The Mane Squeeze [Paperback]

Shelly Laurenston (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 27, 2009

Growing up on the tough Philly streets, Gwen O'Neill has learned how to fend for herself. But what is she supposed to do with a nice, suburban Jersey boy in the form of a massive Grizzly shifter? Especially one with a rather unhealthy fetish for honey, moose, and...uh...well, her. Yet despite his menacing ursine growl and four-inch claws, Gwen finds Lachlan 'Lock' MacRyrie cute and really sweet. He actually watches out for her, protects her, and unlike the rest of her out-of-control family manages not to morbidly embarrass her. Too bad cats don't believe in forever. At nearly seven feet tall, Lock is used to people responding to him in two ways: screaming and running away. Gwen - half lioness, half tigress, all kick-ass - does neither. She's sexy beyond belief and smart as hell, but she's born protector. Watching out for the family and friends closest to her but missing the fact that she's being stalked by a murderous enemy who doesn't like hybrids...and absolutely hates Gwen. Lock probably shouldn't get involved, but he will. Why? Because this is Gwen - and no matter what the hissing, roaring, drape destroying feline says about not being ready to settle down, Lock knows he can't simply walk away. Not when she's come to mean absolutely everything to him.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Family drama dominates this pugilistic paranormal romance, the fourth in Laurenston's Pride series (after 2008's The Mane Attraction). Lock MacRyrie, a part-time grizzly bear, and Gwen O'Neill, a lion/tiger hybrid shifter, meet during a brawl. The fists never stop flying as they face down hate crimes, interfering relatives and the challenges of starting a furniture business. Despite being billed as a tough, streetwise Jersey girl, Gwen is a surprisingly and frustratingly passive heroine who has a hard time standing up to her dismissive family. In true cat fashion, she's plagued by jealousy yet leery of commitment, making her romance with Lock a struggle for both of them. With a sharp eye for detail, Laurenston manages to combine Animal Planet and The Sopranos with bonus life-altering roller derby. Fans of the series will enjoy this latest addition. (Nov.)
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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: BRAVA; Original edition (October 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758231660
• ISBN-13: 978-0758231666
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #85,348 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Forget shape shifters who make you want to howl, this one will make you want to cover yourself in honey!, October 28, 2009

By 

melindeeloo (sb,ca) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Mane Squeeze (Paperback)

I really liked the hero of Mane Squeeze, who can deny the charm of a seven foot drop dead gorgeous shifter in a kilt? As a grizzly shifter, Lock MacRyrie has an understated danger about him that I found truly appealing. A danger which allows this thoughtful sweetheart of a hunk the ability to make even the fiercest breeds of shifters run for cover - or play dead.

For a Laurentson leading lady, the heroine tigon (half tiger, half lion) Gwen, is downright sweet - relatively speaking. Gwen just doesn't have that uber-vicious streak like the rest of the past heroines - even though this 'kitty' does bare her claws from time to time. And while it was kind of funny to watch Gwen hiss and climb the drapes after being put in her place by one of the afore mentioned nasty former heroines, I would have liked to have seen Gwen regain her power with a little revenge.

But that said, even though it sounds like a really strange match Gwen and Lock are good together and there's plenty of steamy stuff as Lock baits the hook and then takes his time reeling Gwen in because he knows she's a keeper. It is also really nice that Gwen is good for him too, helping Lock to take a chance on turning his very cool hobby into the career he's always dreamt of.

I really love Laurenston's books for the combination of humor and heat, and all of the crazy family members are part of what make these books so funny. I'll admit I did have a few issues with the Gwen's lion half-brother Mitch and the half-brother-of-her-half-brother, Brendon, who are so much less here as supporting characters than they were when they had their turn in the spotlight - I actually found them more irritating than funny this time round. But Loch's father and uncles are fun, and Gwen's friend Blayne as the ADD wolfdog hybrid was a hoot.

So overall, I really liked Mane Squeeze - it is worth reading for Lock alone - and I hope to see a lot more of Laurenston's shifters in the future. If you've read all of her Pride and Pack stories and are looking for some more sexy fun from Laurenston, you should check out her medieval Dragon-shifter stories, written as her alter ego G A Aiken.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Refreshing Change from the Usual Werewolf Romance, November 7, 2009

By 

Sandie T. Marsh "Fantasy Reader" (Forney, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Mane Squeeze (Kindle Edition)

The Mane Squeeze, the fourth in Shelly Laurenston's Pride series, begins with grizzly shape shifter, Lachlan "Lock" MacRyrie, aiding hybrid liger shifter Gwen O'Neill break up a fight at a friend's wedding. He later encounters the Philly feline again when a pack of wolf shifters attack her and her fellow hybrid friend, Blayne, and he is startled, giving help unwittingly. From there, with the assistance of their scheming friends, they find themselves placed together and falling in love. The story has romance, action, humor, a well-developed universe with its own politics and prejudices, and, of course, the paranormal.

This is the first book by Shelly Laurenston that I have read. I decided to give it a try when Amazon.com offered it for free for a limited time on the Kindle. It was a pleasant surprise to me how good the story and characters were. I cannot believe I've been missing out on such a great story universe for such a long time.

I loved that rather than sticking with the usual werewolf story, Laurenston's story is filled with a wide variety of shifters. Having a grizzly and a hybrid shifter couple was nice. Lock's bear qualities and ticks were sweet and hilarious (particularly the scene where he teaches Gwen to play with her toes). Gwen's troubles with being a hybrid and the prejudice against them added a realistic touch to the story.

I also liked that Lock was not a dangerous (though he is dangerous when startled) bad boy hero who needed to be saved from himself. He is well-adjusted, having had his issues from his past mostly worked out before the story began. Gwen is an outsider due to her hybrid breed, who is looking for where she belongs.

I am definitely looking forward to reading more of Shelly Laurenston's novels. She has several series published, including one under the pseudonym G.A. Aiken.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Laugh out loud funny, great light read, December 18, 2009

By 

S. Cook "Reviewer" (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Mane Squeeze (Paperback)

This was a great, light hearted read with lots of humor throughout. I loved the crazy stuff that happens as well as the main characters Lock and Gwen. The story was fast paced and made the book hard to put down. Only one little niggle was that I liked how Gwen's brothers were portrayed in earlier books but in this book in trying to portray them as protective of Gwen it seemed a bit overboard. Didn't seem to fit with the characterization of the earlier books. But that was a minor thing really. OK, and I just have to mention that I LOVED the thing about the bear shifters' lips. Enough said on that--you have to read it! Yummy!

All of Laurenston's Pride Stories are terrific, with my favorites being this book, The Mane Attraction and The Beast in Him. I liked her Magnus Pack books to a lesser extent--still good but not great like the Pride Stories. I really enjoyed her Dragonkin series (written under GA Aiken). Check those out if you haven't already. My favorite in that series was What a Draqon Should Know. It was hysterical! Loved the characters.

If you are looking for more books like this, check out my list of humorous paranormal romances...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/syltguides/fullview/R2F2KM85QPMRAE/ref=cm_pdp_sylt_title_1
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