Play of Passion by Nalini Singh - A Review-ish

Nalini Singh has leapfrogged over Nora Roberts to be my very favorite romance author. Her books are sure thing for me. Not just the first reading, but every time I open one. I was laughing at myself the other day because I actually own both of her Guild Hunter series books in every format: paper, e-book and audio. Does that mean I have a problem?

Anyway, the last two Psy/Changeling books have featured human heroes. And while I understood the need for these stories to take place when they did, and both stories propelled the greater story arc forward, I just....prefer the changelings. Especially changeling heroes. So you can imagine my delight when I realized that Play of Passion, her latest release would not just feature a changeling hero, but a changeling heroine as well.

We've known Indigo, a trusted SnowDancer lieutenant for some time now. Indigo is beautiful, very smart, and an absolute alpha female. She's ranked very highly within the SnowDancer hierarchy, and with good reason. She's often considered Hawke, the SnowDancer alpha's right hand. So when Andrew Kincaid begins his pursuit if Indigo, her hackles rise almost immediately. First, Drew falls "outside" the wolf pack's hierarchy. He's also one of Hawke's most trusted advisers, but acts as Hawke's Tracker, dealing with pack members who might have gone off the reservation. Drew gets by because of his easy-going nature. Everyone loves him and confides in him, which enables him to keep his finger on the pulse of the pack for Hawke and be sure the alpha is aware of what's on the hearts and minds of those under Hawke's care.

Thing is, Drew has wanted Indigo forever. When he elects to begin his pursuit of her, he is pretty soundly rebuffed. First, he's not an alpha, second, Indigo doesn't *want* to think of Drew that way. He's a friend, and a trusted confidant, and she doesn't want to jeopardize that relationship. In circling around each other, they manage to hurt each other inadvertently, and stumble a bit while falling in love.

Really, their relationship is lovely. Drew respects Indy, but his protective nature occasionally rises to the foreground and he steps on her toes. I'll say this, Drew gives good grovel, when it's time to say I'm sorry, a woman would have to be made of stone to withstand this man! And when Indigo finally commits, she does so fully, giving her heart and soul to Drew.

While all of this is happening, the Psy continue to implode. Factions have formed within their society, and the most hardened of them have declared war on the Changelings. To that end, they have secretly installed a variety of scanners and cameras in SnowDancer territory with the hope of making the first tactical move in their planned war.

Play of Passion is another fantastic installment in the Psy/Changeling series. Singh has an amazing ability to balance propelling the overarching story of the series forward while never losing focus on the main couple. And Indigo and Drew's love story is a hot, spicy and entertaining one to read. It should be noted that Play of Passion is absolutely NOT a good place to start the series. Readers would be much better served by starting with the first book, Slave to Sensation (one of my very favorite romances ever). That caveat being stated, for fans of the series, Play of Passion offers everything we expect from Nalini Singh, smart, fiesty heroine, delectable hero and plenty of action. This book is not to be missed!

Final grade: A