Reviewed on Hearts On Fire... http://heartsonfirereviews.com/

Dominic Novak was a brilliant scientist with a love of animals and a fierce conservationist who left behind a legacy and a huge pair of shoes for his young son to fill when he died at an early age. Aiden wanted nothing more than to be the man his father was and further the Novac heritage. Unfortunately, the media had put Dominic on a pedestal so high that Aiden soon had self-esteem issues. A bastard of a boyfriend in college took advantage of the young man and ruined him for sex and the took away the little confidence Aiden had. Using a fake name, Aiden buried himself in academia and gained his father's knowledge as Aiden Samuels. Aiden is now ready to put his knowledge to practical use as a ranger on the annual bear census at the Khutzeymateen reserve in British Columbia. Teamed up with fellow ranger Mitchell Steward, who idolized Dominic Novac, Aiden sets out to find that man he wants to be and maybe much more.
I have read most of Ms Scott's books and this story is her third best book behind Oracle and A Christmas Throwaway. Only eighty pages long, this story packs an emotional punch that blew me away. The thoroughly vivid description of the ancient rain forest high up in the wilds of British Columbia where few people travel left me with a sense of awe. The fact that Aiden was such a tactile person set on touching and feeling every part of the forest pulled me even more into the trek that the two men were taking. The pairing of the sometimes clumsy insecure Aiden and the agile, confident man Mitchell was a perfect juxtaposition of personalities. Both men were very likable and fleshed out main characters. Instead of an insta-love story, Ms Scott allowed Aiden and Mitchell grow together with Mitchell slowly helping to heal and grow Aiden from the man-child that he was to the man he became by the HEA end of the story. Ancient Native American beliefs were brought out through the naming of Spirit Bear Park to the actual rare bear itself. I was touched that Mitchell did not pack and run when he found that Aiden was really Anthony Novak but thought through and understood why Aiden carried on with false name. I got a little teary when Edward was explaining the reason for Spirit Bear Park Education Center as it drove home Dominic's love for his son. This book has been a long time in coming but it was more than worth the wait. Don't miss out on this terrific story. ( )

The only real complaint I have is about the length of this book...I want more! I wasn't finished with these hot, sexy guys. ( )

Spirit Bear features two attractive and likable heroes in an exotic location – a wild bear preserve located deep in the cool, rainy forests of western Canada. The setting is so vividly described that you can see the old growth forest stretching for miles around you and feel the icy raindrops creeping into your boots and numbing your feet. Meanwhile, the day-to-day duties of two park rangers are convincingly shown from all-day hikes across their assigned territory to tree-climbing to check surveillance cameras. The sex scenes are hot and the heroes’ sexual chemistry is believable and realistic.

The story opens with Aiden who is the twenty-four-year-old son of a famous naturalist who founded the bear preserve before dying a gruesome death. To say that Aiden has psychological issues would be an understatement. He struggles with panic attacks, low self-esteem, and the lack of privacy that comes with having a famous parent. In an attempt to reclaim his life, he signs up as a park ranger at his late father’s preserve, but under an assumed name. His fellow ranger turns out to be a handsome professor, and soon the two men are admitting to their mutual attraction. But Aiden doesn’t know how to confess his true identity without making his new love interest feel betrayed.

~ Val for AReCafe ( )

Aiden wants to avoid drama and just be 'normal' so he hides his name while his real personality shines out. Mitchell falls fast and hard. But when trouble comes and things are revealed will Mitchell has to decide what matters most Aiden's real name or who Aiden really is on the inside. It is a great story of the balance of being who you are and protecting yourself from potentially being used. ( )