Suspenseful paranormal full of heat….

Every time I read a new story in the Breeds series I am flung back into a cast of characters, a reality, that just takes me to a (wonderful) other world. Not to say it a light, fluffy place – not at all. Survival is something fought for every day and you never know where the next threat is coming from. Cullen and Chelsea have been working side by side for years in the cover agency but to say they are on an equal playing field couldn’t be further from the truth. Chelsea is strong, capable, smart – everything the covert team could want in an agent. Cullen has kept her out of the field for too long and she’s finally had enough of him holding her back and, personally, pushing her away. Danger is always part of their world but as it comes closer to home, they are going to fight on all fronts to save their future…

I’m still recovering from my book hangover! The characters, the writing, the intriguing plot had me lost for hours, enjoying every new element added to this intricate story. Cullen is, well, let’s say it, absolutely delicious as he fights his inner demons (and beast) to do right by Chelsea. He wants her safe but soon finds the only place for her is in his arms, something he’s fought for years. Their history is complicated, oh so complicated, but love is love and it will not be denied. Thank goodness! The chemistry, the love, the humour and sexiness, is everything I’ve come to expect from this series and I got it all with this story.

This is the twenty second book in this series but it just keeps getting better and better. There is more to come – the sneak peek at the end has me in stalking mode already!

3.5 STARS

You can never go wrong with a Lora Leigh title! And in WAKE A SLEEPING TIGER , this is even more true! Reminiscent of the earlier novels in the breed series, Cullen and Chelsea's story has all the hallmarks of a Leigh novel: strong characters, interesting and complex plot lines and hotness galore. Another great addition to a fantastic series!

My Thoughts - 5 out of 5 Unicorns - I loved it!!! 
***I choose what I read and review based on what intrigues me!!  Yes, I got a review copy of this book, but no one tells me what to think, feel, or write about any book!

The cover is beautiful as Lora’s covers always are!

This is the 31st book in the Breed series.  This series is for adults only due to the steamy content.  I have long loved and read this series.  I will eventually need to go back and re-read them to write reviews because I read them before I realize I should write reviews.  I have had several busy years, so I have missed a few books though I know my mom and I own them because we pretty much buy everything by Lora Leigh.

This story is Judd’s story who is now known as Cullen and his mate Chelsea.  As with all of Lora’s book, there is plenty of action, treachery, madness, and mayhem mixed in with the steamy romance.  The Breed series is how I fell in love with paranormal and shifter stories.  Lora is one of my favorite authors and her books always pull me into the story where putting it down is just not an option until I’m done.  I can’t wait to see what comes next!

I highly recommend this book to all the Breed fans, Lora’s fans, and to any shifter lover who hasn’t had the pleasure of reading her books yet!

Cullen is a very controlled Breed not that he would admit it to himself or even his twin Graeme who is patiently waiting. When his assistant Chelsea gives in her resignation it really begins to awaken the Beast right after he kisses her because he can't bear for her to go.

Chelsea has been in love with Cullen since she first spied on him when she was twelve and the feelings just get stronger so much that when he married her cousin she called him an idiot in her mind. Lauren her cousin was dying but she didn't tell anyone till after they were married and Cullen tried to save her but he couldn't no more than he can stop Chelsea from taking on dangerous assignments.

When he rescues Chelsea after she rescues the Blood Queens daughter he begins to realize that Chelsea is his mate if he can only convince her. Chelsea is strong and determined to fight her own battles which really messes with his mate feelings and to top it off someone has put a contract on her. I really liked the Dr's journal notes at the beginning of each chapter plus the back and forth between Chelsea and Cullen so you get a taste of both their feelings.

As always Lora Leigh brings the characters to life so if you love these kinds of stories you will love this one.

Lora Leigh's Breeds are back, and in this installment we get to explore the relationship between Judd, a Bengal Breed, and Chelsea Martinez. It's been a while since fans have been treated to a new breed book, and all I can say is it was worth the wait. Lora Leigh has always had her own powerful brand of romance and with this book she cements a return to her trademark sensual, very heated stories. Although this isn't Cassie's book, fans have been waiting on her book to release for years, we do get glimpses of Cassie and many of the cast of characters. Leigh is cranking up the heat and the anticipation for the next book in the series while doing justice to Judd and Chelsea's story. Well written and well worth the read, this book is a pleasure to read from start to finish.

