ARC Book #Review: Cross Breed (Breed 32) by Lora Leigh .@LoraLeigh_1

Book Title: Crossbreed ( Breed 32)
Author:  Lora Leigh |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Berkeley Publishing
Genre:  Romance, Paranormal, Science Fiction
Series/Standalone: Series 32
Format:  Hardcover

Cost: $26.00

Pages: 384
How I got it: NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date:  September 25, 2018
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Synopsis:

Fans of #1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh's scorching Breed series first met Cassie as a little girl in Elizabeth's Wolf. Now Cassie has finally come into her own as a young woman, and she's about to discover the one she is destined for--but it is unclear whether her fate is to be mated for life, or marked for death...

The Breeds are humans altered before conception with the DNA of the predators of the earth. But although they all carry the genetic material of beasts within them, Cassandra Sinclair stands apart. A unique mix of wolf, coyote and human, she is revered by many--but preyed upon by others. She is fiercely protected by her community...but no one manages to stop her when she slips away one day to offer her body in exchange for her sister's safety.

The man she succumbs to surprises her by unleashing her inner animal in ways she never dreamed possible--and provokes her deep, furious rage. To Cassie's shock, he is the mate she has long awaited. She may never be able to forgive his deception. Still, as dangerous enemies track her, and as the threat of all-out war between Breeds and the humans who despise them hovers in the air, they must join forces and hold fast to each other.

But the passionate union between them holds a potential that could change the world--and some will do anything to stop it...

This has been a long time coming. Elizabeth's Wolf was the first book I read in this series and I fell in love with the sweetness that was Cassie. Due to what I read I knew I had to read the entire series and this launched my reading challenge for last year. I accomplished my goal and have been highly anticipating this story with each of the other stories I read.  As the series has grown and the Breed world has expanded more about her has been uncovered.  This has lead the world of the Breeds into a new direction from the beginning. Who Cassie is and what she can possibly do has been one of the biggest mysteries of this series.

Cassie has always been my favorite character and finding out who her mate is happens to be what I've been dying to know. I know I'm not the only one, we began getting hints several books ago and there have been fan theories flying all over the place and I have to say I have been very satisfied in finding out who her mate was and watching their story unfold.

Picking back up right where Wake A Sleeping Tiger left off, we are back in the world of the Breeds on the brink of war because Cassie is missing. She has always been the Breeds biggest weakness and their strongest advocate, for her to go missing and for more secrets about her abilities and existence to be unveiled has sent many of the packs reeling.

For the first time in a long time, we get Cassie's perspective on everything unfolding, as she makes a devil's bargain to gain something for another who needs he, she also sees this as a way to gain something for herself after always putting the health and happiness of the Breeds before herself; her greatest fears are unveiled and we realize the weight that has been set on her shoulders.  Cassie is Dane's daughter to the bone and despite her mix of genetics and the fact that she's a natural born Hybrid and one who was never in the labs makes her a hot commodity for many.  I could sit here and wax on about who and what Cassie is, but she tells that story the best herself.

I can't even go into detail without ruining the surprise on who her mate is so I'm not going to. I am going to say that this one lives up to the good writing of some of the older books, where the case and the intrigue is balanced out by the mating bond and the effects on their lives.  Despite the fact that Cassie has given so much and is friends with and works with Jonas there are those amongst the Breeds who see her as an enemy, and when they beleive she's vulnerable strike at her.  It's sad to see the disadvantages to mating with someone no one trusts.  Jonas once again has his hands in so many different pies and so many lives depend on his decisions, that it's interesting to see him so flustered throughout the story as Cassie tries to navigate being this Breed's mate and the woman everyone else expects her to be.

I absolutely loved that her mate just wanted her, not the Breed lawyer, not Dane's daughter, not Jonas' friend but Cassie herself. He saw her better than she saw herself and having realized for years that she is his mate gave her the space to come into her own. When he realized he needed her just as much as she needed him he began a campaign to win her and introduce some fun into her life.  I loved that they developed a working relationship before this and that Cassie used him as her one little rebellion.  It was the one secret she has and it was something only her mate could give her.

I really loved the reappearance of Graeme and his twin Cullen and their mates. It gave me such a thrill to realize we were going to get a few more stories out of the Breeds yet and I can't wait to dive back into the world.  With Cassie's mating, some Breeds who have been hidden and out in the cold have come in and been introduced tot he Breed world. An even greater enemy of the Breeds had been introduced and a chance to learn the names of the twelve Chairmen of the Council has been presented.

I loved how balanced between learning more about Cassie and learning more about her mate and how this impacted both their lives.   I can't wait to see where this world leads and how the stories unfold. I'm looking forward to the Breed couple we see coming up because it's going to be one heck of a story.

