Leap of the Lion (The Wild Hunt Legacy Book 4)

I had hoped that with this series, Sinclair would not fall into the formulaic trap so quickly. But she's given us another book with a heroine who is so sweet it'll make your teeth hurt despite the emotional and physical damage she's endured, another alpha male hero who is saved from a spiraling self-destructive cycle by our cotton candy heroine, and another third wheel who serves as both buffer between the damaged hero and the things that have caused his trauma and catalyst between the hero and heroine as they all begin their journey to love. It was thoroughly predictable and, if I'm being honest, boring. I even skipped most of the erotic content at the end of the book because I've read it all before. The erotic content is another place where it's pretty easy to see her formula. It's all actually fairly boring and rote.

As far as the plot is concerned, Sinclair asked for a lot of disbelief to be suspended. Sure, most of the shifters in the story were experienced in the dominance dynamics of their culture and hunting and survival, but I hardly think that qualifies them to infiltrate two heavily-fortified and well-protected paramilitary installations, no matter how well they planned it. They are still civilians who have lived most of their lives in a mostly isolated from the mundane world. If any of them except for Vickie had been in the military, it would have been easier to buy what Sinclair was selling. But they weren't..
The placement of this particular story and the resolution of the threat to the community at this point in the series is also peculiar. In the Shadowlands, Sinclair spent several books crafting and resolving the sex trafficking subplot, and actually did a fair job of writing it. She was in too much of a rush to get this plot all in one book and it resulted in some sloppy storytelling.

This book was a big disappointment, and it seems to be an indication that Sinclair isn't really worried about expending the effort to make this series anything more than another formula. The world that Sinclair has built up to this point is actually quite charming, and the series starts off on a great note in Hour of the Lion. Fey magic, Other Folk, animal shifters, hot men, pretty ladies, and lots of romance. But the formula of sugary heroine, gruff alpha, third wheel catalyst starts off pretty much in the very next book and continues through this one. She's even set herself up for at least two more, if not three, that I would lay money down and bet will be pretty much the same. The heroines are all nearly interchangeable and the heroes are all composed of mix-and-match pieces. I can't see any individuality in any of them. And while this wouldn't normally be a problem in erotic paranormal romance, the one thing that would have distracted from the mediocrity, the sex, is itself mediocre.

Maybe the next one will be better. I kind of hope that it's Tynan and Donal with Heather. Her little snippet of a scene in this book was actually more interesting and heart-wrenching for me than all of the story between Owen, Gawain, and Darcy, which is another problem with this book in particular. I guess we shall have to wait and see

As always, Cherise Sinclair provides a finely crafted book with fascinating characters, an intriguing plot, scorching hot sex, and total satisfaction with the outcome.

This is the story of Owen, the shifter cougar who appeared in the earlier books in the Wild Hunt Series. He is portrayed there and here as a grumpy misogynist, but an honest man who protects others at the risk of his own life.

He has reasons for his hatred of women-his mother was abusive toward him, but it takes a young shifter whose feelings he hurt to make him see he tars all women with the same brush-just what he accuses women of doing. That insight opens the way for him to see the truth about Darcy, a mountain shifter who managed to escape the prison where she and other members of her village have been held for a decade. Because of the captivity, Darcy knows little about the shifter way of life, and the shifter leader assigns Owen and his brother Gawain, to mentor her. Both brothers begin falling for the young woman, but the group that held her and still holds her brothers and other villagers hostage aren't going to stop looking for her. Terrified of bringing trouble to the town that took her in, can Darcy make a commitment to the two men who care for her? And how will she react when danger threatens?

The author carries us into a world of her own creation, but one we can almost see and feel. We expect to see people shift into animal form in a tangle of clothes. The book also catches us up on some of the characters from the earlier books and its like running into old friends. My only complaint is that we don't get to see enough of Gawain. He intrigued me in one of the earlier books, and I looked forward to knowing more about him in this one, but he's almost a throwaway character.

As with the previous books in the series, expect a hot menage, paranormal romance, and people who make you want to find them and give them a hug.

Review copy provided for a voluntary review.

3 Teacups / 4 Handcuffs

We were provided an ARC for an honest review.

