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Leopard’s Hunt (Leopard People 15) by Christine Feehan-review

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Leopard’s Hunt (Leopard People 15) by Christine Feehan-review & excerpt

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play / Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 20, 2024

Gorya Amurov might be known as his family’s peacekeeper, but the leopard inside him wants nothing more than to claw to the surface and unleash hell. A harsh life has shaped him into a vicious fighter with a calm exterior, but Gorya knows it’s only a matter of time until he loses all control. Deep down, he truly believes he’d be better off dead, and that no woman will ever accept him as a mate….

Maya Averina has spent years hunting the criminals who destroyed her life, and she always takes down her prey. She keeps to herself, stays under the radar, and never loses focus. But with her body burning up and her mind distracted by her first heat, an ambush takes her by surprise. Now she’s trapped, an unmated female shifter about to be sold off to the highest bidder. Maya is ready to fight her way out—until the most dangerous, powerful man she’s ever encountered arrives to set her free….

••••••

REVIEW:LEOPARD’S HUNT is the fifteenth instalment in Christine Feehan’s contemporary, adult LEOPARD PEOPLE erotic, paranormal, romance series. This is Bratva Leopard Gorya Amurov, and Maya Averina’s story line. LEOPARD’S HUNT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary..

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there WILL BE triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual omniscient third person perspectives (Gorya and Maya) LEOPARD’S HUNT follows in the wake of the rescue of our story line heroine. Maya Averina has lived a dark and lonely life since she was a very young child but she never expected to be rescued by a leopard with one of the most violent reputations. The Amurov Leopards are noted for their speed and ability to kill but no one knew the secrets that Maya kept close to her heart. Along with her own leopard ‘Wraith’, Maya was about to enter the Han Vol Dan, and would come to discover her would-be rescuer is her fated mate. Enter Gorya Amurvo, the man with whom Maya will fall in love but a man determined to end his life of violence, one way or another. Working together alongside leopard shifters Gedeon Volkov, and Meiling Chang, Maya and Gorya would place a plan into motion to take down an elite sexual and human trafficking ring, one run by a team of leopard shifters. What ensues is the building relationship between Maya and Gorya, and the potential fall-out as our couple must face the demons that refuse to die.

The world building is detailed and complex. We are up close and personal with the tragic and dark events of the past, a past that would frame and construct the lives of two shifters who have seen the worst of the worst.

The relationship between Maya and Gorya begins as a rescue but will quickly turn into a relationship between fated mates. Both Maya and Gorya’s leopards know but Gorya believes himself beyond repair, and Maya feels just as broken as the man with whom she will fall in love. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate and intense.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of colorful and familiar secondary and supporting characters including but not exclusive to the Amurov Leopard Crime Family -Timur and Ashe, Sevastyn, Meling and Gedeon, Jake Bannaconni, and Drake Donovan, as well as several cameos by and mentions of the Tegre Leopard(Evangeline, Josh); Kyanite Boston, and Matvei Jarvis, and several extended Bratva and Russian shifters. The requisite evil has many faces.

LEOPARD’S HUNT is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, madness and murder, delusion and infatuation, acceptance and love. The premise is dark, gritty, haunting and tragic; the romance is impassioned; the characters are animated, broken but determined to thrive.

Take note of the warnings, there are many triggers.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Wild Rain
Burning Wild
Wild Fire
Savage Nature
Leopard’s Prey
Cat’s Lair
Wild Cat
Leopard’s Fury
Leopard’s Blood
Leopard’s Run
Leopard’s Wrath
Leopard’s Rage
Leopard’s Scar

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

 

Gorya was back to using his hand like a seductive weapon, his palm stealing around to the nape of her neck, where his fingers settled in her thick hair. It was impossible not to be aware of the way he gathered the mass into his fist, and she slowly tilted her head up toward his.
“Kissing. I’m going to kiss you.”
Thunder roared in her ears, nearly drowning out his soft murmur. She was sure she hadn’t heard him correctly. “Kiss me?” she echoed faintly. She should have expected it.
“Yeah, baby, I’m going to kiss you. If I don’t, you’re going to start thinking about it and you’re going to panic again.”
He was right, but she might panic now. “I don’t know how to kiss.”
“That’s fine. We’ll learn together. We’ll just practice until we get it right.”
His head had come closer to hers. Much closer. She could see the fine lines etched into his skin. Those lines

