The characters were likeable, the storyline good, but a tad bit rushed.
The “love “ I am not 100 % sure I believed, but I will for sure be reading more from Joyce.
It had that “lighthearted feel good - feeling” to it.
Read: 28/11/2018
1st rating: 3 Stars
Genre: Paranormal/shifter/romance
Cover: 2 stars
1st rating: 3 stars
Will I recommend: Yes
I definitely enjoyed the writing. The characters were likeable, the storyline good, but a tad bit rushed.
The “love “ I am not 100 % sure I believed, but I will for sure be reading more from Joyce.
It had that “lighthearted feel good - feeling” to it.
Read: 28/11/2018
1st rating: 3 Stars
Genre: Paranormal/shifter/romance
Cover: 2 stars
1st rating: 3 stars
Will I recommend: Yes
August 2, 2015
This is my kind of shifter romance. It was short but satisfying. I adored the heroine, Willa. normally I despise book virgins but this added to her charm. the story was fast paced and flowed well and was not drowned out by unnecessary, ridiculous drama/angst. It was just a smooth, light and pleasant shifter read from beginning to end. I look forward to more in this series.
October 28, 2016
"Gray Back Bad Bear" Gray Back Bears #1 by author T. S. Joyce.
My Rating: 3.5 Stars!!
There are seven books in this series including a Christmas novella. Also this is a spinoff series of the Saw Bears series.
I really like shifter romances. This one was a fun read. There was romance, of course, a witty, independent heroine and a big, bad sexy bear shifter.
Matt Barns feels like he's running out of time. He lives each day trying to calm the unstable, impatient bear that lives within him. Matt believes if he finds his mate, his bear will be happy, hence easier to control. Matt belongs to a group of bear shifters known for their erratic temperament and constant urges to fight. There's seems to be a lot of bloody battles with these bears.
Willa was tricked into visiting a shifter town in Wyoming rather than the ocean vacation she should have gone on. You see her friends are determined to hookup with a shifter and check it off their bucket lists. Not Willa of course. Despite her disappointment with her friends, Willa wanted to try and make the best of the vacation. With or without them.
Willa meets Matt at an infamous shifter bar where he spends his free nights looking for a hookup. Yes, before Willa, Matt was a man whore. Matt took one look at Willa a new she wasn't his type. Then when he talked to her he was sure. (Oh, that first conversation was hysterical) You see his type are the superficial tramps with no morals. Why he thought he'd find his mate in one of those is beyond me. Matt found quickly that he liked Willa, so to keep from hurting her, he put her in the friend zone much to her dismay. Matt believed Willa was too good and innocent to be the one for him. However his bear said otherwise. If you haven't guessed, Matt was pretty shallow.
Matt tried hard to distance his feelings for Willa. He tried hard to keep her on the side of friends. Willa was hurt that Matt didn't want anything other than friendship with her. Of course she hid her feelings. She'd have him as a friend rather than nothing at all. I liked her character. She was tough, and witty, outspoken and snarky. And when she got mad, watch out! She was amazing and entertaining at the same time. A total badass, really.
Gray Back Bears was too short. I would have liked more. But the good thing is we will get to see Willa and Matt again in the next books. The Gray Back Bears are broken heroes who could only be saved from pasts that they wish could be forgotten, by strong women and the unconditional love they give them. This crew deserves a happily ever after and I can't wait to read about them.
All in all, I enjoyed this book and look forward to the others. The next in the series is "Gray Back Alpha," Creeds story.
My Rating: 3.5 Stars!!
There are seven books in this series including a Christmas novella. Also this is a spinoff series of the Saw Bears series.
I really like shifter romances. This one was a fun read. There was romance, of course, a witty, independent heroine and a big, bad sexy bear shifter.
Matt Barns feels like he's running out of time. He lives each day trying to calm the unstable, impatient bear that lives within him. Matt believes if he finds his mate, his bear will be happy, hence easier to control. Matt belongs to a group of bear shifters known for their erratic temperament and constant urges to fight. There's seems to be a lot of bloody battles with these bears.
Willa was tricked into visiting a shifter town in Wyoming rather than the ocean vacation she should have gone on. You see her friends are determined to hookup with a shifter and check it off their bucket lists. Not Willa of course. Despite her disappointment with her friends, Willa wanted to try and make the best of the vacation. With or without them.
