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Hostage to Pleasure (Psy-Changeling, #5)

Nalini Singh

Start date: May 1, 2012

Finish date: May 31, 2012

Discussion: Challenges: What's the Rush

Why we're reading this: Part of our group series re-read in prep for the 2012 release of "Tangle of Need". See "Re-read the Psy-C…more
[close] Part of our group series re-read in prep for the 2012 release of "Tangle of Need". See "Re-read the Psy-Changeling Books 2012" for more details.

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Challenges: What's the Rush

* 2025 Series Read: K.N. Banet's "Jacky Leon"
By Steph , Serious series addict · 116 posts · 36 views

last updated Oct 27, 2025 01:12PM

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* YEAR-LONG CHALLENGES
By Steph , Serious series addict · 1 post · 389 views

last updated Aug 17, 2010 11:14PM

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What Members Thought

Mar 31, 2011 Nairabell rated it it was amazing

Shelves: paranormal-romance, 5-star, read-in-2011

On the surface Ashaya Aleine appears to be the perfect Psy - cool, calm and emotionless. But beneath that cover lies a woman fighting to escape from the clutches of the Psy Council who are holding her son captive to force her to work on an implant that will basically enslave her entire race. Ashaya manages to free herself and her son, only to land in DarkRiver hands. Dorian Christensen may not be able to change into a leopard but he is one of the deadliest most anti-psy members of DarkRiver and On the surface Ashaya Aleine appears to be the perfect Psy - cool, calm and emotionless. But beneath that cover lies a woman fighting to escape from the clutches of the Psy Council who are holding her son captive to force her to work on an implant that will basically enslave her entire race. Ashaya manages to free herself and her son, only to land in DarkRiver hands. Dorian Christensen may not be able to change into a leopard but he is one of the deadliest most anti-psy members of DarkRiver and when he finds Ashaya he is drawn into the biggest conflict of his life.

This is the fifth book in the Psy-Changeling series (after Slave to Sensation, Visions of Heat, Caressed By Ice and Mine to Possess). This is one of my favourite paranormal romance series, and I was really excited to read this as Ashaya was introduced in the previous book and the storyline about her son set up. Ashaya traded favours with DarkRiver in the previous book and now she has called in her favour - DarkRiver are to rescue her son from his Psy captors.

Ashaya also manages to escape and ends up in DarkRiver territory, but has not only the Psy after her but human groups as well. It took me a long time to warm to Ashaya and she's probably my least favourite heroine of the series so far. I don't dislike her, but I can't identify with her. However I loved how her relationship with Dorian developed, especially as he is so vehemently opposed to all things psy.

Unlike the previous books, this has journal and letter snippets at the start of many of the chapters. While they provide insight into Ashaya's mind I found them distracting and they interferred with the pacing of the book at times. After Ashaya's escape the revelations and development of the world occurs quickly and these snippets were a little irritating.

As usual the world is developed further, with some Psy councillors receiving a bit more backstory along with some changelings, Mercy in particular. Ashaya's actions create major ripples in the psy world so I'm interested in seeing how that plays out, as well as how the new psy and human groups are developed.

All in all, this was another great read and I can't wait to get stuck into Branded by Fire.

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
Cover: 8/10

Overall: 46/50 ...more

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Mar 27, 2011 Katyana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: abuse, shapeshifters, uf, fantasy, pnr, romance

***4.5***

Loved it!! Loved Dorian, loved Ashaya. Loved the increasing overall plot development. Loved Keenan, loved all the secondary characters, it was a big ol' love fest.

Must gobble up more! ...more

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Jun 04, 2010 Literary Ames rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: weres-shifters, read-in-2010, dtb, paranormal-romance

I'm so glad Dorian has managed to find peace and happiness. Shaya and Amara's unhealthy twin sister relationship was fascinating and the continuing political story arc remains interesting.

I enjoyed this book more than Mine to Possess but less than the earlier books. ...more

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Dec 23, 2009 Steph rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: author-favorite, author-웃, my-re-reads, year-read-2010, audiobook-listened-to, series-ended, series-i-love, year-read-2012, sos-series-read-2012-pc, series-completed

First Read: (Kindle edition) 5 May 2010
Re-read: (Audiobook) 7 June 2012

First Read Review:
Hostage to Pleasure , the 5th book in the Psy-changeling series, tells the story of Dorian, DarkRiver's sentinel sniper who lacks the ability to shift into his leopard form, and Ashaya Aleine, the Psy scientist who is being forced by the Psy Council to create an implant that will make all Psy a part of a hive mind.

Dorian lost his sister to the psycho Psy and has been out to kill all Psy since then. But a ...more

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Mar 27, 2011 Irene Hollimon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Ugh! Why do I like this book? I just do okay- guilty pleasure or something. Death winged by so closely a couple of times I was wondering if the HEA was going to happen. Strange though when you're reading a romance. This book is so much on the formula but still kept me going. I love this author. ...more

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Jun 13, 2009 Jamie ~ Bad Boy Inspector rated it it was amazing

Shelves: genre-paranormal-romance, subject-pn-shifters

Loved it!! It was everything I expected from Dorian and his mate. They just keep getting better.

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Mar 13, 2011 Lisa M rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, paranormal-romance

Loved that Boy Genius, "I'm here for the beer and the babes" Dorian! ...more

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Apr 15, 2009 Michelle rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-june-09, nalini-singh, michelle-mcm-s-2012-reading-list, psy-changeling-re-read-2012, read-may-2012

Original read date - 15th June 2009
Re-read date - 21st May 2012

I enjoyed this a little more this time around, like with all the books you pick up on all the little threads that have been implanted for further plot development. I'm amazed by how much I missed first time round I think I was blindsided by the total hotness of the characters... :) ...more

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