Bengal's Heart [Mass Market Paperback]

I fluctuate between LOVING Lora Leigh's Breed books (Mercury's War) and not really getting them (Harmony's Way). Bengal's Heart had some really great scenes. I enjoyed the love scenes although -- I will admit they seem repetitive. I love Lawe, Rule and the appearance of Dog (can't wait for these books!!!). I think Lora introduced some interesting new elements into the Breed series that should keep it fresh. What really bothered me about the book was how serious Cabal was; I don't remember him being this way. I expected there to be more light heartedness. Also the 360 the character took. He blamed her yet he didn't really blame her. It was sort of annoying. The constant fighting. Also I expect consistency. Seriously 11 or 12 years they have been mates and he has been ignoring her? She freed him and we are just learning that? It feels like another reviewer has stated contrived. New fans shouldn't give up! Read the series from the beginning. Old fans will still enjoy the book I am just not sure you should expect to LOVE it. Don't get me wrong even though I am slightly disappointed with this book, I am now in my depressed state waiting for my next breed book.

First and foremost I have been a Lora Leigh fan for quite some time and have really enjoyed her breed series. I thought this was a really intriguing concept, her love scenes were almost always steamy and her story lines were interesting. Instead of improving as each new novel comes out she seems to be getting worse. And this book has to be the worse in her series to date! This book was so repetitive of other characters and story lines that I thought I had bought the wrong one! Cabal's character was so different that how he had been portrayed in other books that it was so jarringly apparent that she has begun to cookie-cut her characters to be facsimile's of each other. And don't get me started on Cassa! She was an insult to the female gender. Her constant griping, and i need to tell the story attitude, were so distracting that I almost couldn't finish the book. I'm by no means a bra-burning feminist but I was so off-put by her character, I couldn't understand her motivation for why she was doing the things that she was doing or her combative attitude. I guess the real problem was congruency.

Finally, I am tired of her stagnant plot lines. We maybe get a page to two pages as to what might be happening in the future and this just isn't cutting it for me. If you are going to write a series there needs to be at least some movement of the general plot line. Her side characters are more enriching than her main characters and if she continues to make all of the main characters the same I just don't know if I am going to continue with the series. Ms. Leigh has a great ability to weave a story, just read her Winged Breeds book and then you will be able to see that there is no comparison between that book and her latest installments in this series. I don't mean to sound harsh, but I was really shocked, just how poorly done this book was. I hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and we will see a big improvement with her next book.

In the latest installment of Lora Leigh's successful Breed series, BENGAL'S HEART, readers are treated to a mating that's been a long time in the making. Reporter Cassa Hawkins and Bengal breed Cabal St. Laurents pair up to find a mysterious killer. They find the killer as well as something much more important - the love they have for each other.

Eleven years ago Cassa Hawkins watched in terror and anger as a Bengal breed fought for his very life. Because of this, Cassa has devoted her life to reporting and paving the way for Breeds in society the best way she knows how. Given access to Sanctuary and Haven, Cassa does her best to release information and stories that will show the world that the Breeds are human beings with thoughts and feelings. She is trusted, sort of, and that is all she can ask for - until the night she is emailed pictures of a horrific murder with the promise of more deaths. With her reporter's eye for facts and her heart in her throat, Cassa begins her investigation knowing that the one man she can never have will do his best to keep her from this assignment - Cabal St. Laurents, a breed unlike any she has ever met but can't help but desire with every ounce of her being. The man she has eluded and avoided for years because of what she is to him - she is his mate and he has yet to claim her.

Cabal St. Laurents is one of the most dangerous breeds ever born. He hides his true persona under a guise of playfulness and playboy antics, some of which are legendary. With his brother mated, Cabal has been at a sort of loose ends with his life. But his life changes in an instant when the director of the Bureau of Breed Affairs gives him a new assignment - that of following a certain inquisitive reporter and making sure she stays out of the investigation being conducted to find a killer. With just one kiss, Cabal sets his plan in motion, that of tying Cassa to him for eternity. Now all he has to do is convince her to stay out of his investigation - which proves harder than he thought. Suddenly when information comes pouring in about the murderer they are trying to find, his mate is caught in the middle. Cabal knows the animal that is inside of him, and where his mate is concerned, all bets are off. Cassa is his heart, and it is time she accepts the love he feels for her before it is too late.

Finding the words to describe such an extraordinary novel is difficult at best. Anything that I could say to express how different, creative, and scorching hot BENGAL'S HEART is just seems boring. Cabal St. Laurents is alpha to the bone but tender and compassionate. He loves with his whole heart, and Cassa was the reason his heart still beat within his chest. He fought their mating, not because he didn't want her, but because he knew it would possibly place her in danger. His stubbornness to share his ideas and facts about the investigation created an almost chasm between these explosive lovers. It isn't until Cassa's life is threatened that Cabal's true nature rears its head - and let me be honest, it is something that I would have never imagined in a million years. Blasé as it sounds, the words, "shock" and "awe" come to mind. In BENGAL'S HEART, possible new plots are explored and questions are answered. Readers will meet new breeds and revisit old ones. I was simply astounded and intrigued at the possible story lines that could be written for this amazing series.

Hook, line and sinker - Lora Leigh reeled me in, and I was a goner. BENGAL'S HEART will make you laugh, possibly cry. It will keep you on the edge of your seat with the twists and turns of an innovative plotline. The love scenes are raw and earthy and simply filled with passion. I couldn't have asked for a better love story for Cabal than BENGAL'S HEART. It is truly one of the best Ms. Leigh has ever written. Grab a copy today and be ready to be beguiled and captivated - you won't be sorry.

Natalie S.

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