The Mane Event [Mass Market Paperback]

"The Mane Event" is two linked stories in one volume. The first story, "Christmas Pride", follows the meeting at Christmastime of two people who were very close at school but whose lives diverged for twenty years. Mace Llewellyn is a human who can turn into a lion and he is being pressured to take up responsibilities within his Pride with regard to the females; however he remembers Dez MacDermot from his youth and believes she is the woman with whom he wants to spend his life. Their meeting again isn't entirely auspicious as it is over the body of one of his Pride members - Dez is a police detective and Mace has just left the Navy. However he instantly insinuates himself into her life, trying to show Dez that they should be together whilst Dez investigates the murder.

The murder plot of this book, although good, is definitely subordinate to the sex part of the book. In some ways that's a disappointment as there were some interesting angles within the mystery - the Lions, Wolves and Hyenas' fighting for territory and yet various individuals crossing boundary lines within species. Most of the action in the book is between Dez and Mace and between the sheets (or in the shower, against a wall, on the couch...) with just a brief fight between the Hyenas and the Wolves to add some interest. Mace's plan for Dez appears to be to wear her down by sex and proximity so that she agrees that they should be together. There are some amusing moments with her two police dogs, with her family and with Mace's partner Smittty but most of the story focuses on the relationship between the main characters - although as a lust-at-first-sight relationship there's little growing or changing between the main characters. For those who enjoy reading books that are largely about sex this is a better example than most with more characterisation than you often see but I felt it would have been a little better if more were made of the murder mystery and of the turf war breaking out between the various Were creatures and if the characters themselves, particularly Mace, changed and grew through their relationship.

The second story, "Shaw's Tail", starts at the end of the first story as Brendon Shaw, one of the lions, is rescued by some of the werewolves. One wolf in particular, Ronnie Lee Reed, is detailed to take care of him after he has been injured. He has a fever and it means Ronnie has quite a tricky time caring for him as he keeps turning into a lion, escaping and trying to seduce her. However they spend more time together and Brandon begins to understand the ties that bind him to his family as well as his desire for a more settled life. Ronnie Lee is a lighthearted, fun girl who never stays anywhere long, who isn't serious about relationships and who often gets into trouble. However, now she's turned thirty she wants to settle down a little and to stop using men for sex; however, when she meets Brendon she finds it difficult to change her nature and to relax into his care.

This story was pleasant enough but the plot was rather thin - most of the action is about Brendon and Ronnie. Ronnie's skittishness as she tries to change from free spirit to settled woman is well written, Brendon's character is less clear - he decides he wants Ronnie and that's it, although he is learning how to handle her as the story continues. Brendon's relationship with his brother and sister, as well as his two children, serves to show us a little more about how Pride and Pack dynamics work but there is less story to this part of "The Mane Event" and consequently it's less of a satisfying read.

Overall the two stories are similar in that their main (mane?) focus always appears to be sex. "Christmas Pride" has more plot but still not a great deal; the characters are interesting but not as well defined as they could be in some cases, and the background world of the Pride and the Pack deserved more detail as it was an interesting construct. It's enjoyable enough reading but without the depth that some other books in this genre have.

SL created some big bad wolves in her "Magnus Pack" series and paired them with psychotically feisty and completely out of control woman. Now it's time for some equally tasty lion shape shifters to meet their matches and fall hopelessly in love.

Christmas Pride
Shape shifter Mace Llewellyln has spent 14 years in the Navy and after leaving, he has no intention of falling under the control of his sister and becoming a prime breeder for his Pride. Instead he would rather pursue the female he fell in love with when he was only 14 before she moved away and never contacted him. Now walking into his Pride's home, low and behold the very object of his lust filled dreams stands before him; Detective Desiree (Dez) MacDermot. Dez may not be a commitment sort of girl, yet cats (especially lions) can be sneaky and patient and Mace intends to worm his way into her life and heart so slowly that Dez will never know he has no intention of ever letting her go. Now if he can get past her obsession with her rottweillers and turn her into a cat lover ............

Shaw's Tail
Brendon Shaw may be beaten to a pulp and in danger of bleeding to death; however he still recognises a gorgeous woman when he smells her; even if she is a wolf. He's willing to give chase to Rhonda (Ronnie) Lee Reed and the more she runs, the more he is determined to catch her and keep her for good. Ronnie Lee is trying to be a good girl; since turning 30 she's decided to stifle her wild side (how many countries can you actually be banned from anyway?) and act the good girl her Momma always wanted her to be. Unfortunately being stalked by a big bad lion just brings out Ronnie Lee's wild side in full force and before she knows it, she's back to her bad girl behaviour and making a lion purr in pleasure.

Again SL pairs some wonderful heroes with women who are more than capable of fending for themselves and equally reluctant to permanently commit. These men have to seriously work at their relationships; however the battle to win their mates' hearts are well worth the bruises these women can inflict. There are scenes in both these stories that made me smile, others that made me laugh out loud and plenty of action to keep me thoroughly entertained throughout. Again SL gets a big thumbs up from a reader who will continue to eagerly grab everything she has in print.

i love shelly laurenston books they make me laugh out loud have great characters and hot sex what more can you ask for, this is no exception with mace and dez and ronnie lee and brendons stories, in this one. all the books are great and the next in line is the beast in him and then mitch and missys story in the mane attraction if you have never read one of her books start with this followed by the beast in him the mane attraction and keep going but if you have never read the pack challenge three start there they are the best, all shelly l's books are fast paced and you forget theres no such thing as lion breeds, alpha's and so forth love shelly l and couldnt recommend any of her books enough.