The Mane Event

My first book by Shelly Laurenston and I devoured it! As another reviewer has so aptly said - a guilty pleasure kind of novel - a light and romantic read - in the style of Susan Elizabeth Phillips - but with very steamy and erotic scenes laced in. The book contains two stories that are linked together. Christmas Pride - the first novel. It deals with Mace - a very sexy, shape shifter, x-Seal officer. His pack is a Pride of lions. He returns from his tour of duty back to NYC with his shape shifter Seal buddy - "Smitty" - who is all wolf. When he arrives at his sisters' house, the place is bursting with NYPD and in the mist is Desiree - the only woman he has loved and still desires. Mace can't believe that Dez has matured into one of the most stunning women that he has ever seen. For both, the remembrance of their high school crush is a warm, sweet memory - however for Mace, now that he has seen Dex again - he is going to have her - and what Mace wants Mace gets. No easy feat there - since Dez is a very independent, sure-footed and tough female great cop - with a no-nonsense "I will kick your butt" attitude. The murder of one of the male members of Mace's pride is being investigated which creates for some great, on the edge of your seat moments - as Dez comes face to face some with some real nasty shape shifters. But Mace is there to protect his mate, though Dez proves time and again that she's one tough cookie and can take care of her own - a very worthy heroine for this majestic and sexy King of the Jungle! I loved the way Mace and Dez come together - their pleasure is quite delicious and will have you squirming on your seat... Packed with great, witty and hilarious repartee and situations (you will love the reaction of Dez's two, super tough Rotweilers to Mace - and also the group of tough NY male, mothering cops whose top priority is to protect Dez!) makes this is a great start to THE MAIN EVENT. In Shaw's Tail - the second novel - we've meet Shaw at the climactic end of Christmas Pride. The relationship that develops between Shaw and Ronnie Lee - a member of Smitty's wolf pack is steamy and tender. Shaw is taken by Ronnie Lee - who has stayed behind at the hospital while Shaw is recovering. After his recovery - he finds her staying in his hotel with Smitty's pack and starts wooing her. Ronnie Lee has been in some gnarly relationships and is now pretty independent. He knows he can't just pounce and claim her - as he has realized that he wants her to stay. A slow courtship is what Ronnie Lee needs so she doesn't feel trapped and leaves. Again - like in the first novel - the repartee is funny, witty and liberally sprinkled with laugh out loud situations. Their coming together is equally as steamy and there are also some lighthearted and very poignant moments. The relationship between Shaw and his siblings - younger brother - (black sheep of the family) and the "I play tough - but am really not" loving sister is very

If you like your characters "not nice" but definitely appealing, get your hands on this book. These are not your usual shifters but down-home folks with flaws and edges. I've been a fan of Shelly Laurenston for years and will buy anything I see her name on. I have to be careful where I read her books as I always end up laughing aloud.

As just an ordinary reader but a prolific one, I say you have to read Mane Event. Then you will run around looking for Shelly Laurenston's other books. The stories are about shape shifters, wolf, lion, and tiger. The characters are kick-butt females and drool worthy males. Of course, loving is involved and lots of humor of the dry kind. Laurenston's books are not dark fantasy like JR Ward. The shifters are totally humanlike in their shifter world. My favorite place to be. Karen

Mane Event is one of those guilty pleasure kind of books but somehow Shelly Laurenston manages the erotic content while telling two connected stories that are romantic and funny. This is no neat feat considering that the couples spend most of their time getting hot and sweaty and some people may be uncomfortable with the sensuality level and language here. But where a full length novel might have gotten repetitious, these short stories didn't have that problem. In Christmas Pride - Mace a gorgeous ex-Seal Lion-shifter is back in town and determined to have the one women he's always loved Desiree. Back in high school they were best bud's but now they are all grown up and nothing is going to stand in his way. What I liked about this story is that there was the leftover crushes from when Mace and Dez were kids to build on. Mace has always been in love with this women and never doubts for a minute that she will be his. Dez is a great strong character, and when she ends up in a face off against some nasty shifters, she is tough and smart enough to handle it on her own. No damsel in distress here, definitely a worthy mate for the king of the beasts. In Shaw's Tail - The way that Lion-shifter Shaw falls so completely for Ronnie Lee a former wild child wolf-shifter, is really appealing. Their courtship is a dance: Shaw stalks and pounces and then retreats so that Ronnie Lee won't feel trapped and flee. Both characters have a great sense of humor, and are playful both in and out of bed. Who says cats and dogs don't mix? There are also some good supporting characters pulling the strings to get these couples together. I am not familiar with Laurenston's other Pack and Pride stories but it looks like she has a great setup for some follow-on books, starring Dez's former military friends, and the Smith wolf pack (including the sweetly manipulative Sissy Mae and her brother Smitty) who have joined up with Mace to form a security company. And some obnoxious Lionesses that need to meet their mates. Mane Event was sexy and funny. A great read if you are looking for a light romantic and steamy paranormal read with fur and fangs.