Customer Reviews

The Mane Squeeze

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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.

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...

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I have only had this book a couple of weeks and I've already read it several times. Shelly has hit it out of the park with this book. I love Lock and Gwen's story and I even enjoyed the havoc created by her brothers and especially her mom. Lock is a true gem of a "man" and I'm glad that Gwen was able to recognize it. Looking forward to future books; hopefully one will be Dee and Ric's story and of course, Blayne's story as well. Catching up with several of the other characters from previous books was fantastic; especially Jessie and her queenly waving was hilarious. The next book can't come soon enough for me!!

This book is hilarious. If your looking for a serious paranormal read this isn't it! Who doesn't love a grizzly bear and a Tigon who has a 360 degrees turning neck with a loveable meddling African Wild Dog/Wolf hybrid best friend?? I am still laughing about this book. The story line moves along great with no slow moments and the sizzle factor is HOT! The hero is a Jersey boy so loveable, layed back and sexy I couldn't barely stand it! The heroine is a tough Philly girl who happens to also be a Tiger/Lion mix plumber, who hates hospitals and contemplates throwing poison in people's faces often. The two together are firecrackers. The heroine's loveable besty works hard to get the two together and her Wild Dog antics cracked me up.

Here's the advice given to all about grizzly bears just a page into the book, it pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the novel:

"When you catch that scent, go in the opposite direction. If you stumble across one, do not wake it up. If you do wake one up, pretend you're dead or climb into a tree. High into a tree. And if you get between a sow and her cubs--pray."

Another favorite:

"That is it. Whatever Roxy O'Neill told you, it's a load of crap."

"How do you know?"

"Because I do. And if you weren't on your fifth martini and you on your seventh Long Island iced tea, you dumb bitches would know that too."

"Watch how you talk to me."

"I would, if I thought you had a brain in that fat lion heard of yours."

And this is just the first chapter! I find myself picking up this book any time I get the blues or am feeling a bit down because by the end of the book I am laughing so hard and the world seems a better place.

`The Mane Squeeze' is the fourth book in Shelly Laurenston's `Pride' series.

Gwen O'Neill is a ligon (tiger/lion hybrid) - she can turn her head 180°, go `house cat' on her enemies and generally take care of herself when anti-hybrid bullies want a piece. What Gwen hasn't quite mastered is her smothering family. Her promiscuous and hot-to-trot mother, `Roxy' O' Neill. Her half-brother, Mitchell Shaw and the half-brother of her half-brother, Brendan Shaw. All of these people who make up her `pride' and Gwen can't actually stand them . . . it's not that she doesn't have love in her heart. It's just that Gwen is a strong, independent female who doesn't appreciate being the baby of the pride. The only person who really `gets' her is her best friend and fellow hybrid, wolfdog Blayne.

And then Gwen meets Lachlan "Lock" MacRyrie . . . a grizzly bear shifter with thighs to die for and an adorable penchant for toesies and honey. Lock is certainly someone who doesn't treat Gwen like a baby. Not at all.

Lock likes to be content. He doesn't like crowds. He does like honey. He doesn't like that people are so intimidated by his size. But he does like that Gwen O'Neill isn't one of those people. Gwen is one ligon who makes Lock hum, so it's a good thing he returns the favour by making her purr. . .

I love, love, loved this couple! Gwen and Lock are ranking pretty high on my list of favourite `Pride' couples, purely because they are the perfect combination of funny and adorable.

Especially delightful is their `boy meets girl' story. It all starts with a rousingly grumpy Lock falling down a mountain with Gwen. Then he had to rescue her from organ-thieving doctors. Their chemistry was instantaneous and simmering so Gwen's bestie, Blayne, decided to help things along and play cupid. No matter how much Gwen's half-brothers, Mitch and Brendan Shaw, tried to break the couple up . . . Blayne was hilariously tenacious in her cupid role.

Lock is perhaps my favourite male character thus far. It has nothing to do with the fact that bears are my favourite animal (and I had a teddy bear collection as a kid). Lock is just gorgeous. He's a giant of a man, and somewhat shy of his imposing body. But underneath the grizzly morning personality, Lock is a big softie. He loves honey, and playing with his toes. He was too freakin cute!

How could Shelly Laurenston improve her already incredible `Pride' series? How could her combination hilarious/hot writing get any better? I'll tell you how - roller derby. Hells yeah!

As Laurenston is want to do in her series, she writes outlandish characters and even more wild storylines. `The Mane Squeeze' is a fairly straightforward ligon meets bear love plot . . . but with an added storyline about an age-old roller derby rivalry between wolf and lioness shifters. Oh yeah. This series just got awesome(r) . . . and the skating finale of `Squeeze' is a brilliant bit of jamming bloodthirstiness.

Really enjoyed this story. Had me laughing so hard I was crying, several times. I wish the plot was a little stronger. Meaning the 'heroine in peril' or conflict seemed relatively non-existent and it was mainly a romantic plot. I'd give it 4.75/5.

This is one of the funniest books I have read! As a half Asian, half Irish tigon (tiger/lion) shapeshifter girl, Gwen is such an adorable heroine who attracts a quiet and honorable bear. It's so cute when Gwen's best friend decides to make it her project that she also involved many other characters to get these two together.

I must say that I actually read this book at least 3 times already because it's just so adorably cute!!!

This book kept me laughing and entertained like all of Shelly Laurenston's books do. If you enjoy books about shape-shifters, romance, and action this book is for you. I have bought all of Shelly's books and I would recommend them to others.

'"And," she replied calmly, "I'll tell you like I told Frankie Caramelli in the tenth grade after he inappropriately touched me in gym class, and while I was bricking him up in the church wall after I bound and gagged him...don't mess with me."' (page 82)

Don't worry, they found Caramelli eight hours later, just "a little dehydrated, but he was alive."

I thought I would bust a gut laughing throughout this book. There were one-liners and comments like this from various characters all through. I ended up reading the book in one afternoon and evening. I absolutely adored it. I've read others from this series, but I have to say this one was the best so far. I adored the hero (Lock) and the heroine (Gwen). I was bowled-over by the secondary character (quoted above) called Blayne. The wolfdog hybrid's ADD and over-the-top antics was beyond funny. The whole roller derby sub-conflict was unique. Who would of thunk it? Bringing back a pregnant Jess and her ideas of ruling and grandeur totally hit the mark. Everytime someone tried to persuade her differently she would yell her demand and threaten tears.

I could spend pages and pages listing all the funny parts of this story. Yet, I know some of you guys read it for the romance. Rest assured the romance between Lock and Gwen was very well played out and plausible. The romance was the main conflict of the story and I liked how Laurenston created Lock as the strong, cute, goofy, silent type. How could one not like a guy who plays with his toes and swats lion shape-changers around like they were stuff animals? I know it sounds weird, but trust me, it totally worked for the story. When he has to be reminded that he's dragging her brothers around...totally hilarious!

I read in another review that Laurenston also writes as Aiken (did not know this!) I love, love, love, the dragon books. They absolutely rock. Aiken has been my top five must read since I read the first dragon shapeshifter book. Therefore, Laurenston/Aiken is a definite must read author in my opinion.