I received this book for free from my own shelves in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: my own shelves
The Mane Event
by
Shelly Laurenston
It is part of the Pride #1 series and is a erotica, paranormal romance in eBook edition that was published by Kensington Books on October 1, 2009 and has 391 pages.
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Other books in this series include [books_series]
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include The Mane Event, The Mane Squeeze, The Mane Attraction, Beast Behaving Badly, Big Bad Beast, Here Kitty, Kitty!, Hunting Season, Pack Challenge, Go Fetch!, When He Was Bad, Everlasting Bad BoysS, Bear Meets Girl, Howl for It, Wolf with Benefits, The Unleashing, The Undoing, The Unyielding, Hot and Badgered, In a Badger Way, Badger to the Bone, Breaking Badger, Bite Me, The Undoing, Born to Be Badger
Two short stories which are numbered as the first in the paranormal erotica romance series set in contemporary New York City involving various groups of shifters.
My Take
The Mane Event contains two separate romantic pursuits involving the Llewellyn lions: “Christmas Pride” and “Shaw’s Tail”.
This is a lighthearted sexual romp pinned together by bits of story. The erotica isn’t particularly stimulating, but it is fun to read. The Mane Event‘s real enjoyment is in the pursuit — very appropriate for predators who love to chase their prey, or in this case, dominant males pursuing the women they love and must persuade to accept them in turn.
This is a different sort of shifter relationship tale with Mace Llewellyn and Smitty cementing a strong friendship in their SEALs unit in spite of their being two different shifter breeds — lion versus wolf. Both released from the service, Mace can’t bear the idea of being under his sister’s roof, and he and Smitty decide to go into the security business together.
The focus is on the lions’ culture with a side view into the wolf lifestyle. There is a minor peek-in at the hyenas as well — Laurenston does have an interesting perspective, lol.
The Stories
The series begins with “Christmas Pride” with the Llewellyn Lion shifters when one of their lions is killed in the park. Mace has just arrived home from over a decade of service with the SEALs only to find the woman he’s fantasized about since he was 14 is in his home, an NYPD cop, investigating the death. Well, that’s it. The chase is on as far as Mace is concerned. He will not accept no from Desiree Dermot. He has wanted her as his mate for years, and she’ll just have to learn to accept it.
“Shaw’s Tail” picks up from Desiree’s rescue of Brendon Shaw in “Christmas Pride”, one of the Llewellyn lions, when he is attacked by hyena shifters. One of his rescuers includes Ronnie Lee Reed, who is designated to stay behind and guard him in the hospital while he recovers. It seems that part of the healing process includes “the fever” which renders Brendon a bit, shall we say, amorous?? Ronnie Lee is relationship-shy and, while she enjoys their sexual romps, she wants to run fast and far when Brendon exhibits possessive tendencies.
The Characters
Desiree Dermot is the human object of Mace’s intense, years-old desires. Having fulfilled her dream of becoming an NYPD cop, Desiree is very unwilling to enter into any relationship that would part her from her beloved attack dogs, Sig and Sauer, or who would object to the hours she puts in as a cop.
Mace Llewellyn is a very dominant, assertive, take-no-prisoners lion who knows who he wants and intends to have her. When mixing this stubborn character with Dez’s own obstinance, it makes for fun and fiery encounters. Missy Llewellyn is the lioness everyone loves to hate…with reason. She’s a bitch in every sense of the word whom everyone enjoys [including the reader] pissing off. Part of Missy’s issues include the fact that the Llewellyn family is extremely wealthy which means no one is good enough to consort with a Llewellyn — especially some fat human chick from the wrong side of the tracks.
Bobby Ray Smith, a.k.a., Smitty, is Mace’s best friend…and an alpha wolf. Just as cheeky and oversexed as Mace, Smitty is moving to New York, splitting from his Pack back in Tennessee — too many alphas can spoil the Pack — and to begin his and Mace’s new business. Other family members are coming with him including his very sassy sister, Sissy Mae, Ronnie Lee‘s best friend and another wolfshifter.
Brendon Shaw is one of three Shaws (he has a sister, Marissa, and younger brother, Mitch, as well) who have clawed their way up the wealth and status ladder. Brendon is removing himself from the Llewellyn household having fulfilled his children contract and has been obsessing over the trouble Mitch has gotten into never expecting to fall in love with a dog!
The Cove and Title
The cover is clean and simple with nothing to indicate that it’s about shifters.
Heck, with the title, it could have been abou hairdressers and barbers. The title, The Mane Event, primarily refers to the lion’s mane of hair both Mace and Brendon flourish.
