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bookloverchelle's review
3.0
Lora Leigh's long running Breeds series is both tons of fun, sexy, and amazingly confusing. I would not recommend at all starting with this book, too many ongoing story lines and supporting characters would get confusing if you haven't read anything earlier in the series. I've enjoyed this series since the beginning and I'm getting confused about what's going on. I almost wish Ms. Leigh would scale back the large picture story line and focus on the couple. For this story, Cat and Graeme grew up in a Breed lab and after they broke out a mishap in the escape leaves Cat running from the man she loves, Graeme. As they grow and Cat attempts to survive in a life that really isn't her own she feels abandoned not realizing that Graeme has been watching over her for so long. When they're finally thrown together and the Mating Heat can no longer be denied, can love win or will lust run their lives? Fun read, sometimes a little confusing, but overall I'm still enjoying.
angels_gp17's review against another edition
3.0
Bengal’s Quest is book thirty in the Breeds series by Lora Leigh.
I will point out that this is not a standalone nor a good place to start. Their are key elements, storylines, and continuing things in play in a Bengal's Quest. You might be able to get away with starting at [b:Stygian's Honor|11540546|Stygian's Honor (Breeds, #27; Wolf Breeds, #9)|Lora Leigh|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1329932871s/11540546.jpg|16479855] for this storyline. The opening prologue helped me recall some events, but it’s not enough for a newcomer to the series.
Cat has been in hiding and now that she is exposed, she is finally living her life. She was born human, but due to an illness she was genetically altered into a Breed to save her life. She suffered just like other Breeds and once she escaped she found herself in a position where she had to pose as Claire Martinez to hid from the Genetic Council and the Breed who swore to kill her.
Years ago, Gideon saved a little girl more then once that he called his own. During his last heroic rescue of her, he found himself hurt and she saved him with a blood transfusion, due to that he he swore to kill her. He hurt her emotionally to protect her from the Mating Heat that was starting to consuming him. Now that Cat is a women, he knows it’s time to claim her as his mate.
Confusing? Bengal’s Quest was a bit confusing and well this storyline has been a bit confusing from the start. The storyline spans at least three books maybe more. We get a vague description of transferring spirits and souls into other bodies. Which this concept has been odd and unusual from the moment it was introduced. I never fully understood what was going on with this spirit/soul storyline, until the end of Bengal’s Quest. Even at the end I was still feeling a little like I was missing something in this area. It’s not complete and I don’t know what’s going to happen or if we will get answers. This isn't the first time the author has gone down one path and then changed her mind and never finished.
The romance between Cat and Gideon was mediocre. I never really connected to either, though I did like that Cat was strong-willed and that she put effort into reaching both Gideon the “monster” and Graeme the alpha. It just felt like the same romance was happening again.
Bengal’s Quest also offered too much and didn’t focus enough on long-standing characters. Ms. Leigh continues to expand her world, rather than focus on the characters she has. We are introduced to several potential future storylines that just got in the way and mad things more confusing. For example we have Cat’s friend, Khi (what is up their?), adding more new Breeds, and what possibly happened or will happen to Claire’s spirit. Finally, the story was riddled with repetitive dialogue and inner-monologue.
I will say it was nice to return to the Breed series after stepping away from it for a time, but I felt like it was the same, rinse wash repeat, and doesn’t have that spark that attracted me to the series to begin with. I’m sure I’ll continue on, but it’s not at the top of my list.
Rated: 3 Stars
maria_1124's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
shannon_cocktailsandbooks's review against another edition
This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books
Gideon is considered unstable and hunted by the Breeds and Genetic Council both, yet he’s hiding under everyone’s nose as Graeme. I loved that Graeme and Cat now Claire danced around each other and were even a bit confrontational.
I do really recommend having read the past twenty nine books, because this one got pretty complicated since it’s dealing with what is almost split personalities, and in Cat/Claire’s part two souls sharing a body.
I enjoyed that this one was a lot of buildup, since Cat and Gideon were already mated, so it was a bit of them finding themselves and finding a way to forgive for the past, while dealing with trouble from multiple sources.
This is a complex even complicated story, but it did keep me on my toes and reading. I had to give all my attention to the book, and she shocked me with a few of the twists and turns. With that in mind, I believe fans of this series will definitely enjoy this addition. It had a lot of the Breed cunning I’ve come to enjoy and advances the overall world that the Breeds live in.
