The breed guaranteed Mica no harm would come to her, but they never allowed for her sensual fascination with Navarro, or his unstoppable need to claim her as his mate, in both body and soul.Watch a Video
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Lora Leigh is a New York Times bestselling author of erotic romance novels. Leigh started publishing with electronic publisher Ellora's Cave in 2003. Leigh's longest-running series is The Breeds. She won the 2009 RT Award for erotica. Leigh was born in Ohio and raised in Martin County, Kentucky, US.
This book just didn’t have the same amount of adventure, suspense, twists and turns to the story. This book was about Mica who is the human best friend of Cassie, the Wolf-Coyote hybrid breed that talks to a fairy and sees the future. Mica has known Cassie since they were kids and Dash Sinclair brought Cassie and her Mom to their ranch to hide out. Ever since, they have remained friends and Mica has often stayed at Sanctuary or Haven with Cassie, which is where she met Navarro and she fell in love with him at age 16.
Now she is living in New York and Phillip Brandenmore, who is in a cell underground within Sanctuary has paid Coyote breeds to kidnap her. Brandenmore has spies in Sanctuary so he can still get things done, and he figures that if he can get Cassie’s best friend, he can use her to bargain for his freedom.
Jonas finds out and sends his closest enforcers to rescue Mica, Navarro happens to be one of them. Navarro has always been attracted to Mica but his Breed Genetics are recessed, so he is more human than animal. There is no way to tell he is a breed, even by blood test. So he just wants her like a man wants a woman and she wants love.
Breeds 24 Wolf Breeds 8 Featured Couple: Navarro (Wolf) & Mica (Human)
Mica is Cassie's best friend and she is protected by the Breeds because of the dangers of this friendship. She likes Navarro since they met when she was 15, but they both tried to avoid each other.
One day Mica is kidnapped and Navarro saves her. Apparently he wants her desperately, but he is unsure whether she is his potential mate. Moreover, Navarro does not want to fall in love, he likes his loneliness and he has never had shortage in girls. There is no point in being bound to Mica, although he cannot stop craving for her.
Well, the whole fun of the series is the mating heat, i.e. to watch the Breed losing his mind over his mate. Unfortunately, in this book, Navarro actually manages to throw off the effects of the mating heat. His wolf is actually recessed.
That been said, this book is one of my least favorites in the series.
Thank God, Mica will fight for her man. Navarro’s repression will create several seriously explosive scenes, when he realizes that he cannot control everything. It is actually funny how shocked he is every time it happens.
Important detail: Phillip Brandenmore (Breeds’ worst enemy) is taken down in. But still, this does not help little Amber.
I don't know where to begin. I would start with a plot synopsis, but there isn't one. I started Navarro's Promise with so much anticipation. I love the Breed world but this was a stinker.
Mica Toler is the human best friend of the psychic breed Cassie. This puts her in danger. What kind of danger? Who knows. Apparently the Ebeel council scientist who's imprisoned in the Breed stronghold engineers her abduction attempt. Navarro swoops in to save her & hotness ensues. That's all I got.
Mica has been obsessed with Navarro since forever & according to test she's a potential mate, just not his. After the hotness begins this is explained away by Navarro's recessed Breed genetics.
Ok, if you're confused now, so was I! This was a mess of a book. I'm not new to this world & I had no clue what was going on. The editing was poor & the h/H were annoying. I didn't like Mica AT ALL (btw the name alone sucked). Navarro who was very intriguing in previous books, came across as a douche. This may have worked as a short story, but as a book...complete fail.
I wasn't too impressed with this one. The hero didn't seem to care about the heroine's feelings at all, he just wanted to screw her. He would always leave her after they got it on and he didn't check up on her, he came off as really self-centered which is strange for a Breed male who usually puts his mate's well-being above his own. Then we have the editing error, holy crap Lora Leigh should be ashamed and so should her editors (if she has any) - it took out not just any scene but the climatic scene of the book. Wow. Lastly, the book seemed to be very repetitive, we just saw the same scene of Navarro and Mica talking then doing it over and over (then he would leave and we would hear about how he has no emotions). Also, there were too many overly emotional declarations "he is touching my soul!" "his caresses devastate me!".
Despite all this, I am not saying I hated it because I didn't. It just could have been a better book if the hero had been a less selfish person and the writing had been better.
Mica’s been infatuated with Navarro Blaine since the night he kissed her during a time of great upheaval at the Wolf Breed compound Haven- but she cant let herself have him, for instinctively she knows he’d break her heart. Navarro’s been just as focused on the sexy little best friend of spooky Coyote/Wolf breed Cassie, but the tell-tale mating heat that usually precipitates such focus is missing- not surprising as Navarro’s wolf is recessed. Still, when she finds herself the target of a kidnapping he’s the first one to her rescue. Now circumstances has thrust them together and he means to have her- mating or no.
