It’s been over a decade since she was introduced as an unforgettable eight-year-old in Elizabeth’s Wolf. Now all grown up, Cassie is unique among the Breeds as a Coyote/Wolf mix. She has long known that her mate was somewhere out there, but he’s stayed frustratingly out of sight and beyond her senses. Cassie has decided to make her move and her mate is ready to make his. The Breed world will be rocked to its foundation as dangerous secrets are revealed.

Wow! What an exhilarating read! I have been impatiently awaiting Cassie’s book and wondering who her mate was ever since she was introduced as an eight-year-old little girl. This child captured my heart and remains there still and I have to tell you that her story rocked my world just as it rocked the Breeds. Without giving away just who her mate is, I will tell you that he is sexy and arrogant, frustrating and mysterious with lots of secrets and a whole lot of alpha attitude as while I wouldn’t have put them together before, I could feel the magnetic pull of these two together and now I can’t picture Cassie with anyone else. These two character are seriously strong, totally convincing and really steal the show with their romance that is filled with lots of twists, explosive chemistry and volcanic passion and then of course there is the all the emotional turmoil one would expect during a Breed mating but this story goes a bit beyond the normal due just who these characters are. Oh, and of course there tempers flying and frustrations rising and jerks getting knocked on their behinds.

The adrenaline pumping thrills and excitement never stop in this fast paced novel that keeps readers turning the pages with obsessive fever. There was definitely no way I wanted to miss one glorious second of Cassie’s story which has secrets being revealed that blew me away, which of course means that readers will impatiently awaiting the next book to find out what happens next. Although, I don’t know if Cross Breed can be topped, but I have no doubts that this author could make me eat my words, because she brought new characters in and like most readers of this series, I can’t never get enough of the Breed world and all its fascinating characters.

Add to your shelves -

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35506426-cross-breed

BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/books/cross-breed-by-lora-leigh

Cross Breed is the 23rd book in the Breeds series -

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/series/40786-breeds

Author - https://loraleigh.com/breeds/#wpforms-425

Berkley - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/series/NBA/a-novel-of-the-breeds

which includes - (series chronological order - from author's website) Numbering is different as novellas are counted without decimals)

1 Tempting the Beast - (Lion)
2 The Man Within - (Panther)
3 Elizabeth's Wolf - (Wolf)
4 Kiss of Heart - (Snow Leopard) -
(temporarily unavailable re-releasing soon)
5 Soul Deep - (Coyote) - (temporarily unavailable re-releasing soon)
6 The Breed Next Door - (Lion) **
7 Megan's Mark - (Lion)
8 Harmony's Way - (Lion)
9 Tanner's Scheme - (Bengal)
10 Wolfe's Hope - (Wolf) - (temporarily unavailable re-releasing soon)
11 Jacob's Faith - (Wolf) - (temporarily unavailable re-releasing soon)
12 Aiden's Charity - (Wolf) - (temporarily unavailable re-releasing soon)
13 In a Wolf's Embrace - (Wolf) **
14 Dawn's Awakening - (Cougar)
15 Jaguar's Kiss - (Black Jaguar) **
16 Mercury's War - (Lion)
17 Christmas Heat - (Jaguar) ++
18 Coyote's Mate - (Coyote)
19 Christmas Kiss - (Wolf) ++
20 Bengal's Heart - (Bengal)
21 Lion's Heat - (Lion)
22 Styx's Storm - (Wolf)
23 Primal Kiss - (Lion) ++
24 Navarro's Promise - (Wolf)
25 An Inconvenient Mate - (Coyote) - Tied with a Bow Anthology
26 Lawe's Justice - (Lion)
27 Stygian's Honor -
28 The Devil's Due - (Wolf) - Enthralled Anthology
29 Rule Breaker - (Lion)
30 Bengal's Quest - (Bengal)
31 Wake a Sleeping Tiger - (Bengal)
32 Cross Breed - (Wolf/Coyote)

++ included in Too Hot Too Handle
** included in Overcome

AVAILABLE in Hardcover or ebook at:

Penguin - http://www.penguin.com/book/cross-breed-by-lora-leigh/9780425265482

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073R1NKL6/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i8

B&N - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cross-breed-lora-leigh/1126683375?ean=9781984802996#/

Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/cross-breed

iBooks - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/cross-breed/id1255267785?mt=11

GPlay - https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Lora_Leigh_Cross_Breed?id=JIkqDwAAQBAJ

Lora Leigh dreams in bright, vivid images of the characters’ intent on taking over her writing life, and fights a constant battle to put them on the hard drive of her computer before they can disappear as fast as they appeared.

Lora’s family and her writing life coexist, if not in harmony, in relative peace with each other. Surrounded by a menagerie of pets, friends, and a son who keeps her quick wit engaged, Lora finds her life filled with joys, aided by her fans whose hearts remind her daily why she writes.

