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X-Ops #8
X-Ops Exposed
HE LEFT TO KEEP HER SAFE
Believing he’s too dangerous to be among people, feline hybrid Tanner Howland retreats deep into the forests of Washington State—with no choice but to leave behind the woman who’s captured his heart. What he doesn’t know is that she followed him…
SHE WOULDN’T STAY BEHIND
Heartbroken and determined, Dr. Zarina Sokolov tracks Tanner into the wild. Her presence unleashes Tanner’s protective instinct—big time. Locals have been disappearing and he is desperate for Zarina to leave. As the kidnappings escalate, Tanner must embrace the dangerous instincts he fears so much. But with Zarina at his side, he’ll have to learn to control his animal impulses, or lose himself—and the woman he loves—to the beast within.
Believing he’s too dangerous to be among people, feline hybrid Tanner Howland retreats deep into the forests of Washington State—with no choice but to leave behind the woman who’s captured his heart. What he doesn’t know is that she followed him…
SHE WOULDN’T STAY BEHIND
Heartbroken and determined, Dr. Zarina Sokolov tracks Tanner into the wild. Her presence unleashes Tanner’s protective instinct—big time. Locals have been disappearing and he is desperate for Zarina to leave. As the kidnappings escalate, Tanner must embrace the dangerous instincts he fears so much. But with Zarina at his side, he’ll have to learn to control his animal impulses, or lose himself—and the woman he loves—to the beast within.
377 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 3, 2018
87 people are currently reading
362 people want to read
About the author
Paige Tyler
185 books2,063 followersPaige Tyler is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, romantic suspense and paranormal romance. She and her very own military hero (also known as her husband) live on the beautiful Florida coast with their adorable fur baby (also known as their dog). Paige graduated with a degree in education, but decided to pursue her passion and write books about hunky alpha males and the kick-butt heroines who fall in love with them.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
April 29, 2018
Tanner and Zarina's story was an absolutely great read.... Intense from the start and well thought through. My favourite character, however, came in the shape of a police officer named Chase and I am sure that we are going to hear more from this feisty male in future books.
A great read, a solid 4 stars and it left me wondering how this is going to pan out in the future!
March 26, 2018
He lived through hell and now Tanner has gone “hermit” on the world to protect those he loves, especially Dr. Zarina Sokolov, the woman he left behind who has a firm grip on his heart. Did he really believe the brilliant scientist wouldn’t’ track him down, even if it meant into the wilderness, unprepared for the wilds of Washington state?
Little did Zarina know she would find herself in the middle of a series of disappearances surrounding a survivalist group, disappearances that are darker and more sinister than anyone could know. Now Tanner must embrace the animal within to keep her safe, but will she be safe from him or will she find a way to sooth the beast within?
Across the country, Tate Evers is caught up in more kidnappings and they all have the same theme, genetic experimentation, murder by wild animal and a twist we couldn’t have seen coming.
How do two separate plots get woven together? Ah, that is the brilliance of Paige Tyler’s writing in action! X-OPS EXPOSED is another intriguing, action-packed tale that introduces a new character or two into the mix, possibly as fodder for more in the series? Expect the sizzle of romance, threats both known and unknown and some warm family time as Tanner learns that no man is an island and quite possibly, the doctor really does know best!
I received a complimentary ARC edition from Sourcebooks Casablanca!
Series: X-Ops - Book 8
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (April 3, 2018)
Publication Date: April 3, 2018
Genre: Paranormal Romance | Suspense
Print Length: 384 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Little did Zarina know she would find herself in the middle of a series of disappearances surrounding a survivalist group, disappearances that are darker and more sinister than anyone could know. Now Tanner must embrace the animal within to keep her safe, but will she be safe from him or will she find a way to sooth the beast within?
Across the country, Tate Evers is caught up in more kidnappings and they all have the same theme, genetic experimentation, murder by wild animal and a twist we couldn’t have seen coming.
How do two separate plots get woven together? Ah, that is the brilliance of Paige Tyler’s writing in action! X-OPS EXPOSED is another intriguing, action-packed tale that introduces a new character or two into the mix, possibly as fodder for more in the series? Expect the sizzle of romance, threats both known and unknown and some warm family time as Tanner learns that no man is an island and quite possibly, the doctor really does know best!
I received a complimentary ARC edition from Sourcebooks Casablanca!
Series: X-Ops - Book 8
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (April 3, 2018)
Publication Date: April 3, 2018
Genre: Paranormal Romance | Suspense
Print Length: 384 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News: http://tometender.blogspot.com
April 6, 2018
Definitely a fast paced story with two very likable MCs. Tanner and Zarina were cute together and I liked them as a couple. She was sweet and he was everything I love in a strong alpha male. Protective, loving and honorable.
The ongoing story is intrigue and the many supporting/secondary characters are fascinating in their own right (and definitely piqued my interest for more!) but that being said, the romance was a bit luke warm. I don’t know if it’s because there are two intersecting story lines that are happening simultaneously, that robbed some of the page time from the MCs or the fact that both MCs are already in love with each other that made their love story fall a bit flat. They’ve been apart for three months and then thrown into a highly dangerous situation where they literally don’t get a single moment of relative peace before they're running for their lives, dodging bullets or riding to the rescue of others and during all this, the romance kind of just falls through the cracks.
I never really got to settle in to the romancing/wooing part of this romance because the “falling into love” part of their story had already happened, I’m guessing, in the last installment? It left me feeling a bit disconnected to their love story.
It was still a good and entertaining read but probably best if read in order.
Would I recommend?
Yes, if you like your paranormal reads with more suspension/action than romance, you might want to check this one out.
* * * ARC provided for an honest review * * *
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All
thoughts and opinions are my own.
SAFETY INFO:
The ongoing story is intrigue and the many supporting/secondary characters are fascinating in their own right (and definitely piqued my interest for more!) but that being said, the romance was a bit luke warm. I don’t know if it’s because there are two intersecting story lines that are happening simultaneously, that robbed some of the page time from the MCs or the fact that both MCs are already in love with each other that made their love story fall a bit flat. They’ve been apart for three months and then thrown into a highly dangerous situation where they literally don’t get a single moment of relative peace before they're running for their lives, dodging bullets or riding to the rescue of others and during all this, the romance kind of just falls through the cracks.
I never really got to settle in to the romancing/wooing part of this romance because the “falling into love” part of their story had already happened, I’m guessing, in the last installment? It left me feeling a bit disconnected to their love story.
It was still a good and entertaining read but probably best if read in order.
Would I recommend?
Yes, if you like your paranormal reads with more suspension/action than romance, you might want to check this one out.
* * * ARC provided for an honest review * * *
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All
thoughts and opinions are my own.
SAFETY INFO:
April 4, 2018
My Thoughts - 5 out of 5 Unicorns - I loved it!!!
***I choose what I read and review based on what intrigues me!! Yes, I received a review copy of this book, but no one tells me what to think, feel, or write about any book!
The cover is perfection, and you can look at it to see why!
This is the 8th book in the series, and I haven’t read them all YET…someday I will! I’m collecting them in paperback. This book is for adults only due to the violence and steamy content. You can read this book without having read them all. I have only read 0.5, 1, 7, and now 8, but I will read more because I have them somewhere.
I really love everything the Paige packs into each and every book. Shifter books are my favorite kind of books especially when it is mixed with bad guys that you love to hate, fighting for those you love, and intrigue galore. Paige’s book has it all to pull you in and not let go!
I love both Tanner and Zarina! They are both selfless to the point it hurts them both! I think when you serve others that you will always take more responsibility than you should when things go bad. Tanner has lived through so much, and I won’t go into details because you need to read it yourself. There is so much going on in this book. You have what’s going on in Washington, and then you have the stuff Tate is dealing with. I mean it when I say action-packed! There is a real hum dinger of an ending that leaves lots of questions what will happen next, and will there be new members joining the DCO?
I highly recommend to all shifter fans who love having evil bad buys to fight because action mixed with romance and love is amazing! Can’t wait for more!
***I choose what I read and review based on what intrigues me!! Yes, I received a review copy of this book, but no one tells me what to think, feel, or write about any book!
The cover is perfection, and you can look at it to see why!
This is the 8th book in the series, and I haven’t read them all YET…someday I will! I’m collecting them in paperback. This book is for adults only due to the violence and steamy content. You can read this book without having read them all. I have only read 0.5, 1, 7, and now 8, but I will read more because I have them somewhere.
I really love everything the Paige packs into each and every book. Shifter books are my favorite kind of books especially when it is mixed with bad guys that you love to hate, fighting for those you love, and intrigue galore. Paige’s book has it all to pull you in and not let go!
I love both Tanner and Zarina! They are both selfless to the point it hurts them both! I think when you serve others that you will always take more responsibility than you should when things go bad. Tanner has lived through so much, and I won’t go into details because you need to read it yourself. There is so much going on in this book. You have what’s going on in Washington, and then you have the stuff Tate is dealing with. I mean it when I say action-packed! There is a real hum dinger of an ending that leaves lots of questions what will happen next, and will there be new members joining the DCO?
I highly recommend to all shifter fans who love having evil bad buys to fight because action mixed with romance and love is amazing! Can’t wait for more!
March 16, 2018
Tanner’s and Zarina’s story has been a long time in coming, their ups and downs well catalogued through Paige Tyler’s X-Ops series. And this starts on a down, so to speak, after Tanner has run off into the woods, tortured and determined to stay isolated because of his uncontrollable hybrid instincts. But Zarina is unwilling to give up on this man (?) who’s seen enough torture for a lifetime and her stubbornness somehow pulls Tanner from the brink, though all isn’t as it seems.
This far down the series, ‘X-Ops Exposed’ is near-impossible as a standalone with a narrative arc that has already been flung wide open and many dangling loose ends held by a multitude of secondary characters. With a focus on a pairing (as well as potential ones) and a different plot-line in every book, ‘X-Ops Exposed’ like every other book in this series, rushes ahead to tell its bursting-to-the-seams story without looking back too much because there’s just so much going on. The recap—and there is a bit of it—of previous events is understandably brief and Tyler pushes ahead with Tanner’s backstory that adds on to an already complicated canon that involves super secret departments, shifters, hybrids and genetic experimentations. As the 8th book of the series, appreciating the pairing, let alone the ever-expanding storyline, could be difficult for those trying to wade into the series right here.
It’s also probably worth noting that Zarina and Tanner’s ongoing saga is just what makes up half of the story; the other half is a rather major sub-plot taking place across the country in Maine as the now-partnerless Tate Evers teams up with a potential new lead (but cool) character trying to solve more of the same problem. I’m admittedly not too fond of the part where Tyler introduces survivalists, but they do play a part in the larger narrative arc, even if the push-pull between Zarina and Tanner doesn’t make much headway as the sub-plot gains in traction.
