Hostage to Pleasure (Psy-Changeling, #5) in Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group

Jan 25, 2012 Lisa Kay rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-in-2012-group-challenge, genre-shapeshifters, genre-romance-paranormal, m-pb-paperback, authors-s, character-blonde-hero, characters-twins, zz-fall-colors, zzcover-brown, challenge-psy-changeling-2012

Shazahn Padamsee (actress) as Ashaya Aleine
“Shaya” - as Dorian calls her - has pale blue-gray eyes; so, this is when she is wearing her dark contacts.
description

★★★★★ & a Whoa! (This is a review of the audiobook.) Angela Dawe does an excellent job of reading this powerhouse episode in Nalini Singh’s fifth installment of the Psy-Changeling series. There is a reason she is up for an “Audie Award” for an another audiobook this year.* She makes Dorian sound not only filled with possessiveness, but suitably ...more

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Feb 03, 2010 Beanbag Love rated it really liked it

Nalini Singh drives me a little nuts. Every one of the Psy-Changeling books I've read has made me so frustrated in the first half and then made me love it in the second. I swear, it's at 50% in each book that things pick up.

In Hostage to Pleasure we get the story of two characters we've met in earlier books. Dorian, the latent leopard changeling, has been around since he wanted to rip out Sascha's throat in the first book. Ashaya was introduced in the last book -- Mine to Possess -- although I t Nalini Singh drives me a little nuts. Every one of the Psy-Changeling books I've read has made me so frustrated in the first half and then made me love it in the second. I swear, it's at 50% in each book that things pick up.

In Hostage to Pleasure we get the story of two characters we've met in earlier books. Dorian, the latent leopard changeling, has been around since he wanted to rip out Sascha's throat in the first book. Ashaya was introduced in the last book -- Mine to Possess -- although I think she might have been referenced in Caressed by Ice.

Dorian's a fave. The guy who can't shift, who's all pent up because of his 'disability', his sister's murder and the continuing stress of a war with the Psy. Ashaya is an M-Psy who's been working on the Protocol 1 chip that will create a hive mind among the Psy. Naturally, she's been rogue for a while and finds herself needing to escape. Dorian ends up being her bodyguard which is kind of nice for both of them since they've been obsessing over each other since he threatened to kill her in Mine to Possess.

Ashaya's got all kinds of other problems that I won't go into, but, without giving any specifics, these probs were what annoyed me. For fully half of the book we got her POV saying things like: "it wasn't {blank}, it was something far worse". This was said about three different things multiple times. At one point I said "oh give me a break!" out loud and put the book down for the night I was so annoyed. That's not creating suspense, it's creating frustration.

Interestingly enough, as soon as some of that actual information started to be shared with the reader the book became very enjoyable.

So, having seen that K is working on "Slave to Sensation" and feeling frustrated, I think it's not just me. Keep going, get past that 50% mark and suddenly you've got a heck of a story. Since this was book five, I doubt the template's going to change much. By the last book -- the fourth in the series -- I knew to look forward to that halfway point, knowing I would really get into it by then.

There you have it. The second half is five stars. The first half is three stars (at most). A solid four star read by the end.

**for those who have read it -- possible spoiler follows**

I wanted more from the epilogue. There were reactions beyond that little group that I wanted to read about. I wish I hadn't had to write that sequence in my head, because I think it would have been relevant to the story as a whole. ...more

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Dec 01, 2010 Keri rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance-urban-fantasy, 2010s-read

This was a really strong installment of the Psy/Changeling series. This was more about Dorian and Ashaya learning to deal with one another versus jumping right into bed. I really enjoyed it and feel like the series just gets better and stronger.

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Feb 12, 2010 Zeek rated it liked it

Shelves: shifters, favorites-pnr

I'm really enjoying the Psy/Changeling world that Singh has created. However her latest entry, Hostage To Pleasure, lacked some of the "umph" that I've come to expect from this series.

HTP does an excellent job of giving us more insight into the workings of the PSY/Changeling world, but in doing so the author sacrificed some of the character development that actually drives a series for me. I couldn't help feeling this one fell more on the side of Urban Fantasy rather than a Paranormal Romance be I'm really enjoying the Psy/Changeling world that Singh has created. However her latest entry, Hostage To Pleasure, lacked some of the "umph" that I've come to expect from this series.

HTP does an excellent job of giving us more insight into the workings of the PSY/Changeling world, but in doing so the author sacrificed some of the character development that actually drives a series for me. I couldn't help feeling this one fell more on the side of Urban Fantasy rather than a Paranormal Romance because of all the threads the author had to tie together in her world building- although it certainly is not Urban Fantasy in it's purist form.

In HTP we get Dorian's story- the one Changeling from the DarkRiver pack who is unable "change". He's been with us from the beginning of the series and suffered a great tragedy in the loss of his beloved sister to a psychopathic Psy who brutally kidnapped and murdered her. These two aspects keeps him separate yet part of the pack- because he needs them to keep him sane. (A top notch sniper/ sentinel, he continues to protect the pack above and beyond to compensate for the fact he can't transform into the leopard who resides inside him who is also so overcome with bitterness over his sister's death, it's eating away at him.)

Enter Ashaya. A beautiful bronzed skinned Psy who secretly defied the evil Psy Council to help rescue children in captivity connected to Dorian's pack. Ashaya's been under the thumb of the Psy all her life- but she's hidden her true self from them. When it became clear that the Psy Council will use any means necessary to keep her working on a secret project that would destroy anyone exhibiting emotion- including using her son as leverage- she decides to get out. She calls in her marker with DarkRiver pack and fakes her own death to escape. And it works. Until she decides to expose the Psy's plans to the world for the good of the people and thereby exposes herself to those who want what she knows- no matter what the cost.

Dorian's appalled. He's assigned to protect this cold Psy who's motives are muddied at best- but she's of the race of the man who destroyed his sister. How can he do his job when everything in him screams for him to avenge his sister's murder? Of course there's another problem- he's helplessly attracted to her.

And Shaya is not what she seems. She's an ice maiden for a reason. When Dorian discovers why, he's even more determined to protect her and her son- despite what he feels.

In the meantime, not only are the Psy making plans to eliminate her, but other factions as well. And as the Silence (the total suppression of emotions) crumbles around the Psy, they become even more desperate to end Shaya's life. For what she knows will be the key to their undoing.

Although I did enjoy HTP, I was a bit disappointed in the love connection in this novel. Oh I liked both Shaya and Dorian tremendously- I just felt like their story took too much of a backseat to all the explaining that had to be done to make Singh's world fit.

Not bad- but not my favorite. ...more

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Oct 11, 2010 Peep (Pop! Pop!) rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-in-2010, so-not-impressed, what-the-heck, adult-cravings

I finished this one a few days ago, My review won't be as long because I don't remember much. I do remember that I didn't really like this one.

For some reason, Ashaya just didn't work as the main girl. By the time she started to get emotions, it was too late. Sometimes she kind of came off as mean. I don't understand why no one caught on to her before then.

Though Dorian seemed happy with his mate, I felt he deserved better. He could have been mated with a stick for all the attention she gave hi ...more

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