The Mane Event (Pride #1) by Shelly Laurenston

The Mane Event (Pride #1)
by Shelly Laurenston
5 stars


One of the hottest new voices in paranormal romance, Shelly Laurenston knows how to do it all, delivering tales that are wickedly funny, action-packed, and scorch-your-fingers sexy. With The Mane Event, she proves just how delicious love can be once you unleash your inner beast...

Christmas Pride

How come all the good-looking ones are insane? That's what runs through NYPD cop Desiree "Dez" MacDermot's mind the minute she hooks up again with her childhood buddy, Mace Llewellyn. It isn't just the way he stares at her with those too-sexy gold eyes--as if he could devour her on the spot. Or the six-four, built-like-a-Navy Seal bod-o-death. It isn't even that he sniffs her neck and purrs, making her entire body tingle. It's more about that disconcerting, shifting-from-man-to-lion thing that unhinges her...and makes her want more. Mace likes making Dez crazy. In fact, he likes her any way he can get her--in bed, on the desk, here, now, again. Together, they'd always been trouble, but Dez has no idea just how good trouble can feel...

Shaw's Tail

Brendon Shaw, hotel owner and lion shifter, has seen better days. He's been beaten, had a gun to the back of his head, and had to be rescued by a Pack of shape-shifting wolves. He didn't think he'd survive the night, much less find the woman of his dreams. And he never thought the woman of his dreams would have a Tennessee accent and wear cowboy boots. Once he sets his sights on her, the predator in him is ready to pounce and never let go. Ronnie Lee Reed is ready to change her life, and New York City is the place where any girl--even one who runs with a Pack--can redefine herself. First order of business: find a mate, settle down, and stop using men for sex. Even big, gorgeous, lion-shifting, oh-my-what-big-um-paws-you-have men. Then again...


Paperback, 391 pages
Published October 1st 2007 by Brava
ISBN
0758220367 (ISBN13: 9780758220363)
primary language
English
original title
The Mane Event
url
http://www.shellylaurenston.com/maneevent.php
series
Pride #1
characters
Desiree MacDermot, Mace Llewellyn, Ronnie Lee Reed, Brendon Shaw
setting


My thoughts


Both stories were about shifters. There were the lions, wolves, and hyenas. The first story focused on Mace who was a lion shifter. He knew he had found his mate in Dez, the girl he knew when he was 14. After being in the military he returns home knowing he needed to find his mate to be happy. Dez is in the area and she's an NYPD cop investigating his sister for murder.These two had wonderful chemistry it was like reading and erotic novel super hot and wonderful sex scenes. This is not a author who holds back with her descriptions she wants you enjoy yourself and make you all hot a horny too ! Wow, I still can't believe how good this book was, a paranormal romance but really erotic and super Hot!. The story had an amazing plot and with a surprising enemy, which you never realized who it was until the very end, those are the kinds of mysteries I like! They keep you guessing to the last few pages.Dez was one bad ass chick with commitment issues and quiet the sexual appetite she put Mace through the paces for sure. The chase was well worth it and and we went along for the enjoyable ride..

Shaw's Tail - The way that Lion-shifter Shaw falls so completely for Ronnie Lee, a former wild child wolf-shifter, is really endearing. Their courtship is somewhat a whirlwind kind they dance Shaw stalks and pounces and then retreats so that Ronnie Lee won't feel trapped and flee she is always fleeing. Both characters have a great sense of humor, and are playful both in and out of bed. Ronnie with her commitment issues and Shaw needs to proceed tactfully without scaring Ronnie off.Her issues of becoming attached stem from her mother and her home life.Shaw is just the person to help her overcome her fears.

All the characters in both story's we awesome, funny, lovable, bad-ass and very funny intriguing and a whole lot of fun! Who says cats and dogs don't mix?This is what I love about this author she pairs mates with unlikely candidates that you can't seem to imagine being together because of the rare breeds not staying within the own breed o own kind.Fascinating !Very enjoyable and fun read.


Looking forward to reading all the books in this series and then going to conquer her next series. A recommended read for this book and its series!

New York, New York (United States)

Don't Talk Back To Your Vampire (Broken Heart Vampires, #2) by Michele Bardsley

Don't Talk Back To Your Vampire (Broken Heart Vampires #2)
by Michele Bardsley

Being a mother is never easy-especially when you're undead.

