Lion’s Heat is probably one of the most anticipated Breed books from Lora Leigh. Jonas Wyatt has been meddling in the lives of Breeds everywhere for years and everyone wants to see him meet his match one way or another. This latest installment in the series definitely delivers on the “heat” but left me wanting a bit at the end.

Jonas is a Breed, a man ingrained with Lion DNA, created and bred within scientific labs to be the perfect killer. Lora Leigh’s Breed series chronicles the fight for freedom and safety by this race of Breeds, both men and women. Jonas is every bit the prickly, growly, manipulative, alpha male we expected him to be. He is all business and the Breeds safety and survival are most important. What I didn’t expect where the reasons behind his actions. I didn’t expect him to be the manipulator because he cared whether his fellow Breeds were happy. He cares whether they can get past the torture they all endured and find a life they can smile about.

Fans of the series will be happy to know that Jonas is brought to his knees by his mate Rachel. She is every bit as stubborn and stoic as he is. She knows how to say no to him and does it with a smile on her face. I really enjoyed her character, she made me grin and giggle with evil delight.

“I know a volcano hungry for a sacrifice” he muttered behind her. “You’d make the perfect candidate.”
“Hungry volcanoes only accept virgin maidens,” she informed him tartly. “That leaves me out of the running.”
She almost grinned at the disgruntled growl that sounded behind her.

The tension between Jonas and Rachel was off the scales hot. Neither of them are willing to give in to the “mating heat” and I was surprised by just how far Jonas would go to resist his instincts. Every interaction between the two of them was a rolling boil of sarcasm and sexual tension – it kept the story moving and me turning the pages.

Before he could stop himself, and God knew he wished he could have stopped himself, he gripped her shoulders, spun her around and pressed her against the door. Her soft cry was lost as his lips parted and his teeth gripped the side of her neck in sensual warning. The animal knew what was going on with the man. It knew he was fighting a battle he was going to lose, and he couldn’t stop himself.

“Jonas!” Shock and arousal fueled the needy, breathless sound of her voice.

Gripping her hips Jonas held her still as his knees dipped, his hips pressing against her rear as a harsh growl tore from his throat.

Considering the sexual tension outside of the bedroom, I was surprisingly disappointed in the actual “mating” (yes, i mean the actual sexing). The heat that Leigh put into their interactions and the few scenes of physical foreplay before the mating seemed to fizzle a bit when it came down to doing the dirty deed. No doubt Jonas was all alpha power and loss of control, but there was no real build up within the actual scene and for once it seemed to be secondary to the rest of the story. Not to mention the phrase “living mercury” to describe Jonas’ eyes was overused to the point that I rolled my own eyes.

I would talk about the plot of the book and the politics of the Breed world, but really…. is anyone reading this series because of the subplot? And if you are, can you send me a flow chart explaining the timeline of these books because I still get confused and I have read all 21 stories. The action involving the groups opposing the Breeds were just there, background noise to the growth of Jonas and the realization that he doesn’t have to be alone.

Lion’s Heat is a surprisingly quick read for over 300 pages, and a great addition to the Breed series. Next up in the series is Styx, a Scottish wolf breed we first met in Dawn’s Awakening. A scottish alpha wolf? I am tingly already.

FTC Disclaimer: Book was passed on to me for review by a fellow bloger

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Lora Leigh is my guilty pleasure. Her books are candy for my smut loving self. But even I have been left feeling a bit “blah” over her last few releases. They were ok, but something was missing for me. I went into this book expecting the same and expecting to be bored because Zeke and Rogue never really appealed to me in the previous books. I was also a little wary of the ongoing terrorist suspense plot. While Nauti Deceptions isn’t perfect, I was surprised to find I really enjoyed it.

In previous Nauti books Rogue was never very interesting to me. I can’t explain why, but I actually thought she was older than she actually is. I always thought of her as a bit standoffish and brutish and I wasn’t really sure what we would get from her story. This is one of those books I am so thankful for multiple points of view. I really loved getting into Rogue’s head and found myself liking her almost immediately. She is smart, tough as nails, stubborn, sarcastic, and yet vulnerable – something I never expected.

Zeke, oh what can I say about Zeke. He could be my favorite “nauti boy”, he was definitely the most alpha so far. He is very overprotective and totally aggravating at times, but somehow I was able to overlook that. It probably has something to do with his dirty mouth and tendency to growl – it’s a weakness of mine.

The romance between Rogue and Zeke was intense. I was on the edge of my seat more than once, my stomach in knots as I wondered if this would be the time they really connected or not. The romantic tension between them was some of Leigh’s best and the loving was so hot I had to check my breathing to keep from hyperventilating.

My only complaint is the suspense plot, it was weak and felt overdone. I feel like the terrorist organization in this tiny town plot is being dragged on and on and on through book after book in this series. If there is another Nauti Boy book I hope she finds a new angle to work the subplot through because this one can’t take another novel.

Overall, Nauti Deceptions showcases Lora Leigh’s sizzling romantic tension at it’s best. If you are a fan of the series, definitely do not skip this one.

FTC Disclaimer: Book purchased by me.

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