☞ For me this novel started off a little slowly and it took me some time to get into the narrative. I was confused at first what was going on and then I had to relearn this series unique shifter mythology.

☞ The teacher-student trope was lying underneath the surface of this novel and it definitely made it hotter! Owen and Gawain had been given the responsibly of helping Darcy become accustom to being a shifter and the culture.

☞ Darcy is an amazing character, tough, resilient, and completely love-able! It's no wonder the brothers fall in-love with her so quickly, and so easily. She is an amazing heroine, who you can't help but empathize with and want root for!

☞ Owen and Gawain are two powerful shifters, who have been endowed with special gifts. The brothers, litter-mates, both have a lot of emotional baggage to move through in order to get their H.E.A.. They both deserve someone as sweet and fearless as Darcy.

☞ There was no question that the sex between the three characters was H-O-T! Although the night of Darcy's full-moon was a little much for me. (view spoiler)

☞ I really enjoyed seeing the shifter communities coming together in-order to save the captive shifters and uncover the conspiracy. This narrative had a conclusion, but also left it open to be developed in further novels in the series!

☞ Characters from the first three book in the series make reaperances and once I remembered, relearned, who they were and their connections it was a lot of fun to see them within their own H.E.A.s.

☞ I really hope that Darcy's brothers find their own life-mate and are able to overcome the trauma of their own captivity!

This is my first PNR from Cherise Sinclair that I have read. I have read and LOVED every single BDSM romance she has written but I was always a bit leery to read PNR. So when I got the chance to read Leap of The Lion, I decided it was finally...TIME. And I was...COMPLETELY CAPTIVATED! Leap Of The Lion was just as sexy, edgy, and perfect as her BDSM romances. There is still plenty of Dominant/submissive tendencies in the book, but its on a more...animalistic type of level. I didn't think that would be so exciting but it was.

This story had so much action and adventure with moments of utter compassion and AMAZINGLY HOT, SEXY, SWEATY scenes that I just ate right up! This is some seriously GREAT stuff here and I am SO glad I finally gave her PNR series a go, and now I am ALL about catching up on the ones I had missed. The characters here are just so AMAZING and BRILLIANT, STRONG, SASSY, and PERFECT. The plot kept me HIGHLY interested and I loved how everything came together. It was exciting and absolutely mind boggling GOOD!

Leap Of The Lion gets an IMPRESSIVE FIVE SHOOTING STARS! I am So disappointed that I waited so long to pick up this PNR series and now that I finally know how great it is, I plan on devouring the other books ASAP!

A great book with complex characters and a story that is heartwarming and at the same time keeps your heart rate up (both from the few sex scenes and the dangers that lurk). Amazing and strong female characters!

This is my absolute favourite author and I read through all her books every six months or so and this is another great example from a master storyteller. I really do recommend every single one of Ms Sinclair’s books.

There were a few minor things that buged me because I’m really picky about details and this is the first book by this author where I’ve noticed discrepancies or maybe I just wanted an explanation as to why it’s done differently in this situation. Other that those pesky details, it’s wonderful to read about the community with a wealth of lovely characters from previous books in the series. I cannot wait for the next book (and hope that it’s Heather’s time to find love).

Sex scenes: a few but beautifully written and works within the story. Detailed and sensual, first one about half way through.

Cherise Sinclair is an automatic buy for me. She never fail whatever her genre, BDSM or shifters. She has this sensibility that never fail to touch me deeply in my core. She is a teller story. Must have been a bard in a previous life. :D
This story is all about emotions from 3 heroes who gave up on love, lived on survival mode only. day in, day out.
It is a long novel just like I love to read because it gives me the opportunity to know the characters deeply and to love them.
Cherise Sinclair has this gift that you start first page and you do not want to let go until last page.
I have to be honest here, shifters menages are no longer my cup of tea... hundred of them with the same plot over and over again is no longer something I want to read. But Cherise Sinclair just find the right plot, the right characters, the right emotions and make it happen that I never tire myself to read her stories. She is indeed writing sex scenes and yes she is an erotic author (hope people here will understand this clearly before leaving bad reviews!!!) but her scenes were at the right moment in the story, never over the top.
This author is just gifted. I cannot wait to read her next novel each time. This series is truly a gem. :)