Burning Wild (A Leopard Novel)

I typically love Christine Feehan's writing and I was looking forward this Shapeshifter addition. I preordered it and was excited when it arrived. The story had lots of potential, the storyline itself was a good one, but it never grabbed me. I found the child abuse in the early part of the book disturbing (which it should be)and understood the need for it as a way of explaining the depth of emotional pain in the main male character. However the shapeshifter aspects of the story took a backseat to the emotional trauma of the hero's childhood. The erotic elements were later in developing than seemed normal, and were less exciting than Ms. Feehan's normal stories (with the exception of the scene in the office). Overall I found Burning Wild to be less of a flame and more of a fizzle. The relationship of the two main characters, including how they met and the fact that she was also a leopard shapeshifter was less than believeable. The story as a whole was disappointing and boring. Of the numberous books Christine has written, I have only been disappointed in three of them, so she is still one of my favorite authors. I will look forward to the July release of the new Drake sister's addition and hope it will meet the high standards she has set in the past.

Very interesting storyline. I did think that Jake and Emma's relationship was a bit forced, but there definitely was an attraction between the two and Jake was learning how to love through Emma. All in all, a decent action packed read with some wild leopard sex to boot!

This one of my favourite books in the Leopard series, I just love how intense the male lead is, not just because he's sinfully sexy, but because we have read first hand how he has become the way he is from the very first chapter. I love the way all of his carefully thought out plans reverse and his penchant for taking in strays.
The female lead couldn't be more perfect...not to easy but not too hard. I don't want to spoil too much for potential readers!
The characters are all too easy to fall in love with and way too hard to forget.

This had such a good beginning and a lot of potential for a great story, but it just flat lined at the end, as if it was hurriedly finished. I still enjoyed the book, but sorry, this is a 3 star for me.

Jake Bannaconni had been raised by two abusive parents - the kind of parents that were so abusive they should go to jail for the rest of their lives. Even though Jake is a shapeshifting jaguar, he remained at the mercy of these two sadists until he was an adult. Once he attained majority, Jake's mission in life was to make enough money to eventually be able to take revenge on his parents by ruining them financially. In the meantime, one of his mistresses becomes pregnant with his child. Once she realizes that Jake has no intention of marrying her, she starts dating a wild playboy and the book opens with their drunken joyride that ends with them crashing into a car with Emma and her family in it. Emma, the heroine, of the story is married to a sweet, patient and understanding man. She too is pregnant. When the car smashes into her husband, killing him, Emma felt like her world was about to end.

Jake arrives at the scene as they EMTs fail to save his mistress, but saves his son. He dashes into the car and rescues Emma, who immediately grows dependent on him and he on her. Looking back on the story you can see that this is where the love began. These first few chapters in the book were excellent, with a couple of terrific main characters.

The problem began after Jake talks Emma into coming to live at his ranch as his housekeeper and live-in nanny for his son and her new baby. The book starts to become repetitive - too much denial in both characters about their feelings for each other; too much sex (which borderlined on bondage and other erotica); too many issues with Emma about some of the physical changes she was going through (turns out Emma too is a member of the jaguar race) and too many verbal misunderstanding between the two characters. Rinse and repeat. It got to the point that I was skimming just to finish the book, and quickly tossed it in the garbage.

I can't quite figure out what is going on with Feehan. I still thoroughly enjoy her "Game" series and most of her "Dark" series, but the 7 sisters and the jaguar people are just plain boring. As she is a terrific author, I find it strange that I can pick up one book, i.e., Mind Game, and enjoy it so tremendously and pick up another, like this book, and be so freakin' bored.

Christine Feehan has never let me down with any title she has written. This book is no different,"Burning Wild" is just as GREAT as all her other titles. Enjoy this book, You won't want to put it down until the last page. Lin

About a quarter of the way through Christine's newest book. Wish I could rave about it, but I struggled with the hundred pages and then set it down. I've had trouble with even the latest Dark books. I go back to her earlier books and there's just not the same charisma and romance, her characters were more interesting and easier to love and cheer for. Sorry, can't recommend it.

WOW, one of Christine's best. She previously told us this was going to be a hard read and the main characters were going to be tormented souls. But you find peace, love and growth through this novel. Kept me at the edge of my seat at the end. Could not put it down. Murder game is still my favorite, but this one pushes close to the top. The love that Jake has for Emma, it surmounts all, she doesn't see it, he doesn't know it. But together they can stand everything.

This is my first book by this author

I just cannot believe the 5 star rating!!!! for what???? for the hero who kept HIS MATE in his house for 2 years, whilst having sex with many many women even admitting to have 2 in one day, his mate was scenting a women's scene on him and he DID NOT DENIED HIS SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM! WHAT IS THIS? It went on for 2 years! When eventually they have sex there was nothing special any more, because he already shared those intimate moments with all those women so it was the same act and I felt disgusted that he could come home after having sex with women and kissing his children good night and having the women scene all over him and demanding from his mate to submit to his sexual and controlling needs!!!!

Then when she went on a date, because he implied no man is interested in her, I was actually happy seeing the hero hurt and uncomfortable.he deserve it. He was then accusing her for dressing out not for him but for that other guy and going out with him, but she did nothing wrong because he was the one cheating on her by having sex with lots of women and he did not admitted to her that they were mates and he was telling the other friends about his sexual encounters. Thats disrespectful. He was controlling her all the time and I did not felt much love in this book.

My Thoughts - 5 out of 5 Unicorns - I loved it!!!
***I choose what I read and review based on what intrigues me!!

I own this book in paperback, and it is the 3rd book in the series and a full novel. This is for adults only due to the steamy content.

This book has a lot of tough content because the main character is physically abused his entire life. It takes special people who rescue children of abuse to get through to them, so imagine a child who is not saved as an adult. Things happen in this book that are not pretty, but life isn’t usually pretty. He makes a life for himself and protects. I’ve seen some pretty nasty reviews because readers didn’t like the topics in this book.

Emma is an amazingly strong woman, and you will have to read the book to see why. I do not like giving away what happens in a book. There is a lot of emotional damage and baggage in this book that is worked through.

If you loved the other books in this series, you will not want to miss this story. Jake has a special place in my heart because I’ve seen kids who have gone through similar trauma. They make mistakes, but you still love them.

Again, most of Feehan’s series you don’t necessarily have to read them in order. I have no clue, at this time, what the first book is, but I didn’t feel lost in any way shape or form as I read through other books in the series. The other thing I want to note on this one is that the narrator is not all that great, funny actually in a lot of instances when he tries to do the voices of some of the characters. In some instances, it messes up the story a little and in other instances, it just made me laugh. Overall, I would recommend actually reading this one as opposed to listening to it.

****SPOILERS****With that said, THIS TOO WAS HOT! You grew up with the hero, Jake, in this one as opposed to his back story being woven through out, that was cool. To me, Emma had a little more of a back bone then Rachael appeared too, which was refreshing. The other thing I liked, was this story line had kids. Most of the time, kids are not involved at all, or they come at the end as part of the happily ever after. Kids are easily cannon fodder in the life of the supernatural, but human or otherwise, they are a natural part of life, so I like seeing them in this genres story line. The setting in this one did not give me the same wow factor as the last as it primarily took place on a ranch in Texas. Not much depth in that.

I have 1 more of this series sitting on my desk, but after 2, I can see they will all kind of be the same and I will need to take a break. It doesn’t mean the story is any less interesting just that they can get boring. We shall see.

Happy reading.

This story was so good until Emma went to live with Jake. I just cant get into a story where the man in the story can have sex with other women but yet he keeps the woman that he claims his at his house, so she cant go out to be able to have a life or sex life. Jake even tells Emma, yes he has sex with other women that he has needs. Well crap! what about hers? is she dead or something. All I can say is WHATEVER! Then one day Emma does go out on a date and he sees her and takes her away from the man! I don’t think I would fuss so much about this, but this is after two years of them living together and he even lays in the bed with her all this time with a hard on and she knows it and neither one of them does nothing. I just cant see that one. I found Emma to much of a weak heroine for me, she wouldn’t stand up to Jake one bit. There is a difference between dominating and controlling and Jake was to controlling for my taste. I read as much as I could of this mess and skimmed through the rest of the book.

The first of the book takes you through Jake abused life it fast forwards you from two years to thirty years. His life while living with his parents is really bad and sad. He meets Emma when his whatever she called pregnant woman with his baby has a car wreck in front of him he saves Emma, but could not save her husband. With Jakes abusive childhood he doesn’t know how to take care of a baby so he ask Emma to help him. Jake doesn’t play or do much with the kids he just works all the time. Again read bad and good review before buying this book to try to make sure its for you.

So after the debacles which were Cat’s Lair and Wild Cat, I just had to finally go back and re-read an earlier one to see if I was so very mistaken or if my preferences had changed so dramatically.
I was really afraid it wouldn’t live up to my memories. But no, this is really almost as good as I remembered, and it is nothing like the most current Leopard series.

I mean there are some surface similarities. The heroes are super dominant and not always likable and the heroines are somewhat dependent. But deeper, there is a wide chasm of difference.

