Wild Rain

TEST

Christine Feehan has done it again. I love her Carpathian series (although I freely admit some of the books are better than others), but I’m head over heels for her new characters, people who can shapeshift into leopards.

Rachael Lospostos is running for her life. She hopes that by fleeing deep into the jungles of Indochina and faking her own death, she can finally be free from those who seek to kill her. She doesn’t know why she suddenly feels alive in the jungle, while her companions on the trip hated every moment downriver. Under the guise of transporting medical supplies to remote areas, she gets her chance for freedom during an ambush by bandits in an severe rainstorm. When she “falls” overboard, she relishes her escape. Strangely, she is able to see in the darkness while she searches the jungle for shelter and safety. She comes upon what she believes is a tribal hut set in the trees and takes shelter.

Rio Santana is dark, sexy, and very, very dangerous. He rescues kidnap victims from the bandits that work the Indochina area with an elite and highly specialized team that includes two special companions – clouded leopards. His death would be highly prized by the bandit leader and he is extremely careful to keep his home guarded. When he returns home, tired and wounded and smells an intruder, well, things don’t go well for Rachael and she is badly injured by Rio and the clouded leopards.

Rio quickly realizes his mistake before shifting into leopard form, but Fritz and Franz, his leopard friends, have severely damaged Rachael’s leg. She is forced to remain with Rio in his home while the two try and determine the other’s identity and secrets. Rachael saw Rio begin to shift, but believes she is delusional due to her injuries. After her initial terror, she feels immediately drawn to him. Later on it doesn’t help that he walks around entirely naked at times, and seems completely familiar to her. In fact, she has dreams about him that feel as if they actually happened.

Rio has been banished from his people for a crime he willingly committed. The leopard people have very strict rules because they are superior to humans physically, and they must not risk exposure. All of Rio’s team are leopards who risk their own banishment to help Rio rescue kidnap victims. Rio is still mostly a solitary person who spends little time in close contact with others. It upsets his world entirely to take care of Rachael. He also feels the same strange connection with her and has dreams of events that never happened.

The danger to Rachael is very real, however, and it soon intrudes upon Rio’s well hidden existence and the two must find a way to keep her safe forever, even though she refuses to fully explain to Rio just exactly why she has such a large price on her head. Not to mention that Rachael must come to terms with the fact that Rio is truly a shapeshifter.

There is plenty of action. The bad guys come from all directions and the leopard is definitely on the prowl to protect his mate. Rio’s friends, especially Drake, could provide great hero material next time around. (Hint, hint!)

This book has one of my favorite plot devices, an injured/sick hero or heroine. Sure it’s no fun in reality, but I’m a sucker for it in a romance. Even with her injuries, Rachael manages to be a kick-butt heroine. I enjoyed her sarcastic sense of humor, and she definitely kept Rio on his toes. Rio is an alpha male, but not overbearing. He realizes that Rachael can take care of herself under normal circumstances, and in fact, did hurt him during their first encounter. I had no doubts about this woman handling any situation thrown her way. She is fiercely protective of those she loves, which explains her secrecy about her past, and she passes that protective nature onto Rio once she realizes she loves him.

Feehan does a great job setting up the concept of the lair and the leopard society. My only quibble was the past life scenes. They seemed a tad unnecessary since Rio and Rachael were attracted to each other without them. They were never adequately explained and seemed thrown in at random. Are past lives a cultural belief for the leopard people? I still don’t know.

That minor issue aside, I can’t wait to read Wild Rain again. Once I finished it, I wanted to read it again right away. That unequivocally says Desert Isle Keeper to me. Fans of Feehan, run out and get this one, you’ll like it, I promise. If you have never read Feehan before and have been looking for the place to start, I’m here to say, this is it.

Reviewed by Liz Zink

Grade: A-

Sensuality: Burning

Review Date: 19/01/04

Publication Date: 2004

Recent Comments …

  1. excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.

guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments