Tuesday, April 29, 2014

[ARC Review]: "Her Perfect Mate"

Her Perfect Mate by Paige Tyler
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (May 6, 2014) 
Series: X-Ops, 1
Genre: Paranormal Romantic Suspense



When Special Forces Captain Landon Donovan is picked for an assignment with the Department of Covert Affairs, he’s stunned to find his new partner is a beautiful woman who looks like she couldn’t hurt a fly, much less take down a terrorist.

Ivy Halliwell isn’t your average covert op. Her feline DNA means she can literally bring out the claws when things get dicey. She isn’t thrilled to be paired with yet another military grunt, but Landon is different. He doesn’t think she’s a freak and he’s smokin’ hot.

Soon they find themselves facing a threat even greater than anyone imagines...and an animal magnetism impossible to ignore.


Where to Buy*:
More Info:


My Review:




I first saw the cover for Her Perfect Mate back in I believe, October, and quickly grabbed it to use as that week's Lusting For Covers (a weekly meme I host on TBQ's Book Palace). With a cover like that, how could I not notice the book? Then I read the blurb, and I was intrigued by the premise of a paranormal covert ops group. So, onto my wish list it went. When I saw the book go up on NetGalley last month, of course I jumped to request!



Landon, the hero, is a human. Although he is highly trained (Special Forces), compared to Ivy's unique abilities, he's almost normal. I liked that Ivy was the shifter, and Landon the mere human, because often in paranormal romances, it's just the opposite. However, I couldn't believe how easily, and quickly, he accepted that A) shifters exist, and B) she is one. Ivy comes out and tells him, he literally doesn't even blink, and basically replies “Okay”.



I'm a shifter fan, and while I always love finding new twists on the genre, I have to admit I was a little disappointed to find out that in Paige Tyler's world, shifters are not what I am accustomed to. They do not shift into animals. They have the usual abilities (quick healing times, inhuman strength and endurance, better vision and sense of smell), but the only “shifting” they can do is grow claws and let their inner animal eyes come out. But once I got over it, I started to kind of like these new shifters Tyler has created. They're not typical, but I don't see that as a bad thing, just different.



Her Perfect Mate is not just a paranormal, but also a bit of a romantic suspense with various military and ex-military characters thrown into the mix. At times, it read more like a straight romantic suspense than a paranormal, and I do wish the two genres had been blended more evenly, but all in all, I still really liked the story Tyler told.



The writing is good, and the story flowed. I did find one or two slow spots, but towards the end the pace really kicked up when Ivy was captured during a recon mission. The suspense was done well, and I was often worried about what would happen next.




The chemistry between Ivy and Landon was strong from the very beginning, and I loved that! My only complaint was that they went from amazing-first-sex to insta-love far too quickly for me. I didn't believe in it. Do they have fantastic chemistry? Hell yes! But that's not enough to make two such strong characters suddenly want to get married after their mission was done. I wanted more of a build-up to their “I love you” exchange; I need to see why they loved each other, and why they were perfect for each other. Outside of the bedroom, I wasn't completely convinced of this when the book ended.



“I'm a nice guy. Which is why I brought you this to go with it.” He reached into the bag again and pulled out a small cup of coffee. “No milk.” Before she could get too enamored by him, he dipped into the bag one more time and brought out a blue ball of yarn, then rolled it across the table to her. If Dave had done something like that, it would have been condescending, but with Landon it was touching.

“Very funny.”

[…..]

“We were just talking about a toy I bought for my cat.”

[….]

“You have a cat?”

“Oh, yeah. An exotic long-hair beauty.” Landon sent another grin her way. “But she's picky. Never liked anything I buy her.”




I am very curious about many of the other characters – shifters and humans alike. I will be coming back for the rest of this series, as well as adding Tyler's previous books to my list.



For fans of PNR and romantic suspense, Her Perfect Mate offers up a good blend of the two genres. Tyler writes great sexual tension and likeable characters, making this an intriguing start to a new series!

4 STARS! 

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I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest opinion.

*Note: The quote used belongs to Paige Tyler; TBQ's Book Palace does not claim it.

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Have you read Paige Tyler before? What was the last "unique" paranormal romance you picked up?






Enjoy!


Until Next Time,


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  *TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!

5 comments :

Anna@herding cats&burning soup said...

Ooo yes. I do believe this is a book for me! I love para and suspense but haven't read too many combining the two. And gah yeah I saw the cover scrolling through my bloglovin feed and had an instant *want* lol

Anna@herding cats&burning soup said...

And ooo you got your header back!!

The_Book_Queen said...

Hehe -- the cover does grab the eyes! I think you'd really like this one; I'll be looking for the next book!


And yes, I found a designer, who will be doing some work on the blog in the next month, and she managed to reload it a new way. :)


Enjoy!
TBQ

Sharonda Lowman said...

interesting take on sisters...definitely different. I like different. great review.

Sophia Rose said...

Good points! I just finished this one and liked it too. I really want Angelo's story.