Only Mica cant let that happen- because if she lets herself fall in love, he will destroy her faster than any crazy madman determined to use her as leverage against the Breeds.
I felt the premise of her attempted kidnapping forced at best, and the return of the exact same bad guy as the last couple novels- one we thought was well out of the way- seriously taxed my patience. ( I mean c’mon, if you’re taking the time to write another story, then at least try and crank out another baddie for crying out loud- is that too much to ask?? Not only is it lazy- its insulting to the reader. ‘nuff said.) And though its true this entry in Lora Leigh’s Breed series is once again glaringly mal-edited,(indeed an entire scene is obviously missing), I cant help but give it a good grade.
I was engaged from the very beginning and couldn’t put it down. (DAMMIT!) Once again Leigh manages to crank out a tale much like the others- and yet grip my emotions and keep me turning the pages. I wanted so bad to slam the book down for the above mentioned reasons- and I didn’t even touch on it’s inconsistencies which head me scratchin my head throughout the entire book- but I couldn’t because the intensity of Navarro and Mica’s relationship wouldn’t let me do it.
So a grudging 4 out of 5. I really liked it. Seriously- if they’d corrected the editing issues it would have been almost a fiver!
First, let me say that I enjoyed the story. Secondly, let me say that I'm rating this book with three stars because of rather sloppy editing.
There were typos throughout the book, and, I'm sorry, but considering what books are costing these days, and how much I read, I want a book that is well-edited and doesn't have glaring typos (words missing, or words that should have come out that were left in). Also there was a problem with scene continuity. I don't want to give anything away, so let me just say that someone missed the shifts from one scene to the next, one activity to the next. For example, one scene took the characters from being outside of an elevator, to being in a bedroom, from one sentence to the next, when it was obvious that a page or so of conversation and/or activity was missing. I had to re-read it more than once, to make certain that I hadn't gotten two pages stuck together, the change was that abrupt. I don't mind moving from Point A to Point B without a lot of description; but there was no indication that there had been any fade-out to fade-in on the new scene, it just went from one scene to the next without any indication that anything had taken place from one sentence to the next.
I have always enjoyed Lora Leigh's books, and this one is no exception. But I am hoping that the next one is better edited, so that I can enjoy the experience even more.
I was lucky enough to get an ARC...this book is A.MAZ.ING!! Loved it!
Full review reposted from my Smitten with reading blog...
My review: Navarro's Promise is Book #24 from Lora Leigh's Breeds series, but it is the first Breeds book that I have ever read. Needless to say, the other 23 books are now on my TBR list because this book was wonderful.
Navarro's Promise is the story of Mica and Navarro. Mica is not a Breed. She is a human who just happens to be the best friend of Cassie- on of the most valuable Breeds in the group. Cassie and Mica carry a very deep bond that soothes Cassie and settles her when nothing else can. Mica has grown up in the Breed world where everyone else (i.e. Breeds) can smell emotions. As a result, Mica has learned how to hide/camouflage her emotions from the Breeds around her.
Navarro is a recessive Wolf Breed. As a recessive, he has been trained to completely hide his Breed side. It has become so recessive that he can easily blend into the human world without anyone guessing that he's a Breed.
Mica and Navarro have felt the pull towards each other to the point of distraction since they met when she was 15, but there aren't any signs of becoming mates. As a result, they have avoided each other whenever possible, but that becomes impossible when Mica is kidnapped and Navarro is part of the closest Breed team to go in and retrieve her. Suddenly they are thrown together and the walls that they have each built around their emotions start to crumble.
This was an amazing book.The Breeds world is really interesting. I was worried that I would be really lost since I have never read one of this series before, but L. Leigh explains it all seamlessly in the story.
I really liked both of these emotionally repressed characters. They have both learned how to bury their emotions (which makes them both very strong individuals,) but that doesn't mean that they aren't feeling absolutely everything. That repression creates several seriously explosive scenes which are incredibly sexy.
I love it when Breeds feel strong emotions, they growl or snarl. Navarro has never done this in his life until he starts interacting regularly with Mica. It's funny because he is more shocked than anyone every time it happens.
THis book is incredibly sexy and emotionally riveting. There is tons of action and seriously hot, erotic sex. A fantastic ensemble of characters makes up the world/book. It was a book that I could not put down once I started it and I highly recommend it.
Some favorite quotes from the book:
"I didn't promise I wouldn't break your tender heart, Mica. Protect it from me. Don't let me touch that part of you. Don't let me destroy both of us that way." -conversation between Navarro & Mica
"Am I horny enough to hump a bedpost?" Mica asked. "Not quite yet. Should I consult with you first, Doctor?" Sarcasm lay thick and heavy in her voice.
