Tempting the Beast

Tempting the Beast is a lesson in how not to write romance or a book in general. Editors do an important job and I wish a good one had worked on this, heavily.

Me reading this book:

Heroine pushes her naive deeply stupid agenda
*wince at poor use of language*
sex
hero whines
*rolls eyes*
sex
*wince again*
heroine whines
sex
more whining
*more eye rolling*
heroine stubbornly (and stupidly) believes she is right
more sex
a rare moment: non-sexual action
spoke too soon, more sex
"I love you" - *wince*
hint of a plot
heroine gleefully gets her stubborn stupid way -grr!
THE END

*head desk*

The word "repetitive" is an understatement. I skipped many a sex scene. They got old real quick. Less is most definitely more. Instead of detailing every sex scene just simply show more say "And they had sex again" or something to that effect and move the hell on. Jeez. If a drinking game associated with this book doesn't all ready exist there should be one with every time you read "throbbing", "womb", "vagina", etc. Of course, you'd have to be hospitalised for alcohol poisoning long before you were able to turn the last page.

I'm amazed I finished this but somehow I did. The only book I've read that could rival this one in terms of number of sex scenes is [b:The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty|26582|The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty (Sleeping Beauty, #1)|A.N. Roquelaure|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1346954268s/26582.jpg|1049526] and they got tiresome too.

P.S. I feel the need to state that I like some erotica now and then but there was too much sex for the length of the book and not enough plot to keep me happy. show less

Tempting the Beast
3 Stars

Callan Lyons, a human-lion hybrid, is on the run from the powerful Genetics Council behind his creation, which now seeks to destroy him. Merinus Tyler is a journalist set on proving herself to her overprotective family by exposing the council and bringing Callan to safety. These two fiercely independent people clash in an extreme battle of wills compounded by a brutal chemistry that binds them together in a “mating frenzy”.

A relatively realistic and intriguing premise of humans genetically engineered with animal DNA. It would have been interesting to have more details about the scientific processes involved and the people behind the project. As this is the first book in the series, these details may still show more be forthcoming.
Merinus is an intelligent, confident and stubborn heroine who refuses to give in to Callan’s dominance, which can be overbearing at times. They have steamy physical chemistry but I was disappointed in the lack of an emotional connection. The secondary characters are also compelling, especially Kane (Merinus’s domineering older brother) and Sherra, whose story I look forward to reading.
Overall, I would have preferred more plot development and characterization. The sex scenes become a little excessive. That said, the book is worth reading if only as exposition for the later books in the series.

Note: the cover art of the book is very appealing and what drew me to the book in the first place. show less

This is much more erotic than I normally read, but that seems to be a theme of late, due to several recommendations from friends.
That being said, I did enjoy the story. The thought of the government making new "breeds" by messing with DNA coding was intriguing. And in addition to the HOT romance between Callan and Merinus, you just get an overwhelming sympathy for the people who've had these experiments and testing done to them. I'm curious to read the rest.

This story has definite potential, i don't mind the sex at all but reading it I couldn't shake the feeling that it has been narrated by a gynecologist from hell.

Every few pages i had to refrain myself from having a mad dash for the sanitizing wipes to clean my e-reader. I am a woman, and I don't mind all the colorful names that can be used to describe our ever-glorious bits but what I found to be the most lacking in this story was the crudeness in witch the beastly mind-blowing sex was described.

I know it is supposed to be highly erotic and all, due to hormonaly insane man-pussy and his Barbed Bald Conqueror and that they couldn't help their over growing needs but somehow the 18th Century dock-worker eloquence of it all dimmed my show more experience a bit (a lot). It took this book down from an erotic novel with high potential to a porno that will never get filmed due to financial needs to procure all the extras to make our male stars realistic, and we all know pornos never get that kind of funding..sad really..

but anyway a golden star and a smiley face for the effort. show less

2008-06-29

The breeds series has been very successful for Lora Leigh, but I don't love them like others do. This is the first of the series, setting the ground rules. It has internal inconsistencies which annoyed me (you die if separated during mating frenzy, but then it is revealed that another character was separated during her mating frenzy and she's alive and well... so how did that happen?) I found Merinus' 'superhero' brothers a bit much, but also Callan's refusal to let her speak to them annoying.

