The man she succumbs to surprises her by unleashing her inner animal in ways she never dreamed possible—and provokes her deep, furious rage. To Cassie’s shock, he is the mate she has long awaited. She may never be able to forgive his deception. Still, as dangerous enemies track her, and as the threat of all-out war between Breeds and the humans who despise them hovers in the air, they must join forces and hold fast to each other.
But the passionate union between them holds a potential that could change the world—and some will do anything to stop it…
Comment: This is installment #23 on the Breed series by Lora Leigh. Since I've read my first book in this series - although not the first of the series - many years ago, I've kept up to most of what has been released.
The story happens in the future and follows the saga of the Breeds, people created in laboratories where the scientists used the DNA of animals along with humans, supposedly to create special kinds of humans. However, there was a lot of chemical experiments which makes Breeds to be humans but with many of the animal features of whose DNA they carry. They have embarked on a quest fro freedom and have civil rights, have the law on their side now. The problem is that many of their enemies are still out there...
Now it's
This is the story of Cassie Sinclair, which was introduced in the first books as child. Now, on book #23 we have her romantic story, something the fans have been waiting for.
For some books now, hints on who would be her mate have abounded but I don't think it was any surprise to any fan who the hero of this book is.
Apart from this, the book is heavily centered on the "never ending" and ongoing battle to help all Breeds out there and, on a slightly secondary plot, the hero's family history.
Some details were not unexpected, after all the hints have been there, but I'd say the biggest reasons why this book wasn't as amazing as it could to me are very simple: the series is very long and too much time passes between installments and nothing seems to have any closure.
Cassie has always been special, has managed to offer support to other characters and is cherished by practically everyone. When, in a previous book, readers got a clue on who could be her mate, theories and ideas were quickly discussed and, had her book been published soon after that, I'm certain it would have had a bigger impact.
However, it feels as if the series has lost steam. I say this in the sense that perhaps PNR and erotica aren't a mix that is as trendy or as flashy nowadays, so the series still makes an impression mostly on faithful readers.
It's been 18 years since the publication of the first Breed book. It's been 18 years following these characters and their special features, which the author so cleverly invented.
But recently, the focus on these books isn't the same and each new book keeps offering as many doubts and new problems as the HEAs accomplished. How to read this if not by dedication and faithfulness to the series?
Personally, that is why I read it because it's not longer something I look for to do. I read each new book only for a small sense of duty and honor to the memory of what the series has meant to me. I do wish the author would get a move on with finishing the series... it would be better, I think, to write two or three more books to settle down the main arc - freedom and rest for the Breed's cause - and a few more key characters.
This feeling is what kept playing in my head while I finally read Cassie's book. Her special characterization no longer fills me with wonder, the character liaisons no longer make me invent theories about why this or that happens... It was, indeed, good to understand her mate's past and attitudes, to see them achieve a common ground. They mention love but apart from paranormal reasons and the whole "mate" issue, how could that be if they barely interacted before their book? Anyway, that doesn't matter, I'm just glad they found a shared bond.
When the next book comes out, I'll red it at some point. It's weird that I still feel invested enough to want to know what happens in relation to some plot points, even among all the distractions and the severely slow pace of every single book.
This book was OK, in the big scheme of things. It wasn't fantastic, though, and I hope the author manages to find real eagerness to finish the series eventually, but it's difficult to imagine this; Cross Breed was released two years ago and there is no information on new books, so...what to hope?
Grade: 6/10
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