represented the trauma he’d suffered as a child. Just seeing those creases settled her. She identified with him. She wasn’t threatened by him. She was needed by him.
His lips curved as if he knew what she was thinking. His warm breath reached the left corner of her mouth. Her entire body went taut in anticipation. Every nerve ending came alive. Little goose bumps rose on her skin. His lips brushed hers lightly—a delicate touch, but she felt it like a brand. Her stomach fluttered. A thousand butterflies lifted in flight.
Kissing was so intimate. She should close her eyes, but she was mesmerized by the way his eyes continued to change color, darkening with desire to a deeper blue, the silver ring around the blue thicker. This time she could read the stark passion mixed with growing affection for her. Growing need. Not just the need of a lover. There was that, but it was so much more. Like her, he wanted a much deeper relationship. He wanted something real with her.
Her hands came up of their own volition. She wasn’t going to be passive and put this all on him. He didn’t kiss women. Like her, he found kissing others much too famil- iar. If they were in this together, she was participating fully. She was terrified that she wouldn’t be able to be sexually intimate with him. She was the one afraid her past experiences would prohibit her from having a normal relationship. He was being gentle. Taking care to intro- duce her to their world of shared intimacy and vulnerability slowly and carefully.
His lips merely feathered along hers. Teased and coaxed. Always gentle. Little flashes of flickering flames seemed to touch her and were gone, leaving her wanting more. He didn’t try to rush into kissing her. He took his time, savoring the taste of her. The feel of her. Outlining the curves of her lips with his tongue. Memorizing her. She caught the images in his mind. All the while, he never

closed his eyes, staring into hers as if he could see right into her soul.
Maya had never been so aware of another human being. He was everywhere. Surrounding her with his strength. His heart. Letting her into his mind. Pouring into hers slowly. Carefully. It wasn’t an invasion or a takeover. It was a joining. A promise. He deliberately shared himself with her. Opened himself up to her. Made himself vulnerable.
Maya did the same, staring into his eyes. Giving herself to him the same way. A vow to him that he would be her only. She would give him everything she was. There was no expectation of perfection. Both accepted the other for the broken, damaged person they were. They were going into the relationship with their eyes wide open.
He slanted his head, and his mouth settled on hers. Her lashes fluttered down as he rubbed his lips over hers and then traced the seam with his tongue. The floor tilted and rocked. She gripped his shoulders, needing an anchor so she wouldn’t go spinning off into space.

Excerpted from Leopard’s Hunt by Christine Feehan Copyright © 2024 by Christine Feehan. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.


 

Christine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author multiple times over with her portfolio including over 70 published novels, including five series; Dark Series, Ghostwalker Series, Leopard Series, Drake Sisters Series, the Sisters of the Heart Series and Torpedo Ink. All of her series have hit the #1 spot on the New York Times bestselling list as well. Her debut novel Dark Prince received 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature (PEARL) in 1999. Since then she has been published by various publishing houses including Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards since Dark Prince.

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Leopard’s Scar (Leopard 14) by Christine Feehan-Review & Giveaway

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Leopard’s Scar (Leopard 13) by Christine Feehan-Review, Excerpt Giveaway

LEOPARD’S SCAR
Leopard 14
by Christine Feehan
Release Date: November 29, 2022
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, paranormal, romance

 

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play /

ABOUT THE BOOK: November 29, 2022

The moment Meiling sees Gedeon she knows he’s a leopard shifter—just as she knows she can’t trust him. Meiling doesn’t take chances, life has taught her better than that. So why does she find herself rescuing this deadly, gorgeous man, when she knows she’d be better off leaving him to die?

Gedeon is used to women throwing themselves at him, not throwing his injured body over their beautiful, deceptively strong shoulders and carrying him to safety. He might be embarrassed, if he wasn’t so aroused by the very thought of this feisty lotus blossom.

As they strike up a working relationship that suits them both, Gedeon starts to rely on Meiling for just about everything. But when her hidden nature rises to the surface, the connection that links them shifts into an all-consuming desire. And neither will escape unmarked. . . .

••••••

REVIEW: LEOPARD’S SCAR is the fourteenth instalment in Christine Feehan’s contemporary, adult LEOPARD erotic, paranormal romance series. This is fixer/Leopard shifter Gedeon Volkov, and Meiling Chang’s story line. LEOPARD’S SCAR can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but for back story and cohesion, I recommend reading the series in order.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Meiling and Gedeon) LEOPARD’S SCAR follows the building but contemptuous relationship between leopard shifters Gedeon Volkov, and Meiling Chang. Meiling was too late to rescue her ‘cousin’ from a human trafficking ring but the appearance of a Leopard male shifter meant Meiling had only a matter of time to make her escape. A series of explosions destroying the compound and all survivors left Gedeon Volkov temporarily blinded and unable to walk, and Meiling found herself nursing the shifter back to health. Desperate for Meiling’s help, Gedeon offers Meiling a job, a partnership ‘fixing’ that which cannot be fixed but a partnership in business terms only. Gedeon suspects Meiling is a Leopard shifter who has yet to reach the Han Vol Dan (female leopard’s first heat), and in this, Meiling’s continual denial of herself threatens the relationship between our leading couple. Gedeon’s leopard is dangerous, dark and in constant need of sexual gratification but he refuses to cross the line with the woman with whom he will fall in love instead opting for a series of meaningless women, inciting jealousy in our story line heroine. As Meiling and Gedeon work together on a number of search and rescue assignments, Meiling struggles to keep her leopard under control knowing Gedeon is their mate but a man who has issues with a monogamous relationship. What ensues is the slow building relationship between Meiling and Gedeon, and the potential fall-out as the past continues to hunt for our story line heroine.

