Bear Meets Girl by Shelly Laurenston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Okay, so my best friend (a former Borders merchandising/inventory supervisor) is now a receiver at Barnes & Noble. And you know what Barnes & Noble does different from Borders? Fewer strict on sale dates. And that is why I got this book in my hot little paws eight days before I thought it was coming out.
I'm still riding on the book high (will probably re-read it before bed), but I really, really enjoyed Bear Meets Girl. Even though I am a staunch Laurenston fangirl, I admit to being less than thrilled with Big Bad Beast. Dee-Ann isn't exactly my favorite heroine. But, God, I was kinda sad when this book ended. I'm a Long Island girl so it was a hoot to read about familiar places. Hell, I drive past Hofstra everyday on my way to work. The idea that there are shifters running amok on the Island is simultaneously cool and unnerving.
This is Laurenston's tenth shifter book and when you get to Book 10, there's that danger of getting stale. With Big Bad, I was a little afraid we were reaching that point, but I feel like Laurenston just put her foot on the accelerator and revved up her pen. It felt fresh to me. I mean, this is not a book for someone who's not familiar with the world Laurenston has created (I stand by my position that you need to start with Pack Challenge), but Bear Meets Girl is like downloading a new expansion pack.
The world feels bigger now. There's the entire Malone clan and the Callahan family and a closer look into KGV. Things change for the Carnivores, a Big Bad lurks on the horizon, and the second generation gets a bigger push towards the spotlight. Novikov makes a friend! I have to say, I think that's what tickled me the most, that Crush is such a full-on hockey geek. All of the previous heroes have been these big burly alpha types and here's Crush, this big guy, who just turns into a little girl around his sport idols. It was adorable.
As I said on Twitter, if I am ever forced to choose between Laurenston and Nalini Singh, my soul will die. Yup, I'm going to have to read Bear Meets Girl again tonight. And maybe sleep with it under my pillow. So good.
