Mine to Possess

Sadly, we have another Nalini Singh male love interest that I did NOT vibe with. I don't think Clay was as bad as Vaughn, but let me go ahead and get this out of the way so you know why I rated it lower so I can get to the things I liked about the book:

First, we have the general trodding over boundaries and a few times he ignored an outright no, though I guess these are less egregious since it WAS established that their relationship is based on teasing each other/joking around so most of the time the scene was played off like that, but I'll share the moments that made me uncomfortable:

He was disgusted at how he'd stoked the heat between them when he had known it would be too much for her. But the second she had ordered him to back off, the leopard had taken over, furious and so damn possessive he couldn't fight it. He was getting too close to the edge, becoming dangerous. So fucking dangerous.

“You're rushing me.” “I'm not a patient man,” was his unrepentant answer as she trailed her finger down his jaw and along his throat. “You feel when we touch, baby,” he said, wiping away one of her deepest fears. “This will be damn good.”   “Take off your top.” She was having real trouble thinking. “No. Slow down.” His answer was to press a kiss to the hollow at the bottom of her neck.

“I don't like being restrained,” she complained. “Can't I even pet you in peace?”

He took off his jacket and leaned down to kiss her. She tried to dodge it, but Clay was in the mood to show off. He held her easily in place as he melted her bones from the inside out. When she could breathe again, she scowled.

My final and biggest problem with Clay is that it's established that Talin had a past with other people and that she slept around when she was younger. Clay is judgemental to the point of being angry and disgusted with her when she reveals this which he has absolutely no right to be, considering they aren't a couple yet nor have they been in the past. Him being disgusted by her brings her genuine distress and hurts her feelings. The only time he softens his position is when she opens up and tells him that it was more a trauma response more than anything. The problem is that it's none of his business why she did it or that she did it at all, ESPECIALLY since it's established that he has also been sleeping around in the time they've been apart and that's never a problem between them. Some quotes to demonstrate my point:

God, but he was mad at her, at how she'd mistreated herself. Didn't she know that no one—not even she—had the right to hurt what was his?

“Why?” A stark demand, his hand remaining clasped around the side of her neck. “Why did you give away what you should have protected?”  
He hadn't brought up her promiscuous past since that explosive argument in the Tank, but that didn't mean he'd forgotten it. Clay was simply too possessive to accept what he viewed as a betrayal.  
These predators loved with wild fury, but they were also darkly possessive, crossing the boundary into what humans might term obsession. But for a leopard male, it was simply part of his nature. Clay would never forget what she'd done, the way she'd given her body to others. With a human man, she might have continued to argue that he had no right to judge her. But the truth was, it wasn't about judgment. And Clay wasn't human, his changeling blood was too strong. For him, it was about fidelity, about loyalty. It didn't matter that they had been children when he killed Orrin to keep her safe—they had already belonged to each other. Until she had cut their link. Now the past was an unacknowledged third between them, pouring a corrosive acid on the love they had managed to salvage.  
So yeah. Ew David.

Other than that, I think the plot of this one is really interesting. The story structure was a lot different since the couple involved here knew each other very well in the past and had a relationship to build off of when they reunited in the present, getting rid of the ever-present insta-love that I never really like. Talin herself as a character I liked; seeing her fight so hard for the kids she was mentoring was very sweet.

Another disappointing love interest, but the wider plot continues to thicken, so I'll stay tuned in!

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 3/5
Atmosphere - 5/5
Plot - 5/5
Enjoyment - 4/5

3.5

Actual rating: 4.5

I liked this one too. I like the story about hurt and loss and forgiveness. And the one about the Psy intrigue too.