Book Review: Rule Breaker by Lora Leigh

Title: Rule Breaker
Series: Breeds, Book 29
Author: Lora Leigh
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copy provided via NetGalley
Published: February 4, 2014 by Berkley

Lion Breed, Rule Breaker had just a few rules he didn't break. Not for anything. Not for anyone.

#1. Never have sex with a woman outside his own subspecies, especially a human woman.

#2. Never, at any time, accept a mission concerning a female when Jonas Wyatt stinks of a lie.

#3. Run don't walk, skip or stumble. Run, hell for leather away from any female, human or breed, when his desire for her appears, in any way, to have so much as a single sign of Mating Heat.

Now, the woman believes he's mated, is too helpless, to fun loving and too full of life to ever be able to protect herself, let alone aide him in protecting her.

If the damned animal inside him insisted on a mate, then why pick the woman it did? One that could be struck out at, at any time?
But, what he suspected was a mating, may not be. No swollen glands? No heat? Just his animal instincts rioting, pacing, irritated whenever he's away from her.

Okay, he could handle that.

What ensues is a fiery affair that breaks all the rules of mating heat and will eventually endanger his mate with the very rules designed to protect the breeds when Jonas learns she's possibly been working against them.

Reviewed By: J9

In a Nutshell: Readers who are like me and have read 28 books in this series may as well read this, the 29th.

The Set Up: Rule Breaker learned young that he wants no part of being a mated couple. When he is involved in the rescue of fifteen year old Gypsy, Rule feels for her and watches over her for the next nine years. Now Gypsy is an adult woman and involved in a secret network that Rule has to expose. Rule and Gypsy may fight it but they’re destined to be mates.

Why I Read this Book: 28 books into this series is an investment I either need to give up or stick with forever.

What I Liked: The relationship development is the same in all the books: one or both leads fight the mating but the lust for each other prevents them from separating until they accept their emotional mating as well. Gypsy and Rule are no different than the 28 couples who came before them in this series. This relationship is based on uber-sexual connection so the erotica is well done. When this series first started it was rare because it featured anal sex, oral sex on the female lead, and massive amounts of bedroom scenes. Now in romance this kind of erotica is found in nearly every book so it’s not rare or titillating. Still, erotica readers will like this romance well enough.

What I Also Liked: Part of this series charm has been all the secondary characters. Dog, the mysterious Coyote Breed, returns here and I like that. Dane, the lion hybrid Breed, is manipulating events and readers are unclear if he’s good or bad. Some of the other couples from the series have cameos here and that’s always nice.

I also liked that FINALLY readers get some resolution on Jonas and Rachel’s infant daughter. She’s been in mortal danger since book 21 and I was mightily sick of this plot thread. No, it’s not entirely wrapped up but at least there is meaningful progression!

What I Didn’t Like: This book is no different than the 28 before it. The romance is sexy, superficially emotional and develops just as readers will expect. The plot just adds more kinks in the series plot which tries to add levels of intrigue and somehow just confuses me. Finally, even though I liked some of the secondary characters the author has just introduced too many. This book has a Breed on every corner, named and not, and I just know this means we’ll get 100 more books in this series.

IMO: Series fans will read this as I did. Others should pass as the plot will make no sense, there are too many secondary characters, and the romance is stock.

 

J9’s Rating:

Add to Goodreads  |  Buy on Amazon