
Series: Psy-Changeling #5
Published by Berkley on September 2nd 2008
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 356
Goodreads

Complex Paranormal Romance
“If he was going to be held hostage to this unwanted compulsion, then she was damn well coming along for the ride.”
THE STORY: Dorian Christensen is a leopard changeling who cannot shift into his leopard form. A sniper and sentinel for the DarkRiver leopards, he is tormented by the murder of his sister by one of the cold Psy. When he meets Ashaya Aleine he is attracted and feels guilty about it. Ashaya is Psy and has been working for the Council to create technology to create a hive mind. When she manages to defect, the question is what are her motives.
OPINION: I really like the continuing Psy story and I was happy that Dorian gets his happy ending here. I thought the story was complex and Singh doesn’t shy away from the complexities of good and evil and endings that are not perfect. The motivations of characters are murky and it is especially interesting that readers are left to guess at who can be trusted. I liked Dorian and his story was particularly compelling. The relationship between Dorian and Ashaya was interesting but I felt less connection between them than with prior characters. My liking of the story was more intellectual than emotional. Both Dorian and Ashaya reveal more information about the changelings and Psy. I did like their story, but I did not feel the emotional kick with this story that I had with the others in this series.
WORTH MENTIONING: Fans of the series will get cameos from the prior couples who have important roles in this story.
FINAL DECISION: The story between Dorian and Ashaya is complex and interesting. Singh finds new ways to keep her series interesting. I liked this book although it was not as good as the previous books in the series.
CONNECTED BOOKS: HOSTAGE TO PLEASURE is the fifth Psy-Changeling book in the series. The story is independent of the other books in the series, however, there is an overarching story that is threaded through all the novels and a reader who has not read the previous books in the series may miss this overarching story.
STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.