Reviewer information can be found under the Tags section of the post on our site.
Gideon is considered unstable and hunted by the Breeds and Genetic Council both, yet he’s hiding under everyone’s nose as Graeme. I loved that Graeme and Cat now Claire danced around each other and were even a bit confrontational.
I do really recommend having read the past twenty nine books, because this one got pretty complicated since it’s dealing with what is almost split personalities, and in Cat/Claire’s part two souls sharing a body.
I enjoyed that this one was a lot of buildup, since Cat and Gideon were already mated, so it was a bit of them finding themselves and finding a way to forgive for the past, while dealing with trouble from multiple sources.
This is a complex even complicated story, but it did keep me on my toes and reading. I had to give all my attention to the book, and she shocked me with a few of the twists and turns. With that in mind, I believe fans of this series will definitely enjoy this addition. It had a lot of the Breed cunning I’ve come to enjoy and advances the overall world that the Breeds live in.
Reviewer information can be found under the Tags section of the post on our site.
laurenjodi's review against another edition
1.0
Bengal's Quest
1 Stars
Read in preparation for Cassie's story, which has been a long time coming.
After slogging through this excruciatingly bad book, I remember why I stopped reading the series. Despite the excellent premise of genetically engineered super-beings with spliced human/animal DNA, Lora Leigh's writing is just too abysmal to really appreciate the story.
Although the first 15 installments or so in the series are well worth reading for the ongoing conspiracy and intense romances, the more recent books have gone downhill. The repetitive internal musings, not to mention the atrocious dialogue and mechanical sex scenes, completely overshadow what might otherwise have been a compelling plot.
Also what is up with all the character name changes? Gideon is also Graeme who is also G. and Fawn is also Claire is also Cat and Judd is now Cullen and Liza is now Honor - enough already! The constant naming and renaming only adds to the weird and convoluted storytelling style.
Thankfully, the next book is Cassie's (the one most readers have been eagerly awaiting for over a decade) and after that, I'm calling it quits for good.
1 Stars
Read in preparation for Cassie's story, which has been a long time coming.
After slogging through this excruciatingly bad book, I remember why I stopped reading the series. Despite the excellent premise of genetically engineered super-beings with spliced human/animal DNA, Lora Leigh's writing is just too abysmal to really appreciate the story.
Although the first 15 installments or so in the series are well worth reading for the ongoing conspiracy and intense romances, the more recent books have gone downhill. The repetitive internal musings, not to mention the atrocious dialogue and mechanical sex scenes, completely overshadow what might otherwise have been a compelling plot.
Also what is up with all the character name changes? Gideon is also Graeme who is also G. and Fawn is also Claire is also Cat and Judd is now Cullen and Liza is now Honor - enough already! The constant naming and renaming only adds to the weird and convoluted storytelling style.
Thankfully, the next book is Cassie's (the one most readers have been eagerly awaiting for over a decade) and after that, I'm calling it quits for good.
smitch29's review against another edition
3.0
3.25
I yet again had the same trouble with the beginning of this book, that I always seem to with the start of the books in this series. I just felt so confused about what all was going on. There is almost too much going on at one time, especially considering that these books are published too far apart and I thusly forget what happened in the previous novel. With the last book (#29), I remember that the confusion eventually cleared up and things were easier to understand and some of my memories of older books were restored, and I ended up really enjoying the ending. For this novel, I did end up remembering some of what had previously happened, but this book seemed to get more and more complicated as it went. Perhaps it was me, but I felt the book wasn't as strongly written, because usually Lora Leigh is stellar at making complex situations smooth and seamless. This plot left me feeling dizzy at times with confusion. To top that off, the ending felt weak and almost underwhelming. There was so much development leading up to the finale, that I expected something more spectacular. Instead, I found the ending to be more disappointing, because it didn't feel balanced for all the complex build up to it. Now, I'm left wondering if all the build up was more about setting up for the next novel in the series, and now I'm left hoping I remember what all was discussed in this book.
On the off chance that I come back and look at this review before reading the next novel, I'm going to hide bits of the plot in a spoiler link so I have reminders in case they are helpful when reading the next book. So, read at your own risk.