Jake may be aggressive, dominant, and emotionally closed off, but we as readers know PRECISELY why. He is more of a “real” character than later ones. We learn him through his history, and even his wrongheaded actions match up well with his history, his perspective in life, and his emotions. Plus, he at least often tries to moderate the worst of his impulses and he acknowledges his internal damage and sets up an escape hatch for Emma clearly explaining, should I ever hurt you, you go to these people for help leaving me and you never-ever return to me. And after the initial “let me make you dependent on me” stratagems, he was rather upfront with Emma.

And Emma feels reasonably real too. She has a spine, albeit a cat’s hyper-flexible one, but she does have agency, and she will stand up to him, and there is much more to their relationship besides sex. She makes decisions, she sets things in motion, and she does some of the actual fighting and tracking.

While the sex is still kind of dark and the relationship between Jake and Emma isn’t exactly a healthy one, it is miles away from what happens in later books.

I sincerely don’t know what has happened to this series. The later books seem to have lost characters, plot, history/culture/mythology, and the sex got weird. Where is the emotional connection to the characters, where’s the depth? What happened to the Leopard culture and the reincarnation thing? And damn it, why do I feel like I am reading those creepy old skool historicals where the heroine is a teen and still a child when she marries with all the patriarchal BS included?

So for any of you out there fearing going back to the earlier books, re-read unabashedly, we aren’t crazy and this doesn’t seem to be the same series anymore.

The third installment of Christine Feehan's Leopard series is an intense and passionate ride. I couldn't put it down. Jake is an extremely strong dominate male with a horrible abusive past. It is a roller coaster that takes you from your comfort zone. Sometimes you want to hate him and other times you are rooting for Emma to save him. Jake controls all aspects of his life, including sex. He uses it as a tool, a weapon, and he has set his eye on Emma. He has no intention of getting emotionally involved because he doesn't believe in love. He believes in making her addicted to him and what he can give her, but he plans to keep his distance.

When Emma accepts Jake's invitation to move to Texas after her husband dies and she finds herself pregnant, broke, and alone, she doesn't expect to fall for the cold and distant Jake. After two years of living in his home and running the home and raising her daughter and his son, Jake begins to make his move to win her and make her addicted to his touch and what he can offer her. Jake's version of sex is intense and at times very dominate, and the inexperienced Emma is overwhelmed by what Jake needs and wants when having sex. She has come to know Jake and understands that because of his abusive past he doesn't know the softer side of sex and making love, so she sets out to completely accept who he is, what he needs, and to show him that it doesn't matter, that she loves him no matter what.

The action is intense and passionate all the way through to the very end. I loved it. A great story that just sucks the reader into the rollercoaster that is Emma and Jake.

Summary

Jake Bannaconni, didn’t have the easiest start in life. He grew up with cruelty and punishment. He has never known love or affection, all he knows is control and power. He is driven, and refuses to let the influence of his ruthless parents, to determine his future. When Jake learns that he has a son, and the mother manipulated him, he chases after her. Because he refuses to let any harm come to his son who has yet to be born. But through certain chain of events, his son was born premature in a car accident that killed the mother, and another couple was affected. Where he meets Emma Reynolds, who lost her husband of five months. Emma is overcome with the loss of her husband, and loses herself in her mind, until Jake. Jake keeps her centered and focused on her unborn child. Jake convinces her to come home with him and help take care of his son, and with little money, she feels she doesn’t have much choice. Soon Jake and Emma draw closer together, and their friendship takes another turn into one of passion and desire and a world of dangerous creatures and ruthless enemies who will stop at nothing to destroy Jake and their family…
The Hero

Jake Baconni had been manipulated from birth as a genetic experiment, and was only shown cruelty and there was only one person that showed him love, his uncle, who helped him become the man he is today, and where he was able to achieve his wealth and success. Jake only knows one way to live, and that is in power. He refuses to be helpless or at a loss of control. Jake is a shifter, he runs a large ranch, and is emotionally cut off from most of the people he associates with, except for a couple of friends who like him are shifters as well. Jake is a very intense hero, full on alpha male we have here. One of the most highest that this author has ever written. On the surface he is hard and rough, doesn’t believe he has a heart, and can be a bit obsessive about certain aspects of his life. But never have you seen a man who needs the love of a good woman more. He has never known true love or affection, or loyalty. Inside you see a man who craves touch and love.
The Heroine

Emma is a truly magnificent heroine, and she is the balance in the story. Emma is such a good human being, she is kind and loving, has compassion and has no idea of the cruelty that exists in Jake’s world. She only knows how to love and how to stand by someone who you care for. She is true to her character. She is far from perfect, she tends to be a bit high strung and too stubborn. She wants her own way, and doesn’t understand the complexity of Jake. Her character is compelling, and what I admired about Emma was how she only sees the good in Jake. She never judges harshly, except when she wants to exert her own independence. But as you read Burning Wild, you see parts of yourself reflected in her character.
Plot and Story Line

The story is probably one of the most intense and dramatic romances of Christine Feehan. It was one of the first books I read from this author that didn’t belong to the “Carpathian” series. I read this book years ago, and ever since I have been wishing I had done a review for it. Well I am doing one now. I saw this title on the shelves of my library, and I thought I would love a chance to read this again. And oh boy did I love reading it again. Every once in a while, I think its good to re read a book we love. And with Christine Feehan at the helm, I had no issues at all. It was just as good as the first time that I had a chance to read it. It starts out with seeing Jake growing him between a few years with each segment. And I warn you, his childhood isn’t pretty and easy…its pretty bad and rough. My heart just broke seeing what happens to him, and you see how important it is that those scenes are put in the story, so that you can understand the background behind what drives Jake. Emma on the other hand never knew pain or humiliation as Jake did. She grew up with parents that loved her, and even though she lost them, she has only known love and affection. You see how her influence takes a positive effect on Jake. They are together for about two years, before their relationship takes a more sexual turn. They are comfortable living together, and understand certain aspects of each other, but when they start to feel more intense emotions, that’s when the story really starts rolling. Oh boy and do they have some heated chemistry. Be careful not to get burned here. You also learn some things about Emma and who she really is. Her character truly blossoms in this story, and it is so heartwarming to see how she becomes more confident and sure of herself, and I will say she learns to handle Jake quite well. He needs a woman who will stand up to him, no matter what. There is a danger element to the story, and whew..did that put me on edge, despite the fact that I have read this story before. But there were scenes and moments I had totally forgotten about. The two children…are so adorable and I just wanted to hug them…so fresh and full of life.
Cover

How can you look at this cover, and not want to run for the hills. Boy does he have danger marked all over him. I love the gray background and the pic of the leopard kinda out of phaze…it adds depth and excitement.
Overall View

Burning Wild is a rough and wild romantic tale, of what true love is, and how it can change you for the better. A story of fiery passion, intense characters, and has a level of grit and toughness to it….a story that will completely enthrall you!!

Unlike Wild Rain, this book is not light-hearted fun. This is the dark side of love--edgy, explosive, obsessive. And not for everyone. I, however, loved it.

Burning Wild will disturb some readers for two reasons. One, the hero Jake suffers intense abuse as a child. As a result, he is manipulative, emotionally detached, and cruel--in other words, more than on his way to becoming an abusive person himself. Two, the heroine Emma moves in with Jake, a complete stranger, and entrusts him with her life and the life of her unborn child. Uh huh. Right.

I was warned about Emma's crazy decision before I started the book. Forewarning mitigated my disbelief. But when I thought about it, her choice isn't as unbelievable as it sounds. Emma is pregnant, penniless, and alone. Most significantly, she's emotionally Vulnerable--yes, with a capital V. She's perfect prey for Jake. I can accept that a woman might be manipulated in this situation. AND after all, we're supposed to believe that she and Jake are Leopard people with a past history, so they DO know each other on some level. Suspend your disbelief when it comes to Emma.

And then be realistic when it comes to Jake.

Let's face it. Given what Jake is and what he endures, he cannot be normal. Normalcy is impossible for him. Feehan preserves the integrity of her characterization by making Jake what he is supposed to be--the very flawed product of sick and deviant parents.

Jake was a victim for years. Control is everything to him because he never wants to be victimized again. Yet he's learning to love, and he makes mistakes. Big ones. Why? Because his past affects his relationship with his children, his employees, and Emma. And I mean it affects ALL the facets of his relationship with Emma, including the physical one. Some of the intimacy between Jake and Emma is VERY shocking. Emma's feelings are hurt, she's pissed, and she tells Jake. (Jake, completely out of tune with emotions in general, is surprised and tries to explain himself. My only quibble with the entire book is when Jake tells Emma, "I'm primal." I giggle every time I read that line. Can't take it seriously.)

For all his many, many faults, Jake is never deliberately cruel to Emma. He misreads her, he misreads himself, but Jake never sets out to injure Emma, even when her power over his life scares the living daylights out of him.
Jake's redemption isn't easy for him or Emma. Is he difficult to love? Absolutely. Is he deserving of love? Absolutely. More power to Emma for being woman enough to handle this guy.
I can't wait for the next installment in the series.