If I started out ‘X-Ops Exposed’ thrilled about Zarina and Tanner—Tyler’s action scenes are good and reading through them is akin to watching cool action-movie fight scenes—,the structure of the plot was such that the pace faltered in parts, along with some cock-blocking moments to the point where picking up later doesn’t quite have the same impact dimmed my enthusiasm somewhat. There is a vague notion of ticking clock that counted down to zero hours, a forward but somewhat muddied drive about how hybrids and their nefarious creators still cause trouble, but in the end I couldn’t step back and say for certain that I knew where the book was headed.
Only towards the end does Tyler bring these threads together (somewhat) and I started enjoying the action again. But like every other book in the series, ‘X-Ops Exposed’ closes some loops and opens others, upping the stakes in this political game as well. Frustrating as it can be, that’s also what keeps me coming back, truth be told.
*ARC by the publisher via Netgalley
This far down the series, ‘X-Ops Exposed’ is near-impossible as a standalone with a narrative arc that has already been flung wide open and many dangling loose ends held by a multitude of secondary characters. With a focus on a pairing (as well as potential ones) and a different plot-line in every book, ‘X-Ops Exposed’ like every other book in this series, rushes ahead to tell its bursting-to-the-seams story without looking back too much because there’s just so much going on. The recap—and there is a bit of it—of previous events is understandably brief and Tyler pushes ahead with Tanner’s backstory that adds on to an already complicated canon that involves super secret departments, shifters, hybrids and genetic experimentations. As the 8th book of the series, appreciating the pairing, let alone the ever-expanding storyline, could be difficult for those trying to wade into the series right here.
It’s also probably worth noting that Zarina and Tanner’s ongoing saga is just what makes up half of the story; the other half is a rather major sub-plot taking place across the country in Maine as the now-partnerless Tate Evers teams up with a potential new lead (but cool) character trying to solve more of the same problem. I’m admittedly not too fond of the part where Tyler introduces survivalists, but they do play a part in the larger narrative arc, even if the push-pull between Zarina and Tanner doesn’t make much headway as the sub-plot gains in traction.
If I started out ‘X-Ops Exposed’ thrilled about Zarina and Tanner—Tyler’s action scenes are good and reading through them is akin to watching cool action-movie fight scenes—,the structure of the plot was such that the pace faltered in parts, along with some cock-blocking moments to the point where picking up later doesn’t quite have the same impact dimmed my enthusiasm somewhat. There is a vague notion of ticking clock that counted down to zero hours, a forward but somewhat muddied drive about how hybrids and their nefarious creators still cause trouble, but in the end I couldn’t step back and say for certain that I knew where the book was headed.
Only towards the end does Tyler bring these threads together (somewhat) and I started enjoying the action again. But like every other book in the series, ‘X-Ops Exposed’ closes some loops and opens others, upping the stakes in this political game as well. Frustrating as it can be, that’s also what keeps me coming back, truth be told.
*ARC by the publisher via Netgalley
March 31, 2018
Another winner by Ms. Tyler. Fast faced, and full of suspense. I just loved it. This is amazing series.
When Tanner who’s a hybrid lion shifter thinks the best way to protect the women he cares about a lot he leaves the DCO. The only women who really sees him for what he is. If it wasn’t for Zarina he’d probably be dead. What he doesn’t expect is to see her in Washington in the mountains by herself. Why he doesn’t know. But she isn’t staying.
Zarina won’t leave without Tanner. She came to give Tanner an antiserum which will help him. He’s so stubborn and refuses. But understands why. He wants her to leave and makes that very clear. She has not inention on doing that. What she sees next is not good, and she’s glad she didn’t leave. Maybe Tanner is too. It is dangerous for sure, but it brings them together.
It gets intense. The feelings between them and so much more.
You don’t want to miss it. So good. One of my favorites.
When Tanner who’s a hybrid lion shifter thinks the best way to protect the women he cares about a lot he leaves the DCO. The only women who really sees him for what he is. If it wasn’t for Zarina he’d probably be dead. What he doesn’t expect is to see her in Washington in the mountains by herself. Why he doesn’t know. But she isn’t staying.
Zarina won’t leave without Tanner. She came to give Tanner an antiserum which will help him. He’s so stubborn and refuses. But understands why. He wants her to leave and makes that very clear. She has not inention on doing that. What she sees next is not good, and she’s glad she didn’t leave. Maybe Tanner is too. It is dangerous for sure, but it brings them together.
It gets intense. The feelings between them and so much more.
You don’t want to miss it. So good. One of my favorites.
July 20, 2018
A riveting, fast-paced, action-packed thriller with a sizzling romance!
A man she’d never even kissed completely owned her heart.
X-Ops Exposed is the eighth exciting installment in Paige Tyler’s paranormal romantic thriller series which features shifter hybrids fighting to stay sane and in control against despicable villains. I would be remiss if I did not first mention the stunning cover of this book which drew my attention from the get-go. Wow!
The books in this series can all be read as stand alones if that is your preference. There is a series arc, but the author seamlessly shares enough of what has happened previously so that newbies never feel lost.
X-Ops Exposed is the story of feline hybrid Tanner Howland and brilliant scientist Dr. Zarina Sokolov. In the previous book, Tanner had disappeared after a battle as he feared that the beast within him would end up hurting his friends and the woman he loved. As this tale opens, Zarina has tracked Tanner into the wilds of Washington State where he is currently residing. LOL! Did he really believe that she wouldn’t find him? Unfortunately, locals in the area have been disappearing and Tanner is desperate for Zarina to leave from the get-go as he fears she is in danger and he won’t be able to protect her. Or will Zarina be able to convince that the doctor really does know what’s best for them?
Meanwhile, across the country in Maine, Tate Evers is investigating more nefarious happenings. Tate is now partner-less and teams up with a new character who is delving into the same problems. Paige interweaves the two plotlines brilliantly only bringing them together near the end while ominously upping the stakes for future books.
I love Tanner and Zarina together! Tanner has suffered unimaginable torture. They are each so giving of themselves. I’m glad that Zarina is stubborn and refuses to give up on Tanner and on them as a couple!
Following please find a few of my favorite lines from X-Ops Exposed:
“What do you say we see if we can make our fantasies become reality?”
---
“So, what now?” she whispered when they finally pulled away.
He grinned, displaying his fangs. “Now we make love for hours. And it’s going to be incredible.”
She returned his smile. “Yes, it will.”
---
“There will never be a better time or place to be with you.”
---
“Zarina gave her a sad smile. “I wish it could be. But, like Spencer, Tanner is constantly worried about hurting me or someone else who’s important to him. That’s why he’s been living here on his own for the past two months. He thinks that’s the only way to keep people safe.”
Lillie let out a sound of frustration. “What is it with guys? Spencer’s has said the exact same thing to me a dozen times. He thinks it’d be better for everyone if he goes to Alaska and lives alone in the wilderness. Are all men born with the same macho crap in their DNA?”
I really love Paige’s books! X-Ops Exposed is a riveting, fast-paced, action-packed thriller with a sizzling romance, danger at every turn and despicable villains you will find it easy to hate. If you enjoy sizzling paranormal urban fantasy romances with intense military-style activities and without terrible cliffhangers, I’d encourage you to check out X-Ops Exposed!
A man she’d never even kissed completely owned her heart.
X-Ops Exposed is the eighth exciting installment in Paige Tyler’s paranormal romantic thriller series which features shifter hybrids fighting to stay sane and in control against despicable villains. I would be remiss if I did not first mention the stunning cover of this book which drew my attention from the get-go. Wow!
The books in this series can all be read as stand alones if that is your preference. There is a series arc, but the author seamlessly shares enough of what has happened previously so that newbies never feel lost.
X-Ops Exposed is the story of feline hybrid Tanner Howland and brilliant scientist Dr. Zarina Sokolov. In the previous book, Tanner had disappeared after a battle as he feared that the beast within him would end up hurting his friends and the woman he loved. As this tale opens, Zarina has tracked Tanner into the wilds of Washington State where he is currently residing. LOL! Did he really believe that she wouldn’t find him? Unfortunately, locals in the area have been disappearing and Tanner is desperate for Zarina to leave from the get-go as he fears she is in danger and he won’t be able to protect her. Or will Zarina be able to convince that the doctor really does know what’s best for them?
Meanwhile, across the country in Maine, Tate Evers is investigating more nefarious happenings. Tate is now partner-less and teams up with a new character who is delving into the same problems. Paige interweaves the two plotlines brilliantly only bringing them together near the end while ominously upping the stakes for future books.
I love Tanner and Zarina together! Tanner has suffered unimaginable torture. They are each so giving of themselves. I’m glad that Zarina is stubborn and refuses to give up on Tanner and on them as a couple!
Following please find a few of my favorite lines from X-Ops Exposed:
“What do you say we see if we can make our fantasies become reality?”
---
“So, what now?” she whispered when they finally pulled away.
He grinned, displaying his fangs. “Now we make love for hours. And it’s going to be incredible.”
She returned his smile. “Yes, it will.”
---
“There will never be a better time or place to be with you.”
---
“Zarina gave her a sad smile. “I wish it could be. But, like Spencer, Tanner is constantly worried about hurting me or someone else who’s important to him. That’s why he’s been living here on his own for the past two months. He thinks that’s the only way to keep people safe.”
Lillie let out a sound of frustration. “What is it with guys? Spencer’s has said the exact same thing to me a dozen times. He thinks it’d be better for everyone if he goes to Alaska and lives alone in the wilderness. Are all men born with the same macho crap in their DNA?”
I really love Paige’s books! X-Ops Exposed is a riveting, fast-paced, action-packed thriller with a sizzling romance, danger at every turn and despicable villains you will find it easy to hate. If you enjoy sizzling paranormal urban fantasy romances with intense military-style activities and without terrible cliffhangers, I’d encourage you to check out X-Ops Exposed!
April 11, 2018
After the big blockbuster finish on the last book, I was curious to see what was in store for the new series arc of the X-Ops world. Long time characters, Tanner and Zarina get their romance and a new set of situations rise to keep up the intensity of the earlier books.
X-Ops Exposed is book eight in the exciting paranormal romantic suspense series about covert ops teams of shifters and their human partners out to stop power mad government leaders and mad scientist types trying to twist peoples' lives. The series has a strong story arc so doesn't work as well out of order.
Tanner has left DC behind in an attempt to protect his friends and Zarina from his uncontrollable hybrid nature. Zarina won't be left behind and tracks him down in the wilderness of Washington State. Soon, their squabbles about sending her away are interrupted by a bad situation of isolated people going missing. Meanwhile, Tate gets sent to Maine after his team gets broken up and he is investigating a supposed animal attack death. Things are definitely more than they seem. He and the cop assigned to him have run ins with mysterious shifter assassins and Ashley, a hybrid who got loose from a lab and has her own agenda.
I found both storylines equally engaging and loved all the action and suspense that came with this story. I had the mystery going on in Washington State figured out from the beginning. I was hoping that I was wrong, but no... how sad.
The romance was alright. I liked this pair together, but I think I enjoyed even better how Tanner learned to face his past issues and slowly gain control and accept his wilder nature. Tanner has survivor's guilt, PTSD, and a very strong sense of duty and care for those around him. What a fantastic hero and... he knows how to deliver an apology. Ha! This really is important- at least for me. Truthfully, though, I'm glad he apologized, but he wasn't exactly wrong to want to send Zarina packing under the circumstances. She goes wandering out into the wilderness barely prepared, gets lost, gets face to face with a bear, gets into a situation where weapons are needed for protection and she doesn't know how to shoot or defend herself. She didn't do stupid things, at least.
