What do you think?
Rate this book
Hidden Breeds #1
Bastien
Trying to escape from her personal hell leads Carly to Bastien. Taking on a job as housekeeper, things rapidly are not what they seem around the Bastien's homestead. With wild animals coming in from the woods and her vicious ex-husband circling the front gate, Carly is desperate to find security and a feeling of calm.
Bastien is an alpha wolf and knows her the moment he meets her on the most basic of levels. From scent to curves, Carly draws his attention and holds it when he should be concentrating on pack business.
Just as he's starting to make his move they are separated by secret government lab dedicated to turning soldiers into shifters and Carly ends up in a cage left wondering if he is the one man who think she is worth rescuing.
Bastien is an alpha wolf and knows her the moment he meets her on the most basic of levels. From scent to curves, Carly draws his attention and holds it when he should be concentrating on pack business.
Just as he's starting to make his move they are separated by secret government lab dedicated to turning soldiers into shifters and Carly ends up in a cage left wondering if he is the one man who think she is worth rescuing.
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2011
4 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 14, 2015
4 Stars without the H (Bastien and a good plot) it would have been 3 Stars. There is a lot of potential here and I look forward to future characters and books.
Read
May 4, 2011Review posted @ Long and Short Reviews
May 18, 2011
When abuse is all you've ever known, how do you learn to trust in love again?
Carly has hit rock bottom. Living a life filled with abuse is no way to live and this latest incident is the last straw for her. She is mentally and physically exhausted and feels death would give her the freedom to end all the pain. This newfound peace of mind gives her the courage she needs to tell the truth to the police. With a restraining order as her only line of defense against him, she tries to remain incognito hoping her ex-husband will give up and move on. When she lands a job as a housekeeper in a secluded area, she begins to think her luck may have changed. Plagued by nightmares and trust issues of both man and beast, Carly soon realizes she’s not out of the woods yet.
Bastien has many secrets. Secrets about his dual nature, the true identities of his "friends", and the instinctual feelings he harbors for his housekeeper. Bastien is desperate for Carly to trust him and the animals he cares for, but knows that there are deep-seated fears he has to work through in order to gain her trust. Little by little, he breaks down those barriers while his own resolve to remain detached crumbles. He knows he must tell her things she may not be receptive to and a traumatic past experience has left him with little hope that this will be different. However, time runs out when Carly’s ex-husband pays a visit and his father comes to him with horrific images and a missing leg. The seemingly insurmountable barriers continue to intensify when Carly goes missing. Now a new threat has emerged of far more sinister proportions and a cold reality check is delivered that could have devastating results.
Once you’ve started reading this story, you’re not going to want to stop. There is a pleasant balance between the action sequences and the sexual tension that builds with a smoldering intensity. Although there were moments that seemed a bit unfocused, there is still so much depth in the plot and every scene is readily imagined. Reader’s will appreciate and connect with Bastien and Carly’s relationship as it is built over time with emotion and trust. It would be hard not to feel for Carly’s character and the physical and mental abuse she endured while with her ex-husband. Ms. Xander depicts some of the before and after effects of that abuse quite well, so reader’s should be warned if this is not subject matter they would like to read.
This being the first in a series and my first read by this talented author, I am excited for more. It will be interesting to see who the focus of the next book will be and how the plot will continue to thicken.
originally posted at http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...
Carly has hit rock bottom. Living a life filled with abuse is no way to live and this latest incident is the last straw for her. She is mentally and physically exhausted and feels death would give her the freedom to end all the pain. This newfound peace of mind gives her the courage she needs to tell the truth to the police. With a restraining order as her only line of defense against him, she tries to remain incognito hoping her ex-husband will give up and move on. When she lands a job as a housekeeper in a secluded area, she begins to think her luck may have changed. Plagued by nightmares and trust issues of both man and beast, Carly soon realizes she’s not out of the woods yet.