"I believe a consult would be a good idea." Ely nodded with mocking solemnity as Mica lifted herself onto the gurney. "You never know what you may end up hurting if the act isn't done properly." -conversation between Mica & Dr. Ely Morrey
Ok so I would have given this 5 stars but, something went wrong at the end. I dont know if I got a crappy copy or what. It says on here that this book is 368 pages. mine was only 310. Whatever expect that towards the end its jumps scenes. Mica is angry and storms out of the clinic and at the elevator waiting. Navarro shows up picks her up and kisses up against the wall. But wait then all of a sudden they are in room naked. All the in between was missing. It was obvious because things are said and you can feel that there was build up to that point. WTH?? I am so mad about that. I am going to look at a different store and see what they have. Maybe it was just that store that had that issue.
Aside from that which I feel like I cant even give a proper review. I really loved Navarro. He was a wonderful alpha male. So freaking dominating. Loved it. Mica was so strong willed and was awesome at masking her emotions. The fact that Mica is Cassie's best friend was a plus. I have been dying for Cassie to get own book. When???? The one book, I think Dawn's Awakening something happened to her and they never went back to it. Anyway she was in this book and the friendship was so sweet. They would die for each other. There were a few moments were I felt like Navarro was completely clueless. I wanted to shake him and tell him to get over it and man up. It was kinda the same old same old with this series. But for me I love this series so it was no biggie. But the way that it ended makes me wonder, well now what?? It cant be coming to an end. There were Breeds mentioned that I have never heard of before. I guess they will have to have some new drama. Great read aside from my crappy issue. lol
Navarro's Promise by Lora Leigh Paranormal Romance -April 5th, 2011 4 ½ stars
Navarro's Promise is already one of my favorites in Lora Leigh's paranormal Breed series. Fans will not be disappointed. Navarro is a Wolf Breed with very dormant Breed genes which often make him more human than `animal.'
Navarro is one of the public faces of the Breeds media. He is more human-like than most Breeds. But he was built for deception. His looks, charm and lack of emotion make him more approachable. However, there is one person that he cannot help wanting. Her name is Mica Toler. She is human and the best friend of a very important Breed female named Cassie. Although Navarro and Mica are both deeply attracted to each other they are not mates, or are they?
Navarro while having the super senses and strength of a Breed does not manifest the need for a mate. But when Mica is put in danger Navarro finds protective instincts and a possessiveness that shock him. And feel so right.
Mica has always wanted Navarro, but is scared of being a mate with any strongly dominant male Breed. To add to her confusion, when they are together, she seems to be affected by their time together but Navarro is not. She fears a one sided relationship. Navarro make matters worse when he lies to her about the extent of his Breed skills. Can they afford to have a real relationship in a world filled with danger and a lack of trust?
This was a thrilling romance. I loved how Lora Leigh is adding new changes to the Breeds and how they mate. This confusion between the mating of Mica and Navarro made it very intense as I wanted them to be together but worried that Navarro's recessive Breed genes might prevent this from occurring. I also liked how strong and proactive Mica was. She matched Navarro and didn't let him push her around. I really enjoy reading the about all the tough, sexy and protective male Breeds. But because they are so dominant many of their female partners do not seem to be able to hold their ground against them. While I like this in the bedroom sometimes I find it a bit upsetting otherwise.
As I mentioned earlier, Mica was tough, too. She had been brought up around Breeds all her young life and wasn't about to let them tell her what to do. Mica also had the ability to hide some of her scent (which Breeds can use to tell emotion) which put her on more even ground than previous human heroines. It was fun to read that Navarro didn't always know what she was feeling becasue I liked that Mica's ability confused him! Of course, Navarro had to work at Mica accepting him as his mate and did this book get super HOT with his brand of `persuasion!' Because Navarro `hid' some of his alpha-ness Mica got surprise after surprise when he finally let it go and pursued her. Oh, yeah!
This was a scorching read with some new twists on the Breeds which made it fascinating to read. I loved the spunky heroine and the sleeping wolf hero that she awakens with a vengeance!
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Okay, this is definitely one of my favourite Breeds books.
Navarro has been bred for infiltration. That means he's really good at lying, deception and no emotions. For a long time he let it define him, the only one who could stir him was Mica. Now, Navarro is also different in something else, he has absolutely no desire for a mate. All of the Breeds in the previous books wanted one, if subconsciously. He tries to fight it, is even considering letting Mica go, of course the animal in him prevails.
Mica is a good friend to Cassie. She has grown up around Breeds and as a result she understands them way better than most humans, and Cassie did divulge some secrets about mating to her, so she did know what to expect. But one other thing she learned to do is to hide her emotions, and hide them well, so that even Breeds can't detect them. That's a definite plus when you're surrounded by Breeds. She has loved Navarro since she was 16, and didn't try really hard to resist him in the begining, of course, when he became pigheaded she did, but he so deserves it.
