Customer Reviews

Harmony's Way (The Breeds, Book 2)

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Harmony Lancaster has been an outcast from the Breeds since the day she broke out of the lab that was her home and killed every human in the facility. While Harmony will never claim she did it for noble reasons, what pushed her to that point was the safety of her brother, Jonas. While all Breeds do claim familial ties, Harmony and Jonas had the same mother. The mother Harmony killed during her escape. For years, she's been on the run from Jonas. Harmony is certain that the day Jonas finally captures her will be the day she dies. What she doesn't except is for Jonas to give her a way out and a chance at a normal life. All she has to do is go to Broken Butte, NM, and work for the Sheriff's Department, under the direct supervison of Sheriff Lance Jacobs. The last thing she expects to find is her mate.

Sheriff Lance Jacobs has experience dealing w/ the Breeds. Jonas Harrington has to be his least favorite Breed. After mating w/ Harmony before knowing who she was, Lance is convinced taht Jonas is playing the mind games that he seems to love so much. What Lance isn't prepared for is the protectiveness that seems to come so natural to him when it comes to Harmony. Over and over, he tries to show her that her past is exactly that...the past.

Soon Lance and Harmony realize there is more at stake than Harmony's freedom from her past. For Harmony has information that she stole on the night she escaped from the labs...information on the first ever Breed, who is still alive. Harmony soon finds that she'll do anything to stay at Lance's side, even if it means trusting him as she has trusted no other.

HARMONY'S WAY is an excellent paranormal addition to the Breed series. In Harmony, Lora Leigh has created a heroine who is strong, yet still has a soft side. In Lance, she has brought to life exactly what you would expect in an alpha male. Lance may not be a Breed, but he is an alpha through and through. The journey of Lance and Harmony is one that is action packed, yet it's heart warming at the same time. You won't be able to put this down, but it won't take long to finish it. It's a definite page turner!

Harmony Lancaster is a Lion Breed, and an assassin who works alone, outside of the laws of Humans and Breeds alike. She needs no one, but when the Breed Council grants her one chance to redeem herself and save her life, she finds herself thrust into constant close proximity with a man she is unable to resist. A man who sees through to her very soul, proving just as dangerous to her as the secrets that she harbors.

Sheriff Lance Jacobs knows the moment he lays eyes on Harmony that she is his destiny, his soul mate. The land speaks to him in whispers, telling him so, and the devastating effect she has on his body and his heart only reinforce what the land tells him. Lance has long ignored his heritage, but he must learn to harness his powers if he is to protect Harmony from those that would see her destroyed.

Harmony's Way is the eleventh in Lora Leigh's Breeds series, although only the second released by Berkley Sensation. In my honest opinion, this story is by far the best of them all. The plot is thick with suspense, intrigue, and keeps you on the edge of your seat! While I've considered each of the previous Breeds stories outstanding, Leigh's growth as a writer is never more apparent as it is in Harmony's Way.

With the move of this series to Berkley Sensation, fans benefit greatly with the higher word count and more complex plots. Berkley seems to encourage the steamy scenes we've come to expect (and love!) in a Breeds novel, and this second publication by Berkley Sensation sees a return of supporting characters we already know and love from the older Breeds books.

There are plenty of twists and surprises in Harmony's Way, and I do not mind admitting that I let out a little shout of excitement the moment I learned exactly who Harmony is, and what her connection is to a long recurring Breeds character! I won't spoil the surprise here, but you will be glad to know that this particular bit of knowledge is divulged very early in the story.

We also see a return of the leading characters from Megan's Mark, Megan and Braden Arness, as the two assist their cousin Lance and Harmony, giving us a glimpse of their `Happily Ever After'. Personally, this is one of my favorite things in a series book - the opportunity to revisit the characters from previous books, and Lora Leigh never fails to disappoint her readers in this way.