Both Meiling and Gedeon lost their families to murder at the hands of an assassin leaving our couple the only surviving members of their Leopard clans. Meiling and Gedeon are descended from a long line of powerful shifters, and in this, Meiling has been targeted by the people at the top. Gedeon has been biding his time, exacting revenge against the Leopards who destroyed his family and his Lair but never expected the betrayal to come from someone he knew.

The relationship between Meiling and Gedeon is a slow building relationship predicated upon revenge and betrayal, desperation and need. Meiling suspects Gedeon is her mate but Gedeon refuses to place Meiling in danger knowing his Leopard is demanding and deadly. Refusing to accept Meiling as their mate, Gedeon continues to push away the woman with whom he will fall in love. The $ex scenes are erotic, provocative and intense.

There is a large ensemble cast of powerful and familiar secondary and supporting characters including but not exclusive to the Amurov Leopard Crime Family Evangeline and Fyodor Amurov (Leopard’s Blood #8), Timur and Ashe Amurov (Leopard’s Run #10), Elijah Lospostos, Jake Bannaconni, and Drake Donovan. The requisite evil has many faces.

LEOPARD’S SCAR is a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, greed and hunger, violence and death, acceptance and love. The premise is edgy and dramatic; the romance struggles in the face of perceived betrayal; the characters are numerous, powerful and determined.

Now to address a new ‘revelation’- a species of Leopard with the ability to create and control dragon fire, a group known as the Dragon Throne Justice. I am not sure where the author is going with this new plot twist but it is beginning to sound too much like the Carpathian series.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Wild Rain
Burning Wild
Wild Fire
Savage Nature
Leopard’s Prey
Cat’s Lair
Wild Cat
Leopard’s Fury
Leopard’s Blood
Leopard’s Run
Leopard’s Wrath
Leopard’s Rage

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Excerpted from Leopard’s Scar by Christine Feehan Copyright © 2022 by Christine Feehan. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

 

 

Her body shook as if she had tremors that were uncontrollable. There was no fixing that, so she just accepted it, as she did anything she couldn’t change, and looked around her. The cabin was gone. Flattened. No, it was a hole in the ground. The forest around it was gone, the trees lying in piles of rubble and leaves everywhere. It looked like a war zone.
She started to turn away when she caught movement under one of the stacks of leaves and branches. It was a human leg and arm moving, the arm trying to throw the branch off the leg. She heard the curse. The groan. The branch settled back over the leg. The man cursed again, and she heard the raw pain in his voice.
Gedeon. Meiling closed her eyes. Naturally he would live through it. He was a leopard and probably had more than nine lives. If she helped him, he would most certainly reward her by killing her. He was Amur. What else would he do? If she didn’t help him, she would forever remember him taking on all those horrid men to free the women. She would never get the sight of him kneeling on the porch weeping from her mind. The latter two things didn’t fit with him being Amur leopard. Now she was the one cursing.
She made her way back to him, picking her way through the debris. “I’ve got a gun, and if you make one wrong move, I’m going to shoot you right through the heart. Do you understand? If you just behave, I’ll move the branch, leave you your clothes and you can go on your way.” Meiling made certain she didn’t speak until she could do so without the slightest tremor in her voice. She was still shaking like a leaf, but he couldn’t see her—at least she hoped he couldn’t.
There was a small silence and then she heard him sigh. “Lady, get the hell out of here while you can. I’m blind. My leg is broken. The branch is too heavy for you to lift, and I can’t help you with my leg like this. I’m naked, by the way. If you did manage to get me free, I got a good look at you and I weigh three times your weight. How are you going to get me out of here? On your back? That’s ludicrous. No doubt there are men on their way right now to see what the hell happened to their moneymaking operation, and you don’t want to be here when they get here. If by some miracle you did manage to save my life and I regained my eyesight and didn’t die of infection, I’d have to hunt you down, which I’m very good at, and kill you because I don’t leave witnesses. On top of everything else, my cat hates everybody and I’m pretty damned weak right now and I might not be able to hold him back. So get out of here.”
“You really aren’t telling me anything new other than the eye thing and broken leg. If you aren’t going to be useful, less talking, please. I’ve got to figure this out fast.” She put his clothes down and considered the branch. It was large, but it was mostly the angle that was going to give her trouble. If she dropped it on his leg a second time after she picked it up, it was going to cause considerably more damage.
She was strong, and unfortunately, the moment she showed him just how strong she actually was, he would guess she was more than she seemed. That meant the moment she could, she would have to run. She’d planned on doing so anyhow, but that knowledge would double his incentive for coming after her.
She caught ahold of the end of the branch, lifted and maneuvered it off his leg, closing her ears to the sound of his hastily cut off groan. The branch was cracked in several places and made horrid creaking and cracking noises, threatening to break into several large pieces, the offshoots shivering, throwing twigs and leaves raining down. She didn’t hesitate at all but kept the thick branch moving until it was completely away from Gedeon’s body. When she dropped it to the ground, it did break into pieces.
For the first time, she allowed herself to look at the man’s face to see if he was telling her the truth. His gorgeous jade-green eyes were definitely damaged in some way. Hastily, she tore a strip from his shirt, soaked it in the water from her backpack and slowly approached him.
“I’m going to tie this around your eyes. It’s all I’ve got at the moment to help. Then I’ll stabilize your leg to move you.”
“Why aren’t you afraid of my leopard?”
“I have a way with them. Is he acting up?”
“As a matter of fact, no.”
Meiling did feel a little smug at that. He sounded shocked. She wasn’t that surprised. She did have a way with large cats.
“How the hell do you think you can move me?” Now he was back to irritable.
“Does it matter? I’m getting you out of here unless you’d rather I leave you the gun and you take care of doing yourself in. Otherwise, stop whining and let me get this done. I don’t want to be here with you any longer than I have to.”
“I have to hand it to you, little doll, you have guts.”