Things ended, not exactly on a cliffhanger, but a definite ominous note. I can't wait to see what comes next. I can heartily recommend this action-packed, sizzling hot paranormal romantic suspense series.
My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
X-Ops Exposed is book eight in the exciting paranormal romantic suspense series about covert ops teams of shifters and their human partners out to stop power mad government leaders and mad scientist types trying to twist peoples' lives. The series has a strong story arc so doesn't work as well out of order.
Tanner has left DC behind in an attempt to protect his friends and Zarina from his uncontrollable hybrid nature. Zarina won't be left behind and tracks him down in the wilderness of Washington State. Soon, their squabbles about sending her away are interrupted by a bad situation of isolated people going missing. Meanwhile, Tate gets sent to Maine after his team gets broken up and he is investigating a supposed animal attack death. Things are definitely more than they seem. He and the cop assigned to him have run ins with mysterious shifter assassins and Ashley, a hybrid who got loose from a lab and has her own agenda.
I found both storylines equally engaging and loved all the action and suspense that came with this story. I had the mystery going on in Washington State figured out from the beginning. I was hoping that I was wrong, but no... how sad.
The romance was alright. I liked this pair together, but I think I enjoyed even better how Tanner learned to face his past issues and slowly gain control and accept his wilder nature. Tanner has survivor's guilt, PTSD, and a very strong sense of duty and care for those around him. What a fantastic hero and... he knows how to deliver an apology. Ha! This really is important- at least for me. Truthfully, though, I'm glad he apologized, but he wasn't exactly wrong to want to send Zarina packing under the circumstances. She goes wandering out into the wilderness barely prepared, gets lost, gets face to face with a bear, gets into a situation where weapons are needed for protection and she doesn't know how to shoot or defend herself. She didn't do stupid things, at least.
Things ended, not exactly on a cliffhanger, but a definite ominous note. I can't wait to see what comes next. I can heartily recommend this action-packed, sizzling hot paranormal romantic suspense series.
My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 16, 2018
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
X-OPS EXPOSED is not a good standalone and neither are the previous books in the X-Ops series. The series story arc is expansive and almost overstuffed with plot, with a multitude of secondary characters who have their own dangling plots/loose ends that connect to the series story arc. Having read a few of these books I still can't keep straight who is a bad guy and which organization I am supposed to be rooting for.
Now I love a good, plot dense epic but X-OPS EXPOSED barrels through an action packed plot at such a pace that I had trouble keeping track of who was who and what was happening. One of the issues was splitting the narrative between the main couple and another character giving three different POVs. It was just too much to keep track of in an already complex main story line. Both plots were interesting and fun to read but both could have been their own books. I did appreciate how the two plots were woven together which Paige Tyler is always good at doing but it was a chore to get to that point!
Tanner and Zarina's relationship was full of me thinking "just kiss already!" There was so much tension and unpacking of emotions that I got concerned there would be no sex scene. Obviously the sex happens and it was good. I also enjoyed how this book dealt with Tanner's PTSD. I don't know if it is an accurate representation but it felt like it was handled well and I appreciated the way in which Tanner's complex emotions are explained. It comes across as very realistic to me.
X-OPS EXPOSED is best enjoyed if you have followed this series religiously. It has tension, conflict, passion and all of the things you expect in a paranormal romance. It's just so full of plot and honestly I have no idea which direction this series is going but it's going somewhere...
X-OPS EXPOSED is not a good standalone and neither are the previous books in the X-Ops series. The series story arc is expansive and almost overstuffed with plot, with a multitude of secondary characters who have their own dangling plots/loose ends that connect to the series story arc. Having read a few of these books I still can't keep straight who is a bad guy and which organization I am supposed to be rooting for.
Now I love a good, plot dense epic but X-OPS EXPOSED barrels through an action packed plot at such a pace that I had trouble keeping track of who was who and what was happening. One of the issues was splitting the narrative between the main couple and another character giving three different POVs. It was just too much to keep track of in an already complex main story line. Both plots were interesting and fun to read but both could have been their own books. I did appreciate how the two plots were woven together which Paige Tyler is always good at doing but it was a chore to get to that point!
Tanner and Zarina's relationship was full of me thinking "just kiss already!" There was so much tension and unpacking of emotions that I got concerned there would be no sex scene. Obviously the sex happens and it was good. I also enjoyed how this book dealt with Tanner's PTSD. I don't know if it is an accurate representation but it felt like it was handled well and I appreciated the way in which Tanner's complex emotions are explained. It comes across as very realistic to me.
X-OPS EXPOSED is best enjoyed if you have followed this series religiously. It has tension, conflict, passion and all of the things you expect in a paranormal romance. It's just so full of plot and honestly I have no idea which direction this series is going but it's going somewhere...
April 2, 2018
X-Ops Exposed by Paige Tyler
8th book in the paranormal thriller series. Best to read in order because of an overall arc.
Military style activities with romance as the central theme with shifter hybrids fighting to stay sane and in control against out of control “bad guys”.
I’ve read all of these and enjoy the nonstop action. This one was more action and less romance. Quite a bit of violence. Because it’s a series, I can live with some open ended questions.
But the end? I have a LOVE / HATE feeling. The hate because it’s a cliff hanger and OMG, what’s going to happen next and how long do I have to wait for the next book. The love...well, you’ll have to read it.
Excerpt simply because I like humor in my reading:
“Zarina gave her a sad smile. “I wish it could be. But, like Spencer, Tanner is constantly worried about hurting me or someone else who’s important to him. That’s why he’s been living here on his own for the past two months. He thinks that’s the only way to keep people safe.”
Lillie let out a sound of frustration. “What is it with guys? Spencer’s has said the exact same thing to me a dozen times. He thinks it’d be better for everyone if he goes to Alaska and lives alone in the wilderness. Are all men born with the same macho crap in their DNA?”
Excerpt from X-Ops Exposed by Paige Tyler.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to gift.
8th book in the paranormal thriller series. Best to read in order because of an overall arc.
Military style activities with romance as the central theme with shifter hybrids fighting to stay sane and in control against out of control “bad guys”.
I’ve read all of these and enjoy the nonstop action. This one was more action and less romance. Quite a bit of violence. Because it’s a series, I can live with some open ended questions.
But the end? I have a LOVE / HATE feeling. The hate because it’s a cliff hanger and OMG, what’s going to happen next and how long do I have to wait for the next book. The love...well, you’ll have to read it.
Excerpt simply because I like humor in my reading:
“Zarina gave her a sad smile. “I wish it could be. But, like Spencer, Tanner is constantly worried about hurting me or someone else who’s important to him. That’s why he’s been living here on his own for the past two months. He thinks that’s the only way to keep people safe.”
Lillie let out a sound of frustration. “What is it with guys? Spencer’s has said the exact same thing to me a dozen times. He thinks it’d be better for everyone if he goes to Alaska and lives alone in the wilderness. Are all men born with the same macho crap in their DNA?”
Excerpt from X-Ops Exposed by Paige Tyler.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to gift.
March 14, 2018
This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.
Wow, each book just gets better and better in tis series! I was so exited when I saw that Tanner and Zarina were finally going to get their chance for romance. All I can say is that Zarina really had to be patient and stubborn as she waited for Tanner to realize that he could get close to someone.
I love the side stories with Tate and Chase and Tanner and his family. I connected the dots when Tanner ran into Ryan and some other clues led me to what was going on.
The book is filled with intrigue, action, plots, twists, and romance. It really helps if you have read the previous books in the series and there is an ongoing plot line and a large cast of characters that make up the DCO. I loved that Tanner was able to reconnect with his family at the end!
Can't wait for the next book to come out and see where the DCO is going to go forward after the shifters and hybrids were exposed to the world.
Wow, each book just gets better and better in tis series! I was so exited when I saw that Tanner and Zarina were finally going to get their chance for romance. All I can say is that Zarina really had to be patient and stubborn as she waited for Tanner to realize that he could get close to someone.
I love the side stories with Tate and Chase and Tanner and his family. I connected the dots when Tanner ran into Ryan and some other clues led me to what was going on.
The book is filled with intrigue, action, plots, twists, and romance. It really helps if you have read the previous books in the series and there is an ongoing plot line and a large cast of characters that make up the DCO. I loved that Tanner was able to reconnect with his family at the end!
Can't wait for the next book to come out and see where the DCO is going to go forward after the shifters and hybrids were exposed to the world.
February 24, 2018
I have read just about all the books in Paige Tyler’s X-Ops Series, published under Sourcebooks Casablanca (April 3, 2018) without a doubt this title stands with all the rest in this series, when it comes to smoking hot romance and suspense.
When Dr. Zarina Sokolov takes a track into the forest of Washington State to find Lion hybrid and former Army Ranger Tanner Howland to offer him chances to become human again.
Tanner Howland just wants to be left alone. He once was human. But now he has become something that even he is afraid of. But when Zarina tracks him down, he may get a second chance at being human and better yet to finally have Zarina in his life forever. But, before they can obtain that chance they must first overcome hurdles. For even in the deep forest there are elements that just want to keep these two apart.
X-Ops Exposed a great suspense romance. With fast-paced action and excellent plot. Twist and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the turning of the last page.
This book like the others in this series can be read as a stand-alone. However, to get the full entertainment value I recommend you read this series in order.
When Dr. Zarina Sokolov takes a track into the forest of Washington State to find Lion hybrid and former Army Ranger Tanner Howland to offer him chances to become human again.
Tanner Howland just wants to be left alone. He once was human. But now he has become something that even he is afraid of. But when Zarina tracks him down, he may get a second chance at being human and better yet to finally have Zarina in his life forever. But, before they can obtain that chance they must first overcome hurdles. For even in the deep forest there are elements that just want to keep these two apart.
X-Ops Exposed a great suspense romance. With fast-paced action and excellent plot. Twist and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the turning of the last page.
This book like the others in this series can be read as a stand-alone. However, to get the full entertainment value I recommend you read this series in order.
March 15, 2018
Zarina is a Russian doctor who helped Tanner escape the facility where he was being held and experimented on. Tanner was in the Army when his whole team but one was killed. Now he’s a hybrid shifter who can’t keep his animal side controlled. He loves Zarina, so he heads for the mountains in Washington state to protect her from himself. But when she figures out an antiserum that change him back to human, she goes looking for him.
When some of Tanner’s friends are taken, he goes to look for them but ends up captured himself. What they’re doing is pitting people against each other in a cage . People are betting on the fights and some are recording it. After they get free, it’s all over the news and people are starting to protest outside the DCO compound.
Excellent story. Blood, suspense, and sex. Shifters, evil scientists, and a few new characters.
