reacherfan1909 reviewed on
Helpful Score: 6
OK, I admit it. I am a complete sucker for Shelly Laurenston's shifter books. She just makes me laugh. And In Big Bad Beast, she's back on track with a direct story line and characters that stay in character.
Ulric 'Ric' Van Holtz is a model handsome, wildly rich, shrewd wolf and master chef the NYC branch of the family steakhouse chain. He's been in lust for the dangerous Dee-Ann Smith of the NYC Smith pack since he ran into her at Lock's apartment (The Mane Squeeze). [There is a prologue that has them meeting as children.] After 10 years in the Unit, a Marine shifter only group that hunts humans who hunt shifters, Dee-Ann is out and recruited into the Group, a US based group that does does much the same thing. As the daughter of the most feared wolf, Eggie Smith, she has her daddy's cold eyes and "Time to start the killin'" philosophy, but something about the easy going, and slightly younger, Ric appeals to her.
The humor is fast and furious without getting strained and ridiculous. Earlier characters, including Dez MacDermott, Lock, the Shaw lions, and others are all here weaving the story of friendships together. Dee's very limited interpersonal skills create some very funny scenes. I liked when Dee ran into the only female character with fewer social skills than her own, Irene Conridge-Van Holtz, but the best scenes are with Dee and the hyenas, and Dee beating crap out of Ric's brother.
The relationship between Dee and Ric is front and center, played out against a rapidly growing problem with hybrid fights. New character Cella 'Bare Knuckles' Malone, another former Unit member, tigress, KZS security team member, player on Ric's hockey team, and generally bane of Dee-Ann's existence, adds more dimension to the story. Dee, Dez and Cella are the hand picked team leaders to go after the hybrid fights and hunt down the person funding them. The ending is multi-fold and well done.
Even though the book is shorter than her last two, I felt it read better. There was none of the 'Lucille Ball' moments that annoyed me, and it generally hewed closer to my all time favorite book of her's, Here Kitty, Kitty. Not deathless prose, or brilliantly inventive, but a good, entertaining, fun read that gets a 4.3* rating from me.
Ulric 'Ric' Van Holtz is a model handsome, wildly rich, shrewd wolf and master chef the NYC branch of the family steakhouse chain. He's been in lust for the dangerous Dee-Ann Smith of the NYC Smith pack since he ran into her at Lock's apartment (The Mane Squeeze). [There is a prologue that has them meeting as children.] After 10 years in the Unit, a Marine shifter only group that hunts humans who hunt shifters, Dee-Ann is out and recruited into the Group, a US based group that does does much the same thing. As the daughter of the most feared wolf, Eggie Smith, she has her daddy's cold eyes and "Time to start the killin'" philosophy, but something about the easy going, and slightly younger, Ric appeals to her.
The humor is fast and furious without getting strained and ridiculous. Earlier characters, including Dez MacDermott, Lock, the Shaw lions, and others are all here weaving the story of friendships together. Dee's very limited interpersonal skills create some very funny scenes. I liked when Dee ran into the only female character with fewer social skills than her own, Irene Conridge-Van Holtz, but the best scenes are with Dee and the hyenas, and Dee beating crap out of Ric's brother.
The relationship between Dee and Ric is front and center, played out against a rapidly growing problem with hybrid fights. New character Cella 'Bare Knuckles' Malone, another former Unit member, tigress, KZS security team member, player on Ric's hockey team, and generally bane of Dee-Ann's existence, adds more dimension to the story. Dee, Dez and Cella are the hand picked team leaders to go after the hybrid fights and hunt down the person funding them. The ending is multi-fold and well done.
Even though the book is shorter than her last two, I felt it read better. There was none of the 'Lucille Ball' moments that annoyed me, and it generally hewed closer to my all time favorite book of her's, Here Kitty, Kitty. Not deathless prose, or brilliantly inventive, but a good, entertaining, fun read that gets a 4.3* rating from me.