Judd is a man with many, many secrets. Even those closest to him don't really know the full story. Now he's mated to Chelsea Martinez, a woman that drives him completely nuts. He wants to guard and protect her, but the woman just will not cooperate, he's going to have to learn to compromise or he's going to lose his true mate forever. Chelsea is going to need all the help she can get to deal with her stubborn man and find a way to make peace with him and the changing world around them.

Wake a Sleeping Tiger is sexy, suspenseful and a good read.  I would have understood the characters and back story much better if I’d read the series but I wasn’t so lost as to not enjoy this book.

Cullen and Chelsea are complex and realistic, or as realistic as possible in a paranormal.  They have each known they had a special bond since they met when she was a girl.  Because they have never admitted it to each other, they are not together the way they are fated to be.  Chelsea is convinced Cullen is still mourning his dead wife but because these two can’t communicate on a personal level, she spends much of the book not realizing how deeply Cullen cares for her.  She thinks their mating is merely lust to him.  Eventually, his overprotectiveness, which she interprets as anything but caring, drives her to quit working for him.

An attempt on Chelsea’s life brings the two back together and they can no longer fight their attraction.  Soon the they are in the middle of full-fledged Mating Heat.  They’re also tracking the cartel trying to kill Chelsea.

I enjoyed Chelsea’s fight, determination and ability to complete risky assignments.  She’s strong and capable.

There’s plenty of fast-paced, tense action, sexy interactions, misunderstandings, personal mis- and non-communication and even funny moments.  I now know why Leigh is a top selling writer and look forward to reading more of her books.

reviewed by Jem

Lora Leigh can always be counted on to turn up the heat.  WAKE A SLEEPING TIGER was definitely hot and in many ways it fits in nicely with the classic stories in the Breeds series.  I think my enjoyment of this book was hindered by the fact that this is so far into the series and I don’t think there’s a lot more left to explore that hasn’t been done before.

It is crazy to say we are at book 31 in the Breeds series.  And crazy still that I’m still reading them.  Here’s the thing.  WAKE A SLEEPING TIGER is pretty classic Lora Leigh and I actually think had this not been book 31 I probably would’ve enjoyed this more than I did.  And it’s not necessarily that I didn’t enjoy it.  But after so many books, things get repetitive even when we are dealing with new characters and new situations.  It all feels a bit like it’s been done before.  What I loved in book 8 won’t get the same reaction out of me in book 30, and that’s what’s going on with these books.  The hero finds his mate, mating heat comes into play, there’s a danger to the heroine’s life for some reason that the hero needs to keep her safe.  This didn’t stray from that formula and overall, I think I enjoyed these two more than maybe the past few books in the series.  However, I think I just need this series to get to a finishing point.  The only reason I keep reading is because I need to know what happens with Cassie and get her book once and for all.  If it’s not the next one, I’m not sure that I’ll continue.

But back to this book!  The hero was previously married and knew his wife wasn’t his mate.  Him being a recessed breed, his animal side wasn’t affecting him as other males of his species.  He was able to hold off mating heat until his mate decides to quit her position working for him at the Law Enforcement Agency.  She wants to be in the midst of the action, using her honed skills, and Cullen just wants to keep her cuddled and safe.  Her actions spark his recessed genes and push him to lose control.

I can’t remember if we’ve heard about these two interacting before so when things finally come to a head between them at the beginning of this book it felt like a bit rushed for me.  Obviously with the history between them I understand they aren’t.  The chemistry between Cullen and Chelsea worked well for me.  They definitely have sparks and I liked her character as well.  She wants to be useful in the field she’s chosen and won’t stand to have anyone get in her way.

I feel like a bit part of this book is dealing with smaller issues that pertain to this group of characters and I felt like it wasn’t advancing the overall series arc much.  That is until we get to the very end.  The ending bit of this book was exciting  for me because I may see a glimpse of something setting up that I’m definitely interested in seeing.  I just hope it goes in the direction I’m expecting and doesn’t continue dragging.