I like the fact that they weren't really sure that they were mates, it's more believable (after all one of my favourites in the series is Mercury's War). It's even more powerful when they have to fight hard for the mating.
On the one hand, I like the fact that the newer matings are different, the world is evolving, and the Breeds with it, but it's getting harder to follow. There are a lot of mention of the characters from the previous books. I have read the entire series twice, and I remember everyone, but if someone picked this book up first, they would have trouble sorting everybody out, not to mention the trying to piece together events. Like
I wonder when's Ely going to get her story. She's been trough enough, although lately she is being annoying.
And as for the next book, the hero is Lawe (Lawe's Justice). Yay, finally we get his book. I wonder if Rule is next then?:-)
This is the first Breed book I've read by Leigh and wow, I can't believe all the high ratings for this book. I picked it up with high hopes based on the ratings that Leigh somehow learned to write. Was I wrong or what?
Navarro and Mica were a good hero and heroine. Both are strong individuals and the human Mica and the wolf breed Navarro are good mates even though we are told over and over in the book that Navarro's senses or whatever (sorry I've not read the previous 23 books) aren't recognizing or registering Mica as a mate.
My problem with Leigh's books have to do with her poor grasp of basic writing skills. She tends to repeat whole paragraphs and phrases, her grasp of grammar and punctuation is poor enough to be a distraction when you are trying to get into a story. She seems popular enough with regards to sales that she should be able to afford to pay an independent editor to proof her books. I'm thinking she doesn't do this because she'd have to totally rewrite some of them.
Sentences like:
"Her mother definitely wouldn’t be pleased to know her daughter had taken one of the most dangerous, most indanger, men that she could choose." (indanger?)
"It was irritating, aggravating, but Mica knew there were times when Cassie thrived on the work." (What, Cassie should not thrive? Plenty of people with boring jobs would like to thrive.)
"Pouring moisture that saturated hair and clothing, washing it into Mica’s eyes, mixing with the tears and washing away the blood that had eased from her scalp after the initial attack that had come earlier."
"She was alone in a city that was sleeping when it wasn’t supposed to, amid a storm she should have been safe from, comfortable and warm in her own bed."
While I do think that Leigh had fewer errors in this book that often show up in her Seal/Ops books (things like misspellings, unfinished sentences, time issues, adding issues etc), the writing is often choppy and repetitive which for me at least disturbed the flow of the story.
After rereading several paragraphs trying to figure out the flow or what made sense in the story, I finally gave up and skimmed to the end.
This book definitely does not make me want to read the prior 23 books nor does it give me any incentive to pick up #25.
Well, apparently there is some chunk of this book missing in both Kindle and paper versions. It happens towards the end at what is supposed to be the big climatic scene with the big villain. I spent a couple minutes clicking back and forth on my Kindle trying to figure out how when we went from a hallway down in the basement fully clothed to a bedroom naked in the space of a sentence and then piecing together what must have happened in the missing section (well the fact they were naked in bed gave me a clue, LOL). This is the second book of LL's that has fallen to pieces during the pivotal scene at the end. And yet I keep buying her books. Go figure.
Anyway, until that point, I was thinking the book was looking pretty good editing wise, compared to the many disasters she's turned out over the past couple of years. The story itself was just OK. Navarro's refusal to let himself love Mica got on my nerves after a while and the story was way, way in the characters' heads with the suspense aspect of the plot barely being addressed. So Navarro's Promise is typical LL angst but without as much action.
I typically enjoy the Breeds series, there are some that have been so-so and others that are much better. This was one of the poorer ones in my opinion by far. For one, my book had so many typo/grammatical type error issues. It made the first half and much of the second difficult to read. But also the storyline was just not flowing for me. The conversation towards the beginning between Cassie and Mica was confusing to me, Yes Cassie is always talking in vague confusing ways, but this was more, I couldn't understand it from Mica's point of view either. Then I just felt the interactions between Mica and Navarro were a little weak and not well thought out. But for me the end was the most confusing part of the book, I felt like the author just suddenly had to end it so wrapped everything up without it being well described. I thought Mica was standing in front of the elevators kissing Navarro and suddenly they are in their bed just having had sex? How did they get there? And did her friend Josiah really want Mica or was it just an act to get Navarro to acknowledge the mating? And when Cassie is rushing to Mica's rescue, which in itself was a bit confusing, she says she is pregnant. Then at the end there is this confusing conversation between them where I can't tell if Cassie is telling Mica she is pregnant, if Mica already knew she was pregnant, or if the pregnancy isn't being mentioned at at and they are talking about another "him". Who is this other Breed Cassie smelled on Mica? Josiah? the baby? For me this whole ending was just all over the place. Not one of the more enjoyable Breed books in my opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I don't know what to say..... This book had the potential to be great. I really enjoyed it right up until then end when the story jumps from one scene to another! You miss the whole finale coming together of the hero and heroine! One paragraph they're fighting... next they just finish having sex and declare "I love you's.." which really bums me out cause I like the fighting and the making up! Maybe someday I'll get to read to complete version... I won't hold my breathe though.