Bastien has many secrets. Secrets about his dual nature, the true identities of his "friends", and the instinctual feelings he harbors for his housekeeper. Bastien is desperate for Carly to trust him and the animals he cares for, but knows that there are deep-seated fears he has to work through in order to gain her trust. Little by little, he breaks down those barriers while his own resolve to remain detached crumbles. He knows he must tell her things she may not be receptive to and a traumatic past experience has left him with little hope that this will be different. However, time runs out when Carly’s ex-husband pays a visit and his father comes to him with horrific images and a missing leg. The seemingly insurmountable barriers continue to intensify when Carly goes missing. Now a new threat has emerged of far more sinister proportions and a cold reality check is delivered that could have devastating results.
Once you’ve started reading this story, you’re not going to want to stop. There is a pleasant balance between the action sequences and the sexual tension that builds with a smoldering intensity. Although there were moments that seemed a bit unfocused, there is still so much depth in the plot and every scene is readily imagined. Reader’s will appreciate and connect with Bastien and Carly’s relationship as it is built over time with emotion and trust. It would be hard not to feel for Carly’s character and the physical and mental abuse she endured while with her ex-husband. Ms. Xander depicts some of the before and after effects of that abuse quite well, so reader’s should be warned if this is not subject matter they would like to read.
This being the first in a series and my first read by this talented author, I am excited for more. It will be interesting to see who the focus of the next book will be and how the plot will continue to thicken.
originally posted at http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...
December 29, 2011
Carly thought she was going to die the last time she saw her ex-husband. With a fresh start and trying to keep under the radar without bringing too much notice to herself, she takes a job as a housekeeper for Bastien Sinclair. When she agreed she had no clue he would have a mini zoo on his property or that he would tempt her into ever wanting to be with a man again.
Bastien realizes that Carly is his mate, but he is well aware her timid reaction is caused from something in her past. Wanting to go slow to earn her trust, he proceeds with caution but Bastien knows in time he is going to have to reveal what he truly is, a werewolf. When she is kidnapped by a government lab experimenting on what they think are fellow shifters, Carly becomes their latest test subject. Will Bastien still want her when he finds out what they have done to her?
Overall the story was an intriguing read. The only thing that really rang out for me was how much bad luck could one woman have? A lot apparently. The story definitely sets you up for more in the series and I would not hesitate to read the next one.
Bastien realizes that Carly is his mate, but he is well aware her timid reaction is caused from something in her past. Wanting to go slow to earn her trust, he proceeds with caution but Bastien knows in time he is going to have to reveal what he truly is, a werewolf. When she is kidnapped by a government lab experimenting on what they think are fellow shifters, Carly becomes their latest test subject. Will Bastien still want her when he finds out what they have done to her?
Overall the story was an intriguing read. The only thing that really rang out for me was how much bad luck could one woman have? A lot apparently. The story definitely sets you up for more in the series and I would not hesitate to read the next one.
May 3, 2013
I debated between 3 and 4 stars for this one. It certainly was a page-turner with much action and romance going on, but it was almost soo much. Everything that could go wrong did. The romance was almost too strong too fast. There was almost too much alpha maleness, and not in a dominating and bossy kind of way, but of loyalty and protectiveness kind of way. There were a few times early on when I thought "In any other book, this would be the climax"....and then there is a fizzling and then a new "climax??" scene comes along. Based on the cover I was expecting some steamier sex but I didn't even get that. I also wanted to know more about Bastien. How did he get into having a safehouse? What does his company do exactly that earns them so much money? etc. So. As much as I liked Bastien as a character, actually enjoyed the overall plot and set up for the world of shapeshifters, I just didn't love this book. It was pretty okay.
June 10, 2012
I could not put this book down, loved it from the beginning and fell in love with the characters. A great start for a series as it pretty much from the start is action packed and tells the stories between the two characters well. Now I'm buying the next book and will be buying future books for this series.
January 10, 2012
Rating - Four & Half ★
loved this book :)
there should be another book in this series
loved this book :)
there should be another book in this series
October 7, 2012
I just couldn't get into this book. I will have to come back to it.
own-but-unread
December 5, 2012Free pdf from author won via contest in Erotic Enchants group.
August 16, 2013
Pretty good. A bit soppy and stereotypical about men wanting to protect their women, I'd rather see women protecting themselves, or at least less misogyny about them needing protection at all costs.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews