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Breeds #16
Styx's Storm
To save innocent, young Storme Montague from the claws of Breed slave traders, Wolf Breed Styx is forced to claim her himself-on the condition that Storme will no longer be a virgin by night's end. And though Storme's defenses are up, Styx will free her-in ways she never expects.
308 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2010
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2728 people want to read
About the author
Lora Leigh
190 books10.1k followersLibrarian 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.
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6...
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.
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 364 reviews
January 24, 2020
His kisses taste like chocolate and cinnamon
I was jealous in earlier books when one of the breeds had aphodiasiac hormones in his tongue that made his kisses taste like spices and honey, even more so in the last book when Jonas’s kisses tasted like cinnamon and cloves, but Styx has kisses that taste like chocolate and cinnamon. If there is a breed that has kisses tasting like chocolate and peanut butter I just might have fall in love for real.
The story on this one was good. Styx didn’t have as much depth as some of the other breeds, he is a lover and an enforcer. He is a huge Scottish guy with a love of chocolate, so no wonder that his mating gland aphrodisiac happens to taste like chocolate. He also was not tortured in the labs like other breeds, his grandfather raised him but it sort of confused me as to whether his grandfather was really his father or not, maybe I should have read that part over again. Now his grandfather lives in Haven and has a mate so they often talk.
Storme’s father and brother were scientists in a Coyote lab and they loved the breeds even more than they loved Storme. Storme only saw the breeds in the worst part of the lab where they were more animal than human and locked in cages, so she feared them. When the lab was freed, those breeds killed her father and brother in front of her, so she has hated them ever since. She has been running for her life while holding a computer chip her father gave her ever since she was 14, for 10 years.
Jonas finds out that Styx and her are compatible mates, so sends Styx out after her in order to get the chip, which he thinks has answers to help his daughter that was given an injection by Phillip Brandenmore the evil pharmaceutical CEO trying to study the reversal of aging. Though Jonas is always manipulative, he also knows that bringing together mates ends in happiness for both parties, and he knows that getting Storme off the streets and keeping her out of the hands of the council is best for her. So he is never as bad as he seems.
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I was jealous in earlier books when one of the breeds had aphodiasiac hormones in his tongue that made his kisses taste like spices and honey, even more so in the last book when Jonas’s kisses tasted like cinnamon and cloves, but Styx has kisses that taste like chocolate and cinnamon. If there is a breed that has kisses tasting like chocolate and peanut butter I just might have fall in love for real.
The story on this one was good. Styx didn’t have as much depth as some of the other breeds, he is a lover and an enforcer. He is a huge Scottish guy with a love of chocolate, so no wonder that his mating gland aphrodisiac happens to taste like chocolate. He also was not tortured in the labs like other breeds, his grandfather raised him but it sort of confused me as to whether his grandfather was really his father or not, maybe I should have read that part over again. Now his grandfather lives in Haven and has a mate so they often talk.
Storme’s father and brother were scientists in a Coyote lab and they loved the breeds even more than they loved Storme. Storme only saw the breeds in the worst part of the lab where they were more animal than human and locked in cages, so she feared them. When the lab was freed, those breeds killed her father and brother in front of her, so she has hated them ever since. She has been running for her life while holding a computer chip her father gave her ever since she was 14, for 10 years.
Jonas finds out that Styx and her are compatible mates, so sends Styx out after her in order to get the chip, which he thinks has answers to help his daughter that was given an injection by Phillip Brandenmore the evil pharmaceutical CEO trying to study the reversal of aging. Though Jonas is always manipulative, he also knows that bringing together mates ends in happiness for both parties, and he knows that getting Storme off the streets and keeping her out of the hands of the council is best for her. So he is never as bad as he seems.
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October 22, 2010
Seems like this book is just an excuse to give Jonas another chance of redeeming himself to look like a bad ass because he totally failed in his own story. The first half of the story had too much of Jonas trying too hard. News to Lora… this story should’ve been about Styx & Storme. I kept finding myself annoyed whenever Jonas was described as being dangerous, and scary, and creepy, and blah blah blah [insert all alpha description here] because after Lion’s Heat, we all know that’s not true.
I love me some Breeds and their woman, but in this story, I found myself irritated with the Breeds because they were such assholes. Think about it in Storme’s side : she witnessed her family’s murder - has been on the run since she was 14 - gets kidnapped by the Breeds - and is forced / threatened / seduced to hand over the data chip she spent 10 years protecting. Yeah, she may act like a bigot, but it’s not her fault after she’s been through such a hard life. Imagine you having to forego wearing underwear because you could no longer afford such things! What a miserable existence. I’d be pissed off at the world too. Now, back to my rant about why I was irritated with the Breeds… So, after she gets kidnapped, she meets Hope, someone she‘s familiar with since back at the lab. Excuse her for not being all lovely dovely and happy to see a familiar face when she’s being held captive and against the very people she was trying to run from. Storme crops an attitude with Wolfe Gunner, and Hope goes all bitchness on Storme - demanding that Storme show respect to the Alpha as if he DESERVED it. Storme was right… if he wanted her respect, he should earn it! To which Hope replies with she’ll order to have Storme gagged. Not only was her first meeting with them about them trying to tell her what to do and what to believe, but also them threatening to submit her under Breed’s law. What a callous, unbearable, unlikable bunch.
IMHO, I don’t care much for Storme’s character, but I pitied her because Lora Leigh just set her up to fail.
I’m getting tired of all this disappointment Lora’s putting me through. I am such a huge fan of the series, but the past few stories has totally let me down. Lora Leigh… I’ve seen better from you.
I love me some Breeds and their woman, but in this story, I found myself irritated with the Breeds because they were such assholes. Think about it in Storme’s side : she witnessed her family’s murder - has been on the run since she was 14 - gets kidnapped by the Breeds - and is forced / threatened / seduced to hand over the data chip she spent 10 years protecting. Yeah, she may act like a bigot, but it’s not her fault after she’s been through such a hard life. Imagine you having to forego wearing underwear because you could no longer afford such things! What a miserable existence. I’d be pissed off at the world too. Now, back to my rant about why I was irritated with the Breeds… So, after she gets kidnapped, she meets Hope, someone she‘s familiar with since back at the lab. Excuse her for not being all lovely dovely and happy to see a familiar face when she’s being held captive and against the very people she was trying to run from. Storme crops an attitude with Wolfe Gunner, and Hope goes all bitchness on Storme - demanding that Storme show respect to the Alpha as if he DESERVED it. Storme was right… if he wanted her respect, he should earn it! To which Hope replies with she’ll order to have Storme gagged. Not only was her first meeting with them about them trying to tell her what to do and what to believe, but also them threatening to submit her under Breed’s law. What a callous, unbearable, unlikable bunch.
IMHO, I don’t care much for Storme’s character, but I pitied her because Lora Leigh just set her up to fail.
I’m getting tired of all this disappointment Lora’s putting me through. I am such a huge fan of the series, but the past few stories has totally let me down. Lora Leigh… I’ve seen better from you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2010
09/27/2010... I would have given this book a 5 stars but there was just something about Storme that I didnt like... it might have been her prejudice, it might have been her ignorance.. hell, it could have been all the friggin pouting she did... but I didnt like the way she was throwing all types of nasty hateful things about the breeds.. I understand that she grew up like that but come the frig on.. you have had 10 years to grow out of your ignorance...Styx was friggin adorable but Storme.. I just didnt like her.. sorry for those of you who do... but other than her... the book was great!!
