Big Bad Beast

Hello all, we are having a beautiful morning here in the valley, but the weather is supposed to get crazy this afternoon. Hoping it holds off long enough that we can get both my daughter's track meet and my son's baseball game in this evening but I am not gonna hold my breath. Things have been crazy busy for me this past week so I decided I needed a break....I informed Barry and the kids that they are in charge of dinner this whole week. That includes the shopping as well as the cooking and the cleaning up. Pretty sure I am going to be living off of take out but that's ok with me....for just a week. I will let you know how it goes, and how much my cholesterol goes up this week! Ok now I need to take a minute to go a little fan girl on you....WOOOO HOOOO Shelly Laurenston's new pride book came out WOO HOOO!!! Ok I am better now. I am such a fan of this series, actually I am a fan of everything she writes no matter which nome de plume she is using. Big Bad Beast is Ric and Dee-Ann's book and it did not disappoint!

Big Bad Beast, Shelly Laurenston, Brava, April 2011
When it comes to following her instincts, former Marine Dee-Ann Smith never holds back. And this deadly member of a shifter protection group will do anything to prove one of her own kind is having hybrids captured for dogfights. Trouble is, her too-cute rich-boy boss Ric Van Holtz insists on helping out. And his crazy-like-a-fox smarts and charming persistence are making it real hard for Dee to keep her heart safe...Ric can't believe his luck. He's wanted this fiercely independent she-wolf from day one, but he never expected teamwork as explosive as this. And now is his last chance to show Dee what she needs isn't some in-your-face Alpha male - but a wily, resourceful wolf who'll always have her back in a fight...and between the sheets.

Dee-Ann Smith, former marine and resident bad-ass, doesn't really care what people think of her. She is quite anti-social for a pack animal and really doesn't like to feel "hemmed-in". Her work with The Group allows her to continue doing what she does best, and that is protect shifters, even if it's from other shifters. Still investigating the hybrid pit fights Dee-Ann is forced to play nice with the other members of a joint task force. She is also forced to put up with Ric Van Holtz, her supervisor, and his desire to always feed her.

Ric Van Holtz has been in love with Dee-Ann since the first time he saw her, but being a smart man he knows a full frontal assault will never work with her. But Ric is not your average wolf...he is a Van Holtz, and that means he is sneaky and patient and isn't afraid to use his fabulous culinary skills to get him what he wants.

While Dee-Ann, Dez and new comer to the series, Cella Malone try to put an end to the pit fights by following the money, Ric is following some money of his own. Unfortunately for him this money leads right to his Dad and the fact that he may be stealing from the pack. Neither trail is going to end happily, and one of them ends up someplace I never saw coming.

I have to say how glad I was that Ms. Laurenston stayed true to the personality traits that we saw in Dee-Ann in previous books. I was really afraid that we were going to get a kinder, softer Dee-Ann, like some other authors have done when writing the HEA (happily ever after) story of their tougher female characters. Dee-Ann was strong and abrasive but she also showed that she was there for Ric emotionally when he needed her. Ric may come across as a beta, but he was strong enough to get what he wanted. One thing that Ms. Laurenston does so well is include previous character's in all of her stories without it seeming contrived or weighing down the story. I loved the 4th of July party and how it brought everyone together again. I mean who doesn't love to see Bo with his lists, Lock dragging the Shaw brothers around by their heads, the wild dogs being wild dogs and Dez once again the only full human in the bunch more than holding her own. It was also a very nice surprise to read the cameos from Sara and Angelina. This book like all in this series had a lot of laugh out loud moments....at one point I woke my husband up I was laughing so loud. But it also has some very awwwww moments, the prologue in this book has to be one of my favorite parts. I can't wait to see where she takes us next....Rory Lee Reed, Cella Malone, Hannah, Stein or somewhere we weren't even looking. I give Big Bad Beast 5 chocolate dipped strawberries over some angel food cake with white icing!!!