 

Christine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author multiple times over with her portfolio including over 70 published novels, including five series; Dark Series, Ghostwalker Series, Leopard Series, Drake Sisters Series, the Sisters of the Heart Series and Torpedo Ink. All of her series have hit the #1 spot on the New York Times bestselling list as well. Her debut novel Dark Prince received 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature (PEARL) in 1999. Since then she has been published by various publishing houses including Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards since Dark Prince.

Follow: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Christine’s Feehan’s publisher Penguin/Random House/ Berkley Romance and The Reading Cafe are graciously offering a paper copy of LEOPARD’S SCAR to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

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9. Giveaway open to USA only

10. Giveaway runs from November 29-December 3, 2022

 

 

 

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Leopard’s Rage by Christine Feehan-Review & Excerpt

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Leopard’s Rage by Christine Feehan-Review & Excerpt

 

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 10, 2020

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

Leopard shifter Sevastyan Amurov has an anger inside of him that burns so hot it’s almost impossible to control. His barely leashed rage relentlessly threatens to break free, until he meets a woman who soothes his restless soul.

Sevastyan wants Flambe Carver with every breath. He’s determined that the fiery-haired woman will want to be his completely. But his would-be mate comes with strings attached—a relentless stalker who intends to claim her for his own.

They barely know each other, but with a very real threat looming just out of reach, Sevastyan takes Flambe under his protection. And as their connection grows, the embers of desire sparking between them soon burst into an inferno that will consume them both.

••••••••

REVIEW: LEOPARD’S RAGE is the twelfth instalment in Christine Feehan’s contemporary, adult LEOPARD PEOPLE erotic, paranormal, romance series focusing on leopard shifters. This is Russian leopard shifter Sevastyan Amurov, and landscaper/ strawberry leopard shifter Flambe Carver’s story line. LEOPARD’S RAGE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

WARNING: LEOPARD’S RAGE contains graphic scenes of violence and abuse, as well as scenes of bondage and Shibari rope play that may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Sevastyan and Flambe) following several paths, LEOPARD’S RAGE focuses on the building relationship between, and the claiming of landscaper/ strawberry leopard shifter Flambe Carver, and Russian leopard shifter Sevastyan Amurov. Rare strawberry leopard shifter Flambe Carver was hired by our hero to design and landscape his most recent acquired property but Flambe missed two previous appointments causing concern bordering on anger for Sevastyan Amurov until he discovers that our heroine is being stalked and threatened by another leopard shifter. In an effort to protect Flambe, Sevastyan and his leopard Shturm claim our story line heroine and her leopard Flamme, a claim to which Flambe agrees but struggles with in the ensuing days. What ensues is the building relationship between Flambe and Sevastyan, and the potential fall-out as Flambe has been targeted for what she is, and the work she does rescuing endangered and abused strawberry leopard shifters

