The Man Within (Breeds)

After reading Feline Breeds 1, I couldn't wait for Feline Breeds 2, The Man Within. Taber has protected Roni since she was 11 years old and has watched over her into adulthood. Roni has always loved Taber, but doesn't know that he is one of the Feline Breeds who has animal DNA and escaped from the experimentation labs. He stays away from Roni sexually because he doesn't want to involve her in his dangerous life, since the Council (who forcibly altered men and women with animal DNA) is hunting the Breeds. They finally are going to get involved sexually, but are torn apart by treachery and deceit, but not before Taber has "marked" Roni as his mate. When Taber sees Roni being attacked by reporters because of her "mark", he decides that it's well past time he claim her as his mate. And claim her he does! This book has lots of "leave nothing to the imagination" sex, but more than that, it has a story that grabs you and doesn't let go. Taber expects Roni to accept that they are mated and she will just accept it - not so. Roni gets in Taber's face every chance she gets. The great thing about that is, Taber is a prime hunter who doesn't take crap from anyone - but he loves it when Roni stands up for herself. Anyone who has read the Wolf Breeds from Lora Leigh will absolutely love the Feline Breeds. Buy the book - sit back and prepare to be entertained and aroused. I can't wait for the next Feline Breeds book to come out.

This is another in Lora Leigh's Breed series. Genetically created men and women, genes altered so they carry traits of big cats, wolves and other animals. The series has endless possibilities, and look for Leigh to carry it to NYC mainstream print soon. This is a super-charge erotica tale, yet Leigh has a craft that transcends erotica. Roni is a poignant character. Found hiding in a Wood by Taber when she was eleven, he has kept watch over her, tried to protect her. Now, she is a grown woman and he is still getting her out of scrapes. Roni is used to, at best, an indifferent father, abusive when he wants money from her. Worse, he's always getting into trouble and it comes down on Roni. She has grown up basically alone, no one there for her. Roni has wanted Taber, been in love with him since she was sixteen, but Taber ignores this and tries to be a big brother. Taber keeps his distance because he is Feline Breed. In Wolf Breed the genes are recessive, but not in the cats. Many of the feline traits are evident, so he feels he has no right to love Roni. As Roni pushes for more from Taber, he marks her. Something about the Felines, that physical mark their mate, similar to a passion mark, but the mark never vanishes. Due to Roni thinking Taber didn't' want her and Taber getting a message Roni wanted nothing to do with him, they keep their distance for over a year. However, when the news of the Breeds exploded on the television, her father becomes aware Roni carries Taber's mark. Instead of keeping his mouth shut daddy dearest sees it as a way to make big bucks. The covert operatives that ran the Breed Program are hunting them down and killing them. They also want more information on the mates, the women whom they are claiming. Roni would bring a big chunk of change for her father. When she refuses to cooperate, he reveals her bond with Taber, forcing Taber to come claim her to save her from those hunting him. He knows she is a target now, that he must come and claim his mate. Only Roni is unprepared for what that means, and really doesn't want to be his mate now that he turned his back on her for so long. It's erotica, not the more mainstream of the brilliant Elizabeth's Wolf. So know that going in. Leigh is a talent to be reckoned with. Where she really excels is her characters. She makes you know these people, makes you care. I eagerly await her jump to NYC publishers and see what she does with a bigger showcase.

Recently I reviewed Lora Leigh's Tempting the Beast, Feline Breeds 1. It's an erotic romance centered around the unusual relationship between Callan, a man who is the product of genetic experimentation (a mix of human and feline DNA), and Merinus, a human journalist who wants to protect him. Book 2 is its own, separate story, but it does pick up shortly after the first book left off. In it, Taber, one of Callan's Pride, discovers that Roni, a young woman from his past, is his own destined mate--and she's in a great deal of danger from the people who created him. As I mentioned in my review of the first book, despite the military and genetics aspects of the plot, this isn't science fiction--it's a paranormal romance. The "science" is hand-wavy plot device stuff. That said, it's no more flimsy than you'd see on your average entertaining Saturday night horror flick, so unless you're a real stickler for believable science in your plots, I don't think it's a problem. In most trilogies book two is the slowest and has the most problems; in this case, I like it better than books one and three. Taber and Roni have great chemistry, and there's a tenderness to their relationship that I enjoyed. The sex scenes are even better in this one--same warning though, they're far from tame in content and language, so they aren't for prudes. While the sex does get a bit rough, one of the things I love about Leigh's stories is that the men & women hold their own with each other very well--in and out of bed. The writing contains a few perspective shifts that confused me as to whose thoughts were being explored at the moment, but other than that it's good. While the story itself stands alone, I highly recommend reading the series in order as sub-plots and character threads continue throughout. If you're looking for a high plot-so-sex ratio, or restrained, tame sex scenes, this book and series are not for you. If, however, you like things wild and crazy and don't care if the premise takes a back seat to the sex, this is a searing hot book in a fun series.

Taber has taken care of Roni for ten years. As a child she had been abused by her father and Taber would comfort her. Fifteen months ago he marked her and left. With just a note to tell her that it was best to forget about him. Lies have been told. She is now in trouble. Tablet's animal is not letting her go. This ongoing thread. This second book that I have read in order. I started with book five years ago. Now am going back to read in order.

Second book in the series. This is Roni and Taber's story. This series only gets better. As you delve deeper into the Breeds stories, the deception and evilness that was done to the breeds come out. The pain and suffering they endured yet were still able to survive is captivating. But when they find their mates, the deep love and devotion is intense and everlasting. These books are intense and not for everyone but as I love sci-fi, this adds an extra element to a love story.

This story is not new to me and reading it again was better than the first time! Being the 2nd book of the Feline Breeds made me want to read more about them. Now, they have been united with their Wolf/Coyote brothers and sisters to make one of the best series ever written! Not to mention more of their Feline family members coming out and finding love as well! Start from the beginning and read ALL of the books. They are addictive and worth getting! I am a Lora Leigh fan for life!

I''m one of those who likes a little stronger plot-to-sex ratio than found in this book. With a title like The Man Within, I was expecting the story to delve a little more into the psyche of this mixed-breed. But the story revolved mostly around the mating of Roni and Taber - which was interesting! Don't get me wrong. Lora Leigh writes with a sophisticated touch, and the sex scenes are hot, hot, hot. But in the end I wanted the characters to have a little more emotionally at stake. After all, there is only so many times I can read about her 'wanting him more than she ever had before' before it all starts to run together. I would have been more pleased with a story that explored in greater detail the complexity of being a mixed breed person. This is the first Lora Leigh I have ever read. I did enjoy it and will look for others of hers. But I won't dip into her catalog when looking for more than a HOT book, because I don't think she's developed the characters or the world of these beings very much beyond the basic premise of the laboratory experiment. We never visit the point of view of any of the antagonists to get the flavor of the larger universe of this story. I still think Kresley Cole is my favorite author in this genre. Even Sherrilyn Kenyon has a little more plot complexity and emotional depth with her Dark-Hunter novels than found with these characters, and she has a feline-human character in Dark Side of the Moon. Another author who put together a charming cat-man (pair) is Dara Joy, with her Familiar Species, in Mine to Take and Rejar. But the steamy scenes in The Man Within are very well written! Definitely on a par with the best that's out there, and interesting in an of themselves.

The first book in this series really caught my attention. I enjoyed this one as well, but while I definitely enjoy some rough, spicy action, some of the scenes seemed a bit rapey to me. With that being said, I like the author's writing style and the storyline.