A
lifetime ago, Changeling Clay Bennett lost his freedom, as well as the only
girl he loved. Although both were children at the time, his leopard knew
his mate when it saw her. But a cruel twist of fate tore them apart, and
when Clay was finally freed, he learned that young Talin had died years
earlier.
Now a DarkRiver Sentinel, he has made a home with the powerful pack in San
Francisco, but his beast walks a fine line between sanity and insanity,
threatening the loss of his humanity. When Talin McKade turns up not only
alive, but in need of his aid, he finds his salvation. Her presence stirs
emotions he thought long forsaken to him and the leopard in him demands to
take its mate.
But Talin has been damaged, scarred by the tragedies in her past and their
shared history. Clay must tread carefully if he is to convince his mate
that they belong together.
Through it all, Talin and Clay work together to save the children that have
gone missing, only to have their bodies turn up later, gruesomely battered.
The truth behind the murders is even more diabolical than they could
imagine.
With
the very first book in her Psy-Changeling series, Nalini Singh
made this reviewer an instant fan! With seemingly effortless world
building, she crafted a fascinating universe that is part science fiction,
part paranormal, and part suspense – three genres that happen to be among my
favorites. Yet through each book, she has kept the romance first and
foremost, with stories that never fail to capture the hearts of the reader
even as the hero and heroine are finding love with one another.
Mine to Possess exemplifies this perfectly. With Clay Bennett
and Talin McKade, Ms. Singh delivers a couple with a long and tormented
history. Although separated years earlier, their love for each other never
wavered, and each of them do whatever they believe necessary to protect the
other at all costs.
From the very beginning, the author engenders empathy for both of the main
characters, as well as a feeling of familiarity. Of course, we have met
Clay previously in the earlier books, even if we didn’t get to know him
intimately. Talin, however, is a stranger to us when the story begins, but
she somehow never really feels like one. Indeed, from page one, I wanted
to know this woman, discover where she had come from, what she was doing
there, and most importantly – why she was watching Clay.
When we really get to know Talin, we find a woman who is courageous and
caring, despite her troubled past and a bleak future. She’ll do anything
for the people she cares about, even at her own expense – much to Clay’s
dismay and utter frustration.
Of course, Clay shares the very qualities that so worry him in Talin. Being
a hero, it is only natural that he prefers to be the one who takes all the
risks while the woman he loves is safe and sound at home. Even still, Clay
respects the woman that Talin has grown into and it isn’t long before he
realizes he loves here even more now than he did when they were children.
As fans have come to expect with Singh’s Psy-Changeling saga,
there is a very intriguing suspense woven throughout Mine to Possess,
and our intrepid couple will stop at nothing to solve it before it is too
late. Easier said than done. Although their immediate mission is, of
course, successful in the end, the ongoing story arc continues as the Psy
threat to humanity and Changelings alike grows even more.
Anyone who enjoys a well-written paranormal romance will love not only
Mine to Possess, but the entire Psy-Changeling
series. Bear in mind that with the continuing storylines that span the
books, they are best read in series order, with the exception of the novella
Beat of Temptation published in the anthology An
Enchanted Season. That story is a prequel and can easily be read
out of order. If you are new to the series, be sure to buy all of them at
once. Once you get started, you won’t want to stop reading this series
until you’ve reached the last one!
Reviewed by Jennifer
