The Mane Event

Publisher's Summary

Shelly Laurenston turns up the heat with two sizzling novellas.

Christmas Pride: How come all the good-looking ones are insane? That's what runs through NYPD cop Desiree "Dez" MacDermot's mind the minute she hooks up again with her childhood buddy, Mace Llewellyn. It isn't just the way he stares at her with those too-sexy gold eyes, as if he could devour her on the spot. Or the six-four, built-like-a-Navy-SEAL bod-o-death. It isn't even that he sniffs her neck and purrs, making her entire body tingle. It's more about that disconcerting, shifting-from-man-to-lion thing that unhinges her...and makes her want more. Mace likes making Dez crazy. In fact, he likes her any way he can get her...in bed, on the desk, here, now, again. Together, they'd always been trouble, but Dez has no idea just how good trouble can feel.

Shaw's Tail: Brendon Shaw, hotel owner and lion shifter, has seen better days. He's been beaten, had a gun to the back of his head, and had to be rescued by a Pack of shape-shifting wolves. He didn't think he'd survive the night, much less find the woman of his dreams. And he never thought the woman of his dreams would have a Tennessee accent and wear cowboy boots. Once he sets his sights on her, the predator in him is ready to pounce and never let go. Ronnie Lee Reed is ready to change her life, and New York City is the place where any girl, even one who runs with a Pack, can redefine herself. First order of business: Find a mate, settle down, and stop using men for sex. Even big, gorgeous, lion-shifting, oh-my-what-big-um-paws-you-have men. Then again...

©2007 Shelly Laurenston (P)2013 Tantor

Why speed up Johanna Parker/Charlotte Kane?

Any additional comments?

In a stroke of genius, the publisher chose Johanna Parker (changing her name to Charlotte Kane) to narrate Shelly Laurenston's Pride series. Shelly Laurenston writes funny, bawdy, "suspend reality and just enjoy" books. They need a skilled narrator to pull them off.

Then in a stroke of sheer stupidity, they mechanically sped up the entire narration! Did they think putting Ms Parker on fast forward would fool dedicated audiobook listeners? Or were they hoping Johanna Parker on speed combined with a name change would distance her from her fame as the narrator of the Sookie Stackhouse series?

Whatever their reasoning, it's disrespectful to the author to not provide her with the best production possible for her audiobook. And insulting to audiobook fans who can easily discern when a book has obviously been adjusted to a higher speed. No human could consistently keep up the pace in this audio.

The accelerated narration has angered fans as can be seen in Audible reviews while others capable of adjusting their ears to the engineered velocity of the narration, remain grateful to see Ms Laurenston's books in audio. I fall into the second camp but...

In the end, I hope Tantor will remove the engineering that unnaturally speeds up the narration and provide us with a quality production to match the caliber of narrator they chose for Shelly Laurenston's series.

44 of 45 people found this review helpful

Wow! Two Captivating Stories!

I landed another shifter series to listen too! The characters were great, and I loved the steamy sex scenes. Both plots moved at a steady pace, and included some action and humor. I liked how the "cats" and "dogs" came together. :-)

Charlotte Kane did a great job narrating this story. I saw there were several comments about the narration speed being too fast. I didn't think it was too fast, but I've been know to adjust the narrator speeds to 1.25 sometimes so this story at 1.x was good for me.

I'm definitely looking forward to listening to the other stories in the series!

10 of 10 people found this review helpful

Sorry, not finishing.

Any additional comments?

I had no idea this book would be so dirty. It's not at all romantic. I don't read books without sex in them but when the author uses words like dick and pu$$y during sex that's enough for me. I know a lot of you like that kind of talk but I don't happen to be one of them. Sorry..

As to the narrator: For as much as I listened to she did a fine job.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Wow! So good

THis was sooo good. I loved the narration. This was my first Kane narration and I have to say, I just loved all the southern accents. This is two stories in one , I loved both stories. Mace and his cop then Shaw and his wolf. Smex was great. Story had humor and action. I loved the hyena attack from story one and two. If fact, the hyena attack ends story one and begins story two... Smart!

Worth the credit... or buy simply for the narration

Narration was awesome

11 of 12 people found this review helpful

Love this Author!

I have everything Laurenston has written (including under the name G A Aiken) on my e-reader. I've been waiting for years for the audio additions. If you like the Were genre with a dose of humor you won't go wrong. The Pack series and Pride series are a great read and a great listen. Hope that all her books come out in audio and I'll be buying them as fast as they are released.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

More, more, more!