So overall, this is a good book but if you’re a fan of the series already and have read them all then you may start considering them boring and repetitive.  Lora Leigh can still write a hot sex scene even though I thought we could’ve done with a few less of those in this book.  But the animalistic side of the breeds shows so much passion that you can’t help but be drawn in by them.  I am hopeful that the next book will give me what I want so I’ll be anxiously awaiting it.

WAKE A SLEEPING TIGER is the thirty first installment in Lora Leigh’s contemporary, adult BREEDS erotic, paranormal romance series focusing on a government experiment that went horribly wrong.  This is Bengal breed, and commander of the Navajo Covert Law Enforcement Agency Cullen Maverick (aka Judd Cross), and Covert Ops agent Chelsea Martinez’s story line. WAKE A SLEEPING TIGER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty although I recommend reading some of the earlier story lines for back story and cohesion. Each chapter throughout WAKE A SLEEPING TIGER begins with a journal entry focusing on the Primal Bengal male by Cullen’s brother Graeme Maverick.

SOME BACKGROUND:  Years earlier, trying to create the ultimate warrior, scientists combined animal DNA with human embryos resulting in a species that has been feared and tortured since their inception. This is NOT a series about animal shifters, but a series about a hybridized species of human and animal DNA. Lora Leigh adds some background  to the series with an introduction about The World of the Breeds and a prologue (2) focusing on the The Breeds and the Primal Breed.

Told from several third person points of view including Chelsea and Cullen WAKE A SLEEPING TIGER follows the acrimonious relationship between agent Chelsea Martinez and Cullen Maverick. Cullen is a recessed Primal male whose Breed genes have not completely manifested throughout his lifetime but something about Chelsea Martinez calls to Cullen’s inner tiger – a call Cullen has ignored for far too many years. But a price has been placed on Chelsea’s life following the rescue of a young child with connections to the local cartel, and Chelsea has been targeted for by an unknown source. What ensues is the search for the people responsible for the continued threats and attempts against Chelsea’s life, and Cullen’s realization that Chelsea is the mate that calls to his heart.

The feline Breed is a rarity but even more so are the recessed Primal Breeds and Cullen’s atypical genetics have forced our story line hero to ignore the clues as it pertains to his mate. Once married to a woman who had no hope for survival Cullen pushed aside his feelings and emotions until the woman he has known for most of her life walked away and stirred something deep within Cullen’s beast.  The threats against Chelsea increase, and the people responsible are not necessarily the obvious choice ( although as a reader, the guilty party was quickly deduced but not for reasons that are readily apparent).

WAKE A SLEEPING TIGER is a detailed story line and a change of pace from the confusing and convoluted story line thrown at the reader in Bengal’s Quest (Breeds #30). There is a large cast of secondary and supporting characters including several familiar previous story line couples and characters including Cassie Sinclair and Graeme Maverick. WAKE A SLEEPING TIGER, as per Lora Leigh’s style of writing, ends with a bit of a cliffhanger and some revealing information about new characters related to some of our favorite families.  There are moments of heartbreak and betrayal; romance and love; tragedy and passionate loss. The premise is intriguing and intoxicating; the characters are colorful, animated and dynamic; the romance is provocative, seductive and intense. WAKE A SLEEPING TIGER is a nice change of pace from the author’s recent baffling  BREED story lines.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

THE READING CAFÉ: http://www.thereadingcafe.com/wake-a-sleeping-tiger-breeds-31-by-lora-leigh-a-review/


GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1951900745


AMAZON.COM: https://www.amazon.com/review/R2DSQ12ZBISHHI/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B01AHKXJL4


B&N: (Sandy_thereadingcafe): posted

KOBO: (Sandy Sch): posted

CHAPTERS/INDIGO: (Sandy_At_the_Reading_Cafe): posted

If you are a Lora Leigh fan, and especially a fan of the Breeds series, I think you might be less than impressed by Wake a Sleeping Tiger. It just left me a little wanting for more.  I was disappointed that the story was predictable. I appreciated, as always, the strength of Ms. Leigh's characters, and the setting and premise of the series.  I just wanted the twists and ending to be a little less telegraphed.  The book can standalone, and I am glad I read it, I just would rank it as average in the series.  I will, however be back for more. All books dont appeal to all people.

Not a book I was able to finish. The story line and characters seemed off and prevented me from finishing this book.

This book is vintage Lora Leigh and I loved every minute.  It was a couple I had been dying to see put together and she handled so well.  Very good!!

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the 31st book in the series, but I do believe that it would be a great story as a standalone too. Undoubtedly there would be some elements which wouldn't resonate so deeply, but it is very good in its own right.

I don’t read paranormal all that often, but have really enjoyed re-immersing myself in the world of Breeds, Primals, genetics, and mates. The ongoing fight of good and evil continues with some blurring of boundaries between who is on which side, as dastardly deeds make individuals reconsider their allegiances.

When you add into the mix a love story – which has been simmering for a while, much to the denial of one and the sadness of another – then every page demands to be turned now. I love the mix of introspection and self-learning, as well as the amazing chemistry and deep and meaningful conversations. Cullen and Chelsea are a wonderful couple, even if it takes them a while to reach the same page!

If you only read one paranormal book this season, then this should be it.


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
The recessed breed is a novelty and none more so than Cullen formerly known as the lost breed, Judd. Cullen felt he had to suppress his breed genetics during his time in the labs in an effort to lessen the chances of causing pain to those around him. After all, his twin, Gideon, had enough breed genetics inside him to be a Primal.

Fast forward to present day, Cullen is a run of the mill law enforcement officer just trying to live his life and do his job. That's hindered by the fact that Chelsea (his personal assistant) wants to be more than just a warm body in his office. She wants to be on the front lines, saving breeds from the Council soldiers. When she resigns and Cullen gives into temptation, his breed genetics slowly begin to emerge.

As Cullen learns to accept his emerging breed genetics, he also must come to terms that the woman he watched grow up is his mate. And someone is trying to hurt her.

Chelsea must also come to terms with the new Cullen. She was prepared to accept the man into her bed and in her life, but the emerging genetics have changed everything. That only makes her love him more, even if he is stubborn and hardheaded.

This story keeps you engaged from the first page to the last, showing you familiar faces and introducing new ones as well. To me, this story marks a definite turning point in the series and I have feeling we will be seeing a lot more those familiar faces in the books to come.


Erica – ☆☆☆
3.5 Stars.

Can Wake a Sleeping Tiger be read as a standalone? Yes, and no. As #31 in the series, I’ve read a handful of the books in the series. With the chance to read this book, I knew I may be confused. As long as you’ve read the first few in the series, have the world-building firmly in your mind, you shouldn’t have any issues. Slight confusion here and there, but I did remember the characters and their stories I read more than 5 years ago. So, yes, this can be read out of order without too much confusion. However, I wouldn’t jump in at book #31 without reading some of the series first. I will go back and read in order, but it didn’t lessen my enjoyment of this novel.

Judd, now known as Cullen, is the commander at the Law Enforcement Agency. The widower is a recessive breed, more human than the Bengal tiger hidden in his DNA.

Chelsea is Cullen’s glorified personal assistant, even though she is fully trained with the right mental conditioning for a more dangerous job. As Cullen’s dead wife’s cousin, Cullen is protective of Chelsea, not allowing her to do the job she was trained to do, so she resigns… that doesn’t go so well.

Cullen acts on instinct, which he’s doing more and more lately, kissing Chelsea after she resigns, which sets the course of the novel.

Chelsea has always been in love with Cullen (Judd) since she met him, feeling an intense connection (this is where you need prior knowledge from the first few books in the series, which I remember… and beyond, I assume). After her smothering family has treated her as fragile glass, she doesn’t want to be put at a desk. She wants to be at Cullen’s side, have his back, and be in his heart.

Amid the mystery and politics in the Breed universe, the romance takes the reader on an angsty ride. During the mating heat, Chelsea is insecure about Cullen, as he was married before and her cousin was the love of his life. She doesn’t want to be a replacement, a second choice, last resort. If the reader is in the right frame of mind, connecting with Chelsea, be prepared for the gut-wrenching sensation of rejection and insecurity, even if it’s all in her head.

Easy to read, fast-paced, classic Lora Leigh Breed novel. I enjoyed the story and the characters. The heated scenes were highly descriptive, to the point the reader knows how every body part is reacting to the stimuli, and filled with purple prose. If you’ve read a book by this author, then you know what you’re getting before you begin. For those who haven’t, it’s highly erotic with a ton of slightly (sometimes highly) cheesy body part and secretion descriptions. But that’s par for the course, because this is a guilty pleasure read.

