Tanner's Scheme

Author: Lora Leigh
Published: August 7, 2007 (Berkley)
Category: Paranormal Romance/Erotica
Series: The Breeds #3
Rating: 6/10

Leigh has been writing these Breed paranormal romance/erotica titles before Berkley started publishing her work. A lot of her stuff was released by Ellora's Cave.

In the futuristic world of the Breeds, genetic experiments have resulted in humans that have animal characteristics, and they do not have the ability to change into animals. For that, go to Nalini Singh. As a new race, they are fighting for equality and freedom from persecution. Our hero Tanner Reynolds is a Bengal, one of two that are known to exist. The man on the cover doesn't look at all like I pictured him, as he's described to have the face of a fallen angel and long gold and black striped hair. Scheme Tallant is daughter to General Tallant, proponent of the destruction of the Breeds, and the Breeds have good reason to hate her, as her name was on many death orders. However, she's actually a double agent, working to help the Breed council to obtain enough evidence to arrest the general, but her father knows about it now and needs to eliminate her before she ruins his plans to kidnap a pride leader's son.

Tanner was planning on kidnapping her, but before he does so, he saves her from the assassin her father sent, and based on the conversation exchanged between the assassin and Scheme, he realizes she might not be as evil as he thought. Of course, there's also a spy working for Tallant behind Breed lines, and Tanner fits the profile, so Scheme isn't sure that she can trust him, so she doesn't tell him the truth, despite the fact that she has never been so satisfied sexually as she has been with Tanner and thinks she might be falling in love with him. So the plot is pretty thin: Keep Scheme safe, prevent Tallant's kidnapping plans, and root out Breed spy.

Tanner's Scheme was 80% sex and 20% plot movement. And this was some graphic stuff, without any euphemisms for the male or female equipment. Nosireebob, no "manhood" or "secret pearl" here! I thought my eyes were going to roll out of my head because he's already got his hand down her pants by page 35. Most of the interaction between Tanner and Scheme is about the mating heat that has overcome them. Very, very graphic cat-human sex.

I think I'll give one more book a try before I write the Breed series off.