Title: Once Upon a Bear

Series: The Galamere Chronicles #5

Author: Gabrielle Landi

Genre: Young Adult, Cozy, Fantasy, Retelling, Romance

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

An illegal herbwitch, a man turned bear, and the curse keeping them apart.

Guinevere has spent years hiding her illegal magic, healing on the sly with enhanced salves and tonics. Life in her tiny cottage making potions by firelight is quiet and lonely, but it keeps her safe…even if it’s hard to buy food sometimes.

Gideon Rendon is tired of being a bear, but with silence woven into his curse and anyone who sees him trying to kill him, he’s run out of hope. When Guinevere discovers his secret, he begins to feel hope for the first time in years–but the curse is taking over, and he’s spending more and more time as a bear.

As Guinevere stitches his wounds, helps with his brother’s injury, and attempts to break his curse before he loses his humanity, the line between healer and patient begins to blur. But with Gideon’s noble family and Guinevere’s dangerous secret between them, falling in love might be a risk neither of them can afford.

Once Upon A Bear is a cozy fantasy romance inspired by the Goldilocks fairy tale, full of grumpy sunshine vibes and wound tending, and the fifth book in the Galamere Chronicles. Each standalone, young adult romance is a clean and wholesome retelling of a beloved story or fairytale, with the swoon-worthy sweet romance of a Hallmark movie, the wholesome and heartwarming feeling of cozy fantasy, and the comfort of a found family of friends, with a sprinkling of danger and a dash of magic. – summary from Goodreads

*I received an ARC from the author, and all opinions are my own.

Once Upon a Bear is a cozy Golidlocks retelling with romance, curses, and nobility!

I loved this book so, so much! I was incredibly sweet and cozy, and it brought me so much joy! This is my third book by Gabrielle Landi, and she is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! She writes the coziest stories, but they are never boring. They keep me engaged throughout the course of the book, and I always root for the couples.

This book does take place in her Galamere Chronicles world. I have not read the first four books in this series (though I am planning to). I have read her A Taste of Tea and Tenderness book, which takes place in the same town but isn’t directly a part of the series. I did love seeing a little more of Linnea and getting small updates on her relationship with Conrad. This book did mention the other couples from the previous books and set up the next book nicely. It was a little confusing, but it didn’t take away from the story. You could read this book without reading the others and it will be fine, but I think it would be even better by reading the others.

As I’ve mentioned above, this world is incredibly cozy. It has been described at Hallmark-esque, and as an avid Hallmark watcher, I wholeheartedly agree. This gives complete Hallmark vibes, but significantly less cheesy! The world is so sweet, and I love all the well-meaning characters and how much they care for one another. It is very refreshing. There is a little bit of magic in this book, and it is also very cozy!

The curse in this book is really interesting, and I love how the author wrote it. It really reminded me of Disney’s Brave. The author did a really good job of showing how the curse affected Gideon both mentally and emotionally. You could see the effect this had on his thoughts and his relationship with his family, which made me empathize with him. I don’t read too many Goldilocks retellings either, and I like how Landi incorporated the bear through this curse. I also love the small moments of the characters finding “just right.”

Guinevere was such a sweet, loving character! I loved her bubbly personality so much. She also had magic, which was illegal in this world, and it caused her a lot of stress and anxiety. She also had a sadder backstory, which was shared quite a bit through the course of this book, though I do think a little more will be revealed in the other books. She had a nice balance between being anxious and happy, and I loved this representation. She felt very real but was also just a really nice character!

Gideon was also a lovely character! He started off being a little grumpy, but quickly grew into a loveable, albeit a little awkward, character. He was very sweet with Guinevere, and I love how much he cared for her. He was also very responsible and cared about completing his family duties, which I really liked.

The romance between Guinevere and Gideon was so sweet and I absolutely loved them together! They switched being grumpy x sunshine in the middle of the book, which I really liked. They were so protective of each other and drew out the best in the other. It was so sweet, and I rooted for them throughout the course of the book!

The other characters in this book, and the world in general, were so sweet, kind, and caring. I loved all the side characters, and how they supported the main characters in their own way. I can’t wait to read the other books in this series!

Once Upon a Bear is a sweet Goldilocks retelling with a sweet romance, a wonderful cast, and magic!

Once Upon a Bear is releasing on October 1, 2026.