The Man Within by Lora Leigh

Title: The Man Within
Author: Lora Leigh
Series: Breeds (Book #2)
Previous in series: Tempting the Beast
Next in series: Elizabeth’s Wolf
 
My rating: 3.5 Stars
Warning: Contains sexually explicit scenes and language.

Synopsis: Roni Andrews is devastated when the love of her life, Taber Williams, rejects her. When it is revealed that Taber is one of the genetically modified breeds and that he has marked her as his mate, Roni’s life is in danger and she is forced to place her trust in the one man who broke her heart.

Review: The continuing plot surrounding humans, who have been genetically engineered with animal DNA, is extremely compelling. Now the breeds are out in the open and have become the target not only of the mysterious council who created them but of extremist groups as well. While there are still gaps in the world building certain details are made clearer, which suggests that everything will ultimately be clarified in future installments.

Roni has been in love with Taber since childhood and I really enjoyed their emotional connection, which is much stronger than that of the couple in the first book because it has been building over time and is not merely lust at first sight.

Nevertheless, Roni and Taber’s characterization is unbalanced. The focus is primarily on Roni’s background and upbringing but the details of Taber’s time in the labs in seriously lacking.

The writing flows and the dialogue is clever, especially the witty repartee between the secondary characters. The tension between Sherra and Kane is particularly palpable and I am chomping at the bit to read their story.

In sum, this is an entertaining book for those who enjoy a sexy, steamy read.