If your perfect paranormal romance comes with equal parts steam and snark, The Beast in Him by Shelly Laurenston is exactly that. It’s a second-chance shifter romance that reunites a small-town Southern wolf with the wild dog Alpha who once had his heart, and now has him jumping through hoops just to get a second look. Laurenston leans into her signature humor, found-family chaos, and scorching slow-burn payoff.

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What is The Beast in Him by Shelly Laurenston all about?

In The Beast in Him by Shelly Laurenston, Bobby Ray “Smitty” Smith never forgot Jessica Ward, the quirky wild dog girl he once protected back in Tennessee. Now she’s Jessie Ann Kuznetsov, Alpha of her own pack and CEO of a thriving business, and she’s hiring his security firm. Their reunion sparks more than old memories, but with threats against her pack, their chemistry comes with danger attached.

The Beast in Him by Shelly Laurenston Book Review

Smitty! Ohh Smitty! I’ll start this review by staking my claim on Smitty, he is still my favorite wolf in this series! So, everyone, gets your paws off of him.

We first meet Smitty in The Mane Event. In the first story he was just that hot military type, laid back, gorgeous guy with the sexy southern drawl, who just moved and talked smooth and slow. He is also Mace’s best buddy and together they’ve opened up a shifter security firm in New York. Smitty, of the Smith Pack from Tennessee, brought some of his Pack members to New York with him and is determined to make a better life for himself.

And all his plans come crashing down when they take a job, and while unbeknownst to Smitty, their client turns out to be the one girl he always had closest and dearest to his heart because she wasn’t able to protect herself and is now a powerful and rich woman.

Of course his buddy Mace knew this, because he is good friends with Jessie Ann, now Alpha of the wild dog Kuztnezov Pack. Jessie Ann used to be the weird, geeky girl, abused by all the big Smith she-wolves, being the only wild dog in Smith territory in Tennessee, and Smitty was her protector until he joined the military. He had to. He knew if he started anything more with Jessie Ann then he would have no hope of ever getting out of that little town and doing anything more than breeding a bunch of little hybrid puppies.

But now she walks back in his life, and he can’t believe SHE DOESN’T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH HIM. I mean, he is Smitty, everybody loves him, everybody wants him. It’s endearing to see him persist and try to get close to her and Jessie Ann and the wild dogs make him jump through hoops to get to her. Wild dogs and karaoke anyone???

Unlike the first book,The Beast in Him by Shelly Laurenston is only about Smitty and Jessie Ann, so there’s plenty of time for their relationship to develop, get crazy, get hot, get out of control, and then to rein it all in. Jessie Ann doesn’t want a watered down Smith wolf, she wants all of him, but then again… who wouldn’t? And when these two get together, the sparks are off the charts!!!! fans self

Ms. Laurenston does a wonderful job at keeping all the other characters still in the story, so it’s always nice to get glimpses of them. As well as a whole new set of characters to look forward to seeing more of.

The humor in The Beast in Him by Shelly Laurenston was excellent! The wild dogs are crazy, the Smith wolves are crazy, it’s insane!!! It’s entertaining, it had me literally laughing out loud. And just with enough intrigue to keep you on your toes.

And how cool was it that Jessie Ann and Smitty have a real castle wedding??? Well, I’m not sure real castle weddings involved the bride and groom having sex on the gardens in their wedding attire just minutes before walking down the isle, but that was a welcomed surprise. Even though she wears a vintage Renaissance dress, just because she’s a bit of a geek, they get married at what I can only consider being Oheka Castle in Long Island.

And the wedding sets the pace for the next stories!!!! I am so excited!!! The next ones are going to be just as great!

About the Pride series by Shelly Laurenston

Shelly Laurenston’s Pride series blends high-heat shifter romance with outrageous humor and strong pack/found-family vibes. Each book spotlights a different pairing within the interconnected cast. The Beast in Him by Shelly Laurenston focuses on fan-favorite wolf Smitty and wild dog Alpha Jessie Ann, giving them a full-length story that’s as wild as their packs.

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