The story:
Christine Feehan has the paranormal romance corner covered! Shifters, psychics, vampires, witches... this is the 3rd in the leopard series. Jake was born for one purpose, to be special, when his parents thought they failed the beat Jake senseless every chance they got. They are ruthless and cruel, not having one ounce of love in them. Jake grows up with a fierce determination to beat his parents, the enemies. Jake ends up being a father, but he doesn't know how to raise him or want to. He decides to hire the best to take care of his son. The first time he meets Emma he knows she is the one to raise his son. He is determined to make Emma once of his many acquisitions. Emma has other plans in mind. They end up needing each other desperately. The enemies are on the prowl and Jake has more to protect now than ever.....

Thoughts:
I've never read a book with such a time span. Time jumps 2 or 3 times over 2.5 years. I liked that though, showed a true developed relationship between Jake and Emma & Jake and everyone else. This book is tender and special. I really enjoyed reading this. I felt sucked into their lives. Jake must evolve exponentially to survive and keep those he cares about safe. This is a tender, sexy and unique relationship between Jake and Emma. It is a long book, but it went by so fast I was sad when It was over. I look forward to reading the next installment in this series. This book almost reminded me of a Joey Hill book, where the main character must get over past trauma to embrace the present and future. For anyone who enjoys a paranormal romantic suspense I recommend this book.

Jake Bannaconni has been abused, used and basically bred to be a shifter cat by his parents. Jake has always been smart though and he knew his abusive parents for what they were, users and abusers. He knows the perfect revenge on them - become more powerful, and hide from them the one thing they want, his leopard. He does, he becomes rich, successful can have any woman on the planet crawling on their knees for him but he doesn't have love.

When his girl of the moment gets pregnant he forces her to carry it to term. No child of his will be aborted wanted or not. When the same woman crashes her car into a innocent couple leaving him to care for their new born child alone, he meets Emma Reynolds. Emma is pregnant and has just learned her husband has died. Emma is all that is light and goodness in the world. Jake immediately knows he has to have her, make her stay with him. So he comes up with the perfect plan - make her his child's nanny. That way she has a place to stay, his son has a mother and he can convince Emma to be with him forever.

Perfect plan, but there is danger and secrets that are keeping them apart. Emma too is more than meets the eye, and Jake's past threatens all he loves and his future.

Christine Feehan has the second installment in her leopard series with Burning Wild. The heat and passion that is in this novel will scorch your fingers as you turn the pages of this story. Jake is a complicated multilayered man. He has had the childhood most nightmares are made of but has learned to over come and flourish. When you uncover the real Jake, you will fall in love with him as much as Emma does. Emma is kind, loving and gentle but her inner core screams steal as she devilishly defies Jake at every turn. I found myself both admiring and wanting to meet her for girl talks. I found Burning Wild one of the best Christine Feehan books I have read in quite some time and I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves shifters, angst and true love.

I've read the Drake series books written by Christine Feehan and loved them. I was actually very sad to see them come to an end. I was hesitant to read another of her books not of that series because I had come to be so fond of the sisters that I was certain I would be disappointed. I wasn't. I really got to know the characters of Christine Feehan's Burning Wild.

Caution: Mild Spoilers

In the beginning, I really did not like Jake. That seems to be the case for many of the men that Christine writes about. Their dominant personalities can be a bit much especially when mixed with other emotions like rage or anger. Jake was no different. Men like that really get me fired up and as I read Jake's story in the beginning there was an odd mixture of anger and sympathy over his character. The reader almost wants him to get his revenge but on the other hand you want him to supersede his parents and take the high road. Towards the middle to end, Emma reveals that Jake unconsciously takes in strays so the reader begins to see a different side to the stone cold man that Jake thinks that he is. You really begin to see his emotions change as well as Emma becomes a more prominent figure in his life.

Emma was a pure soul. Her reaction to Jake's transformation struck me off guard entirely. I had never expected that and I think it is fantastic when authors surprise us with different twists in the story.

The sex scenes were a bit raw but fitting considering the wild nature of the beasts. The way she incorporates the leopard into the stories is really well done. The characters really embody the spirit of the leopard in everything that they do. The suspense of the building relationship between Emma and Jake was fantastically breathtaking. Every page I turned I kept waiting for that magic kiss and that magic time when they could finally be together. Feehan dragged it out so that it didn't happen prematurely but not too far where readers would get frustrated of the "foreplay." It was perfectly timed.

All in all, I really enjoyed this read and look forward to backtracking to read Fever which is two stories molded into one book. It includes the first two leopard shape shifter stories that Feehan had written. I also cannot wait for the next book Wild Rain which will feature Conner undoubtedly the same Conner from this story. Feehan is a marvel at introducing characters and making you crave more knowledge of them before releasing a story all of their own. I really hope Feehan finds a way to work in a story for the other characters as well as maybe going backwards and writing out the story of Emma's parents.

If I was judging on a scale of only Christine Feehan books, this would be all five stars. The pacing is great, and she's managed to put the end of the book at the end instead of the middle.

The story starts out following briefly through Jake's life starting at birth and showing glimpses of him growing up with parents who abuse him cheat on each other and kill people to hide their secrets. Jake takes what he sees and learns that the things that make people do what you want are money and sex. Jake meets Emma when he's following the drunk pregnant mother of his child and her boyfriend and they crash into another car. Jake saves Emma but not her husband, and his child is born but the mother and boyfriend die. Jake sees Emma and is determined to have her for himself. He'll use any means necessary, including his newborn son to get her to live with him. Emma is devistated with the loss of her husband and now her pregnancy has become high risk, with no money and no way to support herself, she has to rely on Jake to take care of her and her baby.

Enter two years later and their comfortable platonic relationship is about to take a turn for the worst when Emma's love for Jake starts to include feelings of lust for the playboy. She knows that she can't act on it because Jake has no respect for the women he has sex with and if she becomes one of those women she'd have to leave behind Jake and his son and take her daughter with her. Meanwhile Jake has been patiently waiting for Emma and tying her to him emotionally by any means he can use. His plans are going awry because he finds himself needing Emma more than she needs him.

For the most part, this book follows the point of view of Jake, as such we have the basic knowledge that everything he does is to control Emma. If we didn't have his point of view we'd assume that he was a generally nice guy that had fallen in love with her. From his point we see that he's generally manipulative but he's also a good guy who's had a horrible childhood. He grows emotionally but he doesn't see it so you're waiting for him to realise that he's grown and changed.

For the most part this was a great book, the love story was the main element and as such the relationship didn't really resolve until the end of the book, an event that usually happens in the middle of most of her books.

It seems like she's still feeling out the general idea of where she's taking the series. The past life I know you but I don't things were mentioned briefly and then only brought up once more in the middle. This was an issue I found iffy in the previous book since it was all through but never fully explained. I'm glad that since she's not intending to explain it or detail it that she's just leaving it out.

The children are unfortunate plot devices in this book. If you've ever watched a soap opera, you'll understand exactly how they are used. We know they're there, but they only show up to move the plot forward. Despite the fact that there are only a few days between Jake's son's birthday and his own, Emma baked a cake for Jake to celebrate yet there was no mention of a birthday 'party' for his son.

Even though Jake was supposed to be in his mid-thirties, he acted more like he was in his mid-twenties. The F-word was used continuously, which is fine if it'd been used properly. Half the time it was natural sounding, but the other half it was out of place and forced as if she was trying to make the character say it but putting it in the wrong spot.

Honestly, I like Christine Feehan's books, and I'm very happy with this one. There are still flaws but a lot of things, such as the pacing of the book have been worked out in this story, and the characters are so interesting that I'm very glad I own it.

I read Burning Wild quickly, in just a matter of hours. I found myself turning page after page, hoping to find that Jake Bannaconni would learn how to love Emma and his children. It took almost the entire book, but he finally came around! Jake was so unyielding that he was difficult to read at times. I kept waiting to see if Emma could soften him, but he pretty much remained rigid throughout the entire book. Jake was not exactly a "likable" character, but Emma more than makes up for that. Also, Feehan has added a few familiar characters from Borneo - Drake, Joshua, and Cooper - to help teach Jake about being a leopard.

I didn't like Burning Wild as much as the previous books in the series, and I think that is completely the fault of Jake. I really didn't like him and I felt bad that anyone had to be around him. Burning Wild is a hard read, much darker than previous books. Jake suffers terrible physical and emotional abuse as a child at the hands of the people who should have loved and protected him, and it shapes his life irrevocably leaving him a cold, and tormented hero.

I'm eager to get back into the series and back to the jungle! I'm enjoying the series so far and can't wait to see which storyline Feehan will create next. She has given us lots of possibilities for new heroes in the first three installments of the leopard series, and there are several storylines that I'd be interested in reading in the future.

One word AMAZING!

I was hooked from the start with Jake. It was harsh and brutal for him when he was young, which im so glad we got to read to fully understand and love the complex character that is Jake Bannacotti! Jake finds it hard to trust anyone because of his past and gives Emma a rough time constantly. He is also a fantastic dad but cannot bring himself to love them or anyone around him.

Emma is a great mother and a strong minded woman,who is Jake's perfect match. I felt like screaming at the book for them just to be honest with each other and get together.