I nearly didn't get this book mainly because the offerings from her alter ego G A Aitken were horribly narrated, and got on my last nerve by the end of the first chapter! But this is seriously good - Dez is something else. A woman you don't mess with. Mace is Mace and all laid back Lion. And I just love Smitty and Sissy Mae, and I can't wait to meet the rest of the Smiths, and the Van Holtz, the African Wild Dogs, the hockey team and Bears plus the other odd animals and the few humans who get caught up in the mayhem. The characters are quirky and crazy just as I imagined they would be. Charlotte Kane narrates the story so well - you can tell who is who , and the accents are great. I love the way Dez keeps losing hers - lol. I'm only part way through and am getting ready for Charlotte to do the next ones in the series. If the rest turn out as well as this they will be awesome.

10 of 11 people found this review helpful

Sexy and funny

Any additional comments?

Two stories one book... The first one was a bit too much. (graphic sex) I mean it had likable characters and I think I would have enjoyed it slightly more if I'd seen more interaction with the other characters and story other than they just knew each other in high school and now as adults were drawn to having sex every five minutes. But even with that it wasn't a bad story... But I did like that it introduced other characters such as the wolf pack and lion shifters, which reappear in the next story more prominently. The second story made me laugh. I loved the interaction of the family members. The strong willed independent heroines and patient/protective and tenacious males. The more you hear about Ronnie's past and adventures the more you like her and laugh. And when you see her mates shock and awe over those antics you can't help but like him more as well. I would love to see more stories about this family. And can't wait to read book two in hopes that it will follow more along the lines of the way book one ended. In fact I was sorry to see this story come to an end. The narrator was awesome. Sounded like one of my favorites Johanna Parker? If it wasn't her under another name then she's got a vocal twin out there. Either way narration was great!!

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

wow....Really?

Would you try another book from Shelly Laurenston and/or Charlotte Kane?

I would recommend any of Shelly's books but only if they get another narrator....She drags ALL her words and reads like she is racing in the indy 500....Really????

How could the performance have been better?

Get an New narrator...One who does not seem like she/he is trying to rush us through the book and one who puts the inflection in their tone, you know simple things like pauses, changes in emotion..... I am sorry this is not a personal attack on the person themselves, just the way they read this book, it was so distracting I just quit listening and I know the book almost by heart!

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

ANGER, plain and simple, I love shelly laurentson's books and own them all, I have written to tantor BEGGING for an audio version and was beyond excited to find they were finally coming out. I purchased mine early!!!. But this narrator just blew it for me. I am not usually so harsh with reviews but after waiting so long, I was horribly disappointed. They should have gotten Max Bellmore, he blew the LOTU series away!. Love all the pride series and will try again with the next one, in the hopes that the reviews get read and some adjustments are made. Love you shelly your books are the Best I have read in a long time and I just want a listen as good as the written version!!

Any additional comments?

Yes, Please slow down, drop the exaggerated drawl after every word AND just read a fantastic novel the way it is written with inflection and patience. I am sure that given a few tweaks, we could get an audio version which will keep us coming back for more!!

14 of 17 people found this review helpful

What a waste of money!

What would have made The Mane Event better?

If it had an actual plot it might have been a good story, but the story line was barely there. It was mostly about sex. If I wanted to read about sexual escapades I could have my husband go to an adult book store and buy something.

What was most disappointing about Shelly Laurenston’s story?

It wasn't a story. It was mostly sex with a little bit of a story line thrown in. I have read all of Patricia Briggs' books and was looking for a new author. I thought Shelly Laurenston's had promise. I was wrong.

What didn’t you like about Charlotte Kane’s performance?

I have probably been spoiled listening to the J.D. Robb In Death series books. Susan Ericksen does an EXCELLENT job performance.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I did not love the book and no, I don't think it had any redeeming qualities. Granted, I only listened to the first two books because it came as a set (or I would not have purchased book #2), perhaps she improved in the next books.

Any additional comments?

I feel I wasted my money and my time on the book(s) and do not intend to waste any more to see if she actually writes a book with more than a 10% story line vs 90% sexual escapades.

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

Perfect blend of sexy and funny!!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Love that this series is in audio format. So much fun to read.

What did you like best about this story?

This is the first book with two stories in it that introduces the reader to the lion pride and wolf pack.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This series is my go to series. I read them over and over again.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful