This series is usually heavy on the sex and light on the story  which leaves me somewhat on the fence with regard to rating and my enjoyment of the story.  This book I am pleased to report has a story that will keep readers engaged with the right touch of passion and between the sheets action. Unlike a lot of the earlier books that focus on the emergence of the leopard, Sonia's leopard has already emerged and that too at the nick of time to save her from an attempt on her life by the Russian mob. Hidden in the swampy interior of the Louisiana bayous, Sonia is successfully living off the grid until her leopard goes into heat attracting the new crime lord Joshua Tigre and his male leopard.  Successfully mated during the seasonal heat, Sonia still does her best to keep her distance from man and leopard.
Joshua has suffered his own share of heartache and fury growing up in an abusive household and then escaping into the forests for Borneo. Despite his strong dominance and crime lord status, Joshua displays a rare sensitivity in his attempts to woo and win over Sonia even holding his oh so dominant leopard in check.   There is definitely a very fuzzy gray zone in these stories as the good guys take on bad boy personas and live in the gray zone taking out some of the dregs of society but then taking their place in order to prevent a vacuum that will be quickly filled by new wanna be dregs of society.
Sonia is a strong feisty character who definitely holds her own against the snarly male dominant leopards she's surrounded by. The dialog between Sonia and her leopard Gatita is very entertaining and keeps the reader engaged in what Sonia is feeling as she's being herded towards Joshua.  When it appears that Joshua might be keeping secrets not of nice kind of Sonia, Gatita is even willing to put her animal instincts on hold and chose Sonia over her mate.  There's enough action; both the guns and fist variety as well as between the sheets to round off the story.
I'm quite intrigued to see how the series evolves further.

Set in the bayou, Leopard’s Blood bring us a fantastical paranormal romance that will touch your heart and have you wishing for more.

I don’t think Feehan has ever written two characters more perfect for each other. Yes, it does start with the insta-lust/love but as the plot develops you can truly see the reason why Sonia and Joshua are meant for each other. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of heat and steam we’ve come to expect from Feehan but in the end, the couple REALLY works.

Feehan was the author of my very first adult paranormal romance read. Now it is 3000+ books later and she is still a go-to author for me. Especially when I'm looking for a marvelous paranormal romance with a substantial plot and world-building that all providing an amazing visual and vibrant book vacation.

I received an ARC copy of Leopard's Blood from Berkley Publishing Group. This is my honest and voluntary review. Leopard's Blood is set for publication Oct 24, 2017.

My Rating: 5 stars
Written by: Christine Feehan
Print Length: 414 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0399583971
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: October 24, 2017
Sold by: Penguin Group (USA) LLC
Genre: Paranormal Romance

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Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com

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Spotlight, Review & Giveaway: LEOPARD’S BLOOD (A Leopard Novel) by Christine Feehan http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-a96
Publication Date: October 24, 2017
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated 5 Stars

This is a super-sexy, exciting story. At first, I was afraid that Joshua would turn out to be a one-dimensional dominating male – he wasn’t. He was dominant, but full of heart and emotion as well. I grew to like him quickly. Sonia was also someone I could relate to, and how she viewed things going on around her. It was a well written and fast paced romance that either had me swooning or cringing as I turned the pages.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

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Title: Leopard’s Blood
Series: Leopard People Book #10
Stand Alone Title: yes
Author: Christine Feehan
Genre: Romance, Paranormal
Blurb: Though born into a leopard’s lair in the bayou, Joshua Tregre’s fighting skills were honed in the rainforests of Borneo. Sleek and deadly, he’s the perfect man to take over a crime syndicate back home in Louisiana’s lush swamplands. His razor sharp instincts give him an edge in the violent underworld he knows so well, but even the watchful leopard inside him isn’t prepared for the danger that comes from the girl next door…

She is a woman who can create beauty out of thin air—and out of the ruins of her own life. The games that dangerous men play have taken their toll on her, but she is bent, not broken. And it’s her fierce spirit that’s like a lure to Joshua, a temptation he can’t resist—even if it means bringing his true nature into the light…
Favorite quotes: “We are not f@$k buddies,” he hissed, between clenched teeth. “You are permanent. Mine. My woman. My mate. I’m not your damn boyfriend. I’m no boy and not yet your friend. We’re working on that. I’m your man. Your mate. I belong to you the same way you belong to me. I have your body and you have mine. I want your heart and your mind. I want to be your best friend. And I want to be all that for you.”
“You aren’t understanding me, baby. I need you to kiss me. I always feel as if I’m on the verge of losing you. I did lose you for three f@#$ing days. I counted the damn minutes. You kiss me so I know you’re with me, suffering the way I am. Thinking about me the way I’m thinking about you. I haven’t slept in three nights, and that’s the truth. I needed your body curled up in my bed, my body wrapped around yours. Don’t know when I’ll get sleep, but it has to be soon. You get me? It has to be soon.”
Thoughts: This has always been a favorite series of mine, and one that I generally still pick up by Christine Feehan. It’s a good solid book by Feehan, no doubt. Starting out, Sonia is already experiencing her heat so the sexual aspect of this story is immediate, wild, and erotic. I was expecting a bit more build up into the story first, but it added an interesting twist anyway. The action part kicks in eventually and we learn a lot about both of our characters and their pasts. For me, the characters are largely drawn together by sex and sex only - their relationship hinges on that. I didn’t really feel that they developed much romantically, or perhaps just not enough for me. They did bond and confide in each other some further into the book, but it still felt largely like sex and not much else. I really wanted more, and it just never quite got there for me. Joshua was also a rather demanding alpha character, and the relationship between him and Sonia was rough and rowdy. As with most shifter storylines there is a lot of ‘marking each other’ and a few physical type altercations, but that also seemed rather over the top and I can see it being a possible turn off for some readers. Not all readers, but some, particularly those that do not like the overly alpha males.
Overall, for me this one didn’t have the same feel as previous books in this series. I’m not sure what it was exactly, but it felt different to me. It wasn’t a bad thing at all, just different. Personally, I also kind of miss the earlier books in the series before we started focusing on mob connections, etc.
Leopard’s Blood was a great read though, and one of the better ones from Feehan’s more recent releases. Enough so to tempt me to maybe go back and pick up a few I’ve missed along the way in her Dark series!
Rating: B