Lora can be reached at Loraleigh0@gmail.com.

Website - http://www.loraleigh.com/

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2614.Lora_Leigh

BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lora-leigh

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/loraleighauthor/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/LoraLeigh_1

InstaGram - https://www.instagram.com/lora.leigh/

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Lora-Leigh/e/B001I9RQR2

It’s been over a decade since she was introduced as an unforgettable eight-year-old in Elizabeth’s Wolf. Now all grown up, Cassie is unique among the Breeds as a Coyote/Wolf mix. She has long known that her mate was somewhere out there, but he’s stayed frustratingly out of sight and beyond her senses. Cassie has decided to make her move and her mate is ready to make his. The Breed world will be rocked to its foundation as dangerous secrets are revealed.

Wow! What an exhilarating read! I have been impatiently awaiting Cassie’s book and wondering who her mate was ever since she was introduced as an eight-year-old little girl. This child captured my heart and remains there still and I have to tell you that her story rocked my world just as it rocked the Breeds. Without giving away just who her mate is, I will tell you that he is sexy and arrogant, frustrating and mysterious with lots of secrets and a whole lot of alpha attitude as while I wouldn’t have put them together before, I could feel the magnetic pull of these two together and now I can’t picture Cassie with anyone else. These two character are seriously strong, totally convincing and really steal the show with their romance that is filled with lots of twists, explosive chemistry and volcanic passion and then of course there is the all the emotional turmoil one would expect during a Breed mating but this story goes a bit beyond the normal due just who these characters are. Oh, and of course there tempers flying and frustrations rising and jerks getting knocked on their behinds.

The adrenaline pumping thrills and excitement never stop in this fast paced novel that keeps readers turning the pages with obsessive fever. There was definitely no way I wanted to miss one glorious second of Cassie’s story which has secrets being revealed that blew me away, which of course means that readers will impatiently awaiting the next book to find out what happens next. Although, I don’t know if Cross Breed can be topped, but I have no doubts that this author could make me eat my words, because she brought new characters in and like most readers of this series, I can’t never get enough of the Breed world and all its fascinating characters.

Add to your shelves -

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35506426-cross-breed

BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/books/cross-breed-by-lora-leigh

Cross Breed is the 23rd book in the Breeds series -

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/series/40786-breeds

Author - https://loraleigh.com/breeds/#wpforms-425

Berkley - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/series/NBA/a-novel-of-the-breeds

which includes - (series chronological order - from author's website) Numbering is different as novellas are counted without decimals)

1 Tempting the Beast - (Lion)
2 The Man Within - (Panther)
3 Elizabeth's Wolf - (Wolf)
4 Kiss of Heart - (Snow Leopard) -
(temporarily unavailable re-releasing soon)
5 Soul Deep - (Coyote) - (temporarily unavailable re-releasing soon)
6 The Breed Next Door - (Lion) **
7 Megan's Mark - (Lion)
8 Harmony's Way - (Lion)
9 Tanner's Scheme - (Bengal)
10 Wolfe's Hope - (Wolf) - (temporarily unavailable re-releasing soon)
11 Jacob's Faith - (Wolf) - (temporarily unavailable re-releasing soon)
12 Aiden's Charity - (Wolf) - (temporarily unavailable re-releasing soon)
13 In a Wolf's Embrace - (Wolf) **
14 Dawn's Awakening - (Cougar)
15 Jaguar's Kiss - (Black Jaguar) **
16 Mercury's War - (Lion)
17 Christmas Heat - (Jaguar) ++
18 Coyote's Mate - (Coyote)
19 Christmas Kiss - (Wolf) ++
20 Bengal's Heart - (Bengal)
21 Lion's Heat - (Lion)
22 Styx's Storm - (Wolf)
23 Primal Kiss - (Lion) ++
24 Navarro's Promise - (Wolf)
25 An Inconvenient Mate - (Coyote) - Tied with a Bow Anthology
26 Lawe's Justice - (Lion)
27 Stygian's Honor -
28 The Devil's Due - (Wolf) - Enthralled Anthology
29 Rule Breaker - (Lion)
30 Bengal's Quest - (Bengal)
31 Wake a Sleeping Tiger - (Bengal)
32 Cross Breed - (Wolf/Coyote)

++ included in Too Hot Too Handle
** included in Overcome

AVAILABLE in Hardcover or ebook at:

Penguin - http://www.penguin.com/book/cross-breed-by-lora-leigh/9780425265482

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073R1NKL6/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i8

B&N - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cross-breed-lora-leigh/1126683375?ean=9781984802996#/

Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/cross-breed

iBooks - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/cross-breed/id1255267785?mt=11

GPlay - https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Lora_Leigh_Cross_Breed?id=JIkqDwAAQBAJ

Lora Leigh dreams in bright, vivid images of the characters’ intent on taking over her writing life, and fights a constant battle to put them on the hard drive of her computer before they can disappear as fast as they appeared.