My only question right now is.... Who the frig is Styx?? Why is she doing a book on a breed who they only mentioned... I want to know about Dane or Cassie or Ely.... come the heck on..lol
My only question right now is.... Who the frig is Styx?? Why is she doing a book on a breed who they only mentioned... I want to know about Dane or Cassie or Ely.... come the heck on..lol
October 5, 2010
Storme Montague is on the run trying to protect important data that her father had left her after he was brutally murdered by a Coyote breed. It has been ten years of running, hiding and fighting off breeds and Council members and Storme is tired. She knows the breeds will do anything to lure her in and they sent in Styx Mackenzie, a sexy, Scots wolf breed. After one night of passion with him, where she lets down her guard, she is taken by Breeds to the Wolf Compound. Bitter, angry and full of fear, Storme refuses to turn over the data, no matter what Styx does to her.
Styx Mackenzie is tired of chasing Storme. He believes that if he marks her, then she will be forced to turn over the information to him. Needless to say, things do not go as plan. Styx is very aware that Storme is his mate and this causes a huge conflict because she dislikes and distrust breeds after witnessing her family’s murder. Storme also harbors ill feelings towards the breeds because she feels as though her father and brother chose their work as scientist over her and their family. Since he knows Storme fears them, his wolf will not allow him to claim his mate. The mating heat is so close to the surface but until Storme allows him access to her heart, he can’t mark her.
Being a huge fan of Lora Leigh’s Breeds series, I was slightly disappointed in the latest installment. Styx and Storme’s relationship is rocky at its best. Storme has trust issues which is understandable. Styx wants her to trust him and is frustrating with her throughout the book. All the breeds are upset with Storme’s lack of trust, fear and anger. Some of my favorite characters in the series are less understanding which is out of character for them. They think of Storme as being childish but in my opinion she acts very true to character considering all that she has been through. Her brother and father are murdered in front of her by a breed. She has been on the run and alone since she was fourteen. So why should she trust anyone?
The only time Styx and Storme connected is in the bedroom. Lora Leigh does not leave out the sex in her books but at some point there has to be more to develop a relationship than sex. After the sex scenes, the repetitive arguing occurs and it became a tiresome cycle. Half way through the book, I thought of Cassa and Cabal’s story in Bengal’s Heart. This book takes the same direction with the lack of plot and connection.
There is a lack drama or action scenes in this read until the very end and even that is weak. Storme’s epiphany is too late in my opinion and I questioned why she has a change of heart to trust the breeds because there is no Ah ha moment. Readers are left hanging to find out what the data can do and if it helps the breeds.
Overall, a lack of connection, constant bickering and repetitiveness contributed to this being a frustrating read.
Styx Mackenzie is tired of chasing Storme. He believes that if he marks her, then she will be forced to turn over the information to him. Needless to say, things do not go as plan. Styx is very aware that Storme is his mate and this causes a huge conflict because she dislikes and distrust breeds after witnessing her family’s murder. Storme also harbors ill feelings towards the breeds because she feels as though her father and brother chose their work as scientist over her and their family. Since he knows Storme fears them, his wolf will not allow him to claim his mate. The mating heat is so close to the surface but until Storme allows him access to her heart, he can’t mark her.
Being a huge fan of Lora Leigh’s Breeds series, I was slightly disappointed in the latest installment. Styx and Storme’s relationship is rocky at its best. Storme has trust issues which is understandable. Styx wants her to trust him and is frustrating with her throughout the book. All the breeds are upset with Storme’s lack of trust, fear and anger. Some of my favorite characters in the series are less understanding which is out of character for them. They think of Storme as being childish but in my opinion she acts very true to character considering all that she has been through. Her brother and father are murdered in front of her by a breed. She has been on the run and alone since she was fourteen. So why should she trust anyone?
The only time Styx and Storme connected is in the bedroom. Lora Leigh does not leave out the sex in her books but at some point there has to be more to develop a relationship than sex. After the sex scenes, the repetitive arguing occurs and it became a tiresome cycle. Half way through the book, I thought of Cassa and Cabal’s story in Bengal’s Heart. This book takes the same direction with the lack of plot and connection.
There is a lack drama or action scenes in this read until the very end and even that is weak. Storme’s epiphany is too late in my opinion and I questioned why she has a change of heart to trust the breeds because there is no Ah ha moment. Readers are left hanging to find out what the data can do and if it helps the breeds.
Overall, a lack of connection, constant bickering and repetitiveness contributed to this being a frustrating read.
October 6, 2010
Damn this turned out to be one f-----g good read. I almost started to hate Storme, she was so damn hateful and stubborn to the point of pissing me off. I absolutely love Styx, damn what a man/breed. He was so kind, and patient with Storme; almost to good for her.
Ms. Leigh knows how to write steamy, sensual sex scenes, that's for sure. The pace was good but got much better about half way through the book. And the secondary characters where back; I had forgotten how much I loved them in their own stories. Still love them all. Missed them too.
Navarro's story is next and I can't flippin wait.
I love this series; I'm a fan for life.
Highly recommend this book. Guaranteed to please...
Ms. Leigh knows how to write steamy, sensual sex scenes, that's for sure. The pace was good but got much better about half way through the book. And the secondary characters where back; I had forgotten how much I loved them in their own stories. Still love them all. Missed them too.
Navarro's story is next and I can't flippin wait.
I love this series; I'm a fan for life.
Highly recommend this book. Guaranteed to please...
December 2, 2010
When she was fourteen she witnessed her brother and father's murder at the hand of a Coyote. She's hated Breeds ever since...So what the heck is she doing, ten years later, in a hotel with one.
Well, he doesn't know who she is, he's warm, provides a sense of (false) security, and he's hot in and out of bed. I guess that makes it right.
Yeah, if the first "thesis" were true, but Styx knows exactly who he holds in his arms. The woman he's been chasing for the past two years. The woman who holds vital information for the Breeds, and especially Jonas' young daughter. The woman who hates all the Breeds. The woman who is his mate.
Yet another LL book in which I hated the heroine. I waited for Styx to snap, break her neck and find himself a new mate. Alas that moment never happened.
Though I did like this book much more (despite the heroine) than Lion's Heat, probably because Ms. Leigh at least stayed true to who Styx was from the beginning instead of turning him into a sissy. Also, despite her lack of "charm", Storme also kept true to her beliefs (until the very end), instead of pouting away not knowing what she wanted. Yes, she was obnoxious. Yes, she acted like a child everybody accused her of being (granted, she witnessed a Coyote killing her family, but grown-ups tend to think rationally, not with the brain of a child). Yes, I wanted to kill her. Yes, she took a bit too long to come through (there's nothing like a well placed kidnapping to change a girl's mind). But at least she was consistent in her behavior. Does that make any sense?
[Beginning of rant] A lot of people have problems with LL's writing, editing, -isms, lack of research etc. I just take them as her little quirks and just go with the story (despite it's glaring problems, this was still a good story, mostly thanks to Styx). I'm not here to judge her style or anything, I'm here to enjoy the ride. If I don't like an author (for any reason, be it the narrative style, be it the writing, be it anything at all), I don't read their books. Period. I don't go back for more.[End of rant]
As mentioned, despite the huge heroine problem, this was a good, solid story, coupled with some little insight into what the future might bring. A good addition to the series.
Well, he doesn't know who she is, he's warm, provides a sense of (false) security, and he's hot in and out of bed. I guess that makes it right.
Yeah, if the first "thesis" were true, but Styx knows exactly who he holds in his arms. The woman he's been chasing for the past two years. The woman who holds vital information for the Breeds, and especially Jonas' young daughter. The woman who hates all the Breeds. The woman who is his mate.