The relationship between Sevastyan and Flambe goes downhill rather quickly as Flambe struggles with a claiming that was meant to protect her from another shifter. Flambe battles between head and heart, enjoying the Shibari rope play with our story line hero but our heroine fights her own leopard for control, and the unending pain and recoil with every touch. Flambe suffers with a series of physical and emotional issues, and in this, her relationship with Sevastyan continues to suffer. Sevastyan grew up knowing pain and rejection, and his earlier years resulted in the barely veiled rage and anger for our story line hero. Never expecting to find his own mate, Sevastyan struggles with Flambe’s inability to let go, to accept who she is, and accept the male shifter who is unable to love. The $ex scenes are intimate, aggressive, erotic, raw and intense with scenes of Shibari rope play and $ex.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including many we have met in previous instalments including Sevastyan’s cousins and extended family: Evangeline and Fyodor Amurov (Leopard’s Blood #8), Timur and Ashe Amurov (Leopard’s Run #10), Mitya and Ania (Leopard’s Wrath #11), as well as shifters Jake Bannaconni, Drake Donovan, Joshua Tegre, Elijah Lospostos, Eli Perez, Kirill Chernov, Matvei Bykov, Vikenti, and Zinoviy. The requisite evil has many faces.

LEOPARD’S RAGE is a story of betrayal, vengeance, power and control; a story of violence and abuse; anger and rage; struggle, acceptance, understanding and love. The premise is dramatic and intense; the romance mainly focuses on the Shibari rope play, and the couple’s highly and aggressive sexual needs due to Flambe entering the Han Vol Dan (heat); the characters are numerous, energetic, and edgy.

Now to address the elephant or leopard in the room…what’s with the author’s choice of names? Flambe? Flamme? Sure, the heroine is a strawberry shifter with red/ginger hair but I had a difficult time trying not to laugh every time I read the name. This is not the first time the author has chosen to use abstract names but Flambe is almost comedic in nature, and ill-suited for the intense and dramatic storyline premise.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Wild Rain
Burning Wild
Wild Fire
Savage Nature
Leopard’s Prey
Cat’s Lair
Wild Cat
Leopard’s Fury
Leopard’s Blood
Leopard’s Run
Leopard’s Wrath

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

 

Excerpt courtesy of Berkley publishing

 

 

(Chapter 1, page 6-8)
Sevastyan was unprepared for Shturm’s furious reaction. The leopard leapt at him, raking and clawing for freedom as if he would go hunting right then and find Flambé’s stalker. Sevastyan remained absolutely expressionless but he couldn’t stop himself from stepping in to her and circling her the way his leopard would, inhaling as he did so. The moment he did, his leopard went crazy. He felt a little insane himself. Her stalker was leopard. He wasn’t Amurov. He wasn’t from Russia, or from one of the lairs Sevastyan was familiar with, but none of that mattered, he was leopard and he was stalking Flambé for a reason.
“He struck you. Hit you. Did he do anything else to you?” Sevastyan forced himself to take a step back when he wanted—no—needed—to yank her closer, spin her around and see for himself.
Flambé frowned and touched the swelling on the side of her head, her hand trembling. She looked confused. “The moment he tried to throw me against the car, I fought him. He punched me and I went down to the pavement and hit my head very hard.”
Sevastyan wanted to pull her close to him, even on the pretense of just steadying her, but the attack had shaken her. Shturm was acting crazy, one minute rolling over and the next struggling to get out. He had to be careful with her.
“He straddled me, grabbing me by my hair, and I kneed him hard, managed to get to my feet and ran for your property. I’d been here a few times with my father so I knew approximately where the trees were the thickest. He’d planted them when I was really young.”
Sevastyan swore to himself. “Is this man someone you know? Someone you were promised to by your father?”
She tilted her head and studied his face for long moment before answering him. “No. He didn’t know my father. Clearly, you’re aware of what we are or you wouldn’t have been so set on hiring our company.”
“Before we go any further, if I ask you inside, will you be uncomfortable alone with me? There is no one else here. I didn’t know how much you knew about shifters and I wanted a chance to tell you what I needed from you when it came to landscaping without anyone around, but I don’t want you to be in the least uncomfortable. We can discuss this and then business on the outside patio if that is easier for you, but you need to sit down.”
Flambé hesitated, faint color stealing up her neck into her face, surprising him. Sevastyan studied her averted face as she once again peered over her shoulder before looking back at him. He had the feeling this time her hesitation wasn’t because she feared whoever it was that had struck her. She was avoiding looking at him.
“I’m not afraid of you. Your family has a certain reputation and there is honor and integrity involved.”
There was the smallest hint of untruth in her voice. She wasn’t afraid exactly, more like intimidated and he was okay with that. Sevastyan had been intimidating people nearly his entire life.
“And criminal activity,” he prompted.
For the first time a faint smile lit her face, doing extraordinary things to her eyes. “That too.”
He stepped back and held open the door. “Come in then. I’ve had a lot of work done to the interior, but it’s by no means finished.” He stayed where he was, forcing her to move past him. He took up a lot of space and that meant her smaller body would have to slide next to his, touching his briefly. He wanted to see what reaction his leopard would have. He already knew what reaction he had to her.


