LION’S HEAT by Lora Leigh

A Novel of the Breeds
Publisher: Berkley Publishing
Date published: April 2010
ISBN: 978-0-425-23380-1
Erotic Romance/Shapeshifter
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by T. Barringer Tammy
Obtained via Publisher


Mistress of erotic romance, Lora Leigh is back with the breed story we have all been waiting for, Jonas Wyatt’s story, LION’S HEAT.

As the powerful Director of the Bureau of Breed Affairs, Jonas Wyatt controls breed politics. He is controlled, calculating and incredibly loyal to the Breeds. But like all the rest of the Breeds, Jonas has no control over the mating heat brought out when a Breed is introduced to his mate. Jonas knows Rachel is his mate. He also knows she is reluctant to accept their mating. After all the meddling Jonas has done with the other Breeds’ love lives, it is nice to see that Jonas has finally met his match in Rachel. Their courtship can be nothing short of explosive.

Among Lora Leigh’s highly successful Breed series, stories of humans scientifically infused with animal DNA in order to become perfect soldiers, who are now fighting for freedom and safety for their kind, LION’S HEAT is probably the most anticipated tale for Leigh’s fans. Jonas Wyatt is a dominant, headstrong, manipulative, and strategic leader who has been maneuvering the Breeds under his control to the point where they are all looking forward to seeing him meet his match, one way or the other.

Rachel turns out to be Jonas’ perfect match in every way. She refuses to be controlled and knows just how to push Jonas’ buttons. And she knows exactly how to push those buttons with a smile on her face that defuses Jonas like no other. In LION’S HEAT, we finally get to see Jonas’ softer side and we gain insight into why he does some of the things he does. The strength and lengths both characters go to in order to avoid the mating heat is both impressive and amusing. Almost every scene these two characters have together is highly charged with sexual tension and sarcasm. The frustration factor is palpable.

The storyline moves along at a fairly quick pace and gives readers a truly satisfying look into Jonas’ psyche, which fans of this series have been looking forward to for some time. On the negative side, this reader would have liked to see a stronger storyline than just the inevitable mating story. Nonetheless, LION’S HEAT delivers what Leigh fans have come to expect, strong, highly sexual alpha characters overcoming incredible odds using their new-found animal traits to their best advantage in order to protect and better their existence in a suspicious and resentful society.

THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF THIS BOOK. THIS IS AN OBJECTIVE UNBIASED REVIEW.