Her Wild Hero by Paige Tyler

The Basics:
Her Wild Hero by Paige Tyler
Sourcebooks Casablanca
Book 3 in the X-Ops series
Paranormal Romance/Romantic Suspense
Published May 5, 2015
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Why I picked up this book:

I read the second book in the series, Her Lone Wolf, and really liked it. 

Blurb:

Name: Kendra Carlsen
Rank: Trainer, Dept. of Covert Ops
Objective: Get out of the office and into the field

Name: Declan MacBride
Rank: Munitions Expert, Dept. of Covert Ops
Status: Bear Shifter
Objective: Protect Kendra at all costs

The steamy Costa Rican jungle brings out the bear in Declan MacBride when he and new operative Kendra Carlsen are ambushed. In the midst of relying on each other to survive, and fighting his explosive attraction to Kendra, this shifter is about to lose control... 

My Thoughts:

I have this problem with Paige Tyler's books wherein I start reading them and think that I'm actually reading a different book. With Her Wild Hero, I thought I was going to be reading the story of Tanner, a hybrid shifter who has temper/control issues, but who seems to be soothed by the doctor who works with him. I thought that sounded pretty darn sexy...

Oops! No, Her Wild Hero is about Declan, a bear shifter who has been crushing on Kendra, a desk jockey who wants into the field (and who's finally getting over her crush on Clayne, another shifter in the agency) and the trouble they get into when a routine training mission in the Costa Rican jungle goes awry.

Now, there's this amazing meta-story about the creation of these hybrids (see my interest in Tanner's story), and experiments involving other shifters in the agency. This includes a mysterious man on the inside who has to be complicit in the hybrid research - a man the team suspects is their direct boss (so I'm assuming is not). I'm really enjoying this story, and I liked the bits and pieces that Her Wild Hero adds to it. I won't spoil any of it, but I love the shape and direction of this series-wide story arc, and I will keep returning for more of it until all of my questions are answered, darn it!

I also thought Her Wild Hero really delivered on the action component of romantic suspense. There are some awesome fight sequences that really got my blood pumping. Further, the atmosphere is tense, the plot moves forward with a sense of urgency, and the jungle provides the perfect, slightly creepy setting for this escape-rescue-investigation tale.  

What I didn't buy into so heavily was the romance itself. I loved the idea of Declan. He has issues with being a shifter that are rooted in his personal history, and I loved how they came to bear (ha ha ha) in this book. Kendra, unfortunately, was less believable for me. I think having her moon over Clayne until she realized they had no chemistry in the previous book, and then have to shift gears to really 'see' Declan was just not handled believably for me. I found it too convenient, too hasty, and too inappropriate for the situation. The stakes were simply too high for these two to indulge in anything other than a recognition of their potential, to be set aside for when they the luxury to explore it. Theirs is not my favourite romance in this series, that's certain.

Bottom line:

Her Wild Hero isn't my favourite paranormal romance. I did like the novelty of a bear shifter, but the romance itself fell flat for me. But! If you like action stories, and if you're already a fan of the series and want to know more about what's going on with those pesky hybrids, check this book out!

3 stars
For fans of shifters, paranormal romance

But don't just take my word for it! I grabbed a few links to other blog reviews of Her Wild Hero:

Book Pushers 

That's What I'm Talking About

Paranormal Haven

All Things Urban Fantasy