Posts Tagged ‘Breeds series’

Title: Lion’s Heat
Author: Lora Leigh
Release: April 6, 2010
Purchase this book: Amazon | Book Depository | Kindle Version
Goodreads Entry: here
Genre: Erotica/Paranormal Romance
Rating: 3.5 Stars

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

Title: Shades of Midnight (Breeds, book )
Author: Lara Adrian
Release: March 2nd, 2010
Purchase this book: Amazon | Book Depository | Kindle Version
Goodreads Entry: here
Rating: 3 Stars

This may be one of the shortest reviews I ever write! The truth is, Shades of Midnight was just “ok” and I don’t have a lot to say about it.

Kade is a sexy Breed (aka alien vampire) warrior from the Order, an organization determined to keep humans safe from the knowledge and harm from the vampires that have gone rogue. He is sent to his home state of Alaska to investigate some brutal and suspicious human deaths. In Alaska he meets Alex, a woman with a frightening secret who finds herself in the middle of whatever is going on up there.

Unfortunately, I just didn’t latch on to Kade. He was sexy sure, but I was never invested in his character or his relationship with Alex. I felt like I “knew” him less than the previous Breeds featured in other books, as I have always seen him as a more secondary character. His unique talent was interesting, but not enough to really drag me into this story. Likewise, Alex was just “ok”. I didn’t love her and at a times I found her actions to be unlike her character and even bordering on the “too stupid to live” side.

The thing that I like about Lara Adrian’s Breed series, and the reason I will continue reading them, is the unique take on vampires. Her vamps are descendent of an alien race and very much alive. They are covered in ultra sexy dermaglyphs (tattoos) and growl and roar like my beloved shape-shifters.

Overall, Shades of Midnight is a mediocre installment to the Breed series. I wouldn’t pick this up as your first experience with Lara Adrian but if you are a fan of the series, I wouldn’t skip it.

Other Reviews:

Tori @ Smexybooks – 4
Dear Author – C+
Larissa’s Life – 3.5

FTC Disclaimer: This book was purchased by me