Willa meets Matt at an infamous shifter bar where he spends his free nights looking for a hookup. Yes, before Willa, Matt was a man whore. Matt took one look at Willa a new she wasn't his type. Then when he talked to her he was sure. (Oh, that first conversation was hysterical) You see his type are the superficial tramps with no morals. Why he thought he'd find his mate in one of those is beyond me. Matt found quickly that he liked Willa, so to keep from hurting her, he put her in the friend zone much to her dismay. Matt believed Willa was too good and innocent to be the one for him. However his bear said otherwise. If you haven't guessed, Matt was pretty shallow.
Matt tried hard to distance his feelings for Willa. He tried hard to keep her on the side of friends. Willa was hurt that Matt didn't want anything other than friendship with her. Of course she hid her feelings. She'd have him as a friend rather than nothing at all. I liked her character. She was tough, and witty, outspoken and snarky. And when she got mad, watch out! She was amazing and entertaining at the same time. A total badass, really.
Gray Back Bears was too short. I would have liked more. But the good thing is we will get to see Willa and Matt again in the next books. The Gray Back Bears are broken heroes who could only be saved from pasts that they wish could be forgotten, by strong women and the unconditional love they give them. This crew deserves a happily ever after and I can't wait to read about them.
All in all, I enjoyed this book and look forward to the others. The next in the series is "Gray Back Alpha," Creeds story.
June 21, 2016
Kindle Unlimited
This was definitely one of my favourites. It was fun, had a good twist, and was a fine light romance. If you like a good straightforward, steamy romance put in o your list.
This was definitely one of my favourites. It was fun, had a good twist, and was a fine light romance. If you like a good straightforward, steamy romance put in o your list.
March 18, 2017
Eh what can I say. T.S. Joyce is a guilty pleasure of mine. Still a bigger fan of the Bears Fur Hire series, but not complaining.
August 13, 2015
A Sweet Spin-off to the Sawbear Series Bad bear, no Biscuit!
If you are familiar with T.S. Joyce and her Sawbears series, you will be familiar with the Gray Back crew of werebears. While the Ashe crew, the stars of the Sawbears series, is the “A Team” of lumberjacks, well, the Gray Back crew is, as alpha Creed puts it, “The C Team”. Rowdy, constantly battling, and constantly covered in blood, the Gray Backs are a misfit band of dominant bears. Broken dominant bears. Creed the alpha, Matt the man-ho, Clinton and Jason the goofballs. And then there is Easton, a bear so broken he can’t stand to live close to the others – and can’t seem to stop fighting, even when it might mean his death. A broken clan with a brutal and savage history, they are the clan that nobody wants to mess with. But when Willa shows up, can things change for the better?
Willa Madden is pissed. The girls camping trip she thought she was taking with her high school gang to celebrate them all graduating college was supposed to be to someplace warm and beachy – someplace like Cabo. Instead, “The Bombshells”, Brittney, Kara, and Gia drag her off to Saratoga – Saratoga, Wyoming, not Saratoga, Florida. It seems the Bombshells are intent on scratching “Do a Werebear” off their bucket lists. Something Willa has absolutely, positively NO interest in. But, Willa is a ‘go along to get along’ type, and besides, she likes camping. And if the Bombshells are staying in a hotel without telling Willa, she is perfectly happy to camp out in the woods alone.
Of course, things change when she literally runs into Matt-the-Man-Ho. They find that they can be friends – snarky, smart-mouthed, ‘say what you mean and mean what you say’ friends. Of course, that is after Willa trips over a waitress and shows off her ‘granny panties’. Well, they aren’t granny panties to Willa. “They’re called comfy cottons, I’ll have you know. They came in six festive colors!”
Besides – “Ha! You, mister, are barking up the wrong tree. I’m a virgin and proud.” She waved her hands in front of her skirt. “No one has touched this magical box with their tally whacker, and I assure you, you won’t be entering my sacred temple either.”
Five feet of snark and attitude, Willa is determined to have a good time on her trip, no matter what. Until things happen, bad things, and the story gets a lot more complex.
Gray Back Bad Bear is a cute story, with both humor and pathos. I had fun with it, and if you like T.S. Joyce, you are sure to like this book.
If you are familiar with T.S. Joyce and her Sawbears series, you will be familiar with the Gray Back crew of werebears. While the Ashe crew, the stars of the Sawbears series, is the “A Team” of lumberjacks, well, the Gray Back crew is, as alpha Creed puts it, “The C Team”. Rowdy, constantly battling, and constantly covered in blood, the Gray Backs are a misfit band of dominant bears. Broken dominant bears. Creed the alpha, Matt the man-ho, Clinton and Jason the goofballs. And then there is Easton, a bear so broken he can’t stand to live close to the others – and can’t seem to stop fighting, even when it might mean his death. A broken clan with a brutal and savage history, they are the clan that nobody wants to mess with. But when Willa shows up, can things change for the better?