Can't even contemplate a serious review. It's Lora Leigh. It's the Breeds series. You know what you're getting and you get a good dose of it here. Fuzzy logic. Lots of sex. Angsty sentences that don't mean much. Lots of sex. Plot full of holes. Lots of sex. Lots of contradictory statements. Lots of sex. Feelings and assertions not backed up by actions or feelings of others. Lots of sex. The kind of thing you like if you like that kind of thing.
There was a scene completion posted on Lora Leigh's site :) if any of you weren't aware.
As always, I loved going on this adventure as I have all the Breed adventures. I know a lot of people have been criticizing, but it is amazing the creativity of authors and she will always one of my favs. I will always be a bit envious of that kind of love as it is lacking in my life, but who knows what the future holds.
WHOODIE WHOOOO..... this book was smoking awesome. Wow... Lora Leigh has renewed my faith in her 1000%.
Mica is the little girl who befriended Cassie back when Dash had come for them, taken them to his friends ranch, and then found out Cassie was a breed hybrid. Mica is and has been Cassies best friend since that time. She has been around the breeds, trained with then, been lied to by them, and befriended them. There is this one breed though.. this one breed who sets her heart racing and he panties, well, you get it..lol... ;) What can she do... she knows that she wants him, hell, needs him.. but she has kept her feelings bottled up for so long.. she can't possible let him know and can't let herself comes to terms with the consiquences of those feelings..
Navarro is a badass wolf breed with mad ressesive gentics. His senses are off the charts but the dna markers for a breed, the teeth and so forth are all buried so far down in his genetic code that tests can't even pick it up. He has never let his inner animal, the one he was bred with, to come out.. never let the reins up even a little bit, and for all he knows.. they will never show in him. But there is something about Mica... something he can't put his fingure on. He wants her.. ooohhhh yes he does, but its not as a mate... it pretty much, no matter how he tries to sweeten it and/or fraise it, he wants to fuck her. And Navarro is a man who gets what he wants.
The council is targeting her, is it to draw Cassie out? Or is it for other reasons... you will have to read, but needless to say, Navarro is there to help her escape the clutches of the Council Coyotes after her, and decides that this is the only time he will have, while they are in hiding to have her.. as long as she can keep her emotions in check, they will be set... or will they...???
This book had me reading straight through. Something is going on more so with Ely... she is a little harder I guess.. still as compassionate, but harder none the less. I don't care.. I still say her mate is Jackal.. unless I missed something twards the end because its so late. Plus, I need to know who the hell Ely, Cassie and Dane's mates are damnit!!!! And throw in Brim Stone, Rye and Ashley's mates while you at it... shit...I can't possibly wait around forever.., I need a little nibble to keep me from going crazy!!!..lol... but I will give you this little bit...
It must suck to be mated but have no mate...
Lol... you'll see, and you'll be so excited for Lawe's book... teeheehee
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Finally, after a lot of Breeds books that all started blending in together, and where the heroines where getting a bit on my nerves, we get a decent Breeds story.
I would recommend you read the story included in the Primal anthology, because it does have some background needed in this one.
Mica was a very likeable character, strong, but smart heroine. She's Cassie's best friend, and a human who's grown up around Breeds. She's Dash Sinclair's goddaughter. And she's always had a thing for Navarro, wolf breed enforcer, who used to be an alpha of his own pack.
But they've both been tested previously and it was determined they weren't mates. He's even kissed her before, and mating heat didn't happen. But she wants him, she loves him. And even though Navarro fights it, he wants her too.
It was a refreshing new twist to the mating heat and matings in this series, and I'm looking forward to see how all this is changing and how it will reflect in new books.
Also the developments with Brandemore and Ely. I see interesting things coming up in this storyline.
I enjoy how Ms. Leigh always shows us bits and pieces of the old cast. I ALWAYS enjoy reading about Jonas!! I also liked the new breeds mentioned in this book, and can't wait for Josiah and Cougar to fall. And then there's Ely. I really liked her interactions with Jackal, so I'm hoping, since Jonas is a sneaky bastard, that Jackal will be her mate, and maybe she's been denying it. CAN'T WAIT!!!
And now onto the issue everyone has been talking about. Yes, there seems to be a chunk missing to the story towards the end. In my opinion, it doesn't detract from the overall storyline, it just seems like abrupt change from one scene and then to something else. However, other than that, there are still issues with editing in this book. Wrong names mentioned places, things like that. I really do wish that would get fixed as I find myself having to read scenes twice to make sure I understand the concept.