 

Christine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author multiple times over with her portfolio including over 70 published novels, including five series; Dark Series, Ghostwalker Series, Leopard Series, Drake Sisters Series, the Sisters of the Heart Series and Torpedo Ink. All of her series have hit the #1 spot on the New York Times bestselling list as well. Her debut novel Dark Prince received 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature (PEARL) in 1999. Since then she has been published by various publishing houses including Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards since Dark Prince.

Follow: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

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Leopard’s Run (Leopard People #11) by Christine Feehan-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

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LEOPARD’S RUN (Leopard People #11) by Christine Feehan-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

LEOPARD’S RUN
Leopard People #10
by Christine Feehan
Release Date: November 6, 2018
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, paranormal romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 6, 2018

He keeps his emotions on a tight leash, but she can see the desire burning in his eyes…

Timur Amurov has one purpose in life: protect his family at all costs. With lethal skills honed from a violent upbringing, Timur is a leopard shifter who sees any newcomers as possible threats–and the petite blond barista who his sister-in-law, Evangeline, has hired to work in her bakery is definitely hiding something. While Timur still needs to determine if Ashe is an enemy, he does know that she is the only woman whose presence has ever truly calmed the beast roaring inside of him.

Ashe Bronte is well aware she has a type: sexy, gorgeous and dangerous as hell. Despite the fact that Timur is all those things and more, Ashe is in San Antonio for reasons that do not involve getting wild with a ruthless leopard–and she cannot afford to make any mistakes. But Timur has ignited something deep within her, and even though she knows she should keep her distance, every move he makes has her craving a taste.

••••••••••••

REVIEW: LEOPARD’S RUN is the eleventh instalment in Christine Feehan’s contemporary, adult LEOPARD PEOPLE erotic, paranormal, romance series focusing on the supernatural world of the leopard shifter. This is leopard enforcer Timur Amurov, and barista Ashe Bronte Mostafa’s story line. LEOPARD’S RUN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary although Leopard’s Run continues to follow the author’s latest series arc focusing on the Russian Mob.

NOTE: LEOPARD’S RUN contains scenes of graphic violence and implied abuse, that may not be suitable for all readers.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Timur and Ashe) LEOPARD’S RUN follows the building relationship between leopard enforcer Timur Amurov, and barista Ashe Bronte Mostafa. Timur was not impressed that his brother Fyodor’s mate and wife Evangeline hired an unknown female leopard to help out in her bakery and café. Not one to believe in coincidences Timur attempts to ferret out the stranger’s secrets only to discover the stranger is the other half of his leopard’s soul. Enter Ashe Bronte Mostafa, and the woman with whom Timur will fall in love. What ensues is the building relationship between Timur and Ashe, and the potential fall-out as Ashe and the Amurov family are targeted in a takeover attempt of power and control.

Ashe Bronte is about to enter the Han Vol Dan-the leopard female equivalent of going into heat-but her pheromones attract all kinds of trouble including the unwanted attention of every shifter male. Already the target of a vengeful man Ashe needs the help of the local Russian mobster but believes her presence is a threat to Evangeline and the Amurov family. Timur knows the pain and suffering of torture and abuse, and in this, he believes he is unworthy of a mate but Ashe’s presence is the only thing that calms his raging beast, a beast that is willing to kill to protect his family and mate.

The relationship between Ashe and Timur is one of immediate attraction but Ashe is on the run, desperate to contact Fyodor, in the hopes of procuring his criminal experience. Timur’s leopard knows that Ashe is their mate but struggles with the knowledge that his abusive past is but a grain of sand in a long line of sins and violence. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Evangeline and Fyodor Amurov (Leopard’s Blood #8), cousins Gorya and Mitya; Jake Bannaconni, Eli Perez, Elijah Lospostos, Jeremiah Wheating, and Drake Donovan. We are introduced to Evangeline’s brothers Christophe and Ambroise Tregre, their father Beau, and Uncle Gilbert. The requisite evil has many faces.

The world building continues to look at the brutal and sexually aggressive world of the leopard shifter. From abusive males to power and control, the leopards are a people who fear their own kind when past experiences have shaped the violent tendencies through cruelty, threats, anger and pain.