Willa Madden is pissed. The girls camping trip she thought she was taking with her high school gang to celebrate them all graduating college was supposed to be to someplace warm and beachy – someplace like Cabo. Instead, “The Bombshells”, Brittney, Kara, and Gia drag her off to Saratoga – Saratoga, Wyoming, not Saratoga, Florida. It seems the Bombshells are intent on scratching “Do a Werebear” off their bucket lists. Something Willa has absolutely, positively NO interest in. But, Willa is a ‘go along to get along’ type, and besides, she likes camping. And if the Bombshells are staying in a hotel without telling Willa, she is perfectly happy to camp out in the woods alone.
Of course, things change when she literally runs into Matt-the-Man-Ho. They find that they can be friends – snarky, smart-mouthed, ‘say what you mean and mean what you say’ friends. Of course, that is after Willa trips over a waitress and shows off her ‘granny panties’. Well, they aren’t granny panties to Willa. “They’re called comfy cottons, I’ll have you know. They came in six festive colors!”
Besides – “Ha! You, mister, are barking up the wrong tree. I’m a virgin and proud.” She waved her hands in front of her skirt. “No one has touched this magical box with their tally whacker, and I assure you, you won’t be entering my sacred temple either.”
Five feet of snark and attitude, Willa is determined to have a good time on her trip, no matter what. Until things happen, bad things, and the story gets a lot more complex.
Gray Back Bad Bear is a cute story, with both humor and pathos. I had fun with it, and if you like T.S. Joyce, you are sure to like this book.
June 10, 2016
RATING: 3.5 Hilarious Banter Hearts!! :)
December 21, 2019
2.5 stars
Because I did not enjoy the first half. My first eyerolls were given to the bad tropes „virgin heroine“ and „manwhore hero“. Sigh. Although I don‘t mind a manwhore as much as many of my other GR friends, I definitely mind it, when the hero is being a fuckboy. Which he was when talking to heroine and in some of his internal thoughts. I did NOT understand his behaviour and reasoning, as well as his thoughts when it is revealed, he knows from day one, she is his mate. It was stupid and just created forced drama for drama‘s sake.
I liked the second half better, because he starts to behave like a decent human ... ahem ... bear being and because I really liked the heroine, I especially enjoyed the ending.
Because I did not enjoy the first half. My first eyerolls were given to the bad tropes „virgin heroine“ and „manwhore hero“. Sigh. Although I don‘t mind a manwhore as much as many of my other GR friends, I definitely mind it, when the hero is being a fuckboy. Which he was when talking to heroine and in some of his internal thoughts. I did NOT understand his behaviour and reasoning, as well as his thoughts when it is revealed, he knows from day one, she is his mate. It was stupid and just created forced drama for drama‘s sake.
I liked the second half better, because he starts to behave like a decent human ... ahem ... bear being and because I really liked the heroine, I especially enjoyed the ending.
May 18, 2019
Rating: 4/5
Heat Rating: 3/5
Narrator Performance: 4/5
Heat Rating: 3/5
Narrator Performance: 4/5
May 14, 2020
4.5 Stars
August 24, 2015
loveddddddddddddddd
September 26, 2015
Werebear looking for his mate. What really irritated me was the heroine's "friends" who really were not nice people, taking up page time in this book.
January 16, 2016
Great shifter story! Just wish the ending hadn't been so abrupt. I would love to have seen more of Willa's acclamation into the crew.
November 27, 2017
This is the next series in the Damian mountain series. The Saw Bears are the “A” team and the Gray bears are the “C” team. Once again, I was sucked into the book. T.S. Joyce is a fantastic author. I love Willa and Matt. They make a great couple. Willa is spunky and funny. She is a great addition to the group. I can’t wait to read about these guys and the woman they pair up with. Matt and his bear are looking for their mate. Willa completely takes them by surprise. She isn’t the typical girl Matt goes for. Just goes to show you sometimes the best things take you by surprise. Willa will have to not only get Matt to accept that she is his mate she will have to get the guys to accept her as well. I can’t say enough about this book or the series.
December 28, 2018
When I realized this book was about Matt I wasn't that excited to read it. I didn't like what we knew about him already, despite his having a horrible past. I hated how he was with Willa at the start, even as I loved Willa. Her personality and outlook at life made me laugh. I especially loved how Willa called her friends the bombshells and didn't mean it in a good way.