Lora’s family and her writing life coexist, if not in harmony, in relative peace with each other. Surrounded by a menagerie of pets, friends, and a son who keeps her quick wit engaged, Lora finds her life filled with joys, aided by her fans whose hearts remind her daily why she writes.

Lora can be reached at Loraleigh0@gmail.com.

Website - http://www.loraleigh.com/

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2614.Lora_Leigh

BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lora-leigh

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/loraleighauthor/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/LoraLeigh_1

InstaGram - https://www.instagram.com/lora.leigh/

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Lora-Leigh/e/B001I9RQR2

If you’ve followed by reviews for any length of time, you know I have a love-hate relationship with the Breeds series by Lora Leigh. It’s my crack - not always providing substance, but hard to quit. I started the series with Megan’s Mark (book #7), so I missed out on a few of the early, world-building titles. Berkley Publishing and the author are re-releasing Elizabeth’s Wolf, in preparation of this fall’s release of Cassie’s book (Cross Breed). Hear the cheer from fans around the world!

Dash, posing as a human solider, was injured in the line of duty, losing his men at the same time. Feeling hopeless, his world turns around when he starts receiving letters from a little girl named Cassie. He knows instantly that Cassie, and her mom Elizabeth, are his to claim, but he needs to find and save them from the bad men first. 

Elizabeth escaped her good-for-nothing ex, but has been on the run for two years from the sadistic man who killed her ex in front of her daughter, Cassie. Cassie, with the aid of her invisible fairy friend, reaches out to Dash and is convinced he’ll help rescue them from the evil haunting her mother and her.

Going back in time (for me) to near the beginning, it was a fun look to see how things have progressed and changed in the Breeds series over the course of several years. I like how simple this early story is. Dash knows who/what he is, but doesn’t know about the mating issues for Breeds. He knows Elizabeth is his mate. She’s strong, and he respects that - recognizing she would need to match him and be his equal in order to fight along side of him. He is alpha, but not as much of an asshole as many of the Breeds are later in the series.

I love how tough the young Elizabeth is. She’s very weary of Dash, but knows that he’s their only hope, right now. She will do what it takes to keep her daughter alive. As the pair spend time together, they don’t fight their growing attraction and fall head-over-heels for one another. Their journey to HEA is relatively smooth, and I like that they don’t fight the mutual pull.

In the end, I enjoyed going back to the beginning. I didn’t read the original version (although I own it), so I can’t tell you what was edited or changed in this version. It follows the formulaic plots from the earlier/mid series books. The Mating Heat is still unknown and isn’t nearly as strong, and with far fewer symptoms/side effects, than later in the series. I like that Dash and Elizabeth are more equals and they work together. 

For newcomers to the series - it’s an easy place to start since it is only book #3, but for fans of the series, it’s fun to go back and see how it all started before we FINALLY get Cassie’s book (although from the excerpt, I found myself a bit annoyed with her attitude.)

The series was my crack at one point, and if the author had continued to keep the books a bit more straightforward and clean, like this one, I probably would still be sucked in.

My Rating:  B, Liked It

Originally posted on That's What I'm Talking About

Review copy provided by publisher/Netgalley

The main thing I enjoyed about “Breeds” is Keith Blackmore’s muscular writing style. He gets you up close and personal to the action. You feel fully present even when things get bloody, which they often do. Yet there’s nothing gratuitous or exploitative here. There’s just a situation that has consequences and things that have to get done.

The situation is set up to be tense and tightly focused. An old, disillusioned werewolf, living on a remote Newfoundland island, goes rogue and starts to draw attention to himself. He knows this will bring the wrath of the werewolf Wardens on him and prepares a surprise for them that threatens everyone on the island.

The story is told from multiple points of view: the rogue werewolf, one of the wardens sent to put him down, an islander caught up in the action and even the unwilling participants in the rogue’s surprise.

The story takes place mostly within a single day and night in the midst of fierce snowstorm. Blackmore summons up the sense of isolation and vulnerability of the inhabitants of the Newfoundland island and uses it to raise tension without making the islanders seem weak or stupid.

Although there is action on almost every page and a blockbuster/video game scale body-count, Blackmore manages to generate some empathy for everybody involved from rogue, through warden, through predators and prey. I found myself being swept along by the powerful narrative thrust of the tale and enjoying myself much more than I thought I would.

This is great entertainment for blowing cobwebs away. I’ve already ordered the next book in the series, even though it’s called “Breeds 2” – I wonder how long it took to arrive at that title?

Boy is booklikes missing a lot of covers.