LEOPARD’S RUN is a story of family and betrayal; power and control; violence, killing and brutality. Christine Feehan pulls the reader into the volatile and explosive world of the leopard. The premise is raw and gritty; the romance is spirited and provocative; the characters are flawed, colorful and energetic. LEOPARD’S RUN is an intoxicating and imaginative entry into the world of the supernatural genre.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Wild Rain
Burning Wild
Wild Fire
Savage Nature
Leopard’s Prey
Cat’s Lair
Wild Cat
Leopard’s Fury
Leopard’s Blood
Leopard’s Run

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Posted by arrangement with Berkley, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © Christine Feehan, 2018.

Four o’clock in the morning came too soon. Ashe lay in the very comfortable bed and stared up at the ceiling. She hadn’t expected to sleep, not with Timur in the house. He was sexy, gorgeous and dangerous as hell. Just the kind of man she was attracted to. She’d never had any sense when it came to men. Never. She knew better than to even go there. A woman could dream of men like him, but she didn’t actually make that mistake. Not unless she wanted to pay a hefty price—which she most definitely did not.
She’d fallen asleep dreaming about it. It was the first time in a long while she’d felt safe enough to really fall asleep, not just dozing, but actually a deep, restful slumber. Well, as restful as a woman could have when she was totally perving on a man. Her dreams were mostly erotic. She didn’t mind that so much, unless she moaned like an idiot and kept him awake. That was a very real possibility.
She sat up slowly, holding the sheet to her neck, as if the thin material could somehow protect her. There was no protection. There was only common sense. She had to keep her distance from Timur if she wanted to come out of this alive. She’d told him the truth as much as she could. It was a matter of choosing the right words. As long as she kept that up, she’d be golden. He was suspicious, but then, what kind of a head of security would he be if he wasn’t suspicious of everyone? He had to be.
She touched her throat and then stroked her fingers over the marks he’d put there. He’d scared her. Really scared her. At the same time, she’d been wildly exhilarated. That was her shameful secret. She liked danger. She liked dangerous men. She craved both. Still, there was the sane part of her that prevented her from making mistakes. Until now. She sat up straighter and circled her throat with her palm. Now she didn’t know exactly what she was going to do.
She hadn’t expected that Evangeline would be the same sweet girl she’d met in the mountains a couple of years earlier. She thought she would be a spoiled woman, putting on airs, threatening the world with her gangster husband. Instead, Ashe found her to be the same genuine spirit, compassionate, helpful and a very hard worker.
Evangeline could hire any number of people to work at her business, but she didn’t. She did the baking and worked harder, even, than Ashe. There was nothing at all about Evangeline that suggested she considered herself entitled just because she’d come into money. She hadn’t changed at all. Evangeline was sweet and very genuine. It was no wonder her husband and Timur were protective of her. Ashe felt a little protective as well.
She forced her body to move, to make it into the master bathroom. Hot water helped to wake her up. She had to decide what to do and she needed to make up her mind fast. She had brought danger to Evangeline. She’d had a completely different idea of who these people were. Criminals to be sure. But . . .
She turned her face up to the pouring water, letting it cascade over her and run down her body as she closed her eyes. Evangeline being so nice, being such a wonderful person, complicated things. They’d known each other such a short time and it had been a few years earlier, yet right away she’d given Ashe the use of her home. She’d offered immediately, without hesitation, once she’d made up her mind to help Ashe. Clearly she’d gotten in trouble with both her husband and the head of security, but she’d stood up to them for her. Who did that? If she was the wife of a terrible criminal, would she do that?
She washed her hair, contemplating that. What if Fyodor wasn’t really a criminal after all? What if the couple didn’t deserve hell knocking on their door? She pressed her forehead against the tile. What have I done? She’d set things in motion, and maybe she couldn’t turn them around. If she couldn’t, then she would have to confess to Timur and he would kill her for sure. Still, that would be better than setting up an innocent woman and her husband to possibly die.
She wrapped towels around her, winding one around her hair and the other around her body. She didn’t have much in the way of clothes, but she hadn’t planned on being there for very long. Now, she would have to leave even faster. Once she’d made up her mind, she felt better. She could lead trouble away from these people, just as she’d led it there in the first place. She just needed a good plan.
“Coffee’s hot.”
Timur stuck his head in the space between the bedroom door and the doorjamb. He’d obviously showered. He looked wide awake and very hot. Handsome. Sexy. Too much for her so early in the morning.

Christine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author multiple times over with her portfolio including over 70 published novels, including five series; Dark Series, Ghostwalker Series, Leopard Series, Drake Sisters Series, the Sisters of the Heart Series and Torpedo Ink. All of her series have hit the #1 spot on the New York Times bestselling list as well. Her debut novel Dark Prince received 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature (PEARL) in 1999. Since then she has been published by various publishing houses including Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards since Dark Prince.