We originally met the hero, Sheriff Lance Jacobs, in Megan's Mark, and while I enjoyed him in that book, I was totally unprepared for him in Harmony's Way! He exceeded all of my expectations for him as a traditional alpha male, but he is tempered beautifully with an innate sensitivity, which allows him to tame the feral Harmony more efficiently than the standard alpha male could. His kindness catches her off guard, and then his primal nature totally undoes her.

Harmony is a tragic heroine - a woman who has lived her life alone, with no friends or family to rely on, and she has convinced herself she needs no one. But when she meets Lance, all bets are off as he challenges everything she thought she knew about herself.

Harmony's Way also sees the return of Jonas in a big way, operating in his role as the head of the Bureau of Breed Affairs, and we are afforded the opportunity to watch his machinations up close. I have to say, as satisfying as the ending to Lance and Harmony's romance is, this book left me panting for Jonas story more than ever! And that is another of Lora Leigh's key talents: No matter how perfect the happy ending for the lead characters in a book, she deftly tweaks interest in sequels by peppering the story with fascinating supporting characters, giving just enough detail to whet the appetite for their individual stories. It is for that reason that you will almost always find at least one Lora Leigh book in my pre-orders at Amazon.com!

Series Order (NY books only):
Megan's Mark (The Breeds, Book 1) (Berkley Sensation)
Harmony's Way (The Breeds, Book 2)
Tanner's Scheme (The Breeds, Book 3)
Dawn's Awakening (The Breeds, Book 4)

Connected Books:
Hot Spell (The Guardians, Book 1) (The Breed Next Door) (The Countess's Pleasure) (The Blood Kiss)(Falling For Anthony)
Beyond the Dark
Shifter (Berkley Sensation)

I gave Megan's Mark 5 stars. It was no doubt one of Ms. Leigh's best Breed books yet. Simply fantastic. Harmony's Way, however, is simply... bad. Yes, go ahead and vote my review "unhelpful", you know you want to. But think about it for just a moment first - according to Ms. Leigh, Harmony, a lion breed, is the "best assassin" ever produced by the Genetics Counsel - she is cold, ruthless, the Very Best at Killing, and she cannot be caught. Her nickname is "Death". She takes orders from no one, and when she escaped from the Labs as a young teen, she killed ALL of the scientists and took incredibly important information with her and hid it successfully for ten years. She's never let anyone tell her what to do, she does not take orders from anyone. WOW - my kind of gal!!! She kicks butt, woohoo!

Despite this incredible reputation, she's very easily caught by her own brother - and very, very readily accepts his ultimatum to go work in a small town as a sheriff's deputy because otherwise she'll be sentenced to "death". Hello? You're telling me Death is afraid of death?

Furthermore, as the book progresses, we learn she has smaller canines than the other lion breeds, doesn't have as good a sense of smell, and a number of other problems that mean she's simply not as animal as the other breeds. HUH? She was the "Best of Breed" category at the beginning of the book, but suddenly that changes?

Plus, she meets her human mate and suddenly she has no backbone, commonsense or even a breed's normal ability to kick butt? No, I'm sorry, but there's no consistency between the description of Harmony early on and how she actually acts in this book. Sure, I know the point is for her to let go of the "assassin within" and become yet another satisfied, mated brood mare for the Breeds, but COME ON - no one changes THAT much in the span of a few days! We read that she was a killer, but we sure as heck never witness it. Submission to her mate doesn't mean she has to loose her toughness. I couldn't get past the inconsistencies in Harmony's character. I will certainly buy future breed books, but this was my LEAST favorite. Not recommended.

To those who know of her, Harmony Lancaster is exactly what the Genetics Council strived to create. When her past finally catches up to her, she has one chance to redeem herself. Her salvation comes in the unlikely form of a dangerously handsome sheriff who sees what others do not; her hard, detached exterior hides a tormented soul that screams out for acceptance.

