Title: The Awakening
Author: Christine Feehan
Series: The Leopard People #1
In: Fantasy (Christine Feehan, Sabrina Jeffries, Emma Holly & Elda Minger)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Animagus, Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Jove
Year: 2002
5th sentence, 74th page: And he wanted.

Under the blazing heat of the Borneo sun, a beautiful naturalist’s dream comes true–to live among the feral jungle creatures. But an untamed, irresistible beast of another sort forces her to explore her own wild side.

This is the beginning of my second Christine Feehan series. And I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I loved that this was a lot edgier and a little harsher than the Drake Sisters series. And the people in this are a lot more isolated. But it was a great introduction to a whole new world and set of characters. I loved the setting amongst the Borneo rainforest and the sense of eerie mystery that surrounded Maggie and Brandt’s courtship.

Although I liked this story, I really didn’t love it. Brandt was incredibly possessive and a little creepy from the get go. And although Maggie continuously felt prepared to rile against him, she didn’t quite make it. She always succumbed to him at the last moment and let him get away with his high-handedness. In the end, it worked out to be quite a sweet tale, but that was only because they found their equilibrium. The end was great, but the middle made me want to smack him for being a possessive a-hole.

I love the idea of leopard shapeshifters and can’t wait to see how these people all manage to find their mates. Plus, the setting is the most fun and engaging one I’ve read in a long time.

Image source: Amazon