Early on in the novel, I was bothered by the many ways Leigh made sure the reader knew Cullen was ‘recessed.’ It was in all the dialogue between him and others, sometimes several times per page. Each chapter started with tidbits via Gideon about recessed breed and the mating heat, which was informative. With the chapter headings, once or twice would have sufficed in the text of the novel, but when Cullen and everyone else was pointing out his recessive breed genes, it started pulling me from the story. A bit of a broken record that had me groaning. I realize it was a focal point, a pivotal plot device, but this was overkill. We’re avid readers, reading book #31, a handful of times would suffice. Imagine if someone you knew added an ailment or physical description to every conversation, when you already knew.

Wake a Sleeping Tiger was angsty, dramatic, steamy, with political machinations. I highly recommend to fans of the Breeds series and Lora Leigh.

I don’t even know where to begin with this review. Honestly, this series had kind of fallen off my radar. When I saw it on my Goodreads feed and checked, I realized it had been nearly two years since book 30 had been released. Further research showed that this book had been pushed once or twice, until its release this month. I still get a little excited when a new Breed book is released. In spite of the fact that recent installments are not on par with Leigh’s much earlier works, I can’t seem to quit this series. Like most diehard fans, we are holding out for the book that will finally give us the elusive Cassie Sinclair’s story. Sadly, though, this book is not about Cassie and after what happens at the end of this book, I fear we are still several books away from her story.

Cullen Maverick, aka, Judd (the name given to him in the labs) is a recessed bengal tiger Breed. Recessed, as in he can pretty much pass for human because the Breed genetics used to create him in the lab, for whatever reason, do not make themselves known. He doesn’t purr, or growl and he doesn’t appear to have exceptional strength, smell or night vision or any of the special characteristics that Breeds are known to have. Currently, he works for the Navajo Covert Law Enforcement Division in Window Rock, New Mexico where he’s lived since he escaped the labs around the age of 19.

Cullen (Judd) has been a part of the Breed world since book 7 or so when he and two other Breeds escaped the labs, rescued by his twin Gideon, who had previously escaped. Arriving in Window Rock, the Navajo elders performed some sort of ritual so that their real personas could be masked and Judd became Cullen Maverick. This is as good a time as any to state that this book absolutely cannot be read as a stand alone. There is a massive amount of background information around Judd (and the other two Breeds that were rescued) and what transpired so long ago, that have brought us to this place and it’s likely you would be completely confused. Heck, even though I’ve read them all, I still struggle.

So, where was I….

As commander, Cullen has a staff that he works with. Chelsea Martinez is a young woman who he has trained and worked with for a few years. He’s known her since the night he arrived in Window Rock and she made an impression on him that very night. At only 12 years old to Cullen’s 19, however, and due to his recessed genetics, he did not accurately read their connection and simply put it to the side–so much else going on at the time.

Chelsea, on the other hand, has been half in love with Cullen for years. She realized that Cullen didn’t really see her the same way, and likely never would. She enjoyed working with him, but at the same time she was getting tired of him pulling the big brother routine and protecting her, not assigning her to any of the more dangerous jobs-keeping her close, in the office, where she was safe. Coming to the realization that things were not going to change, she hands in her resignation and walks away from him. Out of the blue and beyond his control, Cullen kisses Chelsea, hard, but just as quickly as that happens he is pulling back and letting her leave.

The simple act of Chelsea walking away, begins to waken Cullen’s long sleeping tiger. Unbeknownst to him of course. Having never experienced any Breed qualities, and having been told his whole life that he is recessed, he is slow to notice changes in himself, and slower to connect them to his feelings for Chelsea. He just knows that he needs to protect her. Unfortunately, Chelsea does not want his protection. What she wants and needs is for Cullen to see her as a strong, capable woman; a woman who wants him.

I liked Cullen and Chelsea’s story. Their meeting when Chelsea was a child and Cullen’s sleeping tiger recognizing her as his mate, but realizing it had to wait is a very cool concept in this world. But their whole “mating” was disappointing because it lacked the power that the old style matings had. Now that Graeme has come out of hiding, he is sharing all that he has learned about Breed genetics and has designed a vaccine (among other things like a scent blocker) so that the effects of mating can be dulled (good for the Breeds, bad for the reader IMO). So all that super sexy build-up and need and sex and angst and need and want and sex, sex, sex-is gone, gone, gone. I miss it.

