Wednesday, May 13, 2015

CAT’S LAIR by Christine Feehan



Leopard People #7
Jove Books, May 2015
Paperback
Obtained via:  publisher
ISBN:  051515556X
(ISBN13: 9780515155563)
Paranormal Romance
***




Paranormal romance author Christine Feehan’s latest Leopard People book, CAT’S LAIR is out in time for summer and has hit bookstores with a roar.  This is the love story of two leopard shifters, Cat Benoit and Eli Lopez (aka Ridley Cromer).  Cat grew up in a very strict and controlling household and after a failed attempt at escape left her physically and emotionally scarred, she was finally able to run away and make a life for herself off the grid, far away from the dangers awaiting her in New Orleans.

Ever watchful for signs of her past showing up, Cat is unable to escape the notice of Ridley Cromer, an instructor at the martial arts dojo where Cat practices.  Ridley brings out something feral in Cat.  And although Cat would like to pursue the attraction, she refuses to endanger him by getting too close while her past could show up at any moment.

CAT’S LAIR was an interesting paranormal romance in that it didn’t follow any normal pattern.  The story started off with the building relationship of the two leopard shifters, though Cat wasn’t fully aware that she was a shifter.  Readers know that she has been traumatized in the past and is terrified of getting close to anyone, so the budding relationship is sweet and when we find that Ridley/Eli has been playing her, her reaction mirrors our own thoughts on the matter.  It is really quite amazing that she is able to trust him at all after that realization.

The sexual side of their relationship is quite aggressive and for this reader this facet was a bit hard to fit with Cat’s background, though it is explained as part of being a leopard.  Ridley/Eli, being part leopard, demands submission at all times.  He is domineering and very alpha.  At times, his character comes across as almost abusive.  Frankly, this reader didn’t see a whole lot of difference between Eli and the man/leopard that Cat was running from, other than that Eli grew up around other leopards and knew the rules better the leopard that Cat grew up with.  The majority of the book was focused on Cat’s leopard shifting for the first time and with that shift, the coming “heat”.

While this reader wanted to like Eli more, I really ended up feeling sorry for the leopard that got left behind.  He waited years for Cat to grow up and grow into her leopard and give her time to accept him as her mate only to have her run from him and mate with another.  In the end, he ends up spending tons of money searching for her and ends up dead after chasing after the only woman he probably ever really loved.  The whole story, for this reader anyway, was really heartbreaking.  This is probably not what Ms. Feehan was going for with CAT’S LAIR and was the main reason behind my less than stellar rating.  But decide for yourself.  Heartbreaking story or love at last.  Christine Feehan’s CAT’S LAIR is on the bookshelves today.


Reviewed by T. Barringer
tammyLRM@gmail.com

"This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book."



 

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