Tanner's Scheme by Lora Leigh

Book description:

A sexy paranormal series set in a world where genetically altered Breeds and the humans who created them sometimes come together in the fiercest of passions.After the Feline Breeds’ main base is attacked, Tanner desires revenge. So he kidnaps Scheme Tallant-the daughter of a one-time high-ranking member of the Genetics Council. But when Tanner discovers that Scheme herself is a target of her father’s ruthless mission, his vengeance takes a back seat to saving the life of the woman he hopes to claim as his mate.

I luuuuuurve this cover. I think it's the best cover of the summer. Usually I don't like covers that have actual people on them, but this one really rocks my socks.

For the readers who have read this series from the beginning (Ellora's Cave), this is the long awaited story of Tanner Reynolds. First introduced in Tempting the Beast, Tanner and his brother Cabal were known for their penchant for sharing women. I was wondering how LL would spin Tanner's book b/c she's written Breedmates as unable to stand the touch of someone that is not their mate.

Scheme Tallant (I didn't even get the title until halfway through the book. *rolleyes*) is the daughter of the Breeds' most hated enemy. General Cyrus Tallant of the Genetic's Council has made it his mission in life to show the Breeds as they really are. Souless and empty. Not fit to be in society. Unfortunately for him, the world's view of the Breeds does not coincide with his own. So he takes them out one by one. He trusts no one, not even his own daughter. When he finds out that his daughter is working for the enemy, he can do nothing other than order her death. He sends his most trusted assassin to kill her quickly. Oh, his most trusted assassin is also Scheme's ex-lover and was the father of the baby her father had aborted against her will. Great father, isn't he?

While Scheme is waiting to get picked up by Jonas Wyatt, her contact, she's kidnapped by Tanner Reynolds. Tanner has been watching Scheme for years. Years and years. Like ten years. Tanner is sickened by his attraction to Scheme, whom he believes has ordered the deaths of innocent Breeds. After he kills the man sent to kill her, Tanner takes her and runs, realizing that she's not who he always thought she was.

Tanner takes Scheme to his underground lair where no one can ever find her. At first he took her because he wanted to punish her, but now he just wants to keep her. As the days go by and Scheme fights to get free, Tanner hopes that she is his mate. Unfortunately, there are no signs of the mating heat. Signs like enlarged taste buds on his tongue and a special barb that is in his penis and makes an appearance when mates do the nasty. Is it just me or does that sound weird to anyone? Anyway, because Tanner and his twin brother, Cabal, are genetically identical, Tanner starts thinking that Scheme is Cabal's mate. He can't do anything other that bring them together even though it's the last thing that he wants to do.

So while Tanner realizes that Scheme is not who he thought she was, he isn't 100% sure that she's the spy that Jonas had in the Genetics Council. Likewise, Scheme isn't sure that Tanner isn't the spy that her father has in Sanctuary, the Breed stronghold. One thing that I really liked about this book is that the Breed spy was finally outed. This spy has been in Sanctuary for over TEN YEARS. That's a long damn time.

So overall I really liked this book. I liked how LL didn't have Tanner and Scheme mate right away. It was really powerful how they eventually came together, which made the book that much better.

4 out of 5 stars.