Other than that, I think this was a good book and I'm really excited to see where this series will go from now on. And Lawe is next right? I've been waiting for him to get mated for a long time! HA! It's going to be fun!
I ain't gonna lie.... I have a breed problem. I've been reading this series since the beginning when Ms. Leigh was putting out ebooks with Elloras Cave. Ever since that first glimpse of Callan Lyons butt arsed nekkid lying back and doing things to himself outside in broad daylight I've been hooked. I can't exactly explain why... it's an affliction I have. There are several things that normally drive me mad when reading these books: Leigh writes the WORST heroines, she tries to portray them as being strong willed and usually they are just irritating. Has anyone else noticed that when tryng to use sarcasm all these heroines answer their "breed mates" with a question?????? I also can't stand that during the sex scenes the female is usually so aroused that her "juices" are just flowing down her leg. I mean really? Alas, I can't help myself, I am sure when the next breed book comes out I will pre-order it and read it as soon as it comes out. Sigh.
This book was right on track..... sarcastic questions were asked every other page and juices were flowing down legs. The only difference would be that ths heroine was less irritating and more likable and there was more emotion and less "breeding heat". At least the main couple had a relationship before the mating occured. Who's the next book about?
This was a pretty good book. It reminded me of LL’s earlier books. It centers on the relationship of Mica (Cassie’s best friend) mating with the wolf breed Navarro. His recessed genetics cause a problem for him when it comes to expressing his true feelings and as a result, they have trouble/doubts/fears attaining the ultimate mating heat. The love between the two of them is evident, their love scenes are super hot and it was fun watching him find his primal instincts. I was very happy with the story until I reached the last couple of chapters….and then it was like WTF happened??? The ending was so abrupt and the mystery that built up thru the book…who was betraying them/helping the bad guys...simply died off with no explanation. Not like a typical cliffhanger where a reader says…wow, got to read the next book to find out who did it….just poof gone. I was ready to give this book a 5 star rating, but the ending ruined it for me….I give it a C+ (although if I were a teacher, I’d have to give it a B for the improvement over her last book in spelling/grammar errors…still to many, but at least this one is easier to read
The plot didn't hook me at all in this one. I found myself skipping ahead to read only the parts about the interactions between the main characters, Navarro and Mica (What's with the weird names?? They sound like something I might have used when attempting fiction as a teenager!), and I was actually able to follow quite well, which means that a lot of the book is extraneous. I'm still not sure whether I'll go back and read the whole thing. The writing is decidedly lower in quality than the previous book that I read, WOLF TALES V, and it doesn't delve into the possibilities of the characters' powers as much as it could. It is also occasionally inconsistent and even confusing as a result, even in just the parts that I read -- at one point the characters were just kissing one moment, and then in the next moment they were finishing intercourse! -- so clearly this writer is not as careful as the author of WOLF TALES. The world that Leigh has created is original, but not philosophically fascinating at all. Also definitely not as progressive as some of the other supernatural romance I've read. I was a little disappointed.
I just love reading the Breeds' stories...I never seem to tire of them. And Navarro and Mica's story was no different. There was so much passion and heat that it curled my toes. Damn Ms. Leigh sure knows how to write intense love scenes. And her ability to put those love scenes on paper just amazes me. I enjoyed both characters and what they each brought to the story. I'm fanning myself just thinking about some of the hot, hot, hot scenes. If you're a lover of the Breeds' series, you will not be disappointed. And if you've never tryed this series you really owe it to yourself to pick up one book, just one is all it will take to hook you. Thank you Ms. Leigh for creating the Breeds...may they be around for years to come. Highly recommend...
I found while reading this book for most of it I didn't like Navarro or Mica. Navarro was such an ass for most of the book, very much in denial. Mica for a much different reason, she seemed to just roll over and take whatever crap Navarro took. How he managed to avoid the mating heat, at times aggressively into her one minute, but then the next couldn't bother with her at all. I hate to see any woman become a doormat. I did like when Mica finally decided to take things into her own hands, it was the best way to fight back against Navarro.
We didn't get much other movement on the larger storyline, which is too bad.
I'm done with Lora Leigh. She's had a few - a very few- books in this series worth reading but her last few efforts have been atrocious. I keep hoping they will improve but they only seem to be MORE eye-rolling and MORE ridiculous as time goes on.
I can recommend Coyote's Mate which is a 5 star read, but otherwise, this entire series has been mostly a lesson in frustration.
The back and forth between Mica and Navarro made me dizzy. I didn't feel Navarro really gave a fig about her feelings. In the current breed stories the mating heat is changing, some mates aren't feeling the strong heat that the couples did in the earlier books. Some has to do with mother nature and some has to do with what the council did genetically to some that they didn't do to others. During the whole book they were dealing with a scientist that gave himself a drug that would bring him the youth the breeds develop after mating....but the drug is messing with his mind, too. He's also the one that injected Rachel's infant, and they're trying to get info out of him. He escapes a few times, and of course Mica is his focus. After all the escapes and confrontations the end was anticlimatic.