There is a side story in this book featuring the Cerves family–arms and drug runners (I think). Their daughter is kidnapped by Breeds, working for the Genetics Council (I think) and though Chelsea finds her, and returns her to her family, she dies from her injuries. Later, when this same group kidnaps Chelsea, Samara Cerves and her crew step up to help to rescue her. I honestly didn’t know why they were a part of this story at all, until the end when something is revealed, which I’m sure will be continued in a future book.

This installment, in this very long running series wasn’t awful, but still a far cry from Leigh’s early works. As the last couple books tied up some of the long running story arcs, we’ve now been in Window Rock, NM for the last few books and other than revisiting the characters from many books ago and providing them their mates, along with pushing Gideon/Graeme to the forefront with his sneaky, science ways, I’m not entirely sure where we are going. I had thought several of the important bad guys on the Genetics Council were taken out, back around the time Jonas was trying to save his daughter, yet they are still out there and they are still up to no good. AND, they still have Breeds that are loyal to them. What is their goal? Why are they still trying to kidnap female Breed mates when they know they cannot reproduce except with their mates?

And if all that weren’t enough, there is a revelation at the end that I certainly could not have predicted and has never ever been hinted at. A new avenue for a story arc I’m sure, but more likely, a reason to further delay in giving us the book we’re all waiting for.

Lastly, while I know this is an ARC, I must point out that the editing (or complete lack thereof) continues to be a problem. Though this story felt more cohesive than some recent past works, it is still wrought with errors, a lot of them. It appears that passages and/or sentences are copy/pasted and just a few words changed. Duplicate word strings appear within the same sentence. But as diehard FANS, we seem to overlook these things in order to get our Breed fix. Clearly the author knows this as she has made no attempt to improve this at all.

Wake a Sleeping Tiger by Lora Leigh (paranormal, Berkley, march 2017)
Okay, this is like the thirty something book in Lora Leigh’s Breeds series, one of my all-time favorite paranormal series. Admittedly, the last several have varied widely for me, but I am a faithful reader who will continue reading this series until Cassie gets her story (at the very least). In Wake a Sleeping Tiger, Cullen (who was once Judd) finally gets his mate in Chelsea. Of course, Chelsea has been working with Cullen for ages, but gets frustrated because he won’t let her take a more active role with the Navajo Covert Law Enforcement agency. So, she quits which riles up Cullen and his recessed tiger big time.
 
Cullen cannot let Chelsea go and soon thereafter, the mating heat starts - admittedly less ferociously than in the early books (one of the best parts of the early books). But Chelsea forces Cullen to come to grips with his Breed genetics, his recessed animal and his past which directly impacts the woman who is coming to mean everything to him. I adored watching Cullen fall, mainly because he fought really hard not to. Yes, the formula of the romance here is fairly standard for the series; there really isn’t anything new. But I enjoyed the push and pull between Cullen and Chelsea and the way his animal finally came to light. The suspense plot was fairly easy to figure out and only mildly crazy (a LL trademark). I do have to mention that there are six spurts in this book: four love spurts and two non love spurts. I thought that maybe Lora Leigh would never spurt again and am so thrilled that this was not the case. Wake a Sleeping Tiger is pure Lora Leigh and should be a solid read for fans of the series. I would not recommend this to those who aren’t familiar with the world, however. This one makes for a great escape!

When I heard this book would be a hardcover I was worries that it would not do as well as her paperback. How would new reader react to entering a series in the middle of an ongoing series. I should have known better Ms Leigh is a wonderful writer not only did she keep the story going but she gave enough of back story that new reader will  be able to follow the story . It was sexy, funny and the ending left me so excite for The next book . Can't wait to recommend this book to all my romance reader. 💕

Lora Leigh has roared into a top notch book with her latest breed book, Wake a Sleeping Tiger.

In this suspenseful novel, we learn more about Cullen Maverick, the head of the Navajo Covert Law Enforcement Agency, and a recessed breed.

