If you’re looking for a typical shifter book with lots of action, pack hierarchy, and forbidden love, this isn’t the book for you. Instead, this book delivers a slow, sensitive journey from wariness to trust set against the beautiful wilderness of Colorado.

The one things that stood out for me at first is how real the setting is. Ms. Wacker really knows the area, down to the smallest detail from the scent of the forest after rain to the species of native plants and animals. This attention to detail really lent the story an authentic, truly real feeling which ironically made the leap to having a bear-shifter in the mix actually very easy to believe. The entire book is filled with well-researched passages, it is obvious Ms. Wacker is very well-researched about everything she writes about.

The chemistry between Melissa and Sula is sweet and unconventional for a lot of lesfic couples. Neither of them fit into a neat role and that makes their interplay and ultimate joining more fitting and meaningful. I really like how understanding and mature Melissa is (at first anyway) and how Sula is both fearless in the face of danger and as shy as a newborn fawn when she’s out of her comfort zone. This isn’t a fast-paced story, but the lingering details lend depth and warmth to the story.

The story is told from both of their POV, so the big reveal isn’t a surprise, but how Melissa reacts to it is the turning point.

Which is where this read lost points with me. When she is faced with the truth, which is arguably extremely difficult to accept, Melissa runs off and ignores all attempts at communication for several weeks like the typical 80% breakup trope demands. I do understand the news, especially the traumatic way it was delivered to her, is something that can’t be easily accepted, but I hoped she would display the maturity she has for the rest of the book until that point and not do the disappearing/ignore the phone act until a dramatic event brings the silent treatment to an end and communication happens.

However, this is a HEA and love proves itself stronger than
adversity. The end, while sudden, left me with a sense of wonder and peace. Recommended to anyone who wants to connect with nature in a slow, respectful, and ultimately satisfying read.


Rating: four point five stars

ARC received via NetGalley and publisher in return for an honest review.

Cast of Characters:

Melissa Warren, a Professor at Dreighton College in Buck Springs, Georgia;
Sula Johansen; biologist and Executive Director of the Colorado Bear Conservancy in Buckhorn, Colorado;
Ursula Bergen, artist and painter of landscapes (mostly) and Sula's great-grandmother;
Betty Andersen, owner/operator of the Buckhorn Creek Ranch.

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Oh, what a fascinating and intelligent book! I confess, I neglected household things to finish this story, and I suggest you do the same! This is one of the best books you will read for a long time.

Melissa owns three of Ursula Bergen's paintings, inherited from her grandmother. She was curious about the paintings, two of which were landscapes and the third, a painting of a woman and a bear in the forest.
She travels from the Atlanta area to Colorado to research the paintings.

Melissa stays at the Buckhorn Creek Ranch and meets Betty and the ranch hands. She also meets Sula Johansen and she and Sula are attracted to each other.

Sula has a special "talent", which I won't divulge, and she uses it when it's absolutely necessary.

A collection of letters, a surprising discovery in those letters and a gentle curiosity all blend to make this an extremely interesting and engrossing read. I found it hard to put down.

The bonus is that there is a treasure trove of information about wildlife, bees, honey and especially bears! I live where there are bears, and I am still wary of them, but I understand them better than I did before I read this book.

I was given an ARC of this book by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Loved that this book didn't feel rushed. The author really took her time in setting up the characters & setting before we even really got into the obvious bear shapeshifting storyline. Speaking of bears, it was cute that there were a lot of bear "breadcrumbs" in the story, like Melissa meaning honey. It was clever.

It seems like Wacker also has a lot of knowledge when it comes to art history and/or teaching. Either she's in that profession, or she really did her research because Melissa was very knowledgeable in conversations she had with Sula. It was interesting to read about how you can analyze pictures and marry that to historical events.

The only critique I have is that it was sometimes hard to figure out who was saying what in two person conversations. I think it could have been because the conversations were actually long conversations in some scenes, so I'd start not knowing who was saying what exactly.

Overall, it was a pretty good read. Definetly less "supernatural" than a lot of shifter books, so it will probably be a better read for an audience that does't normally go for these types of books.

This was a way cute romance and I enjoyed reading it. Melissa Warren is a art history Professor who has inherited 3 painting from her grandmother. She knows the name of the artist, but no details about her. During her summer break, she decides to travel to Colorado (her native state) to research the author. Sula Johansen is the director of the Colorado Bear Conservancy. Their paths cross because Sula's grandmother is the painter of the 3 paintings.

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about Aspen in Moonlight because I tend to stay away from romances or books involving the supernatural. I picked this one out because I just need a change. I liked how Wacker gave just enough to keep me interested in reading this one and revealed Sula's secret at the right time along with some other surprises. Sure, the synopsis hints at the theme and so does the cover but there are a few twist and turns that you can expect to see and may even guess. It was still interesting to me. There were certain aspects of the romance that I found slow and I would skim a little to get through those parts. I have always had a problem reading too much detail in a book. I liked the chemistry and the overall interaction between the mains. I just thought this was a nice romance with a nice twist.

I can't help but rate this one 4 stars.

This is the first book I have read from this author and I am honestly on the fence on if she and I are a reading match. While the book was edited well for grammatical issues and such, I felt it was a bit wordy. The prologue itself seemed unnecessary to me and actually set the pace of a good amount of the book. Maybe it was my fault for reading this one after reading an action/adventure romance. The pace of this one seemed too slow for me. I enjoy description but I found it too much and a lot of unneeded explanation of things or situations.

As far as the story goes, it's not really about shape-shifting. It really is a romance between two people with the idea of a bear-shifter. The focus was not at all on that issue which I think hurt the story more and made the confrontations with Kerry just seem bland. Don't get me wrong, the romance between the two was cute but it wasn't earth shattering to me and that might be because I was looking for a shifter book more like some of the other ones written (LLRand, Helen West, Zoe Reed, etc).

I give this one 3 stars. It's not a bad book by any means. And I think romance if you go into not forgetting it has anything to do with a bear-shifter you will enjoy the story. For me, it didn't do it. So 3 stars because while it wasn't for me, it wasn't a terrible read.

Melissa has inherited paintings from her grandmother that belong to her great-grandmother she has always been mesmerized by them since she was a child. She decide to found out more about the paintings and it leads her to Colorado Bear Conservancy.

With the help of Betty the owner of the cabin where she staying at she meets Sula the Director of Colorado Bear Conservancy and when they meet they are instantly drawn to each other. When Melissa learned that Sula is the great-granddaughter of the woman who painted the paintings it leads them to discover a deeper connection between their great-grandmother's and they feel it was destiny playing a part for them to meet.

I like their love story and how they gave each other a nickname Sula calling Melissa Goldie and Melissa calling Sula bear and she doesn't know how close she is to that truth.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

As the warmth of the sun hits your face and the smell of pine is slowly replaced by coldness, you will realize you are entranced. Honeybee and bears live together in a sort of harmony. Goldie and her bear have to figure out how to have this type of harmony. Fear and malice by a hunter named Kerry threatens their unity and love.

Often times we read words and wish they were true and reading these pages I wished Sula and Melissa really existed, I wish to know how their lives turned out, if they marry and have a family. You will love this book and wish it were real.