Eva LeRoy, Broken Heart, Oklahoma's librarian, got "vampified" when everyone else did: during a rogue vampire's feeding frenzy. But books still make her undead heart beat-and, strangely enough, so does Lorcan the Loner, the vampire who killed her...

Paperback, 340 pages
Published July 3rd 2007 by Signet
ISBN
0451221702 (ISBN13: 9780451221704)
primary language
English
original title
Don't Talk Back To Your Vampire (Broken Heart Vampires, #2)
series
Broken Heart Vampires #2
characters
Eva LeRoy, Lorcan O'Halloran


My thoughts

My first book my Michele and loved it. Her writing and wit reminded me about another favorite author of mine Gerry Bartlett. I laughed, I cried, and I started wondering if all the hot Gaelic speaking men lived in some sleepy little town in Oklahoma .This little sleepy town had some really HOT vampires where a girl like me would like to find a vamp of her own speaking all sexy Gaelic makes a girl all dreamy and melting inside. LOL I really loved Lorcan and Eva, they were my kind of couple. They both had self-esteem issues, responsibilities, and were strong yet vulnerable on their own. Both grew together in order to get over there complex issues and also learning to forgive and accept the past in order to be happy with ones future.

It seems like a very real town and all these parents are dealing with very real issues: how to do right by their kids, how to set up a working schedule, and how to blend their new lives . The fact that they are vampire's and parents they still had to raise there kids like every other single parent but slightly different. I liked the fact that Eva daughter was accepting of her mother's new life style.The scenes going on between mother and daughter are like any other parents you fight and make up.

Eva's character made me laugh out loud so many of times she was too funny for someone who was suppose to be a mousy librarian. Lorcan had so many layers to him it was nice to see all of the unfolding before your eyes.Several twists and turns along the way. They gave you a little background as to what happened and why 11 single parents where made vampire and why.The other characters when brought over from the first book and included in this book made it fun an interesting. Eva surprised me the most of all forgiving the vampire who turned her life upside down and saw his tortured soul and wanted to ease it by loving him. Not a lot going on in this story just a slow budding romance with two unlikely couples falling in love and one making a sacrifice to save the one they love.

Looking forward to picking up the first that started the series and reading the rest of the series .I am thinking there will be many laughs ahead to read about. Fast fun read read the book in a couple of hours.

The Mountains Bow Down (Raleigh Harmon Mystery #4)

by Sibella Giorello

Everything's going to work out. Time away always makes things better . . .


That's what FBI Special Agent Raleigh Harmon believes as she boards a cruise to Alaska. A land of mountains and gems and minerals, the Last Frontier is a dream destination for this forensic geologist who's hoping to leave behind a hectic work schedule and an engagement drained of romance.


But when a passenger goes missing and winds up dead, Raleigh's vacation suddenly gets lost at sea. The ship's security chief tries to rule the death a suicide, but Raleigh's forensics background points to a much darker conclusion: Somewhere on board, a ruthless murderer walks free.


Engulfed by one of her toughest cases yet, Raleigh requests assistance from the FBI and receives her nemesis-handsome Special Agent Jack Stephanson. As the cruise ship sails through the Inside Passage, Raleigh has five days to solve a high-profile murder, provide consultation for a movie filming onboard, and figure out her increasingly complicated feelings for Jack-who might not be as arrogant as she originally thought.


And that's only her work life. Family offers even more challenges. Joined on the cruise by her mother and aunt, Raleigh watches helplessly as disturbing rifts splinter her family.


Like the scenery that surrounds the cruise ship, Raleigh discovers a�mystery so daunting�that even the mountains might bow down before it.

ebook, 384 pages

Published March 1st 2011 by Nelson, Thomas, Inc. (first published February 17th 2011)

ISBN

140168548X (ISBN13: 9781401685485)

primary language

English

series

Raleigh Harmon Mystery #4

My thoughts and Review

Wow! Just happened to pick this book up at the library because the cover and Bio intrigued me and glad I did.This story was a go getter from the beginning.Raleigh is on a cruise to Alaska as she is supposed to be getting some relaxation when she is not working with a picture company filming there.Her vacation plans are blown to hell right from the beginning as she walks upon a dead body hanging over the ship that seems like a suicide but, upon further investigations it looks to be foul play.Being a FBI agent she dives right in the investigation. She calls her boss at home and he sends an agent to assist her.Her assistant seems to be a distraction for he a bit as they seem to have have had past encounters which your are not quite certain were good or bad.Raleigh being a FBI agent is also a gemologist which will help in solving this crime along the way.