Working through their issues reveals how clever and conniving Gideon truly is, for all the medical and technological advances he's developed. He's been living on Lobo Reever's estate and has beefed up Lobo's security. It's revealed that Lobo's step-daughter, Khi/Khileen was almost killed by her traitor mother, and that she is in love with one brother and mated to another. The brothers' identities aren't revealed, but I'm sure it will come up again in another book. Also, the winged Breeds make another appearance, and their leader, Keenan, helps Cat contact Honor's parents to aid in their reconnection. Keenan claims to owe more to Cat than he does Gideon, despite how Gideon has helped the winged Breeds by giving them better armor and clothes that make them nearly invisible in the sky, and also given them medicine to help improve the muscles in their wings, so they can still fly if they gain more body muscle. However, it never really is said what Cat has done for Keenan, that he owes her so much as to go up against Gideon, so I don't know if he is just saying that, or if it is true and will be revealed at a later date. And finally, the last thing I can remember that is of note, is that Judd (aka Cullen) is Gideon's twin, but he is apparently a "recessed" Breed. His inner animal is dormant, and he believes himself to be a failure of a Breed. He was married once, and lost his wife to her own bad genetics (cancer or some other disease, I'm guessing). He acted almost despondent over that because he feels its his fault in a way, for if he were a "real" Breed, and had mated her, the mating hormones would've helped her health. However, Gideon told him that he will meet his true mate one day, and it will bring out his inner animal. Judd refuses to believe it, for he truly believes that he loved his wife with all his heart. My guess is Gideon is right, and this will come to play in a future novel. My only wonder is whether Judd will have all the same cunning and skills Gideon has, since they are twins.
I yet again had the same trouble with the beginning of this book, that I always seem to with the start of the books in this series. I just felt so confused about what all was going on. There is almost too much going on at one time, especially considering that these books are published too far apart and I thusly forget what happened in the previous novel. With the last book (#29), I remember that the confusion eventually cleared up and things were easier to understand and some of my memories of older books were restored, and I ended up really enjoying the ending. For this novel, I did end up remembering some of what had previously happened, but this book seemed to get more and more complicated as it went. Perhaps it was me, but I felt the book wasn't as strongly written, because usually Lora Leigh is stellar at making complex situations smooth and seamless. This plot left me feeling dizzy at times with confusion. To top that off, the ending felt weak and almost underwhelming. There was so much development leading up to the finale, that I expected something more spectacular. Instead, I found the ending to be more disappointing, because it didn't feel balanced for all the complex build up to it. Now, I'm left wondering if all the build up was more about setting up for the next novel in the series, and now I'm left hoping I remember what all was discussed in this book.
On the off chance that I come back and look at this review before reading the next novel, I'm going to hide bits of the plot in a spoiler link so I have reminders in case they are helpful when reading the next book. So, read at your own risk.
Spoiler
In this book, Graeme, aka Gideon, finally found his mate: Cat. He more or less raised Cat in the labs, and was actually in charge of her painful therapies as she was turned into a Breed to save her from her defective genetics that would've killed her shortly after her birth. Gideon is smarter than pretty much anyone else, and has manipulated the lab so he virtually runs it. It allows him to watch over his brother, Judd, and his Cat. However, when a new scientist joins the lab, Gideon knows that this guy is catching on to how much power he holds, and starts planning his exit strategy. He gets out and comes back around for Cat and Judd later. In the melee of rescuing them he gets injured, so Cat (at twelve years old), transfuses him with her blood despite his heavy protestation. He is smart enough to realize that Cat is his mate and he will be infected with the mating hormone much too soon, so he says some vile things to encourage her to hate him. They spend the next 13 years apart, and Gideon deals with raging hormones that turn him into a blood thirsty killer that is determined to protect Cat and ensure that she has and will always have safety. Cat ends up running with Judd, and another girl from the labs, Honor, and they wind up in Window Rock, AZ where a local Indian tribe use an ancient ritual to hide their identities by infusing the souls of two dying girls into Honor and Cat. They become respectively, Liza and Claire. They are taken in by Liza and Claire's family and the Unknown (stealthy, native warriors) are tasked with protecting them. When the time comes for Cat to emerge as the dominant soul in her own body, Gideon has caught up to her and is disguising his Bengal scent with a Lion scent, and going by the name Graeme. He is determined to not let her hide any longer. However, she still feels so much hate and