Tempting the Beast (Breeds #1) by Lora Leigh

SUMMARY

He’s a genetic experiment. The merging of human and lion DNA his creators call a Breed. And they have no idea just what kind of the creature they brought into being.

Callan Lyons wanted only to be left in peace to protect the small group of Breeds he rescued from a New Mexico lab, but those that created them refuse to stop their continued attempts to re-capture them. And the owner of a small, reputable paper, once a friend of his birth mother’s, now has proof of his existence. Proof that has caught his daughter, Merinus Tyler’s’s fascination and ensured her determination to find him. But once they touch, they’ll become far more than either ever imagined possible.

Man created them, but nature has made them her own. Beginning with Callan, she’ll show the world the folly of playing with the very building blocks of all she protects. And Merinus will learn the folly of tempting the beast… 

MY REVIEW (OLD BOOK EDITION)

Breeds 1
Feline Breeds 1
Featured Couple: Callan Lyons (Lion) & Merinus Tyler (Human)

The Breeds series in the first years of 2000 has brought some of the most original concepts in Paranormal Romance. The main characters are basically human-like animals or animal-like humans and they are the results of experiments. Outside they look completely human, they don’t shift (these are not shifters’s books!), they are part of the human society until their existence is discovered. Breeds are partly animals in their DNA. They were created and the main reason for their creation is to be soldiers. They have intense hearing and smell, they are strong and they can endure pain and the most inhuman conditions and of course they are soldiers (they have tactical behavior and strong instincts).

But these books besides PNR are mainly EROTICA. A Breed behaves differently when his sexual encounter is his mate. The animal then takes charge and the couple cannot live without each other and they cannot survive if they don’t consummate their sexual relationship in regular time intervals. Especially his mate can have intense pain which does not seize unless she is satisfied by her mate and breed. This is called mating frenzy.

There are three main types of breeds: Feline, Wolf and Coyote. Later in the series the winged type is also introduced. Each of them behaves differently during sex.

Does all these sound weird and have a cheese factor? Maybe they are. But they are original. The only book I can think that has similar creatures to the ones Lora Leigh has created before the first book of breeds was published is “The Island of Doctor Moreau” where animals become humanoids. Unfortunately these humanoids were suffering; they were creatures from a nightmare.

Lora Leigh has managed to make the results of these ruthless and heartless experiments something like rock stars. Her creatures are wicked mainstream. They are interesting. They know how to love, how to make love, how to protect those that they love. They are braver and cleverer than the normal humans. It is cool to be a Breed!

In this first book, Callan Lyons is a genetic experiment created by a blend of human and lion DNA – not known to the public. Merinus is a journalist who works with her father and seven brothers. Her family is investigating Callan and the immoral and forbidden experiments and they want to expose the scientists (Genetic Council) who did such a thing.

Callan and Meritus are drawn together and their mating frenzy starts. None of them will be able to resist the other.

Callan and Meritus is the most important couple in this series. He will become the leader of feline breeds and basically he will be the male who will guide the way to the coexistence of humans and breeds.

MY REVIEW (RECENT BOOK EDITION)

The beginning of the adventure for Merinus Tyler and Callan Lyons has been re-released with a new shiny book cover.
This is my favourite couple from the Breeds series and Callan is the ultimate "Lion King" of the Breeds.

The book was out of print for some time now, so if you wanted to read it and you couldn't now it's your chance ;)