 ★★★★★

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Ghostwalker Series by Christine Feehan
• The Psy Changeling Novels by Nalini Singh

I was hooked and couldn't stop reading until the book was done and even then I wanted more. I highly recommend my loves, get yourself a copy. and as always Happy Reading my loves, 

ARC #Book Review: Song Of Blood & Stone by L Penelope

Book Title: Song of Blood & Stone ( Earthsinger Chronicles Book 1)
Author:  L. Penelope |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Romance, Sci-Fi
Series/Standalone: Series Book 1
Format: Ebook, hardcover

Cost: $26.99

Pages: 384

How I got it: NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: May 1, 2018
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Synopsis:

"Wonderful characters, unique setting, and an engaging romance set against the backdrop of ancient magic. I can't wait to see what L. Penelope will do next."--Ilona Andrews, #1 New York Times bestselling author
L. Penelope's Song of Blood & Stone is a treacherous, thrilling, epic fantasy about an outcast drawn into a war between two powerful rulers.

Orphaned and alone, Jasminda lives in a land where cold whispers of invasion and war linger on the wind. Jasminda herself is an outcast in her homeland of Elsira, where her gift of Earthsong is feared. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin, they bring with them a captive--an injured spy who threatens to steal her heart.

Jack's mission behind enemy lines to prove that the Mantle between Elsira and Lagrimar is about to fall nearly cost him his life, but he is saved by the healing Song of a mysterious young woman. Now he must do whatever it takes to save Elsira and its people from the True Father and he needs Jasminda's Earthsong to do it. They escape their vicious captors and together embark on a perilous journey to save the land and to uncover the secrets of the Queen Who Sleeps.

Thrust into a hostile society, Jasminda and Jack must rely on one another even as secrets jeopardize their bond. As an ancient evil gains power, Jasminda races to unlock a mystery that promises salvation.
The fates of two nations hang in the balance as Jasminda and Jack must choose between love and duty to fulfill their destinies and end the war.

"Prepare to be hooked. Song of Blood & Stone is brimming with captivating lore, unique magic, and plot-turns you never saw coming. L. Penelope has written your next fantasy obsession." --Elise Kova, USA Today bestselling author of The Loom Saga

Wonderfully written I was completely hooked from the get-go.  I wanted to know what would happen next, who would betray whom, & how everything would pan out. I ignored everything else in my life so I could complete this book. I needed to read it and find out what happened.  It's an adventure story, a journey to save a home, to reunite a people who are broken that becomes more about saving a country on the brink. 

This book features two amazing characters, the first one is Jasminda born a half-breed & made to know exactly why their people are at war. She's been outcasted by her town and pushed into a corner by those who should be taking care of her.  Jack was a spy who was undercover in enemy lines. He's running from a team that is bent on killing him before he makes it to his general to pass on the information that would help prevent a war.  I loved that they had hidden depths and secrets as well. Jasminda knew very little about her parent's history as they wanted to forget what brought them here to this space and move on.  As such she was unaware of just where she belonged.  I started to guess Jack's secret as the story unfolded and we drew closer to certain destinations, but it was still a surprise for Jasminda and seeing her reaction made me like her even more.

I absolutely loved this book.  The characters were well written Jasminda was my favorite character because despite having so much lost in her life she still gives her all.   Reading Jasminda and how she kept trying to talk herself out of falling for Jack.  I absolutely identified with her because she dealt with so much in her short life.  Including so much that happens right now in our modern world was seen in this and I totally understood how she felt when the townspeople acted up.   loved that the author didn't shy away from confronting racism, the ugliness of war and how our ideals of our country aren't always what is true in practice.

My favorite scenes are from the cityscape when she first got there and saw the whole thing. The description of the royal palace and I really enjoyed her favorite places within the castle.  I loved that the city was a mix of steampunk, futurism, today's tech and of course old tech as well. It was amazing. I  I also loved the scenes from the library, when Jasminda & Jack confront what's going on between them. It's also where they slowly learn that they need to do more than what the original mission was. 

The secondary characters were well written & dimensional.  Some were well rounded & some were written as if we should have known more about them but we really didn't  I enjoyed the POV as it switched between the two main characters and that made it more in-depth with their reasonings and ideas.

I felt so many different emotions while reading this book.  I was angered when certain scenes where Jasminda had to deal with the townspeople and the city people.  I absolutely loved Jack and her conversations, I loved their personal moments. I was intrigued, worried, nervous, and had a slightly unhealthy level of anxiety as things were unfolding.  For me, the ending wasn't predictable at all. It's such a fantastic story, that seemed to grow, the mystery of where it was going unfolded at a great pace. There were so many different layers and betrayals  And I was extremely excited to see that there are other books in the story. I also loved the little antidotes at the beginning of each chapter as I felt it added to the overall story as well.

 ★★★★★

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Warlord Series by Elizabeth Vaughan  
• Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa

I absolutely loved it and have ordered myself a copy and highly recommend it to you as well.  Happy Reading my loves,