After my disappointment with the previous book, I was freaking thrilled with this one. I loved Navarro! It's was fascinating, sexy and oh-so-romantic, that I kept reading it. I read it in one sitting. An excellent and fun read for any Breed fan.
The breed guaranteed Mica no harm would come to her, but they never allowed for her sensual fascination with Navarro, or his unstoppable need to claim her as his mate, in both body and soul.
Can I say that the blurb cracks me up? That's straight off Penguin's site. They get right to the point, don't they? Plus, that description can apply to any of the books in the series, just change the names.
Oh and that cover... That dude is supposed to be asian. Nice, huh? There's so much talk about color washing in the Young Adult books and yet, it's next to never discussed in Romance books. It happens all the time and it frustrates the piss out of me.
This is number 24 in the breeds series. I've read about half of the books. I skip. Sometimes I don't read them in order. *shrug* This is a series that I don't feel any loyalty too. I'll read them if I'm in a certain type of mood, but I don't always love them. Some are better than others, and some I can't finish.
One thing I appreciated about Navarro's Promise was the lack of rapey theme that is (more often than not) the normal shtick to her books. And as many problems as I'm about to point out, I do think this was one of the better books in the series.
This book starts off by telling of an attempted abduction. Um, if the whole plot hinges on this abduction... wouldn't it have been nice to, you know, show it? More than that, it left me wondering how she, a human, managed to escape from four (or maybe there was more?) breeds. *scratching head*
The inane dialog in this book killed me. Half of it didn't make any sense. It was like she didn't reread what she wrote.
She'd determined over the past years that nothing could make Jackal look out of place, and few things could make him look out of place. (pg 151)
Um, what? Or:
At the same time Navarro sensed the men on the other side of the bedroom door, just to the right of where Brandenmore stood. There was always the chance the animal genetics he possessed now would allow him to sense the Breeds moving in on the other side of the door. (pg 234)
Usually with her books you get repeated telling paragrahps. Like, literally copied and pasted several times within the text. This one wasn't too bad.
I've already had a rather lengthy post on what I believe is a horrible sin: the ass is not a vagina (http://www.theanonymousmouse.com/2011...). I don't care if you have special Breed precome. Geez. You can't just stick it in. ESPECIALLY an extra large Breed cock WITH A BARB.
The biggest problem with this book, though, is that the characters were crazy-inconsistant. They wanted one thing and then -- bam! -- that's not want I want anymore! I couldn't keep it straight.
Near the end of the book, it's missing PAGES. There's been a lot of brouhaha about this (http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.co...). The funny thing is, it's all focused on the missing pages and not what a cluster the last fifteen pages following the cut scene are (till the end of the book).
There's a lot of discussion in the comment thread about buying a series. At what point does the reader opt out of buying the next one?
That's not an easy answer for me. With this series, despite it's obvious problems -- I buy it. Why? Well, sometimes you want popcorn with extra butter and a King Sized Junior Mints when you go to the movies. Even though you know it's like FOUR THOUSAND calories, which will lead to a heart attack and early death. Yet, you still buy it, feeling guilty the whole time you eat it. This series is kind of like that for me. I know what I'm getting when I click they buy button. I know I'm going to howl laughing the whole time I read the book (NOT that she intends me to laugh. Just because it's THAT BAD). Knowing what to expect and getting it, doesn't ruin the experience for me.
There are some series, though, that I've given up my struggle.
What then is "that point" for me where I say: no more? Price plays a big factor. I knew that Navarro's Promise would be a hot mess. And yet, for $6 I thought, eh, why not. I like bad movies too. If it had been $13 -- hell NO, I wouldn't buy it.
There's also a payoff for me here. Leigh can write a hot sex scene.
Like with all my other reviews about a series, I am going to start saying that this review is full of spoilers, and Navarro’s Promise –being the 24th book of the Breed Series – is a book that has to be read only by those who have followed the whole story, otherwise you are going to be feeling like you are missing out on half of the plot –which you are-. So, consider yourself warned.
Personally, I see the Lora Leigh’s Breed Series as a TV show in which each episode is focused on the development of a couple -sort of like Lost and its characters-. These “episodes” –in this case, books- are just a chapter in the whole story, and with every new one we discover a new layer in the complicated and well-explained plot.
The story about the Breeds grew on me really slowly. It wasn’t until Elizabeth’s Wolf that I started enjoying the story and grasping what it was about; the reason for this is that the plot of these books is constructed to be solved in millions of books –or at least you feel like it is-. That is the first thing that I have to say about Navarro’s Promise, we have been dragging so many things (the concern about what’s going to happen to Jonas’s child, Cassie and this strange man that was sent to kill her so many books ago, Dr Ely and her struggle with what happened to her and so on) that you kind of expect to have some of this old plots solved; however, Lora introduces us to yet another couple with characters that you barely knew or remembered, and that keeps everything more entangled. So, if you thought that any of these issues (and many more) were going to be dealt in this book, I can tell you right now that you are going to be disappointed.
