Her Dark Half by Paige Tyler – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway
Her Dark Half
X-Ops series – Book #7
by Paige Tyler
Release Date: September 5, 2017
Amazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / Book Depository / IndieBound
Description:
Trevor Maxwell
Coyote shifter with an attitude
Covert operator
Trusts no one, especially his devastatingly beautiful new partner
Alina Bosch
Former CIA, newest operative on the covert team
Hired to spy on her partner
Motto: “Never be deceived again.”
Coyote shifter Trevor Maxwell is teamed up with CIA agent Alina Bosch to catch a killer. But when the mission becomes much more dangerous than they expected, they’re going to have to ignore the attraction between them and learn how to trust one another to come out on the other side…
Review:
Her Dark Half by Paige Tyler is the 7th book in her wonderful X-Ops series. When we last left off in the last book, our heroes throughout this series were all on the run. The man they trusted who ran DCO (Department of Covert Operations) was killed, and the two major villains were out to arrest and kill them all. It was a huge game changer.
In Her Dark Half, Trevor Maxwell, our hero, was still working with DCO, but he was acting undercover helping his former teammates in hiding. The goal was to find evidence to prove that Thomas Thorne, who was now in charge, was behind all hybrids being created to build his own army. Trevor is forced to accept a new partner, who was new to DCO.
The story starts off a few years prior, where we meet our heroine, Alina Bosch, who is a CIA agent leading a mission that goes bad. Alina lost her whole team because her partner betrayed them and had set up a trap. Alina has spent this few years wanting revenge, but has not been able to find her ex partner. Alina leaves her job with the CIA and accepts a job with DCO, having been tempted by DCO that they will help her find her ex partner. Alina is told by Dick (one of the two villains) that she needs to spy on her new partner…Trevor. She finds it hard to trust anyone, but she sees something about Trevor that makes her suspect that there is more than she has been told. Trevor, at first also doesn’t trust Alina, but pretty quickly they are in the middle of some attacks, and Alina begins to realize that Dick is using her information to kill those that they have interviewed.
Trevor and Alina will also become very attracted to each other, and in a short time a romance will begin. Alina will realize that Trevor is a good guy, and also learn about him being a shifter; they will join hands to fight off hybrid attacks. What follows is an intense, fast paced, exciting and dangerous attempt to reveal the truth about Thomas Thorne and those now in charge at DCO. It was great and fun to see all our former heroes, such as Landon, Ivy, Tanner, Declan, Kendra, Danica, Adam, Braden, Dreya, just to name a few. It will take the entire team to band together to fight these ultra powerful hybrids, who are impossible to kill. Of course, one of those powerful hybrids, is the man Alina has been trying to find all these years.
The last half of the book was very suspenseful, with a few twists, and a thrilling ride to the finish. Paige Tyler, as always, gives us another terrific story, with another wonderful couple. I do not know what she has in store of us next, but the game has changed and I can’t wait to see how this will affect our team. Her Dark Half should not be read out of order; this is not a standalone. You need to start from the beginning, in order to enjoy all the wonderful characters and the continuing story line.
Reviewed by Barb
Copy provided by Publisher
“We’re Trevor and Alina Hoffman, a filthy rich, newly married couple from Silicon Valley,” Trevor said, glancing around as if taking in the ambience. “We’ve been on an extended honeymoon for the past few months and are currently heading for a trans-Atlantic cruise out of New York City. We decided to do some gambling and got tired of dealing with all the crap at the local casino.”
“You think they’ll buy that?” she asked as he led her across the room toward the door with the guards.
“You sell the fact that we’re a newly married couple, and I’ll make them believe I’m a rich guy with a gambling addiction.”
She could do that. Then she realized one big flaw in their cover story. “If we’re a newly married couple, shouldn’t I be wearing a ring?”
Trevor gave her a sidelong glance. “What makes you think you aren’t?”