Yet another LL book in which I hated the heroine. I waited for Styx to snap, break her neck and find himself a new mate. Alas that moment never happened.
Though I did like this book much more (despite the heroine) than Lion's Heat, probably because Ms. Leigh at least stayed true to who Styx was from the beginning instead of turning him into a sissy. Also, despite her lack of "charm", Storme also kept true to her beliefs (until the very end), instead of pouting away not knowing what she wanted. Yes, she was obnoxious. Yes, she acted like a child everybody accused her of being (granted, she witnessed a Coyote killing her family, but grown-ups tend to think rationally, not with the brain of a child). Yes, I wanted to kill her. Yes, she took a bit too long to come through (there's nothing like a well placed kidnapping to change a girl's mind). But at least she was consistent in her behavior. Does that make any sense?
[Beginning of rant] A lot of people have problems with LL's writing, editing, -isms, lack of research etc. I just take them as her little quirks and just go with the story (despite it's glaring problems, this was still a good story, mostly thanks to Styx). I'm not here to judge her style or anything, I'm here to enjoy the ride. If I don't like an author (for any reason, be it the narrative style, be it the writing, be it anything at all), I don't read their books. Period. I don't go back for more.[End of rant]
As mentioned, despite the huge heroine problem, this was a good, solid story, coupled with some little insight into what the future might bring. A good addition to the series.
September 5, 2019
Reread: August 2019. Had to lower my rating because Storm bothered the fck outta me this go around.
original review: Assigned to bring in the daughter of a scientist who once worked for the dreaded Council that created a new race of genetically enhanced cross breeds, Styx knows almost immediately that Storme Montague is his woman, even if the the telltale mating signs are mysteriously regressed for them. So when he gains the opportunity to charm and seduce he does so with little effort, ensnaring the elusive woman thought to secretly hold information vital to both the evil Council and The Breeds.
Storm cant believe she fell for the sexy wolf breed's act, nor does she know who to trust anymore. After witnessing her brother's bloody death before her very eyes by a cruel Coyote Breed, she's reluctant to trust the Council board who created the monsters who killed her family, let alone the Breeds themselves. But something about the safety she feels when with the charming Styx is softening her.
Will she be able to let down her guard long enough to trust again before the wrong person gets to her and the information she's hiding?
I know, I know, LL's quality of work- always in need of improvement- has been particularly subpar lately, but Styx's Storm I can genuinely say was an enjoyable read for me! (Heck I started and finished it in one sitting because I couldnt put it down!)
Sure the heroine hung on to her hatred and mistrust for a LONG while, but- BUT, I gotta say- as forgiving as I tend to be- if I saw my own much beloved brother's throat ripped out in front of me, It would take a long LONG time for me to get passed it myself. Nope, she didnt bother me. And I certainly loved Styx, because, well who wouldn't love a guy who knows your his and doesnt. give. up no matter how impossible a relationship seems?
So yeah, now? 3 out of 5 from me!
original review: Assigned to bring in the daughter of a scientist who once worked for the dreaded Council that created a new race of genetically enhanced cross breeds, Styx knows almost immediately that Storme Montague is his woman, even if the the telltale mating signs are mysteriously regressed for them. So when he gains the opportunity to charm and seduce he does so with little effort, ensnaring the elusive woman thought to secretly hold information vital to both the evil Council and The Breeds.
Storm cant believe she fell for the sexy wolf breed's act, nor does she know who to trust anymore. After witnessing her brother's bloody death before her very eyes by a cruel Coyote Breed, she's reluctant to trust the Council board who created the monsters who killed her family, let alone the Breeds themselves. But something about the safety she feels when with the charming Styx is softening her.
Will she be able to let down her guard long enough to trust again before the wrong person gets to her and the information she's hiding?
I know, I know, LL's quality of work- always in need of improvement- has been particularly subpar lately, but Styx's Storm I can genuinely say was an enjoyable read for me! (Heck I started and finished it in one sitting because I couldnt put it down!)
Sure the heroine hung on to her hatred and mistrust for a LONG while, but- BUT, I gotta say- as forgiving as I tend to be- if I saw my own much beloved brother's throat ripped out in front of me, It would take a long LONG time for me to get passed it myself. Nope, she didnt bother me. And I certainly loved Styx, because, well who wouldn't love a guy who knows your his and doesnt. give. up no matter how impossible a relationship seems?
So yeah, now? 3 out of 5 from me!
January 7, 2011
2.5* Well, on the one hand this book didn't have near as many continuity issues as Lion's Heat. Nor did it have as many grammatical errors. It just takes away from the book when things like that happen, at least for me. On the other hand, I could not stand Storme for about 85% of the book. Also, it is also an all of a sudden change on her part to trusting the Breeds.
Perhaps I am too hard on Storme after the brutal murder of her father and brother at the hand of a Breed however, she just wasn't a nice person. I don't recall one moment where she was actually nice to anyone in the book prior to her sudden transformation. Although she did apologize to Hope for her behavior it just didn't work with me because I barely saw a redeeming feature in her. At the last 15% she did improve somewhat and became tolerable. She just wasn't one of my favorite female characters in this series.
As to the rest of the story I just didn't feel a connection to Styx and I think part of that is because I didn't like Storme. I felt like his love for Storme was out of nowhere because I didn't see one reason as to why he should fall in love with her. I felt it was just mating for mating's sake.
The mating in this story was a bit different so that is something. I did like the little surprise at the end. Anyone who knows what I like in romances can understand why.
At times the story kept my interest, mostly because I wanted to see how things ended. However, like most Lora Leigh breeds book there really wasn't a resolution to everything we were introduced to in this story and in Lion's Heat. What is happening to little Amber? Why was the mating heat different in Styx and Storme and most of all how did the little surprise happen. We ended up with almost more questions than we did answers to old questions. I just hope we see a little more progression in Navarro's Promise.
Perhaps I am too hard on Storme after the brutal murder of her father and brother at the hand of a Breed however, she just wasn't a nice person. I don't recall one moment where she was actually nice to anyone in the book prior to her sudden transformation. Although she did apologize to Hope for her behavior it just didn't work with me because I barely saw a redeeming feature in her. At the last 15% she did improve somewhat and became tolerable. She just wasn't one of my favorite female characters in this series.
As to the rest of the story I just didn't feel a connection to Styx and I think part of that is because I didn't like Storme. I felt like his love for Storme was out of nowhere because I didn't see one reason as to why he should fall in love with her. I felt it was just mating for mating's sake.
The mating in this story was a bit different so that is something. I did like the little surprise at the end. Anyone who knows what I like in romances can understand why.
At times the story kept my interest, mostly because I wanted to see how things ended. However, like most Lora Leigh breeds book there really wasn't a resolution to everything we were introduced to in this story and in Lion's Heat. What is happening to little Amber? Why was the mating heat different in Styx and Storme and most of all how did the little surprise happen. We ended up with almost more questions than we did answers to old questions. I just hope we see a little more progression in Navarro's Promise.
February 25, 2011
3.5 stars
Dear Lora Leigh,
I know your loyal fans would buy your grocery list, in hopes of finding anal on it, but could you please do me a huge favor anyway and hire an editor for grammar errors and word repetition? Because the grammar errors and word repetitions were really annoying. Let me tell you, I was very annoyed by the frequent word repetitions.