In Leopard’s Blood I have to say I had high expectations for this book because its JOSHUA’S book….I mean really, I wanted it to be one of the best books this author has ever written, so of course it wasn’t. But I will say it was still a solid read just not quite what I really wanted for his book but still was pretty decent. The story starts off with INSTA LUST. Yep. So if you are new to the series, then let me get some background information out for you. With Leopard shifters, they pretty much mate for life and if its the right one for lifetimes even. So we have our heroine who grew up in a tough situation. Her father killed when she was young, her mother made to serve the crime boss and forced to have sex with him. Then she married the boss’ son and they practically grew up together and ended up in married. But when she heard her husband and father in law talking about needing to have her killed, and learning that she has a leopard inside her when a car bomb almost kills her if it wasn’t for her “other” form. Then while in Florida, settling in her new home and the swamps, while in her leopard form, going into heat finds herself being mated with another leopard, one she doesn’t know….and it turns out is Joshua Tegre. Joshua isn’t afriad of any enemies that Sonia has. Now at

Now at first their story is insta lust, because of the set up of the story with their leopards. Which isn’t my favorite aspect to be honest. I like some great build up. However I really had a exciting time with the way that the plot builds up especially with Sonia’s husband and father in law. Now it does add a certain element with Sonia being married (even though she thinks he is trying to kill her) and is in hiding from him. Some might say its a bit of a love triangle situation but not really. More like some conflict of interest. But really, Feehan delivers some great surprises for us in the end here. What I really liked though is that her husband is not what we expect and even though I had a feeling he was not what he seemed, Feehan definitely made that fun turn of events thrilling in every way. Another issue I probably had with the story was our hero. There just wasn’t enough character development for him, which I have been wanting ALL series long. Because he has practically been involved since then and I wanted more focus on his character. Even though I really enjoyed the way that this story developed, I did feel that we didn’t get enough of our Joshua. Especially with all the family history we see him suffer throughout the series.

The romance was very interesting, and not really what I expected from this author. It may have started out hot and heavy, but man once these two really get to actually know each other, the romance because more than swoony worthy. These are are just perfect for each other. At first its their leopards that know that they are for each other. But as they start building a relationship, learning each other, we see their emotional connection match their physical bond. I love the way that Joshua supports Sonia in her dreams, encouraging her in her art.

Even though Leopard’s Blood wasn’t quite what I was expecting or wanting, the writing was like a magnet, and pulled me instantly into the story and I just didn’t want to put it down. The stunning details, the sizzling sensuality and the power packed plot give the reader an EXHILARATING RIDE!!

The tenth book in Christine Feehan’s Leopard People series, LEOPARD’S BLOOD, evokes warm sultry evenings on the bayous of Louisiana as the perfect mix of romance and violence.

A leopard shifter born in the bayou, Joshua Tregre made his mark in the rainforests of Borneo before being asked to take over a crime syndicate in his home state of Louisiana. He wasn’t looking for a mate, but when the fates decide to put Sonia in his path, Joshua will do whatever he has to in order to keep her safe.

Sonia had no idea of her dual nature until the day her leopard, Gatita, rose to Sonia’s rescue and saved her life when Sonia’s husband tried to kill her. Now Sonia is hiding in the bayou, trying to put her life back together. Joshua and Sonia are thrown together when she is sent on a construction job to Joshua’s estate and Joshua’s leopard recognizes Gatita/Sonia as their mate. Now, what are the chances that the very man Sonia is running from will end up crossing paths with Joshua?

Christine Feehan is definitely back on her game. The last few books that this talented writer has penned have really taken her readers’ comments to heart. Feehan has let up on the constant sex to give her fans a whole lot more storyline to go along with all that passion and it has really put her books back on top.

Sonia is a strong female lead on the run from the Russian mob, determined to put her life back together in the quiet of the bayou. When Sonia’s cat goes into heat, she ends up attracting the interests of Joshua’s leopard who immediately recognizes her as his mate. Weary of getting Joshua involved in her mob problems, Sonia is reluctant to give into her strong feelings for him even while her cat is mating with his. But Joshua is one of the good guys and he has no intention of allowing anyone to take what is his.

A wonderful storyline, strong multifaceted characters and the beautiful backdrop of the Louisiana bayou all come together to make this fast paced romantic adventure another possible best seller. This reader is super happy she stayed with Ms. Feehan and all her wonderful supernatural tales. LEOPARD’S BLOOD is just that good.

* This review to be uploaded to LoveRomancesandmore website soon.