Wild Rain
Christine Feehan
Jove, Feb 2004, $6.99, 384 pp.
ISBN: 0425194779

Rachel Lospostos knows that the only way she may live will be to fake her death from an unknown hitman. Her opportunity occurs while sailing on a jungle river when rebels attack their party. Rachel jumps into the river to fake her death, but manages to get ashore. She finds a home in the middle of the jungle and takes sanctuary there.

After being wounded in a mission, Rio returns to his jungle home only to find a woman inside. He and his snow leopards assume she is an assassin so one of his animal comrades attacks her. Once calm prevails, she is badly injured, but both act like they have known each other forever. As he nurses her back to health, someone is coming to eliminate her, but that assassin is unaware that she is loved by a were-leopard who will kill for his woman.

This paranormal romantic suspense provides readers with a powerful tale that pumps up the adrenaline of the audience any time the lead couple talk or just stare at one another in loving disbelief. Though the reason for wanting Rachel eliminated is revealed kind of late in the plot, fans will appreciate the courageous protagonists. WILD RAIN is a fabulous jungle love story that showcases Christine Feehan's ability to make the mind-boggling seem very believable.

Harriet Klausner