Liz’s Review:
Beneath the Skin by Lauren Dane
Paranormal romance released by Samhain Publishing on April 3, 2012
A whole world exists…beneath the skin.
De La Vega Cats, Book 3
Gibson de La Vega is the Bringer, one of the Alpha’s right-hand cats. It is his job to mete out justice and defend the law that holds their jamboree together.
After a contentious meeting with another jamboree, he’s shot—Mia stumbles onto the scene and saves his life. He’s immediately drawn to the female who dug three silver bullets from his body. Even after he discovers she’s a Porter, a family his own harmed grievously half a century before.
Mia has enough in her life. She’s recovering from a vicious hate crime—an attack using silver has affected her ability to do what she loves most. The last thing she needs is a bossy alpha cat like Gibson. A de La Vega no less.
Despite the myriad reasons to stay away, even as they continue to hunt down the would-be killers, their attraction deepens into something else entirely.
The answers they find bring that threat far closer to home than anyone could have imagined and it’ll be up to Gibson to end the mess once and for all. And up to Mia to stand at his side, even as he risks his life…
Warning: A super hot alpha male with a gruff façade, and an uppity female who’s not buying it. Some violence. Some red-hot sex. Bad words. Lots of fun.
Lauran Dane’s De La Vega Cats series revolves around a world that is both fantastic and plausible. Even in human form, the were-cats act like real cats in the wild, following hierarchy, protecting territory, and finding their mates. The clear hierarchy and laws of their kind were very well drawn and fascinating.
Mia comes across as a no-nonsense, stubborn, feisty woman and were-cat. But it’s clear that her nature – that fighter under the skin – isn’t just because she’s a were-cat, but because she’s a strong woman and she won’t back down no matter what. She proves herself again and again to be a worthy woman that any man would be lucky to have by his side.
Gibson is a great character. Typical alpha male, he’s used to people following his orders until he meets Mia. She takes all of his pre-conceived notions about women and throws them out the window. Mia tells him at one point that underneath the gruff exterior that he’s a marshmallow, and it’s very true. Hard when he needs to be, but soft when it’s called for. A worthy hero to the story.
What I really enjoyed about this book, aside from the suspense and action packed fighting, was the interaction between Mia and Gibson. There is no abrupt “I’m in love” action between either character, but a slow burn to the point that neither of them can ignore it and neither choose to. Their conversations, in and out of bed, punctuate the story with funny quips, bossiness, and exasperation on his part when he realizes just how little he knows about women.
Packed full of steamy love scenes, old grudges, betrayal, and witty banter between the characters, Beneath the Skin is a great story about were-cats standing up for their people and finding love in the middle of war.
Grade: B