Despite that, I enjoyed this more than the last several Leighs I’ve read, perhaps because I wasn’t already familiar with the main characters and had no expectations to be disappointed. I enjoyed getting to see Storme and Styx meet for the first time -- Leigh tends towards starting her romances in the middle, Diana Palmer style. This was a great meeting, as the suspicious, bigoted Storme is lured into bed by Styx's sexy brogue. (If you're one of those readers who hates fake romance brogue, you're out of luck, but I'm a total sucker for it. Hmm, maybe there's someone out there who actually loves grammar errors and word repetitions?)
I thought there was a good conflict overall, between Storme's somewhat justified hatred of Breeds and her inability to resist the wolf breed Highlander Hottie. There's also some playing around with the concept of the Breed mate bond, as some unknown force -- Storme's subconscious? Styx's subconscious? -- keeps it from coming to full life. Unlike many other readers, I didn't hate Storme; I liked her toughness, and sympathized with her.
So a pretty good read overall. There's a lot of mention of characters from previous books, but I think it would stand alone reasonably well for someone new to the series.
Dear Lora Leigh,
I know your loyal fans would buy your grocery list, in hopes of finding anal on it, but could you please do me a huge favor anyway and hire an editor for grammar errors and word repetition? Because the grammar errors and word repetitions were really annoying. Let me tell you, I was very annoyed by the frequent word repetitions.
Despite that, I enjoyed this more than the last several Leighs I’ve read, perhaps because I wasn’t already familiar with the main characters and had no expectations to be disappointed. I enjoyed getting to see Storme and Styx meet for the first time -- Leigh tends towards starting her romances in the middle, Diana Palmer style. This was a great meeting, as the suspicious, bigoted Storme is lured into bed by Styx's sexy brogue. (If you're one of those readers who hates fake romance brogue, you're out of luck, but I'm a total sucker for it. Hmm, maybe there's someone out there who actually loves grammar errors and word repetitions?)
I thought there was a good conflict overall, between Storme's somewhat justified hatred of Breeds and her inability to resist the wolf breed Highlander Hottie. There's also some playing around with the concept of the Breed mate bond, as some unknown force -- Storme's subconscious? Styx's subconscious? -- keeps it from coming to full life. Unlike many other readers, I didn't hate Storme; I liked her toughness, and sympathized with her.
So a pretty good read overall. There's a lot of mention of characters from previous books, but I think it would stand alone reasonably well for someone new to the series.
January 10, 2011
Styx Storm
The story sets off with the big bang and intriguing mystery that we are accustomed to with Lora Leigh’s Breed series. Lora Leigh is a master at writing erotica. Although the first sex scene seems contrived it is no less exquisitely detailed and leaves you squirming in your seat. Subsequent sex scenes get thrown in at seemingly inopportune moments but they are no less detailed and spicy.
This story continues from Lions Heat where information that is crucial to the Breeds, Council and genetic scientist is missing. Storme is being chased by all parties because she holds the key to retrieving this information. Styx is the breed who is used to gain Storme’s trust and get the info from her. I would rather not explain the plot further because it would spoil your enjoyment of the book.
Storme is not a likeable character in this story. Most readers in this series have come to intimately know and love the Breeds. We have been shown the heartbreaking, gritty sides of their world. We look forward to their happiness after they have had such a crappy start in life.
Storme does not know the side of Breeds that we love. She represents the outside world where fear, prejudice, hate and jealousy feeds on itself. These negative qualities unfortunately represent the current political climate in the US between the Dems and Repulicans.
We begin to understand her unreasonableness, but we still want someone to kick her ass. Hard. She has an ugly attitude and you may wonder how the author will redeem this character. While reading , I was thinking I would not forgive Storme’s character.
Storme begins to have epiphanies about herself and her past that very slowly make her question her beliefs. In this I learned how easy it is to fall back on assumptions. I also learned how ignorance is fed by finding like minds who feed your beliefs with lies and propaganda. I begin to understand how hard it is to learn that everything you believe in and have based your life on is a lie. It destroys the faith in people you adore to learn they are part of something so wrong.
Lora Leigh expands on the Breed community. Former books have not given us glimpses into the everyday lives of the Breeds that we get in Styx Storm. This was such a necessary part of the book because it further humanizes the Breeds. Even though danger is still lurking around, they try to establish a sense of normalcy, peace and community.
The story is a little slow paced, but Storme will be a memorable character for me. It looks at the Breeds from the eyes of the haters and challenges the readers since of compassion.
The story sets off with the big bang and intriguing mystery that we are accustomed to with Lora Leigh’s Breed series. Lora Leigh is a master at writing erotica. Although the first sex scene seems contrived it is no less exquisitely detailed and leaves you squirming in your seat. Subsequent sex scenes get thrown in at seemingly inopportune moments but they are no less detailed and spicy.
This story continues from Lions Heat where information that is crucial to the Breeds, Council and genetic scientist is missing. Storme is being chased by all parties because she holds the key to retrieving this information. Styx is the breed who is used to gain Storme’s trust and get the info from her. I would rather not explain the plot further because it would spoil your enjoyment of the book.
Storme is not a likeable character in this story. Most readers in this series have come to intimately know and love the Breeds. We have been shown the heartbreaking, gritty sides of their world. We look forward to their happiness after they have had such a crappy start in life.
Storme does not know the side of Breeds that we love. She represents the outside world where fear, prejudice, hate and jealousy feeds on itself. These negative qualities unfortunately represent the current political climate in the US between the Dems and Repulicans.
We begin to understand her unreasonableness, but we still want someone to kick her ass. Hard. She has an ugly attitude and you may wonder how the author will redeem this character. While reading , I was thinking I would not forgive Storme’s character.
Storme begins to have epiphanies about herself and her past that very slowly make her question her beliefs. In this I learned how easy it is to fall back on assumptions. I also learned how ignorance is fed by finding like minds who feed your beliefs with lies and propaganda. I begin to understand how hard it is to learn that everything you believe in and have based your life on is a lie. It destroys the faith in people you adore to learn they are part of something so wrong.
Lora Leigh expands on the Breed community. Former books have not given us glimpses into the everyday lives of the Breeds that we get in Styx Storm. This was such a necessary part of the book because it further humanizes the Breeds. Even though danger is still lurking around, they try to establish a sense of normalcy, peace and community.
The story is a little slow paced, but Storme will be a memorable character for me. It looks at the Breeds from the eyes of the haters and challenges the readers since of compassion.
October 5, 2010
I really loved this story, as it focused on issues of trust, one of my favorite themes. The heroine has been on the run from age 14, after witnessing the death of her brother and father by a Coyote Breed. Her life is endangered by information entrusted to her care by her father. Ten years later, the good Breeds capture her. Circumstances dictate that they can no longer wait for her to voluntarily bring them what they need.
Styx is asked to get Storm to trust him enough to share the location of this vital information. I don't see a single reason why she should have in the early part of the book.
I didn't like that various characters asked her to "grow up." They didn't seem to realize that she was dealing with her issues the best she could.
It is interesting that in this case, the love had to come before the hormonal and chemical mating heat could fully manifest itself. There were some great sex scenes, but without the anal play we've come to expect from this author. Don't worry, Lora Leigh, we don't miss it at all.
Not quite as good as the previous book in the series, but still good. As this is the 22nd, one couldn't in all fairness expect them to keep getting better and better. A fun read, and another addition to my keeper shelf.
Styx is asked to get Storm to trust him enough to share the location of this vital information. I don't see a single reason why she should have in the early part of the book.
I didn't like that various characters asked her to "grow up." They didn't seem to realize that she was dealing with her issues the best she could.
It is interesting that in this case, the love had to come before the hormonal and chemical mating heat could fully manifest itself. There were some great sex scenes, but without the anal play we've come to expect from this author. Don't worry, Lora Leigh, we don't miss it at all.