You could not help but love Raleigh's character she was a take charge kind of gall.There was so much going on in this story you had to pay attention because, things happened rather quickly.I can say that at any point in this story I did not had a clear suspicious thought about who the killer was.In this story there were so many twists and turns that one clue or clues never really pointed to anyone in particular at any given moment which kept me turning the pages to find out what happen next.

Book was very intriguing as Raleigh took you with her on her journey to solve this crime. I have to say it was a surprise ending for me learning at the tail end of the story to learn who dun-it the suspense was killing me. Totally enjoyable read for me a good mystery to pass the time to. I will be looking into Sibella's past novels to read for sure...

A Recommend read for all....

 

A Courtesan's Scandal (The Scandalous Series #3) by Julia London

 

A Courtesan's Scandal (The Scandalous Series #3)

by Julia London

3 stars    


Kate Bergeron is the beautiful and mysterious former mistress of a cloth merchant...and the latest beauty to capture the interest of the Prince of Wales. Mired in a disastrous divorce, the Prince attempts to distract attention from his next amorous pursuit by ordering Grayson Christopher, the eligible Duke of Darlington, to pretend to London society that he is having an affair with Kate. When Grayson reluctantly agrees to his Prince's demand, he finds the lady no more willing than he is. Kate will grudgingly act the part in public, but her favors are not for sale to any man. As Grayson and Kate mimic ardor for the world to see, they find what started as a deception becoming all too real. And when passion flames into love, their predicament becomes extreme. For while marriage between a duke and a courtesan could never happen, Kate knows in her heart that she is willing to accept nothing less...

Mass Market Paperback, 371 pages

Published October 20th 2009 by Pocket

ISBN

1416547126 (ISBN13: 9781416547129)

primary language

English

original title

A Courtesan's Scandal

series

The Scandalous Series #3

 

My Thoughts and Review


A Courtesan's Scandal by Julia London is the tale set during London's period of drama between Princess Caroline and and crown Prince. The Prince has his eye set on stunning courtesan Kate Bergeron, but he can't touch her so long as the authorities in England are investigating into alleged "treasonous" adultery between the prince and princess. The prince enlists the help of the Duke of Darlington, Grayson Robert Henry Christopher to lure society into believing Kate is his mistress. Grayson the Duke of Darlington reluctantly agrees, and upon first meeting Kate he treats her with contempt of her lowly station as a whore but finds that Kate is no simpering miss she has a back bone and will have no trouble fencing with the Duke and his snide comments she just gives it right back no matter that he is a Duke!


What starts out as only a ruse turns to passion for both once Grayson lets down his guard and revises his opinion of Kate.But, once the sparks fly they are doomed form the beginning as she is promised to the Prince of Wales and both know it.But, the two can't help falling for each other and before you know it they are head over heals in love.Not only is the Prince a problem so is the Dukes ex-mistress she will not let go without a fight and does everything she can't to sabotage there relationship.

I like the story it had many things I liked and did not like about this story.This story reminded me of the story The Duke by Gaelen Foley which I totally loved.One of the things that I loved about this story was that he truly got to know Kate for truly who she was an not her title as a Courtesan. Kate being forced when she was a child is how she came about being one.Grayson after learning Kate's tale was appalled at what happened and has turned around in his way of thinking become somewhat her champion.I found that this story was missing something for me anyway.This is suppose to be somewhat like a tragic love story were two opposites should not mix classes and find one another and fall in love.Where was the romance ?or the great passions ? between these two that would WOW you and make your heart wretch with sorrow at the same time.They had a affair and some brief in encounters but not enough passion came from the pages for me for the Duke of the Darlington to risk all he is and has for this one women and cause a scandal that one would never live down in ones lifetime. I just felt something lacking and missing.I wanted more I guess.I do applaud Grayson for stepping up to the plate and taking responsibilities for Kate and his child to be there where so many others would have walked away , I admired that in him.Kate's character grew throughout this book which made her stronger and stronger although experiencing heart break she will just make herself even stronger from it and in the end stand her ground for what she truly deserves in life and will not settle until she gets it.

A nice easy read from one of my favorite authors.Always looking forward to Julia's next book....