The Mane Event

Hello everyone and Happy Boxing Day to all of our neighbors across the pond. I had a great Christmas, woke up to a dusting of snow on the ground, just enough to make it a white Christmas, and make it really pretty. Spent the day playing board games with the kids, and trying to figure out their electronics. It was much easier when all their toys were Leggos and Barbies. I have a present to share with all of you, if you have never read Shelly Laurenston then you just don't know what you are missing. She is one of my all time favorite authors and no matter which nom de plume she is writing under, Shelly or G.A. Aiken, she is always on my auto-buy list. This blog is supposed to be about a favorite Christmas story so I decided to kick it a little old school and tell you about, The Mane Event. You get two stories in one book and they are both a present you will open again and again.

The Mane Event, Shelly Laurenston, Brava Kensington, 2007

Christmas Pride is the first story and it introduces you to a lot of the characters that you will get to know better in subsequent books. The main story is about Mason "Mace" Llewellyn and Desiree"Dez" McDermott. Mace is a lion shifter who has just gotten out of the Navy and has come home to re-connect with the girl that he fell in love with in high school. There are just a few problems with this plan, she is full human and he hasn't seen or spoken to her since 9th grade. But Mace is a lion, King of the Jungle, and he isn't going to let a few things like that stand in his way.

Dez, is a New York City police detective and happens to be assigned to a murder of one of the males in the Llewellyn pride. While at the Llewellyn homestead the two childhood friends are reunited....much to the dismay of Mace's sister. Hilarity and mayhem commence.

I love the ass-kicking female characters that Shelly writes. The humor mixed with the amazingly hot love scenes are always just the right mix.

Shaw's Tail, the second story in the book basically picks up where Christmas Pride ends. Here we get to know, Brandon Shaw, also a lion shifter and Ronnie Lee Reed, of the Tennessee Reeds, a wolf shifter. Brandon is hurt and the end of the first book and Ronnie Lee gets volunteered to babysit him in the hospital. Who would have thought that cats and dogs could mix? Well they may not mix easily but they do all come together in the end.

I have laughed out loud every time I have read these books and they are definitely on my keeper list....I have them in both print and e-format. So for a great present to give yourself go out and get this first in the Pride series and be prepared to laugh your ass off!!! I give The Mane Event 5 chocolate dipped strawberries!!!!