hurt from the words he uttered 13 years prior.Working through their issues reveals how clever and conniving Gideon truly is, for all the medical and technological advances he's developed. He's been living on Lobo Reever's estate and has beefed up Lobo's security. It's revealed that Lobo's step-daughter, Khi/Khileen was almost killed by her traitor mother, and that she is in love with one brother and mated to another. The brothers' identities aren't revealed, but I'm sure it will come up again in another book. Also, the winged Breeds make another appearance, and their leader, Keenan, helps Cat contact Honor's parents to aid in their reconnection. Keenan claims to owe more to Cat than he does Gideon, despite how Gideon has helped the winged Breeds by giving them better armor and clothes that make them nearly invisible in the sky, and also given them medicine to help improve the muscles in their wings, so they can still fly if they gain more body muscle. However, it never really is said what Cat has done for Keenan, that he owes her so much as to go up against Gideon, so I don't know if he is just saying that, or if it is true and will be revealed at a later date. And finally, the last thing I can remember that is of note, is that Judd (aka Cullen) is Gideon's twin, but he is apparently a "recessed" Breed. His inner animal is dormant, and he believes himself to be a failure of a Breed. He was married once, and lost his wife to her own bad genetics (cancer or some other disease, I'm guessing). He acted almost despondent over that because he feels its his fault in a way, for if he were a "real" Breed, and had mated her, the mating hormones would've helped her health. However, Gideon told him that he will meet his true mate one day, and it will bring out his inner animal. Judd refuses to believe it, for he truly believes that he loved his wife with all his heart. My guess is Gideon is right, and this will come to play in a future novel. My only wonder is whether Judd will have all the same cunning and skills Gideon has, since they are twins.
loverofromance's review
4.0
Summary
Graeme is one of the most elusive and secretive breeds to exist. He can blend in anywhere and find anyone he desires. He has many identities and now he goes by Gideon. There is a woman that he has know since her birth, she came to him as a babe sick with disease and he cured her using breed genetics, and her name is Cat. Cat can only remember intense pain as a child. Unlike other breeds, she started out as a human and then was turned into a animal. But there are two men she has only ever trusted, twin brothers Graeme and Judd. Graeme she knew would always be there for her, but then he abadoned her and Judd, and at thirteen years old she and Judd managed to escape with Graeme’s help, but it almost cost him his life, and when she healed him with her blood Graeme went insane with primal instincts and vowed to exact revenge. He is on the hunt for Cat, the only woman he has ever loved, his true mate, and he will find her and possess her. But Cat knows what is coming for her, she is resigned to it, she knows there is no escape from his wrath, but she would do anything to protect him and keep him alive, despite the cost to herself. What Cat isn’t ready for is his claiming of her as his mate and she is walking into an unknown territory that she didn’t expect…
For My Full Review--Addicted To Romance
Graeme is one of the most elusive and secretive breeds to exist. He can blend in anywhere and find anyone he desires. He has many identities and now he goes by Gideon. There is a woman that he has know since her birth, she came to him as a babe sick with disease and he cured her using breed genetics, and her name is Cat. Cat can only remember intense pain as a child. Unlike other breeds, she started out as a human and then was turned into a animal. But there are two men she has only ever trusted, twin brothers Graeme and Judd. Graeme she knew would always be there for her, but then he abadoned her and Judd, and at thirteen years old she and Judd managed to escape with Graeme’s help, but it almost cost him his life, and when she healed him with her blood Graeme went insane with primal instincts and vowed to exact revenge. He is on the hunt for Cat, the only woman he has ever loved, his true mate, and he will find her and possess her. But Cat knows what is coming for her, she is resigned to it, she knows there is no escape from his wrath, but she would do anything to protect him and keep him alive, despite the cost to herself. What Cat isn’t ready for is his claiming of her as his mate and she is walking into an unknown territory that she didn’t expect…
For My Full Review--Addicted To Romance
bodebeabay's review
5.0
I have to disagree with some of the reviews I saw about this not being as good as her others in this series. I think it is one of her BEST. I am giving this one 5 stars. There is actually a damn good story here & one worth reading. I have read ALL her books in this series. Some of them definitely 5 star worthy, some not. She took out the repetitiveness in this one, thank goodness, & gave it a new fresh face. The sex scenes are new & different. The whole book is so much better than her last few that it definitely deserves 5 stars. Well done Lora Leigh.
rremer's review
2.0
These have gotten way to similar to each other. The characters from book to book are hard to distinguish and the overarching plot isn't as helping at all because I do not care about it.