Review: Her Rogue Alpha (X-Ops #5)

Her Rogue Alpha (X-Ops #5)

by Paige Tyler

Blurb:

 HE'LL DO ANYTHING FOR HER

Former Special Forces Lieutenant Jayson Harmon can't believe that his war scars don't matter to beautiful feline shifter Layla Halliwell. Why would she saddle herself with a broken man?

But Layla knows that Jayson is a hero to the core, and that only she can heal his wounded soul. So when Jayson is deployed on another deadly mission, no way is Layla staying behind...

Themes: Paranormal, Shifters

Rating: 3.75 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

 The story of Jayson and Layla has been a long time coming, little bits and pieces of their lives being shared with us in previous novels.  They have both had their traumas and problems in the last few years dealing with the changes in their circumstances, but they are both determined to share their lives and are slowly falling deeper in love.  Tyler’s series about shifters and their agent partners, working to keep the world safe from rogue shifters and humans that are causing problems the world over, is beyond interesting and I have enjoyed each installment, but Jayson and Layla’s story was more emotional and was obviously the kind of love story that shapes a person forever.   Jayson has been in a serious rut ever since a freak accident on a mission in the Middle East left him fighting for the ability to walk and be the man he once was.  When his friend comes to see him in the hospital, bringing along his woman and her sister, Jayson’s world changes forever.  That sister was Layla and what he felt for her was not only deep and intense, but it gave him a reason to keep fighting for his full recovery.   Now that he has found a way to possibly join her in her new role as an agent of the X-ops team, Jayson is willing to do just about anything, even if it could end up killing him.  Layla knows that Jayson is her mate, but the harder she fights for him, the more he seems to pull away from her.  Jayson is obviously the kind of alpha male that is not used to having to rely on anyone but himself and his struggles are ones that can truly only be understood by someone who has lived that truth or is one of the people that love and support them.  The psychological and physical wellbeing of a soldier that has lost himself after serious injury was a great way for Paige to show the growth and change that love can cause.  Layla was the kind of sweet but stubborn woman that would make a good partner, both professionally and in life, for a man like Jayson, whether he’s ever able to be the man he once was or finding a way to accept the way his life is now. The love between Layla and Jayson was obvious, if not as obviously sexual as previous novels.  The two of them began the relationship in previous novels so the typical getting to know you portions of the story were not needed, but as they worked together in the field they found out all kinds of new information about each other.  The acceptance that they found together and their ability to find their love strengthened even as they worked to defeat their enemies and fulfill their mission shows readers that love can be found in even the most unlikely of places.  I am looking forward to more stories in this series and I keep hoping that the shifters and their mates can solve the mystery of who is creating and unleashing the ferals into their world.   The series just keeps getting more and more interesting and if you have missed the previous installments I recommend you grab the whole set and settle in for the long read over the holidays.

*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.