Burning Wild

By the end of the story I wasn't sure that Jake Bannaconni's issues would allow him to have a fully rounded relationship with Emma Reynolds. He overpowers her, doesn't give her choices and wonders why she resents his actions. Kidnapping and disallowing reasonable choices is not the actions of love, they're a twisted version of love.
Scarily, even though I was having issues with the story, I also found it a compelling read, but afterwards I felt a bit uneasy and like I'd eaten too many cheap sweets.

The characters are interesting the story dragged me in, but I wouldn't call what they have a healthy relationship by any means, and definitely not a relationship to emulate.

I have to say that Emma Reynolds should be nominated for sainthood. I mean Jake Bannaconni is a royal pain in the ass through most of the book. I love him but I could see a lot of yelling if it had been me. Jake is all dominant alpha male. He has survived the severe abuse from his parents up to the point he could leave home. I think that his saving grace through his growing up years was his grandfather. For all the things that Jake has gone through he is a caring and compassionate person with those people that are loyal to him and his nuclear family. He cares for his children and Emma and the leopard shifters that he has working on his ranch and that is about it. I love that he is an avid reader. He is very intelligent and brilliant at show more business. There is quite a bit going on in this book. The three people that cause the most problems for Jake are despicable and evil in the extreme. I was kind of sorry that they were put out of everyone's misery so easily. I think that it would have been better if Jake had ruined those people so they would have had to live on the streets. Humiliated and beaten with no hope of anything better. Yes I know I can be vicious with fictional characters but I have no use or patience with people that abuse children or animals.

Emma is one of those women that we all wish we could be. She is loving, caring, compassionate and very intelligent. She can make everyone smile and make those that she is close feel like they are super special. She knows that Jake needs loving and care. She sees that he has suffered and she makes it her mission in life to make his life happier. She shows him how to love and care for the children. She shows him how to love and be loved. Emma is also very accepting of things that would probably terrify other woman. Emma is also a wonderful artist.

I loved the first two books in this series and this book is a great addition to the series. We get to learn more about Joshua, Drake and Conner. I am looking forward to finding out if Drake's leg can be fixed for he can shift. Joshua is so good with children I hope that he finds a mate soon. I am looking forward to finding out what drove Conner to Texas. One thing I would like is to read more about Maggie, Brandt, Rachel and Rio. I fell in love with them and wonder how they are doing in the rain forest habitat that they all love. This is a well plotted book that moves quickly and makes you want to find out what is going to happen next. There are times that it was very hard to put down so I could do other things. Ms. Feehan also writes some of the best characters and some of the most despicable villains in fiction. I love this series and I can't wait the rest of the books in this series. show less

Yes, Christine Feehan has done it to me again. Once I picked up "Burning Wild", I couldn't put it down until the book was finished; and at 443 reading pages, that was several hours that I spent living in her world with her characters. I loved it. YES, the hero is about as Alpha as they come and I can already hear some of the vitriol she'll no doubt receive regarding one particular sex scene...but hey! It's her world! She can do whatever she wants...

Jake learned early in his life to hide his leopard nature and count only his victories. The product of two insanely cruel parents trying to 'breed' a shifter, he spent his childhood bruised, broken, bereft of love, and waiting until he was strong enough to get away. Now, he's rich, he's show more handsome, and fate has dangled the one woman in the world for him in front of his face...but she's hurting and broken and he'll have to use every ounce of his hunting patience to lure her to his side and under his control.

Emma never imagined she'd actually be working for a man like Jake. She'd heard, and read in the gossip pages, all the stories about what a hard, cold man he is. But the more time she spends with him, the more she comes to realize that he's just a man who has no knowledge of love. At least no knowledge that he realizes...

This story was smoking hot. The sensual pull between these two had me sweating and the scene where they actually consummate that passion liked to burn the paint off my walls! This was no gentle lovemaking session, but a savage meeting of two passionate souls who've waited too long to come together; both having the prod of their animal natures to contend with as well. Just a heads up, OK?

"Burning Wild" is pure Feehan: sexy Alpha male finds the woman for him and locks on like a laser, woman faces danger, male goes nuts but rescues female and smoking hot sex ensues; repeat until finale. But you know what? I still love to read her books. Each of the males stands out in my mind (even now) and their heroines are memorable too. As many of her books as I've read, that HAS to mean something. On to the keeper shelf it goes :) show less

In a ridiculous attempt to become edgier in her writing, Chrisitne Feehan has written her worst book to date, in my opinion. Based on the interesting leopard shape shifters, she has written the story of an abused boy who grows to be an unfeeling man and his quest to control the one woman who might actually love him. The plot was essentially non existant and the entire book was submerged in one sex scene after another. The male protagonist was unbelievably unlikeable and the female protagonist was just unbelievable. After years of being a fan of Ms. Feehans work, and several disappointments in a row now, I am sad to say this is the last book of hers I will ever read. It just isn't worth my time or money any longer.

I read Burning Wild quickly, in just a matter of hours. I found myself turning page after page, hoping to find that Jake Bannaconni would learn how to love Emma and his children. It took almost the entire book, but he finally came around! Jake was so unyielding that he was difficult to read at times. I kept waiting to see if Emma could soften him, but he pretty much remained rigid throughout the entire book. Jake was not exactly a "likable" character, but Emma more than makes up for that. Also, Feehan has added a few familiar characters from Borneo - Drake, Joshua, and Cooper - to help teach Jake about being a leopard.

I didn't like Burning Wild as much as the previous books in the series, and I think that is completely the fault of show more Jake. I really didn't like him and I felt bad that anyone had to be around him. Burning Wild is a hard read, much darker than previous books. Jake suffers terrible physical and emotional abuse as a child at the hands of the people who should have loved and protected him, and it shapes his life irrevocably leaving him a cold, and tormented hero.

I'm eager to get back into the series and back to the jungle! I'm enjoying the series so far and can't wait to see which storyline Feehan will create next. She has given us lots of possibilities for new heroes in the first three installments of the leopard series, and there are several storylines that I'd be interested in reading in the future. show less

I think I prefer the books set in the jungle rather than the books set in the United States. I love the descriptions of the jungle in the 2nd book. I enjoyed the plot of this book, although Jake is a little too dominant for me. I don't like books where the man is always assuming his way is the right way. I prefer more of a partnership between a man and a woman.

So Jake's childhood is pretty horrific. As an adult, he becomes overly possessive, and denies himself all his feelings. Emma is very submissive and loving. She tolerates all of Jake's eccentricities.

Despite all of the character flaws, I still find this series intriguing. I love the concept of leopard people.

Let me start out by saying that I own almost everything Christine Feehan has ever written. I do enjoy her books and the worlds she creates.

However, I am not sure why I still own this book. For me, the actual romance takes far too long to start, the hero is kind of a dick, and I am not wholly convinced these two are made for each other. This book was just a miss as far as I am concerned. I especially didn't like hearing about other women he has been with or, in the hero's words, women he "let blow him a couple times." Just not what I want in my romances. The heroine wasn't too bad, but it sure did take her a while to find her spine.

This also another one of her books that gives us characters with horrible back stories--this has been show more happening a lot with Feehan recently and is the reason I own "almost" all she has written. For the first real book in her Leopard series, I didn't enjoy it much and was more intrigued with side characters. show less