Not quite as good as the previous book in the series, but still good. As this is the 22nd, one couldn't in all fairness expect them to keep getting better and better. A fun read, and another addition to my keeper shelf.
October 7, 2010
Hot, hot, hot, emotionally engaging, and well worth the three hours of sleep I missed finishing this book last night.
I love the way Leigh is weaving all of her characters into the books. I enjoy seeing old friends again.
I love the way Leigh is weaving all of her characters into the books. I enjoy seeing old friends again.
November 16, 2010
2.5 stars
This book was just ok, for me. I mean, I wasn't expecting an earth-shattering response as a follow up to Jonas' book....but I was expecting something better than this. *shrugs*
I liked Styx and his flirtatious style but I felt that he kept holding back and kept issuing empty threats to Storme. Storm on the other hand, I didn't really like. She was way to prejudiced to make her a likeable character. I totally get why she was so wary and judgemental towards the Breed community, but I felt it was too repetitious.
The last 40 pages were engaging and emotional...but too little too late. I have found that the Felines are so much more interesting to me than the other Breeds.
Next up in this series is Navarro's Promise......
Really?? Navarro?? Gimme Rule!! Gimme Brim!! Gimme Lawe!!! Gimme Cassie!!! Please!!!??!!!!
This book was just ok, for me. I mean, I wasn't expecting an earth-shattering response as a follow up to Jonas' book....but I was expecting something better than this. *shrugs*
I liked Styx and his flirtatious style but I felt that he kept holding back and kept issuing empty threats to Storme. Storm on the other hand, I didn't really like. She was way to prejudiced to make her a likeable character. I totally get why she was so wary and judgemental towards the Breed community, but I felt it was too repetitious.
The last 40 pages were engaging and emotional...but too little too late. I have found that the Felines are so much more interesting to me than the other Breeds.
Next up in this series is Navarro's Promise......
Really?? Navarro?? Gimme Rule!! Gimme Brim!! Gimme Lawe!!! Gimme Cassie!!! Please!!!??!!!!
July 22, 2012
Okay. Better than some in the series. The heroine was a prejudiced obstinate twit for most of the book. Good thing there's a mating heat or there would have been no reason for him to love her. Bad editing as usual.
October 5, 2012
Lora Leigh has officially hooked me into her Breed series! Starting at the beginning now..
July 16, 2017
The Perfect Storme with One Styx
I was beginning to get frustrated with this story because the length it took for that dang gland knot to get working. I thought I was going to begin reading where Styx was going to suffer near death. Then Storme was still a bit immature to quite understand that cause in her actions for the breed. As I was reading she seem to have sympathy for Jonas & Rachel's baby, but she also harden her heart. Another great read overall
I was beginning to get frustrated with this story because the length it took for that dang gland knot to get working. I thought I was going to begin reading where Styx was going to suffer near death. Then Storme was still a bit immature to quite understand that cause in her actions for the breed. As I was reading she seem to have sympathy for Jonas & Rachel's baby, but she also harden her heart. Another great read overall
November 4, 2010
My main problem with this book is different than most of the other reviewers.
Yes, her hatred of the Breeds did get annoying and she did hold on to it for the majority of the book (but honestly the book was not that long), but I was able to understand why that was. Breeds killed her father and brother in front of her at age 14! And she had harbored a resentment for them even before then (for reasons I won't get into in order not to spoil anything). After that, she spent her whole life leading up to the book running away from Council Breeds that wanted to kill her. I totally get why she held onto her hatred of the Breeds for so long, it was all she knew for most of her life. You can't just wake up one day and go "I've been acting under a misconception my entire life. Everything I thought I knew was wrong." That takes time, and I thought LL did a good job showing her struggle with that realization instead of taking the easy way out and not dealing with it.
What my problem was, was actually the relationship between Storme and Styx. All they did was have sex, argue about handing over the microchip, and argue about Stormes hatred for the Breeds. They don't have any real interaction beyond that. I would've liked some real conversation between the two, maybe have Styx talk about what it has been like for him being a Breed and his experiences - you know, get to know each other stuff. Although LL makes it clear that Storme already knows everything about all the different Breeds and has read their files, that doesn't mean they can't talk about it (and I wanted to know about it too!!!). I just wish there had been a little more to the relationship. I never felt like I got to know the characters beyond the situation they were in.
Yes, her hatred of the Breeds did get annoying and she did hold on to it for the majority of the book (but honestly the book was not that long), but I was able to understand why that was. Breeds killed her father and brother in front of her at age 14! And she had harbored a resentment for them even before then (for reasons I won't get into in order not to spoil anything). After that, she spent her whole life leading up to the book running away from Council Breeds that wanted to kill her. I totally get why she held onto her hatred of the Breeds for so long, it was all she knew for most of her life. You can't just wake up one day and go "I've been acting under a misconception my entire life. Everything I thought I knew was wrong." That takes time, and I thought LL did a good job showing her struggle with that realization instead of taking the easy way out and not dealing with it.
What my problem was, was actually the relationship between Storme and Styx. All they did was have sex, argue about handing over the microchip, and argue about Stormes hatred for the Breeds. They don't have any real interaction beyond that. I would've liked some real conversation between the two, maybe have Styx talk about what it has been like for him being a Breed and his experiences - you know, get to know each other stuff. Although LL makes it clear that Storme already knows everything about all the different Breeds and has read their files, that doesn't mean they can't talk about it (and I wanted to know about it too!!!). I just wish there had been a little more to the relationship. I never felt like I got to know the characters beyond the situation they were in.
October 11, 2010
As I've said in past reviews, I love this series! I find each book has become progressively better and more complex. I still love that each book really focuses on the main couple, but still has an overarching storyline that has been developing from the very first book.
This book was all about Styx and Storm. I liked their relationship with each other and the sex scenes were definitely hot. I wish there could have been more character development for Styx, I felt a little cheated. I also thought the book was really short, maybe that was just because Jonas' book was a lot longer. I'm not sure. My one really big problem with this book, which is why I didn't give it 5 stars, I really didn't like Storm all that much. She was really whiny and maybe she had good reasons to fear the breeds, but still, after awhile I just wanted to throw the book across the room. If not for her, I would have given it 5 stars. I also liked seeing some of the past characters, and seeing Cassie was interesting as well.
The next book looks promising as well, it will be all about Navarro (I think I spelled this wrong), who we see more of in this book.
This book was all about Styx and Storm. I liked their relationship with each other and the sex scenes were definitely hot. I wish there could have been more character development for Styx, I felt a little cheated. I also thought the book was really short, maybe that was just because Jonas' book was a lot longer. I'm not sure. My one really big problem with this book, which is why I didn't give it 5 stars, I really didn't like Storm all that much. She was really whiny and maybe she had good reasons to fear the breeds, but still, after awhile I just wanted to throw the book across the room. If not for her, I would have given it 5 stars. I also liked seeing some of the past characters, and seeing Cassie was interesting as well.
The next book looks promising as well, it will be all about Navarro (I think I spelled this wrong), who we see more of in this book.