Breed Harmony Lancaster is a stone cold killer. Fully trained at an early age by the Genetics Council, Harmony can systematically hunt down and effectively silence any prey she deems worthy of death. On the run since her escape from the labs as a child, Harmony has always remained one step ahead of the people hunting her. Now, her time has run out. Those who want her are closing in, each with an agenda that could lead to her destruction.

Lance Jacobs, the sheriff of Broken Butte, New Mexico, is fully aware of Breed Law. Highly trained in breed matters, he agrees to sponsor a breed coming to his town for rehabilitation. Coming face to face with the astonishing woman he met less than 24 hours ago, Lance fully intends to explore what others evidently don't see, a woman striving to survive in a world and situation not of her making. Lance knows that beneath Harmony's tough outer exterior is an anguished heart longing for freedom, love, and acceptance. Vowing then and there to keep her safe above all others, Lance sets out to prove to Harmony that she is a woman of worth and redeemable.

Harmony and Lance have more than just attraction between them. Fighting unseen enemies and trying to stay ahead of people who want Harmony dead, Lance vows that she will never be a prisoner again.

HARMONY'S WAY by Lora Leigh is magnificent. I was truly able to see the story in my mind, so much so I felt as if I was right there watching the plot unfold. Harmony is my absolute ideal for a heroine. She is strong, intelligent and extremely loyal to her cause. I found myself quickly becoming her greatest champion. I soon had competition from Lance who nudged me aside and loudly made his intentions known. Speaking of Lance, I didn't think that I could enjoy a character more but he changed my mind. I liked this manly sheriff in MEGAN'S MARK; I fell in love with him in HARMONY'S WAY. Lance made my heart pound and my palms sweat. His love and protective instincts towards Harmony made me ache it was so perfect. Rough when he needed to be, achingly tender at times, Lance was the other half to Harmony's whole and their coming together was explosive and so sensually satisfying I had to remember to breathe!

While I have read and loved everything that Lora Leigh has ever written, HARMONY'S WAY is now officially one of my favorites. I stand in awe of Ms. Leigh's ability to bring to life these wonderful characters as they slowly weave their way into my mind and heart. There is nothing like breed loving and when it comes to writing this genre, Lora Leigh is the queen!

Lora Leigh continues her feline breeds saga with the addition of HARMONY'S WAY. These are not only sensual, erotic, tales but very well plotted suspense novels. We return to New Mexico where Megan, from MEGAN'S MARK, has started half-way house for the breeds.

Lance Jacobs is Megan's cousin and sheriff of Broken Butte, New Mexico. He has been asked to mentor a breed that is coming in from the cold and needs to spend six months before she can be set free by breed law. But this is a set-up by a breed lawyer for his own reasons and Lance must find a way to help the breed and deny the efforts of her brother. There is also a cult led by a Rev Alonzo who is set on fighting and destroying every breed that lives. He has his own agenda.

Harmony is a huntress, a lion breed, who was trained to kill and since her escape she has delivered her own version of Vigilante justice to those the law is unable or unwilling to prosecute. She is forced to come to Broken Butte and serve as a deputy for six months. Harmony has many secrets, not the least is the fact that she stole some very important papers when she escaped.

When Lance and Harmony meet there are fireworks, she immediately goes into the mating heat because Lance is her mate. They realize very quickly that someone has placed them togather and must have a plan.

Harmony trusts no one and Lance must fight his desire for her as well as her doubts about him. Forced into the intense, heat of the mating cycle they also have to fight known and unknown agents, who seem determined to either kill them or force Harmony to give up her dangerous secrets.

As with all of Lora Leigh's books you either love them or hate them. I really enjoy her explorations into the world of the Feline Breeds.

I adore Lora Leigh's Breed Series and Harmony's Way is a delicious addition! Fast paced, exciting, and so erotic it will leave you writhing, Harmony's Way is a must read.

Harmony is everything I love in a heroine. She's smart, witty and lethal. Lance is handsome, tough and worthy of any woman's heart. If I didn't like Harmony so much, I'd scratch her eyes out for a chance at Lance. Together these two are smoking hot!