There are other great characters in the book mainly Drake for me who we first heard about in the first novel fever.

Tons of action, twists and turns, danger and some mystery in this book that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

Personally for me this was better than the first book Fever. I didn't want to put this book down and cannot wait to read the next Wild Fire.

Ok, I'll start by saying this book was excellently written. I will continue to say I did NOT enjoy the male dominance and female submission that carries through out. I think it's wrong to penalize Christine Feehan because "I" didn't agree with the type of sex that was presented. Hello, I'm reading this book a year after the release date. I've had plenty of time to read the reviews and decide if this was a book I wanted to read or not. It's part of a series and several of the characters have been repeated in the other books so I wanted to read this one too. I think she did a wonderful job portraying the effects of both physical and emotional abuse in Jake, the main character; both to the child and the adult that he becomes. Nothing comes without consequences and the abuses he suffered shaped him into the dominating, controlling man he became. He loves Emma. He would never hurt her purposely. However, his treatment of her is extreme. It may be bothersome for those who have been in abusive relationships to read. The main difference here is she accepts him and his "behavors". She isn't trying to end the relationship. Is it healthy? Maybe not, but she is a concenting adult.

I was happy to see that Feehan did not put out another cardboard copy as has been her usual of late. The first 32 years of life of the hero was skimmed over only telling the most basic so that the reader understands the severe mental and physical abuse Jake Bannaconni received. I thought it was a good basis to start with because the reader can more easily understand why he was so harsh and untrusting. Why he had a need, not want, to constantly be in control of his life and relationships to the extreme. Without it being forthrightly given, I believe the character would have been very hard to understand or like.

I enjoyed watching him grow and fight his feelings. Mostly centered around a lack of control. It was also interesting to read a book that begins with a family instead of just the romance of meeting and falling in love. Both characters had newborns with other people. Those people loosing their lives in the same car accident.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel, regardless of heavy controlling scenes centered around sex.

3rd in the Leopard Series - Not my favorite. However, it had a good fast paced plot and an "against all odds kind of love". I didn't care for the hero's controlling, arrogant brand of dominance consistent through the book. However, I did understand his reasoning for this. I enjoyed the heroine's strength. She never backed down, taught unconditional love and stood up for herself. Still, I look forward to this next in this series. Feehan is doing a good job of varying each book plot in this series.

Yes, Christine Feehan has done it to me again. Once I picked up "Burning Wild", I couldn't put it down until the book was finished; and at 443 reading pages, that was several hours that I spent living in her world with her characters. I loved it. YES, the hero is about as Alpha as they come and I can already hear some of the vitriol she'll no doubt receive regarding one particular sex scene...but hey! It's her world! She can do whatever she wants...

Jake learned early in his life to hide his leopard nature and count only his victories. The product of two insanely cruel parents trying to 'breed' a shifter, he spent his childhood bruised, broken, bereft of love, and waiting until he was strong enough to get away. Now, he's rich, he's handsome, and fate has dangled the one woman in the world for him in front of his face...but she's hurting and broken and he'll have to use every ounce of his hunting patience to lure her to his side and under his control.

Emma never imagined she'd actually be working for a man like Jake. She'd heard, and read in the gossip pages, all the stories about what a hard, cold man he is. But the more time she spends with him, the more she comes to realize that he's just a man who has no knowledge of love. At least no knowledge that he realizes...

This story was smoking hot. The sensual pull between these two had me sweating and the scene where they actually consummate that passion liked to burn the paint off my walls! This was no gentle lovemaking session, but a savage meeting of two passionate souls who've waited too long to come together; both having the prod of their animal natures to contend with as well. Just a heads up, OK?

"Burning Wild" is pure Feehan: sexy Alpha male finds the woman for him and locks on like a laser, woman faces danger, male goes nuts but rescues female and smoking hot sex ensues; repeat until finale. But you know what? I still love to read her books. Each of the males stands out in my mind (even now) and their heroines are memorable too. As many of her books as I've read, that HAS to mean something. On to the keeper shelf it goes :)

Burning Wild was a mixed read for me, intense, interesting and disturbing all at the same time. More than any of her other books, in her less than heroic hero Jake, Feehan really delved into the making of the man. Jake's abusive childhood is hard to read as Feehan hones the determination, self-control, and survival instincts of Jake and his hidden predator through a childhood punctuated by the extreme cruelties of his evil parents. The resulting man is smart, ruthless and unable to care about others until fate steps in and brings him Emma. There is something familiar about Emma that stirs the interest of both man and his inner cat and Jake decides he must possess Emma and sets out to use her vulnerability in order to manipulate her dependency of him.

There are parts of Jake's maneuvering of Emma that are quite stalker creepy. His calculated use his son and Emma's daughter to tie Emma to him, while making it so that a break from him would cost Emma her home and possibly her children are classic warning signs of a potential abuser. But Emma's tremendous capacity for love wrapped in an indomitable spirit - which gives Emma a power of her own - and the example of her love and acceptance ultimately capture Jake in his own trap. Instead of Emma desperately needing Jake, he ends up desperately needing her. Emma is really the light to his darkness, and she helps him to eventually find his soul and discover his capacity to love. Feehan does a good job of portraying this gradual transition in Jake.

However as interesting as I thought this transition was, Jake's calculated manipulation, and possessive pursuit of Emma skirts- and occasionally crosses - the edge of abuse. I didn't find Jake and Emma's relationship to be very romantic, even as she ultimately tames him. Personally didn't care for the violence and domination in the sex scenes between the pair, I would have liked to have seen Emma gain more power here. Elsewhere in their relationship she stubbornly pursues her own goals, and I felt her submissiveness here left her as less than an equal partner in the relationship.

Even though ultimately I thought this was some of Feehan's best writing, since she takes Jake to the next level of uber-alphaness this may not be the book for all of Feehan's fans - even if you've loved her dominating males in the past.

Christine Feehan used to be a must buy author for me when she did the Carpathian Novels, but then she came with the Drake Sisters series that I loathed and the Ghostwalker Series which is kinda hit and miss with me.

I'm glad to day that with Burning Wild she's back in top form. If you like Alpha males then you'll love the main character Jake. Best part is that despite being an alpha, he's also vulnerable in one area and enter the heroine.

If you like the "breeds" series by Lora Leigh, then you're in for a treat. Lora's universe is great but after so many books its kinda clunky and filled with back story. Christine's book is a fresh take and doesn't have so much baggage. (ie. its easier for new readers to get into it).

A solid effort and definitely worth a read if you like Alpha males and/or "breeds". I hope she continues to expand this series.

I am not surprised at the strong reaction to this book. Nor am I surprised that it has nearly an equal number of five and one star reviews. This book is not for everyone. Jake, the hero, can easily be misunderstood. Feehan spends a lot of time filling out his character, probably trying to avoid this very reaction. I had a soft spot for this man, but I did understand him, and found him easy to love and admire. Yes, he was very controlling of the heroine, but always with her best interest at heart. It was his desperate vulnerability and equally desperate need for Emma's love that kept me from judging him harshly. For those who thought she was a wimp, I think they just didn't look deeply enough at her. A woman with her capacity to love and empathize has an unbreakable strength that should not be overlooked. She was more than a match for Jake's domineering ways. He is never going to be able to make Emma do something against her own principles. She is the type of woman who truly enjoys caring for a home and those she loves. Being the heart of the home is where she draws her strength. This is her career and where she gives her all. Through her devotion and from her example Jake learns to trust his own emotions and eventually to love.

I found so much of the book very touching. Yes, there are weaknesses in the story. Many thought it hard to believe Emma would so quickly move in with a stranger, trusting not only herself but her unborn child to his care. To me this was explained by their belief that they had known each other in a previous life. Instinctively they had a level of trust in each other that was not explained in their heads, but in their hearts. Feehan should have expanded on this theme, it would have explained much of their behavior. Some of the sex at the end I found a bit distasteful. Not my cup of tea but I'm not going to judge. It was very aggressive and very raw, but these two are leopards--not house cats. The end was very rushed with a lot happening at once, action that might have been better spread more evenly through the story. But there are so many other parts that make up for the flaws. I found Drake and Joshua's reaction to Emma's first date hilarious. And when Jake draws a chair up to their table the following scenes had me laughing out loud. This is some of the best writing I have ever seen from Christine Feehan. I can certainly understand the negative reactions to the book. These two characters aren't for everyone. But I found much to love about both and will never forget either one of them. And I thank Ms. Feehan for reminding me that real love does indeed heal all wounds.

I was really excited to see that Christine had come out with another book especially in this series of her books and I immediately snatched it up, I couldn't wait to read it. The summary also mentioned a son, and I love the babies, so that excited me as well. It started off well, the shaping of the hero's character was well documented and empathy inducing. I found his reaction to the abuse he suffered and how long he chose to suffer it not the norm in the sense that he had the strength to fight back for quite some time and he chose not to.

We finally meet the heroine some time after and I like that they had an instant connection. Despite how little she knew him, he somehow managed to convince this woman, a complete stranger to move in with him and be his housekeeper. She had just suffered a major loss and she was having a difficult pregnancy, so I bought it. They had a weird relationship from the start, he named her child for her before they were even really involved with each other. He was very controlling and his animalistic side explained some of that away but not all of it. And she went with it most of the time. The first sex scene was pretty good but her reaction to it, kind of turned me off for the rest of the story.

