Tagline: “Nora has bad luck with men. When she meets an (actual) bear on a hike in the Los Angeles hills, he turns out to be the best romantic partner she’s ever had!”

Nora is a young woman who has had a string of bad romances when she meets a bear on a camping trip near LA. Some wildfires have driven wildlife into the neighborhoods nearby, and they re-meet, and she inexplicably invites him into her apartment. And thus their romance is born. Bear (he is never given another name) never learns how to talk but he can wear clothes, get a corporate job and give awesome cuddles. Nora’s friends and family have reservations about the relationship and point out the flaws but Nora is smitten and deems him the best boyfriend ever. However, when winter comes along Bear’s needed hibernation issues put the relationship at risk.

On Goodreads I belong to the group I Read Comic Books, and this month’s theme is stories with a moral, and I found this on a suggested list of theirs. I had heard buzz about this book in the past, so I figured it was a sign to read it. While this graphic novel is a romantic farce meant to be tongue-in-cheek the realist in me could not suspend her disbelief. I sided with Nora’s friend Debra who laid out all the reasons why her romance could not work (yes, the reason is SEX!) and their inability to have children together (among other reasons!). I know the lesson of the story is to live your best life and not worry about other people’s opinions, but…

Despite my issues with the storyline, the artwork is delightful and whimsical and will make you laugh aloud in places. I loved the concluding pages when the Bear is hibernating, and you see small sepia-toned panels of him sleeping while Nora glumly lives her life without him. Despite my practicality, their reunion was sweet and I wish them the best in their cross-species romance!

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