STEEL BEAUTY - Dana Marie Bell
Halle Pumas, Book 4
Samhain - www.samhainpublishing.com
ISBN-13: 978-1-60504-498-9
April 2009
Paranormal Romance, Short Story

Halle and the Poconos, Pennsylvania - Present Day

Belinda “Belle” Campbell, a Puma, has made mistakes in the past, namely choosing a female with delusions of grandeur as her best friend. However, Belle has done her best to mend fences with those she’d wronged, and she has a new, bright future to look forward to with her new, as-yet-unclaimed Wolf mate, Richard “Rick” Lowell. Why unclaimed? Well, in protecting the woman who became one of her best friends, Belle took quite a hit and has steel pins in her hip to prove it. And unfortunately, there’s at least one bitch in Rick’s Pack, Gina, who’s made it clear she’s coming after Belle the first chance she gets. Rick loves Belle more than his Pack, and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep his mate safe, even from herself. Unfortunately, he has no idea just how determined his fiery mate is.

I have a feeling more than one person in this tale is gonna end up pussy-whipped. And yeah, I’m sure Rick, at least, will enjoy it. ;-)

Belle is definitely a STEEL BEAUTY. Get her going and she’ll take anyone down, whether it’s an uppity Wolf who doesn’t know her place, or a mate who thinks he can run her life. Not that she’s not loving and loyal, far from it. Those she takes under her wing are sure to benefit; it’s just that she won’t be pushed around by anyone, she’s past that point in her life. The best part? Watching just how she does it. Rick is, of course, an Alpha male. But he’s not unappreciative of Belle’s intelligence and spunk; in fact, he may be the first male astute enough to understand that she’s not just a ball of fluff and spun sugar. There’s no doubt he loves her, some of the things he does to look after her comfort, to help her realize her dreams, prove it. Oh yeah, and I’ve got to say, this cat and dog strike sparks that could easily ignite a wildfire like never seen before in the Poconos.

Gina Maldonado is one determined wolf, I’ve got to give her credit, she does have potential to be a Luna (an Alpha Wolf’s mate), but she’s got to get over herself first and find some compassion. Chela Mendoza is a member of Rick’s Pack who’s been treated like dirt by Gina and her cohorts, and she proves herself a friend to Belle. Rick’s Beta, David Maldonado (yep, Gina’s his sister, try not to hold it against him) and his Marshall, Ben Malone, are great guys and something tells me they’re going to be the focus of a story or two in the future. Also integral to this story are the members of Belle’s Pride: Max and Emma; Simon and Becky; and Adrian and Sheri (best friends with Belle), all of whom have had their own stories told in previous Halle Pumas books (see www.danamariebell.com for their names). Another Pride member (and one of Belle’s best friends) who can’t be forgotten is Sarah. Her story looks to be next in line. Yay!

Although you’ll certainly enjoy this short story even if you haven’t read the books that precede it, I’d still recommend you read them first to fully appreciate the shifter world that Dana Marie Bell has created. Laugh-out-loud funny and filled with characters who never stop moving (even if it’s just their mouths) this is one paranormal you won’t soon forget! Stop by Samhain and pick up a copy of STEEL BEAUTY.

Lori Ann