REVIEW: Burden by Lila Felix

In the depths of the Louisiana swamps, clans of bear shifters roam freely. Hawke Turnclaw, the Alpha over all of his kind, is drowning in the legacy left to him by the Alpha before him, his own father. When he goes on a rescue mission to save a rogue Black bear from the clutches of a Grizzly clan, he finds more than just a Black bear, he finds his mate.
Echo has always been told she's an anomaly, a fluke. She's the only bear of her kind and that makes her a hindrance to her clan. She's tried to run away, but they keep her tethered through guilt and a shock collar around her neck.
And then someone shows up claiming he's her mate.

Now belonging to a new clan, will she ever be able to understand that she's so much more than just a burden?

  Lila Felix made the decision to write a book after being encouraged by friends. She is a stay at home mom to three wild children and three boisterous dogs and her high school sweetheart husband encourages her daily. Between writing books, she loves to read and watch sappy 80's movies. Favorite things: ice cream, anything purple, roller derby and any kind of music she can get her hands on. If you're looking for her, try looking in the swamp, she's probably duct taping something under the shade of a Cypress tree.

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 This is my first Lila Felix book. Kat has been a fan for quite some time and has always encouraged me to read the Love and Skate series. We all know how things go in the reading world- some books you just never get to. There's always one more promised, and the ones we 'want' to read get left behind. Well right about now, I needed a change from the extreme emotions of contemporary romance and the complexity of high fantasy. So, when Lila's first paranormal romance BURDEN was dangled under my nose, I was more than a bit curious. I was also eager to read about Bear shifters for the first time.

What a perfect choice this was to begin my Lila crush. The characters were intriguing and so very likeable. They charmed and delighted me throughout the story. Hawke was a wonderful alpha. He reminded me of Sam from Maggie Stiefvater's Wolves of Mercy Falls... Warm, kind, and caring. Passionate. Not afraid to take control and lead when necessary. And not afraid to learn and be lead. Totally DREAMY. He was easy to fall for. I would have followed him anywhere.

Echo was fascinating and unintentionally charming. My heart swelled each time she spoke up and stole the scene- which was often. It's quickly obvious that Hawke has met his match. Echo is much more than meets the eye. She's a fantastic heroine.

Put them together and... *POW!*
Try to separate them... well, you'll see what happens.

The struggles these two had to endure together, and apart, only proved to strengthen their convictions and desires. Destiny was impossible to ignore. In the midst, and very much a part of an impending war among clans, Hawke and Echo are challenged again and again. And again and again, they amaze and impress each other- and their pack. It's easy to see their relationship is not just based on destiny and need. They admire one another. It's sexy and sweet.

Though Hawke and Echo are clearly the focus of the story, there is so much more to this worlds of shifters. We've only begun to see into their struggles, tragedies, and triumphs. In addition to the circumstances and events with which we meet several clan members, I enjoyed the small glimpses of the Wolf pack we were given. They play a fairly significant role in the Bears' ability to protect Echo and the Lands. And I'm hoping we see more of them in subsequent books.

BURDEN is a fresh break from the norm of vamps, wizards, and werewolves. It's engaging, entertaining, thrilling, and suspenseful, without the total blackness of most paranormal reads. It's a fast paced challenge for Hawke and Echo to the mend the past, save the future, and their love. It's a tender and complicated love story, with plenty of twists to keep you on the edge of your seat. I recommend it to paranormal romance readers of all ages. Grab it now, and we can anxiously await the second book together.

 I love everything Lila has put out...
She blows me away with her writing style and brilliant storylines on top of the fabulous characters that she brings in to our lives.
So, in Burden, Lila creates a tale that is unique yet found everyday.  What am I talking about?? I am talking about werebeasts.  They are all over the place and storylines seem to be the same from time to time as well....BUT not in Lila's amazing book.
Let me start with saying that I LOVE the names of the characters in this book.  Having the lead female names Echo is just cool...In my opinion of course...LOL...
This obviously adds to the fantastic uniqueness that is all Lila...
So, as I said Burden wasn't your typical werebeast story.  Using an animal that I really haven't read much about, we encounter the pack of bears and discover so many interesting details to their workings.
Now, yes, I was intrigued by that information, but the main focus does fall on our two main characters of Hawke and Echo.
You start out right away in turmoil and as each page turns you fall more and more in to it.  
Easily captivated by the lives of these two, I was drawn to their dilemmas and was biting my nails waiting to see exactly what was going to happen...
ANNNND....I bet you want to know if everything works out??
Welllll...you won't hear anything from me....
But, I will say...read this book....