Since this is a continuing series, we have much to learn about the Breeds and their struggle to survive. With every story, Ms. Leigh gives us more information and insight into their fascinating world. And it is truly fascinating! The danger, the mating heat and the intrigue add up to a lip biting, knee clenching, nail biting great read.

I just adore the Breeds, and I adore Harmony's Way. Delish!!

I would like to say that I love all of Lora Leigh's book's that I have read. This was a great read also except I didn't find it to be as much of a erotica read as I have all other of her books. I loved the story and I definatly can't wait for JONAS to find his mate. I was left with many questions after reading Harmony's way but I guess that means she has room for many other follow ups.

Lora Leigh is a good writer but a little too graphic for me. I'll be honest, and this is not a reflection on the quality of the writing - while I enjoy a tough, resolute heroine, hers are a little too macho for me. And, (squeamish), no matter how intriguing the scene, I'm not into some sexual stuff, so.....she kinda lost me. Not the author's fault, my taste.

This series was previously published by Ellora's Cave. So the Breeds Book 2 isn't actually accurate. Lora Leigh says she wrote the books to be read in any order, but I am obsessive compulsive about reading books in order. So whatever... Anyhoo, if you want to read the books in the chronological story line try them as follows: Tempting the Beast, The Man Within, Elizabeth's Wolf, Kiss of Heat, Soul Deep, The Breed Next Door (in the Hotspell anthology), Megan's Mark, Harmony's Way, Tanner's Scheme, Dawn's Awakening, Wolfe's Hope (in the Primal Heat anthology), Jacob's Faith, and Aiden's Charity.

And, by the way, I definitely recommend this series.

Breed Harmony Lancaster is a stone cold killer. Fully trained at an early age by the Genetics Council, Harmony can systematically hunt down and effectively silence any prey she deems worthy of death. On the run since her escape from the labs as a child, Harmony has always remained one step ahead of the people hunting her. Now, her time has run out. Those who want her are closing in, each with an agenda that could lead to her destruction.

Lance Jacobs, the sheriff of Broken Butte, New Mexico, is fully aware of Breed Law. Highly trained in breed matters, he agrees to sponsor a breed coming to his town for rehabilitation. Coming face to face with the astonishing woman he met less than 24 hours ago, Lance fully intends to explore what others evidently don't see, a woman striving to survive in a world and situation not of her making. Lance knows that beneath Harmony's tough outer exterior is an anguished heart longing for freedom, love, and acceptance. Vowing then and there to keep her safe above all others, Lance sets out to prove to Harmony that she is a woman of worth and redeemable.

Harmony and Lance have more than just attraction between them. Fighting unseen enemies and trying to stay ahead of people who want Harmony dead, Lance vows that she will never be a prisoner again.

HARMONY'S WAY by Lora Leigh is magnificent. I was truly able to see the story in my mind, so much so I felt as if I was right there watching the plot unfold. Harmony is my absolute ideal for a heroine. She is strong, intelligent and extremely loyal to her cause. I found myself quickly becoming her greatest champion. I soon had competition from Lance who nudged me aside and loudly made his intentions known. Speaking of Lance, I didn't think that I could enjoy a character more but he changed my mind. I liked this manly sheriff in MEGAN'S MARK; I fell in love with him in HARMONY'S WAY. Lance made my heart pound and my palms sweat. His love and protective instincts towards Harmony made me ache it was so perfect. Rough when he needed to be, achingly tender at times, Lance was the other half to Harmony's whole and their coming together was explosive and so sensually satisfying I had to remember to breathe!

While I have read and loved everything that Lora Leigh has ever written, HARMONY'S WAY is now officially one of my favorites. I stand in awe of Ms. Leigh's ability to bring to life these wonderful characters as they slowly weave their way into my mind and heart. There is nothing like breed loving and when it comes to writing this genre, Lora Leigh is the queen!

Natalie S.