Mine to Possess by Nalini Singh (A Winner!)

The third book for 2008 that has me so excited is Mine to Possess by Nalini Singh. I was a bit disappointed by her 2007 release, Caressed by Ice and wasn’t sure what to expect with her February release. Nalini has again proven why she is romance’s shining star and Mine to Possess comes in a close second to my favorite book, Slave to Sensation in this incredible sci-fi romance series. I am calling it- Mine to Possess will be on everyone’s top ten for 2008 and one the most anticipated books of the year.

If you haven’t had the chance to read any of Nalini’s Psy/ Changeling books, I recommend you start with Slave to Sensation and move on from there. Mine to Possess is best savored when you understand this world and the characters that live within it. Nalini has come up with another great couple in that of Clay, the shift-changing leopard and Talin, a human woman. Clay was once an angry young boy and lived with his human mother who wanted him to hide his leopard side. He lived in near poverty and would have become another statistic to the streets. But his one joy in life was a human girl, Talin, his “Tally”. This young boy and girl bonded and became soul mates, that is until Talin was taken from Clay because of a violent act he did to protect her. Clay was lead to believe that Talin was dead and instead of committing suicide because of the loss of his other half; he grew up and embraced his changeling side and that culture. Now, twenty years later he is stable and has love with a great adopted family and friends. But Clay is in for quite a shock because Talin has risen from the dead.

Talin was never dead and has kept herself hidden, especially from Clay. She has found him for a purpose and needs his help. She helps young human children, but a serial killer is murdering them. She expects Clay to get over her lies and help her. But Clay is one angry cat! He feels betrayed by what Talin has done, but since he still has a bond with her and knows that she is his mate, he will help her and not allow her to leave him again. He wants to claim her as his woman, and not even Tally will be able to stop him.

Nalini can sure write some alpha males! If you thought her other past heroes of Lucas, Vaughn or Judd were the ultimate alphas, watch out, because Clay puts them all to shame. His love and devotion for this human woman is all consuming and oh so good! Talin, on the other hand, is so scarred and very tortured. She has been abused and because of this she abuses herself even more. She feels she is not worthy of Clay and is afraid of him. Clay keeps his violent nature barely under wraps and because Talin has always been around violence, she is not sure if she can be around Clay. But the thing is, Clay completes her body and soul. The same goes for Clay. When these two come together in the more intimate sense, their love for each other is loud and clear. The passion between these two is more embedded deep within their souls and not just because of lust and attraction.

Another thing I love with these books is the importance of family and a society who care and protect their own. The changeling community cares about every member, be it old or young. It is very telling how Nalini shows that humans and the Psy culture (a culture who doesn’t believe in emotion) can be very cruel and violent, where as the changeling society only becomes violent when they are being threatened or the need to protect their land and what is theirs. The same goes for Clay and Talin. Clay protects Talin and Talin protects the small children she has come to care about and in her charge.

Not many authors can continue to surprise me with their books and storytelling skills, but Nalini Singh is one I have come to count on to “deliver the goods” and she has done it yet again with Mine to Possess.

Katiebabs