October 10, 2010
I love me some 'breeds' and I've been reading this series since it debut at Ellora's cave. This book was a hard one for me. I had a hard time liking the heroine. However, I think that was the whole point of the book and Ms. Leigh does the whole 'living with enemy' really well. She also advanced the larger series arc with this book - so for that, well done. The thing I had the hardest time with was the whole 'push/pull', 'will they or wont' they, the endless one note of not understanding each other between the hero and the heroine. While the chasm in the difference of beliefs/morals and culture between the hero and heroine is well described and fully realized I think it was over played and the reasons the heroine has for not being able to come to an understanding about the breeds was continually brought up to the point where I thought - OK, enough, I get it. So with all that you'd think I didn't like the book; but that's not the case. I did enjoy the book but I felt it got bogged down in certain places with the characters motivations. Will I read the next book in the series? You bet.
March 29, 2011
My absolute least favorite of the Breed books. I hated Storme. Should I give the secret documents/chip to the people my dad was helping although they're tricky or should I give it to the child raping, torturers that are always trying to kill me? Hmmm, I'll need 10 years and 5/6 of the book to make my decision, thank you! Styx was better without her.
August 5, 2017
I always try to give an author a second chance. I read
Maverick
by Lora Leigh and well… I kind of loathed it. Maverick was romantic suspense and there were a few moments where I thought I might like this author so I wanted to try out a different series from Lora Leigh. Since Styx’s Storm is a paranormal romance, I went in hoping to like this one better. However, after reading this I have to throw in the towel and admit that perhaps Lora Leigh isn’t the author for me.
Much like Maverick, I found a few things that worked in this but in lieu of everything else being overwhelmingly bad it wasn’t enough to save it. I had several issues with Styx’s Storm but two in particular bothered me the most. Let’s just get into it shall we?
Issue 1: The heroine is basically a racist.
The heroine, Storme, is super prejudiced against the Breeds. The way she thinks and treats them can easily be seen as obviously super racist if you just swap out “breed” with any other ethnicity. Here’s an example: She keeps calling them “animals” even though calling them “animals” is pretty much the equivalent of using the “n-word.” I don’t understand the thought process involved in creating a heroine that is so intensely unlikeable. I mean… really? Who’s going to root for a bigot? It just makes the whole thing unfortunate because Storme could have been a great heroine otherwise. She’s smart and can save herself in a fight. Although her self-preservation instincts are for shit so who knows…?
Issue 2: Rape as a plot device.
There was so much talk of rape whether it be about past rapes or threatening someone in the present with rape; it was just rape all the time. While Storme herself is not a rape victim, she’s threatened with rape. Can’t women have a different back story? On a somewhat less rapey note, Styx and Storme’s relationship begins with a dash of sexual coercion. I’m sorry, but getting someone into sleep with you under false pretenses is wrong on a lot of levels. He basically tricks her into sleeping with him and then kidnaps her. REALLY?! This is how their relationship starts? With sexual trickery and kidnapping and probably a dash of Stockholm Syndrome thrown in? Like… I can’t.
I don’t want to end this on a bad note because there was one important thing that worked for Styx’s Storm: the world building. This is the 22nd book of the series. I think it’s safe to say that I’ve probably missed much of the backstory going into this. However, I never had a hard time figuring out the events that had brought the series to this point or how their society worked. Lora Leigh did some excellent world building to have a reader come in this far along in the series and be able to understand the world without any problems. Also the characters all felt like they had distinct personalities albeit some were personalities that I didn’t care for. So overall, Lora Leigh has some talent as a writer. I don’t have any issues with her writing style or her plotting techniques. I just don’t ever like her characters. Since I’m such a stickler for developed characters that I like I don’t think Lora Leigh is the right writer for me.
Much like Maverick, I found a few things that worked in this but in lieu of everything else being overwhelmingly bad it wasn’t enough to save it. I had several issues with Styx’s Storm but two in particular bothered me the most. Let’s just get into it shall we?
Issue 1: The heroine is basically a racist.
The heroine, Storme, is super prejudiced against the Breeds. The way she thinks and treats them can easily be seen as obviously super racist if you just swap out “breed” with any other ethnicity. Here’s an example: She keeps calling them “animals” even though calling them “animals” is pretty much the equivalent of using the “n-word.” I don’t understand the thought process involved in creating a heroine that is so intensely unlikeable. I mean… really? Who’s going to root for a bigot? It just makes the whole thing unfortunate because Storme could have been a great heroine otherwise. She’s smart and can save herself in a fight. Although her self-preservation instincts are for shit so who knows…?
Issue 2: Rape as a plot device.
There was so much talk of rape whether it be about past rapes or threatening someone in the present with rape; it was just rape all the time. While Storme herself is not a rape victim, she’s threatened with rape. Can’t women have a different back story? On a somewhat less rapey note, Styx and Storme’s relationship begins with a dash of sexual coercion. I’m sorry, but getting someone into sleep with you under false pretenses is wrong on a lot of levels. He basically tricks her into sleeping with him and then kidnaps her. REALLY?! This is how their relationship starts? With sexual trickery and kidnapping and probably a dash of Stockholm Syndrome thrown in? Like… I can’t.
I don’t want to end this on a bad note because there was one important thing that worked for Styx’s Storm: the world building. This is the 22nd book of the series. I think it’s safe to say that I’ve probably missed much of the backstory going into this. However, I never had a hard time figuring out the events that had brought the series to this point or how their society worked. Lora Leigh did some excellent world building to have a reader come in this far along in the series and be able to understand the world without any problems. Also the characters all felt like they had distinct personalities albeit some were personalities that I didn’t care for. So overall, Lora Leigh has some talent as a writer. I don’t have any issues with her writing style or her plotting techniques. I just don’t ever like her characters. Since I’m such a stickler for developed characters that I like I don’t think Lora Leigh is the right writer for me.
December 1, 2010
Styx’s Storm (Breeds) by Lora Leigh
Paranormal Romance – Oct. 5th, 2010
4 1/2 stars
Storme loved her father and brother. Both of them were intelligent scientists who worked in the Breed labs where genetically altered men and woman were given super human powers when their DNA was illegally combined with animal DNA. These 2 men were deeply sympathetic toward the unwilling victims of science. But there was no way they could escape. When their lab is raided, both scientists frantically try to erase their top secret Omega research. They hide the information with 14 year old Storme and tell her to leave, but Storme stubbornly stays hidden only to see their brutal deaths by the same ‘animals’ that they tried to protect. She bravely escapes and vows to hold the vital information for the one person whom her father said would find her in their secret stronghold. But he or she never appears and the Breeds and the Council keeps her on the run.
It is 10 years later and Storme is exhausted. She has successfully eluded the dreaded Council and the Breeds who have ruthlessly been hunting her down for her information. But what she doesn’t know is that her information may hold the key to saving the Breed Director’s adopted child and he is determined to bring Storme in, willing or unwilling. He is tired of her games. He has assigned his scientists to find among the Breeds a man who is the genetic mate for Storme and to hunt her down and ‘convince’ her with their natural animal magnetism and additive pheromones.
I really liked the tough and gutsy heroine. Storme refuses to bow down to the Breeds and the sexy lothario Styx. Although Styx’s playboy attitude disguises his primal and aggressive side - a side that is prepared to kill and to protect his mate. I enjoyed this story more than the last couple of books because although Styx is an alpha, he uses his skills of persuasion. Styx has a gentleness that many of Lora Leigh’s prior heroes lack. I found his character a nice change. He is patient with the heroine (some reader may find him too patient) which I thought was a nice switch from the really dominating hero (Such as in Coyote’s Mate.). I also enjoyed seeing a Breed’s softer and more fun loving side. His personality allowed me to understand how Storme could love Stxy. I liked the depth in Styx’s character. Even though Storme’s constant denial of Styx may tire some readers, I found this an extremely enjoyable read.
This latest Breed book is an enjoyable departure from Leigh's previous novels with its delightfully different and appealing hero and a super strong-willed heroine.