You would never know that they had children at all if something wasn't happening to them or they were needed to push the story along. I didn't feel that they villains were scary at all and they were dispatched pretty quickly in the end anyway. I kind of didn't understand why there was so much story left after they had gotten together and professed their love for one another. In the end I was more excited to read the excerpt from her upcoming story than to finish this one, I hope that the next one is much better than this.

A very excellent paranormal romance with thrills, chills, and romance. This story didn't start out as I expected. It was very different, but in a very good way. The beginning was background on the hero, which was necessary to understanding his character. My only issue with this story was the "misunderstanding" part of the plot. This couple continued to misunderstand the feelings of one another through most of the book and that tends to annoy me. I must say it was set up to be very plausible that they would believe that there couldn't be love between them, but I still found myself a bit aggravated by it at times. Another pet peeve was a control issue, and though the heroine did put up with being controlled a bit too much for my taste I thought it was understandable under the circumstances. I thought it was a very good book and enjoyed it very much. I highly recommend it to all paranormal romance fans, and I look forward to the next book in this series..

5 out of 5 stars!!! Very well written!! I was addicted from the beginning and I couldn't put it down! I loved how Jake's childhood was written in a way that you got to see flashes of him growing up, from birth to him being thirty, so you could understand why he doesn't trust anyone or why he believes himself to be so cruel. And Emma is a mystery all on her own, you believe she is one thing and then suddenly her whole back story comes out from no where! LOVED it I did!

Review By: From Me to You ... Book Reviews
(read more of this review and a teaser on my blog)

I love Christine Feehan, and really liked 'Wild Rain" so when I saw that this was out I immediately grabbed it.

It was very intense and Jake had so much baggage and odds stacked against him, but he fought his way out and found his destiny. I didn't like that he deliberately tried to trap Emma, but I did like that it back-fired on him. Emma was awesome, the type of warm, sweet, stronger than steel heroine that I like. She took a lot of crap from Jake but she held her own too.

I'm glad that Jake 'rescued' Drake. He was injured in 'Wild Rain' and while he's a strong and capable man in himself, he seemed lost without his leopard. I can't wait for his story.

Bred by capricious parents for his innate leopard-shifting abilities, billionaire Jake Bannaconni has spent his life in an emotional vacuum--especially after a tragic twist of fate left him to raise his infant son alone. But when his path crosses that of an enigmatic young woman, Jake's life takes a detour he never fathomed.

There is something irresistible about Emma Reynolds--something,Jake can't live without. Hiring her as his son's nanny will keep her close. And warm. And under watch. She's the first human to stir something inside of Jake, something that he's never felt before. But Emma may not be at all what she seems. And what's raging between them is pure animal instinct--out of control, burning wild and as hot as the lick of a flame</strong>

Jake Bannaconni was made for a specific reason. When his parents discovered he was nothing more than a "rat" and not their perfect mutated shifter they abused him like no tomorrow. For years Jake planned his revenge with a single mindedness that won him the reputation of being cold, calculating and cunning.

Along the way Jake has made some brutal "enemies" when he finds himself a single father. Having barricaded his heart from feeling anything Jake hasn't a clue how to raise a young son, let alone love him. The one sure thing he knows is that he can't let the baby fall in "enemy" hands. Jake lives with the pain of the abuse and is desperate--no matter the cost to keep his son safe. But to do that he must convince the irresistible Emma Reynolds to take the position of nanny. Jake Bannoconni is used to people falling at his feet to do his bidding, so getting Emma to comply should be a no brainer. And with a little persuasion he'll be able to trap Emma into seeing things his way.

In a blink of an eye Emma Reynolds world changed. She went from happy newlywed to loosing everything. Widowed and three months pregnant she feels lost when Jake offers her a place in his life raising his child and running his home. For Emma it's a break from the pain and a chance to move forward. For Jake it's a way of keeping her close until he can finally make her his own.

But enemies are around every corner and no matter how Jake tries to control their lives the enemy isn't far behind. Can Jake and Emma finally come to terms with the beast living inside of them long enough to see the other for who they truly are? In the end uniting as one to squash their collected predators is paramount if they are to save the family they both so desperately hungered for.

Burning Wild was an extraordinary read. I've been a huge Christine Feehan fan from the start with her "Dark" series and sophomore into the "Drake Sister" series and "Ghost Walkers" series.

Burning Wild is the third installment of the Leopard series. And I can tell you that Ms. Feehan didn't disappoint. When I picked up the book I honestly didn't know what to expect, since I haven't read the first two(but have them in my never ending Mt Everest of books) I found the characters exciting, invigorating and completely erotic. From the word go it was high octane at full throttle. Even though the story line of child abuse is a sensitive one, Ms. Feehan showed courage and compassion while developing her plot. The characters where extremely tangible that I felt I was in the thick with Emma and Jake.

The only problem I have is, which one to read next,"The Awakening" or "Wild Rain". An ending note, "Burning Wild" is a must in your nightly reading pile.
Happy Reading!

This book was amazing and I almost wish she didnt make into a series of it because I just don't like the the others. Ive read this one several times and mainly because this one was the total package. The background info on jake was just right and it brought the story a depth that many authors don't seem capable of anymore. I enjoyed the sex scenes, and for those who thought it was "too much" I totally disagree, the character were at heart animals and I thought the scenes reinforced their and wild nature.

I think if you're on the fence with this one, jump it and read this one by Christine Feehan you won't be disappointed!

Christine Feehan is an awesome writer! When you read her books you get lost in them and feel like your part of the book. You can feel what the characters are feeling and "see" what they see. I have a lot to catch up on. It's been several years since I have taken the time to read a book without worrying that it will interfere with my daily responsibilities. This was definitely an excellent first in years read for me.

I have read a lot of Christine Feehan books and REALLY enjoy them. I recommend her, the Drake Series was great. This book though I was not happy with. The hero, Jake, is an Alpha male-which I like usually. I liked the book until it became almost where his Alpha maleness was bordering on just plain controlling, and the sex scene-it ruined the book for me! He was forceful, controlling, and domineering in a bad way. I understand some people may like this and that's fine-but it should have been made clear if something like that was in the book. Erotic is one thing-but I felt like he just treated her with no respect what so ever. Emma, the heroine, has a little spout of being mad about it and then its over and she likes it. I liked the book mainly up until that point. If this is your first Christine Feehan book and you didn't like it, don't give up on her yet though. She has some other Really good ones!

Well here is my 2cents worrth: I loved the beginning of the book, noted the abuse but did not overdwell, well written. Jake (typical overly dominant male in most Romance books, but I understood him). I liked the way the story of what he was doing for others was developed throught out the book, it flowed with the story and was very well written. I really liked the secondary characters also, like Drake and Joshua, sometime the authors really cannot mesh scnes with more than one dominant man at a time and make it believable, it was well done. Overall I liked the plot of the story, there are always a few parts that do not line up in these types of books, but nothing that was unexpected. The book was a litte too long due to some scenes that were too drawn out, but had good action in it. I liked that the sex scenes did not start right away, but that being said my major complaint about the book when they did start was they were too long (one over 10+ pages) too close to rape and there was sadomasichism. (When your woman can't breath and you are painfully misaligning her cervix that's not how she can prove she loves you, something is very wrong with that scenario!) The heroine Emma, her character was written the to0 good to be true female lead of course but she told him off when he needed it and pretty much did what she wanted to do & let him know when he was acting crazy & still loved him, just like we do :-). the tylical misunderstanding that last throughout the entire book until the end is annoying but crosses all of the Roman genre's so we deal with it. Toward the end of the book the story got a little too unbelievable, too much bad happened at once after nothing for years and with all precautions taken nothing seemed to work but it made for some great action scenes, so oh well I got over it....My problems were really just the increasingly violent sex scenes, I sgtarted skipping some of those pages....Any Feehan fan should read it for yourself.

Jake Bannaconni's childhood consisted of one abuse or another. Learning defense mechanisms led to his survival. If he didn't show that he cared about something, then it wasn't taken away from him. Slaps and beatings were taken in silence and it isn't until Jake himself becomes a father that he realizes just how out of his element he is. As an alpha leopard shape shifter, Jake is used to being in danger. Now he has someone else that depends on him and Jake vows to keep his son safe at all costs.

Enter Emma Reynolds. A victim of a car accident which killed her husband as well as Jake's ex lover, Emma has nowhere to go and no money. Pregnant and alone, she accepts Jake's offer of a job and the more time she spends with Jake and his son, the more she falls in love.

Both Jake and Emma have no idea how closely tied they will become. Not one single thought of how important they will become to each other all the while fulfilling their destiny.

I can sum up BURNING WILD in one word -- fabulous. There is not a single thing I didn't like. Jake was a true alpha. He was sexy and dominant. He was also a protector, a father, and a lover. His childhood should have influenced the way he felt towards children but instead, he rose from the horrendousness of his formative years to become simply the most enigmatic man I have ever read about.

