The Man Within by Lora Leigh

He had protected her as a child, filled all her teenaged fantasies and stole her womanly heart, only to break it.

Now, fifteen months later, the news has released. The man she loves is one of the genetically altered Feline Breeds who have shocked the world with their presence. He’s also her mate. The mark on her neck attests to that. The fire that rages in her heart and in her body further proves it. But he hadn’t wanted her then; does he really want her now?

Deceit and treachery, born in the past, now haunt the present as Taber and Roni fight to make sense of a sudden bonding. The mating of heart, body and soul as the man and the beast within merge; both battling the forces raging against the union and dominance over the woman he claimed.

Reason for Reading: (as if I need a reason!) This is the second novel in the Breeds series.

The Plot: So Roni has had a thing for Taber for a long time. (Although Lora uses this in almost every book, I can't get sick of it.) When she was 11 and hiding from her drunken father, Taber found her and has been coming to her rescue ever since. She also rescued him that fateful day, from his demons and nightmares. The book starts with Taber springing Roni out of jail. And then they finally can no longer deny the passion between them and they get hot and heavy in his pick-up truck. Weeelll, Taber doesn't want Roni's first time to be in a truck, so he tells her he'll come to her that night and they can finish what they started. Only, Taber doesn't come that night. The next day, a letter is delivered to Roni from Taber saying that he is sick of coming to her rescue and that she's not woman enough for him. Basically hitting her where it hurts the most.

A year later and the existence of the Breeds has been made public. And Roni realizes that Taber had marked her oh so long ago (via a love bite on her shoulder). When the press attack Roni (her drunken father sold her out and leaked the info about the love bite) Taber comes to her rescue yet again. And this time, he's not going to let her go. You see, someone gave him a message from Roni saying she can't handle his desires and not to come visit her. So someone betrayed them and kept them from each other.

My thoughts: I liked it. It was different from Tempting the Beast in that Taber didn't deny his attraction or wanting to be with Roni like Callon did with Merinus. He was hurt by her supposed rejection of him, but when push came to shove (the mark being the push and the mating heat being the shove - LOL) Taber didn't fight his attraction. And he was tormented by his beastly side. He was scared that Roni would reject him because of the beast. But Roni has loved Taber since she was a young girl, and even his supposed rejection couldn't make that go away.

That's another way TMW is different. Roni and Taber aren't strangers. And Roni isn't aware, initially, of what Taber is, unlike Merinus, who knew Callon was a Breed.

Solid B for me.

Other Breed series:
Tempting the Beast