You know the kind of book that so good it wraps you in a thick blanket of warm fuzzies so that even when you put the book down your so consumed with the story it's difficult to focus? Coyote's Mate is one such book.

If you've read Leigh's Wolf Breed book, Aiden's Charity, you've already been introduced to the hero/heroine in this book.

At that time, Del Rey, Alpha of the Coyotes, needed the wolf breeds' Doctor to check on his woman exhibiting strange symptoms. Since the coyotes have isolated themselves from the other breeds, they have no idea that Del Rey's woman is in fact in heat, until Aiden informs him of the phenomenon known only to a select few of the genetically enhanced creatures known as Breeds. Once Del Rey realizes that Anya is his mate- the one woman to complete him- the pieces start coming together for the stubborn coyote.

Coyote's Mate occurs before and a little after these events and continues Anya & Del Rey's story, following them through some intense personal struggles.

Anya's been intrigued by the silent, deadly coyote breed Del Rey, nicknamed the Coyote Ghost, since the age of sixteen when she approached him for help in rescuing the coyote breeds being held captive in a Russian compound. Though Anya's the daughter of the scientists who work for the big bads who keep the breed imprisoned, she knows what is happening to the coyote's is wrong and she means to do something about it- with or without the enigmatic breed's help.

When Anya makes contact with Del Rey in a seedy bar, he thinks she's a fool and dismisses her immediately. But something about her draws him and he eventually agrees to help her, if her story doesn't prove false.

Years later, Anya is still waiting for their ultimate rescue. Although the Coyote Ghost has pulled some of the breeds from the fire of captivity, he hasn't finished the job. When she questions him for the final time, little does she know that he's planning the mission for that very day- and that he means to take her captive in the process. (Much loved by the people of the compound in Russia, especially by those of her family, Del Rey knows they will not fight if Anya is with him.)

Afterward, she of course cannot believe the man she trusted all those years, betrayed her in such a way. After all, he promised to pull her family out too. When he leaves them behind, wounded but alive, she vows in her heart to never forgive him, even though some mighty strange things are happening in her body that she knows is somehow tied to the hard-nosed breed.

When the Coyotes arrive in America, and Haven, the wolf breed compound, discovers their existence, Anya formerly requests a separation from her mate. A consul is convened to decide what to do and after some deliberation they agree to the separation, even though it is unprecedented. Del Rey, upset and unsure what to do about his mate's reticence, agrees to stay away for one year, but he knows full well after that time he's coming for her- reticence be damned.

He lasts eight months and in that time Anya has grown into the leader she's meant to become. She has learned to administer the bunch of breeds who live at Base, the coyote compound, even though the lot of them tend toward laziness while in down time.

When Del Rey arrives back at Base it doesn't take long for Anya's mating heat to make a reappearance, despite the face she's been on hormone supplements to keep a lid on the worst of the mating heat symptoms.

Anya loves Del Rey with all her heart and she's working to get over her mate's previous betrayals but when he- the man who shares such intimacy and claims she is the soul of one who everyone thought had no soul- refuses to give her the official ceremony that will make her his Coya, the mated second of his pack, Anya has had enough.

Oh, she sticks around for much longer than she should have, imo, and even goes back to his bed- because she cannot deny the other part of her heart. But when the coyotes start dividing and a breed close to Del Rey makes it painfully evident they don't trust her, she decides its time to leave.

Still, Anya has one last thing to take care of despite her mate's refusal to grant her demands for the breeds at Base. She has to get to the people who know the coyote's best, the scientists left behind in Russia, because more than anything the Coyote's need their own doctor- those who knows their physiology which is so different from the other breeds- and little does she know that she will need them most of all.

In the meantime, a group of men are doing their best to break the back of the Breed alliance the three groups of breeds are working toward. (Feline, Wolf & Coyote.) And they mean to do so, by breaking the most vulnerable- the Coyote Alpha.

Will her sacrifice make the difference or will Del Rey's stubbornness be the end of both of them as well as the breed alliance?

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this story. Both characters are wonderfully defined and it's very easy to get a grasp on them. At different times I wanted to wring Del Rey's neck, even though he thought he was doing what was best for his mate, and at other times he just melted my heart. Long told that the coyote's had no soul, it made for some uber romantic reading when he finally realized he did- and it was Anya who held it.

He does some stupid things under the guise of protecting her from his enemies and it made me cry and then rail at her as well for giving into him so often. But, in the end, she does make a stand. Anya's growth throughout the story is seamless and a joy to watch.

Heart wrenching and sensual, this book is a romance lovers dream. If your following Leigh's Breeds, you won't be disappointed with this one. ( )

Author: Lora Leigh
Series: Coyote's 2
Series Connection: Breeds, Wolves
ISBN: 978-0-425-22633-9
Genre: Paranormal Romance

5 Hearts

Description:
He always knew he would betray her...

Anya Korbin was only sixteen when she first came to Del-Rey Delgado—the genetically altered rebel known as the Coyote Ghost. For six years they plotted to free a group of Coyote women kept in Anya's father's lab. As Anya matured into a woman, she and Del-Rey grew close...but on the day of the ambush, he broke his promise and shot her father.

Filled with rage over the betrayal, Anya discovers an even stronger emotion is consuming her mind and body—the animalistic desire known as mating heat. Though Del-Rey feels it with the same intensity, Anya questions whether she can forgive him or trust him again. As they stealthily maneuver to bring the freed Breeds to safety, one question reigns supreme: Can Anya and Del-Rey survive their own heat?

My View:
The minute the new edition to Lora Leigh's series was on the shelves I made my way to grab a copy and I wasn't disappointed. This addition to the Coyote series will keep readers entertained and filled with emotion. Reading Anya plight will bring tears to the eyes of even the hardest romance reader.

I love the way Lora connects her series. In Mercury's War and Christmas Heat, Lora started a new story line featuring American based companies trying to create drugs to use against the Breeds. In Coyote's Mate she continues offering more pieces to the puzzle, but not completing the story. I'm glad that Lora finally got around to telling Del Rey and Anya's story. In Aiden's Charity the author kept us waiting with more information about the couple that we only meet briefly after finding out that Anya is going through the same mating heat that all the other women in the Breed series. The couple works well together and I liked getting to revisit the wolf compound and catching up Wolfe and Hope again.

On the other hand, while I understand the need to finally find a woman who stands against all the mating heat and stuff, I was a little disappointed the author tried it with this couple. I would love to see a story where Lora portrays a woman who just meets her mate for the first time and bam she's in mating heat and then wants nothing to do with him or the mating heat because she doesn't know him and is scared to death of what's happening to her. Let that character petition to be separated from her mate. While I understood why Anya was angry and mistrusting I also saw the couple's growing love even before the mating. That alone should have seen them back together after a few days not months later. Maybe a good person to have mating troubles like this would be Jonas' character. That could be really entertaining.

While a little disappointing, that didn't detract me from giving this book five stars though. I found the book was well written, the story line appealing and readers of the series will enjoy keeping up with characters and the story. For those who haven't read the series, this is a good one to start on. Lora Leigh takes on a whole new meaning to the weres and mating. ( )

This is the first book I have read by Lora Leigh. I really liked it. If you are in the mood for a good plot, a fair amount of action and some rather steamy sex, then this is the book for you. Hot paranormal romance. ( )

Once again, Lora Leigh has written a book that will get any woman hot under the collar. I have read several of her other 'Breed' books and Coyote's Mate does not disappoint. There's drama, action, romance, and lots of intense sex. This book is not for the faint of heart so don't complain to me about the goes on 'between the sheets in this and her other books. ( )

Lora Leigh's latest Breed book will singe your fingers and leave you begging for the next story set in her world of hybrid human-animals and the women (and men) they love. "Coyote's Mate" gives readers their first deep look at the Coyote breeds and their similarities and differences from the other Breed groups.

Del-Ray is the Coyote Alpha who survived hell, refused to bend to his human 'creators', and fought his way to freedom taking as many of his kind with him as he could manage. When a young sixteen year old human approaches him with information on a Council coyote lab, he's intrigued by her fire and lack of fear. For six years, he and the human work together to weed out traitors and plot a careful raid and Del-Ray becomes enamored and finally possessive of his human. But when he injures her family in the raid and becomes lost to the mating heat, she turns her back on everything he offers.

Anya is in love with Del-Ray and has been for several years now. But when she realizes he's been lying to her for six years, she's beyond furious...and hurt. Then the mating heat ambushes both of them and her virginity is lost in the fierce haze of mating lust and she panics. Once her fears subside, she quickly realizes there's nothing she won't do to keep her coyote safe...even if that means breaking his trust in her.

Anya intrigued and infuriated me (a lot like she did Del-Ray!) through most of this book. But she does manage to 'put on her big girl panties' and begin acting like a woman and not a child a little less than halfway through the book. Del-Ray is typical of the Alpha breeds, arrogant and clueless about humans...especially human women. Which means that he manages to do just about everything wrong! But it certainly makes for a smoking story.

Seriously hot Alpha coyote sex, murder plots, hilarious 'women things' discussions, and a wonderful happily ever after. If you like Lora Leigh, don't miss this one. If you haven't read her yet...you really don't know what you're missing! ( )