Saria Bordeaux, is part of a family of leopard shifter, so when she finds a dead body in the bayou, she knows she needs to find help, and knows that she can't turn to her brothers, when its obvious the one doing the killing is a shifter. Drake Donovan has been sent to investigate upon hearing about the killing, and is drawn to Saria in a way he has never been drawn to a woman before. Drake knows that there is much more to Saria than meets the eye, and is earnest in finding the killer. Saria, has the strongest feeling upon meeting Drake that he is someone that she can trust, even more than her own brothers. The hunger that is building between her and Drake is powerful, and the connection between them genuine, so much so that she starts to wish for a future with him....
Savage Nature is the fifth installment in the Leopard series by Christine Feehan. I just was so captivated by this story, so far I have truly enjoyed reading this series, but I think this would have to be my favorite book in the series. From the first page I was drawn into the story, the characters were so genuine and real, that I was left feeling like I was in their place, the writing was with such talent that I felt I was seeing it happening for real. The plot was intense and full of a roller coaster ride of suspense and romance. A Thrilling Tale!!!! One you don't want to miss out on if your a fan of Christine Feehan!!!! ( )

I'm surprised that I totally loved this book. I gave 2 stars to books 1, 2, and 3, and skipped 4 because the story line didn't appeal. So I approached this with trepidation. Christine Feehan sucked me right in. Generally, regardless of whether I end up liking the story, I enjoy her writing. The writing here seemed more down to earth and not quite as florid as the Carpathian stories (most of which I love, BTW) nor did it seem as wordy and mystical as the Drake series.

For the first time in this series, the shifter world was explained well enough and clearly enough I could understand it easily. The plot was interesting and made sense. There were several good red herrings for the bad guy. I loved the heroine, Saria. She was well developed with an interesting backstory that clearly led to her being the spunky heroine that she was. She was smart and independent and brave without being in any way foolish. I loved the way that she was so loyal to Drake once she committed to him. I hate wishy washy heroines. Drake was well done, very alpha, very determined to figure out what was going on and totally in love with Saria. This wasn't one of those books where the hero and heroine spend so much time working on their relationship that the suspense part of the plot is ignored however. Their relationship developed on the run as it were but fluidly it didn't seem forced at all.

There was sex in the book but it didn't seem to be as much as in the Carpathian books. There was a lot going on and plenty of story to tell. I enjoyed seeing the many different shifters in the book and look forward to stories about Saria's brothers and some of Drake's men.

Only one small thing that I would have had different when a character shifts into any animal form for the very first time and it is an integral part of a story, we should see and experience it from that character's POV. She finally shifted and it was all written from his POV. I want to know was it scary? did she enjoy it? what was it like to run and be free? etc. That's a reader pay off. Why do authors set this all up about how she feels the cat and how it's crawling under her skin and then don't follow through with the actual character's POV? ( )

Definitely my favorite of the series so far. This was more plot driven than some of the previous books and I really liked that. At it's heart is a murder mystery, with the victims apparently killed by leopards. The main couple in this, Saria and Drake, are great together and have a good chemistry. Not as much macho posturing as in the other books. And I loved the setting in the swamps. This was a good read. ( )

Saria Boudreaux grew up on the Louisiana Bayou, which may explain why she feels a special affinity to the place's eeriest secrets. However, even Saria is taken aback when she finds several corpses all containing leopard bites. She fears for her older brothers, who are were-leopards though she knows her siblings would not commit these atrocities.

Saria decides not to call the cops, but instead contacts the land owner Jake Bannaconni. He sends Drake Donovan to investigate the serial killings. At first sight (and sniff) Drake realizes that Saria is his mate as he struggles to control his euphoric inner leopard. He also senses she is on the verge of her first shift. As he makes inquiries into the murders and starts his courtship of his beloved, Drake learns a lesson about life on the Bayou when none of the leopard-shifting families including Saria's kin cooperate.

This story could have gone in some interesting directions and places, as the South, and Louisiana especially, is rich fodder for authors. But for some reason Christine Feehan doesn't utilize the tools she is given. Its like she has never met a person from the South, never seen a swamp, never felt that all pervading mugginess of the Deep South. She doesn't explore the personalities that grow in the South, she doesn't really visit the flavor of the Creole. I liked the characters for what they could have been. Hopefully she will improve this series in time. ( )

Okay, they kind of got together rather quickly, but then I've come to expect that with these I guess. The perils of all they are going through kind of are supposed to speed up the process. Plus, really, these are light reading right? ;-) Lots more leopards to find mates for, plus there's Charisse even if she's a bit dingy. ( )