** spoiler alert ** This book immediately captured my attention, right from the beginning. Only problem was, it lost my interest by about the middle of the storyline. The plot was great - shifter grew up abused and unloved, but vowing revenge against his family once he was old enough. Boy meets girl, boy falls in love, convinces girl to love him, etc. All with the shifter/leopard undertones. It lost my interest because the basic storyline was unrealistic (like keeping a love interest in the house for years without her ever wanting to leave or feeling confined)...and the timelines were all skewed (having a child and then 18 months later, the child can speak and articulate like a five year old). I will say though, the romance in this book is phenomenal, and there's great scenes of danger and mystery. I liked the book, and at the same time, thought it was "just okay."