I highly recommend BURNING WILD. I couldn't read it fast enough and then had to go back and read it again. It was heady, passionate, and often well, quite simply, wild. Don't miss it!

***Natalie S.***

The third book in the Leopard people series! this is Jake and Emma's story.

Jake is abused as a child and shown no love. He grows into a cruel calculating man. When his ex girlfriend and her gentleman friend are killed in a car accident, they also manage to hit another car. Jake rescues Emma, but her husband dies in the fiery explosion. The paramedics save Jake's baby and Emma is also pregnant. He convinces her to stay with him and takes care of her through the pregnancy and she becomes mother to both of their children.

This book was somewhat entertaining, but also had a few sticking points. The whole abusive thing didn't work for me and there was a lot of time spent waffling back and forth.

If you mind graphic sex scenes, this is probobly not the book for you. Otherwise, not bad.

It was an entertaining read - hence the 3 stars. I'll give Feehan marks for creativity but that's where it ends. I finished the book but had to put it down many times - a few due to outright disgust and other times just because I made myself dizzy from rolling my eyes. So what's the problem? Well the heroine lacks any kind of backbone - and tell me ladies what mother has time to clean an entire mansion, bake cookies and take care of two toddlers all by herself without having a total breakdown. Oh and she manages to look gorgeous as well. The 'hero' and that's a very loose term here is a boor, he's manipulative, controlling and he's a bully. He disrespects and uses women, I found him to be quite abusive and while this is understandably fiction I coulnd't stomach his behaviour. What troubled me about in his actions was that while he is supposed to be so superior to his enemies he never really kicks butt throughout the book - does he ever really punish them for the abuses he has suffered - no - instead he treats the woman he is supposed to [come] to love in a horrendous fashion. I liked the fact that the sex scenes came later in the book (1 star for that) but came to hate them for the way in which they demean the heroine - suffice to say that some of those scenes I would expect to see in a porn flick targeting men. If you want great erotica that celebrate women try Lora Leigh.

I picked up the book to read on the way home from a trip & could not put it down - not even once the plane landed. I instantly felt for the tormented hero and the heroine, although a little too trusting, was sweet but not a total push over. She made a stand when it was needed; she just chose her battles wisely.
Some of the other reviews are criticizing the hero for his forceful nature, but if you look deeper you see that he uses the display of power as his defense and is all he has known. Once he opens us, his vulnerability is endearing and makes you love him more.

I am a total Feehan Fan and am in no way let down by this book. In fact, I liked it just as much as the first one in this series.

Jake Bannaconni is a leopard-shifting billionaire. Bred by his parents for that ability, which he was smart enough to keep hidden from them. A twist fate in the form of a car wreck leaves him along to raise his infant son and the only person who lives in the wreck is a pregnant woman. There is something about Emma Reynolds that calls to Jake and he hires her to take care of his son and to keep his house. Many factions are trying to break them apart and kidnap his son. All this makes for a good page turner.

Overall I am a fan of Christine Feehan, some series more than others. The first 10 Dark series books got me hooked on her, and I also enjoy her Drake Sister series. But her last couple Dark books, and most of her GhostWalker books just don't do it for me. I actually didn't finish a few of them - which is rare for me.

Burning Wild however captured me from the beginning. I couldn't put it down, finishing it in a little over 9 hours (4 of those being a "good" night's sleep.) I enjoyed the normalcy of the book - for most of the book Jake is denying his leopard self, and the book reads more like fiction than paranormal. Feehan spends a lot of time developing their relationship, which is sometimes lacking in her other books. I also liked that Emma's character is consistent throughout, she doesn't fight the relationship only to magically fall helplessly in love once things get physical (which I don't like about some of Feehan's heroines.) The plot isn't the most creative, but it's not like you read these for the intricate story lines. I hope Feehan keeps more plausible books like Burning Wild coming!

Christine Feehan always writes amazing fantasy stories of strong men and the women who are meant for them. The women are always a match, but fight it for one reason or another. I love this book, because it is he who fights it more than she does. It is a lovely dance of courtship with a dominate male, and the woman who is his perfect match. As always, the live scenes are hot and steamy! Great read.

Leopard shapeshifter Jake Bannaconni's memories of his parents are that of unloving cold and abusive; only his great-grandfather showered him with genuine affection as the lad can smell a lie. He learned early on they would never love him as he knows why they had him, but Cathy and Ryann underestimated how much power their offspring has compared to them.

Jake's pregnant former girlfriend Shaina Trent is in a tragic car accident with another vehicle containing a new bride Emma Reynolds. Everyone dies except Emma; the fetus she carries, and the fetus Shaina carries. The paramedics at the scene deliver healthy Kyle, Jake's son. Perhaps it is the tragedy, but Jake and Emma share a connection so he persuades her to move into his place where she nurtures his offspring Kyle. However, she may not be safe as his odious parents have plans for their grandson.

The opening sequence in which readers see first hand how his parents treat Jake sets the tone of a strong urban fantasy romance as the abused neglected child becomes the adult. Emma is terrific as she displays patience with Jake and showers Kyle with love as if he is her child; in fact as Jake observes she treats both their kids as her own. Fans will appreciate this deep shapeshifting tale as Christine Feehan is at the top of her game with Jake's saga.

Harriet Klausner

My mother in law let me borrow this book hoping to get me into christine feehan novels because they are thick. I read a lot and too fast sometimes so I needed something that would last me more than a day. It did. It is about 500 pages I believe. Her writing is amazing and her descriptions make it easy to picture the person, place, or thing being described. i love the supernatural books; shifters, vampires, ghosts. This book is less supernatural than say a "Sookie" book, but it is great. If you can get past or enjoy her in depth, lengthy, steamy sex in the book, the story is amazing. I can't wait to read the next.

I loved this book!!! It is everything, yes everything I have wanted to read in a romance book. I loved how the author took the time to create a realistic friendship between the two characters. And she did it very creatively, I didn't even want to know what happened during the 2 years that are unaccounted for. The plot was awesome, it made sense and it kept me on the edge of my seat. The best part of this book is that the characters were not like "I've only known you for 5 days 48 mins and 7 secs...and yet I love you, lets find a bed". Thank you Christine for doing that. Another aspect that I really enjoyed was the fact that while Emma wasn't aggressive like the hero, she wasn't submissive either. She was very capable of holding her own. I can not wait to read the next one.

Feehan never fails to provide a tale that makes putting the book down a hard decision. While the men are all gorgeous, with lots of sex appeal, they still acknowledge that the heroine has her own strengths and together they are just better. The Leopard and Lycan series both have been exciting....

This is, by far, my favorite of her leopard series! I read this for the first time years ago when it was first released and numerous times since then. The love and codependence between Jake and Emma was so sweet. Difficult and confusing at times for both of them, but truly sweet. I also enjoyed watching the characters develop through the book. They book changed so much by the end, in good believable ways. Definitely one of her better books!

Must say, I stopped reading CF Dark books, due to the repetition of certain phrases and scenes. (I.E. Same story, same words, different character names).

This book is much, much better than any of the Dark series,and better written than the first leopard book. Yes some pieces where hard to believe, (moving in with a stranger, housekeeping a mansion), but that the beauty of books, you can fantasize the small bits and not worry about the reality of it. I hope to see more of this series with stories for Drake, Joshua, and Connor, keeping with fresh story lines and writing style.

I love Christine Feehan's books. She is one of the few authors that I'll buy without even reading the blurb to find out what the book's about.

This is a new book in her Leopard series, and it starts out a little slow with the background story of Jake, however it soon picks up the pace, with the focus being on the relationship between Emma and Jake, Jake's adjustment to being a family man, and his dark secret of being one of the leopard people.

I really liked Emma, she came off as very sweet and caring, if a little too naive. While Jake was for the most part, a complicated and intriguing hero. :)

The only thing I would have to complain a little about is that the sex scenes in this book came off reading like a porno and not a love scene. The whole situation of Emma moving in with Jake was I guess believable, but it really pushed at the boundaries of credibility. And the characters kind of felt "cookie-cutter"ish. I love CF, but most of her books have standard stock characters: "brutish, but caring lead" "inter-changable heroines" and "blah-biddy-blah mystery/situation tying everything together (maybe)" Also, the ending felt kind of rushed and "meh".

Anywho, I would still recommend this to other CF fans, but maybe not to first time readers of her work. (She still one of the better paranormal romance writers out there though!) ^^

I've been reading Feehan's Dark and Game series for awhile now, so this was an exciting divergence. I had read Wild Rain years ago and was intrigued by the Leopard people, but Feehan never really made a run at a series with them. So, I was excited to hear about this new book . . . but when I started reading reviews, there was definitely a mixed reaction, which made me a little wary of Burning Wild.

But I recently came across the book on sale and jumped at it -- and DEFINITELY no regrets! The novel was powerful and dark, but that was what initially drew me to Feehan with the Dark and Game series. She wrote strong, but tortured heroes, and complex heroines. In fact, this book's characters, Emma and Jake, remind me quite a bit of Dark Desire's Shea and Jacques, which is one of my fave reads.