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Wild Cat (Leopard People #8) by Christine Feehan-a review

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WILD CAT (Leopard People #8) by Christine Feehan-a review

Wild Cat

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository / BAM

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 24, 2015

A simple request for Siena Arnotto: deliver a gift to her grandfather’s friend. One look at Elijah Lospostos, hard-bodied and stripped to the waist, and Siena succumbs to a feline stirring she never felt before, and to Elijah’s reckless and pleasurable demands. But when that pulse-throbbing moment ends in the murder of an unexpected intruder, Elijah accuses the shaken and confused Siena of setting him up.

Then Siena discovers the truth of her Leopard heritage, of the secrets in her grandfather’s inner circle, and the sinister plot of revenge that has put her in jeopardy. When Siena’s grandfather is assassinated, she realizes the only man she can trust is Elijah. Now as her Leopard rises from within, Siena and Elijah share not only an animal instinct for survival—but a desire so raw and wild it may be the only thing that can save them.

••••••••••••

REVIEW: WILD CAT is the eighth installment in Christine Feehan’s contemporary, adult LEOPARD PEOPLE paranormal, erotic romance series. This is Elijah Lospostos, and Siena Arnotto’s storyline. WILD CAT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Several of the previous storyline couples and characters have secondary and supporting roles throughout the story.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Elijah and Siena) WILD CAT follows Siena’s introduction into the world of Leopard shifters. Raised by her elderly grandfather at the Arnotto winery estates, Siena has always had the protection of several of her grandfather’s guards, but every once in awhile Siena is sent on a solo mission to deliver wine to a few of her grandfather’s ‘close friends and associates’. What Siena never knew is that she was a distraction to her grandfather’s competition, and Siena played right into the hands of her grandfather’s games. When her latest mission finds Siena delivering a case of wine to the man who has called to her heart for over ten years, Siena soon discovers that entering into a relationship with Elijah Lospostos is one of the most dangerous and humiliating situations she could ever have imagined. Siena has also attracted the interest of her grandfather’s right hand man, and the danger to Siena is dark and fatal. There is a war between the Leopard families, and each ‘familia’ is willing to kill for power, control and territory.

All of Christine Feehan’s male characters (especially the Leopards) are dominant and controlling, and Elijah is more controlling than most. His relationship with his men, and Siena is aggressive, and Elijah will humiliate the woman who will one day be his mate-Siena will never forget the humiliation and hurtful words that spewed from Elijah’s mouth, and in this Elijah knows that he has far to go to earn the trust of his future mate.

Siena is unaware of her Leopard heritage, and enters into a world that promises death, pain and the possible loss of her individuality and freedom. A relationship with Elijah promises secrets and the fear of the unknown, especially as it pertains to Elijah’s business affairs and his role within the Leopard community. Siena easily accepts the existence of the Leopards without the usual denial and need to run from her life. The world building continues to focus on the Leopard’s struggle to survive in the human world; their need to dominate and control; and the search for a compatible female to carry on the shifter lines.

The relationship between Elijah and Siena is a constant push and pull. Elijah must be in charge at all times but Siena isn’t willing to acquiesce to Elijah’s demands-both in and out of the bedroom. The $ex scenes are numerous, aggressive, erotic and intense but there is no denying that Elijah has fallen in love with Siena Arnotto.

The secondary and supporting characters include Jake and Emma; Eli and Cat; Evan, Joaquin and Tomas Estrada, Drake Donovan, and Joshua Tregre. We are also introduced to several of Siena’s grandfather’s guards including Alonzo-a man who has promised to protect Siena with his life; and Paolo-a dangerous Leopard who wants Siena for himself.

WILD CAT is a sexually graphic and aggressive erotic storyline with abusive and violent situations especially as it pertains to the female characters. I have mentioned in several previous reviews that Christine Feehan’s storylines have become more violent towards the female characters-abuse, rape, torture, assault, and with WILD CAT the trend continues for both the leading heroine and a secondary character. Siena will suffer at the hands (paws) of another Leopard, and her emotional psyche will be assaulted by the man with whom she has fallen in love. Christine’s males have always been alpha and aggressive but it is the females who are suffering an uptake in violence and abuse. The real world is not perfect and neither are the world’s of Christine Feehan’s paranormal series. But not to focus on too much negativity, WILD CAT does brings with it some of Christine Feehan’s original writing style from the early days of the Leopard series-I found myself looking forward to revisiting old friends and familiar names. Welcome back to the world of the Leopards.

BONUS: WILD CAT contains a quick peek at the next Ghostwalker installment-SPIDER GAME #12-featuring Cayenne and Trap, and the backdrop of the NOLA Bayou. But I want to address the number of previous storyline characters who have yet to have their story told. So many GW Teams and male Ghostwalkers were introduced in the earlier novels, but Christine Feehan continues to add new names and characters, focusing on a different direction for the series. I am beginning to wonder if any of the original team members will ever have their stories told.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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