He stays recessed until Chelsea Martinez, with whom he has had a connection since she was a child, had had enough of his keeping her away from the job for which she has trained for many years, and decides to leave. As he waits for her to return and learns she is in danger, he finds his animal traits coming out more and more. His brother thinks that like him, Cullen is a Primal, he just hasn’t been awakened yet.

As the attacks on Chelsea continue, and her new job places her in even more danger, Cullen finds his inner animal strength. Can these two unlikely mates find out who is targeting a high profile breed, keep Chelsea safe and forge a working relationship?

The books is well written, with likable characters, a complex plot and sex scenes hotter than the Arizona desert where its set. While this is a stand alone story, it wouldn’t be my choice to introduce someone to the breed series. The background is explained, but without knowing the history of the characters, the reader would miss a lot.

Cullen starts off seeming very cold, but as he realizes how much Chelsea means to him, he becomes warmer and oddly enough, more human. Chelsea is a strong woman, who isn’t going to let anyone keep her from her warrior destiny.

We get to meet some new characters as well as revisit some we have already met and for long term fans, we have a lot of Cassie in this story-and possibly a set up for her story.

This is a remarkable addition to this series and deserves it's five star rating.

Chelsea Martinez used to wonder what it was like to be desired by a man like Cullen. The uniquely beautiful man that she first encountered as a terrified nineteen-year-old was completely off limits.  Off limits because he was whispered to be a dangerous recessed Breed and he was married to her cousin.  

After tragedy strikes, Cullen is seemingly blinded by guilt and his overprotective ways are hindering her career with the Agency. It’s time for her to leave and spread her wings – even if it will shatter her heart.

“If they believed that deeply that he somehow cared for her as more than a friend, then they were wrong. He’d had four years to figure it out if he did. The fact that he hadn’t proved her suspicions. Cullen might desire her, definitely wanted to protect her. But he didn’t love her and his lust wasn’t enough— 
Unfortunately it was all he was willing to give her.”

Cullen Maverick is an anomaly. All his life, his recessed genes never showed even the slightest hint of surfacing – that is until Chelsea threatened to disappear from his life.

Now with someone out there trying to kill her, the Primal is awake and ready to defend his mate without mercy. 
 
Will they be able to survive a vicious betrayal and finally give in to the love that has so long been denied them?

“He shouldn’t have let her leave the Agency. 
He knew that now. 
If he’d just let her have a place in Command, she would have stayed. But that would have meant having no chance to escape whatever it was she made him feel whenever he was around her too much. 
It was the hunger for her.”

With every new installment of the Breed series, Lora Leigh adds even more impossibly intricate layers to a storyline that has held readers captive for ages.  

Her legendary characters continue to evolve in the most surprising of ways and I think I fell even more in love with Graeme than I ever thought possible in these masterfully written pages. 

The heat just burns hotter and the stakes just get higher.  And I can’t wait to devour even more…

The newest of Lora Leigh's Breeds series remains focused in the community of Window Rock, part of the Navajo Nation.  It centers on Cullen Maverick, once known as Judd, whose insane twin brother Gideon (now called Graham) has been the focus of the last few books.  Unlike Graham, Cullen is a recessed Breed, his Bengal traits asleep.  The tiger inside of Cullen starts to wake up however, when Chelsea Martinez threatens to leave the Nation because no one will give her the jobs she's trained to handle. Chelsea has been working with the Breed Underground for years, training with the best to work in the field, rescuing escaping Breeds from the Council, and the only job she can get is filing paperwork thanks to her overprotective family.  After saving a young girl in the desert and nearly being knifed by an attacker, Chelsea also winds up with a very overprotective Cullen to deal with.  As the attempts on Chelsea's life start piling up, so do the list of suspects: from Council agents to a local drug cartel to something much closer to home- can Cullen and Chelsea stay alive long enough to figure out their new bond?