* Voluntarily read and reviewed for Netgalley *
When some of Tanner’s friends are taken, he goes to look for them but ends up captured himself. What they’re doing is pitting people against each other in a cage . People are betting on the fights and some are recording it. After they get free, it’s all over the news and people are starting to protest outside the DCO compound.
Excellent story. Blood, suspense, and sex. Shifters, evil scientists, and a few new characters.
* Voluntarily read and reviewed for Netgalley *
May 27, 2018
5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 A game changer novel in the X-Ops series by Paige Tyler, that started with Her Perfect Mate. This book contains major spoilers for the previous seven novels and is best read as part of the full series to get a good understanding of the motivations of the main protagonists Tanner and Zarina.
Paige Tyler departs from the format of the preceding novels a little and opens up the world for some gripping new instalments in the series to come. It was great to see Zarina and Tanner finally get their story, but for me the best part of the novel was the secondary bromance developing between DCO operative Tate and the new character Chase - an ex-marine turned deputy who helps Tate on the manhunt for Dr Mahsood. I had great fun reading their back and forth banter. There were also some intriguing developments with some unknown or fairly new shifters too.
I’m really looking forward to how Paige Tyler takes the series forward given the changes to the world this and the previous novel Her Dark Half introduced.
Paige Tyler departs from the format of the preceding novels a little and opens up the world for some gripping new instalments in the series to come. It was great to see Zarina and Tanner finally get their story, but for me the best part of the novel was the secondary bromance developing between DCO operative Tate and the new character Chase - an ex-marine turned deputy who helps Tate on the manhunt for Dr Mahsood. I had great fun reading their back and forth banter. There were also some intriguing developments with some unknown or fairly new shifters too.
I’m really looking forward to how Paige Tyler takes the series forward given the changes to the world this and the previous novel Her Dark Half introduced.
August 31, 2018
Loved it. Can hardly wait for the next book in the series.
April 9, 2018
Originally posted on I Smell Sheep.
* A copy of this book was and provided by the publisher via NetGalley for the purpose of an honest review. All conclusions are my own responsibility and I was not compensated for this review.
Eight books, can you believe it? Eight books into Paige Tyler’s X-Ops series and things are going in a direction that could lead to a major battle for survival. I don’t know about anyone else but I’m excited.
Tanner has been a character that I’ve wondered about since he stepped onto the pages of the first book. As a shifter hybrid, Tanner was created in a lab and therefore had most of the characteristics of the hybrids. He was stronger and faster than natural born shifters but like other hybrids, he was also wild, uncontrollable, and very dangerous. But he also had a deep connection with Zarina, a doctor that was being held prisoner along with him. Their connection has been shown in all the books leading up to this one and it really is a special one.
Throughout the series, Zarina has been trying to help Tanner control his more savage urges and for the most part, it had been working, until an event forced Tanner to unleash his hybrid side and he accidentally attacked a friend. That freaked him out enough that he left the DCO where he’d been staying to live in the woods. Naturally, Zarina followed him and was almost mauled by a bear until Tanner showed up to chase it off. Zarina stubbornly refused to leave him and Tanner has no choice but to keep her with him. Not that it’s a hardship, these two have always shown how much they care for each other even if they never officially crossed the line into lovers until now. Of course, nothing is ever easy and soon they find out that Tanner wasn’t the only hybrid survivor and that humans now want to use them for sport, pitting hybrid against hybrid for money.
Fans of the series already knew Tanner and Zarina were deeply in love but the thing was these two characters hadn’t openly admitted it to anyone. X-Ops Exposed did justice to their relationship by first showing just how special and deep their connection ran. Zarina was the sole calming influence on Tanner’s otherwise dangerous hybrid side and Tanner brought Zarina comfort and solid friendship. Paige Tyler then puts these two in situations where they spent a lot of time alone together without the prying eyes of the DCO and their shifter friends. Their romance seemed so natural and so right while at the same time hot and sexy. It was during their moments together that you get to see a more lighthearted, charming side of Tanner. He’s happy for once whereas before he had this sense of doom around him. After eight books of him being Mr. Negative/Emo, I did a double take at the new side of him. It was refreshing and kept the character from feeling stale and becoming predictable. As did the setting for this book.
X-Ops Exposed takes readers away from the DCO to see how “The Other Half Lives” aka shifters and hybrids who weren’t picked up by the DCO and are having to scratch a living for themselves in hiding. I’m hoping that the hybrids have a larger role to play in future books since they’ve been popping up so much recently.
With eight books down, there are a lot of characters at this point and I’m sure many more to come. I enjoyed the quick “check-ins” with most if not all the characters from previous books and I just realized that up until this point I haven’t had a favorite couple from this series. This is unheard of for me! By this time in a series, I usually have a stand out favorite but the series is so much fun and the characters have all been on equal standing with me that I haven’t said: “Oh my gosh this one is my favorite!” They all have something special.
As it has been since the beginning, I enjoyed this book. It was definitely more on the romantic side because Tanner and Zarina’s emotions have been building up in the background of previous books and if you’re a fan of longing, friendship, and love then X-Ops Exposed might end up being your favorite in the series.
Paige Tyler’s paranormal romances are easy on the reader and that’s part of their appeal in my opinion. There’s more emphasis on characters, romance, and plot than on saturating it with paranormal aspects. I love that I can get my dose of paranormal without getting a headache with massive info dumps about species of creatures, histories of those creatures, feudal families, etc. The X-Ops series is straight up romantic suspense with paranormal elements. That means that each book can easily be read as a standalone but I will admit that readers will get the most out of them if they’re read in order.
* A copy of this book was and provided by the publisher via NetGalley for the purpose of an honest review. All conclusions are my own responsibility and I was not compensated for this review.
Eight books, can you believe it? Eight books into Paige Tyler’s X-Ops series and things are going in a direction that could lead to a major battle for survival. I don’t know about anyone else but I’m excited.
Tanner has been a character that I’ve wondered about since he stepped onto the pages of the first book. As a shifter hybrid, Tanner was created in a lab and therefore had most of the characteristics of the hybrids. He was stronger and faster than natural born shifters but like other hybrids, he was also wild, uncontrollable, and very dangerous. But he also had a deep connection with Zarina, a doctor that was being held prisoner along with him. Their connection has been shown in all the books leading up to this one and it really is a special one.
Throughout the series, Zarina has been trying to help Tanner control his more savage urges and for the most part, it had been working, until an event forced Tanner to unleash his hybrid side and he accidentally attacked a friend. That freaked him out enough that he left the DCO where he’d been staying to live in the woods. Naturally, Zarina followed him and was almost mauled by a bear until Tanner showed up to chase it off. Zarina stubbornly refused to leave him and Tanner has no choice but to keep her with him. Not that it’s a hardship, these two have always shown how much they care for each other even if they never officially crossed the line into lovers until now. Of course, nothing is ever easy and soon they find out that Tanner wasn’t the only hybrid survivor and that humans now want to use them for sport, pitting hybrid against hybrid for money.
Fans of the series already knew Tanner and Zarina were deeply in love but the thing was these two characters hadn’t openly admitted it to anyone. X-Ops Exposed did justice to their relationship by first showing just how special and deep their connection ran. Zarina was the sole calming influence on Tanner’s otherwise dangerous hybrid side and Tanner brought Zarina comfort and solid friendship. Paige Tyler then puts these two in situations where they spent a lot of time alone together without the prying eyes of the DCO and their shifter friends. Their romance seemed so natural and so right while at the same time hot and sexy. It was during their moments together that you get to see a more lighthearted, charming side of Tanner. He’s happy for once whereas before he had this sense of doom around him. After eight books of him being Mr. Negative/Emo, I did a double take at the new side of him. It was refreshing and kept the character from feeling stale and becoming predictable. As did the setting for this book.
X-Ops Exposed takes readers away from the DCO to see how “The Other Half Lives” aka shifters and hybrids who weren’t picked up by the DCO and are having to scratch a living for themselves in hiding. I’m hoping that the hybrids have a larger role to play in future books since they’ve been popping up so much recently.
With eight books down, there are a lot of characters at this point and I’m sure many more to come. I enjoyed the quick “check-ins” with most if not all the characters from previous books and I just realized that up until this point I haven’t had a favorite couple from this series. This is unheard of for me! By this time in a series, I usually have a stand out favorite but the series is so much fun and the characters have all been on equal standing with me that I haven’t said: “Oh my gosh this one is my favorite!” They all have something special.
As it has been since the beginning, I enjoyed this book. It was definitely more on the romantic side because Tanner and Zarina’s emotions have been building up in the background of previous books and if you’re a fan of longing, friendship, and love then X-Ops Exposed might end up being your favorite in the series.
Paige Tyler’s paranormal romances are easy on the reader and that’s part of their appeal in my opinion. There’s more emphasis on characters, romance, and plot than on saturating it with paranormal aspects. I love that I can get my dose of paranormal without getting a headache with massive info dumps about species of creatures, histories of those creatures, feudal families, etc. The X-Ops series is straight up romantic suspense with paranormal elements. That means that each book can easily be read as a standalone but I will admit that readers will get the most out of them if they’re read in order.
August 31, 2018
Review originally posted at BooksOfMyHeart.net.
I’m a big fan of Paige Tyler’s X-Ops series. It combines shifters and military/FBI/CIA type stuff. In this world, there are shifters, though most of the world doesn’t know anything about them. They don’t shift into full animals, but do have heightened speed and agility. They do grow claws and big teeth. Their eye can shift to give them better than night vision and have great hearing. There are several different types of shifters, cats, wolves, bears, coyotes and more. They are all born this way.
Now, many in the government don’t trust shifters. They partner them with a human, who is to kill them to keep the secret and to keep them under control. Another person high up in the X-Ops group has been working to partner people together to get romantic relationships going. She’s been pretty successful (as you can guess eight books in, and one book had two couples come together).
Now, the humans in this series, they tend to come from a military or law enforcement background of some sort (FBI, CIA, etc). The hero of the first book, Her Perfect Mate, was the leader of a group of guys in Special Forces. They’ve learned about shifters now and have become very important characters in this series.
There are “hybrids”. They are shifters who’ve been created by humans in a lab. They tend to be mentally unstable, though there are different “generations” of these as the scientist learn more and more with each group of new shifters. One of the goals of X-Ops is to shut these scientists down. It does seem for every group they shutdown, another pops up in its place.
This book features Tanner Howland. He is a feline hybrid. He is the first one X-Ops has found that has some control of himself. He does struggle with his shifter side, but has learned through meditation and other means to get himself back under control in stressful situations.
Dr. Zarina Sokolov is a genetic scientist. She was captured by the evil scientist and forced to work on the hybrids. X-Ops saved her in a earlier book and now she is working with them to try to help stabilize the X-Ops rescues.
So Tanner is hiding away, trying to protect others from his wilder side, which can be somewhat unstable, though he has been making progress. He went back near his home in Washington state and is living off the land in that area. There are also some preppers (as in doomsday preppers) that live in the area. They’ve been going missing, but they won’t contact the police, because preppers don’t trust outsiders. Tanner gets involved in the investigation.
Zarina goes out to try to find Tanner. She wants to help him. She even thinks she’s found a cure for Tanner’s hybridism (I don’t think that is a word). Anyway, there is an issue, he could lose all the memories he had of being a hybrid. He would forget her.
Another fun story of more suspense and less on the romance side (though that is a strong part of this story). As the same with all the books in this series, it is characters that really drag me in. I’m very invested in their stories. I would highly recommend that you start this series with book one. There are a lot of pieces that will be lost if you start in the middle of the series.
**Book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley. This review is my opinion and was not requested or provoked in anyway.
I’m a big fan of Paige Tyler’s X-Ops series. It combines shifters and military/FBI/CIA type stuff. In this world, there are shifters, though most of the world doesn’t know anything about them. They don’t shift into full animals, but do have heightened speed and agility. They do grow claws and big teeth. Their eye can shift to give them better than night vision and have great hearing. There are several different types of shifters, cats, wolves, bears, coyotes and more. They are all born this way.
Now, many in the government don’t trust shifters. They partner them with a human, who is to kill them to keep the secret and to keep them under control. Another person high up in the X-Ops group has been working to partner people together to get romantic relationships going. She’s been pretty successful (as you can guess eight books in, and one book had two couples come together).
Now, the humans in this series, they tend to come from a military or law enforcement background of some sort (FBI, CIA, etc). The hero of the first book, Her Perfect Mate, was the leader of a group of guys in Special Forces. They’ve learned about shifters now and have become very important characters in this series.
There are “hybrids”. They are shifters who’ve been created by humans in a lab. They tend to be mentally unstable, though there are different “generations” of these as the scientist learn more and more with each group of new shifters. One of the goals of X-Ops is to shut these scientists down. It does seem for every group they shutdown, another pops up in its place.
This book features Tanner Howland. He is a feline hybrid. He is the first one X-Ops has found that has some control of himself. He does struggle with his shifter side, but has learned through meditation and other means to get himself back under control in stressful situations.
Dr. Zarina Sokolov is a genetic scientist. She was captured by the evil scientist and forced to work on the hybrids. X-Ops saved her in a earlier book and now she is working with them to try to help stabilize the X-Ops rescues.
So Tanner is hiding away, trying to protect others from his wilder side, which can be somewhat unstable, though he has been making progress. He went back near his home in Washington state and is living off the land in that area. There are also some preppers (as in doomsday preppers) that live in the area. They’ve been going missing, but they won’t contact the police, because preppers don’t trust outsiders. Tanner gets involved in the investigation.
Zarina goes out to try to find Tanner. She wants to help him. She even thinks she’s found a cure for Tanner’s hybridism (I don’t think that is a word). Anyway, there is an issue, he could lose all the memories he had of being a hybrid. He would forget her.
Another fun story of more suspense and less on the romance side (though that is a strong part of this story). As the same with all the books in this series, it is characters that really drag me in. I’m very invested in their stories. I would highly recommend that you start this series with book one. There are a lot of pieces that will be lost if you start in the middle of the series.
**Book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley. This review is my opinion and was not requested or provoked in anyway.
April 11, 2018
Exposed in more ways than one…
Lion hybrid Tanner Howland has some issues controlling his hybrid side and has fled the DCO, namely Dr. Zarina Sokolov, to avoid hurting the woman for whom he’s grown feelings. Undaunted, Zarina is not about to give up on the hybrid she has come to love and is hot on Tanner’s trail with a serum that could save him from himself.
As expected…
Tanner and Zarina have feelings for each but don’t immediately act on them. Zarina finds Tanner in the woods not far from his parents home in Washington State, but not before she meets up with a bear who’s territory she’s in. After saving Zarina from being the bear’s lunch, Tanner is ready to put her on the first plane back to Washington the very next morning. Of course, Zarina has other plans and refuses to leave—tagging along at Tanner’s side.
Trouble in the woods…
Tanner has befriended the local prepper groups in the area and is alarmed to hear that several members from multiple camps have gone missing. The story continues with Tanner trying to send Zarina packing at every turn and more preppers have gone missing. As Tanner tries to help the preppers and keep Zarina at bay, he is reunited with his old military buddy (like a brother to him) Ryan Westbrook. Both are shocked by the changes the other has gone through.
Welcome to Oxford County, Maine…
Tate Evers has lost his partner Declan McBride to blissful domesticity caring for his new baby twins as the DCO continues to undergo change. Tate is bored and ready for something, anything, to keep him occupied. Mercifully, Landon sends Tate to Maine after a body has been found that appears to have been brutally attacked by an animal. Tate figures out the “animal” attack is a hybrid attack and the investigation is on. Just what he doesn’t want, Tate is paired with Deputy Chase York—who discovered the body—and is sharper than the average deputy. Let the bromance begin.
Tate’s investigation leads him to track Mahsood and incidentally Rebecca Brannon’s daughter Ashley. Ashley’s also got Mahsood in her sights but not for the reason Tate does. It’s a race to see who will get to Mahsood first. Just when the capture or kill of Mahsood is imminent, Tate is called away to Washington State to find Tanner and takes Deputy York along for an eye-opening experience.
Wrapping it up...
The excitement builds towards the climactic ending when Tanner and Zarina discover where the missing preppers have gone and the horrific circumstances that leave Tanner and the DCO reeling.
Tanner and Zarina’s story is achingly predictable and slow but mercifully the pace of the story picks up with the side story with Tate and Chase to keep this from being a “miss.”
On my Were Scale of Hotness, 3 stars.
Lion hybrid Tanner Howland has some issues controlling his hybrid side and has fled the DCO, namely Dr. Zarina Sokolov, to avoid hurting the woman for whom he’s grown feelings. Undaunted, Zarina is not about to give up on the hybrid she has come to love and is hot on Tanner’s trail with a serum that could save him from himself.
As expected…
Tanner and Zarina have feelings for each but don’t immediately act on them. Zarina finds Tanner in the woods not far from his parents home in Washington State, but not before she meets up with a bear who’s territory she’s in. After saving Zarina from being the bear’s lunch, Tanner is ready to put her on the first plane back to Washington the very next morning. Of course, Zarina has other plans and refuses to leave—tagging along at Tanner’s side.
Trouble in the woods…
Tanner has befriended the local prepper groups in the area and is alarmed to hear that several members from multiple camps have gone missing. The story continues with Tanner trying to send Zarina packing at every turn and more preppers have gone missing. As Tanner tries to help the preppers and keep Zarina at bay, he is reunited with his old military buddy (like a brother to him) Ryan Westbrook. Both are shocked by the changes the other has gone through.
Welcome to Oxford County, Maine…
Tate Evers has lost his partner Declan McBride to blissful domesticity caring for his new baby twins as the DCO continues to undergo change. Tate is bored and ready for something, anything, to keep him occupied. Mercifully, Landon sends Tate to Maine after a body has been found that appears to have been brutally attacked by an animal. Tate figures out the “animal” attack is a hybrid attack and the investigation is on. Just what he doesn’t want, Tate is paired with Deputy Chase York—who discovered the body—and is sharper than the average deputy. Let the bromance begin.
Tate’s investigation leads him to track Mahsood and incidentally Rebecca Brannon’s daughter Ashley. Ashley’s also got Mahsood in her sights but not for the reason Tate does. It’s a race to see who will get to Mahsood first. Just when the capture or kill of Mahsood is imminent, Tate is called away to Washington State to find Tanner and takes Deputy York along for an eye-opening experience.
Wrapping it up...
The excitement builds towards the climactic ending when Tanner and Zarina discover where the missing preppers have gone and the horrific circumstances that leave Tanner and the DCO reeling.
Tanner and Zarina’s story is achingly predictable and slow but mercifully the pace of the story picks up with the side story with Tate and Chase to keep this from being a “miss.”
On my Were Scale of Hotness, 3 stars.
April 2, 2018
X-Ops Exposed is outstanding! The thrills and emotional depth to the story really captivate and draw readers in and keeping them hostage until the very end.
Once again, Paige Tyler impresses me with her very vivid world that is full of energy and vibrant characters that make it impossible not to become a part of all the excitement as it happens. The story is fast paced and full of action infused events that just keep coming keeping readers on the edge of their seats and full of anticipation of what will come next and let me tell you that this enemy is one that I wanted to tear apart with my bare hands and considering what his devious plot unleashes, I’m sure that I’m not the only one but he certainly keeps things exhilarating. The story is full of twists and turns and a betrayal that rocks our hero’s world, while also bringing Tanner and Zarina together into a fantasy fulfilling romance that is rocky and full of emotional turbulence that adds depth and heat to the story. These characters are typical for the X-Ops world in that they are sexy, energetic and captivating but they are unique in their personalities and their intriguing past which adds spice to the already spirited story.
I can never get enough of Paige Tyler’s fascinating worlds and X-Ops Exposed is one that sets up the team for some drastic changes and I can’t wait to find out what they what will happen next in the X-Ops shifter division now that things have been turned upside down and inside out (definitely no dull moments to be found in this series).
Once again, Paige Tyler impresses me with her very vivid world that is full of energy and vibrant characters that make it impossible not to become a part of all the excitement as it happens. The story is fast paced and full of action infused events that just keep coming keeping readers on the edge of their seats and full of anticipation of what will come next and let me tell you that this enemy is one that I wanted to tear apart with my bare hands and considering what his devious plot unleashes, I’m sure that I’m not the only one but he certainly keeps things exhilarating. The story is full of twists and turns and a betrayal that rocks our hero’s world, while also bringing Tanner and Zarina together into a fantasy fulfilling romance that is rocky and full of emotional turbulence that adds depth and heat to the story. These characters are typical for the X-Ops world in that they are sexy, energetic and captivating but they are unique in their personalities and their intriguing past which adds spice to the already spirited story.
I can never get enough of Paige Tyler’s fascinating worlds and X-Ops Exposed is one that sets up the team for some drastic changes and I can’t wait to find out what they what will happen next in the X-Ops shifter division now that things have been turned upside down and inside out (definitely no dull moments to be found in this series).
March 24, 2018
Lots going on in this latest in the X-Ops world. Two separate stories going on.
On the west coast...Wolf shifter Tanner Howland get embroiled with some preppers in the woods when he runs away due to being overwhelmed with both PTSD and being a hybrid – two conditions he is unable to control. On his heels is Dr Zarina Sokolov who is in love with him and thinks she has a serum that could help him.
On the east coast...DCO operative Tate Evers is sent to Maine to look into a death that looked like it was from a wild animal. While investigating he teams up with Deputy Chase York. Their investigation leads them to one of the Doctors that experimented on the hybrids and also the escaped hybrid daughter of the woman now in charge of the DCO. That's a huge can of worms that still not resolved in this book..
Then the crew from east coast goes west when Tanner and Zarina end up in trouble.. This sets up a complete game changing event that forever changes the DCO and the series.
Next book should be interesting as after that ending nothing will ever be the same from the shifters and their human partners ever again..
On the west coast...Wolf shifter Tanner Howland get embroiled with some preppers in the woods when he runs away due to being overwhelmed with both PTSD and being a hybrid – two conditions he is unable to control. On his heels is Dr Zarina Sokolov who is in love with him and thinks she has a serum that could help him.
On the east coast...DCO operative Tate Evers is sent to Maine to look into a death that looked like it was from a wild animal. While investigating he teams up with Deputy Chase York. Their investigation leads them to one of the Doctors that experimented on the hybrids and also the escaped hybrid daughter of the woman now in charge of the DCO. That's a huge can of worms that still not resolved in this book..
Then the crew from east coast goes west when Tanner and Zarina end up in trouble.. This sets up a complete game changing event that forever changes the DCO and the series.
Next book should be interesting as after that ending nothing will ever be the same from the shifters and their human partners ever again..
March 19, 2018
As much as I liked that Tanner and Zarina got their HEA, I was more interested in what was going on with Tate and Chase and the explosive ending. It was fun to see Chase get his eyes opened and he took things very well. He seems like he would be a good addition to the DOC.
With Tanner and Zarina, it seemed like once Tanner accepted Zarina staying their ending up together was a done deal, they just had to work things out. By staying with the preppers they had time to figure things out until the bad guys found them.
I was a bit surprised by who was behind things, but knew Tanner would best them. It ended messy, to say the least and brought about so much more. With how this one ended it will make the next book interesting to read.
With Tanner and Zarina, it seemed like once Tanner accepted Zarina staying their ending up together was a done deal, they just had to work things out. By staying with the preppers they had time to figure things out until the bad guys found them.
I was a bit surprised by who was behind things, but knew Tanner would best them. It ended messy, to say the least and brought about so much more. With how this one ended it will make the next book interesting to read.
May 20, 2018
Tanner is a former army ranger who suffers from PTSD. He was captured and experimented on, turning him into a hybrid shifter. He worked as part of the DCO - Department of Covert Operations. But an incident where he lost control of his hybrid and nearly killed a colleague sent him running to live out in the woods.
Zarina is a scientist who was kidnapped and made to produce the drugs used to experiment on the people to turn them into hybrids. She hated what was being done and worked to help Tanner, especially with his bybrid. When Tanner ran away, she developed a serum that could reverse the effects of the experimentation. She decided to hike up into the woods to find Tanner and make him take the serum in the hope that it would cure him.
Meanwhile another DCO agent, Tate is tracking a rogue shifter/hybrid who has tortured and killed, in the hopes of stopping the person from killing again. Tate has to work with Chase who is a local deputy sheriff. The two of them stumble across is shifter who is on the hunt for a sadistic geneticist.
There's a lot going on in this story. There are preppers and abductions and an illegal fight club. There's action. There's suspense. And of course, there's romance. But the romance kind of takes a back seat.
Tanner and Zarina are already in love with each other when the story starts and we just have to wait for them to get their acts together and get together, which of course they do eventually.
Overall, this is an enjoyable and entertaining read. I loved Tate and Chase especially and I hope they get a story or two.
Zarina is a scientist who was kidnapped and made to produce the drugs used to experiment on the people to turn them into hybrids. She hated what was being done and worked to help Tanner, especially with his bybrid. When Tanner ran away, she developed a serum that could reverse the effects of the experimentation. She decided to hike up into the woods to find Tanner and make him take the serum in the hope that it would cure him.
Meanwhile another DCO agent, Tate is tracking a rogue shifter/hybrid who has tortured and killed, in the hopes of stopping the person from killing again. Tate has to work with Chase who is a local deputy sheriff. The two of them stumble across is shifter who is on the hunt for a sadistic geneticist.
There's a lot going on in this story. There are preppers and abductions and an illegal fight club. There's action. There's suspense. And of course, there's romance. But the romance kind of takes a back seat.
Tanner and Zarina are already in love with each other when the story starts and we just have to wait for them to get their acts together and get together, which of course they do eventually.
Overall, this is an enjoyable and entertaining read. I loved Tate and Chase especially and I hope they get a story or two.
April 19, 2018
ARC REVIEW
OMG!
X-Ops #8, Tanner and Zarina FINALLY!!!!!! Even though Tanner and Zarina are established characters and have been part of the series for a while now because this is the start of a new story arc this one can be read as a stand alone. Most of their backstory is explained. Tanner and Zarina story has been one I've been waiting for, Tanner was the first hybrid DCO came across that could control his animal but in the last book he lost control and almost killed one of the good guys. Scared that he would lose control again and maybe this time hurt Zarina he leaves DCO and goes back to where it all started Washington State and goes off grid to live in the woods. Zarina not having any of that, she gives him some time but as soon as she is able she takes a leave of absence and goes after him and after a scary encounter with a bear she finds him. She makes it pretty clear to him that she is not leaving without him especially since she finally developed a hybrid reversal that would revert his DNA back to what it was before, but for his own reasons Tanner refuses the cure. As much as Tanner loves her he can't stand the thought of ever hurting her and Zarina keeps arguing that he would never hurt her. Before Tanner could make her do anything some friends of his who live off grid in a self sustaining preppers camp keep getting attacked by unknown assailants who are taking people. Tanner promises to get to the bottom of it. But in doing so bring him back into contact with his family. Throughout all this Tanner begins to realize who he is now and finally starts to accept his past is the past and Zarina is his future but before they can have their HEA they must get down to the bottom of who has been kidnapping the preppers who live in the woods.
The side story is Tate trying to track down the evil sadistic Dr. Mashood before the people he was working for find him first and deal with the still rogue coyote shifter, Ashley, daughter of the congresswoman now in charge of DCO, Rebecca Brannon, the same woman who let Dr. Mashood experiment on her own daughter. Tate is forced to work with a local cop who quickly becomes involved in the whole mess and is brought into the fold. Working together they not only manage to track down Mashood but they discover a whole lot of information about Rebecca.
Overall, I loved it. The attraction for Tanner and Zarina has been pretty apparent before now but in this we get to see them build the relationship and really get to know one another; the love is there but this just solidifies the connection between the two of them. I love Tyler's writing she is so great with being able to engulf you in the entire story, if given the opportunity I pretty sure I could have read this in one sitting. I kind of guessed where it was going so that wasn't a surprise for me, but still the story was so good. Enough heartache and stubborn males to balance out the romance and plenty of action to go around. I was white knuckling my tablet at the end it was pretty intense.
OMG!
X-Ops #8, Tanner and Zarina FINALLY!!!!!! Even though Tanner and Zarina are established characters and have been part of the series for a while now because this is the start of a new story arc this one can be read as a stand alone. Most of their backstory is explained. Tanner and Zarina story has been one I've been waiting for, Tanner was the first hybrid DCO came across that could control his animal but in the last book he lost control and almost killed one of the good guys. Scared that he would lose control again and maybe this time hurt Zarina he leaves DCO and goes back to where it all started Washington State and goes off grid to live in the woods. Zarina not having any of that, she gives him some time but as soon as she is able she takes a leave of absence and goes after him and after a scary encounter with a bear she finds him. She makes it pretty clear to him that she is not leaving without him especially since she finally developed a hybrid reversal that would revert his DNA back to what it was before, but for his own reasons Tanner refuses the cure. As much as Tanner loves her he can't stand the thought of ever hurting her and Zarina keeps arguing that he would never hurt her. Before Tanner could make her do anything some friends of his who live off grid in a self sustaining preppers camp keep getting attacked by unknown assailants who are taking people. Tanner promises to get to the bottom of it. But in doing so bring him back into contact with his family. Throughout all this Tanner begins to realize who he is now and finally starts to accept his past is the past and Zarina is his future but before they can have their HEA they must get down to the bottom of who has been kidnapping the preppers who live in the woods.
The side story is Tate trying to track down the evil sadistic Dr. Mashood before the people he was working for find him first and deal with the still rogue coyote shifter, Ashley, daughter of the congresswoman now in charge of DCO, Rebecca Brannon, the same woman who let Dr. Mashood experiment on her own daughter. Tate is forced to work with a local cop who quickly becomes involved in the whole mess and is brought into the fold. Working together they not only manage to track down Mashood but they discover a whole lot of information about Rebecca.
Overall, I loved it. The attraction for Tanner and Zarina has been pretty apparent before now but in this we get to see them build the relationship and really get to know one another; the love is there but this just solidifies the connection between the two of them. I love Tyler's writing she is so great with being able to engulf you in the entire story, if given the opportunity I pretty sure I could have read this in one sitting. I kind of guessed where it was going so that wasn't a surprise for me, but still the story was so good. Enough heartache and stubborn males to balance out the romance and plenty of action to go around. I was white knuckling my tablet at the end it was pretty intense.
November 27, 2019
Irritating characters, plot was okay.
April 10, 2018
Paige Tyler fans have been waiting for this story for a long time. Zarina and Tanner are finally front and center with the latest book in the X-Ops series, X-Ops Exposed. What do a former ranger, turned lion shifter and a geneticist have in common? A lot, if you're a long time reader of this series. This is a relationship that has skirted the edges of the series since the beginning, but it isn't all fun and games in this one. Tyler gives readers action on top of action and plenty of suspense to keep them interested. A must read!
What I liked:
I've been waiting for this relationship to flourish since I started reading this series and I'm sure other fans have as well. Tanner has been such a good secondary character and I was thrilled to see that we would learn more about him in X-Ops Exposed. Tanner is fiercely protective and loyal, but his more violent urges are hard to control. He has always seemed like a tortured character but in this book, Tyler shows a new side to our favorite lion shifter. There are light hearted moments and some steamy romantic moments that will have readers swooning. What a great hero!
Zarina is a brilliant geneticist. Her relationship with Tanner has always seemed so natural and deep. I was sad in previous books when Tanner decided he could not control himself enough to stay with Zarina and finding them together in this book was very satisfying. I like that Zarina is strong and capable and very intelligent. She can hold her own and was a perfect compliment to Tanner's alpha persona. The relationship itself was already established but it was certainly expanded in this book. Loved every bit of it.
There were basically two stories going on at once in this book. Tyler gives readers tons of action and nail biting moments with both Tanner and Zarina and with Chase and Tate, who I really enjoyed in this book. Tyler basically shows the East Coast side of the DCO (Dept. of Covert Ops) and the West side. It was an interesting comparison and I loved how it came together in the end. Both relationships got plenty of time to develop and grow throughout the book and a whole new dimension was added to the overall arc of the series.
I felt like this was one of those books that turns the corner in a series. It brings together the ideas and relationships from the previous books and takes them in a totally different direction. If readers were wondering if the series might get a little boring eight books in, they needn't have worried. Tyler has it covered. X-Ops Exposed completely changes the way this series is put together and I for one can't wait to see what happens next... But that cliffhanger, though... Wow!
What I didn't like:
I kind of had this feeling throughout the book that I wanted more of those tender romantic moments with Tanner and Zarina. Readers have waited so long for this and I wanted more lol... I loved getting to know Tate and Chase though, so it wasn't too much of a hardship.
There was soooo much going on in this one. The action was non-stop. I wanted a minute to breathe here and there. I wanted to reflect a little bit, but Tyler's hard hitting style was relentless. It made for a very action packed book, but I felt like I needed a vacation after lol...