However, I do agree with another poster about feeling disappointed that the book dropped the ball with the memory flashes in failing to explore that element more. Yet, I can't help but give it five stars because it was a wonderfully refreshing change from the Dark and Game series.

Now I just want more!!!

Christine Feehan is, in many ways, one hell of a good writer. Her pacing is, in most cases, extremely good; my only exception is that her characters sometimes spend too much time over-thinking things instead of acting (particularly early on). Her plotting is tight and action-packed, and keeps me glued to the pages wanting to know what happens next. Her characters are largely fascinating (with the exception that the bad guys in this book are such over-the-top one-sided villains that they're rather cartoonish). The frequent sex scenes are lavish, imaginative, and hot as hell, with some minor personal quibbles (spasming or clenching wombs will always make me think of PMS and cramps, not hot sexiness).

However, it's extremely difficult to sit back and enjoy the above when I'm steaming mad about the rest. Main man Jake is a cold-hearted bastard. Okay, it's a common fantasy that women want to find themselves to be the only one who can warm the heart of the big baddie. Sure. Normally I can accept that. I can accept dominant alpha males (although they get a little boring when over-used). I can accept depictions of dom/sub relationships (try Jory Strong's "Ghostland"). There are, however, several reasons why this book's depiction of an emotionally abusive, controlling, manipulative male lead went way beyond any of the above for me.

1. A big deal was made out of the fact that a line was drawn between physical and emotional abuse, as though as long as Jake never actually hit Emma or the children he was somehow in the clear.To draw this line leaves many emotionally abused people feeling as though if they haven't been hit, they have no right to call for help or leave their abusers.

2. Jake's behavior was excused through his traumatic childhood. While it's true that a traumatic childhood leaves a lot of emotional scars and often is a good reason for giving a person some slack, it is NOT an excuse for abuse.

3. Both of the above points ultimately were made to seem as if they didn't matter because as long as Emma loved him, she could change him. By "surrendering" to him and doing whatever he wants, of course.

4. Any manipulation of her on his part, no matter how nasty, is magically made okay because--get this--she recognized that he was manipulating her all along and allowed it. It's the worst kind of justification, not to mention it's a deus ex machina because none of her thoughts revealed this until the last minute.

But ultimately, what makes this book so horrific to me is that it spends a very, very large number of its pages stridently defending Jake and justifying his actions. It's one thing to simply portray a fantasy that some women might have. It's another to go to such great lengths to justify abuse as a part of a romantic relationship. (This is exactly the kind of thing that gives the larger world such a dim view of romance and erotica novels.)

Though the intro of Jake's abusive childhood was a bit too graphic for me, this book quickly became impossible to put down. The story line was fluent and focused on the two main characters without delving into the "enemies" point of view (which sometimes is distracting and a bit of a bore). The sex wasn't premature and when it happened it was mind-blowing!!!! I loved this book!!!!

I loved this book!! This was definitely the best read of Christine Feehan's Leopard Series. I was so captured by this book I just couldn't put it down. The storyline was so exciting from page one to the end filled with action, danger, conspiracy, distrust, forbidden desires, sensuality,love, etc. The characters Jake and Emma were so believable and awesome together at times I felt as if I was right there with them. The secondary characters Drake, Joshua and Conner were great and I can't wait to read their stories as well. As always Christine Feehan delivers and this series is promising to be as good as her Carpathian novels. Take a chance...walk on the wild side into Christine's Leopard Series!!

This was why I fell in love with Christine Feehan. it was so well done that we understood Jake's journey. He came so far without even knowing it. A few of Ms Feehan's last books have been feeling formulaic but she is totally redeemed. I just hope she keeps it up.

Christine Feehan is not a skilled writer of fine prose but she has demonstrated many, many times her comprehension of the power of archetypes in women's fantasies. Her characters and situations are typically too extreme to be remotely believable, but she knows how to ring those psychological fantasy bells with just the right sterotypes. I admit I've enjoyed several of her Dark series, though some others of them are just too awful to get through. Until now, I considered her "Scarletti Curse" to be her absolute worst and maybe even the worst book I have ever read. Now I have a new possible worst Feehan book, though it is bad in a somewhat different way. The prose is somewhat more competently written than in the Scarletti book, but the story and characters are truly ugly. I don't know who advised Ms. Feehan to put in lots of detailed and prolonged descriptions of torture of infants and little children by insane serial killer parents who get miraculously get away with everything and stay in social high society for decades, but I have some news: this is NOT entertainment, at least for anyone I would want to be around. I'm guessing the goal was to build up the hero's credentials as a strong though damaged survivor type who doesn't realize how much he needs loooove, but it goes much, much too far. The sex scenes are frankly pornographic -- pornography that is men's style in the extreme subjugation of women and violence--much more so than in her earlier books - a result of some more cynical advice to the author? That's not fantasy entertainment for most women either. Reading this book does not leave a pleasant feeling; it's truly ugly on many levels.

And really, she needs to hire a competent fact checker. I was puzzled to read about the action taking place with "leopards" in the rain forests of "Borneo" - I thought her cat people, mainstays of many previous books, were jaguars from the the store area of South America. (South American jaguars are not the same as leopards, which evolved in Africa/Asia.) Then I was amazed to read that to get to "Borneo" the hero was taking "a trip down the the store into the interior of the rain forest." Hello? Borneo is a big Island north of Australia. The the store River is in South America. Ms. Feehan needs to realize that screaming mistakes like this one -and there are more - derail the fantasy process for readers. For this ugly book, maybe that's just as well.

I thought it was a very well-written book. It was deep and involved, without making us suffer too much of the trivial things. Skipping through his childhood as if we were skimming over a photo album was brilliantly executed, and made his cold exterior make sense. I loved how she did include little interesting bits (like cookies & coffee) without taking me away from the story.

I think the only thing I could really complain about was the 2nd meeting between our heroine and "the enemies". There was something severely lacking in the emotional trauma that I expected, and considering how extreme the situation was, I had actually expected that moment to hit harder.

I'm a huge fan of Christine Feehan's Dark Series. I purchased this book after reading wild rain. I have to admit, I was quite disappointed with this book. It began with child abuse, followed by a crappy girlfriend. The guy really got a bum wrap. I was sympathetic towards the guy, but it quickly became apparent he was a major jerk. He was just as abusive as his parents, with no redeeming qualities. I held on to the very end, hoping he would see the light. Instead, he emerged as every parents' nightmare.

The heroine was pathetic and weak. She was the type of woman who repeatedly "fell down the stairs" each time she had to go to the ER to receive treatment for an injury her significant other inflicted on her. She was a horrible example for women.

The relationship was highly dysfunctional throughout, with no happy ending. His overall attitude was, "Yeah, I know I'm an abusive jerk, but that's who I am. If you love me, you'll put up with my abusive nature and learn to love it."

No thanks.

I usually read Feehan with the knowledge that the heroines are submissive whimps or submissive and head strong to the point of stupidity. The heroine Emma in this book was all of those things. Jake the hero was an Emo at his best. An alfa male that is an emotion cripple. Jake suffered verbal, physical, and emotional abuse as a child. I think that if Jake had killed his parents at the begining of the book I would have liked him better. Instead this book touched on subjects that have absolutely nothing to do with romance. and I don't think Top n Sub is a subject that Feehan studied before she wrote about it. What Jake did was more along the line of rape than dom/sub. I can't say I'd buy this book, I'd borrow it. I don't think I'd recommend it though. Feehan should stick to what she knows; mushy, alfa male books. Leave the hard core stuff alone.

Granted I read the first book of this series and was really excited to continue reading more. However this book seemed to not give enough story as it did the sex. I mean for this character to be living outside of the rain forest like the rest of his kind it seemed as though there was not enough content about how he really felt about being jaguar. I was not disappointed when it came to the action parts except for .... oh hell there were just a lot of gaps . I wish the book had more content .. simply put. Not as great of la read as I thought it would be.

The beginning of the book started like gangbusters. It was dynamic, the characters were well drawn, the dialogue was active. Not a trace of the dreaded "...even." The character is clearly a damaged hero under the manipulative facade. I found the villains too broadly drawn.

The heroine was ok, but in all honesty, she didn't really stand out to me.

But in the second half of the book, it was like Feehan went back to her older, rather florid style of writing. It stared with promise and ended up sort of pathetic. And the "...even" reared its ugly head..(ie.."he wanted her...needed her, even.") Which completely yanked me out of the narrative.

Why the change in writing style halfway through the book?

The sex was hot, I had a good time with that. The whole insta-family thing was a little odd, and I had trouble with some of that.

I am new to reading the books by Christine Feehan. I have read 4 books of the Dark Series and then I purchased the Leopard Series. I did not like Burning Wild. Some people may like seeing a woman submit to a man as Emma did but that was not love. That was abuse, it might have been emotional abuse but it was abuse. This book did nothing for me.

Some was diffficult to read. It was very discriptive regarding the abuse the boy gets. Some of the erotica was borderline rape. There was good suspense and I enjoyed it more than some of Feehan's Dark novels. She can be repetitive which is irritating. She really gives good character discriptions though and I think that's what I enjoy best.

