New York - Present Day

Jessica Ann Ward is the CEO of a very successful computer company and the head of her forty strong wild dog Pack. She’s also beautiful, single and in need of a mate to provide her with her very own pups. Not that the Pack’s pups aren’t adorable, Jess is just ready for her own. But when Jess runs into Bobby Ray Smith, a.k.a. Smitty, a werewolf she once knew and loved as a young woman, mating isn’t the first thing on her mind. Nope, he may be just as studly as ever, but there’s no way Smitty is getting anywhere near her heart again, not after the way he abandoned her to join the Navy. And of course there was the whole “too good to kiss Jess" thing. Not that Jess harbors a grudge, she just wants Smitty to know what rejection feels like.

Smitty can’t believe his eyes when he sees a sexy, mature version of the orphan girl he remembers so well striding across the room at an event his company is providing the security for. Not only is she way more confident than the Jessie Ann he knew, the whole geek persona appears to be gone. Make no mistake, though, Smitty was attracted to Jess then, and that hasn’t changed. Why, if he were in search of a mate, Jess is just the kind of pretty pup he could go for. Of course he’s not, so really it’s irrelevant. Still, it’d be nice if Jess seemed just the tiniest bit interested in him, or at least appeared to remember him.

But when Jess’s Pack is threatened, she has to admit Smitty’s Navy SEAL training and security firm could be helpful. Maybe she’ll even let him prove how good he is in bed. You know, just to make sure the rumors are true. ;-)

If you read the first Pride Stories book, THE MANE EVENT (October 2007), you already know a bit about Smitty. If you haven't, then let me assure you, he so deserves to be the hero of THE BEAST IN HIM, and in Jess, he’s found his perfect match. Jess was a nerd as a young girl, and yes, she did spend a significant amount of time hiding out in trees and under bleachers (if you had Smitty’s sister and her motley crew after your hide, you’d do the sensible thing and avoid them too). However, Jess wasn’t then, and isn’t now, a weak or frightened little thing. Nope, she’s smart and knows when fighting is worth the risk. And really, wild dogs are much more fond of loving (and playing) than fighting. That whole “I’m tougher than you are and I’m gonna prove it” thing is much more of a wolf behavior. Mind you, I’m not suggesting that Smitty is like that. He works way harder at proving that he’s not like the typical Smith. The Smith Pack is well known for their fighting skills and their motto “Family first, anyone else last, dead last,” a credo that has earned them a reputation as shifters to avoid at all costs. Other shifters even regard them as crazy, and to some extent, Smitty agrees with them. The urge he has to claim Jess as his own certainly seems to be driving him around the bend. But if Jess and Smitty do manage to fall in love and create a family of their own, watch out! Those are some hybrids sure to prove dangerous to many a man, woman, or shifter’s peace of mind. But hey, they’re bound to provide some interesting stories to read. :-)

The secondary characters in this book are just as fascinating as Jess and Smitty. There’s Smitty’s business partner and best friend, Mace (lion), and his mate, Dez (human, NYPD detective). Just learning what a newly minted mommy Dez acts like makes this book worth the money. :-) Jess’s four best friends and pack mates, May, Danny, Phil and Sabina, are always willing to back her up and offer their advice. Then, of course, there are May and Danny’s daughter, Kristan, and her pal Johnny (a wolf taken in by the Pack). They’re typical teens, the whole hormones and angst thing, except of course being shifters adds additional interesting bits. There’s just not enough room here to mention all of the characters who deserve it. Suffice it to say, they’re all great (even the evil ones).

I love this series, and I’m convinced you will as well! Shelly Laurenston does an outstanding job of creating characters who are so well crafted that you’re certain they could be real people (assuming weres are real, of course, and hey, no one has ever proven that they aren’t). The dialogue is snappy, the story moves along at the perfect pace, and there are both laugh out loud and pant a while parts to add zing. Get your copy of THE BEAST IN HIM today and find out for yourself why a Shelly Laurenston book shouldn’t be missed.

Lori Ann