Soul Deep by Lora Leigh

Title: Soul Deep
Author: Lora Leigh
Series: Breeds (book #5)
Previous in series: Kiss of Heat
Next in series: The Breed Next Door (Novella)

My rating: 3.5 Stars

Synopsis: Kiowa is a coyote breed, one of the allegedly soulless animals bred to keep the other breeds under control. Raised outside the confines of the labs, Kiowa is currently assigned to protect Amanda Marion, the President’s daughter. When Amanda is almost abducted by genetic purists, Kiowa wants nothing more than to be rid of her but Mother Nature has other ideas and Kiowa and Amanda soon find themselves facing more than just the dangers of race supremacists.

Review: A short but compelling addition to the series. I particularly appreciated the additional information provided about the Breeds that is provided at the beginning and end of the book in the form of newspaper articles – a very clever technique.

Even though the plot is virtually non-existent and what there is feels exceedingly contrived, the characterization is exceptional. Amanda and Kiowa are the first couple in the series to be complete strangers and it was interesting to see the Breeds from the perspective of someone who knows absolutely nothing about them. The story of Kiowa's childhood is heart-wrenching and explains so much about his tortured nature. Despite the emotional barrenness of his upbringing, Kiowa has not become a merciless monster but has honor, loyalty and courage. Amanda is also a likeable character and her struggles against being dominated are completely understandable given the circumstances.

There is one aspect of this story and the previous one that does not appeal to me and that is the inclusion of the supernatural element surrounding Cassie’s “fairy”. While the idea of genetically engineered human/animal hybrids may be futuristic, it is not completely outside the realm of scientific progress. In contrast, the “fairy” is a completely paranormal notion and is inconsistent with the world Leigh has established.

Readers should also be aware of the fact that the sex scenes are quite explicit and while it does not quite enter the realm of BDSM it is kinky at times. Thus, it may not be to everyone’s taste.

Overall, this is worth reading for the characters and I understand that the plots do improve in later books.