To be fair, I purchased this book with the assumption that it would be pretty bad. But there is a difference between the 'delightfully cheesy' bad I was expecting and 'hurl book against the wall' bad. This romance has the dubious honor of achieving the latter classification of bad.

None of the characters are particularly sympathetic, the hero is especially loathsome, and the author's attempts to justify the main character's failings by providing details of his childhood seemed like a lazy shortcut in lieu of real characterization. His parents are cartoonishly evil and their given reason for acting so callously towards him make little sense - why on earth would they immediately decide he wasn't the shifter they were breeding for if shifting doesn't kick in until later? The book is filled with plot elements that revolve around people behaving in unrealistic ways for nonsensical reasons.

The real issue is the sexual relationship and interactions of the primary couple. Jake is controlling and obsessive and nothing about the way he treats Emma is 'hot' or 'sexy' in the slightest. If the two had met under less creepy circumstances than 'he takes over her life after a car wreck kills her husband and father of her child' and shared a period of flirtation and sexual tension that led to them experimenting with dom/sub themes in bed, that might've been hot. Instead we get a relationship that reeks of abuse and coercion with a heroine who not only takes it, she raises his kid, cleans his house, and bakes goodies for him. Ugh.

I'm a fond reader of urban fantasy and shapeshifters in particular, but I will not be picking up any of this author's other books.

I really love Feehan's work, but aside from the comments made by others about the emotionally abusive hero (which is true) my biggest complaint is that the pacing in this one seems entirely off. I wasn't sure if this was to be completely self contained or if it was a set up for a new series, but the bad guys were completely bad - no redeeming qualities at all - and the good guys (not many) didn't really have much to do. I'm really hoping this isn't a new series because I think she can do better and I'd rather go back to the rainforest with this species.

First off, I have been a huge Christine Feehan fan for quite a while. I enjoy her novels, and was really looking forward to this title being released. Within the first quarter of the book, I was very disappointed.

The "hero" was abusive and aggressive, and despite his history, I felt it difficult to empathize with him at all. Aside from that, there was SO much talk about his uncontrollable urges and his "cat" needing to get out and ravage his "mate". I know that this author's books are going to be fairly sexual, but this book was to the point where I was annoyed- like, 'not AGAIN, please do something else, already!' Not to mention the abusive aspect yet again; some of the actions of the male character were just plain offensive.

Maybe it's just me, but I was really hoping for more plot and less of Christine Feehan's display of how territorial and sexual a leopard is supposed to be. In all honesty, I wanted to smack both characters, hard, by the halfway point in the book. In the past, I've finished all of her novels within a day or two. This one I've had for over a week, and I still can't make myself finish it.

I'm still looking forward to Dark Slayer, but with some reserves at this point.

Monotonous, barely any action, and the hero and heroine were annoying to me. I was really looking forward to this story. I even pre-ordered it. Christine Feehan has disappointed me in her last few books. However, I did like Murder Game so I was hoping she was back to her "good" story days as when she wrote Dark Guardian. The beginning of this book was OK but then it felt like the same whining over and over from the hero and heroine. Even the sex scenes towards the end were blah because I just wanted the hero and heroine to shut up and get on with the rest of the story so I could put the book away. I guess after reading the action packed romance of Lora Leigh's "Breed" series and the humorous plots of Kresley Cole's Lore series and Shelley Laurenston's shifter stories, I just expect more from my paranormal authors. I hope Feehan's next book, Hidden Currents, is a lot better.

I am a BIG Christine Feehan fan. However, I found the relationship in this book to be too controlling and the sex to violent. Her Alpha males have always been dominant, which is sexy, but IMHO, this book crossed the line.

I only read part of this book, I couldn't get throught it. It was really unbearable. I kept waiting for Emma to wake up and realize what a user Jake is. I really wanted her to slap him! She is a door mat, and he is a user. Don't waste your money. I have only read one other book by this author, and I really didn't think that one was very good either. She seems to like weak women characters who let men walk all over them. I won't be reading anymore by her.

I first borrowed this book from a friend and was pleasantly surprised, I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!, not only did I go out and buy my own copy I bought it in hard cover and Kindle. This story has everything you would want to have in a truly great read. Christine Feehan has made me a real fan!!

I usually like all of Christine Feehan's books no matter what series it's from. I hated this book. I tried to power through my dislike of virtually all the characters but couldn't force myself to finish this book. It'll make me think twice before I purchase another.

Besides the fact that I didn't like the characters I was bored. There was plenty of action and whatever but I felt like I've read it all before in a different book of hers. I understand that a series will have certain componants in common because they are built from the same world with the same general rules. However, I like to feel that I'm reading a new book not the same book over and over again with different characters.

I've read most of Christine Feehan's books. While I enjoy her writing, some it tends to be a bit...well...repetitive.

That being said, I have to say that I enjoyed Burning Wild better than most of her other books. It is a great read. I for one hope she continues her Leopard shifter series!

Wow, I loved this book!
Her "dark series" started getting a little drab to me but this book, I stayed up until 3am a few times because I couldn't put it down. Some of the sex scenes were intense but I enjoyed them, they totally fit into the story line. My mom loved the book too!

I have read all of Christine's books but Burning Wild is the only one I could not even get thru. I read Wild Rain and loved it so I was really looking forward to the next Leopard story but was very disapointed in this one. I felt the Jake had no redeaming quilities and couldn't figure out why Emma would even stay with him.

A very big disapointment and a waste of good money.

Very disappointed, honestly. Very poor love story, there was very little love, more like porn, and really, there are authors out there that can write porn far better if that is what I was buying into.

I'm not a professional reviewer and I have to say, it wasn't that good.

I've been enjoying Feehan's novels for years, and have never put one down without finishing it... until now. I read 2/3 of the book, but I couldn't stand the violent sex, the self-absorbed "hero," and the woman who wouldn't walk away from a dangerous, disfunctional relationship. There's no Romance in this novel. It didn't make me feel good reading it.

I am a huge fan of Feehan's work, and this is the first of her work that I did not enjoy. I forced my way through it thinking it has to get better, but it never did. I found the background of the characters interesting, but after that it was just sex, introduce a new character, and more sex. Feehan seems to have invested more into a precursor to other story lines than focusing on these characters. Jake was abused as a child and understandably has serious trust issues. Emma is loving,caring, and patient. Two characters couldn't be more diffrent which is what would make the story great, it just doesn't get there. Emma is basically a hostage and Jake is a bully. This book has a money back gurantee from Penguin Group, but since I bought it online, it would cost me more to send it back than what I actually paid for it. Save your money.

This is a fantastic book. The hero is alpha times ten though so please don't go into this expecting him to be all sweetness and sensitivity. He is terribly damaged by his upbringing and this scars him in numerous ways. The heroine is not totally dependant on him. She is in the beginning, but after she gets over the accident she developes a bit more of a backbone and becomes more than a match for the hero. This is probably the best Christine Feehan book I have read in a long time. BRAVO!!

I have been disappointed in Feehans last couple of books, but this has turned that around. I thought it was better written than her recent ones and didn't have all the same phrases repeated over and over again. I couldn't put it down. It is a little bit more hard core in the sex department, though.

I've been reading Christine Feehan's Dark series for years and there was only one book which I did not enjoy and it's probably for the same reason as this book.

In this book Christine Feehan seems to have tried being more risqué with sexual scenes which skims dangerously close to the lines of rape than of love.

The main character Jake has a hard time feeling trust and the sexual scenes in the book are not loving but rather acts of dominance and humiliation. These scenes are justified by the author as Jake's need to prove the heroine, Emma's loyalty to him.

These scenes are ultimately what have turned me away from the book. I'm use to Christine Feehan's over the top dominate male characters however I'm not comfortable with justifying acts of emotional abuse as love.

The main character Jake was extremely abused as a child and after managing to get away from his abusive parents Jake doesn't trust anyone and is determined to never allow himself to be in a position to be hurt again.

I understand that the main character has a lot of unresolved issues due to childhood abuse and is unable to trust other but the acts of humiliation he placed Emma in order to achieve this trust was not enjoyable to me.

I know a good romance book when I can completely submerge myself into the story and imagine myself as the heroine. This is my escape from reality but the entire time I read about the degrading acts Jake did to Emma I was hoping the next page would be where Emma left him. This to me is not a romance!

I was so excited to read this book, but as I got further into the story, I couldn't stand the hero! He was mean and abusive and the sex scenes seemed like rape in my opinion. Going to return it today; don't even want to finish it!

I found this book in the supermarket on Sunday and I was extremely happy to have something good to read. Wrong! The story started out with the birth of the hero and his mother calling him an ugly rat. Then there are pages and pages of discriptions of the abuse he goes through as a child. To prove he's in control of the situration, the hero then begins to cut himself. I'm sure I'm supposed to feel sorry for him but I don't. He becomes a cold unloving manipulative man and someone I would never want to meet.

The heroine becomes dependent on the hero after a car accident kills her husband and she needs bedrest while waiting for their baby to be born. The hero gets her to take care of his baby whose mother died in that same accident.

I have to admit that I am only 1/2 way though the book so maybe it will get better. Of course that will assume that I will actually pick it up again. I think I would rather go clean the bathroom!