She looked down at her hand in confusion and almost fell off her stacked heels as she saw the monstrously large diamond he’d somehow slipped onto her ring finger when she wasn’t looking. Oh crud, it was huge! And as beautiful as any she’d ever seen.
“When did you put this on? More importantly, is this thing real?” she whispered.
Thank goodness she had his arm to keep her steady. She was feeling faint at the idea of wearing a diamond that was probably worth more than her entire apartment.
“I put it on you when we were married on the first of June in Monaco,” he whispered back. “And of course it’s real. I would never put something fake on the love of my life.”
“Trevor, I’m serious,” she said.
He made a face. “Okay. I slipped it on your finger when I was helping you out of the SUV. And yes, it’s real, so don’t lose it. I had to sign my life away to get it out of the DCO safes.”
She gulped. “How much is it worth?”
“Nothing compared to you, sweetheart,” he said in a romantic tone as they stopped in front of the two guards.
The bouncers working this door were a little bit more professional than the ones outside.
“Can I help you?” one of the men asked in a deep, rough voice that made Alina wonder if he chewed gravel for fun.
“Someone told me a man might be able to find a friendly game of poker somewhere near here,” Trevor said casually. “I don’t suppose you two might be able to point my wife and me in the right direction for a game like that?”
The two men regarded him suspiciously.
“I think you’re talking about the Horseshoe Casino,” Gravel said. “It’s nearby, very clean and friendly.” Trevor chuckled. “The Horseshoe is very friendly. But the place doesn’t have the quite the atmosphere we’re looking for. It’s a little too…what’s the word?… sanitized for our liking.”
Gravel studied Trevor for a moment, then glanced at the bar, giving someone there a nod. Ten seconds later, a slim man in an expensive suit appeared at their side.
“My name is Teddy,” he said in a cautious yet friendly tone. “What can I do for you?”
“I’m Trevor Hoffman. This is my wife, Alina. We’re getting ready to head out on a cruise in a few days and decided to do some gambling while we’re in town. Someone told us this place runs a clean game, so I thought I’d spend some money here.”
Teddy surveyed them with a practiced eye, taking in the cut of Trevor’s suit and her expensive gown, not to mention the big honking ring she wore. He must have liked what he saw, because he nodded.
“If I could get some identification and a credit card from you, Mr. Hoffman, I can quickly check your credentials and set you up with a line of credit.”
Alina tensed as Trevor handed over the requested ID and credit card. They could be in trouble. The fake ID and credit card by themselves would have taken quite a bit of time and money to pull off. Coming up with an Internet background to support that would take even longer.
“What are they going to find when they run your name and that credit card number?” she whispered as he slipped his arm around her and casually urged her away from the two men guarding the door.
“Relax.” He flashed her a grin. “They’ll find us with all the relevant financial and societal tidbits one would expect to see when looking at the rich and bored.”
She glanced at Teddy. He typed something into a computer just out of sight behind the bar. A moment later, he lifted his head and frowned in their direction.
“Something’s wrong,” she whispered.
Even the two guards were eyeing them funny now. She was starting to wish she had a weapon. If things went bad, they were in trouble.
“Alina,” Trevor said softly as he tightened his arm around her waist and tugged her closer. “Now’s the time for you to sell the newlywed thing.”
She opened her mouth to ask him exactly how he suggested she do that when he pulled her even closer.
She wished she could have said it was years of CIA training that took over and made her kiss him. But that wouldn’t have been true. Instead, it was a totally different kind of instinct. The kind that made a woman want to kiss a hot guy.
Paige Tyler is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of sexy, romantic fiction. Paige writes books about hunky alpha males and the kick-butt heroines they fall in love with. She lives with her very own military hero (a.k.a. her husband) and their adorable dog on the beautiful Florida coast. Visit www.paigetylertheauthor.com.
Find Paige Online:
Website: http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com/
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Twitter: @PaigeTyler
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2300692.Paige_Tyler
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