The good news is that the dissapoinment is not going to last much, even when you don’t really know the characters, the story will grab you and keep you entertained through the whole book.
In this 24th chapter, we met Navarro, a Breed with wolf recessives genes whose encounter with the danger that has fallen upon his mate is waking up his animal. On the other hand we have Mica, a woman that we met almost 20 books ago when she was a little girl. Mica is Cassie’s best friend (Cassie the Wolf/Coyote hybrid) and has been dealing with breeds since forever, so she knows all the secrets that the Breeds are trying to keep from going public; one of then the mating heat.
Mica is one of the nicest heroines in the pasts books, she is fighting what she knows is almost inevitable in order to save herself. She believes that succumbing to the mating heat is going to make her a different person and is going to steal her will, so she fights her feelings. Navarro, dealing with his past, does not give her the comfort that Mica needs. All this leads to a new discovering concerning the mating hormone that is going rise some concern within the breed community.
This book is full of angst, I don’t want to say too much about the reasons because I don’t want to spoil the plot, but be prepared to read about internal struggles ad nauseum. Yeah, the sex scenes are exxxtremely steamy, so that is something that has not been lost in the series; but again I strongly believe that the series is being stretched out unnecessary longer that it was supposed to be. I am dying to read about Cassie and her mystery man and many other characters that are better know, but Lora keeps us waiting and waiting.
There are serious timeframe mistakes in this book and I think that it needs some proofreading (and the fact that even me, the Queen of mistakes, noticed it says a lot); I have nothing good to say about the cover, I’m just going to tell you that I try to keep it covered so I never have to see it (yeah, I hate it that much). If you are one of the fans that have been following this series for a long time, even when disappointed, you are going to give it another shot in the following books. This one for me is a no go, however I’m still loyal to Lora and the Breed Series and I’m looking forward to the next episode.
Pros: The book is built on an interesting concept.
Cons: There is very little explanation about the Breeds and how they fit into the world around them; as a first time reader in this series it can be very confusing.
All her life, Micah has grown up with the Breeds and fantasized about Navarro Blaine. They haven't spent much time together, but they're thrown into proximity when her life is suddenly in danger. Now the two of them can no longer deny their attraction, but what will happen when Micah tries to resist the mating process? Will they find happiness, or will stubborn pride get in the way?
Having never read a Breeds novel, I was looking forward to reviewing Ms. Leigh's latest, since I've had friends recommend her to me. Unfortunately, this book didn't quite live up to the praise for me because Ms. Leigh seems to assume that by now her readers know how her world works. This made for a very confusing read for me, and I know that detracted a great deal from my enjoyment. This is definitely one of those series where new readers should start at the beginning.
From the get-go, I was struggling to understand exactly what the Breeds were, how they came to be, and why so much of the world seemed to dislike them. Because of that, some of the plot elements lacked suspense because I couldn't understand why they were happening. Not having a good sense of what the Breeds are also made it difficult to understand the mating process, and why elements of the process happened as they did. It just seemed that the more I read, the more confused I became, and as a reader that's pretty frustrating.
The concept for the Breeds seems an interesting one; I've always been a sucker for genetic manipulation and seeing how human and animal elements are fused to create something new is always interesting to me. (Not to mention how people react to those sorts of things being done.) I just wish I had more background information so that I could really enjoy the way that the concept was put together.
Ms. Leigh's writing style is also probably not for everyone. If you're a reader that prefers leaner prose, then you might want to look elsewhere. It's not a negative for me, it's just not a writing style that I read particularly often. With that being said, as soon as I got into the flow of the book I stopped noticing it. What I did notice in a few places was a tendency to first show the reader how the character was feeling, and then follow that with a point blank telling of said feelings. That was a bit off-putting.
I also had trouble at times with the characters and their behavior. I couldn't help but feel that Micah could solve some of her problems by sitting down and talking about them, instead of avoiding people. Some of the conflict would have seemed less gratuitous that way. Navarro could also learn to talk out conflict, but what irritated me the most was an incident where he basically threatens someone trying to help him. What really floored me was the text that follows that incident, where it seems that an attempt is made to justify his actions. (Pointing out that someone has been traumatized does not qualify as a reason to threaten them, in my opinion.)
While I found the concept of this book interesting, trying to understand the basic background of the story with little to no explanation was absolutely frustrating, and I know that the lack of context colored how I saw the book. If the concept of the series looks like something that you might be interested in, I would highly recommend starting at the beginning so that you'll be able to catch all of the threads and undercurrents in this book.