I like how the characters - Callan and Merinus (and what kind of name is Merinus? It's so particular and they never explain that either) struggle with the idea of being addicted to each other, and then having to help each other through show more the addiction, though it seemed worse for Merinus (the female, and non breed) than it did for Callan. And only though helping each other do they fall in love, though Merinus capitulates quite quickly. There's lots of sex, and it's explicit, but there's lots of plot too, for once the two are balanced. I guess I didn't befriend Merinus or fall in love with Callan, so this book isn't a keeper for me. This is the second time I've read it and I don't need to read it again. B-

Reread again (so I lied!) 2009-11-21 and I agree with this review ;) The brothers are annoying, but there is an underlying tension which works. I think earlier Lora Leigh's are better than the later ones, and certainly the breeds series has ceased to work for me, but I'm keep ing this one, I may well reread it in 2-3 years and it's passed the reread test for now... show less

Mal eine Abwechslung zu all der paranormalen Literatur über Vampire und Werwesen. Gentechnik und Genmutation für das Militär, gezüchtete Mensch-Tier-Wesen. Und die junge unschuldige Merinus Tyler, Journalistin aus Leidenschaft, begibt sich auf die Suche des Mannes, der diesen Militärgenlaboren entkommen konnte. Sie will seine Geschichte aufdecken, der Welt erzählen welche Grausamkeiten in unseren streng geheimen Laboren in unserer Welt geschehen.
Doch dass sie sich Hals über Kopf in den Mann verliebt, den sie retten will, damit hat sie nicht gerechnet. Die Natur verlangt eben ihren eigenen Weg und nur in dem sie sich Callan und seinem Rudel von Breeds anschließt, hat sie eine Chance zu überleben. Denn die Hintermänner der show more Labore, das Council, ist hinter ihnen her. Hinter allen, auch Merinus steht auf ihrer Abschussliste und die geschickten Söldner werden vor keiner Greuel zurückschrecken.
Für Callan und Merinus ist es sein Schrecken, zu entdecken, dass sie die gesamte Zeit aus ihren eigenen Reihen verraten und verkauft wurden.

Lore Leigh hat mit den Breeds eine wahnsinnig spannende Geschichte geschaffen, die es hoffentlich wert ist, sie weiter zu lesen. Auch wenn es doch für meinen Geschmack etwas zu viel Sex und wenig Handlung ist. show less

Tempting the Beast by Lora Leigh
Book #1 in the Breeds series
3 Stars

Synopsis:
Callan Lyons, a human-lion hybrid, is on the run from the powerful Genetics Council behind his creation, which now seeks to destroy him. Merinus Tyler is a journalist set on proving herself to her overprotective family by exposing the council and bringing Callan to safety. These two fiercely independent people clash in an extreme battle of wills compounded by a brutal chemistry that binds them together in a “mating frenzy”.

Review:
A relatively realistic and intriguing premise of humans genetically engineered with animal DNA. It would have been interesting to have more details about the scientific processes involved and the people behind the project. As this show more is the first book in the series, these details may still be forthcoming.
Merinus is an intelligent, confident and stubborn heroine who refuses to give in to Callan’s dominance, which can be overbearing at times. They have steamy physical chemistry but I was disappointed in the lack of an emotional connection. The secondary characters are also compelling, especially Kane (Merinus’s domineering older brother) and Sherra, whose story I look forward to reading.
Overall, I would have preferred more plot development and characterization. The sex scenes become a little excessive.
Recommendation: the book is worth reading if only as exposition for the later books in the series.

Note: the cover art of the book is very appealing and what drew me to the book in the first place. show less