Bottom Line:
If you haven't read the entire series, as a reader, you might not understand what all the hype is about Zarina and Tanner. I wouldn't say this not a stand alone novel because in some ways it could be, but the reader will really be missing out so much. Long time readers, you will not be disappointed. This is such a good book. The series will go on in new and different ways. Loved the check in's with previous characters, absolutely adored the new characters and can't wait for more... Let me say again. That cliffhanger, lol... Read this series, it's just that good!
What I liked:
I've been waiting for this relationship to flourish since I started reading this series and I'm sure other fans have as well. Tanner has been such a good secondary character and I was thrilled to see that we would learn more about him in X-Ops Exposed. Tanner is fiercely protective and loyal, but his more violent urges are hard to control. He has always seemed like a tortured character but in this book, Tyler shows a new side to our favorite lion shifter. There are light hearted moments and some steamy romantic moments that will have readers swooning. What a great hero!
Zarina is a brilliant geneticist. Her relationship with Tanner has always seemed so natural and deep. I was sad in previous books when Tanner decided he could not control himself enough to stay with Zarina and finding them together in this book was very satisfying. I like that Zarina is strong and capable and very intelligent. She can hold her own and was a perfect compliment to Tanner's alpha persona. The relationship itself was already established but it was certainly expanded in this book. Loved every bit of it.
There were basically two stories going on at once in this book. Tyler gives readers tons of action and nail biting moments with both Tanner and Zarina and with Chase and Tate, who I really enjoyed in this book. Tyler basically shows the East Coast side of the DCO (Dept. of Covert Ops) and the West side. It was an interesting comparison and I loved how it came together in the end. Both relationships got plenty of time to develop and grow throughout the book and a whole new dimension was added to the overall arc of the series.
I felt like this was one of those books that turns the corner in a series. It brings together the ideas and relationships from the previous books and takes them in a totally different direction. If readers were wondering if the series might get a little boring eight books in, they needn't have worried. Tyler has it covered. X-Ops Exposed completely changes the way this series is put together and I for one can't wait to see what happens next... But that cliffhanger, though... Wow!
What I didn't like:
I kind of had this feeling throughout the book that I wanted more of those tender romantic moments with Tanner and Zarina. Readers have waited so long for this and I wanted more lol... I loved getting to know Tate and Chase though, so it wasn't too much of a hardship.
There was soooo much going on in this one. The action was non-stop. I wanted a minute to breathe here and there. I wanted to reflect a little bit, but Tyler's hard hitting style was relentless. It made for a very action packed book, but I felt like I needed a vacation after lol...
Bottom Line:
If you haven't read the entire series, as a reader, you might not understand what all the hype is about Zarina and Tanner. I wouldn't say this not a stand alone novel because in some ways it could be, but the reader will really be missing out so much. Long time readers, you will not be disappointed. This is such a good book. The series will go on in new and different ways. Loved the check in's with previous characters, absolutely adored the new characters and can't wait for more... Let me say again. That cliffhanger, lol... Read this series, it's just that good!
April 3, 2018
X-Ops Exposed by Paige Tyler is the 8th book in her wonderful X-Ops series. When we last left off in the last book, things were about to change for the X-Ops team, with a new management in charge. Tanner Howland, our hero, likes living alone in the forest in Washington State. Tanner is a hybrid Feline shifter, who has problems controlling his beast due to the drugs he had been given that made him a shifter.
Zarina Sokolov, our heroine, is a doctor who has treated Tanner, and other members of the team. She has been trying to find a serum that will reverse the drugs that made the hybrids, and then mental instability. Zarina has fallen in love with Tanner, and now with the serum, she follows him to the forest.
Tanner is not happy when he sees Zarina, though he also loves her, but he is worried that his beast will hurt her; and he is determined to send her packing. Zarina refuses to leave, and tries to convince Tanner to allow her to give him the serum, which he refuses to take, especially since this new drug will make him forget about her.
There is another group of humans and hybrids living in the forest that Tanner will work with, especially when some of their group begins to disappear. Tanner will join with that group to track and find out who is behind the kidnappings. We get to meet some hybrids we had met previously, and other members of this group of people living in the forest who now have their lives in danger.
Despite his attempt to force Zarina to leave, Tanner knows she is needed to help doctor those injured. Slowly their romance heats up, and once they both allow their feelings show, they know there is no turning back. But the question: Will they survive?
There was also a second storyline that Tate (another X-Op member) was sent to determine if a series of murders in a small town were animal related (or were they hybrids gone wild?). The Doctor behind drugging the hybrids was suspected of being part of these murders. The deputy sheriff, Chase, was assigned to work with Tate during his investigation. Chase is unaware of hybrids, and becomes a great partner for Tate.
When Tanner and the other hybrids are captured, Zarina will call Landon (acting chief of X-Ops) to get help. What follows is an intense, fast paced, exciting and dangerous attempt to rescue the men. It was great and fun to see all our former heroes, such as Landon, Ivy, Tate, Clayne Declan, Kendra, Danica, Diaz, and some newbies that I look forward to learning more about (Cam & Chase). It will take the entire team to band together to save and fight this violent bad group, one who is a former friend of Tanner. At this point, Tate (with Chase to help) will be sent to help the team save Tanner and the others.
When things get wild and crazy, lives are on the line and Zarina must act quickly to give the serum to any of the hybrids that are losing control. Will Tanner be one of them, and forget about Zarina?
The last half of the book was very suspenseful, with a few twists, and a thrilling ride to the finish. Paige Tyler, as always, gives us another terrific story, with another wonderful couple, and great secondary characters. X-Ops Exposed is an exciting, fun, suspenseful, fast-paced, action filled and intense story that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. X-Ops is a great series, and you need to start from the beginning, in order to enjoy all the wonderful characters and the continuing story line.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
Zarina Sokolov, our heroine, is a doctor who has treated Tanner, and other members of the team. She has been trying to find a serum that will reverse the drugs that made the hybrids, and then mental instability. Zarina has fallen in love with Tanner, and now with the serum, she follows him to the forest.
Tanner is not happy when he sees Zarina, though he also loves her, but he is worried that his beast will hurt her; and he is determined to send her packing. Zarina refuses to leave, and tries to convince Tanner to allow her to give him the serum, which he refuses to take, especially since this new drug will make him forget about her.
There is another group of humans and hybrids living in the forest that Tanner will work with, especially when some of their group begins to disappear. Tanner will join with that group to track and find out who is behind the kidnappings. We get to meet some hybrids we had met previously, and other members of this group of people living in the forest who now have their lives in danger.
Despite his attempt to force Zarina to leave, Tanner knows she is needed to help doctor those injured. Slowly their romance heats up, and once they both allow their feelings show, they know there is no turning back. But the question: Will they survive?
There was also a second storyline that Tate (another X-Op member) was sent to determine if a series of murders in a small town were animal related (or were they hybrids gone wild?). The Doctor behind drugging the hybrids was suspected of being part of these murders. The deputy sheriff, Chase, was assigned to work with Tate during his investigation. Chase is unaware of hybrids, and becomes a great partner for Tate.
When Tanner and the other hybrids are captured, Zarina will call Landon (acting chief of X-Ops) to get help. What follows is an intense, fast paced, exciting and dangerous attempt to rescue the men. It was great and fun to see all our former heroes, such as Landon, Ivy, Tate, Clayne Declan, Kendra, Danica, Diaz, and some newbies that I look forward to learning more about (Cam & Chase). It will take the entire team to band together to save and fight this violent bad group, one who is a former friend of Tanner. At this point, Tate (with Chase to help) will be sent to help the team save Tanner and the others.
When things get wild and crazy, lives are on the line and Zarina must act quickly to give the serum to any of the hybrids that are losing control. Will Tanner be one of them, and forget about Zarina?
The last half of the book was very suspenseful, with a few twists, and a thrilling ride to the finish. Paige Tyler, as always, gives us another terrific story, with another wonderful couple, and great secondary characters. X-Ops Exposed is an exciting, fun, suspenseful, fast-paced, action filled and intense story that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. X-Ops is a great series, and you need to start from the beginning, in order to enjoy all the wonderful characters and the continuing story line.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
March 19, 2018
I wouldn't recommend this as an entry point into the series for 2 reasons -- 1. Tanner & Zarina's relationship has been developing (at a slow burn) over several books & 2. the series overall plot line to find & stop the crazy geneticists & their backers. While overall the story was satisfying and had plenty of action & good moments, I did have some trouble getting into the book and found it to be a slower read. think this was in part do my reading mood & in part to the story's pace/plotting. There are 2 distinct & separate story lines in the book. Both take up significant page time and do not intersect. For those who've been following the series, this will be another interesting action packed installment and will be happy to see Tanner & Zarina find their HEA.
There is the much anticipated exploration and fruition of the relationship between Tanner & Zarina on the west coast where Tanner ran off to at the end of the last book out of fear of hurting anyone while in a hybrid rage. He thinks it's best to remain isolated from others particularly those he cares about rather than risk doing something he'll regret. After giving him time to mope & come to his senses (which he doesn't naturally) and for her to do more research (which she does successfully), Zarina decides enough is enough & goes west to fight for her man. While there is some fighting/resisting, both quickly realize their feelings and before long admit & start to talk things out (I really appreciated how the author brought out the revelations & also kept the characters true to themselves as they've been written to date and as equals). During this time they've discover that others "living off the grid" in the area are being attacked & turning up missing. They work to discover what is happening and help out. We also get to learn more about Tanner's history.
Meanwhile on the east coast, efforts are under way to search for the missing scientist behind the hybrid experiments and to stop him & his backers. Tate is sent to New England to check out a mysterious & puzzling animal attack death of a genetics doctor that may or may not have been involved in the hybrid program run out of a mental institute in the area (investigated in a prior book) as well as the possible return of the escaped (possibly feral) shifter from the hospital looking for revenge. a significant page time is spent on this subplot with the action switching back and forth between the 2 coasts. although progress is made, and interesting developments occur, resolution is put on hold when Tanner & Zarina need help on the west coast where events are unfolding that will lead the x-ops heading to uncharted paths.
Arc courtesy of net galley.
There is the much anticipated exploration and fruition of the relationship between Tanner & Zarina on the west coast where Tanner ran off to at the end of the last book out of fear of hurting anyone while in a hybrid rage. He thinks it's best to remain isolated from others particularly those he cares about rather than risk doing something he'll regret. After giving him time to mope & come to his senses (which he doesn't naturally) and for her to do more research (which she does successfully), Zarina decides enough is enough & goes west to fight for her man. While there is some fighting/resisting, both quickly realize their feelings and before long admit & start to talk things out (I really appreciated how the author brought out the revelations & also kept the characters true to themselves as they've been written to date and as equals). During this time they've discover that others "living off the grid" in the area are being attacked & turning up missing. They work to discover what is happening and help out. We also get to learn more about Tanner's history.
Meanwhile on the east coast, efforts are under way to search for the missing scientist behind the hybrid experiments and to stop him & his backers. Tate is sent to New England to check out a mysterious & puzzling animal attack death of a genetics doctor that may or may not have been involved in the hybrid program run out of a mental institute in the area (investigated in a prior book) as well as the possible return of the escaped (possibly feral) shifter from the hospital looking for revenge. a significant page time is spent on this subplot with the action switching back and forth between the 2 coasts. although progress is made, and interesting developments occur, resolution is put on hold when Tanner & Zarina need help on the west coast where events are unfolding that will lead the x-ops heading to uncharted paths.
Arc courtesy of net galley.
April 2, 2018
Eighteen months ago, Tanner had been injected, against his will with lion DNA; he’s dangerous, volatile, and nearly out of control, and that’s when he had met Dr. Zarina Sokolov. A couple of months ago, Tanner Howland, frustrated at his inability to master his inner beast, had fled to the Wenatchee National Forest, and Zarina has gone to Washington State to look for Tanner. In spite of everything, Zarina loves Tanner, but will he ever give them a chance?
At long last, Tanner and Zarina’s story! They have been tiptoeing around each other for ages, and while readers unfamiliar with the X-Ops series won’t have much of a problem with the stories - because there are in fact two - they will not be able to relate to Zarina and Tanner’s feelings for each other as well as long-time fans, as their relationship is complicated. I have always adored Tanner, the tormented, beautiful, unpredictable and fiercely loyal lion shifter, and in X-OPS EXPOSED, we learn more about what makes him click and it made me love him even more. The same goes for Zarina: I loved the brilliant doctor from her very introduction; she is cool-headed, determined to convince Tanner that his situation is not hopeless, and she is a very brave girly-girl as well! Tanner and Zarina’s combustible chemistry hasn’t dimmed a bit, but I was a little disappointed at seeing their romance take somewhat a backseat to the suspense. X-OPS EXPOSED is one of those rare books where I would happily have traded some of the suspense for more tender moments. But when the romance happens, it was worth the wait because Zarina and Tanner’s love is intense, deep, and real.
X-OPS EXPOSED is supremely dynamic, and as action-packed as Paige Tyler can make it. Ms. Tyler’s writing flows so well, you barely notice the words, and her superb writing draws the reader into the story right away. The dialogues are possibly the best the author has ever written, injecting a bit of humour that made this book even more enjoyable. The action scenes are explosive and plentiful, and that grizzly bear attack was truly terrifying! New characters are also introduced, amongst them Maine Deputy Chase York, whose bromance with DCO agent Tate Evers is one of the highlights of the book. There is quite a lot going on in X-OPS EXPOSED, maybe just a tad too much; I think there was enough material for two books, to be honest. One thing is for sure, X-Ops is far from over with everything that happens in this book: Paige Tyler has enough fodder to keep un enthralled for years to come! And mind the title, because it’s very indicative as what the future will hold for the DCO.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I give 4 ½ stars
At long last, Tanner and Zarina’s story! They have been tiptoeing around each other for ages, and while readers unfamiliar with the X-Ops series won’t have much of a problem with the stories - because there are in fact two - they will not be able to relate to Zarina and Tanner’s feelings for each other as well as long-time fans, as their relationship is complicated. I have always adored Tanner, the tormented, beautiful, unpredictable and fiercely loyal lion shifter, and in X-OPS EXPOSED, we learn more about what makes him click and it made me love him even more. The same goes for Zarina: I loved the brilliant doctor from her very introduction; she is cool-headed, determined to convince Tanner that his situation is not hopeless, and she is a very brave girly-girl as well! Tanner and Zarina’s combustible chemistry hasn’t dimmed a bit, but I was a little disappointed at seeing their romance take somewhat a backseat to the suspense. X-OPS EXPOSED is one of those rare books where I would happily have traded some of the suspense for more tender moments. But when the romance happens, it was worth the wait because Zarina and Tanner’s love is intense, deep, and real.
X-OPS EXPOSED is supremely dynamic, and as action-packed as Paige Tyler can make it. Ms. Tyler’s writing flows so well, you barely notice the words, and her superb writing draws the reader into the story right away. The dialogues are possibly the best the author has ever written, injecting a bit of humour that made this book even more enjoyable. The action scenes are explosive and plentiful, and that grizzly bear attack was truly terrifying! New characters are also introduced, amongst them Maine Deputy Chase York, whose bromance with DCO agent Tate Evers is one of the highlights of the book. There is quite a lot going on in X-OPS EXPOSED, maybe just a tad too much; I think there was enough material for two books, to be honest. One thing is for sure, X-Ops is far from over with everything that happens in this book: Paige Tyler has enough fodder to keep un enthralled for years to come! And mind the title, because it’s very indicative as what the future will hold for the DCO.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I give 4 ½ stars
April 4, 2018
AWESOME 5+ stars! I can't say how much I loved this book! I forgot when I asked NetGalley for an ARC of this book that I haven't started this Paige Tyler series yet. I prefer to binge read series from start to current, and not jump into the middle. Opps, I've started with her SWAT series, also excellent. This series was up next. Well, it just jumped higher on my list to get read. Fabulous characters, I wasn't lost coming into the 8th book either. I missed some key plot stories but I could go with the flow easily.
Tanner Howland is a retired Army Ranger with severe PTSD. He was kidnapped by "mad scientists" who used him as a test subject for their man made shifter experiments, making hybrids. He was rescued from the lab by a kidnapped Russian geneticist, Dr. Zarina Sololov. The serum they gave him worked but he rarely is able to control his powerful shifter abilities resulting in uncontrolled rage. He's retreated to the Washington woods east of his hometown of Seattle. Zarina, now works with the Department of Covert Ops, DCO, and decides she's gonna find him as she finds she cares for him a lot. Tanner has made friends with several "prepper" communities in the woods and he's discovered they are being raided by mercenaries kidnapping people. He's trying to stay out it but his Ranger's heart is not letting him. Zarina finds him and won't go home finding that together they can help these preppers and solve the mystery.
Meanwhile, DCO agent Tate Evers is without his shifter partner and gets sent to check out a suspicious death in Maine that is located close to the where Tanner's lab was closed down. Someone shredded a geneticist in a closed cabin. It looks like he was tortured by a shifter but the authorities are working hard to explain it as an animal attack. Tate gets an unwelcome partner, Chase York, a Maine deputy "shadow" from the local Sheriff's office. He and Chase track down the evidence to solve the murder as Tate works hard to not tell Chase classified information. Chase is a former Marine and pretty sharp so he keeps learning more and more about the existence of shifters. The two storylines merge later in the book.
I loved the story and character development in this story. The richness, intelligence and heart of each one were crafted skillfully. I grew to care about each one. The action was off the charts and very believable. The story had a descriptive richness and I enjoyed her author's voice. The storyline was well developed and all the pieces pulled together to make a satisfying ending. The Epilogue answered some of the last questions I had and set up the direction of the next book. Loved it! Thank you Sourcebooks and Paige Tyler for this opportunity to ARC read and review this story for an honest review.
Tanner Howland is a retired Army Ranger with severe PTSD. He was kidnapped by "mad scientists" who used him as a test subject for their man made shifter experiments, making hybrids. He was rescued from the lab by a kidnapped Russian geneticist, Dr. Zarina Sololov. The serum they gave him worked but he rarely is able to control his powerful shifter abilities resulting in uncontrolled rage. He's retreated to the Washington woods east of his hometown of Seattle. Zarina, now works with the Department of Covert Ops, DCO, and decides she's gonna find him as she finds she cares for him a lot. Tanner has made friends with several "prepper" communities in the woods and he's discovered they are being raided by mercenaries kidnapping people. He's trying to stay out it but his Ranger's heart is not letting him. Zarina finds him and won't go home finding that together they can help these preppers and solve the mystery.
Meanwhile, DCO agent Tate Evers is without his shifter partner and gets sent to check out a suspicious death in Maine that is located close to the where Tanner's lab was closed down. Someone shredded a geneticist in a closed cabin. It looks like he was tortured by a shifter but the authorities are working hard to explain it as an animal attack. Tate gets an unwelcome partner, Chase York, a Maine deputy "shadow" from the local Sheriff's office. He and Chase track down the evidence to solve the murder as Tate works hard to not tell Chase classified information. Chase is a former Marine and pretty sharp so he keeps learning more and more about the existence of shifters. The two storylines merge later in the book.
I loved the story and character development in this story. The richness, intelligence and heart of each one were crafted skillfully. I grew to care about each one. The action was off the charts and very believable. The story had a descriptive richness and I enjoyed her author's voice. The storyline was well developed and all the pieces pulled together to make a satisfying ending. The Epilogue answered some of the last questions I had and set up the direction of the next book. Loved it! Thank you Sourcebooks and Paige Tyler for this opportunity to ARC read and review this story for an honest review.
April 4, 2018
Reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf
In every long, on going series there comes a story that is a game changer. For me, that book is X-Ops Exposed. While there will be some answers, there are far more questions and complications from Tanner and Zarina’s story. Mainly because it’s not just their story, this time our attention is split between the West coast and the East coast with events that will change so much about this world and for its inhabitants. I have always believed that this is a series best read in order, and now more so than ever.
I love this world that Paige Tyler has built. It simply gets better, more complicated and complex, and it keeps growing with each new story added. Now it’s about to explode and I cannot wait to see where we go next. We’ll get some closure, we’ll also get brand new troubles and new characters to fold into this world. The action is fast paced, a bit snarky and bitey at times (as always). Watching Tanner and Zarina together is pure enjoyment. These two have come a long way to get to the now and even with its complications I’m loving where they are at this point. Expect some surprises, some twists and turns that will matter and may change things, a lot.
While I’ve been somewhat vague because I believe you need to experience this story firsthand – I would highly recommend X-Ops Exposed and the entire series to any Paranormal Romance or Romantic Suspense reader. Fast paced, hot and heavy action, questions answered and more asked, lively characters, an intriguing plot and characters you will come to care about. What’s not to love about all that?
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
In every long, on going series there comes a story that is a game changer. For me, that book is X-Ops Exposed. While there will be some answers, there are far more questions and complications from Tanner and Zarina’s story. Mainly because it’s not just their story, this time our attention is split between the West coast and the East coast with events that will change so much about this world and for its inhabitants. I have always believed that this is a series best read in order, and now more so than ever.
I love this world that Paige Tyler has built. It simply gets better, more complicated and complex, and it keeps growing with each new story added. Now it’s about to explode and I cannot wait to see where we go next. We’ll get some closure, we’ll also get brand new troubles and new characters to fold into this world. The action is fast paced, a bit snarky and bitey at times (as always). Watching Tanner and Zarina together is pure enjoyment. These two have come a long way to get to the now and even with its complications I’m loving where they are at this point. Expect some surprises, some twists and turns that will matter and may change things, a lot.
While I’ve been somewhat vague because I believe you need to experience this story firsthand – I would highly recommend X-Ops Exposed and the entire series to any Paranormal Romance or Romantic Suspense reader. Fast paced, hot and heavy action, questions answered and more asked, lively characters, an intriguing plot and characters you will come to care about. What’s not to love about all that?
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
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