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Paranormal Romance – Oct. 5th, 2010
4 1/2 stars
Storme loved her father and brother. Both of them were intelligent scientists who worked in the Breed labs where genetically altered men and woman were given super human powers when their DNA was illegally combined with animal DNA. These 2 men were deeply sympathetic toward the unwilling victims of science. But there was no way they could escape. When their lab is raided, both scientists frantically try to erase their top secret Omega research. They hide the information with 14 year old Storme and tell her to leave, but Storme stubbornly stays hidden only to see their brutal deaths by the same ‘animals’ that they tried to protect. She bravely escapes and vows to hold the vital information for the one person whom her father said would find her in their secret stronghold. But he or she never appears and the Breeds and the Council keeps her on the run.
It is 10 years later and Storme is exhausted. She has successfully eluded the dreaded Council and the Breeds who have ruthlessly been hunting her down for her information. But what she doesn’t know is that her information may hold the key to saving the Breed Director’s adopted child and he is determined to bring Storme in, willing or unwilling. He is tired of her games. He has assigned his scientists to find among the Breeds a man who is the genetic mate for Storme and to hunt her down and ‘convince’ her with their natural animal magnetism and additive pheromones.
I really liked the tough and gutsy heroine. Storme refuses to bow down to the Breeds and the sexy lothario Styx. Although Styx’s playboy attitude disguises his primal and aggressive side - a side that is prepared to kill and to protect his mate. I enjoyed this story more than the last couple of books because although Styx is an alpha, he uses his skills of persuasion. Styx has a gentleness that many of Lora Leigh’s prior heroes lack. I found his character a nice change. He is patient with the heroine (some reader may find him too patient) which I thought was a nice switch from the really dominating hero (Such as in Coyote’s Mate.). I also enjoyed seeing a Breed’s softer and more fun loving side. His personality allowed me to understand how Storme could love Stxy. I liked the depth in Styx’s character. Even though Storme’s constant denial of Styx may tire some readers, I found this an extremely enjoyable read.
This latest Breed book is an enjoyable departure from Leigh's previous novels with its delightfully different and appealing hero and a super strong-willed heroine.
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
December 3, 2010
Wow. What did I think about this book. GARBAGE! From front to back. Uninspired plotline. Terrible writing. Awful characters. Bad editing. It's to bad she didn't write the book that was in the synopsis about the breed slave traders. That book might have had at least an interesting plot. What has happened to this author. I am beginning to think her husband had a lot more to do with her books than we thought. Because her last 3 books have been horrible and COYOTES MATE was just ok. If her husband didn't help her, than did she loose her editor at the same time? LIONS HEAT and STYX'S STORM are the 2 worst books this year for me in both editing and quality of writing. She keeps repeating things over and over, inane conversations, plot points that are never answered, characters not acting like they were previously written. I did not like a single person in this book. She constantly tells instead of showing. Telling us over and over about his love of choc. but she never shows this in the book. She also negates her own rules about the mateing heat. This was a pivotable plot point for her world. Also her story lines are moving at a snails pace. EDITING: When she is leaving the nightclub she puts her hand in the pocket of her jacket to grab the handle of a blaster gun she says she has, then on the next page she puts her hand in her jacket again and grabs a knife and thinks to herself this is the only weapon I have. Also one of the coyotes says to her" all you have is a knife to defend yourself with". How did he know this, she hadn't pulled the knife out yet. Does he have x-ray vision? There were many other problems with continuity. Is anyone at the publishing house even reading these books after she turns them in? I am beginning to wonder. I am so glad I got this from the libary, even so it took me 3 weeks to read. They have on the cover that it is a guaranteed read, if I had purchased it I definatly would have returned it. Goodbye Lora Leigh this book was your final chance with me. I am off to find a much better author who still takes pride in writing a good book and who cares about editing their work.
January 21, 2013
Oh man did I hate this chick!! I really wish Styx had a better mate. She was such a brat and self absorbed! He was super delicious though. I really wish the author would follow through with her foreshadowing! Don't hint and then leave me hanging!! I used to love this series but lately it has been falling off. I will still follow and read but not quite as eagerly as in the past!
June 5, 2018
I always look forward to Lora Leigh's Breed books. Some are better than others, but I can say I liked this one. Storme was difficult, but I didn't mind the h/h conflict because of her past. Another great book to the series.
October 6, 2010
Enjoyed this book and of course Styx. I would have like to have known what was on that chip and wished it was longer. Looking forward to Navarro and his scars. Also she what will happen with him and Micca.
November 20, 2010
If I had to pick one phrase to describe this book it would definitely be the following: hot mess. Even taking into consideration that this series is not for everyone and that the level of violence and/or sexual content in this book would be an immediate turnoff for some, I've enjoyed enough other books in this series to know that this one did not ring my bell on any level. The plot was recycled and boring, the characters were lifeless and annoying, the conflict was forced, the drama was nonexistent, the romance was offensive and gross, and then ending was extremely contrived. If there were somehow a way to return a Kindle book I would totally be exercising that option right now.
Let's address these points one at a time. I appreciate that after a series has a large number of installments like this one does, it's not crazy or unheard of for some elements to resurface from earlier books, but the story here was borrowed pretty much in its entirety from Tanner's Scheme (a really emotional tearjerker in this series and a way better book than this one) with only minor tweaking to address the fact that supposedly Storme is a terrible, awful person. The story manages to introduce a new element without ever really explaining it (all we know about Project Omega is that it's really depraved and awful and bad and should never be released upon the world, but beyond that we don't know what the hell it is or why we should care about it) and then the whole story revolves around finding out more about it, with none of those details ever being shared. Yawn.
The new characters in this book, namely, the hero and heroine, give forgettable a whole new definition. Storm Montague is defined by who her father and brother were and for her supposedly inexcusable hatred of the Breeds (which isn't all that inexcusable, but I'll get to that in a minute) and Styx is defined by being Scottish (complete with horrible, HORRIBLE phonetically-spelled accent- seriously folks, it was painful) and addicted to chocolate (the dude packs it away like nobody's business) but beyond that we never learn a thing about them, and I found that I wasn't invested enough to want to know more. Supposedly these two are disgusted by each other, but yet they manage to fall into bed together just fine. Styx is supposed to get the location of the data chip by any means necessary and therefore all of his interactions with Storme felt oily and gross. Storme feels like Styx is only sleeping with her to get the chip, and for the most part she's right, but she does it anyway. It was very frustrating. The characters are about as dynamic as cardboard cutouts, or maybe not even.
The forced conflict didn't help matters, either. Supposedly the information about Project Omega is key to understanding what's happening to Amber, adopted daughter of Jonas Wyatt (Director of the Bureau of Breed Affairs). I totally get that when you're concerned about your child there is nothing you won't do to ensure their health and well being, but Jonas along with the other familiar characters (Wolfe, Hope, Rachel, etc.) acted like a bag of assholes where Storme was concerned, threatened her and intimidated her, impugned her character, damaged her mental health, and then were shocked when she didn't want to help them! Unreal.
I've touched on the romance already, but this one was extra disappointing, especially from a series where the relationship between the hero and heroine is such a crown jewel like it used to be in this one. Storme was frightened, angry, abused, and traumatized through most of the book, often at the hands of the folks who were supposed to be the good guys! Apparently kidnapping a woman, holding her against her will, taking medical samples without her consent, trying to seduce information out of her, and then failing to keep all those promises you made to protect her is okay as long as you feel like you're doing it for a good reason. The interactions between the characters in this story made me want to get my tongue scraped. Blech.
Then there was the ending, which was supposed to address three things- one, that given the opportunity to betray the Breeds, Storme was noble and worked to get back to her mate (although why she would want to do that I frankly have no idea, for the reasons outlined above,) two, that Storme has decided to give the data chip to the Breeds because Styx is a Breed and is the only person who ever made her feel safe and that means she loves him (folks, this is not romance, this is Stockholm Syndrome) and three, to show how Storme changed her tune, became a fan of the Breeds, and lived happily ever after with her growly Scottish mate and new friends in the form of Anya, coya of the Coyote pack (and another woman who wasn't treated well by the Breeds) and her bodyguards. The ending felt like all these elements were stuck in a blender together, pulsed a few times, and spat back out on the final pages. By the end of the book, even though the major players have apologized for being douchebags to Storme in the beginning and for not rescuing her when she was abducted out from under them by the very guy who murdered her father and brother after they'd sworn all kinds of oaths to protect her, I found myself sickened by the way Storme was treated, even though she definitely had some maturity issues that needed to be addressed. Although, if I saw a guy tear out my brother's throat in front of me when I was fourteen and then had to go on the run to protect information that my dying father said was incredibly important and was then told by the same folks whose population included my family's murderer that I should quit being so selfish and check out their fabulous way of life and drink the Kool Aid and join them....JOIN THEM...then I would probably be snarky and defensive and hurtful with my words too.
Sigh. This review is long enough, but there were a ton of other reasons why this book didn't work for me and was a huge disappointment. I'm sad to say this, but I am officially breaking up with this series. After this book upset me on so many levels, I can't rationalize continuing at this point.
Overall Grade: F
Let's address these points one at a time. I appreciate that after a series has a large number of installments like this one does, it's not crazy or unheard of for some elements to resurface from earlier books, but the story here was borrowed pretty much in its entirety from Tanner's Scheme (a really emotional tearjerker in this series and a way better book than this one) with only minor tweaking to address the fact that supposedly Storme is a terrible, awful person. The story manages to introduce a new element without ever really explaining it (all we know about Project Omega is that it's really depraved and awful and bad and should never be released upon the world, but beyond that we don't know what the hell it is or why we should care about it) and then the whole story revolves around finding out more about it, with none of those details ever being shared. Yawn.
The new characters in this book, namely, the hero and heroine, give forgettable a whole new definition. Storm Montague is defined by who her father and brother were and for her supposedly inexcusable hatred of the Breeds (which isn't all that inexcusable, but I'll get to that in a minute) and Styx is defined by being Scottish (complete with horrible, HORRIBLE phonetically-spelled accent- seriously folks, it was painful) and addicted to chocolate (the dude packs it away like nobody's business) but beyond that we never learn a thing about them, and I found that I wasn't invested enough to want to know more. Supposedly these two are disgusted by each other, but yet they manage to fall into bed together just fine. Styx is supposed to get the location of the data chip by any means necessary and therefore all of his interactions with Storme felt oily and gross. Storme feels like Styx is only sleeping with her to get the chip, and for the most part she's right, but she does it anyway. It was very frustrating. The characters are about as dynamic as cardboard cutouts, or maybe not even.
The forced conflict didn't help matters, either. Supposedly the information about Project Omega is key to understanding what's happening to Amber, adopted daughter of Jonas Wyatt (Director of the Bureau of Breed Affairs). I totally get that when you're concerned about your child there is nothing you won't do to ensure their health and well being, but Jonas along with the other familiar characters (Wolfe, Hope, Rachel, etc.) acted like a bag of assholes where Storme was concerned, threatened her and intimidated her, impugned her character, damaged her mental health, and then were shocked when she didn't want to help them! Unreal.
I've touched on the romance already, but this one was extra disappointing, especially from a series where the relationship between the hero and heroine is such a crown jewel like it used to be in this one. Storme was frightened, angry, abused, and traumatized through most of the book, often at the hands of the folks who were supposed to be the good guys! Apparently kidnapping a woman, holding her against her will, taking medical samples without her consent, trying to seduce information out of her, and then failing to keep all those promises you made to protect her is okay as long as you feel like you're doing it for a good reason. The interactions between the characters in this story made me want to get my tongue scraped. Blech.
Then there was the ending, which was supposed to address three things- one, that given the opportunity to betray the Breeds, Storme was noble and worked to get back to her mate (although why she would want to do that I frankly have no idea, for the reasons outlined above,) two, that Storme has decided to give the data chip to the Breeds because Styx is a Breed and is the only person who ever made her feel safe and that means she loves him (folks, this is not romance, this is Stockholm Syndrome) and three, to show how Storme changed her tune, became a fan of the Breeds, and lived happily ever after with her growly Scottish mate and new friends in the form of Anya, coya of the Coyote pack (and another woman who wasn't treated well by the Breeds) and her bodyguards. The ending felt like all these elements were stuck in a blender together, pulsed a few times, and spat back out on the final pages. By the end of the book, even though the major players have apologized for being douchebags to Storme in the beginning and for not rescuing her when she was abducted out from under them by the very guy who murdered her father and brother after they'd sworn all kinds of oaths to protect her, I found myself sickened by the way Storme was treated, even though she definitely had some maturity issues that needed to be addressed. Although, if I saw a guy tear out my brother's throat in front of me when I was fourteen and then had to go on the run to protect information that my dying father said was incredibly important and was then told by the same folks whose population included my family's murderer that I should quit being so selfish and check out their fabulous way of life and drink the Kool Aid and join them....JOIN THEM...then I would probably be snarky and defensive and hurtful with my words too.
Sigh. This review is long enough, but there were a ton of other reasons why this book didn't work for me and was a huge disappointment. I'm sad to say this, but I am officially breaking up with this series. After this book upset me on so many levels, I can't rationalize continuing at this point.
Overall Grade: F
March 18, 2017
Fatal.
Cero química entre la pareja, ella llega completamente a ser fastidiosa y molesta en lo que se refiere a las Castas. El no tiene mucha relevancia.
La mitad del libro es una pérdida de tiempo la otra mitad para variar predecible secuestran a la pareja.
Es más me gustaría saber que tiene el Chip qur es tan importante, que pasa con Amanda y enserio en todos los pinches libros sale que tienen muchos espías o que la información se filtra por favor 20 libros con la misma hablada!!!!!! es frustrante esta escritora debió de haber rrconciderado lo de hacer tantos libros si iba a estar repitiendo la misma fórmula en todos.
Cero química entre la pareja, ella llega completamente a ser fastidiosa y molesta en lo que se refiere a las Castas. El no tiene mucha relevancia.
La mitad del libro es una pérdida de tiempo la otra mitad para variar predecible secuestran a la pareja.
Es más me gustaría saber que tiene el Chip qur es tan importante, que pasa con Amanda y enserio en todos los pinches libros sale que tienen muchos espías o que la información se filtra por favor 20 libros con la misma hablada!!!!!! es frustrante esta escritora debió de haber rrconciderado lo de hacer tantos libros si iba a estar repitiendo la misma fórmula en todos.
May 15, 2019
I really disliked Storme. She might have been traumatized early on by a Breed, but to blatantly blame the whole race, who are clearly human? It's racist and made liking her almost impossible. If the person who hurt her were black or Asian, would it be acceptable to fear and hate them too? They very clearly are sentient and have emotions, these are obviously not actual animals. There's no excuse for it. The second half of the book was better. Styx wasn't very in-depth character, so even he can't save this book. It was only an okay read.
January 5, 2020
Loved this book and series
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