Willa and Matt together were good. I liked that Willa challenged him and how Willa was with the rest of the guys. She didn't try to invade, just was herself and slowly won over all of them, some of them a little too much.
I hated what happened to Willa at the end, mostly because her choice was taken away, even if she probably would have made that same choice on her own in a while.
Willa and Matt together were good. I liked that Willa challenged him and how Willa was with the rest of the guys. She didn't try to invade, just was herself and slowly won over all of them, some of them a little too much.
I hated what happened to Willa at the end, mostly because her choice was taken away, even if she probably would have made that same choice on her own in a while.
May 15, 2022
I rarely DNF and will usually give books at least a chapter or two to see if they pick up. But I’m 10% in, and I just cannot deal with the amount of Not Like Other Girls garbage being spewed from these pages. FMC’s friends might suck, sure, but can we make that clear through their behavior instead of just describing them as dumb sluts? I am NOT endeared to the MMC for going on about how he’s suddenly lost interest in banging shallow bitches in his truck now that he’s encountered this nerdy, clumsy girl with glasses who he (whoa!) actually likes talking to, and OMG is she FUNNY?? AS A WOMAN???? To borrow the descriptions (from both MMC and FMC), these horrible women are “Barbies” “slathered in makeup” with “pink claws” and “fake tits” in tight shirts with shorts that “barely cover their asses.” Not at all like FMC’s coool eye makeup and non-slutty skirt. Also she’s a virgin because she has standards, UNLIKE THOSE HOS. Ugh, I just cannot with this.
January 12, 2025
Gray Back Bad Bear
The banter in this book is fabulous. The first meeting of the two main characters was so much fun. I'm shocked really. The MMC has been such an ass in previous books I expected his redemption arc to be more painful. But it's all due to the MFC’s effect on him. She is hilarious,
““Ha! You, mister, are barking up the wrong tree. I’m a virgin and proud.” She waved her hands in front of her skirt. “No one has touched this magical box with their tally whacker, and I assure you, you won’t be entering my sacred temple either.””
She is short and nerdy and visually reminded me of Velma from Scooby-Doo.
“Her, Willamena Madden, awkward, clumsy, piccolo-playing human who was shite at swimming and an unintentional prude to boot, had captured the curiosity of an infinitely sexy, playboy grizzly shifter.”
She handles learning about his man whore past well. I just loved her. I liked the twist at the end about her position in the crew.
The banter in this book is fabulous. The first meeting of the two main characters was so much fun. I'm shocked really. The MMC has been such an ass in previous books I expected his redemption arc to be more painful. But it's all due to the MFC’s effect on him. She is hilarious,
““Ha! You, mister, are barking up the wrong tree. I’m a virgin and proud.” She waved her hands in front of her skirt. “No one has touched this magical box with their tally whacker, and I assure you, you won’t be entering my sacred temple either.””
She is short and nerdy and visually reminded me of Velma from Scooby-Doo.
“Her, Willamena Madden, awkward, clumsy, piccolo-playing human who was shite at swimming and an unintentional prude to boot, had captured the curiosity of an infinitely sexy, playboy grizzly shifter.”
She handles learning about his man whore past well. I just loved her. I liked the twist at the end about her position in the crew.
May 27, 2017
Matt Barns redeems himself but good in this delightfully sweet, funny, and intense introduction to the Gray Back Bears! Willa is an absolute delight and a much needed nerdy addition to the Damon Mountain crew's. My heart broke when Matt revealed more of his experience in the menagerie and the drive behind his quest for a mate, but his constant banter and unwavering loyalty for Willa helped to mend it. Willa is one Bad A$$ Bear and I cannot wait to see more of her in the other Gray Back Bear books and I cannot wait for Easton's story!
August 17, 2019
Every now and then I come across a character that I absolutely adore. A character I desperately wish was real so we could hang and laugh and be great friends. Well Willa is one of those characters. She is pretty cool before and then she’s even cooler after.
Oh yeah, Matt deserved a story and he got a rock solid mate to boot. I enjoyed the hijinks and the serious sides of the Greyback Crew.
Of course I wish these were all longer and more in-depth but this is T. S. Joyce’s style, so be it.
Oh yeah, Matt deserved a story and he got a rock solid mate to boot. I enjoyed the hijinks and the serious sides of the Greyback Crew.
Of course I wish these were all longer and more in-depth but this is T. S. Joyce’s style, so be it.
September 12, 2024
2.25⭐ this was ridiculous but enjoyable lmfao
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