The Seven-Thousand-Year Prayer - Reki Kawahara, #9 in Accel World

After I Fall - Jessica Scott, #3 in Falling

Barakamon, Vol. 13 - Satsuki Yoshino  

The Black Tortoise - Ronald Tierney, #2 in Peter Strand Mystery

Blush for Me - Kristen Proby, #3 in Fusion

Bound by Their Secret Passion - Diane Gaston, #4 in Scandalous Summerfields

Bound Together - Christine Feehan, #6 in Sea Haven/Sisters of the Heart

The Collapsing Empire - John Scalzi, #1 in The Collapsing Empire

Dead Man Switch - Matthew Quirk, #2 in John Hayes

Double Up - Gretchen Archer, #6 in Davis Way Mysteries

Drury - Delores Fossen, #11 in Lawmen of Silver Creek Ranch

Dying on the Vine - Marla Cooper, #2 in Kelsey McKenna Destination Wedding Mysteries

Finding Our Forever - Brenda Novak,  #1 in Silver Springs

Fire and Sword - Harry Sidebottom, #3 in Throne of the Caesars

First Awakenings - S. E. Smith, #2 in Project Gleise 581G

Flames of Rebellion - Jay Allan, #1 in Flames of Rebellion

Goodnight Punpun, Vol. 5 - Inio Asano, #5 in Goodnight Punpun Omnibus

Handa-kun, Vol. 5 - Satsuki Yoshino, #5 in Handa-kun

His to Seduce - Stacey Lynn, #4 in Fireside

The House of Four (Cetin Ikmen) - Barbara Nadel, #19 in Cetin Ikmen

If I'm Found (If I Run Series) - Terri Blackstock, #2 in Casey Cox

If Not for You: A Novel - Debbie Macomber, #3 in New Beginnings

In/Spectre Vol. 3 - Chashiba Katase,Chashiba Katase, #3 in In/Spectre

Infinity Engine - Neal Asher, #3 in Transformation

The Italian's One-Night Baby - Lynne Graham, #2 in Brides for the Taking

Last Chance Matinee - Mariah Stewart, #1 in Hudson Sisters

Levi's Legend: A SEALs of Honor World book - Dale Mayer, #1 in Heroes for Hire

Magic-Born Dragon - K.N. Lee, #2 in Dragon Born

A Mystery at Carlton House - Ashley Gardner, #12 in Captain Lacey

Mangrove Lightning - Randy Wayne White, #24 in Doc Ford

Meant to Be Mine - Marie Ferrarella, #18 in Matchmaking Mamas

Merk's Mistake - Dale Mayer, #3 in Heroes for Hire

Merman in My Tub Vol. 6 - Itokichi, #6 in Merman in My Tub

Mississippi Blood: A Novel (Natchez Burning) - Greg Iles, #6 in Penn Cage

A Mystery at Carlton House  - Ashley Gardner, #12 in Captain Lacey

Night Forbidden - Colleen Gleason, #5 in The Heroes of New Vegas

Of the Red, the Light, and the Ayakashi, Vol. 6 - HaccaWorks* 

Operation Nanny - Paula Graves, #4 in Campbell Cove Academy

Phantom Pains - Mishell Baker, #2 in Arcadia Project Trilogy

Playing To Win - Lisa B. Kamps, #2 in York Bombers

The Princess and the Pearl - E.D. Baker, #6 in Wide-Awake Princess

Red and the Wolf - Vivienne Savage, #2 in Once Upon a Spell Book

Rising Flames - Kennedy Layne, #5 in Surviving Ashes

Single Malt Murder - Melinda Mullet, #1 in Whisky Business Mystery

So Wrong It Must Be Right - Nicole Helm, #1 in Gallagher & Ivy

Spies & Stilettos - Liliana Hart, #16 in The MacKenzie Brothers

Stone's Surrender - Dale Mayer, #2 in Heroes for Hire

Terra Formars, Vol. 17 - Yu Sasuga,Ken-ichi Tachibana  

Thank You For Holding- Julia Kent,Elisa Reed, #2 in On Hold

The Secret Heir of Alazar - Kate Hewitt, #1 in Seduced by a Sheikh

The Secret of My Seduction - Caroline Linden, #4.5 in Scandals

Trigger - Scarlett Dawn, #1 in Origin

Ubel Blatt, Vol. 8 - Etorouji Shiono, #8 in ÜBel Blatt

Veil of Mists - Diana Marik, #2 in Seven Deadly Veils

Vicious Circle - C. J. Box, #17 in Joe Pickett

Wake a Sleeping Tiger - Lora Leigh, #31 in Breeds
Welcome to the Ballroom 4 - Tomo Takeuchi,  #4 in Welcome to the Ballroom

Wrong Turn, Right Direction - Elle Casey, #4 in The Bourbon Street Boys