Like many of Leigh's recent books, Wake a Sleeping Tiger takes a good plot, adds a lot of unnecessary distractions, and gives the reader ultra hot scenes while not providing too layered character development.    It's hard to get attached to Cullen and Chelsea because we don't know all that much about them.  Hints are there, Leigh will start to give us character depth, and then we get distracted by a new threat to deal with.  Cullen starts to figure out his emotions and then something happens before he can face up to them, let alone admit them to Chelsea.  Chelsea sees her family and Cullen worrying over her as them trying to change her and not loving her as she is, instead of realizing that they might worry about the danger but not want her to be different.  She and Cullen do a lot of dancing around the idea of respect in the first half of the book: can he respect her for who she is, that she wants to fight at his side instead of stay hidden behind him?  It's a challenge that comes up for most Breeds: they fall for strong, independent women and then have to figure out how to balance that core of the woman they love with a desperate need to protect their mate from all dangers.  It was interesting in Tiger to see the question of a woman's role come up not just with Chelsea but also with Cassie Sinclair.  She is running her own op and when Rule questions her, she forced him to realize that he would never question her or make her explain things if she were a male. 

Graham continues to stand out as one of the more entertaining characters and we get to see him here through a twin's eyes instead of his own.  What Cullen calls Graham's "Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hide" personality keeps scenes with him among the best part of the book- especially a memorable scene where he starts asking a cartel leader about preferred torture methods, because he has trouble keeping people conscious long enough for the good stuff.

Heavy repetition remains a constant in Tiger and I found myself skimming paragraphs at a time because it was the exact same thing I'd read two pages earlier.  This is a particular pet peeve of mine in books, and one I can always count on Leigh to irritate. While heavily complicated and intricate plots might make new readers think they should start at the beginning of the series, it has reached a point (for me at least) where reading previous books doesn't help keep some of the details straight.  There are however, enough characters of interest to keep me reading, and Leigh does a good job of throwing in new twists and new characters with just enough teasing to have you eagerly awaiting the next book.  Will we focus on Ashley?  Will Cassie finally get her book?  What's the story of the new Coyote we meet at the end? Chances seem high the next book will focus more on the Coyotes, who are always favorites of mine.

Cullen Maverick is a recessed gene Bengal Tiger Breed who has lived among and worked with the Navajo Nation as the Commander of the Navajo Covert Law Enforcement Agency. After losing his wife to cancer ten years ago, he’s kept himself closed off, even from the woman he suspects may mean more to his hidden Tiger. 

Chelsea Martinez has been in love with Cullen for as long as she can remember, and has even worked for him for the past four years. But he’s put off her need to do more than push papers in the office, so she’s decided it’s finally time to leave the Law Enforcement Agency. Yet her resignation may push the recessed Tiger in Cullen to rip free and take over.

Prior to starting Wake a Sleeping Tiger, I went back and read my notes from the previous couple titles and realized that I had all but given up on the Breeds series, as it had become convoluted, full of new characters I didn’t care about, and frankly the editing left much to be desired in the storylines. But since I’d already picked up this title for review, I decided to go in with as much of an open mind as possible, and wow, am I glad I decided to read Wake a Sleeping Tiger! Overall, the writing and story are MUCH tighter than the previous books. There wasn’t really any wandering and meandering from thought to thought, but rather the story stayed focused on the romance between Cullen and Chelsea, as well as her work and the related story of the Cerves. 

Cullen and Chelsea made a fantastic pair. Their romance was hot, and the story was filled with amazing sexual tension. And although there were definitely times when the couple kept their innermost true feelings to themselves, it didn’t dominate the story nor was it a reason they stayed apart from one another. Chelsea was very open from the beginning, telling Cullen: “Just go home and stop trying to protect me. It was never your protection that I wanted.” She shared her fears over the mating, yet didn’t fight him about it. I did get a little frustrated with Cullen because he didn’t share his fears and frustrations with Chelsea, but his inner-thougths conveyed to the reader his own fears and limitations. One thing that I’ve learned from this series is that the male Breed needs an independent female who is his equal, even though it drives him and his animal crazy. If she can’t stand up to him, she can’t handle his beast. This is very true with Cullen, as he is a Primal Breed. 

In the end I really enjoyed reading Wake a Sleeping Tiger. It was a straight-forward story and a delightful, sexy Breed romance. Whether or not it actually forwarded the story, I’m not sure, but I like that it wasn’t full of hidden plots. I was glad to see some familiar faces and I truly hope the series is back on track. Wake a Sleeping Tiger has renewed my interest in the Breeds series.

My Rating:  B+ Liked It A Lot